Nokia to Unveil New Phone on October 19; Could it be Nokia 7 or Nokia 8’s New Variant?

-

Oct 17, 2017

Xiaomi’s Mijia platform launched the Uleemark Double-Sided Down Jacket as its latest lifestyle product. The jacket combines style with functionality and is perfect for the coming winter months.

The Uleemark Double-Sided Down Jacket like the name says can be worn in two ways – inside or out. Depending on the color, one side is a green or khaki camouflage waterproof jacket and the other side is a black windproof jacket.

The hooded jacket also has some pretty impressive features. The area around the pockets and the main zipper is lined with a reflective material. If you also raise the flap on the breast pocket, there is a hole made for the lens of an action camera like the Go Pro, eliminating the need for a helmet mount or a selfie stick.

The Uleemark jacket has one last trick up its sleeves. To make it easy to pack, the jacket can be folded and tucked into itself via the zipper on the back.

Huawei phones at Gearbest

Huawei Mate 10 Pro Review After 36 hours!

By

Linus

-

Oct 17, 2017

The reason why I didn’t make my initial hands-on video of the new Huawei Mate series phone is that I wanted to spend just a little bit more time with the device. Obviously, I prefer the Mate 10 Pro that has a larger display and more power. Learn more in our Huawei Mate 10 Pro review after using the phone for 36 hours!

VIDEO REVIEW

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbPAzml9q7Y[/embedyt]

DESIGN and DISPLAY

If I was just a mainstream consumer, the key selling point for me would be the design of the Mate 10 Pro. It combines metal and glass and a 6” 1080p display with very thin bezels. The panel itself is just gorgeous despite the fact that it does not have 2k resolution. The phone just looks and feels premium and it sits nicely in the hand despite its huge footprint.

The new accent stripe looks really nice in practice. There is an upgraded camera setup too. A 12-megapixel RGB camera is paired with a 20-megapixel monochrome sensor here, and both lenses feature apertures of up to f/1.6.

CAMERAS

That camera takes really good pictures in daylight but keep in mind that the device runs on the pre-release software. In fact, I have an advanced release review unit meaning that both the device and software may differ when it is made available to consumers. There are manual, 2x optical zoom and portrait modes that take pretty good pictures but more on the image quality in the full review. The 4k video looks quite sharp and detailed.

Full resolution camera samples

FEATURES

The new Mate 10 phones sport the first Huawei chipset with a neural processing unit or AI component of the processor, which learns how you use the phone and helps the DEVICE adapt to assure the best user experie3nce. For example, the AI chip detects what kind of picture you take to apply the best image settings. Also, it helps apply the right amount of blurring effect in the portrait mode.

Obviously, the AI component does a lot more than helping you take better pictures. For example, it learns how you use the phone to make it faster by allocating the resources to the specific task. So far, Microsoft has updated its Translator app to make use of the AI chipset to speed up the translation process. I will cover the AI capabilities of this phone in detail in my full review.

Now a few features in a nutshell: the Mate 10 Pro is water and dust resistant thanks to IP67 certification but it lacks the headset jack, so you would need to use a supplied adapter for traditional headphones.

I found the fingerprint scanner to be blazing fast and accurate. A beefy 4000mAh battery will easily get you through the day or more. There is a fast charging tech on board that charges the battery up to 58% in 30 mins. However, the phone does not have wireless charging.

HARDWARE

As for hardware, the Huawei Mate 10 Pro is one of the most powerful phones you can get. The phone ships with an octa-core Hisilicon Kirin 970 chipset, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, which is not expandable.

The phone is really fast and responsive but obviously, I haven’t installed many apps like I always do and I have to spend a little more time with the device.

The Mate 10 Pro ships with Android 8 out of the box but it has the EMUI skin built on top of it. As usual to Huawei phones, there are plenty of features and customization options to make the phone look your own.

The Mate 10 Pro will cost €799, which puts the phone in the flagship price category. It will be released in Europe, the US and some other markets.

Overall, the Huawei Mate 10 Pro shapes up to be quite an impressive all-around device. It packs great hardware including a dedicated AI chip, a compelling dual-camera setup and much more that I will cover in our full review.

Huawei phones at Gearbest

Vernee MIX 2 To Have 6GB RAM Version? Expect More Powerful Performance!

By

-

Oct 17, 2017

Vernee’s brand new model – the full-screen Vernee MIX 2 is touted to be the world’s first 6.0” FHD+ & Helio P25 full-screen phone when it went official a couple of weeks back. The Mix 2 has since been on presale and due to its excellent design and powerful configuration, the Vernee MIX 2 has become one popular model with positive reviews and accolades from customers.

