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LG G7 Render Points At Ultra-Thin Bezels & Dual Selfie Shooters

LG was recently reported to be tinkering with the possibility of rebranding its G series lineup and this could see the dream of a flagship G7 dashed this year. Well, in that case, it would come with another name. That may not be the case, anyway, and even if it was, it hasn’t stopped renders of the G7 from popping online. We just spotted one and it promises a topnotch design is coming on the next LG flagship.LG G7 render

The render purported to be that of the G7 reveals tinier bezels than found on the G6. The bezels are so tiny that we found it difficult making out the bottom bezel. The top bezel which is distinct also shows a tiny setup, much thinner than the G6’s and just enough to accommodate the front cameras and speakers. The side bezels are also almost non-existence. This gives the G7 a higher screen-to-body ratio. By the way, the render suggests the G7 will land with dual cameras at the front. The two cameras are located on the left side of the earpiece, while on the right are placed the proximity sensor and LED indicator.  Of course, we expect a similar dual camera setup at the rear as well. There are two buttons on the left side which are likely the volume rockers and the power button may stay at the back.

Read More: LG Changing its Mobile Business Strategy, Will Launch Phones Only When it is Needed

According to a recent report, LG G7 is expected to be announced in March and would be on sale in April at the earliest. The flagship is expected to feature a similar FullVision 18:9 OLED display that is present on the LG V30 flagship. A Snapdragon 845 chipset will power the device, paired with 6 GB of RAM. It will also feature an IP68 certified chassis and is also tipped to pack an iris scanner for locking up certain apps.

(via)

Huawei Patents Reveal Smartwatch Bezels Will Be Touch Sensitive

Smartwatches are mainly controlled in four ways – by rotating the bezel, rotating and or pushing the crown, via physical buttons on the side, and also touching the screen. Some smartwatches even employ a combination of two or more of the above. Patents have revealed that Huawei plans to add a new method – a touch-sensitive bezel.

Huawei Smartwatch Patents - watch operation

The patents for the new mode of controlling smartwatches have been approved by the World intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). Images from the patent show how the bezel is supposed to work.

First, the bezel is divided into 8 sectors. Each of these sectors can perform a single function or be combined with another sector for a different function.

For example, swiping the top right sector clockwisely or anti-clockwisely, swipes down and up respectively. Swiping the sectors at the bottom swipes the screen left/right. You can also zoom in and out by swiping a combination of the bottom left and top right sectors in opposite directions.

Huawei Smartwatch Patents - zones

Huawei Smartwatch Patents - Gestures

The patent also reveals that the bezels will support force touch gestures, clicks, and screw gestures. There will also be buttons built into the straps.

It has been revealed that the technology can be applied to various materials such as steel, plastic, aluminium, and ceramic for the bezel; and rubber or leather for the straps.

Last year at MWC, the Huawei Watch 2 was announced but it received poor to lukewarm reviews as it lacked most of the features people liked in the first gen Huawei Watch.

READ MORE: Huawei P11, P12 Test Pages Appear on Official Website

Sharp Aquos S3 Real Pictures Leaked Via Taiwan’s NCC

Foxconn-owned Sharp was one of the OEMs who caught up with the full-screen, bezel-less smartphone trend which became the trend in the second half of last year. The company released the Aquos S2 smartphone with a bezel-less design, and the device was also the world’s first Snapdragon 630-powered smartphone. The Aquos S2 is about getting a successor, and that is the Sharp Aquos S3. If you think the Aquos S2’s design was fantastic, wait until you see that of the soon-to-be-released Aquos S3 whose pictures just leaked.Sharp Aquos S3

You might have seen some grainy photos of the S3 or the pictures accompanying its TENAA listing which are not too superb. We serve you clear images of the Sharp Aquos S3 which appeared on Taiwan’s National Communications Commission (NCC) website. The photos show how the design of the device looks like when viewed from the front and rear aspects. The front tends to look similar to that of the Aquos S2, except that the notch at the top is more extensive, as it accommodates not just the selfie camera, but also the receiver speaker and one other sensor whose function is unknown. At the rear, the Aquos S3 keeps up also with the dual camera design found on its predecessor. The cameras have a slight bump and is aligned vertically with the LED flash at the bottom. What differentiates the Aquos S2’s rear design from the upcoming model is the rear-mounted fingerprint sensor on the Aquos S3.  Sharp Aquos S3

READ MORE: Sharp To Launch A Smartphone With Highest Screen-To-Body Ratio In January

Sharp has already revealed the Aquos S3 would be launched on January 16 and specs wise, the device is expected to sport a 5.99-inch display with a resolution of 2160 x 1080 display. the device will be powered by a 2.2GHz octa-core processor which may be the Snapdragon 660 and backed by up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It will also come with a 3100mAh battery.

