Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 Official Details Leak Hinting at Galaxy S8-Like Design, Plus Likely Renders

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Jun 27, 2017

OnePlus 5 was officially unveiled on June 20 and as of today, it is available in markets like the U.S., China and India. The official teaser of the OnePlus 5s that appeared before its launch initiated criticism on its design as many started complaining that it resembles the iPhone 7 Plus. The company was also criticized for making the OnePlus 5 record highly impressive benchmark scores by cheating. Even though the company promised 2x optical zoom on its dual cameras, it only supports 1.6x optical zoom. It has been also found that the Chinese firm has not upgraded the display on OnePlus 5 as it is using the same full HD screen that’s available on the predecessor phone. Today, OnePlus co-founder and CEO Pete Lau has addressed some of the criticisms.

OnePlus 5 Benchmarks Controversy

One of the most embarrassing accusations on OnePlus 5 as XDA Developers have found that when the smartphone detects that a benchmarking app has been launched on it, it automatically delivers high performance. Lau responded on this accusation by saying that OnePlus does not know how to overclock the processor and the company only tried to unleash the full potential of the processor. In another statement, he said that boosted scores on various benchmarking apps shows the true performance capabilities of their newest flagship and it is not cheating.

Generally, people do not rely on benchmark scores while purchasing a smartphone. However, deliberate increased performance on benchmark apps may make the reviewers praise the smartphone for its topnotch performance which can influence buyers who prefer to read reviews before buying a smartphone.

OnePlus 5 Resemblance with iPhone 7 Plus

OnePlus 5’s dual rear camera and its LED as well as its antenna bands makes it appear quite similar to iPhone 7 Plus. On this issue, Lau responded by saying that he has been hearing such things since the time the company launched the OnePlus One. He added that “time has proved everything” as it now become a classic phone.

OnePlus 5 Does Not Feature Upgraded Display

OnePlus 5 was expected to come with Quad HD display screen as the company has been offering full HD screen since OnePlus One. Many have complained that even though the OnePlus 5 comes with a higher pricing, it still features a full HD display. Lau said that 2K screens consume more power. Hence, in a bid to deliver best experience to the users, it has stuck to FHD screen.

OnePlus 5’s Dual Rear Camera Needs Improvement

OnePlus 5 comes with a 16-megapixel + 20-megapixel dual rear camera module. When asked whether the present dual camera technology is imperfect, Lau answered by saying there is still scope for improvement. He added the dual cameras of OnePlus 5 offers the best possible images. He also said that, “technology around the camera will continue to progress and I expect more improvement.“ As far as the controversy regarding zooming capabilities of OnePlus 5, Carl Pei had released the following tweet soon after the launch of the phone:

Optical zoom is at 1.6x, the remaining 0.4x is realized through SmartCapture multiframe technology.

— Carl Pei (@getpeid) June 21, 2017

Skipping Waterproof Feature on OnePlus 5

When Lau was asked whether the company skipped waterproofing on OnePlus in order to ensure better thermal dissipation, he replied that he does not believe waterproofing is a big consumer requirement. It only increases the weight of the phone and makes it thicker. He further said that even though the company has not advertised about water resistance capabilities of OnePlus 5, the flagship does offer a certain degree of waterproofing. Well, this has been confirmed through OnePlus 5 teardown.

OnePlus 5’s Expensive Pricing

OnePlus has been always known for selling low-priced flagship phones. However, the highest variant of OnePlus 5 that features 8 GB RAM and 128 GB of storage is priced at $539 in the U.S. According to Lau, the reason why OnePlus 5 carries an expensive pricing is because the increased cost of the components like Snapdragon 835 CPU, internal storage and 8 GB RAM. He has even said that even the pricing of a minor thing like the retail box has increased this year.

What do you think about the above responses from OnePlus CEO on all the issues surrounding OnePlus 5? Do share your thoughts by adding your comments below.

Huawei Honor 9 Hands On: Grey Is Beautiful!

By

Joel Joseph

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Jun 27, 2017

Huawei Honor 8 turned out to be a successful upper mid-range smartphone for the brand and it was important for its next generation model, the Honor 9 to continue its success. Considering this, the new model has retained the basic design and features of the Honor 8 and added a few extra elements to make it a bit special.

For example, in the design department, the Honor 9 comes with a 3D curved back made out of glass. The frame is made out of metal to keep the phone sturdy. One of the highlights of the Honor 8 was the reflective back and the same continues in the new generation model.

