Huawei, Xiaomi and Oppo to launch 5G smartphones in Switzerland this week

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May 1, 2019

Smartphone industry is actively experimenting with the bio-metric security and is now offering in-display fingerprint sensor. Many smartphone manufacturers are now offering sixth-generation technology which provider wider fingerprint recognition area.

If you are among those who wishes for the whole smartphone display to act as a fingerprint sensor, then we have some good news. It seems that Apple is working on acoustic fingerprint imaging technology that can offer full-screen Touch ID.

This will enable the company to offer Touch ID on iPhone without the need to embeds the sensor in the home button, and the company the continue offering clean full-screen design for the front panel.

With iPhone X, Apple replaced Touch ID with Face ID which uses TrueDepth camera array. This enabled the US-based company to have edge-to-edge display. However, Face ID still has some flaws that Touch ID continues to be better at, such as unlocking the iPhone without looking at it.

In a patent granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office, the company describes an acoustic imaging system for a surface. It is using a combination of acoustic transducers to vibrate a surface in a specific way, which can effectively turn the entire display into a fingerprint reader.

Another patent named “Acoustic imaging system for spatial demodulation of acoustic waves,” covers the same subject area with a relatively similar technique, except that it goes into greater detail relating to transducer placement.

In the second patent, the company explicitly suggests that the object being detected “is a finger,” while the user input surface could be formed from “glass, sapphire, or metal,” with the obvious application being a touch-enabled display.

While we doubt if Apple will move back to Touch ID for iPhone after ditching it in favor of Face ID. However, the full-screen fingerprint sensor will eventually become a reality given that most manufacturers have now adopted in-display fingerprint sensor. It’s just a matter of time and it will be interesting to see which make becomes the first to do so.

(Sources – 1, 2)

Lenovo Z6 Pro update adds DC dimming and several other features

By

Simranpal Singh

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May 1, 2019

The Lenovo Z5 Pro GT’s successor – Lenovo Z6 Pro is receiving a new update with firmware version of 11.0.457. There are many new changes and advancements in the new yet enhanced ZUI iteration. Lenovo added much awaited DC dimming technique to lower the brightness on Z6 Pro. The device ditched the old PWN – Pulse Width Modulation technology to reduce brightness due to its ill effects on users’ eyes.

The latest update also visually revamps the U health app. There are some new features like the addition of a manual switch to toggle the night scene mode as per need, a courier card to real-time track the courier and dedicated HDR10 Ultra HD vision portal with single tap operation.

There are some UI changes to the global search widget, and now users can stay updated with the latest news. Other changes involve the addition of battery percentage icon, full-screen viewing, improved Coldfront liquid cooling system for intelligent resource usage. Furthermore, it enhances the camera stability with detailed experience for the users. It fixed issues such as occasional application flickering, inaccurate Uhealth step counter and battery management bug.

The update improves the customisability of the overall system on Lenovo Z6 Pro. It is a significant update which aims to improve the efficiency and performance of the device. The update will also protect your eyes from DWM unusual flickering with the new DC Dimming technique.

Read More: Lenovo Z6 Pro supports just 18W fast charging but comes with 27W charger

The ZUI 11.0.457 update is rolling out in China and weighs 270.54 MB in size. Users on several forums reported about the update. It may take some time to reach out on every Lenovo Z6 Pro unit.

(via)

Huawei P30 Pro users will get special VIP Customer Service in India

By

Joel Joseph

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May 1, 2019

Huawei P30 Pro has garnered a lot of attention globally as well as in India, all thanks to its powerful camera setup. Given the phone’s popularity in India, Huawei is now looking to offer special services to its premium customers. The company has announced a VIP customer service facility for its ultra-premium smartphone users, the Huawei P30 Pro and Mate 20 Pro earlier today.

Huawei P30 Pro - Gizmochina — Huawei P30 Pro – Gizmochina

One of the highlights of Huawei P30 Pro‘s VIP customer service is free pick up and drop service at your doorstep. Further, the company promises faster repair turnaround times for the above-listed premium smartphones. There’s also a dedicated IVR on its toll-free number. Other premium services offered include VIP support staff at contact centers and token-free entry at its exclusive customer service centers.

