Huawei Mate 10 Pro vs Mate 9 Image Shows Design Changes

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Oct 4, 2017

Google had done a good job of keeping the upcoming Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL smartphones under the wraps throughout the year. However, the entire specifications of both phones have surfaced in the past few weeks. The leaked press renders of Pixel 2 duo have also surfaced earlier in this week. Few hours ago, the Google Home Mini smart speaker that is expected to get unveiled on Wednesday was made available on pre-orders on Walmart. The listing not only contained images of the Home Mini but also it featured an image of the Pixel 2 XL. The pre-order listing on Walmart was taken offline quickly, but 9to5Google was able to download the images of both devices.

The above image of the Google Pixel 2 XL that has surfaced through Walmart shows that it features a white rear and a black colored front. The glass that is laid on top of the display seems to a bit curved at the edges.

The bottom side of the phone features a USB Type-C port and its front-facing dual speakers are also visible. The screen has rounded corners. Even though the side bezels do not appear very slim, they seem to be thinner than the bezels of the predecessor phone. Rumors have revealed that the Pixel 2 XL is an LG-made device that features a 6-inch display that supports QHD+ resolution and an aspect ratio of 18:9.

As previous reports have revealed, the Google Home Mini is a smaller edition of Google Home smart speaker. It was listed with a pricing of $49 on Walmart.

The Home Mini that is powered by Google Assistant can answer queries, control the smart home, play music and share weather info. It measures 4.53 x 4.53 x 4.72 inches. The pre-order page of Google Home Mini had revealed that its shipping will begin on Oct. 19.

As far as Google Pixel 2 XL is concerned, recent reports have revealed that its 64 GB and 128 GB models will be respectively priced at $849 and $949. Even though the Pixel 2 XL will be unveiled on Wednesday, its shipments are rumored to begin on Nov. 15. The Google Pixel 2 is rumored to be respectively priced at $649 and $749 for 64 GB and 128 GB storage models. Its shipments are rumored to begin on Oct. 19.

(via 1. 2)

Doogee BL5000 Review – It’s All About Fancy Looks

By

Linus

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Oct 3, 2017

Doogee has made quite a few phones over the time and the BL5000 offers a huge 5050mAh battery, awesome design, and great specs for less than $150. Learn more in the full Doogee BL5000 review.

VIDEO REVIEW

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGj9tvakaRg[/embedyt]

UNBOXING

The phone ships with all the usual stuff and some extras include a TPU case and a screen protector.

DESIGN and DISPLAY

For $150, you get a phone that looks just beautiful. It is curved on all 8 sides for aesthetics and better grip, it has a quality metal frame and a glass panel, which, however, feels more like a plastic to me. The button placement is quite terrible. I always keep pressing volume keys instead of a power button.

The 5.5” 1080p display is very good for a budget phone and it can get really bright for a better outdoor visibility. Also, it is said to be covered with the Gorilla Glass 5. The home key has an integrated touchpad for convenient navigation but you can also choose on-screen keys. The fingerprint scanner is accurate but there is a slight delay between the recognition and the time when the display lights up.

The BL5000 is advertised as a dual-camera phone that has two 13MP shooters for pictures with a blurred background. Make sure to stick till the end of the review to find out if it is true.

Now little things: there is no LED notification light but there is an 8MP selfie camera and LED flash. The loudspeaker quality is average. It definitely lacks depth and clarity.

HARDWARE and PERFORMANCE

As far as hardware goes, the Doogee phone has pretty good specs for the price. The device ships with an octa-core MTK6750T chip, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage.

The gaming performance is not bad but you should expect some skipped frames on graphically-intensive 3D games on the highest graphics settings. Changing graphics settings to medium definitely helps solve this issue.

BENCHMARKS

USER INTERFACE

Doogee built their custom skin on top of Android 7.0. The UI looks kind of cartoonish to me but you can always throw in a custom launcher.

