Alcatel 1s and ZTE Blade A5 2019 are upcoming phones powered by the Spreadtrum SC9863A

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Feb 6, 2019

Most phones are powered by processors from Qualcomm, MediaTek, Samsung, and Huawei. However, there is another manufacturer that also makes processors for phones. That semiconductor manufacturer is China-based Spreadtrum. Though it changed its name to Unicom last year, its chips still go by Spreadtrum. According to XDA Developers, Alcatel and ZTE will launch two new phones powered by a Spreadtrum processor.

Alcatel 1s

Back at CES 2019, Alcatel announced the Alcatel 1c which is powered by the Spreadtrum SC7731E processor – a 1.3GHz quad-core chipset. This new phone is the Alcatel 1s codenamed “Faraday”. It is powered by the Spreadtrum SC9863A which has eight Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 1.6GHz and a PowerVR GE8322 GPU. The processor was announced last year as the first SoC with only Cortex-A55 processors.

The Alcatel 1s also has an unspecified 720 x 1440 display, 3GB of RAM, and will run Android Pie out of the box. The rest of the specs are unknown.

ZTE Blade A5 2019

The ZTE Blade A5 2019 will come with the same Spreadtrum SC9863A octa-core processor but with 1GB of RAM. It will also have an unspecified HD+ display and run Android Pie out of the box. With the small RAM, the Blade A5 will likely launch as an Android Go phone.

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Samsung patents S Pen with a built-in camera

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Feb 6, 2019

Phone manufacturers keep coming out with new ways to achieve a bezel-less display. There is the notch, the punch hole display, the dual display design, the slider design, and the pop-out camera design. A Samsung patent for the S Pen might just be the most interesting of all.

The S Pen got an upgrade last year that brought fast-charging and Bluetooth connectivity. The latter allowed you to use the S Pen as a remote control for the camera. But what if the S Pen itself was the camera? That is what this patent which was first filed at the Korean patent office back in February 2016 says.

According to the patent description, the S Pen will house an image sensor and a lens with optical zoom. The pen will have a control key (button) to control the optical zoom and a controller with a communication interface that helps it communicate with the phone.

The controller with the communication interface will confirm images taken by the camera. The description also says the optical zoom of the camera can be controlled by the phone. It may also be a notebook or a monitor. Samsung’s Notebook 9 Pen is a 2-in-1 PC with an S Pen, so future models may also come with this new stylus.

If the future S Pen does come with a camera, Samsung can remove the punch hole which houses the camera for a truly bezel-less device.

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Samsung Galaxy M20 vs Asus Zenfone Max Pro (M2) vs Motorola One Power: Specs Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

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Feb 6, 2019

A few days ago, Samsung officially announced the Galaxy phone with the biggest battery ever: the Samsung Galaxy M20. Besides having a mammoth battery, it is also one of its phones with the best quality-price ratio, and it clearly debuted to beat the sales of Chinese companies in the same price range under $200. Given its huge battery, we think it is worth comparing it with other last-generation phones that come with the same peculiarity. We are talking about the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 and the Motorola One Power, sharing the same enormous battery capacity. Who will win? Let’s discover it together.

Samsung Galaxy M20 vs Asus Zenfone Max Pro (M2) vs Motorola One Power

	Samsung Galaxy M20	Asus Zenfone Max M2	Motorola One Power
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	156.4 x 74.5 x 8.8 mm, 186 grams	157.9 x 75.5 x 8.5 mm, 175 grams	156 x 76 x 8.4 mm, 205 grams
DISPLAY	6.3 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 409 ppi, PLS TFT	6.26 inches, 1080 x 2280p (Full HD+), 403 ppi, IPS LCD	6.2 inches, 1080 x 2246 pixels, 403 ppi, 18.7:9 ratio, LTPS IPS LCD
PROCESSOR	Samsung Exynos 7904, octa-core 1.8 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, octa-core 2.2 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, octa-core 1.8 GHz
MEMORY	3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD dedicated slot	3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD dedicated slot	3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 4 GB RAM , 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD dedicated slot
SOFTWARE	Android 8.1 Oreo, Samsung Experience	Android 8.1 Oreo	Android 8.1 Oreo, Android One
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
CAMERA	Dual 13 +5 MP, f/1.9 and f/2.2 8 MP f/2.0 front camera	Dual 12 +5 MP f/1.8 and f/2.4 13 MP f/2.0 front camera	Dual 16 + 5 MP f/1.8 and f/2.2 12 MP f/2.0 front camera
BATTERY	5000 mAh	5000 mAh	5000 mAh, Fast Charging 15W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Dual SIM slot	Dual SIM slot	Dual SIM slot

Design

If for you the priority is having the front side with the most minimal bezels and the most modern look, go for the Samsung Galaxy M20. It has an Infinity-V display with a very small waterdrop notch and very narrow bezels. If you want a more attractive rear side, you should go for the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 because even though it is made of plastic, it is more beautiful and original. But if you are searching the best build quality, Motorola One Power is the best one as it is solid and splash resistant. Given that we are talking about midrange devices made of cheap materials, I would go for the Motorola One Power due to the better build quality. But note that Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 has a more resistant display with the Gorilla Glass 6 protection.