“Customer delight and satisfaction forms the core of our very DNA, be it in terms of product innovation or service delivery. The VIP service is yet another step on our part to provide the best-in-class service to our esteemed consumers across India. The offer is applicable for all variants of the Huawei P30 Pro devices, irrespective of the purchase method, online or retail. Also, as long as the customers have purchased the specific device model, they are eligible to avail the VIP services within the specified warranty period.” adds Tornado Pan, Country Manager (Huawei Brand), Consumer Business Group, Huawei India

All of Huawei’s exclusive service centers are equipped to provide this VIP customer service to P30 Pro and Mate 20 Pro customers in India.

RELATED: IDC: Huawei inching closer to Samsung with 50% YoY growth in Q1 2019 shipments

It’s good to see Huawei taking care of its customers in India. Both the P30 Pro and Mate 20 Pro are premium smartphones that also demand a premium price tag. The P30 Pro was launched in India for more than $1000. Adding this level of VIP service should further help the company improve its brand perception in the country.

Galaxy S10 5G explodes in South Korea, Samsung claims not their fault

By

Simranpal Singh

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May 1, 2019

Samsung Galaxy S10 5G is among the first batch of devices launched with 5G compatibility. There are many key differences in Galaxy S10 5G variant than the standard version. Before launching, Samsung fully optimized the device for better 5G reception and performance. Despite all the optimization and tweaks, a Galaxy S10 5G unit explodes in South Korea.

The owner said that his phone exploded without any reasons at all. The device was placed on a table when smoke engulfs it, said Lee, the owner of burned Galaxy S10 5G. The severe burns with the cracked display on both the front and back side of the device can be seen in the attached photo.

Samsung denies any reimbursements, as the company believes the damage is done due to external impact. After carefully inspecting the Galaxy S10 damage, Samsung refused to reimburse the smartphone which costs 1.39 million won (~$1226).

Samsung nowadays quickly investigates any fire and burn cases to bare-off Note 7 like situation. Samsung banned Note 7 in 2017 after multiple fire cases. Samsung reputation was at stake after the Note 7 fiasco. Since then, the Korean giant follows some stringent policies to check all the battery related issues.

Samsung launched the Galaxy S10 5G in South Korea on April 5. The device available for 1.39 million South Korean won aka $1300 with 256 GB storage, and soon it is surfacing in the US. In South Korea, three major telecom caries – SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus provides 5G services.

Read More: Samsung Galaxy S10 5G receives complaints after launch in South Korea last week

The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G in Korea comes with Exynos 9820 octa-core processor featuring a 7-nanometer process. There’s a 6.7-inch Infinity-O display with a pixel density of 505 ppi. The S10 5G shares a triple rear camera module – 16MP ultrawide, 12MP telephoto, and a 12 MP wide-angle camera. A 10 MP selfies camera is present on the front side for selfies.

(via)

World’s first AI powered Virtual News Anchor from China lands in the UAE

By

Joel Joseph

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May 1, 2019

China’s Sogou has signed a deal with Abu Dhabi Media, the state-owned broadcaster in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to develop an Arabic speaking AI News Anchor. This will make it the world’s first Arabic speaking AI news anchor. These new-age AI anchors can potentially replace the conventional human anchors by providing news broadcasts 24 x 7, 365 days in the year.

Sogou AI news anchor lands in UAE — Source: ADM

Back in November 2018, Sogou, the search engine and AI giant from China had announced its AI news presenter in partnership with the state-owned Xinhua news agency. The AI news anchor can simulate a number of human-like traits. For example, the AI presenter can tweak its voice, facial movements and gestures to present a life-like image of a human presenter.

RELATED: Huawei shows off Mate X foldable smartphone at a 5G conference in China

“The use of artificial intelligence and technological tools in the media sector will result in a qualitative leap forward within the media landscape in the UAE and the wider region,” said Omar Sultan Al Olama, the country’s minister of AI, in a statement.

worlds-first-ai-news-anchor-sogou — World’s First AI News Anchor on Xinhua News, developed by Sogou

China has invested heavily in AI in the past few years. In a recent report from Nikkei, it was revealed that Chinese companies have overtaken their US counterparts in its top 50 patent filers for AI ranking. The report adds that in the period between 2016 and 2018, China more than doubled the number of companies in the top 50 list. This number went up from 9 to 19, in a short three-year period.

(Source)

Google Pixel 3a and 3a XL expected to launch in India on 8th May as Flipkart exclusive

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May 1, 2019

Google is all set to launch its all-new mid-range smartphones under the Pixel lineup of devices — Google Pixel 3a and 3a XL. The company has already scheduled a launch event on 7th May during the Google I/O annual developers conference, where it is expected to launch the new smartphones.

