Nokia 7 Plus Images Confirm Leaked Specs

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Feb 5, 2018

Yesterday, specification details of the Nokia 7 Plus were leaked online. Today, images of the device have also surfaced, confirming those specs.

The pictures are not the sharpest when it comes to leaks but they are clear enough to make out key details. HMD Global seems to be going for a similar design as the 2nd-gen Nokia 6 based on the color accents we can see around the camera, fingerprint scanner, and metal frame.

One of the photos show a clear view of the 6” FHD+ display. The bezels are still there but the lower one is slightly smaller than that of the Nokia 7. There are no buttons on the front (capacitive or physical), so on-screen buttons are the way to go.

The Nokia 7 Plus sports dual rear cameras (12MP +13MP) with Zeiss lenses and 2x zoom and dual pixel technology. The cameras are also raised. The front camera is a 16MP f/2.0 sensor with beauty mode. There is also slow motion and Nokia’s signature “bothie” for taking pictures or recording videos with both cameras at the same time.

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ZUI 3.5 Update Brings Android 8.0 Oreo To ZUK Z2 and ZUK Edge

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Feb 5, 2018

A few weeks ago, ZUK released the ZUI 3.5 update for the ZUK Z2 Pro. The update brought Android 8.0 Oreo to the device along with some other features and bug fixes. Now the update is rolling out to owners of the ZUK Z2 and ZUK Edge.

The ZUK Z2 originally launched with Android 6.0 Marshmallow but has now gotten two major OS upgrades. The Snapdragon 820-powered device is one of the few phones ZUK released in its short duration as a smartphone manufacturer.

The ZUK Edge on the other hand ran Android Nougat out of the box. It is however unknown if this will be the final update for the Snapdragon 821 device or if it will get updated to Android P.

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Alleged Meizu E3’s Front View Leaked in New Image

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Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 5, 2018

Meizu E3 is an upcoming smartphone from the company. It is expected to succeed Meizu E2 from last year. A leaked image showing the back panel of the Meizu E3 had revealed that the smartphone would be arriving with a different design compared to its predecessor. Today, a new image of the smartphone has appeared to reveal its front view.

In the above image, the Meizu E3 seems to feature a full screen design. This suggests that the handset will be supporting an aspect ratio of 18:9. The corners of the Meizu M6S are more rounded than the device shown in the above image. Hence, the above image does not seem to belong to the Meizu M6S.

The bottom portion of the handset has an on-screen Super mBack button that was first introduced on the Meizu M6S phone. The image also shows a portion of the back panel. The placement of the rear camera cannot be seen in the new image.

The image that had surfaced in the last week had shown the Meizu E3 would be blessed with vertically arranged dual rear cameras. Below the camera module it features the ring-LED flash. This suggests that it won’t be featuring horizontally arranged quad-LED flash unit that was introduced on the Meizu E2. Like the Meizu M6S and the rumored Meizu 15 Plus, the upcoming Meizu E3’s fingerprint sensor will be integrated under the Power button.

As of this writing, the specifications of the Meizu E3 are under the wraps. Even though rumors have claimed that the Meizu has ditched MediaTek, it has been recently confirmed by the Chinese smartphone manufacturer that it will continue to use MediaTek SoCs Some sources have claimed may be powered by the upcoming MediaTek Helio P70 or Helio P40 chipset. It is speculated that the Chinese manufacturer will launch the Meizu E3 in March this year with a pricing of around 1,299 Yuan (~$206).

(source)

Is This The Huawei P20 With An iPhone X-Like Notch?

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Feb 5, 2018

Huawei has moved past the failure of its inability to sell its Mate 10 Pro flagship via carriers in the US. Its focus is now on its next flagship, the Huawei P20. Photos alleged to be that of the upcoming flagship surfaced online yesterday, giving us our first look at the device.

The first thing that draws your attention is the notch at the top of the display. When we first heard that Huawei was going to release a phone with a notch just like the iPhone X, we were surprised since Huawei is not known to shamelessly copy designs. Even if it did in the past, now that it is one of the top companies in the world, that shouldn’t be happening.

