Xiaomi has again come out with yet another teaser, this time of a product launching 0n April 5. The product will be coming out in time for the Mi Festival 2017 which runs from April 6 – 9. The name of the product isn’t clearly stated but the teaser speaks volume about what we’ll likely be seeing on that day.
The teaser poster is that of a young man who carries a carton containing a football. The poster also contains the logo of a camera and these all points in the direction of a Smart sports camera coming. The product will by unveiled by 10 AM on April 5 and then we’ll know what it is for sure.
However, Xiaomi has got a number of Action camera in its lineup, especially the Yi-series. The Yi camera is manufactured by Xiaoyi which is now an independent company. Perhaps, this camera will bear squarely the Xiaomi brand name as it isn’t likely a crowdfunded product even though it falls under its smart home MIJIA brand.
Finally, the latest and greatest Samsung galaxy flagships are here, the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus. Both phones follow a familiar Samsung’s design language but they now have truly bezel-less displays that just look gorgeous.
In fact, the Galaxy S8 is narrower and just feels so much smaller in the hand in comparison to the last year’s Galaxy S7 edge even though it has a larger 5.8” display. The S8+ has a 6.2” display but it also has one of the best screen to body ratios out there.
You can check out my Galaxy S8 hands on review video below:
Both phones are 8mm thick and they sport pretty small batteries. The S8 has a 3000mAh unit whereas the S8+ sports a 3500mAh power bank.
As far as the specs go, the S8 and S8+ will use either Snapdragon 835 or Exynos 8895 chipsets, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, which is also expandable via the MicroSD card slot. There are rumors about the 6GB model but there is no official info about that.
The 2k resolution AMOLED panels look really sharp and vibrant. They also use the 18:9 aspect ratio and HDR video support, which seems like a trending feature in 2017.
Some people may be disappointed but finally, the physcial home button is gone. There is still a button underneath the on-screen keys, which gives you a nice haptic feedback. You will also be able to switch the recent apps and the back buttons.
A new 8MP auto-focus selfie camera is said to be better than ever. I took a few selfies in low-light and they do look pretty good but more on the image quality in my full review later.
There was no space for the fingerprint scanner on the front, so Samsung put it on the back… in the most awkward position you can ever imagine. It will take time to get used to it and you may smudge your camera lens from time to time but at least the scanner is accurate. Also, it finally unlocks the phone straight from the standby mode.
The reason why the fingerprint scanner placement is questionable is that you have new face recognition and iris scanner features, which seem to work pretty well but they are slower to use since you need to wake your phone up first.
As most of the Samsung phones, the S8 is a huge fingerprint magnet and it looked gross even though I kept cleaning it all the time. I won’t be getting a black model, where all those smudges are visible, that’s for sure.
Same as the last year’s flagship, the S8 sports the IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, so you will be able to wash those smudges out.
We have the same 12MP camera on the back but it now has better software optimizations. I took a few camera samples in low-light and they do look really good but again, more on the image quality in my full review.
We have a usual set of buttons, a headset jack and a dedicated button for a new Samsung’s voice assistant that is called Bixby. It is basically Samsung’s version of the google assistant. So far it looks promising but this is a feature that I will be testing in detail later on.
I spent just an hour with the new Galaxies but I absolutely love the new Grace UX. It looks cleaner and most importantly, it is really fast even though there are lots of features and customization options. We will see how it performs after installing a lot of apps on the phone. The new Samsung Dex will allow you to transform your Galaxy phone into a desktop computer to boost your productivity by optimizing the apps and the home screen for a large display. However, the Dex dock will be sold separately.
Samsung also announced a new Gear 360 camera that will be easy to use and it will let you live stream 360 videos easily.
Both new Galaxies will be available in a variety of colors and the release information currently puts pre-orders at March 30, with the phones making it into your hands by April 21.
Most carriers in the US will be offering the Galaxy S8 for $750 and the Galaxy S8 Plus for $850. The prices in Europe will be 800 EUR for the Galaxy S8 and the 900 EUR for the S8+.
Apart from the Yunmao Good light Mini 2 Smart body scale, Xiaomi also launched a smart thermometer as its 73rd product on the crowdfunding platform on Thursday. The Smart thermometer is already up for funding on the crowdfunding platform and it carries a price tag of just 99 yuan (~$14). The device will start shipping on May 18.
