Google Search Now Has Phone Comparisons Built Into Results

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Nov 6, 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Nov 6, 2017

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

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

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

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

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

(source)

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

By

Jeet

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Nov 6, 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Nov 6, 2017

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

Panasonic Eluga A4 Specifications and Features

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

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

Panasonic Eluga A4 Pricing and Availability

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

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

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

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Nov 6, 2017

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

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

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

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

(source)

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

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Nov 6, 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(source)

Lenovo’s ZUK Edge Reportedly Gets ZUI 3.1 Update

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Nov 6, 2017

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

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

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

(source)

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

By

Jeet

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Nov 6, 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Source)

OnePlus 5T Launch Event Will be Held in New York

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Nov 6, 2017

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

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

— OnePlus (@oneplus) November 5, 2017

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

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

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

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

(via)

OnePlus 5T Officially Teased in New Image

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Nov 6, 2017

OnePlus 5T is the next flagship phone from OnePlus. The Chinese company has released a new teaser image of the phone. It reveals what to expect from the design of the upcoming OnePlus flagship.

The image shared by the company through a tweet shows that the OnePlus 5T is placed under the OnePlus 5. It reveals that the OP5T phone would be measuring more or less like the OnePlus 5 phone. The recent listing of the OnePlus 5T on GFXBench benchmarking platform has revealed that the smartphone would be featuring a 6-inch display that carries support for a resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels. This suggests that the OnePlus 5T that would be measuring like OnePlus 5 will be featuring a full screen design.

5Tacked. #OnePlus5 #OnePlus5T pic.twitter.com/lLNznnDYXb

— OnePlus (@oneplus) November 3, 2017

The OnePlus 5 is the first phone from the company to house dual rear cameras. Hence, the official site of the phone carries a tagline that reads “Dual Camera. Clearer Photos.” Since the OnePlus 5T is expected to arrive as its first smartphone with full screen design, the rumor mill has revealed that it has a tagline of “Larger Display, Same footprint.” This indicates that the phone’s dimensions would be same as OnePlus 5, but it may carry a bigger display.

The other thing that the Chinese manufacturer could be hiding in the new image is that the OnePlus 5T would be featuring a rear-mounted fingerprint because of its full screen design. Recent reports have also claimed that the design of the OnePlus 5T would be similar to the OPPO R11s that was unveiled recently with full screen design. Through a previous teaser image, the company has confirmed that it won’t be axing the 3.5mm audio jack feature on the OnePlus 5T. The smartphone is expected to get unveiled later this month and co-exist with OnePlus 5 that is currently out of stock.

(source)

Xiaomi Mi 6C May Arrive by Next Month with Full Screen Design, Surge S2 Chipset

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Nov 6, 2017

Xiaomi is speculated to debut the Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus smartphones in this week. Also, the company may unveil the Redmi Note 5 smartphone in the next month. Apart from these phones, it is also rumored to be working on a full screen edition of the Xiaomi Mi 6 flagship phone.

Earlier in this year, Xiaomi had launched Mi 5C smartphone. It is the first smartphone from the company to be driven by its in-house chipset called Surge S1. Recent reports have revealed that the Chinese firm is allegedly working Xiaomi Mi 6C that will be featuring the all new Surge S2 chipset.

Previous reports have revealed that the mass production of Surge S2 began in Q3 this year. The rumor mill has revealed contradictory information on the configuration of the Surge S2 chip. Some rumors claim that it will be a 10nm chipset like the Snapdragon 835 which sounds too good to be true.

Other reports claim that it may be mid-range chipset like the Snapdragon 652 since it is speculated to be built with 16nm manufacturing processor. It is rumored to feature four cores of Cortex A73 clocking at 2.2 GHz and four cores of Cortex A53 working at 1.8 GHz.

Fresh information suggests that this phone would be debuting with a full screen design. It is expected to arrive with 5.65-inch display that will be delivering an aspect ratio of 18:9. The smartphone may either launch as Mi 6C or Mi 6X.

The rest of the specs of the alleged Mi 6C phone is expected to be same as Mi 6. Hence, the upcoming full screen version of the Mi 6 is speculated to arrive with a pair of 12-megapixel camera sensors on its back panel.

Since the rumored Mi 6C is going to arrive with a full screen design, it will be coming with a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. Like the Mi 6 smartphone, the Mi 6C is also rumored to arrive with glass chassis. The Mi 6C may arrive with a pricing of 2,699 Yuan (~$406).

