Xiaomi Opens Largest Flagship Mi Home Store in China With All Its Products In Stock

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Nov 7, 2017

Xiaomi recently shifted its focus from online sales which it pioneered in the smartphone industry in China to integrating both offline and online sales and in doing so, the tech giant mooted the idea of opening up several bricks and mortar stores across the major cities of China. That move is gradually paying off with the latest surge in sales revenue. But Xiaomi is known for its innovativeness and they have taken the Mi Home store to an entirely new level with the launch of a concept flagship Mi Home store in China where all the tech giant’s products are sold.

The new Mi Home store is the first of its kind and is located in the city of Shenzhen, the same city where Xiaomi has got its headquarters. The store is a flagship store and is the first of many that would be opened in other cities soon. The Mi Home combines old-fashioned retail with internet plus and new retail strategy. The first thing that stands it out is its sheer size. It is a huge two-floor store measuring 650 square meters. The building itself is an architectural masterpiece designed by Eight Inc. Xiami says the designer Tim Kobe is one of the brains behind the minimalistic glass cube Apple store in New York’s 5th Avenue.

You’ll be mistaken if you think this is just another replication or imitation of APple’s concept. The flagship Mi Home goes beyond, as it has a rich lineup of products including Xiaomi’s smartphones and also the Mi Ecosystem products such as Mi Sphere camera, Mi Robot Vacuum, Mi Powerbank, Smart Bike, and hundreds of others. The ground floor is where you’ll find the smartphones and Mi Ecosystem products while the second-floor stocks smart home concept products under its newly created Youpin e-commerce platform. Youpin originally only sold smart furniture and home furnishings from Xiaomi’s ecological chain via the Mijia app and all products sold under Youpin can be gotten on the second floor. It should be noted that not all the products sold on the platform are manufactured by Xiaomi or Xiaomi Ecosystem company. The flagship store has an electronic board where all products are displayed and information about the products can be gotten just with a touch of the screen.

So, perhaps you happen to be in China, you could check out the Mi Home store in Shenzhen. Apart from opening up more stores in China, we hope Xiaomi takes this model outside China where most of its products besides smartphones are well sort after.

(source)

Gionee GN5006L Shows Up On TENAA; May Launch as Steel 3

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Nov 7, 2017

Gionee GN5006L is an upcoming smartphone from the Chinese manufacturer that has appeared on TENAA earlier in this week. Speculations are rife that the GN5006L smartphone may debut as Gionee Steel 3 smartphone.

According to TENAA listing, the Gionee GN5006L features a 5.5-inch display that carries support for HD+ resolution of 720 x 1,440 pixels. The front view of the smartphone suggests that it features an elongated display that carries support for an aspect ratio of 18:9. The handset measures 144.7 x 69.8 x 8.5mm and its weight is 170 grams.

An octa-core processor that clocks at 1.4 GHz powers the GN5006L smartphone. It is likely that the Snapdragon 435 chipset will be powering the phone. The TENAA listing suggests that the 16 GB storage model may feature 2 GB of RAM whereas the 32 GB variant will include 3 GB of RAM. It also features a microSD card slot. It is fueled by a 4,000mAh battery.

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There is an 8-megapixel camera along with a LED flash sitting on the backside of Gionee GN5006L. The camera will carry support for autofocus and full HD video shooting. The front side of the alleged Steel 3 features an 8-megapixel selfie snapper. The handset is preloaded with Android 7.1.1 Nougat. It is expected to arrive in color options such as black, gold and blue.

Gionee has confirmed that it will be holding a launch event on Nov. 26. The Chinese firm has also stated through a Weibo post that the company would be launching 8 bezel-less smartphones such as the Gionee M7 Plus, F6L, F205, S11, S11 Plus, Steel 3 and M2018 through the upcoming unveil event. More information on these phones are expected as the launch date nears.

(source)

Apple Will Reportedly Debut Two OLED iPhones in 2018

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Nov 7, 2017

The Apple iPhone X is the first smartphone ever from the company to feature an OLED screen. New information shared by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reveals that Apple will be releasing two OLED iPhones in 2018. He claims that one of them will be a successor model for iPhone X while the other one is likely to arrive as its “Plus” variant.

