Xiaomi Mi 8 and Mi Mix 2S to get camera upgrades, taking performance closer to Mix 3

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Oct 25, 2018

The Nokia 9 PureView is said to be scheduled to launch early next year. The phone is expected to come with 5 rear cameras as shown in some leaked images. It appears it will also have wireless charging support as two Nokia branded wireless chargers have been spotted online.

The two wireless chargers were seen on the website of the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) after getting certified. One of the chargers is listed as the Nokia Wireless Charger with model number DT-10W and comes in a pretty blue color. It is circular and has a design similar to Huawei’s wireless charger.

The second one is listed as the “Portable Wireless Charger” and has model number DT-500. It is shaped like a rectangular battery pack with cut-outs for the input (likely Type-C) and output ports. There is also a power button on the side.

It is easy to deduce from the name and the image that it is a mobile battery pack that can also charge supported devices wirelessly. This isn’t the first of its kind though, there are a number of battery packs available for purchase that also support wireless charging.

These two wireless chargers will most likely be announced alongside the Nokia 9. Owners of the Nokia 8 Sirocco will also be able to use them since it has support for wireless charging.

ELEPHONE to open largest physical store in Morocco on October 27, its first in Africa!

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Oct 25, 2018

ELEPHONE is one of the rapidly growing emerging smartphone brands from China. The company has for a long time been dishing out beautifully-designed smartphones which are not just good-looking but also affordable. Apart from smartphones, ELEPHONE’s range of smart bands, power banks and others have often courted positive reviews from consumers. The company is expanding its global reach and is set to open a physical store in Morocco’s capital city, Rabat.

The Elephone store will be opened officially to customers on October 27 and happens to be the company largest ever brick and mortar store as well as its first in Africa. Already, arrangements are in top gear to ensure the opening ceremony is a grand one. Invitations have been sent out to the press and other stakeholders. In addition, several billboards have been mounted on different locations in the beautiful city of Rabat and in the advert, the company is teasing a brand ambassador who is pictured in a silhouette. The company has disclosed, though, that the brand ambassador is Leila Gouchi, a famous local artiste whose popularity extends beyond the shores.

As for the store, ELEPHONE’s flagship U series and its A4 series models will be stocked at the store, of course at affordable prices. The company says it will also provide efficient customer services. We hope with this impending rollout in Rabat, the company will speed up its global expansion plans. You can keep a tab on the company’s product releases in Morocco by following Elephone Maroc’s official Facebook page.

Realme to launch the first MediaTek Helio P70-powered smartphone

By

Jeet

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Oct 25, 2018

Just a day after MediaTek announced its new Helio P70 octa-core 12nm processor, Realme took the stage at India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2018 to announced that it’ll be the first brand globally to launch a smartphone powered by the Helio P70 chipset.

Making this announcement, Madhav Sheth, CEO of Realme India said, “The next Realme will be powered by P70 and it is coming soon.” He has also clarified that while the phone will be a game changer in its price segment, it is not the successor of the Realme 2 or 2 Pro.

Realme, which started off as a sub-brand of Chinese smartphone manufacturer Oppo, recently split from its parent company and is now running as an independent brand. However, the company is still making use of Oppo‘s supply chain and service centers.

The first smartphone from the brand — Realme 1, was powered by MediaTek’s Helio P60 chipset. But for the subsequent devices, including Realme 2, 2 Pro and C1, the company chose Qualcomm and not MediaTek for the processor.

The MediaTek P70 is the successor of the MediaTek P60 launched earlier this year. It is built using TSMC’s 12nm FinFET technology and comes with multi-core APU operating at up to 525MHz for fast and efficient edge-AI processing. The AI engine delivers a 10 to 30 percent AI processing boost compared to the Helio P60, says the company.

It has four ARM Cortex-A73 core clocked at 2.1GHz and four ARM Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 2.0GHz in an Octa-core big.LITTLE configuration. It has ARM Mali-G72 MP3 GPU operating at up to 900MHz, which promises a 13 percent performance improvement compared to the Helio P60.

