OnePlus Rewarding First 37 Buyers of OnePlus 5T Star Wars Limited Edition By Naming A Star After Them

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Dec 27, 2017

Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ by the first quarter of 2018. According to a South Korean publication, the company has started receiving parts for building the Galaxy S9 and S9+ from its suppliers. The mass production of the Galaxy S9 duo is slated to begin from January. The report claims that the company will be announcing the Galaxy S9 and S9+ in late February and these phones will be hitting the market by early March.

One of the first parts that Samsung has started receiving is the stacked circuit board called SLP (Substrate Like PCB). It is a system board design in which the chips are held tightly so that adequate space is available for adding other components such as larger batteries. The Apple iPhone X also uses such kind of motherboard design.

As many as five suppliers are providing SLP for Galaxy S9 and S9+ and Samsung will be adding another supplier for it in February. Hence, there is a possibility that the Galaxy S9 and S9+ might feature larger batteries than the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+.

The South Korean company has started the mass production of camera modules for its upcoming flagship phones. The Galaxy S9 will be having an integrated front-facing camera setup that will include an iris scanning camera and a photography camera. The Galaxy S9 will be coming with two separate cameras for iris scanning and photography.

The rumor mill has revealed that the Galaxy S9 will be featuring a single camera on its back panel and the S9+ will be exclusively blessed with dual rear cameras. The South Korean publication also reaffirms on it as it has reported that the Galaxy S9+ will be the first Galaxy S series phone to arrive with dual rear cameras. Like the Galaxy S8, the S9 will be also featuring a single camera.

Samsung is expected to unleash the Galaxy S9 and S9+ in Barcelona, Spain through the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 in February next year. The Galaxy S9 and S9+ are expected to release in the market by early March. From January, the South Korean company will begin the mass production of the finished products of the Galaxy S9 and S9+ for around two months in order to release them simultaneously across the world.

(source|via)

New Hisense Full-Screen Model Receives TENAA Certification

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Dec 26, 2017

Hisense first released its maiden full-screen smartphone dubbed Hisense Hali in October this year and it was an instant hit. The renowned electronics maker is now set to unveil yet another full-screen model and that model has been certified by the Chinese telecoms regulatory agency (TENAA).

The Hisense model is listed on TENAA with the model number Hisense HLTE500T and it features a 5.99-inch IPS display with a Full HD+ resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels. This means the smartphone will utilize the 18:9 aspect ratio. The phone comes with a dimension of 158 x 75.12 x 7.5mm, weighing in at just 170g. The phone is also listed as coming in three cool colour options namely; Gray, Blue and Gold colours.

Other listed specifications of the Hisense HLTE500T include a dual camera setup at the rear which comprises a 12MP + 8MP dual rear cameras while at the front there is an 8MP shooter. The rear cameras are aligned in a horizontal direction. Furthermore, the Hisense model is powered by an unnamed Octa-core 2.2GHz processor and it features two memory variants. There is a 4GB RAM + 64GB storage variant while there is equally a 6GB RAM + 128GB storage option. Both storages are expandable up to 128GB. Keeping the light on is a 3320mAH battery while the interface will be provided by Android 7.1.1 Nougat OS out of the box.

We don’t have any idea when the Hisense HLTE500T would be launched but it is expected to hit the stands in Q1 2017, likely in January.

Huawei’s Next P-Series Flagship May Be Called P20, Leaked 2018 Product Roadmap Reveals

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Dec 26, 2017

Huawei released the flagship Huawei P10 earlier this year as its first flagship model for the year. The P10 takes over from the P9 which was itself launched after the P8. Naturally, we would expect the next flagship that would be launched in the first quarter of 2018 to adopt the moniker Huawei P11. However, fresh details have emerged, showing that the next P-series model will be called Huawei P20.

The disclosure comes from a very unlikely location, faraway Israel. Huawei’s product licensed importer in Israel Alpha Telecom on Tuesday held a product launch where the Huawei Mate 10 was launched for the first time in Israel. During the launch event, Rami Hazan, CEO of the company disclosed that the next Huawei flagship series would be called Huawei P20 and would be launched at the beginning of 2018.This aligns with earlier rumours that Huawei has already registered the trademark P20.

