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Samsung Explains Super Slo-Mo Feature On The Galaxy S9

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 CMOS sensor

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.

Samsung Slow-mo

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.

Samsung Super Slo-Mo CMOS sensor with dedicated DRAM

READ MORE: Samsung Already Developing Exynos 9820 and 5G RF Chip

ZTE Axon M Teardown Shows A Surprisingly Simple Internal Arrangement

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.ZTE Axon M

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.ZTE Axon M

Read More: ZTE Axon M Will Have A Successor: The Company Will Release Another Foldable Smartphone

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

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.

Xiaomi Mi Crowdfunding

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.

Xiaomi Mi Selfie Stick Tripod Crowdfunding

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.

Xiaom Mii Bluetooth Audio Receiver Crowdfunding

Read More: Xiaomi Mi 7 Could Feature Under-Display Fingerprint Scanner, Hints CEO

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

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)

OnePlus 6 Will Arrive with Advanced Full Screen Gestures

Last year, OnePlus had launched the OnePlus 5 smartphone in June. Since the company has already started teasing the features of the upcoming OnePlus 6 flagship phone, it seems that the company may launch it earlier this year. A new teaser that features a short video has been released on the Italian Facebook page of OnePlus. It reveals that the handset will carry support for full screen gestures.

OnePlus had introduced gestures support through Android Oreo Open Beta 3 update for OnePlus 5T. However, the new teaser that has a tagline of “speed up with gestures” hint that the OnePlus 6 come preloaded with support for full screen gestures. The short video hints that the OP6 will provide its users with onscreen swiping actions. However, it does not reveal the exact functions of the various gestures.

Speed up with gestures

Velocizza la tua esperienza con le gestures. #OnePlus6

Posted by OnePlus on Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Considering what has been already made available through Open Beta for OP5T, the OnePlus 6 will offer three kinds of gestures. Swiping up action from the center will let users to access the homescreen and swiping towards the left to access the back function. The swipe-up-and-hold gesture will allow users to see the multi-tasking menu. The arrival of the full screen gestures on the OnePlus 6 could mean that it won’t feature a conventional navigation bar.

Read More: EXCLUSIVE: We’ve Got OnePlus 6 Pricing Details & Its Case

The onscreen gestures are pegged to deliver better navigation experience on OnePlus 6’s large-sized display that is expected to deliver a very high screen-to-body ratio. The display of the OP6 will feature a notch, but the company has confirmed that it will be providing a feature to hide it. It has been officially confirmed that the OnePlus 6 will be featuring Snapdragon 845 chipset, 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. It is speculated that the OnePlus 6 may break cover as early as at the end of this month.

(source)

Huawei Tops China’s Smartphone Market, Xiaomi Steadily Increases

A new report has revealed that Huawei topped the list of local manufacturers with the highest number of shipments for 2017. The manufacturer is said to have shipped a total of 150 million phones and has set a 2018 target of 200 million.

Huawei, Xiaomi, OPPO, VIvo - Huami OV

Xiaomi is also reported to have increased is shipment to 90 million in 2017. This figure is said to be due to the success of the Redmi series in India and also its entry into new markets. Xiaomi’s target for 2018 is expected to reach 120 to 150 million units.

Xiaomi is celebrating its 8th year anniversary tomorrow, April 6. A company-wide memo written by founder and CEO, Lei Jun, praised the members of staff and fans for the company’s achievement so far.

OPPO and Vivo are the other two companies in the top four. Their plan for the year is to keep launching affordable phones with AI features in developing markets.

READ MORE: Chinese Phone Manufacturers Grab 53% Indian Smartphone Market In 2017: IDC

Black Shark Gaming Phone’s Antenna Positions, Basic Design Appears in Leaked Sketch

Black Shark has recently confirmed that its first gaming smartphone would be unveiled on April 13. Soon after the announcement, a couple of leaked renders of the alleged phone had surfaced on Weibo. Black Shark CEO Wu Shimin was quick to respond that those renders were ugly and fake. The official Weibo account of the company has confirmed the antenna design of the upcoming gaming phone by Black Shark.

