Google April Fool’s Day Pranks From 2000 to 2017

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Apr 1, 2017

The Maze Blade is the second device from newcomer Maze. Their first device is the Maze Alpha, a bezel-less phone set to take on Xiaomi’s Mi MIX. The Maze Blade is being marketed as the budget-killer and from the images looks to be set on that path.

A first look at the Maze Blade and it reminds you of another device, the Sony Xperia Z5. From the 7H glass back to the circular physical power button on the right side of the anodized aluminium frame, to the huge front bezels, its more than a striking resemblance.

Where it differs from Sony’s phone is in the position of the fingerprint scanner which sits in front. Another difference is in the outlay of the rear camera setup and the use of capacitive buttons. Fans of the Xperia Z5’s design will definitely like the Maze Blade.

The Maze Blade is not just a good-looking device. It also packs some interesting specs. There is 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and the screen is a 5.5-inches FHD display. The rear camera on is a 13MP Sony IMX 214 sensor with OIS and EIS. Now that is something you don’t see in a budget device. Up front sits an 8MP Sony IMX 179 84° wide-angle camera.

[envira-gallery id=”125101″]

The Maze Blade is powered by a MT6753 octa-core processor clocked at 1.3GHz which draws power from a 3000mAh battery. There is Android 6.0 Marshmallow running on it and support for dual SIMs and a memory card.

The phone measures 158.5 x 77 x 8 mm and weighs 190g. It is available in gold, silver, and black and will go on sale early this month on different online platforms. There is no price yet but we expect the Maze Blade will not only be killing the other budget phones with its looks but also its price.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG8XFFqjp3Q[/embedyt]

Leaked Image Reveals Samsung Planned for A Dual-Camera Galaxy S8+

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Apr 1, 2017

Dual cameras became pretty popular last year. Even Apple joined the train with the iPhone 7 Plus. Samsung on the other hand felt no need for it seeing as its single camera Galaxy S7/S7 Edge were strong contenders for the best camera phone for 2016. So when the Galaxy Note 7 was released, no one complained about its lack of dual cameras.

A few days ago, the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ were announced. While none of the two devices sports dual cameras, it turns out Samsung considered giving the Galaxy S8+ dual sensors. This didn’t end as an idea that was mentioned during a meeting to discuss what features the next flagship should have. Samsung actually made a prototype but sadly it was not approved as the final device.

An image of the prototype has been posted on Weibo by @Lei Ming Xuan. Not only do we see the dual-cameras but we can also see that Samsung didn’t place the fingerprint scanner on the rear in this unit. So apart from the Galaxy S8 having an additional sensor, it would also have had its fingerprint scanner in front.

Xiaomi Mi 6 Box Leaks in Black and White: Both Sporting Different Specs

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Apr 1, 2017

The Xiaomi Mi 6 is coming this month and it is confirmed already. Xiaomi’s CEO explicitly said so during a livestream but didn’t specify the date. But that’s not the focus of this article. What surfaced today has us excited about the upcoming device(s). Today we have images of the boxes for the Mi 6 and while they bring answers to some of our questions, they still leave us with more.

One image comes from a Weibo account (phoenix digital) and the other one from another account. These are two separate boxes for the Mi 6. Not only are the boxes different in color, they also have different specs. Let us examine each of them.

Xiaomi Mi 6 Black Box (Most Likely Plus version)

The details on the box reveals that this variant sport a 5.15-inch display. It is powered by the Snapdragon 835 processor and the chip is clocked at 2.45GHz. There is 6GB of RAM on board and 128GB of storage. For the cameras, the Xiaomi Mi 6 sports a 30MP sensor with optical image stabilization on the rear and an 8MP camera up front. The box also states that there is a 4000mAh battery under the hood. That’s a big battery for a 5.15-inch phone no doubt.

Other details revealed says it has full network support, dual SIM slots, and a USB Type-C port.

Xiaomi Mi 6 White Box

The white box is a lot different from the one at the top. First, the sticker bearing the specs extends the whole width of the box and the specs are different too. The Mi 6 variant in the white box has the same 5.15-inch display with a 2.5D glass. It is also powered by the Snapdragon 835 processor but surprisingly, the clock speed is absent. Is this a hint that Xiaomi is clocking them differently? We hope not. The RAM and storage also get axed to 3GB and 64GB respectively on this model.

