Xiaomi Launches 70 Minutes Smart Car Dashboard Camera Priced At 189 Yuan (~$28)

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Sep 28, 2017

On Monday, Gionee announced the M7 and the Steel 2 Plus. Both phones are the first to come with its 18:9 FullView display. In its plans to penetrate more markets, Gionee launched the Steel 2 Plus in Thailand today but under a different name – the M7 Power.

The M7 Power has a 6.0-inch HD+ display. It is powered by the Snapdragon 435 mobile platform and has 4GB of RAM. Built-in storage is 64GB but can be further increased via a MicroSD card slot.

Apart from the 18:9 display of the phone, another selling point of the M7 Power is its non-removable 5000mAh battery. This should be more than sufficient for a day.

The M7 Power has a 13MP rear camera and an 8MP front facing camera that can take bokeh selfies. Gionee has also pre-installed it with Android 7.1 Nougat with the latest version of its UI, Amigo 5.0 on top.

Nokia Android 8.0 Oreo Update for Nokia 3, 5 and 6 Arriving Before End of 2017

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Sep 28, 2017

HMD Global has already confirmed that the Android 8.0 Oreo update would be released for Nokia 3, Nokia 5, Nokia 6 and Nokia 8. In the previous week, HMD Global Chief Product Officer Juho Sarvikas had shared official images that revealed that the company is working on Android 8.0 Oreo update for Nokia 8. However, he did not reveal the exact timeline for the release of Oreo update. Today, the company has made officially confirmed that the Android 8.0 Oreo would be released for its smartphones before the end of 2017.

Mark Trundle who is the HDM Global’s General Manager for multiple regions like Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia has confirmed in a recent interview that the Nokia 3, Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 would be updated to Android 8.0 Oreo before the end of this year. This means that the Nokia 3 will become the cheapest smartphone to receive Android Oreo.

As far as Nokia 8 is concerned, since the company has hinted that it is testing Android 8.0 Oreo update for the smartphone, it is likely that it could become the first Nokia phone to receive the latest Android version. The Android 8.0 Oreo update is expected to be first available for unlocked variants of Nokia 3, 5, 6 and 8. Next in line would be the carrier variants of these phones.

The upcoming Nokia 2 entry-level phone is expected to come loaded with Android 7.1 Nougat. There is no information on whether it will be receiving the Oreo update.

(source|via)

Nokia 2 and Nokia MD-22 Wireless Speaker Likely to Debut Together

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Sep 28, 2017

The last quarter of this year will be starting soon and HMD Global is speculated to unveil couple of devices during the period. Apart from the rumors of the launch of a bezel-less Nokia 9 flagship phone, the Finnish firm is also expected to unveil Nokia 2 entry-level phone. Fresh information suggests that the company may debut MD-22 wireless speaker alongside the Nokia 2.

Well-known leakster, Roland Quandt had claimed that the Nokia 2 phone won’t be launched alone, and many speculated that the company would unveil Nokia 9 phone alongside it. Fresh information suggest that a wireless speaker would be accompanying the Nokia 2 phone.

In 2014, when Nokia smartphones were running on Windows Phone 8.1, the Finnish firm had unveiled MD-12 wireless speaker. The rumored Nokia MD-22 wireless speaker is said to arrive as a successor device for MD-12.

The MD-22 wireless speaker is expected to be priced between 30 euros to 40 euros. The MD-12 had arrived with a pricing of 39 euros. Its successor model is expected to be available in all the markets where HMD Global is selling its products.

The MD-12 offered wireless connectivity through Bluetooth and NFC and it also provided users with audio-out connector. The MD-22 is also expected to arrive with similar connectivity features.

Earlier in this week, Nokia Myanmar seems to have accidentally revealed that the Nokia 2 would be available in the country in November. However, some rumors have claimed that the Nokia 2 would be made official as early as Oct. 5.

The Nokia 2 is speculated to feature a 5-inch HD screen. It is rumored to feature Snapdragon 210 / 212 chipset and 1 GB of RAM. Other rumored specs include 8-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front camera, and 4,000mAh battery. It is pegged to cost around $105.

As of this writing, the Finnish firm has not confirmed on launch events for the remaining months of this year. Since the Nokia 2 is entry-level phone, it may get announced through a press release.