There were rumours carried on some online news platforms that Vernee may add a 6GB RAM version of the Mix 2 but that wasn’t officially confirmed until now. Vernee has indicated that there will be a 6GB RAM version of the Vernee Mix 2 but no specific date as to when the release would happen. The Mix 2 comes with a 4GB RAM version presently and it is just enough to satisfy most usage requirements, including for large gaming, multiple app installations and more. But with 6GB RAM starting to become a trend especially among Chinese OEMs, it is just apt that Vernee catches up with the trend.

Vernee Mix 2 is the first all-screen model from Vernee and it came with lots of expectations, considering Vernee’s track record. The 6GB RAM version is expected to be even more powerful and smooth when operating. At the same time, the device is expected to have an increase in its performance. This is one variant to look forward to its launch.

The Axon M is ZTE’s First Dual Screen Foldable Smartphone

By

-

Oct 17, 2017

ZTE, today unveiled the Axon M at an event in the US. The foldable smartphone has a familiar but redefined design and is expected to change the way we use our phones.

Axon M Design

The Axon M reminds us of the Kyocera Echo, an android smartphone released in 2011 with foldable dual screens. You could also say it reminds you of a Nintendo DS without the buttons.

The Axon M is not as thick as any of the above mentioned devices and is certainly better looking. It has a metal frame and is thicker than your regular smartphone and heavier too at 230g. The dual screens are attached by a sort of hinge mechanism with one display attached to the body while the other can be folded to the back or extended outwards. The hinge actually works so well such that the phone will stand at virtually any angle when opened. You can also decide to lay it out flat completely.

ZTE Axon M Specs

The Axon M has two 5.2-inch displays, both covered with Gorilla Glass 5. Each has a FHD resolution with a 428ppi and an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 when laid out completely.

It is powered by the Snapdragon 821 mobile platform and packs 4GB of RAM. Built-in storage is 64GB but you can add an additional 256GB via a MicroSD card slot.

Because of the way the Axon M is designed, there is only one camera which can either be the front facing camera or the rear camera depending on how you hold it.

Launch the camera app when the phone is folded and it is in the selfie mode. Tap the icon to use it as the rear camera and you have to turn the phone to the second display which now displays the viewfinder. The camera is a 20MP F/1.8 sensor with image stabilization for pictures and videos and PDAF. There is a LED flash flanking it on the left.

The Axon M is an entertainment and productivity device and ZTE has added the features you need to enjoy media consumption. There are dual speakers and a dedicated HiFi audio chip. A 3.5mm audio jack sits at the top of the device and there is a USB-C port at the bottom for charging the 3180mAh battery. The device supports QC 3.0 for rapid refilling of the battery.

Sadly, the Axon M runs Android 7.1.2 out of the box.

Axon M Usage

The Axon M has two screens which means it should offer more productivity compared to a single screen device. ZTE says it can be used in three different modes and you can switch between the three modes using the virtual “Axon M” button which is positioned beside the familiar Android navigation buttons.

Extended Mode – denoted by a large A, this is for more screen estate when using a single app. Open YouTube and you can watch videos on one screen and scroll through the comments on the other screen. Launch Facebook or an e-mail app and the second screen becomes a keyboard.
Dual Mode – labelled AB, this is similar to regular split screen multitasking, but in this case each app occupies each of the displays. You can also run two instances of the same app on each screen. An example is firing up Google Docs and opening a slide, you can view the slide on screen and keep going through other files on the second screen. You will also be able to copy and paste from one document to the other. For entertainment, you can watch the new Black Panther trailer on YouTube on one screen and tweet about it on the other screen. There is also support for gestures – a three finger swipe will swap the positions of each app and a swipe across the bottom will extend the app from half-screen to full-screen.
Mirror Mode – labelled AA, this mode duplicates what you are doing on one screen on the other. It is perfect for multiplayer games like chess or for watching a video with another person sitting across you while in tent mode.

Microsoft Surface Book 2 Announced, Price Starts At $1499

By

Visit Leagoo S8 Pro Presale on Banggood

-

Oct 17, 2017

Microsoft has today announced Surface Book 2 — the latest addition to its Surface series which was originally launched in 2015. The company claims that the Surface Book 2 offers “five-times” better graphics performance as opposed to its predecessor.

In terms of design, the Surface Book 2 looks identical to its predecessor but Microsoft claims that they have improved backlit keyboard and the flexible hinge. It runs on the new version of Windows 10 Creators update.

The hinges are designed to increase the horizontal depth of the base of the laptop. This is being done because the screen is heavier than usual as it can be detached to use as a standalone tablet.

