Avail Unmissable Deals And Discounts On Home Appliances And Other Items On GearBest

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Oct 8, 2018

Google‘s #madebygoogle event is already upon us as it would commence on Tuesday (October 9) at 11 am ET (8 am PT, 15:00 GMT). The main highlight of the event will no doubt be the unveiling of the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. Before now, the renders of the models have made several appearances, some coming officially from Google. The notch on the display is the biggest feature of the model as it differentiates its design entirely from that of its predecessor.

Apart from the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, Google is rumoured to have got a Pixel Ultra in the works. The device is said to feature a large, notch-less and edge-to-edge display. There is also talks of a Pixel Mini with a smaller size. The device was reportedly spotted on GFXBench recently, code-named Bonito. Other smart home products will also likely be unveiled.

In case you are interested to watch the event live, there are several channels to follow the live stream. The event will be streamed live from New York on the Made by Google Instagram page (@madebygoogle). The Livestream can also be viewed on the Made by Google YouTube channel. Once again, the event kicks off at 11 am ET (8 am ET, 15:00 GMT) on Tuesday (October 9).

BlackBerry KEY2 LE with Snapdragon 636, 4 GB of RAM lands in India for Rs. 29,990 pricing

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Oct 8, 2018

TCL had introduced the BlackBerry KEY2 LE smartphone at IFA 2018 in August. The same smartphone has been brought to India through Optiemus Infracom which builds and distributed phones with BlackBerry branding. Amazon India will be exclusively selling the smartphone in the country starting from Oct. 12 with a price tag of Rs. 29,990 (~$406).

The BlackBerry KEY2 LE will be available in India in a single color edition of Space Blue. The USP of the phone is its full-sized QWERTY keyboard that comes with fingerprint scanner enabled space bar and a Speed Key that can be used in combination with other keys on the keyboard for launching different apps and functions. It is also packed with various security features such BlackBerry Locker, Password Keeper, Privacy Shade, BlackBerry Hub and DTEK security manager.

The KEY2 LE features a 4.5-inch IPS LCD screen that delivers FHD+ resolution of 1620 x 1080 pixels and an aspect ratio of 3:2. The screen is protected by 2.5D curved glass. The handset is loaded with Android 8.1 Oreo and it allows users to launch dual instances of certain apps like Facebook and Instagram for accessing different accounts.

The Snapdragon 636 and 4 GB of RAM are present under the hood of the BlackBerry KEY2 LE. It has an inbuilt storage of 64 GB. It is packed with a 3,000mAh battery. For photography, the KEY2 LE is equipped with 13-megapixel + 5-megapixel dual camera system on its rear shell. At the front is an 8-megapixel camera for shooting selfies. The handset features a polycarbonate chassis with a textured pattern on its rear.

Read More: BlackBerry Evolve to go on sale in India from October 10 for Rs. 24,990 ($340)

Apart from BlackBerry KEY2 LE, Optiemus Infracom is also selling BlackBerry Evolve smartphone in India. The handset is available in the country with a pricing of Rs. 24,990 through Amazon India.

Nokia 7.1 vs Honor View 10 Lite vs Xiaomi Mi 8 SE: Specs Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

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Oct 8, 2018

Choosing a device which is not among the best flagship smartphones is never an easy choice. You have to find a compromise and renounce to important high-end specs if you want to save some money. The trick not to make a disappointing purchase if you are not searching for anything particular is to get a well-balanced device at least when it comes to the main specs such as the hardware side, battery and sometimes even the camera department. Nokia 7.1, Honor View 10 Lite and Xiaomi Mi 8 SE are very good choices if you do not want to spend a lot of money, and this comparison will tell you which one is the best.