(source|via)

Titanium-clad iPhone X Limited Edition Now Up For Pre-order For $4,500

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Jed John Ikoba

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Sep 28, 2017

Smartphones with a customised body reminiscent of the Vertu models are very popular in some parts of the world despite the huge price tag they usually come with. One country where such premium smartphones are collectors’ items is Russia and it might interest you to know that Apple’s latest iPhone X is already available in a Titanium body in Russia courtesy of design outfit – Caviar.

The iPhone X will not be available for sale until November and isn’t even available to pre-order just yet. Apple will start receiving pre-orders for iPhone X on October 27 while the device will ship on November 3, 2017, but Caviar is open to receive pre-orders for the Titanium coated limited edition of the iPhone X priced at 202 900 R ($4,500). The Russian company has a reputation for manufacturing customised phones and its cache includes the Nokia 3310 Putin-Trump Summit Edition released a few months back. The iPhone X is made of titanium, a material used by the Russians to manufacture MiG-35 fighter jets, Satan ICBMs (missile launch platforms), and T-14 tanks.

Apart from the iPhone X, Caviar also has customised versions of the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus models up for pre-order. The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus is available for slightly reduced prices which start at around $3,000.

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Nokia 3310 (2017) 3G Model Launched with Refreshed UI and New Customizations

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Sep 28, 2017

Nokia had resurrected the Nokia 3310 feature phone by launching its revamped version during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017 event in February. Since the Nokia 3310 (2017) supports only 2G connectivity, its unusable in some markets like the U.S., Canada, Australia and Singapore. HMD Global has now launched the 3G edition of the phone and has confirmed that it will be available for buying from next month.

Nokia 3310 (2017) with support for 3G connectivity has been launched in Australia. The handset will be available for buying in the country with a price tag of AUD 89.95 ($70) starting from Oct. 17. It will be available through carriers like Optus and Vodafone in Australia.

It is expected to be available globally with a pricing of 69 euros ($81.17). Its global release is also pegged to happen in mid-October. There is no information on the specific markets that will be getting the Nokia 3310 3G. However, Singapore is the other market that will be getting it in October.

In February you asked for it. We got to work @nokiamobile and here it is. Iconic #nokia3310 now in 3G! https://t.co/2jJysyUwHh pic.twitter.com/CUdU4Zhzfp

— Juho Sarvikas (@sarvikas) September 28, 2017

The new 3G model is enabled with new customization options such as rearranging of icons and modifying color themes. It is also loaded with a refreshed customizable retro UI. The phone has been slightly redesigned as there is more spacing between the buttons.

As far as the 2G model is concerned, the Chief Marketing Officer of HMD Global Pekka Ranatala has claimed that the company sold “millions” of units of Nokia 3310 (2017). The specifications of the Nokia 3310 (2017) 3G version are same as its 2G variant. It will be coming in color choices like Azure, Charcoal, Warm Red and Yellow.

The Nokia 3310 (2017) has a 2.4-inch color display that supports 240 x 320 pixels resolution. It is running on “Feature OS powered by Java” and comes with 64 GB ROM and external storage support. It features a LED enabled 2-megapixel rear camera. It carries support for dual-SIM connectivity and is packed with a 1,200mAh battery that offers up to 27 days of standby time. For connectivity, it provides options like Bluetooth 2.1 and microUSB port. The phone comes preinstalled with the classic Snake game that is optimized for new color display.

(source 1, 2)

LG K7i Mosquito Repellent Phone Launched in India for Rs. 7,990 (~$121)

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Sep 28, 2017

LG has unveiled the LG K7i entry-level smartphone at the ongoing India Mobile Congress event in New Delhi. The smartphone has a very unique feature that can assist in controlling mosquito-borne diseases in the country.

LG K7i comes with a feature called Mosquito Away that uses ultrasonic sensor available on the backside of the smartphone to create 30KHz ultrasonic sound waves. These sound waves are not audible to humans. However, mosquitoes and insects are unable to withstand the noise which helps in driving them away. Hence, the LG K7i can protect its users from mosquito bites. At the launch event, the company said that there are no harmful chemicals on the phone and neither were any used while manufacturing it.

LG has launched air conditioners and televisions with Mosquito Away feature in the past and now the feature has been made available on a mobile phone. The company claims that the LG K7i is the first smartphone in the world that comes with an ultrasonic technology to shoo away the mosquitoes.

