Huawei Mimics Apple’s “Failed” iPhone X Face ID Demo in New Mate 10 Teaser

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Sep 19, 2017

The growth recorded by OEMs in the smartphone industry only means that competition will continue to get stiffer by the day. It is not surprising to see OEMs directly comparing their latest models with those of the competition, pointing out the flaws in the competition’s product and other shortcomings that the user may not take note of. We saw this in a brazen form last year when Samsung was battling with the Galaxy Note 7 battery issue. Motorola released a video advert which touts that their battery won’t explode like that of the Samsung Note 7. Well, a mention of the Galaxy Note 7 wasn’t made but the timing of the ad suggested the Note 7 was the target.

Huawei seems to be doing the same thing with the newly launched iPhone X. Apple had unsuccessfully attempted to demonstrate the Face ID technology on the iPhone X during the product launch last week. Huawei’s video promoting the October 16 launch of the Mate 10 features a cartoon clown which is being identified using the Face ID but the process fails with the software instructing the user to try again. It is a short skit but laden with meaning. Recall that Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi had tried to authenticate his face using the Face ID twice without success in from of attendees during the product launch. He eventually succeeded during the third attempt wih some minutes gone but that isn’t enough for the competition to suggest the technology isn’t reliable. You can watch the clip here.

The short clip ended with the hashtag “the real AI phone” with the October 16 launch date written under. This is the known date for the Mate 10 launch so it is not far fetched that Huawei was making reference to the Mate 10 which would pack a Kirin 970 chip announced at IFA 2017 to come with artificail intelligence. Huawei touts the Kirin 970 is equipped with a Neural Processing unit meant for AI computing and related applications. We’ll have to wait until the Mate 10 is launched to see if it would live up to expectations.

(source)

Huawei Pay May Soon Arrive in the U.S.

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Sep 19, 2017

Huawei has reportedly submitted trademark for Huawei Pay mobile payments service to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on Sept. 13. Huawei Pay for the U.S. is expected to get approved at some point in the coming year.

In the previous month, the Chinese smartphone OEM had filed a trademark for Huawei Pay in Europe with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). The USPTO and EUIPO are expected to take couple of months to approve the filings for Huawei Pay.

Huawei Pay was introduced in the home country of China in early 2016. However, the recent trademark filings suggest that the company wants its mobile payments service to widely available. The Chinese firm is yet to make an official announcement on expanding the Huawei Pay service in multiple markets. There is no confirmation on whether the company has partnered with banks and other financial institutions in the U.S. or Europe. In China, Huawei Pay is supported by only a small number of banks.

Huawei Pay can be used on NFC enabled devices to make payments at supported terminals. It is expected to rival with Android Pay and Samsung Pay in the near future. The patent filing has revealed three things about Huawei Pay such as: send and receive funds from others, authentication software, and magnetically encoded cards.

The upcoming Huawei Mate 10 flagship phone is scheduled to get unveiled on Oct. 16. It takes up to three months for USPTO to approve a trademark filing which suggests that the Huawei Pay may launch in the U.S. at the end of this year or early 2018. Judging by the availability of the Mate 9 in the U.S., it can be guessed that the Mate 10 would be arriving in the country in early 2018.

The big players like Apple, Samsung and Google have well established mobile payment services in the U.S. Huawei is second largest smartphone maker in the world and having its own mobile payment service for the U.S. and other markets always appeared inevitable.

Huawei may opt to announce the Huawei Pay for the U.S. audience separately. However, since it is not a major smartphone brand in the country, it may go with the idea of launching Huawei Pay with Mate 10. There is a possibility that the Chinese firm may reveal more information on Huawei Pay at the launch event of Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro in the coming month.

(source|via)

Samsung Galaxy A (2018) Smartphones Rumored to Feature Exynos 7885 and Exynos 9610

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Sep 19, 2017

Samsung is rumored to be working on 2018 versions of Galaxy A3, A5 and A7 smartphones. These phones are expected to be unleashed at the end of this year or in January 2018. An industry insider has claimed that the South Korean company may use Exynos 7885 to power the Galaxy A (2018) phones and in some regions these phones may feature Exynos 9610

Samsung may use Exynos7885/9610 on Galaxy A 2018 in some area.

