Meizu E3 is an upcoming smartphone from the company. It is expected to succeed Meizu E2 from last year. A leaked image showing the back panel of the Meizu E3 had revealed that the smartphone would be arriving with a different design compared to its predecessor. Today, a new image of the smartphone has appeared to reveal its front view.
In the above image, the Meizu E3 seems to feature a full screen design. This suggests that the handset will be supporting an aspect ratio of 18:9. The corners of the Meizu M6S are more rounded than the device shown in the above image. Hence, the above image does not seem to belong to the Meizu M6S.
The bottom portion of the handset has an on-screen Super mBack button that was first introduced on the Meizu M6S phone. The image also shows a portion of the back panel. The placement of the rear camera cannot be seen in the new image.
The image that had surfaced in the last week had shown the Meizu E3 would be blessed with vertically arranged dual rear cameras. Below the camera module it features the ring-LED flash. This suggests that it won’t be featuring horizontally arranged quad-LED flash unit that was introduced on the Meizu E2. Like the Meizu M6S and the rumored Meizu 15 Plus, the upcoming Meizu E3’s fingerprint sensor will be integrated under the Power button.
As of this writing, the specifications of the Meizu E3 are under the wraps. Even though rumors have claimed that the Meizu has ditched MediaTek, it has been recently confirmed by the Chinese smartphone manufacturer that it will continue to use MediaTek SoCs Some sources have claimed may be powered by the upcoming MediaTek Helio P70 or Helio P40 chipset. It is speculated that the Chinese manufacturer will launch the Meizu E3 in March this year with a pricing of around 1,299 Yuan (~$206).
Huawei has moved past the failure of its inability to sell its Mate 10 Pro flagship via carriers in the US. Its focus is now on its next flagship, the Huawei P20. Photos alleged to be that of the upcoming flagship surfaced online yesterday, giving us our first look at the device.
The first thing that draws your attention is the notch at the top of the display. When we first heard that Huawei was going to release a phone with a notch just like the iPhone X, we were surprised since Huawei is not known to shamelessly copy designs. Even if it did in the past, now that it is one of the top companies in the world, that shouldn’t be happening.
The notch isn’t as big as that of the iPhone X’ but it houses the front camera, earpiece, and sensors just like it does. We can’t see the lower half of the device, so we can’t tell if it has a physical home button/fingerprint scanner. It doesn’t seem to be at the back even though the middle is blurred out.
On the rear, there are two dual cameras arranged horizontally and in a slightly raised housing. This is different from the schematics we have seen which say the Huawei P20 series will have triple cameras in various arrangements.
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There are reports that this may be the Lite version that’s why it is missing the triple camera feature. Nevertheless, there are some things we noticed that makes us think this may not be the Huawei P20 or even a Huawei phone for that matter.
First, the buttons are not in Huawei’s style. This phone has three buttons on the right. Its safe to say two are for volume controls while the third is the power button. Huawei doesn’t use separate buttons for volume control, even for its entry level devices and we don’t think it is about to change that now.
If you also look at the position of the network bars, they are on the left. For Huawei, the network bar is always on the right while operator name(s) is on the left.
OPPO has unveiled a new variant of the OPPO F5 in India and it is a customised edition with a dashing blue paint job. The OPPO F5 Sidharth Limited Edition is named after the company’s brand ambassador and celebrated actor – Sidharth Malhotra who unveiled the handset himself during the event held the previous Saturday.
The new Dashing Blue variant of the OPPO F5 comes as the fourth colour variant the F5 would be available in. The device already has a Gold, Black and Red variants but the stylish blue hue stands out from the others and has a similar price tag as the other variants- Rs 19,990 (around $311). The new limited edition will be available exclusively online on Amazon India on February 8 and would arrive in stores across India on February 9. Since it is a limited edition, it would likely be available in limited quantities.
The OPPO F5 was first announced in October last year with a full view display design. The new version apart from coming in Dashing Blue has the same specs lineup with the previous models. The F5 features a 6-inch Full HD+ display with 18:9 aspect ratio, a 16MP rear-facing camera with large f/1.8 aperture and a 20MP front snapper with f/2.0 aperture for selfies. The smartphone is powered by a MediaTek Helio P23 octa-core chipset, paired with 4GB RAM while there is 32GB onboard storage with an option to expand further using microSD cards. There is also a 3,200mAh battery and the Android 7.1 Nougat-based ColorOS 3.2 provides the interface. The F5 also feature a fingerprint scanner at the back of the phone and an ultra-fast Face Unlock feature to serve as an alternative to unlocking the smartphone.