Nokia 7.1 vs Huawei Honor View 10 Lite vs Xiaomi Mi 8 SE

	Nokia 7.1	Huawei Honor View 10 Lite	Xiaomi Mi 8 SE
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	149.7 x 71.2 x 8 mm, 160 grams	160.4 x 76.6 x 7.8 mm, 175 grams	147.3 x 73.1 x 7.5 mm, 164 grams
DISPLAY	5.84 inches, 1080 x 2280p (Full HD+), 432 ppi, IPS LCD	6.5 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 396 ppi, 19.5:9 ratio, IPS LCD	5.88 inches, 1080 x 2244 pixels, 423 ppi, 19.5:9 ratio, Super AMOLED
PROCESSOR	Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, octa-core 1.8 GHz	Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 710, octa-core 2.2 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 710, octa-core 2.2 GHz
MEMORY	3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD slot	4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD dedicated slot	4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM , 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB
SOFTWARE	Android 8.1 Oreo, Android One	Android 8.1 Oreo, EMUI	Android 8.1 Oreo, MIUI
CONNECTIVITY	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	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
CAMERA	Dual 12 + 5 MP f/1.8 and f/2.4 8 MP f/2.0 front camera	Dual 20 + 2 MP f/1.8 16 MP f/2.0 front camera	Dual 12 + 5 MP f/1.9 and f/2.0 20 MP f/2.0 front camera
BATTERY	3060 mAh, Fast Charging 9V / 2A 18W	3750 mAh, Charging 5V / 2A 10W	3120 mAh, Fast Charging with Quick Charge 3.0
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Hybrid Dual SIM slot	Dual SIM slot	Dual SIM slot

Design

If you are one of those users who like to have a beautiful handset, it may be a very good idea to grab a unit of the Honor View 10 Lite. Thanks to its reflective glass back available in four different colors and a display covering almost the whole front panel (more than 84 percent screen-to-body ratio with a notch and a tiny chin), it is definitely the most impressive handset. On the other hand, Xiaomi Mi 8 SE is the most original one with its sharp shape, and it is also the sleekest and most compact. I would pick Xiaomi Mi 8 SE for its originality.

Display

Xiaomi Mi 8 SE has the best display: an outstanding Super AMOLED panel with a size of 5.88 inches and a Full HD+ resolution. It supports both the HDR10 technology and DCI-P3 coverage for very brilliant and realistic colors. It is even a compact screen, so it is not hard to use even with one hand. Nokia 7.1 takes the second place as it features the HDR10 technology as well which provides very nice colors. Huawei Honor View 10 Lite has the worst viewing quality but it is the biggest one with a huge diagonal of 6.5 inches.

Specs & Software

The winner is Xiaomi Mi 8 SE even when it comes to hardware and performance. It features the octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 chipset which is the best option in the Android market if we exclude the 800 series found on the best flagship phones. So it provides the smoothest and fastest performance in every scenario. Unfortunately, this device does not have a micro SD slot unlike its opponents, but it is available with up to 128 GB of internal storage. Nokia 7.1 is the only device to have Android One installed,

Camera

If you are going to get one of these handsets, do not expect a huge camera quality. When it comes to cameras, these devices are just normal mid-rangers. This does not mean that their cameras are disappointing as they are much more than sufficient, but they are far from flagships. These devices feature similar camera specifications, so we can not choose a winner until we test Nokia 7.1 which is still not available to purchase.

Battery

Given its bigger body, Huawei Honor View 10 Lite has also a bigger battery than its concurrence. It features a lithium unit with a capacity of 3750 mAh which is able to last more than Nokia 7.1 and Xiaomi Mi 8 SE and their below-3200 mAh batteries. However, you will need some more time to fully charge it as it does not features a very fast charging technology.

Price

Judging from the overall specification and prices of these phones, I would definitely pick Xiaomi Mi 8 SE due to its better display, compact dimensions, and higher performance. It costs about €300/$344 (price varies depending on the region and stores), while Nokia 7.1 and Honor View 10 Lite cost €319/$366 and €300/$344 respectively.

