CEO lauds OnePlus 6T in-screen fingerprint while justifying headphone jack removal

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Oct 3, 2018

In the latest interview with CNET, OnePlus CEO, Pete Lau has shed some light on various aspects of their upcoming flagship device, OnePlus 6T. He explained every new perspective of the device and justified the headphone jack removal. He even talked about the new in-screen fingerprint sensor which will help you to unlock the device with ease. Despite the huge demand from users, OnePlus has taken a ‘tough’ decision to remove headphone jack. Additionally, OnePlus 6T is expected to arrive at an event on October 17.

In-Screen display explanation

In detail, Pete Lau explains that in-screen fingerprint will allow the users to complete the unlocking action with less number of steps. It is an efficient and reliable way to unlock the system than the new Face unlock tech. It will also help in unlocking the device without picking up the phone as we did in the OnePlus 6 due to the sensor’s presence on the back side of the device. Pete Lau added that “After you experience the Screen Unlock you’ll fall in love with it,” he said. “[You’ll] realize that it’s the experience that you wanted.”

Headphone jack removal justification

Removing the headphone jack has been the most challenging task for Pete Lau. He explained that despite the high demand removing a feature was not easy but ultimately they sorted it without the headphone jack. In a bid to explain the removal he added that “The most difficult task in the day-to-day is… finding a balance in what’s ultimately going to be part of the end product and what has to be said ‘No’ to.” The other reason for the removal is to make space for the in-screen fingerprint sensor. Even, OnePlus CEO justified it by giving a reference to the recent survey, where 59% of users have already opted for wireless headphones.

OnePlus 6T will be 0.45 mm thicker than its predecessor, OnePlus 6. Well, its CEO has hinted that features like on-screen fingerprint will make it little costlier. “Screen Unlock technology is something very new, and there’s a definite cost required for that new technology,” said Lau in the interview. “It’s not cheap.”

Read More: OnePlus releases first teaser for OnePlus 6T, announces The LAB early testing program

So let’s see what happens at the launch event on October 17th. It is expected to carry similar specs as the OnePlus 6 with some little changes in the design, display and fingerprint sensor. Recent leaks suggest that the device will come in two different colour variants such as Midnight Black and Mirror Black.

(Source)

Buy Xiaomi Mi Sphere Camera 4K Panorama Action Camera For Only $229.99 On GearBest

By

Vinay Patel

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Oct 3, 2018

Equipped with two 190 degree ultra-wide angle fish-eye lens modules, the international edition of Xiaomi’s Mi Sphere Camera 4K panorama action camera has gone up for sale bearing a dropped price on GearBest. Let’s check out the details.

With a powerful Ambarella A12 chipset packed under its hood, the Mi Sphere Camera comes with a built-in IMX 206 sensor that lets you clip and splice captured images into a 360-degree seamless image. On top of that, you can even share and post-edit recorded videos using the APP “mihome”.

A high-end action camera offering comparable features would normally set you back a pretty penny on both online and offline stores.

In a bid to make the Mi Sphere Camera 4K Panorama Action Camera available to cost-conscious buyers, Xiaomi is now offering its feature-laden camera at a dropped price of just $229.99. This is a noteworthy reduction in the action camera’s steep original asking price.
However, the discount will specifically be valid for the black-tinted international edition of the Xiaomi Mi Sphere Camera 4K Panorama Action Camera.

An absolute bargain at this reduced price, the Mi Sphere action camera boasts an impressive array of features including 4K video resolution, which breathes new life into your videos and photos. Moreover, it offers 3 shooting modes including flat, sphere and planet.

The Mi Sphere camera can be used by adventure junkies even while doing extreme sports as it comes with a 6-axis anti-shaking feature. Aside from that, it supports loop recording function and time-lapse.

The Xiaomi-branded action camera also supports TF cards up to 128GB maximum so that you never run out of storage space for your favorite videos and photos. The Mi Sphere draws its juices from a robust 1600mAh 3.8V Li-ion battery that supports 75 minutes shooting time at 4K with WiFi. It even supports QC2.0 quick charge.