The Black Shark gaming phone will be the first phone to be equipped with “X” antenna design. This arrangement protects the antenna bands from getting covered by the palm while playing games on it. It will ensure stable signal connectivity and reduce the rate of calls.

Some of the Weibo users have shared the basic design of the Black Shark gaming phone which shows that the top-left corner has GPS and Wi-Fi receivers whereas the top-right corner has LTE receiver. The bottom corners have receivers for LTE and Wi-Fi MIMO. To say again, such an arrangement will provide users with immersive gaming experience without disturbing the proper functioning of the antennas.

Black Shark Gaming Phone Leaked SKetch

Very few details of the Black Shark gaming phone have surfaced so far. Its AnTuTu listing that was spotted in February had revealed that the smartphone would be powered by Snapdragon 845 chipset and 8 GB of RAM. It will be running on custom ROM based on Android 8.0 Oreo and it will also feature some core MIUI features. The handset has also appeared with the same specs on Geekbench. The exact size of the display of Black Shark gaming phone is not known, but the AnTuTu listing has revealed that it will be sporting an 18:9 aspect ratio display.

Read More: Xiaomi Mi 7 Could Feature Under-Display Fingerprint Scanner, Hints CEO

Black Shark is a newly established Chinese firm that is backed by Xiaomi. Also, JD.com is the official online retailer of Black Shark products for the next three years.

Do you think that the Black Shark gaming phone will deliver ultimate gaming experience? Share us your views by posting your comments below.

(source 1, 2)

 

Mi Fan Festival Goes Global This Year With Special Offers & Fun Games

It has become a yearly ritual that Xiaomi kicks off the Mi Fan Festival around April 6 every year to celebrate its anniversary. The innovative Chinese tech company was founded on April 6, 2010, and we all know where it has managed to reach in the past eight years. The company now operates in a number of markets, two of them being the world’s top smartphone markets, India and China. Thanks to its aggressive pricing and customer oriented approach, Xiaomi has managed to gather fan following in millions.Mi Fan Festival

The 2018 kicked off two days back and it is to celebrate Xiaomi’s 8th birthday. This year’s activity is not only centred on China and India, but Xiaomi is taking the festival to fans in countries where they have made an entry or where there is an authorized Mi Store. Huge birthday cakes have been placed in front of selected Authorized Mi Stores in Spain, Thailand, Vietnam, and Egypt.Mi Fan Festival

Read More: Xiaomi Generated More Than $288 Million In Revenue During Mi Fan Festival in 2016

In addition to that, the company has also rolled out special offers and fun online games in all its global markets. The fans who are the beneficiaries of these offers can take advantage by heading to the Mi Store nearest to them or if you are in China, here a link the online Mi Store China. Fans in India can also visit the Mi Store from here. Xiaomi US online store is also actively involved in the Fan Festival offers. Only some Mi products are available in the US and this doesn’t include smartphones. However, you can pick up gadgets like the Mi Electric Scooter, Xiaomi range of cameras, Power banks, headphones, In-ear earbuds and others at a discounted price. Here’s the link to the Mi Store US. The activities also include fun games where fans can get the chance to win amazing prices.

Xiaomi Mi 7 Could Feature Under-Display Fingerprint Scanner, Hints CEO

By launching the Vivo X20 UD in 2017, Vivo became the first company in the world to launch an under-display fingerprint scanner enabled smartphone. In this year, the Chinese manufacturer has already launched the Vivo APEX phone with half-screen fingerprint and Vivo X21 UD as a successor for last year’s model. At the end of March, Huawei introduced the Mate RS Porsche Design as its first phone with under-screen fingerprint sensor. Today, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun has confirmed to Xiaomi fans that the Mi 7 will be equipped with in-screen fingerprint scanner.

Xiaomi has recently added Mi MIX 2S teardown images on its official Weibo account. One of the Weibo users posted a funny statement to it saying that the Xiaomi Mi 7 could be arriving with an under-display fingerprint scanner. The below screenshot shows that Jun responded to it by saying that it really does.

