Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 GFXBench Listing Hints it Could be Most Powerful Galaxy Tablet

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Feb 18, 2018

Last year, Samsung had unveiled the Galaxy Tab S3 tablet at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017. A new Samsung tablet with model number SM-T835 has appeared on GFXBench. Since the LTE variant of the Galaxy Tab S3 has a model number of SM-T825, it is likely that the SM-T835 that has surfaced on the benchmarking platform could be the Galaxy Tab S4.

The Samsung SM-T835’s GFXBench listing shows that the slate features 10.5-inch Super AMOLED display that will be supporting resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels. An octa-core chipset featuring a 2.3 GHz octa-core processor and Adreno 540 graphics powers the tablet. This indicates that the tablet will be fueled by Snapdragon 835.

The SoC will be coupled with 4 GB of RAM and it will be arriving with a native storage of 64 GB. For photography, it is likely to arrive with a rear-mounted camera of 12-megapixel. Its front-facing camera is of 8-megapixel. It will be arriving preloaded with Android 8.0 Oreo. The leaked specs suggest that the Galaxy Tab S4 could be the most powerful tablet from the company.

Like the predecessor model, it may also arrive in a Wi-Fi only model. It is also expected to carry support for AKG tuned speakers, S Pen stylus and keyboard. There is no information available on its pricing and availability.

Last year, Samsung chose to skip the MWC launch for Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. The tech trade platform was used to unveil the Galaxy Tab S3 and Galaxy Book 2-in-1 hybrid. However, this year the major attraction of the MWC 2018 will be unveiling the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. Hence, there is no confirmation on whether the South Korean company will be using the same platform to debut the Galaxy Tab S4.

(source)

Moto G6 Renders & Moto’s 2018 Lineup With Their Fingerprint Sensor Locations Leaked

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 18, 2018

Hello Moto fans! Here’s one leak that you might find interesting. A tipster has leaked yet another render of the expected Moto G6 on Twitter. Not only that, he also revealed some juicy details of Motorola’s 2018 smartphone offerings, including their names and Touch ID locations.

The Moto G6 has been a regular in leaks over the past few weeks. The G6 series comprises of the G6, G6 Play and G6 Plus but this leaked render (pictured above) is said to be that of the Moto G6 and we can confirm that to some extent based on previous leaks.The Moto series are all said to feature the 18:9 aspect ratio and we can see that in the render. The renders also feature a dual rear camera with a unique design.

#motorola 2018 Touch ID Positions:#motoG6 F#motoG6P R#motoG6+ F #motoE5 R#motoX5 3D FFC#motoZ3P Side#motoZ3 3D FFC
Thanks, Alibaba suppliers pic.twitter.com/vqPcuFzYx4

— Andri Yatim (@HeyAndri) February 15, 2018

More importantly, the leak also includes details of Motorola 2018 smartphones and the tipster attributed the leaked details to Alibaba suppliers. This year, the smartphones that Motorola would be launching is given to include the Moto G6, Moto G6 Play, Moto G6 Plus. Others include the Moto E5, Moto X5, Moto Z3 Play and the Moto Z3. On the location of touch ID, the Moto G6 Plus and G6 Play are detailed to pack a front fingerprint sensor while the Moto G6 will have a rear-mounted one. The Moto E5 is also listed as featuring a rear fingerprint sensor as well as the Moto Z3 Play packs a side fingerprint sensor. Also of interests are the Moto X5 and Moto Z3 which are said to utilise 3D Front Facing Camera (FFC) as their own Face ID unlock technology. The source stated that it is unclear if they would still pack a fingerprint sensor and the location of the sensor. Motorola is expected to announce a couple of its latest offerings including the G6 series later this month at Mobile World Congress 2018 which begins on February 26 but a number of the listed models are likely a long way from being launched. That is if they are indeed in existence.

(source)

Huawei P20 Plus To Pack 4000mAh Battery And Always-On Display, P20 Will have 3320mAh Battery

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Feb 17, 2018

Last week, we got to see 3D renders of the Huawei P20 series. All three phones – the P20 Lite, P20, and P20 Plus sport notched displays and a rear camera design similar to the iPhone X‘. Today, more details have surfaced with respect to the Huawei P20 Plus.

The Huawei P20 Plus like its siblings may share some similarities to Apple’s iPhone X but it will also likely copy some key features from one of its own relatives – the Huawei Mate 10 Pro and that is the battery capacity and the display.