Now, it seems that both the new mid-range smartphones — Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL will be launched in India just a day after they make their global debut. Indian online marketplace Flipkart has made a landing page hinting the same.

Flipkart is teasing the launch of new Pixel devices on 8th May in India, which is very likely to be the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL smartphone, that have been leaked several times in the India. Right now, nothing more is known about the phone’s availability or pricing in India.

Recently, both the smartphones got their Bluetooth certifications which reveals that eight variations went through Bluetooth SIG – four for the Pixel 3a and another four for its bigger sibling the Pixel 3a XL.

Earlier leaks have confirmed that the Google Pixel 3a will be featuring a 5.6-inch Full HD+ display and will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 chipset, coupled with 4GB RAM. On the other hand, the bigger model — Google Pixel 3a XL will feature a 6-inch Full HD+ display with the slightly improved Snapdragon 710 chipset.

The XL variant will be paired with 4GB RAM. Both smartphones will come packed with 64GB internal storage. As per the reports, both the smartphones are expected to retain the camera sensors of the original Pixel 3 models.

As for the pricing, the 3a is expecyed to be available for around $500/€450 while the 3a XL is speculated to start at $600/€530. Both the smartphones will come in White, Black, and Purple colors with accents on the power button.

IDC: Huawei inching closer to Samsung with 50% YoY growth in Q1 2019 shipments

By

Simranpal Singh

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May 1, 2019

The Chinese smartphone and network equipment manufacturer – Huawei is inching closer to Samsung in terms of smartphone market share. In Q1 2019, Huawei managed to rake 19.0% market share just after Samsung’s 23.1%. Apple remained at 3rd place with 11.7% market share witnessing -30.2% decline in YoY basis.

Overall smartphone shipments in Q1 2019 reduced to 310.8 million against 332.7 million units in Q1 2018. Amid the slump in global smartphone shipments, only a couple of manufacturers recorded growth – Huawei reported 50.3% growth, whereas Vivo summarised 24% growth on YoY basis. On the other hand, Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi and OPPO shipped -8.1%, -30.2%, -10.2% and -6% fewer smartphones respectively in comparison with the Q1 2018.

Amid the excellent reception of Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10 Plus, Samsung reported decent profits as it struggled in mid-range and low-end product portfolios. Samsung is now eying profits from the Galaxy S10 5G, Galaxy A80 and Galaxy Fold in Q2 2019. Apple’s share reduced from 15.7% to 11.7% due to shifting focus on services. The Cupertino giant’s cloudy 5G strategy is also impacting the market share, as competitors like Huawei and Samsung already announced their own 5G smartphones.

Continuous improvements and innovations led to Huawei’s ascent in the past few months. Huawei P30 and P30 Pro’s huge demand derived the growth in the high-end market. Whereas its domestic adaptability in China further scaled sales leading to 7.0 points increase in the previous quarter. In-house equipment is also leading to increased sales due to affordable and optimized devices.

“It is becoming increasingly clear that Huawei is laser focused on growing its stature in the world of mobile devices, with smartphones being its lead horse,” IDC program vice president Ryan Reith said in a statement. “The overall smartphone market continues to be challenged in almost all areas, yet Huawei was able to grow shipments by 50%, not only signifying a clear number two in terms of market share but also closing the gap on the market leader Samsung. This new ranking of Samsung, Huawei, and Apple is very likely what we’ll see when 2019 is all said and done.”

Read More: Apple iPhone sales in the first quarter paled against Huawei, claims industry report

Another Chinese smartphone maker – Xiaomi profits also reduced by 0.4 points to 8.0% of the overall share. Meanwhile, Vivo improved by 1.9% in its home market and claiming 7.5% overall market share.

(source|via)

OnePlus 7 Pro Geekbench listing confirms 12 GB RAM and Snapdragon 855

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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May 1, 2019

OnePlus 7 Pro is scheduled to go official along with OnePlus 7 smartphone on May 14. Around two weeks ahead of its launch, the OnePlus 7 Pro has appeared on Geekbench benchmarking platform. The listing again reveals that the smartphone will be hitting the market in 12 GB RAM edition apart from other RAM variants.

