Razer to Release Gaming Smartphone Before the End of 2017?

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Sep 22, 2017

Rumors have been claiming that Razer would be soon entering mobile gaming market. In a recent interview with CNBC, the CEO of the company Min-Liang Tan, has confirmed that the company is working on a mobile gaming device.

According to Tan, Razer’s upcoming mobile device will focus on gaming and entertainment. However, he did not reveal any information on its specifications and features. He has confirmed that the device would be made official by the end of 2017.

Razer, a company that specializes in gaming oriented computer hardware had released Razer Edge tablet in the past. The Razer Edge was promoted as a gaming tablet even though the device even though it could users with its entertainment capabilities.

Razer has been rumored to be working on a mobile gaming device since 2016. In January this year, Razer had acquired Nextbit which is better known for its cloud storage driven Robin smartphone. At that time, rumours started swirling that the Razer is working on a smartphone designed for gamers. However, these speculations were put to rest quickly. After the acquisition, Nextbit is a working as an independent company.

In July, Bloomberg had reported that Razer was again rumored to be working on a gaming-focused smartphone. The report had claimed that the company is raising funds for its upcoming gaming smartphone. Since Tan has not used the “smartphone” word to describe its upcoming mobile device, there is a possibility that it could be a gaming tablet and not a smartphone.

Nintendo Switch is one of the most exciting tech products of this year. It is a handheld console that allows users to not only play games on the device, but also on a TV. The controllers that are present on its left and right sides can be removed can be used as gamepads. The device has been available for buying in the U.S. with a price tag of $299.

Rumors are rife that other brands are working on launching devices to take on the Nintendo Switch. Hence, the mysterious mobile gaming device is also speculated as a competitor product for Switch. It is a known fact that many of the companies that have attempted to rival with Nintendo in the portable / handheld market have only encountered defeat.

Will Razer release mobile phone with high-end gaming capabilities or a device that will arrive to rival with Switch? Share us your thoughts by adding your comments.

(source)

Xiaomi Mi 7 May Support Qi Wireless Charging

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Sep 22, 2017

None of the Xiaomi phones released so far are enabled with wireless charging. Fresh information suggest that Xiaomi has joined the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) that will make it possible for the next flagship smartphone from the company to support Qi standard wireless charging.

The Chinese company has not released any official to confirm that it will be joining the consortium. However, it has been found listed on in the WPC member list on the official site of WPC. Even though there is no official statement from the Chinese firm, the WPC listing suggests that next flagship from the company will support wireless charging.

WPC was formed in 2008 and as of this writing, it has 243 members including companies such as Apple, Samsung, LG, Sony and more. Apple had joined the WPC in February this year which made it possible for the 2017 smartphones from the company such as iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X to arrive with wireless charging.

It is likely that the Xiaomi Mi 7 may arrive with Qi standard wireless charging. Recent reports have revealed that the Mi 7 would be housing a 6-inch AMOLED display and it will be driven by Snapdragon 845 chipset. The SoC is expected to be accompanied by 6 GB or 8 GB of RAM. Information coming from China claim that that Mi 7 would be launching in Q1 2018.

In order to make wireless charging feature available on iPhone, Apple had to launch 2017 iPhones with glass chassis. The presence of wireless charging on Mi 7 could mean that it will be arriving with glass chassis. Qualcomm had claimed in 2015 that it its WiPower technology can allow metal-bodied smartphones to support wireless charging. However, none of the smartphone with metal bodies feature WiPower wireless charging.

The Qi system of charging allows users to place their wireless charging enabled device on a charging pad that is connected to a power outlet. A magnetic field is created when the coils present inside the device and pad comes into contact with each other. The magnetic field in turn produces electricity that charges the device. Qi standard wireless charging is now available at restaurants and airports that allow users to charge their smartphones by simply placing them on the charging pad.

Do you want Xiaomi phones to arrive with wireless charging? Share us your thoughts by commenting below.

(source|via)

Vivo Launches the Selfie-Focused Vivo V7+ In Other Asian Markets Outside China

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Sep 22, 2017

Vivo has launched its selfie-focused Vivo V7+ in several markets across Asia, including India. The Chinese tech giant announced the introduction of the V7+ to the expansive India market last week and had even commenced pre-orders on September 7. The launch itinerary across Asia wasn’t disclosed but it is believed that Vivo will take the model to other markets outside Asia. The device was launched in the Philippines and became available on September 20. Vivo also indicated that the V7+ will enter other markets across Asia.