(source)Sharp Aquos S3

Save Up To 70% On An Array Of Xiaomi-Branded Items On GeekBuying

Looks like Xiaomi fans are in for a treat. As part of its New Year Big Sale promo, GeekBuying is offering massive discounts on a myriad of Xiaomi-branded items.

Top Offers

This category of GeekBuying’s New Year Big Sale features three smartphones. The Mi 5X is up for grabs at a discounted price of $195.99, which is a massive 60% reduction in the phone’s original selling price of $488.99.

Similarly, the 3GB RAM/32GB ROM, black color version of the Redmi 5 Plus smartphone is available for just $159.99, thanks to a considerable 38% discount on the handset’s original selling price of $259.99. It’s worth noting that the available discount is based on the specification and color option you choose.

For instance, the 3GB RAM/32GB ROM rose gold version carries a 31% discount, which brings its original asking price of $259.99 down to $179.99. You can go for 3GB RAM/32GB ROM, gold and blue color versions as well, which are available at reduced price of $179.99 on GeekBuying.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A is also gracing this category with its presence. You can buy the smartphone by shelling out just $119.99. This 43% discount on Redmi Note 5A is valid for a limited period of time.

Xiaomi Flagship Phones

You can also buy some highly coveted Xiaomi flagship phones without burning a massive hole in your pocket. This section of the promo comprises Xiaomi Mi Note 3, the Mi Mix 2, Mi Max 2, Mi A1, and Mi6 5 smartphones at a heavily-discounted price. You save up to $100 on Mi Mix 2.

Mid-range Smartphone

Mid-range smartphones are more popular than the budget smartphones as they offer an array of awe-inspiring features despite bearing an affordable price tag. The Chinese handset maker has come out with a slew of some well-received mid-range smartphones in the past, and few of them are featured in this category.


First off, Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A is available at a slashed price of just $95.99 on GeekBuying. Similarly, the site is offering a considerable discount on the original asking price of the Redmi Note 5A Prime, Redmi 5A Global Version, Redmi 5 and a slew of other mid-range Smartphones.

Smart Gadgets Center

In addition to smartphones, GeekBuying’s New Year Sale promo also comprises a slew of other equally-popular Xiaomi branded devices such as the Mi Robot Vacuum Cleaner, which has a 50% discount. Other items that are available at a decreased price include Mijia Smart Night Light, Piston Fresh Edition Earphone, and Mi Notebook Pro just to name a few.


GeekBuying New Year Big Sale promo kicked off on Thursday, January 11 and is slated to end on January 19 so head straight to this link and save up to 70% on select Xiaomi-branded electronic items before the promo ends.

Google Acquires Redux, A UK-Based Startup That Turns Smartphone Screen Into Speaker

Google has quietly acquired a UK-based company named Redux which has developed a technology that uses vibrations to turn surfaces of phones or tablets into speakers or provide haptic feedback.

While it is not clear when the acquisition took place, some reports indicate that the acquisition happened in August last year. According to the regulatory filings in December 2017, all the stock held by investors and employees was transferred to Google in early September.

google-office

The financial details related to the acquisition remains undisclosed. Founded in 2013, Redux, which focused on markets including computing, mobile, automotive and industrial controls, had raised $5 million funding in March last year from Arie Capital.

According to the company, its technology eliminates the need for small speakers in mobile phones, which frees up space for batteries or other components. Further, the company claims that it had been granted 178 patents and over 50 pending patents.

Redux’s website has been taken down. A cached version of the website reveals that the firm was working on “panel audio” which turns a screen into a speaker. The company was also working on a so-called haptic feedback.