While Realme has not revealed when it will launch the Helio P70-powered smartphone, we are expecting the company to launch the phone by the end of this year given that MediaTek has already confirmed that Helio P70-powered smartphones could make debut from next month as it is already in production.

(Source)

Mobvoi’s Ticpods Free wants to take on the AirPods, already wins with price

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Oct 25, 2018

Following the launch of the Apple AirPods in 2016, we have seen a number of manufacturers release their own version of the wireless earbuds. The latest to join the train is Mobvoi, makers of the Ticwatch smartwatches, and they’ve named it the Ticpods Free.

The Ticpods Free has a somewhat similar design to the AirPods. The outer part of the stems have vertical grooves while the inner part has a gloss finish. The main earbuds that go into your ear canals are unlike Apple’s and more like that of regular earphones with silicone tips. Mobvoi says this design provides noise isolation during calls. The Ticpods Free also comes in three colors – Navy, Lava (red) and Ice (white) with a matching charging case.

The earbuds support gesture controls such as double tapping to answer/end calls, sliding up/ down to adjust volume, long press to activate the voice assistant (Siri, Google Assistant, Alexa) and double tapping to skip songs. The Ticpods Free also has in-ear detection so once you put them in your ears they begin to play and when you remove them they stop. Mobbvoi says they have an IPX5 rating which means sweat and rain shouldn’t damage them.

The Ticpods Free lasts 4 hours on a single charge and 18 hours in total with the case. They also support fast charging – 15 minutes charge equals 85 minutes of listening time. The case charges via a MicroUSB port.

Retailer confirms OnePlus 6T will come in Purple color variant, UK pricing follows

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Oct 25, 2018

The OnePlus 6T launch is a few days away and the leaks are still pouring in. This time, it is about a new color variant. Leaked renders already revealed the phone will come in Mirror Black and Midnight Black. However, there have been rumors of a purple variant. Its existence has now been confirmed.

The info comes from PhoneArena who said they were contacted by UK retailer, MobileFun, who in turn confirmed the existence of the new purple variant. The new variant will be limited to the 8GB RAM + 128GB ROM version. The OnePlus 6T will also come in Mirror Black (6GB/8GB RAM + 128GB models) and Midnight Black (8GB RAM + 128GB/256GB only).

As is the tradition with previous OnePlus phones, there will definitely be at least one more color variant albeit a limited edition.

Micromax Spark Go Android Go phone is official with Rs. 3,499 (~$55) pricing

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Oct 25, 2018

In May, Micromax had launched the Bharat Go Android Go smartphone with a price tag of Rs. 4,399. Today, the Indian smartphone brand has launched another Android Go phone called Spark Go. The 4G VoLTE enabled smartphone has been introduced with an attractive price tag of Rs. 3,999 (~$55).

Micromax Spark Go Specifications and Features

The Spark Go features a polycarbonate body that measures 145 x 72.8 x 9.7mm. It houses a 5-inch screen that supports a resolution of 480 x 854 pixels. The modest Spreadtrum SC9832E chipset powers the phone along with 1 GB of RAM. It has an inbuilt storage of 8 GB. The phone also features a microSD card slot.

The Android Oreo (Go edition) OS is available preinstalled on the phone. The rear-mounted 5-megapixel camera is equipped with features like LED flash, 2x digital zoom, full HD video recording at 30 fps. It has a front-facing camera of 2-megapixel. The handset is backed by a 2,000mAh battery and it includes usual connectivity features like 4G VoLTE, dual-SIM support, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, v4.0 Bluetooth, GPS, microUSB and 3.5mm audio jack.

Read More: Xiaomi expected to break 100 million shipments in 2018, two months ahead of schedule

Micromax Spark Go Pricing and Release Date

The Micromax Spark Go smartphone will be exclusively available for purchase from Oct. 26. Even though the company has confirmed Rs. 3,999 (~$55) for Spark Go, the handset is already available on the retailer site with a lower price tag of Rs. 3,499 (~$48). The handset can be bought in color choices like Silver and Rose.

Spark Go buyers can avail 25 GB of extra 4G data. Additional 5G data benefits can be availed by performing five recharges of Rs. 198 or Rs. 299. Flipkart is also providing no cost EMI offer for the buyers of Spark Go.