The Vivo V7+ features a premium body with an impressive 5.99-inch FullView display with a resolution of 720 x 1,440 pixels. The display has an aspect ratio of 18:9 and a screen-to-body ratio of 84.4 percent. You also get ultra-thin bezels at the chin and highly reduced bezels at the top and bottom edges. The device is powered by a Snapdragon 450 chipset which was introduced by Qualcomm in June this year. The processor is paired with 4GB of RAM and the phone has an internal storage of 64 GB. The V7+ packs a 3,225mAh battery, dual SIM slots and runs FunTouch OS 3.2 based on Android Nougat. It features a rear-mounted fingerprint reader.

The Vivo V7+ is already on sale in India at Rs. 21,990 (~$343) on Amazon and Flipkart. Vivo has not disclosed the price it would carry in other Asian markets but only disclosed that pricing will be determined on a per-market basis outside of the regions it has already been launched in.

(source)

HTC U11 Plus Tipped to Unveil on November 11 with 6-inch 18:9 Full Screen Design

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Sep 22, 2017

Even though HTC’s R&D division has been taken over by Google, the Taiwanese company has confirmed that it still has an R&D team that had designed the HTC U11 flagship phone. The company has also said that it is working on its next flagship phone called HTC U11 Plus that will be arriving with a full screen design. A French publication has revealed some juicy details on the upcoming HTC flagship.

Recent rumors have revealed that the HTC U11 Plus is codenamed as Ocean Master. Like the premium flagship phones, the U11 Plus is speculated to come with a full screen design flanked with minimal bezels.

According to the French publication, the U11 Plus will be housing a 5.99-inch panel manufactured by Japan Display. It will be supporting an aspect ratio of 18:9. The Snapdragon 835 chipset will be present under the hood of the smartphone.

It will be coming in two variants. The first model will feature 4 GB of RAM with 64 GB of UFS 2.1 storage and the second one will be coming with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of UFS 2.1 storage.

A 12-megapixel camera is present on the rear side of the smartphone. It will be featuring the same rear camera that is present on the HTC U11. The frontside will be fitted with an 8-megapixel selfie snapper. The exact size of its battery is not available, but what is known is that it will be carrying support for Quick Charge 3.0 (9V/2A).

Like the HTC U11, the upcoming flagship will be coming with squeezable frame for supporting the Edge Sense feature. The handset is also expected to arrive with IP68 certified water and dust resistant chassis. We speculate that like the HTC U11 and HTC U Ultra smartphones, the U11 Plus will be also arriving with a premium design.

The French publication has also revealed that the HTC U11 Plus would be launching in China on November 11 as the Taiwanese company is reportedly working on regaining its market share in the country. As of this writing, there is no information available on its launch date for other markets. The publication also hints that the HTC U11 Plus may arrive with an attractive pricing.

A recent report has revealed that HTC may unveil two other smartphones that are codenamed as Ocean Lite and Ocean Harmony before the end of 2017.

(source)

Check out AMAZING Gearbest DEALS! [UPDATED]

By

Linus

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Sep 21, 2017

We all love all kinds of gadgets but they are usually not cheap. The best time is always to wait for discounts or deals. Gearbest currently has quite a few deals and we thought you may want to check them out. Learn more in our amazing Gearbest deals article.

Xiaomi Wiha 24 in 1 Precision Screwdriver Kit

Xiaomi Wiha 24 in 1 Precision Screwdriver Kit offers a great value for just below $28. The kit uses S2 steel material bits that have hardness up to 60HRC. Also, there is an anti-rust aluminum alloy screwdriver handle and storage box.

Buy Xiaomi Wiha 24 in 1 Precision Screwdriver Kit

Xiaomi Mi Band 2

The market is full of fitness-related products but the Xiaomi Mi Band series is one of the most popular in the world. The Mi Band 2 is one is the best fitness tracker for the price. In fact, I’ve been using it myself for more than a year and it has been working absolutely fine. Highly recommended.

You can now get it for just $15.59 using a COUPON: miband98

BUY Xiaomi Mi Band 2 using a COUPON: miband98

Xiaomi Mijia Smart LED Desk Lamp

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8afXeVoVmg[/embedyt]

I’ve reviewed quite a few desk lamps but the one made by Xiaomi is the most beautiful I’ve ever seen.

It all starts with a nice looking presentation for desk lamp. We can see that the Xiaomi put a lot of attention to detail with the Apple-like power plug and some nice extras like a cable management clip.

The Xiaomi desk lamp looks gorgeous and it has a nice looking minimalistic design. The tubes are made out of aluminum and the base is made out of quality matt plastic, which does not attract any fingerprints.