Read More: FCC Approves WattUp ‘Power-At-A-Distance’ Wireless Charging System

While it is unclear why Google acquired Redux, there are lots of potential uses of Redux’s technology for Alphabet — the parent company of Google. The company has recently started selling its own smartphones, and the engineering talent from Redux could help the company develop devices with better sound.

Redux’s technology could also be used create haptic feedback — which allows users to carry out different tasks on current smartphones by applying different pressure to the screen.

(Via)

 

Buy Xiaomi Mi A1 And Redmi 4A Smartphones At Heavily-Discounted Price On LightInTheBox

LightInTheBox is currently offering massive discounts on a couple of Xiaomi-branded smartphones as part of its super deal promo. Let’s take a gander at the concessionary price the Beijing-based online retail company has to offer and check out more details about the two handsets.

Xiaomi Redmi 4A

LightInTheBox is selling the well-received Xiaomi Redmi 4A at a heavily-discounted price of $85.49. This is a considerable reduction in the phone’s original selling price of $201.71.

You can choose from three color options including blushing pink, gold and gray. While blushing pink and gold color versions are up for grabs bearing $85.49 price tags, you need to shell out an additional $1.9 to buy the gray color version of the Redmi 4A smartphone, which hikes its price up to $87.39.


In terms of specification, The Redmi 4A comes with a 5-inch display with a screen resolution of 1280×720 pixels. Under the hood, it packs Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor, coupled with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of ROM.

On the photography front, the Redmi 4A offers a 5MP front shooter for selfies and a 13MP rear-mounted camera. The 4G smartphone is backed by a robust 3120mAh battery.

Click here to buy Xiaomi Redmi 4A smartphone and take advantage of the promo before it comes to an end.

Xiaomi Mi A1

Alternatively, you can choose from golden or black color versions of Xiaomi Mi A1 smartphone, which comes with 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of internal memory, by shelling out just $180.67. This is a hefty 37% reduction in the handset’s original asking price of $286.78.

While the golden-tinted Mi A1 is currently up for grabs on LightInTheBox for only $179.04, the black version carries a slightly higher price — $180.67, to be precise — since you pay an additional $1.63 for this version of the smartphone.


The Mi A1 sports a 5.5-inch display with a screen resolution of 1920X1080 pixels at 403PPI (Pixels Per Inch). It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, which is paired with Adreno 506 GPU.

You can head straight to this link and buy Xiaomi Mi A1 before the promo ends. It’s worth noting that only 92 pieces were remaining at the time of writing.

Buy The Rugged ioutdoor T2 Walkie Talkie Phone For Only $29.99 On Banggood

ioutdoor T2 walkie-talkie waterproof phone is ideal for serious outdoor enthusiasts. The device can prove useful for people who are making an emergency preparedness kit and even come in handy as radios for the entire family.

As part of its latest promo, Banggood will be offering a massive 50% discount on ioutdoor T2’s original asking price of $59.99 starting Monday, January 15. You will be able to get your hands on this rugged phone by shelling out just $29.99.

This ioutdoor-branded walkie-talkie is backed by a massive 4500mAh battery and can cover 5km intercom distance. Moreover, the device is IP68 water and dust resistance and features strong flashlight that reaches 30m illuminate distance.


Apart from that, ioutdoor T2’s high signal intensity ensures your phone’s calling fluency even when you’re in a weak signal area. It comes with a portable charger. You can head straight to this link and take advantage of the promo before it comes to an end on Friday, January 19.

New U.S Proposed Bill Seeks To Ban Huawei & ZTE’s Telecoms Services in The US

Huawei has always eyed an opportunity to gain a stronghold in the U.S but that move have always proved futile. A ray of light recently popped up in the dark in form of an agreement with U.S carrier AT&T to release Huawei smartphones in the U.S. But that hope was severely dashed when AT&T pulled out of the deal at the 11th hour, just when Huawei was about launching its latest Mate 10 flagships in the U.S via CES 2018. huawei mobile

