Samsung Teases Galaxy Note 8’s Camera & S Pen Prowess with New Videos

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Aug 21, 2017

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A is confirmed to debut today in China at 7:30 PM local time. It will be budget phone with modest specs and cheap pricing. The company is expected to hold a live webcast event to showcase the launch of Note 5A. Here is a rumor roundup of the Redmi Note 5A.

Design and Display

The Redmi Note 5A is unlikely to come with a full metallic body. It is expected to come with a plastic body with a metallic finish. It is expected to come in color options like gold, pink, and silver as shown in an official image. However, the TENAA listing of the budget phablet has suggested that tit would be also coming in additional colors like red, blue, rose gold, and gray. The Redmi Note 5A measures 153.3 x 76.3 x 7.31 grams and it is expected to weigh around 150 grams.

The smartphone is expected to arrive in two variants. The lower configuration model could be called Redmi Note 5A and there will be a higher model called Redmi Note 5A Pro or Prime or it may be simply called Redmi Note 5. The Note 5A is expected to arrive with a 5.5-inch HD display whereas the Note 5A Pro may feature a 5.5-inch full HD screen.

Chipset, RAM and Storage

According to the TENAA listing, the Redmi Note A is powered by Snapdragon 425 chipset and it features 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of native storage. The higher model may be powered by Snapdragon 430 chipset or a more powerful Snapdragon chip. It is expected to feature 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of inbuilt storage. The highest configuration model may come with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage. It is also expected to come with a microSD card slot.

Camera, Other Features and Pricing

The Redmi Note 5A is expected to come with 13-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front camera. Xiaomi has confirmed that the Redmi Note 5A will be arriving with a selfie LED flash. Hence, it will be the first phone from the company to feature a frontal flash. The higher variant may feature a 16-megapixel rear snapper.

The Redmi Note 5A may come with Android 7.1.1 Nougat overlaid with MIUI 8 and may get updated to MIUI 9 soon after its launch. According to TENAA, the Redmi Note 5A has a 3,000 mAh battery. Its higher variant may feature a larger battery. Like the Redmi 4A that lacks a fingerprint reader, the Note 5A is also speculated to arrive without a fingerprint scanner. The higher variant is likely to feature it.

As far as pricing is concerned, the Redmi Note 5A would be priced at 999 Yuan (~$149). The higher model is expected to sell for 1,199 Yuan (~$179).

Nokia 8 May Launch Soon in China with Lower Pricing of 3,699 Yuan (~$555)

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Aug 21, 2017

The Nokia 8 was launched in London on Aug. 16 by HMD Global. It will be hitting the European markets with a pricing of about 599 euros (~$705). The Finnish firm did not confirm on the specific markets that will be receiving the Nokia 8. The major markets to receive it are Europe, Middle East and Asia. In an interview with CNBC, Florian Sieche, the acting chief executive of the company said that the Nokia 8 will not be coming to the U.S. or China. However, the rumor mill has now revealed that the Nokia 8 will be coming to China soon and that too with a cheaper pricing.

Sieche had revealed that the company is building a strategy to sell its smartphones in China, the world’s biggest smartphone market. It aims to release certain devices that are tailored for the Chinese audience. He added that the company would be making announcements on the devices tailored for China in the future. Since the Nokia 6 had first released in China and was met with tremendous response from the Chinese users, tech enthusiasts were of the view that the Nokia 8 would be also debuting soon in China. However, Sieche made it quite clear that the Nokia 8 won’t be coming to China.

It seems that the company has decided to launch the Nokia 8 in China. Fresh information suggests that the Nokia 8 will be coming to China with a cheaper price tag of 3,699 Yuan (~$555) which is much cheaper than the European pricing of the phone. Readers are advised to take this report with a pinch of salt as there is no official backing for it.

The Nokia 8 may be sporting internals that match with the flagship phones from other brands, but its design is not that impressive as it does not feature slim bezels or full-screen display. This could be the probable reason why HMD Global had not considered launching Nokia 8 in China. In order to compete well with rivaling Chinese flagships like OnePlus 5, Xiaomi Mi 6 and ZTE Nubia Z17, the Finnish firm may have planned to debut it with a lower pricing.

HMD Global is also expected to debut in Nokia 9 flagship before the end of this year. It is rumored to feature a full-screen display, 8 GB of RAM, Snapdragon 835 chipset, dual rear cameras, an iris scanner and a larger battery.

