OPPO R11 Plus Sale Goes Live on JD.com For 3699 Yuan ($546)

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Jun 30, 2017

After the OPPO R11 and R11 Plus were launched in China on July 10, the R11 went up for sale on July 16 and the R11 Plus was slated to start selling on July 30. The OPPO R11 Plus went up for sale today on Jingdong (JD.com) as scheduled.

The R11 Plus went up on sale at 10 AM today on Jingdong. Reservation for the sale had opened on June 23 on OPPO’s official flagship store on JD.com and was closed by 9 AM today (June 30). As at the time of writing, the device is presently on sale to those who made reservations and this will likely be on for a limited time frame. It comes with a price tag of 3699 Yuan ($546) and OPPO is offering some freebies like headphones, selfie stick with purchases while stock lasts.

When compared with the R11, the OPPO R11 Plus comes with three major changes. Going by the name, the model features a larger 6-inch 1080p display and there is equally a bigger 4000mAh battery and a bigger 6GB RAM onboard. Apart from these., the OPPO R11 and R11 Plus are similar. Both features Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 660 chip, a 20MP + 16MP dual rear camera setup, a 20MP selfie camera, Color OS 3.1, VOOC flash fast charging technology and lots more. The R11 Plus is available in Gold, Rose Gold and Black colors.

(source)

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

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jun 30, 2017

When OnePlus 5 was launched, the company did not mention whether it is a water-resistant phone. In the recent weeks, a French publication, some YouTubers and OnePlus CEO Pete Lau have all confirmed that the OnePlus 5 offers some degree of water resistance.

A YouTuber named Shaizor has done water test of OnePlus 5 on Techno Unboxing. He can be seen placing the OnePlus 5 in a bowl of water and starting a 60-second timer. He keeps on adding water until the OnePlus 5 is fully submerged. He tries to access the touchscreen screen of the phone but there is no feedback. However, the display remains on during the one-minute water test.

After the OnePlus 5 is removed from the bowl, its touchscreen functions properly and so are its Home button. There is no damage done to the camera. The OnePlus 5 successfully clears the water test.

OnePlus 5 teardown video released by JerryRigEverything reveals that the company has not used adhesive between screen and the frame. Also, there is no sealant around the SIM tray. This suggests that the OnePlus 5 may survive a water test of submerging it in a bowl of water, but it may not survive in real-world situations.

According to a French publication, OnePlus 5’s water resistance can be certified as IP67. A IP67 rated device can remain undamaged even if it is submerged in 1 meter deep water for 30 minutes. The Apple iPhone 6S also offers the same level of water resistance, but the company never marketed this feature. Likewise, the OnePlus is not promoting the water resistance of OnePlus.

During a recent interview to Indian Express, when OnePlus CEO Pete Lau was asked whether the company skipped waterproofing to provide better thermal dissipation on OnePlus 5, he replied this is one of the smaller factors. Lau said that he does not feel that waterproofing is a major requirement for the consumer. He added that waterproofing a device increases its weight and makes it thicker. And also, he did confirm that OnePlus 5 offers certain degree of waterproofing, but the company choose not to advertise it.

Do you think waterproofing is one of the important features on a flagship phone? Do let us know your thoughts by adding comments below.

(source 1,2)

Sharp Full Screen Models FS8016 & FS8010 Launching On July 17

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jun 30, 2017

Since Foxconn bought a 66% majority stake in ailing Japanese tech brand Sharp, the Taiwanese company has made efforts to try to turn around the fortunes of Sharp. The investment by Foxconn resulted in Sharp’s first operating profit in three years, announced in April 2017 and attributed to the restructuring efforts by Foxconn. One area Foxconn is looking to revitalise, apart from the once budding Sharp TV business, is its smartphone business. To this end, Sharp is said to planning the launch of two mid-range phones next month.

Precisely, the rumour points at the launch of two mid-range models identified as FS8010 and FS8016 on July 17. Both models are said to feature a 5.5-inch display having a high screen-to-body ratio and resolution of 2048 x 1080pixels. The two models also come with a dual 12MP rear camera setup. The two models will sport different processors. While the FS8016 sports Qualcomm’s latest mid-range Snapdragon 660 chipset, the FS8010 features a Snapdragon 630 chip.