The cameras are also different. Instead of the 30MP sensor we have on the black box, this is just a 12MP shooter on the rear. The front facing camera also remains a 4MP ultra pixel sensor like that of the Mi 5. The camera is not the only part that takes a dip. The battery capacity remains 3200mAh just as we have in the Mi 5s.

Buy Nomu S30 for $229.99 on Aliexpress

Gizmochina Giveaway – Win A Free Nomu S30 Rugged Phone

By

Shine Wong

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Apr 1, 2017

Gizmochina along with Nomu official is conducting a Nomu S30 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:

Display: 5.5 inch, 1920×1080 pixels full HD screen
CPU: MTK MT6755 2.0GHz octa-Core
System: Android 6.0
RAM + ROM: 4GB RAM + 64GB ROM
Camera: 13MP Sony IMX214 rear camera with PDAF and flash light
Sensor: Geomagnetic Sensor, Ambient Light Sensor, Gravity Sensor, Proximity Sensor
SIM Card: Dual SIM dual standby, dual nano SIM cards
Feature: GPS, A-GPS, Glonass
Bluetooth: 4.0
Network:
2G: GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz
3G: WCDMA 900/2100MHz
4G: FDD-LTE 800/900/1800/2100/2600MHz

More details about Nomu S30 rugged phone, please visit: http://nomu.hk/product/s30

Meanwhile, Nomu official Facebook provide another Nomu S30 phone as Giveaway gift to their followers, just click here to entry:

Win Another Nomu 30 Phone on Facebook

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

Visit Nomu’s Facebook and follow them;
Share this article to your Facebook or Twitter
Leave comments under this article, tell us how do you think about rugged phone

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 ship when it is available to purchase.

Just follow the steps mentioned in the Gleam widget to participate in the giveaway.

Once again, happy new year everyone and good luck.

Gizmochina Giveaway – Win A Free Nomu S30 Rugged Phone

Geotel Note GIVEAWAY!

By

Linus

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Apr 1, 2017

Geotel is one of the new smartphone makers and they have a pretty nice looking yet a very cheap device that is called Geotel Note. The phone costs just below $90 but it has a lot of cool features.

VIDEO REVIEW

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

When it comes to the design, the phone is made entirely of plastic. It does not feel very cheap but some metal elements would have added a more premium look.

When it comes to hardware, the Geotel Note has some decent specs for the price.

The phone ships with a quad-core MTK6737 chip, 3GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage. Other key specs include 5.5” 720p display, 8MP front-facing, and 13MP main cameras, notification LED light, a replaceable 3200mAh battery and Android 6.0 out of the box.

You can now enter a GIVEAWAY to win your brand new Geotel Note smartphone. Follow the link below to enter.

Buy Geotel Note

Visit Geotel official website

Geotel Note Giveaway

Meizu’s First Dual Camera Phone Revealed In Shady Images, Most Likely Not Real

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Mar 31, 2017

More mobile phone manufacturers are now embracing dual camera technology on their smartphones and this ranges from flagship devices to mid-budget smartphones. Many fans were quite disappointed with the lack of dual cameras on the Samsung Galaxy S8 or S8 Plus but Xiaomi is expected to feature such on the upcoming Mi 6. Meizu is not one to be left out of the party as a recently leaked set of images have shown what is likely Meizu’s first dual camera phones.

The leaked images which originated from China’s Weibo isn’t very clear but we are able to see that the smartphone comes in three distinct colours of gold, green and gray. All that we get is the rear view of all three color options but the dual rear camera would likely be the standout feature on the smartphone. The dual cameras sit in a horizontal plane at the top left corner of the phone while the LED flash and what is likely an OIS is at the right side of the sensors.

Also, the dual sensors are noticed to be of two different sizes with one bigger than the other. The main camera sensor is likely the bigger one while the supporting sensor should be the smaller one. The supporting sensor is most likely a depth of field sensor. Furthermore, the leaked dual camera smartphone also has a metal body which we could tell from the fused antenna band design which is visible at the top and bottom edges.

Now, these aren’t very clear renders and given the three different designs with dual cam setup, there’s a good possibility that this is the work of photoshop. The leakster probably wanted to just show off the design of the setup and not the entire back. So, if you were hoping for some real images of an upcoming dual camera Meizu device, you would probably have to wait for some more time.