If this feature-laden Mi Sphere action camera has stirred your interest, you can follow this link to check out more details and avail the discount. Note that there were only 181 pieces remaining at the time of writing and the promo is slated to end in just 4 days.

Get 23% Off On Xiaomi Mi Sphere Camera 4K Panorama Action Camera

Get Big Discounts On Two Top-End Versions Of The OnePlus 6 Smartphone On GeekBuying [Coupon Code]

By

Vinay Patel

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Oct 3, 2018

If you’ve restlessly been waiting to get your hands on the OnePlus 6 smartphone without emptying your pocket, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll be shedding light on some unmissable discounts that you can avail on GeekBuying and also show how you can save more money without breaking much of a sweat.

OnePlus 6 Smartphone With 8GB RAM+256GB ROM

The OnePlus 6 became an instant hit among smartphone lovers after hitting the store shelves earlier this year. But much to the chagrin of cost-conscious buyers, the phone didn’t come cheap.

In fact, an 8GB RAM+256GB ROM version of the phone would normally set you back a pretty penny on online and offline stores. Thankfully, this version of the coveted smartphone is currently available at a dropped price of just $589.99 on GeekBuying.

This is a noteworthy 37% reduction in the phone’s original selling price. On top of that, you can apply coupon code TOHMRYVU to save an extra $200 before placing your order.

In other words, you can reduce your already reduced grand total further down to just $579.99 simply by applying the above-mentioned coupon. You can follow this link to visit the promotion page and avail the discount without wasting time since the promo is slated to end in 6 days.

OnePlus 6 Smartphone With 6GB RAM+64GB ROM

Alternatively, you can go for the slightly smaller variant of the OnePlus 6 smartphone that comes with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. This version usually carries a $579.99 price tag but is currently up for grabs at a reduced price of just $489.99.

Aside from taking advantage of this 16% discount, you can use coupon code QVXIDZUS to get an extra $116 off on the phone’s already lowered selling price. As a result, you can now buy this variant of the OnePlus 6 smartphone at a discounted price of only $453.99.

In order to ensure you do not miss this discount, all you need to do is to follow this link. Note that the promo will come to an end in just 3 days and the coupon will also lapse shortly.

Get 37% Off On The 8GB RAM+256GB ROM Version Of OnePlus 6 Smartphone

Get 16% Off On The 6GB RAM+64GB ROM Version Of OnePlus 6 Smartphone

Buy Wemax One Pro FMWS01C ANSI Lumens Laser Projector For Just $1929 On GearBest [Coupon Code]

By

Vinay Patel

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Oct 3, 2018

Marketed as the first ultra-short projector that adopts the ALPD (advanced laser display) technology, the Wemax One Pro FMWS01C laser projector can deliver up to 150-inches high definition images in 50 centimeters. On top of that, you get a product life of nearly 25,000 hours.

While the market is rife with high-end laser projectors that offer comparable features, they don’t come cheap. The Wemax One Pro FMWS01C, on the other hand, has now gone up for sale bearing a heavily discounted price on GearBest.

We’ll not only shed light on the aforesaid discount but also show how you can save a considerable amount of extra money during the check out process. Let’s head straight to the details without further ado.

The Wemax One Pro FMWS01C laser projector would normally set you back a pretty penny on online as well as offline stores, but you can now buy it at a dropped price of just $1949 on GearBest. This is a noteworthy 18% reduction in the device’s original asking price.

You can extend the aforesaid discount by applying promotion code IT-CN01MAX. The promotion code lets you save an extra $20 before you place your order and bring your already discounted grand total further down to just $1929.

The high-tech Wemax One Pro FMWS01C is quite an irresistible laser projector at this price, given that it uses a compact, minimalist “box” design language to obtain user-friendly design goals. It can be easily controlled. Moreover, finding your favorite programs is a piece of cake as it comes with voice assistant and a slew of other interactive ways.

You can follow this link if you’re interested in checking out more details about the Wemax One Pro FMWS01C laser projector and taking advantage of the above-mentioned discount. It is worth noting that the promotion is slated to end in 5 days and the coupon is also likely to expire soon.

