Motorola’s Moto X4 To Launch In India On November 13

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Nov 2, 2017

Japanese PC manufacturer announced today that it has agreed to merge its struggling PC business with that of Chinese giant, Lenovo.

News of a possible merger was first reported last year but Fujitsu didn’t agree to sign a deal with the world’s largest PC maker until today. The merger also includes the Development Bank of Japan.

All three members of the merger will form a joint venture with a sum of 17.85 billion Yen (~$156 million). Lenovo will hold 51% of Fujitsu’s PC arm while the Development Bank of Japan will control 5%.

The deal will result in a restructuring that will result in up to 3200 job losses and will allow Fujitsu divert more of its resources into its IT services which is doing well.

The announcement also caused Fujitsu’s stock to fall by 2% after initially rising by 7.8% last month following news of a deal with Lenovo.

Fujitsu’s initial plan was to form a merger with other failing Japanese PC manufacturers such as Toshiba and Vaio but sadly, a deal didn’t materialize.

Xiaomi Launches The 399-Yuan ($60) Sherlock M1 Smart Lock Under Crowdfunding

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Nov 2, 2017

Xiaomi has announced yet another nice product under the MIJIA crowdfunding platform. The product is the Sherlock M1 Smart Lock and it is the 125th crowdfunding product Xiaomi is announcing this year. The smart lock comes with a decent price tag of 399 Yuan (~$60).

The Sherlock M1 Smart Lock comes as a smart sticker attached to the main lock and which can be controlled using an app. All that needs to be done is to affix the smart lock to the inside of the general anti-theft lock M1 and you can control the door through the Mi home app. There will be no need to make any changes to the anti-theft lock. After installing the gadget on the lock, the app can then be used to control the lock and this wouldn’t stop it from opening manually from the outside with a physical key. But there is an anti-lock mode where the door can only b unlocked using the app.

The gadget allows the homeowner to set different virtual keys which can then be distributed to different members of the home. The virtual keys can be given an expiration date or can be deleted at any time by the main owner. It also has built-in home custom security chip (MJSC) and each chip has a unique private key and certificate. The security chip also ensures there is a two-way encrypted communication only between the app and the gadget.

The device is already available on the crowdfunding platform.

OPPO F5 Launched In India, F5 Youth Also Announced

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Nov 2, 2017

One week after launching the F5 in the Philippines, OPPO has launched the selfie-focused model for the Indian market. OPPO F5 will be sold exclusively on Flipkart in India online but that wouldn’t stop the model from being sold offline via the numerous brand partners OPPO has got scattered across India.

The major highlight of the F5 is the 18:9 full-screen design as well as the AI-powered beautification features coupled with a large 20MP selfie camera. As you would expect, the models launched in India is the same as that of the Philippines. But in addition to the F5, OPPO also announced the OPPO F5 Youth Edition with a similar 6-inch display and AI beautification features. The F5 Youth will be launched in India in December, but no other details of the smartphone are available at the moment.

For those not conversant with the model, the OPPO F5 features a 6.0-inch LTPS TFT display with a resolution of 2160 x 1080 (FHD+) and an 18:9 aspect ratio. The reduced bezels and aspect ratio make the device look less bulky like the F3 Plus which it shares the same display size with. The device is powered by MediaTek’s latest Helio P23 SoC and is available in two memory variants – 4GB RAM +32GB ROM and 6GB RAM + 64GB ROM. Both versions have a dedicated MicroSD card slot for up to an additional 256GB storage.

The OPPO F5 packs a 3,200mAh battery and comes with two nano SIM slots, dual-band Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.2. The device runs the new ColorOS 3.2 based on Android 7.1.2 Nougat which brings new features such as O-Share – a wireless transfer technology between OPPO devices; gaming DND; Night Shield which lets you choose between normal, warm, and black and white modes so your eyes are protected and face unlock.

OPPO F5 Price in India & Release date

As for the prices, the 4GB RAM + 32GB variant is priced at Rs. 19.990 in India and this variant will be available in a Gold and Black colours. The higher-end 6GB RAM and 64GB inbuilt storage variant will sell for Rs. 24,990 and is available in Red and Black colours. Online sales for the 4GB RAM version will start from November 9 on Flipkart while offline sales would commence shortly after. The 6GB RAM variant will only be available from December.