Read More: HMD Global launches Nokia 7.1 with 5.84-inch PureDisplay, SD636 SoC, and dual rear cameras

Nokia 7.1 vs Huawei Honor View 10 Lite vs Xiaomi Mi 8 SE: PROs and CONS

Nokia 7.1

PROs

Compact
Very nice display
Good design
Android One

CONS

Smaller battery

Huawei Honor View 10 Lite

PROs

Great design
Wide display
Good price
Big battery

CONS

Dimensions

Xiaomi Mi 8 SE

PROs

Great display
Original design
Compact
Higher performance

CONS

No micro SD

Moto G7 360-degree renders reveal design from all angles

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Oct 8, 2018

The rumor mill has started spilling information on the upcoming Moto G7 smartphone. Lenovo-owned Motorola may announce the Moto G series in Q1 or early Q2 2019. Previous reports have revealed that the Moto G7 will be boasting a higher screen-to-body ratio than its predecessor models since it is expected to arrive with a waterdrop notch display. An Indian publication has teamed up with industry expert @OnLeaks to share the 360-degree CAD renders of the Moto G7.

The leak reveals that the company will be launching two Moto G series smartphones next year. The renders that are available in the post belongs to the Moto G7 handset. However, the other device could be an advanced phone that could be called Moto G7 Plus.

The Moto G7 CAD renders reveal that it features a waterdrop notched screen. This indicates that the G7 Plus will be also sporting the same display design. The G7 can be sporting a thicker chin with Motorola branding and slimmer side bezels.

The back panel of the phone features the usual round-shaped camera module that includes horizontally aligned dual cameras. Below it is the company’s logo that is embedded with a fingerprint scanner. The bottom edge of the phone houses a 3.5mm headphone jack, a USB-C port and an external speaker. The volume buttons and the power key reside on the right edge of the device.

The handset measures 157 x 75.3 x 8mm and with the camera bump, its thickness increases to 9.5mm. The dimensions of the phone suggest that it could be equipped with a 6-inch display.

Shown below is one of the recent tweets from popular tipster Evan Blass. He claims that Motorola will not be releasing C-series, M-series and X-series of smartphones in 2019. Also, unlike the above leak which claims that only two Moto G series devices will be launching in the coming year, Blass claims that the 2019 G-series will include Standard, Play, Plus and Power models.

Lenovo may have cut the Moto C, M, & X lines this year, but next year is going to see a record number of Moto G models: Standard, Play, Plus, and Power.

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) October 4, 2018

Read More: Lenovo S5 Pro stunning camera samples released as launch draws near

Previous rumors have revealed that the Moto G7 will be supporting Full HD+ resolution on its 6-inch IPS LCD display. There is no information on the processor that will be powering the Moto G7. However, it is known that the processor will be accompanied by 4 GB of RAM. Other features of the smartphone include 64 GB internal storage, Android 9 Pie OS, 16-megapixel + 5-megapixel dual cameras setup, 12-megapixel front camera and 3,000mAh battery.

Xiaomi Mi MIX 3, Mi Note 4 launch date could be confirmed tomorrow

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Oct 8, 2018

Around a month ago, Xiaomi President Lin Bin had revealed the first image of the Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 and he also confirmed that it will be unveiled in October. Through the official Weibo account of Xiaomi, the company has now confirmed that it will be announcing something tomorrow morning. Hence, it is very likely that the Mi MIX 3 launch date could be revealed tomorrow.

The official image of the Mi MIX 3 has revealed that it will be sporting a manual slider design. A newer report that had surfaced earlier today had revealed that it will be sporting slimmer bezels around the display.

All the predecessor Mi MIX series smartphones have featured front-facing camera on their bottom bezel. However, rumors have claimed that the selfie camera, 3D structured light module and other sensors of the smartphone will be placed on its slider. Hence, the new design of the Mi MIX 3 will allow the handset to sport nearly 100 percent screen-to-body.

There is no information available on the specifications of the Mi MIX 3. However, it is very likely to feature Snapdragon 845. The handset is also rumored to arrive with an in-screen fingerprint reader.

A leaked poster that had surfaced during the weekend had claimed that the Xiaomi will be holding an unveil event on Oct. 15. Through the event, the Chinese manufacturer is expected to announce the Mi MIX 3 smartphone as well as Mi Note 4. The latter is rumored to be codenamed as Xiaomi LEX. Both the phones are rumored to feature a dedicated button for accessing Xiao AI assistant.