The notch isn’t as big as that of the iPhone X’ but it houses the front camera, earpiece, and sensors just like it does. We can’t see the lower half of the device, so we can’t tell if it has a physical home button/fingerprint scanner. It doesn’t seem to be at the back even though the middle is blurred out.

On the rear, there are two dual cameras arranged horizontally and in a slightly raised housing. This is different from the schematics we have seen which say the Huawei P20 series will have triple cameras in various arrangements.

[envira-gallery id=”171629″]

There are reports that this may be the Lite version that’s why it is missing the triple camera feature. Nevertheless, there are some things we noticed that makes us think this may not be the Huawei P20 or even a Huawei phone for that matter.

First, the buttons are not in Huawei’s style. This phone has three buttons on the right. Its safe to say two are for volume controls while the third is the power button. Huawei doesn’t use separate buttons for volume control, even for its entry level devices and we don’t think it is about to change that now.

If you also look at the position of the network bars, they are on the left. For Huawei, the network bar is always on the right while operator name(s) is on the left.

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OPPO F5 Sidharth Limited Edition Arrives India in Dashing Blue, Priced at Rs 19,990

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 5, 2018

OPPO has unveiled a new variant of the OPPO F5 in India and it is a customised edition with a dashing blue paint job. The OPPO F5 Sidharth Limited Edition is named after the company’s brand ambassador and celebrated actor – Sidharth Malhotra who unveiled the handset himself during the event held the previous Saturday.

The new Dashing Blue variant of the OPPO F5 comes as the fourth colour variant the F5 would be available in. The device already has a Gold, Black and Red variants but the stylish blue hue stands out from the others and has a similar price tag as the other variants- Rs 19,990 (around $311). The new limited edition will be available exclusively online on Amazon India on February 8 and would arrive in stores across India on February 9. Since it is a limited edition, it would likely be available in limited quantities.

The OPPO F5 was first announced in October last year with a full view display design. The new version apart from coming in Dashing Blue has the same specs lineup with the previous models. The F5 features a 6-inch Full HD+ display with 18:9 aspect ratio, a 16MP rear-facing camera with large f/1.8 aperture and a 20MP front snapper with f/2.0 aperture for selfies. The smartphone is powered by a MediaTek Helio P23 octa-core chipset, paired with 4GB RAM while there is 32GB onboard storage with an option to expand further using microSD cards. There is also a 3,200mAh battery and the Android 7.1 Nougat-based ColorOS 3.2 provides the interface. The F5 also feature a fingerprint scanner at the back of the phone and an ultra-fast Face Unlock feature to serve as an alternative to unlocking the smartphone.

Xiaomi to Launch New Product on February 14 in India; May Debut Redmi Note 5 and Note 5 Prime

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Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 5, 2018

Xiaomi had launched the Redmi Note 4 as its first 2017 device in India. It went on to become one of the bestselling Xiaomi phones in the country. Since it met with overwhelming response in India, Xiaomi was expected to debut the successor of Redmi Note 4 in January this year. However, the company did not unveil any new device in India in the previous month. Today, the company has confirmed on Xiaomi India Twitter account that it will be launching its device for 2018 on Feb.14.

Xiaomi had launched the Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus smartphones in China in December last year. The company had been launching Redmi Note series smartphones each year, but the company did not launch Redmi Note 5 last year in China.

The Redmi series of smartphones have always featured 5-inch display whereas the Redmi Note lineup have featured 5.5-inch screen. Since the Redmi 5 and 5 Plus smartphones are respectively packed with 5.7-inch and 5.99-inch display, rumors that emerged from China after the launch of Redmi 5 series claimed that Xiaomi has no plans to launch Redmi Note 5 in the home country.

However, a newer report has claimed that since Redmi Note 4 met huge popularity in India, the company may launch the Redmi 5 Plus as Redmi Note 5 in India. This seems to be possible because the Redmi Y1 Lite and Redmi Y1 that are available in India were respectively launched as Redmi Note 5A and Note 5A Prime in China.

The launch teaser of the first 2018 device for India does not clearly mention whether the company will be launching Redmi 5 Plus or Redmi Note 5 smartphone on Feb. 14. There is a possibility that the company may launch Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus smartphones respectively as Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Prime.

