Sketch of 2nd-Gen Ivvi 3D Phone Leaks, Sports Dual Rear Cameras

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Jul 16, 2017

For those who don’t know, Ivvi used to be a sub-brand of smartphone company Coolpad. Last year, LeEco became the largest shareholder at Coolpad, but we do not know if it was responsible for selling off 80% of Ivvi’s stake in December 2016 to SuperD, a display technology company in China. This year has seen the release of the Ivvi K5 and the Ivvi V3. The former has a glasses-free 3D display and may be getting a successor soon.

A sketch of a new phone said to be a 2nd-gen 3D smartphone was leaked online last week. There were reports earlier this year that the company would launch new products with glasses-free 3D display and it appears the image points to one of them.

Apart from the phone having a 3D display, it will also have dual rear cameras and a likely front-mounted fingerprint scanner. The overall design of the phone is different as the sketch shows a phone that is curvier than your average smartphone. The display is also curved at the edges just like the LG G6.

It is not known if this is the final design but the phone looks like it will be a bit wide based on its unusual shape. Another info from the leaked image is the writing at the bottom right corner which says “Ivvi V Series”. This means it will belong in the same series as the V3 released last month.

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Xiaomi Provides Explanation for Delay in Split-Screen Implementation in MIUI

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jul 16, 2017

Split-screen multitasking was already available for years before Google made it a default feature in Android Nougat. Samsung was one of the early pioneers and called it Multi-Window. Now that it is a stock android feature, some manufacturers are yet to implement it and a prime example is Xiaomi’s MIUI.

The feature will just be hitting devices via the MIUI 9 update scheduled to launch next month. Better late than never, right? Xiaomi decided to explain why it took so long to implement split-screen in MIUI.

First reason stated is the length of time it took discussing the new feature and how it will affect usage. They also had to figure out how to implement it across the various Xiaomi phones which are running different versions of android.

Another issue they had to deal with was the redesign of the recent task menu to accommodate the split-screen feature. Doing that escalated some previous issues that were already present within the recent apps menu.

Now that everything seems to be sorted out, we should expect the feature to be available on the first stable roll-out of MIUI 9.

Entering split-screen mode in MIUI 9 is simple. Once you are in the recent apps menu, tap the icon at the top left corner and you will be able to drag apps to each vertical half of the screen

Some advanced features that are present include double tapping the split windows to change the position of the apps or double tapping the recent apps button to switch to the previous app.

Exiting is easy as well. You can drag any of the apps till it completely takes the whole screen or use the exit split-screen button when you are in the recent apps menu.

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Xiaomi 5X Could Be First Smartphone from Xiaomi’s New Sub-brand; Key Specifications and Pricing Leaked

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Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jul 16, 2017

Xiaomi is speculated to soon introduce a new sub-brand. Rumors had speculated that Xiaomi X1 could be the name of first smartphone under this sub-brand. However, a leaked poster that has surfaced from China has revealed that indicates that Xiaomi would be soon launching a phone called Xiaomi 5X. Speculations indicate that first phone under Xiaomi’s new sub-brand will be this Xiaomi 5X phone, and not Xiaomi X1.

The leakster had already appeared in the previous week. However, only the part showing its pricing was revealed. The poster reveals that the Xiaomi 5X would be coming with a 5.5-inch display that will probably support full HD resolution. The Snapdragon 625 chipset will be powering the phone along with 4GB of RAM.

As it can be seen that the Xiaomi has struck a deal with popular Chinese celebrity, Kris Wu for promoting the Xiaomi 5X. It seems Wu has ended his previous contract with Huawei Honor and is now with Xiaomi to probably advertise the new sub-brand from Xiaomi.

The Xiaomi 5X is expected to feature a thin metallic body and it is expected to arrive in color choices like gold and black. In the leaked poster, the Xiaomi Mi 5X phone that can be seen near the face of the Chinese celebrity features dual rear cameras that carries support for 5x optical zoom.

