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2018 iPhones, iPads May Feature Intel, MediaTek Modem Chips

Qualcomm and Apple have been battling out over patent royalties since couple of years. Recent reports have revealed that the U.S.-based chipmaker wants to ban the sales of iPhones in China. The growing bitterness between the two companies has probably caused Apple to rely less on Qualcomm. A fresh report reveals that the 2018 iPhones and iPads may not feature Qualcomm modem chips. Instead, the Cupertino company is expected to use modem chips by Intel and MediaTek on its iPhones and iPads that will be released next year.

The probable reason why Apple will be using intel and MediaTek modem chips is that Qualcomm is not providing some vital software that is need for testing its chips on prototypes of iPhones and iPads. Qualcomm has reportedly stopped sharing the software after the Cupertino company filed a legal suit against it in January for unfairly charging huge patent royalties. The report about using Intel and MediaTek modem chips for future iPhones and iPads have surfaced after Qualcomm had recently claimed that the modem that could be present in the upcoming iPhone has been successfully tested and released to Apple.

iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus featured 2

Read More: Qualcomm Could Announce Snapdragon 845 Processor In December

Until 2016, Apple has been exclusively using modem chips by Qualcomm on its iPhones. The CDMA variants of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus that feature Snapdragon X12 modem was found to be faster than the Intel XMM 360 modem present inside the GSM variants of these phones. The performance of Qualcomm’s modem was so good that the Cupertino company had to throttle down its speed to keep parity between the variants of iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.

Qualcomm owns 50 percent of the market when it comes to modem chips for smartphones. MediaTek with 25 percent and Intel with 6 percent are the other major brands that manufacture modem chips for smartphones. In 2016, the U.S.-based chip maker had sold nearly $3.2 billion of modem chips to Apple. Since Apple is now also using Intel’s modem as well, that figure is expected to decline to $2.1 billion.

When it comes to manufacturing chips to support the forthcoming 5G standard, Qualcomm is way ahead of its competitors. Moreover, rumors have revealed that Apple will launch its first 5G enabled iPhone in 2019. This could be the reason why Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf had claimed during a recent interview that the Qualcomm and Apple would settle their disputes in the near future.

(source|via)

 

Nokia 2 Launched With 5-Inch Display And Snapdragon 212 Processor

After series of leaks, HMD Global has today launched its latest entry-level smartphone, Nokia 2, at a press event in India.

Nokia 2 is the cheapest smartphone from the company so far. It comes with a 6,000 series aluminium frame and a polycarbonate body at the back.

Nokia 2

The Nokia 2 features a 5-inch HD LTPS display with a screen resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels and 16:9 aspect ratio. There is a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top for protection.

Under the hood, the smartphone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 212 processor, making it the first smartphone to run on Snapdragon 212. The processor is coupled with Adreno 304 GPU.

As of the camera department, it comes with an 8-megapixel rear facing autofocus camera with an LED flash and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. Nokia has also included “Bothie” feature that allows users to use both front and rear cameras simultaneously.

Nokia 2

However, the disappointing thing about the smartphone is its memory specs. It packs just 1GB of RAM and and only 8GB of internal storage. There is a microSD card slot which allows to expand storage upto 128GB.

The device is fuelled by a big 4,100mAh battery, which the company promises can provide two days of battery life on a single charge. It comes with IP52 certifications, meaning that the smartphone is splash proof.

Connectivity features on the device include Dual SIM, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, and GPS / GLONASS.

Read More: Nokia 9 Edge Concept Appears with Impressive Full Screen Design

Nokia 2 runs on the stock version of Android 7.0 Nougat operating system out-of-the-box, and comes with Google Assistant. The company says that this is the first smartphone in this price segment to feature Google Assistant. Nokia has also promised to update the device with Android 8.0 Oreo “shortly”.

The Nokia 2 has been priced at 99 Euros (~ $115). It will be available in three colour variants — Copper Black, Pure Black and White, and will go on sale from mid-November.

 

Samsung’s Galaxy Note FE Smartphone Is Now Available In Philippines

After launching the smartphone in South Korea and Malaysia, Samsung has now launched the Galaxy Note FE smartphone in the Philippines. For the uninitiated, the Galaxy Note Fan Edition (FE) is the recycled Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone.

It appears that the device is MemoXpress exclusive in the Philippines and will only be available for a limited time. While the phone has not yet been listed on the store’s website, it was revealed through a Facebook post.