The full screen design Redmi Note 5 may come with specs like HD+ resolution, Snapdragon 450, 2GB / 3GB RAM options, 16 GB / 32 GB storage sizes, 12-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front camera and 3,300mAh battery. on the other side, the Redmi Note 5 Prime may include FHD+ resolution supporting screen, Snapdragon 625 chipset, 3 GB / 4 GB RAM variants, 32 GB / 64 GB storage models, 12-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front camera and 4,000mAh battery.

Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S Launch Imminent as Mi MIX 2 8GB Ceramic Model Gets A Massive Price Cut!

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Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 5, 2018

Recent reports have suggested that Xiaomi will be debuting the Mi MIX 2S flagship smartphone instead of the Mi 7 at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 later this month. The arrival of the Mi MIX S seems to be imminent as the Chinese manufacturer has slashed the price of the Mi MIX 2 by 800 Yuan (~$127).

In China, the Ceramic edition of the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 is now available with a discount of 800 Yuan over its regular price of 4,699 Yuan (`$745). What could be the reason behind the new price cut? Discounts are usually introduced for two reasons, the first one is if the smartphone is encountering poor sales and the second one is when the company is planning to launch a newer model. Since the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 has gone out of stock quite often on the official website, it seems that the recent discount has been introduced to clear its existing stock as the arrival of Mi MIX 2S could be drawing near.

Rumors are rife that the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S will be coming with a full screen design. Some of the leaked photos of the smartphone have suggested that it may arrive with notch like the iPhone X. This may allow the phone to support a higher screen-to-body ratio than the Mi MIX 2.

It is expected to debut as the first Snapdragon 845 chipset phone from the company. The SoC is likely to be accompanied by 8 GB of RAM. The rear side of the phone that is rumored to be made out of ceramic may sport a single camera lens. Previous leaks have claimed that the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S will be carrying a price tag of 4,000 Yuan (~$635). As far as the launch of the Mi 7 is concerned, recent reports have claimed that the company may debut it in April or May.

(Source)

Nokia 8 Sirocco Major Leak Reveals Key Specs

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 5, 2018

Samsung, Xiaomi and Sony are expected to debut Snapdragon 845 driven flagship smartphones at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 tech expo later this month HMD Global has also confirmed that it will be present at MWC 2018 on Feb. 26 to unleash new devices. A recent report had revealed that the Finnish firm had recently trademarked the Nokia 8 Sirocco moniker. Fresh information reveals that the smartphone will be fueled by Snapdragon 845 and it may get unveiled at the forthcoming tech trade fair.

Previous reports have revealed that the HMD Global is working on 2018 edition of Nokia 8. In 2006, Nokia had launched the Nokia 8800 Sirocco phone. It is speculated that the upcoming Nokia 8 variant will be a tribute the 8800 Sirocco. The trademark filing had revealed that the model number of this upcoming Nokia phone is TA-1005. Leaked information reveals that the Snapdragon 845 chipset will be present under the hood of the Nokia 8 Sirocco. The SoC will be coupled with 6 GB of RAM.

Like the original Nokia 8 from last year, the Nokia 8 Sirocco is expected to house a dual camera setup. It is likely to include ZEISS certified 12-megapixel sensor and 13-megapixel sensor. It is expected to arrive with a selfie camera of 5-megapixel. The smartphone is expected to arrive with IP67 certified dustproof and waterproof chassis.

It may house a 3,250mAh battery that will be equipped with wireless charging. The exact size of the screen is not known and there is no confirmation on whether it will be supporting 18:9 aspect ratio. Instead of the LCD panel available on the original Nokia 8, the upcoming Sirocco model may arrive with an OLED panel. Rumors also claim that it will be carrying a price tag of 5,000 Yuan (`$793).

Not only the Nokia 8 Sirocco, but also other phones such as Nokia 9, Nokia 7 Plus, Nokia 6 (2018) global edition, Nokia 4, Nokia 1 and Nokia 3310 4G global variant are likely to get announced at MWC 2018. As far as the abovementioned specifications of the Nokia 8 Sirocco are concerned, we advise to take this report with a pinch of salt.

