On March 8, the Nubia N3 was unveiled as the latest device in Nubia’s N-series. Like its predecessors, the N3 packs a 5000mAh battery and other specs that puts it in the mid-range category. However, a price tag wasn’t announced until today.
The Nubia N3 will sell for ¥1799 (~$284) according to the listing on the official Nubia online store. It will go on sale at 10 AM on March 21 and not March 24 as earlier reported.
Although the phone was announced in Obsidian Black, Space Gold, and Nebula Red, the official store has only the black variant listed.
The Nubia N3 has a 6.01” 2160 x 1080 display with 2.5D glass on top. It is powered by a Snapdragon 625 processor with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.
It has a 16MP f/2.0 selfie camera and a 16MP + 5MP dual camera combo along with its NeoVision 7.0 camera software with features like time lapse and multiplicity photography. There is a hybrid dual SIM slot (nano only + MicroSD card). It also runs Nubia UI 5.1 specially made for the N3 and based on Android 7.0 Nougat.
GearBest’s Anniversary 4th Flash Sale is just around the corner. The site is giving a considerable 15% off on remote control toys, 10% off on consumer electronics and a 10% discount on computer and networking accessories along with coupon codes to get up to 50% off on a broad range of items.
This segment features limited stock products that you can get your hands on for the lowest price at 02:00 UTC and 09:00 UTC on GearBest. For instance, you can get a 20% off on the original asking price of the Xiaomi Mi A1 4G phablet.
There’s also a 27% off on the black-tinted English version of the Xiaomi Huami AMAZFIT Sports smartwatch. In other words, you can now buy the device for just $125.24.
The red color version of the smartwatch, on the other hand, is up for grabs for only $99.99. This is a considerable 42% reduction in the device’s original selling price.
Birthday Boxes 4 You
In this category, you can buy the CUBOT X18 Plus 4G phablet at a lowered price of just $169.99. GearBest is giving 12% off on the black as well as blue color versions of the device. However, it’s worth noting that the discount will only be valid for 1 day.
Mega Vouchers
GearBest is giving buyers an opportunity to save $3, $8 and $20 on a slew of products in the form of coupon codes. For instance, the Alfawise S2 smartwatch, which normally sells for $34.67 on the site can be purchased at a discounted price simply by using the coupon code, ‘GB4th$3’ at the time of checking out.
Cool Add-Ons
If your order exceeds $60, you’d be eligible to get 1 add-on by paying an extra $1.44. If your order is over $100, you can get an add-on for only $8.44.
Brand Store
This section has further been divided into a broad range of brands such as Vernee, MSI, Oukitel, Teclast and lots more. Each brand features a few devices that you can buy without spending a fortune.
For instance, you can get 24% discount on the original quoted price of Vernee Mix 2 4G phablet, and bring your grand total down to just $215.99. It is imperative for you to bear in mind that the promo is slated to end in just 2 days and there were only 75 pieces left at the time of writing.
Epic Category Deals
This section of the promo has been split into multiple categories including mobile phones, consumer electronics, tablet PC and accessories, appliances, computer and networking, and apparel just to name a few. If you’re smartphone lover waiting to buy a high-end smartphone without spending a lot of money, you’ve come to the right place.
The aforesaid category is brimming with heavily discounted smartphones manufactured by popular handset makers such as Xiaomi, OnePlus, and ZTE. In this segment, you can get 19% off on the gray color version of the Xiaomi Redmi 5A 4G smartphone.
With the discount, you can buy the well-received Redmi 5A smartphone for just $94.99. In addition to the gray color version, there’s a golden and rose madder color version of the device as well.
You can visit this link in order to check out the GearBest promo before it comes to an end. You can follow this link for your GearBest shopping guide.
After rolling out Android Oreo for its premium segment devices, Sony has now finally started seeding Android Oreo update to its mid-range phones. The company has started rolling out Android 8.0 Oreo update for its XA-series of smartphones which consists of Sony Xperia XA1, Xperia XA1 Plus, and Xperia XA1 Ultra.
While the Xperia XA1 and Xperia XA1 Ultra were launched in Mobile World Congress last year, the Xperia XA1 Plus was launched in August last year during IFA in Berlin. All three devices run Andriod Nougat operating system out-of-the-box.
This new Android Oreo update for the Xperia XA1-series brings build number 48.1.A.0.116 and is about 884MB in size. The update also comes with the February security patch, which is disappointing given that March security patch is already available.
