How to Prevent OnePlus Phones from Collecting User Information Without Knowledge

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Oct 11, 2017

Last month, Motorola announced its first Android One smartphone, Moto X4. The mid-range smartphone also became the first non-Nexus or Pixel device to officially work on Project Fi.

Already available on a pre-order basis, the shipment of the Moto X4 was expected to being sometime this week. However, the first Android One device in the US has now been delayed due to production issues.

The company has sent an email to those customers who pre-ordered the phone. In the email, it states that Motorola has experienced production delays with the X4. Thus, units won’t ship until later this month — between October 18th and 25th.

The email further mentions that if the customer has opted for trading-in an older smartphone, they still have the full 30 days to send it in after they receive the Moto X4.

While the delivery of pre-ordered devices has been delayed by about one week, newly placed orders, starting today, will start shipping much later. It appears that the customers who opt for standard delivery will have their devices shipped in November.

Originally launched at IFA in late August, the Moto X4 comes with a 5.2-inch 1080p Full HD display. Under the hood, it is powered by a Snapdragon 630 processor, along with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage that is expandable via microSD.

There is a dual-camera setup on the back. While one lens is of 12-megapixel, the other one is of 8-megapixel. Both sensors are combined for depth effects and other creative options. On the front, there is a 16-megapixel snapper.The smartphone is IP68 certified for dust and water resistance.

The smartphone is IP68 certified for dust and water resistance. Running on stock Android version, the phone is promised to get Android 8 Oreo by the end of this year. The company has also said that it will be among the first devices to receive Android P next year.

The Android One Moto X4 carries a price tag of $399 in the U.S. and comes in two colour options — Super Black and Sterling Blue.

(Via)

ZTE Blade Force Launched For Boost Mobile With Entry-Level Specs

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Oct 11, 2017

ZTE has today announced a new smartphone in its Blade series for Boost Mobile in the US — ZTE Blade Force. Priced at $130, the smartphone comes with entry-level specifications.

The smartphone comes with a 5.5-inch IPS 720p HD display with screen resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. It is powered by a 1.4GHz quad-core Snapdragon 430 processor, which the company claims power-efficient.

As of the memory, it packs 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. There is a microSD card slot, allowing users to expand storage capacity up to 128GB.

The device features an 8-megapixel primary camera on the back and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. The phone runs on Android 7.1.1 Nougat operating system. It is powered by a 3,000mAh battery, which, as per the company, should last all day. The battery is rated to provide up to 23.5 hours of talk time.

The connectivity options on the device include LTE+ support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, a micro USB slot and a 3.5mm audio jack. The Blade Force packs global bands, allowing users to stay connected while roaming internationally.

The ZTE Blade Force is also HPUE-enabled (High Performance User Equipment) — Sprint’s extended stretches of spectrum for improved coverage indoors and better range outdoors.

Sprint had launched HPUE in last December. It is used for extending its 2.5GHz coverage by up to 30-percent, enabling a stronger signal wherever user go.

ZTE says that they have integrated features that consumers would expect to find in a much more expensive phone, such as Sprint’s High Performance User Equipment (HPUE) technology, that too in a smartphone which comes at an affordable price point.

The ZTE Blade Force, priced at $130, is now available for purchase in the United States from Boost Mobile.

Moto G5S Likely To Be Announced On October 14 in China, Invites Are Out!

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Oct 11, 2017

Lenovo’s Motorola brand has sent out invites for an event that will hold on October 14 in Shenzhen, China. The company disclosed in the invitations that they would be launching new products. One of the products expected to debut on that day is the Moto G5S and G5S Plus. The Moto G5S and G5S Plus are relatively no longer new products because they have gone official in Germany as well as in India a couple of months back. But Lenovo is yet to unveil the Moto branded smartphones in its home market which happens to be the world’s second-largest smartphone market.

The Invitation for the event adopted a unique pattern as it contains a card, as well as a grapefruit, enclose in a box. This is perhaps to highlight the fresh new, re-branded Moto line. It must be stated that the invite doesn’t mention the identity of any of the products expected to debut on that day but the Moto G5S and G5S Plus should be among. Apart from the fact that they had already been unveiled in other markets, the phones have gotten TENAA certification about a month back which showed that a launch in China was imminent.

