Rumored 2018 iPhone X Plus with 6.5-inch OLED Screen to Feature Dual SIM Support

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Dec 7, 2017

In the previous month, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had claimed that Apple would be releasing three iPhones in 2018. Fresh information shared by Nomura, a Japanese securities firm corroborates with the predictions of Kuo as it claims that the Cupertino company will be releasing two OLED iPhones and one LCD iPhone in 2018.

According to Nomura, the LCD iPhone arriving in 2018 will sport the same edge-to-edge design like the iPhone X. It will be featuring only a single camera on its rear panel. Its screen will not be equipped with Force Touch feature. It will be enabled with Face ID feature and it is expected to be priced between $650 to $900. Kuo has claimed that this model will be featuring a 6.1-inch TFT LCD screen.

The Japanese securities firm also claims that there will be an OLED iPhone that will feature a 5.8-inch display. It is expected to arrive as a sequel to the iPhone X. There will be another OLED iPhone dubbed as “Plus” model that will carry the same specs as the forthcoming 5.8-inch OLED iPhone, but it will be housing a larger display of 6.5 inches. It is expected to come with features like dual-SIM support and 512 GB storage.

These iPhones are unlikely to feature Touch ID sensor and all of them will be equipped the infamous “notch” that was introduced on the iPhone X. Nomura has also stated that the iPhones arriving in 2019 will be equipped with a rear-mounted 3D sensing camera. The inclusion of a rear-mounted camera that possesses features of the TrueDepth Camera will allow the company to fulfil its goal of bringing full-fledged AR support on iPhones.

The lower-priced LCD iPhone will be assembled by Pegatron and possibly Wistron. The other two OLED iPhones is expected to be assembled by Foxconn. According to Nomura, it was able to acquire the above information on 2018 iPhones through supply chain surveys. It claims that the suppliers and specifications of the forthcoming iPhones will not be finalized before late first quarter or second quarter of 2018.

(source)

Elephone S8 Red Limited Edition Will Hit The Market In The Coming Days

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Dec 7, 2017

Elephone S8 is one of the full-screen models that leverage on the huge success of the Samsung Galaxy S8. The device features a tri-bezel-less, full-screen design with an 18:9 aspect ratio and is available in Black and Blue colours before now but Elephone recently announced the addition of a cool red variant which will be a limited edition model. Red colour has always played a vital role in the fashion sector which never fades. Same thing applies in the tech industry. Red colour has the ability to add vitality and newness to relatively boring tech product.

Dubbed Elephone S8 Red Limited Edition, the smartphone will be released in the coming days. In the choice of colour and materials, it is much more difficult to produce than other colours. After almost half a year testing the production process and several adjustments to get the right colour shade, the team of engineers at Elephone have finally produced this gem-like red glass back cover. You got it right, the back cover is made of glass coated in Red and it looks like a gem. This variant will make all other colours look dull, so it is one to watch out for.

APart from the elegant red colour, the Elephone S8 Red Limited Edition features the same specs as the Black and Blue variants. As stated, it is a limited edition and so would be available in limited quantities. If you don’t want to miss out on the Red-coloured Elephone S8, keep a tab on the product availability by visiting their official website. You can also check out the various attractive products Elephone has on offer from there.

Qualcomm Reveals Snapdragon 845 Full Details, Focuses On Camera, AI, and Battery Life

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Dec 7, 2017

Qualcomm has officially revealed the full specification details of its latest chipset – the Snapdragon 845 Mobile Platform. The new chip is its most powerful till date and will power the flagships of 2018.

The Snapdragon 845 is a 2nd-Gen 10nm chipset built by Samsung just like its predecessor, the Snapdragon 835, and belongs to the premium-tier category. Qualcomm says the new chip offers a 25% improvement in performance and 30% improvement in battery life over the SDM835, but that is just the simplest way to describe the new chip.

The new SoC’s main features are actually more than just an increase in performance. It is a serious upgrade with features that will push Android devices to the forefront.

The Snapdragon 845 is an octa-core processor consisting of 8 Kryo 385 cores clocked at 2.8GHz and 1.8GHz respectively in the big.LITTLE arrangement. Its GPU is the Adreno 630 with support for OpenGL ES 3.2, OpenCL 2.0, Vulkan, and DX12.

The Adreno 630 GPU brings a 30% improvement in graphics and video rendering. Its visual processing subsystem is the first mobile platform to bring room scale 6 degrees-of-freedom with SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping), which is useful for wall-collision detection; and improved hand tracking and controller support.

The processor brings a new ISP – the Spectra 280, which allows you to record 4K videos with HDR at 60fps, record slo-mo HDR videos in 720p at 480fps, and high performance capture up to 16MP at 60fps. It also brings hardware accelerated face detection and active depth sensing to the cameras. This will come in handy for phones with face unlock next year as well as an improved portrait mode for pictures.