Huawei may have been dealt another blow, alongside fellow Chinese tech OEM ZTE as a report carried by TechCrunch claims that a bill has been proposed in the U.S Congress which seeks to ban all U.S agencies with contractors or service providers that use any equipment from either company for security reasons. Texas-based Republican house member Michael Conaway who is also leading the investigation into Russia’s alleged interference in the U.S election sponsored the bill and it originated on January 9. Although the bill targets telecommunication equipment manufactured by both Huawei and ZTE, it could have a ripple effect on their smartphone business.ZTE Blade A2S

Huawei presently is the third-largest smartphone manufacturer in the world and the world’s largest telecom equipment manufacturer while ZTE is the fifth largest n the world. However, the bill proposes to completely outlaw engaging with third-party entities that use any of the following:

  • Telecommunications equipment produced by Huawei Technologies Company or ZTE Corporation (or any subsidiary or affiliate of such entities).
  • Telecommunications services provided by such entities or using such equipment.
  • Telecommunications equipment or services produced or provided by an entity that the head of the relevant agency reasonably believes to be an entity owned or controlled by, or otherwise connected to, the government of a covered foreign country.

Read Also: Huawei P11/P20 Plus Screen Protector Listed On Amazon, Appears With A Notch

The bill makes reference to past admittance by Huawei of complicity in the handling of sensitive information with the  Chinese government. Huawei and ZTE are said to be  “directly subject to direction by the Chinese Communist Party.” Huawei has repeatedly denied these claims but the duo is yet to release any statement in regards to the proposed bill. The bill itself will have to scale several hurdles before it becomes a law but it may just be wise for Huawei to channel its energy to other markets outside the U.S.

(source)

 

 

Anker Launches Kettlebell-Shaped Zolo Model Zero Smart Speaker With Google Assistant

CES 2018 has been a sort of battle ground for the two major smart assistants – Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Last year’s edition was a big win for Amazon but this year, Google played catch-up. One of the newest Google Assistant-powered device announced at the event is the Anker Zolo Model Zero smart speaker (quite a mouthful, right?).

Anker Zolo Model Zero

The first thing that strikes you about the Model Zero is its design. Zolo (Anker’s audio brand) has settled for a kettlebell/handbag design. This makes it stand out from other smart speakers in the market which are mainly cylindrical. Anker itself has two speakers with a cylindrical design – the Alexa-powered Zolo Halo and the Zolo Mojo with Google Assistant.

We know you’d want to know if its lack of a cylindrical design does affect its audio reproduction. Anker says its radial design “creates the optimal angle for the high-end drivers to deliver superior sound performance”. It is said to actually have five speakers in total.

The cut-out in the Model Zero not only serves as a handle for carrying the speaker around, but its inside is home to the volume control buttons and LED lights. The rest of the buttons are on the side. There are also LED lights in front that light up when Assistant is activated.

The Zolo Model Zero is a mixture of aluminium and fabric. It comes in three color configurations – black and silver, black and bronze, and white and gold.

READ MORE: LG Announces ThinQ Speaker – A Smart Speaker With Google Assistant

Xiaomi Launches 59 Yuan (~$9) Digital Thermometer Hygrometer With E-Ink Display

Xiaomi isn’t just your ordinary mobile phone OEM but is intent on becoming a brand with products which cuts across several categories including smart home gadgets. The tech giant has launched a new product, this time around it is a digital thermometer hygrometer with an ultra-cheap price tag of 59 Yuan (~$9).Xiaomi Digital Thermometer Hygrometer

The Xiaomi Digital Thermometer Hygrometer measures both the temperature and humidity of the room and the parameters are displayed on a screen. The device features an e-ink display which ensures it conserves battery power. It has a dimension of 64.5 x 64.5 x 9.7mm and is manufactured using environmentally friendly PC / ABS + PMMA material which does not contain harmful substances. The e-ink display uses a 3D curved display screen, with beautiful curves on all fours and well-chamfered edges. Apart from showing the temperature and humidity, the Xiaomi Digital Thermometer Hygrometer also comes with 6 kinds of notifications which shows the state of the room using facial expressions on the display.Xiaomi Digital Thermometer Hygrometer

Read More: Xiaomi Launches 129 Yuan (~$20) Smart Female Thermometer

The Xiaomi Digital Thermometer Hygrometer features built-in Swiss high-precision digital sensors with temperature measurement accuracy of 0.3 ℃, humidity measurement accuracy of 3% RH. There is also the option of viewing the temperature reading in Celsius or Fahrenheit. There is also a CR2032 button battery crammed inside and it is reputed as capable of lasting up to one year. There three ways to mount the Digital Thermometer hygrometer; there is a vertical base or the use of wall stickers. It can also be mounted using soft magnets. The device is suitable for the baby room, bedroom, desk, flower room, kitchen, bathroom and other locations within the apartment.

