Motorola Launches Moto Z 2018 in China, Gets Kingsman Special Edition

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Oct 24, 2017

Motorola just took the wraps off its latest flagship in China. Called the Moto Z 2018, the fphone packs dual rear cameras, a 7000 series aluminium body and a 5.5” AMOLED ShatterShield display. Do the specs of the Moto Z 2018 look familiar? Of course! That is because it is the Moto Z2 Force with a different name.

Moto Z 2018 Design

With respect to design, the Moto Z 2018 is nearly identical to the international variant. It has the same brushed metal back design, all-round antenna line, redesigned moto mod connector pins, and a glass front. However, the Motorola batwing logo is gold instead of black.

Moto Z 2018 Specs

The Moto Z 2018 has a 5.5-inch AMOLED ShatterShield 2K display. Unlike the Z2 Force, this model packs 6GB of RAM and 128GB UFS storage but is still powered by the Snapdragon 835. There is also a MicroSD card slot for up to an additional 2TB.

The Moto Z 2018 has dual Sony IMX386 12MP rear cameras in the monochrome + RGB format. Above the display is a 5MP OmniVision 5695 selfie camera with its own flash.

The Moto Z comes with a 2730mAh battery but the phone comes bundled with a 3490mAh Moto Mod with TurboPower in addition to a Moto Style Mod that adds wireless charging.

There is a USB-C 3.1 port at the bottom with support for Motorola’s 15W TurboPower charging technology. The port also doubles for audio since the phone doesn’t have an audio jack. The Moto Z 2018 runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box.

Moto USB-C Hi-Fi Headphones

Motorola also announced its first USB-C earphones or like it says, the world’s first USB-C Hi-Fi headphones. It is the in-ear type with a 120cm long braided cable and an in-line control with volume buttons and a call button.

Kingsman VIP Special Edition

The Moto Z 2018 also has a Kingsman VIP Special Edition. It comes in box designed like a briefcase which holds the phone, a VIP Card, TurboPower battery mod, wireless charging mod, USB-C to 3.5mm audio adapter, leather flip case, 45th year anniversary notepad, the USB-C Hi-Fi audio headphones, and a warranty card.

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Full Screen Designs Going Ballistic: Analyst Reveals More Full-Screen Flagships Are Coming

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Oct 24, 2017

There is no argument that full-screen design was heralded with the launch of the Mi Mix by Xiaomi last year. But the popularity of the design was fuelled largely by the launch and subsequent success of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus earlier this year. Since then, we are gradually losing count of the number of full-screen phones that have been launched only in the second half of this year. The models range from flagships to mid-rangers to budget smartphones, most coming from China. That isn’t going to stop anytime soon.

As a matter of fact, we speculate that there will be more releases next year and this speculation has been given credence by an analyst who shared a Weibo post recently showing that more phones with 18:9 screen aspect ratio is in the work or on the drawing board. The blogger @Mocha RQ also disclosed that not only would we be seeing more of full-screen models, their display sizes would range from 5.8 inches to 6 inches. Already, the Vivo X20, Mate 10 Pro and OPPO R11s feature a 6-inch screen. Others like the OnePlus 5T and the Vivo Xplay 7 expected later this year would utilise a 6-inch display. The tech blogger also hinted that Huawei would next year ramp up the screen size of the flagship P-series, with the P11 expected to feature a 5.8-inch display, up from 5.1 inches. The Huawei P11 Plus, Mate 11, and Mate 11 Pro are all tipped to have screen sizes of 6 inches and above.

From the look of things, attention would gradually shift to full-screen designs but that doesn’t signify the death of other screen form factors Sure, we’ll still have 5-inch models but likely not on flagship models. In keeping up with the trend, flagship models may likely have displays ranging from 5.5 inches and higher. Unfortunately, there is no prospect that we’ll see a true bezel-less phone anytime soon. All the designs seem to have one thing in common and that is a high screen to body ratio with bezels but reduced bezels.

(source)

Nokia 7 Goes Out Of Stock Within Minutes In Its First Sale In China

By

Jeet

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Oct 24, 2017

HMD Global’s newest smartphone Nokia 7 went on sale today in China, and within minutes, it was out of stock. However, we couldn’t get information regarding the number of units that were up for sale.