Get 18% Off On WEMAX One Pro FMWS01C ANSI Lumens Laser Projector

Get Big Discounts On Top-Branded Projectors

Huawei Band 3e official renders, specs and price leaks

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Oct 3, 2018

Huawei has an event scheduled for October 16 and it has been confirmed it will announce its next flagship phones – the Mate 20 series at the event. However, we won’t be surprised if Huawei announces other products too such as a new smartband. Details of a yet-to-be-released Huawei Band 3e have been leaked online ahead of its release.

Huawei Band 3e Black or Pink. 77mAh, six-axis sensor, 7 kinds of running data, 12d typical use, 21d stand-by, 40h in "shoes mode" w/ posture tracking. 5ATM waterproof. Notifications, Sleep Monitoring, DND modem 13,6g. 24,99 GBP. pic.twitter.com/nD1LTnFaIk

— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) October 2, 2018

The renders, specs, and pricing for the Huawei Band 3e were posted on Twitter by @rquandt. According to his tweet, the smartband will come in two colors – Black and Pink. It will have a six-axis sensor and pack a 77mAh battery that will last up to 12 days for typical usage and up to 21 days on standby.

[envira-gallery id=”214994″]

The Huawei Band 3e will be able to measure seven kinds of running data. It will also have a “shoe mode” with support for posture tracking. The band will be 5ATM waterproof, be able to display notifications, track your sleep, and even have a DND mode.

Roland Quandt adds that the smartband will sell for £24.99 (~$32) and will weigh 13.6 grams.

(Source)

Microsoft announces Surface Headphones with built-in Cortana

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Oct 3, 2018

Today, Microsoft announced a number of devices at its Surface event. While we were already expecting the Surface Pro 6, the Surface Studio 2, and the Surface Laptop 2; the Surface Headphones took us by surprise.

The Surface Headphones is not only Microsoft’s first headphones but also the first headphones with Cortana built-in. Google Assistant is already built-in a number of headphones such as the Bose Quiet Comfort 35 II. The Bose headphones has also gained support for Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant.

Microsoft’s Surface Headphones comes in Light Gray which is the only issue we have with it. Seeing as the Surface Pro 6 and the Surface Laptop 2 both come in black, it only makes sense that the Surface Headphones also has a black variant.

The headphones appear to be well-made just like other Surface products. Each cup has a 40mm driver and a dial which allows you to adjust the volume (right cup) or adjust the level of noise cancellation (left cup, 14 different points (levels). The cups also have touch sensors for pausing/resuming playback, answering calls and skipping tracks. There is a power button and a mute button too.

The headphones has 2 beam-forming microphones on each cup and a total of 8 microphones to help you focus on the sounds that matter. The headphones will also automatically pause playback when you take them off and resumes when you put them back on.

[envira-gallery id=”214972″]

The Surface Headphones connects via Bluetooth 4.2 to your Windows 10, iOS, Android, and MacOS devices. Unlike the Surface Pro 6 and Surface Laptop 2, the Surface Headphones has a USB Type-C port for charging. The headphones fully charges in under 2 hours and charging for just 5 minutes should provide up to 1 hour of music playback. It also has an audio jack in case you want to switch to wired mode.

Microsoft says it will last up to 15 hours on a single charge if you are playing music over Bluetooth, have ANC turned on, and Cortana activated and up to 50 hours in wired mode with ANC turned on.

https://youtu.be/xFe_ZYtfsZg

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Surface Pro 6 and Surface Laptop 2 announced: Come in black, no USB-C

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Oct 3, 2018

A few hours ago Microsoft announced the Surface Pro 6 and the Surface Laptop 2. Both devices bring big improvements in performance and also come in a nice new black color.

Surface Pro 6

The Surface Pro 6 comes with new 8th-Gen Intel Quad Core processors (Core i5 or Core i7) that bring up to a 67% increase in speed compared to the Surface Pro (5th gen). Depending on the configuration, the new Surface Pro 6 will have 128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of SSD storage and 8GB or 16GB of RAM.

The screen of the Pro 6 is a 12.3” PixelSense Display with a 2736 x 1824 resolution, 10-point multi-touch, and Corning Gorilla Glass. There is a 5MP camera with 1080p for Skype HD video calls while an 8MP camera with support for 1080p videos sits on the back. It also has 1.6W Dolby speakers for audio and Windows Hello face sign-in for security.