Recent reports have revealed that GM1917, GM1915, GM1913 and GM1911 model numbers belong to the OnePlus 7 Pro smartphone. The GM1917 has appeared on Geekbench to reveal some of its key specs. The Geekbench listing of the OnePlus 7 Pro confirms that it is fueled by the 7nm Snapdragon 855 mobile platform. The SoC is mentioned with its “msmnile” codename on the listing.

The OnePlus 7 Pro smartphone is loaded with the latest Android 9 Pie OS. The SD855 chip is supported by 12 GB of RAM. In the single-core test of Geekbench, the OnePlus 7 Pro has scored 3551 points and it has recorded a score of 11012 in the multi-core test.

OnePlus 7 Pro Variants and Price (Rumored)

Recent reports have revealed that the OnePlus 7 Pro will be hitting the market in variants like 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage, 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage and 12 GB RAM + 256 GB storage. In Europe, the last two variants are expected to be respectively priced at 749 euros and 819 euros. There is no information available on the pricing of the 6 GB + 128 GB base model.

OnePlus 7 Pro Specifications (Rumored)

The OnePlus 7 Pro will be arriving with a curved and notch-less AMOLED display of 6.7 inches. The smartphone will offer quad HD+ resolution of 1440 x 3120 pixels and an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. It is equipped with an in-screen fingerprint reader.

The OnePlus 7 Pro will be the company’s first smartphone to arrive with triple rear cameras. It is rumored to include an f/1.6 aperture 48-megapixel primary sensor with EIS and OIS, an f/2.4 aperture 8-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom and a 117-degree 16-megapixel wide-angle lens. For capturing selfie shots, the smartphone is equipped with an f/2.0 aperture 16-megapixel pop-up selfie camera.

The OP7 Pro smartphone will come packed with a 4,000mAh battery that supports 30W Warp Charge rapid charging. The handset is expected to arrive in the market in color variants like Blue, Grey and Brown. The Chinese firm will be also launching the OnePlus 7 Pro 5G version.

OnePlus 7 Pro tempered glass leak showcases the curved screen design

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May 1, 2019

Recently, a full-page advertisement of the OnePlus 7 Pro appeared on the New York Times, revealing some key features of the upcoming flagship smartphone. It confirmed that the phone will come with a notch-less display.

Now, ahead of the phone’s launch on 14th May, the tempered glass panel for the protection of display from minor scratches has surfaced online, revealing that the smartphone will come with a curved screen.

It shows that the screen curves towards the left and right edges, similar to Samsung’s Galaxy S-series flagships. The leaked screen protector also shows that the upcoming flagship smartphone will have minimal bezels surrounding the display. However, the bottom chin is a bit thicker compared to the other sides.

Earlier, the advertisement of the OnePlus 7 Pro shows the illustration of the phone’s internals, which confirms that the phone will come with a pop-up front-facing camera. Prior to that, the company had shared a small video teaser on its social media profiles which confirmed that the smartphone will come with a triple rear camera setup, with sensors placed vertically in the top-center position.

Recently, the company revealed that the display of the OnePlus 7 Pro has been rated ‘A+’ by DisplayMate, making it the best display in any smartphone at this point in time. The full report of the same will be published on 14th May.

As per the reports, the OnePlus 7 Pro will feature a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display that is curved towards the left and right edges. It will support Quad-HD+ resolution of 1440 x 3120 pixels and will have a refresh rate of 90 Hz.

On the back side, the smartphone is expected to come with a 48MP primary camera paired with an 8MP f/2.4 telephoto lens and a 16MP f/2.2 ultra-wide angle lens. Running on Android Pie-based Oxygen OS, the phone is said to pack 4,000mAh battery with 30W Warp Charge fast charging support.

Most of the details regarding this flagship smartphone has already leaked online or the company has confirmed through teasers. But to know for sure what the phone offers, along with its pricing and availability, we’ll have to wait for the official launch event on 14th May.

(Via)

Huawei shows off Mate X foldable smartphone at a 5G conference in China

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May 1, 2019

Huawei had announced its first foldable and 5G compatible smartphone a couple of months ago, named Huawei Mate X. While the phone is yet to go on sale, the company is now showcasing the smartphone at various events.

Recently, during a 5G conference in Sichuan, China, Huawei showcased the Mate X smartphone for the first time in China. After the debacle of Samsung Galaxy Fold regarding the phone’s display issues, eyes are now on the Huawei Mate X.

The company has already confirmed that the phone is not just a concept and has already started mass producing the Huawei Mate X. In fact, the device has now been listed on the company’s website and is set to go on sale from June.