The new Hexagon 685 DSP brings the 3rd generation Hexagon vector DSP for improved AI and imaging capabilities. It also brings Hexagon Scalar DSP for audio.

Its new Snapdragon X20 LTE modem has support for 5x carrier aggregation with speeds of up to 1.2Gbps for download and 150Mbps for upload. It also brings Dual SIM Dual VoLTE (DSDV), a feature available on some MediaTek and Kirin processors already. This allows you to set both SIM cards to 4G for phones with dual SIM support. There is also 4×4 MIMO on up to 3 aggregated carriers.

The new Snapdragon 845 also has an isolated sub-chip for vault-like security called the Secure Processing Unit (SPU). This will allow it carry out security tasks independent of the main chip, thereby enhancing security by keeping your biometrics (fingerprint, iris, face, and voice) safe from being compromised when carrying out tasks like mobile payment.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkVOtqVID7Y[/embedyt]

Bluetooth 5.0 has also been improved. There is now support for multi-device broadcasting which lets you broadcast to multiple devices at the same time. An example given is for truly wireless earbuds.

Usually, there is an earbud that is the “master” which receives audio from the phone and then transmits to the second earbud A.k.A. the slave. With multi-device broadcasting, both earbuds receive audio from the phone at the same time. One of the advantages it brings is reduced battery consumption by up to 50% for the earbuds.

Qualcomm has also added 11ad and 2×2 ac Wi-Fi to its WI-Fi protocol, resulting in up to 16x improvement in connection speeds and reliability in connection. The Snapdragon 845 also supports Quick Charge 4+ for faster charging.

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LG V30+ With 6-Inch OLED FullVision Display To Launch In India On December 13

By

Jeet

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Dec 6, 2017

LG is all set to launch its flagship smartphone — LG V30+ in the Indian market. The company has now started sending out media invites for the launch event of LG V30+ smartphone.

The company is holding a launch event on 13th December at 11.30 AM IST in New Delhi, India. In terms of specifications, LG V30+ is almost similar to V30 in every aspect, except for the storage. While the LG V30 comes equipped with 64GB internal storage, the V30+ packs 128GB of internal UFS 2.1 storage.

The smartphone features a 6-inch QHD+ OLED FullVision display with a screen resolution of 1440 × 2880 pixels, 18:9 aspect ratio and narrow bezels. Under the hood, the device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, coupled with Adreno 540 GPU and 4GB LPDDR4x RAM. It also comes with a microSD card slot, allowing users to expand storage capacity up to 2TB.

There is a 16-megapixel primary rear camera with f/1.6 aperture, Crystal Clear lens, Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS), EIS and Hybrid Auto Focus that combines both Laser Detection Auto Focus and Phase Detection Auto Focus. It also comes with a 13-megapixel secondary camera with 120-degree wide-angle lens.

It runs Android 7.1.2 Nougat operating system based LG UX 6.0+. The company has revealed that it will soon upgrade the smartphone to the latest Android 8.0 Oreo. It is IP68 certified for water and dust resistance. According to the company, it has passed 14 categories of the MIL-STD 810G Transit Drop Test, making it compliant with military operations.

The device features a 32-bit Advanced Hi-Fi Quad DAC, which is powered by ESS Technology’s SABRE ES9218P, along with digital filters, sound presets and sound tuning by B&O PLAY. Connectivity options on the device include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz and 5GHz), Bluetooth 5.0 LE, GPS, NFC, and USB Type-C 2.0. It is powered by a 3,300mAh battery which supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 as well as wireless charging.

It is not yet known if the LG V30 will be launched alongside V30+. Earlier, it was reported that the V30 will launch in India in December for the price of Rs. 47,990. The LG V30+ smartphone’s pricing for the Indian market is not yet known. In Korea, where the device was introduced in September, it is priced at 998,800 KRW (approx. $885). We’ll know the pricing as well as availability information of the smartphone in the Indian market once it gets launched on 13th December.

Meiigoo S8 Review – A Beautiful Newcomer to the Smartphone Game!

By

Linus

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Dec 6, 2017

Meiigoo is a newcomer to the smartphone game and the S8 is their latest budget offering. It has a full-screen design, metal and glass construction and a lot more for a low price. Learn more in our Meiigoo S8 review.

Buy Meiigoo S8

VIDEO REVIEW

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oohMRK8GXE[/embedyt]

UNBOXING

The phone ships with some extra accessories like a screen protector and a nice soft TPU case.

DESIGN and DISPLAY

The Meiigoo S8 is yet another budget Chinese phone that offers an all-screen design that is packed into a well-constructed metal and glass body. One thing that I don’t really like is sharp edges on the back but I can live with that.