The battery specification was found in the phone’s firmware file which mentioned a 4,000mAh battery. An always-on apk which is also present in the Mate 10 Pro, was also found in the product partition of the firmware file.

The latter configuration may mean that the Huawei P20 Plus may come with an AMOLED display like the Mate 10 Pro which wouldn’t be a bad idea. The other two may stick to IPS LCD displays like the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Lite.

It was also discovered that the smaller Huawei P20 has a 3320mAh battery and runs Android 8.1 based on EMUI 8.1. While we know the features of Android 8.1, we are in the dark with respect to those of EMUI 8.1.

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Leaked Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S Hands On Video & Render Showcase Superb Design

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 17, 2018

Is this how the highly-anticipated Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 really looks like? A couple of leaks bothering on the Mi Mix 2’s real image have appeared on Chinese social network website Weibo. The leaks include a poster containing a smartphone said to be the Mix 2s and a hands-on video also tipped to be the Xiaomi Mix 2s.

Of spectacular interest is the hands-on video which shows the device in real life with the front design on display. The video is a short 10 seconds clip but is just enough for us to see that the Mi Mix 2s takes the concept of bezel-less display to another level. Xiaomi’s Mi Mix is regarded as the pioneer of the popular full-screen design. The Mi Mix 2 was expected to come with a design that raises the bar in terms of bezel-lessness but a number of fans were disappointed in that regard. Seems Xiaomi aims to use the Mi Mix 2S to placate those who didn’t fancy the Mix 2 design. The video shows an exceptionally higher screen ratio and an almost bezel-less chin. The renders we had seen previously points at the selfie camera being moved from the lower aspect to the top and that seems to be the case as the bezel on the chin is almost as thin as the side bezels.

While the hands-on video looks real, we can’t say the same for the leaked photo of the device. The photo is said to have emerged from a protective film manufacturer for the device and the only attachment with the Mix 2S is perhaps the Mi custom wallpaper which sits atop the screen. The photo looks more like a concept render as we can’t see the earpiece or the selfie camera on the screen.

The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S is said to go by the internal codename Polaris and is tipped as Xiaomi’s first Snapdragon 845-packing smart[phone. The device is also said to come with a new full-screen 3.0 and 8GB of RAM. The Mix 2S has been confirmed by a recently leaked firmware to sport a dual 12MP rear camera setup. The main camera packs a Sony IMX 363 sensor while the front sensor is an OmniVision OV5675 sensor. That potentially makes the device the first Mix series model to pack dual cameras. There’s is still no official word from Xiaomi on the Mix 2S’ launch.

(source 1, 2)

ASUS Zenfone 5 Live Image Leaks Packing An iPhone X-Like Notch Design

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 17, 2018

Taiwanese tech giant ASUS has been in the news lately as a result of its popular Zenfone series. The ASUS Zenfone 5 series has been a regular on leaks lately and more keeps coming out. The latest leak is the live image of the Zenfone 5 and it sort of confirms the presence of a notch in the display similar to the iPhone X.

A couple of days back, popular Twitter tipster @RQandt shared some details of the Zenfone X with us, including the presence of an iPhone X-like display notch. The tipster also unwrapped a set of renders of the device which he claimed were from a manufacturer. Looks like the tipster was right after all as the live image shows a sleek device saddled with a design that includes a notch on the display similar to the design which Apple used on its commemorative iPhone X.

The notch on the Zenfone 5 is shown to house the selfie camera lens, earpiece on the leaked live image but the renders we have seen previous showed the presence of a sensor on the left side of the earpiece. Apart from the notch, the live image shows the Zenfone 5 will indeed have a bezel-less design with a high screen-to-body ratio. The device also looks to have an 18:9 aspect ratio and that is evident in the elongated display. Furthermore, there is no physical home button at the front which is an indication the device will likely have a rear-mounted sensor or perhaps, an in-display fingerprint sensor. The renders leaked previously point at a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. We can also see the power button and volume rocker at the right side of the display. The Asus Zenfone 5 will be launched at MWC 2018 and there is an official invitation to that effect already.

