Samsung Launches ISOCELL Dual: Better Dual Cameras For Non-Flagship Smartphones

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Feb 7, 2018

Yesterday, Samsung announced ISOCELL Dual, its total dual camera solution for entry level and mid-range devices. The camera solution brings flagship bokeh and low-light shooting to non-flagship smartphones.

What ISOCELL Dual does is to reduce the time it takes for OEMs to optimize camera sensors and the algorithm software required for the sensors. ISOCELL Dual is a combination of both the hardware and the sensor-optimization software. Think of it as a ready-to-use dual camera system.

For refocusing (bokeh) Samsung’s ISOCELL Dual will make use of one 13MP sensor and a 5MP sensor. On the other hand, low-light shooting will have two 8MP sensors. Depending on the one the OEM chooses, integration is supposed to be simple.

It is not much of a surprise that Samsung has provided a solution for non-flagship phones with dual cameras. After taking its time before joining the dual camera train itself, it has also come up with a solution for clients who use its sensors in their devices.

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Two mysterious Nokia phones certified in Russia

By

Michele Ingelido

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Feb 7, 2018

HMD Global recently confirmed with a teaser image that it will hold an event at MWC 2018, which will reveal a new chapter of Nokia’s history. This teaser leaves us with no doubt: new important Nokia phones are going to be showcased at the most important trade show of the year for mobile devices. Now, two new devices by the Finnish company have been certified in Russia. Sadly, no info has been revealed about these devices, except their model numbers: TA-1043 and TA-1046. Probably the Nokia 8 Sirocco is not one of these devices, as its name has been trademarked with the model number TA-1005.

And maybe we are not even talking about the Nokia 1, the rumored entry-level handset which is said to launch with Android Go, a light version of the Android operating system for phones with a low amount of RAM (less than 1 GB). The Nokia 1 has allegedly been certified by the American FCC with the model number TA-1056.

So, which are the models certified in Russia? Among the most reliable hypotheses, there is Nokia 7 Plus, which should be the most advanced mid-range HMD Global’s smartphone, at least for the first half of 2017.

According to an advertising material that recently surfaced online, it will be the first phone by the company to sport a display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The handset is rumored to come with a back cover made of ceramic and a metal frame. On the hardware side, there should be an octa-core Snapdragon 660 SoC by Qualcomm, paired with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage. The rear side should house a dual camera in a vertical configuration with resolutions of 12 and 13 MP, Carl Zeiss lens and 2x optical zoom. Under the camera, there will be a circular fingerprint reader.

We will probably know more about the certified devices in the next few weeks.

(Via)

Meizu Wants 10 Testers For Its Upcoming Gaming Phone: Is It The Meizu E3?

By

Michele Ingelido

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Feb 7, 2018

After the success of Razer Phone, other smartphone manufacturers seem to be planning to release new gaming smartphones. A few days ago Nubia’s CEO confirmed that the Chinese company will release a handset dedicated to games, and now it looks like even Meizu is interested. The company has just announced through a poster that it is looking for 10 testers for its upcoming gaming smartphone, which will belong to the Blue Charm line-up. The applications opened today, February 7, and they will close on March 7: in this period, 10 people will be selected and the company will send them a free sample of the phone to test.

The 10 testers will be asked to evaluate the performance of the Meizu device and to write a full review of the handset; then, they can keep the phone as a reward for their work. Unfortunately, the company did not reveal the name of the handset. If we consider the latest rumors and leaks, it may be the Meizu E3, as it is the only device for which there are rumors besides Meizu 15 and 15 Plus, which will unlikely be gaming phones.

According to the company, the gaming smartphone will support Game Mode 2.0, a special mode which will enhance the performance of the phone for gaming. Meizu phones from the E series have never been flagships, so, even if Meizu E3 is the phone we are talking about , it is hard to believe that it will be a gaming phone with stunning performance. According to some leaks surfaced about this phone, it will have an 18:9 display with narrow bezels and a full metal unibody design. It is also expected to sport a dual camera setup in a vertical configuration. Sadly, we do not know anything about its hardware side.