Xiaomi Mi 7 Under-Display Fingerprint Reader

Recent reports have revealed that Xiaomi will be launching Mi 7 and Mi 7 Plus flagship phones soon. The leaked firmware files of the Mi 7 have revealed plenty of information on its specs and features. However, the firmware files could not confirm whether the Mi 7 will feature an under-display fingerprint reader. So far, it has been revealed that the Mi 7 (codenamed as Dipper) may arrive with a notched display, Snapdragon 845, AI equipped 16-megapixel dual rear cameras, advanced facial recognition and 3,400mAh battery with wireless charging.

The leaked firmware files of Mi 7 Plus (codenamed as Ursa) suggest that it will be arriving with an under-display fingerprint sensor. There is a possibility that the advanced biometric recognition feature could be only restricted to Mi 7 Plus and the smaller Mi 7 may not feature it. The other rumored features of the Mi 7 Plus include OLED screen, Snapdragon 845, optical zoom enabled dual cameras and 4,000mAh battery.

Xiaomi Mi 7 Render

Read More: Xiaomi Mi 7: Top 5 Exciting Features to Watch Out For

Xiaomi is expected to debut the Mi 7 duo by June. The Chinese manufacturer had continuously teased the different features of the Mi MIX 2S until it was launched. For the Mi 7 duo too, it may apply the same strategy.

(source)

Huawei Lines Up Launch Event For May 15 in London – Honor 10 Expected

Huawei launched the Honor 9 smartphone in June last year but it seems the next-generation model will come in a little earlier. A new rumour in town is that Huawei will launch a new smartphone on May 15 in London and the company teases “Beauty in AI” as one of its stand out features. It is speculated that the Honor 10 is the device that would be launched.

It is no surprise that the event will hold in London since Huawei has shifted focus from the US to the UK. The tech giant may be looking to launch its major entry into the UK market using the flagship device. The Honor 10 looks to be well suited to do the job. The device is expected to come with a display notch just like the P20 and P20 Pro. Apart from the cameras, the specifications might remain same as on the Honor View 10 smartphone launched in December last year. While we don’t expect the company to offer P20 Pro like triple lens cameras, we might at least see better cameras than on the View 10.

Honor-10-prototype-

The Honor 10 will mostly continue the glass sandwich design seen on the earlier launched Honor flagship smartphones. As of now, we expect the Honor 10 to come with a 19:9 display and Kirin 970 AI chipset. There will be a dual camera setup on the rear and a notch on the front.

Read Also: Honor 10 Will Feature A Full Screen Display, So Will Other Devices In The Lineup

The Honor 10 is also expected to come with EMUI 8 based on Android Oreo out of the box. The device may come with a 6GB RAM and 8GB RAM version as well as IP67 waterproof and dustproof build.

(source)

 

Acrhos Saphire 50X Rugged Smartphone Unveiled, Priced At €149.99

Archos, a France-based electronics manufacturer has unveiled its new low-end Andriod smartphone — Archos Saphire 50X. The smartphone, which comes with a rugged design, is a downgraded model over last year’s Archos 50 Saphire.

The Archos Saphire 50X is said to have been developed with sports-oriented users in mind, and thus, is comes with IP68 certification to ensure that it can withstand water up to a meter as well as exposure to dust and water immersion for up to half an hour at temperatures ranging from -20 degrees Celsius to 55 degrees Celsius.

Archos Saphire 50X

The smartphone comes with a 5-inch HD LCD display with 1280 x 720 pixels screen resolution and is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 4 on top. Under the hood, the device is powered by a MediaTek MT6737 quad-core processor along with 2GB RAM and 16GB of internal storage.

There’s also a microSD card slot which enables users to further expand the phone’s storage capacity. Coming to the camera setup, the phone features a 13-megapixel camera sensor at the back and a 5-megapixel front-facing snapper.