The Smart thermometer comes with a diameter of 17mm and with a high thermal conductivity. The device uses a stainless steel temperature sensor which is of food-grade meaning it is safe. It measures temperatures ranging between 32-degree centigrade and 42-degree centigrade with an error of 0.1 degrees.
The Xiaomi Smart thermometer is water resistant, with an IPX6 rating and there is a safe adhesive through which the thermometer can be attached to the body. It requires just 2.5 seconds to detect a baby body temperature. The thermometer comes with Bluetooth connectivity and can be connected to the Mi App via a mobile phone. The temperature measurements can be followed continuously via the app. Another cool feature is that it comes with an alarm that beeps when the temperature level is at a dangerous level. Parents can set their own low and high-temperature level and when this level is reached, the alarm beeps.
Since its financial troubles became public knowledge, Chinese smartphone giant LeEco has been on the quiet side, only managing to pop into the news a few times since the beginning of the year. But one smartphone that has failed to leave our presence is the LeEco flagship with a weird-looking dual rear camera. This device which has been the subject of series of leaks is touted to be of a flagship stock and would even feature AI technology.
There is a new information now, call it rumour if you like, that the LeEco flagship would be launched this April, specifically on April 11. The rumour emanated from a Weibo user who also revealed that the flagship device would use a dual-lens camera setup which he predicts would be the flagship standard going forward despite the Galaxy S8 not having one. We don’t know the other details of the flagship but there is a rumor that it would sport dual cameras at the front as well as at the rear. Previously we were expecting a Snapdragon 821-powered flagship but we don’t know if that would change since there is a new Sheriff in town now.
Another revelation by the Weibo tipster is that the LeEco smartphone would come with artificial intelligence (AI), making it a true flagship. Incase you are at a loss here, the AI technology will likely function as a voice assistant similar to Samsung’s Bixby. And if indeed the smartphone comes with an AI technology, that would make it the first LeEco smartphone to feature such.
April 11 is just two weeks away, while it is unlikely that LeEco will launch a smartphone on that day, we’ll keep our fingers crossed and hope they do.
Synaptics announced today a new line of fingerprint sensors. The new sensors will be under the “FS4600 family of Natural ID”. They will be used in smartphones to provide high-performance and secure biometric authentication.
Manufacturers adopt various designs for their fingerprint scanners. We have seen square shaped scanners (Moto G4 Plus and Moto Z Play), pill shaped ones (Meizu M5 Note, Xiaomi Mi 5), circular ones (Redmi Note 4), and square scanners (Lenovo Vibe K4 Note). Synaptics says its new sensors can be adapted into any of these designs and in any position too.
Another new feature coming to the FS4600 family is that it can be placed under either glass, ceramic, or polymer coatings. It can also be assigned the function of two OD soft buttons and will support force sensing and swipe navigation. Security for the FS4600 will be provided by Synpatics’ SentryPoint security software.
Portuguese footballer and Real Madrid C.F player, Cristiano Ronaldo is the brand ambassador for Nubia. Earlier today, he took to his Weibo page to share a picture from his photo shoot with the soon-to-be-released Nubia Z17 Mini.
The image gives us a good look at Nubia’s second dual camera phone for the year, the first being the Nubia M2 released last week. There are a number of differences between both devices but we will just focus on the obvious ones. First the dual cameras and the LED flash are positioned differently. In the Z17 Mini, they are positioned along the antenna line like you have in the iPhone 7. The LED flash also precedes the cameras.
For the Nubia M2, it sports the U-design antenna lines, so you have the dual cameras below it. The sensor also come before the LED flash. Another major difference is the position of the fingerprint scanner. It sits upfront underneath the home button in the M2 but is positioned at the back on the Z17 Mini.
Both phones will also differ in terms of specs. According to the information on TENAA, the Nubia Z17 Mini will have a 5.2-inch 1080p screen, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, 16MP front facing camera and probably dual 13MP sensors on the back. Due to the smaller screen, the battery has been cut down to 2930mAh.
Samsung’s latest Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus flagships are presently ruling the airwaves not because they bear the Samsung brand but because of the sleek design and the powerful processors they feature, especially the Snapdragon 835 SoC. Samsung isn’t the only one that would use the Qualcomm latest chipset as Xiaomi had earlier been tipped to be the first Chinese domestic brand that would use the next generation SoC. Now, OnePlus is also rumoured to use the Snapdragon 835 on their upcoming flagship.