Xiaomi had launched the Redmi Note 4 as its first 2017 device in India. It went on to become one of the bestselling Xiaomi phones in the country. Since it met with overwhelming response in India, Xiaomi was expected to debut the successor of Redmi Note 4 in January this year. However, the company did not unveil any new device in India in the previous month. Today, the company has confirmed on Xiaomi India Twitter account that it will be launching its device for 2018 on Feb.14.
Xiaomi had launched the Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus smartphones in China in December last year. The company had been launching Redmi Note series smartphones each year, but the company did not launch Redmi Note 5 last year in China.
The Redmi series of smartphones have always featured 5-inch display whereas the Redmi Note lineup have featured 5.5-inch screen. Since the Redmi 5 and 5 Plus smartphones are respectively packed with 5.7-inch and 5.99-inch display, rumors that emerged from China after the launch of Redmi 5 series claimed that Xiaomi has no plans to launch Redmi Note 5 in the home country.
However, a newer report has claimed that since Redmi Note 4 met huge popularity in India, the company may launch the Redmi 5 Plus as Redmi Note 5 in India. This seems to be possible because the Redmi Y1 Lite and Redmi Y1 that are available in India were respectively launched as Redmi Note 5A and Note 5A Prime in China.
The launch teaser of the first 2018 device for India does not clearly mention whether the company will be launching Redmi 5 Plus or Redmi Note 5 smartphone on Feb. 14. There is a possibility that the company may launch Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus smartphones respectively as Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Prime.
The full screen design Redmi Note 5 may come with specs like HD+ resolution, Snapdragon 450, 2GB / 3GB RAM options, 16 GB / 32 GB storage sizes, 12-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front camera and 3,300mAh battery. on the other side, the Redmi Note 5 Prime may include FHD+ resolution supporting screen, Snapdragon 625 chipset, 3 GB / 4 GB RAM variants, 32 GB / 64 GB storage models, 12-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front camera and 4,000mAh battery.
Recent reports have suggested that Xiaomi will be debuting the Mi MIX 2S flagship smartphone instead of the Mi 7 at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 later this month. The arrival of the Mi MIX S seems to be imminent as the Chinese manufacturer has slashed the price of the Mi MIX 2 by 800 Yuan (~$127).
In China, the Ceramic edition of the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 is now available with a discount of 800 Yuan over its regular price of 4,699 Yuan (`$745). What could be the reason behind the new price cut? Discounts are usually introduced for two reasons, the first one is if the smartphone is encountering poor sales and the second one is when the company is planning to launch a newer model. Since the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 has gone out of stock quite often on the official website, it seems that the recent discount has been introduced to clear its existing stock as the arrival of Mi MIX 2S could be drawing near.
Rumors are rife that the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S will be coming with a full screen design. Some of the leaked photos of the smartphone have suggested that it may arrive with notch like the iPhone X. This may allow the phone to support a higher screen-to-body ratio than the Mi MIX 2.
It is expected to debut as the first Snapdragon 845 chipset phone from the company. The SoC is likely to be accompanied by 8 GB of RAM. The rear side of the phone that is rumored to be made out of ceramic may sport a single camera lens. Previous leaks have claimed that the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S will be carrying a price tag of 4,000 Yuan (~$635). As far as the launch of the Mi 7 is concerned, recent reports have claimed that the company may debut it in April or May.
Samsung, Xiaomi and Sony are expected to debut Snapdragon 845 driven flagship smartphones at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 tech expo later this month HMD Global has also confirmed that it will be present at MWC 2018 on Feb. 26 to unleash new devices. A recent report had revealed that the Finnish firm had recently trademarked the Nokia 8 Sirocco moniker. Fresh information reveals that the smartphone will be fueled by Snapdragon 845 and it may get unveiled at the forthcoming tech trade fair.
Previous reports have revealed that the HMD Global is working on 2018 edition of Nokia 8. In 2006, Nokia had launched the Nokia 8800 Sirocco phone. It is speculated that the upcoming Nokia 8 variant will be a tribute the 8800 Sirocco. The trademark filing had revealed that the model number of this upcoming Nokia phone is TA-1005. Leaked information reveals that the Snapdragon 845 chipset will be present under the hood of the Nokia 8 Sirocco. The SoC will be coupled with 6 GB of RAM.