— 萌萌的电教 (@MMDDJ_) September 18, 2017

In July, the rumor mill had revealed that Samsung is developing new chipsets like Exynos 7885 (14nm) and Exynos 9610 (10nm). Speculations are rife that these new chipsets will be unveiled before the end of the year.

The leaked specifications of both the chipsets have revealed that the Exynos 9610 is more powerful and is capable of delivering a performance that is similar to Exynos 8895 that powers flagship phones like Galaxy S8 duo and Galaxy Note 8. The new mid-range chipsets from Samsung are expected to deliver a performance that is similar to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset.

Previous reports have revealed that the Exynos 9610 is a 64-bit octa-core chipset that features four cores of ARM Cortex A73 working at 2.4 GHz and another four cores of the power-efficient Cortex A53 whose processing speed is not available. The chipset includes Mali-G71 MP20 graphics and a fully integrated LTE modem. Even though fresh reports claim that it is a 10nm chipset, earlier reports had stated that it could be a 14nm chipset.

The Exynos 7885 is said to be weaker chipset compared to Exynos 9610. It is rumored to arrive with two cores of ARM Cortex A73 working at 2.1 GHz that is coupled four cores of Cortex A53. It also features Mali-G71 GPU and an integrated LTE modem.

The same industry insider had also claimed around three years ago that all the Galaxy A (2018) smartphones would be equipped with dual rear cameras. The leaked specs of the Galaxy A7 (2018) have already appeared.

The handset is pegged to come with 5.7-inch FHD display and it seems to be powered by Exynos 7885 and 3 GB of RAM. The front and rear sides of the smartphone respectively feature 16-megapixel snappers. The native storage of the phone is 32 GB and it is loaded with Android 7.1.1 Nougat. A report from the previous month claims that the Galaxy A5 (2017) and Galaxy A7 (2017) would be featuring Samsung’s Infinity Display. More information on the upcoming 2018 Galaxy A phones are expected to appear in the coming weeks.

Xiaomi Launching Mi Max 2 4GB RAM + 32GB Storage Version on September 20

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Sep 18, 2017

Xiaomi has indicated via a Twitter post that it would be unveiling a new Mi Mix 2 version with a reduced 32GB storage in India. The Mi Max 2 is presently available in a 4GB + 64GB variant as well as a 4GB + 128GB version but the now, there is going to be a 32GB version and it is for the Indian market. The new variant will be unmasked on September 20 by 12 noon and would be sold exclusively on Mi.com, Mi Home and Amazon India. The new version will come clutching an introductory Rs 12,999 price tag which is around $202 USD. The price may likely end up at Rs 14,999 in due course.

Presenting Mi Max 2 4GB+32GB at an intro price of ₹12,999! Sale starts 20/09 exclusively on @amazonIN, https://t.co/nVqFSYMyzY & Mi Home pic.twitter.com/6rC5hoNq7H

— Mi India (@XiaomiIndia) September 18, 2017

Apart from the new storage, the device retains all features of the previous model. The display is still 6.44 inches and the resolution is kept at 1080p. The Mi Max 2 features the power efficient Snapdragon 625, an octa-core processor clocked at 2.0GHz. It packs a dual SIM slots with one of the slots doubling as a microSD card slot and can be expanded up to 256GB.

Further, the Xiaomi Mi Max 2 sports a 12MP Sony IMX386 rear sensor while there is a 5MP camera up front for selfies. There is also a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner as well as a 5300mAh which only added 0.1mm to its thickness when compared to the Mi Max with a smaller battery. The Mi Max 2 comes with Android 7.1.1 out of the box and is available in matte black with a fingerprint resistant coating.

Buy Xiaomi Mi Max 2 on Giztop

(source)

Redmi Note 4X Blue Variant Now Comes in 3GB + 32GB For ¥999 (~$152)

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 18, 2017

About four months ago, Xiaomi announced a new blue variant for the Redmi Note 4X. However, it was only available in 4GB RAM + 64GB ROM configuration. The good news is that it is now available in the 3GB RAM + 32GB ROM configuration.

The new variant will go on sale on September 21 at exactly midnight. It will be available on online stores such as JD.com and Tmall for ¥999 (~$152).

The Redmi Note 4X has a 5.5-inch full HD screen. It is powered by the Snapdragon 625 and packs a 4100mAh battery in a metal body. It has a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front facing camera. Below the rear camera setup is a fingerprint scanner.