You can now get Xiaomi Mijia Smart LED Desk Lamp for just $34.99 using a COUPON: MIJIAS

Buy Xiaomi Mijia Smart LED Desk Lamp for just $34.99 using a COUPON: MIJIAS

Vkworld Mix Plus

Vkworld Mix Plus is one of the cheapest bezel less smartphones you can get. Also, the phone sports decent specs for the price that includes MTK6737 chip, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. You can now get it for just below $110.

Learn more about the Vkworld Mix Plus

Buy Vkworld Mix Plus

ILIFE V7S Pro Smart Robotic Vacuum Cleaner

I personally do not like cleaning but I like when my apartment looks clean. That sounds like a cliche but we usually do not have lots of time to clean around the house and it usually looks like a mess. Robot vacuum cleaners are one of the solutions to make your place look cleaner and ILIFE V7S Pro Smart Robotic Vacuum Cleaner has very positive reviews online.

You can now get it for just $159.99 using a COUPON V7SPROEU or ILIFEV7SPRO

Buy ILIFE V7S Pro Smart Robotic Vacuum Cleaner using a COUPON V7SPROEU or ILIFEV7SPRO

Vernee Mars Pro

After reviewing some previous phones made by Vernee, I have the impression that the company can make some quality phones at affordable price. The Vernee Mars Pro has an outstanding build quality, impressive specs and more for less than $200.

Buy Vernee Mars Pro

Xiaomi A1

Xiaomi A1 is the first Android One phone made by the company. That means that this phone runs on stock Android OS, not the MIUI, which is a heavily customized skin.

As far as specs go, the phones ships with the Snapdragon 625 chip, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The Xiaomi A1 also has a compelling dual-camera setup that consists of 12 MP shooters.

You can now get the Xiaomi A1 for just $209.99 using a COUPON: XMA1GJ

Buy Xiaomi A1 for just $209.99 using a COUPON: XMA1GJ

Xiaomi Mi Pad 3

Xiaomi is better known for its great budget smartphones but their tablets are really popular as well. The Mi Pad 3 is the latest iteration of the tablet series and it offers a lot of value for the price.

The tablet’s design and build quality are one of the main selling points. The Mi Pad 3 is made entirely of metal, the buttons are tactile and they do not rattle and it just feels like you hold an expensive piece of hardware.

The tablet ships with 7.9″ display, a hexacore MediaTek MT8176 chip, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, which is, however, not expandable.

You can now buy the Xiaomi Mi Pad 3 for just $202.99 using a COUPON: AHPad3

Buy the Xiaomi Mi Pad 3 for just $202.99 using a COUPON: AHPad3

Xiaomi Mi5S Plus

Mi5s Plus is one of the most powerful and beautiful smartphones the company has ever made.

As the name implies, the Mi5s Plus is a larger phone than the regular Mi5s and that is mainly due to its 5.7” 1080p display.

The phone has an impressive specs-sheet that includes a Snapdragon 821 chip, 6GB of LPDDR4 RAM and whopping 128GB UFS 2.0-based storage.

You can now get the Xiaomi Mi5s Plus for just $289.99 using a COUPON: MI5SP

Buy Xiaomi Mi5s Plus for just $289.99 using a COUPON: MI5SP

Xiaomi Air 12 Laptop

Xiaomi is known for its smartphones but their Air laptop turned out to be very successful. The notebook is made of metal and even though it reminds of the Apple MacBook Air, the build quality is just top notch. Also, you are getting pretty good specs for the price that includes Intel Core m3-6Y30 Dual Core chipset, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of SSD storage.

You can now get the Xiaomi Air 12 for just $475.99 using a COUPON: Air12GB

Buy Xiaomi Air 12 for just $475.99 using a COUPON: Air12GB

We suggest you checking out Gearbest’s monster clearance page as there are plenty of items that go over 80% retail price.

Gearbest Monster Clearance Page

Gearbest also has a promotion going on where they post coupon codes that give generous discounts on various gadgets.

Gearbest Coupon Party Page

We will update this article if we find other great deals at Gearbest.

Alleged Live Images of BlackBerry Krypton Surface Online

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 21, 2017

TCL is said to be working on a new BlackBerry device currently known as Krypton. The BlackBerry Krypton has been seen on the FCC website and has also gotten Bluetooth and WiFi certifications.

The Krypton is rumored to be an all-touch smartphone and may even belong to the DTEK series. There have been no leaks with respect to its design until today. However, this images only reveal the back of the phone, leaving us in the dark as to what its front will look like.

