Earlier this week, we reported that OnePlus could launch the Lava Red colour variant of its flagship smartphone OnePlus 5T in India on 26th January. However, there is a new report which suggests that the company could launch the device earlier than expected.
According to the report on Techook, the phone could launch on 23rd January to avoid the national holiday clutter. However, do note that the launch date is just a speculation and there has been no confirmation from the company.
To recap, the Lava Red colour variant was first launched in China and is currently exclusive to the company’s home country. Later, the company introduced Star Wars Limited Edition model of OnePlus 5T, which is available globally.
The OnePlus 5T, which is a successor of OnePlus 5, was launched in November last year in only one colour — Midnight Black. All the other variant — Lava Red and Star Wars Limited Edition, comes with same specifications as the standard model.
The OnePlus 5T flaunts a 6-inch Optic AMOLED FHD+ display with an 18:9 aspect ratio and a screen resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels. The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor and is fuelled by a 3,300mAh battery that supports the company’s own Dash Charge — a fast charging technology.
The phone is running Android 7.1.1 Nougat flavoured Oxygen OS 4.7. The OnePlus 5T comes with a rear-mounted dual camera system that features a 16-megapixel camera sensor with f/1.7 aperture and a 20-megapixel sensor having the same f/1.7 aperture. There is a 16MP IMX 371 camera sensor with f/2.0 aperture.
As the recently introduced OnePlus 5T Star Wars Limited Edition device is priced same as the standard edition, the pricing of the upcoming Lava Red colour variant is also expected to remain unchanged.
OnePlus has also officially announced the Sandstone White edition of its flagship smartphone. As we earlier reported, the Sandstone White variant shares a similar look to the Star Wars limited edition variant sans the Star Wars logo.
As of now, it will only be available in 8GB RAM model. The phone will go on sale from Tuesday, i.e. 9th January, with price starting at $499 in the US; CA$659 in Canada; £449 in the UK; and €499 in the rest of Europe.
Meizu confirmed earlier today that the M6s will be its next phone with a scheduled January 17 launch. With nearly two weeks before its arrival, the phone has made an appearance on AnTuTu.
Benchmarked as the Meizu mblu S6, the phone does have an 18:9 aspect ratio judging from its 1440 x 720 resolution. It also has 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and runs Android 7.0 Nougat.
AnTuTu also reveals that the mblu S6 (Meizu M6s) is powered by a 6-core chip with a Mali-G71 GPU. According to rumors floating round, this is the 14nm Exynos 7872. The chipset has still not been officially unveiled.
Earlier leaks already revealed that the Meizu phone will have a 5.7” display. Now that we know the resolution is HD+, its 2930mAh battery sure doesn’t feel small.
Huawei had earlier revealed that the Honor View10 will be available for purchase in India from 8th January. Today, the China-based company has officially launched the device in the Indian market, at a price of Rs. 29,990 (approximately $473).
As stated earlier, the phone will go on sale for the first time in the Indian market on 8th January, exclusively through online retailer Amazon India. The registrations for the first sale are already open and have been live for over a week. The Honor View10 will be available in two colour options — Navy Blue and Midnight Black.
The Honor View10 features a 5.99-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD FullView display with a screen resolution of 1080 x 2160 pixels, 18:9 aspect ratio and 403ppi pixel density. The device runs on company’s own HiSilicon Kirin 970 processor, with four Cortex-A73 cores clocked at 2.36GHz and four Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.8GHz.
The processor is coupled with NPU (Neural Processing Unit) for AI-based tasks, 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. The storage capacity of the device can be further expanded up to 256GB, thanks to the microSD card slot.
Coming to the camera department, the phone comes with a dual camera setup on the rear side, featuring a 16-megapixel RGB sensor and a 20-megapixel monochrome sensor, complete with f/1.8 aperture, phase detection autofocus (PDAF) and Dual-LED flash. On the front, the device features a 13-megapixel camera sensor with f/2.0 aperture.
Connectivity options on the Honor View10 include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac dual-band (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth v4.2, GPS/A-GPS, NFC, USB Type-C (2.0), and 3.5mm headphone jack. The phone features a Facial Unlock technology that can also be used to support payment-level authentication. As per the company, it can unlock the device in just 400ms.
The phone, which is running Android Oreo-based company’s own EMUI 8.0, is powered by a 3,750mAh battery. The company claims that the battery can provide up to 23 hours talk-time on 3G, and 22 days of standby time. It also comes with 5V/4.5A fast charging support.
I have tested quite a few charging stations, USB hubs and other charging solutions of the time but the problem is always the same – these gadgets are useful but they also create a huge mess of cables. I’ve been using the NTONPOWER charging docking station for more than 2 months and I have to say this is my favorite charging station I have tested so far. Learn more in our full review.