(source)

DOSS Wireless Portable Bluetooth Speaker Review

By

Linus

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Feb 17, 2018

There are plenty of Bluetooth speakers out there and it always depends on the budget you are willing to spend. Obviously, you can pay hundreds for a high-end wireless system but there are also a lot of cheap options out there. The Doss Bluetooth speaker costs just $35 but it offers 20W of volume output, IPX6 waterproof rating and more. Learn more in our Doss Bluetooth speaker review.

UNBOXING

The speaker ships with a few different straps and mounting screws, USB and 3.5mm cables and some paperwork.

DESIGN and FEATURES

I was really surprised how tiny this speaker is given the fact that it has 20W drivers inside (2x10w).

The device uses mostly rubber and metal in its construction since it is not only waterproof (rated at IPX6) but the speaker can take a beating due to its shockproof properties.

I love the overall build quality and the speaker does not look or feel cheap despite its low price.

We have a control system on the top and I found all the buttons to be nice and tactile.

One of the standout features is a dual flashlight that is triggered by pressing a dedicated button.

In fact, the flashlight has 5 different modes to play with and it can get quite bright.

If you open up the flap on the back, you will find a micro USB and 3.5mm ports and the TF card slot.

There are two 1/4 threads on the bottom, so you can mount the speaker to various support systems etc.

SOUND QUALITY

This speaker uses 20 Watt dual-driver that performs really well, especially considering the price of this device. In terms of the sound quality, this speaker is all about loudness and a huge amount of soft, punchy and powerful bass. Overall, I love the crisp and balanced sound. I may want to hear a little bit of separation between mids and highs but I may be too picky.

BATTERY LIFE and CONNECTIVITY

Battery life is one of the strong points about this speaker. I could get over 10 hours of continuous music playback, which is really impressive considering the total volume output. It takes about 3 hours to fully charge the battery of the speaker. In terms of connectivity, I didn’t have any issues with the Bluetooth range.

CONCLUSIONS

The Doss offers a lot of value for the price. I like its design, sound quality, good battery life and some neat extras like a dual flashlight, supplied strap and of course, IPX6 waterproof rating for such a low price. If we consider all the features and the fact that the speaker performed well during our test, we can easily recommend the Doss speaker that costs just about $35.

Buy Doss Speaker (US)

Buy Doss Speaker (International)

LG V40 Concept Video Brings an SD 845 Chip, Bezel-less Design & In-Display Fingerprint

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 17, 2018

LG isn’t expected to launch the V40 until the second half of 2018 but it isn’t too early to get the chance to see what the flagship would look like. That is what this Concept video by Science and Knowledge affords us. Although this is just a third-party concept design and the real device may be different from this one, we still can’t rule out a similar design which wouldn’t be a bad idea.

The LG V40 in this video resembles the LG V30 quite a bit, which is perhaps a suggestion that the device will draw much of its design from the V30. The body is made of metal and glass just like the V30 but the bezels around the display are very much thinner than that of the V30. The glass is protected by the Corning Gorilla Glass 6 which by our records is not yet announced. The concept utilises a curved edge design at the rear and a dual camera setup. The rear cameras are placed horizontally with dual LED flash at the right side of the shooters and an autofocus sensor at the left just like on the V30. The difference is that there is no rear-mounted fingerprint sensor as the device is conceptualised to feature an in-display fingerprint sensor. LG’s logo is also placed on the back.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev42kWyHmRY

The specs of the Concept LG V40 is given as a 6.1-inch QHD+ (2960 x 1440) P-OLED HDR10 and Dolby Vision-compliant display. The device will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset paired with 6GB of RAM and 8GB RAM on some models while the storage comes in 64GB and 128GB versions. The rear camera is configured as two 19MP sensors both with a f/1.6 aperture, OIS, and PDAF. The front camera is a single 13MP sensor with f/1.7 aperture. The lights will be kept on by a non-removable 4000mAh battery while the device will have an IP68 waterproof and dustproof build. The V40 Concept video showcases the device in four radiant colours including Blue, Red, Silver, and Black.

(source)

Rather Than a 4GB Honor 7X, US Will Get the Huawei Mate SE

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Feb 17, 2018

It appears Huawei and its sub-brand Honor, enjoy confusing its customers. The Chinese giant is fond of releasing the same phone under different names in multiple markets. While that is a bit “understandable”, what we do not get is releasing the same phone under two different names in the same market.

The Honor 7X currently sold in the US market is the 3GB RAM + 32GB ROM variant. In other markets, the mid-ranger is also available with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.

