OnePlus CEO Releases Camera Sample Teasing The OP5T’s Amazing Low-Light Performance

By

-

Nov 13, 2017

The OnePlus 5T’s November 16 launch is just a couple of days away and so we expect a number of new teasers promoting the upcoming model. The latest teaser is that of a camera sample shared by OnePlus’ founder and CEO Pete Lau on Twitter Monday. The sample photo was accompanied by a short tweet “Nice low light photo. #ANewView #ShotonOnePlus”.

The CEO never mentioned the OnePlus 5T in his tweet but there is no doubt that he was referring to the upcoming model and in essence, showcasing the nice low light capability the camera would come with. OnePlus had teased the OnePlus 5 with the same low light capability but it looks like the 5T will come with a camera solution that’s significantly better than the one boasted by its predecessor in terms of low-light performance. By the way, this isn’t the first time Pete Lau is teasing the low-light performance of the OP5T camera.

The image is that of an escalator located in a poorly lit room with the only source of light being the orange fluorescent strip on the rails and ceiling. This sort of arrangement would be a tough nut to crack for some mobile cameras but the OnePlus 5T handled it very well. The photo comes out crisp clear with very low level of image noise.

The OnePlus 5T is expected to pack a dual camera setup at the rear but it seems that have got some improvement over the OP5. OnePlus may have finally dished the telephoto lens and instead put a second 20MP sensor behind the front lens which has an f1.7 aperture. This may have resulted in the improved low-light performance of the camera. We can’t say if the picture has been enhanced, so we’d wait for the reviews to rate its properties after it is launched.

(source)

Windows 10 ARM Notebooks: Geekbench Scores, HP Launching 12” Notebook With 8GB RAM & 256GB Storage

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Nov 13, 2017

In a couple of weeks we should begin to see the first set of Windows 10 ARM notebooks get announced. Microsoft and Qualcomm disclosed months ago that Windows notebooks powered by ARM chips – the snapdragon 835 for now – will be announced by the end of the year.

With roughly 6 weeks left in 2017, new info about the devices have begin to show up online. Findings carried out by Roland Quandt of Winfuture.de show that over the past couple of months, a device listed as Qualcomm CLS has been listed on Geekbench.

Qualcomm CLS Windows 10 Pro Notebook

Qualcomm CLS Windows 10 S Notebook

This device is shown in multiple listings to be running 32-bit Windows 10 S or Windows 10 Pro hinting at models for professional as well as educational categories. The device which was first benchmarked in June has appeared multiple times this month on the site.

Some of the listing shows the device with 8GB of RAM and powered by an octa-core processor clocked between 1.9GHz and 2.2GHz. However, their test scores are not impressive.

Of all the entries listed, 1202 points is the highest single core score recorded and 4263 points is the highest multi-core score recorded. That pales to current Snapdragon 835 phones which score nearly 2000 points in the single core test and over 6000 in the multi-core test. But since these are prototypes, there is a chance scores will be higher when they launch.

HP Windows 10 ARM Notebook

For the ARM notebooks, Microsoft and Qualcomm have signed up with multiple partners. One of them is HP and details of a Snapdragon 835 notebook has been seen on its CarePack Database.

Continue

OnePlus 5T Specs, Pricing, Launch Event & Livestream Details – Everything that You Wanted to Know

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Nov 13, 2017

After several weeks of leaks, the OnePlus 5T will be officially announced on Nov. 16. Even before its official unveil, the rumor mill has unearthed its entire specifications, features and pricing. Here is a rumor roundup of the upcoming OnePlus 5T flagship killer.

OnePlus 5T Launch Event and Livestream

The launch event of OnePlus 5T will be held at Brooklyn, New York, U.S. at 11 AM Eastern Time (4PM GMT). It will be available for buying in North America and Europe starting from Nov. 21. In China, the smartphone will be unveiled on Nov. 28 at 2 PM in Beijing and it will be go on sale from Dec. 1 starting at 10 AM.