While the changelog for this new update is not available, we expect the update to have standard Android Oreo features, including notification channels, picture-in-picture mode, smart text selection, notification dots along with faster boot times and more. However, Sony had previously stated that the Android Oreo update will remove the Night Light feature for the Xperia XA1 series.
The Xperia XA1 has a 5-inch HD display whereas the Xperia XA1 Ultra has a 6-inch full HD edge-to-edge screen. Both smartphones are powered by MediaTek Helio P20 chipset. The XA1 has 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage whereas the Ultra variant has 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. On the other hand, the Xperia XA1 Plus comes with a 5.5-inch Full-HD display and this one too is powered by Helio P20 processor having 3GB/4GB RAM and 32GB/64GB storage.
All three models feature a 23MP Exmor RS rear camera. The Xperia XA1 and Plus variant packs an 8MP front-facing camera while the Ultra variant packs a 16MP front camera with OIS. The Xperia XA1 comes with 2,300mAh battery whereas XA1 Ultra includes 2,700mAh battery. The Xperia XA1 Plus ships with a 3,430mAh battery that supports Quick Charge 3.0 and MediaTek Pump Express Plus 2.0.
Sony recently rolled out Android Oreo update for its Xperia R1 and R1 Plus smartphones in India. Recently, at this year’s MWC, the Japan-based company launched the successor of the XA1-series which includes Xperia XA2 and XA2 Ultra.
Lenovo VP Chang Cheng has been aggressively teasing the upcoming Lenovo S5 that will be made official tomorrrow. The Chinese manufacturer has already started receiving the reservations of the Lenovo S5 on its official website. It has also confirmed that the official sales of the phone will begin on March 23.
The description of the S5 phone on Lenovo’s site states that the handset will be equipped with dual rear cameras and full screen design. Also, the S5will be arriving with an affordable price tag. As of this writing, there is no official information available on pricing of the Lenovo S5.
Shown below is the new teaser that Cheng has added on his Weibo account. It reveals that the smartphone would be unveiled at 2 PM tomorrow in China. The Weibo post that accompanies it states that Lenovo S5 will be equipped with Smart Dual Camera.
A recently released teaser from the company had confirmed on some of the key features of the Lenovo S5 such as metallic chassis, full screen design AI smart engine, facial recognition, secure payment, long battery life and latest ZUI version. Cheng also recently claimed that the ZUI, a customized version of Android Oreo can produce smooth performance like iOS and it will also possess capabilities. The Lenovo VP had mocked the Redmi Note 5 by saying that the Lenovo S5 can deliver better performance. However, there are no details available on the chipset that will be fueling it.
It is speculated that the Lenovo K520 phone that was spotted on TENAA in the recent past could be officially announced as Lenovo S5. According to TENAA, the K520 phone features a 5.65-inch FHD+ display, 2 GHz octa-core processor, 4 GB / 6 GB RAM, 32 GB / 64 GB storage models and 3,000mAh battery.
Do you think that the Lenovo S5 will be a good competitor for China’s Xiaomi Redmi Note 5?
Thanks to their brilliant colors and deep blacks, OLED displays have become a trend in the smartphones market. Even though they are generally less durable due to issues like the burn-in effect, most users prefer them over the classic LCD panels. But if you are waiting for the next LG flagship and you love OLED displays, you may be left disappointed. The LG G7 will reportedly adopt a classic LCD panel. According to a Korean market analyst, the upcoming Korean flagship will not have an OLED display because the company needs to cut costs.
LG G7 Render By Benjamin Geskin
OLED display can be as much as 2x-3x costlier than LCD panels, which is why the latter is used in affordable smartphones. Even though LG generally makes good profit in the hi-tech market, LG Mobile is struggling; last year, the company shipped fewer units than in the previous year. The LG G6 did not have the expected success and it has been overshadowed by other flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S8. Another thing to note is that the G series have always had LCD displays, so it is not totally a surprise that LG G7 may not be equipped with an OLED panel.
According to the latest leaks, LG G7 will have a very high screen-to-body ratio with very narrow bezels and an iPhone X-like notch which will house the front camera and the earpiece. The device, which may not even be called as G7 since the company is expected to rebrand the lineup, revealing the device sometime in April or May. It will sport the best Qualcomm SoC: the octa-core Snapdragon 845 running at a max frequency of 2.9 GHz. In the meantime, the V30S and V30S+ ThinQ were announced at MWC 2018 and will hit the shelves with Snapdragon 835, AI and 6 GB RAM.