UNBOXING
The NTONPOWER charging docking station comes in a simple yet neat box. Inside of It, you will find a docking station itself, some paperwork and a quality cable.
DESIGN and FEATURES
At the first glance, this device looks completely different to other charging stations on the market. I’m sure there are similar models but this one can charge up to 10 devices at the same time.
The total output is 120W, meaning that it can charge up to 5V 2.4A per port, which means you can charge 10 phones/tablets or other devices simultaneously.
The manufacturer recommends using short USB cables for better aesthetics.
As you can see, I had just a few short ones while other cables were pretty long, so I had to roll them up. I will buy a pack of short cables soon.
However, if you have plenty of cables already, I suggest you simply turning the charging station around, so you will hide all the cable mess.
The device is made of quality plastic and it does not feel cheap at all. It has on/off switch and LED notification light on the sides.
On the bottom, the rubber pads prevent the device from sliding on the table. Finally, there is a smart cooling system, which senses if the charging station reaches a high temperature to automatically shut it down. It has never happened to me even if I charged all 10 devices at the same time, meaning that the station does not overheat.
The slits can easily fit any size smartphones (including thick rugged phones), tablets or other devices.
As most of the charging solutions on the market right now, the NTONPOWER charging docking station uses smart technologies to adjust and distribute optimal output for a safe and fast charging. Also, the built-in security chip prevents the charging station from overheating, overcharging the devices and so on.
CONCLUSIONS
Overall, I’m really happy with the NTONPOWER charging docking station as I’ve been using it for more than 2 months now. It made my life easier since I always have plenty of phones or other gadgets to charge. Now I can store them neatly and safely. The only thing that I would recommend you to do is to buy short USB cables, so all your gadgets look nice and neat while being charged. Other than that, $80 may sound steep for some but given the unique design, functionality and overall feature set, the NTONPOWER charging docking station is a very easy buying recommendation.
UPDATE: OnePlus has confirmed that the pricing is $559 and not $449.
OnePlus has taken to twitter again today, not to tease us but to officially announce the Sandstone White OnePlus 5T. The tweet includes a 40-second video that shows the phone in all its glory.
Despite what this poster says, company official has confirmed that the white sandstone model is priced at $559
Like we reported earlier today, the Sandstone White variant shares a similar look to the Star Wars limited edition variant sans the Star Wars logo.
The OnePlus 5T will go on sale on Tuesday January 9 starting at $499 in the US; CA$659 in Canada; £449 in the UK; and €499 in the rest of Europe. Sales will commence at 10:00 AM local time.
Seeing the price, it does appear as if OnePlus will be offering the new color variant in both the 6+64GB and 8+128GB variants. Sadly, that is not the case. Upon further digging, the new variant will only be made available in 8GB RAM+128GB ROM. We do hope it is later available in the 64GB variant.
Nokia is said to announce its first 2018 smartphone tomorrow (5th January). We are referring to Nokia 6 (2018), a mid-range phone which should offer some premium specs even though the phone will remain focused on the quality-price ratio. Fortunately, this phone is not shrouded in mystery, so we do not have to wait until tomorrow to know about its specs and design.
So, here is what to expect from the Nokia 6 (2018), according to the most recent leaks and rumors.
Nokia 6 (2018) Design
Last year, HMD Global re-launched the Nokia brand in the Android smartphones market, but till now, the company did not unveil any bezel-less phone with an 18:9 aspect ratio. That’s still not going to change anytime soon as according to a TENAA listing, HMD Global has adopted a 16:9 display again, even for the Nokia 6 (2018). But there’s some good news, it seems that the phone will still have narrow bezels. TENAA has published some renders (and we also saw some leaked images that you can find above) in which it is possible to notice these narrow bezels and a fingerprint reader placed on the back, unlike the original Nokia 6 which had it on the front panel. It is unclear from the image, but Nokia 6 (2018) might also have an additional sensor for the camera, as the glass which covers the main camera and the LED flash is longer and shows a larger empty space compared with the one of the original Nokia 6. The original Nokia 6 has been re-designed and its aesthetics have been improved: the only disadvantage, at least for some users, could be the fingerprint reader placed on the back.
Nokia 6 (2018) Specs
TENAA has already revealed the main specs of the Nokia 6 (2018). According to the Chinese regulatory agency, the handset will be equipped with a 5.5-inch display with 1080 x 1920 pixels. On the hardware side, it seems that there will be an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, which is the successor of the Snapdragon 625 and 626 chips and includes an Adreno 508 GPU. The phone will be released with 4 GB of RAM and 32 or 64 GB of internal storage depending on the variant that you will choose to buy. The memory will be expandable with a micro SD up to 128 GB. The resolutions of the camera will remain exactly the same as the original Nokia 6: 16 MP for the main camera and 8 MP for the selfie snapper. But expect the quality to be better in this year’s model, likely with the help of software optimizations. The battery should also be the same as the previous model with a capacity of 3000mAh and fast charging support. It should be enough for a good battery life if we consider that the Snapdragon 630 SoC is very efficient.