The Huawei Mate X features a large 8-inch screen with a 2480 x 2200 pixels screen resolution and an 8:7.1 aspect ratio when unfolded with pretty thin bezels. When folded, it transforms into a dual display phone – one side is a 6.6-inch (2480 x 1148 pixels) 19.5:9 display while the other is a 6.38-inch (2480 x 892 pixels) 25:9 display.

The phone is powered by the company’s own Kirin 980 chipset, paired with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. It has dual SIM support (nano only) but only SIM 1 supports 5G. You can also swap out the second SIM card for Huawei’s NM card (256GB max.). It comes with the 7nm Balong 5000 modem which brings 5G support to the device.

It features three cameras on the back, which also double as the selfie cameras. The cameras were co-developed with Leica and are made up of a 40MP wide-angle lens, a 16MP ultra-wide angle lens, and an 8MP telephoto lens.

The phone runs the EMUI 9.1.1 custom interface, which is based on Android 9 Pie operating system out-of-the-box. As for the connectivity options, the device supports NFC, dual-frequency GPS, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, and USB Type-C port.

The device comes with two built-in batteries, which offers a total capacity of 4,500mAh. Huawei has also debuted its new SupercCharge fast charging technology which supports up to 55W. The company claims that the new SuperCharge allows users to charge the device from empty to 85% in just 30 minutes.

(Via)

Nokia 4.2 is now up for pre-order in the US for just $189

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May 1, 2019

The Nokia 4.2 was unveiled at the Mobile World Congress 2019 alongside the Nokia 3.2, the penta-lens enabled Nokia 9 PureView as well as the budget-friendly Nokia 1 Plus and Nokia 210 feature phone. Two months after unveiling the smartphone at MWC 2019, HMD Global has announced that the Nokia 4.2 will debut in the United States in two weeks’ time, precisely on May 14.

Ahead of the release, pre-orders for the smartphone have already begun at Amazon and B&H. The model is expected to b available on Best Buy as well but the pre-order page is not yet active. The model is expected to start shipping on May 14. In addition, you can find the 4.2 to buy in-store at select Best Buy stores starting June 9.

The Nokia 4.2 packs a 5.71-inch IPS LCD display with a water drop notch and HD+ resolution. The display also appears in the 19:9 aspect ratio. The Nokia 4.2 is powered by a Snapdragon 439 chipset and will be available in 3GB+32GB memory variants in the US, although there is a 2GB+16GB variant. The phone is fuelled by a 3,000mAh battery while there is equally a dedicated Google Assistant button. The budget model comes with top features such as NFC with Google pay support and Bluetooth 4.2. It is available in Pink Sand and Black. It adopts a retail price of $189 in the US.

NCC gives us first look at Mi Band 4, sports new design and new cable

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Apr 30, 2019

The Mi Band 4 is the name of Xiaomi‘s next fitness tracker. After more than a month since we saw it get its Bluetooth certification, fresh details have surfaced, and this time they are images of the device. The photos are from Taiwan’s NCC where the Mi Band 4 has been certified.

The 4th-gen Mi Band will have a rectangular screen with thick bezels around it and a piece of curved glass covering it. There is a circular halo capacitive button below the screen that replaces the recessed one from the Mi Band 3. The heart rate sensor makes a comeback but the sensor might be a better one.

Another big change is the position of the charging pins. They have been moved from the side on the Mi Band 3 to the bottom. This means the Mi Band 3’s charging cable won’t work for it. This is the same thing Xiaomi did with the Mi Band 3 as it also doesn’t work with the Mi Band 2’s charging cable.

[envira-gallery id=”250894″]

Thankfully, there is a picture of the new charging cable. The cable is designed like a cradle such that the tracker sits inside to charge. With the design of the Mi Band 4 changed, it will probably not also work with the straps of the Mi Band 3.

Continue

LG posts operating loss in Q1, smartphone division still struggles

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Apr 30, 2019

LG’s financial report for the first quarter of 2019 (Q1 2019) has been released and it shows the mobile division continues to struggle. The company’s revenue continues to decline with just KRW1.51 trillion ($1.34 billion) generated between January and March. This is 30% less year on year (YoY) and 11% less when compared with the previous quarter. As indicated by the official statement, the LG Mobile Communications Company figured out how to limit its operational liabilities to KRW203.5 billion ($181 million) while in a procedure of reconstructing its cell phone business. It is expected that the launch of the LG V50 ThinQ 5G will make a positive impact in the second quarter, while the migration of the assembling plants from South Korea to Vietnam will improve productivity and aggressiveness in the second half of the year.

