Alleged OnePlus 5T Sandstone Version Might Be Unveiled In January 2018

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Dec 30, 2017

The year 2017 is just a few days from being over and so we don’t expect the launch of any smartphone until 2018. One thing that set this year apart from previous years is the emergence of the full-screen, bezel-less smartphone trend that gathered strong momentum in Q2 after the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S8. In case you are wondering how many full-screen models have been launched this year, we don’t know either but a new research data from China has given us an idea of the now of bezel-less display panels that have been shipped this year alone.

The data collated by SigmaIntell reveals that shipments for bezel-less full-screen smartphones reached 230 million in 2017. The Chinese market intelligence company based its findings on data collected by its analysts and the research includes display panels with 18:9 and 18.5:9 panels utilized by Samsung on its Galaxy flagships. The report also identifies Samsung Display (SDI) as the largest supplier of bezel-less mobile screens in 2017. The Samsung Display arm is said to have delivered 137 million full-screen panels to both its smartphone division and third-party phone makers, accounting for nearly 60 percent of global shipments. Samsung also benefitted from the supply of OLED panels to Apple for use on the iPhone X which had the largest display aspect ratio at 19.5:9.

The claim that the shift to bezel-less display gained momentum in the second half of the year was reflected in the statistics as SigmaIntell reported that 200 million shipments were recorded in the second half of 2017. Samsung also supplied LG bezel-free OLED for the G6 which together with the Galaxy S8 line, accounted for the remaining 30 million shipments recorded by Samsung. Apart from Samsung, Chinese display panel manufacturer Tianma also recorded some shipments pegged at 24 million while BOE technology shipped 12 million tall, bezel-less display panels to phone makers over the course of this year to occupy the number 4 position. AU Optronics (AUO) occupied the third spot with a shipment of 17 million units. There is no doubt that the trend will continue in 2018.

Buy Anet A8 Desktop 3D Printer For Just $129.99 On GearBest

The Alcatel 5 Pays A Visit To The FCC, Reveals More Details

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Habeeb Onawole

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Dec 30, 2017

The Alcatel 5 is one of the phones we are looking forward to next year. First seen in public last month at a Chinese conference forum and appearing as the TCL A5, the tri-bezel-less smartphone has now been spotted at the FCC.

There is no doubt that the Alcatel 5 was getting certified ahead of its possible release next month. There are a bunch of photos provided which gives us a closer look at the phone.

From one of the images provided, the phone looks like it has a brushed metal back but on closer look it does seem to be plastic. There is a picture of the bottom of the phone which shows a USB-C port flanked on both sides by speaker grilles. You may be wondering if the Alcatel 5 won’t have an audio jack, but it is actually at the top just like in the Idol 5S.

Another picture provides an important info we haven’t come across before which is the battery capacity. The Alcatel 5 will come with a 3000mAh battery which will power its 5.7” 18:9 display.

The last sighting of the phone already revealed that it will be powered by a MT6750 processor. However, we do not know the memory variants it will be available in.

Some other pictures reveal the front of the Alcatel A5. There are two color variants – black and white and both show clearly the dual front facing cameras the phone will come with. There are also a couple of images that are extracts of the manual. From these images, we know the phone will have a hybrid dual SIM slot.

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Vivo V7 Price In India Slashed By Rs. 2,000, Now Retails For Rs. 16,990

By

Jeet

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Dec 30, 2017

Vivo V7, the smartphone which was launched in India last month at a price of Rs. 18,990 (~$297), has now received a permanent price cut of Rs. 2,000. This brings down the effective price of the device to Rs. 16,990 (approximately $266) in India.

Initially, the smartphone was available exclusively through online retailer Flipkart. But now the phone is available on other e-commerce platforms such as Amazon India and Paytm Mall. Along with that, it is also available through offline retail stores. The phone is available in three colour options — Champagne Gold, Matte Black and the recently introduced Energetic Blue.

Also, the company has announced that the users of Reliance Jio will receive an additional data benefit of 100GB to all those who purchase the Vivo V7. While the company has slashed the pricing of Vivo V7, the pricing of its bigger sibling — Vivo V7 Plus remains unchanged. It is still retailing at a price of Rs. 21,900 in India.

The Vivo V7 features a 5.7-inch HD+ display with a screen resolution of 1440 x 720 pixels and an 18:9 aspect ratio. Under the hood, the phone is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 chipset, which comes coupled with 4GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage.