The smartphone had received over 150,000 registrations for the sale that took place on local e-commerce sites JD.com and Suning. Retailer JD says that the shipments for the smartphone will begin from October 31.

The Nokia 7 is a mid-range smartphone that sits somewhere between the Nokia 6 and the flagship Nokia 8. It is available in two variants — 4GB RAM and 6GB RAM. While the 4GB RAM model comes at CNY 2,499, the 6GB RAM model is priced at CNY 2,699.

It features a 5.2-inch Full HD IPS display with a screen resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels and 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection on top. Under the hood, it is powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 630 processor clocked at around 1.8GHz.

As of storage, it comes with 64GB onboard storage and also has a microSD card slot that allows expanding storage up to 128GB. The device packs a 16-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.

The phone has a Dual-Sight mode that simultaneously captures images from the front and rear camera sensors. It is fuelled by a 3000mAh battery and runs on Android 7.1.1 Nougat operating system.

As per the company, the Nokia 7’s glass back cover has a 3D curve and has been moulded into the aluminium 7000 frame using vacuum moulded process.

Currently, Nokia 7 is only available in China. There is no information from the company regarding its availability in other regions.

However, HMG Global has sent out press invites for an event on October 31 in India where the company is expected to launch either Nokia 7 or Nokia 2. The invite reads that that company will unveil the next milestone for Nokia phones.

OnePlus 5T Pre-orders Begin with $549 Pricing on OppoMart Ahead of its Official Launch

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Oct 24, 2017

OnePlus is yet to confirm on the existence of the OnePlus 5T, but the rumor mill is consistently revealing leaked information on the rumored smartphone. One of our readers have tipped us that the alleged smartphone is already listed for pre-orders on OppoMart. The entire specifications and pricing of the OP5T phone is available on the Chinese retailer site. However, since the smartphone is yet to be officially unveiled, we advise our readers to digest the report with a pinch of salt.

OnePlus 5T Specifications

The listing of OP5T on OppoMart reveals that it has a 6-inch Optic AMOLED display that is tucked under 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass. It carries support for a FHD+ resolution of 1080 x 2160 pixels and an aspect ratio of 18:9. The smartphone is driven by Snapdragon 835 chipset. It comes in 6 GB and 8 GB RAM LPDDR4X options and two UFS 2.1 storage models like 64 GB and 128 GB. It includes a 3,450mAh battery that is equipped with 5V/4A Dash Charging.

The dual camera present on the rear panel includes a 20-megapixel f/1.7 aperture Sony IMX398 sensor and 16-megapixel f/2.6 aperture Sony IMX350. It has a selfie snapper of 16-megapixel f/1.6 aperture Sony IMX371 sensor. It is preloaded with Android Nougat that is customized with OxygenOS and the listing suggests that it will be receiving Android Oreo. In the above image, the fingerprint reader is not present at the front as it features a large display. Hence, the biometric recognition feature is speculated to be placed on the rear panel of OP5T.

The above specifications reveal that the chipset, RAM, storage, dual rear cameras and selfie camera of OP5T are same as that of OnePlus 5. However, the major change on the OP5T is the inclusion of a full screen display and a bigger battery. Since it features a larger display, it measures 157 x 75.4 x 7.25mm and weighs 164 grams. On the other hand, the dimensions of OnePlus 5 are 154.2 x 74.1 x 7.3mm and its weight is 153 grams.

OnePlus 5T Pricing

The 64 GB OnePlus 5T has a pricing of $549 and the 128 GB variant is listed with a price tag of $649 on Oppomart. The listing shows the handset in a single color option of Grey. The Chinese retailer is accepting the pre-orders of OP5T, but the shipments are expected to begin at the end of November .

The 64 GB and 128 GB models of OnePlus 5 are respectively priced at $479 and $539. Well, both the models have gone out of stock on the official OnePlus store. It appears that the company may discontinue the OP5 with the arrival of OnePlus 5T.

Thanks for the tip!