(source)

Alcatel 3V Promotional Video Leaks Ahead Of The Phone’s Launch

By

Jeet

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Feb 5, 2018

Earlier this year, in January, TCL-owned Alcatel restructured its smartphone lineup and announced a new series — Alcatel 1, Alcatel 3 and Alcatel 5 at the Consumer Electronics Show 2018. Now the company is expected to launch Alcatel 3V at the upcoming MWC 2018.

After launching the Alcatel 3C phone in Italy a few weeks ago, the company is now gearing up to launch another device in the Alcatel 3 series — Alcatel 3V. Ahead of the official launch, the phone’s promotional video has been leaked online through Roland Quandt.

The leaked video shows the phone’s big 6-inch full-screen display having 18:9 aspect ratio. The video also reveals that the device will come with a curved back, standard dual-camera capabilities, face unlock, and the rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.

Alcatel 3V: Seen at CES, launching at MWC. Here’s a promo vid. pic.twitter.com/hHTczPsdLK

— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) February 1, 2018

Roland Quandt has also posted the full specifications of the device. As per the latest leak, the device will be powered by MediaTek MT8735A processor along with Mali T720 MP2 GPU, 2GB RAM and 16GB of onboard storage. The phone is said to be running on Android Oreo operating system out-of-the-box.

As for the dual camera setup, one is a 12MP sensor and the other is a 2MP sensor most likely for capturing the depth of field details. The front camera is an 8MP sensor. The device is powered by a 3000mAh battery. The phone has a micro USB port, Bluetooth 4.2, and Cat. 4 LTE. It is said to be 8.05mm thick and weighs 169g.

According to the promotional video, the phone will be offered in three color options — blue, black, and gold. The phone was recently spotted on the Amazon France, which also revealed the phone’s pricing of 190 Euros. Aside from the 3V, Alcatel is also expected to announce the Alcatel 5.

(Source)

Microsoft Surface Book 2 and Surface Laptop: New Affordable Variants Announced

By

Michele Ingelido

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Feb 4, 2018

Together with the new Surface Pro (2017), Microsoft Surface Book 2 and Microsoft Surface Laptop are the latest professional PCs launched by the Redmond giant. These computers offer high-end specs and they are very compact and versatile, but they are also known for being very expensive. But now, the company has decided to officially unveil two cheaper versions of these devices, for people who want a professional laptop but have a low budget. While the standard Surface Laptop comes with an Intel Core i5 or i7 CPU depending on the configuration, the new cheaper version which has just been announced comes with a less powerful Intel Core M3.

It is still a good CPU, but it is just a mid-range processor for a laptop. Further, this version comes with 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. Thanks to this lower-end hardware side, the price tag drops to just $799, while the standard version which is already in the market costs $999. Microsoft Surface Book 2, in its variant with a 13.5-inch display, has been released in a more affordable version as well, but it is more powerful than the cheaper Surface Laptop. In the new variant, Microsoft Surface Book 2 sports an Intel Core i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage.

The version which is already available starts from $1499 (the one with 256 GB of internal storage), while this one costs just $1199. The rest of the specs of the laptops remains exactly the same as the actual versions. Microsoft Surface Laptop has a metal design with an Alcantara-coated keyboard, a 15.6-inch display with a resolution of 2256 x 1504 pixels, and a multi-gesture trackpad. Microsoft Surface Book 2 has a 13.5-inch touchscreen monitor with a resolution of 3240 x 2160 pixels, a detachable keyboard, and the support to the Surface Dial and the Surface Pen for handwriting and drawing with a high precision.

(Via)

LG May Quit The Chinese Smartphone Market

By

Michele Ingelido

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Feb 4, 2018

According to new reports from local publications, LG may decide to exit the Chinese smartphones market. The reason is probably related to the poor financial results achieved in the last period. Indeed, according to a report related to 2017, the Korean company has registered a big loss in the last quarter of 2017: $192 million. The mobile division of the company is officially in decline, and in the press release, it was also highlighted that one of the reasons for this is the strong competition from Chinese brands.

There is no LG-related official data regarding the Chinese market in 2017, but according to the estimations, in 2016 the company has sold just 160,000 units in China, while the total smartphones sold were more than 480 million units. Another signal implying that the company may be planning to quit the Chinese smartphones market is the fact that its most important flagships of 2017 were not even launched in China. We are talking about the LG G6 unveiled in the first half of 2017 and the V30 launched in the second half. Moreover, this is not the first time we are hearing about LG’s plan to pull out from the Chinese market. Early in 2017, there were rumors about the company’s exit from the country.

