LG G7 ThinQ Spy Shots Emerge as Launch Nears

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Apr 6, 2018

Well-known tipster Evan Blass had recently claimed that the LG’s next flagship phone will be arriving with LG G7 ThinQ moniker. The name of the device has been confirmed today through newly leaked photos and screenshots that have been received by TechRadar.

The LG G7 ThinQ is pegged to hit the market in the next month. It has a model number of LG-G710TM and it is currently going through early testing stage in the U.S. In the new photos, the handset can be seen placed inside a plastic case. Rumors have revealed that the LG G7 ThinQ will be arriving with a 6.1-inch display. The notch present on the topside of the screen is clearly visible in the leaked image. The notch houses a notification LED indicator and a front-facing camera.

It appears that the LG G7 ThinQ has a power key located on its right edge. The left side has a dedicated key for AI. There is no information available on whether LG will let users to customize it for using it for accessing other features.

The second snapshot reveals that LG G7 ThinQ will be arriving with Snapdragon 845 mobile platform, 4 GB of RAM and an internal storage of 64 GB. This hardware combination looks good, but nowhere close to the performance of Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S that comes with Snapdragon 845, 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. The upcoming OnePlus 6 is also confirmed to arrive with the same chipset, RAM and storage.

Other reports have suggested that there could be another model called LG G7 ThinQ+ that will include an internal storage of 128 GB. The G7 ThinQ that is running on a pre-release software has recorded an impressive score of 252,473.

Since the handset is slated to hit the shelves in May, it is speculated that the South Korean company may announce in late April and make it available on pre-orders immediately.

Previous reports have claimed that the LG G7 ThinQ could be priced between $850 to $950. The other flagships like OnePlus 6, Honor 10 and Xiaomi Mi 7 are expected to debut within the second quarter of the year. Hence, LG G7 ThinQ is expected to face tough competition from Chinese branded flagship phones that are going to arrive with affordable pricing. Do you think that the sales of the G7 ThinQ will be disturbed by OP6, Honor 10 and Mi 7? Share us your views by adding your comments below.

(source|via)

OnePlus 6 Appears in Real Skin to Give First Look at its Front Design

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Apr 6, 2018

OnePlus is building hype around the upcoming OnePlus 6 flagship by continuously teasing ton its features. In the previous week, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau had revealed an image that showed a small portion of the notched display of the OnePlus 6. Also, the design of the rear panel of the phone was revealed by the leaked photo that was shared by popular leakster Evan Blass. A fresh photo of the alleged OnePlus 6 smartphone has appeared today. In fact, it is the very first image of the OP6 that gives a good look at the front design of the phone.

There is nothing special about the front view of the phone as its resembles the notched display of the OPPO R15 and R15 Dream Mirror Edition. According to Pei, the addition of the notch provides the users of the OP6 with a very large screen space. The leaked image shows that except for the slightly thick bottom bezel of the phone, the display is surrounded by thin-sized bezels. Lau has recently confirmed that the company will be providing a software solution to hide the notch.

The AID64 system information app that is running on the phone confirms that the handset is fueled by Snapdragon 845. OnePlus has recently confirmed that the phone would be featuring 8 GB of RAM and a native storage of 256 GB. Also, the handset will be delivering full screen gestures for smooth navigation experience on OP6.

The app does not reveal any information on the other specs of the phone. However, it is speculated to feature the same notch enabled 6.28-inch Full HD+ resolution supporting display that is available on the OPPO R15 duo. Since there is no fingerprint scanner on the frontside of the phone, it is likely to positioned on the back panel. The handset will come equipped with a 3.5mm audio jack.

The OnePlus 6 was initially expected to debut in June. However, since the company is now consistently teasing on the features of OP6, it seems that it may get announced at the end of this month.

What do you think about the front design of the OnePlus 6? Share us your views by posting your comments below.

(source|via)

Honor 10 Leaked Poster Appears to Reveal Rear Design

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Apr 6, 2018

Chinese smartphone OEMs had launched many phones in the previous month. In this month too, many Chinese companies are expected to announce new smartphones. On April 9, Smartisan will be launching the Nut 3 phone. The Nubia Z18mini is slated to get announced on April 11. The Huawei P20 is scheduled to go official on April 12 and Black Shark will be debuting its first gaming phone on April 13. Honor has recently confirmed that it will be holding an unveil event on May 15 in London. It is speculated that the company will be announcing the Honor 10 flagship. Since Honor is known for launching its smartphones first in the domestic market, the rumor mill is claiming that the Honor 10 may debut first in China at the end of this month or early May.