Nokia 6 (2018) Price and Availability
We still have no info about the price and the availability of Nokia 6 (2018), so we can only make speculations basing on the price and the availability of the previous model. The original Nokia 6 was officially launched with a price tag of about 230 euros (~$260). But this device was much less powerful and it had an entry-level SoC, while the new model will sport a mid-range processor. So we assume that Nokia 6 (2018) will be launched at a higher price tag. It will be surely available in Europe as HMD Global is a Finnish company, but we have no idea about its launch date.
Update: New images and info about specs and availability leaked. According to the leak, the phone has a 5.5-inch display with Corning Gorilla Glass protection, and its body is made of aluminum 6000 series. The handset has Android 8.0 Oreo installed out of the box and a 16 MP single camera on its rear side. Nokia 6 (2018) will be released in two colors: black with gold inserts and white with red inserts. You can see the images below.
Samsung has today launched a new budget 4G tablet in the Indian market — Samsung Galaxy Tab A 7.0. It will be available in two colour options — Black and White and will retail at a price of Rs. 9,500. It will be available through Amazon India as well as retail stores across the nation from 5th January.
The company further announced that Reliance Jio users will get an exclusive cashback of Rs. 2,000 in JioMoney account, on recharging with Jio Plan of Rs. 299 for 24 months.
The tablet comes with a feature named Kids Mode, which enables parental control that lets parents provide their children with a secure experience and can also restrict app access as well as set usage time limits.
The device comes with a 7-inch WXGA TFT display with a screen resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels and is powered by a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, coupled with 1.5GB RAM. There is just 8GB of internal storage, which can be further expanded up to 200GB using a microSD card.
The tablet features a 5-megapixel rear camera sensor with autofocus and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera sensor for taking selfies and for video calling. Connectivity options on the device include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS/GLONASS, and FM Radio.
Commenting on the launch, Vishal Kaul, Director, Samsung India, said:
Consumer-centric innovation is at the forefront of our business. With Galaxy Tab A 7.0, we are providing our customers a device that is the perfect blend of refined design, Superior display great performance and non-stop entertainment. Galaxy Tab A 7.0 caters to consumers’ on-the-go and me-time needs thereby acting as a perfect companion for their active lifestyle.
The Galaxy Tab A 7.0 is running Android operating system and is powered by a 4,000mAh battery, which according to the company offers up to 9 hours of video playback a single charge.
A few months ago, Samsung had launched the mid-level Galaxy Tab A 2017 at a price of Rs. 17,990. It packs an 8-inch display, 1.4GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM with 16GB internal and 5,000mAh battery.
Research firm Counterpoint has released its statistical data for the third quarter of 2017 and it cuts across all the regions of the world. The statistical data shows the global smartphone market shares for Q3 2017 as well as the mobile phone market shipment comprising both smartphones and feature phones. The stats showed that the global smartphone shipments grew 5% YoY and 9% QoQ.
Samsung maintains its stronghold on the smartphone industry, with a 21% control of the market shares while Apple retained its second spot with a 12% share of the market. Chinese tech giant Huawei slipped closely into the third position with 10% share of the market, narrowly losing out to Apple for the second spot. Huawei is closely followed by OPPO with 8% market share. Vivo and Xiaomi both completed the top 5 spot with 7% market share apiece. The data saw the surprise inclusion of Lenovo, including the Motorola brand, which raked in a 4% share of the market in Q3 2017. Counterpoint also noted that Xiaomi emerged as the fastest growing smartphone brand with a growth of 84% YoY.
Region wise, Apple maintained its leadership in North America with a 34% market share while Samsung came in second with 24% share. LG gained some ground in North America with a share of 17%. The top five spots are completed by ZTE – 11% and Lenovo- 5%. On the other hand, in Europe, Samsung holds the ace with a 33% share of the market while Apple came in at a distant second with 17% share. Huawei failed to gain ground in North America but was able to clinch the third place in Europe with a market share of 13%. Lenovo and ZTE completed the top 5 in Europe for Q3 2017. In Asia, the competition is stiffer as OPPO, Vivo, Xiaomi, Huawei and Samsung struggled unsuccessfully to outpace each other. The statistics also captured the emerging market in the Middle East and Africa and sure, Samsung grabbed the lion share and in second place we have a surprise entrant- iTel in a tie with Huawei and Tecno at 8% market share apiece. Counterpoint noted that one in three smartphones shipped were from Chinese manufacturers.