There are quite a few added features like a news center, integrated theming engine, and some gesture and motion controls that work fine but I don’t really use them. Besides other features, there is a fast capture option that allows recording a video straight from the standby mode. What is more important to me is that the phone is fast and responsive even after installing a lot of apps that usually run in the background.

IMAGE QUALITY

The image quality is decent but it could be better. As usual to this category of budget phones, you can get some nice pictures but some of them could be more detail, the colors could be more accurate and the dynamic range adjustment is average.

The pictures taken in the bokeh mode will look pretty cool on Instagram but this is more of a software trick rather than quality dual-camera implementation.

The low-light shots are kind of mediocre or poor.

Selfies could definitely have more detail and the front-facing flash does not really help at night.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-_k4KQ0TQ8[/embedyt]

1080p video looks surprisingly good for a budget phone.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3351hl1BrMw[/embedyt]

Selfie video is being recorded only at 480p resolution and the quality is quite bad. Same can be said about audio recording quality.

Download full resolution camera samples

CONNECTIVITY

The call quality is not the best but it is pretty good. Other connectivity options, including Wifi, Bluetooth, and GPS, work fine. Unfortunately, there is no gyroscope sensor, so you won’t be able to use this phone with VR headsets.

BATTERY LIFE

A 5050mAh battery is definitely one of the key selling points of this phone. You should expect to use the device for at least a couple of days and that translates to about 9 hours of SOT when using the phone quite intensively. The phone ships with a fast charger that fully charges the phone in about 1.5 hours.

CONCLUSIONS

The Doogee BL5000 is a nice-looking phone that has a sharp display, decent specs, great battery life and pretty good overall performance.

As usual to most of the budget phones, the camera could be better. Also, the button placement is inconvenient, there is no gyroscope sensor and LED notification light.

All in all, the Doogee BL5000 still offers quite a lot of value for the price but I hope this review will be useful for you as I’ve mentioned all the pros and cons of the device.

Buy Doogee BL5000

Samsung HMD Odyssey Mixed Reality Headset Launched for $499

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Oct 3, 2017

Microsoft announced the Samsung HMD Odyssey Mixed Reality headset at an event in San Francisco today. Images of the headset leaked about a week ago and today it is now official and available for pre-order.

The Samsung HMD Odyssey joins the already announced MR headsets like the Lenovo Explorer, the Dell Visor, Acer MR headset, and the HP Windows MR headset.

The Odyssey is different from the other four headsets in multiple ways. It has two OLED displays each with a resolution of 2880 x 1660 compared to the LCD displays of the others (1440 x 1440). It also has a 110° FOV which is more than the 105° FOV of the other headsets.

Another main difference is that the Samsung HMD Odyssey comes with built-in AKG headphones for spatial audio and a dual microphone array. The other headsets require you to plug in headphones and a microphone through the 3.5mm jack. However, refresh rate is 90Hz on all headsets.

The additional features of the Samsung HMD Odyssey makes it the most expensive of them all with a price tag of $499. The Dell Visor and the HP MR headset are priced at $449, while the Acer and Lenovo Explorer will sell for $399.

All the headsets come with the same motion controllers. Pre-orders have started but it won’t be available until November 6. The other MR headsets can also be pre-ordered now and they will be available on October 17.

Microsoft also announced that it has acquired AltspaceVR, a pioneer in immersive communications best known for organizing social VR events such as concerts, meetups, and comedy shows.

Pixelbook Specs Seen in Reseller Inventory Listing, New Product Called Google Clips Spotted Too

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Oct 3, 2017

The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL may be the highlight of the Google event tomorrow, but those are just two of the products Google will announce tomorrow. A new Chromebook called the Pixelbook is also expected to launch and details of the device have been seen in a reseller’s inventory listing.

The Pixelbook which will be convertible will come with a 12.3-inch display. This is a smaller than the 12.85-inch 2560 x 1700 displays of the 2013 and 2015 Chromebooks.

There will be three storage configurations – 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB. There is no info on if they will also differ with respect to RAM but all three will have an Intel Core i5 processor.