A new leak has come up which tend to give some credibility to earlier rumours that the OnePlus5 flagship will use a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chip. The leak also revealed that the Snapdragon 835 would come with 8GB of RAM, as well as a Quad HD (2K) display. The flagship will also sport a 5.5-inch display, 3,000mAh battery, 23MP rear camera with OIS, and others.
The renders of the OnePlus 5 were also leaked alongside the specifications and they reveal the likelihood of a full-screen display with a high screen-to-body ratio. We can’t be so sure about that but it is just logical for OnePlus to go along with the trend and make their next flagship come with a high screen-to-body ratio. Already LG G6 launched with such design and now the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus and more are likely to follow. The display is likely going to be a curved display with a virtual home button.
In addition, the leaked renders show that the OnePlus 5 may likely come with a dual camera setup at the rear which is aligned in the vertical plane. Also, there is a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor which could be as a result of the absence of a front home button under which the fingerprint could have been embedded. Nothing is certain yet, so we’ll still take this one with a pinch of salt.
When Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 4X last month, it was only available with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. Xiaomi however teased that there would be a 4GB RAM variant with 64GB ROM. The rumor back then was that it was also going to have a different Snapdragon processor, most likely the Snapdragon 653. Sorry to burst your bubble, but Xiaomi has decided to power the Redmi Note 4X with a Helio X20 chip instead. Yes, that’s the deca-core chip we saw in the TENAA listing earlier today.
The info comes from Xiaomi’s official website where the details of the new variant have already been uploaded. The high-end version will have the Mali T880MP4 GPU clocked at 700MHz 4GB RAM.It will also support SD cards of up to 128GB in size. The remaining specifications are the same as the 3GB RAM version.
Brian White is an analyst for Drexel Hamilton and he thinks there will soon be a change of power in the smartphone world. According to him, Samsung’s days of being the Android king are coming to an end and the new king will be Chinese manufacturer, Huawei.
“I do expect the Chinese to knock off Samsung and that’s probably going to be Huawei. I see it as a Huawei-Apple fight in the future, Samsung and probably some smaller competitors underneath them.” Mr White is quoted as saying in an interview with Squawk Alley.
Actually, his prediction may turn out to be true. In the fourth quarter of 2016, an IDC report says Apple and Samsung’s share of the smartphone market were almost tied at 18% each. Huawei almost snagged 11% of the market.
Both Huawei and Samsung have announced their flagships for 2017 and both devices are very impressive. It remains to see how many units they are able to sell by the end of the year.
It appears that the speculation of Samsung’s reign coming to an end is one that is not only shared by Brian White. Hans Tung, a venture investor and managing partner at GGV says he is skeptical about Samsung’s long term chances against Apple. He says the market is saturated and “it is very difficult to come up with a phone that will wow customers greatly”.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ phones are now available on pre-orders with color options like Midnight Black, Orchid Gray and Arctic Silver in the U.S. Customers who pre-order the S8 or S8+ can avail a free Gear VR with Controller as well as Oculus Bonus Content. Pre-orders across AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint and US Cellular will begin on March 30 at 12:01 AM ET and last until April 21.
Unlocked Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+
The unlocked Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ would be available for purchase through Best Buy in the U.S. with a respective pricing of $724.99 and $824.99. The unlocked models are cheaper than carrier counterparts. The shipments of the unlocked units will begin from May 9.
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AT&T
Galaxy S8 full retail price – $750, Availability at AT&T Stores – April 24
AT&T Next – $25 monthly payments for 30 months
AT&T Next Every Year – $31.25 monthly payments for 24 months.
Galaxy S8+ full retail price – $850, Availability at AT&T Stores – April 21
AT&T Next – $28.34 monthly payments for 30 months
AT&T Next Every Year – $35.42 monthly payments for 24 months.
Promotional Offers:
Apart from the usual freebies like Gear VR with Controller as well as Oculus Bonus Content, the following promotional offers are available with AT&T:
$750 as credits for another Galaxy S8 or S8+
$49 for Samsung Gear S3 with two-year service agreement
99 cents for Samsung Tab E or Samsung Gear S2 with two-year service agreement.
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T-Mobile
Galaxy S8 full retail price – $750, Availability at T-Mobile stores – April 21
$30 down payment, $30 monthly payments for 24 months
Jump on Demand – $0 down payment, $31.25 monthly payments for 24 months.
Galaxy S8+ full retail price – $850, Availability at T-Mobile stores – April 21
$130 down payment, $30 monthly payments for 24 months
Jump on Demand – $130 down payment, $30 monthly payments for 24 months.
