Advertisement

New Leaks Of Meizu Full Screen Phones M6S and M15 Plus Surface Online (Images and Specs)

Meizu has two full-screen phones in the works. One will be launched by its sub-brand mBlu and is currently called the Meizu M6S while the other is the Meizu 15 Plus which is its anniversary flagship. Fresh images and details of both devices have leaked online today.

Meizu M6S/mBlu S Full Screen Phone

This will be the first Meizu full-screen phone and is rumored to arrive in January. The phone has been spotted at the ministry of information with model number M712C, M712M, and M712Q. The three variants represent the various models available for China’s three network operators – China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom.

The model number is also proof this is the successor to the Meizu M6 released back in September. The M6’s model number is M711 and also comes in the C, Q, and M variants as above.

Meizu M6S specs

Some of the specs of the M712Q were revealed but they should apply to all three models. The phone measures 152 x 72.54 x 8.0 mm and has a 5.7” display. The dimensions translate into a display with an 18:9 aspect ratio.

The Meizu M712Q (M6S) will also come with a 2930mAh battery which is slightly smaller than the 3070mAh battery of the M6.

Meizu M6S black

Another set of live images of the phone have also surfaced online confirming that the phone will not keep its familiar mBack button. One of the image shows a black variant of the M6S with reduced bezels at the top and bottom.

The mBack button is missing but there is no picture of the rear. However, the second picture which shows a gold variant of the phone gives us a closer look at the power button which is said to now double as the fingerprint scanner.

Meizu M6S side fingerprint scanner

In a video leaked online last week, we saw that the Meizu M6S doesn’t have a fingerprint scanner on the rear and in front beneath the display. The biometric scanner has now been buried underneath the power button on the right side of the phone.

The Meizu M6S/mBlu S (M712x) is expected to be priced at about ¥1000 (~$152) just like its rival, the Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus. It is rumored to be powered by Samsung’s Exynos 7872 processor and will will come in 3GB + 32GB and 4GB + 64GB variants.

Meizu 15 Plus

The Meizu 15 Plus is a special edition flagship phone that will be launched to mark Meizu’s 15th anniversary. It will launch after the M6S and also feature a full-screen display. However, Meizu will be keeping the mBack button in its usual position based on the previous leaks as well as these new ones.

Meizu 15 Plus

The new images are of the gray variant of the phone. Even though the bezels are black, we can still see the mBack button sitting on the lower bezel in two of the images.

The third image shows the rear of the phone. There are two cameras stacked vertically and positioned in the middle just like we saw in a leak a few weeks ago. Below the sensors is a ring flash like that of the Meizu Pro 6.

Meizu 15 Plus rear

The back of the phone is made of metal. There are antenna lines at the top and bottom and Meizu’s logo in the middle.

READ MORE: Meizu Achieves More Than 50% Year-on-Year Growth in 2017

The Meizu 15 Plus is rumored to come with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor. Its sibling, the Meizu 15, which we hasn’t made a public appearance yet is said to be powered by the Snapdragon 660. Both phones are expected to arrive in March 2018.

(Sources: 1, 2)

 

 

Another Apple Engineer Joins Google, Fueling Rumors of Production Of In-house Mobile Chips

Barely six months after it was revealed that Google employed Manu Gulati, a former Apple CPU Architect, the company has been discovered to have drafted another Apple engineer into its team.  This time around, the tech giant has deployed chip designer John Bruno who until recently was in charge of Apple’s silicon competitive analysis group. Bruno’s team at Apple made sure that the chips used inside Apple devices like the iPhone and iPad were always ahead of those used by competitors.

John Bruno’s rich profile as seen on his LinkedIn account also included a stint at Advanced Micro Devices, where he was a head engineer before heading off to Apple. At AMD, he worked on the development of the Fusion line of chips the chip design at ATI. Presently, John Bruno’s LinkedIn profile shows that he is a “System Architect” for Google.