Microsoft is offering Surface Book 2 in two options — 13.5-inch display and a 15-inch display. Under the hood, both devices are powered by the Intel 8th generation processors. The Surface Book 2 also comes with the support of Windows Mixed Reality — Microsoft’s VR and AR technology.

The 15-inch Surface Book 2 features screen resolution of 3,240 x 2,160 pixels, with a pixel density of 260 PPI. It is powered by the Intel Core i7 8650U processor, clocked up to 4.2GHz with Turbo Boost. As of the graphics, it offers NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB option.

It packs 16GB of RAM and comes in three storage options — 256GB, 512GB and 1TB SSD. Microsoft claims that it is twice as fast as the latest MacBook Pro.

As per the company’s claim, the device can provide up to 17-hours of battery life on a single charge. Microsoft says that it offers 70 percent more battery life, and double the performance of Apple‘s laptops.

Connectivity options include Bluetooth 4.1, 2 USB-A, 1 USB-C, Surface connect, SD card slot, headphone jack with support for Dolby Atmos.

There is also a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, and an 8-megapixel rear camera. This model measures 13.5 x 9.87 x 0.9 inches and weighs 1.9 kg and 0.82 kg in tablet mode.

Coming to the 13.5-inch model, it has a screen resolution of 3,000 x 2,000 pixels and is powered by the 7th generation Intel Core i5 processor. It packs 8GB of RAM in the base model, while the high-end model comes with Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM.

Just like the 15-inch model, this one too offers three storage options — 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB SSD. The high-end variant comes with the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 6GB graphics memory.

It measures 12.3 x 9.14 x 0.9 inches and weighs at 1.6 kg. Connectivity options on the device include Bluetooth 4.1, 2 USB-A, 1 USB-C, Surface connect, SD card slot, and a 3.5mm headphone jack with support for Dolby Atmos.

Looking at the specs sheet, it seems that the Surface Book 2 is one of the most powerful convertible laptops so far. Microsoft’s Surface Book 2 will be available from November 16.

The pricing for the 13-inch base model starts at $1,499 while the pricing for the 15-inch model starts at $2,499. Pre-orders for the Surface Book 2 starts from November 9 in the US.

Giveaway – Win A Free Leagoo S8 pro bezel-less phone

By

Shine Wong

-

Oct 17, 2017

Gizmochina along with Leagoo is conducting a Leagoo S8 Pro phone as Giveaway gift to one of our lucky readers. Like always, you just have to follow the steps mentioned on the Gleam widget to get a chance to win this amazing phone.

LEAGOO, as a newly emerged global smartphone brand, will surely follow the market trend and release high quality full-screen smartphones with affordable prices. Finally, on Sep. 28, LEAGOO has announced two 18:9 full-screen smartphones – LEAGOO S8, apart from popular all-screen design, what is more attractive is that customers have the chance to snatch up LEAGOO S8 and LEAGOO S8 Pro at a 50% discount!

LEAGOO S8 Pro full specs:

Display: 5.99 inch SHARP 2160x1080p 18:9 screen
CPU: Helio P25 2.6Ghz chipset
RAM: Samsung 6GB LPDDR4X
ROM: Sandisk 64GB eMMC 5.1
Rear Camera: OV 13.0MP + Samsung 5MP dual camera
Front Camera: Samsung 13.0 MP
Battery: LG 3050mAH with 9V2A quick charge
Fingerprint: 360°rear fingerprint ID
Retail Price: $299.99

How to entry this giveaway? Just follow these steps and Gleam widget, we will pick the winner from who has left comment as request:

Share the Leagoo S8 Presale Page to Facebook, Twitter and other social sites
Leave comment below this article for which features of LEAGOO S8 and S8 Pro you like

Terms & Conditions:

1. The giveaway is an international giveaway.
2. We are not responsible for lost shipments.
3. We are not responsible for any duties, import taxes that you may incur.
4. We reserve all rights to make any changes to this giveaway.
5. The prize will be shipped in a week when the giveaway end.

Just follow the steps mentioned in the Gleam widget to participate in the giveaway.

Once again, good luck.

Gizmochina Giveaway – Win A Leagoo S8 Pro Phone

Xiaomi’s Smart Yunmai Mini2 Body Scale Gets A New Wi-Fi Version

By

-

Oct 17, 2017

Xiaomi first announced the Yunmai Good Light Mini 2 Smart Body Scale around March this year and it was an instant hit as a result of the fitness packages it comes with. The success of the first model has now prompted the tech giant to launch yet another model with WiFi connectivity. The Yunmai Good Light Mini 2 Smart Body Scale just got smarter as the WiFi version packs the same functions with the first model but now you not only get the option of connecting the gadget to the smartphone app via Bluetooth but now also through WiFi.

