Meizu M6 Note Dual Cameras Impresses With Amazing Bokeh & Saturation (Samples)

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Sep 15, 2017

MediaTek is shifting its focus to mid-range chipsets, a report on DigiTimes has revealed. The report tips MediaTek an unlikely to roll out mobile chips built on the more advanced and smaller 10nm and 7nm manufacturing process in 2018, quoting industry sources that the tech giant is now shifting its focus to the mid-range smartphone segment.

The sources also hint that the Taiwanese fabless chip maker has shifted R&D resources away from flagship chips to the Helio P series mobile chips. The tech giant will be putting its high-end Helio X series on hold in the mean time. MediaTek has so far released three chips under the P series. The Helio P25 was first launched and was dubbed as premium and thereafter the Helio P23 and P30 joined the P25 a couple of months back.

We can’t confirm the authenticity of the information but if it is true, the lag in the race to develop advanced-node solutions could be a warning sign that Taiwan’s IC design industry growth could be constrained. Presently, there is a stiff competition to develop chips using more compact wafer. The latest mobile chips are built using 10nm technology with MediaTek having its own 10nm Helio X30 chip. But the race is on to develop chips using 7nm wafers with Qualcomm said to be working on the next-gen Snapdragon 845 chip using the 7nm manufacturing process. MediaTek may likely not be joining the race anytime soon if this news is anything to go by.

MediaTek has seen a rapid decline in its mobile chip shipments since last year, recording an all-time low gross margin of 35.6%. The company is striving to improve its gross margin by 1-2pp every quarter over the next 2-3 quarters and anticipates its gross margin would return to the 37-39% level as early as the second half of 2018. According to MediaTek’s CEO, Rick Tsai, the Helio P-series mobile phone processors will be a major product focus of the company, and 12nm will be the main process technology MediaTek’s mobile chips will be made using during the first half of 2018.

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 Sold Out In Just 58 Seconds, Next Sale On Sept. 19

By

Joel Joseph

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Sep 15, 2017

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 is one of the cheapest full screen bezel-less smartphones in the market today, starting at an affordable price tag of just $506. Naturally, the phone turned out to be a hot pick among premium smartphone buyers, raking in more than 1 million registrations for its first sale.

Xiaomi CEO had promised that the company has enough stock to satisfy the demand from its fans in China, however, like tradition, the quantity of stock offered in the first Mi Mix 2 sale held today wasn’t enough. According to an official statement, the Mi Mix 2 sold out in just 58 seconds.

It’s actually not surprising to see the phone sell out so quickly in the first sale. The next sale is on September 19, which is just a few days away. So, let’s wait and watch whether the phone manages to last longer in the second sale.

Meanwhile, you can pre-order the Mi Mix 2 from Giztop right now. You can also check out our hands on article as well as comparison with the Mi Mix here.

Qualcomm’s 3D Facial Recognition To Power Samsung, Xiaomi Flagships Next Year

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Sep 15, 2017

Apple’s latest iPhone X stood out for many reasons, one of them being that the device utilizes a full-screen bezel-less design. Another spectacular feature on iPhone X is the 3D facial recognition technology it features. Before the launch of the Apple flagship phone, the rumor mills were agog concerning the feature it would pack. It was also rumored that Xiaomi would feature the technology in its next flagship model. Looks like the 3D facial recognition technology will find its way into more smartphones than we thought next year.

News emanating from the Taiwan industry chain hint that Qualcomm is accelerating it SLiM 3D camera technology and would begin mass production in January next year as the technology is expected to debut right on schedule in Q1 2018. The report also reveals that the technology will be used on Samsung and Xiaomi who are tipped as already working rapidly on the phones that would utilize the technology. Xiaomi will be launching a successor to its Mi 6 flagship which would likely be known as Mi 7. The device is expected to feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 System-on-chips and would also come with the required hardware to power the 3D Facial technology.

Qualcomm officially announced the Structured Light Module (SLiM) 3D solution which it developed in partnership with Himax on August 30. The SLiM technology is a turn-key 3D camera module that delivers real-time depth sensing and 3D point cloud generation with high resolution and high accuracy performance for indoor and outdoor environments. The module is engineered for very low power consumption in a compact, low profile form factor, making the solution ideal for embedded and mobile device integration. Apart from mobile phones, the 3D technology is expected to be used in cars, unmanned aerial vehicles, monitors and other fields.