Meizu 16X and Meizu V8 gets two new color variants

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Oct 25, 2018

Meizu unveiled the M8 Note mid-range phone at an event today but that wasn’t all. It also announced two new color variants for the Meizu 16X upper mid-range phone and the Meizu V8 lower mid-range phone.

Before today, the Meizu 16X was available in three colors – Jet Black, Noble Gold, and a special Ceramic White variant. They have now been joined by two new colors – Cistern Purple and Teal Blue.

Both colors are available in 6GB+64GB and 6GB+128GB variants and will go on sale on November 11 on the official Meizu online store and Tmall.com.

The Meizu V8, on the other hand, was originally available in Black and Gold. It has also gotten two new color variants – blue and purple. The new variants will also be available for purchase on the same day as the Meizu 16X.

The Meizu 16X has a 6.0-inch Super AMOLED screen. It also has an in-display fingerprint scanner like the Meizu 16th and Meizu 16th Plus. There is a Snapdragon 710 processor under the hood. Its rear cameras are a 12MP f/1.8 sensor and a 20MP f2.6 sensor. A 20MP f./2.0 sensor sits in front for selfies. It packs a 3,100mAh battery and runs Android Oreo.

OnePlus 6T full specifications sheet leaked along with promo images

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Oct 25, 2018

The OnePlus 6T smartphone will be announced on Monday. The recent reports have revealed the key specs and features of the smartphone. Today, the entire specs sheet of the OnePlus 6T has surfaced on Mr.Gizmo website along with its promotional images.

OnePlus 6T full specifications sheet leak

The OnePlus 6T specs sheet leak has revealed that the handset measures 157.5 x 74.9 x 8.2mm and it weighs 180 grams. A recent leak has revealed that the handset would be arriving in color variants like Mirror Black, Midnight Black and it may also arrive in Purple option.

The new leak reveals that the 6.4-inch Optic AMOLED screen of the OnePlus 6T will support Full HD+ resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels and an aspect ratio of 19.5:9.

The smaller notch agnd thinner bezels around the display of the OP6T allows it to deliver a screen-to-body ratio of 86 percent. The display of the smartphone will be shielded by Gorilla Glass 6. The rear side of the phone a smart-arc design that promotes comfortable grip.

The Snapdragon 845 chipset fuels the smartphone. The leaked specs sheet states that the phone is equipped with 8 GB of RAM and it has an inbuilt storage of 128 GB. It won’t be featuring a microSD card slot.

Previous reports have revealed that the base model of the phone will feature 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. Its highest configuration variant is expected to arrive with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. The smartphone will be receiving power from a 3,700mAh battery that will carry support for Dash Charge fast charging technology.

The OnePlus 6T is the company’s first phone to feature an optical under-display fingerprint scanner. The smartphone will arrive with Android 9 Pie OS. The phone is rumored to feature OxygenOS 9.0 custom UI.

The OnePlus 6T features an improved f/1.7 aperture 20-megapixel selfie camera. The backside of the phone will feature f/1.7 aperture 16-megapixel + f/1.7 aperture 20-megapixel vertical dual camera setup.

The Quick Capture camera function will allow the OP6T to instantly capture photos with optimized settings. Other photography features of the smartphone include OIS, HDR, Portrait Mode, low-light photography, 4K video recording and HD slow-motion video shooting. The front camera of the OnePlus 6T will also carry support for facial recognition. The handset won’t be featuring a 3.5mm audio jack. Also, there won’t be 64 GB base model for the smartphone.

Read More: OnePlus 6T AnTuTu listing appears with 297k benchmarking score and key specs

The new leak does not contain any information on the pricing of the smartphone. However, recent reports have revealed that the OnePlus 6T will be priced as follows:

6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage; Mirror Black
Price: 559 euros; Rs. 37,999

8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage, Mirror Black, Midnight Black and Purple (unconfirmed)
Price: 569 euros; Rs. 40,999

8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage, Midnight Black
Price: 619 euros; Rs. 44,999

In the U.S., the OnePlus 6T will be available through T-Mobile. Unlock version of the smartphone arriving in the U.S. is expected to support AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon networks.