Samsung Galaxy Note FE

The Samsung Galaxy Note FE retains most of the specifications of the original Galaxy Note 7. However, the company has replaced the battery on the handset with a smaller 3,200mAh battery compared to the 3,500mAh battery on Note 7.

The Galaxy Note FE comes with a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED QHD display with a screen resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels. It is driven by the company’s own Exynos 8890 octa-core processor, coupled with Mali-T880 MP12 graphics. It packs 4GB of RAM and an internal storage capacity of 64GB.

It has an IP68 certified chassis, and the smartphone comes with additional security features like a front-mounted fingerprint scanner and an iris scanner. Samsung has made a few other minor changes to the handset, including Bixby voice assistant and a dedicated Bixby button.

The device is available in a range of different color options — Black Onyx, Blue Coral, Gold Platinum and Silver Titanium. In the Philippines, the Galaxy Note Fan Edition is reportedly priced at PHO 32,990 (~ $640).

Read More: Samsung Galaxy S9 Reportedly Coming with a Revamped Rear Design

As reported earlier, Samsung has no plans to launch the Galaxy Note FE outside of Asia. Even in the regions where it has launched the Galaxy Note FE smartphone, the company is selling the handsets in limited quantities.

Samsung discontinued the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone that was launched last year after a manufacturing defect was found in the smartphone’s battery that generated excessive heat in the device, with a few devices catching fire.

(Source)

 

LG G7 Concept Design Showcases its Brilliant Appearance

LG G6 is the first phone of this year to arrive with 18:9 aspect ratio screen. The LG G7 that is speculated to launch in Q1 2018 is expected to arrive with several improvements in terms of design and specs over the LG G6. A YouTube channel named Concept Creator has uploaded a video that showcases the concept design of the LG G7. Its final design will not be same as the concept model as it is a product of imagination.

The LG G7 concept model seems to be sporting a textured glass panel on its backside. The device is shown in colors like silver, light blue and red and it looks like the phone features a metallic frame. Like the G6, the concept design of LG G7 shows that it has a horizontally arranged dual rear cameras on the back panel.

Read More: LG V30 Scratch, Bend & Burn Test Shows It Isn’t Only About Sleek Looks

Below the dual camera setup is a fingerprint scanner. The bottom side of the phone features a USB-C port. There is a 3.5mm audio jack at the topside of the phone. The G7 branding can be seen at the bottom portion of the rear panel. The left edge of the G7 concept model has the volume buttons and its right side features the Power key.

The frontside of the LG G7 concept model shows that it has a display that offers a higher screen-to-body ratio than the G6. Even though there is no mentioning of the specifications of the LG G7 in the video by Concept Creator, it can be assumed that the South Korean company will retain 18:9 aspect ratio on the screen of the phone. The side bezels are almost non-existent, but there are thin bezels at the top and bottom sides of the display. The LG G7 concept device seems to be equipped with dual front speakers.

Early rumors have claimed that the LG G7 would be driven by Snapdragon 845 chipset and it would be introduced ahead of the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. The rumor mill has revealed that the LG G7 may get unveiled as early as January 2018. The company is also expected to introduce its own AI assistant on the LG G7 phone.

(source)

 

Nokia 8 Teardown – Not Easy to Repair, But Display, Battery & Rear Cameras Can Be Replaced

At the beginning of this month, Zack Nelson from JerryRigEverything had performed some durability tests on the Nokia 8 flagship phone which confirmed that it has a sturdy build. Nelson has added another video to his YouTube channel to reveal whether it is easy to repair the device or not.

In the above video, the display of the phone is separated from its chassis after softening the adhesive present between them by using some heat. There are two separate ribbon cables that connect the display panel to the body of the phone. Once those ribbon cables are detached, the display can be removed from the device.

For a novice, it may not be easy to remove the display from the chassis of Nokia 8 as there is a risk of cracking the screen. However, an expert will find it easy to replace the screen of Nokia 8.

Read More: Nokia 9 Edge Concept Appears with Impressive Full Screen Design

There are 19 screws of different sizes holding the mid-plate to the frame of the phone. The 3,090mAh battery is present on the backside of the mid-plate. A copper heat pipe can be found sitting just above the battery to control the internal temperature of the phone. The thermal paste is not present on the heat pipe but to the graphite panel next to it. This mean the Snapdragon 835 SoC will transfer its heat to the graphite panel of the phone and then to the copper heat pipe. This arrangement may seem odd, but it does manage to control Nokia 8’s temperature pretty well.