Apart from the 3D Face ID, the Xiaomi Mi 7 will also come with a full-screen design and would see an upgrade to its dual cameras, among other features. Samsung had also been in the news lately, as the tech giant is fingered to be planning an early release for the Galaxy S9 next year. The next-gen flagship is expected to debut in January 2018 with Snapdragon 845, a repositioned fingerprint sensor, Android Oreo and more.

Two LeEco Subsidiaries Blacklisted for Unpaid Debts by Supreme Court in China

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Sep 15, 2017

LeEco that appeared like a major competitor to companies like Apple, Tesla and Amazon, has now become a debt-ridden company. Fresh information reveals that the Supreme Court of China has blacklisted two subsidiaries of LeEco, as they have defaulted in clearing payments to their suppliers.

The blacklisting of LeEco’s subsidiaries have brought certain restrictions on company executives, including a ban on traveling by plane in China. The blacklisting clearly reveals the financial crisis LeEco is going through.

The website of Supreme People’s Court has documents that state that Beijing-based Leishi Holding, managed by Jia Yueting and Leishi Yidong, a mobile affiliate of the LeEco group have together failed to clear a debt of $16.38 million. It is interesting to note that the reason behind blacklisting these companies is that they do not want to clear the debt even though they are in a position to do so.

An analyst has claimed that the company is yet to make a decision on whether it will be paying back the debts or investing on expanding its business. An executive from Leishi Holding has said that debt amount is smaller the asset value of the firm. He affirmed that the company is in a position of clearing its debts and is working on getting rid of non-listed assets.

Jia Yueting had earlier stated that its company would be able to rival with American tech titans in various departments like smartphones, smart TVs and electric cars. However, in November last year, Yueting officially confirmed that his firm is in a financial crisis. He realized earlier this year that the company is in a bigger trouble even when an investment of 16.8 billion Yuan from a property tycoon could not help in resolving financial issues.

Yeuting has resigned from the position of Chariman and CEO of LeEco around two months ago. Earlier in this month, it was reported that LeEco has slashed nearly 85 percent of its workforce in the U.S. The official LeEco U.S. has been shut down and the Vizio’s acquisition for $2 billion by LeEco has been cancelled.

Analysts are of the view that the downfall of LeEco happened because it tried to expand too fast in multiple departments. This resulted in finishing its cash flow, which made it debt-ridden. It seems that the future is very bleak for LeEco.

Essential Phone Android 8.0 Update and 3.5mm Port Accessory with High Quality DAC Officially Confirmed

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Sep 15, 2017

Essential Phone that has recently released in the market comes preloaded with Android 7.1 Nougat. During a recent AMA (Ask Me Anything) session on Reddit, Essential Products Vice-President of Software, Rebecca Zavin, confirmed that the Android 8.0 Oreo update would coming soon to Essential Phone. Moreover, he has also confirmed on the 3.5mm audio jack accessory for Essential Phone users.

Essential Phone Android 8.0 Oreo Update and 3.5mm Audio Accessory

Zavin said that the company would be releasing their kernel and factory images of Android 8.0 Oreo update in the next few days. As far as official Android 8.0 Oreo OTA update is concerned, it has been confirmed to arrive within next month or two.

During the AMA session, the company gave out a statement on why it did not include a 3.5mm audio jack on the Essential Phone. The reason why the feature was axed is that it is a big component and does not go well with full screen design of the smartphone. Including it could have resulted in a bigger chin on the device and reduction of battery capacity by 10 percent. Moreover, the presence of a headphone jack would have created a big bump. Since the company was not ready for such tradeoffs, it decided to build the Essential Phone without a 3.5mm audio jack.

The company has confirmed that it will be soon releasing a high-end audio accessory that will feature a 3.5mm audio jack as well as a topnotch DAC. This accessory can be connected on the rear-facing magnetic pins of the Essential Phone. A charging dock is already in works and it will be rolling out as the second accessory for the phone. A 360-degree camera module was unveiled during the launch of the phone.

Camera Improvements and Ocean Depth, Stellar Grey Color Models.

Essential Products CEO Andy Rubin has said that the company is working on improving the performance of the camera as they are not satisfied with computational photography software for fusing monochrome and color sensors. Users can also expect camera improvements in the near future through software updates.