With respect to ports, the Surface Pro 6 has 1 X USB 3.0 Port, a Mini Display Port, a Surface Type Cover port, a 3.5mm audio jack, a MicroSDXC card reader, and a Surface Connect port. Unfortunately, Microsoft did not include a USB type-C port.

The Surface Pro 6 is said to offer up to 13.5 hours of battery life. It comes in a new Classic Black color in addition to Platinum. The Type Covers are available in the aforementioned colors as well as Burgundy and Cobalt Blue. The device measures 292 x 201 x 8.5 mm and weighs 775 grams (792 grams for the Core i7 version). Price starts at $899.

Surface Laptop 2

The Surface Laptop 2 also gets a power boost thanks to the 8th-Gen Intel processors. Microsoft says it is 85% faster than the original. Battery life is still impressive at 14.5 hours and the keyboard is still covered in Alcantara.

The Surface Laptop 2 packs a 13.5” PixelSense Display with a 2256 x 1504 resolution and support for 10-point multi-touch. The display is covered with Gorilla Glass 3 and is Surface Pen enabled.

For connectivity, the Surface Pro 6 has a USB 3.0 port, a 3.5mm audio jack, a Mini Display port, and a Surface Connect port. Yes, it doesn’t have a USB type-C port too which is a bummer.

There is a 720p HD webcam, Windows Hello secure sign-in, Omnisonic Speakers with Dolby Audio, and a stereo microphones. The Surface Pro 6 weighs 1.25 kg (1.28 kg for the Core i7 model) and measures 308.1 x 223.27 x 14.48 mm.

It comes in a new Classic Black Color like the Surface Pro 6 but is also available in Cobalt, Burgundy, and Platinum. Starting price is $999.

Continue

The Galaxy A6s will be the first Samsung model that’ll be manufactured by Xiaomi’s manufacturer

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Oct 2, 2018

A recent report first carried by the Korean Herald had revealed that Samsung was in talks with Wintech, the Original Design Manufacturer responsible for the manufacture of Xiaomi’s phones. Another tip has emerged which hints that the Galaxy A6s will be the first Samsung model that will be manufactured by Wintech. The models produced by Wintech will be for the Chinese market.

The Galaxy A6s has been in the news for quite some time now. The device was first spotted with the moniker Galaxy P30 but that was later confirmed to be the A6s. The device is expected to feature a fullscreen design among others.

The reasons adduced for Samsung’s imminent decision to adopt the ODM system is the need to cut down on manufacturing cost while restructuring its China smartphone market. Samsung’s market share continues to decline due to the rise of other Chinese OEMs.move could be as a result of the company’s declining market share in China. The company is yet to make an official announcement about the deal but it did acknowledge it is considering the ODM model in markets where it is necessary.

(source)

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s (8+256GB version) gets a big price cut; Mi Mix 3 coming!

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Oct 2, 2018

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s was first released on March 27 this year and it came as an upgrade of last year’s flagship Mi Mix 2. Less than 8 months after the launch, Xiaomi is planning to launch the Mi Mix 3. No date has been revealed but that should happen soon. It is usual for retailers to slash the prices of the existing models before the OEM launches a new model. That is what seems to have befallen the Mi Mix 2s. The price of the 8GB+256GB version of the Mix 2s has been slashed on e-retail platform Suning Tesco.

The topmost 8GB+256GB version came with an initial price tag of 3999 yuan ($582) but that has been reduced to 3599 yuan ($523). Not enough, a limited time coupon is available that will bring the price of the model down to 3419 yuan ($497). The 180 yuan coupon is only valid for today but the price will still remain at 3,599 which is not bad for such massive storage and memory.

As a reminder, the Mi Mix 2s is Xiaomi’s first smartphone to pack the latest Snapdragon 845 chipset. It packs a 5.99-inch display with a resolution of 2160x1080pixels. It also has a 12MP+12MP dual-camera setup at the back, where one of the snappers has large 1.4ɥm pixels and bright f/1.8 aperture, while the secondary shooter has a telephoto lens with f/2.4 aperture. The device runs MIUI 9.5 based on Android Oreo 8.0 but that hs been upgraded to MIUI 10 already. The device gets juice from a 3400mh battery with wireless charging support. It ranks as the first ceramic phone to have Qi wireless charging support.