That 6.1” display is huge and vibrant, and it is easily one of the best-looking panels on any budget phone.

As most of the budget phone nowadays, we have a dual-camera setup on the back. There is also a 5MP shooter on the front.

I found the fingerprint scanner to be reliable and accurate but then there is a slight delay until the display lights up. There are some extra features like a notification LED light and a dedicated camera launch and shutter key. Finally, the phone still has a headset jack and the loudspeaker quality is kind of mediocre, like on most of the budget phones.

HARDWARE and PERFORMANCE

The Meiigoo S8 ships with great specifications for the price but gaming performance is not so great. The phone can’t handle even some 4-year-old games like Asphalt 8 on the highest graphics. Also, the device gets hot very quickly and that may impair gaming performance too. Obviously, you can still enjoy playing most of the games but you would need to reduce graphics settings.

BENCHMARKS

USER INTERFACE

The phone runs Android 7 and it has preserved most of its stock look and feel but there are quite a few added features and customization options. You can choose from quite a few transitions effects, themes or wallpapers. You can also use a fingerprint scanner as a navigation pad but I didn’t find this feature to be convenient to use since the scanner is implemented on the back. You can also customize the navigation bar or select from quite a few smart features like a split-screen mode that works well.

My overall user experience with the phone is positive since the device is really fast even after installing numerous applications.

IMAGE QUALITY

Since it’ winter time, I could only test the camera on a cloudy day, meaning that it can take better quality images on a sunny and bright day. Still, I expected better overall image quality but you can take a few decent images for social media needs. The SLR mode takes pictures with blurred background effect but as usual, don’t expect great results from a budget phone like this.

Selfies are usable but there could definitely be more detail.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cj_7dxw-JC0[/embedyt]

1080p video looks quite good for a budget phone. The front-facing camera can shoot videos only in 480p resolution and as you can see, the quality is quite bad due to low resolution.

Download full resolution camera samples

CONNECTIVITY

As far as connectivity, I would rate the call quality above average and other options work just fine. The phone has a hybrid dual-SIM card tray and 12 sensors including a gyroscope for VR compatibility.

BATTERY LIFE

The battery life is okay but it could definitely be better. In fact, I wish the company implemented a larger power bank for a better battery life. I was able to achieve about 4.5 h of screen-on time but your results may vary, depending on the usage. Thankfully, the supplied charger fully charges the phone in about 1.5h.

CONCLUSIONS

The Meiigoo S8 is definitely one of the better-looking budget phones out there and its main attraction is a brilliant and huge display and great build quality. I also love that the phone performs well on the daily basis and it has a few extra features like a dedicated camera launch/shutter key.

However, the camera is inconsistent, gaming performance could be better and I expected a slightly better battery life.

At the end of the day, the Meiigoo S8 does offer quite a lot of value but as always, please consider all the pros and cons before buying it.

Buy Meiigoo S8

Huawei Nova 2S Unboxing & Hands On Videos Show Off A Premium Mid-range Goddess

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Dec 6, 2017

In the last couple of days, the internet has been buzzing with several leaked pictures of the real Huawei Nova 2S smartphone. The device has also appeared on TENAA revealing its specs sheet alongside the real photos. Apart from that, Huawei has also sent out invitations to the Nova 2S launch billed to hold on December 7. Now, ahead of the launch event, a couple of YouTube videos containing the Nova 2S unboxing and hands on activities have appeared online.

The videos give a visual confirmation of the Nova 2S, indeed showing that Huawei is set to unveil yet another premium mid-range goddess. The device is a perfect beauty that sure looks like a flagship model. Just recently, we saw the Honor View 10 (Honor V10) with a mid-range price tag and premium design as well as flagship specs. And now, the Nova 2S is coming with a similar setup. The video shows the device having a glass back, dual cameras both at the front and rear sides, a full-view 18:9 screen at the front. Despite the high screen to body ratio, the smartphone still features a front-sitting home button and fingerprint sensor just like the Honor View 10. Here’s one of the hands on videos below.

In a rare move, Huawei seems to include an earphone piece as one of the accessories available inside the Nova 2S box in addition to the charging adapter and USB cable. That is just complementary by the way. As a reminder, the Huawei Nova 2S will come with a 6-inch display and would be powered by last year’s flagship Kirin 960 chipset paired with 6GB of RAM. The dual camera on the device is a 20MP + 16MP combination reminiscent of the Honor V10’s. In addition, the rear cameras also have an f1.8 aperture apiece. Further, there is a dual 20MP camera setup at the front, making the device a quad-camera packing model. The smartphone is also expected to pack the EMUI 8.0 UI based on Android Oreo. There is facial recognition and you also get NFC for contactless payment as well as a built-in Hi-Fi chip. Check out the second Nova 2S unboxing and hands on video from below.