As far the white ceramic version of the Essential Phone is concerned, the company is working on its trail builds and retail units would begin shipping in the next few weeks. As far as Ocean Depths and Stellar Grey color variants of the smartphone is concerned, the company claimed that it is less to produce non-white or non-black color variants. Hence, it won’t be releasing these color models soon.

(source|via)

Nubia Z17 Mini Limited Edition With 6GB Of RAM, Aurora Blue Color Launched

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Sep 15, 2017

ZTE’s Nubia has introduced a new edition of the Nubia Z17 Mini in India and it comes with 6GB of RAM. The Z17 Mini was launched in India about three month back but before then, it made headlines in April when it was first unveiled in China due to its amazing design and powerful dual cameras. The dual cameras was the major selling point which Nubia projected in the Indian market when it was first introduced.

However, the new version is equipped with a Snapdragon 653 processor, backed by 6GB of RAM and there is 128GB of storage available. This is a familiar specs for the Z17 Mini as it was launched in China initially with the 4GB variant. But Nubia is introducing it into the Indian market for the first time. In addition, the new edition comes with a new Aurora Blue color.

The Nubia Z17 Mini still sports a 5.2-inch FHD display with a resolution of 1920x1080p. Perhaps, the most stand-out feature on the Nubia Z17 Mini is the dual camera setup at the rear, as well as the large pixel selfie shooter. The main camera is a powerful 13MP Sony IMX258 sensor and the secondary sensor is a depth of field camera. The dual camera supports 0.1s mixed focus and also 4K ultra-high definition video recording. It can also capture in slow motion and has time lapse feature. While there is a 16MP selfie camera at the front. The device runs on Nubia UI 4.0 based on Android Marshmallow. There is also a 2950mAh battery crammed inside the device.

As for the price, the Nubia Z17 Mini Limited Edition is priced at Rs. 21,499 ($335) and will be available exclusively from Amazon.in starting from today, September 15th.

Android 8.0 Oreo Update for 12 Motorola Smartphones Confirmed

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Sep 15, 2017

In the past weeks, several smartphone OEMs such as BlackBerry, HTC, Nokia, Huawei and Sony have confirmed on the smartphones that will be upgraded to Android 8.0 Oreo. Today, Motorola has also confirmed on the list of smartphones that will be getting the Oreo upgrade.

Motorola has released several smartphones in this year and 2016. However, the Android 8.0 Oreo will not be coming to a couple of handsets. Below mentioned Motorola smartphones would be upgraded to Android 8.0 Oreo:

Moto Z
Moto Z Droid
Moto Z Force Droid
Moto Z Play
Moto Z Play Droid
Moto Z2 Play
Moto Z2 Force Edition
Moto X4
Moto G5
Moto G5 Plus
Moto G5S
Moto G5S Plus

Motorola has mentioned on its official blog that the software rollout will begin this fall. The Moto E4, E4 Plus, Moto C and Moto C Plus smartphones that were released this year are not present on the above list which indicates that these phones may not receive Android 8.0 Oreo update.

Moto G4, Moto G4 Play and Moto G4 Plus were launched in May last year with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. These handsets have already Nougat update. However, it seems that even though they are over 1-year old devices, they may not be upgraded to Android 8.0. Hence, they are not listed above.

Motorola is rumored to be working on an Android One version of the Moto X4 smartphone and it is rumored to be aimed towards the U.S. markets. This smartphone is also expected to get the Oreo upgrade. In the U.S. Verizon is confirmed to release Android 8.0 Oreo update for Moto Z2 Force, Moto Z2 Play, Moto Z Force, Moto Z and Moto Z Play. Their unlocked versions are also confirmed to receive Android 8 update.

AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile are also going to release Oreo update for Moto Z2 Force. AT&T and T-Mobile will also release Android 8.0 firmware to Moto Z. Lastly, the unlocked versions Moo G5, Moto G5 Plus, Moto G5S and Moto GS5 Plus are also going to receive the software update.

(source 1, 2)

Nokia 2 Renders Reveals Design; Launching on October 5?

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Sep 15, 2017

Nokia 2 is an entry-level smartphone from HMD Global that is expected to soon in the near future. The design of the smartphone has already been revealed through previously seen renders. However, well-known leakster has shared fresh renders of the smartphone in two color variants. The renders hint that the smartphone may get unveiled on Oct. 5.