(source)

Sony Xperia XA3 render showcases its design including a side fingerprint sensor

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Oct 2, 2018

Sony will reportedly launch the Xperia XA3 and XA3 Ultra soon even though the Xperia XA 2 and XA2 Ultra was launched earlier this year. Ahead of the supposed unveiling, the renders of the Xperia XA3 has appeared online showing the design from all angles

The renders are actually CAD-based renders created by @OnLeaks and it is even available in a 360-degree video. The video shows the device will come with an 18:9 aspect ratio display. The device is expected to come with a 5.9-inch FHD+ display having a resolution of 1080 x 2160 resolution. The device will also have a dimension of 155.7 x 68.3 x 8.4mm but there will be a bump at the camera aspect which will have a thickness of 8.9mm.

The Xperia XA3 is also tipped to pack a side-mounted fingerprint sensor as can be seen on the render. The fingerprint sensor will be located on the right side in between the volume rocker and power button. It also features a USB Type-C port. The device comes with a dual rear camera setup aligned horizontally and centrally located. At the top of the camera will be the LED flash.

As far as the specs go, Sony Xperia XA3 will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 AIE octa-core processor which is an upgrade over the SD 630 chipset on the Xperia XA2. The device will have 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage on it top variant. It is expected to launch in the coming months but could be unveiled at CES 2019.

(source)

HP reinvents the PC with the new Spectre Folio – the world’s first leather laptop

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Oct 2, 2018

Yesterday, HP announced a new PC – the Spectre Folio. The Spectre Folio is a beauty thanks to its impressive design. If you are always on the go and on the hunt for a new computer, this leather-clad beauty should be on your radar.

The HP Spectre Folio is covered in genuine leather instead of plastic or metal which gives it a very unique and premium appearance. The device can be used in three different positions – folded forward (covering the keyboard) to serve as a tablet, folded halfway such that the keys are covered but the trackpad is visible (tent mode), and finally as a laptop.

The Spectre Folio has a 13.3 touchscreen display but the screen differs across models. There is a version with a 1-watt FHD display, another with a regular FHD screen, and a third with a 4K panel. The display is covered in Gorilla Glass and supports input via a stylus with tilt detection and 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity.

Depending on the configuration, you get Intel’s new Amber Lake-Y Core i7-8500Y or Core i5-8200Y processor. There is 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage (NVMe M.2 SSD). It has an e-SIM and also a nano-SIM tray. The keyboard is backlit and there are four Bang & Olufsen speakers for audio.

The Spectre Folio has Bluetooth 4.2, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, a USB 3.1 Type-C port, a USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A port, a 3.5mm audio jack, and two Thunderbolt 3 ports. The computer is said to offer up to 18 hours of battery life. It measures 32 x 23.36 x 1.52 cm and weighs 1.45 kg.

Continue

Xiaomi crowdfunded Uleemark Dupont jacket doesn’t need a wash, ever.

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Oct 2, 2018

Xiaomi has announced the entry of new product into its crowdfunding program. The product is dubbed Uleemark Dupont jacket and it comes with a price tag of 459 yuan ($66). Perhaps the main selling point of the jacket is the fact that you don’t need to wash it, ever.

Uleemark’s new jacket uses DuPont paper which is a new patented material developed by DuPont technologies. The material isn’t exactly paper despite it being called DuPont paper. Instead, it is an environmentally friendly non-woven fabric. The fabric is made by flashing technology and it combines the advantages of paper film and fibre. The fabric is waterproof, lightweight, and also won’t get stained. It also has several features that make it suitable for use in high-tech fields such as industrial protective clothing, medical aseptic packaging, and aerospace.