(Via)

ZTE Blade V9 Will Be Announced At MWC 2018 With Affordable Pricing: Rumour

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 7, 2018

ZTE‘s Blade series is the company’s mid-range /budget segment and the Blade V9 is set o be the next model that would be unveiled from that angle. ZTE Blade V9 has been a regular in the rumour mill and in reality, the device was spotted last when it was certified by the US FCC, showing that the device will soon be launched. A new rumour has now surfaced which alleges that the Blade V9 would be announced at MWC 2018.

That means we’ll be seeing the Blade V9 later this month since MWC 2018 holds from February 27 in Barcelona, Spain.The source of this rumour also disclosed that the Blade V9 would come at a very affordable price and is expected to be considered as ZTE’ budget phone. Unfortunately, no exact figure was revealed concerning the price tag it would feature.

The Blade V9 is expected to be ZTE’s first smartphone with an 18:9 display aspect ratio. The device is expected to feature an all-glass body both at the front and back, with its display standing at 5.7 inches. The device will feature a Full HD+ resolution with the 18:9 aspect ratio. The device would be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 processor and there would be three RAM sizes of 2GB, 3GB, and 4GB. The device will also come in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB storage variants. At the rear, the ZTE Blade V9 will pack a dual camera setup consisting of a 16MP primary sensor with autofocus, an LED flash, and a f/1.8 aperture, and a secondary 5MP fixed-focus sensor. Up front, there would be a 13MP camera. Other details include; a 3.5mm headphone jack, a hybrid SIM slot, a rear fingerprint sensor, and a 3,200mAh battery.

(source)

ASUS Zenfone 5 To Have Notch In Its Display

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Feb 7, 2018

If you don’t like the notch in the iPhone X, you may want to ignore a lot of the phones coming out this year. There are multiple devices reported to be coming with the new display style and more will join as the year rolls by. According to popular leaker Roland Quandt, the ASUS Zenfone 5 will be joining the bandwagon.

2018 will be the "year of the notch". (Just not for Samsung.) You'll see at MWC. #ZenFone5

— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) February 7, 2018

For those who are confused, this is most definitely another member of the Zenfone 5 series seeing as renders of a Zenfone 5 surfaced last week and that didn’t sport a notch. Or to better explain it, this is the Zenfone 5 being referred to while last week’s model will likely launch with the Max suffix.

Like last year’s Zenfone 4, the Zenfone 5 should sport mid-range specs such as a Snapdragon 660 processor and dual rear cameras. However, it will ditch the traditional 16:9 aspect ratio.

Other phones that are expected to feature a notch include the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S, the Huawei P20 Lite, Doogee V, and Vivo X30. There is an unconfirmed Nubia phone too but with a notch like that of the Essential PH-1.

The new Zenfone series are scheduled to arrive at MWC 2018. It should include Pro, Max, and Selfie versions.

(Source)

Nubia Flagship With Essential-like Notch And Amazing Screen To Body Ratio Leaked: Should Be Nubia Z19!

By

Michele Ingelido

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Feb 7, 2018

The schematics of a new Nubia model has just been leaked showing off one of the best screen to body ratios we’ve seen in recent times. The phone’s amazing design should be an indication of its flagship status, which means it’s likely the upcoming Nubia Z19, which will succeed the Z17S that was launched last year. The handset made its appearance in new images surfaced on Slashleaks. They are not official pictures, but they kind of confirm some previous leaks which were showing a similar design. According to the images, the device has a very high screen-to-body ratio, with an Essential Phone-like notch that houses a single front camera.

The front camera is surrounded by a red ring. The bezels are very narrow: there is a very thin one on the upper part of the front panel and a thicker one at the bottom, while on the sides they seem non-existent. The back of the alleged Nubia Z19 seems to be made of glass as there are no antenna bands on it, while the frame should be made of aluminium. On the rear side there is a dual camera setup in a horizontal configuration, and under it, we can see a fingerprint reader. The volume rocker and the power key are placed on the right side, while under the phone there is a speaker grille, a microphone, and a USB Type-C port to charge the battery.