The WiFi version comes at a higher 199 Yuan (~$30) price tag which is almost twice what the original version is priced at. The Yunmai Good Light Mini 2 without WiFi had a retail price of 89 Yuan ($13). The difference between the two is that with WIFi connectivity, you will not need to synchronize the app with the scale via Bluetooth but as soon as you step onto the scale, the data captured are automatically synchronised with the smartphone via internet connectivity. The number of parameters that are read by the scale has been increased from 14 data to 17 data.

The WiFi version still retains the original design of the smart scale which comes with an ultra-white tempered glass panel which was given an anti-skid treatment. The scale is square-shaped with well-chamfered edges which are curved on all four sides. The Smart scale is also equipped with high-definition LED display, electrode sensing film with 304 stainless steel and has anti-rust properties so you wouldn’t have to be scared of stepping on the scale with wet feet. Further, the Yunmai Good light Mini 2 smart body scale uses a low-power Bluetooth 4.0 protocol which turns off automatically when not in use. This is where the WiFi version has an edge as connectivity is 24/7. The scale is powered using three AA batteries which can last up to a year without dying. With WiFi connectivity, the battery may die faster especially when the internet connectivity isn’t strong or stable. Good thing they are replaceable AA cells.

A Redmi Phone May Be The First To Come With The New Snapdragon 636 Mobile Platform

By

-

Oct 17, 2017

Earlier today, Qualcomm unveiled a new mid-range mobile platform, the Snapdragon 636. The chip which is positioned in-between the Snapdragon 630 and Snapdragon 660 is based on Samsung’s 14nm process. According to an insider who posted on Weibo (@grass grass grass), the chip may first appear in a Redmi phone.

One of the key features of the Snapdragon 636 is its support for full screen devices with a FHD+ resolution. Sources say that the Redmi phone it may power may pack a full-screen display.

The Snapdragon 636 is expected to start shipping in November. This means the phone may hit markets early next year.

In the past few weeks, there have been images of a full-screen Redmi phone said to be the Redmi Note 5. The phone may launch with a Mediatek processor this year and will be followed by a Qualcomm version (Snapdragon 636) in Q1 2018.

Huawei Mate 10 Lite Goes Official with Four Cameras, 18:9 Screen, Kirin 659

By

-

Oct 17, 2017

On Monday, Huawei had unveiled the Mate 10, Mate 10 Pro and Mate 10 Porsche Design smartphones. However, the Mate 10 Lite was not unveiled alongside these phones. Today, the Chinese firm has made it official discreetly.

Huawei Mate 10 Lite Specifications and Features

The Huawei Mate 10 Lite features an elongated 5.9-inch LCD panel and since it carries support for FHD+ resolution of 2,160 x 1,080 pixels, it produces an aspect ratio of 2:1. The display is surrounded by minimal bezels. The smartphone features 156.2 x 75.2 x 7.5mm and its weight is 164 grams.

The top bezel houses a dual camera system that includes a 13-megapixel sensor and a 2-megapixel sensor. The rear side of the phone is flanked with Leica certified and dual-LED enabled dual camera system featuring a 16-megapixel sensor and a 2-megapixel sensor. Since the smartphone features a large display and does not have enough space to house a Home button below it, the fingerprint scanner is moved to rear side of the phone.

The 16nm Kirin 659 chipset that features a 2.3 GHz octa-core processor and ARM Mali-T830 MP2 graphics is present under the hood of the Mate 10 Lite. The SoC is accompanied by 4 GB of RAM. The native storage that has been provided on the handset is 64 GB. It also features an external storage slot for adding a microSD card. The 3,340mAh battery that is enabled rapid charging powers the smartphone.

The connectivity features include available on the Mate 10 Lite include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, GPS, microUSB 2.0, NFC, Bluetooth 4.2 and 3.5mm audio jack. It is preinstalled with Android 7.0 Nougat and EMUI 5.1

Huawei Mate 10 Lite Pricing

The Huawei Mate 10 Lite comes in color choices like Prestige Gold and Graphite Black along with a pricing of 349 euros in Europe. Its dual-SIM edition will come in Aurora Blue color option. German retailers are going to begin its pre-orders starting from Nov. 1.

Interestingly, the Mate 10 Lite has been already launched in multiple markets already with different names. It came as Maimang 6 in China and Nova 2i in Malaysia. India received the same phone as Honor 9i.

Qualcomm Successfully Demonstrates 5G Connectivity, Showcases 5G Reference Smartphone Design

By

-

Oct 17, 2017

The Snapdragon X50 5G modem was introduced by Qualcomm exactly a year ago. During the ongoing Qualcomm 4G/5G Summit in Hong Kong, the company has successfully demonstrated 5G connection through the single-chip X50 5G modem using 28GHz mmWave radio frequency band.

