One of LeEco’s Service Centers Shut Down in China As Financial Woes Deepens

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Jun 16, 2017

Innovative and once bubbling Chinese smartphone and internet brand LeEco seems to be plunging deeper into financial woes. Just recently, a lawsuit was instituted against the company by a Chinese ad agency for non-payment of its marketing fees. The company has in the past been laying off workers estimated to be nearly 50% of its workforce. The innovative tech giant known for its cheap flagship models has been unable to release new smartphone models like it used to do. Currently, the company even seems to be shutting down some of its mobile phone service centres across China.

An internet user has exposed a notice posted on the door of one of LeEco’s third-party service centres located in Shanghai. As is known, Shanghai is one of the major cities in China but the poster informs customers that the business has been suspended due to operational adjustments and that the shop no longer accepts LeEco phones.

Also, a letter purportedly sent by a LeEco phone repair station to a fan using the brand’s model appears to indicate that the repair centre has been lacking spare parts for several months now due to the manufacturer’s inability to provide parts. The letter also stated that other accessories are available. We don’t know if these two cases are just isolated ones or if indeed the company’s mobile phone arm is gradually disintegrating. We do hope the company bounces back soon, it is high time we got a Snapdragon 835-powered LeEco phone with its cheap price tag. Now, that may not likely be happening anytime soon.

(source)

LG V30 Releasing Soon in August and LG G7 Coming in January 2018?

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jun 16, 2017

LG had introduced its first V series flagship smartphone as LG V10 in October 2015. In the previous year, it released the LG V20 in October. Hence, the rumor mill has been speculating that the LG V30 would be introduced in October this year. Fresh information coming through South Korean media suggests that LG may debut the V30 early this year. It is now speculated to launch as early as in August.

A report published on Aju Business Daily that has been cited by The Investor claims that the LG V30 is arriving in August this year. Moreover, it even states that the LG G7 would be launching in January 2018. First of all, we would like to convey our readers to take this report with a pinch of salt as there is no concrete evidence to support these claims.

If the new rumor about the LG V30 is true, the South Korean company may unleash it during the major press conferences that will be held on the last two days of August. It may then debut the V30 at the IFA event that officially begins on Sept. 1 in Berlin, Germany and release it on a later date.

LG has never used the IFA platform to announce the LG V series smartphones probably because these phones have not been launched in European markets. However, this year, LG may use a different strategy to unveil the LG V30. However, on the contrary, Samsung may launch the Galaxy Note 8 at August end and in September, the new iPhones will arrive. These high popular smartphones can completely disrupt the sales of LG G7 if it is launched in August.

As far as the LG G7’s January 2018 release is concerned, it seems that the company may unleash it through the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) that will be held in the same month. However, the CES platform is normally used to showcase next-generation home appliances like TVs and refrigerators. It will make more sense if the LG G7 flagship smartphone is unveiled at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona that is usually used for showcasing mobile devices. It seems that LG is looking forward to launch the LG G7 before the Samsung Galaxy S9 is introduced. It may so happen that the LG G7 may get announced in January and then release in February.

(source|via)

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 (SM-N950F) Spotted on HTML5Test Database

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jun 16, 2017

It is starting to turn out positively that the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 may be launched at IFA Berlin 2017 this September. Soon after the rumour of the impending launch surfaced, the Galaxy Note 8 has appeared in a benchmark test for its browser. The device was spotted in HTML5Test’s database where it is shown to be running Samsung’s latest Internet 5.2 web browser.

HTML5test is a web application for evaluating a web browser’s accuracy in implementing the web standards HTML5 and Web SQL Database, as well as the WebGL standard. To test a web browser, the phone user must visit the home page of the website html5test.com. So it is glaring that someone using the Galaxy Note 8 did run a test on the HTML5Test’s website.

For the avoidance of doubt, the Galaxy Note 8 made its appearance with the model number SM-N950F which is possibly its official model number for one of the versions. The entire Galaxy Note 8 models would likely have the model number SM-N950x, with the last letter varying according to the carrier and international models. Note that the botched Galaxy Note 7 had the model number SM-N930F on one of its versions while its predecessor, the Galaxy Note 5 came with an SM-N920x lineup.

