Samsung opens world’s largest smartphone factory in India to boost production

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Jul 8, 2018

Two days ago, a leaked video showing the Black version of the Xiaomi Mi Max 3 surfaced online. After that one, another video showing the Gold variant has popped up as well. In this video, we can see the design of the upcoming phablet way better than in the other one thanks to the lighter hue. For this handset, Xiaomi has decided not to opt for the most premium design. It features a classic full metal unibody design with a circular fingerprint reader placed on the back, while the antenna bands are U-shaped and placed along the upper and the lower border.

The rear side of the Xiaomi Mi Max 3 also houses a dual camera setup placed in a vertical configuration with a LED flash in the middle like the Redmi Note 5 Pro. The front side is white and it includes a tall display with an 18:9 aspect ratio and no notch. Bezels are not so narrow and the screen-to-body ratio is similar to the one of the Redmi Note 5/5 Pro. But unlike those ones, this device will be the biggest phablet from the Chinese giant. Just like the other video, a sticker placed on the display shows some of the main specs of the device.

According to the sticker, Xiaomi Mi Max 3 will have a huge 6.9-inch display and a massive battery with a 5500 mAh capacity. There will also be a dual camera with the same resolutions as the Redmi Note 5: 12 and 5 MP respectively. According to latest leaks, the device will come in a standard version and a Pro version. The first one will boast an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor, while the second will have a higher-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 710. The RAM should go from 3 GB to 6 GB (3, 4 or 6 sizes), while the internal storage should be 32GB, 64 GB or 128 GB depending on the configuration.

(via)

Vivo X21i Night Purple gradient hue released, costs 2598 Yuan

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Jul 8, 2018

Releasing new color variants of latest devices has become a common practice among smartphones manufacturers. Vivo X21i, was made official back in May, and has now been announced in a new color variant called Night Purple and the new version has been launched in the Chinese market. The new variant features a gradient hue starts from blue on the lower part of the handset and turns into purple on the upper one. The color looks very impressive and reminds of the Aurora gradient hues of the latest Huawei and Honor flagships, but it is not exactly the same.

The Night Purple color is on the backplate and the frame, while the front panel of Vivo X21i in this new color variant is black. It has been made available with a price tag of CNY 2598 which roughly translates into $390 dollars. Both the materials and the specs sheet remain exactly the same as the standard version, but note that this variant is only available in the configuration with 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage, while if you need the one with 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB ROM you have to go for the other color variants.

Vivo X21i’s design is composed of a glass back and an aluminum frame and it has a wide 6.28-inch display with a notch, a 19:9 aspect ratio and a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2280 pixels. On the hardware side, it packs an octa-core Helio P60 chipset by MediaTek which can run at a max frequency of 2 GHz (both the Cortex A73 and Cortex A53 clusters can reach the same frequency). The main camera is a dual setup with 12 and 5 MP resolutions, f/1.8 and f/2.0 apertures, while the secondary front camera features 24 MP. At last, there is a moderate battery with a capacity of 3400 mAh and Android 8.1 Oreo is installed out of the box.

(via)

Nokia releases poster for July 11 event, may announce Nokia X5

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Jul 8, 2018

Nokia mobile has taken to its official Weibo account to announce it has an event slated for July 11. News of the upcoming event already surfaced a few days ago but the poster now confirms it.

Although Nokia Mobile hasn’t announced what will be launching, most people believe it is the Nokia X5/5.1Plus, its second phone with a notched display.

The Nokia X5 first surfaced in leaked renders shortly after HMD global’s launch event in Russia where it announced the Nokia 2.1, Nokia 3.1, and Nokia 5.1. The specifications of the Nokia X5 were then revealed on TENAA confirming it would be arriving in China.

The poster teases some features of the phone. A translation of the text written in Chinese does mention something about gaming. So the phone probably has a powerful processor suitable for gaming. TENAA already revealed the phone comes with a 2.0GHz octa-core processor.

With HMD Global turning to MediaTek for some of its new phones, we won’t rule out the Nokia X5 coming with one. Did I hear someone say Helio P60? Maybe, maybe not. We’ll know on Wednesday.