Read More: Chip Wars: Google Employs Former Apple CPU Architect To Lead Its Processor Department

Google is reportedly in the early stages of developing its own line of in-house mobile chips that would be utilised on future Pixel phones and other mobile devices. With such high-profile recruitment from Apple who unarguably has the best mobile chipsets in the market, we could see Google launching its own line of chips as early as next year. But we can’t say if Google will take the risk of introducing a relatively new chipset on its 2018 flagship Pixel phones.

(source)

Huawei Announces Refreshed MateBook D (2018) With Upgraded CPU, Graphics

Earlier this year, Huawei launched a trio of laptops — MateBook D, MateBook E, and MateBook X. The company has now announced a new refreshed edition of MateBook D, which is dubbed as Huawei MateBook D (2018). While the design of this new laptop remains same as its predecessor, it comes with upgraded CPU and graphics card.

This newly refreshed Huawei MateBook D (2018) features a metal unibody design and has a thickness of just 16.9mm. It comes with a 15.6-inch display with 83 percent screen-to-body ratio, just like the earlier model. The display carries a Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels) and has 178-degree viewing angle, 45 percent coverage of the NTSC colour gamut and a brightness 350 nits.

Huawei MateBook D (2018)

Internally, the laptop is powered by Intel‘s 8th Generation Core i5-8250U processor and comes with 8GB of RAM. The base model with Core i5 processor comes offers two options — one with 256GB SSD storage while another with 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD. The higher-end model is powered by Intel Core i7-8550U CPU, along with 8GB RAM and 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD storage.

Coming to the graphics processor, it packs Nvidia MX150 while the previous model packs Nvidia 940MX. The  MateBook D (2018) packs a 43.3Wh battery which according to the company lasts up to 10 hours and provides video playback time of around 8.5 hours. It comes equipped with Dolby’s panoramic speaker system along with two USB 3.0 ports, one USB 2.0 port, and an HDMI port. The laptop uses a dual-antenna design for Wi-Fi, expanding the network coverage as well as signal range.

Read More: LG’s Newly Refreshed Gram Laptops Announced Ahead Of CES 2018

Along with the laptop, the company is including a lightweight power charging adapter which weighs only 175 grams. As of the pricing, the Core i5 model with 256GB SSD is priced at CNY 5,188 (approximately $791) while the Core i5 with 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD costs CNY 5,488 (approximately $837). The high-end model which packs Core i7 processor is priced at CNY 6,688, which roughly converts to $1020.

All three models, which comes pre-installed with Microsoft‘s Windows 10 operating system, are now available for purchase in China. However, there is no information available regarding its global availability.

 

Nokia Reportedly Shipped Around 16 Million Phones in Q3 2017, Most Of Them Feature Phones

It’s already a year since HMD Global Oy kickstarted its lofty bid to revive the moribund Nokia brand. One year after, HMD Global seems to have succeeded in its mission as the brand has recorded accelerated growth, with Nokia’s towering sentimental value standing as its biggest catalyst.Nokia

Counterpoint research has now revealed that Nokia shipped close to 16 million smartphones in the third quarter of 2017. Out of that record figure for a new entrant to the phone business, 2.8 million Nokia Android smartphones were sold while the company’s feature phones marshalled by the new Nokia 3310 took the lion share with a total of 13.5 million shipments.

Within a year of its existence, HMD Global has brought back the Nokia brand into the global mobile market with accelerated growth. Counterpoint Research claims that 2.8 million Nokia Android smartphones and 13.5 million Nokia feature phones were shipped in Q3 2017. There is no doubt that the Nokia 3310 contributed a great deal to this impressive sales figure for just the third quarter of the year.

Read Also: Nokia Steel HR Pre-orders Begin, Shipping Begins Next Month

This figure puts Nokia in the third position of the top feature phones vendor while it sits far behind at number 16 on the smartphone vendor list. Nokia’s smartphones have enjoyed a favourable receivership since the launch of the Nokia 6 mid-range smartphone earlier this year. According to Counterpoint Research, the release of a number of mid-range and flagship models and the brand’s past antecedence contributed to the gain in market share. Nokia has launched a number of smartphones this year, including the Nokia 2, Nokia 3, Nokia 5, Nokia 7 and its first flagship phone- Nokia 8. An earlier data had shown that Nokia shipped just 1.5 million smartphones in the first half of 2017. So, 2.8 million shipments in Q3 alone is pretty impressive and shows the brand is getting more acceptance. The company is expected to consolidate on its successes for this year next year and already, HMD is getting set to open the year with the flagship Nokia 9 which has been a regular on leaks and rumours.