A leaked image showing Honor 10 posters have surfaced on Weibo. The image gives a glimpse of the rear design of the phone. In the below image, the Honor 10 handset can be seen in the hands of the popular Chinese actor and singer Hu Ge. As far as the design of the phone is concerned, the back panel of the phone seems to be made out of 3D glass. It looks like the Twilight color edition of the P20.

Since there is no fingerprint scanner on the back panel of the Honor 10, it seems that the feature could be present below the display at the front. The horizontally arranged dual camera module can be also seen on the rear shell.

The rear view of the phone seems to resembles with the leaked photo of the Honor 10 that had surfaced in the previous month. The frontside of the phone is expected to feature a notched display like the Huawei P20 and P20 Pro.

Rumors have it that the Kirin 970 chipset will be present under the hood of the Honor 10. An image showing an advertisement of the Honor 10 has also appeared. It seems to show the key specs of the highest configuration model of the smartphone. It reveals that the handset will be featuring a 5.8-inch display and it will be fueled by Kirin 970 SoC and 6 GB of RAM. The image also reveals that it has 256 GB of native storage. The text on the image also states the display of the phone offers 100 percent screen-to-body ratio which sounds too good to be true.

The starting model may feature 6 GB of RAM. As of this writing, there is no information available on the other specs or pricing of the phone. Like the predecessor Honor branded flagship phones, the Honor 10 is also pegged to arrive with an affordable pricing.

(source 1, 2)

Samsung Galaxy J7 2018 Render, User Manual Appear to Reveal Features

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Apr 6, 2018

A user manual of a Samsung phone that has a model number of SM-J720F and SM-J720F/DS has appeared on the official website. It is speculated that these model numbers respectively belong to Galaxy J7 (2018) and Galaxy J7 Duo (2018) that will be releasing this year. The user manual of the phone has revealed several information on its features. Also, a user-created render of Galaxy J7 has appeared to reveal what to expect from the design of the phone.

The front view of the Samsung Galaxy J7 (2018) reveals that the to p bezel will be equipped with features like a selfie LED flash, a front-facing camera, a proximity sensor and a speaker. The Power key is present on the right edge whereas the volume rocker is found on the left side. Below the screen is physical home button that is integrated with a fingerprint sensor. It is placed between capacitive buttons for Recent and Back. The bottom edge of the phone is fitted with features like a microphone, a microUSB port and a 3.5mm earphone slot. A concept designer @MaxJmbr has created a render of the Samsung Galaxy J7 Duo to give a realistic idea of what the device would like in actuality.

The rear view of the Galaxy J7 (2018) reveals that it will be coming with a removeable back cover and a user-replaceable battery. The vertical dual camera setup along with a flash unit and speaker are also available on the backside of the phone.

There is no information available on the specs of the phone. However, it is certain that the handset may not feature the Infinity Display design found on Galaxy A8, A8+ and Galaxy flagships. The Galaxy J7 (2018) is expected to release with different monikers and similar specifications in different markets.

(source|via 1, 2)

LG’s Patent For Foldable Smartphone Shows Dual Display, Battery And Headphone Jack

By

Jeet

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Apr 6, 2018

LG has been granted a patent for a foldable smartphone, which was filed in September 2016. The patent, which has now been published by World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), contain images which illustrates what the phone’s design could be.

The patent, which is titled “Mobile Terminal”, shows that along with dual displays, the smartphone also contains dual batteries and dual headphone jack. The display is curved around the edges, which can be used to show time, date, as well as other notifications.

The images, which were attached to the patent, reveals that both the displays connected through two hinges — one on the top and another on the bottom side. This enables both screens to open and combine to form one large display.

In a partially open position, the device can be used by two persons to watch video separately, using the two headphone jacks. Interestingly, both hosting packs their own battery as well as camera module. While the patent was filed in September 2016, it mentions that the primary display is equipped with an under-display fingerprint sensor.

From the patent application, it seems that LG is focusing on the media consumption for its foldable smartphone, enabling users to consume different types of media content without disturbing each other. The patented technology can be used for smartphones, tablets, laptops, multimedia devices and wearables.

Many smartphone manufacturers are said to be working on a foldable display smartphone, including Samsung, Apple, and Microsoft. Recently Huawei also joined the list and now LG is also jumping on the foldable display bandwagon.

