Huawei Mate 20, Mate 20 Pro major leak reveals pricing, key specifications, features through promo materials

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Sep 27, 2018

On Oct. 16, Huawei will be announcing the Huawei Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro flagship phones. Well ahead of the arrival of Mate 20 series, an Israeli publication has shared the promotional materials of these smartphones.

The Mate 20 Pro (codenamed as Laya) will be arriving with a 4,200mAh battery. The massive battery will be coupled with next-generation Super Charge 2.0 that will allow the phone to gain 70 percent of battery life by charging it for only 30 minutes. The Mate 20 (codenamed as Hima) will be packed with a 4,000mAh battery that will offer 21 percent better battery life than the predecessor Mate 10 smartphone from last year. The Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro will be the first Huawei phones to carry support for 15W wireless charging.

The Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro will both feature 24-megapixel selfie camera. The Mate 20 duo will also feature triple camera setup. However, instead of the telephoto lens available in the triple camera module of the Huawei P20 Pro, the Mate 20 duo will an ultra wide-angle lens. the AI Smart Zoom feature on the upcoming Huawei flagship phones can detect moving object and automatically focus on it.

The HiVision feature arriving on Mate 20 and 20 Pro will work like Google Lens for searching text, goods, scenic spots and so on by pointing the camera on any object.

The wider notch on the Mate 20 Pro will also accommodate necessary sensors for 3D facial recognition like Face ID available on the new iPhones. Huawei’s 3D Face Unlock feature offers unlock speed of 500ms and has a failure rate of 1:1000000. On the other side, the Mate 20 will support 2D facial recognition. The Mate 20 Pro will be also equipped with in-display fingerprint scanner whereas the Mate 20 will feature a regular rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.

The other unlocking feature arriving on Mate 20 and 20 Pro is called Bone Voice ID that can instantly unlock the smartphone by detect the users voice. It can work accurately even in noisy surroundings.

The heart of the Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro will be the Kirin which is the world’s first 7nm chipset. The base model of the Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro will respectively feature 4 GB and 6 GB of RAM. Both the models will come with inbuilt storage of 128 GB. Unlike the recent flagship phones, the upcoming Mate 20 duo will support expandable storage. However, these phones will not support microSD card. The promotional materials reveal that these smartphones will support a new type of nanoSD memory card (looks like a nano SIM card) up to 256 GB. The upcoming flagship phones from Huawei will also support easy wireless projection for desktop PC experience.

The Mate 20 Pro will probably feature a 6.9-inch curved OLED screen that will be support Quad HD+ resolution. The Mate 20 may feature a waterdrop notch IPS LCD display of 6.53 inches with FHD+ resolution. Both phones will be equipped with stereo speakers and 3.5mm audio jack. The Mate 20 Pro will be an IP67 certified device whereas the Mate 20 will be an IP53 rated phone. Both phones are expected to arrive with EMUI 9.0 based Android 9 Pie OS.

Read More: Huawei Mate 20 series may have Graphene-based cooling for better cooling, new MateBook with dual heat pipes and dual fans in development

In Israel, the Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro are expected to hit the market by the end of October. The Mate 20 is expected to be priced at NIS 3,000 (~$840) and Mate 20 Pro may cost NIS 4,000 (~$1,115).

(source)

Oculus Go gets a bunch of new features including YouTube VR

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 27, 2018

At the Oculus Connect 5 conference which began yesterday, the highlight of the event was the new Oculus Quest standalone VR headset. In addition to that, Oculus also announced a bunch of new features for its cheaper standalone VR headset – the Oculus Go.

First, it will interest you to know that the Oculus Go has helped to bring more people into VR since it went on sale earlier this year. Reviews have shown that it is still the easiest way for first time VR users to experience VR.

Oculus wants to bring more features to the $199 headset. It has announced that YouTube VR will be coming to the device soon. YouTube VR has more than 800,000 VR videos that cover a wide range of categories including documentaries and shows.

Oculus has also announced that Oculus Go owners will be able to view NBA games via Oculus Venues. For those who don’t know what Oculus Venues is, this is a way of watching sports, concerts, and shows Live in real time as if you were at the venue.

If you are watching a football match, it is actually as if you are seated in the stadium. You can also connect with others using Oculus Venues just the way you’ll meet people if you were at the venue.

You can check out the complete fall lineup for Oculus Venues here.

Oculus will also release a new puzzle game called Covert which allows you to play along with a friend. One person has to use the headset while the other player uses a mobile phone to provide info. Think of it as a spy who is getting help from someone “back at the base”.