The Huawei P20 is expected to be released at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 which is scheduled to hold in February 2018. Alpha Telecom also unveiled Huawei’s 2018 product roadmap for the domestic market and from that, we could get an idea of the products that would be launched next year. The Huawei P20, unfortunately, isn’t listed among the products that would be unveiled in Q1 2018 but that is because the roadmap is for Isreal. Huawei plans to drop the P20, P20 Plus and P20 Lite in Q2 2018, according to the roadmap. We must point out that the list contains two models identified with what is likely their codenames. The products are codenamed Maya and Salina and are believed to be unannounced models that Huawei will unveil in Q1 2018.

Xiaomi Starts ￥9.9 Super VIP Monthly Subscription Model: No Advertisements, Cloud Storage & More

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Joel Joseph

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Dec 26, 2017

Advertisements are an inevitable part of any service. Companies invest millions of dollars to develop software for their smartphones and in return, many of them use advertisements to generate revenue for their products and services. Xiaomi is no exception to this rule and the company’s MIUI often features advertisements in its system services. Some don’t mind these ads, as long as they keep the services free, but there is a section of the population who would want to avoid any kind of advertisements in their user interface. For them, Xiaomi has just launched a new ￥9.9 Super VIP monthly subscription service in China for MIUI.

How it works is pretty simple. You pay the company, either monthly or yearly, a fixed amount and in return you get a bunch of benefits including advertising free interface and cloud storage.

The Xiaomi Super VIP subscription model will cost you ￥9.9 ($1.5) per month or ￥88 ($13.5) per year. You get more benefits if you are ready to pay for the entire year. At present, the service is in beta and Xiaomi is accepting only 10,000 experience and 10,000 monthly users to this program per day. Only 1000 applicants are being accepted for the year program per day. The beta kicks off from today and ends on December 31.

If you get into the Super VIP beta program, you’ll be exempted from any kind of system or system app advertisements. However, you’ll still be seeing third party app ads as the service doesn’t restrict other applications. Apart from this, monthly users get 22 set of exclusive VIP themes, 5GB of cloud storage, and 1000 books to read per month. In comparison, the yearly users will get 37 exclusive VIP themes, 10GB of cloud storage, and 1200 books to read per month.

Note that if your Mi account is logged into multiple smartphones, only one of the phones can enjoy the benefits of this Super VIP service.

So, what are your thoughts about this new service from Xiaomi? Would you be ready to shell out a nominal amount per month to receive the above benefits?

(Source)

Google Will Set Up Brick & Mortar Stores In India by Q4 2018: Report

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Joel Joseph

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Dec 26, 2017

Google is keen to set up brick and mortar stores in India, according to a new report from Economic Times. The newspaper agency, citing internal sources, revealed that the company is currently in talks with multiple malls to set up stores across the country. The plan is to set up “experience centres”. It is said that the company was pleased with the response received to its pop up centers opened recently in Mumbai and Delhi-NCR regions to showcase the newly launched Pixel 2 smartphones.

A senior executive of one of the malls which hosted the pop up centre said, “They got a flavour of how physical stores are also important because you can’t explain many of the features online.” The ET report adds that Google is planning to open the stores by Q4 2018. Apart from Pixel smartphones, the company is reportedly planning to sell other Google branded products such as Google Home Speakers, Chromecast, Daydream VR, and Pixel laptops.

It’s not surprising to see Google looking to expand its reach in the offline market. There’s a very solid trend among smartphone companies strengthening their hold in the retail market. OPPO, Vivo, and even Xiaomi are good examples of how strong offline presence helps to improve sales and revenue, even when the smartphone market is getting crowded. Google is way behind the top players in the Indian market which include Samsung and Xiaomi, and it makes sense to start taking steps to build a good chain of brick and mortar stores.

At present, big smartphones companies are adopting either single-brand license or franchise route to get their retail stores in India. The report didn’t mention what kind of strategy Google had in mind. Apple has already applied for the single brand license in India, while companies like Samsung and Xiaomi have currently adopted the franchise route to open their stores in the country. It is worth mentioning that Xiaomi has also applied for single brand license in India, but we still don’t know when it’ll get approved by the Government.