A leaked photo of a mysterious Xiaomi phone that surfaced in the previous week. The handset sports dual rear cameras coupled with a dual-tone dual-LED flash on its left. Its antenna bands seem to be placed on the upper and lower edges of the back panel. It seems that this image belongs to the Xiaomi 5X. Since the fingerprint reader is not placed on the backside of the phone, it appears that it will be equipped with frontal fingerprint reader.

The Xiaomi 5X is priced at 1,999 Yuan (~$296). The Chinese firm is known for launching smartphones in multiple storage variants. Hence, it is likely that this pricing could probably belong to the lowest configuration model of Xiaomi 5X.

Chinese brands like OPPO and Vivo have gained huge user base thanks to their offline marketing strategy. Xiaomi is rumored to debut its new smartphone sub-brand to compete against these brands. In fact, Xiaomi 5X is speculated to rival with recently launched OPPO R11 phone.

(source)

Meizu PRO 7 Officially Teased; PRO 7, PRO 7 Plus Variants & Pricing Leaked

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Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jul 16, 2017

Meizu PRO 7 is rumored to debut on July 26. It is speculated to launch alongside the Meizu PRO 7 Plus. The rumor mill has revealed plenty of leaked images of the Meizu PRO 7 in the past weeks. Speculations claim that the Meizu PRO 7 and 7 Plus would be debuting at Zhuhai, China on July 26 at 19:30 PM local time. Jeffery Yang, the senior vice-president of Meizu has change the display image of his Weibo profile to PRO 7.

Yang has also posted some new images on his Weibo. The PRO 7 duo are equipped dual rear cameras. It is not clear whether the images revealed by Yang are snapped using the PRO 7. Some of the images posted by him carries image of a window which could be hinting to the USP of the PRO 7 i.e. its secondary screen.

The backside of the Meizu PRO 7 and PRO 7 Plus feature a secondary screen below the dual rear cameras. The secondary screen is 2-inch in size. The secondary screen supports multiple functions such as it can work as a view finder for the dual cameras, for displaying notifications, playing games, and it can even work when the smartphone is turned off.

The Meizu PRO 7 will be a standard variant that is expected to come with a 5.2-inch screen that supports full HD resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. It will be driven by MediaTek Helio X30 chipset that features a deca-core processor. It would be coming in two RAM variants of 6 GB and 8 GB.

The dual cameras module sitting on the backside of the Meizu PRO 7 is equipped with Sony IMX386 + IMX286 12-megapixel sensors. The front-facing camera of the PRO 7 will be of 16-memgapixel. The two variants of the Meizu PRO 7 is rumored to be available with a pricing of 2,799 Yuan (~$413) and 3,299 Yuan (~$486)

The Meizu PRO 7 Plus would be coming with high-end specs compared to the PRO 7. It would be featuring a 5.7-inch QHD display and it would be powered by Samsung Exynos 8895 chipset. It is expected to arrive in three variants such as 4 GB RAM + 64 GB priced at $3299 (~$486), 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage priced at 3,599 Yuan (~$530) and 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage costing 3,799 Yuan (~$560).

(source|via)

Moto E4 Plus Sells 100,000 Units In 24 Hours In India

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jul 15, 2017

Lenovo launched the Moto E4 and Moto E4 Plus in India on Wednesday in India. While the Moto E4 was available right away, the Flipkart-exclusive Moto E4 Plus did not go on sale until almost midnight that day.

Moto E4 Plus

Report from Flipkart says it has sold 100,000 units of the new E series phone. According to the retail store, it sold 580 units per minute in the first hour of the phone being on sale. It also said there were a total of 150,000 visits to the product’s page within the same hour.

The Moto E4 is a 5.5-inch smartphone with a HD display. For its selling price of Rs. 9,999 (~$156), you get a 5000mAh battery, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. There is a Mediatek MTK6737 SoC, Android 7.1.1 and a 13MP rear camera. You also get a 5MP front camera with LED flash and a fingerprint scanner.

That is value for money and a good reason for the device to have sold so much within a short time. Another reason can also be the deals Flipkart is offering alongside.

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Andy Rubin’s Essential Facing Problems As Top Executives Resign

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jul 15, 2017

The Essential Phone by Andy Rubin should already be available for purchase but it is already past 30 days since the shipping date deadline set by Mr.Rubin himself.