The Uleemark DuPont jacket can withstand harsh environments and extreme temperatures ranging from -73 ° C to 100 ° C. Even when used in extremely cold conditions, Uleemark says the fabric is able to maintain an excellent thermal temperature. The jacket is filled with high-quality 90% white goose feather, fully stacked making it large and full. The water-repellent property also reaches level 4 meaning water can hardly seep through the fabric. The anti-stain property means milk, coffee, beverages, spices, etc. can be wiped off with a soft cloth without leaving any trace of stain on the fabric. Don’t get it wrong, it can still be dry cleaned in a washing machine.

The jacket is available in white and black colors and also comes in small (S), medium (M), large (L), extra large (XL) and extra extra large (XXL). It is expected to start shipping in China on November 11. We expect it to be available outside China soon via thrid-part retailers.

(source)

Nokia 9 PureView is the name of HMD Global’s next flagship

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Oct 2, 2018

Do you still remember the Nokia 808 PureView and its 41MP camera? If there is a hall of fame for smartphones, it sure belongs there. Latest reports say HMD Global is bringing one feature of the Nokia 808 to its next flagship, the Nokia 9.

No, it’s not the 41MP camera sensor. At least we have no information regarding the pixel count of the cameras of the Nokia 9. It is actually the PureView name. According to Roland Quandt, the Nokia 9 will be officially known as the Nokia 9 PureView

Nokia 9 Pureview. That's the actual marketing name of what will come soon from HMD Global. (I know the bought the rights to the Pureview moniker, but can now confirm it'll be part of the device name.)

— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) October 1, 2018

Back in August, ownership of the PureView trademark was transferred to HMD Global by the European Union Intellectual Property office. The trademark was formerly owned by Microsoft who used it for the Lumia 920, Lumia 1020, Lumia 1520, and Lumia 950.

HMD Global also owns the trademark for Asha and Xpress-On. The latter is being used for the Nokia 1’s replaceable back covers.

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IDC: Xiaomi is the leading brand in India’s Smart TV market

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Oct 2, 2018

A few days ago, the international market research firm, IDC, released its report for India’s smart home market for Q2 2018. The report covers smart speakers, smart TVs, connected lights, thermostats, and smart home security products etc. The market grew by 107% YOY which is quite impressive but what’s more amazing is Xiaomi, a new player in the smart TV market became the leading brand in just six months.

Back in February, when Xiaomi announced the Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro, it also announced its first smart TV in the country, the Mi LED TV 4 PRO 55”. On its first flash sales, the TV sold out in under 10 seconds even with its Rs. 39,999 (~$624) price tag.

In the following months, Xiaomi launched cheaper models of its TVs – the Mi LED TV 4A 32” and the Mi LED TV 4A 43” which are priced at Rs. 13,999 (~$190) and Rs. 22,999 (~$313) respectively and are much more affordable than the first TV it announced. It has also added the Mi LED TV 4C PRO 32” and Mi LED TV 4A PRO 49” to its inventory.

Xiaomi was able to triple its shipments in the second quarter of the year to become the market leader in the smart TV category. According to Xiaomi, they have sold half a million TVs since their entry into India.

Continue

Red Hydrogen One specifications surface online ahead of official launch

By

Jeet

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Oct 2, 2018

Earlier this year, we heard about Red Hydrogen One smartphone, an ambitious and innovative phone from USA-based Red which is known for making professional cinema cameras.

The Red Hydrogen One is scheduled to start shipping next week to the customers who had pre-ordered the phones. However, still not much is known about the phone when will now start shipping to the customers. But, Android Enterprise has provided some details.

The updated Google page reveals that the Red Hydrogen One smartphone will come with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The phone packs an older Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 835 processor while most of the flagship phones launched this year packs Snapdragon 845 chipset.

It features a 5.7-inch display with a screen resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. It is supposed to be a holographic (4V) screen. However, some users who have seen the device says that it’s more like 3D technology than a hologram.

The phone is also confirmed to come with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The phone is running Android 8.1 Oreo operating system out-of-the-box even though the Android 9.0 Pie has been released.

Along with starting shipments for the customers on October 9 for the customers who pre-ordered the device, the Red Hydrogen One is also scheduled to launch via AT&T, Verizon, and Mexico’s Telcel on November 2.

However, the titanium model’s production has been delayed due to some production woes, but the company has announced that it’ll be offering a free aluminum model to customers who pre-ordered the titanium variant.