Promotional Offers:
Apart from Gear VR with Controller and Oculus Bonus Content freebies, customers who pre-order at T-Mobile store s will get a DeX desktop docking station for free.
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Verizon
Galaxy S8 full retail price – $720, Availability at Verizon stores – April 21
$30 monthly payments for 24 months
Galaxy S8+ full retail price – $840, Availability at Verizon stores – April 21
$35 monthly payments for 24 months
Promotional Offers:
Apart from the usual pre-order freebies, users can spend $99 more for Experience Box that consists of Gear VR with Controller, Hardon Kardon earphones and 256 GB microSD card from Samsung.
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Sprint
Galaxy S8 full retail price – $744, Availability at Sprint stores – April 21
18 months lease plan with $25 down payment and $29.62 monthly payments
$31.25 monthly payments for 24 months.
Galaxy S8+ full retail price – $844, Availability at T-Mobile stores – April 21
18 months lease plan with $25 down payment and $33.78 monthly payments
$35.42 monthly payments for 24 months.
Promotion Offers:
Besides the Gear VR and Oculus bundle, Sprint is also providing another offer for $99 which includes Gear VR with Controller, Hardon Kardon earphones and 256 GB microSD card from Samsung.
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US Cellular
US Cellular has not announced the full retail pricing of Galaxy S8 and S8+. It is an offering an trade-in offer that allows customers to either trade an eligible smartphone (iPhone 5S or later; Galaxy S6 or later) to avail the Galaxy S8 for free whereas the S8 will come for $3.64 monthly payments for 30 months. If there is no phone available for the trade-in offer, the carrier will provide $100 promotional gift card. However, customers need to avail Total Plan or Shared Connect plan and also subscribe for Device Protection + program.
Galaxy S8, S8+ UK Pre-orders, Pricing
In the U.K, the pre-orders have started from March 29 until April 19 on the official UK website of Samsung and operators like Carphone Warehouse, EE, Sky Mobile and Tesco Mobile. The Galaxy S8 and S8+ phones will be respectively available for £689 and £779 and will come in color options like Midnight Black and Orchid Grey. The Arctic Silver color be made available soon.
LG could be said to be among the pioneers of dual camera phones as we know it today. Even though HTC holds the title of having the first real dual camera phone, LG ‘s name still pops up each time the history of dual camera phones is being discussed. The Korea company looks set to take the bar a tad higher once again by releasing a phone with dual cameras at the front and rear a the same time.
This kind of setup will likely be on the LG V30 whose front panel leaked on Slashleaks recently. Although only the front panel was leaked showing there would be dual cameras up front, the LG V30 may likely follow the trend of the V10 and V20 which had dual cameras at their rear aspects. Also, the panel reveals another shocking detail, which is the likely cancellation of the secondary display which has been the hallmark of previous LG V-series smartphones.
The tipster is credited with some high level of credibility so, the leak is likely that of the V30. Besides, we had already started getting rumours that the V30 would pack the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset as well as 6GB of RAM. We hope to see more leaks as time progresses.
For the next couple of days or even weeks, Samsung’s newly announced Galaxy S8 and S8+ will be the most talked about device. Following its launch yesterday, there have been an endless stream of Galaxy S8 news on the internet. So expect it to continue today.
The new flagship from Samsung comes in two variants,the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+. Both have 2K displays, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. They also have the same 12MP rear camera and 8MP autofocus front facing camera. Samsung has pre-installed Android 7.0 Nougat on both phones and has included a multitude of ways to keep your phone secure. There is an iris scanner, a fingerprint scanner, face unlock, pin, pattern, and password.
All these features are the standard across all regions except for China. It turns out that the Galaxy S8+ will be launched with 6GB of RAM and 128GB in the Asian country. This should not come as a surprise as this has been rumored before. Last year, Samsung’s first 6GB RAM phone, the Galaxy C9 Pro was also first released in China.
Xiaomi has announced an upgrade to the 12.5-inch version of its first laptop, the Mi Notebook Air. The Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air 12.5 was announced last year along with a bigger 13.3-inch version, both using different processors. While the 13.3-inch version packs an Intel Core i5 processor, the 12.5-inch version comes with an Intel core M3 (6th generation) processor.
