Advertisement

Xiaomi Redmi Pro 2 Canceled? Xiaomi X1 with Full-Screen, SD 660, Dual Rear Cam Releasing Instead

Xiaomi is selling Mi series smartphones as high-end and flagship devices. The Redmi series includes midrange smartphones. Fresh information coming from a Chinese leakster suggests that Xiaomi may introduce a new series of phones called Xiaomi X and the Xiaomi X1 will be its very first device.

The leakster has revealed two variants of the Xiaomi X1 which includes a full-screen design version and a regular screen edition. The text on the following image states it is a TPU case for Xiaomi X1.

The first variant has a 5.5-inch Pegasus display with full-screen design. It will deliver a screen resolution of 2,160 x 1,080 pixels. It will be driven by Snapdragon 660 chipset. It will include a IMX362 or IMX386 dual camera system, a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and a 3.5mm audio jack. The tipster has provided two sets of standard and high of Xiaomi X1 along with their pricing. The first set include:

Standard model
4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage for 1,999 Yuan (~$294) or 2,299 Yuan (~$339)
High model
6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage for 2,499 Yuan (~$368) or 2,799 Yuan (~$412)

The second set of standard and high models include:

Standard model
6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage for 2,299 Yuan (~$339)
High model
6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage for 2,799 Yuan (~$412)

The second Xiaomi X1 variant is expected to come with a regular screen. Its screen resolution is unavailable, but it is likely to support full HD resolution. It will be also fueled by Snapdragon 660 chipset. It may feature a front-facing fingerprint scanner, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. For this variant also, the leakster has provided the same set of pricing for two types of standard and high models.

Hence, it is likely that the regular screen totting Xiaomi X1 may come with 4 GB/64 GB standard and 4 GB/128 GB high models and the X1 featuring full-screen display may arrive with 6 GB/64 GB standard and 6 GB/128 high models. The Xiaomi X1 could be the Xiaomi Jason phone that has been spotted on GFXBench.

Read More: Xiaomi Redmi Pro 2 Specs Sheet Reveal Sony IMX362 In A Dual Cam Setup

Xiaomi Redmi Pro 2 Cancelled?

The tipster further claims that the Xiaomi Redmi Pro 2 may have been canceled by the company probably because the original model may not have sold well. Hence, there is no information on its existence. During the Surge S1 conference presentation event held earlier this year, the company only spoke nothing about Redmi Pro series, but gave information on Redmi and Redmi Pro series. Hence, there is a possibility that the Redmi Pro 2 will not release and even Redmi Pro series has been cut off.

A report from the previous month speculated that the Xiaomi Redmi Pro 2 would be coming with a full-screen display. However, it now seems that the rumored phone could be the Xiaomi X1. The leakster claims that the Xiaomi Mi 6 Plus, Xiaomi X1 and MIUI 9 ROM would be releasing in this month.

(source)

 

Samsung Galaxy Note FE is Official; Features Galaxy Note 7’s Specs, Galaxy S8 UI

Samsung has finally relaunched the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7 as the Galaxy Note FE (Fan Edition) in South Korea. As the rumor mill had revealed, the Galaxy Note FE has similar specs as the original Note 7, but it sports the user interface of Galaxy S8 along with the Bixby AI.

LG Uplus is already receiving pre-orders of the Galaxy Note FE with a pricing of 700,000 KRW (~$611). The South Korean company will be selling only limited units of Galaxy Note FE. Samsung will be selling only 400,000 units in the home country. There is still no information on the availability of Galaxy Note FE in other markets.

In South Korea, the phablet is available in four colors like Black Onyx, Blue Coral, Gold Platinum and Silver Titanium. The original Note 7 was also made available in same color options. With every order of Note FE, Samsung is also providing a cover case that matches with the color of the handset. It features a distinctive logo of Samsung Galaxy Note Fan Edition on its rear panel.

Galaxy Note FE Launch

Is Galaxy Note FE Safe to Use?

Samsung states that the Galaxy Note FE is made from unused Galaxy Note 7 and unused components. Because of the faulty battery issue that caused the Note FE to explode, Samsung recalled 3 million units of the phablet and met with big financial loss. Since disposing so many Note 7 units could lead to environmental hazard, Samsung decided on selling refurbished Galaxy Note 7 which could also help in softening its financial loss.

