Xiaomi Mi LED TV 4 Sold Out in Less Than 10 seconds In Its First India Sales!

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Feb 22, 2018

As expected, after the update hit the units of Samsung Galaxy J5 and J7 (2017), the higher-end Samsung Galaxy A5 — both the 2016 and 2017 versions have received a new update with the latest security patches. The new update arriving through an OTA notification contains the security patch from the month of February.

Google releases a new security patch once a month, but this one is particularly important because it contains the fixes for Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities, which are among the most dangerous ever discovered on this operating system. It also contains fixes for 16 vulnerabilities found in Samsung’s software. The update for Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 and 2017 weighs about 34 MB and it started rolling out in Russia for the A5 (2016) and in the Netherlands for the A7 (2017).

It will gradually expand all around the world, so if you still did not receive the notification do not worry, it is not immediate. The build number of the update is A510FXXU5CRB2 for the 2016 version and A520FXXU4BRB1 for the A5 2017. It is still based on Android Nougat as these two handsets still do not get Oreo. Soon, the update will roll out on the main Samsung flagships as well: Galaxy S8, S8+ and Note 8.

(Via)

Photos of Fake Galaxy S9 Retail Box Seen Online

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Feb 22, 2018

About a month ago, photos of a Samsung Galaxy S9+ clone surfaced online. The clone which was seen in Shenzhen was just the first of many that would surface later. Today, it has been followed by a retail box of a fake Galaxy S9.

While it may be easy for tech heads to identify that this is a fake, an average Joe may fall for it.

The first thing that gives it away are the dimensions of the phone. The Galaxy S9 is much more smaller than the dimensions provided on the retail box. It is also expected to come with 4GB RAM and not 6GB of RAM.

Another wrong specification is the dual cameras. As we already know, only the Galaxy S9+ will come with dual rear cameras. There are also some typos in the text like the spelling for AKG which is incorrectly written as AJG.

Nokia 7 Plus Renders Surface to Reveal its Design from All Sides

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Feb 22, 2018

Nokia 7 Plus Android One smartphone is heavily pegged to get unveiled at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 tech expo in the coming week. The rumor mill had leaked a real image of the Nokia 7 Plus Android One phone. Earlier this week, popular leakster Evan Blass had leaked press renders of the smartphone. Fresh renders of the handset have surfaced once again to reveal it from all angles.

Nokia 7 Plus will be the first Android One smartphone from the Finnish company. The new renders confirm that the handset will be available in Black and White color options. Both the color variants feature orange accents along the edges of the phone as well as for the Nokia branding, fingerprint scanner and dual camera module.

The Nokia 7 smartphone that has been available exclusively in China from October 2017 features a glass and metal combination chassis. However, the Nokia 7 Plus is expected to arrive with aluminum unibody with ceramic finish.

The Nokia 7 Plus Android One phone will also be the first phone from the company to feature 18:9 aspect ratio supporting display. It is rumored to feature a 6-inch FHD+ resolution supporting screen. The Snapdragon 660 chipset will be powering the handset. The SoC will be coupled with 4 GB of RAM and it will have a native storage of 64 GB.

For shooting selfies, it will be equipped with a 16-megapixel sensor whereas the rear side is expected to feature Carl Zeiss branded 12-megapixel + 13-megapixel dual lens setup. It will be loaded with stock edition of Android 8.0 Oreo and will come with other Nokia features such as OZO Audio and Bothie photo shooting mode. It is likely to launch with a price tag of 399 euros (~$492).

What do you think about the above renders? Do you think that it should have featured a metal and glass combination chassis? Share us your views by commenting below.

(source)

New Retailers And Operators To Embrace Always-Connected Windows PCs Based On Qualcomm Snapdragon SoCs Announced

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Feb 22, 2018

Always-Connected PCs are among the most important revolutions of the hi-tech world unveiled in the last year. They are a sort of crossover between smartphones and PCs, as they are Windows 10 laptops with smartphones capabilities. Thanks to their SIM Card slot, they can surf the internet through the 4G LTE connectivity and they do not need a Wi-Fi connection to stay always connected. Qualcomm has just released a list of new retailers and mobile operators who are going to support Always-Connected PCs based on Snapdragon SoCs.

The carriers which will enable the 4G LTE connectivity for the Always-Connected PCs are CMCC (China Mobile Communications Corporation), Transatel (France), Cubic (Ireland), Telefònica (Spain), Swisscom (Switzerland), T-Mobile and AT&T (U.S.). Besides these operators, there will be the ones which have already been announced at the Consumer Electronics Show back in January. Further, the retailers who are selling the first Always-Connected PCs have been announced as well. They will be Amazon and Microsoft Store in the U.S. and Australia, JD.com in China, Unieuro in Italy, Boulanger and Fnac In France, and several stores in the U.K. (Asus Store, BT Shop, John Lewis, Microsoft Store, PC World).