The curved glass is not the only change at the back. The Honor 9 makes subtle changes in the arrangement of the dual tone LED flash as well as laser focus, as now they are stacked one above the other. Also, the fingerprint sensor is moved to the front, integrated into the home button just like the Huawei P10. Despite these changes, the basic form factor of the phone remains the same and you’ll easily recognize that the phone is from the Honor family by just looking at its design.

The phone comes in multiple color options, including black, amber gold and the popular sea blue. However, the brand has added a new color option for the Honor 9 this year — Seagull Gray and it looks beautiful. As you can see in the Honor 9 hands on images, we have got the Seagull Gray model with us.

The display is vibrant and the touch is responsive. The bezels on the sides are thin and even the black borders (which we all hate) are super thin, thereby not interfering with your display experience. You can actually check out the quality of the display in our Honor 9 hands on video added below.

The phone has similar dimensions as the Honor 8 — 147.3 x 70.9 x 7.5 mm and it still is lightweight at 155 grams. The curved back helps in the ergonomics and the 5.15-inch compact display ensures that it’ll be easy to use the phone one handed.

The EMUI 5.1 based on Android 7 running on the Honor 9 is snappy, without any lag. The fluid experience is also due to the powerful Kirin 960 that powers the phone along with 6GB of RAM inside. There are two storage options for the 6GB variant, 64GB and 128GB. There’s another 4GB RAM model with 64GB of storage. Storage on the phone shouldn’t be an issue since it comes with hybrid SIM card slot that uses SIM2 as MicroSD card slot whenever needed.

The sound quality of the phone is also supposed to be excellent as the Hi-Fi chip is said to be tuned by Rainer Maillard. The quality was good but we haven’t tested out the sound output in detail, so we’ll reserve our judgement for our detailed review.

The speakers, USB Type-C, and the headphone jack are all located at the bottom of the phone. You can take a look at the Mi 6 for comparison, lying on top on the Honor 9.

As for the dual cameras, the Huawei Honor 9 comes with the same setup as the Huawei P10 — 12MP main RGB camera along with a 20MP monochrome sensor. However, the Honor model lacks the Leica branding. But you get a lot of features in the camera department like moving picture mode (similar to live photos on iPhone) and portrait mode (for bokeh effect on portraits). There’s also hybrid zoom (as clearly mentioned at the back of the phone) for clear, lossless zoom.

Other features of the phone include NFC, IR port on top, and 3200mAh battery.

The phone starts at 2299 Yuan ($338) for the 4GB model and 2699 Yuan ($397) for the 6GB + 64GB model in China. You can get it for an extra premium price at several resellers online.

So, what do you think about the phone’s design?

Meanwhile, check out some bonus Huawei Honor 9 vs Xiaomi Mi 6 photos below.

Kirin 970 Details Revealed: Q3 Release, Enhanced GPU, Debut on Mate 10

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Jun 27, 2017

Huawei‘s Hisilicon Kirin 970 next-generation chip has been the subject of a couple of rumours concerning the configuration, production and release. The chip is said to utilise the TSCM 10nm manufacturing process and was said to have experienced some problems in the 10nm wafers production that could have slowed down its arrival time but that was averted. Since then, it has been one rumour or the other about the configuration with no authentic word on the release time frame.

Well-known industry analyst Pan Jiutang has now released some more details of the next-gen Huawei chip, stating that the chip would be come with enhanced GPU, apparently over that of Kirin 960 SoC.The Kirin 960 chip uses a Mali-G71 MP8 which when compared to rival Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 and Samsung Exynos 8895, the Kirin 960 in the GPU performance is slightly behind. Thus, there is the need for some enhancements in order to be on par with the latest flagship chips around.

The analyst also affirmed that it would be built on a 10nm process and also stated that Huawei will begin mass production of smartphones which would use the next-gen chip. He didn’t state the smartphone but he was likely referring to the Huawei Mate 10 which is widely acclaimed as the model that would use the new chip in line with recent Huawei tradition. The Huawei Mate 10 is expected to be released sometime in the second quarter of the year.

Earlier rumours further tip the Kirin 970 to pack an octa-core CPU comprised of four ARM Cortex-A73 cores, and four ARM Cortex-A53 cores. There are talks of higher Cortex-A75 cores onboard the SoC. The next-gen flagship chipset is also revealed to have a maximum clock frequency of between 2.8GHz – 3.0GHz. In addition, the Kirin 970 will be equipped with Cat. 12 LTE baseband and would come as Huawei’s first chip to use the 10nm process.