Rather than launch it in a higher configuration in the US, Huawei is releasing a “brand” new model called the Huawei Mate SE!

The Mate SE has the same design, specs, and even the same Bond (BND-LXX) model number as the Honor 7X. So why not just call it the Honor 7X?

Pictures of the phone were first released on Twitter last night by Evan Blass, but he had incorrectly referred to it as a “Huawei-branded Honor 8 Pro”. Of course it is easy to see it is not the Honor 8 Pro as it as an 18:9 display.

Nevertheless, another leaker Roland Quandt (@rquandt) then corrected him with proofs that the phone is actually the Huawei Mate SE.

The phone is already on the Huawei US support page where you can download the user manual and quick start guide. The quick start guide also reveals that the phone will be available in Latin America.

Apart from that, it is currently listed on B&H but doesn’t have a price tag yet. A web cache also revealed an Amazon listing with a $249 price tag.

Continue

LG To Launch Flagship With 6.1” Display & Snapdragon 845 In June

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Feb 17, 2018

For 2018, LG is changing its release schedule. Instead of a brand new model in the first quarter, the Korean company will announce an upgraded version of the V30 called the LG V30s. New report has revealed when the main flagship will launch and a few of its specs.

LG V30 Raspberry Rose — LG will announce a slightly upgraded version of the V30 at MWC

The upcoming phone which will likely not be called the LG G7 is currently known as “Judy”. It will come with a 6.1” screen with a new display technology called MLCD+. The new display is said to include a new white sub-pixel in addition to the RGBW color matrix. This will give it an increased brightness, (up to 800 nits) but with a 35% reduction in energy consumption compared to an IPS LCD.

Like most of the other flagships that will be released this year, Judy will be powered by the Snapdragon 845 processor with an Adreno 630 GPU. RAM is said to be 4GB and is paired with 64GB of storage. There will definitely be other memory variants.

The phone will come with dual rear cameras. Both will be 13MP sensors, each with a f/1.6 aperture. Like the LG G6 and LG V30, it will also have an IP68 rating, be MIL-STD-810G certified, and rock stereo speakers that will be referred to as “Boombox”.

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Essential PH-1 Gets New Halo Gray Variant With Alexa Built-in, Amazon Lowers Prices to $449

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Feb 17, 2018

On February 15, Essential announced three new color variants for the PH-1. The three colors – Ocean Depths, Stellar Gray, and Copper Black are $100 more expensive than the first two colors but they do look really nice. Yesterday, Essential announced a 4th new color variant that comes with an additional feature.

Essential PH-1 Halo Gray with Alexa built-in

The new color variant is called Halo Gray but looks like the Stellar Gray version. It has the same matte finish which hides fingerprint smudges but its frame is silver like that of the Pure White variant.

That is not the only exciting about the Halo Gray variant. Unlike the other colors, it comes with Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant built-in.

This version is an Amazon-exclusive and will be available for purchase on February 21, though you can pre-order it now. However, unlike the other three released this week, the Halo Gray variant sells for $449 and $499 with the 360° Camera and a free pill case.

The pill case is a new addition used for carrying the 360 camera instead of the small cloth sack that used to come with it.

Continue

Nubia NX606J With Snapdragon 845 SoC, 6GB RAM Appears On AnTuTu

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 16, 2018

Looks like ZTE’s Nubia will join the early birds to launch a smartphone packing Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 845 chipset. A new Nubia smartphone has appeared on AnTuTu’s Weibo page showing a specs lineup which includes the latest Qualcomm flagship chip.

The device is simply identified as Nubia NX606J and is believed to be the Nubia Z19 flagship. Judging by the specs listed, the device is the company’s next flagship model so it really could be the Nubia Z19. The AnTuTu listing shows the Nubia NX606J comes with 6GB of RAM as well as 32GB of storage. This should be one of the variants as there will likely be another one with a more spacious storage. Nubia could also include an 8GB RAM variant on the upcoming flagship model just like we saw on the Nubia Z17. The NX606J is also listed to pack a full-screen design with a FullHD+ resolution of 2160 x 1080pixels. The device will also get its interface from the Android 8.0 Oreo OS out of the box. Of course, the Android Oreo OS will come with Nubia’s Custom UI.