In India, the unveil event will be broadcasted through 5 movie theaters across India starting at 9:30 PM IST. Amazon India will be holding a flash sale on Nov. 21 starting at 4:30 PM IST. The retailer will begin the official sales of OnePlus 5T from Nov. 28. The event will be also livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube. Here is an official teaser of the OnePlus 5T:

OnePlus 5T Specifications and Features

Plenty of leaks and unboxing shots have revealed that the OnePlus 5T would be the company’s first smartphone with full screen design. Leaked information has revealed that the OnePlus 5T would be coming with a 6-inch Optic-AMOLED display that will offer an aspect ratio of 18:9. Like the OnePlus 5’s display, the screen of the OnePlus 5T will be supporting DCI-P3 and sRGB color gamut. It is expected to produce Full HD+ resolution of 2060 x 1080 pixels and it is likely to deliver a screen-to-body ratio of 80.5 percent.

Since the display will be using up the major space of the front panel, the fingerprint reader is speculated to be placed on the back panel of the OnePlus 5T. Apart from the inclusion of an elongated display and repositioning of the fingerprint reader, the OnePlus 5T is expected to carry the same specs and features that the company had made available on the OnePlus 5.

The Snapdragon 835 chipset will be lying under the hood of the OP5T. The upcoming flagship is also expected to arrive with a 3,300mAh battery. The 64 GB and 128 GB storage models of the OnePlus 5T are speculated to respectively feature 6 GB and 8 GB of RAM.

OnePlus 5 has a dual camera system that features a 16-megapixel Sony IMX398 sensor and a 20-megapixel Sony IMX376 sensor and it has a 16-megapixel Sony IMX371 selfie camera. Even though the OnePlus 5T is likely to feature the same set of cameras, the Chinese firm may bring sort of improvements for shooting richer photos than the OnePlus 5. It may arrive with some enhancements for shooting better photos in low-light conditions.

Oneplus 5T unboxing video:

https://youtu.be/cNqVjjHXhOQ

The GFXBench and Geekbench listing of the OnePlus 5T suggests that it will come preloaded with Android 7.1.1 Nougat. OnePlus has confirmed in the recent past that the OP5T will be retaining the 3.5mm audio jack, but won’t be carrying support for wireless charging.

OnePlus 5T Pricing

In the previous week, it was revealed by a tech publication that the OnePlus 5T would be carrying the same price as its predecessor. Newer information suggests that the 64 GB and 128 GB OnePlus 5T variants would be respectively priced at Rs. 32,999 and Rs. 37,999 in India

OnePlus 5T Pricing for India Leaked

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Nov 13, 2017

OnePlus 5T is launching this week on Thursday through an unveil event in New York. Plenty of information on the specifications and features of the OnePlus 5T flagship phone have appeared over the past weekend. However, there have been conflicting rumors about the pricing of the OnePlus 5T. Today, a tech publication has revealed the leaked pricing of OnePlus 5T for India.

In the recent past, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau had tweeted that the cost of the components of mobile phones are increasing faster than the pricing of houses in Shenzhen, China. After this tweet, it was speculated that the OnePlus 5T may be priced higher than the predecessor phone. However, fresh information suggests that the OnePlus 5T would be carrying the same price as OnePlus 5. Even in the U.K., the upcoming flagship from the company is expected to be priced same as OnePlus 5.

The 64 GB OnePlus 5T featuring 6 GB of RAM may carry a pricing of Rs. 32,999 (~$504) in India. Its 128 GB model is likely to carry a pricing of R. 37,999 (~$580). The 64 GB and 128 GB of OnePlus 5 were respectively priced at Rs. 32,999 and Rs. 37,999.

Rumors have it that the OnePlus 5T would be arriving with a 6.01-inch display that will carry support for full HD+ resolution of 2060 x 1080 pixels and an aspect ratio of 18:9.

The Snapdragon 835 chipset that powers the OnePlus 5 would be powering the OnePlus 5T. It is expected to retain the same 16-megapixel + 20-megapixel dual rear cameras and 16-megapixel front-facing camera that is available on OnePlus 5 smartphone. It may be equipped with same 3,300mAh battery found under the hood of OnePlus 5.

In India, the OnePlus 5T will be exclusively available through Amazon India. The unveil event of Nov. 16 will be not only livestreamed on the official site of the company but also through 5 multiplexes in India. OnePlus 5T will be available on flash sale on Nov. 21 at 4:30 PM on Amazon India. The retailer giant will be starting with actual sales from Nov. 28.

These rumored specs suggest that the only major change arriving on the OnePlus 5T is the inclusion of a bigger display. Will you be interested in buying the OnePlus 5T? Share us your views by adding your comments below.