(source)

Amazon Acquires Connected Security Camera And Doorbell Startup Blink

Amazon, the global e-commerce giant, has acquired Blink — the maker of wireless connected home security camera and doorbell. In a post on its website, Blink has stated that nothing will change for its users and the company will continue to operate and support its products as usual.

The company has not revealed any financial information related to this transaction. The move could help Amazon compete in the fast-growing home security camera market. Currently, it competes against the likes of Nest — a subsidiary of Google parent company Alphabet.

Blink Camera

The e-commerce giant recently forayed into the connected home video cameras with the launch of its Cloud Cam. This acquisition of Blink seems to be a step forward for the company to strengthen its position in the home security market.

Making the announcement on its website, Blink said:

If you own one of our systems, nothing changes for now. We’ll continue to operate under the Amazon umbrella selling and supporting the same great products you know and love. It’s Day 1 for us at Amazon, and we’re looking forward to seeing what we can deliver to our customers together.

For Amazon, Blink brings the expertise in building connected, wireless home monitoring and security technology. Blink started its operations in early 2016 through a crowdfunding campaign that raised over $1 million for its totally wireless home monitoring system.

Unlike several other home security systems available in the market, which requires a wired power connection, or the battery-powered cameras which generally have relatively short battery life, Blink’s device operates on two AA batteries and should last for about two years of regular use.

Read More: New Yi Smart Outdoor Camera with 1080p, 110° Wide-Angle Lens, IP65 & IR Lights Launched

The company’s offering was well-received by the users. Its crowd-funding campaign was a success, with Blink raising five times the amount it initially targeted.

(Source)

 

Wishing All Of You A Merry Christmas!

merry-christmas-pictures

 

Dear Readers,

 

Christmas is the time of joy and love. May you get the best present of all: the company of people you love, good cheer, and smile.

Thanks for being a part of Gizmochina all these years and we look forward to your continued support for many years to come.

Merry Christmas. Stay Blessed! 🙂

 

Gizmochina Team.

Nokia 2 Amazingly Scales Through Scratch, Burn & Bend Durability Tests

HMD Global first unveiled its cheapest smartphone yet, the Nokia 2 about two months back. The phone is plainly a budget smartphone but has now been revealed to have Nokia’s trademark durable build in a Durability test carried out by Zack Jerry and uploaded to his YouTube channel JerryRigsEverything.Nokia 2

The test video shows the Nokia 2 being subjected to several tests and the first of them all is the scratch test where the device is scratched with a Mohs hardness pick set, keys, and a razor blade in order to measure its resistance to scratches. The YouTuber was able to detect that the Nokia 2’s display and front-facing camera are protected by a sheet of Corning Gorilla Glass 3, which is uncommon for low-end devices. The Corning Gorilla Glass 3 features a Mohs hardness rating of six, making it resistant to scratches from coins and keys. Unfortunately, the display can be mutilated by sand since the particles are made from harder materials.

The rear camera and LED flash is also noticed to have a glass protective cover which is an improvement over the plastic-covered Nokia 3 rear camera setup. Also, the earpiece has a thin sheet of vinyl protecting it. The rest of the Nokia 2’s covering, as well as the power button and volume rockers, are all made of metal. Nokia 2

After the scratch test, the smartphone was also subjected to a burn test where a lighter fire was placed close to the display in order to determine the amount of time it would take before the pixels temporarily shuts down. That happened in just 5 seconds and the Nokia’s 2 IPS LCD display started changing to black. The good thing is the display recovered after a few seconds. This is amazing, considering that AMOLED displays usually don’t recover when they are subjected to same burn test.  Finally, a bend test was carried out to ascertain whether the Nokia 2 can withstand extreme force from either the back or the front and the device didn’t disappoint on this one.