New Xiaomi Bluetooth Selfie Stick Announced for ¥79 (~$12)

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Nov 2, 2017

A new Xiaomi Bluetooth selfie stick was announced today. This is Xiaomi’s third selfie stick. Its first selfie stick was released last year and was followed by a Bluetooth tripod selfie stick with a dedicated remote this year.

The new Xiaomi Bluetooth selfie stick improves upon last year’s model by throwing in Bluetooth connectivity instead of using a 3.5mm connector.

The selfie stick maintains the same rugged build as its predecessors. The stick is built of anodized aluminium alloy and has a rubber grip. When extended it measures 70cm, and 18cm when folded. It is also pretty light at 133g. The bracket can be rotated up to 270° and does well in keeping your phone in place.

Xiaomi doesn’t state the battery capacity of the selfie stick but says there is a LED light that lets you know the battery level. When it flashes red, then the stick needs to be recharged. A static red light means it is charging and a static blue light means it is full.

MIUI 9 Global ROM Rollout Begins on November 3; List of Compatible Phones Confirmed

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Nov 2, 2017

Earlier today, Xiaomi had unveiled the new Redmi Y series selfie-centric smartphones. Apart from the Redmi Y1 and Redmi Y1 Lite phones, the company also announced the arrival of the Global ROM of MIUI 9.

The MIUI 9 Global ROM includes tons of improvements and new features. As far as performance is concerned, Xiaomi claims it that it as fast as stock Android. A Xiaomi spokesperson said, “We compared it with Samsung, and found we’re faster than TouchWiz. We also did a comparison of Redmi Note 4 with the Mi A1 because basically they’re the same hardware: one on MIUI 9 and another on stock Android. In terms of app launch times, we found it’s about the same.” One should be aware of the fact that even Google has launched Android 8.0 Oreo, the new MIUI 9 is based on Android Nougat OS.

Xiaomi MIUI 9 Features

Xiaomi MIUI 9 includes a Smart Assistant which can be accessed by swiping in the upwards direction from the home screen. It features a split-screen mode and it also brings along 21 new animated icons. The photo editing app includes new smart editing tools. As far as optimization is concerned, the MIUI 9 brings improved touch feedback, CPU acceleration, Wi-Fi speed boast, new file system management and enhanced management of background activities.

Xiaomi MIUI 9 Global Compatible Devices

The following Xiaomi devices will be receiving the stable version of MUI 9.

Xiaomi Mi MIX 2, MI MIX
Xiaomi Mi 6, Mi 5S Plus, Mi 5S, Mi 5, Mi 4i, Mi 4i, Mi 3, Mi 2
Xiaomi Mi Note 3, Mi Note 2, Mi Note
Xiaomi Mi Max 2, Mi Max Prime, Mi Max,
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A, Redmi Note 4X, Redmi Note 4, Redmi Note 3, Redmi Note 2, Redmi Note 4G Prime, Redmi Note 4G
Xiaomi Redmi 4, Redmi 4X, Redmi 4 Prime, Redmi 4, Redmi 4A, Redmi 3S Prime, Redmi 3S, Redmi 3, Redmi 2 Prime, Redmi 2
Xiaomi Redmi Y1, Redmi Y1 Lite

Among the above listed devices, the Mi MIX 2, Redmi Note 4 and Mi Max 2 are going to receive the MIUI 9 Global ROM from Nov. 3. All the compatible devices will be upgraded to MIUI 9 by the end of this month.

ASUS Pegasus 4S Arrives with 18:9 Display, Massive Battery

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Nov 2, 2017

In the previous month, ASUS X018DC smartphone was spotted with a full screen design at TENAA. The smartphone has been now unveiled as the ASUS Pegasus 4S smartphone.

The ASUS Pegasus 4S has a full metallic chassis. Going by the trend of current smartphones, the Taiwanese company has included a 5.7-inch display that supports 18:9 aspect ratio. The screen produces an HD+ resolution of 720 x 1440 pixels. The display is tucked under a 2.5D curved glass. The side bezels are very slim and the reduced bezel at the top and bottom makes it look like the Galaxy S8. The device measures 152.6 x 72.7 x 8.8mm and its weigh is 160 grams.