(source|via)

Qualcomm Officially Rejects Broadcom’s $130 billion Takeover Bid

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Nov 13, 2017

Broadcom last week made an unsolicited $130 billion bid for fellow chip maker Qualcomm and we can tell you now that Qualcomm has officially rejected the offer. Broadcom had offered that for every share of Qualcomm it receives, the Qualcomm’s stockholders will get $60 in cash and $10 in Broadcom stock. This $70 face value of the transaction represents a 28% premium from Qualcomm’s closing stock price the day before rumours about the merger first started to appear.

Qualcomm’s Board of Directors reportedly met today and a unanimous decision was reached from Qualcomm’s board of directors which expressed the company’s belief that Broadcom’s offer “dramatically undervalues Qualcomm,” and moreover, “comes with significant regulatory uncertainty.” The Qualcomm board also believes the company is well positioned to “lead the transition to 5G”. We really can’t say this is the end as a new improved bid could see both companies struck a deal.

Even if Qualcomm had agreed to the deal, regulatory agencies would have to give their approval, along with stockholders of both firms and the possibility of sailing through all the hurdles looked unfeasible. Qualcomm has often faced criticism for not licensing its standard-essential patents in a fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory manner. The company is also faced with series of litigations, including one with Apple and it recently sought a ban on iPhone sales in China.

(source)

OnePlus 5T Appears on GFXBench, Genuine Listing This Time

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Nov 13, 2017

Last week we reported that the OnePlus 5T was seen on GFXBench. Since we didn’t find it on the benchmarking site and it also looked weird, we included a disclaimer asking you to take it with a pinch of salt. Although we already know what the phone will look like and what it packs, thanks to the early reveal by those who got the device ahead of its release, we still think it’s necessary to mention that a genuine listing has appeared on GFXBench.

The OnePlus 5T is shown to have model number A5010, similar to that of the OnePlus 3T (A3010). The device is running Android 7.1.1 Nougat, confirming again that the phone won’t come with Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box.

The display is listed as 6-inches with a 2160 x 1080 resolution that translates into an 18:9 aspect ratio. It is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 mobile platform, an octa-core CPU clocked at 2.4GHz with an Adreno 540 as its GPU.

The OnePlus 5T benchmarked above packs 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage but it will also have a 6GB RAM + 64GB ROM variant.

For optics, the OnePlus 5T packs a 16MP camera on the rear, this is the primary one of the two sensors that grace its back. The other is a 20MP sensor but GFXBench only detects one of the two. There is also a 16MP camera in front for selfies.

Continue

Samsung Applies For Couphone Trademark in Europe

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Nov 13, 2017

Samsung has applied to trademark the word “Couphone” in Europe. This means that we may get to see new products from the Korean giant with the Couphone branding.

The documents submitted at the European Union Intellectual Property Office shows that the trademark is for a variety of devices. Based on the class it falls under, it may include tablets, smartphones, and their accessories such as cables, headsets and earphones, flip-cases, docking stations etc.

Some guesses have surfaced regarding what couphone may refer to. One says “cou” is French for neck, thus it may have to do with wearables worn around the neck. So these may include wireless headsets, possibly one with an AI assistant like the Pixel Buds.

Continue

Samsung’s Upcoming Galaxy A5 (2018) Smartphone Gets FCC Certified

By

Jeet

-

Nov 13, 2017

The Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) smartphone, which is expected to launch soon, has passed through Federal Communications Commission (FCC) certification. Recently, the phone’s model number was also found listed on the support page of the official site of Samsung.

Samsung’s A series of smartphones usually launch around the turn of the year, and 2018 editions are expected to follow the steps. Apart from hinting at the imminent launch, the FCC listing also reveals that the smartphone will have a dual-band Wi-Fi support.

However, the listing does not reveal anything related to the specifications of the device, which carries the model number A530N. But, it is confirmed that the Galaxy A5 (2018) will have an e-label for its FCC-mandated disclaimers, avoiding icons on the back of the phone.

The original Samsung Galaxy A5 that was launched in 2014 carried a model number SM-A500. The Galaxy A5 (2016) had a model number of SM-A510 while the Galaxy A5 (2017) carries a model number SM-A520. Thus, the device with model number SM-A530 is the upcoming Galaxy A5 (2018) smartphone.

Earlier leaks related to the smartphone had revealed that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) will feature a 5.5-inch Infinity Display that will have an aspect ratio of 18:9 and screen resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels.