The BlackBerry Krypton is shown in the image above with a single rear camera positioned in the top left corner. The upper part where the camera sits appears to be made of leather while the lower half is covered in carbon fiber.

A second image shows the phone along with the BlackBerry KEYone, and we can see that they have the same width.

Continue

HTC U11 Plus With Full-Screen Display Coming Soon Says Company Executive

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 21, 2017

In the early hours of today, the details of HTC and Google’s “acquisition” were made public. It turns out that it was more of a purchase of talent, similar to what happens between football clubs, with Google paying over a $1 billion for the HTC engineering team that worked on the Pixels. Reports says that is about $500,000 for each member of the team in addition to a separate non-exclusive license for HTC intellectual property.

With 2000 top engineers gone, some may be wondering if the deal made sense for HTC. The company says it still has an excellent R&D team which worked on its flagship, the HTC U11 and is preparing its next flagship phone.

Speaking at an interview, president of global sales for HTC, Zhang Jia Lin revealed that the company was working on a new flagship phone with a full-screen display which should launch not later than a month from now. Sources say it will be called the HTC U11 Plus.

The phone will have an 18:9 aspect ratio, a fingerprint scanner and be powered by the Snapdragon 835. It may also support facial recognition.

Continue

Vivo X20 and Vivo X20 Plus Official: Full-Screen Displays, Impressive Cameras & A Few Other Tricks

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 21, 2017

The Vivo X20 was unveiled today in China. The new smartphone is Vivo’s second full-screen smartphone, coming weeks after the announcement of the Vivo V7 Plus in India.

Vivo X20 and Vivo X20 Plus Design

The Vivo X20 and X20 Plus feature a 3D arc design that is designed to provide a comfortable grip in your palm. The 1.8mm U-shaped antenna lines are seamlessly integrated into the device using a new generation nano-injection molding process. The rest of the body is finished with an ultra-fine zirconium sand spray process that gives it a silky smooth feel.

Vivo X20 and Vivo X20 Plus Specs

The Vivo X20 has a 6.01 inch 18:9 display that occupies 85.3% of the front of the phone. It is powered by the Snapdragon 660 paired with 4GB of RAM. Owners will be able to choose between 64GB or 128GB of expandable storage. The X20 has an AK4376A for HiFi audio and packs a 3245mAh battery under the hood.

The Vivo X20 Plus has a larger 6.43-inch 2160 x 1080 super AMOLED display crammed in a 5.85-inch body. It is powered by the same Snapdragon 660 mobile platform and packs the same amount of RAM. However, storage is limited to 64GB but one can add up to and additional 256GB via a MicroSD card slot.

The X20 Plus also differs in the camera aspect as its sensors have OIS. It has an ES9318 DAC + amp for Hi-Fi audio. Due to the bigger screen, it packs a 3905mAh battery capacity.

There is dual SIM support, Bluetooth 5.0, dual band WiFi, and a micro USB port for connectivity on both devices. There are also fingerprint scanners on the back of the phones that support payment and can control the cameras too.

Both the Vivo X20 And Vivo X20 Plus run FunTouch OS 3.0 based on Android 7.1.1 out of the box. There is a built-in AI assistant that learns your usage pattern, channeling processing power to your most used apps.

There is also a new Vivo Game Engine that greatly improves game-play even for very demanding games. The game engine also makes sure that incoming calls or notifications do not affect game-play. If you need to respond to messages from chat apps, a floating and re-sizeable window of the app will appear. It seems only WeChat and QQ are supported for now.

Face Wake

There are two ways to unlock the X20 – using the fingerprint scanner or using the new Face Wake feature. Face Wake is said to unlock the device in just 0.1s. Vivo claims it detects up to 128 different facial features before proceeding to unlock the phone.

Vivo X20 and Vivo X20 Plus Cameras

Vivo like its sibling OPPO, makes camera-centric phones and the X20 and X20 Plus don’t disappoint. There are dual rear cameras on both phones in a 12MP + 5MP combination. The 12MP f/1.8 sensor is unique as it can take images up to 24MP. Pair that with the 5MP secondary sensor and you get high quality bokeh images. The 12MP f/2.0 dual-pixel front facing camera uses the same technology and also takes portrait images.

Vivo also says it has worked on an image sensor processor unit it calls Vivo Image Cube. This is actually a 256MB dual-core image sensor processor (DSP).

