After months of leaks and rumors, Xiaomi has finally come out and announced the launch date of the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S. The flagship model, which will succeed the popular Mi Mix 2 model will meet us on March 27. While we’ll have to wait for over a month to see the 2S launch, the company has also confirmed that the new model will feature Qualcomm’s best flagship processor till date, the Snapdragon 845 chipset.
Along with the confirmation of the new chipset inside the Mi Mix 2S, Xiaomi has also revealed the first AnTutu benchmark score of the device. And, as expected, the phone manages to beat the competition with it superior performance, at least in the benchmark app. The Mi Mix 2S manages to score over 273,741 points on AnTuTu, which is one of the best scores we’ve seen on an Android smartphone till date. We know Snapdragon 845 is going to take performance to a whole new level this year and this is just a glimpse of what to expect from phones powered by this chipset.
Apart from the launch date and the chipset, the company hasn’t revealed any more details. However, expect to hear more about the device through official as well as unofficial means in the next few weeks. I guess, Xiaomi will start revealing more details about the upcoming flagship after the busy MWC 2018 that kicks off tomorrow.
Samsung is all set to announce the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ flagships in the next few hours. While traditionally, we have to wait for the big unveil of the flagship to see a 3 minute long promo video of the device, this time around, it looks like /leaks managed to find the launch video a few hours early.
The video looks like the real deal and reveals a few details about the upcoming S9 and S9+ models. First of all, it confirms that the new Galaxy S9 models will look just like the Galaxy S8, with a few minor changes like the location of the fingerprint sensor at the back. As expected, it is now placed at a much more natural position, making it easier to access in everyday use. But the overall design of the new flagship remains the same as the S8, which to be honest, isn’t really a bad thing, considering how we all love Galaxy S8’s refined design.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQBpW-zWMXY
The video also confirms a few of the features of the new device. We will get a live translation feature on the phone, wherein you just have to point the camera at a text and it’ll translate into your language. Then there are a few AI features as well along with waterproofing. Then there’s Samsung’s DeX dock support which instantly transforms your Android into a desktop. It’s a pretty cool tech for presentations.
Finally, the video talks about the new Galaxy S9 Enterprise Edition. This will be a special edition made for business employees and it will come with add on features like extended guaranty, security updates for up to four years, E-FOTA (Firmware over the Air) among other things.
But these were just a few of the features of the Galaxy S9 smartphone. We already know a lot about the phone, thanks to all the leaks and renders that have surfaced in the past couple of months. So, now, it’s just a matter of few hours until we get the pricing and availability details.
The Alcatel 5 was announced last night in Barcelona. Expected to be the king of Alcatel’s new lineup, it is hard to give it that title.
Alcatel 5 Design
We are already familiar with the phone’s appearance but we’ll run through it again.
Alcatel has gone for a tri-bezel-less design for the Alcatel 5. The lower bezel has been significantly reduced while the side bezels appear to be non-existent. At the top is a huge bezel which is home to two cameras, a sensor, and a LED flash.
Alcatel has given the phone a brushed metal finish on the rear along with a fingerprint scanner and a single camera sensor.
Alcatel 5 Specs
The Alcatel packs a 5.7” 18:9 display with a 720 x 1440 resolution. For a device meant to be the top of the line, one would think a FHD+ display would be the choice.
Powering the phone is a MediaTek MT6750 SoC, 2GB/3GB of RAM and 16GB/32GB of storage. A 12MP f/2.2 1.25um sensor graces the back. Surprisingly, it does have Electronic Image Stabilization. It also supports slow motion recording and comes with new features like Light Trace and Video Story.
Up in front, a 13MP f/2.0 1.4um sensor is paired with another 5MP 120° wide-angle sensor. There is also EIS and a dedicated LED flash.
While Alcatel has loaded its new entry level tablets – the Alcatel 1T 7 and Alcatel 1T 10 with Android 8.1 Oreo, the Alcatel 5 runs Android Nougat. There is dual SIM support (nano), a rear mounted fingerprint scanner, NFC (select model), USB 2.0 Type-C port, and a 3000mAh battery.