It appears the delay isn’t the only problem the new tech company is facing. Reports say it is also having issues with top executives, two of whom have resigned recently.

The company’s vice-president of marketing, Brian Wallace announced his resignation recently. He is now the Chief Marketing Officer of i.am+, a startup founded by musician will.i.am.

Mr Wallace is the second top executive to resign in recent times. Andy Fouché, who held the post of Head of Communications left in June according to His LinkedIn page.

These two positions are key ones in any company and it means a lot if a company loses its marketing and communications chiefs before it even launches its first product. The reason for their departure is unknown but some say Andy Rubin is a difficult person to work with.

The Essential Phone is a Snapdragon 835-powered phone with a bezel-less design. It also plays with modularity as it has support for additional hardware that can be attached to the back via 2 accessory power pins. A 360-degree camera is the first accessory made for the phone.

The Essential Phone has a display of 5.7-inches, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. Following the trend of modern smartphones, the Essential PH-1 has dual rear cameras (13MP RGB+ 13MP true monochrome sensors) and up in front is an 8MP sensor. Battery is 3040mAh and there is NFC, Bluetooth 5.0 and Gorilla Glass 5 on both sides.

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Nokia 8 Specifications, Release Date and Price Leaks

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jul 15, 2017

If we are to go by the statement released early this year about Nokia’s product road map, then we should expect 3 or 4 more devices before the year ends. Two of those devices are are high-end devices and according to leaks they will launch as the Nokia 8 and Nokia 9 respectively. Fresh details of the Nokia 8 were leaked early this morning by Roland Quandt.

According to him, the Nokia 8 is actually the HMD Global TA-1004 we saw on Geekbench a few months ago and not the Nokia 9. That device is powered by a Snapdragon 835 processor, nullifying the rumor that the Nokia 8 will come with a snapdragon 660.

The Nokia 8 will have 4GB RAM, 64GB of built-in storage and will launch with two SIM card slots in Europe. There will most likely be a single SIM model if they keep to their current trend.

Another detail leaked is the color variants the phone will arrive in. There will be blue, steel (silver), gold/blue, and gold/copper colors. It is unknown if all the colors will be available at launch or if some will be released first and the rest later.

And last but not the least, pricing and release date. The Nokia 8 will be launched at the end of this month and will be available for purchase on the 31st of July. Price in Europe is put at €598 (~$686/¥4652). We never expected it to be cheap, so this isn’t surprising.

The Nokia 8 may actually sell for less in other markets especially China and we know devices are usually more expensive in Europe due to the high tax rate.

Other details not disclosed include the display size and camera configuration. Some say it will have a 5.7-inch 2K display and dual cameras but these may belong to the Nokia 9.

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Meizu Pro 7 Plus Price & Real Photo Leaked

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jul 15, 2017

We have seen a lot of leaked renders of the Meizu Pro 7 so far but that of the Pro 7 Plus has been quite elusive. We may have seen the Pro 7 Plus’ real photo without realising it. Recall that a recent photo of the Pro 7 surfaced online recently revealing the secondary display may support touch input. Turns out one of the two phones in the photo is actually that of the Pro 7 Plus.

The leaked photo appeared in black and gold colors. On closer scrutiny, it would be noticed that the Black variant is a little bigger in size than the gold variant. That is because the black variant is the Meizu Pro 7 Plus. If you didn’t pick that up at first, don’t get furious because you are not alone. Moreso, the Pro7 and Pro 7 Plus both feature exactly the same design, the only difference would be the internal hardware they pack. The Pro 7 Plus is rumoured to feature an Exynos 8895 chipset while the Pro 7 will utilise MediaTek’s flagship Helio X30 chip.

In addition, the Meizu Pro 7 Plus price was also the subject of a recent rumour as the Pro 7 Plus is said to start at 3299 Yuan ($486) for the standard version and 3799 Yuan ($560) for the high-end model. Those are quite some exorbitant prices but it’s all a rumour so we hope the price doesn’t get so high. We’ll find out about that when the Pro 7 and Pro 7 Plus are officially launched later this month.

