The Galaxy S9 has been in the news a lot lately. From design leaks, to spec leaks, and release dates; with one report mentioning a release in January. This time around, the news is about the possible color variants the next Samsung flagship will arrive in.
One thing to have in mind is that these colors are the ones announced at launch and there’ll most likely be more before the year runs out.
According to Sammobile, one of the colors the Samsung Galaxy S9 will come in is a purple variant. If you still remember, the Galaxy S8 was rumored to come in a violet/purple shade but didn’t.
Other colors that the device will come in include black, blue, and gold. There is no mention of red yet probably because it is still trying to see the sales the Burgundy Red Galaxy S8 will pull in. However, we hope the S9 does get a red variant.
Like we already know, some of these color variants will be exclusive to certain regions. So while the Galaxy S9 may come in that color you so greatly desire, it may not be available in your country.
About 2 weeks ago, OnePlus revealed in an AMA session that it would release Android 8.1 for all its current phones eligible for the Android Oreo update. However, it said none of the phones will get Project Treble.
This has not gone down well with fans of the brand who have now launched a petition to convince them to reconsider. Project Treble is supposed to make updates faster as it separates the Android OS framework from the vendors implementation.
While devices that come with Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box must have Project Treble support, there are some which were previously on Nougat that have gotten Project Treble or that will get it, such as the first gen Pixels, the Essential Phone, Honor 9, Mate 9, and Honor 8 Pro.
If these devices can get Project Treble support, why shouldn’t the newly released OnePlus 5T or even the OnePlus 5, OnePlus 3T, and OnePlus 3 get Project Treble?
While the OnePlus 3T and OnePlus 3 won’t make it past Android Oreo, support for project treble will allow developers to create custom ROMs for them using the latest AOSP in a matter of days rather than weeks or more. That way, these phones can get longer support seeing as they will just be two years old when Android P comes out next year.
Just a few days after announcing the gorgeous Lava Red OnePlus 5T in China, OnePlus took to India to reveal the OnePlus 5T Star Wars Limited Edition. The special edition OnePlus 5T was unveiled at the Bengaluru Comic Con Event today. Permit us to say the force is strong with this one!
We first heard of the OnePlus 5T Star Wars Limited Edition a few weeks ago even before the Lava Red variant launched. Rather than come in red as earlier reported, the phone is white with the familiar Star Wars logo engraved in red ink at the bottom of the phone.
The alert slider is now red but the volume rocker (and power button) is black. The phone itself wasn’t available for a hands-on experience at the event according to those who attended, so some details are still unconfirmed.
However, the phone is expected to come with themes and wallpapers related to the franchise or most probably, the upcoming movie – The Last Jedi.
The OnePlus 5T Star Wars Limited Edition is said to go on sale on December 16th for a yet undisclosed price. Sources say only 150,000 units will be up for sale and availability may be limited to India. I am sure OnePlus will likely get a petition from fans to make it available in other markets.
Meiigoo may be a new brand in the smartphone market, but it has wasted no time in adopting the changes in the industry. One trending feature for smartphones this year is full-screen displays and the growing company already has two devices with the new display.
Its latest device – the Meiigoo Note8 comes with a 5.99” FHD display and a beautiful body to match. Meiigoo wants to prove that the Note8 is equally beautiful inside and has released a teardown video of the phone.
The teardown gives us a look at the internal components of the phone. We get to see the built-in 3300mAh battery, the dual 13MP rear cameras, and the MT6750T processor and 4GB RAM.
The Meiigoo Note8 does look pretty simple to take apart. All you need is a Phillips screwdriver, a suction cup, a pair of tweezers, and a soldering iron.
With more manufacturers killing the 3.5mm audio jack on their devices, it is not unusual to see makers of phone accessories churn out adapters for use with wired 3.5mm earphones. Dodocool joins the list with its DA134 USB-C to 3.5mm adapter.
The Dodocool DA134 is different from the ones manufacturers ship with their phones as it has an in-line remote too. The remote has three buttons – a multi-function key and volume up and down buttons. All three buttons work for media playback and calls.