LG has taken the wraps off the improved version of its last flagship, the LG V30. The new phone which is called the LG V30S ThinQ brings a ton of new features with a focus on AI.
Rather than announce a whole new smartphone, LG’s new strategy is to release upgraded versions of its flagships. That doesn’t mean there is no new flagship on the way, it just will arrive later.
LG V30S ThinQ Design and Specs
The LG V30S ThinQ doesn’t look different from the V30 released last year. Their physical appearances are identical. The specs are also the same –
6-inch P-OLED QHD+ FullVision display
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
6GB RAM
128GB ROM (256GB LG V30S+ ThinQ)
5MP selfie camera
16MP f/1.6 + 13MP f/1.9 wide-angle dual rear camera
3,300 mAh battery with QC 3.0 support
IP68 rating and MIL-STD 810G compliance
There is more RAM and storage but that isn’t new. The LG V30 Signature Edition comes with 6GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. So what has changed?
The software! The LG V30S ThinQ has been infused with AI (Vision AI and Voice AI). Vision AI covers image related tasks and is split into AI Cam, QLens, and Bright Mode.
AI Cam is a smart feature baked into the phone’s cameras. It can identify the object you want to take a picture of and recommend the best shooting mode. This is similar to what Huawei does with its Mate 10 Pro.
This means that the camera can detect if you are trying to take a picture of your food, pet, or a person and modify the settings that will give the best representation of the object.
There is also Bright Mode which adds a bit of lighting when shooting in low-light conditions without making the photos noisy.
Think of QLens as LG’s version of Google Lens which is a Pixel exclusive feature. With QLens, you can point the phone’s cameras at an object and get information about it. You can also scan QR codes and barcodes, or get landmark descriptions. LG also says you can perform an image search using QLens.
For Voice AI, this is Google Assistant with thirty-two LG V30S ThinQ tricks. You can simply say “Okay Google” like on other devices but ask it to do specific tasks like:
take a picture/selfie on a wide angle,
record a video on a wide angle,
take a documentary cine video
take a thriller cine video
take a food photo
take a low-light photo
take a slow-motion video etc.
Some of the above commands are already available on the LG V30 but the last three are some of the new ones released along with the V30S ThinQ.
You can also connect to other LG smart devices and even monitor their statuses. For example, you can simply ask your device about your LG smart washing machine and it will bring up the requested info.
MWC won’t officially open till Monday but manufacturers have begun announcing new products tonight. Alcatel has announced two new tablets – the Alcatel 1T 7 and Alcatel 1T 10. As you can tell from their names, the new tablets comes in 7” and 10” variants and come pre-loaded with contents for kids.
The 7” variant of the Alcatel 1T has a 1024 x 600 display, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of built-in storage. A MicroSD card slot is also available for adding extra storage. The 10” variant has a 1280 x 800 resolution, also 1GB of RAM but storage has been doubled to 16GB.
MediaTek’s MT8321 quad-core processor clocked at 1.3GHz is the chipset powering both variants of the device. There are 2MP rear cameras (without flash) on both variants but the 7” variant has a VGA front camera and the 10” variant has a 2MP front camera. Don’t expect any of them to take stellar pictures.
The 7” Alcatel 1T packs a 2580mAh battery which is said to offer up to 7 hours of use while the 10” model has a larger 4000mAh battery with 8 hours of screen-on time. Surprisingly, both variants run Android 8.1 Oreo.
The tablets come with what Alcatel calls Eye Care mode for reducing blue light. There are also pre-installed kids games, camera app, and a parental control panel for setting usage limits
Recently, Google had confirmed that it will be launching new phones starting from next week. However, Alcatel has just now launched the Alcatel 1X as the world’s first Android Go phone. Packed with modest specs, the handset will be hitting the market with a pricing of 99 euros.
Alcatel 1x Specifications and Pricing
Alcatel 1X features a 5.3-inch display that supports a low resolution of 960 x 480 pixels. However, a good thing about its display is that offers an aspect ratio of 18:9. Since it is a low-end phone, it is driven by MediaTek MT6739 chipset featuring a quad-core processor.
