Huawei, OPPO, Samsung, LG Are All Working On Dual Screen Foldable Phones

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Nov 14, 2017

Mobile phones OEMs continually formulate innovative concepts in order to make smartphones more appealing to users which in turn leads to better sales. The latest trend has been the highly popular full-screen design which has found its way into almost all flagship models released in the second half of this year. The full-screen design is also getting an appreciable amount of usage in the mid-range and budget segment as well.

We may be seeing a slight shift from full-screen phone designs to dual screen foldable phones next year. There is a new rumour in town that many mobile phone manufacturers have got the foldable dual-screen phone in the works. This isn’t the first time we are getting such hint and sure, we are not talking about concept design anymore. ZTE recently announced the Axon M with a dual foldable screen design but the reception for that design hasn’t been encouraging. Sharp had also announced a dual screen foldable phone in the past.

Despite that, the latest news from the Taiwanese industrial chain shows that Huawei, OPPO and South Korea giants Samsung and LG are all actively developing dual-screen foldable phones. However, the design is said to be what would set the models apart as they are trying to eliminate a separation of the two screens in order to get a good visual experience. Huawei Consumer Business VP Yu Chengdong is reported to have disclosed in an interview with CNET that his company is developing a foldable smartphone and the prototype is already out. The Huawei VP also disclosed that the company is trying to perfect the foldable phone design. Yu Chengdong also disclosed that Huawei foldable phone may launch next year depending on how soon they are able to perfect the display. We can’t say for sure when that will be but be rest assured that as soon as the perfect foldable full-screen phone is launched, the market will get busy with different foldable models.

(source)

Redmi Full-Screen Phones Mass Produced Since October To Ensure Enough Stock

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Nov 14, 2017

Xiaomi is expected to launch new full-screen smartphones under the Redmi line very soon. Fans of the brand have been eager to get their hands on the devices following their appearance on TENAA but they still haven’t been officially released. Fresh details have surfaced explaining the reason for the delay.

According to the source, Xiaomi’s CEO and founder, Lei Jun initially released a statement attributing the delay to the desire to meet a certain level of stock before release. Latest report says mass production has been underway since then and available stock should be available to prompt a release by the end of the month or early in December.

Xiaomi’s Redmi line is very popular and is usually out of stock in a short period. Xiaomi is likely trying to avoid a repeat of situations like that, so its trying to build up enough stock to cover for the initial rush when the phones first go on sale.

Xiaomi is expected to release three full-screen smartphones – Redmi 5, Redmi 5 Plus and Redmi Note 5. The phones will differ with respect to screen-size, screen resolution, and processor, but will share a common feature – an 18:9 aspect ratio.

The Redmi 5 will be the cheapest of the lot as it is rumored to have a ¥799 (~$120) price tag. It will have a 5.7” HD+ (720 x 1440) display, a Snapdragon 450 processor and 3GB of RAM.

The Redmi 5 Plus will pack a 5.99” FHD+ screen, 3GB/4GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB of built-in storage. The Snapdragon 625 will be the SoC of choice and pricing is said to be ¥999 (~$150) and ¥1299 (~$195) depending on the storage variant.

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Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Gets Listed On JD.com, Launch Imminent

By

Jeet

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Nov 14, 2017

We have seen a few leaks surrounding Xiaomi‘s upcoming Redmi Note 5 smartphone. Now, a new image of the smartphone has surfaced online through JD.com listing, revealing that the phone will feature a full-screen display, as rumoured earlier.

As the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 smartphone has been listed on Chinese retailer JD.com, it is believed that the launch of the smartphone should be imminent. Do note that the listing suggests 8,888 Yuan as the phone’s pricing but that is just symbolic and doesn’t reflect the smartphone’s actual price.

A couple of weeks ago, two smartphones — Redmi MET7 and Redmi MEE7 appeared through TENAA which are believed to be the variants of the Redmi Note 5 smartphone. Both devices differ in terms of memory and storage capacity only.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 will be featuring a 5.9-inch Full HD IPS LCD display with a screen resolution 2160 x 1080 pixels and 18:9 aspect ratio. It will come with a full-screen design with thin bezels around the display. Earlier, the phone was speculated to have a 5.7-inch Full HD+ display.

Under the hood, it is powered by a 2.0GHz octa-core processor, but the chipset version is not yet known. We are expecting the device to be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor.

The smartphone will be available in two variants — 3GB RAM with 32GB internal storage and 4GB RAM with 64GB of internal storage. It also has a microSD card slot, allowing users to expand the storage capacity.

While the company has been focusing on the camera department, it doesn’t seem to the focus point for the Redmi Note 5. The device is expected to comes with a 12MP rear camera and a 5MP front-facing camera. It will support Dual SIM connectivity along with dual standby feature. It will also have the usual set of connectivity options such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS.

