Leaked Meizu 15 Plus Renders & Purported Real Machine Reveal An iPhone-Like Home Button

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Mar 8, 2018

While most people are looking forward to the launch of the Huawei P20 series on March 27, Huawei will be launching a new phone before then. According to recent reports, that phone is the Huawei Y9.

The Huawei Y9 is said to launch on March 15 in Thailand and has already been seen at the FCC and Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission. Evan Blass has leaked a teaser poster of the upcoming phone and it confirms one of the features we have seen in earlier leaks.

Images of the Huawei Y9 that have surfaced show that the phone will have dual rear cameras, and the teaser confirms that. As you can see in the image above, there are two cameras at the top left corner. The Huawei Y9 is also expected to have dual front facing cameras but that isn’t teased in the poster.

Get 35% Off On Xiaomi Smart Robot Vacuum Cleaner 2nd Generation On LightInTheBox

Buy Xiaomi Smart Robot Vacuum Cleaner 2nd Generation For $439.99 On LightInTheBox [Coupon Code]

By

Vinay Patel

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Mar 8, 2018

Keeping your house clean can turn out to be a backbreaking task. Although there’s no dearth of house cleaning products in the market, they usually are inefficient or uneconomical.

If you love to keep your house dirt-free without spending a fortune, we have good news for you. LightInTheBox is currently offering a considerable 35% off on the Xiaomi Smart Robot Vacuum Cleaner 2nd Generation which is relatively more effective when it comes to keeping your home free from debris or other granules.

In other words, you can now buy the powerful Robot Vacuum Cleaner 2 by shelling out only $499.99. It’s worth noting that the device normally sells for $757.89 on LightInTheBox.
The Xiaomi-branded vacuum cleaner boasts the same functions as its predecessor i.e. the first generation. The Robot Vacuum Cleaner 2 is crammed with an array of very useful features including 2-in-1 sweep and mop, intelligent route planning and lots more.

You can save an additional $60 on the already lowered price of the Robot Vacuum Cleaner 2 by using coupon code ‘XBOTA88B’ at the time of checking out. This will bring your grand total down to only $439.99.

However, it is imperative for you to bear in mind that the aforesaid coupon code is likely to expire soon and the discount is also slated to end shortly. You can head straight to this link in order to take advantage of the promo before it wraps up and use the coupon code before it expires.

Huawei P20 Trio Stun In Official Renders

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Mar 8, 2018

The Huawei P20 launch is still a good 19 days away but by the time the launch finally comes, there will be little or nothing left that we won’t already know about the three phones.

For those who have been expecting official renders of the phones, your wish has been granted. Renowned leaker and finder of things @evleaks, has posted images of all three phones in various color variants for us to drool over before they officially launch.

The images clearly show the external differences between the Huawei P20 Lite, the Huawei P20, and the Huawei P20 Pro.

[envira-gallery id=”177633″]

Huawei P20 Lite

The least powerful of the trio is shown in two colors – Magic Night Black and Klein Blue. TENAA already revealed that it will pack a 5.84” display with a 2280 x 1080 resolution. Like the other three, its display has a notch and within it is a 24MP selfie camera.

It has the same double sided glass design as the P20 and P20 Pro but its fingerprint scanner is on the rear. Its 16MP+2MP dual rear camera combo also doesn’t have the Leica branding.

[envira-gallery id=”177635″]

Huawei P20

The Huawei P20 is also shown in Magic Night Black and a bluish-gray variant. It also has vertically arranged dual rear cameras like the P20 Lite but the configuration is currently unknown.

Apart from having its fingerprint scanner in front beneath the display, the Huawei P20 also has two holes that sit between the LEICA-branded dual cameras and the LED flash. From their size, they probably are secondary microphones.

[envira-gallery id=”177636″]

Huawei P20 Pro

The Huawei P20 Pro will be powered by the Kirin 970 like the P20 and is shown in the same colors (black and bluish-gray). Unlike the other two, it has three rear cameras which are arranged vertically. Two of the cameras are housed together while the third sits separately.