(source|via)

These are the Xiaomi phones getting Android Pie and when

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Oct 25, 2018

Xiaomi‘s MIUI department has released a list of the devices getting Android Pie and when. The list also mentions devices that are yet to get Android Oreo and when they would.

Based on the list, the following devices are already running Android Oreo: Mi 5, Mi 5s, Mi 5s Plus, Mi 6, Mi 8, Mi 8 SE, Mi 8 Lite, Mi 8 Explorer Edition, Mi 8 Pro, Mi MIX, Mi MIX 2, Mi Note 2, and Mi Note 3.

The list also says an Android Oreo beta program will begin in Q4 2018 for the following devices – Redmi 5, and Redmi 5A. The Redmi 5 Plus and Mi 5X are also in this category which is unusual since both devices already run Android Oreo.

The list also says the Mi MIX 2S, Mi 8, and Mi 8 Explorer Edition have all received the Android Pie update while the Mi 8 SE, Mi 8 Pro, and Mi Max 3 will join the Android Pie beta program this quarter.

It is not clear if the devices joining the Android P beta program this quarter are the only ones getting Android Pie excluding those that are already running it. We hope more devices are added in the future. However, we’ll advise you not to raise your hopes as Xiaomi isn’t usually keen on updating the Android version number but on updating MIUI itself.

Samsung Galaxy S10 X 5G and Huawei P30 Pro tipped to feature 12 GB RAM

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Oct 25, 2018

A fresh leak that has surfaced from Weibo reveals that Samsung Galaxy S10 and Huawei P30 flagship phones will be launching in March 2019. The leak also reveals that the Galaxy S10 X 5G and Huawei P30 Pro models could be equipped with 12 GB of RAM.

Smartphone companies have started launching phones with 10 GB of RAM. The Xiaomi Black Shark Helo gaming phone is the first smartphone to be equipped with 10 GB of RAM followed by the newly announced Xiaomi Mi MIX 3. Nubia has also confirmed that its upcoming Red Magic 2 phone will be equipped with 10 GB of RAM. In the recent past, an Oppo Find X variant was also spotted with 10 GB of RAM on TENAA. Going by the new leak, it appears that some companies like Samsung and Huawei are now working on smartphones with 12 GB of RAM.

The below image reveals that the Galaxy S10 will be arriving in March in four variants such as Galaxy S10 with 4 GB of RAM, Galaxy S10 Plus with 6 GB of RAM, Galaxy S10 X with 8 GB of RAM and Galaxy S10 X 5G with 12 GB of RAM. Interestingly, there is no 10 GB RAM version of the Galaxy S10.

The leak also reveals that Huawei will be challenging the Galaxy S10 series with its P30 smartphones. The Huawei P30 is expected to feature 8 GB of RAM whereas the advanced P30 Pro may come with 12 GB of RAM.

As the name goes, the Samsung Galaxy S10 X 5G with 12 GB of RAM could be equipped with support for 5G connectivity. There is no mentioning of 5G support on the P30 Pro in the above leak. Huawei is also gunning towards launching its first 5G phone in 2019. Hence, there is a possibility that the P30 Pro could become the first Huawei phone to support 5G connection. Xiaomi has also confirmed that the Mi MIX 3 5G version will be announced in the first quarter of 2019.

Read More: Samsung teases Galaxy A8s with a truly bezel-less screen

Rumors surrounding the Galaxy S10 series have revealed that the S10 and S10 Plus phones will be equipped with 5.8-inch displays whereas the S10 X and S10 X 5G phones may feature 6.44-inch screens. Except for S10, the other models are expected to feature ultra-sonic in-display fingerprint scanner and triple rear cameras. The S10 may feature a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and a dual camera setup. The S10 Plus, S10 X and S10 X 5G models may feature dual selfie shooters. The Galaxy S10 series of smartphones are going to arrive with Android 9 Pie OS onboard.