Display

The best display and audio experience is the one offered by the Motorola One Power. It has a wonderful LTPS panel with high brightness and wide viewing angles, and it also supports Dolby Audio for improved audio quality, even though it has a mono speaker just like its rivals. The second place goes to the IPS panel of the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 but there is not an abyssal difference between these two panels. Samsung Galaxy M20 has a less convincing display on the paper, but on the other hand, it offers narrower bezels.

Specs & Software

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 has the most powerful hardware side as it comes with the better Snapdragon 660 chipset and up to 6 GB of RAM in its most expensive version. Motorola One Power is powered by a less powerful Snapdragon 636, but it comes with Android One, a stock version of the operating system updated directly by Google, which offers a very smooth user experience. Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 has stock Android too, but it is not part of the Android One program, while Samsung Galaxy M20 has slightly lower-end hardware with a customized Android experience.

Camera

Samsung’s midrange phones always distinguish from the mass due to their satisfying rear cameras, and in this case, it is exactly the same. The Galaxy M20 has great rear cameras and it is able to shoot detailed photos in most scenarios, even though it is far from top camera phones. But, at least on the paper, Motorola One Power seems a slightly better camera phone. We will have to test the Galaxy M20 thoroughly to give a definitive verdict, but the phone is still not available in the global market, so we will have to wait for a while.

Battery

All these phones are focused on battery life and all of them feature an above-average 5000 mAh battery. Batteries like these can make you forget the charger for at least two days, even with stressed usage patterns. It is not easy to quantify the battery life differences of these devices as they vary with the usage and we still had no chance to test the Samsung Galaxy M20. However, all of them are outstanding battery phones. As for now, I would choose the Motorola One Power because it is the only one to feature a fast charging technology that is very important with a so big battery.

Price

If I had to choose one of these phones by basing on the quality-price ratio, I would surely go for the Samsung Galaxy M20 because it costs just €150/$170. But overall, if I do not consider the price, I prefer the Motorola One Power because of Android One, its great display quality, and its very nice build quality. Both the One Power and the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 come with a price of about €270/$307 which goes slightly up or down depending on the market and online street prices.

Read More: ASUS ZenFone Max Pro M2, Max M2 now official in Russia; Pricing and Specifications Revealed

Samsung Galaxy M20 vs Asus Zenfone Max Pro (M2) vs Motorola One Power: PROs and CONS

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2

PROs

Great battery life
Micro SD dedicated slot
Nice design
Better performance

CONS

Price

Samsung Galaxy M20

PROs

Great battery life
Higher screen-to-body ratio
Good price
Nice cameras

CONS

Potentially worse display

Motorola One Power

PROs

Splash resistant
Android One
Big battery
Nice cameras

CONS

Price

Samsung Galaxy S10, S10+, S10e price for India leaked with launch date

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 6, 2019

Samsung Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+ and Galaxy S10e flagship phones will be announced through Samsung’s Unpacked Event that is scheduled to take place on Feb. 20. The pricing of these phones for different markets such as the U.K, Netherlands and Italy have leaked in the past. Today, 91mobiles has shared the starting price and launch date of the Galaxy S10, S10+ and S10e in India. The publication claims that the information was acquired through a Samsung distributor.

The new leak reveals that Samsung India will be holding a dedicated launch event in India on March 6 to announce the Galaxy S10 series. The source has also revealed that the price gap between different variants of the same phone will be nearly Rs. 4,000.

The Galaxy S10e is expected to be available with a starting price of Rs.50,000 (~$699). Previous leak has revealed that it would be only available in 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage model.

The publication has further revealed that the Galaxy S10 may have starting price of Rs. 65,000 (~$910). Rumors have revealed that the S10 will have a base model of 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage. It is also expected to be available in a higher edition of 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB of native storage.

The Galaxy S10+ is expected to hit the Indian market with a starting price of Rs. 75,000 (~$1,049). Rumors are rife that the S10+ will be available in three models such as 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage, 8 GB RAM + 512 GB storage and 12 GB RAM + 1 TB of storage.

Galaxy S10 series by CompareRaja — Galaxy S10 series image by CompareRaja

Read More: Samsung Galaxy F foldable phone 3D renders get updated based on latest official teaser

The existence of 1 TB storage variant for the S10+ has also been confirmed by the anonymous Samsung distributor. The leak reveals that the handset could be featuring 1.5 TB of storage so that users can take advantage of 1 TB storage. Moreover, it will be also featuring support for up to 512 GB of microSD card through its expansion slot. Considering the Rs. 4,000 price difference between each variant, the highest model S10+ could be available well under Rs. 100,000 (~$1,399) mark. There is no confirmation on whether the S10 series will be available in the same color choices as seen in the recently leaked renders.

Samsung India is also expected to introduce 5G edition of the Galaxy S10. This sounds a bit weird India is not a 5G-ready country yet. Probably, the company could be selling it as a future-ready smartphone in India.

(source)

OnePlus attending MWC 2019, sends invite for closed-door event

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Feb 6, 2019

OnePlus is attending MWC this year! Yes, we are surprised too. The manufacturer has begun sending out invites for a closed-door event.