Even though the Huawei Nova 3e is officially launching on March 20, it is already available for pre-orders in some of the European countries. Recent reports have revealed that the Nova 3e has a model number of ANE-AL00. The very same has been spotted along with its specifications and pricing on China Telecom’s e-surfing site.
Huawei Nova 3e Specifications
The Nova 3e that features a glass rear and an aluminum frame measures 148.6 x 71.2 x 7.4mm and its weight is 145 grams. The handset houses a 5.84-inch IPS LCD display that offers FHD+ resolution of 2280 x 1080 pixels.
The Kirin 659 chipset is present under the hood of the phone. It includes an octa-core processor that clocks at 2.36 GHz. The handset comes in two storage models such as 64 GB and 128 GB. For more storage, users can add a microSD card to the phone. Both the storage variants are packed with 4 GB of RAM. The Android 8.1 Oreo is present pre-installed on the Nova 3e along with EMUI 8.0.
The front panel of the phone features a 24-megapixel selfie camera. Its rear is equipped with 16-megapixel + 2-megapixel dual camera setup and a fingerprint reader. The 3,000mAh battery of the Nova 3e will be arriving with support for 9V/2A fast charging. The handset is also equipped with 3.5mm audio jack and a USB-C port. It lacks support for NFC but comes with usual connectivity features such as dual-SIM support, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi and GPS.
Huawei is known for launching its smartphones with different names in different markets. The Mate 10 Lite was made available with different monikers like Maimang 6, Nova 2i and Honor 9i. It appears that the Huawei P20 Lite will be coming to Europe and China as Nova 3e. The photos o the Nova 3e that have appeared on China Telecom’s website yet again confirms that it will be sporting a notched display like the iPhone X.
The 64 GB and 128 GB storage models of the Huawei Nova 3e are respectively priced at 2,099 Yuan and 2,299 Yuan on the China Telecom site. It will be coming in colors like black, pink, gold and blue.
What do you think about the pricing of the Huawei Nova 3e? Share us your views by posting your comments below.
OPPO had recently confirmed that it would be launching the OPPO R15 and R15 Dream Mirror edition on March 31. However, the Chinese manufacturer has surprisingly announced the OPPO R15 duo through a media event in Beijing, China today. The entire specifications of both the smartphones along with their pricing were disclosed at the event.
OPPO R15 Dream Mirror
The OPPO R15 Dream Mirror features a 6.28-inch OLED Super View Full Screen display that features a notch at the top. It offers a Full HD+ resolution of 2280 x 1080 pixels and an aspect ratio of 19:9. It delivers a screen-to-body ratio of 90 percent.
The Snapdragon 660 chipset is present under the hood of the OPPO R15. The SoC is supported by 6 GB of RAM and it includes 128 GB of storage. For more storage, users can make use of up to 256 GB of microSD card on the device. It receives power from 3,400mAh battery that carries support for VOOC fast charging technology. It is running on Color OS 5.0 flavored Android 8.1 Oreo. A fingerprint scanner is present on the backside of the OPPO R15 Dream Mirror.
The R15 Dream Mirror’s dual camera setup includes a 16-megapixel Sony IMX519 sensor and a secondary20-megapixel sensor. The dual cameras offer features like bokeh effect, AI scene recognition, HDR and EIS. For snapping selfies, it features AI Smart Beauty enabled front-facing camera of 20-megapixel sensor that can 296 individual facial features to capture amazing portrait shots. The AI Wisdom Beauty can be used for snapping enhanced group selfies.
OPPO R15
The OPPO R15 also houses the same 6.28-inch FHD+ 19:9 screen that is available on the OPPO R15 Dream Mirror. Its rear panel is made out of 2.5D glass panel.The newly announced MediaTek Helio P60 powers it along with 6 GB of RAM. It is also equipped with an inbuilt storage of 128 GB. Its external storage slot supports up to 256 GB of microSD card.
The R15 is fueled by VOOC fast charging enabled 3,450mAh battery. It also loaded with Color OS 5.0 based Android 8.1 Oreo. The back panel of the phone houses 16-megapixel Sony IMX519 sensor + 5-megapixel secondary sensor. The R15 features the same AI Smart Beauty and AI Wisdom Beauty driven 20-megapixel selfie camera like R15 Dream Mirror. It is fitted with a rear-mounted fingerprint reader.