(source|via)

Meizu M8 Note goes official with a 6.15-inch Full-screen display, Snapdragon 632 and more

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Oct 25, 2018

Chinese phone maker Meizu has officially launched the Meizu M8 Note in China. Meizu is renowned for the topnotch and innovative design of its smartphones. So the sleek and beautiful design of the M8 Note isn’t much of a surprise. The device also comes with a decent price tag that reflects its hardware setup.

Meizu M8 Note is a premium budget phone that is powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 632 chipset which is an upgrade over the popular Snapdragon 625 chipset. The chipset is paired with 4GB of RAM while there is 64GB of internal storage onboard. Surprisingly, the M8 Note only comes with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage but we expect Meizu to throw in more versions in due course.

The M8 Note presents with a huge 6.15-inch In-cell LCD display with an FHD+ resolution of 2160x1080pixels. The display comes with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The device packs a 12MP+5MP dual camera setup at the rear with the sensors aligned vertically at the middle. The camera arrangement looks similar to that of the Meizu 16X but in this case, the LED flash is at the top while at the bottom there is a fingerprint sensor. Meizu shared some camera samples captured by the M8 Note’s rear camera and they are quite impressive. We can’t say for sure if the photos weren’t enhanced.

As for the price, the Meizu M8 Note is priced at 1298 yuan ($187). The device is presently on reservation on Meizu official website, Meizu Tmall official flagship store, Jingdong, Suning Tesco and offline Meizu store. It will go on sale officially on November 1 at 00:00.

The Leband Electric Standing desk is here to get you on your feet

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Oct 25, 2018

Ever heard the saying “Sitting is the new smoking”? It is fine if you haven’t. Research has shown that sitting for too long is detrimental to health. There are a bunch of health problems related to sitting for too long such as cardiovascular diseases, increased risk of diabetes and weight gain. If you work behind a desk, you’ll most likely be sitting for at least 6 hours a day and are at risk of the above-mentioned health issues.

To stay healthy, it is recommended to take breaks, exercise, and work standing up. Unless your desk is pretty high, you know the last one is pretty difficult. That’s where a standing desk comes in. One of the latest crowdfunding products on the Mijia platform is the Leband Electric Standing Desk and it is here to get you healthy and on your feet.

For those who don’t know how a standing desk works, it practically sits on your already existing desk. Its adjustable height means you can raise it to your desired level while standing so you can keep working. In the case of the Leband Electric Standing Desk, you don’t need to worry yourself about finding the right height.

The Leband Electric Standing Desk is also a smart desk. Using the Mijia app or its own app, all you need to do is enter your sex, your height and that of your main desk, and the app will automatically calculate the height the standing desk should be and raise it to that level. Neat, right? That’s not all. You also don’t have to this all the time as it stores it into memory for when next you want to use it.

The standing desk supports a maximum load of 15kg, so it should be able to bear the weight of your laptop, keyboard, and monitor. The standing desk has a maximum height of 40cm and is 7.2cm high when it is at its lowest, so it shouldn’t be uncomfortable to work with when you decide to sit. There is a button on top for raising the height and another button right underneath for reducing the height.

Samsung slams $1.6 million lawsuit on brand ambassador for using iPhone X in public

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Oct 25, 2018

Samsung‘s brand ambassador in Russia Ksenia Sobchak is in hot waters with the company for using a smartphone from a competing brand. The Russian TV presenter, who also doubles as a journalist and politician is presently under contract with Samsung to promote the brand in the country. Such deals are usually juicy but they usually come with a catch. The brand ambassador will not be seen in public using a phone or product from another brand. Unfortunately, Miss Sobchak was allegedly caught in public using an iPhone X instead of the Samsung smartphone she was supposed to be promoting.

According to U.K tabloid, The Mirror, Sobchak was spotted using an iPhone X during a television interview, with the celebrity attempting to hide the Apple smartphone under a piece of paper while the cameras were rolling. Apart from this incident, there are allegations of Sobchak using the iPhone X during social events in Moscow and other TV appearances, which are seen as a flagrant disregard of the contract’s rules.