Xiaomi has recently launched the Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro and Mi 8 Lite smartphone in color gradient options. It is likely that the upcoming Mi MIX 3 and Mi Note 4 may also arrive in color gradient editions.

Read More: Xiaomi Mi Band 3 heart rate sensor’s credibility in the spotlight, gets a reading for tissue paper

The Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 is not the only flagship phone launching this month. The Google Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Razer Phone 2, Huawei Mate 20, Mate 20 Pro and OnePlus 6T are all slated to go official this month. Which one could be the be the best flagship phone among these smartphones? Share us your views by posting your comments below.

OnePlus 6T to launch on October 30 in New York, tickets now on sale

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Oct 8, 2018

OnePlus has finally announced the launch date for its next flagship – the OnePlus 6T. Unfortunately, it is not the October 17 date we expected.

Taking to its official Twitter account, OnePlus has scheduled October 30 as the launch date for the OnePlus 6T. The event will be held in New York at 11 AM EDT and will also be live-streamed on the official OnePlus YouTube channel.

The #OnePlus6T is coming. Unlock The Speed on October 30. https://t.co/LuPoTr8ZyF pic.twitter.com/s8OfmZuXdX

— OnePlus (@oneplus) October 8, 2018

OnePlus has also begun the sale of tickets to those who want to attend the launch. Tickets are currently priced at $20, down from its original price of $30. We don’t know how long the discount will last for, so if you are interested, hurry and purchase one here.

Those who purchase tickets not only get to be at the event but also get a hands-on experience of the OnePlus 6T, meet OnePlus community members, get exclusive merchandise and also get a free pair of OnePlus Bullets Wireless earphones worth $69. So, you are definitely getting more than the $20 you are charged for the ticket.

Honor MediaPad T5 launching alongside Honor 8c on October 11

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Oct 8, 2018

Huawei’s Honor division had earlier released details of a launch event to be held on October 11 when the Honor 8C would be unveiled. The Honor 8C is expected to signal Huawei’s last push for a chunk of the mid-range market for this year. Looks like Huawei plans to grab its market share with both hands. The company has released a poster which points to the launch of a new Honor tablet dubbed MediaPad T5.

The Honor MediaPad T5 is expected as a successor to the Honor Play Pad 2, launched as MediaPad T3 in India last year. The MediaPad T3 features an 8-inch 1280 x 800 display while there is also a 10-inch version dubbed MediaPad T3 10. According to a poster shared on Honor’s Weibo page, the upcoming Honor Pad 5 will come with dual speakers tuned by Harman Kardon. The tablet will also come with the fifth-generation of Huawei’s Histen 3D audio technology which brings the experience of live music.

In terms of specification, the Honor MediaPad T5 is expected to adopt a 2K screen but for now, the processor is unknown. The device may likely be upgraded to a Kirin 970 chipset.

Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL launching in India on October 22

By

Jeet

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Oct 8, 2018

Google is all set to launch its new lineup of Pixel smartphones at its annual hardware event in New York on 9th October — Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. At the event, along with the third-generation Pixel phones, the company will also launch the Pixel Slate, Google Home Hub, and a new Chromecast.

Now, a new report suggests that the company has set the launch date of October 22 for the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL smartphones in the Indian market. While not much is known at this time, it’s has been confirmed that Google will hold a dedicated media launch event in India on 22nd October.

For the current Pixel 2 lineup, Google had partnered with online marketplace Flipkart to exclusively sell the devices online in India. There’s a possibility that the tech giant may extend the partnership for the Pixel 3 lineup as well. The phone’s pricing and availability details still remains under the wraps.

The Google Pixel 3 XL’s leaked images show that the phone will come with a large notch that will house a pair of front-facing cameras, a speaker, and proximity and ambient sensors. A recent report claims that the dual selfie camera setup present inside the notch will comprise of an 8-megapixel auto-focus primary camera with f/1.8 aperture and a secondary fixed-focus 8-megapixel lens with f/2.2 aperture.