Continue

New Yi Smart Outdoor Camera with 1080p, 110° Wide-Angle Lens, IP65 & IR Lights Launched

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Sep 18, 2017

Xiaomi’s former partner Xiaoyi, now known as Yi technology has officially launched its latest smart outdoor surveillance camera in China. The Yi outdoor camera is the outdoor version of the Yi Smart camera and it comes with a resolution of 1080 pixels. Since it is an outdoor camera, the device comes with an IP65 certification against dust and water which means it is ideal for use both outdoors and it can function indoors as well.

The new camera offers up to 110° wide-angle views, a focal length of 3.9mm, and has an enhanced infrared system for good night vision. The infrared system is composed of a total of 12 850nm IR light beads with an annular design which ensures pictures and videos captured at night are sharp and clear. That burglar or intruder who hid under the cover of darkness to break in won’t escape being apprehended and the IR light beads coupled with a full HD camera ensure that. You won’t need to turn on night vision mode, the camera automatically switches to night mode. The smart camera also uses H.264 encoding technology and automatic white balance which dynamically changes the light processing in outdoors so that pictures are clearer. The camera can also capture photos from a maximum distance of 15m in low light conditions.

The smart camera also functions as an alarm when which can be configured to set when it would go off. If the alarm is set to go off when an intruder is spotted, it would start ringing. It utilizes high-powered speakers so the alarm is potentially loud enough to get people alerted. The camera can record up to 30 days straight as the data is stored in the cloud. There is also a storage slot which can house between 8-32GB storage. It also supports connection to Mi Routers to backup the data on schedule to a hard drive. Installation is pretty easy and convenient with different mount styles available.

The Yi Smart outdoor camera is presently available on pre-sale on Jingdong and Tmall with a price of 288 Yuan ($44).

Gionee M7 Render Leaks: Dual Cameras, Blue Variant & Brushed Metal Design

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 18, 2017

The Gionee M7 is another full-screen display set for release this month. The Chinese smartphone company released an official poster a few days ago announcing that the near bezel-less device will launch on September 25.

While we already know what the front panel will look like, a new image which appears to be an official render has leaked showing us the rear of the Gionee M7.

The M7 does look like a well made device. It has a brushed metal back and the blue paint job combined with the gray antenna lines give it a premium look. As previously reported, the Gionee M7 has dual rear cameras that are slightly raised. On the right side of the cameras sits a secondary microphone and LED flash.

Due to the phone being near bezel-less, the M7 has its fingerprint scanner on the back. Volume rocker and power button can be seen on the right side, so its safe to assume the SIM tray is on the left. If you look closely at the bottom, you should see the speaker grille, USB port and 3.5mm audio jack.

The Gionee M7 is expected to launch with a 6-inch display and 6GB of RAM. It will also come with the new Helio P30 chipset from MediaTek and run Android 7.1.1 out of the box.

The Helio P30 is marketed as a chipset that brings premium wide-angle and telephoto dual camera photography to smartphones. So we expect the Gionee M7 to take advantage of the new Visual Processing Unit of the chip to provide an impressive camera performance.

Continue

Vivo X20 Retail Box Leaks, Confirms Specifications

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 18, 2017

The Vivo X20 will be officially unveiled come Thursday, 21st of September. Leaks as well as official teaser posters have revealed that the phone will launch with a full-screen display just like the Vivo V7 Plus launched in India.

Vivo is already preparing stock to be shipped to authorized retailers judging from these leaked images that show Vivo X20 units being packaged for shipment. The pictures were posted on Weibo and one of them shows the back of the retail box, giving us another look at the specs.

The Vivo X20 has a white retail box with the brand name and model written boldly on the front. It however doesn’t have an image of the phone on it. The picture of the back confirms that the 18:9 2K display is 6-inches in size.

Continue

Fully Functional Google Lens Spotted Before Official Launch; Pegged to Debut with Upcoming Google Pixel 2

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Sep 18, 2017

Google has officially confirmed that the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL smartphones would be debuting on Oct. 4. Compared to last year’s Google Pixel phones, their successor models are expected to come with some exciting new features such as full screen display (only for Pixel XL 2), Always-On Display, Active Edge, USB-C port for connectivity for connecting earphones. One new feature that will be arriving on the Google Pixel 2 duo is Google Lens.