(source)

Huawei Mate 10 Release Nears as Mate 9 Price Gets Slashed

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Aug 21, 2017

Richard Yu, the CEO of Huawei Technologies Consumer Business Group has said that the Huawei Mate 10 would be worthy competitor for the upcoming Apple iPhone 8. It seems that the company is working on the launch of the Mate 10 as it expected to debut in October. The Huawei Mate 9 from last year is now selling with discounted pricing which seems to be another indication that the Mate 10’s arrival is fast approaching.

The Huawei Mate 9 Pro with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage-e was previously selling for 4,699 Yuan (~$704) on Dangdang.com in China. However, now its price has been reduced to 3,780 Yuan (~$565). The Huawei Mate 9 with 4 GB of RAM + 32 GB of storage is now selling at a low pricing of 3,099 Yuan (~$465). This recent price cuts on the Huawei Mate 9 is probably an indication that the Chinese firm is finishing the remaining stock of the Mate 9 available with its retailing partners in preparation for the launch of Mate 10.

Brue Lee, the Vice President of Handset Business at Huawei Consumer Business Group has recently confirmed that the company Huawei Mate 10 will be a power efficient phablet that will deliver topnotch performance. The Mate 10 will come with an improved system software and it will be offer optimized 4G performance and will carry the ability to support 5G. Lastly, it will offer improved camera performance.

Even though Huawei has not made an official announcement on the launch date of Mate 10, a real-looking launch invitation has revealed that the flagship phablet will be debuting on Oct. 16 in Munich, Germany. Speculations are rife that that it will be arriving in two flavors such as Huawei Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro. Rumors also hint that there will be a lower-end model called Huawei Mate 10 Lite.

The Huawei Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro are rumored to come with differing aspect ratio. This suggests that the Mate 10 Pro could be sporting a bezel-less display whereas the Mate 10 may come with a regular display. Also, the Mate 10 may feature a front-mounted fingerprint reader whereas its Pro edition may arrive with a rear-facing fingerprint scanner. Both the models are rumored to be powered by the upcoming AI driven Kirin 970 chipset.

Samsung Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+ May Get the Initial Stock of Snapdragon 845 in 2018

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Aug 21, 2017

In 2018, most of the flagship phones from various smartphone OEMs are expected to feature the Snapdragon 845 chipset. Also, the 2018 flagship phones like Samsung Galaxy S9 and Xiaomi Mi 7 are expected to come with features like full-screen design and 3D face recognition. A Chinese leakster has revealed that the initial stock of the Snapdragon 845 will be reserved by Samsung for Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ flagship phones.

In July, when Qualcomm had filed a complaint with International Trade Commission against Apple, the documents submitted by U.S. based chip maker contained some references of the forthcoming Snapdragon 845 chipset. The alleged successor of the Snapdragon 835, the Snapdragon 845 is expected to be a 7nm chipset that is likely to feature an octa-core processor and Adreno 630 chipset. It may get announced later this year or early next year. The mass production of the Snapdragon is pegged to begin in 2018.

Since the Samsung had struck a deal with Qualcomm this year to get the initial stock of the Snapdragon 835 chipset for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ smartphones, other Snapdragon 835 powered smartphones to could not release the Galaxy S8. Rumors from previous year had claimed that the LG G6 would be flagship phone featuring Snapdragon 835. However, since it had released before the Galaxy S8, it came with Snapdragon 821 chipset.

A Chinese leaker has claimed that Samsung has entered a deal with the U.S. based chip maker to get the starting stock of the Snapdragon 845 for the Galaxy S9 duo. This indicates that other flagship phones from other brands are unlikely to release in the market with Snapdragon 845 before the official announcement of the Galaxy S9 and S9+. The alleged Samsung Galaxy S9 has already appeared on Geekbench with Snapdragon 845. The Xiaomi Mi 7 could become the first Chinese flagship to arrive with Snapdragon 845 chipset.

In related news, a report that had surfaced in June had claimed that the LG V30 may get announced at the end of August which has become true as the South Korean company has confirmed to debut the LG V30 on Aug. 31. The report had also claimed that the LG G7 may get announced in January 2018 possibly through the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) or Mobile World Congress (MWC) that will be held within the first quarter of the coming year. It indicates that the LG G7 may debut well before the Galaxy S9 duo, but may not feature the Snapdragon 845. However, there are some contradicting rumors that claim LG and Qualcomm too have partnered make sure that the LG G7 also gets the starting stock of the SD 845 and launch as the ultimate flagship of 2018.