(Source)

Xiaomi Mi A1 reportedly explodes near sleeping owner while charging

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Oct 2, 2018

With recent improvements in battery size and charging speed, there have been isolated cases of battery explosions sometimes with casualties. Perhaps, the most prominent till date was the Galaxy Note 7 battery explosion which led to the discontinuation of the model. Xiaomi has had its own fair share of exploding phones in and outside China but they are isolated cases. The Mi A1 has joined the list of Xiaomi models that have gone up in flame. The ill-fated model was said to have gone up in flame while the owner slept at night.

According to the complainant who claimed the incident happened to his friend, the phone was left close to the owner while he slept. The unit went up in flames but thankfully, the owner wasn’t hurt because the device was in a protective shell. The protective casing was able to cushion the effect of the explosion. The phone was also not very close to the owner, perhaps on the nightstand.

Although the location where it happened wasn’t disclosed, it couldn’t have been in China. The Mi A1 came running pure Android when it was launched last year and so wasn’t sold in China. The device was a success globally which prompted the launch of the Mi A2 and A2 Lite a couple of months back. This is the first reported case of an explosion of the model and shouldn’t be a cause for Mi A1 users to panic.

There are several reasons why a battery would explode, ranging from defective battery, bad charging adapter, charging pattern and others. We don’t have the details of the condition of the phone or how usage pattern of the owner. But the phone has reportedly been in use for 8 months and was left charging while he slept. From the story, this has been the routine practice. However, we can’t accurately say what caused it as only a thorough investigation can tell us that. According to the source, the incident has been reported to Xiaomi’s customer care but no response has been issued yet. It is best, though, that users use their phone in a safe manner and avoid keeping them close while sleeping. It may be appropriate to advise against leaving the phone to charge overnight. This isn’t the first incidence we have reported of a phone going up in flames while charging on the nightstand.

(source, via)

Google ‘Smart TV Kit’ with Chromecast 3rd edition and Home Mini leaks

By

Simranpal Singh

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Oct 2, 2018

Google is ready for the launch of several new hardware products at an event on October 9 in the New York City. A couple of days ago, Chromecast 3rd edition was leaked by a Redditor showing some of its design changes. Today, we have got another leak which is showcasing the same new Chromecast with Home Mini in a new Google ‘Smart TV Kit’ pack. It is not for the first time that Google is bundling its products, this time they have given it a name of ‘Smart TV Kit.’

A Reddit user LitheBeep has posted the image of ‘Smart TV Kit’ box. He figured that it packs a new version of the Chromecast and everything else is similar to the old bundles. It’s clear from today’s leak and the leaks in the past that Google is coming with a Chormecast 3rd edition at the launch event on October 9.

Further, we are expecting a Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL with high-end specs and inbuilt AI support. There’s also some reports of a new device known as with the name of Google Home Hub. It’s a display device powered with Google Assistant as leaked in various rumors before.

Check more about October 9 Made by Google event: Google schedules event for October 9 and these are what we expect to be announced

Additionally, Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL is expected to carry Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 with a full-view notch display on both the devices. It will bring 4GB of RAM and is expected to ship in different storage variants of 64/128/256 GB. It will board with the fingerprint sensor on the rear side, rather than the ongoing trend of the on-screen fingerprint sensors.

Let’s see what happens on October 9th, as nothing is confirmed for now. By the way, what are you expecting from the Made by Google event next week? Share with us via the comments below.

Source

Huawei Mate 20 with Kirin 980 makes an appearance on GeekBench

By

Simranpal Singh

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Oct 2, 2018

Huawei is coming with its two new products at a launch event on October 16, 2018. Huawei Mate 20 with Kirin 980 has been spotted at Geekbench surpassing the Android competition with a considerable margin. The new chipset on the Mate 20 has made it the most powerful Android device in the market. Although, it has scored pretty well against Android devices but fails to impress against the A12 Bionic chip with a little margin on the new generation Apple iPhone Xs. Additionally, it put questions to the Huawei’s claim of Kirin 980 performing better than Apple Bionic A12 chipset. Well, the facts are yet to be verified as Kirin 980 is not officially available for the public.

