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

-

Oct 10, 2017

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

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

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

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

By

-

Oct 10, 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By

Jeet

-

Oct 10, 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cancelled Microsoft Lumia 435 with Near Bezel-less Design Appear

By

-

Oct 10, 2017

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

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

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

[envira-gallery id=”152477″]

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

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

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

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

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

By

Jeet

-

Oct 10, 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Source)

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

By

-

Oct 10, 2017

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

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

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

Nokia 9, Nokia 7 and Nokia 2 Arriving at MWC 2018?

By

-

Oct 10, 2017

HMD Global has released Nokia 3, Nokia 5, Nokia 6 and Nokia 8 smartphones so far this year. Rumors have it that the Finnish company is working on new smartphones like Nokia 2, Nokia 7 and Nokia 9. Recent reports have claimed that the Nokia 2 and Nokia 9 may debut in the last quarter of 2018. However, new information claims that the company may unleash new phones in early 2018.

Nokia 2 is speculated as an entry-level phone whereas the Nokia 9 is rumored to arrive with flagship specs. The specifications of both the smartphones have been leaked by the rumor mill. However, the company is now speculated to be working on a mid-range phone called Nokia 7. An individual who is an alleged employee of a BPO company that carries out logistics for HMD Global claims that new Nokia phones will not be launching this year.

The individual claims that the Nokia 2, Nokia 7 and Nokia 9 would be arriving as second batch of Android smartphones that will be unveiled in early 2018. The person has spilled this information on Facebook and to prove that he is associated with HMD Global, he has even uploaded an image of a lanyard from the company in the post that reveals the launch time of new Nokia phones.

It appears that the person is not afraid of revealing leaked information on upcoming Nokia phones directly on a group conversation on Facebook. However, there is no way to confirm whether the information shared by the employee is true or false.

The Finnish firm has just recently announced the Nokia 8 flagship phone and it is not even available in many markets. Announcing Nokia 9 flagship in this year can disturb the sales of Nokia 8.

HMD Global had resurrected the Nokia brand by introducing new phones at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017 event this year. Hence, it is speculated that the Nokia 2, Nokia 7 and Nokia 9 may get unveiled at MWC 2018.

There is no information available on the specs of Nokia 7. The Nokia 2 is pegged to arrive with 5-inch HD display, Snapdragon 212 chipset, 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB of storage and 4,000mAh battery. The Nokia 9 is speculated to arrive with bezel-less and curved edge-to-edge deign. The Snapdragon 835 powered flagship is speculated to come with dual rear cameras. It may come in 6 GB or 8 GB RAM models.

(source|via)

Huawei Mate 10 Specifications Leaked, To Feature 6.2-Inch Display And 4,000mAh Battery

By

Jeet

-

Oct 10, 2017

Huawei Mate 10 series is launching on October 16, at an event in Germany. After the press renders and the specs of Mate 10 Pro, we now have the specifications of the upcoming Mate 10.

As per the latest information, the Huawei Mate 10 will feature a 6.2-inch display with a screen resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels, and display ratio of 18:9. The leaked designs suggest that the display will cover most area on the front side. It will be powered by the company’s own Kirin 970 processor — the same processor that will be on Mate 10 Pro.

Interestingly, the Mate 10 won’t have a bezel-less display or full-screen design. Instead, it appears from the previously leaked images that the bezel-less, full-screen model would be the Mate 10 Pro.

Coming to the camera department, the smartphone will boast a dual camera setup consisting of the next-generation Leica lens. While one lens will be of 20-megapixel, another lens will be of 23-megapixel. The 20 MP lens is the main sensor while the 23 MP lens is the monochrome sensor — the same setup that we saw on the Mate 9 and Huawei P10.

The phone will have a 4,000mAh battery, same capacity as of its predecessor. However, given the battery optimization of Kirin 970, we expect Mate 10’s battery performance to be better than Mate 9. The device is expected to come with Android 8.0 Oreo out-of-the-box.