(source)

Meizu M6 Note Seen On Geekbench With Snapdragon 625

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Aug 20, 2017

Meizu will release the M6 Note come August 23. Specification details leaked in recent weeks show that it will be powered by the Mediatek Helio P25 and possibly even have a Helio P20 variant. It appears we may get a third one, as a Snapdragon 625 version has been seen on Geekbench.

This variant of the Meizu M6 Note was benchmarked on August 17. It is listed as running Android 7.1.2 and has 4GB of RAM. The octa-core chip clocked at 2.0 GHz, though not explicitly stated, is the Snapdragon 625.

The device scores 848 points in the single-core test and 4215 points in the multi-core test. The single-core test is a low for a Snapdragon 625 device but since this is a test unit, there is a possibility performance hasn’t been fine tuned.

Live Photos of iPhone 8 OLED Display Assembly Leaks

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Aug 20, 2017

Everyone already knows that the iPhone 8 will have a bezel-less design similar to that of the Essential Phone and the Sharp S2 but with a different cut-out design at the top. Reports say mass production has commenced and a Weibo user has provided images of the phone’s display assembly.

There are a bunch of images but the most interesting one is the one above which shows the digitizer and the connecting cables. If you look at the top, there are four circular cut-outs and a slit for the earpiece.

We believe the two on the right are for the front facing camera and iris scanner, while the smaller circle on the right is a sensor. The bigger one on the left appears to have a different shade, giving it a look similar a LED flash. Does it mean the iPhone 8 will have a front LED flash? Most likely not.

While previous leaks have also shown four circular cut-outs, the explanation is different. Instead of a LED flash, the left most circle is said to be a second iris scanner.

Moving on, there is another image that shows the display beside that of the iPhone 7. Since the iPhone 8 won’t have bezels and has ditched the Touch ID below the display, they will have a nearly identical form factor.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Pre-orders in the U.S. to Begin on August 24, Release Date Could be September 15 [Update]

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Aug 20, 2017

Update: Blass has released an updated tweet. The new tweet says that during Galaxy Note 8 pre-orders in the U.S., users can either avail a 256 GB microSD card and a wireless charger or a 360 cam.

CORRECTION: the options are as follows

1. 256GB card + wireless charger
2. 360 cam

Sorry for the confusion. https://t.co/Db42n4kVCf

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) August 19, 2017

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is launching this week on Wednesday and a report from the previous week, a Best Buy employee had claimed that the Galaxy Note 8 would be launching in the U.S. on Aug. 24, a day after its official launch event. Since Samsung is known for running a pre-order window for certain days for its flagship phones before beginning its official sales, the leaked information from the Best Buy employee could be indicating that the South Korean company would begin the pre-orders of Galaxy Note 8 from Aug. 24. Well-known leakster, Evan Blass has now tweeted that Samsung would be starting the Galaxy Note 8 pre-orders from Aug. 24

Note8 pre-orders from Samsung (starting 8/24) come with a 256GB microSD card plus choice of convertible wireless charger or 360 cam.

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) August 18, 2017

9/15

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) August 18, 2017

Blass has claimed during the Note 8 pre-orders that is expected to begin on Aug. 24, Samsung may be providing a giving away a 256 GB microSD card for free along with a convertible wireless charger or a 360 cam. He has also claimed that the Galaxy Note 8 would be releasing in the U.S. from Sept. 15.

Samsung had debut the Galaxy 8 and Galaxy S8+ phones on March 29. However, the shipments of these phones had started on April 21. Hence, the Galaxy Note 8 pre-orders may run for a few weeks and it shipments may start from Sept. 15. In South Korea, the pre-orders of the Galaxy Note 8 is expected to run from Sept. 1 to 10 and its shipping is expected to run between Sept. 11 and 14 in the home country.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 sales are expected to first begin in the U.S., the U.K. and South Korea in the next month. The Note 8 would be coming to other markets in October. It is expected to arrive in color options such as Midnight Black, Maple Gold, Orchid Gray and Deep Sea Blue. The U.S. is speculated to receive Snapdragon 835 edition of the Note 8 whereas other markets are likely to receive its Exynos 8895 edition.