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Get The Hotly-Anticipated Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro Phablet For Just $199.99 On GearBest

By

Vinay Patel

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Sep 27, 2018

Xiaomi’s hotly-anticipated Redmi Note 6 Pro has been making several appearances online in the form of leaks. After floating around the rumor mill for nearly a month now, the imminent phablet in the company’s popular Redmi lineup has finally gone up for sale bearing a discounted price on GearBest.

Before we divulge more details about the aforesaid discount, let us take a gander at the specs and features that make the Redmi Note 6 Pro simply irresistible. As a phablet, it sports a mammoth 6.26-inch screen, FHD+ display with a screen resolution of 2280 x 1080 pixels an aspect ratio of 19:9.

It is housed in a slim body which is designed to comfortably fit in the user’s hand. Under the hood, it packs a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor along with an Adreno 509 graphics processing unit.

The Redmi Note 6 Pro offers 3GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage, which can be expanded up to 256GB so that you never run out of storage space for storing your favorite photos, videos, and other multimedia content. Moreover, it features a 12MP+5MP dual-camera set up on the back and 20M+2MP front-mounted cameras for selfies and face-to-face video chatting.

The phablet runs on MIUI 9-based Android operating system and is backed by a robust 4000mAh. Furthermore, it offers added protection with a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor and is crammed with a slew of other useful sensors like the e-compass, gravity sensor, and gyroscope.

The Redmi Note 6 Pro can also be used as a mobile hotspot so that you can share your 4G data with those having compatible wireless devices. The phablet comes with Google Play wherein you can download your favorite apps, movies, magazine, books and TV programs.

While you’d normally end up spending a lot of money on a smartphone that boasts comparable specs and features, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro can now be yours at a dropped price of just $199.99 on GearBest. This is a noteworthy 17% reduction in the device’s original asking price.

Note that this discount will only be valid for the black-tinted, global version of the Redmi Note 6 Pro for a limited period of time. If you’ve restlessly been waiting to get your hands on the Redmi-branded phablet without emptying your pocket, head straight to this link before the promo comes to an end.

Get 17% Off On Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro Phablet

Render of PixelStand Wireless Charger for the Pixel 3 leaks

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 27, 2018

The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL will come with support for wireless charging. Google is expected to announce a wireless charger for both phones too. The wireless charger is called the PixelStand and a render leaked yesterday.

The render shows the PixelStand will come in white with an orange base. That base is most likely silicone and should provide a form of resistance to prevent it from slipping when placed on a flat surface. There is a circular cut-out at the base where the USB-C port plugs into the input port.

The way the charger is designed, the phone will have to be in a standing position when docked. This makes sense since a code found in a Google APK revealed that the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL will be able to work as a smart display when placed on the wireless charger.

The phone will have a different UI when in this mode with larger buttons, shortcuts for launching the music and phone apps, and a quick way to access Google Assistant. The charger is also said to support fast charging.

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Huawei Mate 20 series may have Graphene-based cooling for better cooling, new MateBook with dual heat pipes and dual fans in development

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 27, 2018

The Huawei Mate 20 series has been in the news a lot lately and that is expected to continue for the next few weeks preceding its announcement. The Mate 20 series will come with some interesting features such as triple rear cameras and 40W fast charging but none of the aforementioned features are actually new. The Huawei P20 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) have triple cameras and the OPPO Find X Lamborghini Edition supports 40W fast charging.

A new leak has revealed that the Mate 20 series will have a technology never been used before in a smartphone. According to the leaked photos which were posted on Weibo last week and seem to have been taken during a private presentation, the Huawei Mate 20 is expected to come with graphene-related cooling.

A number of manufacturers have incorporated some sort of cooling in their devices this year. The POCOPHONE F1, for example, has liquid cooling. It actually uses water flowing through a copper pipe to keep it cool. The Galaxy Note9 also uses a Water Carbon Cooling system which has the liquid flowing through a carbon-fiber + copper thermal pipe for heat dissipation. However, no manufacturer has used graphene for cooling.

Graphene is much better than other materials currently in use when designing a cooling pipe as it has an ultra-high thermal conductivity and is a better conductor of electricity than copper because of its honeycomb structure. It is also thinner and much stronger. Research has been going on to find ways of using graphene in active and passive cooling and the results show it is better at heat dissipation.

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It appears Huawei has found a way to use the material for cooling at a commercial level and will use it in its Mate 20 devices. This is most likely the same graphene-based technology the Honor Magic 2 will feature.