(source)Xiaomi Digital Thermometer Hygrometer

MediaTek Announces AI-Driven Chipsets For Media And Smart Home Devices

At Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2018, MediaTek announced a bunch of new chipsets which are driven by artificial intelligence that supports smart home devices. The company also showcased its current AI solutions for voice assistants, TVs and autonomous cars.

For the devices in the home entertainment sector, MediaTek is launching MT8695 — a system-on-chip for 4K dongles. Along with that, the company has also introduced an AI-friendly system-on-module called the MT8516 for an integrated smart display solution.

MediaTek

The MediaTek MT8695 SoC is claimed to the industry’s first 12nm SoC, built especially for media streaming dongles for supporting 4K content. It will allow users of 4K displays access to the affordable and convenient solution for streaming content.

The ultra-low power usage chipset supports 4K media at up to 60 frames per second, along with HDR10 and Dolby Vision. It is able to support the finest 4K content in a dongle-like device, similar to Google’s Chromecast or Amazon’s Fire TV Stick.

While other new chips from the company focus on artificial intelligence, this particular chipset isn’t focusing much on AI. The company is emphasising more on streaming rich media smoothly with the most conservative resource usage possible. However, it supports onboard AI with voice capabilities.

The more AI-focused chipset from the company is MT8516, having most of its resources offered with native AI, bringing more AI-based capabilities to any device it’s put in. According to the company, the new MT8516 chipset will give device designers and manufacturers an easier route to enabling the AI-based voice capabilities of form factors such as alarm clocks, fire alarms and other home appliances.

Read More: Qualcomm’s New Bluetooth Chip Is A Big Step Up In Wireless Audio Tech

MediaTek also introduced its smart display solution based on MT8176 and MT8173. Both the chipsets support AI vision capabilities, for both home entertainment and surveillance systems.

 

HTC 10 Updates to Android 8.0 Oreo in the U.S.

After apologizing for the delay of the Android 8.0 Oreo update for HTC U11 in Europe, HTC 10 has started to receive the update to the latest version of the OS in the U.S. The company had promised to bring Android 8.0 Oreo on this flagship in 2017, and the promise has been kept. The update carries the number of version 3.16.617.2 and it is actually coming to the unlocked units in the U.S.

HTC 10

We still do not have any info about when the carriers-branded U.S. units and the European units will update to Android Oreo, but it shouldn’t take much time. The RUU file of the update can already be download at this link, but the company alerts that if you have an unlocked bootloader on your HTC 10 you may risk of damaging your handset by flashing this update.

The update to Android Oreo brings many new features, as well as the security patch released by Google in the month of December. Among the most important features brought on the HTC 10, there are new background limits, notification channel, a feature to snooze notification, autofill APIs, adaptive icons and the picture in picture mode to reduce apps as small floating windows on the display.

(Via)

ZTE Axon M Will Have A Successor: The Company Will Release Another Foldable Smartphone

ZTE Axon M is a unique and revolutionary product: it is the first and only phone which has a dual display and can be folded to transform it from a smartphone to a sort of tablet. But even though it is a very innovative device, the public feedback hasn’t been entirely positive. Despite this, the company has declared, through its marketing VP Jeff Yee, that it will keep experimenting with foldable phones, and this means that the Axon M will likely have a successor.

The company is working to innovate the series even more, so you can expect to see a foldable smartphone which, unlike ZTE Axon M, has a bezel-less display. You can also expect a real foldable display instead of two separate displays which merge with each other. The next foldable phone will obviously be a flagship, so it will not be sold with a low price tag. The Axon M has been launched in the U.S. with a price of about $730 and it is available through AT&T. Soon the handset will launch in China too, and we hope that it will obtain more success in the home country of the company.