Nokia 2 pic.twitter.com/IPp6Qvxp8o

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) September 14, 2017

As it can be seen in the above renders, the Nokia 2 would be probably coming in Black and Silver models. It does not feature a fingerprint reader and has a simplistic design with thick bezels around the display. The handset seems to be graced with polycarbonate chassis with rounded corners. Nokia 2 seems to be the first smartphone from the company to sport on-screen navigation buttons. The rear side of the smartphone has a camera, an LED flash and an external speaker.

Previous reports have revealed that the Nokia 2’s dimensions are similar to Nokia 3. The upcoming entry-level phone from the Finnish firm is expected to house a 5-inch HD display. It is likely to come in Snapdragon 212 (or 210) and MediaTek chipset versions for different markets. The chipset of the Nokia 2 is speculated to be accompanied by 1 GB of RAM. Moreover, the handset is also rumored to arrive in single-SIM and dual-SIM editions.

It is expected to arrive loaded with near-stock edition of Android 7.0 Nougat. The rear side of the phone may feature an 8-megapixel camera and it is tipped to house a 5-megapixel frontal shooter. A 4,000mAh mammoth battery is expected to power the Nokia 2.

In the previous month, HMD Global had unveiled the Nokia 8 flagship phone on Aug. 16. Since the Nokia 2 had already acquired FCC (Federal Communications Commission) certification before the launch of Nokia 8, the rumor mill had speculated that both smartphones would be unveiled on the same date.

HMD Global is still silent on the launch date of the Nokia 2. However, looking on the date mentioned on the above renders, it appears that Nokia 5 may get unveiled on Oct. 5. As far as pricing is concerned, it is expected to be cheaper than Nokia 3 that is available for about $160. The Finnish firm is expected to make an official statement on its arrival very soon. The company is also rumored to be prepping on the launch of bezel-less Nokia 9 flagship that is expected to break cover before the end of 2017.

Research Data Shows Samsung Impacted On Huawei’s EU Growth In Mid-2017

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Sep 15, 2017

Chinese tech giant Huawei is likely having quite a good run in the smartphone market presently. A recent report by Counterpoint research showed Huawei beat Apple to clinch the second spot in overall global cellphone shipments in the month of June and July 2017 with a treble looking possible in the month of August 2017. The report shows that Samsung, Apple, and Huawei are still the top three smartphone vendors in the world with Samsung still retaining its position as the global leader with a stronger showing in the month of June.

While the feat isn’t expected to last long, Huawei seems to have the potential to continue its drive for the top. A recent research data compiled by Kantar Worldpanel ComTech reveals that Huawei’s progress in July was almost scuttled by strong showing by Samsung and Sony but the Chinese market leader rallied round and emerged alongside Sony as the best performers in the five largest markets in Europe during this period. While Sony held a market share of 4.8%, Huawei recorded a market share of 14.6%. Despite this, Huawei’s share in Great Britain and Germany fell over those three months, primarily due to Samsung and Sony’s new entry-level and mid-range offerings which are extremely value-oriented. The Chinese tech giant still managed to maintain its dominant position by increasing its performance in Italy and Germany, which led to an increase in its EU5 market share by 2.2 percentage compared to the same period last year.

Samsung continued dominating the U.S. market during the period under consideration with a market share of 36.2 percent, closely followed by Apple with over 34 percent of the market share. The iPhone 7 was still the most successful smartphone in mid-2017, accounting for 12.6 percent sales in the U.S., with the Galaxy S8 lineup placing second with 8.8 percentage points of all sales in the country.

The final quarter of the year is traditionally the most lucrative period for consumer electronics manufacturers, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8 and Apple’s new flagship lineup which is made up of the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and the bezel-free iPhone X will likely surpass Huawei’s models in terms of sales. The release of Apple’s latest offerings is also expected to challenge Samsung’s overall position in the U.S. market, Apple’s stronghold. But Huawei is expected to continue its push for the top with the Mate 10 and other products coming out before the end of the year.

(source, via)

Pixel 2, Pixel XL 2 Launching on October 4, Google Releases Press Invitations

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Sep 15, 2017

Google has started teasing the launch event date for the upcoming Google Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 smartphones. It was reported yesterday that a huge billboard has hinted that the search engine giant would be holding a launch event on Oct. 4. According to The Verge, the company has sent out press invitations for the Oct. 4 launch event that will be held at San Francisco starting at 9 AM PT and 12 PM ET.