The invite doesn’t reveal any detail but has the tagline “Reimagine the future with OnePlus” which is pretty vague. There are speculations OnePlus will showcase some of its upcoming devices and services at the invite-only event.

The Chinese manufacturer is working on a number of products such as the OnePlus 7 which will likely have a slider design; a 5G phone; and a smart TV. There is a possibility all or one of these will make an appearance at the event before they get announced.

OnePlus will also use the event to get early opinions on what it is working on. So whatever product that is shown at the event may not be what we will get when it finally launches.

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Xiaomi launches the affordable Mi Men’s Sports Shoes 2 in India for $42

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 6, 2019

Chinese innovative tech giant Xiaomi recently teased the impending launch of a new sports sneakers in India. The product has now been oficially unveiled and it is dubbed Mi Men’s Sports Shoes 2. The product was actually first launched in China around June last year priced at 199 yuan(~$31). This time around it carries a 2999 Ruppees ($42) price tag and is presently on crowdfunding on Mi.com.

The product is the second-gen model of the Mijia Smart Sneakers which was first launched in China in 2017. The only modifiction with this Indian version is tha it is available for men only whereas there are sizes and clolor options for females in the China version. It is possible the company will release more variants late on. The Mi Men’s Sports shoes is manufactured using the Uni-Moulding process which ensures 5 different layers and types of materials are fused into a single mould. Each of the layers is separated using a thin polyurethane film pressed and bonded. Because the components are pressed together with the mould, the appearance of the components will appear to be cleaner than the ordinnary manual glue combination, and the probability of the glue opening up s also highly reduced. The new uni-Moulding process also provides even better stability and support to the feet. In addition, the midsole is crafted using the INFUSE material by the popular company Dow Chemical (DuPont). This material can greatly increase the resiliency of the midsole and is more comfortable and less deformable than ordinary EVA.

Further, the upper part of the Mi Men’s Sports Shoes 2 is manufactured using a three-dimensional seamless high-elastic knitting process. The entire upper part uses just one seam thus minimizing foreign body sensation. The material is very durable such that you can throw in the sneakers into the washing machine without fear of it getting damaged. There is no mention of the intelligent chip inside but since the first version had one, this model may like do too.

The new Mi Men’s Sports Shoes 2 comes in five stylish colour options which includes Black, Floral Blue and Dark Grey colours which are available in sizes 39 to 46. You can check out the crowdfunding page from the source link below.

(source)

Galaxy S10e live photos gives a closer look at its Infinity-O display

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Feb 6, 2019

The Galaxy S10e (not S10E) will be the cheapest of the upcoming Galaxy S10 series. Some have referred to it as Samsung’s answer to the iPhone Xr. Even though it is yet to be announced, a fair number of people like this variant because it has a flat display and not a curved one. Today, photos of the S10e have leaked that provide a closer look at the device.

The Galaxy S10e has an Infinity-O display with a hole in the top right corner for the camera. One of the photos show a ruler close to the hole and its diameter roughly measures 0.5 cm (5 mm) which is pretty big.

[envira-gallery id=”235351″]

Against white backgrounds, the hole stares right back at you but it appears Samsung is being clever with the marketing. The lockscreen wallpaper shown in one of the photos is black at the corner where the punch hole camera is and it does a great job at hiding it.

The Galaxy S10e not only has a smaller 5.8-inch flat display, but it also has a side-mounted fingerprint. None of the live images show the sensor but Roland Quandt of Winfuture.de has released another press render that shows the scanner which is embedded in the power button. The power button is positioned a higher than normal which will be uncomfortable for a lot of users.

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Sony’s “CinemaWide” display trademarked; Xperia XZ4 likely to feature it

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 6, 2019

Sony will be holding its press event at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2019 tech exhibition in Barcelona, Spain to announce its new smartphones including the Xperia XZ4 flagship phone. Recent rumors have revealed that the Xperia XZ4 will be equipped with a very tall aspect ratio display of 21:9. Lets Go Digital has come across Sony’s new “CinemaWide” name trademark. It suggests that the Japanese firm may call the 21:9 aspect ratio screen of the Xperia XZ4 as CinemaWide display.

On Feb. 4, Sony filed a trademark for “CinemaWide” moniker with European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). It has been classified as Class 9 which has been described as “smartphones, tablets, displays, application software for smartphones, image processing apparatus, exposed cinematographic films.” The CinemaWide name sounds more suitable for a tall aspect ratio display. Rumors have it that the Xperia XZ4 will be equipped with a 6.5-inch OLED HDR display that will deliver quad HD+ resolution of 3660 x 1440 pixels.

The Sony Xperia XZ4 is likely to be powered by the Snapdragon 855 chipset and 6 GB of RAM. It may come with an internal storage of 128 GB. A recent leak had revealed that there is an advanced edition of the Xperia XZ4 heading to China that is rumored to feature 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of native storage.

Read More: Image of Sony Xperia XZ4 home screen surfaces showing a rare 21:9 aspect ratio

The Xperia XZ4 is rumored to arrive as the first flagship phone from Sony with triple rear cameras. There is no concrete information available on the configurations of the triple camera sensors of the XZ4. However, rumors it may feature a primary lens of 52-megapixel.