In China, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is expected to come in three storage models such as 64 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB. All the variants are pegged to come with 6 GB of RAM. These variants are rumored to come with respective price tags of 6,288 Yuan (~$941), 7,088 Yuan (~$1,08) and 7,988 Yuan (~$1,195).

Huawei P11 Concept Video Reveals Likely Design & Specs

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Aug 20, 2017

The Huawei P10 is just about 6 months old in the market but attention is already shifting gradually to the next-gen model in the P-series expected to be called P11. The Huawei P11 isn’t expected anytime soon, at least not this year, but we have a concept video which gives an idea of how the P11 may look like.

The video suggests the P11 will come with a titanium body which would be tougher and stronger than aluminum. The next-gen flagship will also come with a water resistant body and a full-screen display with a high screen to body ratio. The device is also listed as having an 18:9 aspect ratio. There is no physical home button but the device is said to come with an under-glass fingerprint sensor. The display is expected to be a QHD display and the P11 will come with a deca-core processor which from precedence, will be the Kirin 970 chip.

In addition, the device is listed as coming with a dual camera setup consisting of two 24MP sensors. The P11 will also come with support for Google Daydream, feature a USB Type-C port, 128GB storage and a 3,500mAh battery with fast charge support.The device will run on Android 8.0. You can check out the concept video from below.

Xiaomi Mi A1 Could be the Next Android One Smartphone

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Buy Chuwi Hi-Dock for $19.99 on Gearbest

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Aug 20, 2017

Google had introduced the Android One project in 2014 to bring stock Android experience and budget-friendly smartphones for developing markets. At the beginning, Android One phones gained some popularity, but all the fizz out around died out. The Redmi 3S, Redmi 4, Redmi Note 3 and Redmi Note 4 smartphones from Xiaomi are quite famous in developing markets. Fresh information suggest that Google may be working with Xiaomi to launch a new Android One smartphone.

In the previous month, Xiaomi had launch the Xiaomi Mi 5X smartphone. Currently, it is only available in China. However, the rumor mill has been speculating that it would be coming to other markets. The Xiaomi Mi 5X has been allegedly spotted at POSTEL, an agency for Indonesia that certifies telecom products. It has been found that this Xiaomi phone is not running on MIUI skin.

Also, the description of the smartphone mention that it is a dual-SIM phone and its software is developed by Google. It further states that Android One gives access to premium security features and apps from Google. This is a clear indication that Google may soon launch a Xiaomi Android One smartphone in the near future.

Read More: Nokia 8 vs Xiaomi Mi 6

A mysterious Xiaomi smartphone named Xiaomi Mi A1 has been recently spotted on RF certification page of Xiaomi. It is likely that this Xiaomi Mi A1 could be the upcoming Android One smartphone from the Chinese firm. And, it appears that this phone could be inspired from the recent Xiaomi Mi 5X smartphone. POSTEL listing has revealed that the smartphone has a 5.5-inch full HD screen and its model number is MDG2. The RF certification had revealed that the model number of Xiaomi MI A1 is MDG2.

There is no confirmation on when the alleged phone would be unveiled. The Android O is slated to get announced on Aug. 21. More information on the launch of Android O or in the coming weeks.

At the start of this year, a report had surfaced that stated that Google would be bringing its Android One project to the U.S. The report had also revealed that the U.S. bound Android One smartphone would be coming around the middle of this year and it would be priced around $200 to $300. There is a possibility that the Android One Xiaomi smartphone could be the first phone from the company to land in the U.S. markets.

(source|via)

Chuwi Hi-Dock Review: Great and Effective

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Shine Wong

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Aug 20, 2017

It seems every new device that we get comes with a USB charger. Phones, tablets, speakers and more and all charged using USB. When you start to load up on devices and they come with their own power brick and after a while you run out of places to plug them in! That is where USB charging stations come in. They make it easy to charge multiple devices at once and typically you are only taking up a single power outlet. Chuwi’s Hi-Dock gives you 4 powered USB ports for your devices. If you have multiple devices that need charged via USB then this is definitely a product you want to look at. Let’s take a look and see what it’s all about.