The adapter is also capable of delivering Hi-Res 24-bit/192KHz lossless audio for compatible devices..
The in-line remote of the DA134 is made of aluminium alloy while the wires are copper and covered with TPE. Total length is 227mm and weight is 22g.
There are already a plethora of ways to keep your phone safe. There is the conventional PIN, password, and pattern. We also have biometric ones like fingerprint scanning, iris scanning, and face unlock. However, Samsung has patented another one – palm scanning.
We won’t blame you if you think this requires you to place your palm on the surface of your phone. But that won’t work for phones with a display smaller than 7-inches.
Samsung’s palm scanning approach is different and doesn’t require you placing your filthy hands on the screen of your device. According to the patent description, the technology will not even actually unlock your phone but only provide hints for your password.
How it works is easy to understand. If you forget your password, all you have to do is point your camera (and most likely other sensors) at your palm. The sensor will scan the lines of your palm which differ from one person to the other. If it matches the one stored on the phone, different characters of your password will be displayed across the captured image. The provided hints should help you remember your password.
LeEco’s financial woes are still far from over, despite efforts to salvage the once bubbling tech giant. A recent rumour from the real estate circle in China alleges that the company has put up its headquarters building in China for sale. According to local media are reports, the building is slammed with a price tag of RMB 1.4 billion ($211 million).
LeEco Founder, Jia Yueting
The building which used to be a beehive of activities during LeEco’s hay days covers an expansive 20,000 square metres area. The once sprawling headquarters is being sold apparently to meet up with some of its debt. LeEco is estimated to have a debt burden of up to 20 billion Yuan ($3 billion).
This is yet another reminder that LeEco is plunging deeper and deeper into financial troubles. In recent months, a number of LEco’s assets and those of its founder Jia Yueting had been frozen by court order. The building in question is even said to have been mortgaged by Leshi Holdings, one of LeEco’s subsidiaries, to seek for a loan of RMB 1.4 billion through a third-party company, and the pledge is still in effect. Thus, it may be difficult to find a buyer for the property very soon.
When Faraday Future was formed in 2014 it made claims it would change the automobile industry. Three years later, and the company is trying to stay alive.
In the last couple of months, Faraday Future has lost a number of its key executives. The latest to leave is Richard Kim who until yesterday held the position of Chief Designer at the US based start-up.
Richard Kim, Image Source: The Verge
Report says Mr. Kim submitted his resignation letter on Tuesday, 28th of November. His resignation comes weeks after the CFO Stefan Krause, and the CTO Ulrich Kranz left Faraday, although the former has been accused of malfeasance.
Before Richard Kim joined Faraday Future as one of the founding executives, he was a designer at BMW where he was in charge of the i3 and i8 models. A statement by a former employee at the company regarding his departure says “Richard gave his heart and soul to that company, and he tried to make it work. He’s been considering leaving for 2 to 3 months,”.
During his stay at Faraday Future, Kim designed the FF91, the company’s first production vehicle which is expected to ship in early 2018. However, it remains to be seen if that date will stick with current happenings.
The company is bankrupt, no thanks to its chief financier Jia Yueting, CEO and founder of LeEco. Jia Yueting is facing a tough time with his first company too. After an unsuccessful launch in the American market, things have gone sideways financially for the company.
Apart from the loss of its chief designer, Faraday Future has other issues to deal with. An email obtained by The Verge and addressed to multiple departments scolded employees for not showing up at work. Dated 20th of November and written by the head of go-to market operations, Allan Lu, a part said “only 2 people where in office” when Jia Yueting came to meet up with some potential investors.
Gionee set a record on Sunday by launching 8 new smartphones (6 technically speaking) with FullView displays. While some manufacturers would have called it a year already, the Chinese manufacturer doesn’t appear to be done. A new Gionee W9191 phone has been seen on TENAA. However, this isn’t a FullView phone but one with a clamshell design.