It supports full HD video shooting and is enabled with support for Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS). It has an LED equipped selfie camera of 5-megapixel. The front camera a face recognition functionality called Face Key. The 1x comes with 2,460mAh battery. One of the major highlights of the Alcatel 1x is that it is loaded with Android 8.1 Oreo (Android Go edition). It will be releasing in select markets starting from April.
Depending on its region availability, the Alcatel 1X comes in multiple variants such as 1 GB or 2 GB RAM, 13-megapixel or 8-megapixel rear camera, fingerprint scanner or no fingerprint reader, Google Assistant or no Google Assistant, NFC or no NFC, single-SIM or dual-SIM and blue and black color options.
The Alcatel 1x with single-SIM and dual-SIM models are respectively priced at 99 euros (~$122) and 109 euros (~$134). More information on the different variants of 1x are expected to surface soon.
What do you think about the specs and pricing of the Alcatel 1x? Share us your views by posting your comments below.
Qualcomm announced its latest Snapdragon 845 mobile platform around November last year. The flagship SoC is expected to be utilised by OEMs this year. Some of the models which would utilise the chipset are already known but someone on Weibo has just released a list of the models that would be released this year with the SD 845 chip. The leak also include the months the various flagship models would be launched.
Top on the list is the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ which would be launch this February. That is already confirmed but the list also included the LG G7 and G7+ as launching this February as well. Xiaomi Mi 7 is another expected to feature a Snapdragon 845 chip and from the list, we can gather that the Mi 7 will be launched in April. The month of May will see the HTC U12 joining the league of SD 845-powered models. While three models are listed as dropping in June this year and they include, OnePlus 6, Sony Xperia XZ Pro and ZTE Nubia Z18.
Furthermore, the leak also suggest the Nokia 10 as coming in August with the flagship chip while the Galaxy Note 9 would be launched in September packing a Snapdragon 845 chip on one of its models. The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 and LG V40 are also expected to launch in September. It is interesting to note that the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s isn’t on the list. SD 845 Models you should look forward to seeing in October include the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, Nubia Z18s, Xperia XZ 2 and HTC U12+. In November, Motorola will join the train with the Moto Z 2019. Finally, in December we’ll see the OnePlus 6T and Samsung W2019. Of course, we are not sure of the authenticity of the timetable even though the models mentioned could indeed be launched this year packing SD 845.
Feelworld is known for making one of the best budget camera monitors. I’ve used the F7 model for a long time but I wanted something smaller and I went with the F6 model that has a smaller 5.7” display and some other useful features. Learn more in our Feelworld F6 review.
The monitor ships with everything you need to get started.
You get instruction manuals, micro and mini HDMI cables, a Sony NP550 battery and a charger, a sunshade and last but not least a rotating tilt arm that I will talk about in a second.
DESIGN and FEATURES
In terms of the design, the Feelworld F6 is made of quality plastic. Even though the difference is not significant, I found the overall build quality to be slightly better than the F7 monitor that I also like using.
I also like how compact and lightweight it is (200g) since it has a 5.7” 1080p display with a high pixel density of 386, brightness of 460cd/m2 and the viewing angle of 85°/85°(L/R) 85°/85°(U/D). The image quality is superb for a budget camera monitor. Also, color accuracy is pretty good out of the box but you can always, calibrate the monitor to your liking. I found the sunlight legibility to be mediocre but the supplied sunshade really helps.
The monitor can support signal input up to 4k resolution and I found it to be working without any issues with my Sony A6300. Also, there is no input lag like on some other budget camera monitors.
A huge problem with most of the camera monitors is the mounting system. The issue is that you usually need two hands to adjust the angle of the monitor and this is where the supplied tilt arm comes to help.
It attaches to the 1/4 thread on the side of the monitor and you can rotate the tilt axis 360 degrees. I found this feature to be really convenient. However, I wish this tilt arm could also rotate horizontally but you can always add third part accessories like a 360-degree rotating baseplate.
One of the key features is that you can power the monitor via the DC input port and also charge your camera while using it. However, you would need to buy the cable separately, so I could not test this feature out.