Read Also: Nokia 2 Launched With 5-Inch Display And Snapdragon 212 Processor

The Nokia 2 features a 5-inch IPS LCD display with an HD resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 212 processor having a Quad-core CPU while an Adreno 304 GPU fires up the graphics. The budget nature of Nokia 2 is well reflected in the 1GB RAM and 8GBof internal storage it packs. Thankfully, the internal storage can be expanded up to 128GB via microSD card. Crammed into the device is a massive 4,200mah non-removable battery. It runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat but will get upgraded to Android 8.0 Oreo in no distant time. You can take a look at the video from below.

Lenovo Mirage Solo Daydream VR Headset Seen At FCC

Earlier this year, there were reports that standalone Daydream VR headsets will hit markets this year. Some of the manufacturers linked to the reports include HTC, Lenovo and Huawei. With the year almost over, there is no chance a standalone Daydream VR headset will hit the market.

HTC announced last month that it will no longer release a Daydream headset at the launch of its own standalone VR headset, the Vive Focus. However, we still have Huawei and Lenovo left.

Details of the Huawei’s Daydream VR headset surfaced about a month ago when it made an appearance at the FCC. Now it has been followed by that of Lenovo.

Lenovo Mirage Solo Daydream VR

According to the FCC documents, the VR headset is called the Lenovo Mirage Solo and has model number Lenovo VR-1541F. Other features revealed include a 4,000mAh battery capacity and Bluetooth 5.0.

While it is not specifically mentioned, we believe the Mirage Solo is powered by a Snapdragon 835 processor.

Last month, Google’s VP of VR Clay Bavor, tweeted that he has been using a pre-release unit of Lenovo’s VR headset powered by Daydream. He added that more (details) will be revealed soon.

An image accompanying the tweet shows a line drawing of the headset with a controller identical to that of the Daydream headset for the Pixels.

With barely a week left this year, there are speculations that the Lenovo Mirage Solo will be unveiled at CES 2018 which thankfully begins in January. The price is expected to be revealed at the event in addition to other specs.

READ MORE: Lenovo’s Star Wars AR Headset is Coming To A Galaxy Near You

OnePlus 5 Android 8.0 Oreo Update Rolling Out Already, Will Get Face Unlock (Later) Says Carl Pei

The OnePlus 5T is not only one of the best phones in the market but it also has one of the fastest if not the fastest “Face Unlock” feature on a phone. Today, OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei confirmed that the feature will make its way to the OnePlus 5.

OnePlus 5

In a tweet posted earlier today, Carl Pei announced that the feature will be available on the OnePlus 5 due to popular demand.

Owners of the OnePlus 5 will be glad as the arrival of Face Unlock means one less difference between it and the OnePlus 5T.

Just a few hours after the announcement and OnePlus has again surprised owners of the OnePlus 5 by rolling out the Android 8.0 Oreo/OxygenOS 5.0 update.

The update not only brings Android Oreo and all the cool features of OxygenOS 5.0 such as parallel apps, it also comes with December’s security patch.

The update will roll out gradually over the next couple of days. However, some users who have updated said using a VPN and selecting Canada will allow you receive the update immediately.

Below is the change log for the update:

Launcher
Optimizations for Shelf
Now you can upload your photo through Shot on OnePlus

Camera & Gallery
New Camera UI design
Optimizations for photo quality
Added beauty effect for Portrait Mode
Added “Places” tab for viewing photos on a map

Apps
Added history feature in Calculator
Added alarm calendar function in clock

System
Added Parallel Apps feature
New design for Quick Settings
New design for Lift up display
Added “Adaptive model” screen calibration
Updated Android security patch to December

READ MORE: OnePlus 6 Rumored To Feature 3D Face ID Technology Like The iPhone X’s

TomTop Discounts Zhiyun Crane V2 and FeiyuTech WG2 Gimbals

Online store TomTop is offering up to $60 in discounts on the Zhiyun Crane V2 and FeiyuTech WG2 Gimbals.

The Zhiyun Crane V2 stabilizer is a 3-axis handheld gimbal that is compatible with mirrorless cameras like the Sony a7, Panasonic Lumix, Nikon J, and Canon M series.