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Oculus Quest 6DOF All-in-One VR headset announced, launches 2019 for $399

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 26, 2018

Oculus announced a new VR headset today to complete its first generation of VR headsets. The new Oculus Quest VR headset combines the best features of the entry-level standalone Oculus Go and the PC-tethered Oculus Rift.

The Oculus Quest is a standalone headset like the Oculus Go but offers a similar experience to what you’ll get on the PC-tethered Oculus Rift. It comes with touch controllers similar to that of the Rift and provides six degrees of freedom.

Oculus also announced a new technology called Oculus Insight. This uses a combination of four ultra-wide-angle cameras in the headset and computer vision algorithms for tracking the user’s exact position in real time without the need for external sensors.

Since the Oculus Quest has six degrees of freedom, users can walk and duck and this is replicated in the game. Hugo Barra who is the CEO of Oculus says the device provides “arena-scale” tracking for at least 400 square feet of space. Oculus has also brought the Guardian System from the Rift for displaying wall and floor markers so you don’t hurt yourself while moving around.

Just like the Oculus Go, the Quest has a display resolution of 1600 x 1440 per eye. It also has built-in speakers but with deeper bass than that of the Go. The Oculus Quest will be available in Spring 2019 for $399 for the 64GB version with Touch controllers.

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OnePlus 6T 360-degree renders reveal design and key details

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Sep 26, 2018

OnePlus 6T is expected to debut on Oct. 17. The handset is expected to sport a display design that is very similar to the OPPO R17. The rear design of the OnePlus 6T will be almost same as the OnePlus 6, but it won’t be featuring a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. The reason behind it is that the Chinese manufacturer has already confirmed that the OnePlus 6T will be equipped with an in-display fingerprint scanner. Today, popular tipster @OnLeaks has shared 360-degree renders of the OnePlus 6T in collaboration with an Indian publication to reveal its design and key details.

The OnePlus 6T renders reveal that it will come equipped with a waterdrop notch display like the OPPO R17 and OPPO F9. Hence, the smartphone is expected to boast a higher screen space than the OnePlus 6. The rear side of the phone features a vertically aligned dual camera system on the upper half followed by the company’s logo.

Apart from axing the regular fingerprint scanner from the rear of the OnePlus 6T, the Chinese firm has also removed the 3.5mm headphone jack and OnePlus fans are not very happy about it. The handset measures 157.5 x 75.7 x 8.2 and its thickness increases to 8.6mm at the camera bump. The dimensions of the OPPO R17 are 157.5 x 74.9 x 7.5mm which is quite similar to that of OnePlus 6T. Hence, the upcoming OnePlus flagship phone is likely to feature a 6.4-inch AMOLED screen like OnePlus 6.

Rumors have it that the 6.5-inch Optic AMOLED screen of the OnePlus 6T will carry support for Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2340 and an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. It is also rumored to feature Gorilla Glass 6 screen protection.

The Snapdragon 845 chipset is expected to power the OnePlus 6T. It may arrive in three models such as 64 GB storage + 6 GB RAM, 128 GB storage + 8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage + 8 GB RAM. For photography, it may come equipped with 16-megapixel + 20-megapixel dual camera setup like the OnePlus 6. It may also borrow the 20-megapixel selfie snapper from OP6. The OnePlus 6T may feature a slightly larger battery than the OP6. It is likely to arrive with OxygenOS 9 flavored Android 9 Pie OS.

Read More: Leaked OnePlus 6T invitation letter puts launch at October 17

What’s your opinion on the design of the OnePlus 6T? Will you consider buying it considering the fact that it won’t be coming with a 3.5mm audio jack? Share us your thoughts by posting your comments below.

(source)

Lenovo Flexible phone with bendable screen officially teased in a video

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Sep 26, 2018

As at the time Xiaomi released the Mi Mix in 2016 with full-screen design, the industry awash with several leaked pictures of phones with flexible displays that would be a panacea to cracked screens. The success of the full-screen design and its subsequent adoption by phone makers ensure bendable screen phones were never heard off again. That doesn’t mean the technology isn’t being utilised. Most phone makers use flexible OLED screens for their flagship models including the latest iPhone XS and XS Max but you won’t know since there is a solid glass screen above the display. Lenovo has now teased a flexible screen phone which also has a flexible fuselage and can bend up to 90 degrees.