OmniVision’s New 16-Megapixel Sensor Supporting PDAF, zHDR Officially Launched

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Jun 27, 2017

OmniVision is a well-known developer of topnotch imaging solutions. Today, the company has announced its newest image sensor, the OmniVision OV16B10 camera sensor. It is a high-performance and a high-resolution camera lens that is built for upcoming flagship smartphones.

The new OV16B10 camera sensor is built on the company’s PureCel Plus-S pixel architecture. It offers a pixel size of 1.12micron. Equipped with phase detection autofocus (PDAF) and high-sensitivity imaging, the OV16B10 camera sensor can be used on both single and dual-camera setups.

The 16-megapixel OV16B10 is an ideal image sensor for flagship phones that will be coming out as successor phones that feature 13-megapixel camera sensors as it comes with impressive features like PDAF and zigzag high dynamic range (zHDR). Its inbuilt feature syncs the frames and carries support for context switching when it is used in dual camera modules. It is also features a gyro interface that can synchronize motion data from the external gyroscope. This allows the OV16B10 to deliver accurate stabilization while capturing photos and videos.

Compared to the traditional contrast-detection autofocus, PDAF is not only more precise but also it performs fast. The OV16B10 is equipped with an improved PDAF architecture. When compared to predecessor PDAF tech, the newer PDAF available on OV16B10 offers improved sensitivity which allows it to autofocus accurately in dim-light conditions.

The zigzag-HDR increases the dynamic range of the sensor by utilizing a long and short exposure within a single frame. In comparison to frame-based HDR offered by other camera sensors, the inclusion of zHDR in OV16B10 has increased dynamic range with less ghosting artifacts. This allows the camera sensor to shoot live preview and capture videos in HDR model. Moreover, single-shot and full resolution HDR images can be captured without shutter lag.

Here is the list of multiple resolutions supported by OV16B10:

16-megapixel image and video at 30fps with ZHDR.
4K (Ultra HD) and 2K (Quad HD) videos at 60 fps.
1080p (Full HD) videos at 120 fps.
720p (HD) videos at 120 fps.

The OV16B10 camera sensor is currently available for testing. The company will be starting its mass production by the last quarter of 2017.

OnePlus 3, 3T Android O Update Arriving at the End of 2017

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Jun 27, 2017

In the previous month, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau had confirmed that OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T users will be getting Android 8.0 update. However, at that time, he did not mention any timeframe on the arrival of the next major OS upgrade for OnePlus 3 and 3T users. During an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session that was held earlier today on Reddit, a OnePlus employee spilled some information on when the Android O will be available for OnePlus 3 and 3T.

When one of the Redditors asked OnePlus on the availability of Android O for OnePlus 3T and OnePlus 3, a representative of the Chinese company replied that the Android O will be arriving for these phones “within this year.” The OnePlus employee did not mention anything on the release of Android O for the recently launched OnePlus 5 flagship.

The Android 8.0 was officially announced during the Google I/O 2017 event that was held in May. The company has not announced its official and at present it is in its third developer preview stage. The fourth installment of the developer preview is expected to be available in the next month. The final version of Android O is poised to arrive in August this year.

It is expected to come preinstalled on the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 smartphones. Speculations also indicate that the LG V30 that is rumored to debut in August will be the first non-Google smartphone to arrive preloaded with Android O. Hence, it can be guessed that OnePlus may make the Android O available for OnePlus 3 and 3T in the fourth quarter of this year.

Last year, the OnePlus 3T was officially launched in November 2016 and the Android Nougat upgrade was released for it by the end of December. Hence, it seems that OnePlus may not delay in releasing the Android 8.0 update for OnePlus 5. Hence, it is likely that OnePlus 5 users may get the update first and then it would be released to OnePlus 3 and 3T users. As it has been revealed recently, OnePlus 2 users will not be getting the Android O upgrade.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 360-Degree Video, Renders Have Surfaced to Reveal its Impressive Design

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Jun 27, 2017

A recent report had revealed that Samsung may postpone the launch of Galaxy Note 8 to the second half of September. Previously, the Samsung’s upcoming flagship was slated to get announced at August end. Today, fresh renders of the Galaxy Note 8 have appeared along with a 360-degree video.