A new teaser video has appeared on Google’s official YouTube channel as well as on its Twitter account to hint the arrival of new Pixel phones on Oct. 4. By watching the video, it can be understood that Google is trying to suggest that the next-generation Pixel phones would be offering a longer battery life, abundant storage space, impressive cameras, smarter Google Assistant, faster updates, and snappy performance without getting.

After asking a couple of questions, the video shows the “Funny you should ask” text which is followed by Oct. 4 date. Google seems to have timed the launch teasers with the pre-orders of iPhone 8 and 8 Plus that’s scheduled to begin today. Google has also created a landing page that says, “Stay tuned for more on October 4.” The landing page requires users to enter their email address and country name to get the latest update and tips from Google.

In 2016, the Google Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones that were made by HTC were unveiled on Oct. 4. It appears that the search engine is prepping to announce the successor phones on the very same date this year.

Google’s upcoming Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 smartphones have already been approved by Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the U.S. This is indication that these smartphones are almost ready for launch. Rumors have revealed that the Pixel 2 is being assembled by HTC whereas the Pixel XL 2 is being manufactured by LG. Like the predecessor phones, Google will be selling them as “madebyGoogle” devices.

Recent reports have revealed that the upcoming Google Pixel phones will have the best features from flagship phones like HTC U11 and LG V30. The squeezable frame present on HTC U11 is expected to be available on Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL as Active Edge. The LG V30’s FullVision OLED panel is pegged to be present on the Pixel XL 2.

LG Display’s OLEDs Coming on Premium Phone from Huawei, OPPO, Vivo and Xiaomi

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Sep 15, 2017

After Samsung Display, the other South Korean company – LG Display, is the second largest manufacturer of OLED panels. Fresh information suggests that at least four Chinese smartphones OEMs will be strike a deal with LG display to avail OLED panels.

According to Business Korea, the four-leading smartphone manufacturers from China namely, Huawei, OPPO, Vivo and Xiaomi will be using OLED panels from LG for their premium smartphones that will be released in the near future. The report claims that around 20 percent to 30 percent of the small and mid-sized LG’s OLED panels have been ordered by the aforementioned Chinese companies.

Apple has launched the iPhone X as its first smartphone with OLED panel. Samsung Display is said to be the sole provider of the OLED panel for iPhone X. The LCD panels that are used on iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are supplied by LG Display. Each OLED panel from Samsung Display is said to be priced around $120 to $130.

Since it has a costly pricing and Apple is rumored to use OLED panels on 2018 iPhones like iPhone X’s successor and iPhone 8S, the company is rumored to also partner with LG Display to meet its requirements.

LG too has switched too OLED panels. It introduced LG V30 as its first smartphone FullVision OLED screen. LG’s V series flagships like V10 and V20 were fitted with secondary ticker screens. The South Korean company has used FullVision OLED panel on LG V30 which has allowed it to remove the secondary ticker screen.

The upcoming Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL smartphones are rumored to be respectively manufactured by HTC and LG. The large-sized Pixel 2 XL is expected to feature a 5.99-inch OLED panel from LG. Recent reports have revealed that the South Korean may use the full screen OLED panel as seen on LG V30.

Samsung has been manufacturing AMOLED panels since quite a few years on its smartphones. Even though LG Display’s OLED panels have not been used on many of its smartphones, it has released HDTVs and monitors with OLED screens.

It seems that the upcoming smartphones from major Chines companies would be switching from LCD to OLED panels. OLED panels are thicker and can produce more vibrant colors with deeper blacks. Compared to LCD panel, an OLED panel can deliver better Virtual Reality (VR) experience. OLED panels can support Always-On Display feature that can display some notifications and features on the lock screen without turning on the entire display.

Huawei Maimang 6 Renders Leak Ahead of September 22 Launch

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Sep 14, 2017

Huawei Maimang 6 render has appeared online courtesy popular leakster Evan Blass (@evleaks). The renders show the device both from the front and rear and come ahead of its launch on September 22. The renders bear a striking resemblance to the Huawei model which appeared on TENAA some days back with the model number Huawei RNE-Aloo.