Now, Xiaomi has given the Mi Notebook Air 12.5 a processor upgrade and this it announced via the official Mi Notebook Weibo account. The upgrade now sees the Notebook Air 12.5 featuring a seventh generation Intel Core M3 processor which brings a 12% improvement in performance over the previous generation. The 12.5-inch Mi Notebook also now comes in an additional 256GB storage version in addition to the initial one with 128GB storage. Both storage options still retain their ability to be expanded further.
The new Mi Notebook Air 12.5 retains the same configurations as the previous version. It sports same ultra-slim build just 12.9mm thick, all-metal body and weighed just 1.07kg. There is 4GB of RAM supporting the processor and the laptop is reputed as able to offer up to 11.5 hours of use. It also comes with fast charge support.
The new Xiaomi M Notebook Air 12.5 would be up for registration on March 30 by 10 AM on Mi.com. The price has not been announced but the original version starts at 3,499 Yuan (~$507). Perhaps, this new version with its upgrades may start a little higher than that.
According to the details revealed by AnTuTu, the HTC CBP sports a 2K display, has 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and is powered by the Snapdragon 835 CPU and Adreno 540 GPU. For optics, there is a 12MP camera on the rear and a 16MP up front. Some folks say the sensors are the Sony IMX362 and IMX351 respectively. The HTC CBP runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat and is reported to have scored about 170,000 points on AnTuTu.
This is a flagship phone in all ways. Some say the HTC CBP is actually the HTC U, the third device in the U series. It is also said to be the device codenamed HTC Ocean.
Xiaomi has launched its 72nd crowdfunded product and it is yet another Smart home product, a body scale. The product is the Yunmao Good light Mini 2 smart body scale. It could be mistaking for a weighing scale but it does more than just checking your weight.
The product is one which helps monitor several physical data such as weight, body fat, muscle, bone mass, internal organ fat, basal metabolic rate, Body Mass Index (BMI), body age, protein and water level. The scale uses a BIA chip and also uses a multi-frequency AC electrical impedance for the measurement of biological tissues which is more accurate than the traditional DC grease.
On the design aspect, the Smart body scale uses an ultra-white tempered glass panel which was given an anti-skid treatment. Te scale is square-shaped with well-chamfered edges which are curved on all four sides. The Smart scale is also equipped with high-definition LED display, electrode sensing film with 304 stainless steel. The steel ihas anti-rust properties so you wouldn’t have to be scared of stepping on the scale with wet feet.
Further, the Yunmao Good light Mini 2 smart body scale uses a low-power Bluetooth 4.0 protocol which turns off automatically when not in use. The scale is powered using three AA batteries whcih can last up to a year wihout dying.
The Yunmao Good light Mini 2 can access the Mi App, so you can check the fitness or measured data from your smartphone. The device is priced at 89 Yuan ($13) and is already open for funding via the Mi home Crowdfunding platform. The product wil start shipping from May 11. The shipping will be done by the Shenzhen YunMai Technology Co., Ltd. who will also provide after-sales services.
Samsung has announced a couple of cases and covers for Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ flagship phones. Both phones are aesthetically beautiful as they feature a widescreen with super-slim bezels and their rear sides are flanked with glass panel. The various cases that have been announced for Galaxy S8 duo such as Clear View Standing Cover, Alcantra Cover, and Keyboard Cover do not hamper their beauty, but the only word that can be best used to describe the Galaxy S8 2Piece Cover is – Ugly.
The 2Piece Cover is rumored to be priced around $20. It features two clip-on parts, one for the top and the other one for the bottom. It comes in multiple colors. As it can be seen in the image of the 2Piiece Cover, a major portion of the glass back of Galaxy S8/S8+ remains exposed. Also, there is a risk of getting those pieces detached instantly when the handset is dropped. It is interesting to note that the 2Piece Cover was internally called as “bikini case.”
This is how Samsung advertises the 2Piece Cover for Galaxy S8 and S8+ on its official site, “Liven up your phone with colorful shapes. The complementary hues of each cover add a unique geometric vibe that enhances Galaxy S8 and S8+’s design while the suction pads make the pieces attach and detach with ease.” On the contrary, the image showing the Galaxy S8 and S8+ wearing the 2Piece Cover show how ugly they appear. It can be easily assumed that the $20 2Piece Cover will do no good in protecting a $749 priced Galaxy S8 flagship phone when it drops.
The 2Piece Cover is already receiving poor reception from the audience. Cases and covers are meant to protect and amplify the beauty of the phone. However, the 2Piece Cover for Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ seems to fail in both aspects. Hence, we wonder whether it will attract many buyers. What about the rest of the Galaxy S8 accessories? Well, they all seem to appear fine.