Nelson’s Nokia 8 teardown also reveals that the dual camera system sitting on the backside of the phone can be replaced. Also, the charging port of the phone can be replaced after disconnecting it from the motherboard, but it is accessible only after detaching screen and mid-plate. Even though Nokia 8’s components like screen and battery can be replaced, it is not very easy to repair it.

(source)

 

ZTE Axon M Foldable Phone Pre-orders to Begin on November 1

The ZTE Axon M foldable smartphone was unveiled earlier in this month. In the U.S., the smartphone was expected to be available through AT&T. Fresh information suggests that the pre-orders of the Axon M will begin from Nov. 1 and it will be available at the AT&T stores from Nov. 17.

The ZTE Axon M can be purchased with an outright pricing of $725 in the U.S. Customers who are interested in availing it through installment payments can opt for AT&T Next scheme to pay $24.17 each month for a period of 30 months. The smartphone is expected to be available in other markets like China, Europe and Japan by Q1 2018.

ZTE Axon M

Read More: ZTE Blade A3 Brings Dual Selfie Cameras, 4000mAh Battery for Just $120

Even though the Axon M is known as a foldable phone, it does not feature a flexible display. The smartphone houses a pair of same-sized displays that are attached to each other by means of a hinge. It offers various kinds of screen modes through which users can run two different apps on each display or both the screens can be used simultaneously to enjoy a larger view of an app.

The Axon M has a pair of 5.2-inch screens that carry support for full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. It has a single camera of 20-megapixel that is equipped with features like image stabilization, PDAF and 4K video recording.

The Snapdragon 821 chipset is present under the hood of Axon M. The SoC is coupled with 4 GB of RAM. It has an internal storage of 64 GB. The handset is preinstalled with Android 7.1.2 Nougat OS and it has a 3,180mAh battery to keep the lights on.

Do you like the ZTE Axon M? Are you waiting for its arrival in your country? Let us know your thoughts by adding your comments.

(source|via)

 

This Could be a Portrait Shot Snapped Using OnePlus 5T

OnePlus is known for teasing the features of its forthcoming phone few weeks before its official launch. OnePlus 5 is no longer available for buying which indicates that the company may soon introduce an improved OnePlus 5T phone. The Chinese manufacturer is expected to debut the OP5T in late November and it seems that the head honchos of the company are currently busy teasing its features. OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei has shared a portrait shot on his Twitter account. It is likely that the image may have been snapped using OnePlus 5T’s camera.

In the previous week, the co-founders of OnePlus, Pete Lau and Carl Pei had shared camera samples from an unidentified device. It was assumed that those images were taken by the OnePlus 5T phone. Through the following tweet, Pei is asking the viewers to guess the name of the phone that was used for taking the photo.

It appears that OnePlus is now teasing the camera prowess of the upcoming OnePlus 5T. However, it is pretty difficult to guess on the device through just one photo alone. The impressive portrait shot captures a rich image of the smiling woman that brilliantly separates her from the blurred background. The image hints that the OnePlus 5T may feature an upgraded camera.

Apart from improvements in the camera department, OnePlus 5T is expected to come with a larger display of 6 inches with 18:9 aspect ratio. It is expected to deliver FHD+ resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels. A new render of OP5T revealed by reliable tipster Evan Blass hints that it will be coming with an elongated display. The arrival of the full screen design on OnePlus 5T may mean that it will be coming with a rear-mounted fingerprint reader.

 

Read More: OnePlus 5T Likely to Feature a Screen Like Galaxy S8

The larger OnePlus 5T is also rumored to house a bigger battery. Other specs of the phone are likely to be same as OnePlus 5. The OP5T is rumored to get unveiled after Nov. 20.

What do you think about the image shared by Carl Pei? Is it taken using the OnePlus 5 or the upcoming OnePlus 5T? Share us your views by adding your comments below.

(source)

 

Lei Jun Reveals Over 10 Million Xiaomi Phones Were Shipped In October

Xiaomi continues its successful run this year with record shipments this October.  The company’s CEO, Lei Jun has revealed that the Chinese tech giant has shipped over 10 million smartphones this October. Lei Jun made this disclosure in a short Weibo post, Monday where he left out the exact figure but revealed that gross shipment for October is over 10 million units already.Xiaomi shipments

This is coming on the heels of the company’s record shipment of over 10 million smartphones in September. Lei Jun had earlier this month revealed the monumental feat which happened to be the first time Xiaomi would hit such record sales in a single month. That record has now seen a repeat or may have even been exceeded, going by this latest announcement.