A previous leaked had tipped Huawei as launching the Maimang 6 on September 22 in China and that the model will adopt the moniker Huawei G10 outside of China. A close scrutiny of the device shows the Maimang 6 will come with a metal body considering the visible antenna band which the device features. The device also packs a dual camera setup at the rear with a slight camera bump while there is a fingerprint sensor located under the rear cameras. The tipster also confirms the device will pack two front cameras which make it a quad-camera phone. The renders also show the device will come without a physical home button but will probably have on-screen buttons while all the capacitive keys are located on the right.

This should tide you over until then (quad-camera Huawei Maimang 6) … pic.twitter.com/MNWkSqLkHt

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) September 13, 2017

The Huawei Maimang 6’s TENAA listing shows the device will feature a 5.9-inch FullHD+ (2160 x 1080) display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. This smartphone will also sport an octa-core processor clocked at 2.36GHz which could be a Snapdragon SoC considering the Maimang 5 came with a Snapdragon 625 processor. The processor will be backed b 4GB of RAM and there will be 64GB of storage which is expandable up to 256GB via a microSD card. Keeping the lights on will be a 3,240mAh battery with fast charging support while it will come pre-installed with Android 7.0 Nougat with an overlay of Huawei’s EMUI. As far as the cameras go, the Maimang 6 will sport a 16MP + 2MP camera setup at the rear as well as a 13MP + 2MP combo at the front. It will be available in Gold and Blue.

iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus Appear On TENAA, Reveals RAM and Battery Capacities

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Sep 14, 2017

If you know Apple well enough, then you should already know they don’t focus on spec details like processor’s clock speed, RAM, and battery capacity during their product launches. Thanks to a TENAA listing we now know these details.

iPhone 8

The iPhone 8 is listed as the Apple A1863. It has a 4.7-inch 1334 x 750 display. There is 2GB of RAM on board and the Apple A11 Bionic is clocked at 2.4GHz. Storage variants are listed as 64GB, 128GB and 256GB which is weird considering the fact that Apple says it will only come in 64GB and 256GB models.

The rear camera is a 12MP sensor and there is an 8MP sensor in front. The most interesting info is the battery capacity which is 1821mAh. That is a drop from the iPhone 7’s 1960mAh.

iPhone 8 Plus

The iPhone 8 Plus has model number A1864. The 5.5-inch display has a 1080 x 1920 resolution. It packs 3GB of RAM and the processor is clocked the same as that of the iPhone 8.

The iPhone 8 Plus however has two variants – a 64GB model and a 256GB model. Camera is the same as that of its sibling, except that it gets an extra 12MP telephoto lens on the back.

The battery capacity of the iPhone 8 Plus is listed as 2675mAh. It is also a downgrade from the 2900mAh battery in the iPhone 7 Plus.

FYI, another unverified source (not a familiar source of mine) told me #iPhone8 = 2GB + 2150mAh and #iPhone8Plus #iPhoneX = 3GB + 2700mAh 🤔

— Steve H.McFly (@OnLeaks) September 14, 2017

YotaPhone 3 Launching on September 19 in China, Press Invite Out!

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Sep 14, 2017

Yota is set to launch the Yotaphone 3 in China, one of its most successful markets. The company has sent out launch invitations showing that the device also known as Yota 3 will be launched on September 19. The launch invite also shows that the event would be held at the Chongqing conference center in China.

The Yotaphone 3 is the third generation model in the popular series of dual screen packing phones. The device presently commands a lot of attention perhaps because it has been three years since Yota released the Yota 2 (2014). Also, the design of the phone is another feature working for it. We all know full-screen phones are presently the trend but the Yota doesn’t have such design but it comes with a unique primary display at the front and a secondary display at the back just like the Meizu Pro 7. This is different and perhaps better than the Pro 7’s secondary display because it uses a 5.2-inch panel.

We won’t need to dig too deep to find the specifications and likely price tags for the Yotaphone 3 variants because they had earlier been listed on Yota’s official website in China about 3 weeks back. The listing shows Yota 3 will come in two storage variants and two colors. There will be a 64GB storage variant and a higher 128GB variant and both versions will be available in White and Black. In both cases, the Black variant is 100 Yuan higher than the white variant. Specifically, the 64GB White version is listed with a price tag of 2,398 Yuan (~$360) while the black one will cost 2,498 Yuan (around $375). On the other hand, the higher-end version with 128GB storage costs 3,098 Yuan (around $465) for the one with white color and 3,198 Yuan (around $480) for the black colored models. Just in case you are wondering how come they are sending out press invites when the phone is already up on their website, do note that the buy button was never activated. Interestingly, the prices have been removed presently from the website, so we’ll have to wait until the launch for the final prices in China.