Xiaomi Mi 6 Plus Render Leaks: Shows Interesting Details at the Front & Rear

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Mar 31, 2017

Not too long after a device suspected to be the Xiaomi Mi 6 was spotted in China’s 3C website, the Mi 6 is in the news once again. This time around a render of the likely Plus-sized version of the Mi 6 captured from the front and rear has leaked online. As would be expected, the render gifts us a look at the device from the front and rear end.

This new render comes in a coral blue colour but the images are similar to those which had leaked earlier on but obviously, this one doesn’t look real. Up front, we could see the home button looks similar to the Mi 5S’ underglass ultrasonic fingerprint sensor while there is no opening for the iris recognition technology which the Mi 6 is rumoured to feature. The Mi 6 Plus is said to come with a 5.7-inch HD display and the render shows a thin bezel at the two sides of the display but the screen to body ratio isn’t spectacular.

The rear view shows the dual-lens camera setup that the Mi 6 is almost certain to come with. The cameras are arranged in a horizontal plane while the LED flash sits to the right of the cameras. The capacitive buttons on the right side protrude abnormally that they seal this images as likely not being real live renders. Perhaps it is a fan generated work which isn’t a bad depiction anyway, even though it doesn’t look too captivating as we would have expected the Mi 6 Plus to be.

Earlier rumours had tipped the Xiaomi Mi 6 Plus to come with 6GB of RAM, 64GB / 128GB storage versions, Sony IMX362 12MP main camera, and an 8MP front camera (Ultrapixel) as well as a large 4,500mAh battery. On the other hand, the Mi 6 is expected with a smaller 5.15-inch display and two versions with 4GB and 6GB of RAM as well as three storage versions of 32GB, 64GB and 128GB. The Mi 6 will likely also pack a lesser 3,2oomAh battery. Both smartphones will likely be unveiled this April so brace up for more leaks and rumours.

China to Launch 156 Mini Satellites To Improve Internet Access

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Mar 31, 2017

Presently, China is nowhere near the top 10 countries with the best internet connectivity but that could change in the near future as China Aerospace Science & Industry Corporation (CASIC) has announced the country’s plans to send an army of 156 mini-satellite into space in order to speed up its broadband coverage.

The entire 156 mini-satellites will orbit at 1,000 km above the ground and according to CASIC, it’s the first low orbiting, networked satellite project developed in China. Orbiting at a low altitude would ensure that there wouldn’t be signal delay.

The satellites are apparently ka-band satellites as they are said to fall in the 26.5GHz to 40GHz frequencies bands which is the range of the ka-band. The Ka-band has become the band of choice for many satellite operators due to its increasing capacity availability and its applicability for broadband services. The project is a long term one as the first satellite will be sent into space before next year and then four more will join by 2020 to form a constellation. All 156 mini-satellites will be in operation by the end of 2025.

OnePlus Announces Limited Edition Dash Energy Drink, Early April Fools Joke?

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Mar 31, 2017

OnePlus teased yesterday via its twitter account that it had a Dash Charge Product scheduled to launch today. Most of us were probably expecting a new charger or an electronic product at most. Alas! Turns out we were wrong. The new product is actually an energy drink, the Dash Energy Drink. I bet you didn’t see that coming.

OnePlus says the Dash Energy Drink is nutritional and will “unlock a person’s hidden potential. OnePlus is even using the “a day’s power in half an hour” slogan to market the energy drink. They say with the energy drink, you don’t need to sleep for eight hours to recharge. That time can now be cut down to just 30 minutes with the Dash Energy Drink. This is probably a joke.

Interested in testing out this theory? Then you can get the Dash Energy Drink starting tomorrow. If you live in London, you will be able to get a taste of the drink at Bishops Square, Spitalfields, London between 12 midday to 4PM. For those in India, the OnePlus Experience Store in Bangalore will have it starting at 11AM IST. EU residents can enter the online raffle(not yet active as at the time of writing) to win a pack of four energy drinks.