The phone runs on Android Nougat operating system out-of-the-box and it’s not known if the company plans to upgrade it to the Android Oreo. Connectivity options on the device include Dual SIM, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, Wi-Fi b/g/n, FM radio and a micro USB 2.0 port. The phone is powered by a 4,000mAh battery.

Read More: Archos Citee Connect Electric Scooter Is A Mi Scooter Look-Alike With A Built-In Android Phone As Interface

The Archos Saphir 50X is priced at €149.99, which roughly converts to $184. The company has started taking pre-orders for the smartphone and is expected to start shipping them out in coming days.

 

OnePlus Bullets Wireless Earbuds Approved; May Launch with OnePlus 6

Chinese smartphone OEMs are known for borrowing features from Apple iPhones. The notched screen design of the OnePlus 6 is inspired from the Apple iPhone X. Since a device named “OnePlus Bullets Wireless” has received Bluetooth certification, it seems that OnePlus is gearing up to debut Bluetooth wireless earbuds like Apple’s AirPods.

Apple had introduced wireless Bluetooth earbuds alongside the iPhone 7. It was the first smartphone from the company to come without a 3.5mm headphone jack. The first official image of the OnePlus 6 that was released by none other than OnePlus CEO Car Pei had revealed that its notched display will bear resemblance with the iPhone X. Pei had also confirmed in the recent past that the upcoming OnePlus 6 flagship will retain the 3.5mm audio jack. Nevertheless, the company may launch OnePlus Bluetooth Wireless earbuds alongside the OP6 smartphone.

oneplus-bullets-wireless-bluetooth-doc-768x398

The wired earphones from OnePlus are sold with “Bullets” branding. The Bluetooth certification reveals that the company would be soon debuting its wireless earphones. Apart from the model number of BT31B and mentioning of Qualcomm’s involvement, there is no information available on the specs of the upcoming OnePlus wireless earbuds.

Read More: OnePlus Officially Reveals OnePlus 6 Variant with 8 GB RAM, 256 GB Storage, Snapdragon 845

The Bullets V2 earphones that was launched with a low price tag had received good reception. It is likely that the Bullets wireless earbuds may get unveiled alongside the OnePlus 6 flagship with a pricing of more than $19.99.

Now that the company is prepping up on launching its first wireless earbuds, could it be planning to remove the 3.5mm audio jack feature from its smartphones arriving after OnePlus 6? Share us your views by posting your comments below.

(source|via)

Motorola’s April 19 Launch Event Confirmed; Moto G6 Series Likely to Get Official

Lenovo-owned Motorola has sent out invitations for a launch event that will be held on April 19 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It is speculated that the company may announce the Moto G6 series through the upcoming launch event.

Motorola April 19 Launch Event

The launch invitation only states that the unveil event will begin at 10 AM on April 19 and it does not contain any information on the devices that will be announced on the said date. The background image of the Motorola’s launch invite resembles with the wallpaper seen in the leaked renders of the Moto G6. This indicates that Motorola may announce the Moto G6 series on April 19.

Through a recent press release that was outed at the end of March, Lenovo had confirmed that Sergio Buniac is the new Lenovo Mobile Business Group co-president and Motorola chairman and president. The same press release also confirmed that the company would be announcing its first phones for 2018 in April. At that time, it was speculated that the company may announce the Moto G6 series and Moto E5 series.

The rumor mill has already revealed the entire specs and features of the Moto G6 series and Moto E5 series. Last year, Motorola had skipped the Play variant for Moto G series, but recent reports have revealed that the Moto G6 series will include Moto G6 Play, Moto G6 and Moto G6 Plus. Also, the Moto E5 series is speculated to include Moto E5 Play, Moto E5 and Moto E5 Plus.

moto e5

Read More: Moto Z3 Play To Come With Snapdragon 636 and 4GB RAM

Do you think that Motorola will only announce the Moto G6 series on April 19 or it will also debut the Moto E5 series? Share us your views by posting your comments below.

(via)

 

Panasonic Eluga Ray 550 With 5.7-Inch Display, 3GB RAM Launched In India

Panasonic has added a new smartphone to its portfolio in India with the launch of Panasonic Eluga Ray 550. It is the company’s first smartphone to come with “Big View Display”, which is basically a full-screen display with 18:9 aspect ratio.