Huawei Kirin 980 powered Mate 20 has managed to score 3390 pts on a single core test while gained 10318 pts on a multiple core test. The new chipset has managed to score pretty well than its predecessor Kirin 970. It has also outclassed the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 in terms of performance if we compare it with the Geekbench’s single core and multiple core tests. In similar a kind of analysis at AnTuTu benchmarks, Kirin 980 scored 356918 pts which is a way ahead of the Snapdragon 845 powered Galaxy Note 9 and Xiaomi black shark’s 280000+ pts.

The company’s Consumer Business Group CEO Richard Yu has said that the new Kirin 980 will have dedicated NPU unit for better AI capabilities, powerful GPU and Cortex-A75 high-performance processor cores.

Read More: Huawei’s Kirin 980 is 5G-ready, Phones incoming by mid-2019!

Huawei Mate 20 specs

Huawei is going to power its upcoming flagship with the Kirin 980 processor coupled with 6/8 GB RAM and 64/128/ 512 GB of internal storage. It will feature a triple camera module on the rear side of the device as seen at the IFA 2018. It is expected to carry a 6.53 inch AMOLED display with a notch on the top featuring an aspect ration of 19.5:9. There will be a 4000 mAh battery to power up the device for a whole day with an ability of fast charging.

Let’s wait for the official launch on October 16 before concluding about the Kirin 980 and Huawei Mate 20.

(Via)

Essential Phone update brings October security patch and notch settings

By

Jeet

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Oct 2, 2018

Essential Phone, which received the Android 9.0 Pie update the same day it was released, has now received a new update with the October security patch. Interestingly, the new for the phone started rolling out minutes after Google released the same for its own devices.

Apart from the October security patch, the new update also brings back the notch settings, which enables users to hide the notch on top of the display. The notch settings, which enables customisation of app uses the notch area disappeared after the update from Android 8.1 Oreo to Android 9.0 Pie, when Google introduced new notch logic.

The reintroduced notch settings allows users to set their default notch preference for all applications from three options — “Controlled by application,” “Always use notch area,” or “Never use notch area.” The October patches fixes a “critical vulnerability” that could allow a remote attacker some pretty high-level access.

Essential is doing something that no one other phone manufacturer has been able to do — providing Android updates on the same day it gets released. Recently, the company confirmed that it’ll also provide the next major Android update as well, i.e. Android Q, for the Essential Phone PH-1.

It’s noteworthy that the company has stopped the development processor of its Essential Phone successor due to the poor sales of the company’s first smartphone. While it has promised Android Q update, the company’s future is still uncertain.

(Source)

Google October 2018 security patch brings fixes for 26 security bugs

By

Simranpal Singh

-

Oct 2, 2018

It’s been a couple of years since Google started to roll out monthly security patches for Android devices. It is done to ensure the security of the Android platform by fixing vulnerable features and loopholes. The Android phone users report some security issues on Google community forums, and some are reported by security enthusiasts. Although Google has released the Android Security patch for October 2018, it brings several fixes for security vulnerabilities.

Google has added 26 fixes for major vulnerabilities that have been reported by the users on Google community forums. The new fixes are available for different components including the Android framework, media framework, system, kernel, and external layout. The latest security patch has added a fix for a severe vulnerability in the Android Framework. Google reads in the security bulletin that “The most severe of these issues is a critical security vulnerability in Framework that could enable a remote attacker using a specially crafted file to execute arbitrary code within the context of a privileged process. The severity assessment is based on the effect that exploiting the vulnerability would possibly have on an affected device.”

Google fixes Pixel devices issues

Google has also fixed the fast-charging issues along with an improved overall stability of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL devices while using Android Auto. There are several other fixes for the Pixel devices which have made it more stable.

Read More: Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium gets updated: new camera features and August security patch

Google is now rolling out the October 2018 security patch to all the Pixel and Nexus devices. Currently, it is available for Google Pixel, Google Pixel XL, Google Pixel 2, Google Pixel 2 XL, Google Nexus 6P, and Google Nexus 5X. It is also available for all Essential Phone users. In a day or two, other OEMs will even start rolling out the October Security patch for their devices.