Last year, in September, Samsung’s mobile chief DJ Koh had confirmed in an interview that the company would launch its first foldable smartphone in 2018. Later, there were reports suggesting that the Galaxy X could be a limited edition device that may only arrive in select markets.

However, Salman Saeed, who’s the product manager of display technology at Qualcomm said in an interview that the foldable smartphone launch could be delayed due to concerns related to the fine-tuning of the user experience as well as the durability.

(Via)

Check Out Joybuy Tech Trending Promotion; Get Big Discounts On Select Electronic Items

By

Vinay Patel

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Apr 6, 2018

Deemed as China’s largest online direct sales company, Joybuy is the official JD.com global online shopping site. It offers a broad range of products including cars, clothing, toys, accessories and a slew of electronic items such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, and computers.

As part of its latest Tech Trending promotion, Joybuy is currently offering big discounts on select electronic items that usually set you back a pretty penny. Let’s head straight to the details.

Recommended

From wireless gamepad controller to a handheld stabilizer, this category offers gadget buffs a lot to shout about. As if that weren’t enough, the products included in this category are up for grabs for a lowered price.

For example, the site is selling the Sony Hi-Res Music Player for just $359. Note that the device’s retail price is $389.
In other words, the site is giving an 8% discount on the Sony-branded music player’s original asking price. However, it’s worth noting that the promotion is only valid for 1-1 items.

Top Rated

This section features multiple electronic items that you can get your hands on without burning a hole in your pocket. For the sake of instance, you can buy the Colorfly Pocket HiFi C10 Music Player at a heavily discounted price of only $199. This is a noteworthy 23% reduction in the device’s retail price.
Moreover, you can choose from 2 color options including black and golden. Once the promotion comes to an end in 2 days, the device will retain its original asking price of $260.

Popular Stores

Here you can find official stores of P&G, ILIFE, isweep and LEAGOO. Clicking on ‘shop now’ takes you to the official stores of the aforesaid brands where you can buy select items at a dropped price.
The P&G official store is crammed with razors, electric toothbrushes and lots more. The Power-Sonic Toothbrush with 3 Toothbrush which ideally sells for $42.29 on Joybuy can now be yours if you’re willing to shell out just $21.57.

Trending

This category comprises products that have been trending on the website. More importantly, Joybuy is giving buyers an opportunity to acquire these coveted items at a considerably lowered price.

Lining with that, the site is giving 10% off on the LEAGOO M9 3G smartphone, which would usually set you back $69.99. Thanks to the above-mentioned discount, you can now buy the device for just $62.99.

You can visit this link in order to check out rest of the products and avail the deals. Note that the promotion is scheduled to end soon.

Get Big Discounts On A Broad Range Of Electronic Items On Joybuy Check More Deals and Promotions From Other Shops

Check Out GearBest Mi Fan Festival Sale; Get Up To 50% Off On Xiaomi Products

By

Vinay Patel

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Apr 6, 2018

Looks like Xiaomi fans are in for a treat. As part of its Mi Fan Festival Sale promotion, GearBest is offering up to 50% discount on a broad range of Xiaomi-branded products.

In a bid to expedite the search process, the recently kicked off promotion has been divided into multiple sections. Here’s a brief glimpse of these categories and what they have to offer.

Mobile Phones

If you’ve restlessly been waiting to get your hands on a Xiaomi smartphone without emptying your pocket, we have good news for you. GearBest is currently offering significant discounts on a slew of well-received smartphones that usually carry steep price tags.

For instance, the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 4G phablet normally sells for $886.46 on GearBest, but the site is now giving buyers an opportunity to take advantage of 32% discount on the device’s retail price.

As a result, the Mi MIX 2 phablet can be yours if you’re willing to shell out just $599.99. On the downside, the Flash Sale price will only be valid for the remaining 187 pieces for 2 more days.

Cool Tablets

This category is crammed with tablets that you can buy at a lowered price for a limited period of time. The Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air, which normally carries a price tag of $929.79 on GearBest, is now up for grabs for only $865.99.
This is a 7% reduction in the device’s original asking price. This Flash Sale price will be valid for the remaining 97 pieces and the promo is slated to end in just 2 days.

Top Electronics Only

Here you can find different types of electronic items such as a smartwatch, car charger, and even a smart IP camera. More importantly, the products featured in this category are available at discounted price.
For sake of example, GearBest is giving 23% off on the Original Xiaomi Headphones, which sells for $136.90 on the site without the discount. You need to shell out only $104.99 to get your hands on one of the remaining 80 pieces before the promo ends in 5 days.