Coming to the specifications of the LG K7i phone, it features a 5-inch display that supports an HD resolution of 720 x 1,280 pixels. It is driven by an unspecified quad-core processor that clocks at 1.4 GHz. The processor is coupled with 2 GB of RAM and it comes with inbuilt flash storage of 16 GB. It can support up to 128 GB of microSD card. It features a rear-mounted fingerprint reader.

It is preloaded with Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS. The rear camera of the LG K7i is of 8-megapixel and it houses a frontal shooter of 5-megapixel. It includes a decent battery of 2,500 mAh capacity . The connectivity features of the LG K7i include 3.5mm audio jack, dual-SIM support, v4.2 Bluetooth, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802 b/g/n and NFC connectivity. It sports a full plastic design that has a thickness of 8.1mm and it weighs 138 grams.

LG is also proving Mosquito Away stand along with the smartphone. Buyers who do not want the Mosquito Away feature can swap its rear cover with a normal one. The smartphone comes in brown color and carries a pricing of Rs. 7,990 (~$121). The handset will be available through offline retailers across India.

Do you think that the LG K7i smartphone will be well-received in India? Share us your thoughts by commenting below.

Xiaomi is Reportedly Working with Qualcomm on Optimizing Snapdragon 845 for Xiaomi Mi 7

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Sep 28, 2017

Earlier in this month, the rumor mill had revealed the key specs that would be arriving on the Xiaomi Mi 7. The report had revealed that the upcoming flagship phone from the company would be driven by Snapdragon 845 chipset. Today, an industry insider from China has claimed that the Chinese firm and Qualcomm are currently working on optimizing the Snapdragon 845 v2.

He has added the development progress is proceeding at a steady pace as Xiaomi is expected to begin the testing of Mi 7 in November this year. The final testing of Xiaomi’s upcoming flagship may happen in February next year. The Mi 7 may come with a large-sized OLED screen. However, the smartphone is unlikely to feature an in-screen fingerprint reader.

In June, reports had claimed that the upcoming Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL would be the phones to feature the new Snapdragon 836 chipset. However, newer information has revealed that the Snapdragon 836 chipset does not exist and the next premium SoC from Qualcomm would be the Snapdragon 845.

Rumors have it that the Snapdragon 845 is manufactured by Samsung through its 10nm Low Power Early (LPE) FinFET process. It is speculated to include a combination of Cortex A75 cores, Adreno 630 graphics and X20 LTE modem that is capable of delivering download speed of up to 1.2 Gbps.

The Xiaomi Mi 7 rumors suggest that it will be featuring a 6-inch OLED screen from Samsung. It is expected to support an aspect ratio of 18:9. The Mi 7 could be the first smartphone from the company to carry support for wireless charging.

When it comes to the design, the Mi 7 is expected to feature the same glass and ceramic chassis that is available on the Mi 6. As far as the pricing of the Mi 7 is concerned, it is pegged to cost around 2,999 Yuan for the 6 GB RAM model. Previous reports have suggested that Xiaomi may unveil the Mi 7 in the first quarter of 2018. Rivaling brands like Samsung and LG are also rumored to debut their respective flagships such as Galaxy S9 and LG G7 in Q1 next year.

Google Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL Rumors: Updated Specifications Leaked

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Sep 28, 2017

A lot of information on the upcoming Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL smartphones have been revealed in the past weeks. Today, Android Authority has shared fresh details on the specifications of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL that it has received from an exclusive source.

Google Pixel 2 XL Specifications

The Pixel 2 XL will be coming with a curved edge-to-edge display that will support QHD resolution. The display is expected to carry support for Wide Color Gamut. The publication claims that it is not sure of the exact size of the display for Pixel 2 XL. However, its source has stated that it will be supporting a screen-to-body ratio of about 80 to 85 percent. Previous rumors have claimed that it will be fitted with a 5.99-inch OLED panel from LG.

The Pixel 2 will be driven by Snapdragon 835 chipset and it is expected to arrive in 64 GB and 128 GB models. It is going to be equipped with a battery of 3,520 mAh capacity. The publication has added that the Pixel 2 XL won’t be featuring a 3.5mm audio jack, but it will be flanked with dual stereo speakers.