OPPO R15, R15 Dream Mirror Pricing and Availability
The OPPO R15 carries a pricing of 2,999 Yuan (`$473) in China. It will be available in color like White, Red and Purple. The OPPO 15 Dream Mirror that features a 3D glass rear will be hitting the market in colors like Red and Ceramic Black. The Red variant will be carrying a price tag of 3,299 Yuan (`$520) and the Ceramic Black will be arriving with a costlier price tag of 3,499 Yuan (~$552).
The OPPO R15 duo will be go on sale starting from April 1. The company is currently receiving the reservations of both phones. The Chinese manufacturer will also be keeping a launch event on March 31 at 8 PM (local time). The event will be broadcasted live on Zhejiang Satellite TV.
Xiaomi, which is all set to launch its new smartphone Mi MIX 2S at a launch event on 27th March. However, it seems that the Mi MIX 2S isn’t the only device that will be launched at the event.
According to the new reports coming in, the company is also gearing up to launch a new version of its Mi AI Speaker, which is currently called Little Love Student MINI Edition. The images of the said speaker have also been leaked online.
The leaked images of the speaker, which were uploaded on Chinese microblogging platform Weibo, shows us the device’s design. The speaker looks like a miniature version of the Xiaomi Smart Rice Cooker. On the top side, there’s an interaction pad with four buttons placed on four sides.
There are two buttons for increasing and decreasing the speaker’s volume and two more buttons for play/pause and changing track. Along with playing music, it is also expected to offer radio-on-demand, talk shows, audiobooks, educational materials and a voice assistant. Currently, no more information is available regarding this speaker.
This will be the second smart speaker from Xiaomi after the company launched its Mi AI Speaker in July 2016 and comes with a six-microphone array. While not yet confirmed, we are expecting this upcoming speaker to be the hub for all of Xiaomi’s smart home products, just like the Mi AI Speaker.
Although Xiaomi already has a smart speaker, it seems that the China-based company is aiming for the budget segment with the mini version. Amazon has also done the same with its Eco lineup of smart speakers, covering three different price segments — a strategy that seems to have worked for the company.
While there are lots of smartphone speakers out there and with tech giants like Google, Amazon, and Apple jumping in, there will be a fierce competition to get the pole position in the smart speaker market.
Hardware components inside smartphones and their displays are becoming more energy-demanding, so manufacturers need to insert bigger battery inside them. But a bigger battery takes more time to charge completely, and most people hate to wait for more than an hour to fill up their smartphone batteries. Fast charging has become standard among mid-range and high-end phones and Qualcomm’s Quick Charge is the most famous fast charging technology in the smartphones market which is currently upgraded to QC 4.0.
Thanks to Quick Charge 4, smartphones can reach up to 50% of battery charge in just 15 minutes of charging, and in just 5 minutes of charge a device can get up to 5 hours of talk time. Through a list on its official site, the San Diego-based company has confirmed the smartphones which actually support its latest fast charging technology. Actually, the list contains just one device: surprisingly, according to Qualcomm’s website, Razer Phone, the first real gaming smartphone, is the only device to feature Quick Charge 4.0. The fact that Nubia Z17 is not included in the list is weird, given that ZTE’s sub-brand confirmed that the phone supports Quick Charge 4 at its launch.
QC 4.0 is a very useful technology on the Razer Phone as it has a huge battery with a capacity of 4000 mAh. And you need a solid fast charger to ensure that your battery is topped up quickly especially on a device like the Razer Phone which specializes in mobile gaming. Even though the list actually contains just one model, it’ll be probably updated with the names of the upcoming phones with Quick Charge 4.0. You can access the page on the official site at the link below.
During the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 that was heled in February, ASUS had launched the ZenFone 5Q (also known as ZenFone 5 Lite) alongside the high-end ZenFone 5 and 5Z smartphones. The Taiwanese manufacturer has started its pre-orders in the home country from March 15 with a pricing of NT$9,900 (~$339). The handset will be available for buying from March 22. Customers who pre-order will be able to ZenPower (10050) powerbank for free.