The listing does not reveal many details apart from the fact that the device runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat out-of-the-box and pulled a total score of 488 out of a total of 555 points in the test. The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is earlier rumoured to pack a 6.3-inch Infinity Display, Dual rear cameras with 3x optical zoom, an 8MP selfie camera, either an Exynos 8895 processor or a Snapdragon 836 SoC. It is also reported to miss out on an in-screen fingerprint reader.

(source)

OnePlus 5 Teaser: OnePlus Hints Read Mode Feature, Refined OxygenOS Experience

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jun 16, 2017

As it has done for its predecessor phones, OnePlus is now releasing teasers to add more hype to OnePlus 5 before its official launch on June 20. The newest teaser that it has revealed on Twitter as a video is that OnePlus 5 would be coming with a filter for blue light along with several new software features.

Get a taste of how we've refreshed OxygenOS 😉 pic.twitter.com/JNAKJWiucw

— OnePlus (@oneplus) June 15, 2017

The video that has been added by OnePlus on its Twitter handle shows an eBook reader that comes with a manually adjustable setting for the screen’s color temperature. The video is about what OnePlus has refreshed on OxygenOS.

OnePlus is speculated to come with a 5.5-inch full HD display. Continuous viewing a screen that emits blue limit can not only affect the vision but also can impact the sleep by suppressing a hormone called melatonin. Hence, several smartphone OEMs are including blue light filter feature for better reading and screen viewing experience for longer durations. The feature can truly help in putting less strain while viewing the phone’s screen in the dark.

Xiaomi offers a feature called Read Mode in MIUI that turns the color of the display into a pale shade of yellow. Apple is also offering a similar feature called Night Shift in iOS. Also, there are several apps available for it on Play Store. The OnePlus 5 is confirmed to debut this feature. It seems that this feature will be also introduced on OnePlus 3T and OnePlus 3 smartphones.

Through another tweet, the company is conveying how smooth the OxygenOS experience will be on OnePlus 5. The tweet that is captioned as “software designed with style and refinement” probably refers to the latest version of OxygenOS that will be coming on OnePlus 5.

T-6. Software designed with style and refinement. https://t.co/KVXBWmhBt8 pic.twitter.com/M3FQS6mQEv

— OnePlus (@oneplus) June 14, 2017

The background image in the above tweet suggests that it may carry support for UI themes. The current OnePlus UI allows users to color accents can be modified throughout the interface. The black and white portion in the image may hint to the monochrome sensor that will be present in its rear-facing dual camera system. A photo shared by OnePlus suggests that OnePlus 5 would be able to shoot photos with bokeh effect through its dual rear cameras.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Emperor Edition May Feature 8 GB RAM; Galaxy Note 9 May Have 12 GB RAM

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jun 16, 2017

Since the official launch of Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is couple of months away, the rumor mill is spilling newer information on the phablet. Fresh information that is said to be revealed by an industry insider reveals that Samsung may release an 8 GB RAM variant of Galaxy Note 8 this year. The same source even claims that the Galaxy Note 9 phablet that will be arriving in 2018 will have an astonishing 12 GB of RAM.

According to the source, the 8 GB RAM model of the phablet will be introduced to the world as Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Emperor Edition. This could be variant that will be aimed towards the Chinese markets. There is huge competition between smartphone OEMs to release smartphones with high-end specs in China. For instance, the recently launched ZTE Nubia Z17 is the first Snapdragon 835 chipset smartphone with 8 GB RAM. It is the second 8 GB RAM phone after the ASUS ZenFone AR that is powered by Snapdragon 821 SoC.

Hence, in order to stay competitive with other brands that may release an 8 GB RAM phone in the near future, there is a possibility that Samsung may push its limits and launch an 8 GB RAM edition of Galaxy Note 8. As far as international model is expected to feature 6 GB of RAM.

The Samsung Galaxy S8+ featuring 6 GB RAM and a native storage of 128 GB was introduced as Emperor Edition in markets like China and Japan. For the international markets, the South Korean tech giant had released the Galaxy S8+ with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB of inbuilt storage.

Since the source is speculating that the Galaxy Note 9 coming in 2018 will be featuring 12 GB of RAM. There is a possibility that the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ that are speculated to launch at the start of the next year may feature 10 GB of RAM. These models could be dubbed as Emperor Editions. However, these things sound too good to be true.