The Samsung Galaxy C10 is rumored to launch as the first smartphone from the company with dual rear cameras. However, the Galaxy Note 8 will be Samsung’s first flagship device to sport dual rear cameras. The fresh renders of the Galaxy Note 8 suggests that it will be sporting a horizontally aligned dual rear cameras with a prominent bump.

The source reveals that the Galaxy Note 8 may measure 162.4 x 62.4 mm. Even though the thickness of the Galaxy Note 8 is said to be 8.4 mm, its camera bump increases the thickness to 9.5mm. In comparison to the alleged dimensions of the Galaxy Note 8, the Galaxy S8+ measures 159.5 x 73.4 x 8.1 mm. The phablet does not appear to be as curvy as Galaxy S8 duo. However, it will be sporting distinct curves at the edges. It seems that the Galaxy Note 8 phablet will be featuring a glass panel on its rear.

Just like the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, the Note 8 would be sporting a dual-edge curved screen. The bottom side of the phablet features a 3.5mm audio jack, a USB Type-C port, an external speaker and a S-Pen stylus compartment. The topside of the phone is barren. The right side of the phone probably sports a Power key and the left appears to feature volume rockers and Bixby AI button. The selfie camera, earpiece and other sensors (such as iris and facial recognition) are placed above the display. There is no physical Home button below the screen.

Flipping the phone to its rear reveals that the Galaxy Note 8 has a horizontally designed dual rear cameras. The LED flash and heart sensor module along with the fingerprint sensor can be seen on the right side of the camera module.

[envira-gallery id=”138295″]

Speculations are rife that the Galaxy Note 8 features a 6.3-inch S-AMOLED which is slightly larger than the 6.2-inch screen of Galaxy S8+. Even though rumors have claimed that the Note 8 would be supporting 4K resolution, it may support QHD+ resolution (2,960 x 1,440 pixels) like the Galaxy S8 duo.

As previous reports have suggested, the Galaxy Note 8 may probably arrive in Exynos 8895 and Snapdragon 835 variants for different markets. It will be featuring 6 GB of RAM. It is tipped to feature a pair of 12-megapixel sensors on its backside. It is also speculated to feature a 3,300mAh battery along with fast charging and wireless charging capabilities. Other features include DeX desktop mode, improved software features for S-Pen styles and better multitasking through split-screen model. It is expected to be available in black, gold and blue color options. It is pegged to arrive with $900 pricing.

Xiaomi Tipped To Launch Its Most Expensive Product on June 28, Mi Laser TV?

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Jun 27, 2017

Xiaomi will be holding its annual MIJIA conference for this year on June 28 in Beijing just as we reported earlier, and there are suggestions that the company will launch its most expensive product ever during the conference.

This idea was apparently borne out of a series of teasers which as been released about the new product expected to be unveiled during the June 28 conference. The product is thought to be a home laser projection TV, believed to have the name Mi Laser TV and would be a smart giant screen home theatre system with Full HD resolution. The video teaser released by Xiaomi which is meant to project the June 28 conference suggests that the product is a smart TV.

In addition, the product seems to have been listed on Mi home with a huge 12,999 Yuan price tag. If this turns out to be true, it’ll make the TV indeed the most expensive product ever in Xiaomi’s lineup. The most expensive product presently is the Xiaomi Mi TV 4 65-inch which costs 9,999 Yuan. You can check out the video teaser for yourself from here to see if you can get a different clue from it.

LCD Giant Sharp To Start Producing OLED Panels For TVs & Smartphones Next Year

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Jun 27, 2017

Sharp has always been known its innovation in LCD TV technology right from producing the world’s largest LCD TV standing at 108 inches in 2007 to the manufacture of the first television with 8K resolution in 2015. The company has been blazing the trail in that direction but unfortunately, has been struggling in the face of one financial crisis or the other. Foxconn first announced its intent to acquire up to 66% controlling stake in Sharp in February last year. The deal was worth 700 billion Japanese yen (US$6.24 billion). The deal was finalized with Foxconn agreeing to pay US$3.5 billion for the stake instead. This investment by Foxconn resulted in Sharp’s first operating profit in three years, announced in April 2017 attributed to the restructuring efforts by Foxconn.