Network Gear

This section is brimming with networking related items that are currently available at a slashed price. Lining with this, you can get 14% off on the white color version of the Original Xiaomi Mijia 0.5mm Sign Pen which normally would set you back $4.63.
With the aforesaid discount, the Mijia sign pen will be selling for just $3.99 for 3 days. There were 444 pieces still remaining for the Flash Sale. There’s a 49% off on the black color version of the Mijia sign pen.

Smart Home Tech

Here you can find products that help you keep your house clean and tidy along with items that come in handy in day to day life. GearBest is giving big discounts on these highly useful products.

The site normally sells the Original Xiaomi Smart Mi Air Purifier for $165.41. But for 3 days, the mi air purifier will be available for a Flash Sale price of $139.99.

This is a noteworthy 15% reduction in the device’s retail price. However, there were only 128 pieces left at the time of writing.

Minimalist LED Lighting

This segment has further been split into 2 subcategories i.e. Hot Deals and Top Picks. Each subordinate category features a slew of LED lights carrying a reduced price.

For instance, you can buy the Yeelight YLTD02YL LED Table Light by shelling out just $32.99 for 3 days. Moreover, this Flash Sale price will be valid for the remaining 110 pieces.

Outdoors & Sports

If you’re an adventure junkie or a sports lover, here’s something for you to cheer about. This segment features items such as sling bags, traveling bags, anti-haze face mask and lots more.

If you’re a frequent traveler, you can go for the Original Xiaomi 90 Minutes Spinner Wheel Luggage Suitcase, which is currently available for a Flash Sale price of just $95.99 on GearBest.

The site is giving 31% off on its real selling price for 4 days. Note that there were only 9 pieces left at the time of writing.

Cool RC Gear

RC toys enthusiasts, rejoice. GearBest is selling a myriad of RC gears at a lowered price. The site is giving 27% discount on Xiaomi Populele APP LED Bluetooth USB Smart Ukulele which usually sells for $178.33 on the site.
Thanks to the aforesaid discount, you can now buy this practical learning ukulele for just $129.99. With 26 pieces still remaining, the Flash Sale price will be valid for 4 days.

Pure MI Fashion

Dressing fashionably can boost your confidence and it is a great way to express yourself. However, keeping up with latest fashion trends can turn out to be an expensive hobby. If you’re a fashion conscious buyer who’s on a tight budget, you’ve come to the right place.

GearBest is offering discounts on select Mi-branded items. For instance, the site is selling Xiaomi Light Weight Sneakers with Intelligent Chip for just $54.99.

This item will go back to its retail price of $105 as soon as the promo comes to an end in 3 days. Note that the Flash Sale price will only be valid for the remaining 190 pieces.

Health & Beauty

There’s no dearth of health and beauty related products in the market; however, these items usually carry steep price stickers. Bearing that in mind, GearBest is giving discounts on select health and beauty products featured in this category.

To give an instance, GearBest is selling the Xiaomi Mi Home Sonic Electric Toothbrush for a Flash Sale price of $42.99. This is a 9% reduction in its retail price. The discount will be valid for 1 day for the remaining 152 pieces.

If you’re interested in taking advantage of the deal, you can head straight to this link. Note that the discounted items are likely to retain their original selling price once the Mi Fan Festival Sale comes to an end.

Get Big Discounts On Xiaomi Products On GearBest

Check More Deals and Promotions From Other Shops

These Nokia X Concept Images Look Futuristic But You Never Can Tell

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Apr 5, 2018

HMD Global’s Nokia has so far been impressive since the return of the brand. The models released have been received with global accolades for their sleek design, especially the durability aspect. Thus, it is no wonder we get to see concept designs of Nokia’s upcoming models. Not too long ago, the Nokia 9’s concept appeared online. Now, a relatively unknown Nokia X concept video and images have appeared online.

This concept design, we must admit differs from the concept designs we have seen lately. The design is different from our regular smartphones we have in the market presently but instead, it looks quite futuristic. There is no indication that HMD has a device in the works dubbed Nokia X. Well, except the Android phone bearing that name launched way back in 2014. So, the name is likely the coinage of the designer. That also makes the design a figment of the designer’s imagination.

