OnePlus 5 vs. Nubia Z17: Which Snapdragon 835, 8 GB RAM Smartphone is Better?

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Jun 21, 2017

Early reviews of the OnePlus 5 have been flooding the internet since its announcement yesterday. Over the course of the next couple of days we are bound to keep learning more about the new flagship.

Leakster @rquandt got a review unit yesterday and decided to check out what makes up the OnePlus 5. Using system information app AIDA64, he was able to find out that the OnePlus 5 uses the same Samsung s6e3fa5 display as the OnePlus 3T.

So yeah, the #OnePlus5 has the exact same Samsung S6E3FA5 display that was used in the OnePlus 3T apparently pic.twitter.com/HhH3chSyn5

— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) June 21, 2017

His finding was corroborated by tech reviewer @Nicole_Scooter and another twitter user @evil_pro_. The latter provided a screenshot of the AIDA 64 app running on the OnePlus 3T.

Since both phones use the same display resolution and size, this is not unusual. The only new addition is support for DCI-P3 screen calibration and the use of 2.5D Gorilla Glass 5.

sRGB isn’t a new feature. Although it wasn’t originally available for the OnePlus 3, it was later pushed out as an OTA update for it.

The Xiaomi Aqara Flood Sensor Alerts You When Your Home is About To Be Flooded

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Jun 21, 2017

The Mijia crowdfunding product announced yesterday is a new member of Xiaomi’s smart home electronics. Called the Aqara Flood Sensor, what it does is simply alert you if your home is flooded.

There are times when one forgets that the bathroom tap has been left running. Just when you remember, the whole bathroom is flooded and water is starting to make its way into the other parts of the house. Other times, the cause may be a leak in the pipes. The bottom line is the house is flooded.

The Aqara Flood Sensor doesn’t prevent the flood but can alert you in time so you can turn off the taps or main water source.

The sensor which has a diameter of 50mm and a thickness of 15mm has probes that trigger a light and sound alarm when the water level reaches 0.5mm. It will also send a notification to your phone when the alarm goes off.

A neat feature it has is the ability to shut off the water valve if it is close enough. Do note that in this case, the valve has to be an electromagnetic one.

Vivo Set to Release Phone With Optical Fingerprint Scanner At MWC Shanghai?

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Jun 21, 2017

Vivo is set to announce its new flagship, the Vivo X11 soon.The phone manufacturer released a teaser image for an event scheduled to hold at this year’s edition of MWC Shanghai.

The teaser image gives us a hint about a new feature the unspecified Vivo phone is rumored to have. A fingerprint scanner integrated beneath the display. The poster shows a drawing of a phone placed horizontally and a fingerprint icon that cuts across the display. The poster also has the slogan “Unlock the Future”.

Although Vivo hasn’t specified that the launch is for the X11, we strongly believe it is. And these two hints point at the Vivo X11 being the first phone to launch with an embedded fingerprint scanner. Sources say Vivo has worked with Qualcomm on the technology.

Embedded fingerprint scanner is a feature that was expected to launch in flagship phones this year. Sadly phones we thought would feature the new fingerprint technology didn’t. Even those that haven’t launched yet, like the Galaxy Note 8 is said to have its fingerprint scanner on the rear.

Analyst, Pan Jiutang also shared a video showing a prototype Vivo phone with the new fingerprint technology. Although some say it is a fake.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Possible Release Date Revealed

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Jun 21, 2017

Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy Note 8 later this year and the device’s launch date is already the subject of a couple of leaks. Earlier on, we had heard that the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 could likely make its debut t IFA Berlin 2017 which holds in September. But a new leak has emerged, stating that the Galaxy Note 8 would be launched on August 26 in New York City.

The latest rumour is suggestive of a launch before the commencement of IFA 2017 which could be that Samsung will still showcase the product as its latest offering at IFA, 2017. The tipster who leaked the info on Weibo also claims that the launch date was from Samsung Executives.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is rumoured to feature a 6.3-inch 2K Super AMOLED edge-to-edge Infinity display The device is also expected to pack an Exynos 8895 chip and a yet-to-be-announced Snapdragon 836 chip on some models. The Galaxy Note 8 is also expected with 6GB / 8GB RAM and AKG stereo speakers. The Note 8 will also feature a powerful dual camera setup with 3X Optical zoom, a Bixby button and other specs.