Yesterday, Samsung launched the China-exclusive W2018 flip-phone. Just a day since its release and it already has a competitor in form of the Gionee W919. The Samsung W2018 is not only the most powerful clamshell phone but also the most expensive. Gionee’s W919 also packs impressive specs and may as well have a high price tag.
The Gionee W919 is the successor to the W909 released in March 2016, and just like its predecessor it comes with dual displays. The screens are 4.2” HD displays – one is on the outside and the other is inside when you flip it open.
There is a 2.5GHz octa-core processor under the hood paired with 6GB of RAM and a massive 128GB of storage. The W919 also has a MicroSD card slot for adding up to an extra 256GB of memory.
The phone doesn’t get the dual camera treatment. Rather it has a single 16MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera. The Gionee W919 also has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, a 3000mAh battery capacity, and runs Android 7.0 Nougat.
In terms of design, the W919 will be a luxury smartphone like the M7 Plus. It has gold plated rivets on the front, sides and the back. The rear is also covered with calfskin leather. The Gionee W919 is also pretty thick as it measures 128.0 × 62.7 × 16.2 (mm) and weighs 230g. This is most likely as a result of the bigger battery.
U.S Tech giants Qualcomm and Apple have been enmeshed in legal battles for several reasons bothering on patent rights. There have been lawsuits and countersuits, from both ends and it still looks like the friction is picking up steam in the last few days. Apple is now reportedly alleging that Qualcomm infringed on eight Apple patents bothering on power efficiency. Qualcomm, on its part, has now filed a fresh lawsuit and asserts that the smartphone maker was rummaging through the closet where it keeps its intellectual property.
In the lawsuit filed, Wednesday, with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, Qualcomm’s complaint claims Apple is in infringement of five patents relating to radio frequency transceivers, power efficiency in mobile CPUs, device power management and image enhancement using depth-based data (3D imagery).
Qualcomm is thus praying for an injunction from the court that would bar Apple from selling the GSM version of 2017 iPhone models; iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X because they do not feature the Qualcomm -made modem chip inside. It must be noted that AT&T and T-Mobile are the companies who stock the GSM version of the 2017 iPhones in the U.S. Thus, those are the ones the lawsuit is targeting. In addition, Qualcomm is also seeking unspecified damages and court costs.
The persistent lawsuit is already affecting the business relationship between both companies. There are reports that Apple is planning for the 2018 iPhone models without Qualcomm’s modem chips. Instead, the leading smartphone manufacturer is said to be turning to Qualcomm’s rival Intel and MediaTek. Intel currently supplies the part for the GSM versions of the latest iPhones. At this time, the best bet would be an out of court settlement as the suits are getting too many. We’d continue to keep an eye on this to see how it pans out eventually.
If you enjoy listening to music while working out, the least number of devices you need is three – a fitness tracker, a phone for streaming music, and a pair of in-ear headphones. Only if you own a smartwatch that can store songs or stream music does the number of devices reduce to two.
What if I told you all you need for your workout is just a pair of headphones?
The iWOWNfit R1 is a pair of Bluetooth earbuds that eliminates the need for a smartphone, smartband, or smartwatch as it packs all the features you need from them.
The iWOWNfit R1 has a built-in heart rate monitor and a calorie counter that keeps track of your physical activity. It also has 512MB of built-in storage that allows you to load up to 80 songs. You can also decide to pair it to your smartphone for use as regular earphones when you are not working out.
One additional feature that the R1 sports earbuds has is a Live Voice Coach that tells you when to slow down or speed up depending on your hear rate. Like other sports headphones, the iWOWNfit R1 is also sweat resistant, thanks to a nano waterproof coating.
The makers of the R1 is iWOWN Technology, a wearable device company based in Shenzhen, China. This is not their first sports related product as they already have a bunch of smartbands in the market.
OnePlus 5T, the new flagship smartphone from China-based OnePlus was launched last month. After its international debut, the smartphone was announced for the China market.
In China, OnePlus 5T’s first sale took place today. However, prior to that, the China-based online retailer JD.com announced that it received over 450,000 reservations ahead of the sale. The numbers were achieved within just 48 hours as the phone was announced on November 28.