As a recap, the Moto G5S features a 5.2-inch full HD display covered with Gorilla Glass 3. The Indian variant of the Moto G5S gets 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage but China will be getting both the 3GB + 32GB version as well as the 4GB + 64GB variant. The device is also listed as powered by a 1.5GHz processor which is already known to be the Snapdragon 430 chip. In addition, the Moto G5S comes with a metal body and a single rear camera, unlike the G5S Plus which has a dual camera setup at the rear. The G5S gets its juice from a 2810mAh battery. The battery is a removable one and the camera is a 16MP sensor at the rear and a 5MP front camera.

On the other hand, the Moto G5S Plus features a bigger 5.5-inch 1080p display on top of an all metal-unibody. The device is powered by a 2,35GHz processor which is the Snapdragon 625 SoC. The China version will come with just 6GB of RAM and 128GB storage unlike the 4GB RAM + 64GB storage combo unveiled in India. As stated earlier, the major upgrade in the Moto G5S Plus is the addition of dual rear cameras. The G5S Plus dual cameras consist of two 13MP rear cameras in the Monochrome + RGB format with a 3D depth sensor for bokeh effects.

Nubia NX595J Seen On TENAA with 4 Cameras and 8GB of RAM

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Oct 10, 2017

The Nubia Z17s is expected to launch on Thursday, 12th of October. A new device has appeared on TENAA, listed as the Nubia NX595J, the specs don’t reveal a key feature the Z17s is expected to have.

Jumping right in, the biggest feature the Nubia Z17s is expected to bring is a display with a 2:1 aspect ratio thanks to reduced bezels. However, according to TENAA the display of the Nubia NX595J is still 16:9 judging from the 1080 x 1920 resolution, though the screen is bigger at 5.73-inches.

The phone will come with either 6GB or 8GB of RAM with 32GB, 64GB, or 128GB of storage. Weird configuration, right? Yeah, but not unusual. The 360 N5 has a 6GB RAM + 32GB ROM variant.

Another unusual spec is the octa-core processor clocked at 1.8GHz which is too low for it to be a Snapdragon 835 processor. So this is a different chip entirely.

The Nubia NX595J packs 4 cameras just like we saw in the teaser released earlier today. Sadly, TENAA only mentions three. The rear cameras is a 22MP sensor paired with an 8MP sensor while one of the front cameras is listed as a 5MP sensor. We will have to wait till Thursday to find out the configuration of the other sensor.

The phone runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat and has a 3,000mAh battery. The provided images reveal a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. The Nubia NX595J measures 147.5 x 72.7 x 8.6 mm and weighs 170g. The height of the phone does point at it being bezel-less but the resolution says it will have a 16:9 aspect ratio.

The phone will be available in black and blue but keep the signature red accent around the rear cameras and also have gold accents around the frame.

Meizu To Open Blue Charm Store Before Next Spring Festival

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Oct 10, 2017

Meizu split its business into three main divisions this year. There is the Meizu Division which handles its flagship phones and other Meizu branded products like its smartwatches; there is the Blue Charm Division that handles the mid-range and low end smartphones; and there is the Flyme Division for software.

Li Nan, Head of Meizu's Blue Charm Division — Li Nan, VP of Blue Charm Brand

The Blue Charm division is headed by Li Nan, and in a recent interview, he revealed that the company will open its first brick and mortar store.

The store which is expected to be opened before the next Spring Festival (February 2018) will be different from other stores including Meizu’s own stores and Xiaomi’s Mi Home stores. Li Nan says the store will be more like a lifestyle store than a regular mobile phone shop.

Blue Charm seems to want to get things started properly by combining an impressive offline experience with its online presence. There is no info as to how many of the stores will be opened across China. There will probably be more details after the first opening.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A (2017) With 8″ Display, 5K Battery Now Official For $275

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Oct 10, 2017

Despite the decline in tablet sales, OEMs have continued to roll out tablet models once in a while. Samsung isn’t left out, as the tech giant has launched its latest budget tablet in India. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A (2017) was first unveiled in Vietnam last month and it was expected to hit the India market anytime soon. It has now arrived in India and is now on sale.