Also Read: Nokia 2010 May Relaunch with Nokia A10 Moniker, 4G LTE Support

The Nokia X concept comes with a metal body but there is a model with its body made from metal and glass. The display is a full-screen display with a notch. The notch or cut-out isn’t at the centre as we see in some models recently but the Nokia X’s display notch is at the top left corner. The device also comes with stereo speakers. At the rear, there is a fingerprint sensor for unlocking the device while Nokia’s logo sits in the middle. The logo is also at the lower-right corner of the phone’s front aspect. The Nokia X comes with a dual rear camera setup aligned horizontally with an LED flash in the centre of both sensors. There is also the ZEISS branding. The device packs a 3.5mm audio jack and a USB Type-C port. The concept device comes in several colour variants. You can check out more images of the Nokia X from the video below.

(source)

Also, see more pictures of the Nokia X concept phone below.

You May Soon Be Able to Buy Custom Cases From Samsung’s Theme Store

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Apr 5, 2018

Google’s Live Cases are cases specially designed for/by you for your Pixel phone. A Live Case app which requests for a unique code on the case also sets your phone’s wallpaper to what’s on your case. Nice, right? It appears Samsung will be offering something similar soon.

Some folks at XDA discovered the new development in the latest version of Samsung’s Theme Store app. It is said that the cases will be linked to themes on the store. They will come with a NFC chip that automatically changes the theme of the phone to the theme on the case.

However, there is no confirmation as to the level of customization users will have if they want a case. Google lets users use their own photos or select their favorite locations in case of Places Live Cases. Even those offered by partnered artists can be customized to a certain level.

The screenshot above shows that Samsung is also going to partner with third parties and they will handle the entire process from order, to payment, to delivery and even refunds.

Continue

Samsung Odyssey Z Gaming Laptop Packs 8th-Gen Intel Core i7 Processor And Up To 16GB RAM

By

Jeet

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Apr 5, 2018

Samsung has introduced a new laptop — Samsung Odyssey Z, which is designed primarily for the gamers. This new gaming laptop from the South Korean giant is fairly thin in size and light in weight.

In terms of looks, the laptop shares the design of its previous models, including the display, connectors and red backlit keyboard with curved keys. A notable change is the position of the touchpad, which is now on the right side of the keyboard.

The laptop comes with a 15.6-inch Full HD display with screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. It is powered by Intel‘s eighth generation Core i7-8750H hexa-core processor along with 6GB Nvidia Geforce GTX 1060 graphics processor.

It features up to 16GB DDR RAM and up to 1TB PCI Express-based NVMe M.2 SSD. Connectivity ports on the device include 1 x USB-C (unclear as to whether it supports Thunderbolt 3), 4 x USB Type-A (2 3 x .0, 2 x 2.0), 1 x HDMI, and 1 x headphone/mic.

The company is betting on the laptop’s heat management feature. It has vents everywhere and a new cooling system which basically seems like a dual-fan with vapor-chamber. The cooling system includes three components – the Dynamic Spread Vapor Chamber, Samsung’s Z Airflow Cooling design, and the Z Blade Blowers.

The vapor chamber is designed to enable the laptop’s two fans — one over the CPU and one over the GPU — to push cold air to the hottest sections above and below the motherboard. All the hot air gets ejected through the laptop’s rear vents.

The device also comes with a Silent Mode option, which user can toggle through a shortcut key on the keyboard for a quieter operation. Two front-facing 1.5W speakers reside just above the keyboard. The laptop comes with a 54 Wh battery which probably won’t last much longer in gaming mode. The laptop measures 376 x 255 x 18 mm and weighs 2.4kg.

Currently, the company has not announced the pricing details of the Samsung Odyssey Z gaming laptop but it will be available in North America in the third quarter of this year.

Google May Be Working On A New Pixelbook With A 4K Display

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Apr 5, 2018

The Pixelbook is one of the most beautiful devices made by Google. It is also one of the the most expensive. While it is just six months old, the Pixelbook may be getting a successor soon.

A Reddit user found a code in Chromium OS that mentions a new Chrome device codenamed “Atlas” with a 3840 x 2160 display. Although, there isn’t an explicit mention it is a Pixelbook, the high resolution display isn’t unusual for Google.

The Pixelbook has a 12.3” 2400 x 1600 display. So a successor with a much improved display can’t be ruled out. There is however a possibility that Google isn’t working on a successor yet and this may be from a different manufacturer.