Early rumor for 2017 iPhones had claimed that the Cupertino company may launch a 6-inch iPhone this year. However, it did not come true. Instead, a 5.8-inch iPhone X was unveiled with full screen design. The new information shared by Kuo suggests that we may see a 6-inch iPhone Xl Plus in 2018.

Kuo has further claimed that the iPhone X has a stainless-steel frame with four parts, but the iPhone X 2018 is likely to feature four parts which will help in improving data transmission on it. Some rumors have claimed that the 2018 iPhones will be coming with rear-mounted TrueDepth Camera system. However, Kuo is of the view that the 2018 iPhones will continue to feature only front-mounted TrueDepth Camera system.

As previous reports have stated, the iPhone and iPad Pro models arriving next year will be equipped with Face ID feature. Also, the 2018 iPhones are unlikely to feature Touch ID sensors.

In the previous month, the rumor mill had revealed that the larger iPhone Xl Plus would be equipped with a 6.46-inch screen. It was also revealed that the Cupertino company would be also introducing a stylus for it. The fresh information shared by Kuo does not contain any information on the size of the larger iPhone X model that will be arriving next year. A recent report has also revealed that the 2018 iPhones may feature modem chips from Intel and MediaTek.

As of this writing, there is no confirmation on whether Apple will be releasing successor models for iPhone 8 and 8 Plus in 2018. With new iPhone X models reportedly arriving next year, Apple may slash the pricing of the original iPhone X.

(source)

Xiaomi Reportedly Working on a Phone with Squeezable Frame (UPDATED)

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Nov 7, 2017

UPDATE: Turns out this feature was already found on the Mi 4C released in 2015. Here’s an article we covered about the feature.

The HTC U11 flagship phone that was launched earlier this year features a pressure-sensitive frame which can be squeezed to access frequently used apps and contacts through Edge Sense feature. The Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL phones that were unveiled in the previous month also features squeezable frame for launching Google Assistant. Also, the newly launched HTC U11+ and U11 Life phones also carry the same Edge Sense feature. Fresh information suggests that Xiaomi could be working a smartphone that edge controls.

A Xiaomi Mi 5 user has found two hidden settings on his phone while checking activity shortcuts on Nova Launcher. The Mi 5 that he is using is running on MIUI 8.2.2. The two hidden controls can be found on the “Edge controls” menu. As the following snapshot shows, the feature allows users to touch/squeeze the sides of the phone to use edge controls. The feature can be used to go back or even snap a photo.

The Xiaomi Mi 5 that was launched in the previous year does not have sensors on its edges. This suggests that Xiaomi could be working on a smartphone that may carry support for this feature.

Xiaomi is rumored to debut the Xiaomi Mi 7 flagship phone in Q1 2018. It is speculated to arrive with a full screen display and Snapdragon 845 chipset. The 2017 flagship is also expected to carry support for wireless charging. However, there is no confirmation on whether the Mi 7 will be coming with pressure-sensitive frame.

(source)

T-10: OnePlus 5T Will Launch on November 16, Tickets Will Cost $40

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Nov 6, 2017

The OnePlus 5T has been officially confirmed to exist and the venue of its launch is said to be Brooklyn, New York. A few hours ago, the official Twitter page revealed the launch date as November 16 and included a teaser video with the announcement.

The theme for the OnePlus 5T is “A New View”, hinting at a new display which is the biggest change coming to the phone.

A blog post on the official OnePlus Forums reveals more details about the launch. The launch will take place at 11AM Eastern Time (4PM GMT) and for the first time, OnePlus will sell tickets to the event.

The tickets will sell for $40 and will grant you access to the event in New York and a chance to meet the OnePlus team and other fans. Ticket sales will begin on November 8 at 12PM ET (5 PM GMT).

Get ready for #ANewView. Meet the #OnePlus5T on November 16. https://t.co/AuAAsRIg2i pic.twitter.com/RHsZuCT7Oe

— OnePlus (@oneplus) November 6, 2017

OnePlus is also running a contest where three winners (each winner can bring one guest) will be selected to come to the event. Plane tickets will also be covered. Details on how to enter for the contest can be found here. Do note that entries close at 10AM ET (3PM GMT) on November 8 and winners will be announced 1 hour 30 minutes later.