(source)

Samsung Galaxy Note Fan Edition Teardown Reveals Internals

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jul 14, 2017

Samsung Galaxy Note Fan Edition is the refurbished units of the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7 that is best known as the “exploding flagship”. The new Galaxy Note Fan Edition was launched in South Korea about two weeks back and is tipped to go on sale in other regions soon. Before the Galaxy Note FE hits your region, we have got the teardown for the device revealing the internals.

The Samsung Galaxy Note Fan Edition teardown comes to us courtesy of the guys at IFIXIT and it gives us the opportunity to compare the Note 7 with the Note FE. As we already know, the Galaxy Note FE comes with exactly the same design as the botched Note 7. The internals also looks alike except for some changes. The battery obviously is one of the things that were changed on the new Galaxy Note FE. The new battery is labelled with a June 20, 2017 manufacture date and weighs about 2.3g lesser than the Note 7’s. The battery is also a non-removable one.

Also, the teardown reveals that the Note Fan Edition uses an Octa-core chipset instead of a quad-core model. This effectively casts doubt over the presence of a Snapdragon 820/821 processor on board because both chips are quad-core chips. Since this is the Korean model, it is possible this is an Exynos-powered model 2hile the SNapdragon version will hit the global market. Apart from these few things, the Galaxy Note Fan Edition and Galaxy Note 7 seems to be the same device in design and the internals. Check out the teardown photos from below.

(source)

Specs & Price Of Xiaomi’s Upcoming Phone Taking On OPPO R11 Leaked

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jul 14, 2017

Xiaomi’s upcoming mid-range phone has been popping up in the news at almost the same rate as the Meizu Pro 7. The device is tipped to belong to a new smartphone series Xiaomi is introducing to take on OPPO and Vivo. The leaked image of the device seems to corroborate this claim as it looks like the OPPO R11. As if that isn’t enough, a new leaked detail has emerged which contains the price as well as some key specifications of the Xiaomi model identified as X1.

The leaked detail shows that the Xiaomi X1 will come with a price of 1999 Yuan (~$295) which is a decent price. Some of the specs details also contained in the poster is the device will feature a similar 5.5-inch display size with a metal body. In addition, it will come with a dual camera setup at the rear having optical zoom. These are all features of the OPPO R11 and if the rumours are correct, then the device will also be fueled by a Snapdragon 660 chip with 4GB + 64GB memory at the minimum.

We can’t say for sure if this is accurate or when the model will be released but going by the poster, it will be available on Xiaomi Mall, Mi.com, or Mi Home.

(source)

Latest Rumour: Meizu Pro 7 Plus Will Come With An Exynos 8895 Chip

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jul 14, 2017

Leaks concerning the Meizu Pro 7 has been quite consistent these days considering that the flagship phone is tipped as launching later this month. The rear display seems to be the biggest highlight of the Pro 7 but some may say it is the Helio X30 chip it is expected to feature. Well, looks like the Pro 7 will not be having an Helio X30 chip only as new detail has emerged that the Meizu Pro 7 Plus will feature a Samsung Exynos 8895 chip.

Meizu has always been known to use Exynos chips on its smartphones, the last to feature that was the Meizu Pro 6 Plus which uses an Exynos 8890 chip but that was like a year after Samsung released the flagship chip. But in this case, the Pro 7 Plus is said to feature the Exynos 8895 a couple of months after it was released. The information is credited to have been revealed by a Meizu store employee. The details include that there are two versions of the Pro 7, one with a secondary display and another version without a secondary display, both powered by Helio X30. The Meizu Pro 7 Plus, on the other hand, will have a secondary display and will be powered by the latest Exynos 8895 as stated earlier.

The use of an Exynos 8895 chip on the Pro 7 Plus sounds interesting, considering that the Exynos 8890 onboard the Pro 6 Plus did not come with full network support but the Exynos 8895 comes with it. This disclosure, if true, will surely further spur up the level of interests in the upcoming flagship.