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The 2.5 Year Old BlackBerry Priv Gets A New Update

By

Michele Ingelido

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Apr 5, 2018

Usually, smartphones from most brands get about 2 years of software support, but that doesn’t apply to BlackBerry. About two and a half years from its official release,despite its less than impressive sales, the Canadian giant hasn’t forgotten the Priv. As CrackBerry reports, the former flagship has just received a new update which made the firmware version number jump to AAW068. The update weighs about 100 MB but it does not contain any new security patch as the date of the patch installed remains exactly the same as the previous version of the firmware.

Instead, the new update for BlackBerry Priv should contain a critical vulnerability fix. Further, the BlackBerry Password Keeper app has been updated with the support to the autofill feature which we can usually find on smartphones with Android Oreo installed. In order to use the feature, you need to enable it in the Settings menu. The update for BlackBerry Priv comes via OTA but according to some reports, it may cause issues with verification. In case you own a Priv and you have this issue, head to the source link below to discover how to fix it.

It is nice to see that BlackBerry is bringing security updates even to very old devices and it confirms this company is one of the best smartphones manufacturers in terms of security, even after its acquisition by TCL. BlackBerry Priv was announced in October 2015 and it hit the shelves in the following month. The handset features a QWERTY physical keyboard and a 5.4-inch display with a Quad HD resolution. The operating system installed was Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, but it has been updated to Marshmallow. Under the hood, it sports an hexa-core Snapdragon 808 SoC and 3 GB RAM.

(Source, Via)

Samsung Galaxy A6+ Spotted On The Official Site With Dual SIM Slot

By

Michele Ingelido

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Apr 5, 2018

Prepare to see new interesting midrangers from the Korean giant as the Samsung Galaxy A6 and A6 Plus are coming soon. After receiving the official certification by the American FCC and Wi-Fi Alliance, the Plus variant has just been spotted on the official Polish website of the company. The model number of the device briefly appeared on an official page, and this not only confirms its existence but also reveals that it should be announced very soon. According to the official website, there will be a version of the Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus which carries the model number SM-A605FN/DS.

The last two letters of the model number are suggesting that the handset will sport a dual SIM slot. Further, this model number confirms the ones appeared on the listings of FCC and Wi-Fi Alliance. Besides the official certifications by these regulatory agencies, we spotted Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus even on benchmarks, alongside its standard variant. According to Geekbench, the A6+ will not have an Exynos SoC like most of Samsung mid-rangers: it will be powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset which runs at a max frequency of 2 GHz. The power-efficient chipset will be paired with 4 GB of RAM, while the operating system installed will be Android Oreo.

On Geekbench, the handset has obtained a score of 739 points in single-core test and it has scored 3469 points in the multi-core test. Geekbench also showed that the standard A6 will boast an octa-core Samsung Exynos 7870 processor and 3 GB of RAM. The score obtained by the standard A6 on single-core benchmark is 723 points, while in multi-core it scored 3605 points. Even though the processors are different, the A6 Plus has more RAM and it will probably cost more but the scores obtained by the two handsets are very similar.

(Via)

Alert Slider To Gain New Function On The OnePlus 6

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Apr 5, 2018

OnePlus is taking a different approach to the way it does things this year. Not only will we be getting the OnePlus 6 earlier than its predecessors, OnePlus has also steadily been feeding us with new features the phone will come with. It’s latest teaser reveals a new functionality coming to the Alert Slider.

The latest teaser was posted on Twitter and reveals that the much-loved Alert Slider will also be used to adjust focus (for the camera) on the OnePlus 6. Sliding the button which is positioned on the left on older models will adjust the focus as desired.

Slide to focus with the Alert Slider. #OnePlus6 pic.twitter.com/LbLbhlwjVh

— OnePlus (@oneplus) April 5, 2018

The Alert Slider currently allows you to switch between audio profiles on your phone. By default, the slider is set to ring. Sliding it up once puts it in Do Not Disturb Mode and pushing it up again puts it in silent mode. Rather than unlocking your phone to set it to any of these modes, a simple push is all you need. You don’t even need to pull your phone out of your pocket.

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Prepare Your Credit Card As Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S Second Flash Sale Starts Tomorrow

By

Michele Ingelido

-

Apr 5, 2018

Since the official announcement, Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S has been made available to purchase in China just once, through an official flash sale. The sale was on April 3 and the phone was quickly sold out. As it happens with every Xiaomi phones launched in the past few years, many buyers were left disappointed because they could not get a unit of the new flagship.

