MWC 2015 | Acer unveils Liquid Leap+ smart wearable
This innovative wearable has a minimalistic, button-free design, but is fully compatible with any Android, Windows, or iOS smartphone.
Notebook, Smartphone, and Tablet News
On this page you will find developing stories and top news on notebooks, tablets, smartphones, and related technology.
additional restrictions: News, Columns 
Mar 4
Verizon HTC One M8 finally gets Lollipop update
Owners of this flagship on Verizon can finally get HTC's Sense 6 UI and the Material Design enhancements of Android 5.0, as well as Band 4 LTE roaming and enhanced 3-way calling.
GDC 2015 | Nvidia presents SHIELD, an Android TV and gaming console for the living room
The new console is powered by Nvidia's Tegra X1 and has access to both native Android gaming and cloud-powered PC titles delivered via Nvidia GRID. Ports of popular PC games were also promised.
Mar 3
YotaPhone 2 to hit the US via Indiegogo for just $600
The dual-screen handset will reach the US this spring as previously rumored, but through a crowdfunding campaign.
MWC 2015 | SanDisk introduces iNAND 7132 eMMC storage and several storage accessories
The new storage solution employs an SLC accelerator layer in addition to the main TLC layer and promises performance that is sufficient for any existing application.
MWC 2015 | Curved display BlackBerry smartphone coming later this year
The handset shown in Barcelona today is the first one to run BlackBerry 10 OS and to pack a slide-out keyboard, as well as a curved touchscreen.
A short history of the Lenovo-Superfish scandal
Between September 2014 and February 2015, Chinese manufacturer Lenovo has been preloading the Superfish adware on its laptops. This is a short history of the Lenovo-Superfish scandal.
MWC 2015 | BlackBerry Leap: 5-inch HD smartphone priced at $275
Today BlackBerry officially announced the Leap, a 5-inch smartphone with dual-core processor. As with all BB 10 OS devices, the Leap can also run Android apps.
MWC 2015 | Silent Circle unveils the ultra-secure BlackPhone 2 smartphone
Over at MWC 2015 in Barcelona, Silent Circle announced two new devices, the Blackphone 2 handset, and the Blackphone Plus tablet. The main feature of the new devices is an ultra-secure operating system.
MWC 2015 | Huawei MediaPad T1 7.0 and T1 10 oficially announced
At MWC 2015, Huawei has expanded its Android tablet range by announcing the MediaPad T1 7.0 and the MediaPad T1 10. These affordable tablets are priced starting at around 100 Euro.
MWC 2015 | MediaTek unveils MT6753 and MT8173 SoCs and announces CrossMount platform
The Taiwanese fabless chipmaker presents two new 64-bit processors for mobile devices and a new standard that will simplify resource sharing between gadgets.
Samsung has big hopes for Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge
The two new handsets will hit the market next month and Samsung hopes they will perform much better than the Galaxy S5 and even the company's best seller so far, Galaxy S4.
Nvidia seeks to prevent mobile GPU overclocking through a vBIOS-based lock
[UPDATE 2: the vBIOS lock will be removed] A well-known vBIOS modder confirmed the recent reports: many of Nvidia's GTX 900M series GPUs in new gaming laptops ship with a vBIOS that prevents overclocking.
Anniversary Column - Once upon a ski lift
10 years of Notebookcheck. What better occasion for the bean-counters of the company to shed some light on to the origins of the website and share some insights and anecdotes as well.
Mar 2
MWC 2015 | Intel unveils new Atom processors
The new chips unveiled today aim smartphones, phablets, and tablets, as well as convertibles. First products that use them are expected in mid-2015.
MWC 2015 | Acer reveals Liquid M220 Windows smartphone
This 4-inch Windows smartphone is Windows 10-ready, has low specs, but promises to run better than Android smartphones with similar hardware, and will hit the market next month.
MWC 2015 | Archos 94 and 101 Magnus tablets officially unveiled
Archos has just unveiled three new Android tablets in its Magnus series, one of which is marketed as the first tablet in the world to come 256 GB of storage.
MWC 2015 | Microsoft intros Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL
These two new Windows Phone handsets are both upgradeable to Windows 10, come with a one-year subscription to Office 365 Personal, and target the low-end segment of the market.
MWC 2015 | Lenovo Tab 2 A10 and Tab 2 A8 officially announced
Today Lenovo unveiled two entry-level Android tablets that feature Dolby's Atmos surround sound technology. The new Lenovo tablets come with quad-core processors and IPS displays.
MWC 2015 | Sony oficially unveils the Xperia Z4 Tablet
Today Sony officially unveiled the Xperia Z4 Tablet, a device that's being marketed as the thinnest tablet in the world. In addition to a thickness of just 6.1mm, the main highlights include a Snapdragon 810 chipset and Android 5.0 Lollipop.
MWC 2015 | Acer unveils Liquid Jade Z LTE smartphone
This new 5-inch handset packs a Corning Gorilla Glass 3-protected IPS Zero Air Gap display, 13 MP main camera, a 64-bit MediaTek processor, and loaded with Android 5.0 Lollipop.
Mar 1
MWC 2015 | HP presents the Spectre x360 13 convertible
HP's new 13-inch convertible offers an Intel Broadwell-U processor, an M.2 SSD and a high-resolution touchscreen.
MWC 2015 | HTC One M9 is officially announced
The hotly anticipated HTC flagship doesn't bring many changes from its predecessor, but the improvements are obvious.
MWC 2015 | Samsung unveils Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge smartphones
The two new Exynos-powered flagships sacrifice removable battery and expandable memory in favor of metal-and-glass design.
Feb 28
Apple grabs 89 percent of worldwide smartphone sales profits
With a market share of only 20 percent, the notorious Cupertino-based company managed to grab most of the smartphone operating profits worldwide.