(source)

Samsung SM-R365, the Alleged Gear Fit 2 Pro Receives FCC Approval; Launch Seems Imminent

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jul 14, 2017

Since the beginning of this year, the rumor mill has been hinting that Samsung is working on an improved edition of the Gear Fit 2 fitness tracker. Speculations are rife that it may debut as Samsung Gear Fit 2 Pro. In May, the Gear Fit 2 Pro rumored to launch at the Tizen Developer Conference, but it did not come true. However, its arrival seems imminent as the device has now received certification from Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the U.S.

A Samsung device with model number SM-R365 has received FCC approval. Rumors have been hinting that this model number belongs to Gear Fit 2 Pro. Its FCC ID is A3lSMR365. The schematics of the alleged Gear Fit 2 Pro has been revealed by FCC listing. There are no details available on the device, but it is pegged to be an enhanced version of the original Gear Fit 2 fitness tracker that has a model number of SM-R360..

The FCC listing of SM-R365 has revealed that it is equipped with v4.2 LE Bluetooth and single band Wi-Fi b/g/n. It is expected to feature an optical heart rate tracker that is available on other Gear Fit devices.

It is speculated to be based on Samsung’s Simband health platform that would be a cloud-sourced health tracking device flanked with health sensors for measuring body temperature, oxygen level, hear rate and so on. Like the Gear Fit 2, the alleged Pro edition could be also based on Tizen OS. More information on its features are likely to appear in the coming weeks.

Rumors indicate the South Korean company may also debut another device called Gear POP that has a model number of SM-R600. The features of the Gear POP are not known yet. There is no information on when Samsung will be unveiling the alleged Gear Fit 2 Pro and Gear POP devices. The Gear Fit 2 was unveiled in June last year. Since it has been over one year since the launch of Gear Fit 2, the arrival of its improved edition seems imminent.

(source|via)

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Like Phablet Appears in Exynos Teaser as Amidst Rumors on Early September Launch

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jul 14, 2017

On the official Twitter account of Samsung Exynos, the company has released a new image for promoting Exynos 9 mobile chipsets. The image carries an image of a Samsung phablet that resembles with the leaked images of the Galaxy Note 8. More and more leaked information on Galaxy Note 8 are surfacing at a steady pace. Amidst Galaxy Note 8 rumors, a fresh information coming from Taiwan suggests that the phablet will get announced in early September.

Do what you want. #Exynos will get things done. Learn more about #Exynos8895: https://t.co/xjBw74E39o pic.twitter.com/zzxH7NE3QU

— Samsung Exynos (@SamsungExynos) July 13, 2017

The design of the phone shown in the above image does not resemble the Samsung Galaxy S8 even it boasts a large full-screen display. The bezels of the phablet present in the above image feature very slim bezels. The positioning of the selfie camera and other sensors on the top bezels appears similar to the front panel of the Note 8 that have recently appeared in the leaked images.

The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ feature full-screen displays that are dubbed as Infinity Display by Samsung. The leaked images of Galaxy Note 8’s front panel show that the Galaxy Note 8 will be also featuring an Infinity Display. However, it expected to come with a 6.3-inch display which is larger than the 6.2-inch display of Galaxy S8+. Speculations also indicate that the Galaxy Note 8’s screen will deliver QHD+ resolution.

A recent report has revealed that Samsung would be debutingthe Galaxy Note 8 on Aug. 23. However, there is no official confirmation yet from Samsung on it. The South Korean may note make it readily available for purchase as soon as it announces the Note 8. New details coming from well-known component manufacturers in Taiwan have said that the Galaxy Note 8 would be available in September at the earliest. The South Korean media has been claiming that the reason why Galaxy Note 8 would releasing sooner is because of the slow sales of Galaxy S8 and also due to fact that iPhone 8 would be arriving in the market in November.

Insiders from the supply chain has also said that the recently launched Galaxy Note Fan Edition in the home country was a test to check how the consumers will react to the Note series. The Note FE has reportedly received overwhelming response as 400,000 units of Note FE were sold out as soon as they were made available for buying. As far as Galaxy Note 8 is concerned, Samsung is pegged to sell around 10 to 15 million units.