(source)

Samsung Galaxy S9 May Come With Front-Facing Fingerprint Sensor

By

Jeet

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Oct 24, 2017

Rumors regarding Samsung’s upcoming flagship smartphone — Samsung Galaxy S9 have been making rounds for quite some time. Now, the latest information regarding the smartphone suggests that it could feature a front-facing fingerprint sensor.

A patent filed by the South Korean company in its home country reveals that the next-generation Galaxy S series smartphone — Galaxy S9, may have a fingerprint sensor on the front.

The patent documentation reveals that Samsung is planning to include a small recess at the bottom of the display panel in which the company is expected to embed a fingerprint scanner.

Samsung had filed the patent back in April 2016, and it is likely that the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus will see the implementation to address fingerprint sensor placement concerns. The Galaxy S8 had fingerprint sensor at the back, which didn’t impress many users.

Earlier, there were reports suggesting that the Galaxy S9 may feature a 3D sensor equipped front-facing camera similar to Apple’s Face ID. Recently, it was reported that Samsung is working on a dedicated neural engine co-processor for its upcoming Exynos chipset.

Rumors suggest that the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus will retain the display sizes of their predecessors. Both smartphones are expected to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 octa-core SoC with 6GB of RAM. In some market, the smartphones will be powered by Samsung’s next-gen Exynos chipset, likely to be built on a 10nm process.

We are also expecting to see improvements in the camera department. The Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus are touted to be the first Galaxy S flagships to come with a dual-camera setup.

If this turns out to be true, it will be interesting to see how users react to this new way of fingerprint sensor placement.

(Source)

Leak Reveals Xiaomi Will Release Three Full-Screen Redmi Phones

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Oct 24, 2017

Xiaomi is gearing up to release its first affordable full-screen smartphone. A few days ago, two Redmi phones were seen on TENAA, differing only in their memory configuration. New details have surfaced and they mention a third full-screen phone.

According to the source, the three full-screen Redmi phones are the Redmi 5, Redmi 5 Plus, and the Redmi Note 5. All three phones will have an 18:9 display but will differ with respect to screen size and internal configuration.

One of the phones will have a 5.5” HD+ display which we presume is the Redmi 5. The other two will have 5.9” FHD+ displays just like the ones on TENAA.

The source also says that the difference (in addition to the screen) between the Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus will be the storage configuration. The Redmi 5 will have 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage while the Plus variant will have 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The Redmi 5 Plus will also be powered by a Helio P25 SoC and have a ¥1099(~$165) price.

If you are familiar with Xiaomi, you should know things will be more complicated than that. The Redmi 5 Plus will most likely have a 3GB RAM + 32GB ROM variant too and also get a Snapdragon-powered variant.

For the Redmi Note 5, the source says it will have the new Snapdragon 636 SoC on board. RAM will be 3GB paired with 32GB of built-in storage. The Note 5 is expected to cost as much as ¥1599 (~$240).

There is also a leaked screenshot that talks about the production schedule for the phones and hints at a December release date.

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HTC U11 Plus Leaks: Full Specs Emerge as Launch Nears

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Oct 24, 2017

HTC is holding an unveil event on Nov. 2. Plenty of details of the HTC U11 Plus have been already revealed through previous reports and now well-known leakster Evan Blass has shared some good information on the upcoming HTC flagship. Even though the rumor mill had speculated that HTC will be launching the HTC U11 Plus flagship on Nov. 2, Blass claims that the Taiwanese company will be unleashing the HTC U11 Life or U11 Life Android One phone at the upcoming launch event, and not the U11 Plus.

According to Blass, the smartphone that is codenamed as Ocean Master will be launching as HTC U11+. It will be featuring a 6-inch LCD display that will carry support for WQHD+ resolution. It means that it will carry support for a resolution of 1440 x 2880 pixels along with an aspect ratio of 18:9. The display will be supporting a pixel density of 538 dpi.

Its 4 GB RAM model will have 64 GB of storage and 6 GB RAM variant will have 128 GB of storage. Both the models will be powered by Snapdragon 835 chipset and also feature a microSD card slot. It will be fueled by 3,930mAh battery that will be supported by Quick Charge 3.0.