The Galaxy Tab A (2017) comes with a premium-looking metal body and it sports an 8-inch WXGA LCD display with a resolution of 1280×800 pixels up front. The main highlight of the tablet is its big 5000mAh battery which Samsung claims can last up to 14 hours of video playback. The Galaxy Tab A (2017) is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset paired with 2GB of RAM and there is 16GB of storage which can be expanded up to 256GB. The tablet runs Samsung Experience 8.5 based on Android Nougat 7.1 and has a 4G LTE nano-SIM card tray.

On the camera aspect, the tablet packs an 8MP rear camera with an aperture of f/1.9 and up at the front, is a 5MP front camera. The tablet comes in Black and Gold colours and also features a dedicated Kids Mode so that the little ones can use it without fear of them erasing your data or racking up insane phone bills, and the like. As for the price, it sells for Rs. 17,999 which is about $275 and is available on both the online and offline channels.

Huawei Mate 10 Pro Promotional Poster Gets Leaked Ahead Of October 16 Launch

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Oct 10, 2017

As the launch of Huawei’s Mate 10 series of smartphones is drawing near, more leaks related to its devices are surfacing online. Just after we reported about the leak of Huawei Mate 10’s specifications earlier today, the promotional poster of its bigger sibling — Huawei Mate 10 Pro has been leaked.

The poster, which appears to have been shot from a display board of a shop, shows the back panel of the upcoming smartphone in Rose Gold colour.

So far, through leaks and rumours, we know that the Huawei Mate 10 Pro will come with a metal build, which is speculated to be an unibody design.

Earlier, it was reported that the Mate 10 Pro will feature an “EntireView” QHD display with screen resolution of 1440 x 2180 pixels. However, the recent development suggests that it won’t feature QHD display. Instead, the phone will have a Full HD 1080p display.

If it does come with a Full HD display, the device will be a downgrade, at least in terms of display technology, as its predecessor — Mate 9 Pro came with a QHD display.

The phone will have a near bezel-less display with 18:9 ratio. It also seems that the phone will come with a dual camera setup on the back, with Leica branding. While one lens will be of 20-megapixel, the other one will be of 23-megapixel.

Under the hood, the Mate 10 Pro will be powered by the company’s own Kirin 970 processor. It is expected to come in four configurations — 6GB RAM/64GB storage, 6GB RAM/128GB storage, 6GB RAM/256GB storage, and 8GB RAM/256GB storage.

The Mate 10 Pro is also expected to run on the latest Android 8.0 Oreo out-of-the-box, with the new version of Emotion UI on top. The smartphone will be powered by a 4,000mAh non-removable battery, with support for fast charging.

The smartphone will come in different colour options, including Black, Blue, Rose Gold and Coffee Brown. Huawei Mate 10 Pro will launch on October 16, along with Mate 10, Mate 10 Lite and Mate 10 Porsche Edition. The pricing of Mate 10 Pro is expected to start from 5,499 Yuan for the base model and could go up to 7,499 Yuan for the top-end variant.

(Source)

What Happens when Xiaomi Mi 6 & iPhone X Meet? iMI X is Born!

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Oct 10, 2017

It is no longer in doubt that Xiaomi’s smartphone design is usually attractive and has courted lots of attention to the company. The Mi brand’s followership transcends China, extending right through to Europe and even the Americas. Another known fact is that Xiaomi is known as the Apple of China and that isn’t just because of their innovativeness. Xiaomi’s MIUI interface is almost a replica of Apple’s iOS. This perhaps makes it easy for iPhone fans to switch to using Android and still get the feel of the iOS. If you are an Apple fan and just isn’t satisfied with that, you can now have a blend of the iPhone and Xiaomi phone in one phone. A smartphone known as iMI X has now been launched in Thailand with a blend of the iPhone design as well as Xiaomi’s flagship Mi 6.