There is also a dedicated microSD card slot, enabling users to further expand the phone’s storage capacity up to 256GB. A 24-megapixel front-facing camera is present for taking selfies, which also comes with a Portrait mode and a “Moonlight Glow” LED flash to make the images look better in low-light conditions. At the rear, there is a 16-megapixel camera with an LED flash and f/2.0 aperture.

Connectivity options on the device include Dual SIM, 4G LTE, VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS, and micro USB port. The phone runs FunTouch OS 3.2 which is built on top of Android 7.1 Nougat operating system. The device, which comes with Face Unlock mode, is fuelled by a 3,000mAh battery.

Buy Anet A8 Desktop 3D Printer On GearBest For Just $139.99

By

Vinay Patel

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Dec 30, 2017

Anet A8 Desktop 3D Printer is designed to offer unparalleled performance coupled with exceptional quality and usability. Housed in a piano-black laser-cut acrylic frame, the device retains the handmade appeal and garage-built charm.

The EU Plug (Black) version of Anet A8 Desktop 3D Printer is currently available at a discounted price of just $139.99 on GearBest. This is a massive 51% reduction in the device’s original asking price.

There were only 333 pieces of EU Plug version left at the time of writing. Moreover, it is imperative for you to bear in mind that the promo comes to an end in two days.

There are two other versions including UK Plug (Black) and US Plug (Black) that you can buy on the website.The UK Plug version is currently up for grabs for $203.76, while the US Plug version is available for just $139.99 as part of a promo that is slated to end in two days. On top of that, only 63 pieces of the US Plug version of Anet A8 Desktop 3D Printer were left at the time of writing.

Before checking out, you can use promo code ‘A8KIDA’ to buy the device for only $129.99. Head straight to this link to get your hands on Anet A8 Desktop 3D Printer before the promo ends.

GeekBuying Offers Upto 70% Off On Electronic Items In Celebration Of New Year

By

Vinay Patel

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Dec 30, 2017

2018 is just around the corner and as expected, sellers are offering all sorts of discounts in a bid to draw the attention of buyers who intend to take advantage of the year-end deals. Lining with this, GeekBuying is currently offering up to 70% off on various items that will be shipped from its warehouses located in Germany, Spain, Italy and Hong Kong.

Germany Warehouse

First off, let’s take a gander at the electronic items that will ship from GeekBuying’s Germany-based warehouse.

The very well-received Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 model with 3GB RAM/32GB ROM is available for just $169.99, while 4GB RAM/64GB ROM version is selling for only $195.99 on the website. Alternatively, you can go for Xiaomi Mi A1 smartphone and get 14% off on the handset’s original asking price of $289.99.

Similarly, there’s LeTV LeEco Le Max 2, which is available at a discounted price of just $182.99. In addition to mobile phones, GeekBuying’s Germany-based warehouse will be shipping Mecool M8S PRO Plus Android TV Box, Makibes DM98 3G Smart Watch Phone, Megawheels TW02-1 Self Balance Electric Scooter and lots more.

Spain Warehouse

If you’re willing to spend $249.99, you can buy Xiaomi’s Mi A1 smartphone, which packs 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, under the hood.

Among a slew of other items that will be shipped from GeekBuying’s Spain warehouse, there’s R-TV BOX, which carries a 20% discount, and Freesat V7 DVB-S2 1080P FHD Set Top Box, which is selling for a discounted price of just $29.99.

Italy Warehouse

Items that will be shipped from GeekBuying’s Italy warehouse comprises Le Max 2 4G LTE Smartphone, which is currently available for just $185.99 on the website.

Aside from that, there are several other items such as Beelink M1 MINI PC, Original Xiaoyi YI 1080p Dome Camera, and Makibes Talk T1 3G Smartwatch Phone just to name a few.

Hong Kong Warehouse Direct

The Hong Kong-based warehouse ships a myriad of electronic items including Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 smartphone, Mi Motion sensor night light, and HOMTOM ZOJI Z8 smartphone at a discounted price.

It is worth noting that only a few pieces of the aforesaid items were left at the time of writing so if you’re planning to take advantage of GeekBuying’s ‘Farewell 2017, Hello 2018’ promo, head straight to this link without wasting time.