The pre-orders of the ZenFone 5Q (model number ZC600KL) has begun on various platforms such as the official website, ASUS Store PChome 24h Shopping, Yahoo! Shopping Mall, momo Shopping Mall, Shelfish Mall, Dongsen Shopping, FriDay Shopping Online Platform and offline stores of ASUS. It will be available in colors like Starry Black and Moonlight White at the beginning. As of this writing, there is no confirmation on when the Taiwanese manufacturer will be releasing the Rouge Red color edition of the ZenFone 5Q in Taiwan. Starting from March 1, the handset will be available through Far EasTone Telecommunications (FET) in the country.
Unlike the ZenFone 5 and 5Z smartphones that feature 6.2-inch notched display, the ZenFone 5Q is fitted with a smaller display of 6 inches that does not feature a notch. The dual front-facing cameras of the ZenFone 5Q include the 20-megapixel Sony IMX376 sensor that offers an 85.5-degree field of view as the main sensor. The secondary sensor that accompanies it offers 120-degree field of view.
The dual rear cameras of the ZenFone 5Q features a 16-megapixel primary sensor with 80-degree field of view and the same secondary sensor that resides at the front. The Snapdragon 630 chipset is present under the hood of the ZenFone 5Q. The 5Q features 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of native storage. For more storage, it includes a microSD card.
The handset is running on ZenUI 5.0 flavored Android 8.0 Oreo. It is equipped with a 3,300mAh battery. The other features of the 5Q are rear-mounted fingerprint reader, facial recognition, microUSB, NFC, GPS, Bluetooth, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi and dual-SIM support.
The Taiwanese company is planning to launch the Snapdragon 636 powered ZenFone 5 upper mid-range handset and Snapdragon 845 SoC driven ZenFone 5Z flagship phone in the second quarter of this year. The 5Z may hit the Taiwanese market in June with a pricing of NT$15,000 (~$513). It is an enticing price for a Snapdragon 845 powered flagship smartphone that features an impressive design.
ASUS is aiming to release the ZenFone 5 series in over 10 markets across the world in Q3 this year. The Taiwanese company expects that its smartphone division will start making profits from the same quarter.
The VKworld S8 Android 4G smartphone was launched in October 2017. The phone boasts an array of awe-inspiring specs and features that propelled it straight to skyrocketing popularity among smartphone users.
On the downside, the S8 doesn’t come cheap. As a result, it didn’t garner huge demand among buyers who weren’t willing to shell out a lot of money for a handset. But that’s about to change.
Much to the relief of cost-conscious buyers, Chinese wholesalers of electronic products, Sunsky is offering big discounts on the VKworld S8 smartphone’s original selling price. Let’s delve straight into the details.
First off, it is imperative for you to bear that the aforesaid discount is on bulk orders wherein a buyer can go for 10 cases, with each case comprising 20 units. This is highly advantageous particularly because if you purchase a single unit, you’d need to shell out $159.58, but if you buy 2 units your grand total drops down to only $158.79. In other words, the more units you buy the bigger discount you get.
If you’re willing to spend $158, you can go for 1/4 case, or buy 1/2 case for only $157.21. Apart from that, Sunsky is giving buyers an opportunity to save a considerable amount of money by allowing them to go for 1 case, 4 cases, and even 10 cases.
The discount is currently valid for black and blue color versions of the smartphone, which offer 4GB of RAM and a hearty 64GB of onboard storage. Despite bearing a slashed price tag on Sunsky at the moment, the S8 is crammed with astonishing specs and features.
First off, the phone sports a big 5.99 inches IPS, FHD+ display with a screen resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels. It comes with Corning glass 4 for added protection.
The S8 packs a powerful MediaTek MT6750T, 64-bit processor along with an ARM Mali-T860 MP2 GPU (graphics processing unit), under the hood. At the back, it sports a 16 megapixels+5 megapixels dual camera setup and has a 13-megapixel front camera for selfies.
The device runs on Android 7.0 Nougat operating and is backed by a robust 5,500 mAh Lithium Polymer battery. Moreover, it offers a slew of sensors including accelerometer, ambient light, proximity and a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.
You can follow this link in order to check out the full specification on Sunsky and take advantage of the massive discount offered by the site. It’s worth noting that the S8 is likely to retain its original asking price on Sunsky as soon as the promo comes to an end.
After over two months after it released Android 8.0 for the Mi A1, Xiaomi has released the kernel source code for the phone.
The release of the kernel source code is good news for those developers willing to create custom ROMs based on Android Oreo for the phone. The source code is available on GitHub.