It is expected come in three different variants based on the memory. It will have two RAM options — 4GB RAM and 6GB RAM. The variant having a 4GB + 64GB storage combo will carry a price tag of 4299 Yuan. The 6GB RAM + 128GB storage is expected to be priced at 4899 Yuan ($744) while the topmost model with 6GB + 256GB combo would cost 5599 Yuan.

The Huawei Mate 10 has already passed the 3C certification with model number ALP-AL00. The charger model with HW-050450C00 has also been passed, which supports 5V/2A, 4.5V/5A and 5V/4.5A charge output. It will also support fast charging.

(Source)

Alleged Xiaomi Redmi 5 Models Receive 3C Certification; Redmi 5 Plus with 18:9 Display May Cost 999 Yuan

By

-

Oct 10, 2017

Yesterday, we had seen leaked images of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5. The images revealed that the budget phablet is likely to arrive with an 18:9 display and dual rear cameras. However, fresh information suggests that Xiaomi may announce the alleged Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus before the Redmi Note 5. The alleged Redmi 5 duo have also received 3C certification in China.

The below render of the alleged Redmi 5 Plus suggests that it will be arriving with an impressive display, but it is unlikely to be as stunning as the screen of Xiaomi Mi MIX 2. Previous reports have revealed that the Redmi 5 Plus may feature a 5.7-inch display that will support a resolution of 720 x 1,440 pixels. The Redmi series of phones from Xiaomi have always featured smartphones with 5-inch display. Hence, it is strange to see the upcoming Redmi 5 Plus with a 5.7-inch display.

Rumors have it that the Snapdragon 450 chipset will be powering the Redmi 5 Plus. it is also speculated that it will be coming with a pair of 13-megapixel dual rear cameras. It is also expected to carry support for Quick Charge 3.0.

The 3C certification of the alleged Xiaomi Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus have revealed that these devices could be codenamed as MET7 and MEE7. The Redmi 5 may cost around 699 to 899 Yuan and the Redmi 5 Plus may carry a costlier price tag of 999 Yuan. These models may arrive in 3 GB and 4 GB RAM options.

The alleged Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 is speculated to get introduced in November. However, the Chinese manufacturer may unveil the Redmi 5 series as early as Oct. 16 or 17. Xiaomi is known for teasing the features of its upcoming device before its official launch. However, as of this writing, the Chinese firm has not revealed any information on the alleged Redmi 5 phones. Hence, we advise our readers to digest this report with a pinch of salt.

What do you think about the design of the Redmi 5 Plus and its alleged specs? Share us your thoughts by posting your comments below.

Pixel 2 Camera Samples Include Portrait Photos & Low-Light Images

By

-

Oct 9, 2017

Google’s Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are the smartphones with the highest DxO mark. While some people think DxO Mark isn’t a good judge of camera performance, at least we all can agree that the new Pixel smartphones take impressive pictures.

After the launch, I am sure a number of us saw sample photos shared online by early reviewers and those at the event. Google has released official sample pictures taken with the Pixel 2 which includes portrait mode photos, motion images, and landscape images. Sadly, there are no photos with the AR filters

This year again, Google has shown that it has no reason to join the dual camera train. The Pixel 2 ( and 2 XL) has a single 12.2MP camera with a F/1.8 aperture and a 1.4μm pixel size. There is laser autofocus and dual pixel phase detection for images, and optical and electronic image stabilization for videos.

You can record in 1080p at 30fps, 60fps and 120fps; 720p at 30fps, 60fps, and 240fps; and 4K at 30fps. The Pixel 2 performs well in low light with its HDR+ technology.

Foldable Smartphone, ZTE Axon Multy Appears on Geekbench

By

-

Oct 9, 2017

ZTE is working on a foldable smartphone called the Axon Multy. It will have two displays that can be unfolded into a single 6.8-inch screen. The device has been seen on Geekbench but under the name ZTE Z999.