Get 70% Off On Various Electronic Items On GeekBuying

Samsung and LG also confirm they do not slow down phones with older batteries

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Dec 29, 2017

Apple had to admit that it slows down older iPhones to prolong their lives and prevent problems with batteries that may result in unexpected shutdowns. Three class action lawsuits have been opened in the USA for this, with people accusing Apple of fraud, forcing users to buy new devices and more. After this episode, it was asked to Samsung and LG if they do the same. The two Korean companies answered and declared that they do not slow down older smartphones with aging batteries through software updates.

LG said that the company cares about what its customers think, and they never slowed down any phone, neither they will do it in the future. Samsung said that product quality has always been and will always be the company’s priority and that the performances of its smartphones will never be reduced intentionally through software updates. In reverse, Samsung said that it uses multi-layer safety measures including software algorithms that preserve the battery life by governing the charging current and the charging duration.

In the meantime, Apple apologized for slowing down older iPhones in order to preserve batteries. Now it is possible to replace old iPhone batteries for a reduced price thanks to a new battery replacement program which has just been launched. Customers will be able to pay just 29 dollars instead of 50 dollars for the battery replacement. Just to remind you, yesterday HTC and Motorola confirmed that they do not slow down older phones too. Now, we are waiting for an answer by Google which has already been contacted on the matter.

(Via)

Court Rules Italian Duo Can Call Their Clothing Company ‘Steve Jobs’

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Dec 29, 2017

Vincenzo and Giacomo Barbato are the names of two brothers from Naples, Italy, who won a legal battle against Apple and called their company Steve Jobs. Even though the two brothers gave their company the same name of Apple’s founder and a logo which shares many things in common with Apple’s logo, the court decided to uphold the trademark. The brothers decided to give their company this name in 2012, a year after Steve Jobs’ death.

Before creating this company, they kept creating products for other brands for years. At a certain point, they decided to start their own clothing and accessory company, and they noticed that Apple had never trademarked the name of its founder. When Apple realized that the name of the company was Steve Jobs, it decided to start a legal fight.

But according to the court, the brothers did nothing wrong, and even though the logo (which consists of a letter J) contains a bite and a leaf which remind of the Apple logo, it does not represent something edible and it cannot be convicted. Actually, the Steve Jobs company produces clothes and accessories, including bags, t-shirts, and jeans. But in the future, the two brothers from Italy are intentioned to expand in the electronics market, so they may even decide to release a Steve Jobs phone in the attempt to compete with Apple and its iPhones.

(via)

Xiaomi Reveals MIJIA Brand’s 2017 Revenue Has Crossed ¥20 Billion (~$3 Billion)

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Dec 29, 2017

Xiaomi’s growth is not only hinged on its smartphone business but also on the MIJIA brand. MIJIA is Xiaomi’s crowdfunding and IoT smart home gadget platform where all products other than the smartphones fall under. The brand has long been discovered to be Xiaomi’s cash cow and was recent records show Xiaomi has continued to rake in huge revenue from the MIJIA brand. The tech giant has today disclosed that sales under the MIJIA ecological chain have exceeded 20 billion Yuan (around $3 Billion).

This monumental sales figure represents a huge rise in the revenue accrued last year from the MIJIA brand. Xiaomi had revealed around this time last year that the MIJIA brand posted impressive sales figures. Although the total revenue generated wasn’t disclosed, we were made to understand it ran into billions of dollars (estimated at 15billion yuan). Xiaomi dominated the wearables market last year with revenue of up to 1.5 billion Yuan, other brands like the smart camera, IoT gagdets and other products contributed to the revenue.

This year, we have seen over a hundred products launched under the MIJIA brand and most of them are hot-selling products. Thus, sales volume would be high, coupled with Xiaomi’s more robust marketing strategy using multiple channels. We hope to get a breakdown of how the products fared in the market and hopefully, Xiaomi will release details of that later on.

Now you can officially Sue People Using WeChat In China

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Dec 29, 2017

WeChat is the most used messaging app and also the largest social network in China. With 980 million active users a month, the app powers the daily lives of a huge percent of the Chinese population, who use it for everything, from messaging to online payments and many other services. According to a new report, Tencent’s messaging app is now going to be used to allow people to file lawsuits.

It is actually possible to sue people electronically by using this app and do a lot more stuff with regards to the lawsuit directly from the app. For example, with WeChat, Beijing Court allows to submit documents, verify people’s identities, pay legal fees and more. All is performed through a prosecution service platform created by Beijing Haidian court and present inside Tencent’s app. The official website of China’s Supreme People’s Court explains that even though everything in this platform happens via the internet, the system is very safe.