The FS8016 is obviously the top model of the two and for a mid-ranger, the Sharp smartphone is said to have a design similar to the Xiaomi Mi Mix. The bezel at the bottom of the display is said to be narrow and with the screen accounting for at least 91.3% of the entire device. Other leaked specs of the two Sharp mid-rangers include Android 7.1.1 Nougat OS, 4GB and 6GB RAM options. Recall that the Sharp FS8016 model has previously appeared on AnTuTu and GeekBench, revealing some of its specs and those specs are similar to the ones listed above.

The prices of the Sharp models are also said to be cheap. Note that we are not so sure about the source of the launch rumour as Sharp is yet to officially say anything about any launch event. So we’ll have to wait for words from Sharp. Also, the names will likely be different from the ones which have been making the rounds.

(source)

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

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jun 30, 2017

Motorola has been in the news for launching couple of smartphones in the recent weeks such as Moto Z2 Play, Moto E4, Moto E4 Plus, Moto C and Moto C Plus. Motorola fans are eagerly waiting for the company to announce its Moto Z2 and Moto Z2 flagships. However, in the midst of smartphone releases, the company has silently unveiled the Verve Cam+ for livestreaming by making it available on Amazon.

The Verve Cam+ is a round-shaped camera that has been primarily built for livestreaming. It has come to replace the original Verve Cam that was showcased at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2016. The Verve Cam+ is usable with a smartphone through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection that will allow users to easily edit images and videos and livestream it on social sites like YouTube. Its smartphone app can be used to access its various features such as viewfinder and effects.

There is no inbuilt storage available on the Motorola Verve Cam+. Users can add up to 32 GB of microSD card on the livestreaming cam. Whether livestreaming or video shooting, the Verve Cam+ can shoot videos at 2.5K resolution at 30fps with a single click and supports up to 45 minutes of recording time. It is also equipped with a video stabilizer.

There is no information available on the capacity of the battery of Verve Cam+. However, it is equipped with a Li-Po battery. With its IP68 certified case, the camera remain undamaged even if it is submerged in 25 meters deep water for unspecified duration of time. It is equipped with a microUSB port.

The Motorola Verve Cam+ measures 2.2 x 2.2 x 1.1 inches and its weight is 1.1 pounds. It is priced at $108.65 on Amazon with free shipping. The listing on the retailer site says that the item usually ships within 1 or 2 months. There is no confirmation on whether any other online retailer will be selling the Verve Cam+. It comes with various accessories such as Waterproof Housting, Universal Mount, Bumper & Lanyard and Clip Mount. It is only available in white color.

In 2016, Motorola had announced couple of products from its Verve lineup such as VerveLoop, VerveOnes, VerveRider, and VerveRetrieve. There is no confirmation on whether the successors of these models will be introduced this year.

(source|via)

LG V30 May Not Feature its Most Unique Ticker Screen Feature

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jun 30, 2017

One of the distinguishing features of the LG V series flagship phones is it secondary screen that can be used for accessing frequently used apps and for checking notifications. Fresh speculations suggest that the upcoming LG V30 may not feature the secondary ticker screen.

Although the secondary screen is a very unique feature which sits above the main screen on LG V10 and LG V20 phones, it seems that it failed to impress the consumers. According to XDA Developers that claims to have received information from a “trusted source,” the South Korean company may axe the secondary screen won’t be available on the LG V30.

In November 2016, well-known tipster had claimed that the LG V30 won’t be featuring a secondary ticker screen, but he had claimed that the LG V30 may still feature a secondary screen. XDA’s report does not clearly mention whether LG would be ditching the ticker or the secondary screen feature entirely from its upcoming flagship.

Most of the LG flagships that have released in the past have come with LCD panels. However, LG is expected to switch to OLED panel for LG V30 in this year. The probable reason behind removing the secondary screen from LG V30 is that its display may carry support for 18:9 aspect ratio that was introduced on LG G6’s Full Vision Display. Hence, the LG V30 may appear like a larger edition of the LG G6.

There is a possibility that the tall screen that will be arriving on the LG V30 may have a section at the top to display the contents of the ticker screen. OLED panel provides the ability to control each of its pixel which means the upper section of the screen may remain in always-on state while the other part of the screen can remain in sleep state to consume less battery.