Get A Massive 63% Off On The OnePlus 5T Smartphone On LightInTheBox

Buy OnePlus 5T Smartphone For Only $536.25 On LightInTheBox

By

Vinay Patel

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Mar 8, 2018

The OnePlus 5T smartphone was launched in November, last year. As expected, the phone garnered considerable popularity among smartphone lovers, thanks to its amazing specs and features.

On the downside, the 5T smartphone came bearing a steep price tag. As a result, budget-conscious buyers were unable to get their hands on the power-packed handset. But that’s about to change.

But much to the delight of OnePlus fans who have restlessly been waiting to buy the 5T smartphone without burning a hole in their pocket, LightInTheBox is currently offering a massive 63% off on the handset’s real selling price. Let’s check out the details.

The OnePlus 5T smartphone normally sells for $1,464.73 on LightInTheBox, but as part of its Lightning Sale, the Beijing-based online retail company will be selling the coveted phone for just $536.25. However, it’s worth noting that the Lightning Sale is on the verge of wrapping up.

The 5T sports a big 6.01 inches Optic AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display with a screen resolution of 1080 x 2160 pixels. It comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for added protection.

Under the hood, it packs a powerful Qualcomm MSM8998 Snapdragon 835 processor along with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. The phone is backed by a robust Li-Po 3300 mAh battery.

You can click here to check the full specification and take advantage of the Lightning Sale before it comes to an end. It is imperative for you to bear in mind that there were only 37 pieces remaining for Lightning Sale.

OnePlus 6 AnTuTu Listing Reveals 276,510 Score; Notch Design Like iPhone X Hinted Through Benchmark Snapshots

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Mar 7, 2018

Last week, the rumor mill had unearthed leaked photos of OnePlus 6 prototype. The front view of the phone had revealed that it would be arriving with a notch design like the Apple iPhone X. The OnePlus 6 smartphone has been now spotted on AnTuTu with a very impressive benchmarking score. The screenshot of the AnTuTu benchmarks suggest that its front design will be quite similar to Apple’s first OLED iPhone.

A OnePlus device labelled as OnePlus A6000 has appeared on the benchmarking platform. Since A5000 and A5010 are respective model numbers of OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T, the A6000 that has appeared on AnTuTu is the forthcoming OnePlus 6 flagship. It has recorded an average benchmarking score of 276,510 which is slightly higher than the 273,741 AnTuTu score of the upcoming Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S. Like the Xiaomi flagship, the OnePlus 6 is also rumored to be powered by the highly potent Snapdragon 845 chipset.

The AnTuTu screenshots show that the handset will be sporting an elongated display. An interesting thing to note is the presence of an empty space right at the top of the display. This space is likely to house a notch that will separate the clock from SIIM card and battery icons present on the right.

It is speculated that the OnePlus 6 will resemble the upcoming OPPO R15 and OPPO R15 Dream Mirror edition smartphones. Hence, the OP6 may support an aspect ratio of 19:9 like the OPPO R15 duo.

The leaked images of the alleged OnePlus 6 had revealed that it may come with a glass rear that will be flanked with a vertically arranged dual camera setup. The dual lens system is not placed on the top-left corner like the iPhone X. Instead, it is positioned just above the rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.

It is known that its base model may include 64 GB of storage and 6 GB of RAM. Also, it will come loaded with Android 8.1 Oreo and the latest OxygenOS. There is no information available on the other specs of the OnePlus 6. The company is expected to announce the smartphone at the end of Q2, probably in June.

Nubia N3 Real Photos & Retail Box Appear In The Wild

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Mar 7, 2018

ZTE’s elite Nubia division seems to be cooking a new smartphone which would be known as Nubia N3. The real-life photos of the N3, as well as a photo of its retail box, has appeared online. The leaked photos gift us details of the design that would be utilised on the device as well as the key specification.