(source)

360 Mobiles Working On A 6GB RAM Phone, Spotted On GFXBench

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jul 14, 2017

Chinese smartphone maker 360 Mobiles is an arm of a sprawling tech company under the parent company known as Qihoo 360. Their other concerns include a very popular anti-virus software business among others. The 360 Mobiles arm is known for the manufacture of sleek devices adorning a powerful specs lineup with cheap price tags. A new GFXBench appearance by a 360 Mobiles phone has revealed that the company may be working on a 6GB RAM phone.

It is not that 360 Mobiles has not got a 6GB RAM phone, the 360 N5 was launched earlier this year packing 6GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 653 Systems-on-Chips (SoC). But the GFXBench data show they are working on something similar in hardware to the N5. The device appears with the codename QiKU 1607-A01 but since QiKU has changed to Qihoo 360 which now manufactures devices under the ‘360’ branding, the device is certainly a 360 Mobile model.

If the 6GB of RAM sounds interesting to you, other specs might douse your interest as the device still remains a mid-range model. The 360 Mobiles phone is listed as sporting a 5.7-inch 1080p display and will be fired up by a 1.8GHz 64bit Octa-core chip believed to be a Snapdragon 652 chip due to the presence of the Adreno 510 GPU. It is even possible that this is a similar Snapdragon 653 on the N5 and N5s since both chips will have the same motherboard. Providing the interface will be an Android 7.1 Nougat OS.

We can’t say what particular name this device will launch with but it may likely be a Plus sized variant of the 360 N5. A 360 N5 Plus sounds logical considering the display is a little bigger than the 5.5-inch N5 and N5s which was also launched recently with a Snapdragon 653 chip as well. We can’t be so sure about that though, but we expect it to come with a cheap price tag just like previous models.

(source)

Google Pixel XL 2 May Arrive with Always-on Display; Pressure-Sensitive Frame

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jul 14, 2017

Google is expected to debut the Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 that are respectively codenamed as Walleye and Taimen in Q4 this year. A couple of renders of the 2017 Google Pixel XL have surfaced this week. In the previous, several details on the hardware configuration of both the upcoming Pixel phones had surfaced. Today, XDA Developers has revealed some more interesting features of the upcoming Pixel XL 2.

So far, it is known that the Pixel XL 2 will be arriving with a 5.99-inch OLED screen by LG that will support a resolution of 1440p. The display will be similar to LG G6 that has a tall screen flanked with slim bezels. The Snapdragon 835 SoC will be present under its hood. Rumors are rife that LG would be manufacturing the Pixel XL 2. Here are the new features that will be arriving on Google Pixel XL 2:

Always-On Display

The Google Pixel 2’s OLED panel will make it possible to support “Always On” function. This feature will allow users to see desired notifications on the screen even when then the phone is locked or idle.

Pressure-Sensitive Frames

Earlier this week, AndroidPolice claimed that the Pixel XL 2 would be coming with squeezable frame that will function like the Edge Sense pressure-sensitive frame on the HTC U11. However, it will be able to function even when the screen is off. It will let users to launch the Google Assistant not only when the display on, but also when it is off. Users will be able to configure the squeezing intensity threshold that will make it possible for the users to determine the most suitable level of pressure for launching shortcuts. The search engine is also rumored to new functions to the squeezable frames such as putting the phone on silent

Multiple Display Profiles

The upcoming Pixel 2 duo will provide users with multiple display profiles that will be accessible through the Display Settings. sRGB display profile that is found buried in Developer Menu will be present here along with Vivid Colors option.

Other Improvements

There are several other improvements that are going to arrive on the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 phones. The color palette of the system UI would be reverted to darker theme as default. The light them that arrive with Android O DP3 was introduced only for testing. While starting the Pixel XL 2 for the first time, it will take the user to g.co/pixelphonetour (presently not accessible). Google is also expected to introduce a new font on the upcoming Pixel phones. An undocumented feature that will have no major function on the phone is an octopus in the ocean.