Apart from debuting the Xperia XZ4, the Japanese firm is also rumored to announce the Xperia XA3, Xperia XA3 Ultra and Xperia L3.

(via)

Samsung Galaxy F foldable phone 3D renders get updated based on latest official teaser

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 6, 2019

Tech blog LetsGoDigital first shared 3D renders of the Samsung Galaxy F foldable phone to reveal what the device may look like in reality. While the renders may not represent the exact design the device will pack, they give us an idea of what to expect. A fresh set of renders have not been posted online. The renders are said to be based on the leaked official video ad which gave us our first glimpse of the supposed Galaxy F foldable phone.

The most visible change from the first 3D renders posted is the hinge which folds flat and isn’t segmented like the Microsoft Surface Book hinge. The device carries an amazingly thin build. This may be due to the new polarizer filter which Samsung talked about at its developer conference. The polarizer filter is 45% thinner. In addition, the bezels seem to have been slimmed down as well.

Specs wise, the Galaxy F foldable phone is expected to pack a 7.3-inch display with a resolution of 1,536 x 2,152pixels. The screen can fold in half to give a 4.58-inch screen outwardly. The device is also said to pack two batteries. The device may likely pack a triple camera setup at the rear but that isn’t captured since the renders didn’t feature the back. However, the absence of a front camera on the device means the rear camera will double as the selfie camera. The foldable phone is expected to be unveiled on February 20 during the Galaxy S10 launch.

(source)

Realme 3 and Realme A1 may launch soon in India

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 6, 2019

Realme 3 is expected to debut in the first quarter of this year. Recent reports have revealed that the model number RMX1821 belongs to the Realme 3 smartphone. Fresh information reveals that there is another RMX1825 smartphone in works. It is speculated that this phone may debut alongside the Realme 3. The rumor mill has been already talking about the Realme A1 since the past few months. Hence, it is being speculated that the RMX1825 could be the Realme A1.

Realme C3

As of this writing, there is no concrete information available on the specifications of the Realme 3 handset. The Realme 2 came with a wider notch. Hence, it is likely that the company may reduce the notch on the Realme 3. Probably, it could be equipped with a waterdrop-style notched display.

Realme A1 Rumors

As far as the Realme A1 smartphone is concerned, it is rumored to be positioned between Realme U1 and Realme 2. The following render and specifications of the alleged Realme A1 had surfaced in December. The leak had revealed that the smartphone would be equipped with 1.8 GHz octa-core processor and it will be coming in 2 GB and 3 GB RAM options. The handset may feature 32 GB of internal storage and carry support for external storage. It may draw power from a 4,200mh battery. For photography, it may feature 13-megapixel + 2-megapixel dual camera setup and an 8-megapixel selfie snapper. The alleged Realme A1 could be loaded with Android 8.1 Oreo OS.

Read More: OPPO K1 with in-display fingerprint sensor launched in India for Rs. 16,990 (~$237)

Realme has recently released Realme C1 (2019) entry-level smartphone. it is a newer version of the Realme C1 smartphone that was announced in the previous year. The Realme C1 (2019) carries the same specifications as the last year’s model, but it features new variants. The 32 GB storage + 2 GB RAM and 32 GB storage + 3 GB RAM variants of the Realme C1 are respectively priced at 7,499 and Rs. 8,499 in India. The handset features a 6.2-inch HD+ notched display, Snapdragon 450, 13-megapixel + 2-megapixel dual camera, 5-megapixel front camera and 4,230mAh battery.

(source)

Mi 8 Lite next in line to get Mi MIX 3’s Night Scene mode

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Feb 6, 2019

Just a week after it was announced that Mi MIX 3’s Super night Scene mode will hit the Mi 8 SE later this month, Xiaomi has announced that it will also come to the Mi 8 Lite. At this rate, Xiaomi’s Super Night Scene mode may become a standard feature for most of its phones henceforth.

The Mi 8 Lite is the least powerful model in the Mi 8 series and according to Xiaomi’s co-founder Wang Chuan, he is working overtime to bring the Mi MIX 3’s Super Night Scene algorithm to the Mi 8 Lite.

The super night scene mode which is similar to the Pixel 3’s Night Sight greatly enhances photos taken in low-light or at night. There is no info yet on when the feature will roll out to the device but we expect it to come after that of the Mi 8 SE.

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Germany sets conditions for use of Huawei’s 5G infrastructure and it borders on security and privacy

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 6, 2019

Ever since the US started its clampdown on Huawei‘s infrastructures in its territory, shunning its 5G infrastructure, efforts have been made to get allies to also do the same. The US is said to have contacted several countries such as Germany, Japan, Australia, Taiwan, Norway, the UK and Denmark in order to get them to shun using Huawei’s hardware for 5G. Seems Germany isn’t adhering to that advice as the latest comments by Chancellor Angela Merkel suggest.

The German Chancellor while addressing students at the Keio University during an ongoing state visit to Japan stated that she simply wants guarantees that Huawei will not be handing over data to the Chinese government. She was a quick to add that the statement is not directed at just the Chinese hardware giant, but to all companies who want to work in Germany, emphasizing that security and privacy are key.