The company is yet to disclose the spread of its shipments but it is believed that China and India played a huge role in the record sales. Xiaomi’s decision to expand its offline presence in China by opening up more Mi Stores, thus availing fans access to its products easily.  The company has added more than 200 brick and mortar stores in several Chinese cities this year just as planned. Also, the company also improved on its production output such that this year’s flagship models and other budget models are readily available across various platforms. The achievement may also have been driven by the Diwali promotional sales held in India. India alone accounted for more than 4 million units during the period.xiaomi

Read More: Xiaomi Hints At Record Breaking Shipment in September Exceeding 10 million phones

The record shipment once again moves Xiaomi very close to achieving its goal of 70 million shipments this year. With this pace, don’t you think Xiaomi may well exceed 90 million shipments this year? The company will likely introduce two or three more smartphones before the end of the year which would further boost its sales.

(source)

Apple Reveals iPhone X Pre-orders Are Far More Than Expected, Stock Soars in Response

Apple’s iPhone X was announced alongside the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus in September this year. While the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus have both gone on sales, pre-orders for the 10th-anniversary flagship iPhone X only opened on Friday, October 27, 2017. Apple has now disclosed that the pre-order for iPhone X were unxpectedly very high.iPhone X

Apple is not in the habit of revealing the exact figures for its pre-orders, but an Apple spokeswoman told Reuters that the “customer demand is off the charts”. The company’s disclosure was enough to send its already fallen stock surging by nearly 3 percent. This was as a result of the bullish predictions adopted by many bookmakers, some of whom predicted that as much as 10 million pre-orders were received for the iPhone X.

Read More: Apple Engineer Loses Job After Daughter Uploads iPhone X Hands-on Video on YouTube

The Apple spokeswoman also hinted that the Silicon Valley giant is working hard to get the revolutionary new product into the hands of every customer who wants one, as quickly as possible. The phone is expected to ship on November 3 but the company’s website reveals delivery times have been pushed back by up to five to six weeks which is also suggestive of huge pre-order figures.

(source)

Xiaomi Laser Projector, 3-Axis Gimbal & Waterproof Camera Casing Going On Sale From October 31

The double eleven sales period is always a busy one for Xiaomi and in preparation of the promotional sales, the company usually announces a couple of new products to help drive sales. This year is no exception as Xiaomi has lined up a few new products that would go on sale as from October 31. One of the product is the Mi Laser Projector that was first unveiled in June this year. The tech giant will also be putting up for sale two new accessories for the MIJIA 4K Action camera – a gimbal and a waterproof protective casing.

Xiaomi laser projector

The Xiaomi Laser Projector is undoubtedly the big one among the trio. Since making its debut, a lot of fans have been yearning to lay their hands on the product despite the hefty 9999 Yuan ($1,470) price tag. Well, when compared to other Laer Projectors in the market, Xiaomi’s is far cheaper. This isn’t the first sale, the product was first sold on July 4 via Xiaomi Mall and it took just one hour 53 minutes for the sales to hit 10 million Yuan ($1,470,609.86). Just 1000 units were made available and since then nothing has been heard until now. 

As a reminder, Xiaomi Mi Laser Projector uses an advanced laser fluorescence display technology (ALPD 3.0) with a shelve life of 25,0000 hours which translates to up to 34 years usage if the projector is used for 2 hours daily. A daily usage of up to 4hours can still guarantee up to 17 years of usage, meaning the laser is ultra-durable and long-lasting. The projector’s two core technologies are the light source technology manufactured by the Light Peak photoelectric company while the imaging technology chip in use was made by Texas Instruments and Guangfeng photoelectric custom R&D.xiaomi-camera-waterproof case

The new Laser projector is capable of displaying up to a maximum of 150 inches with 1920 x 1080p resolution. The projector provides a red light ratio of 16% to 18%, wide colour gamut, colour quasi, with contrast comparable to the laser studio 3000: 1 screen contrast. The light source brightness can reach up to 5000 lumens which are of theatre screen level. The projector also diffuses its direct light source, allowing for more eye protection. The sound quality is also of high quality, giving the Mi Laser 150″ projector the capability of providing theatre-level audio-visuals right in the comfort of the sitting room.Xiaomi 3-Axis Stabilizer gimbal