(source)

Meizu’s Blue Charm Brand Gets A New Logo, Appears In Official Letter

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Dec 6, 2017

Earlier this year, you would recall that Meizu restructured its administrative structure and grouped its operations under three different divisions comprising the Meizu division, Blue Charm division and Flyme division. The Meizu division was directly under the control of Jeffery Wang, Meizu’s chairman and CEO and the division was responsible for the manufacture of the company’s flagship models. The Blue Charm division was headed by Meizu VP Li Nan and became the bedrock of its mid-range and budget models including accessories like headphones. The Blue Charm division was recently rumoured to be undergoing some rebranding. That seems to be the case as a new logo for the Blue charm division has been spotted on an official letter Meizu sent out to its fans.

The letter meant to announce the 300 Yuan price cut on the Meizu Note 6 carried a logo which looks like two tiny pills lying unevenly side by side. From the look of things, the Meizu logo may likely be yanked off the Charm Blue models going forward as it is nowhere in sight on the letter (pictured below). However, that is yet to be officially confirmed by Meizu.

This is not the first time a logo said to be the new Charm Blue logo is appearing online. We had earlier seen two new logos which turned out to be fake. So, we cant be so sure about this one until it is officially unveiled. We must point out that the news story surrounding the rebranding of the Charm Blue division is on the increase and gathering more steam. It would be recalled that Meizu is rumoured as also planning to change the Charm Blue brand to mBlu and there have been several leaks which point in that direction.

(source)

More Xiaomi Redmi 5 & Redmi 5 Plus Specifications Leaked

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Dec 6, 2017

Xiaomi is intent on exhaustively utilizing the premium mid-range Redmi line this year. The tech giant has already launched the Redmi 5A, Redmi Note 5A, and is set to release two more models – Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus on December 7. Ahead of the launch tomorrow, one more leak detailing the key specifications of the Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus has appeared on Weibo.

The picture appears to contain the real smartphones with the specs printed on the removable film usually placed on the screen of Xiaomi phones. The specs listed on the screen align with those we have seen on TENAA and in several leaks and rumours that have appeared in the past.

The Redmi 5 is shown to come with a phablet-sized 5.7-inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone is also listed to pack a Snapdragon 450 chipset and a 12MP rear camera. The front camera is promoted as having a soft flash and most of all, the phone is said t have a 13-day standby time. This might be just a gimmick anyway. On the other hand, the Redmi 5 Plus comes with a bigger 5.99-inch 18:9 display. It is powered by a Snapdragon 625 processor and also comes with a selfie soft flash. The Redmi 5 Plus is also listed with a 12MP rear camera and a 17 days standby time which suggests it is coming with a larger battery. In less than 24 hours time, Xiaomi will unveil the entire details.

(source)

ORICO Power Bank With Support For 7 Fast Charging Protocols Announced

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Dec 6, 2017

It is not unusual to see a power bank that has support for fast charging. There are a bunch of them in the market that support Qualcomm’s Quick Charge technology or the manufacturer’s proprietary fast charging technology. What is unusual is a power bank that has support for 7 different charging protocols, and that is exactly what ORICO’s latest power bank has.

The ORICO power bank has two-way fast charging support and comes in two variants – one has a capacity of 10000mAh and the other has a 20,000mAh capacity. Both contain lithium-polymer batteries.

The unique feature of the ORICO power bank is its support for 7 different charging protocols. Apart from the popular ones such as Qualcomm’s Quick Charge (2.0 and 3.0) and MediaTek’s Pump Express+ (1.1 and 2.0), it also supports Huawei’s FCP fast charging technology, Samsung’s Adaptive Fast Charge (AFC), Apple’s 2.4A/12W fast charge, BC1.2, and a smart identification fast charge technology.

The ORICO power bank isn’t done showing off. It has four ports in total – two full sized output ports, a micro USB input port and a USB-C port that charges both ways.

The micro USB and USB-C input ports support 5V/3A, 9V/2A, and 12V/1.5A. One of the full-sized ports supports 5V/2.4A while the other is a fast charge port that supports 5V/3A, 9V/2A, and 12V/1.5A. The USB-C port supports 5V/3A output.

One additional cool feature about the power bank is that the LED lights can indicate if it is fast charging or not. An orange LED means it’s in fast charge mode while a white LED means it is in normal charging mode. ORICO says the power bank comes with a kevlar-wrapped USB cable that can bear weights of up to 60kg without sustaining any damage.

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Xiaomi Launches New Chi Light Haze Mask For 39 Yuan ($6) Having The KN95/PM2.5 Standard

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Dec 6, 2017

Xiaomi has launched another useful product under its crowdfunding platform. The products an anti-haze mask which will obviously be a useful one this season.It is already on sale today and comes with a price tag of just 39 Yuan ($6). In case you are wondering the name of the product, it goes by the name Chi Light breathing haze mask.