Both facial recognition and ID card verification are used for an accurate identification process which will only allow a single person to access its data. Once the required documents are filed, the parties will receive a notice via WeChat. It seems that the new service available in WeChat will directly reach the official government department, simplifying the process to a great extent. Just to remind you, Tencent’s app is already used as an official virtual ID in a few provinces, so it is able to replace the traditional Chinese government ID card.

(via)

Hong Kong Bankers Expects Xiaomi IPO To Go Up To $100 Billion in 2018

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Dec 29, 2017

According to recent data, Hong Kong raised $32.8 billion in equity capital in 2017, which is the lowest increase since 2008. But Hong Kong remains one the biggest equity capital-raising centers in the world, and now it is trying to recover. One of the plans is allowing dual-class shares just like New York exchange. Chinese tech companies like Xiaomi are attracted by the dual-class share structures and that is why they usually choose New York for their Initial Public Offerings (IPOs).

So Hong Kong will adopt dual-class shares, and it is expecting a $100 billion IPO for Xiaomi in 2018. According to bankers’ estimations, Xiaomi could be valued at up to $100 billion and this would make it the best valued Chinese tech company IPO. At the second place next year, there would be Lufax which is valued at $18.5 billion dollars: the difference is huge.

Tucker Highfield, the head of equity capital markets syndicate for the Asia Pacific at Credit Suisse, stated that over the next couple of years there is a good chance of $500+ billion market capitalization in the tech sector in China that could go public. Actually, regarding IPOs, Hong Kong ranks fourth globally, behind New York, Shanghai, and Mumbai’s National Stock Exchanges. Xiaomi, a single company, may contribute to change the situation in 2018. A 100 billion dollars IPO will grant Xiaomi the much-needed inflow of funds to expand further into newer markets.

(Source)

No End in Sight For LeEco’s Jia Yueting’s Woes As Beijing Court Seizes Assets

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Dec 29, 2017

LeEco‘s former CEO and Chairman Jia Yueting is unarguably an innovative entrepreneur who was an inspiration to many during the hay days of the tech guru. All that seems to be in the past presently as Jia Yueting has since plunged his once bubbling company into financial troubles. The tech mogul has been on the run as authorities in China has ordered him to return back to the country before the end of this year and he was recently blacklisted as a debt defaulter in China. While the dust generated by this unsavoury news is yet to settle down, another report out of China indicates that a Beijing court has seized Mr Yuetings assets.

jiu-yueting-co-founder-leeco — LeEco Founder, Jia Yueting

According to a statement on its website, the Beijing-based First intermediate People’s Court seized more than 1.3 million yuan ($200,000) in bank deposits. The court is also eyeing Jia’s shares in publicly listed Leshi Internet Information & Technology Corp. as well as two Beijing properties targeted in previous cases. No further details were disclosed on the seized properties. The court said it took action after agreeing to enforce a petition from a securities firm in Fujian in a bid to recover more than 200 million yuan it claimed Jia owed.

LeEco was hit with a cash crunch occasioned by Jia Yueting’s decision to expand aggressively its smartphone business into new markets and even veering into the automobile industry with investment in U.S electric car maker Faraday Future. That investment is yet to yield fruits but Jia is said to have disclosed during a staff meeting earlier this month that Faraday had managed to raise more than $1 billion in Series A financing, without naming his investors. We hope Mr Yueting weathers the storm and quickly too as debts and interests continue to pile up. Jia’s exact location is not known as at this moment.

Google Has Discontinued the Pixel C Tablet

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Dec 29, 2017

Google had launched the Pixel C tablet in September 2015. It was introduced in 32 GB and 64 GB storage models. Earlier this year, the search engine giant had stopped selling its 32 GB variant and now it has killed the 64 GB storage model as well. By this the company has finally discontinued the well-received Pixel C tablet.

Now that the Pixel C is unavailable for buying, its webpage on Google Store is now redirecting visitors to the Pixelbook’s page. Even though it is not available on sale, Google has confirmed that it will continue to provide hardware support to its customers.

The Pixel C was launched with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. It has been already updated to the latest Android 8.0 Oreo in August this year. Here is the official statement from Google on the discontinuation of the Pixel C:

As is common when a device has been out for a few years, we’re now retiring Pixel C and it is no longer available for sale. However, we are committed to updating and supporting it, including the recent update to Android 8.0, so customers can continue to get the best out of their device. Our newly launched Google Pixelbook combines the best parts of a laptop and a tablet for those looking for a versatile device.