The last smartphone which has been made available on the Chinese website of the Korean giant is LG G5 SE, which was launched in May 2016. Fortunately, the company is expected to exit only the Chinese smartphones market while it will remain in the Chinese hi-tech market with other products. Indeed, while the mobile division registered a big loss in 2017, LG Electronics has made outstanding profits in other sectors of technology. The company is expected to launch its next flagship at MWC 2018, but it should not be the G7 as you could expect. The G7 should be replaced by a more advanced version of the V30, called V30+.

(Source, Via)

Samsung Galaxy S9 Official Smart Cases Show Up In A Video

By

Michele Ingelido

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Feb 4, 2018

Less than 20 days before the official launch, we can already see official cases of Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. MobileFun has published a new video in which we can see the original cases of the phones which will be released by the Korean giant. The smart cases, called Samsung S-View and Clear View, will have the same features as the ones for the Galaxy S8 and S8+.

The guys from MobileFun have tried to insert an S8 inside the S9 case and its features worked. Further, the test reveals that the dimensions of the Samsung Galaxy S9 will be nearly identical to the one of the S8, as it fits perfectly into the case. The features of the smart cases, which are not just simple covers, include checking the clock, notifications and answering calls.

It is also possible to use the cases as supports to make the phones stand horizontally in order to watch videos and use them without hands. The cases have also revealed that Samsung Galaxy S9 will be released in a Purple version, besides the known blue, black and rose gold hues. Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ will be officially at MWC 2018: they will be showcased in an event which will be held on February 25.

(Source)

OnePlus Teases New Release Tomorrow, Most Likely Lava Red OnePlus 5T Global Launch

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Feb 4, 2018

OnePlus has an announcement/launch scheduled for tomorrow based on a teaser posted today on Twitter. Although the teaser doesn’t say much apart from having a red theme, it is a tweet from yesterday that provides more info.

The older tweet is an eleven-second video with the caption “Bring the passion! What things should try on red next?”. The video shows a bunch of items that are originally white but transform to red. Our guess is that OnePlus will launch the Lava Red OnePlus 5T globally tomorrow.

The Lava Red OnePlus 5T was first released in China to mark its 4th year anniversary. Initially said to be exclusive to its home country, the color variant launched in India last month. Now, it may be heading to more countries.

Discover the radiance in 24 hours. pic.twitter.com/sISogK2Hcw

— OnePlus (@oneplus) February 4, 2018

Bring the passion! What things should try on red next? pic.twitter.com/dGcf8p6GKl

— OnePlus (@oneplus) February 3, 2018

The OnePlus 5T was originally released in Midnight Black, it was followed by a limited edition Star Wars version which is basically a white variant with a Star Wars logo engraved on the back. It also launched a limited edition Sandstone White variant. Both the Star Wars and Sandstone White variants are out of stock in all countries.

So it doesn’t come as a surprise that it wants to launch the Lava Red variant in more countries seeing as the Midnight Black is the only color variant available at the moment.

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Specs of Entry-Level HTC Breeze Full-Screen Smartphone Leaks

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Feb 4, 2018

From the look of things, HTC doesn’t seem to be working on a flagship at the moment. First, it kicked off the year with the launch of the upper-mid range HTC U11 Eyes. Just a few days ago, another mid-range HTC phone, this time powered by the Snapdragon 625, was seen on Geekbench. Today, specs of an entry level phone codenamed HTC Breeze has been leaked online by Evan Blass.

HTC U Play, HTC’s last MediaTek powered phone

According to @evleaks, the phone’s promising feature is its 5.5” 18:9 aspect ratio. The HTC Breeze will be powered by an unnamed MediaTek processor, have 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage.

Its rear camera is said to be a 13MP sensor while a 5MP sensor graces the front. It will also pack a 2730mAh non-removable battery. While he doesn’t mention the version of Android, we expect it to be Android 8.0 Oreo.