The AnTuTu listing also outlines the benchmark score of the device and it is very much similar to other Snapdragon 845 models which passed through AnTuTu recently. The Nubia NX606J managed to record a score of 271,674 points on AnTuTu. This is slightly higher than the Galaxy S9+ AnTuTu score of 265,257 but the difference isn’t much. We can’t say when the device will be launched but it is unlikely the device will debut at MWC 2018. The Nubia Z17 was launched in June last year but this model could be unveiled a bit earlier than that. We’ll be on the lookout for more details and possibly renders of the device.

(source)

ZTE Refutes Allegation Of Espionage As US Security Agencies Recommend Boycott

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 16, 2018

Chinese OEMs are usually keen to enter the U.S market with their products due to the lucrative outlook of the market. Huawei and ZTE are arguably the two Chinese companies that have found success in the U.S market. Huawei’s success is hinged on its telecom equipment business while ZTE supplies telecommunication equipment and also does well in its smartphone business. Huawei’s effort to launch its smartphones in the U.S has faced several hurdles especially bothering on security. U.S authorities believe the Chinese government could compel both companies to disclose sensitive data collected from consumers in the U.S.

That mistrust took a different dimension on Tuesday when the directors of six top U.S intelligence organizations, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and National Security Agency, told the Senate Intelligence Committee that they would not recommend private citizens to use products, including smartphones) from ZTE and Huawei. The U.S security chiefs made this known while testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee. Earlier this year, two Senators proposed a bill that would effectively prevent government agencies from using any telecommunications equipment from Huawei and ZTE. Both the intelligence chiefs and Senators cited spying concerns as the reason for the recommended boycott.

However, ZTE has responded by dismissing all espionage allegations raised against the company. The Chinese firm reiterated its earlier stance that all such accusations are baseless and vowing to continue focusing on improving the overall security of its products offered in the United States. In a statement provided to Xinhua, a ZTE spokesperson said the firm is fully committed to justify the trust of its customers and is entirely compliant with any applicable laws and regulations in all foreign markets in which it operates, including the U.S. Besides doing business in a law-abiding manner, ZTE is also subjecting its hardware and technologies to “strict testing protocols” and is always aiming to operate in accordance with “the highest business standards,” the company concluded.

(source)

Google Shipped 3.9 Million Pixel Phones in 2017

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Feb 16, 2018

Research firm, IDC, has released the sales figure for Google’s Pixel phones. According to a tweet by one of its directors, Google recorded double the sales of 2016 last year.

The exact figure is put at 3.9 million units and includes sale of the first gen Pixel phones too. However, Google’s figures pales in comparison to that of several other manufacturers.

In 2016, Google cancelled the Nexus line in favor of the Pixel line. It also got more involved with the hardware manufacturing process. Gone is the branding of the manufacturer that handles the production, and in its place is Google’s own logo.

For the 2nd generation Pixel, Google went further by designing a special imaging processor called the Pixel Visual Core.

Continue

Galaxy S9 Trumps Galaxy S8 in Early Photo Shootout

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Feb 16, 2018

Samsung will launch the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ on February 25 at MWC 2018. The new flagships don’t look very different from their predecessors except on the rear but greatly differ with respect to internals. So how is Samsung going to get you to buy its new phones?

The cameras. The cameras on the Galaxy S9 will be the best ever on a Samsung phone and on many other devices. The Galaxy S8 and S8+ both have fantastic cameras but the S9 and S9+ are said to push the boundaries further than imagined.

Photo by S8 VS the "9" pic.twitter.com/nhtm7AlOTY

— 萌萌的电教 (@MMDDJ_) February 13, 2018

Ahead of the launch, a leaker has shared photos comparing the camera of the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S8 to give us a glimpse of the former’s performance. Though we should warn you that these are probably the worst comparison photos you may have come across.

The photos were shared on Twitter by @MMDDJ_, a popular leaker.

[envira-gallery id=”173891″]

The pictures are daytime photos of some skyscrapers and apparently with the cameras at maximum zoom. The Galaxy S8 took the shot on the left while the one on the right is from the Galaxy S9.

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Nokia 7 Plus Live Photo Appears; India is Likely to Receive it Soon

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 16, 2018

Yesterday, well-known tipster Evan Blass had revealed first renders of the upcoming Nokia 7 Plus Android One smartphone. Today, a Chinese publication has revealed a leaked photo of what appears to be the real Nokia 7 Plus smartphone.