(source)

Vertu’s UK Manufacturing Wing Shuts Down, Around 200 Employees Laid Off

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jul 14, 2017

Vertu, the luxury phone brand, has been in a debt of £128 million. Its current owner, Hakan Uzan who had planned to rescue the company from getting bankrupt could only manage to pay £1.9 million ($2.4 million) to the creditors. This has resulted in the shutting down of the UK manufacturing wing, leading to laying off of around 200 employees.

Few weeks ago, an issue had brewed up around the company and its transfer of ownership. Vertu was sold to Hakan Uzan, a Turkish business In March by Gray Chen who is a Hong Kong based hedge fund manager. Chen was supposed to receive £50 million ($61 million) for the deal. On the side, Uzan wanted to resurrect Vertu by investing £1.9 million ($2.46 million) on it.

When Vertu was sold to Uzan, the company was already had unpaid bills, pending salaries and debts of £128 million ($165.5 million). Both the parties threatened on filing legal case on each other. All this while, the jobs of around 200 employees in the U.K. manufacturing operation was in danger. Since the company has gone into liquidation, about 200 employees have lost their jobs.

It is not known whether Uzan has managed to clear the debts. Vertu has been sold several times in past. Uzan is an exiled businessman from Turkey who is now living Paris acquired Vertu in March and has plans to resurrect it. He retains the ownership of the company, technology and licenses.

The U.K wing had several skilled employees that created phones decked with various materials such as jewels and precious stone. The phones manufactured by the company did not feature latest hardware, but because of the precious items that were used to designed, these phones carried exorbitant pricing as high as $10,000 for the Vertu Constellation smartphone that had released in January this year. Vertu allowed customers to speak to the people who have built their phone. It also provided round the clock concierge services to the users such as delivering the phone through helicopter.

Nokia had founded Vertu in 1998 and then it was acquired by EQT VI, an equity group in 2012. It was sold to Godin Holdings in 2015. Now the fate of the company is in the hands of Uzan. However, the future of the company seems bleak after the recent layoffs.

(source)

Huawei CEO Seems To Have Confirmed EMUI 6 Based On Android 8.0

By

Zhen Wan

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Jul 14, 2017

Based on sources, Huawei’s CEO Yu Chengdong, has confirmed during his speech at the China Internet Conference in Beijing, the upcoming Emotion UI (EMUI) 6 will be shipped based on Google’s future Android 8.0. This will apply to both Huawei and Honor branded smartphones.

This hasn’t come to our surprise as the current EMUI 5/5.1 are based on Android Nougat (7.0). The source has stated that the EMUI 6 will provide a more ‘enhanced user experience’ in comparison to the preceding EMUI 5, which is certainly welcoming, even though EMUI 5/5.1 has already provided notable smooth experiences for both current Huawei and Honor users.

Yu Chengdong (Richard Yu) has also confirmed that Huawei is already working on Android 8.0 for its future EMUI, however, the source was not clear about what current devices will get the upgrade. We can speculate that the current latest devices should expect an Android 8.0 update, for example, Huawei Mate 9 and the Honor 9.

The CEO has also claimed that the EMUI 6 will run far smoother than Xiaomi’s MIUI 8, however, specifics were not exchanged in the conference. We currently know that the EMUI 5 comes with a large collection of features in comparison to stock Android Nougat, thus we are expecting the EMUI 6 to also pack a similar experience of mass feature choice. We will also expect Huawei to provide additional features into the upcoming EMUI 6 that Android 8.0 will also provide.

If we take Google’s several released developer previews of Android 8.0 as a base of our assumptions, we can predict the possible features that may come to Huawei’s EMUI 6. For example, the improved notification shade and picture-in-picture feature. A more notable improvement we expect to see in EMUI’s adaptation is improved battery consumption on Google’s Android 8.0.

As a result, the major changes we expect to see from EMUI 5 to EMUI 6 are likely to be the changes made from Android 7.0 to Android 8.0. Yu Chengdong hasn’t confirmed this; however, according to the source, Google is expected to release Android 8.0 “O” before the launch of Google Pixel 2 line-up, leading to the possibility of Huawei/Honor devices to come with Android 8.0-based EMUI 6 before the turn of this year.

Will EMUI 6 feature the most important Android 8.0 features? Share your thoughts and comments down below.