ZTE Axon M

The device is composed of two displays with a size of 5.2 inches which can form a 6.75-inch screen if you unfold the phone. Under the hood, ZTE Axon M sports a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 SoC with a max frequency of 2.35 GHz: it is not the best one from Qualcomm, but it is the best one launched in 2016. It is possible to run two different apps on each screen, so, besides the comfort of having a smartphone which can turn into a tablet, this is also a great productivity phone.

Do you like this concept or you prefer the traditional smartphones?

 

[yop_poll id=”7″]

(Via)

Amazfit Cor Band Officially Up For Grabs In China For 299 yuan ($46)

Amazfit Cor Band has been officially made available to purchase in China. In case you do not know, it is a fitness tracker which combines the functionalities of a smartwatch and the ones of a smart band into a single device. One of the strongest points of this device is the color display with the IPS LCD technology and a size of 1.23 inches. Through this screen, it is possible to do many things, and we are not only talking about the standard features of a fitness tracker. The wristband allows reading WeChat messages, which is the most important messaging platform in China, as well as QQ messages.

amazfit cor band

It is possible to see the weather in real time and for the next days, you can set an alarm, a countdown, use the chronometer, and much more. Amazfit Cor Band can even be used for mobile payments through Alipay, which allows purchasing from AliExpress. Obviously, you will also find all the features of the fitness trackers. There is a pedometer, calories counter, and even a real-time heart rate sensor.

The design of the smart band is another excellent aspect of it. The body is made of stainless steel, while the display glass has a 2.5 D curvature which makes it even more elegant. Amazfit Cor Band is a waterproof fitness tracker and you can use it to swim without any issue: it is possible to put it underwater up to 50 meters deep. The smart band has been announced in four different hues: black, blue, gray and red. The price tag of Amazfit Cor Band in China is 299 Yuan, that is equivalent to about 38 euros or $46 dollars. It’s worth mentioning that apart from the black version, the other three models retail for a slightly higher price tag of 329 Yuan ($50). We do not have info about its availability outside of China.

 

Honor 9 Lite With Four Cameras To Launch In India On 17th January

Recently, Honor confirmed that its upcoming smartphone in the Indian market will be Honor 9 Lite and will be available exclusively through online retailer Flipkart. The company had said that the phone will be launched in India later this month.

Now, the China-based company has also revealed the phone’s launch date for the Indian market. The Honor 9 Lite will be launched in India on 17th January. The launch date was confirmed by a post on Honor’s official fan club page where the company confirmed hosting the launch event on 17th January.

Honor 9 Lite

In terms of looks, the Honor 9 Lite is very similar to the Honor View 10, with the only major difference being the placement of fingerprint sensor which is placed on the back. According to the company, the glass on the back features a 12-layer protection build which makes it tougher than normal glass found on other smartphones.

As the Honor 9 Lite has already been launched in India, we are familiar with the phone’s specifications. It features a 5.65-inch Full-HD+ display with screen resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels and 18:9 aspect ratio and 2.5D curved glass on top. Under the hood, the device is powered by HiSilicon Kirin 659 processor, clocked at 2.36GHz and accompanied by Mali T830-MP2 GPU.

The phone was launched in three variants — 3GB RAM with 32GB internal storage, 4GB RAM with 32GB internal storage and 4GB RAM with 64GB onboard storage. It is not yet known if the company plans to bring all three models to India or not.

There four cameras on the phone — dual-camera setup at the back as well as on the front, with a combination of 13-megapixel primary sensor and a 2-megapixel secondary sensor. The rear camera comes with phase detection autofocus (PDAF) and LED flash.

Read More: Honor 7X Red Arriving Soon in Multiple Markets as Limited Edition Variant

As of Software, the Honor 9 Lite is running Android 8.0 Oreo operating system based EMUI 8.0. Connectivity options on the device include dual-SIM slots, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS. The device is fuelled by a 3,000mAh battery that is equipped with an intelligent power saving feature.