What do you think about the Surge S2 driven Xiaomi Mi 6C? Will the company debut it this year? Share us your thoughts by adding your comments below.

(source)

Gionee to Announce 8 Bezel-less Phones on November 26

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Nov 6, 2017

Several smartphone manufacturers have launched full screen design smartphones this year. Gionee too has launched the Gionee M7 and M7 Power (aka Steel 2 Plus in other markets) smartphones with full screen design in September. Recent reports have revealed that the company is working on a couple of smartphones like F6L and F205. Rumors are rife that these phones may arrive with full screen design as the company has confirmed to debut 8 bezel-less smartphones on Nov. 26.

The launch invitation for Gionee’s Nov. 26 has been shared on Weibo. It reveals that the unveil event is scheduled to take place in Shenzhen, China. The company has also confirmed that the event will be livestreamed on Shenzhen Satellite TV in the country. The Weibo post also confirms that the company would be unveiling 8 full screen design phones at the launch event.

Well-known leakster Evan Blass has recently revealed that the Gionee M7 Plus is the flagship phone from the company. Blass did not reveal any details on the specifications of the phone, but has shared the following images to reveal its design.

The Gionee F6L had appeared on TENAA in the previous week. It had revealed that the phone would be featuring a 5.7-inch HD+ display that will support an aspect ratio of 18:9. It may be driven by Snapdragon 430/435 chipset and may come in 3 GB and 4 GB RAM options.

The Gionee F205 was recently spotted on GFXBench with 5-inch HD+ display that produces an aspect ratio of 18:9. It will be fueled by MediaTek MT6739 chipset and 2 GB of RAM. The Gionee S11 and S11 Plus that have respectively appeared on GFXBench and TENAA are also coming with 18:9 display. These smartphones are going to be respectively powered by MediaTek MT6763 and Helio P25 chipsets.

The Gionee M2018 is also speculated to deliver an aspect ratio of 18:9. By launching 8 smartphones with full screen design, Gionee will have the most number of 18:9 aspect ratio supporting phones. We expect that the rumor mill will reveal more information on the upcoming 18:9 phones from Gionee in the coming weeks.

What’s your view on the current trend of full screen design phones? Share us your thoughts by adding your comments below.

(source)

First Shattered iPhone X Photo Appears & It Doesn’t Look Good

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Nov 5, 2017

Apple‘s iPhone X is unarguably a beautiful smartphone, far more beautiful than the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. The device adopts a Full-view display design different from previous Apple iPhones and that seems to be the major selling point of the model just like the Galaxy S8. In addition to a full-screen design, the iPhone X also features a glass back panel. Granted, Apple says the glass up on the front and back are made from the strongest glass that’s ever appeared on a smartphone. You really won’t want to test how true Apple’s claim is as a couple of drop tests have proved otherwise.

Now, what could be the first broken iPhone X in the hands of a fan have appeared on a Russian Twitter handle. The photo was attached to a tweet and it shows the rear glass on an iPhone X that was completely shattered after its owner dropped the device same day it was bought. The tweeter did not give details of how the iPhone X got to sustain such massive damage but it is bizarre that such damage was the result of a single fall. It looks like what was smashed by a truck. This even looks worse than an iPhone X that had undergone the drop test routine.

https://youtu.be/QK0MCF2C67I

This doesn’t in anyway suggest the iPhone X isn’t a durable device but for a phone that sells for up to a thousand grand ($1,000). You’ll definitely want to prevent any damage from occurring by sparing a few extra bucks for a case to protect your investment. If you wish to have it unprotected in order to showcase its true beauty then be ready for a visit to the repair shop as soon as it drops from your hand. The phone doesn’t come cheap so, don’t expect a new body panel to come cheap.

(source)

Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 Full Ceramic Version Now Available for ¥4699 ($709)

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Nov 5, 2017

Xiaomi opened a new Mi Home store in Shenzhen today. While the event was a chance for the CEO to boast about the company’s sales figures – 70 million mobile phones and ¥100 billion in revenue; it was also an opportunity to officially announce the sale of the full ceramic version of the Mi MIX 2.

When the Mi MIX 2 was announced, Xiaomi said it will be available in two variants – a ceramic version with an aluminium alloy frame and a fully ceramic version. The ceramic version comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage unlike the other variants which come with 6GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage. The fingerprint scanner and the rear camera also have an 18K gold ring around it.