On the bottom of the monitor, you can find the headset jack, another 1/4 thread and the mini USB port for a software upgrade.
On the top, you can find a bunch of controls including 4 customizable shortcut keys, navigation, menu buttons and a power key. I’m so glad that you need to press and hold the power key to cut off the power, so you won’t accidentally turn off the monitor. I had this issue with the Feelworld F7 and it was really annoying.
USER INTERFACE and FUNCTIONALITY
I programmed the customizable keys to quickly turn on or off focus assist feature that I found to be really accurate in practice. I also usually use false colors and image flip features. Every time, I rotate the monitor, I can flip the image quickly.
If you go to the menu, you can choose between a few picture modes or customize every single setting to your liking. I didn’t change any general settings as I like how they are set out of the factory. What is more interesting to me is the third settings column where you can find all the nice features of this tiny budget monitor. You can turn on/off the center marker, choose safe frames, use check field feature or use some advanced features like histogram, false colors, anamorphic, change focus peaking colors, check overexposed areas of the image, use nine grid, ratio maker and so on. The last settings column allows you to customize the programmable keys, which is really awesome.
I found the battery life to be quite decent considering a low capacity of the supplied battery. You should expect to get about 40 mins out of it but obviously, this is not enough to assure a good workflow. That’s why I recommend you using higher capacity NP-style batteries that will give you over 3 hours of continuous use.
CONCLUSIONS
I have to say that I was impressed with the Feelworld F6 camera monitor as it has so many features for a low price. In fact, I see a huge improvement over some previous generation models in terms of input lag and menu system.
I love a very good image quality, compact size and build quality, the buttons seem to be in the right place and finally, there are plenty of advanced features that improve the quality of your video. However, I wish that the tilt arm rotated horizontally too and the supplied HDMI cable was shorter but these are just minor complaints.
At the end of the day, the Feelworld F6 is going to stay on top of my A6300 as I just love using it. I think that this is a very solid camera monitor for the price and I can easily recommend it.
A few days ago, HTC announced a merger of its mobile and VR (Vive) divisions. This comes a few months after Google acquired its “Powered by HTC” R&D division. Sadly, the merger has resulted in loss of jobs at the Taiwanese company.
HTC Vive
An emailed statement by an HTC employee revealed that the company had combined its VR and smartphone businesses in each region. Both businesses are now reporting to the same leadership.
It also mentions a restructuring of the North American smartphone division which now has a centralized leadership. “In doing so, there have been some employee reductions to align the businesses and empower the teams to share more resources.”
Digital Trends reports that HTC has laid off a chunk of its US workforce, leaving only employees for HTC Global in the US office.
Now that both divisions have been merged, it explains the resignation of the former head of smartphone and connected devices, Chialin Chang.
Lenovo’s Motorola brand has got a handful of new models which would be released this year. The models spread across the flagship range to midrange models and even budget phones. The Z17 series caters for the flagship while the G series is Motorola’s midrange army, then there is the budget E series.
Moto’s 2018 G series models will be called G6 and G6 Play. The Moto G6 has just been benchmarked on Geekbench with some of its key specs revealed. Notable among the specs is the presence of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 processor paired with 3GB of RAM. The G6 is also shown to run Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box. The SD 450 Chip was announced last year by Qualcomm. The The SD450 mobile platform uses leading-edge 14 nm technology to power premium experiences in high-tier smartphones without draining the battery. It comes with features like support for real time Bokeh camera effects, integrated X9 LTE, and an Adreno 506 GPU. The chipset is designed to provide fast connectivity, vibrant displays, and performance that’s both powerful and efficient. The benchmark score shows a considerably higher score than the SD430. On the single core test, SD 450 scored 709 points while it’s multi-core test is 3582. The Moto G6 Play was recently spotted on Geekbench confirming the presence of a Snapdragon 430 mobile platform. The single core score of the G6 Play stood at 472 points while the multi-core score is 1801 points.
The G6 is thus an higher model than the G6 Play. Previous leaks tied the device to also feature NFC, as well as a 3000mAh battery. The device will come with a dual camera setup at the rear with the second sensor likely being a Boehner sensor. The device will be launched sometime in Q2 2018 and it will come with a Rs. 15,000 (~$234) price tag.