Apart from the mobile business, the other divisions ensured that the organization, in general, is in a solid state. The total income generated in the quarter was KRW14.92 trillion ($13.27 billion) and operational cost remained at KRW900.6 billion ($801.25 million). So the uplifting news is LG can bear to deal with its weak mobile division until it discovers its way back to gainfulness.

Vodafone allegedly found hidden backdoors in Huawei’s equipment – Bloomberg

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Apr 30, 2019

Huawei‘s image continues to come into question repeatedly as it bothers on whether the Chinese giant can be trusted or not. Bloomberg has released a report which claimed that Vodafone Italy confirmed it found “hidden backdoors” in Huawei hardware that might have enabled the Chinese company to access clients’ home systems.

THe US government has been at the helm of efforts to stop the use of Huawei technology globally

The vulnerabilities were found sometime between 2009 and 2011 in Huawei’s home internet routers, as well as its equipment used in parts of Vodafone’s network infrastructure. There was no proof of users information being compromised. Bloomberg reports that both the switch and system vulnerabilities kept on existing past 2012, and furthermore existed in the organization’s systems in the UK, Germany, Spain, and Portugal. Sources state that Vodafone kept on utilizing the hardware since it was less expensive than the challenge and the expenses to evacuate it.

In a statement given to Bloomberg, Vodafone recognized the vulnerabilities but challenged the timetable, saying they were settled in 2011 and 2012. Huawei says it was educated regarding the vulnerabilities in 2011 and 2012, and that they were fixed at the time.

The disclosures come as Huawei’s job in future 5G systems is under exceptional investigation worldwide over fears that its hardware could be abused to help in China’s knowledge endeavours. Numerous nations are at present investigating Huawei’s security protocols, as governments choose which parts of their 5G systems to allot to the Chinese tech giant. The US is moving to boycott the utilization of Huawei gears and is campaigning for its allies to do likewise. In the interim, the UK has apparently settled on a fundamental choice to permit the utilization of Huawei’s gear in non-core aspects of its systems, yet is experiencing pressure from US authorities to boycott it totally.

In an official statement, Huawei labelled Bloomberg’s report “misleading” and said that the story “refers to a maintenance and diagnostic function, common across the industry, as well as vulnerabilities, which were corrected over seven years ago.” It added that “there is absolutely no truth in the suggestion that Huawei conceals backdoors in its equipment.”

Samsung Galaxy Fit and Fit-e pre-booking goes live in Portugal, full specs in tow

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Apr 30, 2019

Samsung has been working on a fitness tracker designed for fans who don’t need the full user experience smartwatch offers but at the same time want a fitness tracker for basic parameters like heart rate, pulse etc. The device dubbed Galaxy Fit-e was spotted last week on Samsung Albania’s site. The device has again reappeared on the company’s Portugal website where the Galaxy Fit-e and Galaxy Fit are open for pre-booking.

The website also gives us an insight into some of the key specs of the Galaxy Fit models. According to the details available, the Fit-e will feature a 0.74-inch monochrome PMOLED display. It will run on the Cortex M0 processor with only 128KB of RAM and 4MB of internal storage. The fitness tracker only supports incoming notifications without the option to respond. In addition, the Galaxy Fit-e features automatic motion detection, sleep analysis and heart rate tracking.

The battery cell is 70 mAh and Samsung claims that it is sufficient for 10 days of utilization on a solitary charge. The band weighs only 15 grams and features MIL-STD-810G durability and Bluetooth 5.0 support.

The more costly Galaxy Fit will pack a 0.95-inch full-screen AMOLED display. It will be powered by a Cortex M33F SoC with 2MB RAM and 32MB of storage. Among the features onboard include notification interactions, automatic motion detection as well as sleep, stress, and heart-rate tracking thanks to its accelerometer, gyroscope and heart rate sensors. The device will pack a 120 mAh battery which will last as long as 7 days of autonomous use. The tracker weighs 23 grams and features the same MIL-STD-810G ruggedness and Bluetooth 5.0 support as the cheaper Fit-e.