The screenshot shows that the Nokia 7 Plus could be the first Nokia phone to arrive with full screen design. The corners of the phone are rounded. Its 18:9 aspect ratio display is said to be placed under a 2.5D curved display.

“Namaste” mentioned on the top-left corner of the screen is an Indian word which means a respectful greeting. Also, an Indian name “Raj Sharma” is mentioned below the date on the screen. These things suggest that the smartphone could be heading to India soon.

At the top-right corner of the phone is the rumored 16-megapixel selfie camera. It also seems to be sporting the same stock UI from HMD Global that was first seen on the original Nokia 6.

The above renders that were leaked by Blass show that the Nokia 7 Plus will be arriving in the market as an Android One phone. The renders have also revealed that the Pearl White and Black color variants of the phone will be sporting orange accents. It is speculated that the handset could be sporting a metal unibody design and its finish will have a ceramic appeal.

Its Geekbench listing has revealed that it could be the first phone from the company to feature Snapdragon 660 chipset. The SoC will be coupled by 4 GB of RAM. The backside of the phone features Carl Zeiss certified dual camera setup that may include 12-megapixel and 13-megapixel sensors. The rear panel also features a fingerprint scanner.

It is likely to house a 6-inch display that will support Full HD+ resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels. It may come preinstalled with Android 8.0 Oreo and since it is an Android One phone, it may be soon treated with Android 8.1 Oreo. As of this writing, there is no information available on its pricing.

HMD Global is expected to announce the Nokia 7 Plus and Nokia 1 Android Go phone at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 tech exhibition on Feb. 25. Rumors have it that some other phones like Nokia 8 Sirocco (could be Nokia 9) and global variants of Nokia 6 (2018) and Nokia 3310 4G may also get unveiled at MWC 2018.

What do you think about the newly leaked photo of Nokia 7 Plus? Share us your views by posting your comments below.

(source|via)

ZTE Axon 7’s Android Oreo Update To Offer Near-Stock UI And Improved Battery Performance

By

Jeet

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Feb 16, 2018

Earlier, ZTE had revealed that the Axon 7 will be receiving the Android Oreo update. Now, the China-based company has announced that the users of ZTE Axon 7 in the United States can now register to be the part of the its Android Oreo beta program.

The company says that following “a request voiced by consumers”, the Android 8 Oreo update will bring a near-stock Android experience to the Axon 7. Further, the Android Oreo update will also offer improved battery life, faster boot speeds, picture-in-picture (PiP) mode, and more enhancements.

However, the company has not yet announced the exact date of release for the public update. The phone was originally announced with Android Marshmallow out-of-the-box. Later, the Axon 7 was upgraded to Android Nougat and now its slated to receive Android Oreo update.

The ZTE Axon 7 features a 5.5-inch display with 2K resolution, 2.5D curved glass and a layer of Gorilla Glass 4 protection on top. The phone is fuelled by a 3,250mAh battery, which also supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 technology.

Under the hood, the device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, coupled with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage. It comes with a 20MP f/1.8 aperture camera with OIS and EIS on the rear side, while up front, there is an 8MP f/2.2 88-degree wide angle shooter.

Recently, ZTE CEO Cheng Lixin announced that the company’s next flagship phone will be called ZTE Axon 9 and not Axon 8 as the rumor mill has been speculating. It will be the company’s weapon to rival with the flagship phones from Samsung and Apple in the United States.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 And Redmi Note 5 Pro Will Be Manufactured In India

By

Jeet

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Feb 16, 2018

A couple of days back, Xiaomi announced its latest devices in the Indian market — Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro. Now, the company has announced the both the phones will be manufactured locally at its manufacturing units in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh.

According to the company, it manufactures over 95 percent of phones locally that it sells in India. Manu Kumar Jain, Xiaomi India MD and Global VP said that Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro will be 100 percent manufactured locally and will share more details soon.

He also said that the company is also planning to gear up its manufacturing efforts in India under the government’s “Make In India” initiative. The company is looking forward to setup more manufacturing units in the country for other category of products as well.

Recently, the company had announced its third manufacturing facility in the country, located in Noida, in partnership with China-based Hipad Technology. The manufacturing unit is currently used to manufacture its recently launched power banks.