Just like the original Pixel phones, Google is expected to include stellar cameras on the Pixel 2 XL and Pixel 2. At least, one of the camera sensors of the smartphone is going to feature OIS. The Pixel 2 XL is going to feature a e-SIM card that would allow users to seamlessly switch between networks in the U.S.

The Pixel 2 XL is likely to feature Google’s second-generation fingerprint reader. As far as the durability of Pixel 2 XL is concerned, it will feature an IP67 certified dust and water-resistant along with Gorilla Glass 5 protection.

The Active Edge feature that will function like the Edge Sense feature on HTC U11 will be available on the left side of the Pixel 2 XL. Hence, squeezing the Pixel 2 XL will allow to launch Google Assistant or dismiss an alarm.

Google Pixel 2 Specifications

The Google Pixel 2 is expected to arrive with identical specs as its larger sibling. However, the Pixel 2 will have some key differences. Since the Pixel 2 will be arriving with a smaller display that supports FHD resolution, it is unlikely to support Wide Color Gamut. It will be featuring a battery of 2,700 mAh capacity. Previous reports have revealed that it will be coming with a 4.97-inch display.

Customers of Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will be provided with unlimited Google Cloud storage for free until 2023. The Pixel 2 duo will be unveiled on Oct. 4.

Leaked Photo of ZTE Axon Multy Foldable Smartphone with Dual Screens Appear

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Sep 28, 2017

Earlier in this month, the rumor mill had revealed that ZTE will be announcing a foldable smartphone with dual screens called ZTE Axon Multy in the next month. Today, Android Authority has revealed a leaked photo to show the semi-unfolded view of the alleged smartphones.

The ZTE Axon Multy features a pair of full HD displays. When the device is unfolded, these screens join together to form a larger display of 6.8 inches with a resolution of 1,920 x 2,160 pixels. It suggests that the unfolded screen would offer an unconventional aspect ratio of 1:1. As it can be seen in the image below, the two displays are connected by means of a hinge.

The leaked logo of the smartphone had suggested that the smartphone would be unveiled as ZTE Axon Multy. However, newer information suggests that the handset may debut as ZTE Axon M. It is expected to deliver superior multi-tasking experience as it will allow users to run different apps on both screens simultaneously

Previous reports have revealed the thickness of the device when kept in the folded state would be less than 10mm. The dual screen phone would be driven by Snapdragon 820 chipset and 4 GB of RAM. It is pegged to arrive with an internal storage of 32 GB. It is expected to include a 3,120mAh battery. It is speculated to feature a 20-megapixel camera and a 3.5mm audio jack.

The ZTE Axon M is rumored to be unveiled on Oct. 17 in New York. The Chinese firm had already confirmed that it would be holding an unveil event on that day. The Axon M is expected to be exclusively available in the U.S. through AT&T. As far as pricing is concerned, it is expected to cost around $650. Initial reports suggest that the smartphone may not be available outside of the U.S.

What do you think about this smartphone? Will it be able to entice buyers even though it does not feature high-end features like Snapdragon 835 and dual rear cameras? Share us your thoughts by posting your comments below.

Leaked Official-Looking Posters Pitch Meizu MX7 To Launch on October 11

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Jed John Ikoba

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Sep 28, 2017

Meizu has tremendously picked up the pace with its smartphones released in the second half of the year. The first half of 2017 saw quite a few models released by the tech giant but now, soon after the launch of the Pro 7 and Pro 7 Plus as well as the Meizu Flow headset, the company has launched the M6 Note and recently, the M6. Now, there are signs the Meizu MX7 will be launched on October 11 by the tech giant.

The Meizu MX7 is supposed to be a flagship model considering that the MX series was Meizu’s flagship series until the birth of the Pro-series. The MX7 will take the reins from the MX6 launched around July last year packing an Helio X20 chip and a powerful 12MP Sony IMX386 rear camera sensor. The MX7 was expected to launch in September this year packing an Helio P30 chip, according to the leaked Meizu product schedule for this year that has so far been fairly accurate.

In this case, September is almost gone leaving the possibility of the MX7 launching in October. However, it must be noted that the teaser posters were not released officially by Meizu and cannot be found on any of Meizu’s official Weibo handles. This leaves room for speculation that they are likely fake. Moreso, we can’t vouch for the pedigree of the leaker. The teaser posters are also suggestive of the MX7 packing an in-display fingerprint sensor which Qualcomm says will only find its way into smartphones next year. You can check out the posters from below.