On February 26, Xiaomi will attend MWC 2018, the best trade show of the year for mobile devices. But the Chinese company will probably not showcase Xiaomi Mi7 as you may have expected. The hi-tech giant which recently re-joined the top 5 best smartphone brands in the world will take advantage of Mobile World Congress to announce the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S, the first intermediate “S” version of the Mi Mix series. It will be a flagship killer, but it should also have great quality-price ratio just like every other phone released by the company.
Here is everything we know about the upcoming flagship thanks to rumors and leaks surfaced in the last months.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S: Design
The design will get significant improvements if we are to compare the Mi Mix 2S with its predecessor. The Mi Mix series has always been focused on the screen-to-body ratio, and the STB ratio will be even higher than the Mi Mix 2 on this model. According to leaked images, the bezels will be extremely narrow on each of the sides of the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S, and there will be a very small notch on the top right corner which will make space for the front camera. Either the whole body or the back cover of the handset should be made of ceramic, and the overall looks should be one of the most interesting things ever seen on a phone.
Latest Mi Mix 2S Render
We expected to see a fingerprint reader on the rear side, but a recent banner shows that there is no fingerprint reader on the back cover. This makes us think that Xiaomi may have opted for a fingerprint reader embedded in the display thanks to the new chip unveiled by Synaptics. According to the leaked image, it is unlikely that the fingerprint reader will be replaced with a 3D facial recognition technology like Face ID, because there is no space for a sensor like that on the front side. At last, expect to see a dual SIM tray and an IR sensor to use the phone as remote control for your TV.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S is expected to come with a 5.99-inch display just like Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 and Note 5 Pro, which should show images with the same Full HD+ resolution of about 1080 x 2160 pixels (we say “about” because, due to the notch, the resolution will not be exactly 1080 x 2160 like other 18:9 displays). The display will obviously have an 18:9 aspect ratio. Xiaomi has never released a device with a 2K display and this decision will probably continue with the Mi Mix 2S as well.
Hardware
Under the hood, Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S will have the best components that you can imagine. The SoC will be the best 2018 chipset by Qualcomm: the octa-core Snapdragon 845 with a max clock frequency of 2.8 GHz. This processor includes a dedicated module for artificial intelligence, so expect several AI features on this handset. The SoC should be paired with 8 GB of RAM and up to 256 GB of internal storage, which is the best configuration ever seen on an Android phone. Unfortunately, we still do not know if the internal storage will have the latest UFS technology to ensure high speeds in data transfer.
Camera
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S should be better than its predecessor in terms of camera performance. The flagship will sport a dual camera setup in a vertical configuration at the center of the back cover, and the LED flash will be placed between the two sensors. Some firmware files have revealed that there will be a Sony IMX363 sensor. The camera will surely have some AI features like, for example, scene recognition to automatically adjust the colors and other parameters. Automatic HDR, object tracking, and chroma flash should be available as well, given that they are typical MIUI features.
Battery
Talking about the battery, there shouldn’t be significant improvements. Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S should come with a 3400 mAh lithium unit, the same capacity as the Mi Mix 2. But the energy consumption may be optimized better given that there is a better SoC in the internals. Anyway, if the leaks about the battery capacity are to be believed, there shouldn’t be much difference in terms of battery life.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S: Price
There is still no information regarding the price of Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S, but Xiaomi has hardly ever disappointed us with its pricing. This handset may be the cheapest flagship phone with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset launched at MWC 2018, as Samsung Galaxy S9 and the alleged Sony Xperia XZ Pro should be very far from being affordable. But the price will still be higher than the Mi Mix 2, obviously.
Xiaomi and Microsoft have signed a new deal. Both companies already have an existing partnership that sees the latter’s office suite of apps pre-loaded on Xiaomi’s phones. The new deal which focuses on AI will bring to market a Cortana-powered Xiaomi smart speaker.
Xiaomi Mi AI Speaker
Xiaomi already has a smart speaker called the Mi AI speaker. The speaker uses an in-house assistant and only supports Chinese. Cortana currently supports English (Australia, US, UK, Canada), Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Italian, and Spanish.