There seems to be a headphone jack on the top, but its shape is a bit weird: it may be an IR sensor to use the smartphone as a remote control for TVs. Nubia Z19 is expected to be launched in the first half of this year with the best SoC that will be available in the Android market, SD845.

Nubia flagships usually offer amazing value for money. So, would you consider the Z19 if it sports such a design?

(Source)

OnePlus 5 Gets Custom Fitted 8000mAh Battery, Bumps Battery Life To 3 Days

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Feb 7, 2018

There are companies that make battery cases for phones but they are usually limited to flagships from brands like Samsung and Apple, leaving out other smartphone brands. Notwithstanding, we have seen a few of these less popular brands get fitted with custom batteries by folks in China. This time around, the OnePlus 5 is the one getting this customization.

The OnePlus 5 has a 3300mAh battery and this is around the standard capacity found in most flagships. And with dash charging, you can be back to talking and browsing in less time than most phones. Now, imagine swapping that battery out for an 8,000mAh one. That’s a huge bump literally and figuratively.

[envira-gallery id=”172097″]

Someone was able to pull it off successfully in China and has provided images. One of the pictures even shows the phone still supports OnePlus’ Dash Charge. According to the owner, battery life increased from one full day to three days on a single charge. Impressive right?

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IDC Report 2017: China Suffers 5% Decline in Smartphone Market

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Feb 7, 2018

At the beginning of the year, a few Chinese smartphone manufacturers had revealed during their new year presentation that the domestic market had recorded less sales in 2017. Popular market intelligence firm, IDC has corroborated the statement with their report for Q4 2017 and 2017 as a whole.

According to the firm, the market suffered a 15.7% decline in Q4 2017 and 4.9% for the whole year when compared to the same period in 2016. Q4 shipments amounted to 114.3 million units, leading to 444.3 million units shipped in 2017 as against 467.3 million in 2016.

Nevertheless, the top manufacturers still recorded an increase in market share for the quarter and for the whole year. Apple increased its market share from 11% in Q4 2016 to 12.9% in 2017. Huawei, OPPO, and Vivo did the same but the biggest success was recorded by Xiaomi who nearly doubled its market share from 7.4% to 13.9%.

Huawei still holds the largest market share in its home country and shipped a total of 90.9 million smartphones thanks to the success of its budget smartphones. It is followed by OPPO and Vivo with 80.5 and 68.6 million shipments for the year. Xiaomi is 4th, ahead of Apple with a 12.4% market share and 55.1 million units shipped.

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Samsung Galaxy C10 AnTuTu Listing Appears; Launch Seems Imminent

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 7, 2018

Samsung was speculated to launch the Galaxy C10 smartphone in the third quarter in 2017. It was expected to launch as the first Samsung phone with dual rear cameras. However, the South Korean company did not unveil it last year. Previous rumors have claimed that the Galaxy C10 has a model number of SM-C9150. Since a Samsung phone with the same model number has shown up AnTuTu benchmarking site, it seems that the arrival of Galaxy C10 is drawing near.

Early rumors from the start of the previous year had claimed that the Galaxy C10 (SM-C9100) and Galaxy C10 Plus (SM-C9150) will be launching together. However, a well-known tipster had later claimed that Samsung had killed the SM-C9100 project and a recent tweet from the same leakster states that the Galaxy C10 Plus moniker has been dropped. Hence, the SM-C9150 is likely to launch as Galaxy C10.

Not C10 Plus , that's canceled. https://t.co/89aOmHd877

— 萌萌的电教 (@MMDDJ_) February 7, 2018

The AnTuTu listing of SM-C9150 has revealed that it will come pre-installed with Android 7.1.1 Nougat. As previous rumors have claimed, it is fueled by Snapdragon 660 and 6 GB of RAM. Its display will be support full HD resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels which suggests that the handset won’t be featuring the trendy full screen design. Lastly, the AnTuTu has also revealed that it has an internal storage of 64 GB.