Samsung Working On New Gear VR With 2000ppi

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Jun 21, 2017

If you own a pair of VR glasses, you must have experienced the feeling of nausea that comes after using it for a while. Samsung plans to solve that by fitting its next Gear VR glasses with a 2000ppi display.

The info comes from industry insiders who say the display is a OLED. Samsung says crossing the 1000ppi mark eliminates the feeling of nausea caused from usage. Unlike the current Gear VR that requires the use of your phone, this will work independently.

2000ppi is pretty high. The Oculus Rift has a ppi of 461, same as that of the HTC Vive for each of its screens. The Galaxy S8 has a pixel density of 570 and that is the highest on any of its phones. But we are not bothered, as we believe Samsung Display is up to the task.

At this year’s edition of Display week, Samsung showed off a new 3.5-inch panel with a ppi of 858. We guess that is not enough to prevent nausea.

Apart from playing games, the new headset will be perfect for watching movies as the high resolution means videos are no longer pixelated.

OnePlus 5 Launched In China, Prices Revealed

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Jun 21, 2017

Barely a day after the OnePlus 5 was officially unveiled in the U.S, the flagship phone has made its official debut in OnePlus’ home country of China. The OnePlus 5 was launched today with, of course, similar specs lineup but a far reduced price tag when compared to the price regime announced for U.S and Europe. Apart from the dual cameras, the 8GB RAM on board one of the versions makes the OnePlus 5 second to the Nubia Z17 as the only two Chinese model with 8GB RAM.

The OnePlus 5 is available in 6GB +64GB version and 8GB+128GB version. While the 6GB version starts at 2,999 Yuan ($438), the 8GB version will be sold in China for 3499 yuan($512). The device also come in just two colours whereby the 6GB version is available in Slate gray colour, while the 8GB version comes in Midnight Black colour only.

The OnePlus flagship is expected to go on sale in China from tomorrow June 22 by 10 AM. Reservations for the sale has long opened on Jingdong (JD. Com) with figures exceeding 500,000 days before the launch. The interesting thing about the reservation is that the 8GB version is stocked and as would be expected, it has the highest number of reservations.

Specs wise, the OP5 features a 2.45GHz Snapdragon 835, 6GB /8GB LPDDR4X RAM options, up to 128GB UFS 2.1 dual lane storage. The flagship device sports a 5.5-inch Optic AMOLED display with 1080p resolution and sRGB and DCI-P3 colour space support. The display is protected by a 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 5. Others include a 16MP Sony IMX398 sensor with f/1.7 aperture and another 20MP telephoto camera at the rear, a 16MP selfie sensor and a 33000mah battery with DASH charge technology, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0 and more.

The OnePlus 5 is that it will come with 34 LTE Band support, making it a truly global smartphone. There is a USB Type-C port as well as a 3.5mm audio jack which can both be used to connect a headphone. OnePlus also showcased a new Karbon Bumper case for the OnePlus 5. The company also released two new improved models of its OnePlus-branded Travel Backpack.

Xiaomi Mi 6 “Silver Edition” Spotted Online For Auction But Don’t Try Buying It

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Zhen Wan

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Jun 21, 2017

The Xiaomi Mi 6 “Silver Edition” that we had seen in hands-on images after the announcement 2 months ago, won’t be on sale anytime soon, according to Xiaomi Marketing Director, Zang Zhiyuan.

This recent confirmation by the Marketing Director was raised after an auction listing of the Mi 6 silver variant emerged online, with a starting price at ¥3999 (~$585). Since the last source report, the price had shot up to ¥16,999 ($2490.22).

Many home-based Mi fans and consumers have complained that this pre-release version of the Mi 6 was a marketing ploy to hype up the Mi 6 and that Xiaomi has cut costs by reducing the number of variants.

Zang Zhiyuan responded to the social media that the silver variant has proven to be very difficult to manufacture due to the ‘complex process’. We understand Zang has stated the amount of high-quality yield as insufficient for mass-production and trials are still underway to perfect the silver variant.

Furthermore, he defends that the Mi 6 variant is not suitable for consumers currently as the silver edition remains an engineering device and stated that Xiaomi had the right to pursue legal action against both the seller as well as the buyer since it’s the company’s asset.

Do you think that this was a marketing ploy? Should Xiaomi present unbuyable products?