The Pixelbook will start at $1,199 and go up to $1,749. Those prices do not include a stylus Google is calling the Pixelbook Pen which has tilt support and no lag with a $99 price tag.

Another device seen on the inventory list is one that is pretty much unknown at this time save for the name “Google Clips”. As you can see in the image above, the device’s product number follows that of the Pixelbooks.

Honor Holly 4 Official: Metal Body, 5-inch Display, 3GB RAM, SD 430 & More

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Oct 3, 2017

Huawei has announced a new smartphone under the Honor brand which it christened Honor Holly 4 and is the successor to last year’s Honor Holly 3. The Honor Holly 4 has been announced for the Indian market with a recommended retail price of Rs. 11,999, which is about $183. It is interesting to note that the Holly 4 is exactly the same as the Huawei Honor 6A which was announced in Europe and China earlier this year. This isn’t the first time we will be seeing such, the Honor V9 was launched as the Honor 8 Pro in some regions.

Talking about the specifications, the Honor Holly 4 sports a 5-inch HD display and equally comes in two memory configurations. Unlike the Honor 6A, though, the Honor Holly 4 is available in a 3GB RAM + 32GB ROM version with the storage being an expandable one up to 128GB The device is also powered by the Snapdragon 430 processor which supports more LTE bands than Huawei’s Kirin 65x series.

The Honor Holly 4 packs a 13MP Sony IMX278 sensor with a LED flash at the rear, and up in front is a 5MP sensor. The device also packs arear-mounted fingerprint scanner. It also runs Android 7.1 Nougat with Huawei’s EMUI 5.1 overlay. Keeping the light on is a 3020mAh battery. Overall, the smartphone measures 143.7 x 70.95 x 8.2mm while weighing 144 grams.

The device comes in Grey, Gold and Silver colors, and will be available across all Honor partner stores across India. We don’t know if the variant with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of on-board storage as found on the Honor 6A will also be released in India or remain exclusive to the Honor 6A in other regions.

Specs of HTC U11 Life (Android One Phone) Leaked, An Upgraded HTC U Play?

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Oct 3, 2017

HTC is joining the Android One program. The phone is expected to launch as the HTC U11 Life and its full specifications have leaked online. The specs were posted on Twitter by @LlabTooFeR and they point at a mid-range device with some flagship features just like the Moto X4.

HTC Android One — HTC will join the Android One program with the U11 Life

The HTC U11 Life will have a 5.2-inch 1080p display. There will be two variants available – a 3GB RAM +32GB ROM version and a 4GB RAM + 64GB ROM variant. Both models will be powered by the Snapdragon 630 mobile platform.

U11 Life (AndroidOne program)
SD630
RAM/ROM 3/32gb or 4/64gb
5.2' 1080p
Cameras 16/16mp
Battery 2600mah
Edge Sense, USonic
IP67
Android O

— LlabTooFeR (@LlabTooFeR) October 3, 2017

For cameras, the U11 Life will have a 16MP shooter on both sides. Details about the aperture and pixel size were not provided. The HTC U11 Life packs a 2600mAh battery which is pretty small. But considering the fact that the HTC U Play which shares nearly the same specs as mentioned above save for the processor, has a 2500mAh battery, we are not surprised.

The Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 Gets A Teardown Treatment

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Oct 3, 2017

When Xiaomi announced the Mi MIX last year, it generated a lot of buzz and spawned several imitations. For its successor, Xiaomi took a different route with respect to the design but still kept certain features. While some are happy about the design of the Mi MIX 2, others are not.

The Mi MIX 2 is already available for purchase and some folks already received their units. So it is not a surprise that a teardown treatment has showed up online just in case one might need to replace a part or just for the sake of seeing what the internals are like.

The Mi MIX comes in two variants – one with a ceramic back but a metal frame and a full ceramic version. The one taken apart here is the former. The teardown process is fairly easy but if you are not sure about doing a good job, its best you take it to a professional.