From the photos, we can grab that Nubia will utilize the full-screen design with an 18:9 aspect ratio. This is in keeping up with the growing trend which has engulfed the industry since the launch of the Galaxy S8 last year. Nubia isn’t new to this turf as the same design was featured on the Nubia Z17s which was launched last year. The device lacks a physical home button at the front even though there is enough bezel at the bottom to house one. Instead, the device will utilise virtual buttons and there is a stylish ring which identifies the virtual home button.

Part of the specs details revealed on the leaked photos is the presence of Nubia UI based on Android Nougat onboard. The device also packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset and according to the tipster, there is only one storage version with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. The Nubia N3 also sports a 6.0-inch display and will get its juice from a massive 5000mAh battery. From the charger rating, it is going to have fast charge support. We presently have no idea when this model will be launched or the price tag it would adopt.

Official Huawei P20 Video Teasers Show Rear Cameras Arranged Horizontally

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Mar 7, 2018

Earlier today, the Huawei P20 Lite was seen on TENAA, complete with specs and images. It has now been followed by official video teasers that reveal a key info about the Huawei P20 (Pro).

The first teaser was revealed yesterday and it shows the silhouette of one of the P20 phones which we think is actually the Huawei P20 Pro.

A match made in heaven. Putting professional photography within your grasp. #SeeMooore #HuaweiP20 pic.twitter.com/jSlCwuXhim

— Huawei Mobile (@HuaweiMobile) March 6, 2018

The key info the video reveals is the arrangement of the “triple cameras”. All the leaks we have seen up until this moment have shown the triple cameras are arranged vertically. However, the video shows the cameras are positioned horizontally.

You may be wondering why triple cameras have quotation marks in the paragraph above. It is because we think the Huawei P20 may actually not have three cameras or a least not all “three cameras” will be visible.

We've gone the extra distance so you can take the shortcut. All the lenses you need, in one. #SeeMooore #HuaweiP20 pic.twitter.com/GAzEeBN8Sp

— Huawei Mobile (@HuaweiMobile) March 7, 2018

There are two things that point towards that. First the heading of the second video says “We’ve gone the extra distance so you can take the shortcut. All the lenses you need, in one.”. The last sentence is what we should focus on. All the lenses you need, in one.

Then the first two seconds of the second video shows only two cameras with one being significantly larger than the other.

Our guess is that the second rear camera of the Huawei P20 combines two different types of lenses in one. Probably a telephoto lens and a wide-angle lens.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro: MIUI Update Released To Fix The Volume Drop Issue

By

Michele Ingelido

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Mar 7, 2018

Several users of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro have reported an audio-related issue with their new device on the Mi Community. In a few words, the volume of the handset goes down without any reason while using headphones. The issue does not affect the speakers of the device and it occurs only while using headphones connected via the 3.5 mm audio jack. It is a very important issue given that most of the people listen to the music with headphones on their smartphones. It seems that the issue exists since the phone has received the recent update which brought the software-based Face Unlock.

But Xiaomi is already aware of the issue and it has rolled out an update to address it. If you are having problems with the audio on your Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro, just download the latest OTA update which brings the MIUI to the number of version 9.2.5.0, and it will be fixed. If you still did not receive the OTA notification of the update, you can head to the Settings menu, choose System updates, then tap on Check for updates to force the arrival of the update. After installing it you will be able to use your headphones again with no issues.

The quick arrival of this update shows that the company is caring a lot about supporting their phones to show its professionalism to its customers. Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro is the latest midrange of the Chinese giant and it has been launched in the Indian market with a price tag of Rs. 13,999. It sports a 5.99-inch Full HD+ panel with an 18:9 aspect ratio and a Snapdragon 636 SoC by Qualcomm paired with 4 or 6 GB of RAM depending on the chosen configuration. For the first time in the Redmi Note series, there is also a dual rear camera for a better bokeh effect.