The iMI X has a logo similar to Xiaomi’s MI logo but with an “i” prefix which has the colouration of Apple’s iPhones. The device was unveiled at the Thailand Mobile Expo 2017 held recently. In terms of the design, it features a full-screen design with an 18:9 aspect ratio and is said to come with a facial scanner just like Apple’s iPhone X. The full-screen design is also reminiscent of the iPhone X with the presence of reduced bezels on all four sides. It also comes with a glass body just like the Mi 6.

The device is said to pack a 5.7-inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. No word on the processor which fires the device but we don’t expect that to be a flagship SoC. The device comes with a 3GB RAM + 32GB ROM version which has a 13MP main sensor at the rear and an 8MP front camera. The 13MP rear camera and 8MP front camera support both the face ID scan and there is even iris scanner. The iMI X also comes in a 4GB RAM + 64GB ROM version with a 16MP main sensor at the rear and a 13MP selfie camera. It must be noted that the rear camera setup is a dual camera combo.

As for the prices, the iMI X with 3GB RAM is priced at 4,990 Thai Baht (~$150)while the 4GB RAM version goes up for 5,990 THB (~$180). The device equally comes with a Wisdom Limited edition as well as a Vin 3X edition with slightly different specs. All versions run iMI UI based on Android 7.0.1 Nougat.

Nokia Shuts Down OZO VR Division, Cuts Workforce By 35%

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Oct 10, 2017

After Nokia stopped making smartphones, it veered into VR, releasing a professional 360° camera called the OZO+ with an original price of $60,000 before getting cut to $45,000. Today, Nokia announced that it is shutting down the OZO department.

OZO is a part of Nokia Technologies, the arm responsible for its health products as well. The shutdown of the VR camera section will lead to a 35% cut of Nokia Technologies’s 1,090 workforce which amounts to about 310 job losses across its offices in the US, UK, and Finland.

Nokia says it will instead focus on health products and licensing of patents. It also added that there will still be support for OZO devices, so probably a small number of the original team will be retained.

The reason for the shutdown according to Nokia has to do with the slow growth in the VR market or rather, the direction of growth. Nokia’s camera is designed to be used by professionals but VR today is designed for the average consumers with 360° cameras from competitors selling for a fraction of the price of the OZO+.

The president of Nokia Technologies, Gregory Lee said in a statement that “Nokia Technologies is at a point where, with the right focus and investments, we can meaningfully grow our footprint in the digital health market, and we must seize that opportunity”.

HP Pro X3 Will Come With Snapdragon 820 and Cost As Much As $650

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Oct 10, 2017

Last year , HP released the Elite X3 – a Windows 10 phablet with flagship specs. There were reports that HP was working on a successor early this year but had to cancel it due to Microsoft’s lack of interest in Windows Phone. HP decided to then put Android on the successor instead.

However, it appears that it will not be a successor but the Elite X3 with Android on it and a few changes in terms of specs. The device is expected to launch as the HP Pro X3 and Roland Quandt has revealed details about the specs and pricing.

HP Pro x3 (Android based derivate of the Elite x3) has/had (uncertain if cancelled or not) Snapdragon 820 + 3GB RAM + 32GB flash.

— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) October 10, 2017

The Elite X3 launched with a Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Those specs are more than sufficient for a Windows Phone device and for Android too. That’s why HP sees no need to upgrade the hardware.

The HP Pro X3 will come with the same Snapdragon 820 processor but with 3GB of RAM and half the storage. There is no mention of the rest of the specs but if HP is keeping everything else then it should have a 5.96-inch display with a 1440 x 2560 resolution.

32GB might be small but the Elite X3 has a hybrid SIM slot which let’s you swap the second SIM slot for a 256GB capacity MicroSD card. Rear camera is a 16MP f/2.2 sensor and there is an 8MP sensor for selfies.

There is a 3.5mm audio jack, Bang and Olufsen audio enhancement, stereo speakers, fingerprint scanner, iris scanner and a Type-C 3.0 USB port. You also get a 4150mAh battery, an IP67 rating, and MIL-STD 810G certification. The Elite X3 also has support for a desk dock but its unknown if HP will customize it for Android.