Xiaomi 3-Axis Stabilizer Camera Gimbal & Waterproof  Protective Case

Xiaomi had teased the Gimbal when the MIJIA 4K Compact Action camera was launched earlier this year and it courted some attention. The camera has since been on sale and now Xiami is introducing the Gimbal design for the camera. The 3-Axis stabilizer Gimbal can rotate 360 degrees unhindered and is designed with features that ensure stability even when shooting in an unstable terrain or manner. The hand-held gimbal comes with a large 5000mAh battery which ensures it can last for up to 8 hours. There are also various control buttons for shooting and adjustment. The product is priced at 699 Yuan (~$105) and will officially be up for grabs from October 31 on Xiaomi Mall and Xiaomi’s official flagship store on Days Cat. xiaomi IP68 camera casing

Related: Grab The Xiaomi Mijia Mini 4K Action Camera for $119.99 (Coupon Inside)

Also joining the fray is a new waterproof protective casing for the MIJIA 4K Compact Action Camera with an IP68 water and dustproof rating. That means the 4K camera can be used in the rain and in dusty environments without fear of damage. It can also withstand underwater usage up to a 40-meter depth.  It has a non-reflective film on the surface where the lens would sit and that aspect is also covered with nano-level hydrophobic anti-fog film. This guarantees optimum shooting performance regardless of the weather condition.The accessory will also go on sale on October 31 and is priced at just 99 yuan (~$15).

(source)

 

MIUI 9 Global Stable ROM Starts Rolling Out To Mi 6 And Mi Max 2

Xiaomi launched its MIUI 9 earlier this year in July. However, the company delayed the rollout of the MIUI 9 Global Stable ROM by around three months. Recently, Xiaomi announced that the new MIUI version will start rolling out in India from November 2.

However, it appears that the update is now rolling out ahead of the company’s plan. Some users with Mi 6 and Mi Max 2 smartphone have already started receiving the MIUI 9 Global Stable ROM update.

MIUI V9.0.1.0.NCAMEI firmware version is currently being rolled out to the Mi 6, while MIUI V9.0.1.0.NDDMIEI is the firmware version that is being sent to the Mi Max 2. The update is of around 568MB.

The MIUI 9 Global ROM has already passed the beta testing stage and the company had also started pushing MIUI 9 Stable ROM to select Mi users in China earlier this month. The company is expected to roll out the stable ROM update in batches, just the way it handled the release of the Developer ROM.

MIUI 9 Global Stable ROM on Mi 6

Earlier, MIUI Marketing Deputy Director, Huang Longzhon had said that the stable version is normally rolled out within two months of releasing developer version, but since MIUI 9 is a new system, it has taken more time to prepare stable version.

The MIUI 9 brings several new features to the table such as deep level system optimization, new icons, and new animations for launching and closing apps, simple home screen edition, among others. It also comes with features like split-screen, search for apps in the Dual apps mode and better blocklist rules.

Along with some new features, a lot of the existing ones have also been improved, including Silent/DND timer, floating notifications, button and gesture shortcuts, among others.

Read More: Xiaomi Mi Max 2 Gets Permanent Price Cut Of Rs 1,000 In India

Apart from India, as of now, there is no information about the rollout of this MIUI 9 Global Stable ROM update to other regions where Mi users are located.

On November 2, the company has also scheduled a launch event in which it will unveil its new selfie-centric smartphone series to take on the likes of Oppo and Vivo.

(Via)

 

OnePlus 5T Render Leaked from a Reliable Source

Since the time OnePlus 5 went out of stock, leaked renders and images of the rumored OnePlus 5T have surfaced through multiple sources. However, most of them were found to be fake. Earlier in this month, Android Authority had shared an image that showed a very small portion of the alleged OnePlus 5T phone. Now, Evan Blass who holds a consistent track record of spilling information on forthcoming smartphones has shared a render of the OnePlus 5T to show off its revamped design.

The above render that has been leaked by Blass reveals the top half of the phone. As the rumor mill have claimed, the OnePlus 5T seems to be sporting an elongated design. Apart from the selfie camera, the top bezel does not seem to have any new feature like iris scanner. Compared to OnePlus 5, the OP5T phone appears to be sporting reduced upper bezel. Recent reports have claimed that it may feature a 6-inch display.

Interestingly, the wallpaper present on OnePlus 5T render by Blass seems to be the same one that is present on the leaked photo of the same phone shared by Android Authority. The following image that was revealed by the publication shows a smaller portion of the phone including the bottom bezel. However, it has revealed a very vital information that the fingerprint reader is not present on its frontside. The rumor mill has been claiming that since the OP5T’s display will carry support for 18:9 aspect ratio, it will be arriving with a rear-mounted fingerprint reader.