The smartphone is expected to the have a full-screen bezel-less display similar to the Infinity Display on the Galaxy Note 8. Earlier, a new HTML5 test listing also confirmed the same. Due to full screen design, the fingerprint scanner will be present on the phone’s back panel.

Under the hood, the device will be powered by the company’s own Exynos 7885 chipset along with 4GB of RAM. It is also speculated to come with a IP68 certified chassis. The phone will run Android Nougat operating system out of the box.

The Galaxy A7 (2018) is rumored to arrive with same specs as Galaxy A5 (2018). However, the A7 (2018) is likely to feature a bigger 5.7-inch Infinity Display. Both the smartphones are also speculated to feature a dedicated button for accessing Bixby AI and are expected to launch together.

(Source)

AnTuTu Releases Top 10 Phones For October, Apple Tops The List

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Nov 13, 2017

Popular benchmark site, AnTuTu has released its usual list of the top ten smartphones based on their average performance within a particular duration. This time, it covers the month of October and includes data recorded from the 1st to the 31st of the month. The data, as usual is divided into three – iOS, Android and an overall list.

Starting with iOS, the 2nd Gen 12.9-inch iPad Pro tops the list. Released in June and powered by the Apple A10X Fusion, the device scored a total of 234,220 points. It is followed closely by the 10.5-inch iPad Pro released at the same time with 229,866 points. New entries on the list are the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone 8 coming in with 217,102 and 210,213 points respectively.

2015’s 12.9” iPad Pro shows it’s still a popular device as it comes in at 5th position with 189,881. The iPhone 7 Plus makes it to 6th position with 165,785 points while its smaller sibling, the iPhone 7 is pushed to 8th place by the 9.7-inch iPad Pro.

For Android, things are a lot more different. There are no Android tablets on the list and this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Android tablet sales have continued to dwindle for a while now and it doesn’t look as if it will get better anytime soon. Their popularity is waning and they do not offer any special experience compared to what you get on an Android phone.

At the top of the list is the OnePlus 5 with 181,288 points. Close on its heels is the Nubia Z17S with 179,454 points and the Nubia Z17 with 177,304 points. The new Huawei Mate 10 also makes it to the list, claiming the 4th position. It is also the only phone not powered by a Snapdragon chip on the list.

HTC’s U11 is 5th with 176,171 points and the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 follows with over 173,000 points. The Samsung Galaxy Note8 is at number 7 and is followed by the Xiaomi Mi 6 and the Galaxy S8+. Sony’s Xperia XZ Premium ends the list with 167,339 points.

Continue

Moto X4 Launched with Rs 20,999 Pricing in India

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Nov 13, 2017

The Motorola Moto X4 was launched in the U.S. at the end of August. The unveil event was held just before the beginning of IFA 2017 tech trade show. Today, Motorola has officially unveiled the smartphone in India. The smartphone will be exclusively available through Flipkart starting from tonight at 11:59 PM.

Motorola Moto X4 Specifications and Features

The Moto X4 sports an exquisite design that feature glass panels on its front and rear sides with a metallic frame placed in between. Moreover, the circular housing for the dual camera system on its rear amplifies it appeal. It is an IP68 certified phone which means it is well protected from damage by dust and water.

The bottom side of the phone features a 3.5mm audio jack and a USB-C port. Unlike the Moto Z2 Force and Z2 Play, the Moto X4 does not support modular accessories. It measures 148.4 x 73.5 x 8mm and its weight is 163 grams.

The Moto X4 is fitted with a LTPS IPS LCD screen that measures 5.2 inches and it carries support for full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The display is shielded by Gorilla Glass 4.

The Snapdragon 630 chipset powers the Moto X4 smartphone. Its 32 GB model has 3 GB of RAM whereas the 64 GB variant includes 4 GB of RAM. Owners of the Moto X4 can add a microSD card to the phone by using its hybrid SIM slot. It has a 3,000mAh battery which can be fast charged by using Motorola’s Turbo Charging feature.

The backside of the Moto X4 is flanked with a dual camera system that includes a f/2.0 aperture 12-megapixel sensor and a f/2.2 aperture 8-megapixel sensor. The dual lenses are coupled with features like PDAF, 4K video shooting and dual-LED flash.

The Moto X4 has a f/2.0 aperture 16-megapixel front-facing snapper. It offers features like 4-megapixel adaptive low light photography mode and a beautification mode. It is preinstalled with Android 7.1 Nougat OS. Apart from Google Assistant, the smartphone will also support Amazon Alexa once the retailer giant releases the Moto Alexa app. It is packed with usual connectivity features like 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC and GPS.