The phone was teased in a short video shared on Lenovo Mobile Weibo account but it has been uploaded on YouTube. The video shows what should be a prototype being handled with some demonstration of how far the device can bend. As for the design, it utilises a rather slim frame with a tall build giving it an aspect ratio that should be in the region of 19:3. We can’t say if the display is LCD or OLED but it may likely be one of the flexible OLED panels that are in use. LG, Samsung and several companies in the Taiwanese supply chain and even China manufacture such flexible OLED panels.

The Weibo post also suggests the model will be released this October but no specific date was mentioned. Until something tangible comes up, we could treat this as yet another gimmick by Lenovo. Not too long ago, the company shared the renders of a slider phone with a high screen ratio which is also expected to be released soon. Both phones, if they actually come out, they could be game changers for the company. But then, we won’t get our hopes too high, not forgetting so soon the hype Lenovo built around the Z5 which was released a few months back. The Chinese company could throw us a surprise for real this time around anyway.

(source)

Qualcomm accuses Apple of leaking its modem tech to Intel

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Sep 26, 2018

Apple and Qualcomm are business partners as Apple utilise Qualcomm’s modem chips on its phones. But surprisingly, the two firms have been embroiled in a series of lawsuits. In one of the ongoing lawsuits, Qualcomm claims Apple has been stealing its wireless technology for several years in order to eventually end its reliance on Qualcomm components. The claim also includes that Apple gave the code that patently belongs to Qualcomm to rival Intel, in order to boost Intel’s modem speeds which aren’t as fast as Qualcomm’s.

The lawsuit which has been running for almost two years now also includes details of how Apple was able to lay their hands on Qualcomm’s code. The filing revealed that Apple and Qualcomm had struck a deal back in 2009 which gave Apple access to the chipmaker’s secret code. Apple demanded access to Qualcomm code in a bid to integrate it more deeply into the iPhone. An agreement was reached but on the condition that the code can only be used in products with Qualcomm chips and can’t be shared with third parties. The agreement also includes that the code would be robustly protected in the same manner in which Apple protects its own code.

The complaint states that Apple has been sharing its code with Intel and that this began several years back. Qualcomm says it got a tipoff from an anonymous posting on a website that samples the opinion of people who claim to have been laid off by Intel. The poster, claiming to be from an Intel employee, said that Intel engineers “were told to ignore intellectual property rights when designing the modem” and that there was “a conspiracy to copy Qualcomm’s technology” using help from Apple. Apple allegedly declined to investigate.

We must note that this isn’t the first time this allegation is coming out but more details seem to keep emerging by the day. Apple has refused to respond to the allegation but on its part, the iPhone maker is accusing Qualcomm of demanding unreasonable fees for the use of its smartphone modem. We see this lingering for years as both companies have the resources to keep the lawsuit running. However, an out of court settlement is also a possibility.

(via)

Vivo V9 Pro vs Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite vs Oppo F9 Pro: Specs Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

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Sep 26, 2018

In 2018, flagships smartphones are not the only solution to get a beautiful and performing device. You can bring an excellent handset even if you do not spend a lot of money, thanks to the upper midrange segment. Here we will show you a comparison between Vivo V9 Pro, Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite and Oppo F9 Pro, three devices known for having wonderful aesthetics, pretty nice performances, and even above-average cameras if we consider their price ranges.

Vivo V9 Pro vs Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite vs Oppo F9 Pro

	Vivo V9 Pro	Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite	Oppo F9 Pro
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	154.8 x 75 x 7.9 mm, 150 grams	156.4 x 75.8 x 7.5 mm, 169 grams	156.7 x 74 x 8 mm, 169 grams
DISPLAY	6.3 inches, 1080 x 2280p (Full HD+), 400 ppi, IPS LCD	6.26 inches, 1080 x 2280p (Full HD+), 403 ppi, 19:9 ratio, IPS LCD	6.3 inches, 1080 x 2340 pixels, 409 ppi, 18:9 ratio, LTPS IPS LCD
PROCESSOR	Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, octa-core 2.2 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, octa-core 2.2 GHz	MediaTek Helio P60, octa-core 2.0 GHz
MEMORY	6 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD dedicated slot	4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB	4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD dedicated slot
SOFTWARE	Android 8.1 Oreo, Funtouch OS	Android 8.1 Oreo, MIUI	Android 8.1 Oreo, Color OS
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS
CAMERA	Dual 13 + 2 MP f/2.2 12 MP f/2.0 front camera	Dual 12 + 5 MP f/1.9 and f/2.0 24 MP front camera	Dual 16 + 2 MP f/1.8 and f/2.4 25 MP f/2.0 front camera
BATTERY	3260 mAh	3350 mAh, Fast Charging with Quick Charge 3.0	3500 mAh, Fast Charging with VOOC Flash Charge
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Dual SIM slot	Dual SIM slot	Dual SIM slot

Design

The most beautiful, futuristic and original device of the trio is the Oppo F9 Pro. It features a diamond-like patterned glass back as well as very original gradient hues available (Twilight Blue and Starry Purple). Besides this, it has an amazing borderless display with the highest screen-to-body ratio and a waterdrop notch. It is definitely one of the most attractive mid-rangers.