Continue

LG V30 Teardown Video Shows Its Legendary f/1.6 Camera & Internals Up Close

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Sep 21, 2017

LG announced the LG V30 on August 31 and it came with an interesting and sleek design which has earned the device lots of positive reviews. One of the features which stood out is the camera which has the widest aperture you’ll ever find in a smartphone camera till date which is a f/1.6 aperture with optical image stabilization (OIS). You can have a closer look at the V30’s camera from this dismantling video uploaded by Jerry Rig Everything.

The video shows the V30 entirely taken apart and it shows the device comes with a fairly repair-friendly design. The device also comes with a non-removable battery, unlike previous V-series model. Don’t forget the device utilizes a bezel-less design which means a cracked screen can only be fixed with the entire front panel changed. You can watch the entire video from below.

To refresh your memories, the LG V30 features a 6-inch OLED display with a 1440 x 2880 resolution and 18:9 aspect ratio. It has 4GB of RAM that is paired with a Snapdragon 835 SoC. A 16MP f/1.6 sensor paired with a 13MP f/1.9 lens grace its back. Up in front is a 5MP f/2.2 sensor. The V30 also comes with an IP68 rating, packs a 3300mAh battery and runs Android 7.1.2 Nougat out of the box.

Nubia Full-Screen Model With 6GB RAM Receives TENAA Certification

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Sep 21, 2017

A new Nubia smartphone has been certified by the Chinese Telecoms regulatory agency TENAA and it looks like this is the full-screen phone Nubia is rumoured to be working on. The Nubia device has the model number NX589J and the photos attached to the TENAA listing shows a full-screen design with tiny bezels at the chin and a reduced bezels at the top and bottom bezels.

The Nubia NX589J model which is expected to be named Nubia Z17s is listed with a 5.2-inch 1080P display and would get its juice from a 3100mAh battery. The mobile phone will sport a dual camera setup at the rear, with the main sensor being a 13MP sensor. The device will also pack a 16MP camera up front. TENAA has not revealed the processor but it is listed as having a frequency of 2.0 GHz and should be a Snapdragon 835 chip. The Nubia full-screen phone also comes with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of native storage which is expandable. Providing the interface will be Android 7.1.1 Nougat OS while there are dual SIM slots inside.

A render of the Nubia full-screen phone was only spotted recently but Nubia is yet to disclose when the model will be officially launched.

(source)

OPPO R11 King of Glory Edition Will Arrive on September 29

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 21, 2017

OPPO is not new to special edition phones. It has been doing it for years just like its sister company, Vivo. The OPPO R11, its latest flagship has received two special edition models – a FC Barcelona Edition and a TFBOYS Edition. It will be adding a third next week – OPPO R11 King of Glory Edition.

King of Glory is one of the most popular online multiplayer battle games. Published by Tencent Games and with a report of 200 million active players monthly as at July 2017, it’s clear to see why OPPO will want to make a special edition of its R11 phone for the game.

The special edition phone will be launched on September 29 as a way to mark the anniversary of the game. A teaser image posted on OPPO’s Weibo page gives us a glimpse of what to expect.

Continue

Meizu M6 Camera Samples Dazzle Just Like The M6 Note’s

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Sep 21, 2017

Meizu yesterday officially launched yet another sleek smartphone, more of a smaller version of the M6 Note. The Meizu M6 utilizes a classic design and is available in four colors. One of the main features of the device is the camera setup, both at the front and rear aspects. At the front, there is an 8MP selfie camera with f/2.0 aperture, self-timer, and other features.

On the other hand, the Meizu M6 packs at its rear, a 13MP camera with an RGBW color sensor, f/2.2 aperture, 5P lens. Meizu has again worked with ArcSoft on image optimization algorithms to improve features like noise reduction and HDR photography. This improvement seems to have resulted in a powerful camera capable of capturing crisp clear shots. The Chinese tech company has now shared some samples shot by the M6’s main camera and just like the M6 Note, the photos are credible evidence of the potentials the M6’s camera holds.

Unfortunately, none of the pictures show us how the M6’s camera would perform in low light conditions because they all seem to have been captured on a sunny day. Apart from the capable camera, the budget M6 also utilizes a MediaTek MT6750 processor which is a 64-bit, Octa-core processor. This is paired with 2GB of RAM on some models and 3GB of RAM on some others. This also plays some role in the camera output of the Meizu M6. Here are some of the camera samples.

It’s A Done Deal! Google Buys HTC’s “Powered by HTC” R&D Division For $1.1 billion

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Sep 21, 2017

Google and HTC have both finally disclosed that a deal has been signed which would see Google become the new owner of HTC’s “Powered by HTC” Research and Development Division. The deal is said to be worth $1.1 billion USD and is definitely something to cheer about especially if you are an HTC fanboy because HTC will still continue manufacturing smartphones. In other words, HTC still exists as an independent smartphone manufacturing company while Google gets a non-exclusive license for HTC’s intellectual property.