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

The OnePlus 5T is speculated to arrive with similar specs as OnePlus 5, albeit some improvements in departments like camera and battery. As far as the launch date of the OnePlus 5T is concerned, Blass claims that it will take place sometime after Nov. 20. A leaked poster that appeared during the past weekend has revealed that OnePlus 5T may debut on Nov. 16.

What do you think about the new render of OnePlus 5T shared by Blass? Share us your views by posting your comments below.

(source)

 

Android One’ HTC U11 Life Will Cost 369 Euros, Brilliant Black Variant Leaked

The HTC U11 Life will be announced on Thursday, 2nd of November. While there is little or nothing we don’t know about the specs, a new image and pricing have surfaced online thanks to Roland Quandt’s Winfutre.de.

HTC U11 Life Brilliant Black
HTC U11 Life Brilliant Black

The U11 Life is said to be available in two color variants (in Germany) – Sapphire Blue and Ice White. The blue variant has been online for weeks now but picture of a new Brilliant Black color variant (looks more like green though).

The design is the same – glass on both sides with “Android One” written on the back. So if blue or white doesn’t do it for you, there is black (or green) to choose from.

If you have been waiting for the HTC U11 Life, Roland Quandt says it will cost 369 Euros in Europe. This is less than the original 400 Euro mark reported but still a bit high. For 369 Euros, you get 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, IP68 certification, 16MP F/2.0 cameras on both sides, and a pair of USonic earphones.

READ MORE: HTC Google Pixel 2 XL Muskie with 3,830mAh Battery Appears in AOSP

The HTC U11 Life is also expected to come with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage in some regions. While HTC has partnered with Google on Nexuses and Pixels, this will be its first Android One phone.

(Source)

 

 

 

Hisense Hali Official: 5.99” HD+ Display, 4GB RAM & 16MP Selfie Camera

Hisense has joined the 18:9 train with its latest smartphone, the Hisense Hali. The full-screen phone was first seen on TENAA last week before its official release at an event in China today. The HiSense Hali is actually the result of a collaboration between the electronics manufacturer and China Telecom.

Hisense Hali

Hisense Hali Design

The phone has a double sided glass design which is a bit surprising considering its mid-range specs. The 18:9 display has curved corners and  is covered with a 2.5D glass. The bezels are small but not super thin. The glass on the back is 2.5D too but highly reflective just like that of the HTC U series.

Hisense Hali Specs

The selling point of the phone is its 5.99” HD+ display with a 2.5D glass on top. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 430 mobile platform is paired with 4GB of RAM. And there is 32GB of expandable storage.

Aside from the screen, Hisense has also put a 16MP camera in front for selfies. The software has up to 10 beauty enhancement features, voice capture, and smile detection.

Hisense Hali 16MP camera

The rear camera on the Hisense Hali is a 12MP 1.25um sensor with PDAF, a color temperature flash, and 6P lens. There is also a rear mounted fingerprint scanner.

The Hali has dual SIM slots (micro) and a TF slot for storage expansion. There is a USB-C port flanked by two speaker grilles at the bottom, and a 3.5mm audio jack and IR blaster at the top. Powering the phone is a 3400mAh battery.

READ MORE: Hisense A2 Pro Packing a 5.5-inch AMOLED & 5.2-inch e-ink Secondary Display Launched

Xiaomi Mi Max 2 Gets Permanent Price Cut In India

In a bid to boost sales of its larger display smartphone in India, Xiaomi has today announced a price cut for its Mi Max 2 smartphone in the country. The company has cut the price of the device by Rs 1,000.

The smartphone, which was originally launched in India in June this year, will now be available at Rs 13,999 for the 32GB storage model while the 64GB storage variant will now cost Rs 15,999.

Xiaomi Mi Max 2

Confirming this new development, Xiaomi VP and Xiaomi India MD Manu Kumar Jain said, via Twitter:

BIG now costs less! Announcing a permanent price drop of Rs. 1000 on both variants on #MiMax2.

Currently, the online retailer Flipkart is also offering an exchange discount on the old handset, which goes up to Rs 15,000. There is also additional discount on purchasing the phone through credit card.

The Xiaomi Mi Max 2 comes with a 6.44-inch Full HD display with screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. Under the hood, the phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor along with Adreno 506 GPU.

On the camera front, the smartphone features a 12-megapixel sensor on the back with dual-tone LED flash and f/2.2 aperture. On the front side, there is a 5-megapixel shooter for selfies with f/2.0 aperture. The rear camera on the smartphone is also capable of shooting videos in 4K.