The MediaTek MT6750T chipset hat features an octa-core processor that clocks at 1.5 GHz is present under the hood of the phone. It will be available in two versions. The advanced model features 4 GB of RAM + 64 GB of storage whereas the base model is equipped with 3 GB of RAM + 32 GB of storage. The rear panel of the phone features a fingerprint reader.

The backside of the Pegasus 4S is equipped with a dual camera system featuring a 16-megapixel sensor and an 8-megapixel sensor. The dual cameras are equipped with features like autofocus, LED flash and full HD video shooting. It is fitted with an 8-megapixel camera for shooting selfies. There is no information available on the official release date of the Pegasus 4S. It is preinstalled with Android 7.0 Nougat OS. It is packed with a huge battery of 4,030mAh capacity.

It is a dual-SIM phone that carries support for FDD-LTE / TD-LTE / W-CDMA / TD-SCDMA / CDMA2000 / GSM networks. It also carries support for VoLTE. As of this writing, there is no information available on the pricing and the release date of Pegasus 4S phone. It will be available in China in colors like Star Black and Gold.

Vivo Y79 With 24MP Front-Facing Camera Launched In China At 2,498 Yuan

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Nov 2, 2017

Vivo has today launched a new smartphone in its home country China — Vivo Y79. Apparently, this is the re-branded model of Vivo V7+ with processor being the only difference in terms of specs.

The smartphone comes with a 6-inch full-screen HD “FullView” display with screen resolution of 1440 x 720 pixels, and an aspect ratio of 18:9. The display covers around 84.4 percent area on the font panel. The bezels surrounding the display are thin at the sides, and highly reduced at the top and bottom edges.

Powering the handset is Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 625 octa-core processor, clocked at 2.0GHz. It is coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot for expanding storage up to 256GB.

There is a 13-megapixel camera with f/2.0 aperture and a dual LED flash on the back, placed at the top left region. It is capable of capturing of 64-megapiel Ultra HD photos with topnotch clarity. There is also a fingerprint sensor at the back for added security measures.

On the front, the Vivo Y79 comes with a 24-megapixel Moonlight selfie camera with f/2.0 aperture and 1/2.78-inch sensor. The LED flash alongside the front camera module provides ‘Moonlight Glow’ soft selfie light in locations with dim lighting.

The front camera can capture optimized selfies as it comes with Face Beauty 7.0 that studies the features of face and captures the details. There is also a Portrait Mode which can blur the background by focusing fully on the subject.

Along with the fingerprint sensor, there is a Face Wake feature — a new biometric feature that can be used to unlock the device by scanning the face. The smartphone is fueled by a 3,225mAh battery.

It runs on the company’s own FunTouch OS, based on Android 7.1.2 Nougat. The company says that the phone has a unique ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode for gaming which prevents interreption of calls, messages, etc. when a user is playing games.

The Vivo Y79 has been priced at 2,498 Yuan and will be available in four color options — Black, Rose Gold, Matte Black and Champagne Gold.

Pre-orders for the smartphone have started at Vivo Mall, Vivo’s Official Stores on TMall and JD.com. The smartphone will be available from November 11th.

OPPO R11s and OPPO R11s Plus Official: Brings Full Screen Displays, 20MP AI Selfie Beauty Cameras & ColorOS 3.2

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Nov 2, 2017

BBK Electronics-owned OPPO has taken the wraps off its new smartphones – the R11s and R11s Plus. Both phones are refreshed variants of the R11 and R11 Plus released back in June.

OPPO R11s & R11s Plus Design

The biggest change in the new phones are the full-screen (18:9) displays which have replaced the traditional 16:9 displays and given the phones a new look. There also are some changes in the camera and battery departments but not enough to warrant a change if you already own the OPPO R11 or R11 Plus.

The switch to 18:9 displays means the R11s and R11s Plus look different. The fingerprint scanners have been pushed to the back, thanks to the reduced bezels. Connectivity ports and microphones are still in the same position but now sit in a groove.