Moto X4 Pricing and Availability

The 32 GB and 64 GB models of the Motorola Moto X4 are respectively priced at Rs. 20,999 (~$320) and Rs. 22,999 (~$350) in India. The Moto X4 can be availed in color choices like Super Black and Sterling Blue. The smartphone will be exclusively available through Flipkart and Moto Hub stores starting from 11:59 on Nov. 13.

Through Flipkart’s exchange offer, buyers can avail an attractive discount of Rs. 2,500 on the pricing of Moto X4 by exchanging their old smartphones. Owners of older Moto branded phones can get up to Rs. 3,000 discount on exchange.

Airtel users can get up 340 GB of data for free on purchase of Moto X4. HDFC credit and debit card owners can get 10 percent instant discount and the retailer giant is also offering a buyback guarantee of 50 percent. The smartphone can be also availed through EMI schemes starting at as low as Rs. 1,019 per month.

Motorola Makes A Strong Return To The Top Flight, Ranks Among Top 5 in The U.S

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Nov 13, 2017

Lenovo‘s brand Moto has made an important return to the top flight in the U.S with a strong showing in Q3 2017, a research analysis by Counterpoint Research has shown. Counterpoint also disclosed that the Moto brand almost doubled its annual volumes and market share and was the fastest growing brand among those analyzed. The brand made it back to the top 5 brands in the U.S after a long hiatus.

Apart from Motorola, fellow Chinese brand ZTE also made its way into the top 5 spot in terms of market shares in the U.S. However, the biggest winner is Apple who continued to occupy the number one spot with the largest share of the market but year-on-year growth remained flat at 33.2%, same with last year. Samsung dropped from 25.4% last year to 23.2% market share in the third quarter of this year but still remains the second largest smartphone maker in the U.S.

LG saw its market share grow from 13.3% to 17.6% YoY while ZTE grew from 8.7% to 11.5% in Q3 2017 to occupy the fourth spot. Motorola made its entrance into the top 5 with a 5.1% share in Q3, up from 2.9%. Counterpoint research posits that Motorola’s focus on affordable devices for prepaid/ unlocked market and its decision to break out from Verizon’s shadow helped drive growth during the quarter. Despite the gains recorded by Motorola, Apple, LG and others, the US smartphone shipments remained flat during the third quarter.

The research also showed Verizon remained the largest smartphone sales channel, followed by T-Mobile, AT&T, and Sprint. But Motorola benefited in terms of visibility with presence across all four of the major carriers with its Moto Z2 Force in the flagship segment. Counterpoint also disclosed that the Moto E series was actually the key volume driver for Motorola during the quarter across prepaid and open channels.

(source)

Gionee S11 Leaked Images Show Color Variants and Design

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Nov 13, 2017

Gionee S11 is one of the upcoming smartphones from Gionee. It is expected to get unveiled alongside it’s another variant on Nov. 26. A couple of leaked images of Gionee S11 has appeared on Weibo. The leaked images not only reveal the color variants of the Gionee S11 but also its appearance.

The above image shows that the Gionee S11 may arrive with a shiny glass panel on its rear. This indicates that the S11 may have a glass and metal combination chassis. On the top-left corner of the rear panel of the S11 phone is the dual camera system. The back panel also features a fingerprint reader. It reveals that the smartphone would be coming in at least three color options of blue, gold and pink.

The front view of the Gionee S11 shows that it features a full screen design. The Gionee branding can be seen on the bottom bezel. The bottom of the smartphone seems to feature a USB-C port.

The smartphone had appeared on GFXBench in September. It revealed that the smartphone features a 6-inch FHD+ display. It indicates that the screen will deliver an aspect ratio of 18:9. The MediaTek MT6763 that clocks at 2.3 GHz is likely to power the phone along with 4 GB of RAM. It is expected of arrive with an inbuilt storage of 64 GB.

The GFXBench listing states that the S11 has a rear camera of 16-megapixel and a front-facing camera of 5-megapixel. Even though the benchmarking site shows that the S11 features single camera sensors on its front and rear, rumors have claimed that it may feature dual front and rear cameras.

The Gionee S11s smartphone that appeared on TENAA revealed that it features the same 6-inch FHD+ display, but it is powered by 2.5 GHz octa-core processor and 6 GB of RAM. Its native storage is 64 GB. The TENAA listing of Gionee S11s has also revealed that it features 16-megapixel + 8-megapixel dual rear cameras and 20-megapixel + 8-megapixel dual front cameras.