For those who can’t attend, the launch will be livestreamed on YouTube or on the official event page here.

OnePlus has also revealed the availability of the OnePlus 5T. Those in North America and Europe will be able to purchase the phone starting on November 21.

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Huawei Mate 10 Gets The Teardown Treatment, Reveals Three-Stage Design

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Nov 6, 2017

Huawei recently announced its 2017 Mate-series flagships -the Mate 10, Mate 10 Pro and Mate 10 Porsche Design. The launch of the models was preceded by series of leaks and rumours and quite honestly, there isn’t any disappointment as far as the specifications and design go.

The Mate 10 has now been subjected to the teardown process showing the internals and indeed, Huawei seems to have got it all right in the design and hardware, including the internals on the Mate 10. We’ll leave our final verdict until Linus does a review of the model.

Also Read: Huawei Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro: Which Phone is Best for You?

The Mate 10 comes with an expansive 5.9-inch 2K display and it features a bi-axial curved glass at the back panel. It also features a dual camera at the rear which is co-designed by Leica. The outward design at the rear also features a unique design around the camera aspect having a special texture and a horizontal stripe produced by vacuum electroplating process. On the internal aspect, the Mate 10 uses a three-stage design that sees the motherboard, battery and sub-board existing separately. The design is also minimalistic in outlook such that repairs may not be too difficult.

(source)

Honor 7X Hitting India With An Unbeatable Price This December

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Nov 6, 2017

Huawei’s Global President George Zhao has disclosed that the brand would launch the Honor 7X in India this December. The Honor 7X was first unveiled in China on October 11 with a design resembling the Honor V9 and also with a decent specs lineup. The Honor 7X brings a mid-range price tag to the hitherto elite Honor brand and with the launch in India, the Huawei exec hinted that the price can only get better. He specifically stated that it will be introduced at an “unbeatable price” that will give the competitors a run for their money.

The affordable pricing on the premium Honor 7X and other Honor branded products already launched in India are all part of the tech giant’s plans to become the country’s top smartphone brand within the next three years. Honor 7X will be available both online and offline as the company aims to improve upon its offline retail channels and boost the marketing in order to become the leader.

The Huawei President also hinted on other measures aimed at boosting sales such as introducing cutting-edge technology, increasing presence in both online and offline platforms, and boosting its marketing efforts. He also disclosed that upcoming models meant for India will be incorporated with AI capabilities.

As a reminder, the Honor 7X smartphone features a 5.93-inch display with 18:9 aspect ratio and full-HD+ (1080×2160 pixels) resolution. It runs the Android 7.0 Nougat-based EMUI 5.1 custom UI and is powered by the octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 659 SoC paired with a 4GB RAM. The device is available in three storage variants of 32GB, 64GB and 128GB expandable up to 256GB. Keeping everything running is a 3340mAh battery. There is a dual camera setup at the rear consisting a 16MP main sensor and a 2MP secondary sensor. There is also an 8MP front-facing shooter onboard. The Honor 7X is available in Gold, Blue, and Black. As for the price, the 32GB variant has a price tag of 1299 Yuan (~$200) while the 64GB version will cost 1699 Yuan (~$260) and the 128GB model has a 1999 Yuan (~$304) price tag.

(via)

HMD Global Opens Official Nokia Online Store To Cater To European Customers

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Nov 6, 2017

HMD Global Oy has done well with its revival of the Nokia brand. It has launched a total of 6 new smartphones powered by Android under the famous Nokia brand name. However, availability of these phones have been limited to certain offline and online retailers and network operators.

HMD Global has officially announced the opening of the online Nokia store which will allow customers purchase directly from the manufacturer. The online store currently only serves Great Britain, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain.

At the moment, you can only purchase the Nokia 3, Nokia 5, Nokia 6, and Nokia 8. There are also a number of cases available for purchase for the Nokia 3, 5, and 6. The store’s homepage says classic phones like the Nokia 3310 (2017) will be available in December, 2017.

HMD Global is running a promo on the store, probably to mark the opening. If you purchase the Nokia 8, you stand a chance to win a round trip ticket for two to Los Angeles which includes a studio tour to Warner Bros and a four night hotel stay. You can also win a Justice League Stunt Experience in Berlin for you and a friend. There are also smaller gifts like Justice League t-shirts and travel flasks.