(Source)

Xiaomi Has Sold Over 10 Million IoT Smart Home Products Globally

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Dec 26, 2017

Xiaomi continues to make progress on all fronts as the tech giant has been revealed to have surpassed 10 million shipments for its IoT devices. This is coming barely three years after the company nick-named “China’s Apple” committed to the production of IoT devices in order to create a connected smart home.

The tech giant announced on Christmas day that it had achieved the milestone earlier this month. The record shipments also show that Xiaomi’s diversification strategy was working as planned. Presently, Xiaomi’s IoT gadgets include products like the Mi Robot Vacuum Cleaner, Mi Smart Speaker, Mi Home Thermometer, smart body scale, home security kit and several others. Most of the IoT gadgets are manufactured under Xiaomi’s MIJIA crowdfunding platform like the Aqara smart home products.

Majority of the smart home IoT gadgets are sold exclusively in China but most of them can be bought outside China via third-party e-retailers like Banggood, GearBest, LightInTheBox and several others. Xiaomi doesn’t ship the product directly but of late, the company has made available some of its IoT gadgets in India where Xiaomi has continued to soar and is currently close to surpassing Samsung as the largest local smartphone vendor, according to recent estimates. As Xiaomi’s connected smart home products continue to gather momentum, the tech giant is expected to expand its Internet-enabled home products to more markets around the world.

(via)

Sharp FS8015 Gets Spotted on TENAA Along with Entire Specifications

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Dec 26, 2017

Earlier in this week, the Sharp FS8018 phone with a notch for the selfie camera at the top edge of the phone was spotted on the website of TENAA, the telecom regulatory body from China. Another upcoming phone from the company with a model number of Sharp FS8015 has been found listed on TENAA.

The images of Sharp FS8015 on TENAA reveals that it will be arriving with a full screen design and a vertically stacked dual rear cameras. The back panel of the phone also features a fingerprint reader. Coming to the specs of the phone, it features a 5.99-inch screen that offers an aspect ratio of 18:9 as it supports a resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels.

Since the Sharp FS8015 is powered by an octa-core processor that clocks at 2.2 GHz, it seems that the handset will either feature Snapdragon 630 or Snapdragon 660 chipset. The 4 GB RAM variant of the phone will be featuring 64 GB of storage whereas the 6 GB RAM model will be housing a native storage of 128 GB.

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The rear side of the Sharp FS8015 will be equipped with a dual camera setup featuring a 12-megapixel sensor and a 13-megapixel sensor. It has a selfie shooter of 16-megapixel. It is preinstalled with Android Nougat OS and will come fueled with a 3,100mAh battery. The TENAA listing states that the Sharp FS8015 will only arrive in one color choice of Black.

As of this writing, there is no information on the launch date of the phone. However, it appears that the Japanese tech giant will unleash the Sharp FS8018 and FS8015 phones soon in China..

Samsung W2018: Variable Aperture Explained

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Habeeb Onawole

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Dec 26, 2017

Samsung’s W-series is a line of smartphones with the clamshell design of old. While the design may no longer be in vogue, the latest model in the series, the Samsung W2018 packs modern day specs. Apart from the fact that it has 2 displays, the W2018 is powered by the Snapdragon 835 and has 6GB of RAM making it the most powerful clamshell phone ever released.

Samsung also set another record with the W2018’s camera. The phone’s primary camera has an aperture of F1.5, the widest found on a phone. However, that is not the only special thing about the camera, while it does have an aperture of 1.5, it can switch to a 2.4 aperture size as well depending on the lighting.

While there are phones that can change the size of their apertures, they actually do so electronically. The Samsung W2018 on the other hand varies it mechanically just like a DSLR.

To vary the aperture size in a camera, the amount of light passing through the lens is adjusted by using a polygon or circle with a variable area. The image above should help explain better.

The Samsung W2018 applies the same principle above. When the aperture changes, you can see it when you look at the lens. The first image below is when the aperture is set to 1.5 and the next is when it is 2.4. The camera switches automatically between the apertures depending on the amount of light detected.