The phone will feature a 6.2-inch QHD+ (2880 x 1440 pixels) display, which is significantly bigger than the 5.5-inch FHD+ screen of the Pixel 3 with model number G013A. Both models will be powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 845 processor and 4GB of RAM. The phone will come equipped with a 12-megapixel rear camera. It’ll have 64GB of internal storage and reports suggest existence of 128GB internal storage model as well.

As for the software, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL will be running Android 9.0 Pie operating system out-of-the-box. The phones are also expected to come with support for Qi Wireless Charging. We’ll know everything related to the phone tomorrow, when Google official launches them.

(Source)

Nubia Z18S to launch as Nubia X on October 31

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Oct 8, 2018

Nubia has a phone with dual displays in development. The phone already appeared in a bunch of photos and has also gotten its TENAA certification. The phone was originally referred to as the Nubia Z18S, however, a launch poster has revealed that it will be officially known as the Nubia X.

Earlier today, Nubia’s CEO, Ni Fei, took to Weibo where he shared the launch poster for the upcoming flagship phone. The poster says the device will launch on October 31 and also reveals the date is the manufacturer’s 6th anniversary. We believe the event will be a big one since the date also doubles as their anniversary.

The Nubia X’s selling point is its dual display design. It has a bezel-less 6.26-inch LCD FHD+ display on one side and a 5.1-inch HD+ OLED screen on the other side. It is powered by the Snapdragon 845 processor and will be available with 6GB/8GB of RAM and 64GB/128GB of storage.

The phone has only two cameras and they are on the same side – above the smaller display. The primary camera is a 24MP sensor and the secondary camera is a 16MP sensor just like the rear cameras of the Nubia Z18.

The Nubia X doesn’t have a fingerprint scanner on either side but the TENAA images show an indentation on the left and right sides of the metal frame. We want to believe each indentation is home to a fingerprint scanner or at least one is home to a scanner.

OPPO Hyper Boost Technology to be announced on October 11

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Oct 8, 2018

OPPO has an event scheduled for Wednesday, October 10. That event is said to be for the launch of the OPPO K1. However, the Chinese manufacturer has announced another event for October 11. According to the poster, the event is for the launch of OPPO Hyper Boost Technology.

I bet you are wondering what is OPPO Hyper Boost Technology. Based on the poster for the event, we want to believe this is OPPO’s version of Huawei/Honor’s GPU Turbo technology. The poster does show a circuit board and a rough translation of the text on it mentions something about acceleration.

It is still unconfirmed if Hyper Boost is just a software-based upgrade for the GPU or it includes the CPU too. Nevertheless, we expect Hyper Boost will increase the performance of supported OPPO devices.

We are also curious to see how it works since OPPO phones use Qualcomm and MediaTek chipsets, unlike Honor‘s GPU Turbo technology that only works with Kirin-powered phones.

LG V40 ThinQ kernel source code released less than a week after launch

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Oct 8, 2018

The LG V40 ThinQ was released less than a week ago and LG has done well by releasing its kernel source code. This means developers can begin making custom ROMs for the phone right away.

Manufacturers are required to release the kernel source code for their phones but a lot of them fail to do so. Some eventually do but months after the phone’s release. However, there are other manufacturers who release the source code for their phones even before they go on sale.

The source code for the LG V40 was actually released on October 5, two days after the phone was announced. LG has released for all the five variants of the phone and they can be downloaded from the source link below.

The LG V40 ThinQ comes with Android Oreo out of the box and while it has been confirmed that it will be updated to Android 9 Pie soon, we know LG isn’t the quickest with updates. With the source code now available, developers can make custom ROMs based on Android Pie for those not willing to wait for LG’s update.

Xiaomi Mi Band 3 heart rate sensor’s credibility in the spotlight, gets a reading for tissue paper (UPDATED: Proof)

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Oct 8, 2018

UPDATE:

We decided to check out whether this is indeed the case with the Mi Band 3. Our writers Jed, Habeeb, and Michele tested their Mi Band 3’s HR sensor on a tissue paper roll. Jed was able to get the reading pretty quickly and consistently on his Mi Band. Habeeb found it harder to get a reading from a tissue roll on his Mi Band 3, but even he managed to get a reading a few times. Finally, Michele’s Mi Band 3 didn’t register any readings, until he decided to gently tap the tissue paper roll (to mimic heartbeats). We believe other soft objects like a cloth could also register a heart rate reading on the new Mi Band. It seems as if the wearable picks up minute vibrations from the tissue roll and registers them for heartbeats.