The renders of the Galaxy C10 have suggested that it will be arriving with a vertically arranged dual camera setup on its back panel. Since the C10 is expected to arrive with a 16:9 aspect ratio screen of 6 inches, it is likely to feature a front-mounted fingerprint scanner. It is rumored to come with a huge battery of 4,000mAh capacity.

Rumors from last year have claimed that the handset may be priced around 3,499 Yuan (~$560). It is expected to come in colors like Rose Gold, Pink and Black. As of this writing, there is no information available on the launch date of the Galaxy C10.

(source)

ASUS ZenFone 5 Concept Renders Reveal New Full Screen Design, iPhone X-Style Dual Cameras

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 7, 2018

ASUS will be unleashing ZenFone 5 series smartphones through a press meet on Feb. 27 at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018. Some information of the upcoming smartphones like ZenFone 5, ZenFone 5 Max and ZenFone 5 Lite have surfaced in the previous month. Concept renders of the ASUS ZenFone 5 have surfaced to reveal its attractive design.

ASUS has already launched the Pegasus 4S smartphone as its first full screen design smartphone. Later, the same smartphone was launched with slight modifications as ZenFone Max Plus (M1) in other markets. It is likely that the all the smartphones belonging to the ZenFone 5 series may arrive with full screen design.

The ZenFone 5 concept model features an aluminum frame that is flanked with glass panels on both sides. The full screen design smartphone features an S-IPS display of 5.5 inches that supports an aspect ratio of 18:9. It offers QHD+ resolution of 1440 x 2880 pixels. The screen will be shielded by Gorilla Glass 5.

The Snapdragon 660 chipset powers the 32 GB storage + 4 GB RAM and 64 GB storage + 6 GB RAM variants of the ZenFone 5. It also features a microSD card slot. The handset will arrive with Android 8.0 Oreo pre-installed.

The rear side of the phone houses a vertically arranged 16-megapixel dual camera setup with f/1.8 aperture and LED flash. It is likely to come with a 13-megapixel snapper. The other features available on the handset include 3.5mm audio jack, microUSB and rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. The concept model is driven by a 5,000mAh battery. It carries support for Quick Charge 4.0 and reverse charging. The three color variants of the ZenFone 5 Concept render includes White/Silver, Blue and Gold. It is priced at 350 euros ($433).

The aforementioned of the ZenFone 5 concept model differs from the recently spotted ASUS ZenFone 5 X00PD model that features a larger 5.7-inch display. It includes Snapdragon 430 and 3 GB of RAM. Last year, ASUS had launched the ZenFone 4 with Snapdragon 630 whereas the Snapdragon 430 chipset were present inside ZenFone 4 Max and ZenFone 4 Selfie. Leaked information has revealed that the ZenFone 5 Max has a model number of X00QD. Hence, the X00PD phone could be ZenFone 5 Selfie as it features dual selfie snappers.

(source)

Huawei P20 Lite Schematics, Key Details Leaked Through FCC Data

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 7, 2018

Huawei will be present at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 that will be held later this month, but it is unlikely to announce the Huawei P11/P20 series flagship phones. The next-generation P series flagships are rumored to get announced through a dedicated launch event in Europe in April. Around a week ago, reliable tipster Roland Quandt had revealed that the upcoming Huawei P20, P20 Plus and P20 Lite are respectively codenamed as Emily, Charlotte and Anne. Today, the leakster has managed to reveal information like dimensions and some specs through the FCC listing of the Anne handset.

According to FCC ID QISANE-LX1 listing, the Huawei P20 Lite has a model number of ANE-LX1. This very same smartphone was found benchmarked in the HTML5test in the previous month. It had revealed that the handset supports an aspect ratio of 19:9 and a screen resolution of 1,080 x 2,280 pixels. This indicates that the P20 Lite is likely to arrive with an iPhone X-like notch. If the lower specced P20 Lite will be coming with such a design, it is very likely that the Huawei P20 and P20 Plus smartphones will be also sporting the same appearance.