The tools you will need include a Philips screwdriver, tweezers, a prying tool, and a suction cup. The suction cup will be used to separate the ceramic back from the rest of the phone.

First, power off the device and proceed to use the cup to remove the back. You have to be careful not to completely pull it apart as the cable from the fingerprint scanner is attached to the rest of the phone. Use the prying tool to gently complete the separation.

Use the screwdriver to remove the screws (ten screws in total) to gain access to the other components. When you remove the top plate, you should be able to disconnect the cable from the fingerprint scanner. The rest is easy from there. Use tweezers where necessary to remove unscrewed components.

Alleged Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Real Machine Leaks Sporting Dual Rear Cameras

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Oct 3, 2017

This year has so far been a successful year for Xiaomi and the company would want to continue riding on that wave of success. As the year draws to an end, the Redmi series will likely get some new models launched under it and one of the models is the Redmi Note 5. Although, news has been sketchy surrounding the Redmi Note 5, a newly leaked image purported to be that of the Note 5 has appeared online. The image shows some details of the Redmi Note 5 but unfortunately, we can’t verify its authenticity.

The leaked image only shows the rear view of the purported Redmi Note 5 but even at that it is encased in a protective casing, thus shielding the Mi logo from view which could have authenticated if this really is a Xiaomi model. However, we can still grab a thing or two from the rear aspect and one of such thing is the dual camera setup the device packs at its rear. The dual cameras are aligned in a vertical direction with the LED flash located at the side of the camera. Earlier rumours had tipped the main camera to be composed of a 16MP main shooter and a 15MP secondary sensor. There is also a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor situated just beneath the rear cameras.

We must point out that the image looks nothing like the Redmi Note 5A or the Redmi Note 4 which the device will take the reins from. We can’t guarantee the authenticity of the leaked image , though, so take it with a pinch of salt.

(Source)

Google Pixel 2 Launch Event: How to Watch Livestream and What to Expect?

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Oct 3, 2017

Google has a big launch event scheduled for tomorrow at San Francisco. Apart from unveiling Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL smartphones, the search engine giant will be also showcasing other devices. Here is what our readers can expect from Google Pixel 2 launch event:

How to Watch Google Pixel 2 Launch Event?

As mentioned above, the event will take place at San Francisco and it will begin at 9 AM PST in the U.S. The event will be also livestreamed on the official “Made by Google” YouTube channel.

Viewers in the U.K. can view the livestream at 5 PM BST. In India, it will be viewable at 9:30 PM IST. In China, the Pixel 2 launch event livestream will be viewable at 12 AM on Oct. 5.

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

Plenty of information on the Google Pixel 2 duo have been revealed ahead of its launch. Readers can visit the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL rumor roundup article to known everything on their expected specifications, features, and pricing. Earlier today, reliable tipster Evan Blass has revealed the leaked press renders of the Pixel 2 and 2 XL. The 64 GB and 128 GB Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are rumored to carry respective pricing of $649/$749 and $849/$949.

Google Pixelbook and Pixel Pen

The rumored Pixelbook is a convertible device that can be used as a laptop as well as a tablet. It is speculated as a premium device that will be running on Chrome OS. Its 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB models are tipped to arrive with respective pricing of $1,199, $1,399 and $1,749. Google is rumored to sell an optional Pixel Pen stylus worth $99 for the Pixelbook.

Google Home Mini and Daydream View VR

A smaller version of Google Home smart speaker dubbed as Home Mini is also pegged to debut tomorrow. Unlike the regular Google Home, its mini version may not be a wireless device. The Google Assistant driven miniature smart speaker is expected to cost $49 and it is likely to come in multiple color options.

The Daydream View VR will be enhanced version of the original model that was launched in the previous year. It Is expected to arrive in multiple colors along with a motion controller. The device is expected to be priced at $99.

Google Likely to Announce, “Made for Google” Certification Program for Third Party Accessories for Pixel 2, 2 XL

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Oct 3, 2017

On Wednesday, Google will be holding its launch event to unveil new hardware devices including the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL smartphones. Fresh information that has surfaced today has revealed that Google will reportedly announce a “Made for Google” program for third party accessories. This certification program will be similar to Apple’s MFi (Made for i) plan.