Huawei has repeatedly denied that user data could be released to the Chinese government. The company’s founder only recently stated that the company will resist any request by the Chinese goernment for data that compromises users’ privacies. Till date, there is no proof that Huawei could be spying for China btut the company has been accused of several shady trade practices like stealing trade secret. Although there is a law that mandates all Chinese companies to turn in data to the government on request, it is rather weird that other Chinese phone manufacturers don’t get such close scrutiny. The company wasn’t even given any strict set of guidlines that could bring transparency to its dealings with the Chinese government or anyway out of the mistrust. Could it be that the US feels threatened by the rapid growth of the company in the telecommunication industry? Whatever reasons adduced for the ban sounds convincing to some countries as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the Czech Republic and Taiwan are already with the US. Norway, the UK and even Germany itself are yet to make final decisions on whether or not to allow Huawei provide 5G infrastructre.

(source)

OPPO K1 with in-display fingerprint sensor launched in India for Rs. 16,990 (~$237)

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 6, 2019

OPPO K1 is the newest smartphone to go official in India. It is the very same phone that was announced in China in October last year. The USP of the smartphone is that it is a mid-range phone that comes equipped with an in-display fingerprint scanner. It has landed in India with a starting price of Rs. 16,990 (~$237).

[envira-gallery id=”235306″]

OPPO K1 Specifications and Features

The Oppo K1 features a metallic frame sandwiched between the front and rear glass. The phone features an AMOLED screen of 6.4 inches. The waterdrop notch present on it allows it to deliver a screen-to-body ratio of 91 percent. The display is protected by Gorilla Glass 5 and it carries support for full HD+ resolution and 19.5:9 aspect ratio. OPPO has an integrated the display of the phone with fingerprint sensor which can authenticate and unlock it in just 0.41 seconds.

The ColorOS 5.2 based Android 8.1 Oreo OS is available on the device. The device features an internal storage of 64. There is no support for microSD card on the phone.

In terms of photography, the OPPO K1 is fitted with a 25-megapixel selfie camera which resides in the small notch at the front and it is equipped with a rear-mounted dual camera module. The latter features a primary sensor of 16-megapixel with f/1.7 aperture which is assisted by a 2-megapixel depth sensor with f/2.4 aperture. The front camera has been optimized to capture beautified selfie shots whereas the rear-mounted dual cameras come with features like LED flash, HDR, PDAF, portrait mode and professional mode. The front camera also supports face unlock.

The Snapdragon 660 powers the OPPO K1 with 4 GB of RAM. It features a 3,600mAh battery which lacks support for fast charging. The bundled charger supports 10W charging. It comes with connectivity features like dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, microUSB 2.0, USB OTG and 3.5mm headphone slot.

Read More: Oppo’s next-gen flagship smartphone named Oppo Find Z, powered by Snapdragon 855 SoC

OPPO K1 Price and Availability

The OPPO K1 is priced at Rs. 16,990 (~$237) in India. OPPO has partnered with Flipkart to exclusively sell the OPPO K1 smartphone. It has Flipkart will start with the sales of the smartphone from Feb. 12. It will be in two attractive color gradient editions such as Piano Black and Astral Blue. Flipkart is offering launch offers such as no cost EMI, 90 percent Buy Back, Complete Mobile Protection plan for the buyers of OPPO K1

OPPO has debut the OPPO K1 just ahead of the Redmi Note 7’s launch. Xiaomi is yet to confirm the launch for the Note 7 which comes with some similar features like notched display, Snapdragon 660 and 4 GB of RAM. The Redmi Note series are highly popular in India. It remains to be seen whether the in-display fingerprint scanner enabled OPPO K1 will be able to disturb the sales of the Note 7.

Samsung Galaxy 10 pre-orders to begin on February 21

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 6, 2019

Samsung will be holding the Unpacked 2019 event on Feb. 20 to announce the Galaxy S10 series. Some rumors have claimed that the pre-orders of the Galaxy S10 will begin few days after the launch. However, a leaked image that has surfaced on Twitter reveals that the pre-orders of the smartphone will begin on Feb. 21.

Galaxy S10 Pre-orders

The below image shows that the Galaxy S10 will be debuting in Indonesia through an Unpacked event on Feb. 21. The pre-orders of the smartphone will begin on Feb. 22 in the country. Considering the fact that the phone is debuting on Feb. 20 in the West, it appears that its pre-orders will begin on Feb. 21. The Galaxy S10 series includes three smartphone such as Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10+ and Galaxy S10e. It appears the pre-orders of all three phones may begin on the same day.

Previous reports have claimed that Samsung will begin with the actual sales of the Galaxy S10 series from March 8. The above image has a website link GalaxyLaunchPack.com. As of this writing, the site features a countdown and a teaser video.