Like the original Nokia 8 from last year, the Nokia 8 Sirocco is expected to house a dual camera setup. It is likely to include ZEISS certified 12-megapixel sensor and 13-megapixel sensor. It is expected to arrive with a selfie camera of 5-megapixel. The smartphone is expected to arrive with IP67 certified dustproof and waterproof chassis.
It may house a 3,250mAh battery that will be equipped with wireless charging. The exact size of the screen is not known and there is no confirmation on whether it will be supporting 18:9 aspect ratio. Instead of the LCD panel available on the original Nokia 8, the upcoming Sirocco model may arrive with an OLED panel. Rumors also claim that it will be carrying a price tag of 5,000 Yuan (`$793).
Not only the Nokia 8 Sirocco, but also other phones such as Nokia 9, Nokia 7 Plus, Nokia 6 (2018) global edition, Nokia 4, Nokia 1 and Nokia 3310 4G global variant are likely to get announced at MWC 2018. As far as the abovementioned specifications of the Nokia 8 Sirocco are concerned, we advise to take this report with a pinch of salt.
Earlier this year, in January, TCL-owned Alcatel restructured its smartphone lineup and announced a new series — Alcatel 1, Alcatel 3 and Alcatel 5 at the Consumer Electronics Show 2018. Now the company is expected to launch Alcatel 3V at the upcoming MWC 2018.
After launching the Alcatel 3C phone in Italy a few weeks ago, the company is now gearing up to launch another device in the Alcatel 3 series — Alcatel 3V. Ahead of the official launch, the phone’s promotional video has been leaked online through Roland Quandt.
The leaked video shows the phone’s big 6-inch full-screen display having 18:9 aspect ratio. The video also reveals that the device will come with a curved back, standard dual-camera capabilities, face unlock, and the rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.
Roland Quandt has also posted the full specifications of the device. As per the latest leak, the device will be powered by MediaTek MT8735A processor along with Mali T720 MP2 GPU, 2GB RAM and 16GB of onboard storage. The phone is said to be running on Android Oreo operating system out-of-the-box.
As for the dual camera setup, one is a 12MP sensor and the other is a 2MP sensor most likely for capturing the depth of field details. The front camera is an 8MP sensor. The device is powered by a 3000mAh battery. The phone has a micro USB port, Bluetooth 4.2, and Cat. 4 LTE. It is said to be 8.05mm thick and weighs 169g.
According to the promotional video, the phone will be offered in three color options — blue, black, and gold. The phone was recently spotted on the Amazon France, which also revealed the phone’s pricing of 190 Euros. Aside from the 3V, Alcatel is also expected to announce the Alcatel 5.
Together with the new Surface Pro (2017), Microsoft Surface Book 2 and Microsoft Surface Laptop are the latest professional PCs launched by the Redmond giant. These computers offer high-end specs and they are very compact and versatile, but they are also known for being very expensive. But now, the company has decided to officially unveil two cheaper versions of these devices, for people who want a professional laptop but have a low budget. While the standard Surface Laptop comes with an Intel Core i5 or i7 CPU depending on the configuration, the new cheaper version which has just been announced comes with a less powerful Intel Core M3.
It is still a good CPU, but it is just a mid-range processor for a laptop. Further, this version comes with 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. Thanks to this lower-end hardware side, the price tag drops to just $799, while the standard version which is already in the market costs $999. Microsoft Surface Book 2, in its variant with a 13.5-inch display, has been released in a more affordable version as well, but it is more powerful than the cheaper Surface Laptop. In the new variant, Microsoft Surface Book 2 sports an Intel Core i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage.
The version which is already available starts from $1499 (the one with 256 GB of internal storage), while this one costs just $1199. The rest of the specs of the laptops remains exactly the same as the actual versions. Microsoft Surface Laptop has a metal design with an Alcantara-coated keyboard, a 15.6-inch display with a resolution of 2256 x 1504 pixels, and a multi-gesture trackpad. Microsoft Surface Book 2 has a 13.5-inch touchscreen monitor with a resolution of 3240 x 2160 pixels, a detachable keyboard, and the support to the Surface Dial and the Surface Pen for handwriting and drawing with a high precision.
According to new reports from local publications, LG may decide to exit the Chinese smartphones market. The reason is probably related to the poor financial results achieved in the last period. Indeed, according to a report related to 2017, the Korean company has registered a big loss in the last quarter of 2017: $192 million. The mobile division of the company is officially in decline, and in the press release, it was also highlighted that one of the reasons for this is the strong competition from Chinese brands.