The body of the fully ceramic version goes through a number of tests to see that it meets the desired standard. First, it is put through a temperature test of up to 1400°C and then a strength test of up to 240 tons.

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Xiaomi Launches Mi Note 3 Wu Yifan Limited Edition

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Nov 5, 2017

Xiaomi’s brand ambassador is Chinese-Canadian actor and singer Kris Wu a.k.a. Wu Yifan. Tomorrow is his 27th birthday and to mark it, Xiaomi has made a special Wu Yifan edition of the Mi Note 3.

The limited edition smartphone will be presented to him as a “surprise gift” according to Xiaomi. However, we are not sure if it will be available for purchase to the general public.

The Wu Yifan Mi Limited Edition Mi Note 3 has the same color as the standard blue variant. However, the back of the phone has the actor’s name written in gold. There is a possibility it will come in a custom box with special gifts and also have some UI changes (custom theme). We will have to wait till tomorrow to find out if our guesses are right.

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Pixel 2 XL Charging Speed Doesn’t Surpass 10.5W With The 18W Charger

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Nov 5, 2017

The Google Pixel 2 XL ships with an 18W Power Delivery 2.0 charger for its 3,520mAh battery. However, a charging test has revealed that the charging speed doesn’t exceed 10.5W.

The slow charging finding was discovered by Nathan K and posted on Google Plus. A charging graph of the phone provided by him can be seen below.

The phone begins charging at almost 16W but less than 5 minutes later, it drops to 10W. It keeps charging at that rate for up to about 50 minutes before steadily declining till it reaches 100%. The result is 150 minutes of charging time from a 15% battery level.

According to GSMArena, they also realized the Pixel 2 XL charges slow even when the battery is depleted. While other phones will quickly charge in the first 30 minutes, the Pixel 2 XL was able to get to 35% after 30 minutes of charging.

Other phones switch between multiple voltages while charging depending on the battery level, some charge at 9V but up to 2A when the battery level is below 40 or 50%. However, from the graph, we can see the Pixel 2 XL keeps it between 1.1A and 1.2A (~10W).

Nathan K says a plausible reason for the slow charging is to prevent the Pixel 2 XL from suffering the same degradation issue as the Nexus 6P. It may also be that the Power Management chip in the phone is wrongly programmed.

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Confirmed: Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 White Ceramic Version Available Very Soon

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Nov 5, 2017

Xiaomi‘s mobile phone product marketing director has inadvertently confirmed the Mi Mix 2 will go on sale very soon. While he didn’t specify the exact date the new variant would be available to buy, there is a strong likelihood that it may launch this month.

The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 White Ceramic version comes with 8GB of RAM. Not only does the new variant come with such large RAM size, it also adopts a new ceramic white colour. The Ceramic White edition have appeared severally online and it sure looks beautiful. we have seen the device a couple of weeks back on Weibo, shared by Xiaomi’s Cloud platform head. The new version would be available not just in Ceramic White but the black Ceramic version will also get an 8GB RAM version.

The Ceramic white edition is said to have been subjected to a temperature as high as 1,400 degrees centigrade within a 7 days period during its manufacture. The process is a complicated one but the product is a beautiful finishing. Already, Xiaomi has released the price tag the 8GB RAM version would sell and it is just about 700 Yuan higher than the 8GB RAM version. The 8GB RAM version will be priced at about 4699 Yuan (around $700).

(source)

Nokia Steel Smartwatch Gets A Limited Edition Available In Two New Colors

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Nov 4, 2017

HMD Global’s Nokia has unveiled two new variants of the Nokia Steel smartwatch that was first announced around July this year. The two new editions are limited editions and bring new colours to the mix and are now available on its website in addition to the already available Black and White models.

Apart from the new colour options, dubbed Full Black and Rose Gold pack the same specifications as the previous colour options. The two new colours are priced differently, with the Full Black option costing the same as the original two colours at $129.95, while the Rose Gold model is priced a bit higher at $149.95.

The Nokia Steel smartwatch has a traditional watch face but comes with sleep and activity tracking features. The mid-range smartwatch can also sync with a custom phone app and the Nokia smart weighing scale. There is a Steel HR which features a heart rate monitor, ability to receive text, calls and event alerts. The Steel HR also has a sleep cycle analysis tool. As for battery life, the smartwatch can last up to 25 days on a full charge, something which sets it apart from the Apple Watch. A third wearable gadget is the Nokia Go which is a basic activity tracker that comes in different colours with a rubber strap and looks similar to Fitbit wearable.