Smartphone manufacturers have put a lot of efforts into the design of their phones in 2017. Since Xiaomi Mi Mix was released back in 2016, the bezel-less trend kicked off and the increased screen to body ratio made the phones taller, narrower, and much more comfortable to hold. Metal unibody designs and back covers made of glass have completely invaded the smartphone market, and smartphones became very attractive for both men and women lately. In this guide, we will show you our selection of the most beautiful Chinese smartphones released in 2017. Beauty is often a subjective parameter and we know it, but we made this selection considering many objective factors, like the innovation brought by these phones, the materials used, and the feedback given by the public for the handsets’ designs.
Let us know with a comment if you agree with us or not. Which is the most beautiful Chinese phone in your opinion?
Most beautiful Chinese phones of 2017
Honor 9
Display: 5.15 in Full HD LTPS IPS LCD
Hardware: HiSilicon Kirin 960, 4/6 GB RAM, 64/128 GB ROM
Software: Android Nougat, EMUI 5.1
Camera: Dual 12 + 20 MP f/2.2
Battery: 3200 mAh
Honor 9 is a phone with one of the most attractive back covers ever. The frame is made of aluminum, while its rear side is made of glass and it creates impressive light wave design with colors changing based on the angle from where you see the phone. The price of this device is very affordable, but inside it, you will find great hardware: the same SoC as Huawei P10 and also the same quantity of RAM (even more if you choose the most advanced version). A powerful dual camera setup completes the beautiful body of the Honor 9.
PRO: Great hardware, nice dual camera, affordable price, compact
CONS: Bezels
Gionee M7 Power
Display: 6 in HD+ IPS LCD
Hardware: Qualcomm Snapdragon 435, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB ROM
Software: Android Nougat, EMUI 5.1
Camera: 13 MP f/2.0
Battery: 5000 mAh
The back cover of this phone shares many things in common with the Honor 9. It is simple, yet original. It is made of glass and it reflects light just like Honor 9, creating suggestive light waves. The frame is made of aluminum and, even though there is a monstrous battery with a capacity of 5000mAh inside this device, the profile remains quite thin (8.6 mm). The price is affordable enough, but the SoC is entry-level and the phone is sold only in Asia and cannot be purchased elsewhere. On the other hand, besides an incredible battery life this handset also offers ample RAM and storage, which are perfect for multi-tasking.
PRO: Monster battery, good price, wide display, ample RAM and storage
CONS: Entry-level SoC
Smartisan Nut 2 Pro
Display: 5.99 in Full HD+ IPS LCD
Hardware: Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, 4/6 GB RAM, 32/64/128/256 GB ROM
Camera: Dual 12 + 5 MP f/1.8
Battery: 3500 mAh
Smartisan Nut 2 Pro is a phone with a unique look. It has a glass back and a metal frame with round keys on the sides, and it has been released in very interesting colors that is hard to find in the market. The phone’s design is highlighted by its symmetry, which includes a front facing camera aligned in the center as well as a hidden ear piece. In terms of hardware, this is a high-end device but not a flagship. It has a Snapdragon 660 SoC paired with 4 or 6 GB of RAM, and it is possible to choose an internal storage up to 256 GB. On the rear side, there is a dual camera setup which has proved to provide high-quality photos, especially in low light conditions. A 3500 mAh allows to achieve one day of stressed use in every scenario.
PRO: Outstanding camera, nice battery, great hardware side, wide display
CONS: No availability outside China
Nubia Z17s
Display: 5.73 in Full HD+ LTPS IPS LCD
Hardware: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, 6/8 GB RAM, 64/128 GB ROM
Software: Android Nougat, Nubia UI 5.1
Camera: Dual 12 + 23 MP f/1.8
Battery: 3100 mAh
Nubia Z17s is one of the most affordable flagship phones of 2017. It has the best hardware that you can expect from the most powerful phones on the market, yet its price remain incredibly affordable. The Snapdragon 835 SoC is paired with 6 or 8 GB of RAM depending on the configuration chosen, and this makes the phone one of the fastest and smoothest devices in the market. The display is bezel-less and its size is not large, so you get a compact phone with a wide display too. On the rear side, there is a pretty nice dual camera with a high resolution which can shoot very detailed photos. We expected a slightly bigger battery, but it is still a sufficient unit. Its design is composed of a suggestive glass back and a metal frame in a eye pleasing design.