The publication has further claimed that the Snapdragon 835 chipset will be powering the LG V30 along with 4 GB of RAM. It will be coming with a native storage of 64 GB. Previous reports have stated that it would be also available 6 GB RAM option. The upcoming flagship phablet from LG will also feature a microSD card slot.

As far as the launch date of LG V30 is concerned, it is speculated to get announced at the end of August. Also, it may get showcased at the IFA 2017 event that will be held between Sept. 1 to 6 in Berlin, Germany.

(source)

OnePlus Is Aware of The Scrolling Issue on The OnePlus 5, Says It’s Normal

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jun 29, 2017

Some OnePlus 5 users have reported a glitch with their device when scrolling. The glitch which is said to behave like a stutter happens within any interface where you have to scroll vertically.

Some say it is the frame rate of the software not syncing with the screen’s refresh rate. Others say it is the screen not refreshing completely in all parts. One thing that seems to be clear is that it is most likely a software issue since both the OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 3T use the same Samsung display and the 3T doesn’t suffer from the same problem.

OnePlus says it is aware of the “issue” and that it is normal. An official statement from the company goes thus: “the OnePlus 5 uses the same level of high-quality components as all OnePlus devices, including the AMOLED display. We’ve received feedback from a small number of users saying that at times they notice a subtle visual effect when scrolling. This is natural and there’s no variance in screens between devices.”

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OnePlus 5 Sets Launch Week Sales Record on Amazon India

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jun 29, 2017

If you are a serious manufacturer, you need to have India in your sight because that’s the next big market after China. OnePlus gets the idea and that’s why they made sure India was one of the first countries to get the OnePlus 5. That move paid off resulting in the new flagship setting a launch week sales record on Amazon India.

The Amazon exclusive OnePlus 5 according to the retail giant is the highest grossing phone in a launch week. OnePlus adds that the OP5 sold three times the amount of OnePlus 3T units sold within a week of its launch. Although a fairer comparison will be against the OnePlus 3 since the 3T is a slight upgrade.

The #OnePlus5 is now the highest grossing phone in the launch week on @amazonIN! A huge thanks to our community who made this feat possible pic.twitter.com/IodKYsFBpy

— OnePlus India (@OnePlus_IN) June 29, 2017

The OnePlus 5 units sold in India is made by OPPO’s factory in Uttar Pradesh. It is priced at Rs. 32,999 for the 6GB RAM + 64GB ROM variant and Rs. 37,999 for the 8GB RAM +128GB model.

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LG G6 Plus with 128GB Storage & G6 32GB Hitting South Korea on June 30

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jun 29, 2017

Reports from South Korea has revealed that technology giant LG has scheduled the official launch of the LG G6 Plus and the 32GB version of the G6 for July 30. LG had announced the G6 Plus as well as the G6 32GB storage variant last week without disclosing when the new variants would become available in the market. But from all indications, the company would star selling both variants in its home country from June 30. The models will also start hitting other markets gradually. Also, the G6 Plus will come in Optical Astro Black, Optical Marine Blue, and Optical Terra Gold colours. LG had earlier disclosed that the Optical Marine Blue and Optical Terra Gold will also be available for the G6 64GB model.

The G6 Plus will come with a monstrous 128GB of storage and will be available in Optical Astro Black, Optical Marine Blue, and Optical Terra Gold colours. LG had earlier disclosed that the Optical Marine Blue and Optical Terra Gold will also be available for the 64GB model. LG also disclosed that the G6 will be getting a range of software upgrades that would usher in features like face print, low power consumption, and covered lens warning.

The LG G6 Plus will be priced a little higher than the G6 at 957,000 Won (~$839), while the G6 will sell for 819,500 Won (~$718). The prices may be slightly higher in other markets whenever LG decides to launch them outside South Korea.

(source)

Master Lu Releases World’s First Mobile VR Benchmarking Tool

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jun 29, 2017

Little known Chinese benchmarking platform Master Lu says it has created a benchmarking tool for virtual reality (VR) devices. The Master Lu Mobil VR benchmark version 1.0 is said to be the world’s first benchmark tool for mobile VR and is coming at a time VR gadgets are gaining more popularity. The number of VR headsets in the market continues to rise with the features becoming more sophisticated. A benchmark app that verifies the claims of VR manufacturers is just apt at this moment.