The smartphone has been priced at Rs. 8,999 (approximately $138) and will be available for purchase exclusively through online retailer Flipkart from today, i.e. 5th April in three color options — Black, Blue, and Gold.

Panasonic Eluga Ray 550

The Panasonic Eluga Ray 550 features a 5.7-inch HD+ IPS display with screen resolution of 720 x 1440 pixels with 2.5D curved glass protection. Under the hood, the device is powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6737H processor, paired with 3GB of RAM.

It packs 32GB of internal storage and supports microSD card for further expanding the phone’s storage capacity up to 128GB. Connectivity options on the device include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.1, GPS/ A-GPS, FM radio, and Micro-USB port.

The phone features a 13-megapixel rear camera sensor with an autofocus lens and an LED flash. On the front side, there’s an 8-megapixel front-facing snapper with an LED flash. For security, the device comes with features like smart lock, trusted voice and fingerprint sensor for security.

Read More: Panasonic P100 Entry-Level Smartphone Launched In India, Price Starts At Rs. 5,299

One of the highlights of the smartphone is that it comes with artificial intelligence based virtual assistant Arbo, which tracks and learns basis a user’s daily activity patterns. Running on Android 7.0 Nougat operating system out-of-the-box, the smartphone is powered by a 3,250mAh battery.

 

Xiaomi’s Tripod Selfie Stick and Bluetooth Audio Receiver Are Heading To India

Xiaomi fans in India may be getting two new accessories soon. Information reaching us says the tripod selfie stick and Bluetooth audio receiver will be officially available in India.

[envira-gallery id=”183185″]

Both the selfie stick and Bluetooth receiver were launched last year in China for ¥89 (~$14) and ¥99 (~$16) respectively. Our source says when they go on sale in India they will be priced at Rs. 1,099 ( ~$17) and Rs. 999 (~$15) respectively. However, their original MSRP is said to be Rs. 1,199 (~$18).

READ MORE: Xiaomi Launches Yet Another Mijia Electric Shaver

The selfie stick should come in black and gray while the audio receiver will be available in only white. Also, these products are actually available in India already but are not officially sold by Xiaomi India. So their official release should mean availability in the online store and offline Mi Home stores.

(Source)

 

 

 

Hisense V+ Launches With Snapdragon 660, 128GB Storage For ¥2599 (~$412)

Chinese electronics manufacturer, Hisense, has announced a new smartphone today. The new Hisense V+ is an upper mid-range smartphone but sells for exactly the same price as the less powerful H11 released at the beginning of the year.

Hisense V+

The design of the Hisense V+ is quite similar to that of the H11. The back is covered in highly reflective 3D glass. The dual cameras, LED flash, and rear-mounted fingerprint scanner sit in the same position. The front is also home to a 5.99” FHD+ display and the front camera and soft flash retain their positions.

The difference between the Hisense V+ and the Hisense H11 is on the inside. The Snapdragon 630 mobile platform has been swapped for the Snapdragon 660. They have also upgraded the RAM to 6GB and storage to 128GB.

Hisense V+ cameras

The dual rear cameras are a Sony IMX486 12MP f/1.8 wide-angle lens and an 8MP telephoto lens. There is a 20MP f/1.8 sensor in front with soft flash.

The phone packs a 3400mAh battery with support for 18W fast charge. It has a USB-C port, a 3.5mm audio jack, and support for dual band WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0. Hisense will ship a free pair of JBL wired earphones with the phone.

Hisense V+ JBL earphones

READ MORE: Hisense P9 Rugged Phone With 6000mAh Battery, AMOLED Display & Dual Rear Cameras Seen On TENAA

Future iPhones May Come With Curved Displays and In-The-Air Gesture Control: Report

Apple could be planning to revolutionize the smartphone world. According to a new report shared by Bloomberg, future iPhones will come with very innovative technologies which will totally change the way we interact with our handsets. Within two or three years we could see the first Apple iPhone with an internally curved display. From what Bloomberg suggests, the display will be curved inward.

iphone x copy

So it will be not the same kind of curvature that we saw on the Samsung Galaxy S flagships of the last years. It may be something similar to the old LG G Flex. Further, Apple is said to be working on a technology which will allow users to interact with their iPhones through in-the-air gestures. Thanks to this new technology, it will not be necessary to touch the display anymore in order to use the device.