(Source)

OnePlus 5 Dual Cameras Explained: How It Works & Its Features

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Jun 21, 2017

The OnePlus 5 dual cameras are perhaps the most talked about feature on the flagship model which has started rolling out in some regions. OnePlus touts that the dual photos camera setup outputs clearer photos than ever before. We’ll take a quick look at the OnePlus 5 camera so we’ll be able to understand what makes the camera special.

OnePlus 5 Dual Camera Specs

OnePlus 5 features a dual camera setup that is composed of a 16MP primary camera and a 20MP Telephoto camera. The setup is quite similar to that of the iPhone 7 Plus and is quite different from the wide-angle sensor used in the LG G6 or the black and white sensor that is found on Huawei’s range of devices with dual cameras. The OnePlus 5 telephoto sensor is capable of providing 2X magnification without loss of image’s integrity and clarity.

In terms of its similarity with that of the iPhone 7 Plus, the OnePlus 5 camera has a dedicated Portrait mode similar to that of the Apple flagship. The Portrait mode uses the 2X zoom feature of the dual camera and then applies a background blur to the image which will, in turn, lead to the principal captured image being highlighted. The telephoto camera of the OP5 has a narrower aperture which allows less light getting in and the sensor uses smaller pixels which are likely more prone to digital noise. In that case, the camera is unlikely to be usable in low light conditions. However, the photo sample shared by OnePlus does not support this.

Apart from the features on the telephoto sensor, the main camera on the OnePlus 5 also sees several upgrades like a wider f/1.7 aperture as against a f/2.0 aperture on the OnePlus 3T. The wider aperture is expected to lead to clearer photos with less noise and less motion blur. The main sensor is a Sony IMX398 sensor and it uses a Fast AF (autofocus) technology which is a kind of phase-detection autofocus. The technology will enable the OP5 to focus 40% faster than the 3T with a lot more accuracy. The rear camera setup is lacking an optical image stabilization (OIS) feature and it is believed to have been dropped as a result of the size of the phone which is just 7.25 mm thin. The OIS is supposed to assist in low-light situations by keeping the frame steady, thus reducing motion blur. It is also commonly used to reduce shakiness in videos. Instead of OIS, the OnePlus camera comes with an electronic image stabilization which is expected to function as effectively as the OIS.

OnePlus 5 Camera Software: What’s New?

Another aspect that is just important in the production of clearer photos these days is the camera software features which includes multi-frame processing for less digital noise. How this works is that the camera compares multiple frames of the same scene to detect inconsistencies and then the software clears them up. The camera also has an improved HDR mode which is expected to take clearer photos of subjects situated behind bright light sources.

The OnePlus 5 camera feature also includes manual controls which would make more sense to professional photographers and allow them to set the camera for optimal performance. Settings like white balance, focus, shutter speed, and ISO can be controlled independently to achieve the look or effect wanted in a given situation. OnePlus is also adding a histogram on the OnePlus 5 camera software as well as a gyroscope-guided level to help you keep those horizons straight.

The OnePlus 5 camera shoots video at up to 4K resolution and despite the lack of OIS, the videos are expected to be stable first as the frame is stabilised by the camera software. OnePlus didn’t release any video sample but we expect the result to be top notch. In addition to the frames, the video sound quality will also improve as the OnePlus 5 now has higher-grade microphones that are capable of capturing even louder sounds. The sound is touted to be of concert quality without crackling distortion.

LG V30 Releasing in August with Snapdragon 835, 6 GB RAM, Front and Rear Dual Cameras?

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Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jun 21, 2017

A South Korean publication had reported in the previous week that LG V30 would be launching in August and the LG G7 will debut in January 2018. Today, a well-known tipster has revealed on Weibo that the LG V30 will be launching ahead of Samsung Galaxy Note 8.

Since the Note 8 is speculated to launch in August end, the LG V30 is likely to break cover earlier in the same month. The LG V10 was introduced in October 2015 whereas its successor had arrived in September 2016. The LG V20 is the first non-Google device to come with Android Nougat preinstalled. There is no confirmation on whether the LG V30 would be launching with Android O in August.

A report that is almost a month old had revealed that the LG V30 would be equipped with an OLED panel. According to the leakster, the OLED panel for the LG V30 will be supplied by LG Display. Previous speculations have suggested that the LG V30 may have a curved OLED panel.