(Via)

Leaked LG G7 Neo Renders Reaffirm Premium Design With A Display Notch

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Mar 7, 2018

The LG G7 Neo was teased at the recently held Mobile World Congress 2018 even though LG didn’t officially launch it. The device is expected to feature a full-screen design with a notch on the top of the display to house the front speaker and selfie shooter. The renders were outed during the tech trade fair but here is a fresh set of renders designed by Benjamin Geskin based on the MWC leak.

The number of smartphones that would feature the notch design keeps growing by the day and the LG G7 Neo is set to join the trend which was sparked of by the iPhone X. The concept renders show both the front and rear design of the 2018 LG flagship.

At the front, the notch at the top of the display is the main standout feature but the device also seems to have a nearly bezel-less design. The notch will house the selfie camera as well as the speaker and other sensors. The left and right side of the notch will also function as notification bars. At the rear, there is a dual camera setup stacked vertically and located at the top centre. The rear cameras are accompanied by an LED flash. There is also a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.

Specs wise, the LG G7 (Neo) is said to pack a 6-inch OLED display with a resolution of 3120×1440pixlels. The device will be powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 845 chip paired with 6GB of RAM while there is up to 128GB of storage onboard. It is yet to be seen if this design will be able to win LG a sizable slice of the high-end mobile phone market share this time around.

Huawei P20 Lite Seen on TENAA, Complete with Specs and Photos

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Mar 7, 2018

The Huawei P20 Lite as finally landed at China’s communications commission (TENAA). The phone has been listed on the database and includes specs and photos.

Just like the Huawei P20 seen a few weeks ago, the Huawei P20 Lite is listed in two variants – Huawei ANE-TL00 and Huawei ANE-AL00. We know this is the P20 Lite because its codename is “Anne” and the first part of the model number reflects that.

[envira-gallery id=”177521″]

The Huawei P20 Lite has a 5.84” display with a 2280 x 1080 resolution. It is powered by a 2.36GHz octa-core processor which is most likely the Kirin 659. It also has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.

On its rear is a 16MP + 2MP combo arranged vertically with a LED flash beneath the setup. There is also a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. A generous 24MP camera sits in front for selfies.

The Huawei P20 Lite has support for up to an additional 256GB of storage via a MicroSD card slot and it runs Android 8.0 Oreo. It also packs a 2900mAh battery.

[envira-gallery id=”177531″]

The two listings show the Huawei P20 Lite in Klein Blue and Magic Night Black but it will also come in Cherry Flour (pink) and Platinum Light Gold.

The SIM tray slot is on the left of the device and is coated in blue like the rear of the phone on the Klein Blue variant. The power button and volume rocker are on the left and are black like the rest of the sides.

Nokia 7 Plus Goes On Sale In China For The First Time, Sold Out In Just 5 Minutes

By

Jeet

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Mar 7, 2018

At the Mobile World Congress 2018 in Barcelona last month, HMD Global launched Nokia 7 Plus, along with a few other phones. Today, the Nokia 7 Plus went on sale in China for the first time through online retailer JD.com. The 4GB RAM + 64GB storage model is priced at 2,299 Yuan (approximately $364) while the 6GB RAM + 64GB storage model is priced at 2,499 Yuan (approximately $395).

As per the company’s claim, it managed to sell all the available units of the phone in just 5 minutes. However, we don’t know how many units were up for grabs in this first sale. Further, the company has announced that the next sale for the Nokia 7 Plus will take place on 10th March.

The Nokia 7 Plus China edition comes with a few changes compared to the global model announced at Mobile World Congress. It features a 6-inch IPS Full HD+ display with a screen resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels. The display comes with a 500-nits brightness rating and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection.

Under the hood, the device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor paired with 4GB/6GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage. Both models come with microSD card slot, which enables users to further expand the phone’s storage capacity up to 256GB.