Continue

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 Full Ceramic Version Hands On: It’s White, It’s Black, It’s Sleek!

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Nov 6, 2017

Xiaomi has finally unleashed the much-expected ceramic version of the Mi Mix 2, nearly two months after the flagship model was announced. The Mi Mix 2 comes in two versions, a ceramic version with an aluminium alloy frame and a full ceramic version. What just got released is the full ceramic version and you know what, it comes with a mammoth 8GB RAM and even the internal memory is 128GB. As a result of the design and ramped up memory, the version clutches a higher 4699 Yuan ($706) price tag.

The Mi Mix 2 Ceramic version is available in the traditional black colour and also has a White colour variant. which is a rare addition. Recall that Xiaomi had also released a White coloured variant for the Mi Mix at CES 2017 and the wide acceptance of that colour edition may have spurred the release of the same variant for the Mi Mix 2. Apart from the paint job, the White variant also comes with a couple of tweaks, like having a 18K gold ring around the rear camera and fingerprint sensor also mounted at the rear.

Apart from the gold-plated ring, the entire body is covered in ceramic which has gone through a number of tests to ensure that it meets the desired standard. The body has been subjected to a temperature test of up to 1400°C while also subjected to a strength test of up to 240 tons. As for the packaging, it comes in the same packaging box as the 6GB RAM version and inside the box, you’ll find the Mix 2, a charging adapter and USB cable.

The device will be available for sale on November 11 for the 11.11 shopping festival in China. Ahead of that, Xiaomi is already accepting reservations. You’ll find more hand on photos of the device from below.

(source)

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OnePlus 5T Probable Pricing Revealed, Still Quite Competitive

By

Joel Joseph

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Nov 6, 2017

In the past few days, OnePlus officially confirmed the existence of the OnePlus 5T. Earlier today, the company even confirmed that the launch will take place in New York, without giving out an exact date of the event. The display is said to be upgraded to a 6-inch 18:9 display in the new model but the internals should be more or less the same as the OnePlus 5.

While we are still busy figuring out the exact specs of the OnePlus 5T, our source reveals the probable pricing for the model. The OP5T should most likely start at 3499 Yuan ($525) for the 6GB + 64GB model and 3999 Yuan ($600+) for the 8GB + 128GB model. If true, this would make the new model $70-$80 costlier than the existing OnePlus 5 which started at 2999 Yuan ($450). Considering the rumored specs, the OnePlus 5T would once again be a true value for money flagship but this time around, the difference between its price and those of the mainstream competitors wouldn’t be significant. For example, right now, you can get an unlocked Galaxy S8 for around $630. So, things could get tougher for OnePlus at this price tag.

While our source has been right so far, we cannot be 100% sure of these figures. But expect the final pricing to be close to these figures. After all, OnePlus CEO recently confirmed on Weibo that $600 should be enough to purchase the upcoming handset.

What do you think about these prices?

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Is Reportedly Codenamed “Crown”

By

Jeet

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Nov 6, 2017

Samsung will soon start production of its upcoming Note series smartphone Samsung Galaxy Note 9 pretty soon. As per the reports, the smartphone has been codenamed “Crown”.

Recently, an official from a supplier of smartphone components in South Korea was quoted by The Bell saying “we will start providing components for a pilot production [of Galaxy Note 9] in the first quarter next year.”

The South Korea based smartphone manufacturer is known for having codenames for its smartphones which hints at certain feature of the device. For instance, the Galaxy Note 8 had a codename “Baikal” which is named after one of the world’s biggest lakes. Many believe that the codename implied the bigger display on the smartphone.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is speculated to be a more refined version of the existing Note 8 smartphone. It is expected to retain the 6.3-inch Infinity Display with almost similar specifications, apart from the processor. It seems that the South Korean giant will be focusing more on improving the dual camera system on the smartphone and the functionalities of the accompanying S Pen.

While there is no information available related to the smartphone and it is yet to go into production, the Galaxy Note 9 could be powered by Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 845 processor, which is expected to power the next-generation Galaxy S series smartphone.