The leaked information from the FCC listing of Huawei P20 Lite has revealed that the handset measures 148 x 70mm. The handset is a bit taller than the iPhone X that measures 143.6 x 70.9 mm. This suggests that the handset may feature a 6-inch display. The rear side of the smartphone features a vertically stacked triple camera setup certified by Leica. It has been also found that the handset is running on Android 8.0 Oreo and it is packed with a 2,900mAh battery with support for 18W charging. Other features that have been revealed through FCC listing are support for microSD card, dual-SIM and Wi-Fi 802.11n.

Huawei had recently showcased its advanced 3D facial recognition technology. Rumors suggest that the upcoming P20 series may feature 3D facial recognition like iPhone X. Hence, there is a possibility that P20 Lite and other P series may lack fingerprint scanner. The flagship P series phones are rumored to feature Kirin 970 chipset and 6 GB of RAM.

As mentioned above, Huawei are unlikely to unveil any new smartphones at MWC 2018. However, the Chinese firm is expected to announce other devices like Huawei MediaPad 5 (2018).

(source)

HTC U11 Gets Rs. 5,000 Price Drop In India, Now Available For Rs. 45,999

By

Jeet

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Feb 7, 2018

With the launch of HTC U11+ in the Indian market, the pricing of the HTC U11 in India has been slashed by Rs. 5,000. Currently, the phone has been listed on online retailer Flipkart with this new pricing.

However, it is not yet known if this price drop for the HTC U11 is permanent or temporary offer for a limited time. With this new pricing, the phone is now available for Rs. 45,999. The reduced price is applicable on both color variants — Red and Blue.

The phone comes with a 5.5-inch Super LCD QHD display with screen resolution 2560 x 1440 pixels and pixel density of 534ppi. There’s a layer of Corning Gorilla 5 on top for protection from minor scratches.

Under the hood, the device is powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 835 octa-core processor, coupled with Adreno 540 GPU, 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. It also has a microSD card slot, allowing users to further expand the storage capacity up to 2TB.

As for the photography, the phone comes with a 12-megapixel sensor with f/1.7 aperture, optical image stabilizer, UltraSpeed Autofocus (dual-pixel phase-detection autofocus), and 4K video recording. There’s also a 16-megapixel camera sensor at the front with f/2.0 aperture lens and fixed-focus lens.

The phone comes with Edge Sense feature — a way to trigger actions by squeezing the frame of the HTC U11. In terms of connectivity, the phone features a hybrid dual-SIM card slot, 4G LTE, GPS, dual-band Wi-Fi b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, and USB Type-C port.

It is running on Android 7.1 Nougat operating system based company’s own Sense UI out-of-the-box, but the company has started rolling out Android Oreo update. The phone is powered by a 3,000mAh battery which also supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging technology.

Moto Z2 Force ShatterShield Screen Layer Peeling Off Images Appear

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 7, 2018

Motorola Moto Z2 Force that was unveiled in July last year employs a 5-layer system that safeguards the display of the phone from breaking. The screen of the Moto Z2 Force is advertised as ShatterShield display which means that it won’t break easily like the screens of other smartphones. In order to show the durability of the Moto Z2 Force, Motorola had released a video few months ago that show 100 employees of its company participating in “World’s Largest Phone Drop.” The display of the Z2 Force may not break easily, but a durability test on it revealed that its P-OLED (polymer-OLED) display can scratch quite easily. Many users of the Z2 Force are now complaining that the protective layer present on its display is peeling off easily.

Actually, the top layer of Z2 Force’s display is a permanent screen protector. It means that it cannot be removed by the user and it should not come off on its own. However, several users are now miffed about the fact that the top layer of the screen is peeling off around the edges and home button. Some users are of the view that the phone gets quite hot while charging when a Moto Mod is attached, and this could be the reason behind the peeling off of the plastic layer. Here are some of the images shared by the users that show how bad the issue is.

Shown below is an image that shows how the Moto Z2 Force looks like if the protective layer is completely removed. Peeling it off completely will make the display unusable.