Looks like Foxconn is looking at diversifying the Sharp brand beyond its stronghold of LCD TV production as there are reports from Japan that Sharp may soon start manufacturing OLED TV panels at one of its plants next year. The report carried in the Japanese Times states that the tech giant will invest 57.4 billion Japanese yen ($515 million USD) in building two production lines for OLEDs, one located in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, and in the town of Taki, Mie Prefecture.

According to the report, the new production lines are expected to go into operation in April-June next year. The production lines would no only manufacture OLED panels for TVs but will mass-produce small and medium-size OLEDs for laptops and smartphones. Specifically, the Sakai plant is where the company plans to promote the development of large displays for TVs.

The Foxconn-controlled company will, however, continue producing LCD panels, especially the development of 8K ultrahigh-definition liquid crystal display TVs as well. The addition of OLED production lines will only help in revamping the fortunes of the company as the demand for OLED panels is higher and Foxconn, as a contract manufacturer, already has a large client base where it would utilize the OLED panels Sharp would produce.

Compact 4.5-inch Galaxy Stellar 2 Smartphone Spotted in Concept Renders

By

Zhen Wan

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Jun 26, 2017

A Samsung Galaxy Stellar 2 has been spotted in the online wilderness sporting a 4.5-inch display.

In light of the current market’s trend of larger and larger displays, where 5.1 to 5.2-inch smartphones are deemed small devices today, according to the source, 4.5-inch devices are still highly demanded regardless of the mainstream trend.

For those small smartphone users, it appears Samsung has provided a solution to meet their requirements, at least according to these concept render images.

Galaxy Stellar 2 Specs

From the source, a model named ‘SCH-i300’ also known as the Galaxy Stellar 2, will sport a 4.5-inch Super AMOLED display at a resolution of 720p. The chassis will take a more rounded design, noticeable around the edges of the device.

The screen will be covered by 2.5D glass and plastic casing, supported by a metal frame for structural integrity. In terms of features, we can only judge from the photos that we’ll be expecting a fingerprint sensor located where the home button is.

For internal specs, the smartphone will be powered by an entry/mid-level Snapdragon 626 processor (8-core clocked up to 2.2 GHz) paired with an odd 2.5GB RAM and 32GB internal storage.

Photography and videos are taken with a 5-megapixel rear facing shooter and a 1.2-megapixel selfie shooter. The phone will have a large 3500mAh battery, supporting ‘Quick Charge 2.0’ via microUSB.

The Galaxy Stellar 2 will run Android 7.0 (Nougat) which is always welcome.

According to the source, the Galaxy Stellar 2 will be priced at $99 (¥699).

What are your thoughts on Samsung’s 4.5-inch device? Do you think it meets 4.5-inch user’s requirements? Leave a comment down below.

[envira-gallery id=”138105″]

(Source)

Samsung Launches Exynos i T200 Smartphone Chip Optimised For IoTs

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Buy Vernee Mars Pro on Gearbest, $40 Off

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Jun 26, 2017

Samsung has announced a new processor which happens to be its first System-on-Chip (SoC) optimised for Internet of Things (IoT) gadgets. The chip dubbed Exynos i T200 is Samsung’s WiFi-based integrated solution for Internet-of-Things (IoT) applications. The new chip is built on 28nm process technology and features two high-performance MCU cores, on-chip security solution, and ancillary blocks.

The Exynos i T200 comes with integrated baseband modem and RF transceivers for 802.11b/g/n single band and is certified by the WiFi Alliance which is an indication that it is capable of providing a reliable wireless connection. The new chip also integrates power amplifier, low-noise amplifier, and T/R switches for WiFi solution that benefits system’s bill-of-material.

Configuration wise, the Exynos i T200 has two MCU cores (Cortex-R4 and Cortex-M0+ core) for enhanced performance. For efficiency, different tasks can be assigned to different MCU for independent processing. For example, Cortex-M0+ can be used for I/O or LED control while CorteX-R4 controls system management (Operating System). This eliminates the need for an addition microcontroller in the system in case there are workloads that can’t be effectively managed with a single microcontroller.

Samsung believes the improved security and support for wireless connections gives it an advantage in the expanding IoT market. The security hardware allows for passwords and backing up of data. This new chip coupled with Samsung’s Tizen OS on which its uses for IoTs and other smart gadgets, the new chip may likely find its way into other gadgets apart from smartphone.