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LeEco Is Back! Releases 10 New TVs Under Lean & New Series

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Dec 26, 2017

Just when we thought LeEco’s collapse was all done and dusted, the company has made a remarkable comeback into the tech gadget scene with the launch of a number of smart digital TVs in China. The company seems to have charted a new course for itself under a new management in the absence of founder Jia Yueting. But LeEco seems to be taking things slowly by reducing its business lines. For now, the smartphone business seems to be on a hiatus as no new model has been added in recent times. Instead, the once sprawling tech giant has shifted its focus to Smart TVs, apparently to leverage on its internet services business.

Today, the ailing tech giant launched several smart TVs under two new lines dubbed Lean and New series. The two series are made up of a total of 10 new models of varying sizes ranging from 40 – 65 inches. The new Smart TV series is said to built with the focus on the family and provides a completely open platform with a host of internet services available to users.

The LeTV Lean series is made of the following models; X40L / X43L / X50L / X55L / X65L with the price starting at 1899 yuan (~$290). On the other hand, the New series is comprised of the following models; X40N / X43N / X50N / X55N / X65N starting at 2099 yuan (~$320). The New series is obviously the high-end series and the price goes as high as 5799 Yuan (~$885) for the top-end model.

The models differ slightly in their configuration but in terms of image quality, the new generation products still retain Leco’s super TV’s unique color management engine. Most of the products support HDR technology. The Smart TVs utilises a unique SDR to HDR processing technology which converts SDR contents into HDR display effects thereby enhancing the user’s viewing experience. Onboard the smart TV series is the Mstar quad-core processor while the entire product range comes with 16G flash memory. Providing the interface is LeEco’s custom EUI 6.5 operating system bringing with it lots of new features to the Smart TVs.

The New and Lean series LeEco Smart TVs are presently available in China via LeEco’s LeMall.

Android Oreo Update On Xiaomi Mi A1 Brings Support For Fast Charging

By

Jeet

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Dec 26, 2017

Xiaomi launched Mi A1 smartphone earlier this year, reviving Google’s Android One program. The smartphone has been well-received by the users and is currently one of the best device available for purchase in its price range.

During the launch, the company had promised to roll out the Android Oreo update for the device soon. After seeking beta testers for the update, Xiaomi started rolling out the Android Oreo update for the Mi A1 to select users.

While the update introduces several new features on the device such as picture-in-picture mode, Autofill API, smart text selection, notification dots, etc., there is an addition of one feature that no one expected — fast charging.

Mostly all of the Xiaomi’s device lacks support for the Qualcomm’s Quick Charge technology even though the hardware is capable enough for such feature. This is because Xiaomi did not pay the license fees to Qualcomm to use the Quick Charge technology. But that is about to change now, at least for the Mi A1.

According to the folks at TelecomTalk, who have tested the Android 8.0 Oreo update on the Mi A1, the update brings the support for fast charging feature to the phone. In their testing, they found that the phone now takes just 92 minutes to get fully charged, which used to take about two hours before installing the update.

However, it should be noted that this was tested using OnePlus’ Dash Charger and not the Xiaomi’s charger which comes bundled with the phone. Also, we have not yet tried this feature. We are not sure if the bundled charger supports the quick charge feature or not. In case it doesn’t, you’ll have to buy a new charger.

The Xiaomi Mi A1 was launched in India a couple of months ago for a price of Rs. 14,999. However, the company recently announced a price cut of Rs. 1,000 on the device, bringing the effective price of the phone to Rs. 13,999. Apart from the price cut, the China-based smartphone manufacturer also launched a limited edition Red colour model last week.

(Source)

Xiaomi Said to Focus on 3D Facial Recognition in 2018 As Rivals Opt for Under Display Fingerprint Scanner

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Dec 26, 2017

Synaptics has recently confirmed that it is working with Vivo to launch a smartphone next year that will come enabled with under-display fingerprint scanner. Fresh information shared by an industry insider has revealed that not only Vivo, but also other leading smartphone OEMs will be debuting phones with in-screen fingerprint scanner in 2018. However, he claims that Xiaomi is not so keen on introducing the advanced fingerprint scanning technology as it will be introducing 3D facial recognition feature on its future phones.