The Cortana smart speaker will actually be a “port” of Cortana to the Xiaomi Mi AI speaker. Reviews say the speaker does look good and has great audio and build quality. It is also pretty cheap as it sells for just ¥299 (~$50). So this sure looks like a win already.
The agreement between both companies is actually a Strategic Framework Memorandum of Understanding. The agreement will result in a combination of Microsoft’s experience in cloud and AI technology and Xiaomi’s expertise in smart hardware development for achieving select goals. Both companies will leverage on the other’s strength for success.
Xiaomi will also have access to Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform and also get development and marketing insights for its own laptops.
Xiaomi took the wraps off the much-anticipated Redmi Note 5 on February 14 in India. The mid-range model was unveiled alongside the Redmi Note 5 Pro but with a different specification. Although the Redmi Note 5 was highly expected before its launch, the device had to play second fiddle after the Redmi Note 5 Pro was announced with a better configuration, especially the dual rear cameras. The Redmi Note 5 Pro’s camera earned the device the title of India’s camera beast. Well, Xiaomi calls it that.
As would be expected, Xiaomi will launch both models in China and from the look of things that could be soon. Xiaomi’s head of smartphone product marketing, in a recent Weibo post, hinted that the Redmi Note 5 will hit China soon. He then added an interesting aspect and that is the device is coming with a camera surprise.
We don’t need a soothsayer to be able to grab that the camera of the China version of the Redmi Note 5 may likely take a different configuration from the one announced in India. As a reminder, the Redmi Note 5 features a 12MP rear camera with f/2.2 aperture and an individual pixel size of 1.25μm. It comes with features like fast autofocus and PDAF. At the front, there is an 8MP camera which has been optimized to capture good quality selfie shots in low-light conditions. The front camera is equipped with an LED flash and Beauty 3.0 for snapping enhanced selfie shots. Going by the Xiaomi exec’s statement, we expect the China version of the Redmi Note 5 to come with a different camera specification but what would change is still not known. We expect the model to go official soon in China. We’ll find out when it does.
Last year, details of two new MediaTek SoCs scheduled to be announced in 2018 surfaced online. The two chipsets – the Helio P40 and Helio P70 are expected to power upper mid-range and flagship devices. However, there was no mention of a Helio P60.
MediaTek has done a good job keeping the Helio P60 a secret for this long. Today the chip was spotted on Geekbench in a test device that hints that it will be unveiled at MWC 2018.
The test device is benchmarked as the MTK P60 MWC Demo, has 4GB of RAM, and runs Android 8.1 Oreo.
MediaTek’s new Helio P60 chip is at the heart of the device. The octa-core chip is clocked at 1.99GHz and records some really impressive scores.
For the single-core test, the Helio P60 scored 1524 points, and for the multi-core test, it scored 5871 points. These scores are similar to those of the Snapdragon 660 which powers phones like the Vivo X20 and the Xiaomi Mi Note 3.
Hey developers! The official Xiaomi MIUI forum is recruiting beta testers for MIUI 9 Global Beta ROM. But before you jump to the forum, you have to satisfy the requirements.
While this is not the first requirement on the forum, it is the most important. For your application to be accepted you must own the Redmi 5, Redmi 5 Plus, or Redmi Note 5 Pro.
If you satisfy the above condition then the rest are as follows:
Running the latest MIUI Global Developer ROM
Have the QQ app for communication
Speak (write) English
Know about ROMs
Active on the forum
The recruitment is open to users from all regions and application closes 11:59 pm (Beijing Time) on March 1. To apply, download the MIUI forum app from the Play Store and select “recruitment” on the homepage. Fill out the form and submit. Users will be sent a Forum PM to know if they have been selected.
Sony is holding a press conference during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on 26th February, Monday. While the company has not revealed what it plans to launch during the event, Evan Blass suggests that the company will be launching the Xperia XZ2 and the Xperia XZ2 Compact.
Along with that, he has also leaked the press render of the Sony Xperia XZ2, showing off the new design adopted by the Japan-based company. The Xperia XZ2 comes with a 3D glass on both sides, front as well as back, along with an aluminum frame.