Zhiyun Crane V2 Gimbals

It is actually priced at $549 but if you use the code ZHCRV2, TomTop will knock off $60 from the price bringing it down to $489.

The FeiyuTech WG2 on the other hand is for action cameras such as the Go Pro Hero5/Hero4, Xiaoyi Yi 4K and Xiaomi Mijia Mini 4K action camera.

FeiyuTech WG2

The gimbal which is great for time-lapse videos costs $269 comes but down to $224 when you use the code FYTWG2 at checkout.

READ MORE: My Most Favorite Camera Stabilizer – Zhiyun Crane M Review

TomTop says both the Zhiyun Crane V2 and FeiyuTech WG2 gimbals will be shipped for free from their warehouse in the US. So hurry up and grab these deals if you plan to step up your photography game come 2018.

 

 

ZTE Blade A3 Gets Quite Blue Variant, Still Priced At ¥799

The ZTE Blade A3 is a mid-range phone that was released back in October. When it was announced, it launched in Glacier Blue and Obsidian Black; today ZTE has announced a third color variant.

ZTE Blade A3 Quite Blue

The new color variant called Quite Blue actually looks more like a dark shade of teal. It also has black front bezels unlike the Glacier Blue variant with white bezels.

The specs of the new color option as well as the price remains the same as the others. You get a 5.5” HD display with 2.5D glass on top. There is 3GB of RAM paired with MediatTek’s MT6737T processor and 32GB of storage.

The selling points of the Blade A3 are its dual front cameras (5MP + 2MP) with flash, its 4000mAh battery, and a dedicated MicroSD card slot. The Blade A3 uses a triple card tray which lets you insert two SIM cards and a MicroSD card slot at the same time.

The Blade A3 packs a 13MP rear camera, an earphone jack and a micro USB port. It also has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner or if you want you can decide to use the Face Unlock feature instead.

READ MORE: ZTE Blade A6 Max Images, User Manual Surface Through FCC Certification

The Quite Blue Blade A3 is priced at ¥799 (~$121) and will be sold on JD.com. The store has already begun accepting pre-order registrations.

[envira-gallery id=”163547″]

 

 

Essential Phone Now $449 or $499 With 360° Camera

We can’t help but agree that the cut in the price of the Essential Phone from $700 to $500 has made it one of the most affordable flagships. While the phone isn’t perfect – it sure has gotten a lot better since its launch.

Essential Phone Amazon Deal

If you are on the lookout for a new phone to begin the new year, you can purchase the Essential Phone for $449 on Amazon. Or better still, throw in an extra $50 and get the world’s smallest 360° camera too. The price cut applies to both the Black Moon and Pure White variants.

Essential has continued to push out more updates  to improve the performance of the cameras which is the issue people had with it when it launched. While it is still far from the Pixel 2 or iPhone X‘ camera level, the Essential PH-1’s cameras have drastically improved. If you still are not satisfied, you can side-load modified versions of the Pixel’s camera app too.

READ MORE: Essential Phone Users Receive Second Android 8.0 Oreo Beta, Final Stable Version Arriving Soon

ZTE Axon 7 Android 8.0 Oreo Update Expected To Arrive In April 2018

Earlier this week, we reported that ZTE confirmed that it will roll out the latest Android 8.0 Oreo update for the Axon 7 smartphone. However, the company refrained from providing any specific timeline for the said update at that time.

But, according to ZTE Germany, the Android Oreo update for the Axon 7 will be available from April next year. The company has also revealed that the update will have a new skin layer called “Stock + UI” which is expected to remove bloatware that was a part of the customer interface.

axon 7 01

By the time the Android Oreo update starts hitting the Axon 7, the phone will be almost two years old, surpassing the two years time limit for rolling out major updates. The Android 8.0 Oreo comes with several new features such as Picture-in-Picture, smart text selection,  notification dots, Project Treble, and more.