A source that is aware of the Made for Google initiative and another source that is associated with the upcoming hardware announcement has confirmed to 9to5 Google that the search engine giant will be starting a certification program for third party accessories.

Apple’s MFi certification program allow third party accessories manufacturers to make use of Apple’s logo and branding apart from providing them with hardware components, specifications and technical support. Previously, the Cupertino company used to charge a fee for each certified device. However, the requirement was later dropped by Apple. It is likely that Google may adopt a similar strategy through “Made for Google” in order to promote Google and Pixel brand names among the consumers.

Google’s new program could result in certified products like USB-C enabled chargers, battery packs, USB cables and so on for the upcoming Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL smartphones. The USB Implementers Forum Inc. has already laid out a standard that all cables are expected to follow. However, is has been found that the cables provided by Android OEMs do not meet the required Type-C standard. Using low quality cables that do not meet the specifications can be potentially harmful to devices.

Hence, customers looking to purchase a third-party accessory will certainly feel confident in buying a product with a “Made for Google” stamp on it.

(source|via)

Whatsapp Now Has Its Own Emojis, Available On The Beta Version For Now

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Oct 3, 2017

The latest version of Whatsapp Beta sees the popular messaging app bring its own emoji set. Prior to that, the emojis available on the platform were those available on iOS and worked on other operating systems. This made it possible for emojis to be interpreted the same way irrespective of the device the sender or the receiver was using.

The new emoji set is still similar to that of iOS but you sure would know it has seen some changes. The eyes and mouths of the smileys are one of the differences. The animal emojis are different or and are facing a different direction. Others are just a different color. Another addition is the support for Emoji 5.0, the latest version approved by Unicode. Below are sample images – the old emoji set on the left and the new ones on the right.

[envira-gallery id=”151669″]

The update is available in the Android beta version 2.17.364 but until a stable version is available will we be able to confirm if there are no further changes to the emoji set.

Android 8.0 Oreo with 0.2% User Base Appears for the First Time on Android Distribution Chart

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Oct 3, 2017

The recently introduce Sony Xperia XZ1, XZ1 Compact, XA1 Plus and the upcoming Mate 10 series and Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL smartphones are all arriving preinstalled. Since there are not many Android 8.0 Oreo driven phones in the market, Oreo was not seen in the Android distribution chart by Google. However, it has finally appeared in this month’s Android distribution chart with a percentage of 0.2 percent.

Currently. only the Pixel devices like Pixel, Pixel XL and Pixel C along with some Nexus devices like Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X, and Nexus Player have received the Android 8.0 Oreo update. These devices probably account for 0.2 percent of market share for Android Oreo.

Android 8.0 Oreo was introduced on Aug. 22 and even though many smartphone OEMs such as BlackBerry, HTC, Sony, Nokia, Huawei and Motorola have confirmed the list of their devices that will be upgraded to Oreo, none of the smartphones except for Google devices have received the Android 8.0. Google does not consider Android versions that have lower than 0.1 percent distribution. This could be the reason why Oreo was not seen in the Android distribution chart since its launch in August.

With a huge market share of 32 percent, Android 6.0 Marshmallow is the Android version that is widely available on Android devices. It is followed by Android Lollipop that is running on 27.7 percent devices. Compared to last month, the market share of Marshmallow and Lollipop have declined. In th previous month, both carried respective market shares of 32.2 percent and 28.8 percent.

Last year’s Android Nougat is still not available on large number of Android devices as it has a market share of 17.8 percent. The market share of the Android KitKat has been reduced to 14.5 percent whereas Jelly Bean has a market share of 7.6 percent. Older versions such as Ice Cream Sandwich and Gingerbread have respective market shares of 0.6 percent.