The device packs a massive 5,300mAh battery. Connectivity options on the phone include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a USB Type-C port. The phone runs on the company’s own MIUI 8, which is based on Android 7.1.1 Nougat operating system.

Read More: Xiaomi Set To Storm Western Europe, Launching In Spain on November 7

Recently, Xiaomi had announced that it had sold more than four million smartphone units in India within a month. Through its own Mi.com online store, it has sold more than a million devices.

In China, Xiaomi is expected to unveil the Redmi 5 Plus budget phone with full screen design before November 11. In December, it is expected to launch the Redmi Note 5 smartphone.

Xiaomi is also all-set to launch a new selfie-centric smartphone series in India on November 2. With the new series of phones, it aims to compete against the likes of Oppo and Vivo in India, which are dominating the selfie-centric smartphone space.

 

Meitu To Launch New Luxury-Looking Meitu V6 On November 1

Chinese phone maker Meitu has disclosed that it would be launching a new smartphone on November 1.  The smartphone’s identity was also revealed to be the Meitu V6 which belongs to the luxury V-series. The device was announced a couple of months back to drop in November and it recently got the nod from the Chinese telecoms regulatory agency (TENAA) where it appeared as Meitu MP1605.Meitu V6

The TENAA listing also comes along with the photos of the device captured from all angles. The device is indeed a luxury model with a leather back and it readily brings to mind the now-defunct Vertu luxury phone line. The device features a dual camera setup at the rear as well as two LED flashlights located at the outer edge of the cameras. Also, there is a dual camera setup t the front, making the device a quad camera phone. Overall, the shape is very much similar to previous Meitu models.Meitu V6

Read More: Meitu Announces T8s, M8s, and V6 Smartphones

As for the specification, the TENAA listing shows the Meitu V6 would feature a 5.5-inch OLED display with an FHD resolution of 1920 x 1080 p. The device will be powered by a 2.8GHz MediaTek processor backed by 4GB RAM of one model and 6GB RAM on another model. Both models get 128GB of internal storage. The device is fueled by a 3100mAh battery. The device will also be available in Flame Red, Glacier Blue, Dark Purple, Monet Powder colours.

(source)meitu v6

ZTE Blade A3 Brings Dual Selfie Cameras, 4000mAh Battery for Just $120

ZTE’s Blade A series is an example of bang for buck, and its latest model, the Blade A3 keeps to that tradition. Announced a few hours ago, the new phone does pack some impressive features for just ¥799 (~$120).

ZTE Blade A3

The Blade A3 has a 5.5” HD 2.5D TFT display. ZTE is trying to keep the price low, so there is no protection on the display. A MediaTek MT6737T quad core processor clocked at 1.5GHz is under the plastic body. RAM is 3GB and built in storage is 32GB.

Like we have seen in a number of new mid-range phones like the Redmi Note 5A, the ZTE Blade A3 has a triple card slot. That way, you don’t need to sacrifice a SIM slot for a MicroSD card (128GB max.)

One of the selling points of the Blade A3 is its dual front facing cameras. One is a 5MP sensor and the other is a 2MP sensor. Both work together to capture portrait images. There is also a soft flash on the right for illumination. The rear camera is a 13MP sensor.

The Blade A3 rounds it up with a 4000mAh battery that should last a whole day seeing as the display maxes out at 720p. There is a micro USB port and 3.5mm audio jack. It has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, but if you want, you can try out the Face Unlock feature which ZTE says is safe and fast.

READ MORE: ZTE A0620 Shows Up On TENAA With Massive 4870mAh Battery & 4GB RAM

Alleged OnePlus 5T Real Image Leaks Yet Again

A hands-on photo said to be that of the OnePlus 5T surfaced online recently but after all the publicity, it was discovered to be a photoshopped Vivo X20 with the OnePlus wallpaper on top. Now, another photo alleged to be that of the OnePlus 5T has appeared online but we still cannot verify if this one is real or fake.OnePlus 5T

The leaked photo has on display, the front view of the device while powered on. The front view indeed reveals a full-screen design with a high screen-to-body ratio. That is the major design attribute the device is expected to pack so, it won’t be surprising if this turns out to be yet another scam. OnePlus is yet to even confirm the existence of the OnePlus 5T.