Display

I would pick Oppo F9 Pro even when it comes to the display. It has a wide 6.3-inch panel with the LTPS technology, wide angles, and a high brightness. It is a very nice display, but note that the difference between this screen and the panels of the other two handsets is just marginal in terms of viewing quality and detail. Even the size is very similar. So do not choose your device by basing on the display.

Specs & Software

Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite and Vivo V9 Pro are the ones I prefer in terms of hardware, as they come with the Snapdragon 660 SoC which I define better for advanced users if we compare it with the MediaTek Helio P60 found on the Oppo F9 Pro. If you choose the most expensive variant, you will get more from the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite as it features 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. But note that Vivo V9 Pro and Oppo F9 Pro have a dedicated micro SD slot, while you can not expand the Mi 8 Lite’s storage. These devices all come with a highly-customized Android fork which offers nice additional features.

Camera

I believe Oppo F9 has the best camera. On the paper, it offers a brighter aperture as well as a higher resolution for both the rear and the front sensor. Further, it has nice AI-backed features in the software dedicated to selfies. Its secondary sensor can capture depth info for a better bokeh effect.

Battery

Oppo F9 Pro has the biggest battery and also the one that charges in the fastest way, so it is the winner of the battery comparison. It is powered by VOOC Flash Charge, a technology which can provide 2 hours of talk time with just 5 minutes of charging.

Price

Vivo just launched the V9 Pro in India with a price tag of $275, Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite costs $175 in its base variant and Oppo F9 Pro costs $338. Oppo F9 Pro is the best, but with the actual prices, Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite has the best value for money.

Read More: Vivo V9 Pro with notched display and dual rear cameras launched in India

Vivo V9 Pro vs Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite vs Oppo F9 Pro: PROs and CONS

Vivo V9 Pro

PROs

Wide display
Good hardware
Micro SD dedicated slot
Nice selfie camera

CONS

Not so exciting rear camera

Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite

PROs

Wonderful design
More affordable
Good performance
Nice cameras
Big display

CONS

No micro SD

Oppo F9 Pro

PROs

Big display
High screen-to-body ratio
Nice cameras
Micro SD dedicated slot
Original design

CONS

Lower-end SoC

Google Pixel 2 XL receives a massive price cut in India, now costs Rs. 45,499 ($627)

By

Jeet

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Sep 26, 2018

Google is all set to launch its next flagship smartphones — Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL on 9th October. Now, ahead of the launch of next-generation Pixel-series smartphones, the Pixel 2 XL has received a massive price cut in India.

With the new price drop, the Google Pixel 2 XL which was launched for Rs. 73,000 (approximately $1,005) in November last year, has now been reduced to just Rs. 45,499 (approximately $627), translating into a massive price drop of 40 percent. It is available for purchase online exclusively via Flipkart as well as offline retail stores across the nation.

The high-end variant, which comes with 128GB internal storage, still bears the price tag of Rs. 82,000 and has not yet received a price cut. However, we expect that this model too will soon receive a price cut, ahead of Pixel 3-series launch. We are also expecting a price cut for the Pixel 2 models soon.

To remind you of the specifications, the Pixel 2 XL features a 6-inch QHD+ P-OLED display having 2880 x 1440 pixels screen resolution and 18:9 aspect ratio. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, paired with 4GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 64GB/128GB of onboard storage.

The phone flaunts a a single rear camera with a 12.2-megapixel sensor, having f/1.8 aperture and OIS/EIS. On the front side, there’s an 8-megapixel selfie camera with an f/2.4 aperture. Running on Android Oreo operating system out-of-the-box, the phone is backed by a 3,520mAh battery.

(Source)

Nokia 7 Plus Android 9.0 Pie update delayed due to certification bugs

By

Jeet

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Sep 26, 2018

HMD Global had earlier confirmed that the Nokia 7 Plus will be receiving stable Android Pie update by the end of September. A couple of weeks ago, the phone received an update, but that was another Android Pie Developer Preview Beta version and not the stable one.