The two models will get their interface from the new Realtime OS. As for the pricing, the Galaxy Fit-e starts at €40/$45 while the regular Gear Fit will set buyers back €100/$110. The Gear Fit-e will come in White, Black, and Yellow while the Gear Fit will be available in Black and Silver only. The two fitness trackers are expected to arrive in more markets soon.

Remember the 18000mAh battery Energizer P18K? Its crowdfunding was a colossal flop

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Apr 30, 2019

The recent Mobile World Congress 2019 saw a lot of new gadgets get unveiled. Among them was the Energizer Max Power 18K also known as P18K which was spectacular because of the 18,000 mAh battery it packs. The big battery came with a price and that was the size of the phone.

The company didn’t reveal many details about the model but it later launched for crowdfunding on IndieGoGo. The producer Avenir Telecom set a $1.2 million objective, however, just 11 backers showed interest in the phone, raising only $15,005 before the campaign came to an end. Obviously, the company overestimated the social media attention it courted when the P18K was unveiled at MWC. No doubt, the big battery onboard was attractive but then no one wants to move around with a weighty phone.

Avenir Telecom said it will continue working towards improving structure and thickness of the phone as it acknowledged that “there is a rising interest for smartphones with incredible battery life, which can also be used as power banks”.

The P18K comes with a size that is almost three times that of an iPhone in terms of thickness. It is 18mm thick compared to 7.7mm on the iPhone X. Despite the thickness, the device still has a protrusion on the rear camera. The device comes with a USB Type C port and can charge from zero to full in just 8 hours. That’s an overnight charge but we believe the battery won’t be needing to be recharged so often. The device will likely also support OTG function. The device also presents with a bezel-less display and dual pop-up camera. The phone is powered by an Helio P70 chipset combined with 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage. The 18,000 mAh control cell is said to have 18W quick charging and USB-PD 2.0.

Google Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL certified by Bluetooth SIG

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Apr 30, 2019

It is certainly beyond doubt at the moment that Google will soon launch the much-anticipated Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL at the organization’s 2019 I/O event holding on May 7. We’ve seen essentially everything there is about these new gadgets going from cases to pricing and as of late, observed the two models spring up on Geekbench itemizing the key specs.

Today, the Pixel 3a and 3a XL got their Bluetooth certifications as we inch nearer to the launch date. An aggregate of eight variations went through SIG – four for the Pixel 3a and another four for its bigger sibling the Pixel 3a XL. Alongside the model numbers, we likewise discovered that the two mobile phones will highlight Bluetooth 5.0 and will keep running on Android Pie from the go.

However, neither of those is news. Previous leaks showed the Pixel 3a will pack a 5.6-inch FHD+ screen combined with a mid-range Snapdragon 670 and 4GB RAM. The bigger Pixel 3a XL will feature a 6-inch FHD+ display with the slightly improved Snapdragon 710 chipset paired with 4GB RAM. Both phones will come with 64GB internal storage. The 3a packs an 8MP selfie camera and a solitary 12MP main sensor around the back. Regarding the estimated pricing, the 3a is said to go for $500/€450 while the 3a XL should start at $600/€530.The two phones will come in White, Black, and Purple with accents on the power buttons.

Samsung releases Q1 2019 financial report with weak chip orders driving record profit decline

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Apr 30, 2019

Samsung today released its Q1 2019 financial result and just as anticipated back in late March, the performance is dismal. The report detailed a combined sales of KRW52.4 trillion, which is 13% lower on a yearly premise. The decrease in profit is significantly more prominent. The company raked in just KRW6.23 trillion, down 60% when compared to the profit generated during the same period last year.

Samsung expressed in its public statement the fundamental explanation behind the poor result and identified a weak order for its memory chip. Be that as it may, the Samsung Galaxy S10 sales are “strong”, with a declared quarterly increase in revenue despite a decrease in smartphone sales globally. The revenue from the Galaxy S10 sales is mainly due to an increase in the price of the model. Samsung’s phone shipments were limited due to a reorganization of the mid-range and low-end segments.

The tech giant has assured that it will “strengthen its product lineup through innovations and continued reorganization of its product offerings”. These reorganizations gave us the Galaxy S10 5G and the Galaxy A80 with a rotating camera.

Since the demand for OLED panels is declining, while the LCD business is remaining at a similar dimension, Samsung expects increased interest for premium television panels like UHD, 8K and ultra-HD televisions. The company also plans to continue to expand its execution of 5G commercialization abroad. Samsung will continue providing 5G hardware to South Korea and the US.