Coming to the camera department, the Nokia 7 Plus packs a 12-megapixel wide-angle primary camera with f/1.75 aperture and 1.4-micron pixels, as well as a 13-megapixel camera with a f/2.6 aperture, 1um pixels, and 2x optical zoom. The dual camera setup is aligned vertically and is accompanied by a dual-tone LED flash and Zeiss optics. On the front side, it features a 16-megapixel fixed focus snapper with a f/2.0 aperture, 1um pixels, and Zeiss optics.

Connectivity options on the device include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth v5.0, GPS/ A-GPS, NFC, USB Type-C (2.0). The phone runs on stock Android 8.0 Oreo operating system out-of-the-box and the company has promised that the phone will be upgraded to Android 8.1 soon. The device is fuelled by a 3,800mAh battery.

Xiaomi Mi TV 4A 32-inch, 43-inch Models Are Customized Smart TVs for India Priced at Rs. 13,999 and Rs. 22,999

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Mar 7, 2018

In the previous month, Xiaomi had launched the Mi TV 4 flagship device alongside Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro smartphones in India. Today, the company has announced budget-friendly Mi TV 4A series to disrupt the Indian TV industry. The newly unveiled Mi TV 4A series include 32-inch and 43-inch Smart TVs.

Features of 32-inch and 43-inch Mi 4A TV

The announcement of the Mi TV 4A series by Xiaomi India Product Manager for Mi TV, Sudeep Sahu was livestreamed through various social platforms. Like the Mi TV 4, the new Mi TV 4A series is equipped with PatchWall OS that offers intuitive user interface and easy access to more than 500,000+ hours of content. PatchWall is smart enough to recommend online and offline content depending on the users’ TV watching behavior. It is an upgradable OS which makes the Mi TV 4A series futureproof.

Xiaomi has partnered with numerous various content providers like Hungama Play, Sony Live, Voot, ALT Balaji, TVF, Voot Kids, Flickstree, Sun NXT and Viu to bring endless hours of entertainment across 15 different languages for Mi TV users in India our of 80 percent is available for free. Xiaomi promises to add more content to its Mi TV in the near future.

The Mi TV 4A series is powered by 64-bit Amlogic T962 quad-core processor and 1 GB of RAM. The internal storage available on both models are 8 GB. The 32-inch device has 2 USB ports, 3 HDMI ports whereas the 43-inch model has 3 USB ports, 3 HDMI ports and a S/PDIF port. Both the TVs also feature AV port, Ethernet port, Wi-Fi Connectivity and 3.5mm audio jack. To bring better and louder audio experience for users in India, the Mi TV 4A series are equipped with DTS-HD and powerful 20W dome speaker.

The 32-inch and 43-inch Mi TV 4A come with 11-button Mi remote. The Mi TV 4A series provides the comfort of using only one remote to access the contents from set-top box and online internet partners.

Both the TVs are lightweight devices that come with ergonomically designed stands. Xiaomi has preformed more than 20 kinds quality tests like appearance test, sound vibration, language test, manual check, PL and safety, compression test, normal temperature burn-in, rotary vibration and drop, chattering test, control remote, living room test, RPS review, SAFA (PL checklist) and more to ensure topnotch quality.

Xiaomi Mi TV 4A Pricing and Availability

The 32-inch and 43-inch Smart TVs from brands like Samsung, LG and Sony are respectively priced at Rs. 25,000 (~$385) to Rs. 30,000 (~$462) and Rs. 35,000 (~$539) to Rs. 45,000 (~$693). Since Xiaomi believes in building innovative products with best specifications, highest quality and honest pricing, the 32-inch and 43-inch Mi TV 4A models are respectively priced at Rs. 13,999 (~$215) and Rs. 22,999 (~$354).

The 32-inch and 43-inch Mi TV 4A will be available with an instant cashback of Rs. 2,200 (~34) with JioFi connection. Sahu has confirmed that the company is ready with adequate stock for the first sale. Also, he has claimed that the company will be carrying two sales in a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays. Starting from March 13, the Mi TV 4A will be available for buying through Mi.com, Mi Home and Flipkart.