The aforementioned data was collected during a one-week period that ended on Oct. 2. These stats show that the market share of Android Nougat is slowly increasing. In the last month, Nougat had a market share of 15.8 percent. As far as Oreo is concerned, its market share is expected to improve by the end of year as many smartphone OEMs will begin the process of rolling out Android O.

(source)

Huawei Mate 10 Pro Likely to Cost 940 Euros (~$1,100)

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Oct 3, 2017

The arrival of the Huawei Mate 10 series is drawing near. According to one of the recent tweets from a well-known leakster Roland Quandt, the Mate 10 Pro would be priced at 940 euros (~$1,100) in Eastern Europe. The tipster has made this claim on the basis of Mate 10 Pro’s listing on retailer sites that have been taken down.

In the previous week, the rumor mill had revealed the following speculated pricing of all the variants of the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro:

Huawei Mate 10

4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage = 4,299 Yuan (`$647)

6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage = 4,899 Yuan (~$737)

6 GB RAM + 256 GB storage = 5,599 Yuan (~$843)

Huawei Mate 10 Pro

6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage = 5,499 Yuan (~$827)

6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage = 6,199 Yuan (~$933)

6 GB RAM + 256 GB storage = 6,899 Yuan (~$1,038)

8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage = 7,499 Yuan (~$1,129).

The 940 euros ($1,100) pricing that has been leaked by Quandt could be referring to the 6 GB + 256 GB or 8 GB + 256 GB variant of the Mate 10 Pro.

The Huawei Mate 10 is speculated to house a 5.9-inch display that will carry support for 16:9 aspect ratio whereas the Mate 10 Pro is rumored to feature a 5.9-inch display that be offering an aspect ratio of 18:9. Both the smartphone are rumored to be powered by Kirin 970 chipset that is integrated with AI NPU. One of the recent reports have revealed that Mate 10 duo’s AI capabilities will allow them to see, think and learn like a human brain.

The Mate 10 duo are expected to be arrive with a pair of f/1.6 aperture SUMMLUX-H lenses. Both the smartphones are tipped to house the same battery of 4,200mAh capacity. Another recent report has revealed that Huawei may introduce a Samsung DeX-like product that will allow users to connect Mate 10 to a large screen through a dock for viewing Android apps on a desktop UI.

Huawei will be unveiling the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro on Oct. 16 in Munich, Germany. It is also expected to debut Mate 10 Lite with mid-range specs.

Source

Facebook to Add Facial Recognition Feature Soon for Unlocking Account

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Oct 3, 2017

When a Facebook user is unable to sign in into his account, he can rely on the two-factor authentication that asks for a mobile phone number so that a confirmation code can be sent to it through SMS. It seems that apart from this method of regaining control of the account, Facebook will be soon provide another option of facial recognition to confirm the identity of the user for unlocking an account. Facebook has confirmed that it is currently testing the new account authentication feature.

According to Facebook, the facial recognition feature for verifying an account will be only available on those devices that users have already used to log in. Currently, it is testing it by making the feature available to a small number of users. If the feature proves to be reliable and cannot be fooled by hackers, it may be made available to wider audience. A screenshot of the new facial scanning feature has been shared by Matt Navarra from The Next Web.

NEW! Facebook working on a facial recognition feature to help secure your account

h/t Devesh Logendran pic.twitter.com/demol4dKj1

— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) September 29, 2017

Here is how the facial recognition feature will work on Facebook. Users will be required to hold their phone to their face and then the Facebook app will scan the face and compare it with the tagged images and videos of the user that are present on the site. Once a match is found, the account will be unlocked.

For wider acceptance, Facebook will have to ensure that the facial scanning feature is highly reliable and it cannot be hacked by using a picture of a user. The company is not new to facial scanning technology as it has been using it for years when it makes suggestions for tagging. When a photo is uploaded on Facebook, it is automatically scanned to detect faces it recognizes from the profiles of friends and then it provides suggestions on tagging. In the previous year, Facebook had acquired a company called FacioMetrics, a facial recognition software company. Facebook had claimed that it had bought FacioMetrics to rival with SnapChat for adding effects to photos and videos.