The HTC U11+ will be featuring a 12-megapixel rear camera with f/1.7 aperture that will be accompanied by dual-LED flash. It has a front-facing snapper of 8-megapixel. Blass has also revealed that the handset will be coming with an IP68 certified chassis. It will be also coming with Boom Sound audio. Like the HTC U11, the U11+ will be also fitted with pressure-sensitive frame for the Edge Sense feature.

The renders of the HTC U11+ have revealed that its side bezels are very slim, but the top and bottom bezels are a bit thick. The rear side of the phone features a fingerprint reader below the main camera. It will arrive preloaded with Android 8.0 Oreo.

(source)

OPPO’s Latest Teasers Officially Confirm OPPO R11s 18:9 Full-Screen Design

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Oct 24, 2017

Chinese phone maker OPPO has officially teased the front view of its upcoming smartphone. The OPPO R11s has all along been tipped to come with a full-screen design and that has featured in several unconfirmed leaks. A Weibo post by AnTuTu recently showed the R11s as having a 2160 x 1080 pixels resolution and this is the closest we have got to a genuine confirmation of the screen ratio. Well, until now as OPPO has now revealed that the R11s will come with an 18:9 screen aspect ratio.

The teaser poster also contains the renders of the device showing the front view and indeed, it is a full-screen design. No, this isn’t a bezel-less smartphone but is the first OPPO model that would offer something close to a bezel-less design.The device features ultra-thin bezels at the chin. The bezels at the top and bottom edges are also well reduced with space just enough to house the front speakers and selfie camera. In addition, looks like the screen will have a curved edge design.

OPPO also disclosed via Weibo that the R11s will sport a 6.01-inch display that feels like a 5.5-inch screen as a result of the narrow body occasioned by the 18:9 aspect ratio. Other features of the OPPO R11s includes a Snapdragon 660 premium mid-range processor paired with 4GB of RAM while there is 64GB of storage onboard. The R11s packs a dual camera setup comprising a 20MP + 16MP sensors as used on the R11. There is also a 20MP selfie camera onboard the device. The device will run on Android 7.1.1 Nougat with a touch of OPPO’s Color OS custom UI. The premium mid-range smartphone will be launched on November 2 in China.

(source)

Maze Comet Presale Kicks Off, Available for $169.99

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Oct 24, 2017

THe Maze Comet is the latest smartphone from Maze, a newcomer in the Chinese smartphone market. The smartphone is its third device since it began operations this year. Pre-sale has kicked off and early buyers will be able to get it at a discounted price.

The Maze Comet shares a striking resemblance to the Gionee M2017 – a luxury smartphone released at the end of last year. But while the M2017 sells for over a $1000, Maze is asking for a fraction of that for the Comet.

The cheap price doesn’t mean the Comet doesn’t pack some luxury features. For instance, its back is covered with calfskin leather and there is a 2.5D Gorilla Glass 5 covering its 5.7” HD+ display.

The Maze Comet is powered by a MT6750T processor paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage. You can add up to an additional 128GB via its second SIM slot.

Its rear camera is a 13MP Sony IMX258 sensor with a F/2.0 aperture and there is an 8MP front facing camera for selfies. Below the display is a fingerprint scanner. The Maze Comet has a 4,000mAh non-removable battery, a USB-C 2.1 port, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

It runs Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box, has Bluetooth 4.1 and dual band Wi-Fi. The Maze Comet has a dual SIM tray (nano only) and supports LTE bands 1, 3, 7, 8, and 20.

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New Nokia Phone Launching in India on October 31; Is It Nokia 7?

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Oct 24, 2017

Nokia 7 was recently unveiled in China. At its launch event, HMD Global did not reveal any information on releasing it outside of China. The Finnish firm has confirmed that it will be holding a launch event on Oct. 31 in India. Even though there is no official confirmation on it, it appears that the company may debut the Nokia 7 phone in India. There is a possibility that the company may unveil the Nokia 2 entry-level phone.

The launch invitation states that it will be unveiling “the next milestone for Nokia phones.” However, as it can be seen in the above image, there is no information available on the device that will be showcased on Oct. 31. Apart from the Nokia 8, the company has unveiled a couple of budget-friendly phones like Nokia 3, Nokia 5 and Nokia 6. However, these devices were never dubbed as major milestones which gives us a hint that the new phone that the company could be unveiling the better specced Nokia 7 in India.