You can check out the videos from Jed and Habeeb down below.

https://youtu.be/Q2HmL-SDoZs

It looks like only some Mi Band 3 models are affected by this issue. This might not be a deal breaker for most customers but it goes on to show how we can’t rely on inexpensive wearables like the Mi Band 3 for an accurate HR reading. Do let us know if you could get a HR reading from your Mi band 3 on a tissue roll.

Xiaomi launched the Mi Band 3 in May this year as a successor to the highly-successful Mi Band 2. Despite the success of the Mi Band 2, there were a couple of flaws, one being the inability of the heart rate monitor to track the heart rate reading of users with coloured skin. While that flaw has been fixed on the Mi Band 3, the credibility of the heart rate sensor is presently under scrutiny after a shocking discovery.

That discovery was made by some netizens who discovered that the Mi Band 3 can actually come out with a reading when strapped to a tissue paper. In order not to jump into a hasty conclusion, I carried out the same test with my Mi Band 3 and indeed a reading was obtained while it is strapped to a roll of tissue paper. This is unusual since the heart rate sensor is supposed to take the reading of the heart rate and the tissue paper is a non-living thing. Most smart bands and watches use light to track your blood. How it works is that an LED illuminates your capillaries and then a sensor adjacent to the light measures the frequency at which your blood pumps past. This is the heart rate measured in beats per minute (BPM).

This isn’t a general problem as a photo of a smartwatch that looks like a Fitbit Versa (we’re not sure) strapped on the tissue paper roll was also shared. The smartwatch didn’t come out with a reading just as it shouldn’t. That doesn’t mean the Mi Band 3 is alone in this boat. Most of the smart bands around come out with spurious readings that are nowhere near accurate. If you own the Mi Band 3 or any other smart band, you can please try this same test and reach us with the outcome via the comment section.

Microsoft may soon begin Andromeda testing; Surface Phone release could be nearing

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Oct 8, 2018

In July, Microsoft had reportedly stalled the rumored Andromeda OS powered Surface Phone. The reason behind it was that Andromeda was not ready to be integrated in Windows 10. The Surface Phone rumors have erupted again now since Andromeda OS language pack has appeared on Microsoft Store. This indicates that the Redmond giant could be prepping up to test the Andromeda OS. The text springs from the language pack have revealed some vital information on the alleged Surface Phone device.

Details that have surfaced through the language pack of Andromeda OS has revealed that the rumored Surface Phone will be a foldable device with two opposable displays along with an external screen. The Microsoft Andromeda OS device will be equipped dialer for making phone calls which indicates that this foldable device will be a smartphone. It will also contain a feature that will allow it to record phone calls automatically. Tapping twice on the display of the device will turn it off

The device will not only run apps designed for Andromeda OS, but also Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps. For security, the device will be equipped with features like fingerprint reader as well as an iris scanner. The Productivity Mode feature available on the device allow users to connect it to a larger display for desktop PC experience.

Read More: Microsoft brings Android mirroring on Windows 10 via Your Phone app

There is no information available on when Microsoft will be bringing the rumored Andromeda OS device to the market. However, now that the evidence of the active development of the OS have surfaced, the arrival of the alleged Surface Phone may not be far away. As of this writing, there are not details on the specifications of the device. If the launch of the device is really nearing, forthcoming reports may soon reveal details on its specs soon.

(source 1, 2|via 1, 2)

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 to soon get Android Pie and EIS support

By

Jeet

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Oct 8, 2018

Asus’ Zenfone Max Pro M1 has proved to be one of the bestselling budget smartphone in the Indian market’s sub-Rs. 15,000 (~$203) segment. Recently, the company revealed that it managed to sell over one million units of the phone in just six months.