Possible Xiaomi Mi 6 Model Passes 3C Certification with 18W Fast Charger

New Xiaomi Mi 6 Images Crop Up With A Beautiful Front, Vertical Dual Camera Setup

By

Joel Joseph

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Mar 31, 2017

Another day and another Xiaomi Mi 6 leak. This time around, it’s not the specs or the pricing that has been leaked, rather a new set of Mi 6 images that show us one of the possible designs of the upcoming flagship. To be honest, this is one of the best looking Xiaomi Mi 6 images we have seen till date. The fact that the display takes over most of the front part of the phone once again throws light on the design philosophy being adopted by smartphone flagships in 2017. Last year it was the unique antenna band placement at the back by the likes of Meizu and iPhone. This year, it’s much more significant — a bezel-less front.

As you can see in the image above, the phone comes with a bezel-less front, except for the thin part above the body. It’s not a curved display like the Samsung Galaxy S8+, nevertheless, it looks pretty beautiful. The basic idea seems to be inspired from the Xiaomi Mi Mix, in a much rounder and compact body. The standard sensors are located on the top, including the front camera. On the right, we can see the power and volume buttons.

At the back, there’s the dual camera setup as rumored. However, the cameras are arranged vertically as opposed to the recent alleged Mi 6 images which featured a horizontal dual camera placement. This definitely makes things more interesting (and confusing).

While we can’t be sure this is indeed the real Xiaomi Mi 6, let’s hope that the design is something similar. Mi 6 needs a refreshing design, or else there is a good chance that it might end up among the numerous value for money flagships that are going to be announced in 2017 without standing out.

As for the other specs, the Xiaomi Mi 6 is expected to feature some advanced tech like iris recognition, waterproofing, and even wireless charging. Of course, none of these features have been confirmed yet, so we better wait for April, until the phone is officially announced.

So, what do you think about these leaked images of the Xiaomi Mi 6? Like it or hate it?

(via)

Some Related Xiaomi Mi 6 Reading:

More Xiaomi Mi 6 Rumours & Leaks: Ceramic Body, Iris recognition, Waterproof & Wireless charging

Xiaomi Mi 6 SIM Card Tray Leaked: Hints At Waterproofing, So No 3.5mm Audio Jack?

Xiaomi Mi 6 Will Not Feature the 3.5mm Headphone Jack? Bluetooth Earbuds Coming

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ Differ Not Only in Size and Battery But Also in Performance

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Mar 31, 2017

Its been two days since Samsung took the wraps of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. Since the launch, we have been getting new details on both phones from those who have been able to get some hands-on time with the devices. One of such people is a Chinese blogger who has had the chance to compare the Exynos 8895 variants.

Tech blogger @肥威 took to Weibo to say that comparison tests between the Exynos powered variants of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ showed that the larger variant is more powerful. He includes a picture to back up his claim.

The image shows both devices running hardware and software information utility app, AIDA64. The app shows that the Exynos 8895 in the Galaxy S8 is clocked at 2.3GHz while that of the Galaxy S8+ is clocked at nearly 2.5GHz (2.49GHz). The finding has only been reported by him for now but other reviewers might come across it as well.

The difference in clockspeed might be negligible and is not something we haven’t seen before. The Xiaomi Mi 5 (3GB + 32GB) has its Snapdragon 820 SoC clocked at 1.85GHz while the Mi 5 Prime and Pro (3GB + 64GB & 4GB + 128GB) has the same processor clocked at 2.15GHz. There is also no info if this applies to the Snapdragon 835 variant too.

Jingdong Discounts Mi 5s Ahead of Mi Fans Festival But Leaves Buyers in a Conundrum

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Mar 31, 2017

Turns out the Xiaomi official website is not the only place where discounts for the Mi Festival will run. Online mall, Jingdong will also be running its own sales. If you are out for a new phone, then you may want to consider the Xiaomi Mi 5s which is getting discounted on the site.

The Mi 5s is the successor to the Mi 5. They have the same screen size but the Mi 5s is powered by a Snapdragon 821 processor and features an under-glass fingerprint scanner up front. The Mi 5s is also made out of metal instead of glass like the Mi 5.

The 3GB + 64GB variant sells for ¥1999 ($290) but Jingdong will let you have it for ¥1799 ($261) if you pay in full upfront. If you pay ¥990 ($144) upfront, your discount is lowered to ¥100. Sadly, the discount doesn’t apply to the 4GB + 32GB variant and the 4GB + 128GB model. The former sells for ¥1949 ($283).