The ZTE Z999 was benchmarked back in August. It runs Android 7.1.2 Nougat and has 4GB of RAM. There is a Qualcomm chip with 4 cores clocked at 2.0GHz powering the device and the identifier is similar to that of the Snapdragon 821. So this will probably be the chip in the Axon Multy.

The ZTE Z999 scored 1677 points in the single core test and 4130 points in the multi-core test. The scores are similar to those of other Snapdragon 821-powered phones.

Popular leaker Roland Quandt shared the link to the benchmark, along with a User Agent Profile link that confirms the device has having a 1080 x 1920 FHD resolution.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Reportedly Arriving with Under-Display Fingerprint Scanner

By

-

Oct 9, 2017

Samsung has recently released the Galaxy Note 8 in various markets and the rumor mill has already started speculating on the features that will be coming on Galaxy Note 9. Fresh information coming from Ming-Chi Kuo, a reliable analyst from KGI Securities states that Samsung will embed an optical fingerprint scanner under the display of the Galaxy Note 9 that will be probably unveiled in Q3 2018.

The introduction of elongated Infinity Display on Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ resulted in the repositioning of the fingerprint scanner to their back. Since the fingerprint reader was placed very close to the rear camera, the users of Galaxy S8 duo end up smudging the camera lens whenever they unlock their phone.

Samsung had reportedly planned to incorporate the fingerprint reader under the display of Galaxy Note 8. However, since it could not ready the technology in time, it was not made available on the Note 8. Samsung has placed the LED flash unit and heart rate sensor between the dual camera system and the fingerprint scanner on the Galaxy Note 8.

There is no information available on whether the under-display fingerprint scanner will be arriving on the Galaxy S9 and S9+. These phones may feature the same positioning for the fingerprint reader as the Galaxy Note 8.

The information revealed by Kuo suggests that the South Korean company will make it possible for Galaxy Note 9 users to unlock their phone by just placing their finger on the portion of the screen that is integrated with an optical fingerprint sensor. The analyst claims that there are three companies that are attempting to strike a deal with Samsung to supply it with the component that will enable under-display fingerprint reader. Beyond Eyes and Samsung LSI (subsidiary of Samsung) have already provided their samples to Samsung.

So, Samsung seems to be working on introducing under-display fingerprint reader on the Galaxy Note 9. Will Apple too introduce such a feature on its future iPhones? Share us your thoughts by adding your comments below.

Huawei Mate 10 Pro Design Confirmed By Latest Renders

By

-

Oct 9, 2017

Huawei Mate 10 Pro’s renders have been a regular in leaks of late and one thing they all have in common is a similarity in the design. We have even seen leaked real photos of the Mate 10 Pro with a design similar to the first Mate 10 Pro renders which were shared by Twitter tipster Evan Blass recently. Now, a new set of renders have appeared online, shared by Weibo user iChangezone who is well known for accurate renders of Huawei’s flagships right from last year’s Mate 9.

The new renders are replicas of those shared by Twitter tipster Evan Blass recently and with the pedigree of the Weibo source, we could as well take it that this is the Mate 10 Pro’s final design. The Mate 10 Pro features a curved edge design at the rear just like the Mate 9 Pro. We could be looking at a glass back on the device. At the front, the device will have almost bezel-less, full-screen display with ultra-slim bezels on the chin. The top and bottom bezels are also much reduced. The renders also show the presence of dual cameras at the rear with the Leica badge which is turning into a regular on Huawei’s flagship products. Of course, the dual cameras co-engineered by Leica have turned out to be one of the prominent features on Huawei phones. There is also a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor onboard the smartphone.