Samsung has been struggling in China which is the largest smartphone market in the world. The market is dominated by domestic smartphone brands that are selling even flagship smartphones with affordable pricing. It has recently appointed Kwon Kye-hyun to pioneer and revive the phone business in China. Hence, there is a possibility that Samsung may launch Galaxy Note 8 Emperor Edition in China to attract flagship buyers.

More and more leaked information on Galaxy Note 8 are expected to surface in the coming weeks as Samsung is expected to introduce it at the end of August this year \just ahead of the IFA 2017 event that will be held at the beginning of September. It could be the first smartphone running on the upcoming Snapdragon 836 chipset.

(source|via)

OnePlus 3T Now Out of Stock In North America And Europe

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jun 15, 2017

The OnePlus 5 will launch in 5 days and ahead of its arrival, the OnePlus 3T is already out of stock in certain regions, never to be restocked again.

About three weeks ago, OnePlus announced that the OnePlus 3T was almost out of stock and hinted at it not being restocked. Right now if you reside in North America or Europe, you can’t purchase the OnePlus 3T. The “Buy Now” tab is missing from the page, leaving you to only check the features of the phone. The device is still available in the UK via O2 and India for now.

The reason for the discontinuation for the OnePlus 3T is not difficult to grasp. The OnePlus 3T is a premium phone with a very competitive price tag, selling for almost half the price of flagships from other manufacturers. Because of its price, its profit margin is small.

If it launches a new phone and keeps producing the old one, buyers will expect the old phone to sell for less meaning a smaller profit or even none at all. Its sale will also affect that of the new one.

Continue

Images Show Microsoft’s CShell Running On A Windows Phone

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jun 15, 2017

If you own a Windows 10 laptop, a Windows 10 Mobile phone and an Xbox One Console you will notice that while all three run Windows 10, they appear different due to the shell they run. Windows is working on changing that by building an adaptive shell, called CShell that unifies the experience.

New images shows CShell in action on a Windows Phone, revealing how the interface now looks more like what you would get on a desktop.

The images are courtesy of Aggiornamenti Lumia and they cover areas like the Start Screen, Notification Center, Keyboard and Settings.

The Start Menu now has features such as live tile resizing, ability to turn it on or off or set the dimension to “large”. It also adds the option to uninstall an app right from the start menu.

Continue

Huawei Honor 9 Records Almost 4 Million Registrations Ahead of First Sale Tomorrow

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jun 15, 2017

The Honor 9 is the latest device from Huawei’s sub-brand. Unveiled this week, the new flagship improves upon the favorite features of its predecessor and brings some new features of its own.

Set to go on sale tomorrow, report reaching us says pre-order registrations for the Honor 9 is nearly 4 million. Huawei’s VMall is said to have received 2.83 million registrations; Jingdong Mall (JD.com) puts its own figures at 620,000; and Suning Tesco has recorded bookings of 320,000.

Sum them up and that is 3.77 million registrations in four days. The figure is said to even exclude some other online shops. It remains to be seen if there is enough stock tomorrow.

The Honor 9 has a 5.15-inch FHD display and is powered by the Kirin 960 chip. That is the same processor in the Huawei Mate 9, P10 and P10 Plus. There is a high-end version with 6GB RAM and 64GB or 128GB of storage and a base variant with 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM.

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E Ink Already Has A Foldable Display, All It Needs Are Customers

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jun 15, 2017

Earlier this week, E Ink, the pioneer company in e-ink display technology showed off its new foldable screen.

E Ink makes the displays you find in e-readers like Kindles and Nooks. These devices have very impressive battery life, thanks to the low-power display. Once an E-reader displays a page, the screen stops drawing power from the battery and stays that way till you flip or scroll down the page.

E Ink plans to make reading a whole lot more fun with its new display which folds like a real book. The new foldable display it showed off is a 10.2-inch flexible Carta Mobius based e-reader with a ppi of 220.

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ZUK’s Future ZUI Updates Could Bring It Closer To Stock Android

By

Zhen Wan

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Jun 15, 2017

Although we know that Lenovo has pulled the plug on the ZUK brand line months ago, reports have surfaced that Lenovo has kept the ZUI software interface under development for the Moto brand. From an earlier revealed document from Lenovo’s private archives, it was said that the company has been testing a Moto modular smartphone prototype equipped with a ZUI system.