Both variants of the smartphone — one with 6GB RAM and another with 8GB of RAM were available for purchase in China in Midnight Black colour. Another colour variant — Lava Red, which was announced exclusively in China, will go on sale from December 17.
The OnePlus 5T is already available for purchase in India, Europe and the US. In terms of specifications, it is not much different from its predecessor, except for display and camera.
The smartphone comes with a 6.01-inch Optic AMOLED display that covers the major portion of the front panel due to the screen-to-body ratio of around 80 percent. The display has a Full HD+ with a screen resolution 2160 x 1080 pixels and an aspect ratio of 18:9.
Under the hood, the device is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor. The 6GB RAM model comes with 64GB storage while the 8GB RAM model has 128GB internal storage. The device packs 3,300mAh battery which also supports company’s own Dash Charging technology.
Due to the full-screen display with narrow bezels, there is no space for the home button. Thus, the fingerprint sensor has been placed on the back side instead of being embedded in the home button.
The phone comes with a rear-mounted dual camera system that features a f/1.7 aperture 16-megapixel camera sensor and a f/1.7 aperture 20-megapixel camera sensor. There is also a front-facing camera of 20-megapixels which has a f/2.0 aperture. It is running Android 7.1.1 Nougat operating system based Oxygen OS 4.7.
When we talk of OLED displays, Samsung holds the ace and is currently the main supplier of OLED panels to other OEMs who uses OLED panels on their smartphones. Apple is one of the major clients for Samsung’s OLED panels as the U.S tech giant used OLED screen for the first time on the iPhone X. The growing popularity of Samsung’s OLED panels has precipitated companies like JDI and BOE, two leading names in LCD displays to shift towards OLED panel manufacture.
We have now spotted what are said to be photos of BOE’s latest OLED display prototype. This is coming up at a time there are speculations that more smartphone would be launched using the full-screen OLED technology. It was recently reported that BOE was eyeing a deal with Apple for OLED panels. That may not be a difficult deal to seal because Apple will no doubt like to deal with rival Samsung from a distance.
The newly leaked BOE’s OLED panels look very much like the iPhone X’s. Perhaps, BOE is trying to prove a point that it could do something better. Well, we can’t really say if it is better than Samsung’s OLED displays. As for the specification, the display comes in at 6.18 inches with a resolution of 2992 x 1440 pixels. The screen also has a PPI of 537 and 390 nits brightness and is made from AMOLED. BOE’s display would naturally be expected to be cheaper than Samsung’s.
After launching mid-range and premium smartphones such as Oppo F5, Oppo R11S and R11S Plus, Oppo is now looking to introduce a new entry-level budget smartphone — Oppo A83.
The company’s upcoming Oppo A83 smartphone has appeared on TENAA, revealing some of the phone’s specifications. TENAA is a Chinese certification authority, similar to FCC in the U, and requires every smartphone to get certified.
According to the listing on TENAA, the smartphone measures 150.5 x 73.1 x 7.7mm and weighs around 143 grams. It features a 5.7-inch TFT HD+ display with a screen resolution of 1440 x 720 pixels and 18:9 aspect ratio. In line with the current trends, the smartphone has narrow bezels surrounding the display.
The phone is powered by a 2.5GHz octa-core processor, along with 2GB RAM and 16GB of internal storage. Currently, it is not known what chipset is powering the phone. There is a microSD card slot, allowing users to further expand internal storage up to 128GB.
As of the camera, the smartphone comes with a 13-megapixel rear autofocus camera with an LED flash. There is also an 8-megapixel front-facing snapper. It runs on Android 7.1.1 Nougat operating system with the company’s own UI skin on top.
Connectivity options on the device include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth and GPS. The smartphone is fueled by a 3,090mAh battery.
The Oppo A83 smartphone is expected to be available in two colours — Black and Gold. However, there is no information available regarding the phone’s pricing as well as availability. But, given that it has already passed TENAA certification, we expect the smartphone to launch soon.