What do you think about the Galaxy S8 2Piece Cover? Will you buy it for you Galaxy S8? Do let us know your thoughts by posting your comments below.
A new Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X version that looks like a higher version has appeared on China’s Telecom regulatory agency’s (TENAA) website after it was certified by the agency. This is coming barely two months after the device was quietly released by Xiaomi in China.
The new version of the Redmi Note 4X, which comes with the model number MBT6A5, is obviously a higher version of the smartphone considering it is listed as having 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Another proof that it is a higher version is the deca-core 2.0GHz processor it is listed with. The earlier Redmi Note 4X model comes sporting an octa-core Snapdragon 625 chipset clocked at 2.0GHz.
Other specs listed with the new TENAA certified Redmi Note 4X include, a 5.5-inch TFT display with Full HD resolution, a large 4,000mAh battery, 13MP rear camera sensor and 5MP front camera. The device also comes with a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.
As stated, the device is listed wit a deca-core chip and MedaiTek is the one known for using deca-core processors but there isn’t a MediaTek SoC clocked at 2.0GHz. The Helio X20 has a clock frequency of 2.1GHz so, it is likely there is an error or the chip is indeed an Helio X20 with a slightly reduced frequency.
Another striking thing of note on the specs list is the number of colour options the device will come in. A total of ten colour variants are listed and they include Gold, Gray, Silver, White, Black, Pink, Champagne Gold, Matte Black, Dark Gray, Cherry Blossom. Since the cost of using a MediaTek chip is lower than a Qualcomm variant, we really don’t expect a steep price increase on this version when it is launched.
Google had launched the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones in October 2016. Even though these phones were launched six months ago, they are not easily available for purchase. The search engine giant has not yet revealed the number of Pixel units that it has sold so far. However, a report that has surfaced today provides an answer on it.
The Pixel and Pixel XL phones are advertised as “made by Google” devices, but tech enthusiasts know it well that HTC has manufactured them. A report that has emerged from Commercial Times, a Chinese media, states that HTC has shipped 2.1 million units of both smartphones since fall 2016. The number do appear impressive, but it does not seem to be a major threat for the smartphone market leaders like Apple and Samsung.
The Pixel and Pixel XL phones are not available in numerous markets. Since they are available in fewer markets, Google could only reach 2 million sales mark for these phones. Since the Taiwanese tech company has already won a two-year contract, it will be collaborating with Google once again to build the next generation Pixel phones this year.
The Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 are speculated to be codenamed as Muskie and Walleye. Both phones are rumored to be driven by Snapdragon 835 SoC and are likely to feature an enhanced rear-facing camera for advanced low light photography.
The report further states that there is stiff competition on the company that will manufacture Pixel 3 phones that will release in 2018. LG, TCL and Coolpad the three companies battling it out to win a contract with Google to build the 2018 Pixel phones. It seems that LG may successfully clinch the deal and market pundits have predicted that Google will sell around 5 million Pixel 3 phones in 2018.
We advise our readers to take this report with a grain of NaCl since Google has not released an official sales report for its Pixel and Pixel XL phones. The current shortage of Pixel phones is such that customers have to wait around 4-5 weeks to receive their order. Hence, the search giant company needs to improve the shipments of its Pixel phones that would help them reach a better sales number.
After hundreds of leaks and rumors, the Samsung Galaxy S8 is finally official. This is one of the most important phones in the history of the South Korean company, given that it’s the first major flagship after the huge debacle with the Samsung Galaxy Note 7. So far, the company seems to have done a very good job with the S8, at least on paper, and that’s why let’s check out Samsung Galaxy S8 versus its most direct rival, the LG G6. Both phones are different in multiple aspects but the Galaxy S8 vs LG G6 comparison will highlight where they are similar as well.
Samsung Galaxy S8 vs LG G6: Design
Design-wise, the Samsung Galaxy S8 looks like the winner. The LG G6 and the Galaxy S8 have very similar basic design and it’s clear that both the companies are trying to limit the front bezels as much as possible. But the S8 comes with dual curved display, which limits its bezels as well as makes the phone look better than the G6.
Coming to the back, the Galaxy S8 comes with a glass body, much like the LG G6. So, both should attract a bit of fingerprint. But in my personal opinion, the back of the Galaxy S8 looks a bit messy, especially because of its weird fingerprint placement. The LG G6 looks much better in this regard with a bit of symmetry thanks to the dual cameras at the back.