The Nokia 7 features a 5.2-inch LCD display that produces a Full HD resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. The Snapdragon 630 chipset powers the 4 GB and 6 GB RAM models of the smartphone. It has an internal storage of 64 GB and it also includes a microSD card storage slot.

It has a ZEISS branded f/1.8 aperture 16-megapixel rear camera and a f/2.0 aperture 5-megapixel front-facing camera. It is loaded with Android 7.1.1 Nougat and it will be soon loaded with Android 8.0 Oreo. It includes a 3,000mAh battery. It is available with a starting price of about $375 in China and it can be availed in color choices like Gloss Black and Matt White.

HMD Global is also rumored to be working on a 4G feature phone for rivaling with the highly popular Reliance JioPhone. Since the launch event will be held on next Tuesday, the company is likely to release more teasers on the upcoming phone in the coming days.

Google Pixel 2 Clearly White Shipments May Not Reach Customers Until Late November

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Oct 24, 2017

Customers who have pre-ordered the Cleary White variant of the Google Pixel 2 have received an estimated shipment date of late October. However, many of them are now receiving emails that state that their order has been delayed by up to a month. It means that these customers are going to receive their Pixel 2 in late November.

People who have received emails on delayed shipments on the Clearly White edition of Pixel 2 have expressed their frustrations on Reddit. To make up for the delay, the search engine giant is providing a promo code to avail a Live Case worth $40 for free. The code will be sent out to these customers through a subsequent email.

Based on posts made on Reddit, it can be understood that the issue is mainly related to the Clearly White variant of the Pixel 2 with 64 GB storage. Only the 64 GB Black model is available. However, the arrival of the other color and storage models of Pixel 2 have been delayed by multiple weeks.

Google had struggled to maintain sufficient stock of the original Pixel and Pixel XL in 2016. It is disappointing to see the company struggling once again with the new Pixel phones. Also, recent reports have revealed that the Pixel 2 XL features a mediocre quality OLED panel from LG that is marred with issues like poor color reproduction and blue tint. Another report has revealed that the Pixel 2 XL’s display is also suffering from screen burn-in issues.

(source 1, 2| via)

Google Pixel 2 Teardown Video Shows Waterproofing & Other Internal Features

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Oct 24, 2017

Just recently, we saw the Pixel 2 XL teardown which gave us a glimpse of the internals especially the special features the phone comes with. The Google Pixel 2 has not gotten the teardown treatment, brought to you courtesy of Zack Jerry (JerryRigsEverything). The Youtube video shows the teardown process right from taking off the display panel to removing all other components within, including the battery.

The Pixel 2 is water resistant so all extremes are expected to be watertight and rightly so, the display panel is solidly glued to the body of the phone. The glue had to be separated with a suction cup and a pry tool and even the heat gun had to be employed in order to soften the glue. After a while, a business card was used in order for the pry tool not to damage the screen under the display which is very fragile. After the display is separated, the ribbon cable connecting the display to the panel can then be unscrewed and disconnected so that the screen can be separated completely. After the screen is removed, the screws holding the mid-frame to the phone becomes accessible and there are a total of 12 screws. Lifting the mid-frame off the phone after unscrewing reveals all the internals.

What caught our attention the most is the waterproofing measures employed which ensure the phone meets the IP 67 rating. There is an extra amount of dielectric grease around the rubber ring on the charging port to ensure it is water resistant. Another interesting thing is that the battery is pretty easy to remove just like the screen. The Pixel 2 also comes with the same squeezing function that is found on the Pixel 2 XL and the squeezable frame sensors are noticed to be located at the two side edges of the frame with connectors for each of them that connects them to the panel. For more details, you can check out the YouTube video above.

Nokia 3310 3G Pre-orders Begin in the U.S. With $60 Pricing

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Oct 24, 2017

The Nokia 3310 (2017) edition that was introduced in February this year only carried support for 2G networks. Since 2G is no longer available in some countries like the U.S. and Australia, the Nokia 3310 (2017) was not released in such markets. In September, HMD Global had introduced its 3G version and it was first made available in Australia. It was also released in Singapore. The 3G Nokia 3310 has also arrived in the U.S. with a pricing of $59.99.