Huawei Files For U.S & EU Trademark For A New EnVizion 360 Panoramic VR Camera

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Jed John Ikoba

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Sep 28, 2017

Huawei recently filed a patent application for a selfie toning flash which is believed to find its way into smartphone cameras soon. Apparently, the tech giant is also planning to have its own 360-degree camera as a recent patent filing for an EnVizion 360 Panoramic VR Camera has been made by the Chinese tech giant before the U.S Patent and Trademark Office. A similar patent application was also filed in the EU Intellectual Property Office.

As with other patent applications, not so many details of the product are revealed but the name is suggestive of a panoramic camera likely similar in function to the Samsung Gear 360 camera which made its debut in 2016 and is in its second generation. The Gear 360 has a portable design and is capable of capturing 360-degree photos and videos. The EnVizion 360 Panoramic VR Camera may go beyond just 360-degrees photos and videos, though, as it is also a Virtual Reality camera which would work with a VR headset. Huawei already has a 360-degree camera to its name so, it is most likely there are more innovative features wrapped with this one.

Related: The Insta360 ONE 360-Degree Action Camera Is Currently on Sale at Tomtop

The Huawei patent application also indicates the presence of an Android app which would be used for controlling the EnVizion 360. This is also similar to the Gear 360 which has a dedicated app that lets owners control the camera and stitch the 360-degree photos. The patent filing is pretty recent and so, we might not be seeing the EnVizion 360 camera anytime within this year.

(source 1, 2)

Amazon Launches 5 New Echo Devices and A 4K Fire TV

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Sep 28, 2017

Amazon unveiled a bunch of new products today. Five of the products are Echo related and the last is a new Fire TV.

Amazon Echo 2nd Gen

The Amazon Echo was the first Alexa powered device released by the retail giant in 2014. Then it announced the Amazon Tap and Echo Dot. While the Echo Dot already got a second gen model almost a year ago, the Echo is just getting its own three years later.

The new Amazon Echo is smaller with a height of 148mm but wider with a diameter of 88mm. The biggest change is in its appearance as it now comes in six new styles – Heather Gray Fabric, Charcoal Fabric, Sandstone Fabric, Oak Finish, Walnut Finish and Silver Finish.

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It still has 7 microphones that can pick up instructions from all corners of the room in addition to 360° audio. The top is different as you now have volume buttons in addition to the microphone off and Action buttons. You also do not have a microphone grille for the 7 microphones.

The 2nd Gen Amazon Echo will sell for $99.99 and will start shipping in November.

Amazon Echo Plus

The Echo Plus is just like the first gen Echo. However it has a built-in ZigBee smart hub for controlling your home. It is perfect for those who do not already own a smart hub.

The Echo Plus is priced at $149.99 and is available in black, white, and silver. It will ship next month and buyers will get a free Philips Hue bulb.

Amazon Echo Spot

The Echo Spot is a blend of the Echo Show and Echo Dot. You get a smaller circular screen in a compact body along with other features of the Show such as the front camera.

It has a 2W speaker but external speakers can be connected via the 3.5mm audio jack. It comes in black and white and will sell for $129.99 and will be available in December.

Echo Connect

The Echo Connect is a black rectangular box for voice calling. Since Amazon already added voice calling to its Echo speakers, those who have a home phone service and want to connect it to their Echo device need to buy this. All you have to do is plug in your phone line into the Echo Connect and sync your contacts with the Alexa app.

Ask your other compatible Echo devices to call a contact and it places the call using your home line number. It will sell for $34.99 and be available in December.

Echo Buttons

The Echo Buttons are a fun way to use Alexa. They are the first of the Alexa Gadgets and are deigned to provide users with a physical way to interact with other Echo devices.

Other Alexa gadgets will be released and they will be able to perform actions just like the buttons, sync, react to notifications, and send input to your echo device.

The Echo Buttons for now can be used during an Alexa trivia game just like on a Quiz shows. It will come in a pack of two for $20.

Fire TV (4K)

Details of the new Fire TV leaked two weeks ago. The Chromecast-like device will provide 4K content at 60fps as well as HDR and Dolby Atmos audio. It comes with the same remote we saw in the image which has voice control for Alexa once you pair any of your Echo devices to the TV.