Qualcomm had set a target of hitting a 5G speeds of 5 Gbps. However, the company could achieve 5G connection of over 1 Gbps by carrier aggregation of two 100 MHz 5G bands. The Snapdragon X50 LTE modem is capable to support up to eight 100 MHz bands through carrier aggregation.

The 5G modem can offer fivefold faster connectivity compared to 4G modem. However, 5G modem consumes the same amount of power as conventional 4G modems. This is because the company has employed efficient amplifies as well as enhanced antenna design. It seems that it will take few more years for consumers to take advantage of 5G connectivity.

In order to test and optimize 5G performance in mobile form factor, the company made use of its first mmWave 5G smartphone reference design. It will be used for testing 5G modems, radio and networks with smartphone manufacturers in the coming years to launch 5G-enabled phones in the first half of 2019.

Coming to the 5G reference design device, it has a thickness of 9mm and is fitted with an edge-to-edge screen and dual rear cameras. To test Snapdragon X50 modem inside the reference device, Qualcomm has built a wave antenna that appears like a dime. The company claims it can integrate two of these antennas in smartphone. It will be working on reducing its size by 50 percent over the next year.

Snapdragon X50 5G modem chip (left); 28GHz mmWave antenna module (right)
Images by: Qualcomm

Qualcomm has also announced some components that will make it easier for device makers to support the new 600 MHz spectrum from T-Mobile. As of this writing, the LG V30 is the only device that can support the new spectrum from T-Mobile. By the end of 2017 and early 2018, more smartphones are expected to support it.

The U.S. based chip maker has also introduced Snapdragon 636 as an enhanced edition of Snapdragon 630 that was unveiled earlier this year. The new chipset that is built for mid-range phones features custom Kryo 260 cores and carries support for 18:9 displays. Speculations have that an upcoming Xiaomi Redmi phone could be the first Snapdragon 636 phone.

[Updated: Fake] OnePlus Sends Out Invite for 5th of November Event, Contains Clues for OnePlus 5T

By

-

Oct 17, 2017

UPDATE: OnePlus says the invite is not genuine, but still no explanation for the OnePlus 5 being out of stock.

The OnePlus 5 is out of stock in a lot of markets. When we first reported the occurrence, some countries still had a few color variants. At the moment India, Hong Kong, and Chinese Mainland are the only markets that still have it in stock and the reason for that isn’t far fetched. OnePlus has sent out invites for an event on the 5th of November and we think it is for the OnePlus 5T.

First, the date is a major hint – OnePlus 5TH of November. If you also look closely at the image, you should be able to see the silhouette of a phone with a significantly thin top bezel compared to the OnePlus 5. What’s more is that there is a vertical line that runs from the top bezel to form a T.

The event is scheduled to hold at the Shenzhen Spring Sports Center and will most likely be livestreamed. Key feature rumored to be coming to the OnePlus 5T is a 6-inch 18:9 display. However, we presume that the changes will not be limited to just that.

The OnePlus 5T may eventually ditch the earphone jack in favor of an IP67 rating that makes it waterproof. It may also feature a redesigned back with the dual rear cameras sitting in a new position. Lastly, the phone may get a slightly larger battery and launch with Android Oreo. Though we won’t be surprised if it comes with Android Nougat and gets the update to Oreo later.

Samsung Gets US Patent Approval For A Wearable Having A Bendable Display Panel

By

-

Oct 17, 2017

Wearables are turning out to be one of Samsung’s stronghold in addition to smartphones and tablets. The company has got the Gear S2, Gear S3, Gear Fit, Gear Fit 2 and lately the Gear Sport, all coming with various distinguishing features. There are feelers that the tech giant is working on a new type of wearable design which would see the device having a flexible display. The feeler comes in form of a patent filing by Samsung which is that of a new design depicting a smart bracelet with a display panel that’s not only flexible but partially bendable.

The new design concept has got the nod of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) where it was spotted to have gotten approval. The approval is coming after over two years of reviews as the application was submitted in 2015. As for the design, the wristband looks like what has a circular design and is quite wider than Samsung’s current crop of wearables including the Gear Fit 2 Pro. The display can curve with the wristband, and can even b straightened out, making it stick out from the rest of the device.

We can’t be so sure but it seems the smart wearable will run on Android OS, considering the types of icons that are sketched on the display such as YouTube, Google Photos and Chrome. These are just sketches, no further details were revealed. But Samsung did indicate in the patent that the display can be separated entirely from the band and still function which means we could be looking at a wristband and smartphone in one place. The display is also rotatable and could work in landscape and portrait mode which could be a function of the interface.The patent details include that the wristband can be made of any conventional materials like rubber, silicone, or metal, while the display panel may be attachable to the bracelet using magnets.