The 3G variant is now available on pre-orders in the U.S. through Best Buy. It comes in four color choices such as Azure, Charcoal, Warm Red and Yellow. The handset does not support CDMA networks like Verizon and Sprint. Since it is a GSM device, it carries support for networks like AT&T, T-Mobile, Cricket and MetroPCS. The shipments of the Nokia 3310 3G will begin on Oct. 29.

The Nokia 3310 3G has a 2.4-inch LCD display that carries support for 240 x 320 resolution. It has an internal storage of 16 MB and it comes with an additional storage slot that supports up to 32 GB of microSD card. The phone also includes an FM radio app that allow users to directly record audio from the radio.

It has a 2-megapixel camera and it is fueled by a 1,200mAh battery. The phone also features a new edition of the popular “Snake” game. Previous reports have revealed that compared to the 2G model, the 3G variant features refreshed UI and some customizations.

Have you purchased the Nokia 3310 3G? Is it worth its price? Share us your thoughts by adding comments below.

(source|via)

2018 Google Pixel Phone Rumors: Alleged Codenames of 3 Smartphones Emerge

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Oct 24, 2017

The Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL smartphones that were codenamed as Walleye and Taimen were introduced to the world earlier in this month. The pre-ordered units of these phones have just started shipping and the rumor mill has some interesting information about 2018 Google Pixel phones.

Google is known for using fish names as codenames for its upcoming phones. A trusted source has revealed to Droid-Life that Crosshatch, Albacore, and Blueline are the codenames of the three Google Pixel phones that will be arriving next year. The source claims that the search engine giant may end up calling these smartphones as A, B and C to keep them secret.

It has been also revealed that at least of two of these devices will be arriving as “premium” phones and the third one could be a high-end model. While investigating on the existence of these devices, the publication found “crosshatch” mentioned in the comment for an AOSP listing for Pixel devices which can be seen in the below image. The page also contains references of “sailfish” and “marlin” that are codenames of original Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones.

The above image shows that it also contains a reference to a mysterious “wahoo” device. There is no confirmation on which device is codenamed as wahoo. The publication claims that wahoo may not be related to the devices arriving in 2018.

At the beginning, Muskie, Walleye and Taimen were believed to be the three Pixel phones for this year. However, the Muskie model was eventually cancelled. Even though the 2018 Google Pixel phones are reportedly codenamed as Albacore, Blueline and Crosshatch, things may change as the release date nears.

More information on the 2018 Google Pixel smartphones are expected in the coming months.

(source 1, 2)

Alleged OnePlus 5T with Full Screen Design Appears in New Image

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Oct 24, 2017

Since OnePlus had introduced OnePlus 3T in November 2016 after debuting the OnePlus 3 in June in the same year, the rumor mill is speculating that the company would be introducing OnePlus 5T in the coming month. Yesterday, some snapshots of the alleged official listing of the OnePlus 5T had surfaced. Today, Android Authority has received a fresh image of the rumored OnePlus 5T.

The leaked image does not provide a full view of the OnePlus 5T, but it only shows a part of it. The very first thing that can be noticed in this new image is that the handset does not feature a front-mounted fingerprint scanner. All the OnePlus smartphones that have released so far have front-facing fingerprint reader below the display.

The absence of front-mounted fingerprint sensor in the image could be because the smartphone probably features a full screen design. Rumors have it that OnePlus 5T would be equipped with a 6-inch display that produces an aspect ratio of 18:9 along with a full HD+ resolution of 1,060 x 2,080 pixels. Except for the OnePlus X mid-range phone from 2015, all the other OnePlus phones have feature a 5.5-inch FHD display with 16:9 aspect ratio.

The image also shows that the side bezels of the rumored OnePlus 5T are very thin. The handset seems to be sporting aluminum frame and the bottom side of the phone seems to be equipped with an external speaker and a USB-C port. Apart from the new full screen design, the OP5T smartphone is expected to arrive with the same specs that are available on the OnePlus 5.