OnePlus 5T has been announced a few days ago and we think it is time to compare it with the best Chinese phones in the market to see if it is worth buying it. One of them is Nubia Z17s: it is one of the best Android phones ever in terms of performances, even if the company that made it is not the most famous in the world. Performances and innovation are two aspects that do not miss in these two incredible flagships, as well as a great value for money. In this comparison, we will examine every aspect and decide which phone is the best.
OnePlus 5T vs Nubia Z17s: Design and build quality
OnePlus 5T does not offer an incredibly unique design, but it is a beautiful phone and it is solid. It has a size of 156.1 x 75 x 7.3 mm (so it is very thin) and a weight of 162 grams. From its look, it is easy to realize that this device is a flagship: the company has put efforts into its details and the device is very ergonomic, but it is far from being a revolution. Anyways, there is a bezel-less display (80.5 percent screen-to-body-ratio), and this makes the design innovative even if it is not original. The handset has also a great build quality, it is entirely made of aluminum with a sturdy back cover and antenna bands positioned along the borders for a better look. Its frontal glass is protected by Gorilla Glass 5, the most powerful protection ever seen on a phone.
Nubia Z17s is “the elegance in person”. It has a back cover made of glass which reflects the light creating very suggestive waves: an effect which reminds of Honor 8 and 9, two phones that are considered among the best in terms of design in the affordable flagship segment. The frame is made of aluminum like almost every premium phone. The size of the device is 147.5 x 72.7 x 8.5 mm, for a weight of 170 grams. There is a borderless screen here as well, and the screen-to-body ratio is even bigger than the one of the OP5T. Due to this aspect and its smaller display, the phone is much more compact than its opponent. The glasses are protected by the Gorilla Glass technology but the version has not been specified.
OnePlus 5T vs Nubia Z17s: Display
The displays from these handsets seem similar but they are not.
The screen of OnePlus 5T has a size of 6.01 inches, a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2160 pixels, an 18:9 aspect ratio and three important technologies: Optic AMOLED, DCI-P3, and sRGB. Thanks to these technologies, the wonderful display of this device can offer outstanding colors and very deep blacks. The detail is not the maximum for a flagship, but the viewing angles and its brightness are satisfying.
Nubia Z17s has a smaller display with a size of 5.73 inches. It offers the LTPS IPS LCD technology, a 17:9 aspect ratio and a Full HD+ resolution with 1080 x 2040 pixels (slightly inferior to the FHD+ resolution of OP5T). Colors are nice and brightness is great, but this screen is not at the same level of the one from OP5T. Further, 17:9 is an unusual aspect ratio and it may create more imperfections in the viewing experience with videos and apps (e.g. unusual black bars at the sides, with both 16:9 and 18:9 content). So the display from OnePlus 5T seems better on paper.
OnePlus 5T vs Nubia Z17s: Hardware
The difference between these phones in terms of hardware and performances is minimum.
OnePlus 5T sports an octa-core Snapdragon 835 SoC by Qualcomm which runs at a max frequency of 2.45 GHz. It has been launched in two configurations with different prices: one has 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage, while the most powerful one has 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. The memory (type: UFS 2.1, the fastest ever used on a phone) is not expandable with a micro SD, but there is a dual SIM slot with dual standby technology. The phone can be charged via a USB Type C port, it has Wi-Fi connectivity 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 5.0.
Nubia Z17s has an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset as well, with a max frequency of 2.45 GHz. The configurations are exactly the same as OP5T: one has 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage, another has 8 GB RAM and 128 GB ROM. In terms of connectivity, there is a dual SIM slot (no micro SD slot) with dual standby technology, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 4.1.
Now lets’ talk about performances: they are both among the fastest phones ever. Their speed is incredible as well as their smoothness and stability. You can play every game with these phones and you will obtain a very high frame rate as well as high details. There are no limits, even multi-tasking works like a charm with a very high number of opened apps. Nubia Z17s is one of the 10 best phones on benchmarks according to AnTuTu, with a score of 179,454 points. OP5T has still not been tested by AnTuTu, but its predecessor OP5 has been defined the best Android phone on benchmarks with 181,288 points, and its successor has exactly the same hardware.