Hardware: HiSilicon Kirin 960, 4/6 GB RAM, 64/128 GB ROM
Software: Android Oreo, EMUI 8.0
Camera: Dual 16 + 20 MP f/1.8
Battery: 3340 mAh
Huawei Nova 2s is a better, but also a more expensive version of Honor 9. It shares a similar glass back which is very beautiful, and in addition, it has an 18:9 display with narrow bezels which is not present on the Honor 9. The display is wide and comfortable and we like its quality. Another important advantage is the high-level hardware side, with a very powerful SoC and a large quantity of RAM. Android is updated to the latest version available and the battery is above-average. There is also a nice dual camera with a bright aperture.
PRO: High-end hardware, wide display, good camera, Android Oreo
CONS: Limited availability
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2
Display: 5.99 in Full HD+ IPS LCD
Hardware: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, 6/8 GB RAM, 64/128/256 GB ROM
Software: Android Nougat, MIUI 9
Camera: 12 MP f/2.0
Battery: 3400 mAh
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 is the successor of the bezel-less device which launched the trend of such displays late last year. Its screen-to-body ratio is very high, one of the highest in the market. This makes the phone good to hold even though its display is big (6 inches). The materials are among the best that you can ever find in a beautiful phone. Its back cover is made of ceramic, its frame is made of metal and there is a 18K gold rim around the camera. There is also a limited version entirely made of ceramic, but it is not easy to buy it. This phone is a real flagship with the best SoC of 2017 in the Android market: Snapdragon 835, supported by a huge quantity of RAM (6 or 8 GB depending on the variant).
PRO: Big display, flagship hardware, big battery, affordable price
CONS: Average camera
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
Display: 6 in Full HD+ AMOLED
Hardware: HiSilicon Kirin 970, 4/6 GB RAM, 64/128 GB ROM
Software: Android Oreo, EMUI 8.0
Camera: Dual 12 + 20 MP f/1.6
Battery: 4000 mAh
Huawei Mate 10 Pro is not only one of the best beautiful phones, but also the perfect flagship: it is beautiful, powerful and innovative. It is composed of a glass back with a very original look and a metal frame, and it is a waterproof phone thanks to its IP68 certification. It has a 6-inch AMOLED display with an outstanding viewing quality, and one of the best processors in the market which integrates a dedicated chip for artificial intelligence. Its software its updated to the latest version available (Android Oreo), it has one of the best cameras ever seen on a phone (the phone is in DxOMark’s top 3 of best camera phones), and we also got the biggest battery in a 2017 flagship with a 4000mAh capacity.
PRO: Incredible display, perfect hardware, big battery, excellent camera
CONS: Price
Another phone that we will not include in our ranking but deserves a mention is the ZTE Axon M because of its innovative display. It may not be a great looking smartphone of 2017, but it definitely deserves a mention for its innovative design.
It’s also worth noting that flagships like OnePlus 5T, OPPO R11S are all good looking devices, but given that their design has been replicated by multiple devices, we thought it was best not to include them in this list. For example, OPPO R11S, OP5T, Vivo X20 all have similar designs and they look good too, but they are too similar to each other.
So these were the best looking Chinese smartphones of 2017. Which one would you pick as the best looking phone? Or do you think there’s a different model that should make it to this list?
Last month, 360 Mobiles launched two mobiles — 360 N6, which sits somewhere in between 360 N6 Lite and 360 N6 Pro. When launched, it was available in two colour options — Black and Gold.
However, the company is now gearing up to soon offer another colour option — Blue. This was confirmed by Kai-Xin Lee, President of 360 Mobiles, in response to a user’s question on the microblogging platform.
The user inquired if there will be a blue coloured model of the 360 N6 phone and Kai-Xin Lee said that they started working on the same after tackling some difficulties. While he didn’t provide any timeline for the launch of the blue colour variant, he said that it will be launched soon.
The 360N6 comes with a metal-clad body. The phone features a 5.93-inch Full-Screen Full HD+ display with 18:9 aspect ratio and a screen resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels. According to the company, even with the bigger screen, the phone feels like a 5.5-inch phone due to the smaller bezels.
Under the hood, the phone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor. It is available in two models based on memory and storage configuration — one with 4GB RAM and 32GB internal storage while the other one with 6GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage.
The devices come with a single 13-megapixel rear camera with phase detection autofocus (PDAF) and dual LED flash. There is an 8-megapixel front-facing camera with f/2.2 aperture, an AI beauty mode and a camera assistant.
It runs on Android 7.1 Nougat with a layer of company’s own skin on top. The phone packs a massive 5,000mAh battery, which is rated to provide up to 3 days of battery life on single charge. It also supports Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging (9V/2A) technology as well as reverse charging.
Meizu was thought to launch its first full-screen smartphone on January 4 but it turns out the company only announced the launch date for the full-screen phone. We will now see the much-anticipated Meizu M6s on January 17, 2018. Apart from revealing the launch date, Meizu has also started sending out invitations to the launch event.