We can say when this concept design would see the light of day. We are still expecting Samsung’s first smartphone with a foldable display known as Galaxy X and that may drop next year. A foldable wearable with multiple functions sounds like a nice idea as well.

Huawei Mate 10 Series Feature Safety Certified SuperCharge Technology Enabled 4,000mAh Batteries

By

-

Oct 17, 2017

One of the common features of the Huawei Mate 10, Mate 10 Pro and Mate 10 Porsche Design is that they all feature 4,000mAh batteries. These batteries can last for two days and the SuperCharge fast charging technology can make these phones last for a day by charging it only 20 minutes.

The SuperCharge technology features 4.5V low-voltage input along with 5A charging current. The technology has received certification from TUV Rheinland for meeting its safety standards for fast charging. TUV Rheinland is a popular company from Germany that inspects and certifies products. The SuperCharge technology for Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro was certified by the agency by successfully carrying out numerous charging cycles for the battery and phone.

World’s first TÜV Safety Certified HUAWEI SuperCharge device. #HuaweiMate10 pic.twitter.com/MFDHpzi3Dd

— Huawei Mobile (@HuaweiMobile) October 16, 2017

The company has also verified the safety of the Mate 10 duo under extreme conditions by subjecting it to hot and cold temperatures. It has also the verified the safety of the phone’s battery through multiple drop tests. The USB-C charging ports are also checked by inserting and retracting charging cables over 10,000 times. Also, both the phones have been tested by the German firm with chargers from third-party companies.

According to TUV Rheinland, the SuperCharge technology driven Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro are the world’s first safe fast charging system. Last year, the battery related issues had led to discontinuation of Samsung Galaxy Note 7. Since then smartphone OEMs have become all the more careful when it comes to meeting safety standards for battery.

The rapid charging feature on the Mate 10 series allows these smartphones to reach zero to 58 percent by charging them only for 30 minutes. Huawei also claims that the Mate 10 phones can charge 50 percent faster than the Apple iPhone 8 Plus. The AI driven by Kirin 970 chipset brings intelligent battery management solution to deliver optimized battery performance on Mate 10 phones.

At the launch event of the Huawei Mate 10 series, the Chinese firm had also unveiled a couple of SuperCharge technology driven accessories such as SuperCharge car charge and a 4.5V/5A SuperCharge Power Bank. The Huawei Mate 10 will be arriving in Europe later this month for 699 euros (~$825). The Mate 10 Pro and the limited-edition Mate 10 Porsche Design will arrive next month in Europe with respective pricing of 799 euros (~$939) and 1395 euros (~$1,640).

(source|via)

BlackBerry Tests QNX-Based Self-Driving Car In Ottawa

By

-

Oct 17, 2017

A BlackBerry QNX-equipped self-driving car has completed its first road test in the public streets of Ottawa. This is being billed as the first on-street test of an autonomous vehicle in Canada.

BlackBerry QNX had opened an autonomous vehicle innovation centre in Ottawa last year and partnered with the province to advance their vision of becoming a hub for development in the autonomous vehicle tech.

City of Ottawa mayor Jim Watson, City Councillor Marianne Wilkinson, and Blackberry GM John Wall tested the self-driving car around roads in Kanata North Technology Park.

To help the demonstration, test loop around the suburban technology park was upgraded with traffic lights equipped with transmitters. Also, the street lines were repainted and new LED street lights were installed.

We are expecting more drive tests for the software system as the development of BlackBerry QNX advances. The platform was created in partnership between BlackBerry and Delphi Automotive, with an aim to accelerate development of the core artificial intelligence technology that powers autonomous vehicles.

For the uninitiated, BlackBerry QNX is developing the software foundation for autonomous vehicles. According to John Wall, GM of BlackBerry, fully autonomous cars without a steering wheel are still a long way off.

He added that cars are already incorporating some of the technology such as sensors that keeps the car in its lane, hit the brake when needed or detect another car.

Ottawa’s partnership with Blackberry QNX for testing of new AV technology also includes institutions like Algonquin College, Carleton University, and the University of Ottawa. With more than 70 companies in its autonomous vehicle ecosystem, Ottawa is aiming to become a leader in AC technology in Canada.

In the next phase of the development, there will be contributions from Nokia, which will include the addition of LTE and 5G capability to the route.

Global giants’ interest is increasing in the autonomous vehicle technology, with the likes of Google and Uber already developing the technology. Besides tech giants, automakers are also betting on the self-drive cars.