Possible Xiaomi Mi 6 Model Passes 3C Certification with 18W Fast Charger

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Mar 31, 2017

A new Xiaomi smartphone has just received 3C (CCC) certification in China and there are indicators pointing at the possibility of this being the expected Mi 6. The 3C certification is a mandatory product certification system in China with the aim of protecting consumer’s security through the supervision of products concerning health, hygiene, security, environment and anti-fraud.

The Xiaomi smartphone received the 3C certificate on March 29, according to the listing and is shown to have been manufactured for Xiaomi Communications Co. Ltd by FIH Precision Electronics (Langfang) Co. LTD which, simply put, is Foxconn. The suspected Mi 6 comes with the model number MCE16 and is shown to support LTE connectivity.

In addition, the device is shown to have support for three charging output ratings including 5V, 3A/9V, 2A/12V, 1.5A, with a minimum power rating of 15W and maximum of 18W, which is the fast charge standard. The device is suspected of being the Mi 6 because of the fast charger which it is listed to feature but that doesn’t give the speculation any certainty. It could turn out to be another device, even though we don’t know of any other smartphone Xiaomi is getting out into the market anytime soon.

The Xiaomi Mi 6 is expected out in the open this April and the rumored features it is expected with keep piling up, positioning the device as a true flagship. The Mi 6 is said to use the latest Snapdrag0n 835 chip and very recently it was revealed that the device may likely be without the legendary 3.5mm headphone jack and would be waterproof. Other rumoured features include an iris recognition technology, wireless charging, colourful body and fast charge support.

Save on Xiaomi Mi Routers and Amplifier During The Mi Fans Festival

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Mar 31, 2017

Xiaomi will next week begin its annual Mi Fan Festival. The festival is actually Xiaomi’s way of marking its anniversary. This year will be the 7th edition of the event and like others expect lots of price slashes.

Instead of waiting till the festival starts to begin announcing the price slash, Xiaomi has started churning out teasers to get us excited. First, on the list is its line of Mi Routers. The price slash cuts across most of its current catalog.

The price cut starts with the Mi Wi-Fi Cat Power that allows you to extend the signal from your Mi router to other parts of your home where the signal is weak or non existent. Starting on the 6th of April you will be able to purchase the signal converter and the WiFi extender combo for ¥249 ($36).

Next is the Mi Router 3. This router doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of the Mi Router HD announced at CES 2017 such as a Qualcomm chip or a large storage but there is dual band WiFi and it sports four antennas too. The Mi Router 3 usually sells for ¥149 ($22) but will get a cut to ¥139 ($20).

“Hello Moto with a Large Battery”- Moto E4 with 4,000mAh battery Clears US FCC

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Mar 31, 2017

A new Motorola smartphone with model number XT1723 has been spotted on the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) website where it has been certified. The device is suspected to be the Moto E4, successor to the Moto E3 (Moto E 2016) released last year. The Moto E3 also got certified by FCC last year with the model number XT1706.

Usually, the FCC site doesn’t reveal much about the device being certified but in this case, the little listed is enough to get us excited. The Moto XT1723 model is listed with a massive 4,000mAh battery which dwarfs that of the Moto E3 which came with a 3,500mAh battery. The device is also listed with a 16GB storage which is believed to be its base version. There will likely be a 32GB storage version in the long run. That is just where it ends but we hope to see more about the device in the coming days.

The FCC certification means the Motorola, owned by Lenovo, has now gotten the green light to sell the Moto E4 in the US and Canada. The E4 will likely join two other Motorola models which had earlier appeared on WiFi Alliance with model numbers XT1750 and XT1754.

Huawei’s Earnings Affected as it Spent More Revenue in Rivaling Apple, Samsung

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Mar 31, 2017

Huawei is currently sitting on the third position behind Apple and Samsung in the global smartphone manufacturer ranking. However, the company’s efforts on gaining grounds on market leaders have led to slower growth in its revenues.

Huawei has shifted its focus from its telecom equipment business to smartphone business. However, such a shift has led to decline in the net profit margins for two years in a row. According to a recent report from Bloomberg, Huawei has put a lot of money into research and marketing to rival against Apple and Samsung. Compared to its net income revenue in 2011, Huawei gained only one-third revenue in 2016. It is the slowest growth rate since 2011.