The Mi A1 is Xiaomi’s first Android One Phone. It is actually the same phone as the Mi 5X but with stock android instead of MIUI. The phone has received positive reviews since its launch and is one of the most recommended phones in the $200 category.
The Xiaomi Mi A1 has a 5.5” FHD display, a Snapdragon 625 processor and 4GB of RAM. It is available in 32GB and 64GB variants with expandable storage.
It is just the first quarter of the year and we have seen enough phones with notched displays to last for the whole year. Despite the already high number, more are on the way. Specs have leaked for an unreleased Vivo Y85 and it reveals it will have a notched display too.
The Vivo Y85 is a mid-range phone that looks set to take on phones like Xiaomi’s new Redmi series. It has a 6.26” display with a 19:9 aspect ratio. It is powered by a Snapdragon 450 processor with 4GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB of expandable storage.
[envira-gallery id=”179901″]
Vivo has slapped dual cameras (13MP + 2MP) on the rear of the device and a 16MP sensor with AI Beauty in front for selfies. There are also additional features like AR stickers and Face Unlock.
The Vivo Y85 packs a 3260mAh battery and has Bluetooth 5.0, dual SIM support, USB 2.0 (micro) port, GPS, and Wi-Fi. It runs Android 8.1 Oreo and measures 154.81 × 75.03 × 7.89 mm.
The Huawei P20 Lite is already on sale or can be pre-ordered in some parts of Europe for between for between €326 and €423 even though the launch is still next week. Today, the price and configuration of its other siblings – the Huawei P20 and P20 Pro have been revealed.
What you get for ur money when buying the P20/P20 Pro (WEU): P20 = 5.8in, 4/128GB = 679 Euro. P20 Pro = 6.1in (not 6.01), 6/128GB = 899 Euro. no other memory variants planned for Euroland, it seems. Other regions will get more variants. Some more official shots (size comparison): pic.twitter.com/ldi9oZ9jbj
In a tweet by Roland Quandt, the Huawei P20 which will have a 5.8” screen will launch in Europe with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage for €679. The Huawei P20 Pro which has a bigger 6.1” display will also launch in Europe with 128GB of storage but 6GB of RAM with a price tag of €899.
He adds that those are the only two variants planned for Europe but other regions will get more. For example, China will likely get more storage variants of the P20 according to an already deleted TENAA listing that mentions a 4GB + 256GB model, 6GB RAM + 64GB version, and a 6GB RAM + 256GB variant in addition to the two mentioned above.
The Vivo X21 launches tomorrow but when it does, the only thing that will be new info will be its price and camera configuration seeing as most of the specs have been leaked.
Screenshots of a document were posted online yesterday and they reveal most of the details of Vivo’s upcoming flagship.
The leak confirms that the Vivo X21 will launch in two variants – a regular version with its fingerprint scanner on the back and a UD version with its fingerprint scanner underneath the display. The rest of the specs are the same.
The X21 will have a 6.28” display FHD+ display with a 19:9 aspect ratio. That aspect ratio means it will have a notch just like the OPPO R15.
A 2.2GHz octa-core processor, which is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 660 processor, will handle tasks. It will be matched with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Storage can still be expanded if you wish by up to an additional 256GB via a MicroSD card slot.
The Vivo X21 will come with Android 8.1 Oreo and pack a 3200mAh battery. It will also have Bluetooth 5.0, dual band WiFi, USB 2.0, OTG, GPS and face unlock.
The Vivo X21 UD with an in-display fingerprint scanner will be available in Ice Drill Black and Ruby Red. The regular X21 will come in the aforementioned colors in addition to Aurora White.
A Chicago-based startup called NuCurrent has sued Samsung over the alleged theft of intellectual property related to smartphone wireless charging. This is a new addition in a long line of lawsuits where Samsung gets sued for alleged theft of tech secrets from other c0mpanies.
Nucurrent’s business focuses on wireless charging technology. The company says it developed a new way to deliver fast and efficient wireless charging speeds and met with Samsung about licensing the technology. According to the complainant, the company gets invited to Samsung’s HQ in South Korea, where the two companies had discussions for several days on how the technology works and how it could benefit Samsung if put to use in the company’s smartphones.Samsung reported indicated strong interest to use the technology on the Galaxy S and Note series. Indeed, Samsung used the wireless technology on the Galaxy S7, S8 and a couple of other devices with wireless charging but the thing is, it never signed any licensing agreement with NuCurrent.