In January, after investigating on multiple instances of Galaxy Note 7 explosions, Samsung confirmed that the faulty battery was the cause of the problem. Hence, it laid down an 8-point safety check procedure to ensure that the battery used in its phone is completely safe. The original Galaxy Note 7 came with 3,500mAh battery, but the newly launched Galaxy Note FE has a reduced battery of 3,200mAh capacity.

Samsung Galaxy Note FE

Read More: Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Coming in 64 GB, 128 GB Storages; Would be the Most Expensive Galaxy Note

Samsung Galaxy Note FE Specifications

The Galaxy Note FE comes with a 5.7-inch S-AMOLED screen that produces a QHD resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels. It is driven by Snapdragon 821 chipset that includes a quad-core CPU and Adreno 530 graphics. The SoC is coupled with 4 GB of RAM and a native storage of 64 GB.

It sports a IP68 certified chassis that features that is fitted with security features like front-mounted fingerprint scanner and an iris scanner. It also comes with an S-Pen. It sports the same software that is available on the Galaxy S8 which includes features like “Always On” function and Bixby AI without a dedicated button for it. It includes a 3,200mAh battery.

(source)

 

Tax Rate Reduction Leads Apple To Cut iPhone Prices in India

A new tax rate implemented by the Indian Government will let its citizens buy iPhones at cheaper prices. The Indian government announced a new Goods and Services Tax as part of a tax reform process. The new tax rate has prompted Apple to lower the price of its products.

iPhone

The base model of the iPhone 7 which used to be sold for ₹60,000 (∼$928) is now ₹56,200 (∼$869). The 128GB version has seen a price cut too and now sells for ₹65,200 (∼$1009) and the 256GB version is priced at ₹74,400 (∼$1150).

The iPhone 7 Plus on the other hand was reduced from ₹72,000 (∼$1114) to ₹67,300. The 128GB model is priced at ₹72,000 (∼$1114) and the 256GB model is ₹85,400 (∼$1321). The older iPhone 6s Plus also got a price cut to ₹56,100 (∼$868) while the iPhone SE dropped to ₹26,000 (∼$402).

READ MORE: Apple iPhone 8 Dummy Unit Shows What to Expect from the Most Anticipated iPhone

Some Moto Twitter Accounts have Switched Back to Motorola

It started out as Motorola but when Google acquired Motorola Mobility in 2012, phones from the American company were released under the Moto brand name. Fast forward to 2016 after Lenovo acquired them, the Chinese electronics giant announced a change to “Moto by Lenovo”, putting aside the Motorola name.

The announcement was made by Rick Osterloh, former Motorola Chief Operating Officer at CES 2016. His statement back then was “We’ll slowly phase out Motorola and focus on Moto,”. At the moment, it seems the Motorola name is being resurrected.

The Moto name was used by a number of the smartphone maker’s official Twitter accounts up until a few days ago. If you check now some of them have switched back to Motorola.

An example is the Motorola USA account. The account went by Moto US @Moto_USA but has now been changed to Motorola US @MotorolaUS.

Moto US

Motorola US

READ MORE: Motorola Verve Cam+ Silently Launched on Amazon with $108 Pricing

OnePlus 5 128GB Out of Stock on Official Site But You Can Grab It on Giztop

The OnePlus 5 is selling fast. OnePlus says it is its fastest selling smartphone and Amazon India says it has set the record for a launch week sale. All these have been achieved even with a higher price.

OnePlus probably didn’t see this coming as the 8GB RAM version is now out of stock. If you head to the official OnePlus website, the 8GB RAM + 128GB version is said to ship in 4 weeks while the base variant (6GB RAM + 64GB version) ships immediately.

OnePlus 5

But you don’t have to wait for 4 weeks if you want the 8GB RAM version. Our online store, Giztop has it in stock and you can place your order and have it shipped to you anywhere in the world.

READ MORE: OnePlus 5’s Water Resistance Confirmed by CEO and Water Test, but OnePlus is Not Advertising it

New Meizu Pro 7 Images Surfaces, Focuses on Dual Cameras & Secondary Display

The Meizu Pro 7 is shaping up to be an interesting device, thanks to its secondary display.