Amidst rumours regarding the Zenfone Max M2 Pro and Max M2, which recently received EEC certification in Russia, the company has now revealed its plans for the Zenfone Max Pro M1 update. Dinesh Sharma, Director, Mobile Business, Asus India, has confirmed that the phone will get Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) feature through software update.

Further, he has also confirmed that the Zenfone Max Pro M1 will soon receive the latest Android 9.0 Pie update. The company’s flagship smartphone Zenfone 5Z will also receive the Android Pie update. However, Asus has not revealed any specific timeline for the update.

The Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 features a 5.99-inch Full View Full HD+ display with 2160 x 1080 pixels screen resolution and 18:9 aspect ratio. The device is powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 636 processor and comes in three variants — 3GB RAM with 32GB storage, 4GB RAM with 64GB storage, and 6GB RAM with 64GB internal storage.

It also supports microSD card, enabling users to further expand the phone’s storage capacity. In terms of photography, the ZenFone Max Pro M1 features a vertically arranged dual camera setup equipped with Softlight LED on its rear panel. It comprises a 16-megapixel primary sensor with f/2.0 aperture and a 5-megapixel secondary sensor with f/2.4 aperture for depth sensing.

The features offered by the dual rear cameras include faster autofocus, PDAF, and 4K video shooting. On the front side, there’s an 8-megapixel snapper with a Softlight LED, which has been optimized to capture selfie shots with bokeh effect.

While Asus smartphones usually feature the company’s custom interface ZenUI, the ZenFone Max Pro M1 is the first phone that offers stock Android experience. It runs a pure version of Android 8.1 Oreo operating system out-of-the-box but the device is not a part of Google‘s Android One program.

Connectivity options on the device include Dual 4G VoLTE, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi, GPS, 3.5mm headphone jack, and micro USB 2.0 port. There’s also a rear-mounted fingerprint reader for added security and the phone also supports Face Unlock feature. It is powered by a 5,000mAh battery that supports 10W fast charging.

Leaked photo shows the OPPO K1 and its waterdrop notch

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Oct 8, 2018

A photo showing a phone said to be the OPPO K1 has surfaced online. The image shows the front of the phone and gives us a look at its design.

The OPPO K1 in the image is inside a case. This is not your typical case but the type used by manufacturers ahead of a phone’s official release. The phone is pretty big, 6.4-inches according to TENAA. The image also confirms it has a water-drop notch. We already knew this based on its screen resolution (2340 x 1080) which is similar to that of the OPPO F9.

The side bezels are pretty thin and the chin is quite small when compared to what we have seen on some other phones such as the newly launched Nokia 7.1. The display is actually AMOLED and based on the TENAA images of the rear side of the phone, the fingerprint scanner is under the display.

OPPO PBCM10 rear — OPPO K1’s rear according to TENAA

Lenovo S5 Pro stunning camera samples released as launch draws near

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Oct 8, 2018

Lenovo may soon launch its much-anticipated slider phone which would be called S5 Pro. A date has not been revealed for the official launch but Lenovo’s VP Chang Cheng who has been the source of most of the leaked details about the device has shared some more details about the device. This time around it is the camera samples of the device.

The device will come with two cameras at the rear and from the watermark on the samples, the camera will have artificial intelligence. The samples were shot using the super 2X optical zoom feature. We don’t know the configuration of the camera but for photos shot using 2x zoom, the pictures are quite stunning and come out with vivid clarity. The photos are not in anyway blurred and there is no photographic noise. The photos also preserve the details of the scenes captured, even when visibility is poor. From these samples, we can get an idea of how stunning the S5 Pro camera samples would be without any zoom. We should point out that Mr Cheng shared a teaser suggesting a four-camera setup will be on the device but that may just be another hype.

The specifications of the Lenovo S5 Pro is still not known but the device is expected to feature a full-screen, notch-less display with a high screen ratio. It will also utilise a slider design which would see the selfie camera located on the slider. Lenovo is expected to launch the S5 Pro this October.