The Snapdragon 821 driven LG G6 is fitted with a LCD panel. The LG G6 features a 5.7-inch Full Vision LCD screen that offers an aspect ratio of 18:5 and produces a display resolution of 1,440 x 2,880 pixels. The LG V30 is now speculated to come with a Full Vision OLED screen. Previous have also suggested that the secondary ticker screen will be placed at the top bezel area of the screen.

The leakster further claims that the LG V30 will be driven by Snapdragon 835 chipset and 6 GB of RAM. How will it compete with the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 that will be coming with dual rear cameras? The tipster has revealed that the LG V30 will be equipped with dual cameras at the front and rear.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ were introduced with full-screen design at March end this year. In order to grab the attention of the market, LG debuted the LG G6 phone earlier this year during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017.

Going ahead in this year, the Galaxy Note 8 is slated to launch in August end and the next-generation iPhones totting full-screen design are expected to launch in September. The Google Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 are pegged to launch in October. Hence, instead of releasing LG V series phone in October as it did before, LG may want to launch the LG V30 earlier this year in August so that it can attract the market by arriving before the popular flagship phones.

OnePlus 5 Tortured with Scratch, Burn and Bend Tests; Find Out How Durable is it

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Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jun 21, 2017

One of the most awaited flagship smartphone of 2017, the OnePlus 5, has been officially announced. It seems that several days before the official announcement, OnePlus had pre-production units for the purpose of reviewing to multiple online publications. JerryRigEverything, a YouTuber who is well-known for performing various kinds of torture tests on smartphones to check its durability has also performed a torture test on OnePlus 5.

OnePlus 5 Scratch Test

OnePlus 5’s 5.5-inch Optic AMOLED screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 5. In the scratch test, the display remains intact even when at Level 6 on the Mohs scale. However, visible scratches with deeper groove can be seen at Level 7. The HTC U Ultra with sapphire screen scratched at Level 8. The selfie camera of the phone is also placed under the Gorilla Glass 5 which gives it all the protection it needs. The metal earpiece can be scratched with few attempts.

As far as OnePlus 5, the durability of its screen is on par with other flagships like Samsung Galaxy S8 and Apple iPhone 7. In other words, items like keys, coins and razors will not easily scratch the screen of OnePlus 5. The Home button that is incorporated with a fingerprint scanner is covered with ceramic. Since it is harder than glass, it is almost un-scratchable.

The dual camera module sitting on the rear side of the phone features a 16-megapixel sensor and a 20-megapixel sensor. It is equipped with features like EIS and 2x optical zoom. The dual camera setup is also shielded with Gorilla Glass 5. However, the LED flash is covered with plastic which gets scratched easily with little effort.

The backside of the phone that is made of anodized metal could scratch easily with a razor blade. In order to simulate the scratch-resistance of the metal shell in daily, items like keys and coins were used. The scratches made with these items were not significant and could be erased by rubbing with fingers as seen in the video at 3:35. The Power key, dual-SIM slot, volume buttons and Mute switch are all made up of premium metal. There is a plastic buffer present between the glass and metal frame that will protect the screen from breaking easily when dropped.

OnePlus 5 Burn Test for Display

When it comes to burn test by using a flame directly on the Optic AMOLED screen, the display remained undamaged for a long time of 40 seconds after which a faint white mark was seen at the portion where the flame was applied. However, unlike some of the other flagships, the affected pixels did not recover.

OnePlus 5 Bend Test

The next test that was performed on OnePlus is the build quality test. Before the launch of OnePlus, the company confirmed that it is the thinnest OnePlus phone. It sports a slim profile of 7.25mm. When the press was applied at the center to bend it, the screen poped out of the frame, but it does not appear to bend further. This shows that there is no waterproofing on it. When the pressure is put from the center of the front panel, there is no bending as the screen fits inside the metal frame. JerryRigEverything confirms that OnePlus 5 successfully passes the bend test.

Here is the video by JerryRigEverything that shows the different tests that has been performed on OnePlus 5 to reveal its sturdiness:

OnePlus 5 Benchmarks Controversy – Did OnePlus Cheat Reviewers with Manipulated Unit?

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Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jun 21, 2017

After all the hype building, OnePlus has finally unveiled the OnePlus 5 flagship killer. Soon after it was unveiled, a report from XDA Developers has surfaced that claims that the Chinese firm had sent manipulated review units to various publications. These units could benchmark tests to record highest scores.