Interestingly, Samsung has a long line of lawsuits with a similar storyline, most were eventually settled out of court. In 2014, Samsung included a technology dubbed “Smart Pause” in its flagship Galaxy S4 smartphone. The feature paused the video playing on the smartphone if the viewer turned away from the screen. It was a cool feature, but it was allegedly stolen from a company called PARTEQ, in association with Queens’ University, which presented a very similar technology to Samsung well before the release of the Galaxy S4. Also, in 2016, a number of patents Samsung licensed from a semiconductor company called Tessera expired. Samsung reportedly continued using the technology without paying Tessera and rebuffed all efforts to get them to renew the licenses. Tessera eventually sued Samsung.
The list goes on and on and also include some frivolous lawsuits by patent trolls who have no tangible case but want to fleece the Korean company. There is no doubt that Samsung pays billions of dollars yearly as licensing fees for various technologies used on its devices. We can’t really say who is right or wrong here. But one thing is certain, Samsung has the financial power to get the best lawyers to defend it in court while NuCurrent may not have the financial backing to go the full length of a long trial. So, we may as well be looking at another case that would eventually be settled out of court.
It is not unusual to see phone makers release limited edition models of their phones based on pop culture. The OPPO R11 TFBOYS Edition is based on a popular boy band in China. Meizu also has a One Piece edition of the M6 Note. Huawei is joining the trend with the Nova 2s Monument Valley 2 Edition.
Monument Valley is a popular puzzle game available on Android and iOS. Made by Ustwo Games, it was a hit when it launched. Last year, the game developer released a sequel which was equally well received.
Huawei’s Nova 2s Monument Valley 2 Edition is practically the Rose Gold (Sakura Pink) version of the phone but in a special box. However, there are reports that it will also come with some customized accessories and even maybe UI.
On Monday, March 19, Vivo will launch the Vivo X21 in China, and on the 23rd, it will unveil the Vivo V9 in India. But there are more announcements on the way. Two new phones – the Vivo Y71 and Y71A have showed up on TENAA.
The Vivo Y71 (and its likely network variant, Y71A) has a 5.99” 720 x 1440 display. There is 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage that can be expanded via a MicroSD card slot. A 1.4GHz quad-core processor handles tasks.
TENAA says the phone has a single 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front facing camera. It also has a 3285mAh battery and runs Android 8.1 Oreo. It measures 155.87 × 75.74 × 7.8 (mm) and weighs 150g.
At MWC last month, Sony announced its latest flagship, the Xperia XZ2. It is already available for pre-order in various markets and even launched in Hong Kong a few days ago. However, it is not yet official in Mainland China but that may not be for long as it has been seen on TENAA.
The delay in release for Mainland China is to their advantage as the TENAA listing shows that the Xperia XZ2 headed there will have 6GB of RAM. The version unveiled in Europe has 4GB of RAM.
The rest of the TENAA specs lists a 5.7” 2160 x 1080 display, a 2.8GHz octa-core processor, and 64GB of expandable storage. It also has a 19MP rear camera and a 5MP front facing camera.
Lenovo will officially unveil the Lenovo S5 on March 20 in Beijing and ahead of the launch the company has started releasing some details of the device. The latest teaser comes from Lenovo Group’s Vice President, Chang Cheng who hinted on his Weibo page that the smartphone will come with Artificial Intelligence. The AI will be integrated with the operating system which he boasts will be as fluent as the iOS.
Artificial intelligence is turning out to be another form of marketing gimmick. The last time we checked, the Lenovo S5 would run on ZUI 3.5 OS based on Android Oreo. Google’s latest Android 8 on its own brings improved system speed, increased fluency and performance. SO we really can’t say what other tweaks Lenovo would be adding to the mix on the S5’s OS.
Lenovo S5 was recently spotted at TENAA as Lenovo K520. TENAA records show the K520 features a 5.65-inch display that supports FHD+ resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels along with an aspect ratio of 18:9. The handset is fueled by an octa-core processor that clocks at 2.0 GHz. The SoC is supported by 3 GB and 4 GB of RAM that respectively features 32 GB and 64 GB of internal storage. It will come loaded with Android 8.0 Oreo-based ZUI and packs a rear fingerprint sensor. It has a selfie camera of 8-megapixel and one of its dual camera sensors is also of 8-megapixel. The smartphone will be powered by 3,000mAh battery. The device is being positioned t take on the recently launched Redmi Note 5.
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