Earlier this year, in August, Samsung announced the Galaxy Note 8 smartphone featuring a 6.3-inch QHD+ S-AMOLED Infinity Display. Under the hood, it is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset (or Exynos 8895 chipset depending on the region) along with 6GB of RAM.

The Galaxy Note is the first smartphone from Samsung that comes with a dual camera setup. At the back, the phone features a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens and another 12-megapixel telephoto lens with 2x zoom and Optical Image Stabilizer. It comes with an 8-megapixel front-facing camera and also features an iris scanner.

It is fueled by a 3,300mAh battery that supports wireless charging feature and has a IP68 certificate, indicating water and dust resistant body. The phone also comes with an intuitive S-Pen stylus.

(Source)

Google Search Now Has Phone Comparisons Built Into Results

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Nov 6, 2017

If you want to compare the specs of two phones (or more), sites like GSMArena is usually where most people go to. However, that might be changing soon. A new feature coming to Google search will now show a comparison when you search for two phones and it detects “vs” in the search query.

A few users have reported that when they searched for two devices with “vs” in the query, they got presented with a comparison table highlighting the specs of both phones. The example shown below is that of the Pixel 2 and the Pixel 2 XL.

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The search result first shows a few rows which can then be expanded after selecting the blue drop-down button. There is even a “Highlight differences” button.

The search isn’t perfect as someone detected an error in the comparison table. A commenter (Nick Cipriani) posted a screenshot on the AndroidPolice article that shows that the Pixel 2 XL has a Micro-USB port instead of a USB-C port.

While sites like GSMArena have a disclaimer saying they cannot guarantee that the information is 100% correct, there is an option to contact them for corrections or provide missing information. For Google’s comparison search result, we guess we will have to wait for them to correct error(s) as there is no way to send them mistakes detected.

Continue

Xiaomi Aims to Become Top 500 Enterprise Company in 2018 with 100 Million Shipments Target

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Nov 6, 2017

On Sunday, Xiaomi inaugurated its new “Mi Home” flagship store in Shenzhen. The newly unveiled two-storey Mi Home Shop expands over a huge space of 650 square meters. The company will be using this new store along with Mi Home stores in China to sell the full ceramic edition of the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 smartphone. After the opening of the new Mi Home store, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun expressed that the company aims to become a top 500 enterprise in the world by next year.

Xiaomi has reportedly shipped 70 million smartphones until October this year. By this, it has managed to complete its shipment target for 2017. Recent reports have revealed that company has revised its shipments target to 90 million phones in 2017. With rumored smartphones like Redmi 5, Redmi 5 Plus and Redmi Note 5 that are expected to launch before the end of the year, it seems that the company will be available to achieve it.

The Chinese firm has also completed its target of 100-billion-yuan sales for 2017. A recent IDC survey has revealed that the company is holding the fifth position in the worldwide smartphone rankings for Q3 2017. In the said quarter, it shipped 27.6 million handsets which has allowed the company to achieve a year-over-year growth of up to 102.6 percent. The market share of the company has also increased from 3.7 percent in Q3 2016 to 7.4 percent in Q3 2017.

Now that the company is now on a remarkable streak, it has high plans for 2018. After unveiling the new store, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun said to the Chinese media, “Xiaomi has an even bolder plan to become a top 500 enterprise in the world in 2018.” He also expects that the revenue of the company will surpass 1 trillion yuan in a decade.

Fortune Global 500 is the annual list of top 500 global companies compiled by Fortune Magazine features couple of Chinese companies. The Fortune Global 500 list for 2017 includes unprecedented number of115 companies from China. The list has China Mobile Communications ranking at 47 and Huawei Investment & Holding is placed at 83. The list includes other Chinese companies like Tencent Holdings, Alibaba Group Holding, and more. Going by the current progress of the company, it seems that it will make it to the Fortune 500 list.

(source)

Nokia 5 With 3GB RAM Launched In India, Priced At Rs. 13,499

By

Jeet

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Nov 6, 2017

HMD Global has today announced the launch of a new variant of Nokia 5 smartphone in the Indian market. This new variant of the mid-range smartphone packs 3GB of RAM and comes with full metal unibody design.

The original variant of the smartphone, which was launched in India in June this year and went on sale in August, featured 2GB RAM. Apart from RAM, all remaining specifications of the smartphone remains unchanged.