The “Powered by HTC” R&D team is credited to be almost half of HTC’s overall R&D team and it is this same division which manufactures Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL phones. The team is also saddled with the task of manufacturing the upcoming Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL models. This disclosure puts paid to the numerous rumors and speculations concerning the ailing Taiwanese tech giant which was once among the top 5 smartphone manufacturers in the world.

Rumors were rife that Google would be buying the entire company and in the face of the rumors, HTC ‘s stock was suspending from trading on the Taiwanese Stock Exchange. But the $1.1 billion deal does not take HTC out of smartphone manufacturing entirely. HTC’s chief financial officer Peter Shen hints that the tech company will continue existing as a separate entity, designing and launching new models including its next flagship phone.

The deal no doubt is a much-needed life line for HTC that could help company bounce back to its glory days. HTC looks to use the $1.1 billion to stay afloat in the smartphone and VR markets. According to the company, the deal gives it “a more streamlined product portfolio, greater operational efficiency and financial flexibility”. For a company estimated to be valued at £1.4bn ($1.9bn), Google could be seen as generous with the terms of the deal considering that the deal does not give Google access to any of HTC’s manufacturing facilities. Google only gets the division’s employees and the IP portfolio. The deal is expected to be approved and sealed early 2018.

(source, via)

Vivo X20 Gets Completely Unmasked in Leaked Hands-on Video

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Sep 21, 2017

Vivo is expected to officially launch the Vivo X20 today, September 21 in China. Funny enough, it might all just be a formality because the specifications of the device are already known via its appearances of TENAA, benchmark apps and in several leaks. Now, the Vivo X20 has featured in a leaked hands-on video just before its launch.

The hands-on video is a short clip but showcases both the front and rear aspects of the device. It is not as if this is the first time we are seeing the real photos of the X20 but this is the first hands-on video we’ll be meeting. The X20 model captured in the video comes in light gray color which will likely be one of several color variants Vivo will make the device available in. The hands-on video shows a full-screen device with what would be a high screen-to-body ratio when compared to previous Vivo models but this is nowhere near a bezel-less smartphone. There are still bezels on all four sides but very much reduced in size. The two sides have ultra-thin bezels while the top edge gets its own fair share of bezels wide enough to accommodate the earpiece and dual selfie cameras.

The rear view shows the X20’s dual cameras will be located at the top left corner with the LED flash lying inwardly by its side. There is also a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor which seems to be bigger in size, perhaps to make it easy for the sensor to be accessed on the large-sized model. The X20 will feature a 5.8-inch AMOLED display with a 2160 x 1080p resolution and an aspect ratio of 18:9. The model will be powered by Qualcomm’s latest powerful mid-range chip- Snapdragon 660. This would be paired with a 6GB RAM. The X20 should also feature a 24MP dual camera setup on the back and a 24MP front shooter. It also offers facial recognition feature – dubbed Face Unlock – that’s claimed to unlock the device within 0.1s. The phone is expected to pack in a 3,500mAh battery.

(source)

Yotaphone 3 Brings AMOLED & E-ink Displays To China for ¥3699 (~$563)

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Sep 20, 2017

Nearly 3 years after the release of the Yotaphone 2, its successor the Yotaphone 3, was unveiled in China yesterday. The third generation dual screen smartphone brings upgraded specs and a higher price tag.

Yotaphone 3

Yotaphone 3 Design

The Yotaphone 3 has the same design language as its predecessors – a color display on one side and an e-ink display on the other side. But the dimensions and appearance have changed so you can say it is the same but different. In a nutshell, the Yotaphone 3 has ditched the small curvy form factor for a flatter and bigger body.

Yotaphone 3 Specifications

The AMOLED display is now bigger at 5.5-inches and is covered with Gorilla Glass 4. The secondary e-ink display has received some upgrades too. It’s now bigger at 5.2-inches and has a 720 x 1080 resolution. The bigger e-ink display should make reading a bit more comfortable.

The Yotaphone 3 comes with 4GB RAM standard and is paired with the Snapdragon 625 mobile platform. There is 64GB/128GB of storage with no expansion slot.

There is a single 12MP f/1.9 1.2um camera on the back of the phone positioned at the top left corner. The front camera is a 13MP sensor which is a huge upgrade from the 2.1MP camera in the Yotaphone 2.