All that for about £500/€550/$650 according to a retailer says Roland Quandt. This is way less than the €829 launch price of the Elite X

Huawei Rolls Out Android Oreo Beta Program For Mate 9

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Oct 10, 2017

As expected, Huawei has kick-started the Android 8.0 Oreo-based EMUI 6 beta program for owners of the flagship Mate 9. This is coming barely a week after some screenshots of the Mate 9 running on Android Oreo-based EMUI 6 was leaked on XDA Developers. The beta program is only open for users of the Mate 9 and the spaces are very limited – just 250 users needed. If you are interested, you’ll have to download the Beta Friendly User Test app from Huawei’s website, register and then hope you’ll be one of the lucky few that’ll be selected.

The leaked screenshots afforded us the opportunity to have an idea of the features EMUI 6 would pack such as Picture-in-Picture mode. Basically, EMUI 6 will come with features of Android Oreo, most of which we already know since Google announced its latest OS version. It will also look a lot like the current EMUI 5. The new features that would likely be on the EMUI 6 include a screen resolution option in display settings which will let users switch between HD and Full HD resolution mode (720p & 1080p). Also, EMUI 6 looks to be bringing the option of hiding the navigation bar by including a new button which you can place on the navigation bar. That button will add a small arrow to the left side of the navigation bar and with a swipe from the bottom, you get to hide or show the nav bar.

Also Read: Huawei Mate 9 With Android 8.0 Oreo Seen On Geekbench

Huawei did indicate that the beta program will end on November 3, which could point to the launch of the Android Oreo-based EMI 6 for the Mate 9 before the end of the year. Of course, we do expect the Mate 10 to launch with EMUI 6 based on Android Oreo.

Meitu M8s Specs Announced: Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon, Doraemon and Hello Kitty Special Editions Launched

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Oct 10, 2017

About a month ago, selfie app maker and phone manufacturer Meitu released a new phone – the Meitu M8s. However, the specification and price weren’t disclosed. Today, those details have been announced alongside limited edition variants of the phone.

Meitu M8s Specs

The Meitu M8s has a 5.2-inch FHD AMOLED display. It is powered by MediaTek’s MT6797X (Helio X27) processor and has 4GB of RAM.

The Meitu M8s is proof of the company’s other business – selfie apps. The phone has dual front facing cameras with dual pixel technology. One of the sensors is the Sony IMX362 with support for OIS and PDAF. The phone can take portrait photos and even record videos with bokeh effects.

There is no mention of the specs of the rear camera but since this is an upgraded version of the original M8, we presume the rear camera is still a 21MP sensor with two LED flash flanking it on both sides.

The battery has been slightly bumped up to 3,100mAh with support for fast charging. There is a Hi-Fi audio chip in the phone and a fingerprint scanner.

Meitu M8s Limited Editions

When Meitu released the M8 earlier this year, it announced two limited edition models – Sailor Moon and Hello Kitty. For the M8s, it has added Dragon Ball Z and Doraemon limited editions. All four versions will come with 128GB of storage while the standard edition will have 64GB.

The Meitu M8s Hello Kitty Limited Edition is gold and has designs of the famous cat engraved on it. It will come with a customized selfie stick with a remote, collection certificate and a customized UI. Pre-orders will begin on 16th of October at 12:00 noon and it will go on sale on the 26th of October.

The Sailor Moon Limited Edition is red and comes with the same gifts mentioned above and a customized UI too. Pre-orders will be live on 3rd of November and sales begin on the 11th.

The Doraemon Limited Edition wears a blue coat and has the robotic cat and some familiar images from the manga (and show). Instead of a selfie stick, owners will get a customized power bank in addition to a custom selfie remote.

Dragon Ball Z fans will have to settle for a silver colored phone but at least you have Goku etched on it. There is a themed-power bank and selfie remote too. Both the Doraemon and Dragon Ball Z Limited edition will be available in December.

Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 Unveiled in India with Bezel-less Design, SD 835 and Rs. 35,999 Pricing

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Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Oct 10, 2017

India did not receive the Xiaomi Mi 6 flagship phone that was launched earlier in this year in China. However, reports claimed that India would be receiving another Xiaomi flagship smartphone later in this year instead of Mi 6. It seems that the rumor mill was talking about the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 as the Chinese manufacturer has unleashed it today in New Delhi, India. The company had unveiled the Mi MIX 2 in China alongside the Mi Note 3 in the previous month.

The Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 has a ceramic body that is curved at all four sides and it features a 7000-series aluminum alloy frame. It weighs 185 grams and its dimensions are 151.8 x 75.5 x 7.7 mm.

It is fitted with a 5.99-inch IPS LCD display that produces an aspect ratio of 18:9. It produces FHD+ resolution of 2,060 x 1,080 pixels and carries support for DCI-P3 color gamut. It does not feature an earpiece but the display is embedded with a speaker. The fingerprint scanner resides on the backside of the phone.

The Mi MIX 2 has a 2.45 GHz Snapdragon 835 chipset and 6 GB of RAM. It has an internal storage of 128 GB. It has a 12-megapixel Sony IMX386 camera with 4-axis OIS. The 5-megapixel selfie camera is coupled with facial recognition function.

The Xiaomi phablet comes loaded with MIUI 9 flavored Android 7.1 Nougat. It includes connectivity features like dual-SIM support, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, v5.0 Bluetooth and USB-C. The phablet is fueled by 3,400mAh battery.

Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 Pricing and Availability in India

The Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 will be available with a pricing of Rs. 35,999 in India. The Chinese manufacturer will be carrying out a special preview sale on Oct. 17 through Flipkart and Mi.com. The handset will be generally available in the first week of the next month through two websites. It will be also available through offline channels and Mi Home stores.

Apart from zero percent EMI offer, there are no launch offers available for Mi Mx 2. Also, India will not be receiving the Special Edition Mi MIX 2 that features a ceramic unibody chassis that features 8 GB of RAM.

Nubia’s Latest Video Teaster Tips the Nubia Z17s As Coming With Four Cameras

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Oct 10, 2017

It is no longer in doubt that 2017 is the year of full-screen phones with the spate at which OEMs are releasing full-screen flagships with near bezel-less display design. We have seen the Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy Note 8, Xiaomi Mi Mix 2, iPhone X, Sharp Aquos S2, and even among the smaller brands, there are cheaper full-screen models out of the factory already. Nubia is also set to join the train with the upcoming Nubia Z17s which is expected to pack a bezel-less design. Nubia had released a poster last week showing that the Nubia Z17s would be launched on October 12.

With just two days left before the official launch, the tech giant has once again released another teaser, this time a video teaser which reveals some key features of the Z17s. The major highlight of the Nubia Z17s which the video projects is not even the bezel-less design but the presence of a Quad camera set up on the flagship model. The Z17s is expected to pack a dual camera setup at the front and at the rear aspects. The short video teaser features what should be renders of the device showing the four cameras. Both the front and the rear dual cameras will be tilted towards the left corner. In addition, the video also confirms the Z17s would come with a curved edge design at the rear and front while the display will have ultra-slim bezels at the sides.

We can revisit the TENAA appearance of the Nubia NX589J believed to be the Nubia Z17s. The TENAA listing reveals the Nubia phone features a 5.2-inch 1080p display, 6GB RAM, 64GB expandable storage, a dual camera setup in which the main sensor is 13MP. There is also a 16MP front camera and a 3100mAh battery. In addition, the device is expected to run on Android 7.1.1 Nougat OS. There are talks of the Z17s coming with 8GB RAM as well as a waterproof body. You can watch the video from here.

2018 iPad Pro Models Arriving with TrueDepth Camera and Face ID, Claims Ming-Chi Kuo

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Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Oct 10, 2017

Apple introduced the TrueDepth Camera system with Face ID sensor on the iPhone X. The Face ID can be not only used for unlocking the iPhone X but also to make secure payments over Apple Pay. Fresh information shared by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reveals that Apple is working on introducing TrueDepth camera system along with the Face ID on 2018 iPad Pro.

Kuo has claimed that all the 2018 iPhones will be arriving with TrueDepth Camera and Face ID. However, as Apple tablets are concerned, only the 2018 iPad Pro models are expected to feature it.