TrueDepth Camera on The iPhone X is Responsible for Supply Issues

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Sep 27, 2017

The iPhone X is reported to be facing production issues which have been said will result in some orders not getting fulfilled until next year. Only 40 million units of the phone is expected to be shipped this year.

The production issues are said to be due to components shortages. According to The Wall Street Journal, the component causing the delay in production is the TrueDepth camera and not the AMOLED display. Made-up of two components with the aliases Romeo and Juliet, both work together for FaceID and animoji, WSJ says the component called Romeo is the harder one to make.

It is reported that the factories can only churn out a few ten thousands which is really small considering Apple’s sales targets for the iPhone X is supposed to be a total that of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus’ which is more than 50 million.

OnePlus 5 Running Android 8.0 Oreo Seen on Geekbench

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Sep 27, 2017

A few days ago, we reported that the Huawei Mate 9 was seen on Geekbench running Android 8.0 Oreo. A new Geekbench listing shows that a OnePlus 5 running Android 8.0 was also benchmarked a few days later.

OnePlus has already confirmed that its latest flagship along with the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T will be updated to Android 8.0. A few weeks ago, OnePlus released Android Oreo for the three phones for its closed beta group. It then said that a public beta version will be available by the end of September.

The OnePlus 5 benchmarked is the 6GB RAM variant. It scored 1837 points in the single core test and 6085 in the multi-core test. This is a couple of points below that of the 8GB RAM version seen on the site before its release.

OnePlus phones run OxygenOS which is a lot like pure Android but with some interesting customization features. This makes it easy for them to push out updates faster for their phones. However, that doesn’t mean their devices have a longer update life.

Mediatek’s New MT6739 Quad-Core SoC Has Dual VoLTE and 18:9 Display Support

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Sep 27, 2017

Taiwanese chip maker, MediaTek has announced a new processor at the ongoing India Mobile World Congress. The MT6739 is a quad-core chip targeted at the country’s growing 4G market.

Mediatek MT6739

The unique selling point of the chip is its support for dual VoLTE and Dual SIM Dual Standby, that is each SIM can be set to 4G+4G. The MT6739 has four Cortex-A53 processors with a clockspeed of up to 1.5GHz. Its GPU is a PowerVR GE8100 clocked at 570MHz.

Maximum RAM supported is 3GB and it should provide Cat. 4 LTE downlink speeds and Cat. 5 uplink speeds. The chip also supports up to 13MP cameras.

Another feature of the new processor is its support for 18:9 screens with HD+ resolution. This means the chip will most likely be the SoC of choice for manufacturers planning to release low-cost full screen smartphones.

MediaTek also announced the Helio P23 at the event. It has 8 Cortex-A53 processors with a clockspeed of up to 2.3GHz. Like the MT6739, the P23 has dual VoLTE in addition to ViLTE. It also supports 13MP + 13MP dual cameras or a single 24MP camera.

Apple is Most Valuable Brand for The 5th Time in A Row

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Sep 27, 2017

Apple Inc. has been awarded the most valuable brand for the 5th time by Interbrand, a consultant firm. The tech company with its headquarters in Cupertino, California is valued at $184 billion, 3% up from last year. This is Apple’s 5th win in a row.

Google which marks its 19th anniversary today comes in at $141.7 billion, 6% up from last year’s figure. Microsoft comes in at third place with a value of $80 billion and a 10% annual growth. Jeff Bezos’ led Amazon which is based in Seattle comes after Coca-Cola ($69.7 billion, a 5% drop), the only non-tech company in the top 4, with a value of $64.79 billion.

Apple’s biggest rival in the smartphone industry, Samsung is at the sixth position with a $56.2 billion value, a 9% increase from 2016. Facebook is the tech company with the biggest increase in brand value – a 48% increase to bring it to $48 billion.

Toyota and Mercedes Benz are the only two automobile companies on the list, valued at $50 billion and $47 billion value respectively. IBM (excluding the PC and server business owned by Lenovo) is the 10th with a value of $48 billion.

Are These Live Photos That of The Mate 10 Pro?

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Sep 27, 2017

The Huawei Mate 10 will arrive on October 16. Expected to come in 4 variants, alleged live photos of one of them have been leaked online. Although the leaker says it is the Mate 10, we are not so sure.