Gizmochina Giveaway – Win A Free Vernee Mars Pro

By

Shine Wong

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Jun 26, 2017

Gizmochina along with Gearbest is conducting a Vernee Mar Pro as Giveaway gift to one of our lucky readers. Like always, you just have to follow the steps mentioned on the Gleam widget to get a chance to win this amazing phone. The Vernee Mars Pro is available for pre-order on Gearbest now, $40 off on the flash sale before June 30.

To pre-order the Vernee Mars Pro, please click here

How to entry this giveaway? Just follow these steps:

Visit Vernee Mars Pro on Gearbest, copy one of the specs and paste as a commend at here;
We will pick up the winner from who left commend and entered on Gleam;

Please click here to visit Vernee Mars Pro on Gearbest:

Visit Vernee Mars Pro on Gearbest

Terms & Conditions:

1. The giveaway is an international giveaway.
2. We are not responsible for lost shipments.
3. We are not responsible for any duties, import taxes that you may incur.
4. We reserve all rights to make any changes to this giveaway.
5. The prize will be shipped in a week when the giveaway end.

Just follow the steps mentioned in the Gleam widget to participate in the giveaway.

Once again, good luck.

Gizmochina Giveaway – Win A Free Vernee Mars Pro Phone

Xiaomi Mi 6 Plus Probably Coming In June, Hints Analyst

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Jun 26, 2017

Despite the fact that Xiaomi‘s latest flagship – Mi 6 is still not readily available, talks of the Mi 6 Plus launching later this year is gathering momentum. Not too long ago, we were treated to a purported real live image of the Mi 6 Plus standing beside the Mi 6. Later on, a protective glass cover said to be for the Mi 6 Plus also appeared online showing its massive size.

Now, popular industry analyst Pan Jiutang seems to have hinted that Xiaomi will indeed launch the Mi 6 Plus this year. The analyst was responding to a question as to whether the mi 6 Plus will be launched this July. He didn’t respond directly in an affirmative manner but actually listed models which won’t be dropping this year, like the elusive OPPO Find 9, Vivo XPlay 7, Smartisan T3, Xiaomi Mi Note 3 and Honor Magic 2. The omission of the Mi 6Plus on the list could be an indication that the model will be launched this year.

Curiously, it was Pan Jiutang that also informed us of the postponement of the Mi 6 Plus due to the demand for Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 835 chip by Samsung for use on the Galaxy S8. The analyst didn’t say if the Mi 6 Plus will be launched in July as asked but he at least gave us some ray of hope that the device is still in the works.

The Xiaomi Mi 6 Plus is expected to feature the same design as the Mi 6, packing a dual camera setup, glass body, with the 3.5mm audio jack also missing. The model is also expected to use Qualcomm’s latest SD 835 and would feature a 5.7-inch display as well as a 4,050mAh battery. The Mi 6 Plus is rumored to cost around 2,999 Yuan.

Nubia Z17 Lite Allegedly Surfaces on TENAA with Lower CPU Speed, Smaller Battery

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Jun 26, 2017

The Nubia Z17 flagship smartphone that was released recently is one of the most powerful smartphones of this year. Now, ZTE appears to be working on the launch a stripped-down edition of its flagship. The alleged Nubia Z17 Lite has surfaced on TENAA with a model number of NX591J.

According to TENAA listing, the NX5911 Nubia phone measures 152.8 x 72.55 x 7.95mm and its weight is 169 grams. It features a 5.5-inch TFT screen that offers FHD resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. Below the display is the trademark red ring Home button. The alleged Nubia Z17 Lite is fueled by 2.0 GHz octa-core processor. The exact name of the chipset is not present on the TENAA listing. It will be coming with a 3,100mAh battery which is slightly smaller than the 3,200mAh battery present on the Nubia Z17.

The alleged Nubia Z17 Lite features 6 GB of RAM. The native storage of the phone is 64 GB. The phone features a dual rear camera system. However, the TENAA listing only reveals the main camera of the dual camera module as 12-megapixel and it does not mention any information about the secondary camera sensor. A dual-LED flash can be seen next to the twin camera system.

Like the Nubia Z17 flagship, its alleged Lite edition may also feature a 12-megapixel sensor + a 23-megapixel sensor. The front side of the phone has a 16-megapixel sensor. The rear side of the phone also features a fingerprint reader and a nubia logo at the center. It will come loaded with Android 7.1.1 Nougat that will be overlaid with the latest nubia UI skin. It will be arriving in color choices like black, silver and gold.

Since the device has appeared on TENAA, it seems that the arrival of the Nubia Z17 Lite is close at hand. At present, there is no information on the pricing and availability of the phone.