Do you think Facebook’s facial recognition feature will be reliable and unhackable? Share us your thoughts by adding your comments below.

(source 1, 2)

Samsung to Make Huge Revenue through iPhone X than its Own Flagship Phone

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Oct 3, 2017

Apple is selling the iPhone X with a starting price of $999. The Cupertino company will not only benefit from the sales of iPhone X, but also Samsung which its major rival will also reap good profits from its sales. According to a new report on The Wall Street Journal, the South Korean company earns around $110 when each unit of iPhone X is sold.

A recent market analysis by the Counterpoint Technology Market Research has revealed that Apple is expected to sell around 130 million units of iPhone X until the summer of 2019. If Apple manages to sell these many units of iPhone X, it is certain that Samsung will also make huge money by the sales of the most advanced smartphone from Apple.

As far as the sales analysis of Galaxy S8 is concerned, Samsung is expected to sell around 50 million S8 units in a timeframe of 20 month since its launch in April. The South Korean company’s component division will be getting $202 from the sale of each Galaxy S8 unit. This suggests that iPhone X will bring around $4 billion in revenue to Samsung’s component division than the Galaxy S8. The component division of Samsung earned 35 percent of the firm’s $195 revenue in 2016.

Ming-Ch Kuo who had accurately predicted $999 pricing of iPhone X had revealed earlier that Samsung is charging around $120 to $130 for each OLED panel that goes into the iPhone X. This amount is around $75 more than what the Cupertino company is usually paying for LCD panels that it uses on other iPhones.

Currently, Samsung is the sole provider of OLED panels for iPhone X. Apple wants the South Korean company to manufacture OLED panels in a certain way to house the notch present at the iPhone X. This has reportedly result in production problems that is reportedly delaying the iPhone X’s arrival to the market.

Recent reports have revealed that the Apple is exploring other options for OLED screens. Some reports have revealed that LG Display may provide OLED panels to Apple. Also, the Cupertino company is also rumored to build its own OLED manufacturing factory. A recent report has revealed that Apple may use the Full Active LCD panels from Japan Display (JDI) for iPhones. JDI is also expected to provide OLED panels to Apple in 2019.

Meanwhile, Samsung seems to be making good revenue through the sales of iPhone X and also through its own flagship phones such as Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ and Galaxy Note 8.

(source)

Two ZTE Smartphones With Large Battery Capacities Certified By TENAA

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Oct 3, 2017

Just a couple of days after the appearance of the ZTE Axon Multy which could be the company’s first foldable smartphone, two new ZTE models have appeared on TENAA’s database indicating that they have been certified. The two models are in no way related to the foldable smartphone, neither do they feature flagship specs. Instead, they both pack budget specifications but are set apart by the large battery capacity they carry. The ZTE models appear with the model numbers ZTE A0616 and ZTE A0622.

As for the specs, the ZTE A0616 is listed with a 5.5-inch HD (1280 x 720) display and will make use of an unknown quad-core SoC with a clock speed of 1.45GHz paired with 2GB RAM on one version and 3GB RAM on a second version. The device also comes with storage options of either 16GB or 32GB, both expandable up to 128GB using a microSD card. The presence of fused antenna band lines shows that the device will have a metal body. On the camera aspect, the ZTE A0616 packs 13MP camera at the rear while it will have a dual selfie camera sensor at the front with the main camera being an 8MP sensor. The device will boot Android 7.0 Nougat with ZTE custom UI out of the box. The A0616 gets its juice from a large 3900mAh non-removable battery and has a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.

On the other hand, the ZTE A0622 seems to have a plastic body but packs a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. The device is powered by an unknown quad-core SoC with a similar clock speed of 1.4GHz and sports a smaller 5.2-inch 720p display.The device will come in 3 storage and RAM options: 2GB RAM + 16GB storage, 3GB RAM +32GB storage and 4GB RAM + 64GB storage options. Available color options include Black, Light Blue, and Dark Blue. The A0622 packs a massive 4870mAh battery despite having the features of a budget phone.