Gionee has confirmed that it will be unleashing 8 bezel-less smartphones on Nov. 26. Rumors have revealed that apart from the S11 and S11s, the Chinese firm may launch smartphones like M7 Plus, M2018, F6, F205, GNF5006L and Steel 3.

(source)

Honor V10 to Get Official First in China on November 28

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Nov 13, 2017

Honor will be holding a launch event on Dec. 5 in London. The Chinese firm is expected to debut the Honor V10 flagship phone through the upcoming launch event. Fresh information claims that the Honor V10 will be first announced in China on Nov. 28 before getting unveiled in London.

In the previous month, the Honor V10 had received 3C approval in China which suggested that the smartphone would be arriving soon in the country. The rumor mill has already leaked the key specs of the Honor V10 smartphone.

As far as the design of the smartphone is concerned, it is expected to appear very similar to the Mate 10 Pro flagship phone. Leaked information suggests that its body will be more rounded than the Mate 10 Pro. Also, it is expected to feature a display manufactured by the China-based BOE Technology firm.

Recent reports have revealed that the Honor V10 will be coming with a 6-inch display that would be carrying support for an aspect ratio of 18:9. The AI driven Kirin 970 chipset is speculated to power the smartphone. Its 6 GB RAM variant is expected to feature 64 GB of storage whereas the 8 GB RAM variant may include 128 GB of storage. Android 8.0 Oreo is speculated to come preloaded on the smartphone.

The exact size of the battery that will fuel the Honor V10 is not known. However, it is pegged to carry support for 22W fast charge. The rear side of the phone may house a 16-megapixel + 20-megapixel dual camera system, albeit Leica branding found Mate 10 series. There is no information available on the selfie camera of the phone. As far as pricing is concerned, the Honor V10 is likely to cost around 3,000 Yuan (~$450).

(source)

OnePlus 5T New York Launch Event Tickets Gets Sold Out

By

Jeet

-

Nov 13, 2017

OnePlus is going to launch its upcoming flagship smartphone — OnePlus 5T at a launch event in Brooklyn, New York on 16th November. This time, the company is also allowing its fans to attend the event and has priced the ticket for the same at $40.

Now, the company has announced via Twitter that the event tickets have been sold out. The company says that the funds generated by selling tickets will be used “towards the advancement of tech innovation.”

All the attendees of the event will receive a swag bag that will contain OnePlus branded travel backpack, a hoodie, a baseball cap and a few other exclusive goodies. The event, which is taking place in Brooklyn at Villain will start at 11:00 AM.

Apart from the goodies, the attendees will also get a chance to own the OnePlus 5T smartphone before anyone else in the world and will also receive $40 off on the order.

The OnePlus 5T will feature a 6-inch Full HD bezel-less display with an aspect ratio of 18:9. It may feature a larger battery of 3,450mAh battery. On the back, the smartphone is speculated to come with 20-megapixel dual cameras. It is also expected to feature a 16-megapixel front-facing camera.

The company has already confirmed that the phone will have a 3.5mm audio jack. Recently, OnePlus also revealed the upcoming smartphone will not come with wireless charging as it believes that the Dash Charging feature is better.

As of the smartphone’s pricing, there are two contradictory reports. Recently, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau suggested that the OnePlus 5T could be priced higher than OP5 by Tweeting that the prices of the mobile phone components are increasing faster than the housing costs in Shenzhen.

However, previously, when a OnePlus fan had asked him whether 4,000 Yuan is sufficient for buying OnePlus 5T, Lau responded by saying that it is enough. It’s just a matter of few days as the company will announce the price while launching the smartphone on 16th November.

(Source)

Here’s How to Watch the Moto X4 India Launch Livestream

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Nov 13, 2017

Lenovo’s Moto brand is set to launch the Moto X4 in India today and the event will be held in New Delhi. You can keep up with the launch event which begins at 2.30pm IST right here at Gizmochina. Find the YouTube channel where you can watch the livestream of the launch event below.

The Moto X4 is a mid-range model but it is a premium mid-ranger and was first unveiled for Europe at IFA Berlin in September. The device is one of the first smartphones to come with inbuilt support for Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant, and since it is based on Android 7.1 Nougat, it also supports Google Assistant. Other features which make the Moto X4 a standout model include an IP68 water and dust resistance.