Even though it is a relatively new brand in the smartphone industry, it has rapidly grown to become the third smartphone maker in the world. However, to expand at such a faster pace, Huawei has input a lot of money in research and marketing. The following graph shows that the company’s research and development costs have increased seven-fold since 2007.

Huawei earnings

On Friday, the company has said that from the revenue it earned in 2016, it has spent 14.6 percent on R&D. It plans to use $10 to $20 billion annually for R&D as the company plans to research and advance in various segments like preparation to support 5G standards, artificial intelligence, wireless technology and cloud computing.

According to Huawei Chief Financial Officer Sabrina Meng, “In 2017, we will continue to boost the efficiency and quality of our operations to ensure solid growth,” Since December 2016, the company has started cutting costs that go into mega marketing events as growing expenditure can affect efficiency and profitability of the company.

Huawei is earning lesser revenue from its main business of networking equipment as the firm aims to achieve more sales through consumer business like cloud computing and smartphones. It wants to become word’s larger smartphone maker by 2021 by expanding its sales in international markets, but at present it is heavily reliable on sales from home market as China contributed 45 percent of revenue in 2016 and 42 percent in 2015. Moreover, Huawei is under threat in the home market from brands like Oppo and Vivo.

Galaxy S8, S8+ to Hit Record Breaking Sales Without Facing Supply Shortages

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Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Mar 31, 2017

Samsung is having very high hopes from its recently introduced Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ flagships. A recent report from South Korea has revealed that both phones will not encounter any shortage in supply.

Samsung is quite confident about the success of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ phones as it has already said that it anticipates to sell more number of Galaxy S8 units than it sold Galaxy S7 in 2016. According to industry experts, Samsung has sold more than 48 million units of Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge by the beginning of this year. Hence, the Galaxy S7 duo phones have set a new in-house record for the company for first-year sales.

The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are respectively priced at $749 and $849. The Galaxy S8 duo are costlier than the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge. Still, Samsung expects Galaxy S8 to outsell Galaxy S7 as the company have made all the preparations to meet the demand for its newest flagships.

Speaking on the supply of Galaxy S8 duo, Koh Dong-jin, the Head of Mobile Business with Samsung Electronics said that the Galaxy S8’s initial supply will be twice more than that of Galaxy S7. He further added that since the company is able to prepare the supply of Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ without difficulty, the company won’t meet any problem of supply delay. For the initial sales, Samsung is preparing 20 million units of the new flagships.

The preparation for the initial sales of Galaxy S8 duo suggest that the company is ready for record-breaking sales. Moreover, the customers across the world will have no problems in purchasing a Galaxy S8 or S8+. However, the only thing that can somewhat disturb the sales of Galaxy S8 and S8+ is their costlier price tags.

The Galaxy S8 duo will go on sale from April 21 in the U.S. and some other regions. Both phones will subsequently arrive in other markets of the world. Industry watchers are of the view that the company would be selling over 46 to 60 million Galaxy S8 units this year.

Xiaomi Mi 5C Gets Android 7.1 Nougat Upgrade

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Mar 31, 2017

Xiaomi has announced that the Mi 5C will start getting upgrades which would push Android 7.1 Nougat upgrades to the new phone. This is in line with the company’s promise during the launch of the Mi 5C. The upgrades will be via OTA push but this one is meant for Xiaomi Mi 5C smartphones running the MIUI 8 developer ROM.

One good thing about Xiaomi’s MIUI is that it is constantly upgraded to offer users newer and more features and it is so flexible you can decide to stick with a Developer ROM or a Stable ROM, or even a Ported ROM developed by unofficial developers. Developer ROMs are usually updated every week (except for special occasions like Chinese national holidays), and they will get bug fixes and new features in every update. On the other hand, Stable ROMs don’t have a regular update frequency. They are updated once a month or two months or even longer.

In this case, Mi 5C users running the developer ROM will get OTA updates as from today. Alternatively, the update package can be downloaded from the MIUI official website. It must be noted, though, that the Xiaomi Mi 5C comes with the MIUI 8 Stable ROM by default and so will ordinarily not get this OTA update.

However, if you are eager to get a feel of using Android 7.1 Nougat on your Mi 5C, you can download the Developer ROM from the MIUI Forum. But if you have no idea about flashing your phone and stuff, just chill. The Mi 5C running MIUI 8 Stable ROM will still get updates to Android 7.1 Nougat later on.