Read More: GMS Express is a Google, MediaTek Collaborative Effort for Providing Pre-Certified Android Builds to OEMs

The Google Pixel C features a 10.2-inch IPS display that supports a resolution of 2560 x 1800 pixels. It is driven by Nvidia Tegra X1 octa-core processor and 3 GB of RAM. It is packed with a 9,000mAh battery. It has a rear camera of 8-megapixel and a front-facing camera of 2-megapixel.

The 32 GB and 64 GB Pixel C variants were respectively sold for $499 and $599. The search engine giant also sold an optional keyboard for the tablet that came with a pricing of $149.

Since Google has killed the Pixel C, there is no other device from the company that offers Android tablet experience. The 2-in-1 Pixelbook is running on Chrome OS and carries support for Android apps. However, it does not offer a seamless experience. There is no confirmation on whether Google will be releasing another standalone slate in the future.

(via)

QR Codes Are Everywhere In China & Now The Government Wants To Regulate It

By

Joel Joseph

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Dec 29, 2017

QR codes are everywhere in China. From buying groceries to hailing taxies to hiring a bike — there’s a QR code for everything. Even beggars have reportedly started accepting payments via QR codes, shedding light on its popularity in the country. In fact, around one-third of the mobile payments in China are via QR codes and this figure is expected to rise in the coming future. With millions of people living in China relying on QR codes for making payments on a day to day basis, it has become necessary for China’s financial institutions to start to regulate this modern mode of payment. In this regard, Chia’s central bank has announced plans to start regulating payments made by QR codes, barcodes, and other modes of payment via scanning, by keeping an initial payment limit of 500 Yuan ($76.5) per person, per day. Additional daily limits of 1000 Yuan ($153) and 5000 Yuan ($765) apply to payers who haven’t completed certain authentication procedures.

The need for regulations in this sector is important to ensure a solid check on fraudulent transactions. Things like money laundering or making payments in exchange for cash are different tactics used by sellers using QR codes and the Chinese government wants to stop such kind of activity by introducing proper regulations. Another reason is to foster fair competition between the two mobile payment giants in China, Alibaba’s Alipay and Tencent’s WeChat. QR code payments are very common among their services, so it becomes necessary to ensure there are enough regulations to keep things in check.

Apart from payment caps, the central bank wants better policies with regards to QR code payments, like expiration dates, encryption, regular updates etc to ensure that QR codes are not being used by sellers for fraudulent transactions. The payment limits are set to come into effect from April 1, 2018.

(Source)

Huawei Shipped 153 Million Smartphones This Year, Confirms CEO

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Dec 29, 2017

Through the New Year’s message, Huawei Rotating CEO Hu Houkun (Ken Hu) has conveyed that the annual revenue for 2017 would be around 600 billion yuan which is an increment of 15 percent compared to last year. He has also shared that the company has shipped 153 billion units in this year.

Huawei is currently the world’s third largest smartphone manufacturer and it aims to gain the number one spot by 2021. In 2016, Huawei had shipped 139 million phones. According to Hu, by shipping 153 million units of Huawei and Honor branded phone this year, the company’s market share has surpassed 10 percent.

Because of heavy marketing expenditure and thin-margin in smartphone business, Huawei had met with near-flat profit in March this year. At that time, the company had vowed to focus on making more profit this year. However, it appears that the Chinese manufacturer will be achieving good profit by the end of this year.

According to IDC, Huawei had held a market share of 22.3 in the third quarter of this year. Its third position is under threat by local brands like OPPO and Vivo. In the same quarter, OPPO had accounted a market share of 21.6 percent.

In order to further increase its market share, the company needs to build its market share in the western markets. Huawei is expected to showcase the Mate 10 series phones at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2018 and then make its phones available through AT&T and Verizon in the U.S. The Mate 10 came with the world’s first chipset equipped with a neural processing unit for carrying out AI tasks. Hu says that the Mate 10 offered AI in the true sense to the consumers. He added that the company will continue to bring the latest innovation in AI and AR on its forthcoming devices.

Gionee S11 Featuring Four Cameras To Launch In India In January 2018

By

Jeet

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Dec 29, 2017

Gionee S11, which features four cameras — two at the back and two on the front, is reportedly all set to launch in India. According to the report, the Gionee S11 will launch in India in January 2018. The phone was originally launched in China last month, along with a few other models.