China and other industrialized countries have to grapple with the effects of urbanization, one of which is poor air quality. So, it is a popular sight to see people moving about with face mask over their face. This isn’t the first anti-haze mask Xiaomi has released but it is one of the cheapest at just 39 Yuan ($6). The new haze mask continues with the stylish design of the 69-Yuan AirWear mask released last year.

The new Chi Light Haze mask comes with the KN95 protection standard which can effectively block particles of PM 2.5 sizes. Apart from that, itis also effective against dust, pollen, car exhaust fumes, and other harmful particles in the air. The mask won’t likely pose problems of wearing discomfort as it is manufactured using TPU stretch film materials as well as environmentally friendly polyurethane cotton composite material. The material takes the shape of the user’s face as it is used continuously.

The straps are also made from user-friendly materials that won’t cause discomfort.The haze masks are also well equipped with a three-position ear hook which ensures it can be worn easily even when the user is putting on an eyeglass. The breathing valve has also been improved, thus bringing down the inhalation resistance from 175Pa to 100Pa. While the exhalation resistance stands at just 45Pa, thus ensuring that the mask stays dry always.

Yeelight Moonlight Chandelier Launched for ¥349

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Dec 6, 2017

Yeelight is one of the startups under Xiaomi’s Mijia ecosystem. The brand is known for its smart lamps, smart bulbs, and LED strips. Today it added a new product to its line-up – the Moonlight Chandelier.

The Moonlight Chandelier has a Nordic minimalist design that can be adapted to any decoration style. The body is made of an all-metal plate with a thickness of 0.8mm and a spray finish to prevent rust.

The chandelier uses E27 bulbs and has a hole at the top for letting out the heat from bulbs. Yeelight says it will work with LED bulbs, fluorescent bulbs, and tungsten bulbs.

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Next Gen Huawei P-Series May Have 40MP Camera and 24MP Selfie Snapper

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Dec 6, 2017

This year has been a fantastic one for Huawei and its sub-brand Honor. Both companies have released amazing devices that have helped propel them to the top of the list. In spite of the success, Huawei won’t be resting on its oars next year, as a new leak has revealed key info about the next gen P-series.

For the Huawei P11 series, the camera might just be the selling point since most of the other key features it will have are already present in the Mate 10 series and Honor V10 such as a full-screen display and the Kirin 970 processor.

Is the next Huawei P-series going to be an imaging powerhouse? A digital artist at one of the company's creative agencies added these "PCE Series" ads to their portfolio — claiming 40MP, 3 lens rear (5x hybrid zoom) + 24MP selfie, all Leica-co-developed. pic.twitter.com/t8w3VlL55L

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) December 6, 2017

According to an image posted by Evan Blass (@evleaks) on Twitter, the next gen Huawei P-series will come with Pro triple-lens Leica cameras with 40MP and 5x hybrid zoom. It will also have a 24MP Pro Selfie Camera with low light enhancement for clearer and sharper details.

Huawei will also be taking a focus at low-light imaging as the picture also mentions a Pro Night Mode. Using new sensors and optics, the cameras will be able to take in 100% more light for better night photos.

The cameras will also take advantage of the AI Camera Assist feature that helps with scene recognition, auto framing, and mode suggestions for the best results.

According to Evan Blass, the image was added to Huawei’s “PCE Series” portfolio by an artist from one of Huawei’s creative agencies. While there is no confirmation yet about the details, the info does look legit.

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Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) Bluetooth SIG Filing Shows it is Renamed Edition of Galaxy A5 (2018)

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Dec 6, 2017

Samsung has been releasing Galaxy A3, Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A7 smartphones each year since 2015. However, the rumor mill has revealed that Samsung won’t be releasing Galaxy A3 in 2018. Moreover, it has also revealed that the phones that were going to launch as Galaxy A5 (2018) and Galaxy A7 (2018) will be arriving to the market as Galaxy A8 (2018) and Galaxy A8+ (2018). The Bluetooth SIG filing of Samsung SM-A530F smartphone has revealed that it would be launching as Galaxy A8 (2018). Also, these phones are enabled with support for Bluetooth 5.0.

Samsung had launched SM-A520F and SM-A720F smartphones as Galaxy A5 (2017) and Galaxy A8 (2017), respectively. Hence, initial reports had claimed that the rumored SM-520F and SM-A720F smartphones would be respectively debuting as Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) and Galaxy A7 (2018). However, recent reports have revealed these phones would be actually arriving as Galaxy A8 and Galaxy A8+.