There is no LG-related official data regarding the Chinese market in 2017, but according to the estimations, in 2016 the company has sold just 160,000 units in China, while the total smartphones sold were more than 480 million units. Another signal implying that the company may be planning to quit the Chinese smartphones market is the fact that its most important flagships of 2017 were not even launched in China. We are talking about the LG G6 unveiled in the first half of 2017 and the V30 launched in the second half. Moreover, this is not the first time we are hearing about LG’s plan to pull out from the Chinese market. Early in 2017, there were rumors about the company’s exit from the country.
The last smartphone which has been made available on the Chinese website of the Korean giant is LG G5 SE, which was launched in May 2016. Fortunately, the company is expected to exit only the Chinese smartphones market while it will remain in the Chinese hi-tech market with other products. Indeed, while the mobile division registered a big loss in 2017, LG Electronics has made outstanding profits in other sectors of technology. The company is expected to launch its next flagship at MWC 2018, but it should not be the G7 as you could expect. The G7 should be replaced by a more advanced version of the V30, called V30+.
Less than 20 days before the official launch, we can already see official cases of Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. MobileFun has published a new video in which we can see the original cases of the phones which will be released by the Korean giant. The smart cases, called Samsung S-View and Clear View, will have the same features as the ones for the Galaxy S8 and S8+.
The guys from MobileFun have tried to insert an S8 inside the S9 case and its features worked. Further, the test reveals that the dimensions of the Samsung Galaxy S9 will be nearly identical to the one of the S8, as it fits perfectly into the case. The features of the smart cases, which are not just simple covers, include checking the clock, notifications and answering calls.
It is also possible to use the cases as supports to make the phones stand horizontally in order to watch videos and use them without hands. The cases have also revealed that Samsung Galaxy S9 will be released in a Purple version, besides the known blue, black and rose gold hues. Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ will be officially at MWC 2018: they will be showcased in an event which will be held on February 25.
OnePlus has an announcement/launch scheduled for tomorrow based on a teaser posted today on Twitter. Although the teaser doesn’t say much apart from having a red theme, it is a tweet from yesterday that provides more info.
The older tweet is an eleven-second video with the caption “Bring the passion! What things should try on red next?”. The video shows a bunch of items that are originally white but transform to red. Our guess is that OnePlus will launch the Lava Red OnePlus 5T globally tomorrow.
The Lava Red OnePlus 5T was first released in China to mark its 4th year anniversary. Initially said to be exclusive to its home country, the color variant launched in India last month. Now, it may be heading to more countries.
The OnePlus 5T was originally released in Midnight Black, it was followed by a limited edition Star Wars version which is basically a white variant with a Star Wars logo engraved on the back. It also launched a limited edition Sandstone White variant. Both the Star Wars and Sandstone White variants are out of stock in all countries.
So it doesn’t come as a surprise that it wants to launch the Lava Red variant in more countries seeing as the Midnight Black is the only color variant available at the moment.
From the look of things, HTC doesn’t seem to be working on a flagship at the moment. First, it kicked off the year with the launch of the upper-mid range HTC U11 Eyes. Just a few days ago, another mid-range HTC phone, this time powered by the Snapdragon 625, was seen on Geekbench. Today, specs of an entry level phone codenamed HTC Breeze has been leaked online by Evan Blass.
HTC U Play, HTC’s last MediaTek powered phone
According to @evleaks, the phone’s promising feature is its 5.5” 18:9 aspect ratio. The HTC Breeze will be powered by an unnamed MediaTek processor, have 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage.
Its rear camera is said to be a 13MP sensor while a 5MP sensor graces the front. It will also pack a 2730mAh non-removable battery. While he doesn’t mention the version of Android, we expect it to be Android 8.0 Oreo.
The first time we learnt of the Nokia 7 Plus was last year when the Nokia Camera app was unpacked. Inside the app was a list of Nokia phones, some of which have already been released and others that are yet to be announced. It was then followed by a Geekbench listing last week.
Today, more specification details have leaked online, providing us with more info about the upcoming device.
The Nokia 7 Plus is reported to pack a massive 6” display but one that should fit nicely in the hands thanks to an 18:9 aspect ratio. Depending on how soon it launches, the Nokia 7 Plus may be HMD Global’s first full-screen smartphone.