The Nokia 5 features a 5.2-inch HD IPS LCD display with screen resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels and 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass protection . Under the hood, the device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor along with 3GB of LPDDR3 RAM. It has 16GB of internal storage and supports microSD card for expanding storage up to 128GB.

There is a 13-megapixel rear camera with PDAF and 1.12um pixel size along with f/2.0 aperture and dual tone flash. It also has an 8-megapixel front-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture. The smartphone runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat out-of-the-box with a promised upgrade to Android Oreo. The company has also assured that the Nokia 5 and other Nokia Android smartphones will get the Android P update next year as well.

The smartphone is fueled by a 3,000mAh battery. Connectivity options on the dual SIM smartphone include 4G LTE, VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, and USB OTG. It also comes with Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer (G-sensor), E-compass, Gyroscope, Fingerprint Sensor.

The 3GB RAM variant of Nokia 5 comes just after HMD Global announced the Nokia 2 smartphone with 5-inch display and Snapdragon 212 processor. It packs just 1GB of RAM and only 8GB of internal storage. Fueled by a 4,100mAh battery, it also comes with IP52 certifications, making the smartphone splash proof.

The original Nokia 5, which comes with 2GB of RAM, is priced at Rs. 12,899 (~$200) in India. The Nokia 5 with 3GB RAM has been priced at Rs. 13,499 in India and will be available in two color options — Matte Black and Tempered Blue.

It will be exclusively available online via Flipkart for the first week, and will go on sale from tomorrow — November 7. Later, from November 14 onward, the smartphone will also be available in select retails stores across India.

Panasonic Eluga A4 Priced at Rs. 12,490 Arrives with 5,000mAh Battery

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Nov 6, 2017

Panasonic is reportedly planning to launch more than 10 devices under the Rs. 15,000 (~$232) in India. Also, the company has said that it will be spending Rs. 200 crore on the marketing of its new smartphones. The company has now unveiled a new smartphone called Eluga A4 that has arrived to take on the likes of Redmi Note 4 and Lenovo K8 Plus.

Panasonic Eluga A4 Specifications and Features

The Eluga A4 has a 5.2-inch screen that produces an HD resolution of 720 x 1080 pixels. The screen is placed under 2.5D curved glass. The MediaTek MT6737 that features a quad-core processor is present under the hood along with 3 GB of RAM. It has an internal storage of 32 GB. For additional storage, users can add a microSD card to its external storage. It houses a huge battery of 5,000mAh capacity.

The handset is running on Android 7.0 Nougat and it features the company’s AI assistant called ABRO that can make suggestions to the users on the basis of their usage patterns. A 13-megapixel camera resides on the backside of the phone. It has a front-facing snapper of 5-megapixel. The connectivity features available on the Eluga A4 include dual-SIM support, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, USB OTG, Bluetooth and GPS.

Panasonic Eluga A4 Pricing and Availability

The Panasonic Eluga A4 carries a price tag of Rs 12,490 (~$193). It can be availed in color like Champagne Gold, Mocha Gold and Maine Blue. The smartphone can be purchased offline through authorized dealers of the company.

In September, Panasonic had two Eluga series phones. The Eluga Ray 500 is one of the most affordable dual camera smartphones in India with a price tag of Rs. 8,999 (~$139). The Eluga Ray 700 that was unveiled alongside houses a 5,000mAh battery and is priced at Rs. 9,999 (~$155).

Galaxy Note 8 Enterprise Edition Now Available in the U.S.

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Nov 6, 2017

A new business-centric version of the Galaxy Note 8 is now available for buying in the U.S. called the Galaxy Note 8 Enterprise Edition. Samsung had debuted this new model in South Korean and Germany in the previous month and now it has also landed in the U.S.

The appearance and the specifications of the Galaxy Note 8 Enterprise Edition are same as its regular variant. However, it comes with three-year license for Samsung Knox Configure as well as Enterprise Firmware OTA (e-FOTA) updates. The business-focused phablet will be also receiving monthly security patches for the next three years. Also, it comes with three years of warranty, instead of just two.

The Galaxy Note 8 Enterprise Edition will be available unlocked in the U.S. through authorized channel partners of the South Korean company. It carries a price tag of $994.