 

Samsung Galaxy S9 & Galaxy S9+ Full Specs Revealed

Samsung recently disclosed that the Galaxy S9 and S9+ flagships would be launched at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next month. Before then, the 2018 Galaxy S flagships were expected to be unveiled at CES 2018 but that didn’t happen. The Galaxy series was earlier rumoured to include a Galaxy X flagship but that isn’t likely going to happen. Samsung just can’t afford to look like they are imitating Apple. Now, here is a summary of the likely specs of the Galaxy S9 and S9+ as revealed by Chinese tech blog ifanr.com.Samsung Galaxy S9

According to the details, the Galaxy S9 is expected to pack a 5.8-inch Super AMOLED display while the S9+ will pack a 6.2-inch Super AMOLED screen. Both models will be powered by a Snapdragon 845 chipset as well as an Exynos 9810 chip on some models. The two models are expected to be available in 4GB RAM + 64GB storage variant as well as 6GB RAM + 128GB storage and both are expandable.

Read Also: Samsung Galaxy S9 And S9 Plus RAM and Storage Variants Leak

The details also include that the Galaxy S9 will present with a 12MP single camera with f/1.5 aperture and OIS. While the Galaxy S9+ will come with a dual camera set up comprised of two 12MP sensors with f/2.4 and f/1.5 apertures respectively as well as double OIS. Both models are tipped to pack an 8MP selfie camera with f/1.7 aperture. Other expected features on both models include Cat 18 LTE band, Bluetooth, NFC, USB-C port, dual SIM cards and dual standby and so on. These specs are consistent with those on the retail box which appeared online recently.

(source)

Currently Crowdfunding On Kickstarter, BlitzWolf BW-AS1 Bluetooth Speaker Is Designed For Excellence

There’s no dearth of wireless Bluetooth speakers as more and more brands continue to make an appearance in the market on a regular basis. However, the BlitzWolf BW-AS1 speaker is likely to sweep gadget buffs off their feet.

Housed in a case made from a single piece of aluminum, the BW-AS1 is silver-tinted with smooth rounded curves that will instantly catch your attention. This jaw-dropping design is coupled with a solid performance which makes the BW-AS1 one of the best 20W wireless speakers that debuted in 2017.


Speakers are usually built either bearing performance in mind or simply for looks. The BW-AS1 strikes a perfect balance between both by offering reliable performance and eye-catching appearances. The device is designed to not only be used indoor but also perform equally well outdoors.

Despite brimming with an array of awe-inspiring features, this BlitzWolf-branded Bluetooth speaker is surprisingly affordable. On top of that, it’s highly portable too, thanks to its compact form factor.

The BW-AS1 draws its juice from a robust 5200mAh battery, which offers 7-11 hours of wireless playback. Although it is relatively less portable than some smaller speakers available in the market, it compensates for the marginally bigger size with its performance.


BlitzWolf has a reputation for manufacturing great speakers and headphones along with some coveted smartphone accessories since 2015. It’s hardly surprising that the company quickly propelled to popularity on Amazon as one of the top brands as far as accessories are concerned. The BW-AS1 cements BlitzWolf as one of the best companies in manufacturing speakers.

The BlitzWolf BW-AS1 speaker is currently crowdfunding on Kickstarter. With a set goal of US$ 6,390, this product has already received US$ 1,707 and has 31 backers. If you’d like to back this project too, head straight to this link as there were only 28 days left at the time of writing.

HTC U11 EYEs Mid-Range Smartphone To Launch Next Week

HTC has sent out media ‘Save The Date’ invites for an event that the company is holding on 15th January. At the event, the company is expected to launch HTC U11 EYEs mid-range phone, which is codenamed Harmony.

While the invite doesn’t specifically mention that the HTC U11 EYEs will be launched, the accompanying post mentions ‘eye’, which pretty much confirms that it will debut at the 15th January event. Some report suggests that the phone will go on sale from 17th January in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

HTC U11 EYEs

Recently, Evan Blass shared the press renders of the phone and also revealed key specifications. The leaked images suggest that the HTC U11 EYEs will feature a curving glass back that comes in three colours — Red, Black, and a Blue-ish Silver.