Meizu is known for sending out uniquely packaged invitations and this is no different. The Meizu M6s launch invitation contains a large blue brick with the words in Chinese translated as “Young good” embossed unto one of the surfaces. We can’t say what that means, anyway. The brick is similar to a real brick and is event also weighty as one.
It is as good as confirmed that the device that would be launched on that day is a full-screen Meizu M6s with the 18:9 aspect ratio. The device will not feature the mBack button as it utilises a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. Further, the M6s is said to feature a 5.7-inch display and would be powered by a Samsung Exynos 7872 processor among other features. This is looking like a great device to look forward to.
Only a few phones can measure up to the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL‘ s camera performance. And even at that most of them need two sensors to do that. Google showed us with its new phones that one sensor can still do a lot of work when combined with the right software.
One of the key camera features of the 2nd gen Pixel phones is the portrait mode which is unrivaled. Following the release of the Pixel 2 and its siblings, XDA developers have been hard at work to port the features to other devices.
A senior member at XDA, Charles_1 was able to get portrait mode to work on the first-gen Pixel phones, the Nexus 6P, and Nexus 5X. A few days ago, another senior member Arnova8G2 who helped port the Google camera app from the first gen Pixel to Snapdragon devices was able to bring the feature to non-Google devices.
If you own the OnePlus 3/3T (OxygenOS 5), Xiaomi Mi 5/5s (LineageOS 15), Moto G5s Plus, Galaxy S8/S8+, and Galaxy Note 8 (leaked Oreo beta ROM), you can now get portrait mode on your phone(s)……without rooting.
When it was first released, the portrait mode feature only worked with the rear camera, but an updated version has been released that also works with the front camera.
Ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2018, Lenovo has announced a slew of new devices. The newly updated laptop lineup from Lenovo includes ThinkPad X, T, and L Series, along with a new docking station and monitors. All the new laptop models come powered by Intel‘s 8th-generation processors.
The new ThinkPad X series consists of X280 and X380 Yoga. The Lenovo ThinkPad X380 Yoga convertible comes with a 13.3-inch Full HD touchscreen display and a 360-degree hinge. It is powered by up to Core i7 processor with vPro tech, 16GB RAM and up to 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD storage. It has a battery life of up to 13.6 hours, claims that company. The device also supports rapid-charge which can top up the battery to around 80% in an hour.
On the other hand, the ThinkPad X280 has almost similar core specifications as the X380 Yoga. However, the SSD isn’t of the NVMe variety. It offers a battery life of up to 13 hours. According to the company, the device is 20% lighter and 15% thinner than its predecessor. It weighs 1.16kg and measures 17.4mm in thickness.
Lenovo has also upgraded its T series with new ThinkPad T480, T480s and T580 devices. The company described this series as the “corporate workhorse.” It features an IR camera, a fingerprint reader, and the ThinkShutter Camera Privacy.
All of these models packs up to 8th-gen Core i7 processors with vPro. The T580 model also has an option to include a 4K UHD display. According to the company, some models in the series can also be equipped with dual batteries (32Wh and 72Wh) for up to 27 hours of battery life.
The pricing for the ThinkPad T480 starts at $989, the T480s starts at $1,269, and the T580 starts at $1,079. All these models will be available for purchase from January.
The Lenovo ThinkPad L series is also getting four new models — ThinkPad L380, ThinkPad L380 Yoga, ThinkPad L480, and the ThinkPad L580. They feature a lighter form factor and thinner bodies, along with optional multi-touch displays and docking solutions.
The L-series devices won’t be available until February. In terms of pricing, they’re less expensive compared to the ThinkPad T series. The ThinkPad L380 Yoga starts at $549, the L380 starting at $449, the L480 starting at $779, and the L580 starting at $769.
The Lenovo ThinkPad L380 comes with a 13.3-inch Full HD screen and can be specified with up to Core i7 processor, 32GB of RAM, and up to 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD. The ThinkPad L380 Yoga is a convertible with similar specifications to the L380. It is claimed to come with 12 hours of battery life.
On the other hand, the ThinkPad L480 and L580 models come with a 14-inch and 15-inch display respectively. They pack same core specifications as L380 but there is an option to add a second drive – a hard disk of up to 1TB or 2TB capacity, respectively.
Lenovo also unveiled a new tablet — the Lenovo Tablet 10. It packs an Intel Celeron N Series processor, a fingerprint reader, and a battery that can last for about nine hours on single charge. It comes with a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) to better protect business assets, according to the company.
