Samsung Galaxy S7 edge Olympic Games Edition up for pre-order, costs €879

Just a day after it was made official, the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge Olympic Games Limited Edition has been made available to pre-order in Germany. The South Korean company has the device listed on its official website and is charging €879.

Unlike the standard Galaxy S7 edge, the Olympic Edition unit will come in a textured limited edition box, with an individual identification number (like GER-0001, or GER-0002 ..., or GER-2016) embedded on it.

Only 2,016 units are up for grabs. So if you're planning to pre-order one, you might have to act really fast. Shipments begin July 18, which is the official launch day. Aside from Germany, the device will also be available in the US, Brazil, China, and South Korea.

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Meizu MX6 hits AnTuTu, launch confirmed for July 19

The Meizu MX6 has been long in our rumor section and the interest towards the upcoming phablet is growing by the day. Since the Pro 6 broke pattern with a smaller screen and earlier release, we didn't know what to expect from the MX6.

The latest rumors shed some light though - it will be a 5.5" smartphone with a 1080p AMOLED screen, Helio X20 chipset, metal unibody, and Android Marshmallow with Flyme 5.2. Some reports suggested the MX6 will come with 4GB of RAM, but there will be a cheaper model with 3GB RAM and halved storage (16GB).

Today the Meizu MX6 popped on AnTuTu and spilled the beans on its specs yet again. The databse entry confirms the screen resolution and Helio X20 chipset (Dual-core 2.3 GHz Cortex-A72 & quad-core 2 GHz Cortex-A53 & quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A53 CPU, Mali-T880MP4 GPU) with 4GB RAM. The chip is a downclocked version of the Helio X25 behind the Meizu Pro 6.

The bigger screen and thus body should allow Meizu to fit a bigger battery, possibly a 4,000 mAh unit.

What's new is the camera setup - as it turns out it differs from all previous rumors for a 20.7MP + 8MP snappers and instead the MX6 should be packing a 12MP main camera and a 5MP selfie shooter.

Another report confirms the official announcement date - July 19. The premiere will happen in the National Convention Center in Beijing. You can clearly see the confirmation on the invitation below.

It seems we are 11 days from the Meizu MX6 premiere and we'll know all the details soon enough. And if you are wondering about the pricing, you should prepare to shell out around $300.

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Samsung Galaxy J2 (2016) officially unveiled with Smart Glow notifications

After being spotted on benchmarks and the FCC's website as well as leaking in renders, the Samsung Galaxy J2 (2016) has finally gone official. The device is now listed on the South Korean company's India website.

Specs-wise, the Galaxy J2 (2016) is powered by a quad core 1.5GHz processor and sports a 5-inch HD display. It comes with 1.5GB RAM and 8GB expandable internal memory, and packs in a 2,600 mAh battery. The entry-level handset features an 8MP rear camera and a 5MP front shooter.

Available in Gold, Black, and White color options, the Galaxy J2 (2016) measures 142.4 x 71.1 x 8.0mm and runs Android Marshmallow out-of-the box. The unique feature of the phone is a feature called Smart Glow that lets you color-code your contacts, apps and phone usage alerts so that you get more accurate notifications without even having to look at the screen.

The handset also features Turbo Speed Technology (TST) that is aimed at performance enhancement, which is achieved by "using the least amount of resources to complete a particular task in the fastest time." Samsung claims that with this tech, apps load up to 40% faster when compared to devices with double the RAM.

Aside from these features, the S Bike Mode is also there. As for price, the Galaxy J2 (2016) reportedly costs INR 9,750, which translates into around $145. It will be available for purchase in India starting next week.

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Final Fantasy 7 Releases for Android Phones Today

Square Enix suddenly releases Final Fantasy 7 on Android devices, but this version of the popular game has a game-breaking bug that needs to be squashed.

iOS owners have been able to play Square Enix’s classic JRPG Final Fantasy VII for the past year, but Android users have been left out. That changes today, as Square Enix has launched Final Fantasy VIIworldwide for Android mobile devices, though the launch hasn’t gone as smoothly as the company may have hoped.

Unfortunately, Final Fantasy VII on Android is plagued by a pretty serious game-breaking bug involving the game’s vehicles. Depending on how close players are to various terrain when getting in or out of vehicles, it may become impossible for the vehicles to move again. Square Enix has yet to fix this issue, and recommends that players save often and use multiple save slots to avoid too much frustration.