Galaxy S10 Series Features and Price

The Galaxy S10 models will be debuting as the 10^th anniversary S-series phones from the company. These phones will be packed with some topnotch specs like punch-hole AMOLED screens with highly accurate in-display fingerprint scanner, flagship chipsets like Snapdragon 855 and Exynos 9820, up to 8 GB of RAM, up to 512 GB of storage, powerful triple rear cameras, bigger batteries with reverse charging support, advanced wireless charging, latest Wi-Fi 6 (Wi-Fi 802.11ax) technology. There will be advanced Galaxy S10+ model that will sport a ceramic body and come equipped with 12 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage.

Read More: Samsung Galaxy S10 series gets certified by NBTC in Thailand; confirms Galaxy S10e moniker

The Galaxy S10e entry-level model in the series will feature 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of native storage. It is expected to be priced at 779 euros (~$889) in Italy. The 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and 8 GB RAM + 512 GB storage of the Galaxy S10 are expected to be available with 929 euros (~$1,059) and 1,179 euros (~$1,349), respectively in Italy. The Galaxy S10+ models featuring 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage, 8 GB of RAM + 512 GB storage, 12 GB RAM + 1 TB storage could be respectively priced at 1,049 euros (~$1,199), 1,299 euros (~$1,479) and 1,599 euros (~$1,819) in the same country.

(source|via)

Samsung Galaxy S10 series gets certified by NBTC in Thailand; confirms Galaxy S10e moniker

By

Jeet

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Feb 6, 2019

Samsung, the world’s leading smartphone manufacturer, is all set to launch its new flagship lineup — the Samsung Galaxy S10 at the Samsung Unpacked launch event in the U.S. on 20th February. According to the reports, there will be three variants of the Galaxy S10 series — Samsung Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10 Plus, and a toned-down version of the S10 which was said to be named Galaxy S10 Lite.

However, it was recently reported that the device may come with a different name instead of the Galaxy S10 Lite. The report suggested that the company is adamant that it will not be marketing the smallest of the three handsets as a “Lite” model.

Now, the Galaxy S10 series has passed through the NBTC certification process in Thailand which confirms the Galaxy S10e moniker for the ‘Lite’ variant. It also debunks the rumor that suggested that the model number SM-G975F/DS will be named Galaxy S10 Pro instead of the Galaxy S10 Plus.

Along with the three Galaxy S10 devices, the company is also all set to launch a 5G-enabled version, which could be showcased at the Mobile World Congress 2019 at Barcelona, Spain. The MWC 2019 will kick-off on 25th February and end on 28th February.

As per the specifications mentioned in the Geekbench listing, the phone is fueled by “msmnile” processor, which is a codename for the 7nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset and is coupled with 6GB of RAM. The phone will be running on Android 9 Pie operating system out-of-the-box with the company’s own One UI on top.

Previous reports have revealed that the S10 Lite will come with a 5.8-inch S-AMOLED Infinity Display that supports 18.5:9 aspect ratio and full HD+ resolution. The S10 Lite will be drawing power from 3,100mAh battery. The smartphone will have multiple models, including 4GB RAM + 64GB storage, 6GB RAM + 64GB storage and 6GB RAM + 128GB storage.

On the back side, the smartphone will be featuring a dual camera setup while a single camera will be available on the front side of the device. Similar to the Galaxy A7 (2018) smartphone, the lite variant of the Galaxy S10 will be featuring a side-mounted fingerprint sensor.

According to the reports, the smartphone will be available in five color options — Yellow, White, Black, Green, and Blue. As for the pricing, in the U.K., the smartphone will be available with a price tag of 699 pounds (~$892) while it could be priced between $650 and $750 in the US.

Get Noteworthy Discounts When You Shop Over $29, $99 Or $199 On DealExtreme

By

Vinay Patel

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Feb 6, 2019

Consumers are celebrating the Chinese Lunar New Year holidays by taking full advantage of the big discounts both online as well as offline stores are currently offering.

While shoppers are highly likely to end up shelling out a lot of money despite availing the discounts, DealExtreme (DX) is giving them a chance to save a significant amount of money when they cart value exceed specified amounts.

Dubbed as ‘Chinese New Year Shopping Gala’ the promo kicked off on January 28th.

DX is giving buyers a chance to use coupons and get 3, 5 and 7 percent discounts on all items included on the promotion page, except phones and computers.

For instance, if your cart value exceeds $29, you can use a 3% off coupon. If you shop for more than $90, you qualify to use a 5% off coupon and you end up buying products worth more than $199, you’d eligible to apply a 7% off coupon at checkout.

In order to expedite and simplify the search process, DX has split all products into specific categories including Best Selling, MVP, Stay with Family, Play with Children and lots more.

Each section is loaded with awe-inspiring products that normally carry steep price tags, but are now up for grabs at lowered prices.

For example, the Xiaomi Mijia Dafang Portable HD Smart Home IP Camera is currently available for $31.20 under the ‘MVP’ category.

However, since it costs more than $29, you can use the 3% off coupon and save $0.94. In other words, you can bring the original asking price of the product down to only $30.26 simply by applying the 3% off coupon before proceeding to checkout.

Those who aren’t willing to spend more than $50 can head straight to the ‘Extreme Deals Under $50’ section, which is further divided into various sub-categories.

Here, you can buy all sorts of gaming accessories, smart devices, smartphone accessories, computer accessories, auto, and motor parts, LED lighting and lots more.