Three different Always-Connected Windows 10 PCs based on Qualcomm’s chipsets have already been unveiled until now. We are talking about the Lenovo Miix 63 2-in-1 convertible laptop, the Asus Nova Go, and a new version of the Envy x2 by HP, which, according to the company, will offer a great battery life. Each of these laptops is powered by the octa-core Snapdragon 835 chipset, the best Qualcomm’s SoC of 2017. It has a max frequency of 2.45 GHz and it should run Windows 10 pretty well, even though it will not be at the same level as the best Intel Core i5 and i7 CPUs. All these PCs are expected to hit the shelves in 2018.

(Via)

Samsung Galaxy J5 and J7 (2017) Updated With The February Security Patch

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Feb 22, 2018

If you own a Samsung Galaxy J5 or a Galaxy J7 (2017), you may start seeing a new pop up on your notification bar. It is a new OTA update which focuses on security. The new firmware update contains the security patch from the month of February, so the latest one released by Google. In case you do not know, Big G releases these patches every month to fix the vulnerabilities of its operating system.

The patch for the month of February is very important because it fixes Spectre and Meltdown, which are among the most dangerous vulnerabilities ever discovered on Android and Windows. The update for Samsung Galaxy J5 and J7 (2017) comes right after the one for Galaxy XCover 4 and Galaxy A5 (2017), and it should arrive soon to flagships as well (Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8).

Besides the February security patch, the update also includes fixes for 16 vulnerabilities present in Samsung’s software. The new update brings the version number to J530FXXU2ARB2M on the Samsung Galaxy J5 (2017) and to J727UUEU3ARB1 on the Galaxy J7 (2017). It is also possible to manually download the two firmwares in case you want to flash them manually: to do so, just head to the links below.

(Source, Download (J7), Download (J5))

Honor View 10 and Huawei Mate 10 Pro Get The Official TWRP and LineageOS 15.1

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Feb 22, 2018

Smartphones with Snapdragon SoCs are considered the best ones for modding, as there are generally many more custom ROMs and recoveries for these handsets if we compare them with the smartphones with other chipsets. But this does not mean that modding cannot be done with other phones, like the ones by Huawei with their Kirin processors. The best flagships by Honor and Huawei: Honor View 10 and Huawei Mate 10 Pro, have just received the support to the official TWRP custom recovery and LineageOS 15.1.

Thanks to the official TWRP which is now possible to install on Huawei Mate 10 Pro and Honor View 10, these phones will be able to run many custom ROMs, and LineageOS 15.1 will be among the best ones that the users will be able to install. It is worth noting that the handsets also support Project Treble since they run Android 8.0 Oreo, and it means that AOSP ROMs can be easily ported to them. There is just an issue on LineageOS 15.1 for Honor View 10 and Huawei Mate 10 Pro: the wireless display feature does not work. So, if you install this custom ROM you will not be able to connect your device to an external monitor via Wi-Fi.

According to the developer who realized the ROM for Honor View 10 and Huawei Mate 10 Pro, all the rest of the features work properly. But keep in mind that it is not an official version, even though all the features present in the official release are included. The steps to install LineageOS 15.1 on the two high-end devices are slightly different from the usual. If you want to get all the instructions to install the custom ROM, just head to the source link below.

Will you try to mod your Huawei devices or the standard EMUI 8.0 based on Android Oreo is the perfect ROM for you?

(Source)

Sony Xperia Flagship Visits Geekbench With SD845, 4 GB RAM

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Feb 22, 2018

Another Sony Xperia flagship has been spotted in the database of the benchmarking platform Geekbench. It is the second time that we see a flagship from the Japanese company on Geekbench with exactly the same specs, but its model number is different from the one of the last sighting. The device which has been spotted on Geekbench in late December was identified by the model number H8266 and it was rumored to be the Xperia XZ2. Instead, the new device spotted has the model number 90QB16R: we may be talking about the Xperia XZ2 Compact.

It has exactly the same hardware side, but the scores obtained on Geekbench is slightly lower than the one obtained by the alleged Sony Xperia XZ2. In single-core performances, the H8266 has scored 2393 points, while the 90QB16R has scored 2367 points. In multi-core, the score for the first variant was 8300, while 90QB16R scored 8255 points. Both the phone have the octa-core Snapdragon 845 chipset by Qualcomm, the most powerful released until now, together with the Exynos 9810 which will be in the European version of the Samsung Galaxy S9. The SD845 is paired with 4 GB of RAM: these specs confirm the recent leaks.