Unlike the Nokia 7 which has a single rear 16MP rear camera, the Nokia 7 Plus is said to have dual cameras in a 12MP + 13MP configuration with Carl Zeiss lens. For selfies, it packs a 16MP sensor also with Carl Zeiss lens and a professional shooting mode.
Other features mentioned include a metal body, a ceramic rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, 360° spatial audio technology (Nokia OZO) with 3 audio capturing microphones, 18W quick charge support, and Android 8.0 Oreo pre-installed with planned upgrade to Android 8.1.
Xiaomi, after releasing MIUI 9.2 update for the Redmi Note 3, has now started rolling out the MIUI 9.2 update for the Redmi 3S and Redmi 3S Prime.
The update for the third batch of devices was scheduled to roll out from December 2017. However, it was delayed because of a critical bug in the update. It seems that the company has now skipped the MIUI 9.0 update and is now rolling out MIUI 9.2 update directly.
The new update for the Redmi 3S and Redmi 3S comes as MIUI 9.2.2.0.MALMIEK and is of around 376 MB in size. Unfortunately, the update is still based on Android Marshmallow only and the base version has not been updated to Android Oreo.
This update has April 2017 security patch, which is really old as the January 2018 update patch has been rolled out. Because of the older security patch, the device remains vulnerable to KRACK WPA2 which Xiaomi fixed in other devices including Redmi Note 3. However, do note that this is a Nightly build. China-based Xiaomi usually releases Stable Nightly updates to random users to get feedback and the same update is rolled out to all users as a Stable build if feedback goes well.
This latest MIUI update brings Interactive and Fresh UI changes, along with a new Gallery App, Calendar Cards, App Vault, Mi Video App, New Mi Explorer and Mi Drop. However, the users will not be able to enjoy features like New Notification Shade, Split Screen, and Quick Switch.
The Xiaomi Redmi 3S comes with a 5-inch HD display and Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 octa-core processor. There’s a 13MP rear camera with PDAF and LED flash and a 5MP wide-angle front-facing camera for selfies.
The Redmi 3S Prime model comes with 3GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage while the standard model comes with 2GB RAM and 16GB of onboard storage. There’s also a microSD card slot that expands the phone’s storage up to 256GB. The phone has a fingerprint scanner for added security and is powered by a 4,100mAh non-removable battery.
A case maker has published new renders which showcase the Huawei P20 (or P11, we still do not know its name for sure as the company has still not confirmed it). The flagship is enclosed in a cover, so we cannot see its entire design. But from these renders, we can notice important details of the handset. The most innovative feature that it is possible to see in these renders is the presence of a triple camera setup, which is placed in a vertical configuration. Under the cameras, there is a dual LED flash, while near the flash there seems to be a laser autofocus sensor. This is the second such triple camera case renders we are seeing in the past couple of days.
On the front side of the alleged Huawei P20, there is a borderless display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. On the upper part, there is a 3.5 mm audio jack, it seems that the company has decided not to ditch it like Apple did with its last generation iPhones. The case also shows that there is a charging port at the bottom and two holes on its side for the loudspeakers. We cannot see any fingerprint reader on the body of the phone, and this could mean that there might be an under display fingerprint scanner: the one launched by Synaptics.
It has been confirmed that Huawei P20 will not be showcased at MWC 2018 in Barcelona. There will be a dedicated event which will be held in Paris on March 27. The Huawei P20 should be released in at least three variants: Standard, Plus and Lite. According to a leak, there will be a pro version as well, which will sport an iPhone X-like notch on the display. The standard version, together with the Plus and the alleged Pro ones, will be powered by the Kirin 970 SoC with AI.
It is still not certain if Huawei would name its next-gen P-series smartphone as P20 or P11. There are shreds of evidence backing the existence of both names but let’s just stick with P20 for now. That’s how it was labelled in this latest leak which is that of renders of the P20’s rear case. The leaked case holds some clues about the device.
The major feature that can be spotted on the leaked P20 casing is the unusually wide camera module which is designed in a manner that suggests the rear cameras (yes, rear cameras) will be aligned vertically. Sure there simply can’t be a single shooter mounted on the P20’s back because the P-series is known for its powerful dual cameras co-engineered with Leica. However, in this case, the P20 will likely pack three shooters at its back. This isn’t the first time we are getting this rumour but the casing may have re-ignited such talk.