While the exact date for the device’s launch in India remains unknown, a report suggests that the phone’s launch could be pushed towards the end of the month in January because of logistics-related delays. In India, the smartphone is expected to be priced under Rs. 20,000, which roughly converts to $313.

The Gionee S11 comes in a glass-clad body, which is 3D but curved on all four sides. The glass has a reflective finish, similar to what we saw on HTC U11. The phone sports a 5.99-inch Full HD+ display with a screen resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixel resolution and an 18:9 aspect ratio.

Under the hood, the phone is powered by MediaTek Helio P23 processor along with 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage. There is an option to expand the storage capacity of the device up to 128GB, using a microSD card.

One of the major highlights of the phone is that it bears four cameras — two at the back and two on the front side. The phone features a 16-megapixel sensor and an 8-megapixel sensor on the front, while there’s a dual camera setup consisting 16-megapixel and 5-megapixel lenses at the back.

The device runs Amigo OS 5.0 which is still based on Android Nougat operating system but comes with a bunch of new features. The phone is fuelled by a 3,410mAh battery, which should be enough to provide power for the entire day on single charge.

Earlier this week, Gionee launched Gionee S10 Lite in the Indian market. The phone, which is priced at Rs. 15,999, features a 5.2-inch HD display and packs Snapdragon 427 processor, 4GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. It features a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 16-megapixel front-facing camera. Running Amigo OS 4.0, the device is powered by a 3,100mAh battery.

(Source)

Here is the List of Rumored Snapdragon 845 Smartphones Arriving in 2018

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Dec 29, 2017

The Snapdragon 845 mobile platform was officially unveiled by Qualcomm earlier in this month. It is the second-generation 10nm chipset that has arrived as a successor for Snapdragon 835. It is expected to several flagship phones in 2018. A leaked image showing the list of rumored phones that will be powered by Snapdragon 845 has appeared on Weibo. The leak also reveals the expected announcement timelines for those phones.

The above image shows that Samsung will be debuting the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ in February. Even though the rumor mill has not revealed much information on the upcoming LG G7, the leaked photo states that the LG G7 and G7+ will be released in the same month. This shows that the LG G-series phone for 2018 won’t be coming with a non-flagship chipset.

In April, Xiaomi Mi 7 is speculated to debut as China’s first Snapdragon 845 powered smartphone. Just as the HTC U11 had debuted in May this year, its successor – the HTC U12 is speculated to debut in the same month in 2018.

In June, the OnePlus 6, ZTE Nubia Z18 and Sony Xperia XZ Pro-A smartphones are expected to arrive in the market. It appears that the Sony’s flagship may get unveiled at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 in February, but it will be hitting the market later in June. The Nokia 10 flagship is likely to get announced in August.

The month of September will see biggies like Samsung Galaxy Note 9, LG V40 and Xiaomi Mi MIX 3. The Google Pixel 3, Pixel XL, ZTE Nubia Z18S, Sony Xperia XZ2 and HTC U12+ are rumored to debut in October. Motorola is speculated to debut the Moto Z 2019 flagship phone in November. Lastly, the OnePlus 6T and Samsung W2019 flip phone are rumored to release in December.

The list does not contain any information for the successor phones for Essential Phone and Razer Phone. Apart from the Motorola flagship that is speculated to arrive late and the HTC’s second flagship that is rumored to launch a bit early, most of the phones mentioned in the leak are arriving at the same time as their predecessors did this year However, we advise our readers to digest the report with a pinch of salt.

Buy Xiaomi Mi Laser Projector For Just $1549 On GearBest

Xiaomi Mi Laser Projector $500 Off Discount On GearBest

By

Vinay Patel

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Dec 29, 2017

Deemed as “the world’s first truly cinema-level laser projector TV” by Xiaomi, the Mi Ultra Short 5000 ANSI Lumens Laser Projector can project up to a maximum of 150-inches. It features a built-in Mi TV and boasts a custom DLP solution developed by American technology company, Texas Instruments.

You can now buy the Xiaomi-branded projector on GearBest for a flash sale price of $1959. Those who have been waiting with bated breath to get their hands on the device should note that only 17 pieces were left at the time of writing.

The promo will come to an end on Saturday, December 23. The Mi Ultra Short 5000 ANSI Lumens Laser Projector is slated to dispatch from December 23 to January 4.