According to the industry insider besides Vivo, other companies like Huawei and OnePlus will also launch smartphones with in-screen fingerprint scanner. This corroborates with our report that revealed that the OnePlus 6 will come equipped with under-display fingerprint reader.

Since Xiaomi is focusing on developing 3D facial recognition technology, it is expected to introduce the feature first on the upcoming Mi 7 flagship. It is speculated that the 3D facial recognition by Xiaomi could be as robust as Face ID by Apple. The Chinese firm is reportedly working Qualcomm, Himax Technologies and Truly Opt-Electronics to begin the mass production of 3D facial scanning technology by the first quarter of 2018. After arriving on the Xiaomi Mi 7, the advanced face scanning feature is also expected to be available on multiple devices from the company.

Xiaomi has already hinted that the upcoming Mi 7 flagship will be powered by Snapdragon 845 chipset. It is also speculated to arrive with AI driven dual rear cameras. It is rumored to launch as the first Xiaomi phone with wireless charging technology. The Chinese firm is also pegged to launch a larger Mi 7 Plus alongside the Mi 7 smartphone. The Mi 7 and Mi 7 Plus are rumored to respectively arrive with 5.65-inch and 6.01-inch screens. Both the phones are likely to support 18:9 aspect ratio.

Samsung Galaxy J2 (2018) Price Appears on a Russian Retailer Site

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Dec 26, 2017

Last week, popular leakster Roland Quandt had leaked the full specifications of the upcoming Galaxy J2 (2018). He had also claimed that the entry-level smartphone may cost 8,000 Rubles (~$138) in Russia. Even though Samsung is yet to officially unveil the phone, the Galaxy J2 (2018) has appeared with full specifications and pricing on a retailer site in Russia.

The Galaxy J2 (2018)’s listing the Russian retailer site reveals that it will be arriving with a qHD resolution screen of 5 inches. It is surprising to know that the South Korean company is launching a phone with such a low resolution in 2018 when most companies are selling low budget phones with HD or Full HD resolution.

The Snapdragon 425 chipset is powering the Galaxy J2 (2018) along with 1.5 GB of RAM. The device is fueled by a 2,600mAh battery. It will be coming with a native storage of 16 GB. The external storage slot will allow users to add up to 256 GB of microSD card on the device.

The rear and front sides of the phone will be respectively featuring 8-megapixel and 5-megapixel cameras. It will be equipped with other features 3.5mm headphone slot, microUSB port, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.2. Quandt had revealed that the phone would be coming in Black and Gold options. However, the Russian retailer has listed the phone in Black color only and it is carrying a price tag of 7,990 Rubles (~$138).

There is no confirmation on whether the company will be officially announcing this phone this year. Since the entire specifications of the phone have been revealed, it appears that it will be launching soon.

What’s your opinion on the specifications and pricing of the Galaxy J2 (2018)? Share us your views by adding your comments below.

Visit Oukitel K6 on official site

360 N6 Flint Black Now On Sale For ¥1399 (~$214)

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Habeeb Onawole

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Dec 26, 2017

Yesterday, the CEO of 360 Mobiles posted a teaser on Weibo which we thought was a new product. It actually turns out that it is not a new product launch but a teaser for the “new” color variant of the 360 N6.

The 360 N6 is a full-screen smartphone that was launched earlier this month. It is the second of the N6 trio, the other being the N6 Lite and N6 Pro.

When it was announced, the 360 N6 was said to be available in Bright Gold and Flint Black but only the former was available for purchase. 360 Mobiles has announced that starting today, interested buyers can now purchase the phone in Flint Black.

JD.com is still the official retailer and will sell the phone in both the 4GB and 6GB RAM variants. At the moment, the store still doesn’t have it in stock but you can keep checking.

The 360 N6 is a mid-range phone with some very interesting features. First, it packs a 5.93-inch 18:9 display with a FHD+ resolution. It is also powered by the Snapdragon 630 processor.