Do you think that specs and pricing of Mi TV 4A series is good enough compel you to switch to Xiaomi’s smart TVs? Share us your views by posting your comments below.

The Huawo 6081 Is A Huawei Mate 10 Pro Clone With Wireless Charging Support

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Mar 7, 2018

Samsung and Apple’s flagships are usually the phones that are mostly cloned. But that may be changing as one Chinese manufacturer has released a phone that is a clone of the Huawei Mate 10 Pro.

The Huawo 6081, a phone manufactured by Shenzhen Zehn Technology Co. Ltd. was seen at MWC 2018 and it shares a striking resemblance to Huawei’s recent flagship.

The phone not only copies the design of the Mate 10 Pro but also comes in similar colors. It however differs when it comes to internals, though there is one key feature it has that’s unavailable on the Mate 10 Pro.

The Huawo 6081 has a 6” FHD+ INCELL display. It is powered by a MediaTek 6750T processor clocked at 1.5GHz with 4GB of RAM and 64GB ROM.

There are dual 13MP cameras on its back and an 8MP selfie camera. The Huawo 6081 also has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, NFC, and a 3200mAh battery with support for fast charging via a USB-C port.

It also has wireless charging support, a feature absent in the Mate 10 Pro. It runs Android 8.0 Oreo and is available in black, gold, blue, and gray.

HTC U12 May Have Matte White Glass Back

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Mar 7, 2018

Last year, HTC switched to a a new design called Liquid Surface which gives the phone a different color depending on the angle you are holding it.

A report from HTC Source says that the upcoming HTC U12 may sport a new design. It will still have glass on both sides like the HTC U11 and HTC U11+ but the glass on the rear will be white with a Matte finish.

It is quite difficult to achieve a matte finish with glass while keeping it durable. Ceramic is usually the material of choice if one is looking at durability and wants a matte finish ( e.g. Essential Phone Halo Gray) but mass production is difficult. However, we believe HTC already has a way to pull off the design while keeping it durable.

Specs of the HTC U12 leaked a few days ago and it mentions a 5.99 QHD+ display, a Snapdragon 845 processor, 6GB RAM and up to 256GB of storage.

Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7 Plus and Nokia 6 (2018) Are Now Included in the List of Android Enterprise Recommended Devices

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Mar 7, 2018

In the previous month, Google had launched the Android Enterprise Recommended program. It includes Google approved devices that can be used for safely used for business purpose. The list already includes couple of smartphones from various brands like BlackBerry, Google, Huawei, LG, Motorola, HMD Global (Nokia) and Sony. Today, HMD Global has confirmed that its new devices like Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7 Plus and Nokia 6 (2018) are also included in the list of other 25 Android Enterprise Recommended devices.

HMD Global is known for rolling out regular security updates to its Nokia-branded Android phones. In order to be a part of the Android Enterprise Recommended Devices, manufacturers are required to release Android security updates within 90 days after they are officially made available by Google, for a period of 3 years.

We are excited to announce that in addition to #Nokia8, we have three new smartphones, #Nokia8Sirocco, #Nokia7plus and the new #Nokia6 to be included in the #AndroidEnterprise Recommended program. https://t.co/4eISZyKmsx pic.twitter.com/oCBCcUbcMR

— Nokia Mobile (@NokiaMobile) March 5, 2018

The other prerequisites to enroll a phone as an Android Enterprise Recommended Device include it should be running on Android 7.0 Nougat or higher. Smartphone OEMs must provide zero-touch enrollment with bulk deployment to employees. These devices should be available for buying easily across the globe. Also, they must be available unlocked through the manufacturer or reseller. Also, manufacturers should a consistent application experience in managed profiles.