Other than the Nokia X5, we also think HMD Global will announce the Nokia 8110 4G at the 8PM (local time) event. The phone already hit TENAA a few days ago and all that is left is a proper launch.

Xiaomi Mi A2 tipped to launch in Spain on July 25 in 4 memory configurations

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Jul 8, 2018

According to a new report from MySmartPrice, Xiaomi Mi A2 will officially land in Spain on July 25. If the report is to be believed, the second Xiaomi device with Android One on board is closer than we expected. Indeed, the latest rumors suggested that the device would enter the global market in August. According to the source, the Android One handset will be launched in three color variants: Gold, Blue, and Black. Further, it will be available in four memory configurations which will be the following:

4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage
4 GB RAM and 64 GB ROM
4 GB RAM and 128 GB ROM
6 GB RAM and 128 GB ROM

In case you do not know, Xiaomi Mi A2 is a re-branded Mi 6X and the only difference between the two handsets is that the first has Android One while the second is dedicated to the Asian market and it features the MIUI like all other Xiaomi devices. The display of Xiaomi Mi A2 will have a size of 5.99 inches and a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2160 pixels.

There will also be a powerful Snapdragon 660 SoC by Qualcomm and a dual camera setup with 12 and 20 MP resolution with f/1.8 aperture. The battery will be 3010 mAh and the operating system will be based on Android 8.1 Oreo.

(via)

Samsung files a patent of a combo iris + facial recognition Sensor

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Jul 8, 2018

3D facial recognition can be defined as the safest and most innovative authentication method on mobile devices, but Samsung is yet to adopt this tech in its flagships. Instead, the company has stuck to iris scanners for the Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy S9 line-ups, which allows unlocking phones by recognizing the user’s eyes. However, none of these two authentication methods is usable in every scenario and none of them can provide the maximum level of security. For example, the iris scanner does not work well with certain kind of glasses, while Face ID does not work while the user is lying on a bed.

Now, Samsung has filed a new patent at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) which highlights a very innovative biometric camera. It is a combo sensor which combines the iris scanner and facial recognition, so it can do both the things. It is able to emit near-infrared light to the user and it contains an extended depth of field (EDOF) lens which can shoot photos at a very close distance to the subject while keeping it sharp. The sensor will be able to filter out ambient light and it is also expected to be able to convert optical images to electronic signals in order to process every image in the best way.

The sensor will also rely on a wide database of recognized iris data in order to perform the authentication. Unfortunately, this is only a patent and it does not give any info about the first device which will feature this new technology. According to speculations, it is impossible that we will see it on the Galaxy Note 9 and it is unlikely that it will come on the Galaxy S10 line-up. Still, iris scanner remains a very safe and reliable method of authentication after all.

(via)

Xiaomi Mi6, Mi Mix line-up and more get MIUI 10 Global Beta

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Jul 8, 2018

8 Xiaomi phones have started receiving a new important update. We are referring to the Global Beta of the MIUI 10, the latest Android customization by the Chinese company announced on May 31 together with the Xiaomi Mi 8 line-up. The new Global Beta has been launched in India on the Redmi S2 days ago, and now it is finally expanding to several other devices.

The new firmware brings the number of version to 8.7.5 and, given that it is the Global version, it contains Google’s main apps such as the Play Store. The Xiaomi phones updated to the new MIUI 10 Global Beta are Xiaomi Mi6, Mi Mix 2, Redmi S2, Redmi Note 5 Pro (known as Redmi Note 5 in some markets), Mi Mix 2S, Mi 5, Mi Note 2 and Mi Mix.

Soon, the firmware will expand to more devices too. In order to update your handset, you need to adhere to the beta testing phase and you will install a ROM which may be unstable under some aspects. If you are on MIUI 7, 8 or 9 stable version, you need to update via fastboot after unlocking the bootloader, while if you already have the Global Beta ROM based on the MIUI 9 you just need to launch the Updater app.