Chuwi Hi-Dock Features
– Charge 4 smartphones, tablets or iPad simultaneously
– Space-saving design for your countertop
– Input: 100-240 V AC
– Output: 12 watts (5 volts DC @ 2.4 amps) for 3 ports, and 17 watts (5 volts DC @ 3.4 amps max) for the rest
– Qualcomm quick charge 3.0

I’ve been using the Chuwi Hi-Dock to charge my phones and tablets for over a month now and I don’t have anything terribly profound to say about it. It works. It works well. It charges 4 devices including iPads and tablets as quickly as possible. The output for 3 USB port is 12 watts (5 volts DC @ 2.4 amps) and 1 USB port is 17watts max (5 vlots DC @ 3.4 amps) for each charging bay.

Chuwi Hi-Dock is a multi-device charger that will charge four of your devices (or any USB mobile device) at once, it had no problem during my testing charging multiple smartphones at once, or adding tablets and iPad to the mix.

The Chuwi Hi-Dock does what it says it does and it does it brilliantly. It charged all of my devices without issue and it did it fairly quickly. The Hi-Dock is a solid product, though, and I feel good giving it 4 out of 5 stars. Hit the links below to check out the charging dock and to pick up your Chuwi Hi-Dock.

Check here to find details of Chuwi Hi-Dock: Official

ASUS Releases Updates for Zenfone 4 & Zenfone 4 Selfie Pro

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Aug 20, 2017

Just a few days after the launch of the Zenfone 4 family in Taiwan, ASUS has released updates for 2 out of the 6 devices released. The devices are the Zenfone 4 (ZE554KL) and the Zenfone 4 Selfie Pro (ZD552KL).

The update for the Zenfone 4 pushes the software version to 14.1050.1708.36 and brings some fixes and optimization. It will improve WiFi connectivity, fix the Facebook dual app function and fix a bug that affects the function to add Twitter followers via QR code.

For the Zenfone 4 Selfie Pro, the software version moves to 11.40.208.44 after the update. The change-log mentions image quality improvement and an overall camera quality enhancement.

ASUS adds that the update may take a week before it reaches all devices. Do note that this update is for the WW/TW version.

The Zenfone 4 is already available for purchase in Taiwan, ASUS’ home country for NT$13,990 (∼$461) for the Snapdragon 660-powered 6GB RAM + 64GB model. The 4GB + 64GB model with a Snapdragon 630 processor is priced at NT$10,990 (∼$362). They are available in only black and white for now.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Briefly Appears On Official US Web Store

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Aug 20, 2017

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will be unveiled on Wednesday, August 23. Just a few days before the launch, it appeared on Samsung’s US web store with the same image we saw in the recently leaked renders.

It has been pulled off the site already but a screenshot of the page was saved. The image shows the Note 8 in black but without a price tag. Those who viewed the page before it was pulled down say the black variant was the only one listed. It could mean that only that variant will be available for purchase at first. It could also be that the other color variants had not just been added as at that time.

The Galaxy Note 8 will come in Midnight Black, Maple Gold, Orchid Gray and Deep Sea Blue.

The page doesn’t list the full spec details but mentions a few features such as the S-Pen, an infinity display, and Bixby Assistant. Storage is also listed as 64GB.

Samsung Engineer Says Current Technology Isn’t Good Enough To Bring Starck’s Concept to Reality

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Aug 20, 2017

French designer Philippe Starck recently shared a video on his official Facebook page which contains the render of a bezel-less concept phone actually tagged as the Mi Mix 2. The video turned out to be an extremely popular one which has seen over 59k views already. This is unconnected to the high screen ratio and completely bezel-less design which the concept model projects.It is believed that the render provides a hint of how the Mi Mix 2 would look like and that has really called to question the possibility of creating such a stunning design.

There is no question as to if Starck will design the Mix 2 as his visit to Xiaomi’s headquarters a few months back already revealed that aspect. Before now, the Mix 2 was said to have a screen to body ratio of 95% but we didn’t know how that would pan out. However, Starck’s video reveals that the flagship would likely slight bezels at the bottom edge where the selfies camera will also be located.

However, the screen ratio looks even higher than 95% and this has called to question the possibility of this concept design becoming a reality by some and one of those is a popular tech blogger who seems to have worked as a Samsung engineer in China. The engineer thinks the supply chain presently doesn’t have the capacity to deliver such a large screen. He mentioned news filtering in from the supply chain that the Mix 2 will have a reduced chin, but with similar bezel pattern as the first gen Mix. The body will not be ceramics but it will also use a similar cantilever piezoelectric technology for the audio receiver. The aspect ratio will also change from 17:9 according to the disclosure, and earlier rumor points to a 18:9 aspect ratio for the Mix 2.