The user would have to just hover his finger near the display and draw gestures. After the mouse introduced by Apple more than 20 years ago and the 3D Touch technology launched with iPhone 6s, this new technology may be another revolutionary input method and, if it works good, it may be adopted by many other brands.

Would you like to control your phone through in-the-air touch-less gestures like a wizard or you prefer the traditional touchscreen?

(Via)

Third Party Sellers Are Charging A Premium Price For The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S In China

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S went on sale for the first time in China on Tuesday.  The flash sale as expected was concluded in a matter of minutes.  The device is no doubt a popular product and so its sales performance is not surprising. As usual, some smart alecs are cashing in on the non-availability of the phone to buy as a number of third-party retailers were spotted to have listed the device for sale at higher prices ranging from 200 yuan to 500 yuan.Xiaomi mi mix 2s

The original RRP of the Mi Mix 2S is 3299 yuan for the standard version of the millet MIX 2S but in some cases, this price has risen to 3499 yuan. The high-end version of the Xiaomi flagship goes for as much as 4300 Yuan instead of 3,999 Yuan.

If you think the price increase is too much to pay for the device, then you’d have to wait for the next flash sale billed to hold on April 6 (Friday) in China. Intending buyers outside China will have to wait longer to get the device on third-party retailers. Of course, the price will be higher than that of the China version. mi mix 2s hands on 07

Read More: Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S vs Huawei P20 Pro: Best Flagships From China!

As a reminder, the Mi Mix 2s is Xiaomi’s first smartphone to pack the latest Snapdragon 845 chipset. It also has a 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 and has Qi wireless charging support – a first on a ceramic device. The Mix 2s prices start from 3,299 Yuan (€426/$530) for the 6/64GB variant and go as high as 3,999 Yuan ($516/€636) for the 8/256 GB model. All units come with a free Qi wireless charger valued at around $15.

(source)

MediaTek Helio P60 vs Snapdragon 660: Which Is The Best Mid-Range SoC?

MediaTek unveiled its best midrange chipset ever at MWC 2018: the Helio P60. It is a SoC which we will see in smartphones focused on the quality-price ratio, and this means that it will rival the Snapdragon 6xx series by Qualcomm. To be accurate, considering that it is actually the best SoC by MediaTek launched in 2018, it will rival the Snapdragon 660, which is the best mid-end chipset by Qualcomm. Indeed, the first benchmarks have already shown similar results. But, you know, benchmarks are not everything order to evaluate the performance of a smartphone. So, let’s see which are the differences between MediaTek Helio P60 vs Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, at least on the paper.

mediatek helio p60

MediaTek Helio P60 vs Snapdragon 660

MediaTek Helio P60 Qualcomm Snapdragon 660
CPU 4x ARM Cortex A53, Clock frequency: up to 2 GHz – 2x Cortex A73, Clock frequency: up to 2 GHz – 12 nm, 64 bit 8x Kryo 260, Clock frequency: Up to 2.2 GHz, 14 nm, 64 bit
GPU Mali G72 MP3 Adreno 512
Camera Up to 20 + 16 MP dual camera
Up to 32 MP single camera
Up to 24 MP single camera
Up to 16 MP dual camera
Optical zoom
Video features HDR recording in real timene Up to 4K Ultra HD at 30 fps (video recording)
Up to 4K Ultra HD (video playback)
Display Up to Full HD+ 20:9 Up to Full HD WQXGA 2560 x 1200 pixels
Connectivity Wi-Fi 802.11ac
Bluetooth 4.2
Cellular Modem: LTE Cat.7 Download,  Cat.13 2CA Upload
Wi-Fi 2×2 802.11ac with MU-MIMO. Max speed: 867 Mbps
Bluetooth 5.0
NFC
Cellular Modem: Snapdragon X12 LTE, up to 600 Mbps, upload speed up to 150 Mbps
Memory Up to 8 GB, dual-channel LPDDR4X at 1800 MHz
eMMC 5.1 / UFS 2.1 internal storage
Dual-channel PDDR4 at 1866 MHz
Location GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo  GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS, SBAS
Battery Charging Fast battery charging Qualcomm Quick Charge 4