OPPO R11s & OPPO R11s Plus Specs

On the rear we still have dual cameras which are slightly raised with a LED flash on the right. Keeping them company is the fingerprint scanner. OPPO has also ditched the double-line design of the antenna lines for a single thick one.

The OPPO R11s has a 6.01” 2160 x 1080 display. It is powered by the Snapdragon 660 SoC and paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.

The rear cameras are a combination of a 20MP f/1.7 sensor and a 16MP f/1.7 sensor. The front facing camera is still a 20MP sensor but now has AI features that add some few tricks. The AI Beauty works the same way as that of the OPPO F5. You get over 200 facial enhancements, scene detection, and portrait mode.

The OPPO R11s also packs a 3205mAh battery with support for VOOC fast charging technology. It comes with the new Color OS 3.2 based on Android 7.1.2 Nougat which brings new features like Night Shield, face unlock, and a smart gallery that categorizes images according to the faces, time, location, scenes etc.

The R11 Plus on the other hand has a larger 6.43” screen, beating the unreleased Gionee M7 Plus to clinch the title of largest full-screen display. It is powered by the Snapdragon 660 too but gets 6GB of RAM. Storage is still 64GB though. Camera configuration is the same as the R11s but there is a larger 4,000mAh battery under the hood.

HTC U11 Life Android One and Sense Versions are Official with Budget Pricing

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Nov 2, 2017

HTC has not only unveiled the U11+ flagship phone today, but also it has introduced the U11 Life mid-range phone. The smartphone comes in Android One and Sense versions.

Design and Display

The HTC U11 Life’s Android One and Sense versions are almost identical in appearance. It bears resemblance with the U11 flagship phone. The IP67 rated phone sports a metal unibody design and comes in colors like Sapphire Blue and Brilliant Black. It measures 149.09 x 72.9 x 8.1mm and it weighs 142 grams.

Like the U-series phones from the company, the U11 Life also features the Liquid Surface design on its rear. The back panel also features a fingerprint reader. The squeezable frame on the HTC U11 Life can be used for quickly launching favorite apps and contacts. It has a 5.2-inch Super LCD screen that produces full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.

Performance, Connectivity and Cameras

The Snapdragon 630 chipset is present under the hood of the HTC U11 Life. It includes a 2,600mAh battery. It does not feature 3.5mm audio jack, but the box package of the phone provides users with USB-C enabled U-Sonic headphones. The connectivity features present on the U11 Life include LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GPS and GLONASS.

The f/2.0 aperture 16-megapixel camera sitting on the backside of the U11 Life carries support for 4K video shooting. It is enabled with features like LED flash and PDAF. The front-facing f/2.0 aperture 16-megapixel camera is capable of shooting only full HD videos.

Variants and Pricing

In the U.S., the HTC U11 Life driven by 3 GB of RAM along with 32 GB of storage will be available with Sense UI flavored Android 7.1 Nougat OS. The company has promised to release Android 8.0 Oreo for it within 30 days.

This model features Amazon Alexa as well as Google Assistant and it is fitted with Cat. 9 LTE modem that offers download speeds of 450Mbps. The unlocked U11 Life is priced at $350 in the U.S and the country will be receiving it in a single color version of Sapphire Blue. The phone can be purchased through HTC’s official site and T-Mobile in the U.S. starting from Nov. 3. In Canada, the U11 Life carries a pricing of $449 CAD and can be bought through the offical site.

Europe and the rest of the world will be receiving the Android One edition of U11 Life that comes pre-installed with stock version of Android 8.0 Oreo from day one along with 4 GB of RAM and an internal storage of 64 GB. It features Cat. 11 LTE modem that supports maximum download speeds of 600 Mbps. Also, the phone will be arriving in both colors in global markets. The phone is available on pre-orders in the U.K. starting from today with a pricing of £349 through the official site of HTC.

OnePlus Seemingly Confirms OnePlus 5T Name For Its Upcoming Smartphone

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Nov 2, 2017

Lately, rumors related to the upcoming smartphone from OnePlus have been making rounds. The smartphone is believed to be the OnePlus 5T and now, it seems that the company has confirmed this name.