The analyst has also claimed that more number of developers are expected to build applications related to TrueDepth Camera and Face ID. Recent reports have revealed that Apple is struggling at manufacturing the complex TrueDepth camera system.

A recent report has revealed it is because of the low production of the TrueDepth Camera, the yield rate of IPhone X plunged below 10 percent. Moreover, the Cupertino company is also facing issues with the production of OLED panels for the iPhone X. Hence, the smartphone that is speculated to hit the shelves on Nov. 3 may not arrive until December.

Kuo has not mentioned whether the 2018 iPad Pro with TrueDepth Camera and Face ID will feature a bezel-less design like the iPhone X. If the tablet will come with regular bezels, it will have enough space to house a Touch ID sensor. Will it ship with two authentication features? The 2018 iPad Pro is expected to get official in the first half of the coming year.

Samsung and Apple have been reportedly working on introducing under-display fingerprint scanner on their smartphones. However, both the companies are still not ready with the technology, since Samsung could not introduce under-display fingerprint sensor on its full screen design flagships like Galaxy, Galaxy S8+ and Galaxy Note 8, it has moved the fingerprint scanner to the rear side of these devices. On the other hand, Apple has replaced Touch ID fingerprint reader with Face ID on the iPhone X. After the launch of iPhone X, Android smartphone makers are also reportedly working on introducing facial recognition feature on their upcoming smartphones instead of integrated fingerprint reader under the screen.

JD.com Launches Luxury E-Commerce Platform Toplife To Rival Alibaba’s Luxury Pavilion

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Oct 10, 2017

JD.com, one of the largest online retailer in China, has today announced the launch of Toplife — an e-commerce platform for luxurious products. It aims to bring the personalised shopping experience of luxury brick-and-mortar stores to e-commerce.

Toplife, as per the company, is a new, exclusive full-price online shopping platform. It wants to be the go-to platform for high-end global brands to reach affluent Chinese customers directly.

The platform will allow brands to set-up their flagship stores that they can customize. Brands will have complete control regarding every aspect of their flagship store’s appearance.

Toplife will feature a wide range of luxury and high-end stores from category-leading global brands covering fashion, jewellery, watches, health and beauty, home furnishings, cosmetics, and electronics.

Brands which opts to use this new platform will get value-added services from JD.com, including premium 24-hour a day customer support and fulfilment, and precision brand-building and marketing resources.

Some of the leading brands which have already joined Toplife include La Perla, Emporio Armani, Rimowa (LVMH), B&O Play and Trussardi. More brands are expected to get listed on the platform in the coming weeks.

The warehouse is located in JD’s advanced “Asia No. 1” fulfilment centre, which features technologies such as dust-free sealed spaces, strict temperature and humidity controls, robotics, and advanced security systems.

To provide the overall luxury shopping experience, Toplife will be offering rapid and secure product delivery through JD’s self-operated nationwide logistics network. Customers will get JD Luxury Express, the white-glove delivery service that is currently available in major cities of China.

Toplife will also offer unrivalled customer support and has already formed a new team of in-house fashion consultants specially trained to advise customers of luxury products.

Chinese e-commerce companies have been battling to get the major chunk of the online luxury sector. Alibaba launched Luxury Pavilion in August this year, and with this new Toplife from JD.com, it will be interesting to see who gets the biggest slice of the market.

Cancelled Microsoft Lumia 435 with Near Bezel-less Design Appear

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Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Oct 10, 2017

This year, several smartphone makers have launched phones with super-slim bezels and high screen-to-body ratio. However, Microsoft was working on a bezel-less phone around three years ago. The smartphone was expected to debut as Lumia 435, but it appears that the Redmond giant killed the idea of launching it.

Microsoft had released a phone with Lumia 435 moniker in 2015. However, it had arrived as a low-end device that sported a 4-inch display. The cancelled Lumia 435 was codenamed as Vela and it was also expected to arrive with low-end specs. However, it would have featured a 5-inch HD display with thin bezels.

As it can be seen in the above image, the bottom bezel of the cancelled Lumia 435 is quite thick, but the side bezels are relatively thin. The handset was expected to deliver a screen-to-body ratio of 79 percent which is slightly more than that of Sharp Crystal Aquos that was unveiled in 2014. The Crystal Aquos was first smartphone with very thin bezels to hit the U.S. markets.