MediaTek Helio P60 has been built with a 12 nm production process, that is better than the 14 nm production process of the Snapdragon 660. This should make the new MediaTek SoC more power-efficient and provide a very low energy consumption. On the other hand, Snapdragon 660 has a higher clock frequency and an Adreno 512 GPU which I define better than the Mali G72 MP3 found on its opponent. So, the Snapdragon 660 may have better performance both in daily use and gaming. The Snapdragon 660 has a slightly better modem as well (Cat. 13 vs Cat. 7 DL), and the battery charging is faster thanks to the Quick Charge 4.0.

But the MediaTek Helio P60 has an advanced dedicated module for AI, which can perform deep-learning facial detection, scene recognition, AR and MR acceleration, and more smart tasks: it is called NeuroPilot. At last, MediaTek Helio P60 should be included in smartphones with a more affordable price than the one with Snapdragon 660.

 

RELATED: Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro With Snapdragon 636 and Oppo F7 With Helio P60 Have Similar Performance According To Benchmarks

 

MediaTek Helio P60 is the most innovative midrange SoC, but despite Geekbench showing almost the same results, Snapdragon 660 should remain the best in terms of performance.

Which one would you choose?

 

MediaTek Helio P60 vs Qualcomm Snapdragon 660: PRO and CONS

MediaTek Helio P60

PRO

  • Better production process
  • AI
  • More affordable price
  • Low energy consumption

CONS

  • Potentially worse performances

Qualcomm Snapdragon 660

PRO

  • Potentially better performances
  • Better GPU
  • More suitable for modding
  • Power-efficient

CONS

  • No AI

OnePlus 6’s Notch Can be Disabled, Confirms OnePlus

In the previous month, a poll carried out by well-known tipster Evan Blass on Twitter had received 11,000 votes. It revealed that only 8 percent preferred notched enabled display on a smartphone and 65 percent disliked it. The poll showed that notched enabled smartphones are widely unpopular among smartphone users. Last week, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau had shared the first official image of OnePlus 6 featuring its notched display. It seems that the display design of OP6 may not have received good reception by the OnePlus fans because Lau has confirmed through OnePlus forums that the company will be providing a way to disable the notch after the launch of OnePlus 6.

OnePlus has confirmed that it will be releasing a software update after the launch of OP6 that will bring along a black-out feature. This feature will blacken the display area on the either sides of the notch to make it look like a regular thin-sized bezel as shown in the below image.

OnePlus 6 Notchless

This reminds of Huawei P20 and P20 Pro smartphones that also come with an option to hide the notch on the display. Lau said on the OnePlus forums that the company had considered adding a black-out function at the early developmental stages of the upcoming flagship phone. However, at that time it decided not to include this feature since it wanted to deliver maximum screen real estate for the users of OP6. The company has decided to add this feature by considering the feedback of its fans.

OnePlus 6 Realistic Render
Render by Benjamin Geskin – twitter.com/VenyaGeskin1

Read More: OnePlus Latest Teaser Video Hints At a OnePlus 6 Marvel’s Avengers Edition

OnePlus has recently confirmed that the OnePlus 6 features Snapdragon 845 chipset, 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. Our source had revealed that this variant may cost 4,399 Yuan (~$697) at launch whereas the 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage and 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage variants may be respectively priced at 3,299 Yuan (~$523) and 3,599 Yuan (~$571). Also, it is expected to arrive with vertical dual camera setup and a fingerprint scanner on its rear panel.

(source|via)