Thr mobile VR benchmark app will test the VR headset in three parts namely; Visual experience, performance support and sensors. The main scene of the new benchmark app is based on Unity 3D engine development which is the same platform used by games developers. Already, the benchmark app has already been tested using a total of 173 model testers, tests and analysis of more than 100,000 data samples in order to determine the credibility of the new benchmark tool. The score will be listed in percentage and the stronger the overall performance, the higher the resolution, the higher the refresh rate and the faster the visual response will be. The performance module’s highest score will be 50%, while visual effect is 20% and the sensor capability will have a maximum of 30% score.

If you are hoping to see the benchmark result of recently launched VR headsets, you may be disappointed as Master Lu has said it won’t be publishing the performance data of the VR they have tested. According to the company, “the user needs real data, rather than laboratory data.” For now, the app only supports Android devices.

(source)

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Europe’s Honor 9 Comes With Assassin’s Creed Unity Exclusive Mobile Game

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jun 29, 2017

The Honor 9 was released in Europe on Tuesday in Berlin. Tagged the lightcatcher, the new Honor flagship brings not only premium specs but also an exclusive Assassin’s Creed game.

A user posted a picture of himself playing an Assassin’s Creed game. From the picture you may think it is the Assassin’s Creed mobile game of old. However, a tweet by Honor France confirms that the Honor 9 does come with the Assassin’s Creed Unity mobile game. The tweet also mentions that the game will be exclusive to the Honor 9 for 6 months!

Assassin’s Creed Unity was released back in 2014 by Ubisoft for Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One but never for mobile. It is good to see it make its way to mobile phones albeit as an exclusive to the Honor 9 for now.

There is no mention of when it will be available for other android phones and iOS but chances are it will be next year.

Games exclusivity isn’t new. Early this month, iOS devices got a sequel to 2014’s popular puzzler, Monument Valley. Ustwo says it will be available for Android soon and that is very vague.

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Xiaomi Launches Huayang Ultra-Light Umbrella With Carbon Fiber Frame for ¥99 (~$15)

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jun 29, 2017

The latest product on Xiaomi’s Mijia platform is an umbrella. The Huayang Ultra-Light Umbrella is not just any kind of umbrella. Its selling point is its carbon fiber skeletal frame that makes it super light but strong.

Carbon fiber is a very strong and light weight material that is used in the automotive and aerospace industry. It is also making its way to consumer goods resulting in products that are light-weight but very durable.

Unlike most umbrellas that feature a steel frame, the Huayang Ultra-Light Umbrella replaces the steel with carbon fiber, thereby allowing you have a stronger and lighter umbrella.

The carbon fiber frame is strong enough to withstand strong winds. The canopy is made from a highly water resistant material that protects you from getting wet when it rains. The material also makes it easy for you to store the umbrella immediately after use as its nano-coated surface bounces water off completely, keeping it dry.

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Meizu Pro 7 Renders Leak, Encased in Red & Black-Colored Protective Shell

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jun 29, 2017

Over the past few days, we have been treated on several occasions with leaked renders of Meizu‘s expected Pro 7 flagship. The leaked renders have all been consistent in showcasing the design the device will come with. The leaked renders are still streaming in, this time around we have got multiple renders of the Meizu Pro 7 which seems to have been produced by a Chinese protective case maker. The protective casing comes in red and black colours.

The renders were shared by a Chinese tipster on Weibo and it shows the protective shell was custom-made for the Pro 7. The case is touted to offer 360-degree protection, that is all sides of the device will be adequately protected. While we have seen almost all that the Pro 7 has to offer in terms of design, these leaked render answers some minor questions yet to be attended to. One of such is the presence of a 3.5mm audio jack on the Pro 7. The power button has a roughened surface which will likely be to help differentiate it from the volume rockers. You may want to ask if that is relevant. Well, it is for people like me who sometimes gets confused in the dark which of the button does what.

The renders also reveal the likelihood of a USB Type-C port featuring on the Pro 7. The secondary display and rear dual cameras are also visible at the rear and up front, the disappointing large bezels are unfortunate additions we’ll have to deal with on the Pro 7. You can check out some more photos of the Meizu Pro 7 encased in attractive red and black plastic protective shell from below.