In the past week, Google had released a new edition of Google Photos. On performing the APK teardown of the app, developers were able to find that it is integrated with completely functional Google Lens. However, it seems that Google has now blocked the access it to Google Lens as it is no longer working. Even though it is not accessible now, the killer feature may become available with the launch of Google Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2.

Google Lens is a feature that can enable Google Pixel 2 phone users to take advantage of the machine learning technology to show relevant and contextual information by recognizing the various objects that can be seen through the viewfinder. For example, by pointing the smartphone’s camera at a restaurant, users can view relevant information like description, timing, reviews and so on.

If Google Lens is unable to find information, it will be able to find relevant information through Google’s search engine. During the Google I/O 2017, the company had showcased the prowess of Google Lens.

Here is an official list of things the Google Lens can identify:

Artwork
Barcodes
Books
Buildings
Landmarks
Media covers
Movies
Music albums
Paintings
Places
Points of Interest
Statues
Video games

The following things can be performed by Google Lens:

Save, call, share or copy contact details from a business card
Translate different languages
Provide information on product
Launch URLs in the browser
Identify plants and animals.
Save dates from an image to the calendar

(source)

Huawei Kirin 970 Reaches 1.2Gbps in Downlink Speed Tests

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 18, 2017

One of the features of the Huawei Kirin 970 is its support for Cat.18 LTE downlink speeds and Cat. 13 uplink speeds. It is actually the first chipset to do so.

Kirin 970

Cat. 18 LTE speeds means the Kirin 970 should record speeds of up to 1.2Gbps, which is a bit higher than the 1Gbps speed of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835. Huawei partnered with Rohde and Schwarz, a German electronic test equipment manufacturing company, to put the chip to test.

The test was carried out by using some of the enhancements used by carriers in the field – 4×4 MIMO and 256 QAM. MIMO which is short for multiple input-multiple output is an antenna technology for wireless communications that allows multiple antennas to be used at the transmitter and the receiver.

Combining the antennas at each end minimizes errors and optimizes data speeds. In the case of the test, there were four antennas at each end. QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) on the other hand increases data speeds by increasing the number of bits sent during each transmission.

Continue

Samsung Galaxy S9 Reportedly Arriving with 1,000 FPS Image Sensor

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Sep 18, 2017

Earlier this year, Sony had introduced its 3-layer stacked CMOS image sensor enabled with a dedicated DRAM that can capture super slow-motion full HD videos at 1,000 frames per second. The Sony Xperia XZ1 and Xperia XZ Premium. It is faster than the iPhone 7 Plus that supports slow-motion video shooting 240 fps. Fresh information coming from South Korean media claims that Samsung is prepping the Galaxy S9 flagship with 1,000 fps image sensor

Conventional image sensor that are available on the existing smartphones have 2-layer structure that includes an image sensor and a logic chip. The inclusion of a DRAM allows temporary storage of data that will enable the image sensor to capture 1,000 fps slow-mo videos.

According to ET News, instead of stacking three layers, Samsung Opto-Electronics has reportedly added DRAM module to the 2-layer structure, probably to avoid patent issues. Speculations have it that the 3-layer image sensor by the South Korean may arrive first on the upcoming premium Galaxy phones such as Galaxy S9, S9+, Galaxy X foldable smartphone and more.

The South Korean company is expected to begin the mass production of the 3-layer image sensor in November which means it could be ready for use on the Galaxy S9. Rumors have already revealed that the Galaxy S9 would be coming with a rear-mounted dual camera system. There is a possibility that Samsung may include its 3-layer image sensor in the dual camera setup.

Previous reports have revealed that the Galaxy S9 that has a model number of SM-G960 would be driven by Snapdragon 845 chipset and 6 GB of RAM. The handset is pegged to come preinstalled with Android 8.0 Oreo. It is expected to arrive with an Infinity Display like the Galaxy S8 that will carry support QHD+ resolution. The fingerprint reader is rumored to be placed on the backside of the phone.

Samsung is rumored to debut the Galaxy S9 duo around two months earlier than the predecessor models. The South Korean company will reportedly launch the Galaxy S9 and S9+ at the end of January and make them available for buying across the globe in md-February. Recent reports have revealed that Apple may not be able to meet the iPhone X demand until the first half of 2018. The late arrival of iPhone X may hamper the sales of Galaxy S9 if the latter releases in the market by Q2 next year. Hence, Samsung may consider on launching the Galaxy S9 duo earlier next year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-MQ6UKVYlU

(source)

Google Tez UPI-Based Mobile Payments App Launched with Easy to Use Interface

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Sep 18, 2017

Tez is the new mobile payments solution from Google. The Tez app has a simple design and has been made to make payments and funds transfer easily through it. The Google Tez app is available for both iOS and Android devices.