(Source)

Leaked Image Point To Bezel-Less Honor Note 9 Coming Very Soon

By

Zhen Wan

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Jul 14, 2017

Our source has shown a newly leaked image claiming to be Huawei’s upcoming Honor Note 9. Our team had already covered the device which surfaced roughly four months back, however, since then the Honor Note 9 has been flying under the radar.

The new leak shows a reassuring bezel-less design resembling the recent Honor 9 sibling. The bezels on the sides of the phone remain super-thin like the Honor Note 8. There is also the assumption that the device will come in 2.5D glass protecting the screen. The top and bottom bezels are notably thicker than the side bezels, however, remains very narrow relative to other flagship devices. It appears that the volume buttons and power button are located on the right of the Honor Note 9.

The Honor Note 9 is expected to be shipped with a significantly larger display, keeping in precedence that the Honor Note 8 stands with a giant 6.6-inch display, the Honor Note 9 will certainly come at 6+ inch display. If previous leaks are followed through (even though we busted the rumor that the earlier leak was, in fact, the Honor V9/Honor 8 Pro), we are expecting a dual-camera setup paired rear-facing facing fingerprint scanner, considering the current trends with flagship smartphones.

The specification of the device is most likely to be powered by the Kirin 960, the same processor on the Honor 9. The Kirin 960 is the most powerful processor that Huawei has available and in stock currently. The device is expected to be paired with either 4GB or 6GB RAM and multiple storage options. In terms of operating system, the device will come with EMUI 5 (Android 7.0) but should be listed for the EMUI 6 upgrade (Android 8.0)

In terms of a release date, the Honor Note 8 was announced in August last year, however, there is a possibility that the Honor Note 9 will be announced by the end of this month and release later.

Will the Honor Note 9 closely resemble the Note 8 or Honor 9 or both? Share your thoughts down below.

(Source)

Gizmochina Giveaway – Win A Free Nomu S30 mini Rugged Phone

By

Shine Wong

-

Jul 14, 2017

Gizmochina along with Nomu Official is conducting a Nomu S30 mini rugged phone 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.

Here is the main features of Nomu S30 mini:

IP68 Water, drops, and dust proof
Real waterproof USB Port
Android 7.0
Super Tough Carbon fiber battery cover
3GB RAM+32GB ROM
4.7” HD touch screen with Gorilla Glass 3, supporting Glove mode and smart gesture
8.0MP Sony Rear camera+2.0MP front camera
Enhanced MTK6737T quad core 1.5GHz Processor
3000mAh Li-Po battery
5V 2A quick charging
Charging Led supported
GPS/AGPS+GLONASS
Bluetooth: BT 4.0
WIFI: 802.11 a/b/g/n
Network:
2G: B5/B8/B3/B2
3G: B5/B8/B2/B1
4G FDD-LTE: B1/B3/B7/B8/B20
4G TDD-LTE: B38/B39/B40/B41

More specs and features about Nomu S30 mini rugged phone, please click here

How to entry this giveaway? Just follow these steps via Gleam widget:

Visit Nomu’s Facebook and Twitter, follow them;
Share this article to your Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or other social media;

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 Nomu S30 mini Rugged phone

Snapdragon 845-Powered Galaxy S9 Appears on Geekbench As Samsung SM-G9650

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Jul 13, 2017

The Samsung Galaxy S9 isn’t expected to launch till next year, so you should understand our surprise when we saw it appear on Geekbench today.

Seeing the Galaxy S9 is half of the surprise as it brings along the yet-to-be announced Snapdragon 845 (sdm845). Qualcomm has switched back to a quad-core for the 845 and it is clocked at 1.78GHz.

The chip is said to be built on a 7nm node but will be made by TSMC instead of Samsung. Reason for that is because Samsung is switching to 8nm and not yet ready for 7nm.

The device is benchmarked as the samsung SM-G9650. It runs Android 7.1.2 and has 4GB of RAM. We can’t tell the performance of the new chip but we get to see a render script score of 7371 points. The score is low compared to that of the Galaxy S8 which is over 9000 points.

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