Giving more information about Xiaomi’s performance in the Indian market, Manu Kumar Jain said:

Among the top 10 smartphones in India in 2017, six were Xiaomi phones. We have 57 percent market share online and nearly 11 percent share offline in the country. The challenge is now to defend the online territory and ramp up our offline presence for a strong year-long growth period.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5, which is the successor to the Redmi Note 4 — is priced at Rs 9,999 for the 3GB RAM and 32GB storage variant and Rs 11,999 for the 4GB RAM and 64GB variant. On the other hand, the Redmi Note 5 Pro costs Rs 13,999 for the 4GB RAM and 64GB variant and Rs 16,999 for the 6GB RAM and 64GB ROM option.

The Redmi Note 5 is powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 625 processor and features a 12-megapixel rear camera with f/2.2 aperture along with an 8-megapixel front-facing camera. The Redmi Note 5 Pro is packs Snapdragon 636 processor and features dual camera setup of a 12-megapixel Sony IMX486 sensor and a 5-megapixel secondary sensor. On the front side, it features a 20-megapixel Sony IMX376 camera sensor.

Both the devices features the trends full-screen display with 18:9 aspect ratio. The devices are running on the latest MIUI 9, based on Android 7.0 Nougat operating system out-of-the-box. The phones will go on sale on Flipkart and Mi.com on 22nd February.

Celkon UniQ Launched in India for Rs. 8,999 with 3 GB RAM, 8MP Selfie Camera with Moonlight Flash

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 16, 2018

Celkon Mobiles has unveiled a new budget-friendly smartphone called Celkon UniQ in India. It has been launched with a price tag of Rs. 8,999 (~$140).

Celkon UniQ Specifications and Features

Celkon UniQ sports a metal body that houses a 5-inch IPS OnCell display that supports HD resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels. The screen is placed under 2.5D curved glass. The side bezels are slim, but the upper and lower bezels are quite thick. The bottom bezel features a home button that is integrated with a fingerprint scanner.

It is powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core processor that is supported by 3 GB of RAM. It has a native storage of 32 GB. It also features a microSD card slot. A 2,700mah battery is available to keep the lights on. It comes preloaded with Android 7.0 Nougat.

The rear side of the phone features a 16-megapixel camera along with its LED flash. The front panel houses an 8-megapixel camera that is coupled with Moonlight flash. It is equipped with connectivity features like 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, microUSB, 3.5mm audio jack and GPS.

Celkon Mobile has only disclosed the pricing of the UniQ phone. It is yet to reveal information on its availability.

Do you think that Rs. 8,999 pricing is suitable for the Celkon UniQ smartphone? Share us your thoughts by commenting below.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro vs Meizu M6s vs Nokia 6 (2018): 2018 Mid-Ranger Comparison!

By

Michele Ingelido

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Feb 16, 2018

When it comes to mid-range smartphones, Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro, Meizu M6s and Nokia 6 (2018) are among the best options for people who have a low budget. They can offer a user experience which is not incredibly distant from flagships as they are well-balanced in all of their specs. They can take decent photos and provide decent performances along with good battery life, even though the price is very affordable. Seeing that their launch prices do not differ so much, we decided to make a Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro vs Meizu M6s vs Nokia 6 (2018) comparison to help you understand which one has the best value for money.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro vs Meizu M6s vs Nokia 6 (2018)

	Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro	Meizu M6s	Nokia 6 (2018)
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	158.6 x 75.4 x 8.1 mm, 181 grams	152 x 72.5 x 8 mm, 160 grams	148.8 x 75.8 x 8.2 mm, 172 grams
DISPLAY	5,99 inches, 1080 x 2160p (Full HD+), 403 ppi, 18:9 ratio, IPS LCD	5.7 inches, 720 x 1440p (HD+), 282 ppi, 18:9 ratio, IPS LCD	5.5 inches, 1080 x 1920 pixels, 403 ppi, 16:9 ratio, IPS LCD
PROCESSOR	Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, octa-core 1.8 GHz	Samsung Exynos 7872, hexa-core 2 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, octa-core 2.2 GHz
MEMORY	3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 64 GB, micro SD slot	3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 3 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD slot	4 GB RAM, 32 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB, micro SD slot
SOFTWARE	Android 7.1.2 Nougat, MIUI 9	Android 7.0 Nougat, Flyme UI 6.2	Android 7.1.1 Nougat
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
CAMERA	Dual 12 + 5 MP f/2.2 + f/2.0 20 MP front camera	16 MP f/2.0 8 MP front camera	16 MP f/2.0 8 MP front camera
BATTERY	4000 mAh Fast charging 5V / 2A	3000 mAh 18W Fast Charging	3000 mAh, Fast Charging
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Hybrid Dual SIM slot	Hybrid Dual SIM slot	Hybrid Dual SIM slot