In the past too, OnePlus has been accused for cheating in benchmarks. Unlike producing misleading benchmark scores on OnePlus 5, the company had previously found cheating in OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T smartphones to decrease variance and thermal throttling. At that time, the publication came to a conclusion that it was because of merging of OxygenOS and Hydrogen OS teams at OnePlus. The Chinese manufactured had released a statement confirming that such an issue will not be there in the upcoming builds of OxygenOS.

A few weeks before the official launch of OnePlus 5, the smartphone was spotted outperforming Samsung Galaxy S8 and Google Pixel XL in benchmark tests. This could be because the pre-production units were manipulated to show maximized performance. According to XDA Developers, it received a pre-production unit of OnePlus 5 about ten days before its official unveiling. It states that not only the review unit they have received but also the ones that were sent to other sites contains a cheating mechanism that makes the phone attain highest scores in benchmark apps. Hence, the publication is accusing OnePlus for misleading benchmarks data on OnePlus 5.

OnePlus 5 is powered by Snapdragon 835 chipset that includes four Kryo 280 cores running at 2.45 GHz and another four Kryo 280 cores working at 1.7 GHz. According to XDA Developers, the cheating mechanism is done by keeping the little cores running at the maximum frequency of 1.9 GHz all the time while the benchmark test is performed. This makes it possible to achieve higher scores than other flagships driven that are powered by Snapdragon 835.

When the cheating mechanism is not employed, it was found that only 24.4 percent readings had the CPU running at max processing speed of 1.9GHz. However, with cheating mechanism enabled, the OnePlus 5 could deliver highest performance in 95 percent of readings.

Hence, the publication claims that benchmark tests of OnePlus 5 on Geekbench 4, AnTuTu, Androbench, GFXBench, Quadrant, Nenamark 2 and Vellamo are all showing misleading scores because of the cheating mechanism used. Running the CPU cores at highest speed constantly can cause the device to heat up so much that it would become uncomfortable to hold it. In GFXBench test, the outer metallic cover of the OnePlus 5 reached a temperature of 50 degrees Celsius.

Here is the reply that XDA Developers received when the publication reached out to OnePlus on the issue:

“People use benchmark apps in order to ascertain the performance of their device, and we want users to see the true performance of the OnePlus 5. Therefore, we have allowed benchmark apps to run in a state similar to daily usage, including the running of resource intensive apps and games. Additionally, when launching apps the OnePlus 5 runs at a similar state in order to increase the speed in which apps open. We are not overclocking the device, rather we are displaying the performance potential of the OnePlus 5.”

The above statement has not been well-received by online publications. When OnePlus was caught cheating in OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T, the company accepted its wrongdoing. However, this time around, it seems to be defending its tactics. XDA Developers has stated that overclocking the little cores is not a precise representation of the smartphone’s daily usage.

Cheating in benchmark tests can negatively impact the sales of OnePlus 5. The OnePlus 5 is still a very powerful phone with Snapdragon 835 and 8 GB RAM. The way benchmarks run on a device is definitely not how it performs in daily usage. Hence, buyers who do not concern about benchmark tests before buying a smartphone is unlikely to face any performance related issue on the OnePlus 5.

The OnePlus 5 is already accused for its resemblance with iPhone 7 Plus and higher pricing. We will have to wait and see how it is received by the audience.

Here’s How & Where To Buy The OnePlus 5 Now with Invite Code

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Jun 20, 2017

OnePlus finally launched the highly anticipated OnePlus 5 flagship device which is the newest Snapdragon 835 kid in the block. Apart from the powerful chipset, the OnePlus 5 comes in as the second model by a Chinese manufacturer to pack an 8GB RAM version. OnePlus 5 also features a refreshing design and a dual camera setup.

There are likely going to be an army of anxious fans who can’t wait to set their hands of the OnePlus flagship. Thankfully, the wait for the device won’t be very long as the flagship model will go on sales almost immediately. The model would be released into the market in Europe and North America on June 27 which is about a week from the launch date. However, there is an ongoing Early Drop Offer where fans can order the device right away.

The Early bird adopters will get the phone “before everyone else” and will have access to unique pre-launch offers such as 50% on accessories. To take advantage of this offer, go to OnePlus.net and open the OnePlus 5 page, you will see an “Early drop” button at the top right. Clicking the button won’t earn you a pre-order but will take you to a page for you to input an Invite code which is “Clearer Photos”. Already, the Midnight Black version with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage going for $539 is out of stock. So, you only get the opportunity to grab the Slate Gray coloured 6GB + 64GB version for $479.