The phone sports 5.99-inch Full-HD+ Super LCD3 display with 2160 x 1080 pixels screen resolution and 18:9 aspect ratio. Thanks to the fingerprint sensor on the back, the top and bottom bezels are now thinner. Under the hood, the device is powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 652 processor from Qualcomm with 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage.

HTC U11 EYEs (Red)

There is also a microSD card slot, which enables users to further expand the phone’s storage capacity using a microSD card. While not much information is available about the camera specification, from the renders of the phone, it seems that there will be a dual camera setup on the front.

The phone is said to be running Android Nougat operating system out-of-the-box with the company’s own Sense UI on top. It also includes Edge Sense to trigger programmable actions by squeezing the phone. It is IP67 certified, meaning water and dust resistance. The device is fuelled by a 3,930mAh battery.

Read More: HTC U11+ Could Get Red Colour Variant In The Coming Days

The HTC U11 EYEs is expected to be priced around 3,299 Yuan, which roughly converts to $510. Initially, the phone will be available in three countries — China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

 

Samsung Galaxy S9 Retail Box Reveals Specifications

At CES 2018, Samsung revealed that its next flagships – the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ will launch at MWC 2018. The event which will hold in Barcelona will run from Monday, February 26 till Thursday, March 1.

Ahead of the launch is a specification leak of the smaller-sized Galaxy S9. The leak comes in form of a photo of the phone’s retail box which has nearly all the key specs listed on it.

Galaxy S9 retail box

The Galaxy S9 will have a 5.8” display when measured as a full rectangle but measure 5.6” with rounded corners. The screen is a Quad HD+ Super AMOLED display.

Samsung is bringing its variable aperture technology from the Samsung W2018 to the Galaxy S series. The 12MP Dual Pixel camera with OIS will be able to switch from a F1.5 to F/2.4 aperture and vice-versa. The camera will also have a super slow-mo mode. For selfies, the Galaxy S9 will sport an 8MP autofocus camera.

The Galaxy S9 will pack 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage as standard. It will have an IP68 rating (water and dust resistance), an Iris Scanner, and support for wireless charging.

Another feature mentioned on the box is the audio power of the phone. The phone will have dual stereo speakers tuned by AKG and also come with earphones tuned by AKG. Sadly, it is not stated if the earphones are wired or wireless.

READ MORE: Samsung’s Foldable Smartphone Will Debut in 2019, Confirms DJ Koh

Xiaomi Mi Router 3C And Mi Wi-Fi Repeater 2 Gets Price Cut In India

Xiaomi has reduced the price of its Mi Router 3C and Mi WiFi Repeater 2 in India. The company has also revealed that this is a permanent price cut. With this, the effective price of Mi Router 3C is now Rs. 999 while the Mi WiFi Repeater 2 will now cost Rs. 799 for Mi WiFi Repeater 2.

Both the devices can be purchased through company’s own online store Mi.com, as well as other online retailers such as Flipkart and Amazon India. It is also available at Mi Home Stores across the country.

Xiaomi Mi Router 3C

While Mi Router 3C was launched in India last year with a price tag of Rs. 1,199. This is the first router launched by Xiaomi in India. The device comes with four ‘high-performance antennas’ each with a dedicated PCB circuit and has a 2-transmit, 2-receive antenna design.

According to the company, it offers improved Wi-Fi range and signal stability. It comes equipped with 64MB of RAM and offers wireless speed of 300mbps. It can be used to connect up to 64 devices simultaneously.

Further, there is a Mi Wi-Fi application which enables users to track real-time usage. Apart from usage tracking, it also enables pre-configured guest sharing of Wi-Fi passwords as well as parental controls.

Mi Wi-Fi Repeater 2

On the other hand, Xiaomi’s Mi Wi-Fi Repeater 2 was launched in India in June last year. The device allows users to extend the coverage of their Wi-Fi network. It can be used to connect 16 other devices at the same time.

Read More: Xiaomi Mi Power 2 Gets 5000mAh Variant, Priced At ¥49 (~$8)

According to the company, this wireless repeater is compatible with almost all popular router brands. This one too comes equipped with two PCB antennas that help to expand the signal range and improve download speeds. As per Xiaomi’s claims, the device can also help in auto-selecting optimal Wi-Fi channels for faster download speeds.