OnePlus has sent out a tweet which reads, “Oh look, five cups of…”. Along with that, the company has attached an image of five cups filled with what looks like “tea”. This leads us to believe that the upcoming smartphone from the company, which is expected to launch this month is indeed the OnePlus 5T.

The company has been building the hype around the arrival of OnePlus 5T through social media. Recently, OnePlus’ CEO posted about Optic OLED technology for displays, which many have received as a hint for the display of OnePlus 5T. Recently, OnePlus posted an image on Facebook, boasting presence of the 3.5mm audio jack on all of its smartphones launched so far.

Once launched, the OnePlus 5T is expected to replace the current flagship smartphone from the company — OnePlus 5. In fact, OP5 has already gone out of stock in almost every region, except India.

The OnePlus 5T smartphone is expected to come with a 6-inch display with 2160 x 1080 pixels resolution and an aspect ratio of 18:9. Under the hood, it will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 octa-core processor — the same one that powers the OnePlus 5.

As it is expected to feature a full-screen bezel-less display, the fingerprint sensor will be mounted at the back. It is likely to be fueled by a 3,450mAh battery.

It will have 8GB RAM and 128GB onboard storage. There could be another variant with 6GB RAM and 64GB internal storage. As of the camera, the smartphone is expected to feature a 20-megapixel + 16-megapixel dual camera setup at the rear while on the front, there will be a 20-megapixel selfie shooter.

While there have been several leaks surrounding the device, the company has not yet officially confirmed the device. The OnePlus 5T is speculated to launch on November 16 in New York.

(Source)

Xiaomi Redmi Y1 And Redmi Y1 Lite Selfie-Centric Smartphones Launched In India

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Nov 2, 2017

At a press event in New Delhi, Xiaomi has today introduced a new selfie-centric smartphone series — Redmi Y. Under this lineup, the company has launched two smartphones — Xiaomi Redmi Y1 and Redmi Y1 Lite.

The Xiaomi Redmi Y1 features a 5.5-inch HD display with a screen resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. There is a layer of Gorilla Glass on top of the display, protecting it from minor scratches.

Under the hood, the smartphone is powered by a 1.4 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 octa-core 64-bit processor, paired with Adreno 505 GPU. It is available in two variants — 3GB RAM + 32GB internal storage and 4GB RAM + 64GB onboard storage. It also has a microSD card slot for further expanding the storage capacity.

The Redmi Y1 comes with a 16-megapixel front-facing camera, with 76.4-degrees wide-angle lens, “LED Selfie” light, and f/2.0 aperture. On the back, it has a 13-megapixel camera with phase detection autofocus, dual LED and f/2.2 aperture.

Xiaomi says that the high-resolution front camera paired with the “LED Selfie” light simulates effects of natural lighting, and captures sharper and more vibrant self-portraits.

Coming to the software, the device runs on Android 7.1.2 Nougat-based MIUI 9, which was launched in India alongside this smartphone. At the back, there is a circular fingerprint sensor and also comes with an IR blaster. It is powered by a 3,080mAh non-removable battery.

Along with this, Xiaomi has also launched a toned-down version of the phone — Redmi Y1 Lite. Apart from the processor and memory, most of the specs on Redmi Y1 Lite are same as Redmi Y1. It is powered by a lighter Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor, and comes with 2GB of RAM along with 16GB of internal storage.

The Xiaomi Redmi Y1 will be available in two color options — Gold and Dark Grey. It is priced at Rs 8,999 (~$139) for the 3GB RAM + 32GB storage variant and Rs 10,999 (~$170) for 4GB RAM + 64GB storage model. The Xiaomi Redmi Y1 Lite is priced at Rs 6,999 (~$108).

Both the smartphones will be exclusively available online on Amazon India starting from November 8th. Subsequently, the devices will be available at Xiaomi’s offline stores and partner stores.

HTC U11+ Debuts with 18:9 Display, IP68 Certified Translucent Body & Squeezable Frame

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Nov 2, 2017

In May, HTC had launched the HTC U11 flagship phone and today it has unveiled the HTC U11+ phone with improved specs. It sports the trendy full screen design and retains the squeezable frame feature that was first made available on the U11.