Google Tez relies on Unified Payments Interface (UPI) payment system developed by the Indian government that makes it convenient to carry out money transfer on a smartphone between two bank account holders. Hence, Tez can be used with all the major banks that support UPI in India. Apart from English, Tez supports Indian languages such as Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Kannada, Tamil and Telegu.

One should be aware of the fact that It is not a mobile wallet like PayTM where users can store money on the app. Google Tez allows users to make transactions through the phone by deducting payments from the linked bank account.

Tez can be used for making online payments on any site that supports UPI payments. Currently, websites of Red Bus, PVR Cinema, Domino’s Pizza, Dish TV and Jet Airways support payments through Google Tez. Google is providing a cash reward of Rs. 51 to the sender and recipient on making first transaction.

How to Use Google Tez

After launching the app, users are required to enter the mobile number that is linked with their bank account. After registering, users need to select a Google account. An OTP (One Time Password) will be sent to the registered number. The registration process will complete after entering the OTP.

The next step is to secure Google Tez app with Google PIN and fingerprint scanning. Each time the app is opened, users will have to either enter PIN or scan their fingerprint in order to use it.. Next step requires users to add a UPI-supported bank account to the app. After entering the UPI code, users can start transferring money.

A feature called Cash Mode allows users to instantly transfer money to a nearby Tez user without sharing any sensitive information such as bank account or contact number. Funds can be also transfer using phone number, QR account and bank account number. The history of the transactions can be viewed through “All Transactions” tab. It also features Tez for Business for online sellers.

In a day, users can perform up to 20 transfers on Google Tez with a maximum transaction limit of Rs. 1,00,000. Google Tez moniker has been trademarked for countries like Indonesia and Philippines which indicates that the service would be available in Asian markets soon.

(source)

Echo Horizon with 18:9 aspect screen lands in Europe for €169.9

By

Shine Wong

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Sep 18, 2017

Everyone in 2017 is obsessed with 18:9 displays. We have seen this aspect ratio become popular among almost all flagships this year and now, a French brand named Echo is launching a new model with the same 18:9 aspect ratio, called the Horizon. Unlike the flagships which retail for over €400-500, the Horizon will be priced at just €169,90.

French readers might have heard of this brand since Echo’s earlier products were mainly focused in the French market. However, with the Horizon, the company aims to expand to Europe, and it believes that the quality and competitive pricing would make the phone attractive in other European markets as well.

Specs wise, the Echo Horizon will be featuring a large 5.7-inch IPS display sporting HD resolution (1440×720 pixel) and a fancy 18:9 display aspect ratio, which should satisfy all your media consumption needs while keeping bezels to the minimum. The elegant display also appears to be curved on the sides Samsung Galaxy S8 style, meanwhile, on the back, we find a fashionable glass panel with the two high-quality rear cameras around the top center portion, along with a fingerprint sensor.

At €169.90, the Horizon offers good value for its price.

Here are the main specs of Echo Horizon:

CPU: MTK MT6750T
Display: 5,7” HD+ (1440*720), 18:9 IPS
Memory: 3GB RAM + 32GB ROM (expandable up to 128GB)
Cameras: 16MP + 2 MP (rear), 8MP + 2 MP (front)
Colors: Jet Black, Dark Blue
Dimensions: 153,61 x 73×3 x 9,15 mm
LTE bands: FDD 800/1800/2600MHz
Connectivity: BT4.0, USB2.0, 802.11 b/g/n
OS: Android 7.0

New Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum Cleaner Hits Sept. 19, Image Leaks in Latest Video Teaser

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Sep 18, 2017

Xiaomi will be launching its new Mi Robot Vacuum cleaner 2 tomorrow via its MIJIA smart home platform. The new robotic home vacuum cleaner is the second generation model of the Mi Vacuum cleaner which they unleashed around August last year with some stunning features and affordable price tag. Talking about the features of this new model, Xiaomi is yet to let the cat out of the bag but a recent video teaser shared on the MIJIA App’s Weibo page has given us a peek at the design which suggested a couple of new features may be joining the fray.