ZUK‘s former CEO Chang Cheng has been pretty active on Weibo, often replying to fan’s questions. Recently when one of the fans asked him about the progress on the new ZUI update, he replied by saying that it would be close to stock Android, which is similar to the strategy adopted by the existing Moto brand’s UI.

ZUK’s software department is not new to the near-stock Android experience either, as in the past, the ZUK Z1 ran with the, now unsupported, Cyanogen OS 12.1; which also provided a custom stock Android UI. The popularity of in-house near-stock Android is increasing, for example, OnePlus’ successful OxygenOS and ZTE’s MiFlavor have become many non-Mainland Chinese UI favorites.

We will have to take this with a pinch of salt, as we may not be expecting the ZUI to be implemented on Moto devices, at least not outside China. However, with leaks that the defunct ZUK department was collaborating with the Moto team on a modular flagship device, we may see Lenovo release a modular phone with a new version of ZUI on it.

What is also important to note is that ZUK’s ZUI is still new to the global market, as it was first used in the ZUK Z2, not Z1, globally. However, if the rumors are true, the ZUI can provide another take on the stock Android, with a hint of the remaining ‘ZUKesque’ feel.

Personally, I think that Lenovo should stick to concentrating on the Moto line whilst improving the current near-stock Android experience already used in their system.

What are your thoughts on these new ZUI rumors?

(via)

Meizu Pay Enters Open Beta In China, Available For Only Pro 5 & Pro 6 Plus

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jun 15, 2017

Meizu had shown signs that it is planning to release its own Meizu Pay payment platform as far back as December 2016 when the company shared a teaser to that effect. Since then nothing has been heard about the proposed Meizu Pay until now. The company has now officially announced that the Meizu Pay feature will be opening for Open Beta as from June 21.

The payment platform is apparently in response to the growing trend and expansion of payment apps such as Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, AliPay, Tencent Pay, Mi Pay and others. In order not to be cut out of the share of the market in a situation it joins the party late, the company is getting into the fray now. The open beta for the Meizu Pay will run from June 21 to July 20 and is only open for users of the Meizu Pro 5 and Pro 6 Plus, two of its flagship models with NFC. The use of NFC effectively rules out the possibility of this feature hitting other models without NFC anytime soon. The company may, however, decide to enable fingerprint payment feature later on which would make the payment app available on more models.

Meizu is presently accepting applications to join the Open beta program. The company also disclosed that the top 20 users during the open beta will have a reward each. Interested users will need to register on the Flyme website and fill a Questionnaire. After that qualified applicants will be contacted to meet with Meizu’s officials within three working days. One of the requirement is the ability to use NFC and another is ownership of either the Pro 5 or Pro 6 Plus.

(source)

Gionee A1 Lite Announced With 20MP Selfie Camera and NPR 26,999 Price

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jun 15, 2017

Gionee launched the A1 and A1 Plus at MWC 2017. Both phones have wonderful selfie cameras and pretty large batteries. Today in Nepal, it added the Gionee A1 Lite to the lineup, and just like its siblings, it also packs a high pixel selfie camera and a more than sufficient battery.

The Gionee A1 Lite has a 5.3-inch HD display. A MediaTek MT6753 chipset is paired with 3GB of RAM under the metal back plate. Storage is 32GB and there is a microSD card slot for up to 64GB cards. The battery capacity is 4000mAh and boasts a standby time of 295 hours.

Coming to the cameras, Gionee kills it with a 20MP front camera with soft flash. The rear camera is a 13MP sensor and it sits above a fingerprint scanner.

Continue

Meizu’s New Teaser Seems To Talk About The Pro 7’s Secondary Screen

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jun 15, 2017

Meizu released a teaser poster on the Charm Blue official Weibo page which also came along with a short message. The short teasing message is suggestive the teaser is likely referring to the Pro 7. The message apparent refers to phone users who mute all forms of message notification but can’t stop looking at the phone every now and then to see if there is a new message.