(via)

Xiaomi’s POCOPHONE device gets FCC Certification

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Jul 8, 2018

Remember Xiaomi’s new brand, POCOPHONE? When we first covered it, we mentioned the first phone under the brand already got certified at Taiwan’s NCC. The phone has now been spotted at the FCC.

The POCOPHONE phone has the model number M1805E10A but the model name in the cover letter provided by Xiaomi says the model number is M1805D1SG. However, the FCC-ID (2AFZZ-XMSE10A) for both devices are the same.

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The cover letter also mentions a few specifications. The phone will support both 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi bands and Bluetooth. It will also support LTE Band 40 but will be disabled by software, since it isn’t used in the US.

Vivo Z1i Now On Sale, Snapdragon 636 and 128GB Storage For ¥1898 (~$286)

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Jul 7, 2018

The Vivo Z1i is the second phone in Vivo’s new Z-series. It was announced earlier this week and is now available for purchase, starting today.

The ¥1898 (~$285) phone comes with a Snapdragon 636 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. It has a 6.26-inch full HD+ display with a notch at the top.

It also has dual rear cameras 13MP + 2MP arranged vertically and a 16MP front-facing camera that resides within the notch. There are a number of camera features which include a beauty mode and face recognition. It also has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.

The Vivo Z1i has a game mode that blocks notifications from interrupting your games. This feature is customizable and you can set which calls and notifications are allowed to pass through.

LG V40 ThinQ (Concept) released: chin has gone

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Jul 7, 2018

Science and Knowledge is a YouTube channel which often publishes concept videos about upcoming flagships phones based on the existing information. Three days ago, the channel has published a new concept video showing the LG V40 ThinQ. Note that the video only reflects the designer’s thoughts about the upcoming flagship and it has not to be considered an official video. According to Science and Knowledge, the V40 will have even narrower bezels than V30 and G7. t will be fully borderless on three sides and there will not be a chin, unlike the other Android phones with borderless designs.

LG V40 ThinQ will only have one bezel on the upper part which will contain the earpiece, selfie camera and other sensors. According to the designer, the backplate will be made of glass, while the frame will be made of metal just like other LG flagships. The power key is placed on the back side and it doubles as a fingerprint reader. There is also a dual camera setup in a vertical configuration, a laser autofocus mechanism, and a rear LED flash. The volume balancer has been placed on the right side, while on the lower border there are a microphone, a speaker grille, and a USB Type-C port to charge the device.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?=50&v=fd9zrorzHt0

LG V40 ThinQ concept phone has both the IP68 certification (which makes it fully waterproof and dustproof) and the military certification (MIL-STD-810G) like rugged phones. It boasts a 6.1-inch display with a Quad HD+ resolution and HDR10 technology for richer colors, as well as a 90.2 percent screen-to-body ratio (still lower than the latest Oppo and Vivo flagships). It is equipped with an octa-core Snapdragon 845 chipset by Qualcomm, 6 or 8 GB of RAM and 64, 128 or 256 GB of internal storage depending on the configuration. The dual camera has 23 and 19 MP resolution with OIS and PDAF, while the front camera has 16 MP.

(via)

Alleged Samsung Galaxy Tab A2 spotted on Geekbench with disappointing specs

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Jul 7, 2018

Besides the alleged Galaxy Tab Advanced 2, 2 XL and Tab S4, Samsung seems to be preparing another affordable Android tablet: a new Samsung Galaxy Tab A which may be called Tab A2. It is supposed to be the successor of the cheapest tablet by the Korean of last year, given that the latest model from the Tab E series was released back in 2015 with Android Lollipop out of the box (Android KitKat for Europe). The alleged new tablet has just been spotted on Geekench in which it is identified by the model number SM-T387V.

This, together with other previous leaks, makes us suppose that the Korean company is planning to launch a new very affordable tablet soon. From what Geekbench shows, the specs of the new Samsung Galaxy Tab A2 are disappointing, but it may be cool if the tablet will be sold at a very low price. According to the benchmarking platform, the model sports an octa-core Snapdragon 430 SoC by Qualcomm clocked at 1.4 GHz. It is actually one of the cheapest chipsets by the San Diego giant as only the rarely used Snapdragon 200 series and the Snapdragon 425 SoC are less powerful than this one.