The Moto X4 has a 5.2-inch 1080p display covered with a 2.5D glass. It has joined the still very short list of phones powered by the Snapdragon 630 mobile platform. There will be two variants – a 3GB RAM + 32GB ROM version for the US and Europe and a 4GB RAM + 64GB model for other markets.

For connectivity, the phone has Bluetooth 5.0, WiFi a/b/g/n/ac and supports LTE bands 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/17/20/25/26/28/66 as well as TDD LTE bands 38 and 41. It also has NFC. In addition, the Moto X4 packs a 3000mAh battery and a USB type-C port sits at the bottom and flanking it on the right is a 3.5mm audio jack. On the camera end, there is a dual 12MP + 8MP rear cameras as well as a 16MP selfie shooter.

The device is expected to carry a retail price of Rs. 23,999, based on a recent leak. The price is significantly lower than the EUR 399 (roughly Rs. 30,300) price tag with which it was announced at IFA 2017. The Moto X4 comes in two colors – Super Black and Sterling Blue and is also coming to India as a Flipkart exclusive. We’ll bring you details from the launch here on Gizmochina.

Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) Appears on Support Page of Samsung’s Site

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Nov 13, 2017

Samsung is expected to soon debut the Galaxy A5 (2017) and Galaxy A7 (2017) smartphones as both the devices have been certified by the Federal Communications Commission in the U.S. The existence of the Galaxy A5 (2017) is now all the more confirmed as its model number has been found listed on the support page of the official site of Samsung.

The Samsung Galaxy A5 that was launched in 2014 carried a model number of SM-A500. The Galaxy A5 (2016) that arrived in December 2015 had a model number of SM-A510. The Galaxy A5 (2017) has a model number of SM-A520. Hence, the upcoming Galaxy A5 (2018) is speculated to have a model number of SM-A530.

The SM-A530N model number has been found on South Korean edition of Samsung’s support page. It seems to be a Korean variant of the smartphone. However, the listing of the phone does not contain any details on its specs.

Previous reports have revealed that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) will be arriving with a 5.5-inch Infinity Display that will deliver an aspect ratio of 2160 x 1080 pixels. Since the phone will be arriving with a full screen design, its fingerprint scanner will be present on its rear panel.

The Exynos 7885 chipset will be powering the Galaxy A5 (2018) smartphone along with 4 GB of RAM. It is also speculated to come with a IP68 certified chassis. It is expected to come preinstalled with Android Nougat OS.

The Galaxy A7 (2018) is rumored to arrive with same specs as Galaxy A5 (2018). However, the A7 (2018) is likely to feature a 5.7-inch Infinity Display. Both the smartphones are also speculated to feature a dedicated button for accessing Bixby AI.

Since the Galaxy A (2017) smartphones were unveiled in January 2017, rumors are rife that the Galaxy A (2018) phones may debut in January 2018. However, the rumor mill is still silent on the existence of Galaxy A3 (2018) smartphone.

Do you think Samsung will skip Galaxy A3 (2018) or will it arrive with a regular display? Will it launch alongside 2018 version of Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A8? Share us your thoughts by adding your comments below.

(source)

Samsung Could Lose Top Spot To Apple In Q4 2017: TrendForce

By

Jeet

-

Nov 13, 2017

According to TrendForce analysis, Samsung currently holds the top spot worldwide in terms of market share with around 21.1 percent market. However, the report suggests that Apple will dethrone Samsung from the top spot in the last quarter of this year (Q4 2017).

As per the report, Samsung’s market share will decline from 21.1 percent to 18.2 percent while Apple’s market share will grow from 11.5 percent to 19.1 percent. The third, fourth, fifth and sixth spot will be taken by Chinese manufacturers Huawei, OPPO, Xiaomi and Vivo respectively.

While Huawei is estimated to capture 10.6 percent of the market share, OPPO, Xiaomi and Vivo are estimated to follow with 7.2%, 6.6% and 5.5% of market share. Rest of the companies will cover the remaining 32.8 percent market share.

Huawei’s annual total for 2017 is estimated around 150 million units. The Chinese manufacturer’s smartphone strategy for this year is to focus on selling its high-end, high-margin models and reduce the number of its low-price, entry-level models in the lineup.