In terms of software, the phone will run on Android 7.1.1 Nougat-based MIUI 9. It will be fuelled by a 4,000mAh battery. According to the earlier TENAA leak, the smartphone will be available in Black, Rose Gold, White, Blue, Gold, Pink, Red, Grey and Silver colour options.

While the pricing details on the JD.com listing of the device is symbolic, previous leaks related to the Redmi Note 5 suggests that the smartphone could be priced around 1,599 Yuan (~ $241).

Motorola Returns To Making Tablets With The AT&T Exclusive Moto Tab

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Nov 14, 2017

There was a time Motorola used to make tablets. This was before it was acquired by Google and before Lenovo purchased it from them. Its tablets were released under the XOOM series and were powered by chipsets from Nvidia and Texas Instrument. After a 5 year hiatus, Motorola is returning to the tablet scene with the Lenovo Moto Tab launching on Friday.

The Lenovo Moto Tab is made for media consumption and that is why it is an AT&T exclusive for their DirecTV Now streaming subscription.

The device packs a 10.1” FHD display, 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. It is powered by the Snapdragon 625 mobile platform which means you should get enough juice out of the 7,000mAh battery.

The Moto Tab has dual front facing speakers with Dolbly Atmos, a fingerprint scanner buried beneath the home button and a USB-C port. It also runs Android 7.1 Nougat.

While it may actually be aimed at entertainment, Lenovo will also sell a productivity pack which includes a keyboard and mouse just like it does for the Tab 4 series. You can also purchase a home assistant pack which is its smart speaker with a dock for the tablet, for an experience similar to the Echo Show.

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Xiaomi Hits ¥2.46 Billion (~$370m) Singles Day Sales On Tmall To Emerge Top Phone Seller For Five Years!

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Nov 14, 2017

This festive season is usually a busy period when e-commerce experience a boom in sales. We just saw the 11.11 Singles day sales in China where record sales were made by some of the top retailers. The Singles Day is arguably the biggest shopping festival of the year in China and it falls on November 11 every year. This year, Xiaomi has revealed its sales figure on Tmall for the Singles Day 24-hour sales and it is massive!

Xiaomi has reportedly broken all its previous record this year on Tmall with a total revenue of 2.46 billion Yuan (about $370 million). This record sales place the tech giant as the top smartphone company in terms of units sold for the fifth consecutive year running. As a matter of fact, Xiaomi is said to occupy four out of the top 10 smartphones sold on Tmall. In addition, the company also emerged tops in the IoT products sales due to the popularity of its IoT products. This help Xiaomi clinch the top position for the third consecutive year in the smart devices category and it also ranked number one in terms of TV sales.

The highest sales record Xiaomi has ever achieved on the platform before now was during its successful 2014 run when it sold 1.56 billion Yuan on the platform during 11.11. That figure was broken in 10 hours this year, as the company hit ¥ 1.6 Billion ((US$ 240 million) in 10 Hours 42 Minutes. Xiaomi is yet to disclose the sales from other channels but we expect the figures to be huge also.

(source)

T-Mobile Launches Revvl Plus Budget Smartphone Priced At $199

By

Jeet

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Nov 14, 2017

US-based wireless network operator T-Mobile has launched a new smartphone — Revvl Plus. This is the successor of the Revvl smartphone, which was launched by the carrier earlier this year in August.

The company says that the phone is “heavy on features but light on the budget.” Compared to the Revvl launched earlier this year, its successor comes with a bigger display, a bigger battery and an upgraded processor.

One of the highlight of the smartphone is the dual camera lenses on the back of the smartphone. The device comes with a 13-megapixel lens and a 5-megapixel shooter at the back. As per the company, the dual-camera setup will allow users to create bokeh effects. On the front, there is an 8-MP selfie camera.

The smartphone comes with a 6-inch Full HD display with screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. While most smartphone manufacturers are now offering 18:9 aspect ratio for the display, this one comes with the old-school 16:9 aspect ratio. It also has a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass on top protecting the display from minor scratches.

Under the hood, the device is powered by a 2.0GHz oct-core processor. However, the company has not revealed which chipset is used. It packs 2GB of RAM and offers 32GB of internal storage. There is also a microSD card slot, allowing users to further expand the storage capacity.

Just like its predecessor, the Revvl Plus also runs on Android Nougat operating system. There is a fingerprint sensor at the back, just below the camera module. The smartphone is powered by a 3,380mAh battery.