The phablet features a 6.3-inch QHD+ S-AMOLED Infinity Display. It is driven by Snapdragon 835 chipset along with 6 GB of RAM and it includes Cat. 16 LTE modem. Its dual rear camera system includes a OIS enabled 12-megapixel wide-angle lens and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens with 2x zoom and OIS. It has a front-facing camera of 8-megapixel and an iris scanner. It includes a 3,300mAh battery that supports wireless charging feature. The Note 8 also comes with a S Pen stylus.

(source)

IDC Research: Apple, Amazon Tablet Sales Grow, But Overall Tablet Sales Continue to Decline

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Nov 6, 2017

IDC research firm has revealed the results of the tablet sales for the third quarter of 2016. According to IDC’s survey, even though the sales of Apple tablets have increased, the overall sales of tablet have been declining. The sales report for Q3 2016 reveals that the tablet manufacturing companies have encountered declined sales for the 12^th consecutive quarter.

IDC’s report states that 40 million tablets were shipped in Q3 this year. However, 42.3 million tablets were shipped in the third quarter of 2016. This shows the consistent drop in the shipments that the tablet industry is facing. As far as Q3 2017 is concerned, the tablet industry has saw an year-over-year decline of -26.3 percent.

Apple is at the top of the chart with a market share of 25.8 percent. The Cupertino-based firm has shipped 10.3 million units in 3Q17. Compared to Q3 2016, Apple has met with 11.4 percent year-over-year growth.

The second spot goes to Samsung that has shipped 6 million Galaxy A and Galaxy E tablets in Q3 this year. It holds a market share of 15 percent. Compared to the same quarter from the previous year, the South Korean company has encountered a year-over-year decline of -7.9 percent.

In Q3 2016, Amazon held a market share of 7.5 percent and it had shipped only 3.1 million tablets. Thanks to aggressive pricing, the third quarter has been quite good for the company as its tablet sales have allowed it to achieve a year-over-year growth of 38.7 percent. In Q317, Amazon shipped 4.4 million units and grew its market share by 10.9 percent.

Huawei and Lenovo are placed on the fourth and fifth positions in Q3 this year as both the companies have respectively shipped 3 million units. Huawei holds a market share of 7.5 percent and Lenovo is close on its heel with a market share of 7.4 percent.

In 2016, Lenovo had held the fourth spot in Q3 as it had sold 2.7 million tablets and its market share was 6.5 percent. Huawei was on fifth position with shipments of 2.5 percent and market share of 6 percent. In Q317, both the companies have respectively met with year-over-year growth of 18.8 percent and 8.9 percent.

The sizes of screen on smartphones have been increasing consistently. The recent trend of full screen design has allowed the companies to launch smartphones with larger displays by reducing the size of the bezels. It appears that large screen smartphones may eventually cannibalize the tablet sales. The only major innovation that the tablet industry has adopted in the recent past is 2-in-1 design that allow users to connect a keyboard to a tablet to use it like a laptop. In 2018, Apple may continue to rule the tablet industry as the forthcoming iPad Pro tables are expected to come equipped with TrueDepth Camera and Face ID that are available on the iPhone X.

(source)

Lenovo’s ZUK Edge Reportedly Gets ZUI 3.1 Update

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Nov 6, 2017

Lenovo may have rested the ZUK brand but the flagship model among the lot seems not to have been forgotten. Some users of the ZUK Edge in China have reportedly received the update to ZUK’s ZUI 3.1. This should come as a surprise because the brand has been rested and Lenovo seems not to be interested in pushing updates to the models. Instead, the tech giant uses the ZUI custom ROM for its revamped Moto line in China. The Moto Z2 Play in China was launched pre-installed with ZUI 3.0 and the company had hinted earlier on that it would utilise ZUI ROM for the Moto line in China were custom ROM reigns supreme.

The ZUK Edge comes pre-installed with ZUI based on Android Nougat, perhaps that is why it still gets updated. Instead of ZUI 3.0 which the Moto Z2 Play runs, the new update is named differently as ZUI 3.1. We don’t expect the previous ZUK models like the ZUK Z1 and Z2 to get this same update. For one, the ZUK Z1 has remained stuck on Android Lollipop-based ZUI 2.1 and outside China, on stock Android 5.1 Lollipop while the ZUK Z2, fair enough, has got the update to Android Nougat but both may never get updates especially the ZUK Z1 that never got updated out of Android Lollipop.