Initially we had thought the Pro 7’s secondary display was an e-ink type but a bunch of live images that appeared last week revealed its a smaller LCD display.

Meizu Pro 7

More live images have been posted on Weibo by @Digital Chat Station and this time we get a closer look at the dual rear cameras. Leaked specification details say the rear cameras are a combination of a 12MP Sony IMX386 sensor and a 12MP IMX268. The former is the same sensor in the Xiaomi Mi Max 2 and the Meizu MX6.

The cameras are positioned horizontally and sit above the secondary display. There is also a dual LED flash flanking it on the left. It is unknown what configuration Meizu will use for its dual cameras. We have seen more big manufacturers join the wide angle + telephoto lens train but if it is aiming for a superior low light performance, Huawei’s way may be the path it takes.

Meizu Pro 7

In addition to the picture focusing on the camera, a second one shows the secondary display in action. From the looks of it, there is a PAC-MAN-like game running on it. It appears, the display will not only show notifications but work like the primary one.

Meizu Pro 7 Rear Shells

READ MORE: Full List of Meizu Devices Getting Android Nougat Released

LG G6 Mini to Launch as LG Q6 with 18:9 Screen, 3 GB RAM, Single Camera

In April, the rumor mill had revealed leaked photos and specifications of the alleged LG G6 Mini. Evan Blass, a well-known leakster has tweeted that the alleged LG G6 Mini could be launching as LG Q6.

According to the above tweet from the leakster, an LG phone with model number LG Q6 has been recently spotted on FCC with a model number of M700. He claims that the phone would be coming with an aspect ratio of 18:9. It will be featuring a single camera of 13-megapixel and its chipset will be supported by 3 GB of RAM. The tweet carries a link to a tweet from Jon Rettinger (@Jon4Lakers) that carries a link of an LG G6 Mini article that was published in April.

Techno Buffalo that was first to reveal leaked specifications and plenty of pictures of smaller version of LG G6 had stated that the handset features a 5.4-inch screen that produces offers a screen-to-body ratio of under 80 percent. It would be supporting an aspect ratio of 18:9 like the LG G6’s 5.7-inch screen. The LG G6 offers a screen to body ratio of 78.6 percent.

There is no confirmation on whether the LG Q6 phone would be coming with the same specs as the LG G6. Hence, there is a possibility that it could feature the Snapdragon 821 SoC that is present under the hood of the LG G6 or it may be fueled by a mid-range processor.

[envira-gallery id=”139168″]

Read More: LG V30 May Not Feature its Most Unique Ticker Screen Feature

The images showing the rear side of the phone suggest that it would be coming with dual rear cameras like the LG G6. However, Blass claims it will be coming with a single shooter of 13-megapixel. The rear side of the alleged LG G6 also featured a “G6” name at the bottom part, but the tipster states that it would be arriving as LG Q6. The leaked images reveal that the bottom side of the phone features a USB Type-C port and the topside has a 3.5mm jack. On the left edge are the volume controllers and a Power key.

As of this writing, there is no confirmation on when the South Korean company will be launching the LG Q6. It is likely that the phone would be aimed towards emerging markets and may not launch in the U.S.

(source)

 

ZUK Brand May Not Be Dead After all, CEO Hints At ZUK Z3 & More

A recent rumour had hinted that Lenovo was planning to collapse the ZUK brand and instead focus its smartphone business under the Moto brand. The company had debunked such rumours but it has continued to fester and the recent redirecting of the Lenovo China official website to Motorola.com.cn only fuelled the rumours.Lenovo

From the look of things, there may be more to it than meets the eye. For one, Lenovo may indeed have rested its smartphone brand as the Lenovo and ZUK websites both redirect to Motorola.com.cn. The new website contains a link to navigate to Lenovo’s official China website where only laptops, tablets, Smart home gadgets, printers etc, are exhibited for sale excluding mobile phones.lenovo

But Lenovo former VP and presently CEO of the ZUK brand seems to have hinted via his Weibo page that the ZUK Z3 may be coming. The CEO had posted an interesting piece where he hinted that the company will be having 4 different events in the space of three months, precisely between July and September. The post attracted lots of comments with one particularly asking if the ZUK Z3 is coming and Chang Cheng’s response was affirmative. Although subsequent response by the CEO may not have been very explicit, he did not in anyway disclose that the brand is dead. But one uncommon thing we noticed is that he was shown as blogging from a Galaxy S8 smartphone.