The video is that of the new robotic cleaner and it looks like it has a camera mounted on its back. The camera captures how the cleaner functions and in the process reveals the front part of the smart home gadget. Although we could only see a tiny fraction of the body, one vital aspect we could grab is the presence of an additional control button. The first-gen Mi Vacuum cleaner has only two control button, the power button, and a second one. But this time around, there are three buttons aligned horizontally and wide apart. The power button is in the middle and it has LED light under it which lights up the power button when the vacuum is energized. We can’t say for sure what the other two buttons do but one has a power adaptor plug sign on it and could be to start the charging process and may indicate when it is fully charged or charging is in progress. Of course, most of the functions of the gadget will be controlled by a smartphone app.

Read More: Unboxing of Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum Cleaner

As a reminder, the first-gen Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum cleaner comes with a low-noise brushless fan supplied by the Japanese firm, NIDEC. The fan has a maximum pressure of 1800Pa which provides greater suction power when dealing with tough dirt. It sports three dedicated processors which help the vacuum cleaner receive data in real time from the 12 sensors performing different functions which it features. The sensors include Lase Distance Sensor, an ultrasonic radar sensor, wall sensor, and cliff sensor etc. Of the lot, the Laser Distance Sensor provides a 360-degrees scanning (1800 times/second) similar to what you will find on a self-driving car. The device packs a 5200mAh Li-ion built-in battery supplied by LG and Panasonic which is capable of delivering up to 2.5 hour cleaning time from a single charge. The smart gadget is programmed to work with the Mi Home App, allowing owners to set cleaning schedules, modify cleaning modes, and monitor cleaning process in real-time. In addition, owners can be able to it to clean the house right after you leave the house or before your arrival in case you are bringing home guests and your pet may have messed up the house.

Meanwhile, you can watch the video here.

Sony May Switch to New “Mirai” Design Instead of OmniBalance at Mobile World Congress 2018?

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Sep 18, 2017

Sony had introduced its iconic OmniBalance design on Sony Xperia Z smartphone that was launched in 2013. After the launch of Xperia Z2 in 2014, Sony was expected to stop making smartphones with OmniBalance design. However, the Japanese company continued to stick to its old design. The recently launched Sony Xperia XZ1 flagship phone also sports the same design. New information suggests that Sony may introduce a smartphone with newn design at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 which indicates that the company would finally bid goodbye to OmniBalance design.

An industry insider had revealed in the previous week that Sony will be introducing a new design concept dubbed as Mirai on its smartphones that will be unveiled at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018. Since Mirai is a Japanese word for “future,” the leaked information hints that the 2017 Sony Xperia smartphones will sport a futuristic design. However, there is no information available on what sort of design Sony’s Mirai concept will carry.

This year several flagship and high-end smartphones have launched with full screen design such a LG G6, Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, Galaxy Note 8, LG V30, Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 and Apple iPhone X. It appears that Sony may also switch to full screen design as previous reports have revealed that it is working on a bezel-less smartphone.

Sony Xperia X Ultra is a rumored phablet from the company that is expected to house a 6.45-inch Ultra-Wide display. It is expected to deliver an aspect ratio of 21:9. The rumor mill has revealed that the smartphone is driven by Snapdragon 660 chipset. Other speculated features of the Xperia X Ultra include 4 GB of RAM, Android 7.0 Nougat, 19-megapixel rear camera, 13-megapixel front camera, IP68 certified chassis and 3,050mAh battery with fast charging capabilities.

Moreover, at the end of April, Japan Display had unveiled its 6-inch Full Active LCD panel that offers an aspect ratio of 18:9. Since it is a water-resistant display, it can be used with wet fingers. As Sony is known for using LCD panels made by Japan Display, speculations are rife that some of the 2018 Sony Xperia smartphones may feature Full Active panel from Japan Display.

We advise our readers to take this report with a grain of salt as there is no concrete evidence to prove that Sony will quit making phones with OmniBalance design from next year.