Hence, the OnePlus 5T is speculated to feature a Snapdragon 835 chipset. It is also expected to come in 6 GB and 8 GB RAM options and 64 GB and 128 GB storage variants. It is likely to carry the same dual camera sensors from OnePlus 5. Rumors also claim that it may feature a larger battery and may arrive without a 3.5mm audio jack.

OnePlus 5 is a budget-friendly flagship phone, but its design is not very appealing compared to the likes of Samsung Galaxy S8, LG V30, Galaxy Note 8 and Apple iPhone X. Even though the rumor mill is talking about OnePlus 5T, the company is yet to confirm on its existence.

Do you think that OnePlus will really introduce OnePlus 5T? Share us your views by adding your comments below.

(source)

More Nokia 7 Unboxing / Hands On Photos: Even More Beautiful Than We Thought

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Oct 23, 2017

Here’s a fresh set of Nokia 7 unboxing and hands-on photos that comes to you courtesy IThomes. Do watch out for a comprehensive review of Nokia’s latest mid-range smartphone by Linus here on Gizmochina. Before that happens, we may as well make do with these photos which capture the device from all angles, including the packaging and the entire content in the box.

The Nokia 7 comes enclosed in a colourful and attractive packaging box. At the back of the packaging, the features of the device are printed there. Inside the box, you’ll find all the usual stuff that accompanies a new smartphone. There is the phone itself, a silicone protective cover, a charging adapter, SIM tray ejector and a USB-C cable.

This time around, we get a much closer look at the Nokia 7 and the device seems to look more beautiful than we thought. It features a glass body laced with a 7000-series aluminium frame and that gives it a premium look. The rear glass panel is a vacuum moulded 3D Gorilla Glass 3 panel. The device isn’t in anyway a rugged smartphone so don’t go thinking it won’t shatter. It isn’t shatterproof, neither is the device waterproof. It comes with an IP54 rating which is nothing more than a splash-proof body.

Apart from the Gloss Black variant on display here, the Nokia 7 is also available in a Matte White colour variant. Generally, the mid-range model sports a 5.2-inch IPS LCD display with Full HD resolution and Gorilla Glass 3 protection. Perhaps, the major new feature onboard the phone is the 16MP ZEISS lens at the rear with a f/1.8 aperture. The camera setup has a slight bump from the body of the phone and is located in the middle with the LED flash underneath it. By the way, we’ve seen some of the Nokia 7’s camera samples and even though it didn’t perform badly, they are nowhere near being spectacular. There is also a 5MP selfie shooter onboard.

In other specs, the device is powered by a Snapdragon 630 processor backed by 4GB of RAM on some models and 6GB RAM on others. There is 64GB of expandable storage on board. It gets its juice from a generous 3,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging. The device comes with a USB Type-C port. There is also a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.

The first official sales would commence on October 24 in China with the 4GB RAM version clutching a price tag of 2,499 Yuan (~$377) while the 6 GB RAM variant costs 2,699 Yuan (~$407). Unfortunately. there is no word yet on its global rollout. Check out more of the Nokia 7’s hands-on photos below.

(source)

Samsung Galaxy S9 Reportedly Arriving with Neural Engine Processor for Al Capabilities

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Oct 23, 2017

The Kirin 970 that powers the Mate 10 has a dedicated neural processing unit (NPU) to deal with AI. The neural engine processing cores from the Apple A11 Bionic chip that powers the iPhone 8, 8 Plus and iPhone X is dedicated towards handling machine learning algorithms. Recent reports have revealed that Google has included a custom chip called Pixel Visual Core for improving photography experience independently of the Snapdragon 835 SoC that powers the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL chipsets. Rumors have it that Samsung is too working on a dedicated neural engine co-processor for its upcoming Exynos chipset.

According to a new report on Korea Herald, the South Korean company has invested huge money on DeePhi Tech, a startup from China that specializes in deep learning technologies. In October 2016, the South Korean company had invested $30 million on a UK-based Ai tech firm called Graphcore.

DeePhi Tech that was founded in 2016 has an impressive list of clients such as Amazon Web Services, MediaTek, Xilinx and Samsung. It is because of its neural network compression technology and neural network hardware architecture that major companies have shown interest in investing on it. SK Telecom, a leading carrier from South Korea has also shown interest in investing on the Chinese startup.