The company has also shown some new monitors. The ThinkVision P32u is a 32-inch IPS monitor with a 4K resolution that delivers 99.5% coverage of the AdobeRGB colour gamut. Another one is ThinkVision X24 that has a 23.8-inch screen with a Full HD resolution. It is super-sleek in terms of an ‘infinity screen’ with a 1.1mm bezel, while the display itself is just 4mm thick.
With the official unveiling just one day away, HMD Global is busy teasing the upcoming Nokia 6 (2018). The new teasers states that the smartphone will be offering delivering more refined performance. The teaser also states that the Nokia 6 (2018) will be coming with 32 GB of storage and 3 GB of RAM and it will be exclusively available through Suning.
Some rumors had claimed that the Nokia 6 (2018) could be company’s first phone with 18:9 aspect ratio display. However, the TENAA listing of the phone as well as the newly leaked photos indicates that the Nokia 6 (2018) will be coming with a 16:9 display like the original model.
The new images have revealed that the smartphone will be coming with reduced bezel and a camera module that is similar to the Nokia 5. Unlike the original Nokia 6, the newer model will be coming with a rear-facing fingerprint scanner. It is expected to deliver refined performance through the Snapdragon 630 chipset. The prowess of the smartphone has been revealed through its listing on Geekbench benchmarking site. Apart from 32 GB storage + 4 GB RAM variant, it is also expected to come in 64 GB storage + 4 GB RAM option.
After releasing a video on its YouTube page, which teases the upcoming Sandstone Edition of its flagship smartphone OnePlus 5T, the China-based OnePlus has now again teased the device by releasing a new video on Twitter.
The video released on its Twitter account shows comments from various OnePlus phone owners praising sandstone back panel, which the company used to offer on the OnePlus One and OnePlus 2.
Some users claim that the sandstone finish is the reason they opted to buy the OnePlus phone, while others claim that it is the best experience for anyone with butterfingers. However, the teaser video has not revealed any details regarding the launch or announcement of this variant.
Recently, the company posted a photo on its official OnePlus Weibo account, announcing a launch event on Friday, 5th of January. The poster suggests that the company will release the Sandstone White version of the OnePlus 5T. The company has been promoting the launch with phrases like ‘three days left’, ‘the Classic returns’ mentioned on it.
The OnePlus 5T was originally launched in November last year. The phone features a 6.01-inch Full-HD+ Optic AMOLED display with 1080 x 2160 pixels screen resolution. It comes powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor along with 6GB/ 8GB RAM and 64GB / 128GB of internal storage. The phone sports a dual rear camera setup at the back, packing a 16-megapixel primary sensor and a 20-megapixel secondary sensor. There is also a 16-megapixel front sensor for taking selfies and video calling.
We believe that the new Sandstone Edition of the OnePlus 5T will initially be available in China only. The Sandstone White Edition of the phone has already been listed on Chinese online retailer JD.com for 3,499 Yuan, which roughly converts to $539.
OnePlus has been offering a new variant of its flagship smartphone at regular intervals. Recently, OnePlus introduced a special Star Wars Limited Edition variant of the OnePlus 5T. Prior to that, it launched a Lava Red colour variant in its home country, which is now reported to get launched in India later this month.
As LeEco is going through a financial crisis for more than a year, it hasn’t released a major software update for many of its smartphones since quite some time. However, a senior member at XDA Forums was able to find an EMUI 6.0 Alpha ROM based on Android 7.0 Nougat for the LeEco Le Max 2.
The Le Max 2 smartphone was launched with Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS in May 2016. The EUI 6.0 Alpha ROM or the smartphone is now openly available on the forum site. The Alpha version ROM is an under-development product that contains a number of bugs. It is available for X820, X821, X822 and X829 models of the Le Max 2.
Flashing a ROM manually is not a very easy process and it avoid the warranty of the device. In order to flash the ROM, Le Max 2 users are required to root it by using Magisk. Some of the known bugs of the EUI 6.0 Alpha ROM are associated with fingerprint and biometric sensors. Some users who tried the ROM have claimed that they have encountered issues while installing APKs from USB sources.
The official Nougat update for Le Max 2 was expected to arrive in summer of 2017 when a leaked image had revealed that the LeEco is testing EUI 6.0.28 flavored Android 7.1 Nougat for it as well as other smartphones. However, since then there is no trace of the official Android update for any of the LeEco phones. Hence, the only way to try the latest Android version on LeEco handsets is to make use of third-party ROMs.
The Le Max 2 features a 5.7-inch QHD display and is driven by Snapdragon 820 chipset. It comes in 4 GB and 6 GB RAM options and 32 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB storage models. It has a rear camera of 21-megapixel and a frontal shooter of 8-megapixel. It houses a 3,500mAh battery. The last phone released by LeEco is the Le Pro 2 AI Edition. It was released in April 2017.