(source|via)

BlackBerry and Timex May Collaborate to Launch a Smartwatch

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Sep 18, 2017

In September last year, BlackBerry had confirmed that it won’t be building its own phones. China-based TCL reached an agreement with the Canadian firm in December last year and it confirmed that it will be producing BlackBerry branded smartphones. TCL has already launched BlackBerry KeyOne smartphone that has been received well by the audience and critics. In the last week, BlackBerry reached a patent licensing agreement with Timex. Speculations have it that the licensing deal could result in the debut of BlackBerry or Timex branded smartwatch

There is no information available on the different patents that are listed in the agreement between BlackBerry and Timex. The portfolio of the Canadian company has around 40,000 patents for technologies such as “wireless communications, networking infrastructure, acoustics, messaging, enterprise software, operating systems, virtualization and cybersecurity.”

Hence, the deal between the two firms does not necessarily mean that they will launch a smartwatch. The press release does not contain terms of the deal, but only includes a single information a that Timex is making on-going royalty payments to the Canadian firm for an unmentioned time period.

Raed More: No Nougat for BlackBerry Priv, Says Company’s Executive

BlackBerry’s senior director of Intellectual Property Licensing, Jerald Gnuschke has claimed that the patent portfolio and the licensing agreement with Timex will allow them to concentrate on further opportunities in the mobile communications market. Sarah McKinney, the corporate communications officer with BlackBerry refrained from sharing any other information apart from what’s mentioned in the press release.

In the recent past, Timex has recently launched hybrid smartwatches such as the Timex IQ+ Move. Blackberry seems to be gradually entering the wearable market as it has provided its UEM software to Vuzix M300 smart glasses in August. Hence, the BlackBerry-Timex deal could mean that there could be a Timex smartwatch secured with BlackBerry’s software.

In related news, BlackBerry is expected to debut a new smartwatch in October. Several details on the upcoming BlackBerry phone that is codenamed as Krypton has been revealed by the rumor mill. Rumors have it that it the new phone will be introduced under the DTEK line of smartphones. The company is also rumored to be working another phone that is codenamed as Juno. The BlackBerry Krypton is expected to get unveiled in the next month. However, there is no information on the launch of BlackBerry Juno.

(source)

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 White Ceramic Version Looks Beautiful (Images)

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Sep 18, 2017

When Xiaomi officially unveiled the Mi Mix 2 on September 11, it did announce that there was going to be a special edition with a full ceramic body that is available in white and black. The all-ceramic body will not feature a metal frame like the regular versions and it is expected to have 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. A Xiaomi official has now afforded us an opportunity to have a peek at the Mi Mix 2 White Ceramic Special Edition by sharing a couple of photos of the special version via his Weibo handle. Cui Baoqiu who is the head of Xiaomi’s Cloud platform specifically indicated that the images were those of the white all-ceramic exclusive edition and it seems he was already using the device!

Taking a look at the device, what readily comes to mind is the beauty which it radiates. This isn’t meant to be an exaggeration but the white edition is a clear reflection of the beautiful design the Mi Mix 2 comes with. We can’t call this a bezel-less model, as the white color brings out clearly, the bezels on all sides but the fact remains that these are very tiny bezels except at the bottom edge where the selfie camera is situated. There is a black border on the edge of the display which could have hardly been noticed on the black variant but it is there.

The back of the white ceramic edition is no less beautiful, sporting a sleek mirror finish with curves reminiscent of the Mix 2 but the weight may vary since there is no metal fuselage on this version. The rear camera, LED flash and fingerprint sensor’s location wasn’t change but the inscription “Mix Built By Xiaomi” is conspicuously missing. This could either be because we are looking at a prototype here or Xiaomi won’t be including that in the body.

Apart from the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage which the special edition features, it is expected with the same 5.99-inch FHD+ display with a resolution of 2160 x 1080 and is powered by a Snapdragon 835 chip with an Adreno 540 GPU. The Mi MIX 2 packs a single 12MP Sony IM386 sensor at the rear as well as a 5MP selfie camera. There is a 4,400mAH battery under the hood with QC 3.0 and a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. There is also dual WiFi band support and it supports 43 bands, 22 of which are LTE bands, including band 20. The Mi MIX 2 runs on MIUI 9 based on Android Nougat.

The Mi Mix 2 Special Ceramic version is expected to carry a price tag of 4699 yuan (∼$721). Since it has a ceramic unibody, not too many quantities would be available due to the slow production process so, it won’t be easy grabbing one. Don’t forget there will also be a black all-ceramic special edition.

