Smartphone

Microsoft's new Windows 10 Mobile flagships are not the best-kept secrets in the world, as the software giant itself has accidentally revealed the official presentation photos and some of the more-important specifications on its UK online store before the big launch. Today we get to see the big picture, however, as Microsoft officially announces Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL.

Lumia 950 is Microsoft's answer to popular flagships like Apple iPhone 6s and Samsung Galaxy S6, while Lumia 950 XL serves as the company's flagship phablet, taking the fight to Apple's iPhone 6s Plus, LG's G4 and Samsung's Galaxy S6 edge Plus and Galaxy Note 5, just to name a few of the most-important players in this segment. Here is what you need to know about the new Windows 10 Mobile ambassadors.

Now that Google has officially introduced Android 6.0 Marshmallow, major manufacturers are starting to announce their upgrade plans. Motorola did it yesterday, and today Sony follows suit, revealing which of its Xperia devices will get the new operating system.

Seeing as Google just released the Android 6.0 Marshmallow code, it is too early to tell with exact certainty when every one of those smartphones and tablets will get its turn at receiving the software upgrade. But, Sony has to be commended for being so transparent this early in the game, something which other Android vendors should be doing as well.

In an interview with BBC Panorama, Edward Snowden made further revelations about the capabilities of government agencies. Having blown the whistle on the NSA, Snowden has also shed light on the activities of the UK equivalent, GCHQ.

In tonight's interview, the former NSA contractor spoke of the agency's "Smurf Suite" -- a collection of tools that can be used to intercept and control smartphones, even if they're turned off. Named after the blue cartoon characters, the Smurf tools can be deployed via encrypted text message without alerting the handset owner.

Samsung is going to start using Qualcomm’s processors again with its next flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S7.

If you cast your mind back to the start of the year, that was when news first emerged that Samsung was abandoning Qualcomm CPUs for the Galaxy S6, with the phone maker deciding to exclusively use its own Exynos chips (previously, Samsung had used both Exynos and Snapdragon).

For the curious-minded, iFixit is an essential resource. The hardware teardowns on the site have become legendary, revealing the innards of the latest and greatest phones and tablets better than anyone else. Two recent iFixit teardowns have had interesting results.

Following the release of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, analysis of the internals suggested that the handsets would be more waterproof than previous models -- not something Apple has shouted about. But the outcome of the Apple TV and Siri Remote teardowns were rather less pleasing for the site: they resulted in the iFixit app being pulled from the App Store. By Apple.

There's one thing that everybody looks for in a mobile device -- long battery life. There are constant promises of technological breakthroughs that are just around the corner, but rather than waiting for these to come to fruition, Microsoft researchers have decided to come up with a different solution.

Instead of using a new battery type, Microsoft Research workers have devised a system that using currently available battery technology in conjunction with smarter software. Known as Software Defined Batteries, the system uses multiple batteries, and management software is used to pick the most suitable power source depending on the task that is being performed.

Sony may not have the most popular devices around, but it is not for a lack of quality. Its latest flagship, Xperia Z5, has the best smartphone camera according to DxOMark, outclassing rivals like Samsung's Galaxy S6 edge and LG G4.

Even the lesser Xperia Z3+ is well positioned in DxOMark's mobile chart, coming ahead of the hugely popular iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Xperia Z5 has also outclassed the newly-announced Google Nexus 6P, which has to settle for third place. Not too shabby for a Nexus device.

In addition to the LG Watch Urbane 2nd Edition, today LG also announces its V10 Android phone with a secondary display. This is the device we got a sneak peek at a few days ago and, like the Huawei-made Nexus 6P, this is a premium level handset with a full metal body which builds on the specifications of the G4.

But the LG V10's standout feature is its secondary screen. In addition to the main 5.7-inch display, there is a second, narrow screen at the top of the handset that can be used not only to display notifications, but also to house shortcuts. This is not the only surprise on the front of the phone -- there are also two cameras.

At a media event in San Francisco, Google launches the new Nexus smartphones. Called the Nexus 6P and the Nexus 5X, both handsets come with high-end specifications and several enticing features. While the handsets aren't going to be available in India until later this year, we now know how much money you need if you want to purchase either of the devices.

Google India has -- interestingly -- published the price information of the Huawei-made Nexus 6P, as well as the LG-made Nexus 5X. This is interesting because Google doesn't usually offer this kind of information until it is ready to launch the handset in the country -- at least that was the case with previous Nexus smartphones in India.

Hardware specs for the upcoming Nexus phone have been leaked, and it seems Apple will have a tough battle on its hands this time.

Android Police has released what seem to be a couple of slides made for retail employees, with hardware specifications and images of the new phone.

Google is increasing the maximum APK size in Google Play from 50MB to 100MB. The move comes in response to developers creating apps which offer richer experiences, and helps to avoid the need to download additional data after the initial APK download.

Expansion Files can still be used to allow for apps that exceed the 100MB barrier, but the aim in increasing the base limit is to speed up the installation for users. Now, rather than downloading an app followed by additional updates once the installation is complete, larger apps can now be downloaded and installed in one fell swoop.

Google is making it easier for advertizers to very closely target mobile users, homing in on the 'moments that matter'. The company is launching two new ad products -- Customer Match and Universal App Campaigns -- in a bid to convert more views into sales.

The aim with Customer Match is to target people with ads based on what they are doing, where they are, and the device they are using. It ties in with searches, Gmail, and YouTube to enable businesses to create highly tailored ad campaigns. Universal App Campaigns helps advertisers gain greater reach across the Google network.

Are you are in the market for a flagship Android smartphone, but you do not know what to buy? This is totally understandable, as there are many from which to choose. Let me save you some trouble -- stick to Samsung. Sure, there are other great phones from other manufacturers, but Samsung takes things to another level. Its Touchwiz enhancements are actually an improvement over the stock Android experience, while its hardware are often works of art.

But hold on there, I know what you are wondering; which Samsung flagship should you choose? True, the company does have two Android smartphones which are worthy of your hard-earned money -- the Galaxy Note5 and the Galaxy S6 edge+. Both phones are wonderful, and you should be happy with either, but after extensive testing, I have a definitive answer as to which is better.

The Internet.org project from Facebook has not been without controversy. Created with the aim of getting everyone in the world online, the program has been widely criticized and many partners pulled out. Now a rebranding has been unveiled for the mobile app and website.

With the launch of the Internet.org Platform, Facebook has taken the opportunity to rename the portal through which people can access a range of free services. Changing the name to Free Basics by Facebook is described as a way "to better distinguish the Internet.org initiative from the programs and services we’re providing", but it's hard not to think that it is also an attempt to move away from the controversy of Internet.org, and it comes ahead of serious push into India.

I can't confirm Bloomberg's report that the the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and Justice Department allegedly are beginning a joint investigation into Google's Android licensing agreements. But I can explain what it means. Striping to the bones, from an antitrust perspective, there are two pivot points: Monopoly position and exclusive contracts. Then there is the broader regulatory agenda: Correcting (or preventing future) consumer harm.

Globally, Android is unquestionably a monopoly in the market for smartphones. However, its dominance in the United States is comparably muted by competition from iPhone. Based on smartphone subscribers, Android's share was 51.4 percent for the three months ending July 31, 2015, according to comScore. iOS ranked second with 44.2 percent. By cell phone manufacturer, Apple leads the market, with the same share, followed by Samsung (27.3 percent). Android is leading but declining—down 0.8 points, while iOS is up 1.1 points, from April to July.