The Yotaphone 3 runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat and packs a 3300mAh battery that supports fast charging via a USB Type-C port. It also has a home button that doubles as a fingerprint scanner. There is support for dual SIM slots (nano only) and it has NFC, Bluetooth 4.2 but no audio jack.

Yotaphone 3 Price

The Yotaphone 3 is pricey but we are sure the manufacturer will have reasons for the price. It starts at ¥3699 (~$563) for the 64GB model and jumps to ¥4299 (~$654) for the 128GB version or a 64GB special edition which has a stainless steel frame instead of aluminium and comes with some gifts in the box.

Continue

The Huawei Mate 10 Lite Is The Maimang 6/Huawei G10

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 20, 2017

As October 16 draws nearer with each passing day, more news have been surfacing about the Huawei Mate 10 series. VentureBeat has gotten some exclusive info that sheds light on of the devices, the Mate 10 Lite.

Earlier today, Evan Blass tweeted the codenames of the Mate 10 devices and a new but familiar name popped up – Rhone. Rhone is the device we now know as Maimang 6 A.K.A Huawei G10, and according to the tweet A.K.A Mate 10 Lite. A follow up post on VentureBeat is where Evan explains it all.

For those of you keeping track, here's the updated list of codenames:

Mate 10 Pro – Blanc
Mate 10 – Alps
Mate 10 Lite – Rhone
? – Marcel

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) September 20, 2017

Giving source to an unnamed individual who has info on the company’s plans, the Huawei Mate 10 Lite (Rhone) will have a 5.9-inch screen with an 18:9 aspect ratio and an 83% screen-to-body ratio. The phone will have a FHD+ resolution of 1080 x 2160 which will be higher than that of the regular Mate 10 (Alps).

The Mate 10 Lite will be powered by the Kirin 659, an octa-core processor clocked at 2.36GHz. RAM will be 4GB, storage will be 64GB and battery capacity will be 3340mAh.

The Mate 10 Lite will have a 16MP + 2MP combo on the back and a 13MP + 2MP combo up in front with both sides having LED flash. The selfie cameras are said to feature a two-person bokeh effect.

Huawei Mate 10 Lite — Live Image of Mate 10 Lite

If those specs sound familiar that is because they are the same as that of the Maimang 6/G10 as it appeared on TENAA. The only difference is that the Maimang 6 will be launched on Friday in China but the Mate 10 Lite won’t arrive till October 16 and will also be a global release.

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Xiaomi’s MIJIA Partner Launches Aqara Smart Bedroom Set, A Smart IoT Kit For ¥749 (~$114)

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Sep 20, 2017

Xiaomi’s crowdfunding platform partner Aqara has announced a new product which adopts the moniker- Aqara Smart Bedroom Set. The product is a smart home connectivity kit which enables users to control the home’s smart gadgets such as air conditioner and others inside the room right from their bed. In other words, users may not need to get out of the bed if there is need to switch on a light or adjust the room temperature.

The device no doubt is an Internet-of-Things (IoT) gadget and the set is a collection of different gadgets which includes an automatic air conditioning system switch, a gadget that lets you turn off the lights while already in bed and turn it on later. There is also a temperature and humidity sensor, body sensor, smart wall sockets, and switches.

The temperature and humidity sensor measures the conditions inside the rooms and then prompt the smart socket to start the air conditioner or humidifier as the case may be. The smart bedroom set also lets users monitor other home appliances via an app on your smartphone.

The Aqara Smart Bedroom set is presently on sale on TMall and it comes with a price tag of 749 yuan (~$114).

HTC Shares Suspended on Taiwanese Stock Exchange Over Google Takeover Rumors

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Sep 20, 2017

About two weeks ago, we brought you a report which emerged from China and alleges that Google was in talks with HTC to buy the ailing smartphone manufacturing company. Looks like it is not just a mere rumor as reports emanating from Taiwan indicates that HTC’s shares are set to be suspended from trading on the Taiwanese Stock Exchange with effect from Thursday and the planned take over by Googl’s parent company Alphabet is fingered to be the cause of this suspension.

While no oficial statement has been issued either by Google or HTC or even the authorities of the Taiwanese Stock Exchange where the company is listed. HTC in a recent statement issued in response to an earlier report in the China Times, and a request from the Taiwanese Stock Exchange stated among other things that it “does not comment on market rumour or speculation”. It is unknown if the once bubble smartphone giant officially responded to the request by the TSE and if they did, what their response was. But the decision to suspend trading on HTC’s stock may be an affirmation that the deal is about to be sealed between both parties.