The Nokia 8 from last year also belongs to Android Enterprise Recommended program. The other devices that belong to this program include BlackBerry KEYOne, Motion, Google Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel, Pixel 2 XL, Huawei Mate 10, Mate 10 Pro, P10, P10 Plus, P10 Lite, P Smart, LG V30, G6, Motorola Moto X4, Moto Z2, Sony Xperia XZ1, XZ1 Compact, XZ Premium, XA2 and XA2 Ultra.

(via)

Qualcomm And Huawei Technologies Are Reportedly In Talks To Settle Patent Royalty Dispute

By

Jeet

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Mar 7, 2018

Qualcomm, which is the world’s largest mobile chipset manufacturer, is in talks with China-based Huawei Technologies in order to settle the dispute about patent royalty, reports Wall Street Journal citing people familiar with the matter.

The dispute is related to Huawei Technologies withholding a hefty amount of royalty payments to the US-based chipmaker. According to the people who are aware of the matter, both the companies are currently negotiating, which is likely to result in a settlement.

The sources further add that the settlement of this patent royalty dispute could be announced in the coming weeks. However, they are warning that there’s a possibility that the talks could fall apart and there’s no guarantee of an agreement.

Huawei Technologies was the second Qualcomm licensee to stop paying royalties after Apple ordered its contract manufacturers to stop paying money to the chipset maker. If Qualcomm manages to reach an agreement with the contract manufacturers, it could restore billions of dollars in royalty revenue.

Qualcomm, in addition to selling chips, also collects royalties for the use of its patents on several key technologies in cellular standards. This allows the company to collect a fee for almost every smartphone sold worldwide, regardless of what chip powers those phones.

However, the patent-licensing business model of Qualcomm has been under attack from companies like Apple and Huawei as well as regulatory bodies in several countries. The company was recently fined a record NT$23.4 billion ($774 million) by Taiwan’s Fair Trade Commission.

Qualcomm has also been fined $854 million in South Korea and $975 million in China. It is also facing lawsuits from Apple and the FTC in the United States. The key matter in the allegation is that Qualcomm uses its dominant position to charge unfair royalty rates.

News about the settlement talks between Qualcomm and Huawei Technologies comes at a time when Qualcomm is trying to fend off a $117 billion acquisition proposal from Broadcom. However, the U.S. government committee, which vets foreign acquisitions of US-based companies, has ordered Qualcomm to postpone its annual meeting, where the company is set to vote to replace six directors with nominees put forward by Broadcom.

(Source)

Huawei’s Kirin 670 Details Leaked: Integrated NPU, Cortex A72 & Mali G72 GPU

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Mar 7, 2018

Huawei‘s midrange models including the Honor 7X, Nova 3 and even the Honor Note 9 are all rumoured to utilize a yet-to-be-announced Hisilicon Kirin 670 chipset. Huawei’s smartphones have lately been focused on using Kirin processors and with massive improvements in its chip business, they stand at par and sometimes even ahead of their contemporaries. The Kirin 670 chip isn’t going to be an exception, considering the details of the chip as featured in a new leak.

Information from industry sources highlights the Kirin 970 as coming with an integrated AI architecture with its own Neural Processing Unit (NPU). This is the same architecture featured on the flagship Kirn 970 and it is interesting to see that Huawei is keeping to its promise to bring the AI chip to its midrange models. In addition, the midrange chipset is also said to have a CPU design housing two Cortex-A72 cores and four Cortex A-53 cores which is the same with the Kirin 950. As we already revealed several months back, the chipset will be built on a 12nm TSMC FinFet process. The chipset will also be integrated with the ARM Mali-G72 MP12 GPU which first made its debut on the Kirin 970-powered Mate 10.

Presently, Kirin 659 is the latest chip in the Kirin 6xx series and it utilizes an octa-core Cortex-A53 architecture as well as a Mali T830 MP2 GPU. Thus, there is a strong indication that this new chipset would come with a significant improvement in performance compared to its predecessor. We don’t have any idea as to when the new chipset would find its way into a launched smartphone but that won’t be too far away, going by Huawei’s leaked product roadmap