OnePlus 5T vs Nubia Z17s: Software
OnePlus 5T has been announced with Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box and we will need to wait for the first months of 2018 to see the final update to Android 8.0 Oreo. The user interface has been customized with OxygenOS, but there are not so many customizations. The experience is similar to the one offered by stock Android, there is just a low amount of additional features. Among the most important features, there is facial unlock which uses facial recognition to unlock the phone very fastly.
Nubia Z17s has Android 7.1 Nougat installed, together with the Nubia UI 5.0. Here there are more customizations and they regard both graphics and features. The user interface is much easier to use and intuitive thanks to improved graphics and rapid options accessible with gestures. There are also useful features like Online Themes, the one to clone apps and much more.
OnePlus 5T vs Nubia Z17s: Camera
OnePlus 5T has a dual camera setup composed of sensors by Sony with resolutions of 16 + 20 MP and a f/1.7 aperture. The camera has been improved to have great performances in low-light conditions. It can shoot detailed photos in every situation and well stabilized 4K videos thanks to EIS. OP5T is not the best camera phone in the market, but it is a great device in terms of photo and video quality.
Nubia Z17s has a dual camera with resolutions of 12 + 23 MP, it can do an excellent 2x optical zoom and its apertures are f/1.8 and f/2.0. A high-end camera in this case too, but it is not at the same level of its opponent. OnePlus 5T can shoot more detailed photos and it can adapt better to low light conditions. So OP5T wins the camera comparison, even though Z17s has a dual camera on the front side as well, which is very interesting.
OnePlus 5T vs Nubia Z17s: Battery
Even if OnePlus 5T has a very big display, it does not offer a huge battery. The battery of this phone has a capacity of 3300 mAh and it supports fast charging due to the Dash Charge technology. Even though we are talking about an average capacity (for a flagship released in 2017), the battery life is satisfying since the software is optimized very well. You can arrive at the end of the evening with an intensive use without any problem, even though your battery will not last much more than that.
Nubia Z17s has an even smaller battery: its capacity is just 3100 mAh, but it has the most efficient fast charging technology by Qualcomm: Quick Charge 4.0, which makes the phone reach 50% of battery in just 25 minutes of charging. The battery life should be more than sufficient thanks to the nice optimization usually provided by the company.
OnePlus 5T vs Nubia Z17s: Price
OnePlus 5T and Nubia Z17s are among the cheapest flagship phones.
OnePlus 5T can be purchased all around the world with a price tag of 499 euros/dollars in the lower end version with 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage, and 569 euros/dollars in the version with 8 GB RAM and 128 GB ROM.
In China, Nubia Z17s has a price of 2999 Yuan for the lower end version and 3999 Yuan for the most powerful one. If we talk about street prices, with a bit of luck it is possible to find it at just 479 dollars or 399 euros in online stores which can also ship outside China. OnePlus 5T and Nubia Z17s are both very convenient flagships, but Z17s can be found at a lower price. The only problem is the fact that it is harder to find Nubia Z17s in every nation, while it is very easy to find OP5T: you just need to head to the official site.
OnePlus 5T vs Nubia Z17s: Winner
It is very hard to decide which is better between these wonderful handsets. While OnePlus 5T has a superior display, better performances, a longer battery life and it can shoot better photos, Nubia Z17s offers a more good-looking design and a software with more features and improvements over stock Android, as well as a lower price. OnePlus 5T wins the comparison, but note that the difference is not much, so if you buy its opponent you would still make an excellent purchase.
Today, China-based smartphone manufacturer Oppo has quietly launched a new variant of its flagship Oppo R11S smartphone. The new variant of the smartphone comes with 6GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage. However, the phone will be available in only one colour – Champagne Gold.
The 6GB RAM model of the Oppo R11S is priced at 3,599 Yuan (approx. $545), which is 600 Yuan (approx. $91) more than the standard variant, which is priced at 2,999 Yuan (approx. $454).