HTC has recently been struggling to grab a piece of the market share. The company happened to occupyy a lofty position a few years back. As a matter of fact, HTC was the world’s fifth highest grossing smartphone manufacturer just five years ago with a market share of about 9%. Now, the company’s shares stands at 1% of the entire market and no doubt debts would be mounting.

Apar from the smartphone arm, there is also the Vive business. The VR arm had earlier featured in rumors speculating that HTC would sell the Vive business or the entire business soon. It is likely Alphabet would get the entire portfolio if the deal sails through. However, what remains unclear is why Google wants to buy an ailing company even though the U.S giant worth $100 billion is well capable of inheriting HTC’s liabilities in addition to its assets. It remains tobe seen if Google will turn the company around or if it would be a repreat of the Motorola Mobility deal which Google bought for $12.5billion but sold the company to Lenovo three years later. But in this case, since HTC manufacture’s Google’s Pixel phones, Google may be looking to set up its own full-fledge smartphoe manufacturing arm which would no doubt be a wise move considering the software aspect is already taken care of with Google’s Android OS.

HTC’s shares closed at 2.5% higher on Wednesday, a pointer to speculatin that an official announcement could have seen a rapid surge in the share prices of the company as more persons ould have attempted to buy the company’s shares.

(source)

2018 iPhones May Feature Face ID; Apple is Still Reportedly Working on In-Screen Touch ID

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Sep 20, 2017

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has shared fresh information on 2018 Apple iPhones. He has revealed that since the Cupertino company is still working on resolving the obstacles of in-screen fingerprint scanner, it will continue to invest more in Face ID.

The upcoming iPhone X is the first smartphone from Apple to arrive with Face ID biometric recognition feature. Kuo claims that if the Face ID feature is received well by the consumers, all the 2018 iPhones is likely to feature TrueDepth camera and face ID.

This suggests that Apple may not have yet decided to completely axe the Touch ID feature in favor of the newly introduced Face ID. The new biometric identification feature not only allows iPhone X users to unlock it but also make secure payments through Apple Pay. Apple claims that Face ID is very secure as the face data is encrypted and it never leaves the device. However, recent reports have revealed that Face ID can recognize only one face. On the contrary, Touch ID can recognize 5 different fingerprints which makes it easier to share the iPhone with family members.

Apple is still struggling to incorporate Touch ID sensor under the display of iPhones. The display panels of iPhones are equipped with 3D Touch module which increases the thickness of the whole display. This reduces the accuracy of the in-screen fingerprint scanner. Since Android phones are not equipped with pressure-sensitive display like the recent iPhones, other smartphone OEMs might be able to incorporate fingerprint sensor under the display of their devices.

A lot depends on the market response of the Face ID. If it fails to impress the users, the company may focus its attention on developing in-screen Touch ID. Nevertheless, Apple has to find ways to resolve the technical problems to make the in-screen fingerprint sensor workable.

Kuo has also added that if Face ID is appreciated by consumers, Apple’s Android rivals may also introduce smartphones with facial recognition feature. Hence, facial recognition component suppliers are likely to see a high growth in the forthcoming years.

Should forthcoming Apple iPhones feature Face ID as well as Touch ID? Share us your views by commenting below.

(source)

Meizu M6 Note One Piece Limited Edition Arriving On September 25

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 20, 2017

One Piece is one of the most popular manga series in the world. It appears we have some fans at Meizu as the manufacturer has announced a Meizu M6 Note One Piece limited edition model. The M6 Note is a fantastic device on its own, making a One Piece special edition is going to make fans go crazy!!

The M6 Note One Piece edition has a red back with yellow antenna lines. At the bottom is the logo of the Straw Hat Pirates in the same yellow color. The front of the phone is black but Meizu added a red accent to the mBack button.

The special edition device is also different on the inside. There is a wallpaper of Monkey D. Luffy and the icons are pirate-themed as well. There is a pocket watch icon for the clock, a chest for file manager, and a pirate map as the maps icon to name a few.

The Meizu M6 Note One Piece Limited Edition also has a special packaging. The box is black and has a picture of the entire Straw Hat Pirates. There is a branded protective case alongside a red cable and red wall charger.

The specs of the special edition is the same as the other variants. There is a 5.5-inch display, a Snapdragon 625 processor and a 4000mAh battery. It has dual rear cameras (12MP + 5MP), a 16MP front facing camera, and runs Android 7.1.2 out of the box

The Meizu M6 Note One Piece Limited Edition will sell for ¥1699 (~$258), the same price as the regular 4GB RAM + 64GB model but will instead have 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. If you want the version with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, that will cost you ¥2399 (~$365). It will be available for purchase on September 25.

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