Another thing we can gather from the leaked protective case is that the P20 features a headphone jack. The case does have an opening for the 3.5mm audio jack which means the device will likely not have a waterproof body like the Mate 10 Pro. The P20 was rumored to launch at MWC 2018 later this February but a recent news revealed that Huawei will hold a special event on March 27 at Paris, France where it would officially unveil the P20 and its variants. Details of the specifications are sketchy but it is expected to pack the latest Kirin 970 AI chip among other features.
Microsoft‘s patent application has just been revealed and it points at what we should likely be expecting on the much-anticipated Surface Phone or perhaps one of the Surface device of the future. The patent application was for a device which comes with a “live hinge” that gives a device with two screens the ability to seamlessly open flat into a tablet mode. The device could also be used in a single screen mode whereby one of the screens is folded all the way around back. Here’s the sketch.
On the schematics above, the gray part in the middle is the live hinge which connects the two screens. The screens are numbered 160 and 170 and the live hinge allows the phone to have an unhindered degree of adjustability. The hinge ensures the connection of both screens is finely done such that the joint could pass unnoticed. But when folded, the screen resembles a pocketbook which may likely still function as a single unit.
Microsoft describes the device as a “multi-part device” in the patent filing. The hinge also seems to allow three different user modes. One of the modes could allow, in certain configurations, a full 360 degrees of rotation. A second mode is the one where the screen is opened 180 degrees with both screens conjoined into one larger display. In the third mode, the device can be closed with no screens exposed. The patent filing also specifically refer to the size limitations of current single-screen mobile phones which strongly suggest that this is indeed what we might see out of the rumoured Surface Phone.
It doesn’t matter if you celebrate Valentine’s Day or not, once there is a deal, everyone is eligible for it. This year, Motorola has slashed the price of the Moto Z2 Play by a whopping $150 and its all because of love.
The Moto Z2 Play has an original price tag of $499.99 but starting tomorrow, you can save $150 and get it for $349.99 instead. If you don’t like the Moto Z2 Play, there are a number of other deals Motorola is offering.
So you get a speaker that is more powerful than the JBL SoundBoost 2 Moto Mod with all the other features such as external charging and being splash proof and even a bigger battery. It also has Amazon’s Alexa assistant built-in, so you can ask it questions, set reminders, and control your smart home devices.
Motorola has also slashed the price of all Moto Mods by 25%. The new Moto Style Shells with Gorilla Glass 5 for example will sell for $14.99 instead of $19.99, the Moto Folio case will go for $11.24 (normally $14.99), and the Moto Style Shell with wireless charging will sell for $29.99 instead of $39.99.
January 2018 has been an interesting month for smartphone enthusiasts. While we’ll see a lot more flagships being announced in the next couple of months, January 2018 wasn’t a month without action. It has been the month of Consumer Electronics Show, a trade show in which many important tech products have been showcased. Even though no important flagships were launched, quite a few midrange handsets have been announced and are hitting the shelves. So, let’s discover which are the top smartphone launches in January 2018.
Sony Xperia XA2, XA2 Ultra, and Xperia L2
Display: 5.2 in Full HD IPS LCD / 6 in Full HD IPS LCD / 5.5 in HD IPS LCD
Hardware: Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, 3 GB RAM, 32 GB ROM / Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, 4 GB RAM, 32 or 64 GB ROM / MediaTek MT6737T, 3 GB RAM, 32 GB ROM
The Sony Xperia trio unveiled at CES 2018 and composed of Xperia XA2, XA2 Ultra and Xperia L2 is surely the most important smartphone launch of January 2018 by a big brand. The first two handsets represent an incredible improvement over the previous generation. Sony has switched from MediaTek SoCs to Qualcomm SoCs for its most important midrangers: both XA2 and XA2 Ultra are powered by the powerful and power-efficient octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 chipset which has a max frequency of 2.2 GHz. The two handsets also have much narrower bezels compared to the previous generation, 23 MP rear cameras, and the Ultra variant (the one with a monster 6-inch display) has a dual selfie camera with 16 and 8 MP resolution featuring optical stabilization. Sony Xperia L2 still has a MediaTek SoC, but even though it is an entry-level phone it has 3 GB of RAM and a big battery (3300 mAh) paired with very efficient components (the MT6737T chipset and an HD display). The only weak point of these models is that they are pricey.