With September coming to an end, HMD Global’s Chief Product Officer Juho Sarvikas has taken to Twitter to announced that the Android Pie update for the Nokia 7 Plus has been delayed due to “a couple of tricky platform specific certification bugs.”

However, he added that the bugs have been squashed and the company is “running final round of tests for quality assurance” of Android Pie for the phone. But he has not yet revealed the exact timeline for the rollout of the update.

We are expecting that the rollout of stable Android 9.0 Pie version should being next month. The phone was also a part of Google’s Android P Beta program, which is one of the reasons why HMD Global had announced that it would roll-out the Pie update in September.

The Android 9.0 Pie, which was available in beta phase since March this year, comes with a number of improvements, including new personalisation features, battery-saving optimisations, and tools that help tracking time users spend on the phone.

It also addresses the latest trends in smartphone designs with revamped navigational controls. It introduces a new gesture-based navigation system. There are also a number of other gesture-based shortcuts. It is also said to be the most personalised version of Android yet.

In terms of specs, the Nokia 7 Plus comes with a 6-inch Full-HD+ IPS display and is powered by Snapdragon 660 processor. It packs 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage with expandable support. There’s a 12MP + 13MP dual cameras on the back and a 16MP front-facing camera. Running on stock Android Oreo, it is fuelled by a 3,800mAh battery with fast charging support.

(Source)

Vivo NEX Purple Star Trail color variant in pictures: couldn’t be more beautiful

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Sep 26, 2018

At a time when smartphone designs were becoming generic, Vivo wowed us with the launch of the Nex with a spectacular full-screen, notch-less design. Not yet satisfied, the company unveiled a new Purple Star trail colour variant a couple of days back. The new model poses before the camera in these pictures courtesy of Chinese blog Sina Technologies.

OEMs have been coming out with different colours patterns for smartphones and of recent, gradient colours seems to be gaining ground. The Vivo NEX Purple Star Trail color variant adopts gradient blue-violet color pigments on its back with star trails. The colors appear different at various angles of the light source. Overall, the multi-stripe colour variant looks very attractive.

The colour variant is what distinguishes this model from the regular NEX. It features a 6.59-inch display with a 91.24% screen ratio. The device also utilises an on-screen fingerprint sensor. The new variant packs a Snapdragon 845 chipset and comes with 8GB memory and 128GB storage. It is priced at 4298 Yuan (~$628) and is available from Vivo Online Store. See more pictures below.

(source)

Samsung Galaxy P30 release date nearing as it has bagged 3C approval in China

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Sep 26, 2018

Samsung SM-G6200 is an upcoming smartphone that is speculated to debut as Galaxy P30. It is speculated that the handset will be arriving with high specs along with cheaper pricing. The Galaxy P30 is rumored to be aimed towards markets like China and India. Smartphones are required to bag China Compulsory Certification (also known as 3C) before they are released in China. Today, the SM-G6200 has been spotted at 3C body in China which hints that the arrival of the Galaxy P30 may not be far away.

The SM-G6200 Samsung phone has received 3C certification from China. The 3C approval has only revealed that it carries support for 5V/2A charging. The appearance of the Galaxy P30 phone on 3C is an indication that the smartphone may debut soon. The smartphone is yet to appear on TENAA, the telecom regulatory body from China. Once it shows up on TENAA, its entire specifications and images will be revealed.

Recent reports have revealed that the Galaxy P30 will be equipped with an LCD screen instead of AMOLED panel that Samsung has been using on its smartphones since several years. There is no information available on the chipset that will be powering the smartphone. However, a leakster has revealed that it will be featuring 6 GB of RAM.

The Galaxy P30 is rumored to arrive in 64 GB and 128 GB storage models. Also, it is expected to be available in gradient color choices of black, blue, red and pink. The handset was previously speculated to debut as the first Samsung phone with an in-display fingerprint scanner, but that rumor has been debunked.

The South Korean company is currently mum on the existence of the Galaxy P30. Also, there is no information available on the pricing of the phone. Since the month of September will soon come to an end, it is likely that the Galaxy P30 will go official in the last quarter of 2018.

OnePlus 6T, Mate 20 Pro and Pixel 3 DxOMark scores have appeared before their official announcement

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Sep 26, 2018

DxOMark, a popular camera benchmarking platform is known for ranking smartphone according to their camera benchmark scores. A leaked photo of Dx0Mark scores of several unannounced smartphones such as OnePlus 6T, Huawei Mate 20 Pro, and Google Pixel 3 have surfaced on Weibo.