(source)

OnePlus 5T Seen on GFXBench: 6” 18:9 Display & Up To 8GB of RAM

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Nov 4, 2017

OnePlus has confirmed that there is indeed a OnePlus 5T coming. A blog post as to why they kept the audio jack was the official reveal. Another confirmation of the device’s existence was on Weibo. The micro-blogging site is known to show the device used in posting. And on Thursday, a post by OnePlus co-founder Pete Lau, revealed the device in use was a OnePlus 5T.

Today, the OnePlus 5T has been seen on GFXBench and the benchmarking site reveals some specification details of the upcoming phone. The listing itself isn’t on the official GFXBench site. We don’t know if it was pulled down or if this is genuine, so we advice you take this with a pinch of salt.

The OnePlus 5T is shown here running Android 7.1.1 Nougat and not Android 8.0 which is disappointing. We won’t be surprised if that is what it actually comes with out of the box. We saw the same scenario play out last year with the OnePlus 3T. Android Nougat was already out but it came with Android Marshmallow out of the box. Weeks later, it got upgraded to Nougat and it is up for an update to Oreo – its last major update. Hence fulfilling the unwritten rule of at least two major OS updates.

We hope OnePlus doesn’t pull the same trick with the OP5T. It will be disappointing as it is seen as a very lazy move.

The OnePlus 5T is shown as sporting a 6.01-inch display with a 2160 x 1080 resolution that translates into an 18:9 aspect ratio. The processor is the Snapdragon 835 with an Adreno 540 GPU, same as the OnePlus 5

For RAM and ROM, there will be a 6GB RAM model with 64GB ROM and an 8GB RAM model with 128GB of storage. Rear camera is listed as a 16MP sensor but we know it is a dual camera setup. The front camera has been bumped up from 16MP to 20MP.

There is no battery info, so we are still in the dark about that. However, if you have been waiting for wireless charging to come to the OnePlus, you will have to keep hoping. Pete Lau took to weibo to explain why they don’t see it happening soon.

According to him, as long as there is Dash Charge there is no reason for wireless charging. Whichever one you use, your device still stays in one spot while charging. He also adds that the wireless charging coil make phones thicker, which apparently is not what they are aiming for.

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Broadcom Plans To Acquire Qualcomm For Over $103 Billion

By

Jeet

-

Nov 4, 2017

Broadcom is reportedly planning for an unsolicited bid to acquire smartphone chip maker Qualcomm for over $103 billion in what would be the largest acquisition deal in this space.

People aware of the development says that Broadcom is currently speaking to advisers about the potential deal and the bid could be announced in the coming days, probably creating a roughly $200 billion company.

While the valuation of the bid from Broadcomm has not been decided yet, it is believed that the offer of around $70 to $80 per share is being contemplated. At $70 a share, an offer would value Qualcomm at around $103.2 billion — a premium of around $27.5 percent.

This comes at a time when Qualcomm is trying to close its pending acquisition of NXP Semiconductors worth $38 billion. According to the sources, Broadcom is also prepared to buy NXP Semiconductors in addition to Qualcomm as it aims to emerge as a global chipmaking giant.

It is noteworthy that a source has also stressed that no final decision has been made yet related to the deal. So there is still a chance for Broadcom to not proceed with a bid.

The development also comes when Qualcomm is faces legal battles in multiple countries over its business practice. The company was recently fined a record NT$23.4 billion ($774 million) by Taiwan’s Fair Trade Commission.

Qualcomm has also been fined $854 million in South Korea and $975 million in China. It is also facing lawsuits from Apple and the FTC in the United States. The key matter in the allegation is that Qualcomm uses its dominant position to charge unfair royalty rates.

Broadcom has recently announced it would move its corporate headquarters from Singapore back to the US. The company is a major supplier of iPhone parts and counts Apple among its largest customers. It is not clear what would happen to Qualcomm’s legal fight with Apple if this deal goes through but it’s likely that Broadcom would settle the dispute.

However, getting clearance for such as huge deal is not an easy task, and apart from the financial challenges, the deal may also encounter close regulatory scrutiny. The combined entity would be the world’s third-largest chipmaker, just behind Intel Corp. and Samsung Electronics Co.

(Source)