The ZTE Axon 7 was ranked among one of the best affordable premium smartphones last year. It comes with a 5.5-inch display with 2K resolution, 2.5D curved glass and a layer of Gorilla Glass 4 protection on top. The phone is fuelled by a 3,250mAh battery, which also supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 technology.

Under the hood, the device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, coupled with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage. It comes with a 20MP f/1.8 aperture camera with OIS and EIS on the rear side, while up front, there is an 8MP f/2.2 88-degree wide angle shooter.

Read More: ZTE Blade A6 Max Images, User Manual Surface Through FCC Certification

A couple of months ago, ZTE confirmed that it is working on a successor of the Axon 7 but apart from that confirmation, no other information is available related to the phone. We will just have to wait until more information comes up.

(Source)

 

Huawei P11 X Concept Phone Brings Triple Cameras & iPhone Like Notch

There’s still time for the launch of the Huawei P11 flagship but that doesn’t stop creators from releasing concept videos of the upcoming device. A new video from the YouTube channel concept creators recently tried to shed some light on the potential looks of the Huawei P11 flagship. The concept model, which the creator calls as the Huawei P11 X, tries to club some of the recent rumours along with some high-end features resulting into a good looking premium concept flagship smartphone.

huaewi p11 X concept

The Huawei P11 X concept features round edges and an iPhone X like notch on top of the display. But this notch is significantly smaller than the Apple model. Apart from this notch, the phone adopts a full-screen design with little to no bezels going around the phone’s front.

From the video, the Huawei P11 X seems to be made out of metal and glass. There are four buttons on the right side of the phone: one textured power button, two volume buttons, and one dedicated camera button. These days, we don’t see a dedicated button for the camera, but it’s a good addition to the concept considering how the real Huawei P11 is expected to be a camera monster.

huawei p11 x concept 02

The back features a mirror-like finish along with three cameras on its left border arranged vertically. There’s dual LED flash and laser focus to assist the rear cameras. The front dual cameras are housed inside the small notch above the display. While a triple camera design is quite unusual in a smartphone, there’s a small possibility that the real phone packs three sensors at the back. Evan Blass had released a few advertisements for the Huawei PCE P11 series earlier in December which talked about the phone’s 40MP triple camera lens with 5X hybrid zoom. While this video is just a concept, now you know from where the triple lens design gets its inspiration.

Other features of the Huawei P11 X Concept phone are pretty standard: headphone jack, speakers at the bottom, and red and black color options.

 

You can check out the entire fan-made concept video down below.

 

 

Sharp FS8018 Visits TENAA After Geekbench, Bezel-less Notch Design Likely To Continue

After visiting Geekbench a few days back, the Sharp FS8018 model has just surfaced on TENAA. So now we have an official look at the phone’s design, which reminds a lot of the Aquos S2 that was launched in China back in August. Like the S2, the phone has the front camera at the center and a fingerprint sensor equipped oblong home button below the display. While we can’t see the bezels around the display, it’s likely that Sharp continues the design of the recently launched Aquos family into the new model.

aquos fs8018 02

So, what’s the big difference between the Aquos S2 and this FS8018 model? 

The Sharp FS8018 comes with a single camera at the back, instead of dual cameras. The primary camera is of 16MP while on the front, you get a 20MP selfie shooter. Inside, there’s a 2.2GHz processor, which is likely going to be the Snapdragon 630. If you remember, the Sharp Aquos S2 was the first smartphone to feature the SD630 chipset (on the cheaper variant), so it’s likely the same 2.2GHz processor is carried forward into the new model. Further, there are two RAM variants: 4GB and 6GB with 64GB and 128GB of storage options.

The screen continues the odd resolution found on the Aquos S2 — 5.5-inch 2040 x 1080p. It’s a pretty lightweight phone as well, weighing 140 grams (again same as the S2) and measuring 142.7 x 73 x 7.8mm.

Given the single camera setup on the FS8018, it’s possible that this is a cheaper model in the Aquos family. Still 6GB + 128GB and 4GB + 64GB options place it in the upper mid-range segment. The battery is kind of disappointing, measuring just 2930mAh in capacity.