(source)

Apple Unlikely to Meet iPhone X Demand Until First Half of Next Year, Claims Kuo

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Sep 18, 2017

A recent report had revealed that the sales of iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus may suffer in fiscal Q4. The probable reason behind it is that before buying an iPhone 8 or 8 Plus, customers may want to wait for the market release of the premium iPhone X that will happen on Nov. 3. It means that there will be stupendous demand for the iPhone X that sports an edge-to-edge display and other topnotch features. Ming-Chi Kuo, a well-known analyst with KGI Securities claims that the Cupertino company will not be able to meet the demand of the iPhone X before the first half of next year.

According to Kuo, Face ID, full-screen design and AR support of the iPhone X will be main features that will drive the sales of iPhone X. Previously, he had speculated that Apple would be shipping 50 million units of the iPhone X in this year. His revised prediction for this year states that only 40 million iPhone X units will be shipped. It seems that buying an iPhone X will be very difficult during the upcoming holiday season.

However, the Cupertino company is expected to increase the shipments of the smartphone in 2018. The analyst added that the company may ship 90 million units of the iPhone X in the coming year.

Kuo is of the view that the Face ID system that includes proprietary structured light technology will provide the iPhone X users with consistent and acceptable security. The new Face ID feature that replaces the Touch ID biometric recognition feature on the iPhone X can not only be used for unlocking it but also for authenticating Apple Pay transactions.

He further stated that the iPhone X’s display offers the highest screen-to-body ratio. Hence, the iPhone X is the most impressive smartphone with edge-to-edge display available in the market. The iPhone X users are also expected to be impressed with Animoji (animated emoji). Animoji uses the Face ID hardware to let cartoon characters to match the facial expression and speech of the user. Also, the ARKit as well as the sensors available on the smartphone will provide users with the best AR experience that will not be easy for the rivals to replicate

The bezel-less OLED screen and advanced front-facing camera system are reportedly hampering the production of the iPhone X. Kuo had predicted in the previous week that Apple will be producing less than 10,000 units of iPhone X per day.

Micromax HS3 is Another Full-Screen Display Phone, Spotted On GFXBench

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 17, 2017

The Micromax Canvas Infinity was released about a month ago. The mid-range device is the first smartphone with a full-screen display from the Indian brand. It appears that another one will be arriving soon as a Micromax HS3 with a smaller but similar display has been seen on GFXBench.

The Micromax HS3 runs Android 7.1.2. It has a 5.1-inch display which is significantly smaller than the 5.7-inch screen of the Canvas Infinity. However, both devices have the same 1440 x 720 resolution which translates to a 2:1 display.

The HS3 is powered by a octa-core processor which is either the Snapdragon 430/435 with an Adreno 505 GPU. It has 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.

GFXBench reveals the full-screen display will not be the only selling point of the Micromax HS3 when it hits shelves. Its front camera is listed as a 20MP sensor and the rear camera is a 16MP sensor.

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Xiaomi Chiron Appears on GFXBench With Flagship Specs, Is This The Mi Note 3 Pro?

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 17, 2017

A month ago, a device codenamed Chiron was seen on the Beijing Subway database. It was said to be the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2. The Mi MIX 2 was unveiled last week and the Xiaomi Chiron has surfaced again, this time on GFXBench. The specs are different which means this is another device entirely and not the Mi MIX 2.

The benchmarking site reveals the Xiaomi Chiron has a 5.6-inch full HD screen. It is powered by an octa-core processor clocked at 2.4GHz. The Adreno 540 GPU gives it away as the Snapdragon 835.

The Xiaomi Chiron packs 6GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It has a 12MP rear camera that can record 4K videos and a 5MP front facing camera. Just has reported the first time it appeared, the Chiron does have NFC support.

Now let’s analyse the specs. If Xiaomi hadn’t released a 6GB RAM + 256GB variant of the Mi MIX 2, we could assume this was it. However, the fact that the screen is even smaller at 5.6-inches completely negates that argument.

My guess is that this is the Mi Note 3 Pro. The 1st generation Mi Note came in two variants – a Snapdragon 801 variant and a Snapdragon 810 model that carried the Pro suffix.

Although the Mi Note 2 ditched the tradition, it doesn’t mean Xiaomi can’t resume it now. So I presume the plan was to first launch the Mi Note 3 with a Snapdragon 660 processor and then later release the Snapdragon 835-powered Chiron as the Mi Note 3 Pro. That way, those who want a bigger Mi 6 can purchase it without sacrificing the Snapdragon 835 processor like the Mi Note 3 does.

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