Its main selling point is its 5000mAh battery which is said to last up to 3 days on a single charge. It also has support for Quick Charge 3.0

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Giveaway – Win A Oukitel K6 Full Display Phone

By

Shine Wong

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Dec 26, 2017

Gizmochina along with Oukitel official is conducting a Oukitel K6 full display smartphone as giveaway gift to one of our lucky readers. Like always, you just have to follow the steps mentioned on the Gleam widget to get a chance to win this amazing phone.

Visit Oukitel K6 on official site and Subcribe

Buy Oukitel K6 on Banggood, Save $70 before December 31

How to entry this giveaway? Just follow these steps via Gleam widget:

Visit Oukitel K6 on official site and subscribe, we will only pick the winner from who has subscribed;
Share this article to your Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or other social media;
Leave comments under here, please tell us what feature do you like on Oukitel K6.

Terms & Conditions:

1. The giveaway is an international giveaway.
2. We are not responsible for lost shipments.
3. We are not responsible for any duties, import taxes that you may incur.
4. We reserve all rights to make any changes to this giveaway.
5. The prize will be shipped in a week when the giveaway end.

Just follow the steps mentioned in the Gleam widget to participate in the giveaway.

Once again, good luck.

Giveaway – Win A Oukitel K6 Phone

Get Your Hands On Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 4G Phablet Global Version For Only $451.99

By

Vinay Patel

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Dec 26, 2017

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 strikes a perfect balance between jaw-dropping looks and incredible power. Aside from that, it offers an excellent UI (user interface) experience at a price that puts some of the best phones available on the market to shame.

Much to the delight of those who have restlessly been waiting to get their hands on Xiaomi’s Mi Mix 2 4G Phablet, the device is currently up for grabs on GearBest at a discounted price of $489.99. This is a considerable reduction in the device’s original asking price.

You can take advantage of the 13% discount before it comes to an end. It’s worth noting that there are only 100 units bearing the aforesaid price tag available. On top of that, you can apply coupon code ‘gBJmix2’ while checking out to get a $38 discount.

In other words, you end up paying only $451.99 for the global version of Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 4G Phablet. You can head straight to this link to get this discount.

Buy The Global Version Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 4G Phablet For Only $451.99

OPPO A83 is Official: Ditches Fingerprint Scanner for Face Unlock

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Dec 26, 2017

OPPO seems to be on a roll in the last few days to the end of the year. After announcing the OPPO A75 and A75s duo in Taiwan yesterday, it has returned to China to unveil the OPPO A83.

OPPO A83 Design

The A83 has a design similar to the A75 released yesterday. The key difference only being the absence of a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. You won’t find the scanner in front too as OPPO has decided to go the iPhone X route by completely ditching the biometric scanner and sticking to Face Unlock.

The OPPO A83 has a metal back that curves at the edges for better handling. The primary camera is raised and there is a LED flash on its right. OPPO’s logo in silver chrome sits in the middle.

Up in front, we get another full-screen display with reduced white bezels on the gold variant and black on the black variant.

OPPO A83 Specs

OPPO’s A83 comes with a 5.7-inch HD+ display. It packs 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage and is powered by a 2.5GHz octa-core processor. OPPO didn’t disclose the processor type but this should be the Helio P23.

The phone has a 13MP rear camera that OPPO says can shoot up to 50MP. This is most likely achieved by stitching several shots together. There is an 8MP sensor with AI beauty mode for selfies.

The selling point of the OPPO A83 is its face unlock feature. Unlike its other recent releases that have Face Unlock and a fingerprint scanner, the A83 ditches the fingerprint sensor.

OPPO claims the phone scans for 128 different facial features and unlocks in just 0.18 seconds! To get a clearer picture of the speed, the OnePlus 5T which has one of the fastest face unlock features unlocks in 0.4 seconds.

Is it secure enough to replace the fingerprint scanner? We will have to put it to the test to find out. OPPO also doesn’t mention if it supports payments which is a bummer.

The A83 rounds up its specs with a 3180mAh battery and runs ColorOS 3.2 out of the box.

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Snapdragon 845 Driven Sony H8216/H8266 Appear in 4GB/6GB RAM and 64/128 GB Storage Models

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