(source 1,2)

Alleged Nubia Z17s Real Photo Leaks Showing Bezel-less Front Panel

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Oct 2, 2017

For a while now, we have been inundated with rumours of a Nubia full-screen phone which latest poster hints would be launched on October 12. Ahead of its apparent launch, the Nubia full-screen model which is believed to go by the name- Nubia Z17s, has appeared in a live photo showing the front display panel. Well, we can’t authenticate if this is actually what Nubia will be unveiling in a couple of days from now.

The image looks like a full-screen photo alright, but what makes it of greater interest is a degree of bezels on the part in view. The device looks completely bezel-less on all sides with the chin having ultra-thin bezels and the top and bottom edges also appear to have no bezels. With such a design, this could at best be a concept render even though Nubia touts the Z17s as coming with full-Screen 2.1.

A Nubia phone fingered to be the full-screen model did appear on TENAA recently clutching the model number NX589J. The TENAA listing reveals the Nubia phone sports 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 and would have a curved edge design at the rear. We must note that the photos which accompanied the TENAA listing are markedly different from this latest leaked photo. Until the model is official, we can’t be so sure the upcoming Nubia full-screen phone will have such a spectacularly bezel-less design. So, it is best you take this with a pinch of salt as it could be fake.

(source)

Fresh Official Renders of The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL Leaked

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Oct 2, 2017

Just two days away from the official launch of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, we get fresh photos of both devices from popular leaker, Evan Blass. The images reveal all there is about the design, so come Wednesday the only new info will be the software features of both phones.

Evan had earlier shared an image of the Pixel 2 XL wrapped up in a case before releasing more photos on his website, Venture Beat. The photo gives us a good look at the front of the phone and confirms some features earlier reported.

The Pixel 2 XL will indeed come with front facing speakers. While the top speaker/earpiece is closer to the edge of the bezel, the bottom speaker is a few mm away from it. At the top left corner sits the front facing camera.

The image also confirms the report of a new Pixel launcher. As you can see, the search bar is now in between the icon dock and the navigational buttons.

A second image gives us a better look at the 6” QHD display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. With its rounded corners just like that of the LG G6 , the Pixel 2 XL doesn’t hide the fact that its made by LG. A third Pixel 2 XL image shows the device in the panda color we saw a few weeks ago, with the power button in orange.

The HTC-made Pixel 2 with its 5-inch FHD display also makes an appearance. It maintains the 16:9 aspect ratio of its predecessor but gets dual front facing speakers.

The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will be powered by the Snapdragon 835 mobile platform and run Android 8 Oreo out of the box. They will have 4GB of RAM with either 64GB or 128GB of storage. The rear cameras are 12MP sensors on both devices too.

ASUS X018DC Seen on TENAA With 5.7” 18:9 Display & Dual Rear Cameras

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Oct 2, 2017

In the last 2 months, ASUS has released about six smartphones, but it doesn’t appear to be done as a new phone has been seen on the TENAA website. Like most phones of late, the ASUS X018DC joins the bandwagon with its 18:9 display.

The ASUS X018DC has a 5.7-inch 1440 x 720 (HD+) display. It will be available in 3GB RAM and 4GB RAM variants with 32GB and 64GB of expandable storage respectively. The processor is a 1.5GHz octa-core SoC.

Like most of the Zenfone 4 series lineup, the X018DC also features dual rear cameras. It is a 16MP + 8MP combination in the same horizontal design with a LED flash beside the sensors. Front facing camera is an 8MP sensor.

The phone runs Android 7.0 Nougat, has a 4030mAh battery and measures 152.6 × 72.7 × 8.8 mm. It weighs 160g and will come in Star Black, Light Pink, and Gold.

Its hard to see how thin the bezels on the ASUS X018DC are. The sample pictures provided are of the black variant and the display blends perfectly with the bezels. However, we can make out the front camera on the top left corner and the earpiece in the middle. Buttons are on the right and SIM tray is on the left.