If you’re still wondering how this relates to the Meizu Pro 7, here is your answer. The Pro 7 is expected to feature a secondary display at the back which would show date, time, weather information, calls and message notification. The secondary display has appeared in several leaked renders, including that of the phone’s casing or shell. A supposed spy shot even revealed how the secondary display will pan out on the Pro 7. The secondary display is expected made from electronic ink (e-ink) and would remain on always, thus reducing the urge to always switch on the main display. This could, in turn, enhance the battery life.

Apart from the innovative design, the Meizu Pro 7 is expected to be the first device that would feature MediTek’s latest deca-core Helio X30 processor and is tipped to also pack a 12MP Sony IMX386 + 12MP Sony IMX286 dual camera setup. An earlier rumour also says Meizu will unveil the Pro 7 in July. Could this teaser be the first of several teasers that will culminate in the Pro 7’s launch? We are not ruling out the possibility that the teaser may be referring to an entirely different product but we’ll find out soon.

(source)

Leaked Vivo Phone Reveals A Hidden Optical Fingerprint Sensor

By

Zhen Wan

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Jun 15, 2017

This month has been packed with OnePlus 5 leaks and teasers, both official and unofficially. However, cousin-company Vivo has had a fair share in the rumor mill.

Vivo Prototype Featuring Optical Fingerprint Sensor

A leak shows a familiar Vivo X9 Plus style design without a dedicated capacitive home button. Currently the majority of smartphones that have a featured fingerprint sensor, we would expect it to be located on the front-bottom of the phone or at the back off-center vertically; with the occasional exception, such as Sony’s side power button.

Report from Industry Analyst, Pan Jiutang, reveals a video showing a functioning Vivo prototype featuring the optical fingerprint sensor.

From the source, they claim that the appearance of this phone looks similar to the Vivo XPlay 6’s lock screen and the fingerprint button looks similar to the icon used in the Samsung S8. From the video, we can see that smartphone automatically unlocks when touching the screen instead of the usual tap on a button.

You can check out the video from here (may require login on Weibo).

Pan Jiutang believes that Vivo will be the first in the under screen optical fingerprint scanner game, whilst Apple will more likely to break this technology into the ‘global mainstream’. He also adds that Samsung Note 8 would likely not house the feature.

In light of this leak of Vivo’s prototype with a hidden fingerprint sensor, Vivo has been known for pushing innovation and new technology into their products; for example, the world’s first HI-FI smartphones, X9 and XPlay 6 Dual, before other companies begun placing branded audio chips into theirs.

More rumors suggest that Vivo will be holding an event on June 28 within the Shanghai MWC conference, possibly revealing the prototype.

What are your thoughts on this leak? Do you think Vivo will be releasing an Optical Fingerprint Sensor ahead of the game? Leave your comments down below.

(via)

Sketchy OnePlus 5 Renders Leak Along With Unofficial Case

By

Zhen Wan

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Jun 15, 2017

Fueling the hype of the OnePlus 5’s release on June 20, a questionable render leak has been revealed showing the front of the OnePlus 5 alongside what could be an unofficial case.

According to report, the case has been officially named “The OnePlus 5 Electroplated Transparent Clear Silicone TPU Cover”, published on a site named, ‘Case Fanatic’. From further exploration, the website specializes in selling cases primarily for smartphones, but also cameras and select laptops. This unofficial render may prove to be the most accurate so far, however, everything is up in the air until OnePlus releases the smartphone.

From the gallery attached below, we can see initial inaccuracies with the top of the phone, where official images show a more tapered edge instead of a filleted one on the unofficial renders. However, the back of the phone resembles closely to the official, the dual camera setup and single flash, as well as an antenna line on the bottom half.

Although the OnePlus 5 hasn’t been released, casefanatic.com has jumped the line and has listed black and gold variants costing $15. For the eager lot who would also like to jump ahead and stock on OnePlus accessories, it is important to note that any pre-release accessories must be thoroughly considered before purchasing, as products may or may not be 100% accurate to the released model.

What are your thoughts on these renders? Do you provide enough evidence for you to purchase OnePlus 5 accessories before launch? Leave your thoughts and comments below.

[envira-gallery id=”136397″]

(Source, via)

Moto Z2 Surfaces on AnTuTu: Packs Snapdragon 835, QHD Display & 4GB RAM

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jun 15, 2017

The Moto Z2 is expected to launch on June 27 judging from the teaser poster released recently. We believe it is the Z2 because that’s the phone the lady is holding in the poster.