LG G Pad F 7.0 hits Sprint
This 7-inch Android tablet powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor is the first one to join the carrier's portfolio and can be purchased alone or as part of two virtual bundled promotions, next to select LG handsets.
Samsung ATIV Book 9 ultrabook hits the US starting at $1,200
This 12.2-inch ultraportable is powered by a new Intel Core M processor and will hit the US market tomorrow for a price that starts at $1,200 USD.
Feb 26
MWC 2015 | Meizu is preparing MX4 Ubuntu Edition smartphone
Unlike most previous Ubuntu smartphones, Meizu's MX4 Ubuntu Edition is packed with flagship-tier hardware.
The new Moto E rolls out
The second generation drops the dual SIM capability, but brings 4G LTE connectivity, a larger screen, a faster processor, as well as more internal storage and Android 5.0 Lollipop on top.
First VAIO smartphone rumored to be announced on March 12
The new owner of VAIO, the Japan Industrial Partners investment fund, is allegedly gearing up to officially announce the first VAIO smartphone in the history of the brand.
Toshiba unveils new Satellite C50-B, C70-B, and C70D-B notebooks
Toshiba has expanded its Satellite C50-B, C70-B, and B-C70D notebook series by announcing five new models. The new notebooks are priced between 549 and 699 Euro.
Sony leaks the Xperia Z4 Tablet with 2K display ahead of MWC 2015
The Xperia Z4 Tablet briefly surfaced yesterday on the official Sony website. The main highlights include a 2K display and a high-end chipset.
Samsung intros 128 GB UFS 2.0 embedded memory for smartphones
The industry’s first 128 GB ultra-fast UFS 2.0 embedded memory for next-gen high-end smartphones has just entered mass production.
MWC 2015 | LG Watch Urbane LTE coming next week
The all-metal Urbane that will be unveiled next week in Barcelona promises to become the world's first LTE-enabled smartwatch.
Feb 25
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 specs leak in benchmark listing
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 has surfaced in a leaked benchmark result. The main highlights of the tablet include an octa-core Exynos 5 processor with 3GB of RAM.
Google Wallet partners with Softcard to compete against Apple Pay in the US
Google recently announced a partnership with three major carriers from the United States. By the end of the year, the Google Wallet app will come pre-installed on almost all new Android smartphones sold by these carriers.
Feb 24
Sony Xperia E4g: LTE smartphone priced at 120 Euro
Sony announced today a new entry-level smartphone called the Xperia E4g. The LTE smartphone will be released in April at prices starting at 120 EUR.
Google Chromebook Pixel 2 is officially confirmed
A Google manager announced the upcoming release of the high-end Chromebook's second generation. This premium Chromebook is geared towards developers and will be produced in limited quantities.
Toshiba unveils the Satellite P50-B-11M notebook
Toshiba has just expanded its 15.6-inch notebook Satellite P50-B series with the addition of the Satellite P50-B-11M model. The notebook comes comes with an Intel Core i7-4720HQ processor, AMD Radeon R9 M265X graphics, and a Blu-ray burner.
Feb 23
Updated Microsoft Lumia 635 to come with 1GB of RAM
Microsoft is apparently working on an updated version of the Lumia 635 that comes with 1 GB RAM. The updated handset is said to be unveiled next week at MWC 2015.
Samsung Galaxy S6 with curved display confirmed by T-Mobile teaser
T-Mobile USA recently published a photo teaser of the upcoming Galaxy S6. The photo confirms that the smartphone will feature a curved display and a metal frame.
LG Joy, Leon, Spirit and Magna officially announced
LG has officially announced four new mid-range Android smartphones called the LG Joy, Magna, Leon, and Spirit.
AMD: The upcoming "Carrizo" APU generation casts its shadow before
In the semiconductor trade show ISSCC currently taking place in San Francisco, AMD has announced details about their new APU generation. Although Carrizo is processed in the same 28 nm lithography as its predecessor, the chip should score points with a significantly better energy efficiency.
Feb 22
New Samsung Galaxy S6 teaser is all about metal
A new Samsung Galaxy S6 video teaser from the South Korean manufacturer emphasizes the metal build of the upcoming flagship. The Galaxy S6 will be officially unveiled at MWC 2015 on March 1st.
Feb 20
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 specs leak online
The second-gen slate with Super AMOLED display is expected to feature a Samsung Exynos SoC, Cat.6 LTE connectivity, and to ship loaded with Android 5.0.2.
Nvidia promises to re-enable overclocking for Maxwell-based laptop graphics
The company caves in to negative feedback and says the overclocking feature will return the same way it was removed - through a driver update.
Feb 19
Rumor: 6 million Apple Watch units to be available on launch day
According to a recent rumor, Apple is readying somewhere between 5 and 6 million Apple Watch units in preparation for the launch of the smartwatch series. The manufacturer is also said to have canceled many of the announced functions.
Qualcomm announces four new Snapdragon SoCs
The new Snapdragon 415, 425, 618 and 620 transform once-premium features such as 64-bit support, LTE and Wi-Fi 802.11ac into baseline standards.
Allview E2 Jump: waterproof smartphone priced at 140 Euro
Allview has unveiled a new Android smartphone. The E2 Jump is a IPx5-certified waterproof handset priced at 139 Euros. The 4.5-inch device will be broadly available in Europe starting with March 5.
Feb 18
HTC teases the One M9 for March 1st announcement
HTC confirmed today that the One M9 will be officially introduced on March 1st at the Mobile World Congress 2015 in Barcelona. The smartphone is rumored to come with a 5-inch fullHD display, a Snapdragon 810 chip, and a 20.7MP primary camera.