PRO: Great hardware (XA2 and XA2 Ultra), wide displays (XA2 Ultra and L2), big batteries, good design
CONS: High price
Nokia 6 (2018)
Display: 5.5 in Full HD IPS LCD
Hardware: Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, 4 GB RAM, 32/64 GB ROM
Software: Android Nougat
Camera: 16 MP f/2.0
Battery: 3000 mAh
Nokia 6 (2018) has turned out to be a very stylish device. The phone has been released in very attractive color schemes (black/gold and white/red) and it features a solid aluminum 6000 series unibody design. Bezels are very narrow, even though the Full HD display has a classic 16:9 aspect ratio. HMD Global has made great choices in terms of hardware by putting a Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 SoC paired with 4 GB of RAM in this phone. For its price (about €220 / $272), this hardware side is very good, especially if we think that Xperia XA2 and XA2 Ultra with the same SoC are sold at a much higher price. Check out our hands on with the new Nokia 6 here!
PRO: Stunning design, great hardware, affordable price, interesting camera
CONS: Nothing special (Availability?)
Vivo X20 Plus UD
Display: 6.43 in Full HD+ Super AMOLED
Hardware: Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, 4 GB RAM, 128 GB ROM
Software: Android Nougat, EMUI 5.1
Camera: 13 MP f/2.0
Battery: 5000 mAh
At the end of 2017, Synaptics has announced the first fingerprint reader which can be embedded inside a display, and it announced that the first handset with this chip would arrive in Q1 2018. It is Vivo X20 Plus UD: the first smartphone with an under-display fingerprint reader. To unlock the phone, the user just needs to touch the display at the location of the fingerprint icon: the OLED panel will illuminate the finger and the reader will recognize the fingerprint. It is a slightly slower authentication method compared with the traditional fingerprint readers, but it allows the presence of a fingerprint reader on the front side even though the display is bezel-less. The rest of the specs (with the exception of the internal storage of 128 GB) remains exactly the same as the Vivo X20 Plus already in the market, but the aesthetics are a bit more attractive thanks to gold borders. Besides the in-display fingerprint reader, the other key features of the device include a huge AMOLED display, a big battery, and a powerful SoC: the Snapdragon 660.
PRO: Big display, good hardware side, big battery, nice cameras
CONS: Not a compact device
Meizu M6s
Display: 5.7 in HD+ IPS LCD
Hardware: Samsung Exynos 7872, 3 GB RAM, 32/64 GB ROM
Software: Android Nougat, Flyme OS 6.2
Camera: 16 MP f/2.0
Battery: 3000 mAh
With Meizu M6s, the Chinese company has decided to innovate more even with an affordable device. The borderless display and the side-mounted fingerprint reader with a revamped mBack technology that provides more comfortable gestures make this phone much more interesting than its predecessor. It has an Exynos SoC that according to benchmark is much better than Snapdragon 625, so it should provide above-average performance. If the company will continue in this way and release a Meizu M7 Note with similar features, we might soon see one of the best value for money mid-range phones ever.
PRO: Good hardware, bezel-less display, comfortable gestures and fingerprint reader
CONS: Still features an HD display
Elephone U and U Pro
Display: 5.99 in Full HD+ IPS LCD
Hardware: MediaTek Helio P23, 4-6 GB RAM, 64-128 GB ROM / Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, 4-6 GB RAM, 64-128 GB ROM
Software: Android Oreo
Camera: Dual 13 + 13 MP
Battery: 3620 mAh
Elephone may not be as established as other brands like Xiaomi to come out of China but its phones are still quite popular among a niche crowd. However, it is managing to release very interesting midranges which have a lower price tag than the midrangers from the best brands. Elephone U and U Pro are two borderless phones with powerful SoCs and a big amount of RAM sold at an affordable price. It is actually possible to order them at less than €300 thanks to online street prices. They also have a stunning design with a curved display and a big battery. And the Pro version is among the most affordable phones with the powerful Snapdragon 660 SoC.
PRO: Big display, nice hardware, big battery, affordable price
CONS: Nothing Specific
Infocus M7s
Display: 5.7 in HD+ IPS LCD
Hardware: MediaTek MT6737H, 3 GB RAM, 32 GB ROM
Software: Android Nougat
Camera: 13 + 5 MP f/2.0
Battery: 4000 mAh
Unfortunately, Infocus M7s is a phone limited to the Asian market, but it is definitely one of the most attractive midrangers to buy right now. It has been launched in the market with a price tag of just $147 (more or less), but it features 3 GB of RAM and a huge 4000 mAh battery. A big battery paired with very efficient components like the HD display and the low-end MediaTek SoC will provide outstanding battery life. The dual camera is surely another interesting thing as the secondary snapper is a wide-angle sensor. This phone also offers a cool 18:9 display with narrow bezels, so even though the size is 5.7 inches, the handset remains quite compact.