In terms of smartphone production, Samsung manufacturer 81 million units in the third quarter. However, in the fourth quarter, the company is expected to scale down production of its high-end smartphones. On the other hand, Apple, which is struggling in terms of production capacity for the iPhone X, is expected to ramp up productions to reach 81 million units in the last quarter of the year, out of which 33 percent units will be iPhone X.

The fourth quarter has usually been the strongest for Apple, given that the US-based company launches new devices in the fall. Samsung‘s Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus were released back in April, so sales momentum is likely beginning to decline.

Meanwhile, market research firm Canalys estimates that the iPhone 8 Plus has outpaced the iPhone 8 last quarter with shipments of 6.3 million units and 5.4 million units respectively. As per the report, the iPhone 8 Plus is the first Plus-sized iPhone to out-ship its smaller sibling in a single quarter.

With iPhone X sales going stronger, and the demand for the device is expected to be significant during holiday period. This could help Apple to easily beat its all-time record for revenue in a single quarter of $78.4 billion which was achieved in the fourth quarter of 2016.

(Source)

Security Firm Creates Mask That Beats Face ID

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Nov 12, 2017

Face ID is Apple’s latest security feature. It was introduced in the iPhone X as a replacement for Touch ID, since the design of the phone doesn’t allow for the fingerprint scanner to remain in front and Apple doesn’t want it positioned at the back.

A security firm called Bkav says they have been able to defeat Face ID with the aid of a mask. Apple claims that Face ID is secure and that the odds of a random person gaining access to your phone is 1 in 1 million.

The firm said it was able to fool Apple’s AI and bypass Face ID because it understands how the AI works. Bkav says it had to create a face mask made up of different materials for different parts of the face.

According to the Vice President of Bkav, Ngo Tuan Anh, “the mask is crafted by combining 3D printing with makeup and 2D images, besides some special processing on the cheeks and around the face where there are large skin areas to fool the AI of Face ID”. Areas that have special materials include the nose which is made of silicone and the frame which is 3D printed.

The cost of making the mask is about $150 and it can be used to gain access to the phones of high profile targets such as business and political leaders.

Continue

Alibaba Sets $25 Billion Sales Record On Single’s Day

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Nov 12, 2017

Yesterday was Single’s Day, a Chinese holiday that is meant to celebrate being single but as become the largest offline and online shopping festival. Alibaba, China’s biggest e-commerce store set a world record yesterday with sales of over $25 billion.

Alibaba is said to have processed 256,000 transactions per second via its mobile payment app, Alipay to arrive at ¥163.8 billion (~$25.3 billion) mainly via its stores Taobao and Tmall.

The new record is a 39% increase over last year’s ¥120.7 billion (~$17.9 billion). It has also raised Alibaba’s quarterly revenue by 61%.

Alibaba’s Single’s Day sale dwarfs the US’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping sales by a large margin. In 2016, retailers recorded $3 billion on Black Friday and $3.45 billion on Cyber Monday compared to Alibaba’s $17.8 billion on Single’s Day. Both figures were actually record sales for the shopping events.

It is important to explain how Alibaba makes its money from the sales. For sellers on Tmall, there is a commission and store fee that they are charged, while Taobao brings in money by providing stores with boosted ads.

Alongside the sales figure, Alibaba also released some interesting stats:

it recorded a total of 812 million orders
over 140,000 brands, of which 60,000 are international listed on Tmall.
167 sellers recorded over ¥100 million each in sales
17 sellers recorded over ¥500 million each in sales
while six merchants crossed ¥ 1 billion (~$150.9 million)

Continue

Some iPhone X Owners Are Seeing Green Lines On Their Displays

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Nov 11, 2017

It appears to have become a trend for new flagships to have one issue or the other. Just when we were getting over the Pixel 2 XL‘s display issues among many others, some iPhone X owners have reported a strange green line on their displays.

From the images provided, the vertical green line is on either side of the screen and doesn’t appear until after some time. So even if your phone is currently working well, it may develop the problem later on.

Some say the cause of the green line is due to an electrical fault that is causing multiple green sub-pixels to light up. The iPhone X uses a diamond subpixel pattern which has the green subpixels appear in lines.

The Galaxy S7 Edge of last year is said to have suffered a similar fate but in its own case had a pink line. Samsung later admitted that the cause was a hardware problem and had to replace affected units.

Since this is probably a hardware issue too, the only fix is to take in your device for a replacement. One person has been reported to have gotten a replacement after taking his device to the Apple store.

Continue