It is absolutely expected for divergent opinions and rumors to appear concerning the Mix 2 but one thing is certain, Xiaomi is working on a device that would come out as a stunner in its design. We’ll have to wait until the real machine appears for us to see if it theis the same with the render Starck shared. It should be noted, though, that Xiaomi launched the Mi Mix when such a design was thought to still be impossible to mass produce, so we just may see the bar going higher with the Mix 2.

(source)

Grab Your Oreo Or Oatmeal Cookies For The Android O Launch Tomorrow

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Aug 20, 2017

Google has confirmed that it will officially unveil the latest version of its OS tomorrow. Still called Android O for now, an official countdown page has been setup.

The countdown page reveals that the launch which will hold in New York can be live-streamed at 2:40 PM EST (6:40PM GMT). The Android O page also has a link to livestream the solar eclipse set to occur tomorrow.

Eligible Devices

Android O will have version version number 8.0 and will roll out to devices starting tomorrow, beginning with the Pixel and Pixel XL. Eligible Nexus devices will follow suit.

For non-Google devices, there have been a number of announcements from manufacturers. Below is a short list of the devices that are confirmed to get the Android O update:

OnePlus: OnePlus 3, OnePlus 3T, and OnePlus 5
Nokia: Nokia 3, Nokia 5, Nokia 6, and Nokia 8
ASUS: Zenfone 3 and Zenfone 4 smartphones
Samsung: S8, S8+, S7, S7 Edge, A series (2017), A Series (2016) to name a few.

What’s it going to be called?

With respect to the name, most people want it to be called Android Oreo just like the popular chocolate cookie. Popular leaker, Evan Blass tweeted an image of an Oreo Cookie yesterday hinting at the name being Oreo.

Be honest with me: I should have rotated it 90 degrees CCW, huh? pic.twitter.com/bqfhxMwhyC

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) August 19, 2017

Another treat that seems to be a strong contender for the name is Oatmeal Cookie. The line “oc-dev” was seen back in June in the code for the OS by tech website Myce. The belief is that the alphabets OC is short for Oatmeal Cookie.

#AndroidO? 8.O, O, O, O, O, O, O or O… 🤔 pic.twitter.com/YvzhCk2DJv

— Hiroshi Lockheimer (@lockheimer) August 19, 2017

Senior Vice-President of Platforms and Ecosystems at Google, Hiroshi Lockheimer also shared a screenshot of his Google Drive account that shows a bunch of names for Android O. Some of these names are treats while others are just random words that begin with the alphabet.

Features of Android O

Android O is expected to come with a bunch of new features. The major ones are picture-in-picture video which lets you watch videos while working with other apps; adaptive icons; notification dots which are just like notification badges on app icons; and new circular emojis that replace the blob-faced ones.

(Sources: 1, 2, 3)

Tech Companies In China Adopt Amazon’s Unmanned Stores Concept

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Aug 19, 2017

At the end of 2016, retail giant, Amazon, opened an unmanned convenience store that you could just walk into, pick up what you wanted and walk out. No cashiers, no queues. Payment was charged from your Account later. Amazon said it is the future of shopping and called it Amazon Go.

So far, the Amazon Go store in Seattle is the only one in operation for now. However, in far away China, tech companies small and big are embracing the unmanned store concept.

BingoBox, a tech-startup based in Guandong has about a dozen scattered across China for a trial operation. The unmanned stores are open 24 hours a day and work pretty much like Amazon Go. The store in Shanghai is stocked with items supplied by Auchan, a French supermarket.

Entrance is allowed by facial recognition making sure that only customers are allowed in. This arrangement means users will require an account that has their picture before hand. There are a plethora of cameras and sensors that identify the items in your shopping basket.

The cameras scan your face again on your way out and then charge your WeChat wallet account as you walk out. BingoBox says the plan is to have 5000 stores across China in about a year.

Alibaba is one of the big names giving the unmanned store concept a shot. Last month it announced its TaoCafe unmanned shop. TaoCafe works the same way as above and can even identify if you have put the shopped items into your bag already.