Even though the top layer is a permanent screen protector, it has been designed to be replaced. However, it is quite frustrating to see it come off within few months of purchasing it. There is a solution to resolve this issue, but it requires users to spend some money. Lenovo-owned Motorola is offering a new replacement for the top layer for $49. Once replaced, the device will look as good as new. However, there is a possibility that the replaced screen protector may peel off once again in few weeks/months. It would have been better if Motorola offered a free replacement for it.

Are you also experiencing the same problem on your Z2 Force? What could be causing this issue? Share us your experience by posting your comments below.

(via)

Nokia 7 Plus Renders Reveal Stunning Design, Full Specs and Pricing

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 7, 2018

HMD Global will be present at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 tech expo that will take place at Barcelona, Spain later this month. It is heavily pegged to unleash the Nokia 7 Plus smartphone along with some other Nokia branded phones. Plenty of information of the Nokia 7 Plus have surfaced in the recent weeks. Hence, its arrival seems to be imminent. Realistic renders of the Nokia 7 Plus smartphone has surfaced to reveal what to expect from its design.

The Nokia 7 that was launched in October 2017 and is currently exclusively available in China is the only Nokia Android smartphone to feature glass chassis. Hence, the Nokia 7 Plus that is expected to retain the glass chassis is likely to sport a very attractive design. Designers at Science and Knowledge YouTube channel have built wonderful looking renders of Nokia 7 Plus based on its leaked specs.

Earlier this week, leaked images of the Nokia 7 Plus smartphones had emerged from China. The new renders look quite similar to the those leaked images. The Nokia 7 Plus renders reveal that it could be the first full screen design phone from the company. As mentioned above, the renders claim that the Nokia 7 Plus would be sporting glass panels on its front and rear sides with an aluminum frame placed in between. It will be splash proof device as it is expected to arrive with IP54 rating.

The 6-inch IPS LCD display of the Nokia 7 Plus is expected to deliver FHD+ resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels and 18:9 aspect ratio. Since the screen occupies major portion of the front panel, the fingerprint scanner is placed on its backside.

As Geekbench listing of the phone has revealed, it will be powered by Snapdragon 660 chipset and 4 GB of RAM. It is also expected to arrive in 6 GB RAM option like the original Nokia 7. It is likely to arrive with a native storage capacity of 64 GB. It is pegged to launch with Android 8.0 Oreo preinstalled. The handset will also include a microSD card slot for additional storage.

For photography, it features Carl Zeiss certified 12-megapixel + 13-megapixel dual camera setup with support for OIS and 2x optical zoom. It is fitted with a front-facing camera of 16-megapixel. The 3,450mAh battery of the Nokia 7 Plus is expected to carry support for fast charging. The handset is also expected to include 3.5mm audio jack and USB-C port. The source claims that it will be available with a pricing of 410 euros (~$508).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlL3tPAFGh0

What’s your opinion on the Nokia 7 Plus renders? Do you think that the real device will be quite similar to these renders? Use the conversation section below to express views.

Oppo A71 (2018) Could Soon Launch In India As Oppo A71s

By

Jeet

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Feb 7, 2018

A few days ago, Oppo launched its new Oppo A71 (2018) in Pakistan. Now, as per the latest reports, the phone could soon make its way to India, but with a new branding — Oppo A71s.

The Oppo A71 (2018) is the successor of the Oppo A71 (2017). While the launch date for the Indian market is not yet known, the phone is expected to carry same specifications as that of the model unveiled in Pakistan.

The phone comes with a 5.2-inch IPS LCD HD display with screen resolution of 1280 × 720 pixels. Under the hood, it is powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 450 chipset with 1.8GHz octa-core CPU and Adreno 506 GPU.

It packs 2GB RAM and 16GB of onboard storage. There’s also a microSD card slot, enabling users to further expand the phone’s storage capacity. The phone is running on Android 7.1 Nougat-based ColorOS 3.2 user interface.

On the photography front, the OPPO A71 (2018) features a 13-megapixel sensor with autofocus and ƒ/2.2 aperture at the back. This rear-facing sensor is capable of shooting full-HD 1080p videos and is accompanied by an LED flash. On the front, there’s a 5-megapixel camera with fixed-focus lens and ƒ/2.4 aperture.