Earlier in this week, a leaked photo of the upcoming Galaxy A (2018) smartphone had appeared. It has revealed that the SM-A730F phone has Galaxy A8+ (2018) moniker. And now the Bluetooth SIG filing of SM-A530F shows that it will be introduced as Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018). It has also revealed that it will be available in dual-SIM edition apart from its single-SIM variant. The Galaxy A8+ (2018) is also speculated to arrive in single-SIM and dual-SIM versions.

As of this writing, there is no confirmation from Samsung on why it has decided to rename the SM-A530F and SM-A730F phones. It is speculated that Samsung wants to make the 2018 versions of Galaxy A8 and Galaxy A8+ as toned down versions of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. Like the S8 duo, the A8 and A8+ phones are expected to come with features like Infinity Display (18:9 aspect ratio), rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, and Bixby button. These phones are rumored to be powered by Exynos 7885 chipset, but some markets may receive their Snapdragon 660 chipset variant.

Honor View10 With 18:9 Display And Dual Cameras To Go On Sale In India From January 8

By

Jeet

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Dec 6, 2017

After launching Honor View10 in China last month, the company has now announced that the smartphone will be available in India from January 8, 2018. Along with India, the phone will also be made available in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia, UK, and the United States on January 8.

This was announced at a launch event in London, where the company also launched Honor 7X for the Indian market. In India, the Honor View10 will be available in two colour options — Navy Blue and Midnight Black. While the company has announced the availability details, it has not yet revealed the pricing information.

The smartphone comes with a metal body design and features a 5.99-inch Full HD+ display with 18:9 aspect ratio and a screen resolution of 2160 x 1440 pixels. It is powered by the company’s own Kirin 970 processor, which has a dedicated NPU and brings a ton of AI features. Honor claims that the View10 is the “first AI smartphone”.

The device packs 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage and comes with an option for storage expansion up to 256GB using a microSD card. The smartphone features dual rear cameras with f/1.8 aperture — one is a 16-megapixel RGB sensor and while the other is a 20-megapixel monochrome sensor. On the front, there is a 13-megapixel camera sensor.

Even though the Honor View10 comes with narrow bezels, there is a front-mounted fingerprint scanner. Connectivity options on the device include Dual SIM, 4G VoLTE, NFC, Bluetooth 4.2, 3.5mm audio jack, Wi-Fi, GPS and USB-C port.

The phone comes with facial recognition for authentication. According to the company, the feature is smart enough to detect when someone else is using the smartphone and hides calls and messages.

It runs Android 8.0 Oreo operating system with the company’s own EMUI 8.0 over the top. The phone is powered by a 3,750mAh battery which comes with the support for fast charging via Huawei’s 5V/4.5A SuperCharge technology. The company claims that the phone gets 50 percent charge in 30 minutes and a single charge is good enough to deliver 23 hours of talk time on 3G, and 22 days of standby time.

New Gen Huami Amazfit Watch 2 Will Hit Dec. 12 With Hand-Polished Ceramic Bezels

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Dec 6, 2017

Smartwatch maker Huami Technology had shared a poster yesterday that suggested a new Amazfit smartwatch was coming and would be available on Blind Pre-sale today. Indeed, a new generation Amazfit watch is in the works but it turns out Huami was only going to reveal the launch date today. The Amazfit Smart Sports watch 2 or whatever new name they may call it, has now been revealed to launch on December 12.

Huami shared a new Weibo post containing a GIF poster today that revealed the December 12 launch date and a few details of the product. The Weibo post accompanying the teaser poster hints at the presence of an industrial design as well as hand-polished ceramic bezels around the display. The round design used on the first-gen Amazfit Sports watch was one of the beautiful things about the smartwatch so, we expect that design to be retained. The GIF image shows the round bezels being hand-polished. However, we expect the new version to come with some improvements over the present model.

As a reminder, the first-gen Amazfit Smart Sports watch was launched in August 2016, and among the features is a 1.34-inch diameter, a 22 mm quick-release replaceable sweat-proof strap, a scratch-resistant ceramic bezel, IP67 certification, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 512MB RAM, 4GB RAM, Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy, and WiFi. The display which has a 320 x 300 resolution uses a reflective screen to increase legibility outdoors. There is also an app where users can monitor the readings of the watch. The watch which has a built-in GPS, a pedometer, a real-time heart rate monitor, also displays weather information and was priced at 799 Yuan ($120) when it was launched. This new model may have a slightly higher price tag.

(source)

Nokia 7 White Colour Variant With 4GB RAM Goes On Sale In China, Costs 1,999 Yuan

By

Jeet

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Dec 6, 2017

A couple of months ago, HMD Global launched Nokia 7, which is a mid-range smartphone that sits somewhere between the Nokia 6 and the company’s flagship device Nokia 8. The black colour variant went on sale last month and went out of stock within minutes.