More importantly, you can avail noteworthy discounts on select products included in each sub-category.

For example, the Xiaomi 70MAI Smart Car DVR carries a $41.28 price tag, but you can get $1.24 off by using the 3% off coupon before placing your order.

As a result, you end up paying just $40.04 for the Xiaomi 70MAI Smart Car DVR. Note that coupon is applied automatically during the checkout process.

You can click here to visit the promotion page and take full advantage of the discounts. It is worth noting that the promo is slated to end on February 12th.

Check Out DealExtreme’s Chinese New Year Shopping Gala

EEC listing confirms Honor 10i to soon launch in Europe, could be a rebranded model of Honor 10 Lite

By

Jeet

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Feb 6, 2019

Honor, the sub-brand of Huawei, is all set to launch a new budget smartphone in the European market. The phones, which the company is gearing up to launch, has an internal model number HRY-LX1T, which is the Honor 10i. The phone model has also passed through the EEC certification process.

Currently, there’s no information regarding the specifications of this upcoming smartphone except for the fact that it could be released in the European market very soon and it’ll be a budget device. While the naming suggests that it is the successor to the Honor 9i, it is likely to be a rebranded model of the Honor 10 Lite given that the internal codename of the Honor 10 Lite is HRY-LX1, which is eerily similar to the HRY-LX1T codename used for the Honor 10i.

Coming to the specifications, the Honor 10 Lite features a 6.21-inch IPS LCD Full HD+ display with screen resolution of 2280 x 1080 pixels and 19:9 aspect ratio and about 90 percent screen-to-body ratio. Under the hood, the device is powered by the company’s own Kirin 710 chipset. It is Huawei’s first 12nm chipset that is claimed to offer significant improvement in power consumption and performance compared to the 16nm Kirin 659.

The phone comes in two variants — 4GB RAM with 64GB of internal storage and 6GB RAM with 128GB of internal storage. There’s also a microSD card slot which enables you to further expand the phone’s storage capacity. The device also features a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor for added protection.

For photography, the device comes equipped with a dual camera setup on the back, featuring a 13-megapixel primary sensor and a 2-megapixel secondary sensor stacked vertically. It has several AI-based features, including scene recognition, partition optimization, among others. There’s also a 24-megapixel front camera with artificial intelligence technology.

Connectivity options on the device include Dual SIM, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, Bluetooth v5.0 LE, and micro-USB 2.0 port. The phone runs Android 9 Pie operating system out of the box with the company’s own custom interface EMUI 9 on top.

Additionally, it also comes with GPU Turbo technology that enhances GPU performance significantly by increasing graphics processing efficiency up to 60 percent. The device is powered by a 3,400mAh battery which should be enough to last through the entire day on a single charge.

Last month, the Honor 10 Lite was launched in the Indian market in two variants — 4GB RAM and 6GB RAM, with pricing starting from Rs. 13,999, which roughly converts to $197.

Google Pixel 3 Lite and Pixel 3 XL Lite model numbers revealed; launching soon in India

By

Jeet

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Feb 6, 2019

Last year, Google launched its flagship smartphones — Google Pixel 3 Lite and Google Pixel 3 XL Lite, focusing on the phone’s camera capabilities. There have been rumors since few months about Google launching toned-down variants of its flagship devices.

While the company has not yet acknowledged the existence of the Pixel 3 Lite series smartphones, model numbers of the upcoming devices have now surfaced online. According to a report from MSP, the Pixel 3 Lite carries model number G020B while the Pixel 3 XL Lite has model number G020F.

The report further adds that both these smartphones will be manufactured by Foxconn. It also adds that the upcoming mid-range smartphones will soon be launched in the Indian market. However, the exact launch and availability dates are not yet known. As for the pricing, the phones will be priced under Rs. 40,000 which roughly converts to $559.

The Pixel 3 Lite is said to be codenamed “Sargo” while the Pixel 3 XL Lite version is codenamed “Bonito”. Both the handsets are expected to come pre-installed with the latest version of Android 9 Pie operating system out of the box.

Previous reports have suggested that the Pixel 3 Lite and Pixel 3 XL Lite will be featuring 18.5:9 aspect ratio displays. While the Pixel 3 Lite will be a smaller device with a 5.5-inch display, the Pixel 3 XL Lite could be a bigger phone with a 6-inch screen.

Under the hood, the Pixel 3 Lite will be fueled by Snapdragon 670 chipset and 4GB of RAM while the XL Lite variant will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 710 octa-core chipset with the same 4GB RAM. The Pixel 3 Lite could pack 32GB of internal storage and 2,915mAh battery while the XL Lite variant is expected to have bigger internal storage capacity and a bigger battery.

The internal storage of the device could be less compared to other offerings in the market, but Google will be providing unlimited cloud storage for the buyers of Pixel 3 Lite. As for the camera, both the smartphones are expected to feature a 12-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front-facing camera and will shoot the same quality images as the standard version.

The phones are also expected to retain the 3.5mm headphone jack. While it seems that Google is aiming towards the emerging markets for the ‘Lite’ variants of its flagship smartphones, the company will also be selling the smartphones through Verizon in the US.