As stated earlier, the Early Drop offer comes with the offer of 50% discount off some accessories which OnePlus calls “Exclusive Welcome Bundle” for the OnePlus 5. The bundle includes the Dash Type-C Cable, the OnePlus 5 Protective Case, the OnePlus 5 3D Tempered Glass Screen Protector and the OnePlus Bullets (V2) earphones. Unfortunately, the stock seems to have run out but there is still a 20% discount offer on the Dash Power Bundle (the OnePlus 5 charger and USB Type-C cable(Dash Power Bundle), and a 10% discount each on the company’s Dash Car Charger, the OnePlus 5 Karbon Bumper case or the OnePlus Travel Backpack.

Another way to also grab the OnePlus 5 before the official sales open is what OnePlus calls “Pop-up” events which would be held in various major cities around the world. The events would hold at physical stores in the cities and fans would get the chance to buy the device right away and walk away with their unit without the need to wait for it to ship to them. The cities, time and locations where the Pop-up events would hold in the U.S. and Europe are as follows;

OnePlus 5 Pop-up events for U.S. and Europe

New York – 7:00 PM ET June 20th (Today!), 2017 | Magnum, 875 Washington Street
London – 5:00 PM GMT June 21st, 2017 | Modern Society, 33 Redchurch Street
Paris – 11:00 AM CET June 21st, 2017 | Collette, 213 Rue Saint Honoré
Berlin – 6:00 PM CET June 21st, 2017 | LNFA, Bikini, Budapester Str. 44
Amsterdam – 6:00 PM CET June 21st, 2017 | Daily Paper, Bilderdijkstraat 131
Helsinki – 5:00 PM EET June 21st, 2017 | Elisa, Aleksanterinkatu 19
Oulu – 5:00 PM EET June 21st, 2017 | Elisa, Isokatu 25
Tampere – 5:00 PM EET June 21st, 2017 | Elisa, Hallituskatu 8
Turku – 5:00 PM EET June 21st, 2017 | Elisa, Eerikinkatu 15
Copenhagen – 4:00 PM CET June 21st, 2017 | “3” store, Vimmelskaftet 35

We must state, though, that such events usually attract a large crowd of would -be buyers all jostling to get the limited units available.

Quick Look At The New Features of The OnePlus 5

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Jun 20, 2017

The OnePlus 5 is now official. Let’s take a look at all the new features the it brings, maybe it might convince you to pick it up over the other flagships released already.

Dual Cameras

This should come after the design but because it greatly influenced what the OnePlus 5 turned out to look like, it’s coming first.

The OnePlus 5 has added an extra sensor at the back to step up its camera game. The primary sensor is a wide angle Sony IMX398 with a large f/1.7 aperture, 1.12µm pixel size and dual pixel autofocus. The second sensor is a Sony IMX350 telephoto lens with a f/2.6 aperture and 1.0µm pixels.

Because the sensors are large, they protrude. Instead of putting it in the middle and giving it an ugly bump, OnePlus moved it to the top left corner.

We have seen sample shots and they are impressive. There is portrait mode, an improved Pro Mode and it has very fast autofocus.

New Design

The OnePlus 5 wears a new but familiar look. Judging from the image of the prototypes we saw yesterday, the OnePlus 5 was bound to look like an already existing device.

To make it look different from the iPhone 7 Plus, the OnePlus 5′ chassis has a curved design that they named Horizon Line. It does looks nice from the promotional images we have seen.

The OnePlus 5 is also thin. 7.25mm thin. Making it the thinnest OnePlus device ever.

RAM and Processor

The OnePlus 5 joins the very short list of phones with 8GB of RAM. OnePlus says it is LPDDR4X. This is similar to LPPDR4 but it saves power as its I/O voltage is 0.6V instead of 1.1V. There is still a 6GB RAM variant that comes with 64GB of built-in storage. That is half of what you get on the 8GB RAM version.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 works alongside the RAM providing superior graphics performance and low power consumption.

UFS 2.1 Dual Lane Storage

Unlike other phones that have just 2 channels: one that reads and another that writes, the OnePlus 5 has 4 channels (2 for each). This results in faster read and write speeds. Plus the storage is UFS 2.1.