To refresh your memory, the Yota 3 sports a 5.5-inch Full HD Super AMOLED display at the front and a 5.2-inch E-ink display at the rear. The device is powered by a Snapdragon 625 processor. The processor is paired with 4GB of RAM and there is a 64GB storage and 128GB storage variant. Both variants have space for microSD card. Keeping the lights on will be a 3200mAh battery while the photography aspect is piloted by a 13MP front camera and 12MP rear camera. The phone comes with USB Type-C port.

Owners of Defective Nexus 6P Units Are Getting Pixel XL Replacements

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Sep 14, 2017

The Nexus 6P was the last of the nexus line before Google killed it in favor of the Pixel. The phone which was made by Huawei had multiple issues key ones being the heating issue with the Snapdragon 810 and a bootloop issue said to be hardware related and not caused by the software.

Google began offering replacement units to affected owners but seems to have run out of stock. And since Huawei has stopped making the device, Google has decided to offer a better replacement – a spanking new Pixel XL.

Owners of faulty Nexus 6P units including those whose one year warranty has elapsed are eligible for the replacements. However, it is limited to those in the US, Canada, and the UK. The condition is that the screen must not be cracked neither should the phone have suffered water damage.

Meizu M6 Launching September 20, Invite Includes A Pair of Sneakers

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Sep 14, 2017

A few days ago, real images of the Meizu M6 surfaced online. The images also revealed the specifications of the phone. Today, Meizu has officially announced that the budget phone will launch on September 20.

As is known of Meizu, the manufacturer couldn’t help but stir up some controversy with its unusual invites. For the M6, it has sent a pair of sneakers as an invitation to the event.

The teaser poster has the same sneakers and also the phrase “Dare to Basic” written on it. The Chinese text also loosely translates into “Basic models should not be hard to do?”. Considering the fact that the leaked specs confirms that the Meizu M6 will have the same specs as its predecessors, it sure shouldn’t be hard to make.

OPPO R11 TFBOYS Edition Reveals China Still Likes Boy Bands

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Sep 14, 2017

Oppo has added a new custom version of its flagship phone. The OPPO R11 TFBOYS Edition is named after a boy band based in China and it joins the FC Barcelona Edition as a limited edition model.

TFBOYS is a band of three members -Wan Yuan, Wang Junkai, and Yi Yangqianxi formed by TF Entertainment. The special edition R11 is available in three versions. Each one has the signature of a member on the back as well as an 18K gold-plated logo of the band. The differences among each version also extends to their user interface and retail boxes too.

The OPPO R11 TFBOYS Edition is only available in the 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM configuration. It will go on sale tomorrow, September 15 and will be available in limited quantities. Those who are able to grab a unit are expected to pay within 15 minutes or else they will forfeit their purchase.

Android Oreo Discovered With Bug That Disables Mobile Data on Some Pixel & Nexus Phones

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Sep 14, 2017

Google‘s latest Android 8.0 Oreo is just about three weeks old since it was officially announced. Already, the new Android operating system has been rolled out to most Pixel and Nexus smartphones which are the only models with the new OS for now. Turns out that Android Oreo isn’t yet as sweet as the chocolate biscuit it was named after as it still has some bugs in it. The latest one was reported by a number of users on the Google Product Forums and what it does is that it disables all mobile data usage prematurely on some carriers around the world.

The bug will only be noticed in situations where the carriers provide their customers with unlimited access to certain apps like WhatsApp and a number of other apps. In such situations, even though you have used up all of your mobile data, you should still be able to use these apps. But users complain that as soon as they exhaust their data, mobile data is turned off completely. That is apparently because Android Oreo wasn’t built to respond to such sort of situation.

More interesting are the reports by some Pixel devices’ users that their mobile data gets turned off even when they are yet to use up all their allotted data. Google has responded that they are aware of the issues. A Pixel Community Manager disclosed that the team (of engineers) has been looking into the issue of getting the “mobile data has run out” notification. It is taken as a high priority and the team is working towards a fix. A fix will likely come as a software update when it is ready.

(source )

BlackBerry Krypton Launch Approaching Soon as it Has Cleared FCC Certification

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