Both the devices will have a larger screen-to-body ratio than any previous Xperia devices, thanks to the adaptation of 18:9 aspect ratio. The phone has a glossy finish and will be available in four different colors — black, silver, green, and pink.
According to the leak, the Xperia XZ2 will feature a 5.7-inch display while the smaller variant, dubbed as Xperia XZ2 Compact, will sport a 5.0-inch display. Both models will have Full HD LCD display with 18:9 aspect ratio and a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on top for protection.
Under the hood, both phones will be powered by Qualcomm‘s latest Snapdragon 845 processor — the same chipset that is expected to power the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. The company is reportedly ditching the button-based fingerprint sensor and just like its recently launched Xperia XA2 series devices, the fingerprint sensor on the Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact will be placed on the back panel.
Both phones are expected to come equipped with the same 19-megapixel camera sensor with ƒ/1.8 aperture from the XZ Premium. The camera is capable of 4K HDR recording and super-slow motion capture in Full HD resolution. The devices will be running on Android 8.0 Oreo operating system with the company’s own custom skin on top. While the XZ2 features a 3,180mAh battery, the XZ2 Compact has a smaller 2,870mAh battery.
Apart from the display size and battery capacity, there doesn’t seem to be much difference between Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact. However, there is certainly a difference in build quality, is the latest leak is to be believed. Apparently, the XZ2 will have glass on both sides and will support wireless charging while the XZ2 Compact will feature a polycarbonate case back and won’t be supporting wireless charging.
For the pricing and availability details related to Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact, we’ll have to wait for Sony to officially announces them at Mobile World Congress on Monday.
At this year’s edition of MWC, Alcatel is expected to unveil the new phones under its revamped lineup. Official renders of three of the forthcoming phones have surfaced online a few hours ago and they include the Alcatel 1X, Alcatel 3, and Alcatel 3X.
The photos which were leaked by Evan Blass give us a good look at the front and rear of all three phones.
Alcatel 1X
The Alcatel 1X is shown wearing a black coat of paint with a sandstone-like finish. The phone will also likely be available in blue and gray as seen in early leaks.
Even though the 1-series is the lowest, the Alcatel 1X also comes with an 18:9 display. There is a selfie camera on the left of the top bezel and a sensor on the right. The bottom bezel looks bare but we can’t confirm if there are capacitive touch buttons on it or not.
There is no fingerprint scanner at the back but there is a single rear camera with a LED flash. The Alcatel 1X also has a 3.5mm jack at the top.
The specs of the Alcatel 1x are still unknown but since it is said to be an entry-level device, we are not getting our hopes high.
Alcatel 3
The Alcatel 3 is one of the four devices in the 3-series. We already know the Alcatel 3C which was already launched in Italy last month. There is also the Alcatel 3V and the Alcatel 3X (below).
The Alcatel 3 rocks an 18:9 display too. There are still bezels at the top and bottom, and just like the 1x above, the lower bezel is bare while the top one is home to the camera, earpiece and sensor.
The rear has a nice blue reflective coat that looks like glass but is probably polished or coated metal. Unlike the Alcatel 1X, a fingerprint scanner graces its back. There is also an audio jack at the top.
Alcatel 3X
From the render, the Alcatel 3X appears to be a slight upgrade over the Alcatel 3. It has a full-screen display too which may even be the same size as that of the Alcatel 3.
Google recently confirmed that it will be using the Mobile World Congress platform in Barcelona next week to launch new devices running Android Go — the stripped-down variant of its Android mobile operating system.
While many manufacturers are said to be working on an Android Go device, the latest leak suggests that the first Android Go device to be unveiled at the Mobile World Congress could be General Mobile’s GM 8 Go. The phone’s images have been leaked online, revealing some of the key specifications.
According to the report, the phone, which is said to be made out of plastic, will come with a 5.03-inch HD+ display with screen resolution of 1440 x 720 pixels and 18:9 aspect ratio, which roughly translates to a pixel density of 320ppi.