(Source)

 

TSMC To Snatch 7nm Qualcomm SD855 Orders From Samsung: Report

Samsung and TSMC are two big players in the semiconductor foundry business. Both the companies play an important role in the manufacturing of the processors used inside today’s smartphones. For example, TSMC manufacturers Apple’s A11 Bionic processors, while Samsung takes care of its own Exynos chipsets as well as Qualcomm’s flagship processors like Snapdragon 835.

samsung vs tsmc

This year, Samsung was the sole manufacture of the flagship Snapdragon 835 processors and this gave the company’s smartphone division a solid head start in the supply of the powerful chipset. So it was no surprise that the Galaxy S8 and the S8+ were the first smartphones in the market featuring the new chipset. Even last year’s Snapdragon 820 chipsets were produced by Samsung. This shows that Qualcomm and Samsung have had a solid partnership in the past few years.

However, things are likely to change in 2018. A new report from Nikkei reveals that Qualcomm may partner with TSMC for manufacturing its 2019 Snapdragon 855 chipsets. So, after sticking with Samsung for next year’s SD845, the company would likely shift to TSMC for its successor.

Qualcomm-Snapdragon-835-Processor
Current Gen. Snapdragon 835

There’s a solid reason for this change. The Snapdragon 845, which will end up in phones next year, is still built on a 10nm processing node (used by SD835). However, its next generation version, the Snapdragon 855, which will be launched in 2019, will be manufactured using an even more advanced node — 7nm process. This is where things get interesting.

Both Samsung and TSMC have made significant investments to develop and perfect the 7nm manufacturing process. However, it looks like TSMC has got an edge as the semiconductor foundry is said to deliver 7nm chips as soon as 2018. The Snapdragon 855 production is expected to kick off by the end of 2018, so Samsung could have been a bit late to the party.

It’s also said that TSMC will manufacture a modem chip for Qualcomm as soon as H1 2018. So expect more details about the partnership in the coming months.

(Source)

OPPO A85 Crops Up On TENAA, 18:9 Display With Mid-Range Specs

Everyone is obsessed with 18:9 displays this year and lately, companies are releasing smartphones with this unique aspect ratio for as cheap as $150. After Xiaomi and Huawei released the Redmi 5 /  Redmi 5 Plus and Huawei Enjoy 7S smartphones, it looks like OPPO is cooking something similar to these devices. A new smartphone, going by the model number OPPO A83 has just cropped up on TENAA, revealing a mid-ranger with a high screen to body ratio. However, considering OPPO’s premium pricing standard, expect it to retail above $200-$250.

oppo a85 01

The certification website reveals a 5.7-inch LCD HD+ 1440 x 720p display with an octa-core 2.5GHz processor and 4GB of RAM. There’s 32GB of ROM on board along with a MicroSD card slot which takes cards up to 256GB. As for the camera, the phone features a 13MP rear shooter and an 8MP front-facing shooter. There’s Android 7.1.1 on board with ColorOS on top. Finally, there’s an average 3090mAh battery inside.

As you can see, the specs are quite similar to the OPPO A83 which was certified earlier in December. This is just a slightly better version with 4GB of RAM on board. The processor should be Helio P23, the same one used on the OPPO A79 model that was released back in November.

Since the phone has passed through TENAA, expect a launch sometime soon.

(Source)

 

 

Moto X4 Android One Edition Starts Receiving Android Oreo Update

Motorola’s Moto X4 has reportedly started receiving the latest Android 8.0 Oreo over-the-air (OTA) update in the US. Earlier, the Lenovo-owned company had promised to roll out the Android Oreo for the Moto X4 Android One edition by the end of this year.

The update, which carries the build number OPW27.1, comes with some new features as well as the latest Android security patch version. If you are using Moto X4 Android One edition, you should have received a notification to download and install the update. If you haven’t received the update notification, check it manually by going to About phone and then check System updates.

Moto X4 Android Oreo

To remind you of the specifications, the phone features a 5.2-inch Full HD display with a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels with a layer of Gorilla Glass on top for added protection. The phone is powered by a 2.2GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor.