The Nubia Z17 that is currently only available in China is the world’s first smartphone to support Quick Charge 4+ rapid charging feature from Qualcomm. Moreover, it is also the first Snapdragon 835 smartphone with 8 GB of RAM. Apart from its dual camera feature, it features a true bezel-less display. The only major competitors for the Nubia Z17 is the OnePlus 5 and Xiaomi Mi 6.

Vivo X9S & X9S Plus Promotional Poster Leaks, Likely Launching Soon

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Jun 26, 2017

Before the launch of the first Snapdragon 660 smartphone, Vivo X9S was tipped to be the first smartphone powered by a Snapdragon 660 chip. That is now history because we are yet to see the Vivo X9S while the OPPO R11 is already priding itself as the first to utilise Qualcomm’s latest mid-range chip.

Despite that situation, Vivo may be gearing up to launch the X9S along with the X9S Plus as the next set of SD-660 phones, perhaps. A photo has been shared on Weibo which looked like a promotional poster for the Vivo X9S and X9S Plus. The Weibo tipster who shared the photo hinted that the poster was spotted in a Vivo experience store apparently in China. The tipster thinks and we do too, that the poster could be an indication the model will soon be launched. Recall that OPPO used the same format in promoting the R11 before it was eventually launched.

The poster itself reveals the renders of what should be the X9s and X9s Plus even though we cannot distinguish the two. We can also gather from the renders the presence of a single rear camera unit, something that casts a doubt over the authenticity of this leak. Also, up front, the device seems to have a dual selfie camera setup. The dual setup at the front is part of the promotional caption of the poster which projects the 20MP dual selfie camera with soft flash which the TENAA listing for the X9s Plus reveals is a 20MP + 5MP combination.

The Vivo X9s and X9s Plus are basically upgrades of the X9 and X9 Plus released last year. The X9s recently received 3C certification in China. Both models will, as usual, be different from each other in size but their specs would be similar while they would come with some upgraded specs over the previous-generation models. Some of the specs include a 3,920mAh battery inside the X9s Plus and a front fingerprint sensor embedded under the physical Home button.

Moto X4 Not Launching on June 30; Moto Z2 May Get Unveiled This Month

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Jun 26, 2017

Previous rumors have revealed that the Motorola may launch the Moto X4 smartphone on June 30. However, Andri Yatim, a leakster who has been consistently revealing information on upcoming Motorola devices claim that the Moto X4’s arrival has been delayed. He also states that Motorola may mention the Moto Z2 on June 30.

It is likely that the delayed arrival of Moto X4 is because Qualcomm is struggling to fulfil the demand of Snapdragon 660 that is expected to power a couple of mid-range phones including the Moto X4. There is no confirmation on which device the company would be unveiling on June 30. On the same date, Motorola is expected to release the Moto E4 Plus in the U.S. The Moto X4 comes with 5.2-inch FHD, Snapdragon 660 chipset, 4 GB RAM, 32 GB / 64 GB storage versions, dual rear cameras, IP68 certified body with 3D glass finish, and 3,800mAh battery. The Moto G5S and Moto G5S+ are said to arrive as improved versions of the Moto G5 and G5 Plus.

June 30 will be anticlimactic. #MotoE4+ launch and MAYBE a mention of Z2, instead of scheduled X4 launch. Thanks, Qualcomm.

— Andri Yatim (@HeyAndri) June 24, 2017

The Moto Z2 will be a higher-end version of the Moto Z2 Play that was unveiled at the start of this month. Rumors have revealed that the Snapdragon 835 chipset and 4 GB of RAM. The native storage of the phone is 64 GB. It is also rumored to feature a microSD card slot. The original Moto Z phone that came in last year did not feature a 3.5mm audio jack. However, speculations have been hinting that the Moto Z2 will be coming with a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The Moto Z2 is expected to feature a 5.5-inch QHD display that will be covered with 2.5D glass. It will be arriving with a 12-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front camera. Like most flagship, the phone will come loaded with Android 7.1.1 Nougat. The Moto Z2 Force that is expected to come with an unbreakable screen dubbed as ShatterShield is also expected to launch alongside the Moto Z2. The Moto Z2 and Moto Z2 will support MotoMods accessories. Motorola is expected to release a couple of smartphones this year such as Moto X4, Moto Z2, Moto Z2 Force, Moto G5S and Moto G5S+.