We know it is not the Mate 10 Lite as that is the already announced Maimang 6. We also know it is not the Mate 10 because that is expected to have its fingerprint scanner in front. That leaves us with this being the Mate 10 Pro which is expected to have its fingerprint scanner on the rear due to its 18:9 EntireView display. Though we can’t confirm the display type since there are only photos of the back.

Unlike the Huawei Mate 9 Pro whose dual rear cameras are in a vertical position, the sensors here are horizontally placed. To also distinguish it from the design of the iPhone 8 Plus or the OnePlus 5, Huawei has put the cameras in the middle.

Flanking the sensors on the right is the LED flash and on the right is a laser focus module. The entire camera setup is housed in a pill shaped design with a silver chrome accent. There is also a circular fingerprint scanner below the cameras.

The Mate 10 Pro seen in the image has a reflective back just like the HTC U11. The finishing does look really good but it sure is going to be a fingerprint scanner.

2018 Sony Smartphones Confirmed to Arrive with New Design

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Sep 27, 2017

Sony has been making smartphones with OmniBalance design since 2013. However, a recent report had revealed that the Japanese tech giant will be launching its forthcoming smartphones with new design. Since the information had surfaced from a forum post, it could not be fully trusted. Today, the managing director of Sony, Kenichiro Hibi has confirmed that the Sony will be “soon” adopting a new design for its next-generation smartphones.

Sony has released its new smartphones, the Xperia XZ1 and Xperia XZ Premium with thick bezels above and below the screen when other smartphone OEMs such as Samsung, LG and Apple have launched premium phones with full screen design. Hibi said that in order to stay competitive in the premium smartphone market, Sony will be launching forthcoming smartphones with new design language. The OmniBalance design will continue to exist as long as X series smartphones are available in the market.

A leaked information that had surfaced in the previous week had revealed that the new design concept that Sony will be using on its next-generation phones is called Mirai. Since the rivaling brands are launching phones with elongated display and bezel-less design, it is likely that the 2018 smartphones from the company may feature a full screen design. However, Hibi refrained from sharing any information on the forthcoming phones.

In April, Japan Display had launched a new 18:9 Full Active LCD panel. Since Sony is known for using display panels from Japan Display, the company launch 2018 Xperia phones with Full Active display.

He stated that the Sony will focus on launching high-end smartphones in India. The company will also continue to release mid-range smartphones priced above Rs. 20,000 (~$305) to survive in a highly competitive market like India. Sony has recently released the Xperia XA1 Plus with a pricing of Rs. 24,990 (~$380).

Even though the Sony Xperia XZ1 smartphone has released with flagship specifications, the company has dubbed at it as “mass-market flagship.” Hence, it is priced less than the competitor smartphones. The XZ1 has arrived in India with a price tag of Rs. 44,990 (~$684) and the Xperia XZ Premium is available for Rs. 60,000 (~$913).

Sony is known for announcing at Mobile World Congress around in February and at IFA expo in September. It is likely that the Japanese tech giant may unveil bezel-less smartphones at the upcoming 2018 Mobile World Congress event.

Hi-Res Images of Samsung’s Mixed Reality Headset Leaks

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Sep 27, 2017

While other companies are into Virtual Reality (VR) or Augmented Reality (AR), Microsoft is focused on Mixed Reality (MR) – a blend of both or to better put it, blending the physical and virtual worlds. Hardware for mixed reality is categorized into two – immersive and holographic. Samsung’s mixed reality headset which just leaked belongs to the immersive category while the Microsoft Hololens is an example of the latter.

Samsung isn’t the only manufacturer with a mixed reality headset. Lenovo, Dell, and ASUS have headsets that should go on sale before the end of the year. If you can’t wait for those, you can buy HP’s or Acer’s Mixed Reality developer edition headsets.

Samsung’s own headset is a bit different from the rest. Instead of an audio out jack, the headset has a pair of AKG headphones integrated into it. For those who don’t know, AKG Acoustics or rather its parent company, Harman International Industries is now owned by Samsung.

The headset is black and looks a bit like the PSVR headset. There are two cameras in front for tracking your environment and there is a wire for connecting to your PC. There is also an image that shows the headset alongside a pair of Microsoft’s motion controllers.