(source)

Nubia NX907J Appears on TENAA With HD Display, 2GB RAM & 2900mAh Battery

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jun 29, 2017

ZTE’s Nubia sub-brand may be preparing to launch a new phone soon. A Nubia NX907J was seen on TENAA getting certified and the specs shows it is heading to the low-tier mid-range category.

The Nubia NX907J has a 5.5-inch 720p display. There is 2GB of RAM on board paired with 16GB of storage. Additional storage can be added via a microSD slot that accepts up to 128GB cards. Its 1.4GHz octa-core processor is probably one of the Snapdragon 400 series.

There is a 13MP rear camera on the Nubia NX907J with LED flash and a 5MP front facing camera. Android 6.0.1 comes pre-installed and a 2900mAh battery supplies power.

The phone appears to be made of a mixture of metal and polycarbonate and the physical home button doesn’t look like it houses a fingerprint scanner. Power button and SIM tray sit on the right and the volume rocker sits on the left.

Launch should not be far off for the Nubia NX907J and will probably be a silent one seeing as its a budget device.

[envira-gallery id=”138807″]

(Source)

Samsung Galaxy Note FE, the Refurbished Galaxy Note 7 Appears on GFXBench

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jun 29, 2017

Rumors have revealed that the Samsung Galaxy Note FE (Fandom Edition), the refurbished Galaxy Note 7, would be launching in the next week on July 7. It seems that the arrival of the refurbished phablet seems to be close at hand as the smartphone has already appeared on GFXBench benchmarking platform.

On GFXBench, a smartphone with Samsung Galaxy Note 7R has appeared. It has a model number of SM-N935. In April, the SM-M935 refurbished Galaxy Note 7 was spotted receiving certification from Wi-Fi Alliance. The original Galaxy Note 7 that has been discontinued has a model number of SM-N930. Initial rumors have suggested that the refurbished Note 7 would be launching as Galaxy Note 7R. However, newer reports have suggested that Samsung would be launching it as Galaxy Note FE in order to prevent the consumers from remembering the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7.

Rumors have revealed that Samsung would be releasing the refurbished Galaxy Note 7 with the same specs as the original Note 7. However, one of the most striking changes that can be noticed on the GFXBench listing of Note 7R is that its 5.7-inch screen carries support for full HD resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. The original Note 7 featured the same-sized display but it carried support for Quad HD resolution of 2,560x 1,440 pixels.

The probable reason why Note 7R is listed with FHD screen is that the South Korean firm allows users to adjust the resolution of the screen on its premium flagships. By default, the resolution of the screen is set to full HD. The Galaxy Note 7R is powered by Exynos 8 chipset octa-core processor that clocks at 2.6GHz. It indicates that it could be driven by the same Exynos 8890 chipset that powered the original Note 7.

The GFXBench listing of Galaxy Note 7R reveals that it is equipped with 4 GB of RAM and has an internal storage of 64 GB. Its main camera of the phone is of 12-megapixel and its front-facing camera is of 5-megapixel. As it was revealed before in the rumors, the benchmarking listing also indicates that the Note 7R will be loaded with Android 7.0 Nougat.

Like the original Note 7, the Galaxy Note FE is expected to feature an iris scanner, a fingerprint reader, a microSD card slot, IP68 certified waterproof and dust resistant chassis. It is also expected to carry support for wireless charging. The Galaxy Note 7 had featured a 3,500mAh battery, but the Galaxy Note FE is pegged to arrive with a smaller 3,200mAh battery.

(source|via)

Lenovo Investigates K4 Note Explosion in India

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jun 29, 2017

Exploding phones isn’t a new phenomenon but nobody prays for one to happen. The recent culprit is a Lenovo K4 Note that exploded in India.

Pictures of the phone were posted on Twitter by @Vignesh3319. According to him, the phone exploded while sitting on a colleague’s desk. The official Lenovo twitter account quickly responded to the report asking him to send his details so they could treat the matter.

@Lenovo_in This @lenovo k4 Note exploded in to flames today morning. Just 1 ft across my colleague's desk. Hope u take necessary actions. pic.twitter.com/SDZ9Y6mMCU

— Vigneshwaran V A (@Vignesh3319) June 23, 2017

One of those who responded to the tweet blamed Lenovo for the explosion, saying the model has a heating problem caused by a bug Lenovo refused to fix.