Deep Neural Network Development Kit (DNNDK) is a deep learning software development kit provided by the Chinese firm that can streamline and accelerate deep learning applications. Reports suggest that the South Korean company is interested in neural AI chips for speech recognition, neural language processing and things of that nature. Hence, there is a possibility that Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S9 may include a dedicated neural AI chip alongside the Exynos 9810.

What do you think about the above rumor? Will Samsung introduce a neural AI chip on Galaxy S9? Share us your views by posting comments below.

(source)

Giveaway – Win A Jesy J9S US Military Standard Rugged Phone

By

Shine Wong

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Oct 23, 2017

Gizmochina along with JESY is conducting a Jesy J9s phone as giveaway gift to one of our lucky readers. Like always, you just have to follow the steps mentioned on the Gleam widget to get a chance to win this US Military Standard(both as MIL-STD-810G and IP-68) rugged phone.

How to entry this giveaway? Just follow these steps via Gleam widget:

Visit Jesy J9s on Giztop, find the your favorite features and leave comments under this post;
Share this promotion to your Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or other social media;

Buy Jesy J9s for $249 on Giztop, $100 Off

Terms & Conditions:

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

Just follow the steps mentioned in the Gleam widget to participate in the giveaway.
Once again, good luck.

Giveaway – Win A Jesy J9S US Military Standard Rugged Phone

New OnePlus 5T Images Surfaces Online Showing Full-Screen Display

By

Jeet

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Oct 23, 2017

OnePlus is said to be working on a new smartphone — OnePlus 5T, which is expected to launch soon. While there is no official confirmation from the company regarding the OnePlus 5T, recent reports seem to strongly suggest the phone’s existence.

Earlier, renders of the smartphone were leaked online, and now we have new images of the OnePlus 5T that have surfaced online, showing its design and the full-screen display.

The leaked images are the screenshot of the phone’s landing page on the company’s website. However, the landing page is not live yet.

The images reveal the phone’s design, which seems similar to that of Samsung Galaxy S8. There is a tagline on the landing page which reads “Larger Screen. Same Footprint.”

OnePlus 5T is believed to have a 6-inch full-screen display with 18:9 aspect ratio and rounded edges with thin bezels on each side. Given the tagline for the phone, it is likely that the dimensions of the phone will remain same as of OnePlus 5.

Many smartphone manufacturers from China have already launched a smartphone with a bezel-less display. Also, most of the flagship smartphones launched this year come with a full-screen display. But, OnePlus is yet to launch such smartphone and the OnePlus 5T is believed to be the one to fill the gap.

The smartphone is speculated to arrive with the same camera sensors that are available on OP5. However, we are expecting the company to add optical image stabilization to the rear dual cameras. On the front side, it may feature a 16-megapixel selfie camera.

Other than display, most of the phone’s specifications are believed to be same as OnePlus 5. As per the rumours, the upcoming smartphone may not feature the standard 3.5mm audio jack.

While there is no information about the phone’s availability or pricing, it is rumoured to be priced at around 3,000 Yuan (~$452).

(Source)

Sony Xperia XZ Premium Gets Android 8.0 Oreo

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Oct 23, 2017

Sony has begun rolling out an Android 8.0 Oreo update for the Xperia XZ Premium. If you own a unit, you should receive the update today or over the the next few days or weeks.

The update not only brings all the chocolatey goodness of Oreo but also new Sony-specific features. One is 3D creator which debuted with the Xperia XZ1 and Xperia XZ1 Compact. What it does is let you scan objects and faces in 3D which you can then share or 3D print. Sony had earlier announced this will come with Oreo back in August.

Sony also promised some camera improvements. So there is Predictive Capture which automatically starts taking pictures of the subject when it detects a smile. It then lets you select the best among them. You also get autofocus burst for focusing and capturing moving objects.

Other features are aptX HD support for compatible earphones, improved audio, and app shortcuts.

The roll-out is said to be gradual – “…a phased process” and “timing and availability will vary by market and/or operator.” says Sony. Nevertheless, Sony still gets the award for being the first manufacturer to release an Android 8.0 Oreo update for its phones as well as the first manufacturer to release a phone with Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box.

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