Read More: The 6GB RAM ZUK Edge Gets A Huge Price Cut, Down To ¥1799 (~$264)

The ZUK Z3 is supposed to be the next ZUK mobile phone we’d be seeing. Recent rumours point at the Z3 coming as ZUK Z3 Nax, powered by the unannounced Snapdragon 836, 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. We are not so sure the rumour is fake. The likely turn of event is that Lenovo may have divested from ShenQi, the company which Lenovo invested in to make it the parent company of ZUK. So, it is possible ZUK mobile will be introducing its smartphones as an independent brand. Whatever it is, we expect to see four launch events within the next three months as hinted by the CEO. Until then, we’ll be on the look out for more details on this because the last has definitely not been heard.

(source)

Doogee Mix Review – Who Likes Bezels?

All smartphone manufacturers appear to cut the corners of their displays and make them look bezel-less. There is not much practical use of that but those infinity displays just look great. The Chinese phone maker Doogee aims to deliver bezel less smartphone experience for just about $170. Stay tuned to find out if the Doogee Mix is worth the money in the full Doogee Mix Review.

VIDEO REVIEW

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lGN6B6QCPI[/embedyt]

UNBOXING

The phone ships in quite a nice box and inside of it you can find all the usual stuff. Some extras include a case to protect the phone and a screen protector.

DESIGN and DISPLAY

The design is the key selling point of Doogee Mix but the main question is if the device is truly bezel-less. Well, there are tiny bezels along with the black bars but they are cut to the minimum. Even though I would not call the Doogee Mix a truly bezel-less phone, it is still one of the best-looking budget devices you can buy. Anyway, the Xiaomi Mi Mix is not fully bezel-less neither.

A Samsung-made 5.5” 1080p AMOLED display is just gorgeous to look at as it is punchy and vibrant. However, I found the colors to be slightly oversaturated for my taste. The sunlight legibility is not the best but it is quite decent.

The earpiece is on the top but the 5MP front facing camera is implemented on the bottom, so you would probably need to take selfies holding the phone upside down.

There are customizable on-screen navigation keys but you can also use a capacitive home key to navigate through the user interface and I found it really useful. The fingerprint scanner is not the fastest I’ve seen but it gets the job done to unlock the phone straight from the standby mode.

The overall build quality is good and the phone sits nicely in the hand. However, I found that the buttons a little bit rattle.

HARDWARE and PERFORMANCE

The Doogee Mix is not all about the looks as it is plenty powerful for the price. The device ships with an octa-core Helio P25 chip, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage. You can also opt in for a slightly more expensive model that has 6GB of RAM.

The gaming performance is just great. I was able to run all the 3D games on the highest graphics settings without any issues, which is kind of impressive given the price of the phone. The device gets a little warm on the upper portion but that doesn’t impair the performance.

BENCHMARKS

USER INTERFACE

The Doogee Mix ships with the Android 7.0 out of the box but we have a proprietary skin on top of it that brings a little bit different look and it has quite a few extra features.

Just to name a few, you can read the latest news if you swipe to the left, choose from quite a few different themes or wallpapers, or use a floating gesture that I usually find annoying as it gets in my way. You can also choose from a variety of gesture controls that work pretty well or use one hand operation mode.

What is the most important for me on any phone is the speed and fluidity. I found the Doogee Mix to be quite fast but there is some occasional stutter if you simply swipe through menus back and forth. It just seems that some of the animations have some skipped frames. This is not a deal breaker but I believe we will see a software update quite soon since my device runs on an early software build.

CAMERAS

When it comes to optics, the Doogee Mix has quite an interesting dual-camera setup that consists of one 16MP shooter and another 8MP sensor. The camera app takes pictures really fast. There are some shooting modes to make the best out of dual camera setup like blur mode that takes pictures with the bokeh effect.