The SoC has been paired with just 2 GB of RAM, while the operating system installed is Android 8.1 Oreo, the latest stable version available. The operating system should be customized with the Samsung Experience UI just like every Samsung tablet. The latest info appeared on Geekbench about the alleged Samsung Galaxy Tab A2 is the score obtained. The tablet has scored 653 points in single-core performance and 1831 points in multi-core. Given these low-end specs, we suppose that this will be the 8-inch version of the tablet, and we believe there will also be a more powerful variant with a 10.1-inch display, a better Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC, and more RAM.

(via)

Samsung Android Go phone certified by Wi-Fi Alliance

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Jul 7, 2018

The first Android Go smartphone by Samsung has just received the official certification by Wi-Fi Alliance. It has been spotted on the Wi-Fi Alliance listings with the model number SM-J260G/DS. The latest two letters of the model number indicate that the device will sport a dual SIM slot. Further, the listing mentions the support to the 2.4G band for Wi-Fi networks which indicates the absence of dual-band technology.

At last, it reveals that the operating system installed will be based on Android 8.1 Oreo. From what the latest leaks showed, the Samsung Android Go phone will have the enlightened operating system out of the box, but it will be the first Android Go device to feature a customized user interface. Indeed, it should include Samsung Experience UI instead of being a stock Android phones.

It is expected to come as the Samsung Galaxy J2 Core. It is rumored to pack a quad-core entry-level SoC alongside 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage. Its main camera should have an 8 MP resolution, while its front snapper should be 5 MP. At last, there should be a 2600 mAh battery which should provide a long-lasting battery life due to the efficient components. At the moment, its launch date is not known yet.

(via)

Nokia 8110 will get WhatsApp: HMD Global confirms

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Jul 7, 2018

With the official launch of the JioPhone 2, it has been confirmed that WhatsApp will finally make its way on KaiOS phones, and HMD Global’s Chief Product Officer Juho Sarvikas published a Twitter post in which he confirmed that even the new banana phone Nokia 8110 will get the support to the most used messaging app. In case you do not know, WhatsApp has only been available on Android, iOS and Windows Phone in the last period, and it has been dismissed for every other OS. But soon it will come again on another operating system, and it is an OS dedicated to old-school feature phones.

KaiOS is a fork of Firefox OS on which Google has invested $22 billion to bring several of its most important apps. Soon, it will be possible to use WhatsApp even on feature phones like Nokia 8110 which boast an important advantage over traditional smartphones. We are referring to the battery life, as without a big touchscreen display and with low-end components, they can last for ages on a single charge. Juho Sarvikas has implicitly confirmed the arrival of WhatsApp on the Nokia 8110 through the tweet below.

You will only be able to use WhatsApp with the classic 3×4 keyboard of this device, but thanks to its 4G connection it will be fast and reliable. Among the other specs, the banana phone features a 2.4-inch display showing images at a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. It has a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 205 chipset, 512 MB of RAM And 4 GB of internal storage expandable with a micro SD up to 64 GB. It only has a single camera on its back with a 2 MP resolution with a flashlight and a battery with a capacity of 1500 mAh. The handset has been launched in Europe with a price tag under €100 (lastly in Italy for €89).

(via)

Samsung Galaxy Tab Advanced 2 live photo and specs leaked

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Jul 7, 2018

Other than the Galaxy Tab S4, Samsung also has another tablet under development called the Galaxy Tab Advanced 2. A live photo of the tablet has surfaced online alongside a number of key specs.

The image shows only the front of the Galaxy Tab Advanced 2. There is nothing spectacular about it. All you have is thick black bezels around the 10.1-inch display. However, if you are familiar with Samsung tablets, you will notice there is a key change in the design.

The Galaxy Tab Advanced 2 in the image above doesn’t have a physical home button nor does it have capacitive buttons. This is not unusual as early Samsung tablets released before 2014 didn’t have a physical home button nor capacitive keys. Instead, they had on-screen keys. However, this new tablet will have the same on-screen keys as Samsung’s latest devices.