Read Mode & Expanded Screenshot

These two are new features baked into Oxygen OS but which we should expect in an update for the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T. The read mode allows you adjust the color temperature of the display. This is especially useful when reading at night.

Expanded screenshot is the same thing as scrolling screenshot in some other phones. It allows you to take a screenshot that covers more than what is on your screen at that particular time.

Global Network Bands

This is one of the key features I personally like. Previous OnePlus phones had versions for USA, Europe and Asia. So you had to make sure you were buying the right one for your region. You also had to find find an alternative phone if you were going to a country that uses different bands.

Now, the OnePlus 5 is available as a single global version, allowing you to take your phone anywhere and not have to worry about band support.

OnePlus 5 Launched: It’s All About Dual Cameras This Year At A Solid Price

By

Joel Joseph

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Jun 20, 2017

The OnePlus 5 is official. After countless rumors and leaks of one of the most anticipated smartphones of 2017, OnePlus has officially taken the wraps off the OnePlus 5. The company seems to have done a fine job once again with its new flagship, giving you the best specs in the market at an affordable price.

Before jumping on to the specs, let’s take a look at the price. The OnePlus 5 starts at $479 in the US and €499 in Europe. Compare that to the current Snapdragon 835 flagship smartphones in the market and you know you’ve got a great price. But this year, OnePlus 5 is all about the cameras. High-end specs can be found on almost all flagships in the market, but what will differentiate them is the camera setup at the back. And OnePlus has given tremendous importance to the camera on the OnePlus 5. Read on to get more details.

OnePlus 5 Design

The OnePlus 5 has turned out to be a complete flagship, but the design could be one area where it might get some criticism. Its resemblance to the iPhone 7 Plus or even the OPPO R11 is surprising. But that doesn’t change the fact that the phone looks quite refined. The company has deviated from a traditional slate body to a curvier approach. The sides are curved, the back is curved and there’s focus on some intricate details.

It took over 100 variants in design to finalize this one, which now features a special horizon line that separates the body into two parts. To be honest, we can’t really say how good or bad the design is based on these pictures or judge how prominent is this horizon line that the company is boasting about. A quick hands on should help us understand the design better.

The phone is slim at 7.25mm and super light at 153 grams.

There are two color options available, slate gray and midnight black. From the images, I personally like the slate gray option.

OnePlus 5 Hardware

Specs wise, OnePlus has lived up to its reputation. You get the latest hardware in the market with the OnePlus 5 — a 2.45GHz Snapdragon 835, 6GB /8GB LPDDR4X RAM options, up to 128GB UFS 2.1 dual lane storage and a 5.5-inch Optic AMOLED display with 1080p resolution and sRGB and DCI-P3 color space support. The display is protected by a 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 5.

These are some high-end stuff, especially with 8GB RAM on board on the top-end variant. Only a handful of flagships can boast of such high-configuration like the ZenFone AR and the Nubia Z17.

But these specs don’t make the OnePlus 5 special. The brand has repeatedly proven its prowess in the hardware department, but this year, the real focus is on the dual cameras at the back.

OnePlus 5 Camera

In partnership with DXO Labs, OnePlus has developed a flagship-grade dual camera setup for the OnePlus 5. This consists of two cameras, a 16MP IMX398 sensor with f/1.7 aperture and another 20MP telephoto camera. The company adds that this is the highest resolution camera system on a smartphone today. The focus speed is up by 40% — thanks to the second camera, there’s 2X dual camera zoom for clearer long distance shots, improved HDR mode, and a Pro mode.

Naturally, with dual cameras, you get the special portrait mode as well. So, you can get some really good portrait shots with a shallow depth of field effect with your OnePlus 5.

But we are seeing these features on almost all of the flagships launched this year. It’s definitely impressive on paper, but only a real life comparison of the flagship would reveal the quality of the setup at the back. For that, we’ll have to wait for a few days more.

Up front, you get a 16MP sensor

Apart from the usual set of connectivity features, what’s worth noting is that the phone keeps the headphone jack. You can use either the USB Type-C port or the 3.5mm dedicated headphone jack to connect your earphones. The vibration motor on the phone is also improved, it’s now stronger and more silent than the previous generations.

Another big thing about the OnePlus 5 is that it will come with 34 LTE Band support, making it a truly global smartphone. So, you no longer have to worry about the support for your specific LTE band.

Dash Charge

Dash charge gets an upgrade on the OnePlus 5 with 5V 2A fast charging speeds. Half an hour should provide you up to a day’s usage, thanks to a decent 3300mAh battery.