Design and Display

When it comes to appearance, the HTC U11+ looks like a taller version of U11. It measures 158.5 x 74.9 x 8.5mm and weighs 188 grams. The IP68 certified chassis of the phone has a glossy and reflective Liquid Surface design on the rear panel. It comes in color choices like Ceramic Black, Amazing Silver and Translucent Black which sports a semi-transparent rear. The fingerprint scanner resides reside on the back panel of the phone.

The HTC U11+ has a 6-inch Super LCD-6 display that carries support for HDR10 and DCI-P3 color gamut. The 18:9 screen produces a resolution of 2880 x 1440 pixels. It delivers a screen-to-body ratio of 78 percent. The bezels of the phone are not very slim, but are certainly thinner than the ones present on the U11.

Chipset, RAM and Battery

Like other flagship phones of 2017, the U11+ is also powered by the Snapdragon 835 chipset. Its 4 GB RAM model has 64 GB of storage whereas the 6 GB RAM variant has 128 GB of storage. Both the variants include a dedicated microSD card slot. A 3,930mAh capacity battery that is enabled with Quick Charge 3.0 fuels the new flagship phone from HTC.

Camera and Other Features

The HTC U11+ has a 12-megapixel with f/1.7 aperture sitting on its rear panel. Its features include 1.4µm pixels, UltraSpeed autofocus, OIS and dual-LED flash. It allows users to shoot 4K videos with Hi-Res audio. The front panel features a f/2.0 aperture 8-megapixel selfie camera that supports 85-degree field of view and full HD video shooting.

The HTC U11+ is the company’s first phone to arrive preloaded with Android 8.0 Oreo that is customized with Sense UI. The Edge Sense feature allow users to squeeze the frame of the phone to access favorite apps, contacts and some settings.

The HTC U11+ does not feature 3.5mm audio jack. Hence, HTC is providing ANC enabled USonic headphones with the phone that can be connected to the USB-C port of the phone. The smartphone also features BoomSound speakers that are 30 percent louder than the ones present on U11.

The Cat. 15 LTE modem present inside the U11+ can deliver maximum download speeds of 800 Mbps. The other connectivity features of the U11+ include Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, NFC, GPS and GLONASS.

Pricing and Availability

HTC will be selling the U11+ in select markets in Europe and Asia. However, it won’t be landing in the U.S. It will be available with a pricing of 799 euros (~$929) in Europe.

Xiaomi Redmi 5 Pricing Rumored to Start at 799 Yuan for 3GB RAM

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Nov 2, 2017

Recent reports have spilled a lot of information on the rumored Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus. Now, the rumor mill has leaked some interesting information on the Redmi 5 phone.

According to a Chinese publication, MDT1 and MDE1 Xiaomi phones that were previously spotted on China’s TENAA certification body have received 3C certification. The 3C certification of MDT1 and MDE1 have revealed that these Xiaomi devices will carry support for 5V/2A charging. Also, they will be supporting all the carriers in China. The publication claims that these phones that are being manufactured by Wing Tech ODM may launch as Redmi 5.

The report continues to mention that it has a 5.7-inch display that supports HD+ resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels along with support for 18:9 aspect ratio. It is speculated to be driven by Snapdragon 450. It features a front camera of 6-megapixel and a rear camera of 8-megapixel.

There seems to be some discrepancies in the aforementioned specs for Redmi 5 because Redmi series have always featured 5-inch displays. Hence, the rumored Redmi 5 may continue to house a 5-inch screen. As previous reports have claimed, the Redmi 5 Plus may arrive with a 5.7-inch full screen display and it speculated to arrive with 13-megapixel dual rear cameras. It is expected to be available with a starting price of 999 Yuan (~$151).

The base model of the Redmi 5 is likely to cost 799 Yuan (~$121) and it is pegged to feature 3 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage. On the other hand, the higher variant may house 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage and it may carry a price tag of 899 Yuan (~$136).

Xiaomi is rumored to fulfil its goal of shipping 90 million smartphones by the end of 2017. Speculations are rife that the new Redmi phones would be made available for buying during the upcoming Singles’ Day (Nov. 11) online shopping festival. Do you think that this strategy will help the company to achieve its goal year? Share us your views by commenting below.