Otherwise, it seems as though Final Fantasy VII on Android is the same game that veterans of the franchise know and love, with some enhancements. For example, players are able to use cheats like turning off random battles and maxing out stats of the characters instantly. Returning players will also notice a visual upgrade, as the Android version is a slightly altered re-release of the HD Steam version of the game that launched a few years back.

Square Enix is likely re-releasing the enhanced version ofFinal Fantasy VII on so many platforms not only to bank on nostalgia, but also to help promote Final Fantasy VII Remake. By keeping the original game fresh in the minds of gamers, it could help generate additional interest in the upcoming remake.

It could also work the other way as well, with hype for the remake making fans eager to buy the game again on other platforms. And if enough gamers purchase the Android versions of Final Fantasy VII, it may convince Square Enix to bring the enhanced versions of other Final Fantasy games to the platform as well, such as Final Fantasy VIII.

Final Fantasy IX is already on Android, and Final Fantasy VII‘s release today means that Final Fantasy VIII is the only PS1-era Final Fantasy game yet to hit the platform. If Final Fantasy VII and IX on Android both have strong sales, perhaps Square Enix will be convinced to finally bring Final Fantasy VIII to mobile. While fans wait for news on that front, they’re free to enjoy the other Final Fantasygames already available for smartphones and tablets.

Final Fantasy VII is available on PC, PS1, PS4, in addition to Android and iOS mobile devices.

Source: GameSpot

Pokemon Go Tops iOS App Store on Launch Day

The recently released augmented reality title Pokemon Go is a hit on the iOS App Store so far, and is currently the top grossing game and most popular free game.

Go outside right now, and there’s a good chance that you’ll see people walking around, staring at their phones, searching for wild Pokemon in Pokemon Go. It’s clear that the game is quite popular with mobile gamers, and while we don’t have concrete numbers for the Android version yet, we know that Pokemon Go is topping the charts on iOS devices.

As of the time of this writing, Pokemon Go is the top free game on the App Store. More importantly, Pokemon Go is also the iOS App Store’s top grossing game, beating mobile juggernauts like Game of War, Candy Crush Saga, and Clash of Clans, and proving that its microtransactions are apparently worth the asking price for fans.

After this initial success, Nintendo probably doesn’t regret its decision to invest heavily in Pokemon Go developer Niantic. However, it remains to be seen if Pokemon Go has the staying power of other popular mobile games. Its use of augmented reality and GPS asks players to constantly be walking around outside to play it, which may be unappealing to those that would rather play video games as a way of winding down and relaxing. Others have complained that Pokemon Go kills battery life, which is another flaw that may cause the game to slip from the top of the App Store charts.

It seems like the best way of keeping Pokemon Go at the top of the charts is by updating it with new features. Right now, the game lacks a lot of key Pokemon elements, such as trading, battling friends, and fighting wild Pokemon. With the game already a major moneymaker, it seems likely that Niantic will be quick to flesh out the experience with that kind of content, so fans should be able to expect regular updates for the game moving forward.

If Niantic is able to keep the current set of Pokemon Goplayers engaged for the long run, it may became one of the biggest mobile games to date. The success it’s already had goes to show that Nintendo probably shouldn’t have been so cautious letting its franchises come to mobile, and it will be interesting to see if other upcoming Nintendo mobile projects, like Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem, have similar success.

Hopefully future Nintendo mobile gaming projects have a smoother launch than Pokemon Go, though, as the game has had a number of issues since its release. However, Pokemon Go is a hit even with its technical issues, and the game is being played extensively by smartphone owners the world over. Pokemon Go‘s real test will be staying at the top of the App Store charts in the weeks and months moving forward, and if it achieves that, then expect Nintendo to become even more aggressive in the mobile gaming market.

Pokemon Go is available now for Android and iOS mobile devices.

Source: GameSpot

Xiaomi outs a new teaser; likely for the Mi Note 2

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi has outed a new teaser on Weibo (China's Twitter). The image in question just says 2>5 with a caption that translates roughly as "Love it, no one lose."

Although it's a bit difficult to pin point exactly which product the company is teasing, the Mi Note 2 seems a likely candidate as it is currently keeping the rumor mill afloat, as well as has the number '2' in its name.

Now, this brings us to the question: what does '5' represent? Given that rumored specssuggest the Mi Note 2 is a flagship device, it's likely that '5' also represents a flagship phone (as both are being compared). Could it be the Mi 5? Well, the possibility can't be ruled out.

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