Unlike this 6GB RAM model, the standard variant of the smartphone is available in three colour options — Black and Champagne (Gold) and Red. The Oppo R11S was originally launched in October this year, along with the Oppo R11S Plus.
The smartphone comes with a 6.01-inch Full HD+ display with a screen resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels and an aspect ratio of 18:9. Under the hood, the device is powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 660 processor.
With the launch of this new variant, the smartphone is now available in two models — one with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage and another one with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage.
As of the camera department, the rear camera features a combination of a 20-megapixel f/1.7 camera sensor and a 16-megapixel f/1.7 camera sensor. On the front, there is a 20-megapixel camera sensor which comes with Artificial Intelligence (AI) features that add some few tricks. It supports more than 200 facial enhancements, scene detection, and portrait mode.
The device runs Color OS 3.2, which is based on Android 7.1.2 Nougat operating system. The smartphone is fueled by a 3,205mAh battery, which also supports company’s own VOOC fast charging technology.
Samsung has now unveiled the Samsung W2018 flip phone through a launch event in Xiamen, China. It is a flagship clamshell phone that boasts a premium design along with dual displays. The South Korean company has been launching W series smartphones for raising charity funds for the past ten years and the newly unveiled Samsung W2018 has arrived as a 10th anniversary edition phone.
Samsung W2018 Specifications and Features
The W2018 sports a metal and glass combination body and it comes in two color choices such as Elegant Gold and Platinum. Its dimensions are 132.2 x 63.2mm. When folded it measures 15.9mm and its weight is 247 grams. The back panel of the phone features Gorilla Glass and it features a zinc alloy biaxial hinge. It features a D-pad and a numeric keypad for navigation.
The Samsung W2018 has a frontal Super AMOLED display of 4.2 inches. It is protected by Gorilla Glass 5 and it carries support for full HD resolution. The inner display of 4.2 inches also supports full HD resolution. The Snapdragon 835 chipset powers the smartphone along with 6 GB of RAM.
The Samsung W2018 comes in two storage models. The Extreme Edition has 64 GB of storage whereas the Collector Edition has 256 GB of storage.
It has a front-facing camera of 5-megaxpixel. The rear side features an industry first f/1.5 aperture 12-megapixel camera. It is coupled with Optical Image Stabilization feature. When there is sufficient light, the camera will switch to f/2.4 aperture and in darker conditions, the f/1.5 aperture will W2018 users to snap stunning photos.
The fingerprint scanner is present very close to rear-facing camera on the back panel of the phone. It also features a Bixby button for activating the voice assistant. It includes a 2,300mAh battery and it is equipped with a USB-C port. The W2018 comes preinstalled with Android 7.1.1 Nougat OS.
Samsung is providing the buyers of W2018 with exclusive concierge services at airport and railway station apart from services like free software fixes, phone cleaning and disinfection, screen replacements at reduced pricing along with an exclusive hotline for VIPs.
The smartphone will be available through China Telecom in China. As of this writing, there is no information available on its pricing. The design, specs and features of the Samsung W2018 indicates that it will surely arrive with a hefty price tag.
The Vivo X20 and Vivo X20 Plus was officially unveiled on Sept. 21 and since then the company has launched the X20 in a couple of special edition variants such as all-black mars Edition and black and gold color model. At the end of October, the company had hinted that it would be debuting a King of Glory variant for the Vivo X20. Today, the company has officially confirmed that the Vivo X20 King of Glory Anniversary Limited Edition will be available for purchase from Dec. 8.
The Vivo X20 King of Glory Anniversary Limited Edition will be the second phone by BBK Electronics (parent company of OnePlus, OPPO and Vivo) to be based on the well-known multiplayer online battle arena game from Tencent Games. In the recent past, the OPPO had also released the OPPO R11 King of Glory special edition phone.