(source)

Oppo Patents A Smartphone Design With Foldable Display

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Nov 2, 2017

Many smartphone manufacturers, including Samsung and Huawei are attempting to make a smartphone with foldable display. And now, we have come across another Chinese smartphone maker trying something similar.

Oppo has filed a patent in China for a smartphone design that has a bendable display. About 25 percent to 35 percent of the display from the top appears to be foldable. The images suggest that the foldable part of the screen can be flipped forward as well as backwards.

It seems that the display sits on top of a fixed chassis in which the break is connected through hinges, allowing the display to make a ‘U’ bend. At the top of the display, there is a camera module, which can be used as a front-facing as well as rear-facing snapper by bending the display forward and backward.

However, using a single camera module as a front and rear camera is not a new concept. But, the way it is being implemented is different. In 2013, Oppo N1 was launched with featured a rotating camera module that can spin 206 degrees, allowing users to use it on the back and front of the phone. Following that, Gionee had also launched a smartphone with a rotating camera module — Gionee Elife E7 Mini.

Recently, ZTE launched Axon M — a folding smartphone with two full-sized displays. When folded, one screen lights up for regular usage and when it is flat, it goes into “Extended Mode” which utilizes both displays.

The patent filing from Oppo comes at a time when manufacturers are soon expected to launch devices with foldable or flexible display. Samsung is rumored to introduce a smartphone with foldable display as soon as next year. Recently, a report emerged claiming that Apple is partnering with LG Display for a foldable iPhone for the year 2020. Even Elephone is rumored to release a smartphone with flexible AMOLED.

While Oppo has filed for a patent of this foldable smartphone design, it does not mean that we would see such smartphone as many ideas that gets patented never materializes.

(Source)

Vivo X20 Adds More Colour To the Available Colour Options

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Nov 2, 2017

Vivo has announced a new Blue colour variant for the newly launched Vivo X20 full-screen flagship model. The brings to five the number of colour options users get to choose from. The X20 was initially announced with Matte Black, Black Gold and Rose Gold colours and the company recently announced a special Black and Gold combination variant.

The new Vivo X20 Blue variant will be available to buy from November 11. The Blue variant has the same price tag as the other models, standing at 2,998 Yuan ($452) for the 64GB model, with the higher-end 128GB storage variant going up for 3,398 Yuan ($513). The Blue colour variant is available in the 64GB storage option.

The Vivo X20 looks good in blue colour even though the bezels around the display still retain their black colour. As a reminder, the model features a 6.01-inch FHD display and is powered by the super-efficient Snapdragon 660 processor paired with 4GB of RAM while the internal memory is 64GB and a higher variant has 128GB storage onboard. The premium mid-ranger also packs a 12MP + 5MP dual main cameras while there is a capable 12MP selfie shooter up front. that is paired with a 12MP front-facing camera selfie cam. Keeping the lights on is a decent 3,250mAh non-removable battery while the interface is provided by Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box.

(source)

GMS Express is a Google, MediaTek Collaborative Effort for Providing Pre-Certified Android Builds to OEMs

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Nov 2, 2017

Manufacturing an Android device like a smartphone or a tablet and selling it is not an easy process. The Android OS is installed after building the device. Also, in order to ship the device with Google’s apps, it has to undergo compatibility certification tests by Google which can take around 3 months to complete. Google has collaborated with MediaTek to launch a new initiative called Google’s Mobile Services (GMS) Express in order to reduce the certification process time to 4 weeks from the usual duration of up to 3 months.

Android operating system is an open source product that allow developers to customize it to support different hardware configurations. However, this can make the Android OS differently on different devices. Hence, Google has laid down specific prerequisites to ensure that basic APIs and device functionality is consistent on different devices running on Android.

Google has a way of enforcing its requirements. It does it by providing its own apps which includes Google Play Store, Gmail, YouTube and so on. This way the search engine giant ensures that Android OEMs adhere to their rules.

If an Android build running on a device is unable to pass the certification process set by Google, such a device will not be able to run the various apps made available by Google. For major companies like Samsung, the certification process may not be a huge barrier in releasing their phones. However, as stated above, the entire process of certification can take up to 3 months for startup firms to release their devices into the market.