Recently, it was revealed that Cyanogen — the company known for making operating system for smartphones based on Android, rebranded as Cyngn and pivoted its business to developing software for the autonomous vehicles.

BlackBerry Brand is Saved from Dying; Transformation is Complete, Says CEO John Chen

By

-

Oct 17, 2017

In bid to survive fierce competition from rival brands, BlackBerry had introduced BlackBerry 10 operating system by its QNX division in 2013. Neither the OS nor the smartphones built to run on it had helped the Canadian company to increase its dying market share. To prevent the demise of the BlackBerry brand, the company’s CEO John Chen applied a new strategy in 2016 that has assisted in rebuilding the popularity of the brand.

In 2016, BlackBerry Limited officially confirmed that it will not be competing in the smartphone market directly. The company now focuses on licensing its software and brand. TCL is now manufacturing and selling smartphones with BlackBerry branding. The first BlackBerry phones made by TCL include DTEK50 and DTEK60. In this year, it has released BlackBerry KEYOne and BlackBerry Motion. These smartphones have been well-received by critics and consumers.

In Q2 2016, BlackBerry had earned $15 million in licensing fees. By generating $56 million, it has earned around fourfold licensing fees in the same quarter this year. BlackBerry is now focusing on providing secure software for financial institutions in order to protect them from cyber threats. The company is also concentrating in automotive industry as it is providing software for infotainment systems and self-driving vehicles. BlackBerry’s apps are also available on Google Play Store.

In 2010, Chen the then CEO for Sybase had struck a $6 million deal that allowed SAP to acquire Sybase. With a reputation of a turnaround artist, Chen had joined BlackBerry as an interim CEO in 2013. The BlackBerry brand was about to die, but under the supervision of Chen, the company had launched Android phones like BlackBerry Priv and BlackBerry Passport that received good reviews from critics.

At present, the company’s stock has jumped to 66 percent in this year and since the company is generating revenue, it appears that Chen’s strategy has helped in regaining popularity of the BlackBerry brand in the smartphone market. Since the customers of BlackBerry are mostly companies that are listed with New York Stock Exchange, Chen has moved the shares of the company from NSADAQ to NYSE with BB ticker symbol. He has also stated the transformation of BlackBerry is complete.

Do you like the new BlackBerry phones made by TCL? Share us your thoughts by adding your comments below.

Snapdragon 636 Announced with 40 Percent Improved Performance than SD 630, Support for 18:9 Display

By

-

Oct 17, 2017

In May, Qualcomm had announced the Snapdragon 630 and Snapdragon 660 chipsets for powering mid-range smartphones. The U.S. based chip-making company has now announced the Snapdragon 636 SoC as an enhanced version of the SD 630 chip.

There are not many smartphones that are powered by the Snapdragon 630 chipset. Some of the phones that feature it include Motorola Moto X4, Asus ZenFone 4 and Sharp Aquos S2. What makes the new SD 636 chip interesting is that it includes Kryo ARM cores. It features the same Kryo 260 cores that can be found in Snapdragon 660 SoC. The inclusion of Kryo 260 cores allows the Snapdragon 636 to deliver 40 percent better performance than the SD 630 which includes generic ARM Cortex cores.

Apart from better performance, the SD 636 can deliver 10 percent better gaming and web browsing performance as it features an improved Adreno graphics. These days many phone makers are releasing smartphones with 18:9 display. Since the SD 636 carries support for it, we may soon see even budget phones with 18:9 screens. The addition of Assertive Display optimizes to display for all lighting conditions.

Snapdragon 636 Specifications

The Snapdragon 636 is a 64-bit octa-core chipset that features eight cores of Kryo 260 that clocks at 1.8 GHz. It also includes Adreno 509 graphics. It supports up to 8 GB dual-channel LPDDR4 RAM. The Wi-Fi standards supported by this chipset include 802.11ac Wave, 802.11n, and 802.11a/b/g.

It is equipped with Snapdragon X12 LTE modem that offers up to 600 Mbps of download speeds and 150 Mbps of upload speeds. With Spectra 160 ISP onboard that brings support for 24-megapixel cameras along with features like 4K video shooting at 30 fps, zero shutter lag, smooth zooming and fast auto-focusing.

The Snapdragon 636 chipset powered smartphones can feature 18:9 displays that support FHD+ resolution. It also includes support for Quick Charge 4 and Bluetooth 5.0. Other features of this 14nm chipset include NFC, audio capabilities like aptX and Aqstic, and up to 3.1 USB. Other details on its specifications are available in the source link.