The operating system installed on both the handsets is Android 8.0 Oreo, and it is obvious saw that we are talking about Sony devices which are among the first to be released with the latest Android versions. Sony Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact will officially be unveiled in a few days, at MWC 2018 which will be held in Barcelona. They are expected to come with 18:9 displays as Sony has promised to abandon its OmniBalance design for its flagships. The fingerprint reader will be probably placed on the rear side, unlike the predecessors, just like the new Xperia XA2 series. A Pro version of the XZ2 is rumored to come alongside these devices, with the first 4K OLED display ever seen on a phone.(

(Via)

iOS 11.2.6 Update Fixes The Indian Character Bug On iPhones And iPads

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Feb 22, 2018

One of the most dangerous bugs related to iOS devices and Apple PCs has been discovered recently. A simple Indian character forced iPhones to crash: this symbol from the Telugu language, if sent on a messaging application or via e-mail, is able to crash iPhones and iPads. In the worst cases, the character caused the devices’ to boot loop.

To recover their iPhones in bootloop, the users had to reset them in DFU mode via PC, by using iTunes. The reset caused the loss of all the data contained in the devices. But thanks to a new iOS update which has been rolled out by Apple, the issue is finally fixed. The new update brings the number of version to 11.2.6 and its size is 163.2 MB. It is just a minor update released to fix some bugs, so do not expect new features. But it is highly recommended to install it, because if someone sends you the specific Indian language character, you may see your device go in bootloop and you will not be able to do anything to avoid it.

iOS 11.2.6 fixes the Indian character bug pic.twitter.com/ZCrYNVAu49

— m a t t e y e u x (@matteyeux) February 19, 2018

According to the official changelog by Apple, the update to iOS 11.2.6 fixes an issue where using certain character sequences could cause apps to crash. It clearly refers to the Indian character bug, and it has also been confirmed on Twitter by users who have just installed the new update. There is just another detail in the changelog which says that the update fixes an issue where some third-party apps could fail to connect to external accessories.

(Via)

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro AnTuTu Score vs Mi 5 vs Mi 6 vs Redmi Note 5: SD 636 on Par With SD 820!

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Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 22, 2018

Xiaomi officially launched the Redmi Note 5 in India on February 14 and along with it came the relatively new Redmi Note 5 Pro. The Redmi Note 5 was Xiaomi’s first full-screen smartphone that featured a dual camera setup. Apart from that, the Redmi Note 5 Pro scored another first, being the first Xiaomi model and indeed the first smartphone globally to pack a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor.

The performance of the Redmi Note 5 Pro has now been revealed and the performance of the CPU is something interesting. According to AnTuTu benchmark result and a couple of other benchmarking apps, the Snapdragon 636 chip onboard the Redmi Note 5 Pro is slightly more powerful than the flagship Snapdragon 820 processor. Snapdragon 636 is designed using the Octa-core Kyro 260 CPU architecture and is built on a 14nm silicon wafer. The mobile processor is clocked at 1.8GHz and is paired with an Adreno 509 GPU. The new processor also comes with support for Bluetooth 5.0. The CPU is composed of four large Cortex A73 cores and four Cortex A53 cores clocked at 1.6GHz.

Now to the AnTuTu benchmark score, the Redmi Note 5 Pro scored 112,649 while the Mi 5 which runs on a Snapdragon 820 flagship chip scored 128,339 which is very close to the Note 5 Pro’s score. The Redmi Note 5 Pro overall score also surpasses those of the Snapdragon 650-powered Redmi Note 3 and the Snapdragon 625-powered Redmi Note 5 Pro. However, the Snapdragon 660 still remains king of the mid-rangers, pulling a higher score than the SD 636 and SD 820.

From the look of things, the CPU is very powerful but the device’s GPU seems to be deficient as that is what brought down the overall AnTuTu score of the Redmi Note 5 Pro. As a reminder, the Snapdragon 636 chipset comes with the Adreno 509 GPU. In other benchmark tests such as Basemark OS II, Google Octane 2.0 and JetStream 1.1 Java performance test, the Snapdragon 636 is almost on par with the Snapdragon 820 flagship SoC and in some test where the GPU is not tested, it surpasses the SD 820’s score. Thus, the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor holds the potential to be a great SoC but that GPU? Maybe it isn’t too bad after all, but it is a let down for such a powerful mid-range chip.

(source)

CAT S61 Launches With Improved FLIR Thermal Camera & Snapdragon 630

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Feb 22, 2018

Cat has announced a successor to its S60 rugged phone. The new Cat S61 has an improved FLIR® thermal camera and an upgraded processor.