According to the China-based company, the phone uses “AI Beauty Recognition Technology” that helps users capture good-looking selfies. In terms of connectivity, the phone supports dual-SIM, 4G LTE, dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS (with A-GPS and GLONASS), micro USB port with OTG support, and a 3.5mm audio port.

The device is powered by a 3,000mAh non-removable battery that is claimed to last up to 15 hours of continuous video watching. While the launch time-frame is not yet known, the device is expected to be priced around Rs. 9,990 (approximately $156) in India.

These Are the Samsung Devices Which Should Be Updated to Android Oreo

By

Michele Ingelido

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Feb 7, 2018

Even though most of the top smartphone companies have updated their main handsets to Android Oreo, the new version of the operating system still hasn’t made its debut on Samsung devices. Even Galaxy A8 which is the latest phone unveiled by the company in December 2017 has Android Nougat out of the box. While we are yet to see the latest version on the main flagships by the company, some guys from XDA Developers made a list of the Galaxy devices which will be probably updated to Android Oreo.

The list is based on some XML files found in the Oreo beta firmware for the Note 8, containing the code names of the handsets. While the list is not a final proof of the arrival of the update to Android Oreo for the devices, if we consider the current info and the history of previous updates it is very likely that the handsets listed will receive the update. The Samsung devices contained in the list are Galaxy A3 (2017), Galaxy A5 (2017), Galaxy A7 (2017), Galaxy A8 (2016), Galaxy A8 (2018), Galaxy A8+ (2018), Galaxy J3 (2017), Galaxy J5 (2017), Galaxy J7 (2017), Galaxy J7+, Galaxy J7 Duos (2017), Galaxy J7 Max, Galaxy J7 Neo, Galaxy J7 Prime, Galaxy Note FE, Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy S8 Active, Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+.

READ MORE: Samsung Galaxy S9 Official Smart Cases Show Up In A Video

Among the Samsung devices that are not listed but could still receive the update, there are Galaxy C7 Pro, Galaxy C9 Pro, Galaxy J5 Pro, Galaxy J7 Pro and Galaxy S7 Active. At last, the tablets that should be updated are Galaxy Tab A 8.0, Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (2017), Galaxy Tab A 10.1, Galaxy Tab Active 2, Galaxy Tab E 8.0 and Galaxy Tab S3. The update to Android Oreo will be customized with the Samsung Experience 9 user interface which will contain further improvements and new features, besides the main changes of Oreo. Among these, there will be an improved keyboard and Bixby.

(Via)

LG Gram 2018 Goes On Sale in The US: Lightweight But Heavy On The Pocket

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Feb 6, 2018

LG refreshed its Gram line of lightweight PCs a few weeks before CES 2018. Nearly two months later, It is now on sale in the US but with “heavy” price tags.

The LG Gram comes in three sizes – 13.3, 14, and 15.6 inches. However, only the 15.6” variant is available for purchase at the moment.

The 15.6” model is the heaviest at 2.4lbs/1.09kg. Even with its large FHD touchscreen IPS display, it is sized like a 14” model, thanks to its thin bezels. It also has a full -sized 2-level backlit keyboard with a dedicated number pad.

It has 16GB (8GB x 2) of RAM, 1TB SSD (512GB x 2) storage and is powered by Intel’s 8th gen Core i7-8550U processor. The chip has a base clockspeed of 1.80GHz and a turbo clockspeed of 4.0GHz.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9WwM66pbwY[/embedyt]

For connectivity, there is a Thunderbolt/USB-C 3.0 port, 3 x full sized USB 3.0 ports, 1 microSD card slot, audio jack, and a RJ45 port. It also has a 4-cell 72Wh battery that lasts up to 16.5 hours, a fingerprint scanner buried under the power button, and has a MIL-ST-810G certification just like the LG G6 and LG V30.