The pictures taken using this mode look quite okay but they are far from the flagship-grade quality.

The daylight image quality is disappointing for a $170 phone. I took most of the pictures under perfect lighting conditions but the images lack detail, sharpness, the colors are usually washed out and the dynamic range adjustment is kind of poor. Sure, you will be able to take some decent photos but you will usually see these shortcomings.

The low-light camera performance is just bad. There is plenty of noise and low amount of detail.

You can also utilize the secondary sensor to take pictures with up to 4x lossless zoom, at least this is what Doogee claims. Sure, the results are better than using just digital zoom but still, there is plenty of noise and the images lack detail.

You can also take black and white pictures, which look okay but I’m not a huge fan of black and white photography, anyway.

Selfie image quality is just mediocre. Sure, they are usable for social media but what bothers me the most is the red tint in most of the shots.

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

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7L2ar4cWJQ[/embedyt]

The Doogee Mix can shoot videos in 4k resolution but I think this is just an upscaled 1080p footage. There is a decent amount of detail but in general, the videos don’t look good because there is a lot of choppiness and shakiness and the EIS feature does not help at all.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzEDB4NHr6w[/embedyt]

The 1080p video does not look as choppy as 4k and I would rate the quality as average. What disappoints me the most if the lack of continuos auto-focus feature and the footage could look sharper.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULG0ytClMyI[/embedyt]

The selfie video looks just horrible since it is only in 480p, at least this is what the stock camera app allows. Also, the sound is being recorded only to the left channel, which is again, really disappointing.

Download full resolution camera samples

MULTIMEDIA and ENTERTAINMENT

The Doogee implemented a loudspeaker on the bottom and the quality of it is just average, to say the least.

Same can be said about the quality of sound via the headset jack.

CONNECTIVITY

The Doogee Mix has a hybrid dual-SIM card tray that can take either 2 SIMs or 1 SIM and the microSD card. Also, the phone has most of the needed sensors like gyroscope, proximity and so on.

When it comes to connectivity, the Wifi speed and range are good and the GPS is accurate. The signal reception is good and the call quality is decent.

BATTERY LIFE

The phone has a 3380mAh battery that will let you use the phone for the entire day but not more, at least this was my experience. I can’t tell you the exact screen-on time due to a software bug but I would say that the phone will get you about 5 hours of SOT.

Finally, it takes about 1,5 h to fully charge the phone with the supplied fast charger.

CONCLUSIONS

So, there you have it, the Doogee Mix. The phone indeed offers quite a lot of value for the price but as usual to the cheap phones, it has a few shortcomings to consider.

The phone is definitely a looker, the gaming performance is great, the display is awesome and the battery life is decent.

However, I was not impressed by the overall camera performance, the user interface is not as smooth as it should be, the loudspeaker quality is mediocre and finally, I will let you decide if the phone is truly bezel-less.

In conclusion, the Doogee Mix is definitely an exceptional budget phone mainly because of its near bezel-less display but hopefully, we will see a few software improvements that will unleash a full potential of the phone’s hardware.

HTC U11 Named Antutu’s Best Performing Smartphone in May 2017

Antutu has officially published a list of May’s best performing smartphones by taking the average benchmark scores of every device over the duration of the month. The list revealed that an Android device, the HTC U11 has overthrown Apple’s iPhone 7 Plus as the fastest smartphone in the world.

HTC U11

The HTC U11 beats the iPhone 7 Plus’ Antutu average benchmark scores of 174,299, with an average score of 180,079. Xiaomi’s Mi 6 is in third place with 172,494 and Samsung’s S8 and S8+ claim the fourth and fifth spots respectively.

Back in April, the iPhone 7’s position was replaced by the Mi 6 and Galaxy S8/S8+. Antutu has reported the iPhone 7’s average performance score has in fact decreased, notably due to the aging of the device and the build-up of software updates. According to the source, the decrease in the iPhone 7’s benchmark has been notable since the iOS 10.3 update.

The HTC U11 comes with a 5.5-inch 2K display and is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835. It is HTC’s second flagship of the year.