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Nokia 7 Plus To Come With 6” Full-Screen Display, Dual Cameras & More

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Feb 4, 2018

The first time we learnt of the Nokia 7 Plus was last year when the Nokia Camera app was unpacked. Inside the app was a list of Nokia phones, some of which have already been released and others that are yet to be announced. It was then followed by a Geekbench listing last week.

Today, more specification details have leaked online, providing us with more info about the upcoming device.

The Nokia 7 Plus is reported to pack a massive 6” display but one that should fit nicely in the hands thanks to an 18:9 aspect ratio. Depending on how soon it launches, the Nokia 7 Plus may be HMD Global’s first full-screen smartphone.

Unlike the Nokia 7 which has a single rear 16MP rear camera, the Nokia 7 Plus is said to have dual cameras in a 12MP + 13MP configuration with Carl Zeiss lens. For selfies, it packs a 16MP sensor also with Carl Zeiss lens and a professional shooting mode.

Other features mentioned include a metal body, a ceramic rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, 360° spatial audio technology (Nokia OZO) with 3 audio capturing microphones, 18W quick charge support, and Android 8.0 Oreo pre-installed with planned upgrade to Android 8.1.

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Xiaomi Redmi 3S And Redmi 3S Prime Receives MIUI 9.2 Update

By

Jeet

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Feb 4, 2018

Xiaomi, after releasing MIUI 9.2 update for the Redmi Note 3, has now started rolling out the MIUI 9.2 update for the Redmi 3S and Redmi 3S Prime.

The update for the third batch of devices was scheduled to roll out from December 2017. However, it was delayed because of a critical bug in the update. It seems that the company has now skipped the MIUI 9.0 update and is now rolling out MIUI 9.2 update directly.

The new update for the Redmi 3S and Redmi 3S comes as MIUI 9.2.2.0.MALMIEK and is of around 376 MB in size. Unfortunately, the update is still based on Android Marshmallow only and the base version has not been updated to Android Oreo.

This update has April 2017 security patch, which is really old as the January 2018 update patch has been rolled out. Because of the older security patch, the device remains vulnerable to KRACK WPA2 which Xiaomi fixed in other devices including Redmi Note 3. However, do note that this is a Nightly build. China-based Xiaomi usually releases Stable Nightly updates to random users to get feedback and the same update is rolled out to all users as a Stable build if feedback goes well.

This latest MIUI update brings Interactive and Fresh UI changes, along with a new Gallery App, Calendar Cards, App Vault, Mi Video App, New Mi Explorer and Mi Drop. However, the users will not be able to enjoy features like New Notification Shade, Split Screen, and Quick Switch.

The Xiaomi Redmi 3S comes with a 5-inch HD display and Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 octa-core processor. There’s a 13MP rear camera with PDAF and LED flash and a 5MP wide-angle front-facing camera for selfies.

The Redmi 3S Prime model comes with 3GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage while the standard model comes with 2GB RAM and 16GB of onboard storage. There’s also a microSD card slot that expands the phone’s storage up to 256GB. The phone has a fingerprint scanner for added security and is powered by a 4,100mAh non-removable battery.

New Huawei P20 Renders Showcase A Triple Camera Setup With Laser Focus

By

Michele Ingelido

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Feb 4, 2018

A case maker has published new renders which showcase the Huawei P20 (or P11, we still do not know its name for sure as the company has still not confirmed it). The flagship is enclosed in a cover, so we cannot see its entire design. But from these renders, we can notice important details of the handset. The most innovative feature that it is possible to see in these renders is the presence of a triple camera setup, which is placed in a vertical configuration. Under the cameras, there is a dual LED flash, while near the flash there seems to be a laser autofocus sensor. This is the second such triple camera case renders we are seeing in the past couple of days.

On the front side of the alleged Huawei P20, there is a borderless display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. On the upper part, there is a 3.5 mm audio jack, it seems that the company has decided not to ditch it like Apple did with its last generation iPhones. The case also shows that there is a charging port at the bottom and two holes on its side for the loudspeakers. We cannot see any fingerprint reader on the body of the phone, and this could mean that there might be an under display fingerprint scanner: the one launched by Synaptics.