The newly announced SD 636 is pin and software-compatible with the existing SD 660 and 630 chipsets. It means that smartphone OEMs that are already using these chipsets can seamlessly add SD 636 to their devices. The shipments of the Snapdragon 636 will begin in November.

Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 Launched, Features Rugged Body And Mid-Range Specs

By

-

Oct 17, 2017

The Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 has been 0fficiailly launched by the company. The tablet, which comes with a rugged body design, has been announced by Samsung in Netherlands.

The new Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 has a rugged body with military-standard MIL-STD-810 certification, which means that it is strong enough to survive extreme pressures, temperatures, climates, shocks and traps.

Just like its predecessor, this one too comes with a 1.2-meter anti-shock protective cover. It also has an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance and comes with better display technology for use with gloves and wet fingers.

The rumours related to the tablet, which is intended for the business use, were making rounds since August this year. Recently, the device appeared on GFXBench benchmarking site and its user manual revealed that the tablet will come with a removable back cover.

As of the specifications, the device comes with an 8-inch LCD display with screen resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, which is quite disappointing. It is powered by Exynos 7880 chipset clocked at 1.6GHz, along with 3GB of RAM.

In terms of internal storage, the tablet comes with just 16GB of onboard memory, but there is a microSD card slot, allowing users to expand storage capacity.

There is an 8-megapixel rear facing camera and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. The company is also offering S Pen with the device and also supports Bixby (Home and Voice).

On the front, there are three buttons — Recent Apps, Home and Back. The home button has an integrated fingerprint sensor, which, as per the company, is a newly improved version.

It will be available in two options — Wi-Fi only and 4G. The Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 4G will be available in Balck colour in the Netherlands by the end of November, at a price of €500.

While it will be first available in Europe and Latin America, the tablet is expected to be made available in Asia and North America.

HTC Sends Out Invites For November 2 Event, Could Launch U11 Plus

By

-

Oct 16, 2017

HTC has already launched its flagship smartphone of the year — HTC U11. But, as per the reports, the company is now gearing up to launch a new smartphone, which is likely to be HTC U11 Plus.

The company has sent out media invites for an event that is taking place on November 2, in Taipei. Although HTC has not shared any details about the event, the invite has a big “U”, hinting that it will announce a new U-series smartphone.

There were rumours in the past that the Taiwanese company is working on the alleged HTC U11 Plus smartphone. This is leading us to believe that the phone in question is the HTC U11 Plus.

The phone is expected to feature a bezel-less Quad HD+ display with 18:9 ratio. Further, the device is rumoured to come with a 5.99-inch display with a screen resolution of 2880 x 1440 pixels. Under the hood, the smartphone is expected to be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 processor, coupled with either 4GB or 6GB of RAM.

It is speculated to pack 64GB and 128GB of internal storage options. The phone is said to feature a 12-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front-facing camera. The device is also expected to come with IP68 certification.

It is not yet known if the phone will come pre-loaded with the latest Android 8.0 Oreo operating system. The HTC U11 Plus is expected to be available in two colour options — Brilliant Black and Amazing Silver.

HTC is also expected to launch a few other smartphones by the end of this year, including Ocean Lite, Ocean Harmony, HTC U11 Life and its Android One device, which is expected to be the U11 Life.

(Source)

Here Are The Xiaomi Redmi 5A Camera Samples Shared By Xiaomi’s President

By

-

Oct 16, 2017

Xiaomi Redmi 5A was announced Monday with budget specs and a 599 Yuan price tag (around $90) which is even less than what you can get the Redmi 4A for on some online retail platforms. The Redmi 5A utilizes a metal body which is the major distinguishing feature separating the Redmi 5A from the last year’s 4A which has a plastic back.

The Redmi 5A also comes with a 13MP f/2.2 rear camera and 5MP front-facing camera which is no different from the camera setup of the Redmi 4A. Where the difference lies is that the Redmi 5A’s rear camera comes with Phase Detection Auto Focus (PDAF) which is expected to add some more quality to the camera. The Redmi 4A received accolades for its nice camera output despite packing budget specs. The Redmi 5A is expected to go even further in its picture quality. Xiaomi’s president Li Bin has now shared some camera samples captured by the Redmi 5A ‘s rear camera. The sample photos can’t really be said to be out of this world but for a budget smartphone, they are very much commendable. The camera looks like what will perform well in bright light but we can’t say how it would fare in low-lit areas. You’ll find the sample photos after the post.

As a reminder, the Redmi 5A sports a 5-inch HD display and is fired up by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset backed by 2GB RAM. There is also 16GB of internal storage which can be expanded up to 128GB via microSD card. The device packs a 3,000mAh battery and runs MIUI 9 based on Android Nougat.