Some think its the Moto X4 because it has dual cameras too and the lady does a good job covering the place where the Moto Mod pins are. However, if you zoom in closer, you will see the LED flash is below the sensors. For the Moto X4, the led flash is above its dual sensors and the video below is proof.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgNaOtx7UcQ[/embedyt]

The Moto Z2 has been spotted on AnTuTu ahead of its launch and the benchmarking site has revealed some of its features.

The Moto Z2 is running Android 7.1.1 Nougat and is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835. The GPU is the Adreno 540 and the screen resolution is put at 1440 × 2560 (Quad HD).

AnTutu has revealed the camera specifications too. There is a 5MP up in front and one of the rear cameras is a 12MP sensor. RAM remains 4GB like last year’s model and built-in storage is 64GB.

Continue

Mijia Announces The Mini J Retro Mini Refrigerator for ¥999 (~$147)

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jun 15, 2017

Mijia has announced a new crowdfunding product and like we predicted, it is indeed a refrigerator. The Mini J Retro Mini Refrigerator was announced this morning and wears a ¥999 (~$147) price tag.

The refrigerator is made by the same company behind the Mini J smart washing machine announced almost year ago. It has a retro design and a white glossy surface. The door is said to have a mirror-like finish but there are no images showing how reflective it is.

The Mini J Retro Mini Refrigerator has 2 main compartments. There is a 13L compartment that serves as small freezer and a 108L main compartment with 2 shelves and a vegetable/fruit box. You can also store drinks and fruits on the shelves beside the door.

Continue

OnePlus 5 Looks Like iPhone 7 Plus? OnePlus Co-founder Says Such Talks Will Stop After OnePlus 5 Arrives

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jun 15, 2017

Since several months, the rumor mill had been speculating on the design of the OnePlus 5 by releasing numerous leaked renders based on speculations surrounding the flagship phone. However, since the time the Chinese manufacturer released an official teaser of the OnePlus 5 to reveal its appearance, there has been a backlash on social platforms like Twitter and Reddit to express the disappointment on the design of the phone as it appears very similar to iPhone 7 Plus. OnePlus co-founder, Carl Pei has released a new tweet to express his views on the issue.

OnePlus is building hype on the upcoming OnePlus 5 flagship killer by consistently releasing camera samples that are allegedly shot using its dual rear camera. At the same time, the company seems to be keeping an eye on how people are reacting to the teasers. This has become evident as Pei has released a tweet in response to public’s reaction on the design of OnePlus 5. Here is the tweet:

History will repeat itself once people see a real live OnePlus 5.

— Carl Pei (@getpeid) June 14, 2017

The above tweet says that before the official launch of OnePlus 3, people were not happy with its design. However, the disappointment on OnePlus 3’s design cooled down as soon as the phone reached the users. Another tweet from Pei states that the history will repeat itself when the people will see the OnePlus 5 in real. It seems that the Pei wants to say that the displeasure surrounding the design of OnePlus 5 will melt down when it will be unveiled.

Before the launch of OnePlus 3, people criticized on its design by saying that its appears like a hybrid of Samsung Galaxy S6 and HTC 10. Even though the OnePlus 3 had appeared a bit like these phones, the OnePlus phone still had its own distinctive appeal. It wasn’t like the HTC One A9 mid-range phone that appeared very similar to the iPhone 6. Even after the release of HTC One A9, it is still remembered as a rip-off of iPhone 6.

The above images clearly show that the design and placement of the dual rear camera of OnePlus 5 is very similar to iPhone 7 Plus. Even the position of the LED flash on OnePlus 5 resembles with iPhone 7 Plus. The selfie camera on both the phones also appear to be in the same position.

Do you think that the criticism surrounding the OnePlus 5’s design will subside after its launch? Share us your thoughts by adding comments below.

(source)

Samsung Launching An Exynos 7872-Powered Galaxy C-Series Phone Soon

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jun 15, 2017

There is a new rumour in town that tech giant, Samsung Electronics is planning to release a new smartphone which would utilise its upcoming Exynos 7872 mid-range chip soon. The rumour emerged on Twitter from a self-acclaimed “famous leaker in China” who hinted that the phone belongs to the Galaxy -series but isn’t the Galaxy C10 and C10 Plus.