Now, the company has also started selling the white colour variant of the smartphone. The phone is now available for pre-order from online retailer JD.com and will start shipping from 12th December. To pre-order the phone, users will have to make a deposit of 99 Yuan (approximately $15).

The white colour variant of the Nokia 7 is priced at 1,999 Yuan (approximately $302) for the 4GB RAM and 64GB storage model. The 6GB RAM model is not yet available. Interestingly, the black colour model, which went on sale last month, starts at 2,499 Yuan.

While both the colour models come with glass body, the company says that they have a completely different feeling. According to the company, the back model has cool and smooth feel while the white model feels warm and delicate. The company said that the white version’s plating process takes seven steps to get completed, while the black version needs around 36 hours to complete the process.

Nokia 7 features a 5.2-inch IPS LCD display with support for full HD screen resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. The screen is protected by a layer of Gorilla Glass 3 on top. Under the hood, it is powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 630 processor clocked at around 1.8GHz along with 4GB RAM.

As of storage, it comes with 64GB onboard storage and also has a microSD card slot that allows expanding storage up to 128GB. The device features a 16-megapixel rear camera with f/1.8 aperture and ZEISS lens. On the front, it packs a 5-megapixel camera with f/2.0 aperture and an 84-degree wide-angle view.

The phone has a Dual-Sight mode that simultaneously captures images from the front and rear camera sensors. Connectivity options include USB-C port, 3.5mm audio jack, Cat. 6 LTE modem, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, v5.0 Bluetooth, NFC and GPS. The device runs on Android 7.1.1 Nougat operating system and is fuelled by a 3,000mAh battery.

Xiaomi’s Upcoming Flagship to be Powered by Snapdragon 845

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Dec 6, 2017

The Snapdragon 845 Mobile Platform was officially announced on Tuesday i.e. on the first day of the ongoing Snapdragon Tech Summit event in Hawaii. Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun took to the stage to confirm that the next flagship smartphone from the company will be powered by Snapdragon 845 SoC.

Even though Jun confirmed that Xiaomi’s upcoming flagship features Snapdragon 845, he refrained from revealing the name of the smartphone. Recent leaks suggest the Xiaomi Mi 7 could be the first Snapdragon 845 from the company. Around two months ago, it was reported that Qualcomm and Xiaomi have collaborated on optimizing the performance of Snapdragon 845 on Xiaomi Mi 7.

Initial reports have suggested that the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ smartphones that are speculated to launch in Q1 2018 will be the first Snapdragon 845 powered smartphones to arrive in the market. As far as the Xiaomi Mi 7 is concerned, it could be the first Snapdragon 845 smartphone to launch in China.

In the recent past, Jun had also confirmed that Xiaomi would be focusing on AI on its smartphones in 2018. It is speculated that the AI driven Snapdragon 845 would deliver stellar photography experience on the Xiaomi Mi 7. It is likely to include a 12-megapixel Sony IMX380 sensor and a 20-megapixel Sony IMX35 sensor.

Xiaomi Mi 7 is rumored to feature a 6.01-inch AMOLED screen supplied by Samsung. It is speculated that the Mi 7 would be the first phone from the company to come with wireless charging feature. It is likely to include the same-sized battery that powers the Xiaomi Mi 6. As far as pricing is concerned, the Mi 7 is expected to arrive with a beginning price of 2,699 Yuan (~$408). The Mi 7 won’t be the only Snapdragon 845 powered smartphone from the company. It is speculated that the Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 could be also powered by Snapdragon 845 Mobile Platform.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Mobile Platform Officially Unveiled

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Dec 6, 2017

During the ongoing Snapdragon Tech Summit, Qualcomm has officially unveiled the powerful Snapdragon 845 Mobile Platform that is expected to power most of the flagship phones in 2018. The Snapdragon 845 that has arrived as the successor of the Snapdragon 835 will be offering better performance, improved efficiency along with enhanced image and video processing. Some of other features of Snapdragon 845 include support for AI, VR and AR.

ES Jung who is Samsung Electronics’ President and General Manger of Foundry Business has confirmed that his firm will be manufacturing the Snapdragon 845 chipset. The Snapdragon 835 SoC was built with 10nm manufacturing process. The newly announced Snapdragon 845 is the second-generation 10nm chipset from the company. It is confirmed to feature Snapdragon X20 LTE modem that will be able to produce gigabit connectivity on supported networks.

At the Tech Summit, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun also confirmed that its next premium smartphone would be powered by Snapdragon 845 SoC. Besides Xiaomi’s 2018 flagship, the SD 845 is expected to power flagship phones from Samsung, Sony, HTC and LG. Previous reports have revealed that the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ would be first Snapdragon 845 driven smartphones to arrive in the market. The new SoC is also expected to power non-Android devices such as Windows 10 PCs.