The Mate 10 Pro seems to be Huawei’s main product to take on the likes of Samsung, Apple, Xiaomi et al who have got a full-screen flagship model already in their kitty. The Mate 10 Pro’s design seems to overshadow that of the Mate 10 especially since the Mate 10’s design is said to be no much different from the Mate 9. The Mate 10 is expected to feature a Quad HD (1440 x 2880 pixels) display and a more classic 18:9 screen aspect ratio. Of course, we won’t forget the AI-capable Kirin 970 chip both models are expected to pack.

There Are Now At Least Seven Cases Of iPhone 8 and 8 Plus With Swollen Batteries

By

-

Oct 9, 2017

Apple’s latest iPhone 8 and 8 Plus have been repeatedly plagued by one major problem (call it minor if you like) and it is related to the battery. There have been a couple of reported cases of iPhone 8 and 8 Plus units with swollen batteries which usually result in the display popping out of the chassis. Some of the cases occurred while the phones were charging for the first time and there was a case of the defect occurring while the new iPhone is yet to be unboxed.

Although Apple has indicated that they are looking into the issue, the number of cases seems to swell by the day. We have had a case reported in Japan and Taiwan. There have also been reports from Canada, China Greece and Hong Kong. A case has also been reported in the Formosa region in Argentina. So, we may well be looking at least seven cases which are randomly shared between the iPhone 8 and its bigger variant iPhone 8 Plus.

We are not quick to compare this with the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 because there has been no reported case of battery explosion. Besides, millions of iPhones come off the production line overseas, and thereby millions of lithium-ion batteries are being manufactured, so it’s common in the industry for there to be a very low percentage of defective units. But it may interest you to know that Samsung SDI is one of the two suppliers of the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus batteries. Samsung SDI is also responsible for the defective batteries which resulted in the Galaxy Note 7’s recall. LG Chem also produces the batteries for the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. Until Apple releases its findings, we can’t tell the root cause of the issue. Until they do, we do hope the number of cases won’t continue to rise.

LunaR is A Solar-Powered Analog Smartwatch Inspired By The Moon

By

-

Oct 9, 2017

There are tons of smartwatches in the market at the moment. While some have a LCD/AMOLED display, others look no different from your average analog watch. LunaR falls under the second category.

LunaR has some unique features that makes it stand out from other watches. First, inspiration for the name comes from the moon but the watch recharges via solar. The face (dial) is actually a transparent solar panel that recharges the built-in 110mAh battery. Apart from charging via light rays from the sun, LunaR will also recharge via indoor lighting or the bundled charger.

With respect to functions, the LunaR is no slouch either. While it can’t show you stats of your physical activities on its display (only via the app), it can display two different time zones – one with the aid of LEDs and the other using the analog hands. It also has sunrise and sunset tracking and is waterproof too (5 ATM).

Activity tracking such as running and steps taken can be viewed on the app as well as sleep tracking details. Using LEDs and vibrations, LunaR will inform you if you have reached your daily goal. The multi-color LED light can also be customized for individual app notifications.

The LunaR app which is available for both iOS and Android can also be used to monitor charging time, set alarms, and modify time zones. There is Bluetooth 4.0 LE for connectivity and its compatible with iOS 10+ and Android 4.3+ devices.

LunaR has a steel design that is simple yet classy. By default, it comes with a nylon strap but you can pick up a leather strap for $17.50 or a colorful knit strap for $13.50. The LunaR watch has a diameter of 41mm and a thickness of 13.3mm. The glass is either Sapphire coated or Sapphire crystal (latter version will ship in 2018).

The watch has already surpassed its $50,000 goal three times over. It is expected to ship to the first 3,000 backers by December.

IHS Markit Research: Apple iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus are the Bestselling Phones in First Half of 2017

By

-

Oct 9, 2017

IHS Markit, a London-based research firm has confirmed the list of top 10 bestselling smartphones for the first half of 2017. It has revealed that the Apple iPhone 7 is present at the number one spot followed by the iPhone 7 Plus. The Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime Plus midrange phone from 2016 is on the third position.