The above image shows that the v-shaped top portion of the rear panel of the special edition Vivo X20 in red color which represents passion and vitality whereas the remaining black portion represents calm and strength. There is a gold-plated logo of the game on the center of the back panel. Vivo’s gold-plated logo is available at the lower side of the back panel.
The FunTouch OS running on the Vivo X20 King of Glory Anniversary Limited Edition is heavily customized with game’s theme. The smartphone will be shipped in an exclusive gift box to its customers. The regular version of the Vivo X20 features 4 GB of RAM. However, the King of Glory model will be shipping with 6 GB of RAM. As far as pricing of the smartphone is concerned, it will be available for 3,498 Yuan (~$529). The online reservations of the Vivo X20 King of Glory Anniversary Limited Edition have already started from today in China and it is slated to be available for buying from Dec. 8.
Essential Products, the newest entrant in the premium flagship smartphones category, has confirmed in a Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA) that the company is working on its next-generation smartphone.
It’s good to see that the company has not been affected by the absence of Andy Rubin, the company’s founder and CEO, who is also the face of the company.
In the Reddit AMA, while the company said that it’s working on its next-generation smartphone, it has not revealed anything related to the phone. However, the company said that they are “focusing on reparability” of the smartphone. The Essential Phone (PH-1) is very hard to repair, as concluded by the iFixit team.
The company said, “We will make sure that your phone can be repaired at a reasonable and competitive price if the consumables, like batteries need to be replaced.”
Currently, there is no information available related to the upcoming smartphone’s features and specification. It is not known when the company is planning to launch the device, but we expect the phone to get launched in the first half of next year.
Essential PH-1 was launched in May this year, with an aim to make its mark in the premium flagship smartphone category. However, it seems that the company is struggling to sell the smartphone.
Recently, the smartphone received a price cut of $200, bringing down the phone’s price to just $499 from $699. The smartphone features a 5.7-inch bezel-less display that comes with a screen resolution of 2560 x 1312 pixels and an unusual aspect ratio of 19:10.
Under the hood, the device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, along with 4GB of RAM 128GB of internal storage. It has dual camera system at the back, which includes a pair of f/1.85 aperture 13-megapixel sensors — one is monochrome lens while the other one is RGB lens. It also has a f/2.2 aperture 8-megapixel front-facing camera.
The smartphone is fueled by a 3,040mAh battery. On the back of the phone, there is a set of magnetic pins that hold Essential modules just like Motorola’s Moto Mods. It recently received the latest Android Oreo update.
At the time of launch, Essential promised that the smartphone will receive guaranteed updates for two years. The smartphone is also slated get monthly security updates for the next 3 years.
Shortly after the launch of Samsung Galaxy S8, it was widely reported that Microsoft would be selling the “Galaxy S8 Microsoft Edition.” However, Samsung claims that such a version of the Galaxy S8 never existed.
After the launch of Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ smartphones, Microsoft also started selling these phones with no modifications to their hardware and software. However, the Galaxy S8 duo available at the Microsoft Stores came preloaded with apps such as Office, OneDrive, Cortana and Outlook. The Redmond giant began selling these phones by providing some training on how to use the apps provided by Microsoft.
It seems that “Galaxy S8 Microsoft Edition” was nothing but a PR stunt to compel buyers towards Microsoft Stores to make them aware of the various apps by Microsoft. Here is the official statement from Samsung.
“Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, and Galaxy Note8 devices are available in the Microsoft online and retail stores with a unique Microsoft experience which ensures their customers, particularly small-to-midsize business owners and entrepreneurs, a best-in-class productivity experience. There is not a ‘Microsoft Edition’ brand of any Samsung Galaxy products.”
The above statement has surfaced at a time when the Redmond giant has just begun the sales of the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ and Galaxy Note 8 on its online store. By the way, the Galaxy S8 is the first Android smartphone to be available on Microsoft Store. The Redmond giant has stopped the sales of Lumia branded sales. The only other smartphones that are available at Microsoft’s online store are Razer Phone, HP Elite x3 Bundle, Alcatel IDOL 4S, and Acer Liquid Jade Primo.
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