It has been confirmed that Huawei P20 will not be showcased at MWC 2018 in Barcelona. There will be a dedicated event which will be held in Paris on March 27. The Huawei P20 should be released in at least three variants: Standard, Plus and Lite. According to a leak, there will be a pro version as well, which will sport an iPhone X-like notch on the display. The standard version, together with the Plus and the alleged Pro ones, will be powered by the Kirin 970 SoC with AI.

(Via)

Huawei P20 Case Leaks, Re-ignites Talks of a Triple Rear Camera Setup

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 3, 2018

It is still not certain if Huawei would name its next-gen P-series smartphone as P20 or P11. There are shreds of evidence backing the existence of both names but let’s just stick with P20 for now. That’s how it was labelled in this latest leak which is that of renders of the P20’s rear case. The leaked case holds some clues about the device.

The major feature that can be spotted on the leaked P20 casing is the unusually wide camera module which is designed in a manner that suggests the rear cameras (yes, rear cameras) will be aligned vertically. Sure there simply can’t be a single shooter mounted on the P20’s back because the P-series is known for its powerful dual cameras co-engineered with Leica. However, in this case, the P20 will likely pack three shooters at its back. This isn’t the first time we are getting this rumour but the casing may have re-ignited such talk.

Another thing we can gather from the leaked protective case is that the P20 features a headphone jack. The case does have an opening for the 3.5mm audio jack which means the device will likely not have a waterproof body like the Mate 10 Pro. The P20 was rumored to launch at MWC 2018 later this February but a recent news revealed that Huawei will hold a special event on March 27 at Paris, France where it would officially unveil the P20 and its variants. Details of the specifications are sketchy but it is expected to pack the latest Kirin 970 AI chip among other features.

(source)

Microsoft’s Latest Live Hinge Patent Could Be For The Surface Phone

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 3, 2018

Microsoft‘s patent application has just been revealed and it points at what we should likely be expecting on the much-anticipated Surface Phone or perhaps one of the Surface device of the future. The patent application was for a device which comes with a “live hinge” that gives a device with two screens the ability to seamlessly open flat into a tablet mode. The device could also be used in a single screen mode whereby one of the screens is folded all the way around back. Here’s the sketch.

On the schematics above, the gray part in the middle is the live hinge which connects the two screens. The screens are numbered 160 and 170 and the live hinge allows the phone to have an unhindered degree of adjustability. The hinge ensures the connection of both screens is finely done such that the joint could pass unnoticed. But when folded, the screen resembles a pocketbook which may likely still function as a single unit.

Microsoft describes the device as a “multi-part device” in the patent filing. The hinge also seems to allow three different user modes. One of the modes could allow, in certain configurations, a full 360 degrees of rotation. A second mode is the one where the screen is opened 180 degrees with both screens conjoined into one larger display. In the third mode, the device can be closed with no screens exposed. The patent filing also specifically refer to the size limitations of current single-screen mobile phones which strongly suggest that this is indeed what we might see out of the rumoured Surface Phone.

(source, via)

Motorola Slashes $150 Off The Moto Z2 Play and More For Valentine’s Day

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Feb 3, 2018

It doesn’t matter if you celebrate Valentine’s Day or not, once there is a deal, everyone is eligible for it. This year, Motorola has slashed the price of the Moto Z2 Play by a whopping $150 and its all because of love.

The Moto Z2 Play has an original price tag of $499.99 but starting tomorrow, you can save $150 and get it for $349.99 instead. If you don’t like the Moto Z2 Play, there are a number of other deals Motorola is offering.

If you purchase the flagship Moto Z2 Force, you get a free Moto Smart Speaker with Amazon Alexa mod. This is a 2-in-1 mod and according to Motorola, is their most powerful speaker Mod yet.

So you get a speaker that is more powerful than the JBL SoundBoost 2 Moto Mod with all the other features such as external charging and being splash proof and even a bigger battery. It also has Amazon’s Alexa assistant built-in, so you can ask it questions, set reminders, and control your smart home devices.

Motorola has also slashed the price of all Moto Mods by 25%. The new Moto Style Shells with Gorilla Glass 5 for example will sell for $14.99 instead of $19.99, the Moto Folio case will go for $11.24 (normally $14.99), and the Moto Style Shell with wireless charging will sell for $29.99 instead of $39.99.

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