[envira-gallery id=”152477″]

The near bezel-less smartphones of this year such as Apple iPhone X, Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and LG V30 have screen-to-body ratios that are slightly more than 80 percent. Hence, the cancelled Microsoft Lumia 435 could have been an attractive budget phone in 2014 and it was expected to be price around $199.

The near bezel-less Lumia 435 is not the only cancelled device from the company. Recent reports have revealed that Lumia McLaren, Lumia 960 and Surface Mini tablet are some of the cancelled devices from Microsoft.

The Redmond giant had stopped providing support for Windows Phone 8.1 in July this year. Recent tweets from Joe Belfiore, Microsoft’s Corporate VP for Windows claim that the company will be only releasing bug fixes, security updates, etc. for Windows 10 Mobile. He added that adding new features to it or introducing new hardware is not the focus of the company. The reason behind it is that Redmond giant could not convince enough developers to create apps for Windows Phone and Windows 10 Mobile. Also, since there is low number of Windows 10 Mobile users, most companies are not interested in investing on the platform.

It appears that Microsoft is unlikely to release a smartphone in the near future. It may not even launch the long-rumored Surface Phone smartphone.

Oppo F5 To Launch On October 26, Will Sport 18:9 Bezel-Less Display

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Oct 10, 2017

Oppo is all set to launch its latest F series smartphone, Oppo F5. The company has announced the launch of the phone on October 26 through a post on its Philippines Facebook page.

As with Oppo‘s other recent launches, this one too is a selfie-centric smartphone. The teaser posted on the Facebook page carries the tagline “F5: Capture the real you”.

Recently, a promotional video of the phone was leaked, which revealed a 6-inch bezel-less display with 18:9 aspect ratio and a metal unibody design. Another leak, which shows the Oppo F5’s front panel, suggest that the phone could sport dual front cameras.

Previous leaks related to the smartphone indicates that it will be powered by Snapdragon 660 SoC. It is expected to have 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of onboard storage. From the leaked photos, it appears that the fingerprint sensor has been placed on the back panel — right below the camera module.

As of camera, the report suggests a 20-megapixel rear camera and 16-megapixel dual front-facing cameras. The phone, which is the Oppo F3 successor, will carry a large 4,000mAh battery.

The Oppo F5 was also featured in a video by ABS-CBN Lifestyle magazine. It showed a number of models taking selfies with this new smartphone, revealing its design. The posters of the device were also spotted in SM Megamall in Metro Manilla.

The phone is said to be the design inspiration for the upcoming OnePlus 5T smartphone, at least for the front panel. The Oppo F5 is expected to be available in different colour variants, including Black, Red, Gold and Rose Gold. It is not yet known if the Philippines launch will follow China or global launch.

(Source)

Google Buys Relay Media’s AMP Converter Tech For an Undisclosed Sum

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Oct 10, 2017

Tech giant Google has added to its growing portfolio with the acquisition of Relay Media which is known for its AMP Converter technology. This was announced by Relay Media in a short post on their official website. The AMP Converter is targeted at Google’s Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) and helps web owners convert their mobile-friendly website to a faster-loading one. No major change is coming to the service for publishers currently using its services, at least for now but they’ll be placing a hold on registration of new publishers who intend to join the platform.

AMP has become an important tool for e-commerce retailers who basically depend on visitors for their sales. This is because faster-loading mobile pages convert browsers into buyers but when the page loads slower, some may abandon the page and head somewhere else. Relay Media refers to its converter technology as “bare-bones implementation” of AMP. When web publishers utilize the Relay Media Platform, it enables them to convert web-based content to AMP content easily without altering the publisher’s general branding and features of the web page.

Google is yet to make an official announcement or issue any statement regarding the acquisition but we expect a statement to be issued in the coming days. As for the reason for the acquisition, we can guess that Google is trying to get more involved in improving AMP at a core level in order to offer a richer all-round AMP experience. Google was noticed to have effected a change in AMP results in Google Search a few days ago.