Under the hood, the device will be powered by MediaTek 6739 processor, along with just 1GB RAM and 16GB of internal storage. It is not yet known if there’s a microSD card slot for allowing users to expand the phone’s storage capacity.
The leak also suggests that the phone will come equipped with a 13-megapixel primary camera and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. In addition, the device will have a capacitive fingerprint sensor on the back panel. It is expected to feature the usual set of connectivity options and will be running on Android 8.1 Oreo (Go edition) operating system. It is powered by a 3,500mAh battery.
Earlier this year, India-based Micromax revealed its first Android Go phone — the Bharat Go. However, the company has not yet revealed the phone’s specifications or images. The phone was supposed to launch in India by the end of January 2018 but it has not been launched yet.
Apart from this, Nokia is also expected to launch its Android Oreo (Go Edition) phone at the MWC 2018 — Nokia 1. Recently, the phone’s press renders were leaked, revealing two color variants — Indigo and Bright Red. It is also said to come with 18:9 aspect ratio display, 1GB RAM and 8GB of onboard storage.
Microsoft has launched its new Surface Pro in India, which the company claims to be the “most versatile laptop”. This new small-screen 2-in-1 notebook is now available for purchase through online retailers Amazon India and Flipkart as well as through online stores such as Croma, Reliance Digital and Vijay Sales.
The new Surface Pro was first showcased last year in the United States as the successor to the Surface Pro 4 line-up, which is currently retailing at Rs 49,999 in India. The New Surface Pro sports similar design to its predecessor — the back and the spine are encased in aluminum while the Surface Pro Type Cover is made of soft Alcantara material.
The Microsoft Surface Pro comes with a 12.3-inch PixelSense touch display with screen resolution of 2736 x 1824 pixels. It also comes with Surface Pen that supports 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity. The base variant, which is powered by Intel Core m3 processor is priced at Rs. 64,999 (approximately $1002), while the Intel Core i5 variant having 4GB RAM with 128GB SSD and another model with 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD costs Rs. 79,999 and Rs. 1,06,999 respectively.
The top-end variant, which packs Intel Core i7 processor, is also available in two models — one with 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD and another with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD. While the 8GB RAM model costs Rs. 1,33,999, the 16GB RAM model is priced at Rs. 1,82,999. Both the models pack Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 while the remaining models feature Intel HD Graphics 620.
The Surface Pro runs on Microsoft‘s Windows 10 Pro operating system and has support for Office 365. It comes with an 8-megapixel rear camera with autofocus and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera sensor for video calling.
The device measures about 8.5mm in thickness and its weight vary depending on the variant starts at 767 grams. It also has a hinge that lets users adjust the tablet by up to 165 degrees, letting users operate the Surface Pro in Studio Mode.
The company is also planning to bring the Surface Book 2 line-up in India which runs on more powerful Intel’s 8th generation chipsets and offers graphics from Nvidia’s Gdiscrete0 series. The line-up is expected to launch in India in March 2018.
Meizu VP Li Nan was recently quoted as disclosing that the tech giant will launch the Meizu X2 and that it would feature a Snapdragon 845 chip onboard. Now, in case you don’t know much about the smartphone, the X2 is supposed to be the successor to the Meizu X which was launched in 2016. Meizu went on a rampage in 2016, releasing quite a lot of smartphone models but slowed down the pace in 2017. Thus, the Meizu X2 which was supposed to have been launched in 2017 wasn’t.
Indeed, the Meizu X2 will be launched sometime this year but it remains to be seen if the device will indeed pack a flagship Snapdragon 845 chip. Li Nan is credited to have hinted of the presence of Qualcomm’s latest processor on the X2 but a Meizu employee has come out to clarify on Weibo that the presence f a flagship chip on the premium midrange model is yet to be finalized. Sure, the Chinese company has such plans but it is just a tentative one which we hope is finalized soon. It is unlikely though that the Meizu X2 will come with a flagship chip. This could just be some publicity stunt.
Sure, the statement affirms that the Chinese company has such plans but it is just a tentative one which we hope is finalized soon. It is unlikely though that the Meizu X2 will come with a flagship chip. This could just be some publicity stunt.
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