Furthermore, you can apply promotion code ‘XMLPSK‘ at the time of checking out and buy it for just $1549.99. Click here to get a 25% off the Mi Ultra Short 5000 ANSI Lumens Laser Projector.

Update: I’m sorry, the code ‘XMLPSK‘ only for Korean, but this code ‘XMLPP‘ for world’s buyer, the price is $1839.

OnePlus 5 Users to Soon Receive Face Unlock Open Beta

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Dec 29, 2017

Earlier in this week, OnePlus had confirmed that OnePlus 5 would be receiving the Face Unlock feature that was first introduced on the OnePlus 5T phone. Today, the Chinese manufacturer has confirmed that it will be soon releasing an open beta build of Face Unlock for OP5 users.

OnePlus 5T’s Face Unlock that coexists with fingerprint scanner has received good reception from the users. OnePlus users have requested the company through OnePlus community to make the Face Unlock feature available on older OnePlus smartphones.

Before releasing the final version of the Face Unlock feature, the company wants to test the feature by releasing its open beta build. This will allow OnePlus to kill any bugs and roll out a stable edition of Face Unlock to OnePlus 5 users. There is a possibility that the company may make it available on older devices as OnePlus founder Carl Pei had carried out a poll recently on Twitter and OnePlus forum to ask OnePlus 3 and 3T users whether they would like to use Face Unlock on those phones.

Compared to Apple’s Face ID, the Face Unlock by OnePlus can recognize a face faster. However, since it is not as secure as Face ID, it cannot be used for authenticating a mobile payment. Face ID’s facing scanning depends on the complex 3D sensors, but Face Unlock can identify by recognizing certain marks on the face such as the space between the eyes or the distance between nose and lip.

The Face Unlock technology is equipped with special identifiers that allows it to identify a face in low light conditions and even when the user is wearing eyeglasses. It is smart enough to confirm whether the subject is a real face or a photo. If Face Unlock is unable to identify a face after five attempts, the face recognition feature will get disabled and it will prompt the user to make use fingerprint reader or enter PIN code or pattern to unlock the phone.

Honor V10 Teardown Points At A Perfect Smartphone That Is Easy To Repair

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Dec 29, 2017

Are you still searching for the perfect smartphone that offers you all the features you want and even more? Maybe you should take a look at the Honor V10. Although the Honor V10, also called Honor View 10, isn’t available on the market yet, the smartphone may be worth waiting for. Read on to find out why we think so.

Chinese tech outfit ZOL has published their teardown guide for the Honor V10 and the verdict remains a positive one for the Kirin 970-powered midrange smartphone. The teardown not only revealed the entire internals, it also shows that the smartphone may be easy to repair. The procedure for dismantling the smartphone looks pretty much like an easy one, just like Huawei’s other smartphones. But it must be noted that the V10 internal design looks different from that of its predecessor, the Honor V9. Huawei opted for a modular design on the V10 which saw the rear panel entirely separated from the rest of the device. This would aid in repairs as opening up the device won’t be difficult as there won’t be fear of ripping up a wire while removing the fixed back cover. The V10 also lacks any visible heat pipe but then the energy efficient Kirin 970 would ensure the device doesn’t heat up. In addition, the motherboard and other components are also well-arranged and the wires are protected by metal covers which makes for easy removal if the device is to be disassembled.

The Huawei Honor V10 dominated the headlines when it was first launched in China last month partly because of its full-screen 18:9 display with a resolution of 2160 x 1080p. Secondly, the device features the latest Hisilicon Kirin 970 flagship chip with AI capabilities. No, it isn’t a flagship model but we can’t fathom why Huawei chose to use its flagship processor on a mid-range smartphone. However, that ensures the phone has a high performing hardware setup. The hardware also includes a dual camera setup at the rear. The camera aspect is piloted by a 20MP + 16MP dual camera setup at the rear while selfies are taken care of by a 13MP shooter with AI features. Another cool feature is that the smartphone runs Android-Oreo-based EMUI 8.0 from the go. It also packs a 3750mAh battery with 5V/4.5A super fast charge. It comes with dual SIM slots and both slots are 4G VoLTE enabled. There are three memory versions available, there is a 4GB RAM + 64GB storage version, as well as a 6GB RAM + 64GB version and finally a top-end 6GB RAM + 128GB storage version.

The Honor View 10 is presently on pre-orders in the U.K while pre-registration is also open in India. Huawei has slated to release the device globally in January 2018. It is priced around €499 in Europe.