The Revvl Plus is priced at $199 in the US. In addition, users will also be able to lease it for $9 a month through T-Mobile’s Jump On Demand Program or pay it off in 24 monthly installments of $8 after making a down payment of $8. The smartphone will be available in stores from November 17, while the special edition with black-and-magenta colour will be exclusively available online.

Honor 7X To Be Amazon Exclusive In India, Registrations Goes Live

By

Jeet

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Nov 14, 2017

Huawei’s sub-brand Honor is planning to launch Honor 7X smartphone in the Indian market by the end of December. While the launch date is not yet confirmed, the company has opened registrations for the device on its own website and on Amazon India. The company has said that the smartphone will be exclusively available online via Amazon India.

Amazon has already created a landing page for the Honor 7X, without explicitly mentioning any details about its price or availability. The terms and conditions page of the registration campaign reveals that the smartphone will go on sale sometime in the last week of December, following the closure of the registration window.

Honor is also giving away 150 power banks of 10,000mAh capacity and 850 earphones with mic to select registrants, and the winners for the same will be announced on January 8, 2018. While not yet official, this could be the date from when the Honor 7X will go on sale in India.

The company said that there will be twenty winners who will receive Honor 7X devices after taking part in the ‘Amazon Registration and Amazon App Event’. For the bumper prize, seven registered users will win holiday packages from Yatra worth Rs. 75,000.

Honor 7X features a 5.93-inch Full HD+ full-screen display with thin-bezels and 18:9 aspect ratio with a screen resolution of 1080 x 2160 pixels. It is powered by an octa-core Hisilicon Kirin 659 chipset, along with 4GB of RAM. The phone comes in three options in terms of internal storage — 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB, and also supports storage expansion through microSD card up to 256GB.

It sports a dual-camera setup with 16-megapixel and 2-megapixel sensors on the rear and an 8-megapixel camera sensor on the front. The smartphone packs a 3,340mAh battery and runs on Android 7.0 Nougat-based company’s own EMUI 5.1 custom skin.

Earlier, Honor’s Global President George Zhao said that the phone will come with an “unbeatable price”, but refrained from confirming any exact price information. In India, the phone is expected to be available in Gold, Aurora Blue and Black colours.

The 32GB storage model of Honor 7X is priced at CNY 1,299 (~$200) in China, while the 64GB model is priced at CNY 1,699 (~$260) and the top-of-the-line model with 128GB storage costs CNY 1,999 (~$304).

Samsung’s Market Share In China Expected To Slip Below 2% in Q4 2017

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Nov 14, 2017

Samsung has continued to lose market hares in the Chinese market and that downward spiral isn’t likely to end very soon if a recent prediction by Strategic Analytics is anything to go by. According to the research firm, Samsung’s share of the Chinese smartphone market will further decline to below 2% in the fourth quarter of this year.

Recent research data shows Samsung ranked 9th in the third quarter with a 2% share but that is expected to drop to 1.6% by the end of the year. A previous market survey of the second quarter had revealed that the South Korean company’s market share has dropped to such an extent it is on the sixth position in the list of top smartphone brands in China.

The reason for the global tech giant’s decline is attributed to the new market trend in China which shows that customers prefer buying cheaper smartphones from local brands. It wasn’t always so, as Samsung was once a dominant force in the Chinese market. In 2015, Samsung’s China market share reached 20% but right now, we see the rise of cheap and premium-looking smartphones, some mid-range devices. The rise of Chinese OEMs like Huawei, Xiaomi, OPPO and Vivo is responsible for the decline of the Korean giant. The duo of Samsung and LG may further experience a decline in their market share unless they get more competitive against these Chinese firms.

(source)

OPPO A79 Press Render Reveals Full Screen, Specs Have Also Surfaced

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Nov 14, 2017

OPPO A79 is an upcoming smartphone from the Chinese firm. This smartphone was spotted at TENAA in the previous month. The rumor mill has now revealed a leaked render of the OPPO A79 phone. It reveals that the smartphone would be arriving with full screen design.

The render shows that the front panel of the OPPO A79 is mainly occupied by its full screen display. It suggests that the screen will deliver a high screen-to-body ratio. The rear side of the phone features a single camera lens and a fingerprint reader. The bottom side of the phone has a USB-C port and a 3.5mm audio jack.

The appearance of the OPPO A79 is quite similar to the recently unveiled OPPO F5 selfie expert phone. Through its TENAA listing, it has been found that the OPPO A79 measures 157.3 x 76 x 7.2mm and its weight is 140 grams.

The OPPO A79’s TENAA listing has also revealed that it will be arriving with a full screen display of 6.01 inches. The 18:9 aspect ratio display will carry support for full HD+ resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels. It is likely to be powered by MediaTek MT6763T (Helio X23) chipset and 4 GB of RAM. It is expected to come with a native storage of 64 GB. There is no confirmation on whether it features a microSD card slot

It is expected to feature a 16-megapixel rear camera and a 16-megapixel snapper is rumored to be present on its front. It is likely to arrive with a 2,900mAh battery. It will come preloaded with Android 7.1 Nougat OS.