The Nokia 6 (2018) has been the focus of attention in recent times. The successor to HMD’s first smartphone under the Nokia brand will come with upgraded specs and a new design but not in the way we expected.
When the Nokia 6 (2018) first appeared on TENAA, the images showed the device with what appeared to be thinner top and bottom bezels. That could only mean one thing – a full screen display or one with an 18:9 aspect ratio.
However, when the specs were eventually made public, quite a number of people were shocked to learn that HMD Global has stuck to the same 5.5” display with a 16:9 aspect ratio for the 2nd gen model. For those that are still not convinced and believe TENAA probably made a mistake, we have got our hands on photos of the Nokia 6 (2018).
As you can see, the bezels are still there and that screen sure doesn’t look like it has an 18:9 aspect ratio. Why then did they decide to move the fingerprint scanner to the back? It has to look different from its predecessor, right?
The display is covered by 2.5D glass which is most likely supplied by Corning. Front camera position is still on the right and there is the Nokia branding beside it. It also features on-screen buttons now.
The rear of the phone has also received a major change in design. The camera housing is significantly longer with the sensor at the top and the LED flash at the bottom. The setup is still raised and has an orange accent around it just like the fingerprint scanner beneath it and the aluminium frame around the body.
The Nokia 6 (2018) is not only different on the outside. Gone is the Snapdragon 430 of last year as it is now powered by the Snapdragon 630. Camera still remains 16MP on the rear and 8MP in front but they may have a different aperture and pixel size. Nevertheless, battery capacity has been kept at 3000mAh.
Meizu has confirmed that it will be debuting the Meizu M6S as its first full smartphone with 18:9 aspect ratio display on Jan. 17. Since several years, the Chinese manufacturer has been using MediaTek chipsets to power its mid-range and low-budget phones. However, the upcoming mid-range Meizu M6S is rumored to be powered by the Exynos 7872 chipset by Samsung. Some of the key specs of the new SoC have surfaced today.
The Exynos 7882 is 14nmm chipset that is designed for low-budget phones. It is hexa-core SoC that comprises of four cores of Cortex A53 and two cores of Cortex A73 and Mali G71-MP3 graphics. It includes a Cat. 7 LTE modem that offers a maximum download speed of up to 300 Mbps and upload speed of up to 100 Mbps. The fully integrated modem offers full network support. The Bluetooth SIG certification of the Exynos 7882 chipset had revealed that it carries support for Bluetooth 4.2.
Some of the recently leaked photos of the Meizu M6S reaffirm that it will be coming with an 18:9 display. It won’t be featuring the trademark mBack physical button, but its capabilities are expected to be made available through virtual keys. Unlike other full screen phones that have rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, the Meizu M6S is speculated to arrive with a side-mounted fingerprint reader.
The Meizu M6S is expected to arrive with HD+ resolution supporting screen of 5.7 inches. It is likely to available in variants like 32 GB of storage + 3 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage + 4 GB of RAM. It will be fueled by a 2,930mAh battery. For shooting photos, it is expected to be fitted with a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel selfie snapper. It will be running on Android 7.0 Nougat that will be overlaid with the latest Flyme OS skin. It is expected to be priced around 1,299 Yuan (~$199).
The Sandstone White variant of the OnePlus 5T isn’t due for launch until tomorrow but Chinese retailer, JD.com already had it listed on its site. The new color variant was first teased in a video last week before an official launch poster was released a few days ago.
According to the JD.com listing, the Sandstone OnePlus 5T shares a similar design to the OnePlus 5T Star Wars Edition. The only visual difference is the lack of the Star Wars engraving on the lower back. The OnePlus logo and the alert slider have been kept black and red respectively.
It appears the new color variant will be limited to the 8GB RAM + 128GB model. It will sell for the same ¥3499 (~$539) price as the Lava Red variant and Midnight Black variant of the same configuration.
A promotional poster that was released by Meizu earlier this week suggested that its first 18:9 aspect ratio supporting smartphone would be launching today. However, the company has confirmed today that it will be launching the Meizu M6S (Blue Charm S6) smartphone on Jan. 17.
The above image only confirms the launch date of Meizu M6S. The rumor mill has revealed that the Meizu M6S will be equipped with a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. It won’t be featuring physical mBack button, instead its features will be made available through a virtual key.
Rumors have it that the Meizu M6S is powered by the Exynos 7872 chipset that includes a hexa-core processor. The TENAA listing of the smartphone has revealed that it will be coming with a 5.7-inch display. It is speculated to arrive two variants such as 32 GB of storage + 3 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage + 4 GB of RAM. It is packed with a 2,930mAh battery. For photography, it will be equipped with a rear camera of 13-megapixel and a selfie camera of 5-megapixel.
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