The public display of the Apple brand could also be hurting the Samsung brand she is supposed to be promoting. So, it is no surprise that Samsung has reportedly sued Sobchak for a reported 108 million rubles (approximately $1.6 million) for breach of contract. It is unknown how much Sobchak was originally paid by Samsung, but it is likely the suit’s claimed damages are far higher in value, including penalties for breaking the agreement.

Hot Topic: Samsung Galaxy A9s, Galaxy A6s announced in China in exciting color gradient options

She is not the first celebrity brand ambassador that will be caught in this web. In 2014, Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine promoted the launch of Samsung’s Milk Music service, including the suggestion of holding an “iPhone burning,” but one week later he was caught promoting a TV appearance from an iPhone. Levine was also due to perform at the iTunes Festival at that time. Just in April this year, Gal Gadot sent a tweet to followers in April endorsing the Huawei Mate 10 Pro, with the tweet again revealed to be sent from an iPhone. The tweet was removed and replaced by other marketing messages, with one of the star’s staffers blamed for the mixup. In all the reported cases, the iPhone is usually the preferred brand which explains why the brand still remains the most profitable despite Samsung selling more units annually each year.

(source)

Infinix Hot S3X launched with display notch, 16 MP selfie camera and Rs. 9,999 pricing in India

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Oct 25, 2018

Infinix has announced a new smartphone called Infinix Hot S3X in India today. The handset has arrived as an advanced version of the Infinix Hot S3 that was announced at the beginning of this year. Some of the attractive features of the smartphone include notched display, dual rear cameras and AI driven selfie camera. The handset has landed with an attractive pricing of Rs. 9,999 in the country.

Infinix Hot S3X Specifications and Features

The Infinix Hot S3X houses a 6.26-inch IPS LCD Super Full View display. The notched screen produces HD+ resolution of 720 x 1500 pixels and an aspect ratio of 19:9. The smartphone sports a very sleek thanks to its glass rear. It can be availed in color choices such as Ice Blue, Sandstone Black and Tradewinds Grey.

The modest Snapdragon 430 chipset powers the Hot S3X smartphone. The SoC is coupled with 3 GB of RAM. It features an internal storage of 32 GB. For additional storage, it is equipped with a microSD card slot. The smartphone is preinstalled with Android 8.1 Oreo OS that is customized with Hummingbird XOS V3.3 UI from Infinix. The Hot S3X includes a 4,000mAh battery that carries support for 10W charging.

The Infinix Hot S3X has a front-facing camera of 16-megapixel placed inside the notch. It is assisted by softlight flash for snapping brighter selfie shots. The front camera can merge four pixels into one large-sized pixel for capturing brighter images in low-light conditions. The rear side of the phone features a vertical dual camera setup that includes a 13-megapixel primary sensor and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The dual cameras offer features such as dual-LED flash, HDR, PDAF and FHD video recording.

The connectivity features available on the Hot S3X smartphone include dual-SIM support, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, microUSB 2.0, USB OTG, and 3.5mm audio jack. The backside of the phone features a fingerprint reader.

Read More: Infinix Hot 6 Pro with HD+ display and SD 425 SoC launched for Rs. 7,999 ($117)

Infinix Hot S3X Pricing and Availability

The Hot S3X carries a price tag of Rs. 9,999 in India. The handset will be exclusively available for purchase during Flipkart’s upcoming Big Diwali Sale that will be held between Nov. 1 and Nov. 5.

New Hisense phone with a water-drop notch launching on November 1

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Oct 25, 2018

Hisense hasn’t released a new phone in a while. Its last known launch was in June and it was for the H20 smartphone. The electronics maker has released a new poster that reveals it has a new phone launching on November 1.

The poster not only informs us of the date of the phone’s launch but also reveals its design. As you can see in the image, the phone’s display will have the trendy water-drop notch.

In two other images of the phone released by Hisense, we get to see the entire front of the phone. Even with the notch, the phone has a bezel at the bottom. There is no fingerprint sensor on the front, so it is likely to be on the back.

[envira-gallery id=”218937″]

The specs of the phone are unknown but a rough translation of the text on the launch poster hints at an impressive battery life. Hopefully, more details will surface before the launch next week.

Vivo Y95 tipped to debut in early November in India

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