(Source)

Xiaomi patent’s dual punch-hole display; Could it be for Mi MIX 4?

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 6, 2019

The Samsung Galaxy A8s, Honor V20v and Huawei Nova 4 that debuted in December 2018 were the first phones to arrive with punch-hole LCD displays. The Galaxy S10 series will be equipped with AMOLED displays with punch-hole design. By the end of 2018, there was a rumor that Xiaomi could be a working on a smartphone with a punch-hole display. Now, Lets Go Digital has shared patent design of the Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software that was applied at the end of the previous month at the Global Design Database of WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office). The patent application includes 24 different designs of dual punch holes on a display.

As it can be seen in the below illustration, the new design is all about implementing two front-facing cameras on the display of a Xiaomi phone. Unlike the elliptical cutout that the upcoming Galaxy S10+ for its dual front-facing shooters, the Xiaomi phone will have two separate cutouts for the dual camera sensors.

Some design show that the second cutout be either for another camera sensor or notification LED or some other sensor. The illustrations such the different placements of the dual camera holes such as both cameras at right or left corner, both camera sensors placed separately at right and left, two pill-shaped holes positioned at both corners. One design even shows the two camera sensors placed on the rear.

Read More: Xiaomi exec seems to have confirmed the Mi 9 will have three rear cameras

Which Xiaomi phone could be arriving with the new dual punch-hole display design? The Mi MIX series seems like a good candidate for it that since it has always featured phones with high screen-to-body ratio. The original Mi MIX, Mi MIX 2 and Mi MIX 2S came with tri-bezeless design. The Mi MIX 3 features a notch-less screen with a slider for the dual front cameras.

Since the Mi MIX 3 has two selfie cameras, the company may want to make the same feature available on the successor model. Probably, the Xiaomi Mi MIX 4 arriving around October this year could be most suitable phone to adopt the dual punch-hole display design. There could be some high-end Mi or Redmi phones with same display design in future.

Xiaomi has scheduled a media event that will take place on Feb. 24 at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2019 in Barcelona, Spain. The Chinese firm is likely to announce the Mi MIX 3 5G edition. There is a possibility that the company may also showcase its first foldable phone that will be sporting dual folding design.

(via)

Buy OnePlus 6 And OnePlus 6T Smartphones At Lowered Prices On GeekBuying [Coupons Inside]

By

Vinay Patel

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Feb 6, 2019

OnePlus made its long-awaited OnePlus 6 smartphone available to the public in May last year.
Much to the delight of OnePlus fans, the Chinese smartphone maker then launched the equally anticipated OnePlus 6T later that same year.

While the OnePlus 6 and 6T didn’t disappoint the huge OnePlus fanbase, the two phones failed to garner popularity among cost-conscious buyers, thanks to the steep price tags they carry. But that’s about to change.

In a bid to make their well-received smartphones available to those living on a tight budget, OnePlus is now offering the OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T smartphones at lowered prices on GeekBuying.

Moreover, we’ll even show how you can save a considerable amount of extra money during the checkout process. So without further ado, let’s delve into the details.

OnePlus 6 Smartphone

The coveted OnePlus 6 smartphone isn’t easy on the pocketbook. In fact, the popular 8GB RAM, 256GB ROM variant of the phone will set you back a whopping $1089.99 on both online and offline stores.

The slightly smaller variant that ships with 8GB of RAM and offers 128GB of internal storage capacity, on the other hand, retails for $725.99.

However, taking the phone’s popularity into consideration OnePlus is offering buyers a chance to avail 50 percent off on the larger and 37 percent off on the smaller variants of the phone.
As a result, the 8GB RAM, 128GB ROM model can now be yours for a dropped price of just $459.99.

The variant that comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage capacity now carries a $539.99 price tag.

You can use coupon code GIZ_CGLEMWJX and get $351 off on the bigger model, which can be yours for just $525.99. Note that the aforesaid coupon is not valid for the smaller variant.

You can visit this link to grab the discount. It is worth noting that the promotion sale will end in three days.

Get 50% Off On OnePlus 6 Smartphone

OnePlus 6T Smartphone

Sporting a mammoth 6.41-inches display, the OnePlus 6T garnered skyrocketing popularity among those who fancy watching their favorite videos or playing popular games on a big-screen mobile device.

The 6T is loaded with a slew of other top-end features and specifications that make it an irresistible smartphone, despite carrying a steep $812.99 price tag.

If you have restlessly been waiting to get your tech greedy hands on the OnePlus 6T without burning a hole in your pocket, now’s the time.

In collaboration with GeekBuying, OnePlus is giving you a chance to buy the 6GB RAM, 128GB ROM variant of the OnePlus 6T smartphone at a lowered price of just $589.99.
Aside from that, you can extend this 27 percent discount by applying coupon code GIZ_GPZALTHA during the checkout process.

The coupon helps you save $25 more by reducing the phone’s original asking price to just $579.99 before you place your order.

You can visit this link to grab the discount, which will be valid for three days.

Get 27% Off On OnePlus 6T Smartphone

Check Out GeekBuying’s 2019 Spring Festival Sale