If you are one of these, do not worry, you still have a chance to get your unit again. Tomorrow, Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S will be available to purchase again thanks to a second flash sale. Unfortunately, we do not know how many units will be made available, so we suggest you prepare your credit card and try to get it as fast as you can.

In the first flash sale, the handset was made available in three configurations. The cheapest one has 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage, and it’s available with a price tag of 3299 Yuan, which roughly translates into $523. The intermediate variant has 6 GB RAM and 128 GB ROM, and its price is about 3599 Yuan ($570). At last, the most powerful variant with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB ROM has a price of 3999 Yuan ($634).

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S Camera Samples Are Here: Significant Boost In Low Light Photography!

By

Joel Joseph

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Apr 5, 2018

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S is the company’s best camera flagship yet and we’ve finally got our hands on the new device. The first thing we checked out was naturally its camera performance. The camera specs are impressive and the DxOMark score of 101 in photos really stands out among competition. So, we decided to test out its camera in different lighting conditions, and as expected, the Mi Mix 2S has really outdid its competition in the market. The camera is so much better than the average shooter on the Mi Mix 2 and it’s comparable to the big flagships that rule the camera department right now.

So, here’s a bunch of camera samples we managed to quickly get from the Mi Mix 2S’ dual 12MP setup at the back. The results are impressive and I’m sure you’d be happy to see the significant improvement in saturation as well as details, especially in low light.

Low light situation is one area where most smartphones struggle. But with the Mi Mix 2S, the samples were bright and clear at night, the saturation levels were good, and noise was limited to a great extent. As compared to other phones in this price range, this is really a significant improvement.

Check out all the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S camera samples from down below and let us know what you think about its camera performance.

You can get the original samples from here.

Note that we’ll also bring a Mi Mix 2 vs Mi Mix 2S camera sample comparison very soon to show you how much the new model has improved in this department.

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S Samples:

xiaomi mi mix 2s cam sample (16) — Night Photography from Mi Mix 2S

Samsung Explains Super Slo-Mo Feature On The Galaxy S9

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Apr 5, 2018

Samsung has penned down an official blog post that explains how it achieved the Super Slow-mo feature of the Galaxy S9 (S9 Plus). The new Super Slo-mo mode lets users record at 960fps for just 0.2 seconds which translates into 6 seconds of playback. But how exactly does it work?

Samsung sensors are CMOS (complimentary metal-oxide semiconductor) sensors. Even with the improvement in autofocus, when you take a picture of a fast moving object, the images are distorted. So Samsung set to work on a new CMOS sensor that would be fast enough to significantly reduce distortion and camera shake, and also provide new features.

So what new features should the camera have? Samsung agreed on slow-motion recording. To achieve that, they had to make a sensor fast enough to record at super high speeds which can then be slowed down for the super slow-mo effect.

Making the sensor fast enough wasn’t easy as it needed to be four times faster than previous generation. It also had to have a better pixel and be able to handle the bandwidth for the high frame rates required for the image sensor output and video processing of the application processor.

The solution was to add a dedicated DRAM memory chip to the CMOS sensor and new circuit, instead of waiting till they are sent to the DRAM on the phone itself. So you get a three-layer sensor instead of two in older models.

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ZTE Axon M Teardown Shows A Surprisingly Simple Internal Arrangement

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Apr 5, 2018

ZTE first unveiled the Axon M with a foldable display back in November in the U.S. The device was launched in collaboration with U.S carrier AT&T. The smartphone also made its debut in China this January. The Axon M has received positive reviews so far but in reality, it is just a step towards developing a foldable smartphone because the Axon M is a smartphone with two screens. In case you are wondering how ZTE was able to mount the two screens on a single smartphone, here is a dismantling video by Zack Nelson on his YouTube channel JerryRigsEverything.

The entire dismantling process is not as complicated as you would expect. Rather it is simple, the front and rear panels, as well as most of the components, are simply held by screws. However, the battery is glued to the panel and the pull tab by the side simply isn’t strong enough to pull out the battery. The battery is shown to be a 3180mAH cell which we think is too small for a dual-screen smartphone. The teardown also shows that the connection of the second screen isn’t also complicated. The second screen is connected to the first with a couple of hinges and then a cable links both screens. You can check out the video from below.

The Axon M dual-screen foldable smartphone is available online via MyZTE.com and JD.com in China. Interested individuals in China can also get the device offline via China Telecom stores. The device will also come to Europe where it will be available via Vodafone and TIM as well as other “leading carriers”. The ZTE Axon M sells for $725 in the U.S when buying outrightly. Customers also have the option of accessing the device through instalment payments via AT&T Next scheme which enables them to pay $24.17 each month for a period of 30 months.