The GMS Express program will certainly help in reducing the time required for certification. In collaboration with MediaTek, Google will provide already tested, certified and fully complaint versions of Android builds to Android OEM. Devices running on such builds will have to undergo the last certification step as the code will is likely to get modified for including new features. However, it will allow Android OEMs to release their devices to the market quickly.

It will also benefit the end-user as they will be receiving a pre-tested and secure edition of Android. Since GMS is unavailable on Android devices in China, the new program is targeted towards device markers both inside and outside of China that are manufacturing devices for international markets like Europe and North America.

Razer Phone is Official: Packs Super Fast Display & A Superb Audio Experience

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Nov 1, 2017

Early this year, Razer acquired Nextbit, makers of the cloud phone – the Nextbit Robin. The acquisition spurred rumors that Razer was going to release its own smartphone. Tonight, at an event in London the gaming manufacturer unveiled its first smartphone – the Razer Phone.

The design of the Razer Phone reminds you of a Sony Xperia phone with its large bezels; and a black Nextbit Robin with the button and camera placements. Its body is built of anodized aluminum and comes in thick at 8mm. It weighs 197g and like some Xperia phones, can stand on its own in portrait or landscape mode.

Razer Phone Specs

The highlight of the Razer Phone is its display. Supplied by SHARP, the 5.7” QHD IGZO screen is the first globally available smartphone with a 120Hz refresh rate. Razer calls it an Ultramotion Display and likens it to NVIDIA’s G-SYNC. No lags, no tearing, and no buffering, all for a smooth gaming experience. Surprisingly, the display is protected by Gorilla Glass 3.

Like most Android flagships this year, the Razer phone is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835. It comes with 8GB of RAM as standard and 64GB of expandable storage.

The Razer phone also joins the bandwagon by coming with dual rear cameras. One is a 12MP F/1.75 wide angle lens and the other is a 12MP F/2.6 telephoto lens with 2X zoom. Razer says the camera has features like portrait mode and seamless zoom. The front camera is an 8MP F/2.2 sensor.

For a phone targeted at gamers, it is necessary it packs a sufficiently large battery. Razer doesn’t disappoint and includes a 4,000mAh battery. It also comes with support for Quick Charge 4.0+, making it the first phone to ship with the new fast-charging technology with a supported charger included. Quick Charge 4.0+ means you can go from 0 to 85% in just 1 hour.

A great gaming experience is incomplete without great audio. For the Razer Phone, there are dual front-facing speakers. The speakers occupy the whole length where you would usually find the bezels. The speakers have dedicated amplifiers, Dolby Atmos, and are certified by THX, another of Razer’s acquisitions.

The phone doesn’t have an audio jack, so you either have to use Bluetooth headphones (Bluetooth 4.2 with AptX) or USB-C earphones. However, it comes with a 3.5mm to USB-C audio connector with a 24-bit DAC. There is a fingerprint scanner embedded in its power button and a USB-C port at the bottom. It also has NFC.

The Razer Phone runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box with a custom Razer version of the popular launcher, Nova Launcher Prime. Razer says the phone will receive an update to Oreo in Q1 2018.

The phone has a library of specially made games that take advantage of its Ultramotion Display. Some of the games announced during the launch include Tekken, Final Fantasy XV, and Arena of Valor. A brand new game called Ultra Hunt was also demoed at the launch.

ZTE Voyage 5 Launched, Packs 5000mAh Battery and ¥1199 Price

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Nov 1, 2017

Two days ago, ZTE launched the Blade A3 smartphone and it keeps to the series’ tradition of bang for buck. If you don’t like the Blade A3, you may want to take a look at the Voyage 5, the second phone it launched this week.

The Voyage 5 is actually the ZTE A0620 seen on TENAA last week. It has a 5.2” display 720p resolution and comes in two variants – one with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage and the other has 4GB of RAM and 64GB ROM. Both are powered by the Snapdragon 425 mobile platform.

The highlight of the Voyage 5 is its massive 5,000mAh battery with support for fast charging and an intelligent power saving feature.

There is a fingerprint scanner that keeps a 13MP primary sensor company on the back and for selfies, you get a 5MP camera. The phone runs Android Nougat out of the box.

Xiaomi Mi Pad 3’s Successor is in Works, Confirms Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun

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