Each of these handsets has a full metal unibody design with Nokia 6 (2018) looking a bit more elegant and stylish, even though it still has a 16:9 display (the bezels are still optimized!). Besides similar designs, these devices also have similar dimensions, with Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro being slightly bigger due to its bigger 5.99-inch display. When it comes to displays, each one is different from each other and Meizu M6s loses the battle due to its lower resolution. Nokia 6 has a Full HD display with the 16:9 aspect ratio, while the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro has a Full HD+ panel with 18:9 aspect ratio which makes it better to hold. Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro has also a slightly better hardware with its Snapdragon 636 SoC and up to 6 GB RAM, while Meizu M6s and Nokia 6 are similar in terms of performances, even though Nokia 6 is more suitable for multi-tasking because it has 1 GB RAM more.

There are still not enough camera samples to make a decent comparison, but we believe that Nokia 6 may have some value in this sector. In terms of battery life, Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro wins with its monster 4000 mAh unit and a power-efficient Snapdragon 636. If you care about always having the latest Android version, you should choose Nokia 6 (2018) as it will probably the first to get the updates (it is already upgradeable to Oreo unlike the other twos).

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro has been launched in India with a price of €176/$218, Meizu M6s can be found at about €152/$185, Nokia 6 (2018) starts from €184/$230 in China. I would personally pick Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro especially for its longer battery life which is one of the most important feature on a mid-ranger. The difference between prices is minimal and in my opinion, it is not worth saving a bunch of dollars to purchase the lower-end Meizu M6s. But you may like the Nokia 6 (2018) if aesthetics are really important for you, as well as software updates and camera performance.

Which one would you pick?

[yop_poll id=”16″]

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro vs Meizu M6s vs Nokia 6 (2018): PRO and CONS

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro

PRO

Affordable price
Greatest hardware side
Big battery
Big display

CONS

Average camera (?)

Meizu M6s

PRO

Good SoC
Affordable price
Compact design
Nice power efficiency

CONS

720p display

Nokia 6 (2018)

PRO

Stunning design
Interesting camera
Nice hardware
Power-efficient

CONS

Higher price

Alcatel 5, Alcatel 3v and Alcatel 1x to be Showcased at MWC 2018

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 16, 2018

TCL-owned Alcatel has confirmed that it will be present at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 at Barcelona, Spain to unveil the new Alcatel 5, Alcatel 3V and Alcatel 1X smartphones. The specifications of these smartphones have been revealed in the recent past. They will be showcased at MWC 2018 for global exposure.

Except for the thick upper bezel, the Alcatel 5 sports super-slim bezels. It features a 5.7-inch display that offers an HD+ resolution of 720 x 1440 pixels and aspect ratio of 18:9. The MediaTek MT6750 chipset featuring a 1.5 GHz quad-core processor and Mali-T860 MP2 graphics will be present under the hood of the phone. The SoC will be coupled with 3 GB of RAM.

The Alcatel has a native storage of 32 GB and it also features a microSD card slot. It features a 12-megapixel rear snapper and the frontside features dual selfie snappers. It will be fueled by a 3,000mAh battery. It will come preloaded with Android 8.0 Oreo. It features a rear-mounted fingerprint reader. It may arrive with a pricing of 189 euros (~$237).

The Alcatel 3v will be sporting a 6-inch display that will be supporting a Full HD+ resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels and 18:9 aspect ratio. It features a MediaTek chipset that includes a quad-core processor. The SoC is accompanied by 2 GB of RAM. The native storage available on the phone is 16 GB.

The dual camera setup present on the back of the phone includes a 16-megapixel sensor and a 2-megpaixel sensor. It is also equipped with a fingerprint scanner. It will be arriving with Android 8.0 Oreo preinstalled and it will be equipped with a 3,000mAh battery. It is expected to launch with a pricing of 230 euros (~$288)

In terms of specs, there is nothing much known about the Alcatel 1x. It seems to be an entry-level phone with full screen design. It features a single rear camera and a fingerprint reader. It is likely to cost less than $200 at launch.

(source)