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Honor 6 Play with Entry-Level Specs Gets Certified by TENAA

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jun 29, 2017

Huawei’s Honor brand is best known for its high-end, sleek smartphones but the brand seems to have all categories covered presently. A new Honor smartphone with model number Honor MYA-AL10 has been certified by TENAA.

The Honor MYA-AL10 is believed to be the Honor 6 Play which would be released in the summer. According to the TENAA listing, the Honor Play 6 will come with entry level specs line up which includes a 1.4GHz quad-core processor believed to be the Snapdragon 425 chip. The device has a dimension of 143.8 x 72 x 8.85mm, weighing in at 150g. The device features a 5.0-inch TFT display with a resolution of 1280 x 720pixels. The device has in its memory aspect, a 2GB RAM as well as 16GB storage which is expandable up to 128GB. Keeping the lights on will be a modest 2920mAh battery. The device also comes with a host of network bands and connectivity options including 4G LTE.

On the camera end, the Honor 6 Play will sport an 8MP main camera at the rear while up on the front is a 5MP selfie camera. Providing the interface surprisingly is Android 6.0 Marshmallow instead of Google’s latest Android Nougat OS. The device is also listed as having a built-in antenna which could indicate that the casing would not be a metal body but made from plastic. Besides, there is no visible antenna band design on the body of the device.

We can’t say for sure when this model will be launched but whenever that happens, we expect it to have an affordable price tag ranging from 499 Yuan (~$74) to 699 Yuan (~$103).

(source)

Nokia to Soon Release More Feature Phones; Images Appear on TENAA

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jun 29, 2017

When all the major brands are busy launching various kinds of smartphones, HMD Global released the Nokia 3310 (2017) as an upgraded edition of the old Nokia 3310 feature phone. The Finnish firm has confirmed that it will be launching new batch of Nokia phones before the end of the year. A new feature phone from Nokia is expected to release in the near future as couple of photos of the phone has appeared on TENAA, the Chinese telecom regulatory body. In the past week, the Nokia 105 (2017) had also appeared on TENAA.

The upcoming feature phone from Nokia has a model number of TA-1017. Like the Nokia 3310 (2017), the next feature phone from the firm will not be supporting 3G data connectivity. It is likely that Nokia may release a 3G edition of the phone.

The phone features a plastic body and has a candy bar design. The rear side of the phone features a camera that lacks a LED flash. Below the camera is the loudspeaker. it appears that the phone is running S30+ UI. It may or may not come with support for dual SIMs. in the previous week, the alleged Nokia 105 (2017) had also appeared on TENAA. Speculations suggest the phone may launch as Nokia 130.

The alleged Nokia 105 (2017) in white carries a model number of TA-1010 and its black variant has a model number of TA-1034. The Nokia 105 was first announced in 2013. A revamped edition of the phone with Nokia 105 (2015) moniker was launched by Microsoft in 2015. The Nokia 105 (2017) seems to be cheaper model than the alleged Nokia 130 as it does not feature As of this writing, there is no information on the arrival of the 2017 edition of the alleged Nokia 130 and Nokia 105 phones.

As mentioned above, Nokia is expected to release couple of phones starting from the third quarter of this year. The Nokia 9 is speculated as the upcoming flagship phone from the company. It is expected to come with a 5.3-inch Quad HD screen. It will be driven by Snapdragon 835 chipset and is expected to come in 6 GB and 8 GB RAM variants.

(source 1,2,3|via 1,2)

New Vivo Model Suspected to be Vivo X9S Appears on GeekBench

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jun 29, 2017

A new Vivo smartphone has appeared on the database of popular benchmark website Geekbench revealing some of the key specs we should be expecting on the model. The new model is suspected to be the Vivo X9S that is expected to launch alongside the X9S Plus which was recently certified by China’s certification agency TENAA and also received 3C certification. Both models likely have the same specifications with the major difference likely being their display sizes.

The model was listed as Vivo TD1608 and comes running Android 7.1.1 Nougat operating system and is powered by Qualcomm’s latest mid-range Snapdragon 660 chipset which has an octa-core CPU. The processor is backed 4GB of RAM on the variant that passed through Geekbench. There may likely be a higher variant with 6GB of RAM onboard.