READ MORE: More Spec Details As Sharp FS8016 Appears on AnTuTu: 2K Display, 4GB RAM & More

Xiaomi Riva Appears on Geekbench, Runs Android 7.1.2

A new phone called the Xiaomi Riva has been spotted on benchmarking site, Geekbench. Judging from the albeit limited specs, this is an entry-level/mid-range phone and will belong to the Redmi line when and if it launches.

The Xiaomi Riva is a 3GB RAM device and is powered by a Qualcomm quad-core processor clocked at 1.4GHz. This is either the Snapdragon 425 or Snapdragon 427 mobile platform. The phone is also listed as running Android 7.1.2.

Xiaomi Riva

Benchmark results show the Xiaomi Riva pulling in 560 points in the single-core test and 916 points in the multi-core test. However, the multi-core test is disappointing when compared to that of the Redmi 4A, an entry-level Snapdragon 425-powered phone.

Last month we came across a new Xiaomi device codenamed Jason on GFXBench. While some say the Snapdragon 660-powered phone will launch as the Mi 6X, Xiaomi has kept mum on the existence of the device.

READ MORE: Xiaomi Mi VR 3.5K Panorama Camera Review: Great Hardware For 360° Content, But Software Needs Work

The Sharp X1 is A Japan Exclusive Android One Smartphone

Japanese company, Sharp, has announced its latest addition, the Sharp X1, to its smartphone line-up.

The Sharp X1 adds to the list of Google’s not-so-successful Android One program. Although Google announced a new program called Android Go at Google I/O 2017, it says it isn’t a replacement for the Android One program.

The difference is that Android Go is aimed at the entry level market while Android One is for the mid-range market and the specs of the Sharp X1 confirms that.

Sharp X1

The Sharp X1 is not Sharp’s first Android One device either, the Sharp Aquos 507SH is the company’s first and also the first Android One device in Japan,  .

In terms of specifications, the Sharp X1 will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 paired with 3GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage with expansion via MicroSD.

The device will feature a 5.3-inch IGZO display, with FHD (1920 x 1080) resolution. The rear-facing camera is a 16.4 mega-pixel sensor with LED flash, whilst the front-facing selfie shooter is an 8 mega-pixel sensor with a wide-angle lens.

The main features that may entice consumers to purchase the Sharp X1 are the large 3,900 mAh battery and its IP68 rating. Sharp claims that the device will last up to four days of usage (we assume very light-usage).

The Sharp X1 will come with a front facing fingerprint scanner located at the bottom of the device. There is also a USB-C port for connectivity.

Another feature the Sharp X1 has is support for FeliCa, contactless payment solution from Sony.

The device will come in white, dark purple, and mint green with Android 7.0 (Nougat) as default operating system.

READ MORE: Sharp Upcoming High-end Smartphone Spotted on GFXBench

LG Uplus Confirms Samsung Galaxy Note FE Launches on July 7

You may be wondering what LG has got to do with Samsung’s Galaxy Note FE. Actually its LG’s carrier network LG U+, and it leaked the launch date for the refurbished Galaxy Note 7.

Galaxy Note FE

The carrier took to its official Facebook page to announce the launch date for the phone as July 7 but later took the post down. The date corresponds to what was reported earlier this week by Wall Street Journal.

Other info revealed by the post mentions a pre-order that starts today and runs through to July 6. It also states that there are limited quantities available.

READ MORE: The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus Win “Best Smartphone” at MWC 2017 Shanghai

Moto X4 Now Scheduled for Q4 Release & Will Be Available on Project Fi

Those who waited for the Moto X4 to launch last month like we thought it would must be heartbroken to find out it has been postponed. The sad thing is that it will be a long wait before it arrives.

Moto X4

According to VentureBeat’s Evan Blass, the Moto X4 will be announced in the fourth quarter. Some say the reason for the postponement is as a result of Qualcomm struggling to meet demands of the Snapdragon 660 chip which will power the device. While that is a genuine reason, it may also be a strategy to prevent the Moto X4 from affecting sales of the newly announced Moto Z2 Play.

Pricing for the Moto Z2 Play is between $400 and $450 depending on the location. Since the Moto X4 is a mid-ranger too, its pricing shouldn’t exceed that range. By releasing the Moto X4 in Q4, the company would have sold sufficient units of the Moto Z2 Play and probably even discounted it.