Meizu Pro 7 & Pro 7 Plus Specs & Prices Leaked, Launching Next Month

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Jun 26, 2017

Just recently, the Meizu Pro 7 was revealed as launching on July 26 which is next month. There is another leak which reaffirms that the Pro 7 will indeed be launched in July. The leak also says the Pro 7 may likely go on sale on August 4 after the July 26 launch event.

Meizu Pro 7 is the company’s flagship for this year and the device is expected to come with a spectacular design which has already been exposed and a powerful specs lineup. The device will be launched alongside the Pro 7 Plus with a bigger display. The prices of both the Pro 7 and Pro 7 Plus have now leaked and they are perhaps more than you’d expect. The Pro 7 will retail for 2799 Yuan (~$409) for the base model while the higher version will carry a price tag of 3299 Yuan (around $484). On the other hand, the Meizu Pro 7 Plus will start at 3299 yuan (~$484) while the higher version will sell for 3799 yuan (~$555). The prices are ridiclously high such that these are too bad instead of too good to be true.

In addition, the latest rumored specs of the Pro 7 tips the device as packing a 5.5-inch display as against 5.2 inches on previous leakes. However, the new leak also tips the Pro 7 as coming with a MeidaTek Helio X30 chip. and a dual Sony IMX386 + IMX286 dual cameras among others. But we still don’t know if the product with a Exynos 8895 version but there are rumours it does. Other specs include a 16MP front camera, 3.5mm audio jack as well as a USB Type-C port. The device is also expected to come with Meizu’s trademark mBack home button and its fast charging technology. We won’t forget in a hurry the e-ink secondary display the Pro 7 is said to come with which would be located at the rear and would show notifcations as well as display time, date etc.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Launched Delayed to September; $900 Pricing & Lots of Features Revealed

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Jun 26, 2017

Samsung has been launching its Note series smartphones in the month of August since 2015. However, well-known leakster, Evan Blass, is of the view that the Galaxy Note 8 would be launching in the second half of September this year.

On Venture Beat, Blass has revealed that the Galaxy Note 8 would be the costliest mass-produced smartphone and it will be launching in September’s second half. However, a previous rumors had revealed that the Galaxy Note 8 would be launching in August. Blass claims that the Note 8 would be priced at €999 in European markets. In the US, the phablet is expected to be arrive with a slightly lower price of about $900.

The leakster has further stated that the Galaxy Note 8 will be arriving with a 6.3-inch dual edge curved screen. As the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ smartphones, the Note 8 would be supporting an aspect ratio of 18.5:9.

Samsung will differentiate the Galaxy Note 8 from the 6.2-inch Galaxy S8+ by providing exclusive features for the S-Pen stylus. On the software front, the Note 8 will deliver better split-screen multitasking experience. The S-Pen is expected to come with new features like language translation for full sentence and currency conversion. It will also bring the ability to add handwritten notes on always-on display.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 would be coming with a pair of 12-megapixel cameras enabled with OIS on its rear panel. Even though the rumor mill has been claiming that the Note 8 would be featuring a front-mounted fingerprint reader, Blass has revealed that the phablet would continue to feature a rear-mounted fingerprint reader. He has added that the fingerprint sensor will be placed on the right side of the LED flash and hear rate sensor. However, there would be a greater distance separating them. Like the Galaxy S8 and S8+ phones, the Galaxy Note 8 would be also carrying support for DeX desktop mode through the same dock.

Depending on different markets, the Note 8 would be coming in Snapdragon 835 and Exynos 8895 variants. This debunks the rumors that claim the Note 8 would be the first phone to be driven by Snapdragon 836 SoC. The SoC will be coupled with 6 GB of RAM. The RAM capacity will also different the Note 8 from the Galaxy S8 that feature 4 GB of RAM in certain markets in the U.S. Other rumors hint that there would a Galaxy Note 8 Emperor Edition featuring 8 GB of RAM in certain markets like South Korea and China. In the U.S., the Galaxy Note 8 would be made available through all the popular carriers.

The Galaxy Note 8 is expected to house a 3,300mAh battery. It indicates that Samsung will reducing the battery size by 200mAh as compared to 3,500mAh battery on the discontinued Galaxy Note 7. The Note 8 would be coming in colors like black, blue and gold. Blass has also said that the official name of Samsung’s upcoming phablet will be official named as Galaxy Note8 and not Galaxy Note 8.