The ZUI 3.1 update brings on new features like a richer display screen, security centre search, memo cloud sync, U health access interrogation capabilities and lots more. It also includes large and small bug fixes and optimization. This latest update could be an indication that the last may not have been heard of the ZUK brand. Could there be a possibility of Lenovo launching a second-gen ZUK Edge model? We somehow hope that happens soon.

(source)

Essential Phone Gets Yet Another Price Cut, Available For $449.99

By

Jeet

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Nov 6, 2017

Earlier this year, Android co-founder Andy Rubin launched smartphone brand Essential and its first smartphone — Essential Phone. The smartphone was launched in May this year, with a price tag of ₹699.

Recently, the phone received a price cut of $200, bringing the effective price of the smartphone to $499. Now, the US-based retailer BestBuy has cut down the price of Essential Phone by another $50 and it is now available for just $449.99.

Along with the Essential Phone PH-1, the 360-degree camera accessory also received a price cut, but it seems to have gone out of stock for now. However, it appears that the discount is not official as Essential is still selling the smartphone for $499.

While cutting down the pricing of the Essential Phone, the company had not revealed the reason. However, it is believed that the company could be struggling to make its mark given that there are many popular flagship smartphones in the market such as LG V30, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Apple iPhone 8, Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL.

Essential Phone features a 5.7-inch bezel-less display that comes with a screen resolution of 2560 x 1312 pixels and an unusual aspect ratio of 19:10. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, along with 4GB of RAM 128GB of internal storage.

The smartphone features a dual camera system at the back, which includes a pair of f/1.85 aperture 13-megapixel sensors — one is monochrome lens while the other one is RGB lens. It also has a f/2.2 aperture 8-megapixel front-facing camera.

It is fueled by a 3,040mAh battery. On the back of the phone, there is a set of magnetic pins that hold Essential modules just like Motorola’s Moto Mods. The 360-degree camera is the only module available for now but the company says they will release new accessories every few months.

There is NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type-C and stereo speakers. The phone runs on Android 7.1 Nougat operating system out of the box with planned update to Android 8.0 Oreo.

At the time of announcing the launch, the company promised that Essential Phone will receive guaranteed updates for two years. It will also get monthly security updates for the next 3 years.

(Source)

OnePlus 5T Launch Event Will be Held in New York

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Nov 6, 2017

Evan Blass had recently claimed that the company would be holding a launch event later this month to unveil the upcoming OnePlus 5T phone. One of the recent images shared by OnePlus as hinted on the location where the OnePlus 5T unveil event will be held.

Guess which city we're going to party in for the #OnePlus5T launch! pic.twitter.com/su68h87kQS

— OnePlus (@oneplus) November 5, 2017

In the above tweet, the company is asking its fans to guess on the city where the OnePlus 5T launch event will be held. According to Phone Arena, the location shown in the image suggests that the unveil event may be held at Manhattan, New York City.

Until now, OnePlus has revealed only few features of the upcoming OnePlus 5T. It will be retaining the standard 3.5mm audio jack and its physical dimensions are going to be very similar to the OnePlus 5 phone. This could be because it is speculated to arrive with a full screen design. As far as the appearance of the OnePlus 5T is concerned, it is rumored to appear like the recently announced OPPO R11s that sports a full screen design.

The GFXBench listing of the OnePlus 5T has revealed that it has a 6.01-inch screen that produces a FHD+ resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels. It indicates that the smartphone would be delivering an aspect ratio of 18:9. A real OnePlus 5T handset with full screen design was reportedly spotted at the OnePlus booth at the recent held Paris Game Week.

The GFXBench listing of the OnePlus 5T has also revealed that the Snapdragon 835 chipset would be powering the OnePlus 5T. It would be coming in RAM and storage options like 6 GB RAM / 64 GB storage and 8 GB RAM / 128 GB storage. Its front-facing camera will be of 20-megapixel and its rear may house dual camera setup featuring a 16-megapixel sensor and a 20-megapixel sensor.

(via)