The OPPO A79 is rumored to arrive with a price tag of around 2,399 Yuan (~$360). Recent reports have revealed that the OPPO A79 may get unveiled on Nov. 30. If it is true, OPPO may confirm on the official launch of the A79 in the near future.

(source)

2018 iPhone Rumors: 2 OLED iPhones and 1 TFT LCD iPhone May Launch Next Year

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Nov 14, 2017

A report from the previous week had claimed that Apple will be introducing two OLED iPhones in 2018. Fresh information shared by the very reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo states that there will be three new iPhones next year including an iPhone with TFT LCD panel.

According to Kuo, there could be a 6.5-inch OLED iPhone and a 5.8-inch OLED iPhone in 2018. Also, an iPhone with 6.1-inch TFT LCD screen may also arrive next year. The 5.8-inch iPhone may offer a pixel density of 458ppi. The 6.5-inch OLED may produce a pixel density of around 480 to 500 ppi. The 6.1-inch TFT LCD iPhone may support a pixel density of around 320 to 330 ppi.

The two OLED iPhones that are speculated to arrive in 2018 are expected to feature flagship specs. The smaller among the two may be of same size as the iPhone X. The 6.1-inch LCD iPhone that is speculated to support lower resolution could be Apple’s entry-level smartphone and it is likely to cost around $649 to $749.

Kuo predicts that the three iPhones that may launch in 2018 will have the same edge-to-edge design found on the iPhone X. Since these iPhones will have the same appeal, they are unlikely to feature a Touch ID sensor. The 2018 iPhones with full screen design will continue to sport a u-shaped notch above the display that will be housing the TrueDepth Camera system and Face ID.

As Apple has been doing every year, it is speculated to announce the next-generation iPhones at the end of third quarter of 2018. However, it is too early talk on the specs of the upcoming iPhones. Hence, we advise our readers to digest the above report with a pinch of salt.

(source)

Alleged Samsung Galaxy S9+ Geekbench Listing Reveals Exynos 9810, 4 GB RAM

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Nov 14, 2017

In July, a smartphone labelled as Samsung SM-G9650 had appeared on Geekbench. The aforementioned model number suggested that it could be the upcoming Galaxy S9 smartphone. Now, a Samsung phone with model number SM-G965F has emerged on the benchmarking site. It is speculated that it could be the forthcoming Galaxy S9+ flagship.

The appearance of the alleged Galaxy S9+ on the benchmarking platform suggests that Samsung could be testing it now as it is rumored to get unveiled in the first quarter of 2018. According to Geekbench listing, the Samsung SM-G965F is running on Android 8.0 Oreo.

It is driven by “universal9810” chipset. This indicates that it could be powered by the newly announced Exynos 9810 chipset. The SoC is coupled with 4 GB of RAM. On Geekbench, the alleged Galaxy S9+ has scored 1191 in single-core test and 3835 in multi-core test.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ come in Snapdragon 835 and Exynos 8895 chipset variants and include 4 GB of RAM. The appearance of the alleged Galaxy S9 and S9+ duo indicates that these flagship phones may feature 4 GB of RAM. The Galaxy S9 and S9+ are expected to arrive in Snapdragon 845 and Exynos 9810 chipsets for different markets. There could be a 6 GB RAM variant that may head to markets like South Korea and China.

A recent report has revealed that Samsung may begin the mass production of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ in December as it has aborted plans to add in-screen fingerprint reader on these phones. Recent reports have revealed that the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ will arrive with the same-sized Infinity Display S-AMOLED panels that are available on the Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones.

New renders of the Galaxy S9 suggests that Samsung will be introducing vertically stacked dual cameras on its back panel. The Galaxy Note 8 has a horizontally arranged dual rear cameras. Also, in order to prevent users from accidentally touching the camera lenses while accessing the fingerprint scanner, Samsung is speculated to place the biometric recognition feature below the dual camera module.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 duo are rumored to get unveiled in the first quarter of 2018. The South Korean company is known for announcing its Galaxy S series flagship phones a day ahead of Mobile World Congress (MWC) event. Since MWC 2018 will be held between Feb. 26 and March 1, it is speculated that the Galaxy S9 and S9+ will be official on Feb. 25.

(via)

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

By

Jed John Ikoba

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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

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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.

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

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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Samsung Applies For Couphone Trademark in Europe

By

Habeeb Onawole

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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.

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

By

Jeet

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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

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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.

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