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Honor 9 Lite With Its Quad Camera Design Is Officially Headed To Europe At €229

By

Michele Ingelido

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Feb 6, 2018

Huawei has officially announced the new Honor 9 Lite for Western Europe. After landing in China and India, the new mid-ranger with four cameras and a very stylish design will be officially available to purchase starting from today, February 6, in the European market. The handset is going to be available in a configuration with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage in Italy, Germany, Spain, France, and UK.

It is already possible to order it from the official web store of the Huawei’s sub-brand, with a price tag of €229. You can choose from three different hues: Sapphire Blue, Midnight Black, and Glacier Grey. Honor 9 Lite offers a glass + metal design and a wide 18:9 display with narrow bezels and a size of 5.65 inches; it’s a Full HD+ panel with a resolution of 1080 x 2160 pixels.

On the hardware side, it relies on the octa-core Kirin 659 SoC just like the recently launched Honor 7X, but it has a smaller battery: just 3000 mAh. On the other hand, Honor 9 Lite has a more stunning design and a better camera setup involving a dual rear camera with resolutions of 13 and 2 MP, and a dual front camera with exactly the same resolutions. Further, it has Android Oreo out of the box instead of Nougat.

Do you prefer this one or the 7X?

(Via)

Huawei To Attend MWC 2018 Even Though There Will Be No P11/P20

By

Michele Ingelido

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Feb 6, 2018

Huawei has already confirmed that this year, unlike previous years, it will not unveil its most important flagship P11/P20 (the name is still unconfirmed) at Mobile World Congress. But this does not mean that the Chinese leader in the smartphones market will not attend the most important trade show of the year related to mobile devices. According to a new official post published on the microblogging platform Weibo, the company will be present at MWC 2018 in Barcelona and it will unveil new products as well.

The most reliable hypotheses suggest that Huawei might launch a new tablet. The Chinese giant is one of the leading companies in the tablets market, and several leaks about the MediaPad M5 surfaced in the past few days. It was recently spotted on Geekbench with an octa-core Kirin 960 SoC (the same as Huawei P10), 4 GB of RAM and Android Oreo installed. It is expected to sport a 8.4-inch panel with a Quad HD resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels and LTE connectivity thanks to a Cat. 4 LTE modem and, obviously, a SIM Card slot.

The company might also decide to announce a new payment system for Europe: Huawei Pay. According to other rumors, we may see the Huawei Watch 3, the successor of the Watch 2, with Android Wear 2.0. A new patent has been just filed at WIPO, and it is related to a smartwatch able to track the movements of the finger outside of the display, allowing the user to write or draw gestures in the hair or on the back of the hand. Huawei may also decide to unveil new Windows tablets from the MateBook series, which would be direct competitors of the Microsoft Surface line composed of the Suface Pro, Surface Book 2 and Surface Laptop.

Which products do you think Huawei will unveil in Barcelona?

(Via)

Upcoming Huawei Smartwatch May Accept Gestures In The Air: New Patent Filed!

By

Michele Ingelido

-

Feb 6, 2018

Small display on smartwatches have always been an issue. In a world where apps are becoming more complex and displays getting bigger, smartwatches are not getting too much attention. But Huawei may be coming with a solution to this problem as it has filed a new patent which may totally change the situation. The patent has been filed at WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) and it shows an innovative technology.

According to the images published, the Huawei smartwatch is equipped with a sensor that is able to project signals which can track the movement of the finger outside of the display. This Huawei smartwatch interacts with the user by tapping, writing, and drawing gestures both in the air and on the back of its hand. It seems that the projection can be done all around the smartwatch, with the back of the hand being the most comfortable position. Double-clicks, long-press and many other gestures become available out of the screen with this new technology, even though we still do not know if the smartwatch will be able to project the entire display out of the screen or whether its just a sort of a trackpad.

The tech inside the watch can accept gestures in letters too, as seen in one of the images where the user draws the letter ‘A’. This could be the future of the smartwatches and it may give a new life to a market which is slowly declining in favor of smart bands and other kinds of fitness trackers. According to rumors, we may see this technology on the next wearable by the company, which may even be the Huawei Watch 3 with Android Wear. Obviously, do not expect an affordable price, if this tech makes it to the market.

(Via)