PRO: Very affordable, big battery, nice dual camera for the price
CONS: Limited availability
HTC U11 EYEs
Display: 6 in Full HD+ IPS LCD
Hardware: Qualcomm Snapdragon 652, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB ROM
Software: Android Oreo
Camera: 12 MP f/1.7
Battery: 3930 mAh
With the U11 EYEs, HTC has decided to follow the example of Chinese companies like Oppo and Vivo which are launching midrange phones focused on the camera and the quality-price ratio. With its f/1.7 aperture, the rear camera of this phone not only should be one of the best in its price range, but it should also be able to shoot flagship-level photos. Agreed, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 is an outdated SoC but it still performs fine when compared with the current cheap SoCs in the midrange sector, and the large 3930 mAh battery is the biggest lithium unit ever seen on a last-generation HTC phone.
PRO: Big battery, Great camera, big display
CONS: Price, SoC
Samsung Galaxy J2 Pro (2018)
Display: 5 in 540 x 960 Super AMOLED
Hardware: Qualcomm Snapdragon 425, 1.5 GB RAM, 16 GB ROM
Software: Android Nougat
Camera: 8 MP f/2.2
Battery: 2600 mAh
Price is the main focus of Samsung Galaxy J2 Pro (2018), the latest entry-level device from the Korean giant. If you have a very low budget but you still want a smartphone from a reputable brand, this is the perfect handset for you. You cannot expect much from this device: its display has low resolution and the amount of RAM is also not great. In fact, we wonder why Samsung is still releasing phones with 1.5 GB of RAM. But on the other hand, it will be possible to purchase this phone at a very affordable price, which should be less than $120 dollars thanks to online street prices. Further, it seems that Asian customers will receive 15 GB of Samsung Cloud storage for free after purchasing the Galaxy J2 Pro (2018).
PRO: Very affordable price, Super AMOLED display, expandable until 256 GB
CONS: Entry-level hardware and cameras
Nokia 3310 4G
Display: 2.4 in 320 x 240 TFT LCD
Hardware: 16 MB RAM, 256 or 512 MB ROM
Software: Yun OS
Camera: 2 MP
Battery: 1200 mAh
HMD Global has just unveiled a revamped Nokia 3310 which appears as a perfect compromise between a feature phone and a smartphone. Unlike the previous 3310 unveiled the last year, this one features 4G LTE and WiFi. This means that you can insert a SIM Card and navigate the internet at high speeds, you can connect to a router and can also use the phone as Wi-Fi hotspot to connect other devices. Inside Nokia 3310 4G there is YunOS, an Android fork operating system created by the Alibaba Group. The new handset has the same design as the previous model, it is just a bit taller and thicker. Its battery is able to last up to 12 days on standby. The phone has no touchscreen and it can be used with a physical 3×4 keyboard. Unfortunately, this phone is a China Mobile exclusive, but HMD Global may decide to unveil an international version at MWC 2018.
Back in 2014, ASUS released the Zenfone 5. It was powered by an Intel processor and had a PowerVR GPU. Thanks to ASUS’s messed up naming scheme, the Zenfone 5 will be returning this year.
The Zenfone 5 series will likely be announced at MWC 2018 unlike last year’s Zenfone 4 series that was announced much later in Q3 2017.
A few specification details in addition to photos of one of the Zenfone 5 series has leaked online ahead of the late February/early March launch.
According to Winfuture.de who first reported the news, their source is a manufacturer’s manual and it only lists the phone’s model number as ASUS X00PD.
The ASUS Zenfone 5 X00PD is said to have a 5.7” display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The smaller bezels have led to the removal of the home button/fingerprint scanner. The fingerprint scanner now resides at the back. The top bezel houses the usual arrangement of notification LED, camera, earpiece and sensors.
Moving the fingerprint scanner to the back is not the only big change in the phone. ASUS has also changed the design of the dual rear cameras.
Rather than its former top left horizontal position, the cameras are positioned vertically in a style that reminds you of the iPhone X. However, the LED flash is below the camera setup and not in the same housing.
ASUS has also employed the U-antenna line design for this phone and its quite visible at the top and bottom. Power button and volume rocker line the right side of the phone while the SIM tray and secondary microphone are on the left.
The ASUS Zenfone 5 X00PD has a micro USB port at the bottom flanked on both sides by speaker grilles while a 3.5mm audio jack sits at the top.
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