As it can be seen on the left side of the below image, the unreleased Mate 20 Pro is leading the pack with 116 score. The next unannounced on the list is the Google Pixel 3 with a score of 107. The Mate 20 is also mentioned below with the same score.

The Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium, Apple iPhone Xs Max, iPhone Xs, Meizu 16th Plus and the unannounced Honor V20 follows the Mate 20 in the list. The iPhone Xr and OnePlus 6T are also present on the list with respective scores of 100 and 99. The benchmarking reports of these phones are yet to appear on the website of Dx0Mark. There is a high possibility that the above leak nothing but fake.

A DxOMark score is a combination of photography and video recording scores. The the current ranking of smartphones according to their DxOMark scores is shown on the right side in the above image. The Huawei P20 Pro with its triple camera setup as at the numero uno position with 109 score. The HTC U12+ and Samsung Galaxy Note 9 are on second and third positions with respective scores of 103. As it can be seen, the newly released smartphones such as the new iPhones, Xperia XZ2 Premium, Meizu 16th Plus have not appeared on the list yet.

Since the leaked photo showing the DxOMark scores of unannounced and newly released phones appears fake, it remains to be seen how highly awaited phones like OnePlus 6T and Mate 20 Pro will rank on the list.

Vivo announces 4th-gen in-display fingerprint technology and DSP Acceleration Technology

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 26, 2018

Earlier today, Vivo had a conference in China where it announced its 4th-generation in-display fingerprint technology. It also announced a new technology called DSP Acceleration, in collaboration with Qualcomm.

The 4th generation in-display fingerprint technology is said to be 40% faster than the previous gen which is found in the Vivo X21. It also unlocks faster under bright light – taking only 0.35s to unlock the phone. The new fingerprint scanner is said to be present in the newly announced Vivo X23 upper mid-range phone. It has a large F/1.5 aperture and a 720dpi ultra-high resolution.

Vivo also worked with Qualcomm on a new project called DSP Acceleration Technology to make in-display fingerprint scanners work faster and better while maintaining a high-security level.

Speaking at the event, Qualcomm’s Senior Director of product management, Tim Yates, said the new technology works with the Snapdragon 670 which brings a 1.8x increase in performance when compared to the Snapdragon 660. The chipset also comes with the Hexagon 685 DSP which is at the heart of the technology. This is the same DSP in the Snapdragon 845.

The DSP is faster at processing neural tasks and fingerprint data when compared to the CPU. By allocating the task of unlocking the phone via the fingerprint scanner to the DSP, the data is processed faster which means the phone is unlocked faster. The Hexagon DSP works with Qualcomm’s Trusted Execution Environment on the CPU for security and the result is DSP Acceleration Technology which is up to 3x faster than when it is just the CPU handling the task.

Vivo says DSP Acceleration Technology will roll out as an update to the Vivo X23 in October. It will increase the unlocking speed of the fingerprint scanner by up to 30% especially in conditions when the temperature is low and the fingers are dry or in conditions where there is strong direct light.

Vivo says it has been hard at work since it debuted the in-display fingerprint scanner on the Vivo Xplay6 last year and it has applied for over 140 patents relating to hardware and software of the technology, making them a leader in the industry.

Vivo released the first commercially available phone with an in-display fingerprint scanner, the Vivo X20 Plus UD in January of this year. At MWC 2018, it showed off the Vivo APEX which has an in-display fingerprint scanner that covers up to 40% of the screen.

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Nokia 7.1 / X7 (aka 7.1 Plus) hands-on images reveal new color variant

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Sep 26, 2018

A recent report has revealed that HMD Global is prepping up to debut Nokia 7.1 and Nokia 7.1 Plus smartphones on Oct. 4. The Nokia 7.1 is expected to arrive with a notch-less screen whereas the 7.1 Plus will be equipped with a notched display. Like the recent Plus models from the company, the Nokia 7.1 Plus is expected to release as Nokia X7 in China. Freshly leaked hands-on photos of a new Nokia phone has surfaced today. Since the images only reveal the rear side of the phone, it is difficult to identity whether it is a Nokia 7.1 and Nokia 7.1 Plus.

The new images reveal that the handset is equipped with a glass rear and a metallic frame. It features vertical dual camera setup followed by a fingerprint reader on the upper half of the rear panel.

In the above image, the alleged Nokia X7 can be seen in silver white color. The rear design of the phone is not very different from the Nokia X6. The vertical dual camera setup did not sit flush on the rear of the phone. The images shown below suggest that the handset will be also arriving in a new copper brown color.