Read More: OnePlus 5T Teaser Poster Leaked, Hints At November 16 Launch

That doesn’t mean the device isn’t likely in the works. The recent happenings like the discontinuation of OnePlus 5 sales on OnePlus’ official website suggest the company has got something up its sleeves. The OnePlus 5T is expected to feature a 6-inch display with 2160 x 1080 pixels resolution which means they would adopt an 18:9 aspect ratio. The flagship model is also expected to pack a Snapdragon 835 flagship processor like the OP5. The device is expected with a 8GB RAM + 128GB memory while there may likely be a 6GB RAM + 64GB storage variant. On the camera end, we expect a 20MP + 16MP dual camera setup at the rear while there will be a 20MP selfie camera at the front.

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Oppo A73 6-Inch Bezel-Less Smartphone Appears on TENAA

A new smartphone from Oppo has made its appearance on TENAA. Dubbed as Oppo A73, the smartphone is featuring a 6-inch display with bezel-less screen.

There are many smartphone out in the market with bezel-less smartphones, but most of them basically have thin bezels. However, the Oppo A73 seems to have a bezel-less screen, with a thin bezel on top and no bezels on either left or right side, or at bottom.

On the back side, there is a single camera sensor at the top left corner, along with an LED flash. There is also a fingerprint sensor in the top centre region, just above the Oppo branding.

The TENAA leak has also revealed the smartphone’s specifications. It is powered by an octa-core 2.5GHz processor, along with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage. However, it is not yet known which chipset is powering this smartphone.

There is a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 16-megapixel front-facing camera. It is fueleld by a 3,115mAh battery. It seems that the phone will come with Android 7.1.1 Nougat operating system out-of-the-box.

Oppo recently launched its Oppo F5 smartphone — the successor of Oppo F3, which comes with a 6-inch FHD+ display having aspect ratio of 18:9. The company is also all-set to launch Oppo R11S and R11S Plus smartphones on November 2.

Read More: OPPO R11s Appears on Official Site, Early Registration Begins

Reportedly, Oppo is expecting huge demand for the R11S and R11S Plus, and has already prepared a stock of around 10 million units. The phone features a dual camera setup at the back and a 6.43-inch bezel-less display on the front with Full HD+ resolution and 18:9 aspect ratio.

Although there is no information available about the availability and pricing of Oppo A73 at this time, we expect the company to launch this smartphone soon as it has already passed TENAA.

(Source)

 

Counterpoint Research: Samsung, Xiaomi Leading Smartphone Market in Q3 2017

Counterpoint’s newest smartphone market survey for India has revealed that because of the strong sales of smartphones and featurephones, handset shipments have crossed 84 million mark for the first time in India. Also, Samsung and Xiaomi account for 45 percent of smartphone market in India in Q3 2017.

According to Counterpoint’s market research for the third quarter of this year, Samsung has a market share of 23 percent. The South Korean company is closely followed by Xiaomi with a market share of 22 percent. In Q3 2016, Samsung and Xiaomi had respective market shares of 23 percent and 6 percent. Xiaomi’s strong performance in mid-range smartphone segment (Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 15,000) has catapulted it to rival with Samsung in India.

Counterpoint Associate Director Tarun Pathak claims that Xiaomi accounts for three of the top 5 bestselling smartphones in the country. It appears that Xiaomi may soon dethrone Samsung to become the number smartphone brand in India. Vivo, OPPO and Lenovo are respectively placed on third, fourth and fifth positions on Counterpoint’s smartphone market research for Q3 2017.

Read More: Xiaomi to Announce New Series of Selfie-Centric Phones in India on November 2

This shows the dominance of Chinese smartphone brands in India. For the third consecutive quarter, their market share has remained more than 50 percent after they surpassed local brands in second half of previous year.

Reliance Jio that was commercially launched its 4G LTE network in September 2016 has not only significantly increased the mobile data consumption in India but also driven the demand for 4G enabled phones. It has been found that 97 percent of the smartphones shipped in Q3 2017 are LTE enabled devices. In a short span of less than a year, it has managed to add 100 million subscribers to its network and it is looking forward to adding another 100 million users with the launch of its LTE enabled JioPhone featurephone.

When it comes featurephone shipments, Samsung is leading the pack in Q3 2017 with a market share of 23 percent. ITEL, Micromax, HMD Global’s Nokia, and Lava make up the top five featurephone brands in India. The featurephone market has met with 22 percent (QoQ) with the arrival of handsets that are priced around Rs. 1,000 like the JioPhone and Nokia branded phones.

During the third quarter of 2017, the premium segment that includes smartphones costing more than Rs. 30,000 have met threefold growth (YoY) during Q3 2017. The market leaders in the premium segment are Apple, OnePlus and Samsung in the same quarter.

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