Aside its launch in Q4, the Moto X4 will also be the first non-Pixel or Nexus device to support Google’s Project Fi. The official Project Fi Twitter account revealed that a new mid-range device from one of its partners was going to join the network later this year. A source privy to both Project Fi and Motorola later revealed that the device is the Moto X4.

READ MORE: The Chinese Version of The Moto Z2 Play Runs ZUI 3.0

Exclusive Images of iPhone 8 Cases Confirms Vertical Dual Rear Cameras

iphone 8 case

Today marks the beginning of the second half of 2017 and one of the devices set to launch in the second half is Apple’s iPhone 8. In the past few weeks we have seen various leaks from genuine sources confirm the design of the next Apple flagship. One major focus of these leaks is the design of the phone’s rear camera. Today we have exclusive photos confirming the new design.

These fresh leaks come in form of cases for the phone and were gotten from a factory that makes iPhone cases. The cases come in various designs and colors but one thing that is common to them is the cut out for the cameras, buttons and ports.

Apple is definitely sticking to dual rear cameras but will now switch to a vertical setup instead of the horizontal setup on the iPhone 7 Plus. The cameras will still be positioned at the left hand side though. Button placements and position of ports are still the same.

READ MORE: Chip Wars: Google Employs Former Apple CPU Architect To Lead Its Processor Department

Rumour: Sony To Launch A Bezel-less Flagship Phone At IFA 2017

A new rumour emanating from China has hinted that Sony is likely to launch a bezel-less smartphone at IFA Berlin 2017. Sony announced the Xperia XZ Premium at MWC 2017 with a nearly bezel-less design with bezels at the top and bottom but the new flagship which is said to launch at IFA will come with a large bezel-less display.Sony

The Weibo post referred to JDI’s announcement earlier in June that they have started the mass production of their Full Active display technology. JDI was formed in 2012 through the consolidation of the display panel businesses of Sony, Hitachi and Toshiba and had announced the Full Active LCD display technology last year which would bring completely bezel-less displays to smartphones. As a result of the mass production, it is safe to say Sony is preparing something big sometime soon since it is the most active in the smartphone industry of the three which formed JDI.

Read More: JDI Announces Dedicated VR Display With 651ppi Pixel Density

JDI has struggled in recent times due to the proliferation of LCD manufacturers in China and the shift to OLED displays spearheaded by Samsung’s AMOLED panels which seem to achieve better resolutions than LCDs. But the recent technology uses a 6-inch display and an aspect ratio of 18:9 which would place it higher than the Mi Mix in terms of screen-to-body ratio.Sony

As exciting as this may sound, you should take it with a pinch of salt as nothing in respect to a Sony IFA 2017 launch is confirmed yet. It may turn out to be true anyway, as bezel-less smartphones seem to be the way to go presently. We have got lots of them tipped to be in the works, like the iPhoen 8, Galaxy Note 8, Mi Mix 2 and a host of others. So, it makes perfect sense if Sony decides to release their own, using JDI’s latest LCD display technology.

(source 1, 2)

Leaked LG V30 Mid Frame Reveals Wireless Charging Module

We have seen quite a number of flagship models that year, some thrilling and still, some were disappointing. One device which holds a lot of anticipation is the LG V30, perhaps due to the success of the V20. A new leaked photo has emerged showing the V30 will come with wireless charging technology. It’s predecessor, the V20 did not come with wireless charging feature but the LG G6 had wireless charging technology only on the models sold in the U.S.lg v30

The LG V30 design is expected to be such that would allow for a wireless charging technology onboard. The all-metal body featured on the V20 might have prevented the device from featuring wireless charging technology.  However, the V30 is said to use a metal frame and a glass body which would allow for the feature to be included. The leaked mid frame shows the module for the wireless charging feature at the back of the frame and is sort of a confirmation of an earlier leak that pointed at wireless charging and a glass back.