Read More: Nokia 7.1 and Nokia 7.1 Plus both rumored to debut with Snapdragon 710 on October 4

A recent report has revealed that the Snapdragon 710 chipset will be powering both smartphones. The Nokia 7.1 may sport a 6-inch display with 18:9 aspect ratio. Its SD710 chipset could be coupled with 4 GB of RAM. It may feature an internal storage of 64 GB.

The Nokia 7.1 Plus (X7) is expected to feature higher RAM and more of amount of inbuilt storage than the Nokia 7.1. The display size of the Nokia 7.1 Plus is not known, but it is very likely to feature a notched screen that will offer an aspect ratio of 19:9. The rumor mill is yet to leak the pricing of the Nokia 7.1 and Nokia 7.1 Plus..

(via)

Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro is now available for open sale in China

By

Jeet

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Sep 26, 2018

Xiaomi recently launched the Mi 8 Pro smartphone, an upgrade to its flagship smartphone, which comes with an in-display fingerprint sensor – a feature that was missing in the Mi 8.

Now just one week after the phone’s announcement, and days after it officially went on sale, the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro is available for purchase in China through open sale.

The phone comes in two variants — 6GB RAM with 128GB internal storage and 8GB RAM with 128GB onboard storage. The 6GB RAM model is priced at 3,199 Yuan (approximately $465) while the 8GB RAM model costs 3,599 Yuan, which roughly converts to $524.

As said, the major feature on the Pro variant is that it comes with an under-display fingerprint sensor, which brings convenience for the users to unlock the device. The device is powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 845 processor.

The Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro features a 6.21-inch Super AMOLED display having 2248 x 1080 pixels screen resolution with a notch on top. In terms of camera, there’s dual 12MP sensors on the back with OIS and optical zoom. On the front side, there’s a 20MP f/2.0 camera sensor housed inside the notch.

Connectivity options on the device include Dual SIM, 4G, Wi-Fi, dual-band GPS, dual–SIM support, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, USB OTG, and USB Type-C. Running on Android 8.1 Oreo operating system out-of-the-box with MIUI, the phone is powered by a 3,000mAh battery with support for fast charging technology.

(Source)

Vivo V9 Pro with notched display and dual rear cameras launched in India

By

Jeet

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Sep 26, 2018

After launching the Vivo V11 in the Indian market, Vivo has now launched yet another mid-range smartphone in India — Vivo V9 Pro, which is the upgraded version of the Vivo V9 launched earlier this month. The Vivo V9 Pro is the same phone that was recently launched in Indonesia as the Vivo V9 6GB.

The phone features a 6.3-inch FullView Display 2.0 with a screen resolution of 2280 x 1080 pixels. Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 660 AIE octa-core processor powers the device, along with Adreno 512 graphics processor.

It packs 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. There’s a dedicated microSD card slot, which enables users to further expand the phone’s storage capacity up to 256GB.

In the camera department, the device comes with a dual rear camera setup, consisting of a 13-megapixel primary sensor with LED flash and a f/2.2 aperture, and a 2-megapixel secondary sensor. On the front side, there’s a 16-megapixel sensor along with an f/2.0 aperture, and features like AI Selfie Lighting, AI Face Beauty, among others.

Connectivity options on the device include Dual SIM, 4G VoLTE, dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz and 5GHz), Bluetooth v4.2, GPS/ A-GPS, a 3.5mm headphone jack, USB OTG, and a micro USB port for charging and data transfer.

The phone is running Android 8.1 Oreo operating system out-of-the-box with the company’s own FunTouch OS 4.0 and is powered by a 3,260mAh non-removable battery.

The Vivo V9 Pro will be available in Black color exclusively through Amazon India and Vivo Store. The phone is priced at Rs. 19,990 (approximately $275) in India but will be available at a special price of Rs. 17,990 (approximately $248) during Amazon India’s Great India Festival.

Samsung files trademark application for “Samsung Buds”

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 26, 2018

The Gear IconX is the name of Samsung‘s truly wireless earbuds. However, a new trademark application has revealed Samsung may be changing the name or launching an entirely different line of wireless earbuds.

The Korean giant filed a trademark application for the name “Samsung Buds” at the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) last week. The application doesn’t mention if the name applies to a range of products but there are speculations as to what it might relate to.

Some say Samsung may be planning to rebrand the Gear IconX series into a more simpler name while others have said this may be Samsung’s own version of the Google Pixel Buds but with Bixby on it.

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