The U.S. based chip maker did not reveal the exact configuration of the Snapdragon 845 Mobile Platform. It has confirmed to give out more details on it on Dec. 6.

At the first day of the Snapdragon Tech Summit, the company had also unveiled Snapdragon 835 powered 2-in-1 form factor that will be brought to the market through partnering companies like ASUS and HP. More information on Snapdragon 845 Mobile Platform is expected to surface in this week as the Tech Summit event will be ending on Friday.

Xiaomi Redmi 5 And Redmi 5 Plus Gets Listed On Aliexpress Ahead Of Launch

By

Jeet

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Dec 6, 2017

Xiaomi is all set to launch its new smartphones Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus tomorrow, i.e. December 7. But, ahead of the official launch, both the devices have been listed on online retailer Aliexpress.

The seller, who goes by the name “Xiaomi Online Store” has listed Redmi 5 in Black and Gold colour options for $199 while the Blue and Pink colour models are priced at $209. On the other hand, the bigger sibling of the smartphone — Redmi 5 Plus has been listed at a price of $249, while the Pink and Blue colour options will cost $10 more.

The seller doesn’t seem to have any connection with Xiaomi. On the listing, there is a disclaimer stating that the phone is still in “pre-sale” stage, hence the specs and pricing listed are official.

We had earlier reported that the smartphones will go on sale from December 12, with Redmi 5 starting at 699 Yuan (approx. $106) and the Redmi 5 Plus start at 999 Yuan (approx. $151). While the smartphones will be launched tomorrow, we already know the specifications of the devices, thanks to several previous leaks.

Recently, Xiaomi revealed an official sneak preview of the upcoming Redmi 5 duo. In the images, we can clearly see the Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus sporting full-screen design with narrow bezels. It seems that the devices come with full metallic chassis with a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.

The Xiaomi Redmi 5 will feature a 5.7-inch HD+ display with screen resolution of 1440 x 720 pixels and an aspect ratio of 18:9. It is expected to be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 processor, which is the first chipset in the Snapdragon 400 series that is using a 14mm process technology.

The standard variant will come with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. There will be another variant of the phone with 3GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage. The device will come with a 12-megapixel camera sensor at the back and a 5-megapixel front-facing snapper. The smartphone will be fueled by a 3,300mAh battery.

On the other hand, the Redmi 5 Plus is expected to feature a 5.99-inch screen that will carry support for FHD+ resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels and an 18:9 aspect ratio. It will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, the same processor that is powering the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4.

It will be available in two variants — 3GB RAM with 32GB internal storage and 4GB RAM with 64GB internal storage. The device will come with a dual camera setup at the back, featuring a 12-megapixel primary sensor and a 5-megapixel secondary sensor. The Redmi 5 Plus will pack a 4,000mAh battery.

It is just a matter of few hours before we know the official specifications, as well as the pricing and availability details of the Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus as the company will soon take the stage to launch both smartphones.

(Sources: 1, 2)

MAZE Alpha X Unboxing Video Showcases Massive 6-inch Full-Screen Beauty

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Dec 5, 2017

The full-screen design frenzy is still raging in the tech industry and looks like what may be around for a long time to come. You’ll find this design style on flagships and even budget phones. One of the latest models the design features on is the Maze Alpha X. MAZE released the Alpha X a couple of weeks back on pre-sale so you might have spotted the real pictures of the full-screen phone on previous articles.

However, we have got the unboxing video of the Maze Alpha X showing us the device up close and captured from all angles. The video shows the cool black box casing the Alpha X with the letter X boldly inscribed on the front. Opening the box reveals the smartphone with its full-screen 18:9 display. The phone is seen to have a front home button with the fingerprint sensor embedded with it. We also could pick out the USB Type-C interface onboard. The smartphone also comes with a 5V/2A fast charger as well as other tight hardware. Check out the unboxing video below.

The sleek Maze Alpha X with 4GB RAM is presently available on GearBest for $209.99USD. You can buy from here. You can also find out more about the smartphone from Maze’s official website.

Here are the key specifications of the Alpha X

Display: 6″ FHD+ 1080*2160 403PPI LG Display (Corning Gorilla Glass 5, 18:9 aspect ratio, 89.6% screen-to-body ratio, 2.5D curved)
Storage: 6GB RAM + 64GB/128GB LPDDR4X ROM
Rear Camera: Sony IMX218 13MP (64GB) / Omnivision OV16880 16MP (128GB)
Front Camera: Sony IMX219 8MP
Battery: 3900mAh
USB: Type-C with quick charge
Fingerprint ID: Front mounted
Others: Corning Gorilla Glass 4 on Back, Anti-Fingerprint Coating
Color: Black/ Blue/ Silver
Size: 156.4 x 74.6 x 8.1 mm