As a reminder, the Axon M comes with an innovative foldable design which accorded ZTE a CES 2018 Innovation Award. The foldable device packs a pair of 5.2-inch screens with full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. It has a single 20MP camera at the rear with image stabilization, PDAF, and 4K video recording. The device is powered by a Snapdragon 821 chipset paired with 4 GB of RAM and there is 64GB of internal storage onboard. The handset is preinstalled with Android 7.1.2 Nougat OS and keeping the lights on is a generous 3,180mAh battery.

Xiaomi Mi Crowdfunding Arrives in India: Here’s Everything You Wanted to Know About it

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Apr 5, 2018

Yesterday, Xiaomi announced the arrival of the “Mi Crowdfunding” program for India. This new initiative from the company will assist the Chinese manufacturer to know which innovative products can be released in India.

Through Mi Crowding initiative, the company will list down innovative products that may release in India only when certain number of people show interest in it. If the product fails to meet people’s interest in stipulated time, it won’t be shipped, and the company will refund the money to the buyers of that product.

As of this writing, Xiaomi is crowdfunding Mi Selfie Stick Tripod and Bluetooth Audio Receiver products in India. The two products are respectively priced at Rs. 1,099 (~$16) and Rs. 999 (~$15). Shipping of these products will begin within 10 days of meeting the goal of the project. Both the products can be crowdfunded until April 17. Also, these devices have a crowdfunding goal of 1,000 units.

Users can crowdfund these products by placing order for them. This can be done by accessing the product page of the respective product and then by hitting “Support now” button. Users can pay for the desired product within the mentioned time period. Supporters can check the progress of the project.

A project is considered successful when it receives 100 percent supporters in the set time duration. As of this writing, the Mi Selfie Stick Tripod and Mi Bluetooth Audio Receiver have respectively received 93 percent and 113 percent supporters.

If a user desires to cancel the order, he/she can do so before the product is shipped out. If the project is successful, people who supported it will be provided with priority delivery service.

The Mi Selfie Stick Tripod is a hybrid of a selfie stick and a tripod and it is equipped with a Bluetooth shutter remote. It can rotate 360 degrees and it can house large-sized phones like Mi Max 2. It is available only in Black color. It features Bluetooth 3.0 and can be used with Android phones running on Android 4.3 or above and iOS devices with IOS 5.0 or above.

The Mi Bluetooth Audio Receiver can be used for wirelessly playing music and answering phone calls. Its features include Bluetooth 4.2, headphone amplifier chip, 3.5mm audio jack and 97mAh battery. Lastly, it can be paired with two devices simultaneously, but only of them will be functional at a time. It can be availed in white color only. To know more about these products, visit their respective product page through the source links below.

(source 1, 2)

Samsung Galaxy S7, S7 Edge, A3 and A5 (2017) Should Get Android Oreo Soon

By

Michele Ingelido

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Apr 5, 2018

When it comes to major OS updates, Samsung is not the fastest company in supporting its devices. But it always provides decent long-term support, at least for its most important handsets. Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge were announced in early 2016 with Android Marshmallow out of the box and they have been officially updated to Android Nougat more than a year ago. Now, the two handsets have been certified by Wi-Fi Alliance with Android 8.0 Oreo installed, and this suggests that the final update should be coming soon.

Alongside Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, the mid-rangers Samsung Galaxy A3 and A5 (2017) have been certified with Android Oreo as well and they have appeared in the database of WFA with Oreo installed. Usually, when devices get certified by Wi-Fi Alliance with a new OS version, the final update to that version gets released within some weeks at max. So, expect Samsung Galaxy S7, S7 Edge, A3 and A5 2017 to be updated to Android Oreo in the coming weeks. Actually, Android Oreo is already present on some Samsung devices such as Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy A8.

The operating system is customized by Samsung Experience 9.0, the latest version of the Samsung custom user interface. Samsung Experience 9.0 contains several improvements and new features which were not present in the previous version. Among the most important features added, there are 4 new keyboard modes and a toolbar with shortcuts which can help you to find emojis, stickers, and animated GIFs. Further, there are hundreds of new emojis, GIFs, and stickers available. The keyboard settings menu has been simplified, and the main screen of Bixby virtual assistant has been improved with new cards and options. Among these options, there are background music reproduction and colors matching the actual weather in the user location.

(Via)