The fourth position is occupied by iPhone 6S and the sixth and seventh places have been reserved by Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. The research firm claims that flagship phones from Apple and Samsung have met with sluggish sales in the first half of this year.

The 4.7-inch iPhone models have been ranking at number one position consecutively for the last three years. The iPhone 6, iPhone 6S and iPhone 7 were bestselling phones in 2015, 2016 and 2017 respectively. However, the market share of these iPhones has been consistently falling from 10 percent to 7 percent and now it has come down to 5 percent this year.

The reason why Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ models are not ranking higher in the list is that these phones were made available for buying in April. Hence, compared to the other better ranking phones on the list, Samsung has shipped lesser units of the Galaxy S8 duo in first half of 2017.

The list includes five smartphones from Samsung and four from Apple and one from OPPO. However, the name of the OPPO phone that has made it to the list has not been revealed by the research firm.

IHS Markit has also stated that compared to 2016, the number of smartphones with shipments of more than 1 million units per month has increased 22 from 17 in this year. Samsung and Apple respectively have 10 and 4 phones that have shipped over 1 million units per month.

The popularity of smartphones from Chinese OEMs have also increased as they started shipping smartphones outside of China. There are five OPPO phones, two Xiaomi phones and one Huawei phone that have shipped over 6 million units in the first half of 2017.

Google Responds on Why it Decided to Axe 3.5mm Audio Jack on Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL

By

-

Oct 9, 2017

The original Google Pixel and Pixel XL phones feature 3.5mm audio jack. However, the recently unveiled Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL smartphones do not feature it. Soon after the unveiling of the Pixel 2 duo, the removal of the 3.5mm audio jack on the Pixel 2 duo was met heavy criticism on Google’s Product Forums. Orrin Hancock, the official Community Manager of Google for Nexus/Pixel products responded to the criticism by saying that the USB-C port is a headphone jack and the company decided to remove the 3.5mm audio jack in order to deliver superior audio and digital experience.

According to Hancock, the axing of 3.5mm audio jack is a move towards bezel-less future and it is becoming a common feature on some of the best phones and laptops available today. The USB-C port on the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL is the only port available for connecting a wired earphone and a charger. In other words, users can’t charge the Pixel 2 or 2 XL and listen to music simultaneously.

When forum users cited the above issue, Google’s staff advised Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL users to either avail dongles or Bluetooth headphones or ear buds. Hancock has even provided a list of Google branded and Made for Google headsets for Pixel 2 and 2 XL. He has also suggested users to purchase USB-C headphones that support digital audio. Hence, both the Pixel 2 phones do not support analog audio.

The box package of Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL include an adapter that can be used on a 3.5mm headphone to connect it to a USB-C port. When Apple had axed 3.5mm audio jack on the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus last year, Google mocked at it by using a tagline “3.5mm audio jack – satisfyingly not new” for the original Pixel and Pixel XL phones. And now, Google has taken the same path as it has removed the 3.5mm audio jack on Pixel 2 phones.

The Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL smartphones are currently available on pre-orders. In the U.S., both the smartphones will start shipping from Oct. 19.

(source|via)

Vernee MIX 2 Promo Sees Price Drop To $169.99 On Gearbest

By

-

Oct 9, 2017

The Vernee MIX 2 is a bezel-less smartphone with a 6-inch 18:9 display. It was unveiled last week as the world’s first full-screen phone with a Helio P25 processor.

When it launched last week, Vernee announced a campaign that would allow select 100 buyers get the phone for just $99.99 instead of its normal price of $229.

In addition to that, Gearbest is running a promo that brings the price down to $169.99 from today till October 15. Afterwards, it’ll return to $219.99 which is $10 less than the official price.

The Vernee MIX 2 has a 6.01” 2160 x 1080 display. There is 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Under the glass back is a Helio P25 SoC and a 4200mAh battery.

Can You Find The Mi Mix 2 In These Pictures?

By