In addition, the LG V30 is said to discard the secondary display which is the feature the V-series are known for it is getting known for. Instead, the V30 is said to come with an AMOLED display which may have an “Always on”feature. The device is also rumoured to launch sometime in the third quarter of the year which could be sometime around September.lg v30

Read More: The LG V30 Will Have A Glass Back & Support Wireless Charging

Specs wise, the V30 is tipped to pack a 5.7-inch display with QHD resolution and an 18: 9 aspect ratio. The device is also expected to pack 6GB of RAM and powered by the Snapdragon 835 chip. The interface is expected to be provided by LG UI based on Android 7.1.1 Nougat.

(source)

Q1 2017 Global Mobile Phone Shipments Released, Xiaomi in Sixth Position

A new research data scooped up by China-based market research firm Risingsun has revealed the top 10 standing in terms of phone shipments globally and interestingly, the list is dominated by Chinese OEMs. Out of the top ten companies listed, seven are Chinese mobile phone companies with three of the Chinese OEMs sitting at the top five spots.

phone shipment

For the list of top 10 global smartphone shipments for Q1 2017, Samsung continues to dominate with an estimated shipment of 80 million units. U.S smartphone maker Apple maintains its number two spot with an estimated 51 million units shipped in Q1. Huawei snapped up the number 3 spot once again with an estimated 35 million shipments while OPPO came in at the fourth position with 26 million units shipped.

Oppo’s sister company Vivo shipped an estimated 19 million units to occupy the fifth spot. China’s Apple, Xiaomi moved up into the sixth position with 15 million units shipped. LG is also tied with Xiaomi at the sixth spot with 15 million units while Lenovo takes the 8th spot with 12 million units. ZTE occupies the 9th spot with 9million units shipped and finally, Gionee completes the top 10 with 8 million units shipped so far.

Read More: Huawei, OPPO & Vivo 2017 Smartphone Shipments Predicted to Be Below Expectations

The data also reveals a drop in total shipments from 439 million in Q4 last year to 351 million in total this first quarter which is a huge reduction by 88 million units. But when compared to Q1 2016, there is a 5.4% increase year-on-year.

(via)

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Coming in 64 GB, 128 GB Storages; Would be the Most Expensive Galaxy Note

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 rumors is picking up pace as fresher information on the phablet is surfacing on daily basis. New information coming from a Chinese publication states that Samsung will be selling the Galaxy Note 8 in two storage editions of 64 GB and 128 GB.

The Galaxy Note 7 that was launched in August and discontinued in few months because of its faulty battery came in only one storage version of 64 GB. Even the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ come with an internal storage capacity of 64 GB. However, in select markets, Samsung is selling the Galaxy S8+ with 6 GB of RAM with a native storage of 128 GB. In the same way, the Galaxy Note 8 which is rumored to be slightly bigger than the Note 7 will be also coming in 64 GB and 128 GB storage sizes.

Also, the Galaxy Note 8 will also come with an external storage feature that will let users to add up to 256 GB of microSD card. Well-known tipster, Evan Blass, had revealed in the previous week that the Galaxy Note 8 would be coming with a higher price tag of €999 (~$1,140).

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Render

Read More: Samsung Galaxy Note 8’s Horizontal Dual Rear Cameras Revealed Again in Real-Life Image & Render

The Chinese publication has also reported that the Galaxy Note 8 would be selling for about $1,000 in the home country of South Korea. In other markets like North America, South America and Europe, the Galaxy Note 8 is expected to sell for $1,100. Such a pricing will make the Galaxy Note 8 not only the costliest Galaxy Note phablet ever.

A lot of information on the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 have surfaced in this month. The Note 8 is rumored to arrive with a 6.3-inch full-screen Infinity Display like the one available on Galaxy S8 duo. It is expected to arrive in Snapdragon 835 and Exynos 8895 chipset models. The SoC will be coupled with 6 GB of RAM and the phablet will be running on Android 7.1.1 Nougat. It will be packed with a 3,300mAh battery.

A recent report suggest that the South Korean company has decided on placing the fingerprint scanner on the rear panel on the right side of the horizontally designed dual camera module and its LED flash. However, it was reported that the biometric recognition feature will be placed under the display. As far as Galaxy Note 8 launch date is concerned, some sources say it will be unveiling in August whereas other sources suggest that it will get announced in the second half of September.

(source|via)