The Geekbench listed specifications are scanty but we already know from previous leaks that the X9S will likely continue the dual selfie camera setup the Vivo X-series has become known for. A photo was recently shared on Weibo which looked like a promotional poster for the Vivo X9S and X9S Plus. The Weibo tipster who shared the photo hinted that the poster was spotted in a Vivo experience store apparently in China and is believed to be an indication that the models will soon be launched.

(source)

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

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jun 29, 2017

Since the September launch of the Apple iPhone 8 is drawing near, leaked information on the highly anticipated iPhone are surfacing consistently. Today, well-known leakster, @OnLeaks, has revealed a video of the dummy unit of iPhone 8 by collaborating with Tiger Mobiles. The leakster has a very good track record of revealing accurate leaked information of forthcoming devices before their official launch. Hence, the design of the iPhone 8 revealed through its dummy unit certainly cannot be dismissed as fake.

As it can be seen in the video, the dummy unit suggests that the alleged iPhone 8 would be sporting very slim bezels around its screen. However, the upper part of the screen sports a slightly larger bezel to feature a selfie camera and some other sensors.

The iPhone 8 dummy unit measures 143.5 x 71 x 7.5mm. The rear side of the phone features a vertically stacked dual cameras. An LED flash is placed between the two cameras. The camera module has a prominent bump. The alleged iPhone 8 is larger than the iPhone 7 that measures 138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1mm. However, it is smaller than the iPhone 7 Plus with measures 158.2 x 77.9 x 7.3mm.

Even though the alleged iPhone 8 is smaller than the iPhone 7 Plus that features a 5.5-inch screen, rumors have claimed that the iPhone 8 would be equipped with a 5.8-inch screen. Also, it is expected to be the first iPhone to feature an OLED screen. Since the front panel of the alleged iPhone 8 does not feature a fingerprint scanner, it seems that the biometric recognition feature is embedded under the display. Some rumors have claimed that there is a possibility that the iPhone 8 may feature a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner since Apple is facing issues with embedding it under the screen. It will come loaded with iOS 11.

The iPhone 8 is speculated to come with all-glass design. This indicates that Apple may introduce wireless charging feature on the iPhone 8. The year 2017 marks the tenth anniversary of Apple iPhones. Hence, the Cupertino company is expected to release iPhone 8 with overall improvements. It is rumored to launch alongside the iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus in September.

(source)

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

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jun 29, 2017

Just two days ago, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 had starred in a 360-degree video. It had not only revealed the design of the phablet from all angles but it also showcased its horizontally arranged dual rear cameras. On Wednesday, the Galaxy Note 8 had surfaced again in a real-life image as well as in a render.

The Galaxy Note 8 images show that the phablet sports a glossy appeal. The rear side of the phablet features a pair of horizontally stacked dual cameras that is coupled with a dual-LED on the right. Below the flash is a heart rate sensor. And, on the right side of the dual-LED flash is the fingerprint scanner.

The Galaxy Note 8 leaks that are appearing consistently show that it will not be facing an onscreen fingerprint scanner. It is rumored that Samsung had encountered problems in pleasing the fingerprint scanner at the front. Hence, it may have opted to place it on the rear side of the Galaxy Note 8. The left edge of the phone seems to feature the volume controllers (does not feature separate volume buttons) and a Bixby AI button. The right side of the Note 8 appears to feature a Power key.

The front panel of the phone is not clearly visible in the render. However, it does suggest that it features bezel-less design. Also, the upper and lower bezels of the front panel are quite thin. Hence, it seems that the Galaxy Note 8 will continue to feature the Infinity Display that Samsung had introduced on the Galaxy s8 and Galaxy S8+ smartphones. Rumors have revealed that the Note 8 would be coming with a 6.3-inch display and like the Galaxy S8 duo, the upcoming flagship phablet will also support an aspect ratio of 18.5:9.

The Galaxy Note 8 leaks have revealed that it will be available in Snapdragon 835 and Exynos 8895 chipset versions. The SoC is expected to be supported by 6 GB of RAM. Rumors have it that it may also come in 8 GB RAM model for select markets like South Korea and China. The Note 8 360-degree render has revealed that Samsung will not be axing the 3.5mm audio jack on the phablet. The Galaxy Note 7 that met with premature death featured a 3,500mAh battery. However, its successor is rumored to be packed with a 3,300mAh battery. Speculations indicate that it would be launching at the end of August. However, some other sources claim that it would be launching in the second half of September.

(source|via)