The device packs 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage along with a microSD card slot which allows users to further expand the storage capacity up to 256GB. The phone comes with a dual camera setup at the back, featuring a 12-megapixel lens and an 8-megapixel lens. There is a front-facing camera of 16-megapixel with f/2.0 aperture and LED flash.

The phone comes with an IP68 certification, making it water and dust resistant. It runs Android Nougat operating system out-of-the-box and also supports Amazon’s personal assistant Alexa. The phone is fuelled by a 3,000mAh non-removable battery.

Read More: Motorola To Launch Limited Edition Star Wars Moto Mods In China

The Moto X4 Android One edition was unveiled for Google’s Project Fi in the US for a price of $399. Notably, it is the first non-Google phone to join Project-Fi network, which was previously exclusive to the Pixel and Nexus devices.

At the time of the launch, the company promised that the Moto X4 Android One edition will be “among the first to receive the Android P update.”

 

Gionee S10 Lite With 4GB RAM Launched In India At A Price Of Rs. 15,999

Gionee has launched a new budget smartphone in the Indian market, dubbed as Gionee S10 Lite. The phone is a watered-down variant of the Gionee S10 which was launched in China earlier this year in May.

The phone is priced at Rs. 15,999 (approximately $250) and will be available for purchase from today, i.e. 23rd December, through offline stores. The phone will be available in two colour options — Gold and Black.

Along with the purchase of this device, the company is also offering two Paytm Cashback Voucher Codes worth Rs. 250 each, which are applicable for purchases worth Rs. 350 or more on Paytm Mall.

Gionee S10 Lite

Further, the users will also receive additional 5GB free data per month for a period of 10 months from Reliance Jio. Reliance has extended this offer for new as well as existing subscribers, on recharges of Rs. 309 or above.

The Gionee S10 Lite phone features a 5.2-inch HD display with a screen resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. Under the hood, the phone is powered by a 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 427 processor, along with 4GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage.

There is a microSD card slot, which allows users to expand the storage capacity of the device to 128GB. The phone features a 13-megapixel rear camera with auto-focus, LED flash with f/2.0 aperture. The device packs a 16-megapixel front-facing camera with f/2.0 aperture for taking selfies even in low light conditions.

Connectivity options on the device include 4G VoLTE capability, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS/ A-GPS, a micro USB port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack, along with FM radio support.

Read More: Gionee A1 Plus and A1 Lite Get Price Cut In India, Price Starts From Rs. 13,999

The phone runs Amigo 4.0 based on Android 7.1 Nougat operating system. The Gionee S10 Lite enables WhatsApp Clone — a feature that enables 3 accounts of the instant messaging application to run simultaneously. The device is fuelled by a 3,100mAh battery, which should be enough to provide a day of usage on a single charge.

 

OnePlus Could Face A Potential Lawsuit Over Its Facial Recognition Tech

OnePlus 5T was released just a few weeks back and it came with an amazing full screen display. But along with the screen, one of the highlights of the new device was its facial unlock feature. The company managed to add facial recognition to the new flagship without using any fancy hardware — just the regular smartphone front camera. The tech surprisingly works pretty well and while its not as accurate as other tech like that on the iPhone X, its still a great way to unlock your smartphone on a daily basis.

OnePlus 5T Red Lava

But it turns out, the facial recognition tech being used on the OnePlus 5T could be infringing atleast one patent from SensibleVision, a company specialising in facial recognition and biometric authentication. While talking to mysmartprice, George Brostoff, SensibleVision co-founder and CEO revealed that OnePlus could be infringing on the company’s illumination patent.

But it remains to be seen whether SensibleVision aims to take matters to court. In his conversation with mysmartprice, George revealed that the company has not licensed their patents to OnePlus. But even if the Chinese company is found to be using a similar tech as SensibleVision, it will be hard for the case to hold up considering how the phone relies on just the front camera and its display for facial unlock.

Another thing, Mysmartprice notes that taking the legal route might not be in the best interest for SensibleVision. Many of their patents are licensed in the US and even if OnePlus was found to be infringing on their patents, it would not make sense financially as the settlement payment would be quite less considering OnePlus’ limited reach in the US market.

(Source, Via)