The Cat S61 is manufactured by Bullitt Group. It has a 5.2” FHD display with Gorilla Glass 5 which has been optimized for outdoor use. There is a Snapdragon 630 under the rubberized back along with 4GB of RAM and 64Gb of storage.

The rear camera is a 16MP sensor and up in front is an 8MP sensor. The upgraded FLIR sensor can now read temperatures up to 400°C and also supports live-streaming.

A 4500mAh battery powers the phone and it has support for Quick Charge 4.0. It is also water resistant up to 3m for 60 minutes (including salt water) and has Mil-Spec 810G credentials.

The S61 also comes with an air quality sensor that can detect the level of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in their environment. An alert system warns users when VOCs reach an unhealthy levels. The sensor is said to be capable of reading humidity and temperature too.

Xiaomi Mi Band 3 On The Way, Gets Bluetooth Certification

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Feb 22, 2018

We have been expecting a sequel to Xiaomi’s Mi Band 2 for more than a year but all we have got have been special editions. Today, we finally get our first confirmation of the existence of the Mi Band 3.

The upcoming fitness tracker just got Bluetooth certified earlier today. Although, the certification doesn’t reveal any key specs, we can still make out some important info.

The Mi Band 3’s model number is listed as XMSH05HM and is said to support Bluetooth 4.2 LE (Low Energy). Production is still handled by Anhui Huami Information Technology Co. Ltd (Huami).

A lot about the design and specifications of the Mi band 3 are still unknown but it should come with some of the default features such as a heart rate sensor, pedometer, and calorie counter.

Huawei MediaPad M5 10 Pro Fresh Renders Appear with Key Specs Ahead of MWC 2018 Unveil

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Feb 22, 2018

Huawei is expected to announce the MediaPad M5 8, MediaPad M5 10 and MediaPad M5 10 Pro at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 in the coming week. Popular leakster Roland Quandt has been consistently revealing leaked information of these tablets. Quandt has today shared fresh renders of the high-end MediaPad M5 10 Pro tablet.

The MediaPad M5 10 Pro is codenamed as Cameron Pro. According to the leakster, the 10-inch high-end tablet will be supporting screen resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels. It indicates that it will be offering an aspect ratio of 16:10.

He has added the slate will be available in 32 GB and 64 GB storage models. Both the variants will be featuring 4 GB of RAM. Previous leaks have suggested that it features Kirin 960 chipset that powered the Mate 9 series and P9 series flagship phones. The device is expected to run on Android 8.0 Oreo.

The MediaPad M5 10 Pro can be seen placed inside an official Keyboard Folio Cover. The leakster claims since there is a large cutout for the rear camera, it seems the tablet will possess impressive photography capabilities. The home button of the tablet is embedded with a fingerprint sensor. The leakster had revealed earlier in this month that the M5 10 Pro will carry support for M-Pen stylus and LTE connectivity. It is expected to launch with a price tag of 520 euros (~$639).

What do you think about the design of the Huawei Media Pad M5 10 Pro. Share us your views by commenting below.

(source 1, 2)

Xiaomi Mi A2 (6X) Concept Boasts Marvelous Full Screen Design

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Feb 22, 2018

In September 2017, Xiaomi had launched the Mi 5X smartphone exclusively in China. The very same handset was made available internationally as Mi A1, the first Android One phone from Xiaomi. Rumors are rife that the company has already started working on Mi 6X. Previous leaks have already revealed what sort of design it will be arriving with. Just like Mi A1, the Mi 6X is pegged to launch internationally as Mi A2. Designers at Tech Configurations have created a concept model of the Mi A2 based on the rumors surrounding it.

The Xiaomi Mi A2 concept model can be seen sporting a full screen design. The side bezels are thin, and the upper and lower bezels are thinner than Mi A1. The upper bezel features a 20-megapixel selfie camera that is coupled with an LED flash. It is equipped with f/2.2 aperture and Smart Beauty 4.0 like the Redmi Note 5 Pro for snapping enhanced selfie shots with AI.

The antenna bands are located on the upper and bottom edges of the rear panel. The fingerprint scanner is also residing on the backside of the Mi A1 concept. The vertically arranged dual camera sensors are separated by an LED flash. It features a 12-megapixel sensor and 5-megapixel sensor. It is enabled with features like f/2.2 aperture lens, PDAF and OIS. The 6-inch display of the Mi A2 concept phone supports FHD+ resolution and 18:9 aspect ratio.