It also launched a new Grocery chain called Hema (pronounced Homer) which has 13 stores in major cities including Beijing and Shanghai.

Hema is said to be a mix of an offline and online retail experience. You sign up for a Hema membership via your AliPay or Taobao account and you can decide to shop, dine and order groceries with your phone. Payments are made via Alipay.

You can also walk into the store for a physical experience. The items on sale have barcodes that you scan with the app to reveal their prices and product information. Doing that will bring up suggestions of similar items. So you may be lucky to find the same product under a different brand for a lesser price.

Hema also has a live seafood section which seems to be its biggest attraction. You handpick what you want and can even have it prepared for you there. You can watch a video of the Hema store experience here.

The Nokia 8 Will Sell For Less In Europe Than Previously Announced

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Aug 19, 2017

HMD Global announced a few days ago its first Android-powered flagship, the Nokia 8. The Nokia 8 was announced with a price tag of about €600 but retailers are selling it for a little less.

In Germany, the Nokia 8 can be gotten for €577 on O2 and €579 on Mobilcom Debitel. If you pre-order it from O2, you also get a free Nokia Steel smartwatch worth €129.95.

Russian mobile operator, Megafon has the Nokia 8 in all the four color variants for 39,990 Rubles (∼€577) when you pre-order it. Depending on where you purchase it, you should get it for about €20 less than the announced price. Do note that the above prices are for the 4GB RAM + 64GB model.

The Nokia 8 has a 5.3-inch 2560 x 1440 display. It comes with either 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage or 6GB RAM + 128GB ROM.

The highlight of the phone is its dual 13MP rear cameras with Carl Zeiss lens, OIS, PDAF and laser focus. Up front is another 13MP rear camera for selfies and bothies. The phone also has a feature called Nokia Ozo Audio that includes 360° surround sound when you record and preserves it even after uploading to social media channels.

Patent Reveals Motorola Is Working On A Self-Healing Display

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Aug 19, 2017

The Moto Z2 Force was released last month and it brings new features such as dual rear cameras, a faster processor and Motorola’s signature ShatterShield display.

The ShatterShield display was first announced a couple of years ago in the DROID Turbo 2. Instead of using glass substrate for the display, Motorola swapped it for a plastic substrate that prevents the screen from damage when it hits the ground.

The ShatterShield display on the the Moto Z2 Force has gotten negative reviews due to the fact that it is easily prone to scratches. Motorola plans to change that and is reported to be working on a display that heals itself. This reminds us of the LG G Flex‘ self-healing back.

Motorola has been granted a patent for a smart glass technology that uses a “memory” glass-like polymer that remembers its original shape and reverts back to it. The interesting part is that it isn’t just a hardware process. The software side includes the phone detecting if there is a crack on the screen, prompting a healing process, and when accepted begins the repair.

Xiaomi Launches The Free Tie Leather Shoes Priced At 199 Yuan (~$30)

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Aug 19, 2017

Xiaomi continues to expand its product catalog under the MIJIA brand which has a rich array of products that attends to all aspects of our needs. The MIJIA sub-brand has now launched a new pair of leather shoes which adopts the moniker Free Tie Leather shoes. The pair of fashionable shoes maintains Xiaomi’s build quality and moderate pricing. It is just 199 Yuan (around $30) and is open for funding on Mi Home.

The Free Tie Leather shoe comes with a thickened first layer covering made of Nappa leather. Nappa leather is the general term for particularly soft, chrome tanned smooth leather of all animal skin types.So what you get is a soft outer body which contains ventilation pores for air to enter into the shoes and the spongy insole ensures it is comfortable to put om. The shoe is to a great extent completely handmade. It also has a cup-shaped rubber outer sole which protects against wear and tear. The outsole doesn’t have thread marks so it will leave no print on the floor, yet is non-slippery.

Internally, the leather shoe is built to provide a comfortable wear as it uses highly elastic polyurethanes (PU) skin on the inside which is soft and clings well to the feet. The shoe comes with LED light and also comes with a chip which functions as a sensor as well as Bluetooth 4.0. We can’t say what the function is but it can pair with the Smart Home app on a smartphone running Android 4.4 and iOS 8.0 or higher.

In addition, it comes in white and black colors and is available in different sizes. Males have a wider range of sizes from 39-45 while the female sizes are from size 35- 39. The shoe is also super light with a weight of just 9.6g.

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