Samsung Galaxy C9 Pro — Samsung Galaxy C-series phone (C9 Pro)

The tipster wasn’t specific about the Galaxy C-series smartphone’s launch date but the device will be the first Samsung-made Exynos 7872-powered smartphone but we can’t say if the device will be the first device that would feature the Samsung mid-range chip. Meizu is also rumoured as working on a device which would use the Exynos 7872 chip. In a subsequent tweet, the tipster disclosed that the device will likely be the Samsung Galaxy C7 2017.

A whole new GALAXY C smartphone that we havent seen(NOT C10/10PLUS), coming soon…Maybe 1st Exynos7872 Samsung smartphone…

— 萌萌的电教 (@MMDDJ_) June 14, 2017

A previous leak had given the details of the Exynos 7872 to include, a 64-bit hexacore 14nm FinFet manufacturing process with four cortex-A53 cores for power efficiency and two cortex-A73 cores for performance. For its GPU, the Exynos 7872 System-on-Chip (SoC) is said to come with a Mali-T830 MP2 GPU. It also comes with a fully-integrated modem for improved network support and lots more.

yeah
Samsung GALAXY C7 2017 C7100
C7100CHC0AQF6
maybe Exynos7872

— 萌萌的电教 (@MMDDJ_) June 14, 2017

If the information turns out to be true, the device will join the Galaxy Note 8 as upcoming models Samsung will unveil this year. Curiously, we haven’t seen too many from the Korean giant but its Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus are raking in tonnes of profits for the company.

(source/via)

Archos Announces Four New Phones Including A Nubia M2 Lookalike

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jun 15, 2017

Archos is a French-based electronics company whose portfolio includes tablets, smartphones and media devices. The name Archos is a rearrangement of its founder’s surname, Henri Crohas. The manufacturer announced four new smartphones a few days ago, two of which are re-branded Nubia phones.

Archos Diamond Alpha

The Archos Diamond Alpha is a perfect replica of the Nubia M2 and Archos does nothing to hide it. Down to the wallpaper used in their promotional image, you know this is the Nubia M2 with a new name.

The phone has a 5.2-inch FHD screen, 4GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 652 processor. There is 64GB of storage on board and dual 13MP cameras on the back. The cameras are in the same RGB + Monochrome configuration as the Nubia M2. There is a 16MP sensor up front for selfies with support for 4K recording.

The Archos Diamond Alpha has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and keeps the signature red holo circle beneath the display. It will sell for €299 when it becomes available in July.

Archos Diamond Gamma

The Diamond Gamma is the second re-branded Nubia phone. It has a 5.5-inch HD display, 3GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 435 SoC . It has 32GB of built-in storage with the option for expansion.

The rear camera is a 13MP sensor and a 5MP selfie camera. The Diamond Gamma has a 3000mAh battery and runs Android 7. It is priced at €199.

Archos Sense 55s

The Sense 55s has a 5.5-inch FHD display that is nearly bezel-less at the top. Archos says it has a 78% screen-to-body-ratio. That’s small seeing that it is almost bezel-less on three sides. But take a look at the bottom bezel and you should understand.

It is surprising why Archos had to make it so big seeing as it only houses the front facing camera. The fingerprint scanner sits at the back just below the dual 8MP sensors and the buttons are on-screen. So why make it so big?

The Sense 55s is modest with the rest of the specs. It has 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage with an expansion slot that takes up to 128GB cards. The processor is not mentioned. There is a 3000mAh battery under the hood and Android Nougat pre-installed. It is priced at €249

Archos Sense 50x

On first look, you should already know the Sense 50X is a rugged smartphone. It has a 5-inch FHD display protected by Gorilla Glass 3. Under the hood is a Mediatek MT6737T SoC clocked at 1.5GHz paired with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of built-in storage. There is support for storage expansion and you get a 3500mAh battery.

The Sense 50X is IP68 certified, so it will survive immersion in water up to 1.5m for 30 minutes. It is also scratch, dust and shockproof. Another feature it has is being able to work under extreme temperatures. Archos says it will have no issues running between -20°C to +55°C.

The Sense 50x will be available in July for €169.

(Source)