The Mi A2 concept model suggests that the actual device will be either powered by Surge S2, the upcoming in-house chipset from Xiaomi or the Snapdragon 636 that has been introduced through the Redmi Note 5 Pro. The 32 GB and 64 GB storage models of the Mi A2 concept phone respectively feature 4 GB and 6 GB of RAM.

The bottom side of the phone features a 3.5mm audio jack, USB-C and an external speaker. The concept model has three color variants such as Silver, Red and Black.

As of this writing, there is no concrete information available on the launch date and pricing of Mi 6X (A2).

Do you think that the actual Mi A2 will look like the concept model shown above? Share us your views by posting your comments below.

ARM Technologies Announces iSIM for IoT Devices

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Feb 22, 2018

Last year Apple launched the Apple Watch Series 3 with an embedded SIM (eSIM). The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL also come with eSIMs. This new SIM technology replaces the current SIM cards we use. Yesterday, ARM introduced iSIM- a similar technology but for IoT devices.

The integrated SIM (iSIM) will provide a way for IoT devices to have cellular identities. The new technology is also said to be GSMA Embedded SIM Specifications compliant.

Wondering how it is different from eSIM? Unlike an eSIM which is separate from the device’s main chipset and modem, iSIM combines everything into a single SoC.

So you have the main processor, modem, and SIM as a single component. ARM says the SIM is stored in a secure enclave with enhanced hardware security like its Arm CryptoIsland.

The advantage this brings is a significant reduction in production cost.

Samsung Building New 7nm Foundry, Announces Partnership With Qualcomm for 7nm 5G Chips

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Feb 22, 2018

Samsung’s semi-conductor and foundry business is one of its most profitable ventures. However, it didn’t get into the 7nm race early, leading to Taiwan’s TSMC getting the upper hand.

Samsung wants to play catch up and has announced the building of a new foundry which will use Extreme Ultra Violet (EUV) process for production of 7nm chips.

The new foundry will be located in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, and will begin mass production next year.

In a related news, Samsung today announced that its partnership with Qualcomm will be expanded thanks to the new EUV process technology which will be used to manufacture Qualcomm’s 5G mobile chipsets next year.

The EUV process brings a number of advantages for chip production and performance. First, the chip is smaller than previous generation ones which means device manufacturers will be able to design much slimmer devices or increase battery capacities due to the additional space.

Samsung says the process technology also reduces the complexity associated with production and has a greater yield than 10nm FinFET process. Chips produced using the process will also have a 10% increase in performance and a 35% reduction in power consumption.

TSMC on the other hand will still use FinFET for its own 7nm chips. However, its early foray into 7nm production means that it will handle production of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 chip.

As Qualcomm Raises Bid To Acquire NXP, Broadcom Lowers Its Offer For Qualcomm

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Jeet

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Feb 22, 2018

About a week ago, the leaders of Qualcomm met with Broadcom’s team to discuss the $121 billion acquisition offer. While the results of that meet have not been made public, Broadcom now has a new offer for Qualcomm’s acquisition.

Broadcom has shaved off $3 per share from its takeover bid for Qualcomm, reducing the share’s pricing to $79 a share. However, the price still remains nearly 13 percent above Broadcom’s original offer of $70 per share.

This new offer comes after Broadcom objected to Qualcomm’s decision to raise its own bid for the acquisition of NXP Semiconductors to $44 billion. In response to this new offer, Qualcomm said that Broadcom had made “an inadequate offer even worse”.

Qualcomm increased its offer price for NXP to $127.50 a share from $110 to increase support for the deal among NXP’s shareholders. The move seems to have worked as the company said that investors who roughly control about 28 percent of NXP’s shares, who had opposed the company’s initial offer as being too low, have now agreed to tender their shares.

Under the new terms agreed with NXP’s board, the deal with Qualcomm is contingent on 70 percent of NXP’s shares being tendered, instead of the 80 percent threshold in the earlier agreement. Once the threshold is reached, Qualcomm can take over the entire company through a “second-step” transaction mechanism.

In a statement, Broadcom said, “Qualcomm’s board acted against the best interests of its stockholders by unilaterally transferring excessive value to NXP’s activist stockholders.” The company also added that its bid would automatically rise again to $82 if Qualcomm failed to complete its purchase of NXP. Broadcom also criticized Qualcomm on Wednesday for not liaising with it before raising its NXP bid.

However, Qualcomm defended its move to increase the value of the NXP deal, arguing that it would expand the company’s markets and offer cost savings. Research analysts now believe that this move raises the chances that the San Diego-based chipmaker will buy NXP and lowers the chances of a Broadcom-Qualcomm deal.

Huawei P20 Multiple Live Shots Reveal Surprising Design, Lacks Triple Lens Camera

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