OnePlus 5 Software

There are some cool new features in the software department like App Priority which decided which apps should load faster on your OnePlus 5. There’s a new reading mode as well wherein the ambient light sensor calibrates the display according to the surrounding lighting condition. Other features include expanded screenshot and lower input lag.

All this for just $479! Goes on sale globally from June 27.

Disappointing YotaPhone 3 Expected to Arrive With Mid-Tier Specs

By

Zhen Wan

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Jun 20, 2017

The YotaPhone is a loved smartphone for consumers who prefer a dual screen set up, where the phone provides an always-on screen using E-Ink technology.

A long-awaited announcement had arrived in Harbin’s China-Russia Expo over the weekend. Baoli Yota, a joint venture created between investor, Baoli and manufacturer, Coolpad had teased their fans and audience of the upcoming YotaPhone 3, close to four years since the YotaPhone 3’s predecessor’s launch.

A certain date has not been set, however, the presenters did provide a period, set at early fall later this. According to the source, YotaPhone 3 has been confirmed to come in storage options, 64GB and 128GB for prices at $350 and $450, respectively.

In terms of other specifications, the YotaPhone 3 will feature a larger primary 5.5-inch AMOLED display at 1080p, with its secondary rear-facing display sizing at 5.2-inches, 720p and keeping the E-Ink technology.

There have been reports of a fingerprint sensor positioned at the front of the smartphone, a security feature expected to found on all major of flagships to date.

The YotaPhone 3 will be powered by an underwhelming mid-tier Snapdragon 625 CPU, which we have found quite surprising since its predecessor were traditionally powered by the highest end of CPUs that were available at the time. The CPU is paired with a respectable 4GB RAM.

Other features include a 12-megapixel rear camera with dual flash, a 13-megapixel selfie shooter, and 3,200 mAh battery. The YotaPhone 3 will have a USB-C port, which will also serve as an audio output for headphones, yes, they removed the 3.5mm headphone jack. The YotaPhone 3 will be run with Android Nougat.

Although the YotaPhone 3 has provided more up-to-date features such as a fingerprint sensor and USB-C, we feel that the overall phone has been an underwhelming teaser. The specs of the device appear reasonable currently, however, the device will appear obsolete sooner than later by the end of this year.

What are your thoughts on the YotaPhone 3? Do you think the company has made an underwhelming presentation? Share your thoughts and comments down below.

(Source)

Lenovo Mobile Announces Shift To Moto.com in China

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Jun 20, 2017

Lenovo can deny all it wants that it is not phasing out its own mobile brand but this new development is the final nail in the coffin.

First, Lenovo announced that it was shutting down the ZUK line. Then it followed it up with a complete restructuring of the key posts across its different arms. It also has not released a Lenovo branded phone this year. And today, it revealed that it is moving its domain to moto.com.

The current domain name is Lenovomobile.com but starting on the 22nd of June, you will be redirected to moto.com. So what other proof do you need to know that Lenovo Mobile has been put to sleep?

At the moment, Motorola has phones that will cater to every category. There is the new Moto C series which are the cheapest it has. Then the Moto E4 and E4 Plus for those who want the little extra features like a bigger battery.

The Moto G5, G5 Plus, and the upcoming Moto G5S and G5S Plus provide more options for the mid-range category. India and China also get the exclusive Moto M series.

We also have the upcoming Moto X4 that sits comfortably between flagship and mid-range, offering the best of both worlds. The Moto Z2 series crowns them all with premium build quality, innovative features and flagship specifications and price.

Xiaomi Mi Note 2 Gets Official Price Cut

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Jun 20, 2017

The Mi Note 3 is already in the pipeline and it is fair if you are holding off buying a new phone because of it. For those who are not crazy about using the phone with the latest features, but want a device that can still hold its own, then the Mi Note 2 is a great choice.

For the 618 promotion, Xiaomi announced a ¥200 reduction off the price of the Global Version bringing it down to ¥3299 ($483). Now that the festival is over, it has announced a ¥300 price cut for the base version with 4GB RAM + 64GB ROM. This brings the price to ¥2499 (~$366).

As at the time of writing, the price change has not been effected on the official site. But if you head to JD.com, it is already available at that price. There is no info as to the duration of the price cut but you should hurry if you are interested in picking it up.