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In case you noticed, both phones have onscreen buttons to minimize the bezels on board.
The dimensions are almost the same, including the thickness. However, the S8 is lighter in terms of weight.
Samsung Galaxy S8 vs LG G6: Display
The display is one of the highlights of both the models. The bezels are limited, which means you get more real estate in a relatively small body.
Galaxy S8
LG G6
The screen on the S8 is an inch larger, featuring a 5.8-inch display (2960 x 1440p) as opposed to the 5.7-inch one on the LG G6 (2880 x 1440p). Both have slightly different screen resolutions and their aspect ratios are also different. The aspect ratio on the S8 is a bit weird:- 18.5:9. The LG G6 has an 18:9 screen.
Samsung Galaxy S8 vs LG G6: Specs
This is really where the S8 blows LG G6 away. First of all, the phone boasts of the brand new 10nm Snapdragon 835 @ 2.3GHz / Exynos 9 @ 2.3GHz CPU options, both of which are the two best Android processors in the market right now. On the other hand, the LG G6 features the capable yet old Snapdragon 821.
SAMSUNG GALAXY S8
LG G6
DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT
148.9 x 68.1 x 8.0 mm, 155 grams
148.9 x 71.9 x 7.9 mm, 163 grams
DISPLAY
5.8-inch 2960 x 1440p (570 ppi)
OLED
5.7-inch 2880 x 1440p (564 ppi)
GG3
CPU
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 @ 2.3 / Exynos 9 @ 2.3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 @ 2.35GHz
MEMORY
4GB + 64GB
MicroSD: Yes
4GB + 32GB / 64GB
MicroSD: Yes
CAMERA
12MP f/1.7 OIS
8MP f/1.7 Front Camera
Dual 13MP f/1.8, PDAF, 1/3" sensor
5MP Front f/2.2
BATTERY
3000mAh
Fast Charging
Wireless Charging
3300mAh
OS
Android 7 Nougat
Android 7 Nougat, LG 6.0 UI
SPECIAL FEATURES
IP68 Certification
IP68 Certification
COLORS
Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Arctic Silver, Coral Blue and Maple Gold.
Black, White, Titanium
PRICE
$750 (Expected)
$720
Both phones have 4GB + 64GB memory options with MicroSD expansion. However, it’s very likely that the S8 comes with a 6GB RAM version in China, which is still unannounced officially.
The battery on board the Galaxy S8 is smaller at 3000mAh. It’s one of the areas where the S8 lacks the punch on paper. To compensate, there’s fast charging as well as wireless charging. The LG G6 has a slightly larger 3300mAh battery with fast charging. Only after a real world test can we decide which one has the better battery life.
Other features on the S8 include IP68 certification, the brand new Bixby assistant, face recognition and Cat. 16 Gigabit LTE support (only in certain models). On the other hand, the LG G6 has IP68 certification as well as Google Assistant.
Samsung Galaxy S8 vs LG G6: Camera
For some reason, the Galaxy S8 retains the same capable camera as in the S7 Edge. Now, the S7 Edge had one of the best cameras of its time — a 12MP f/1.7 OIS setup. But the Google Pixel managed to top that after its launch. Samsung has promised faster and better performance with the same setup through software optimizations, but we can’t say how much better it is, as compared to the already powerful S7 Edge’s camera setup. In comparison, the LG G6 takes a leap in the camera department as compared to G5, its predecessor, with a dual 13MP f/1.8 setup. The photos from the setup come out pretty good. But only a real life camera comparison would give us better insight on who’s better.
Galaxy S8 Camera App
LG G6 Camera App
Up front, the S8 has a capable 8MP f/1.7 camera while the LG G6 features a 5MP f/2.2 setup.
Samsung Galaxy S8 vs LG G6: Price
Galaxy S series has always been one of the priciest of Galaxy models in the market. The same continues with the S8, as the expected starting price is around $750. If this is the case, the LG G6 should be a bit cheaper, coming at around $720.
Samsung Galaxy S8 vs LG G6: Conclusion
If you are obsessed about the specs, the Galaxy S8 is definitely the phone for you. In fact, considering the specs, features, infinity display and the small price difference between the S8 and the G6, the former seems to offer better value for your money.
Samsung also unveiled the Galaxy S8 Plus today which could actually be called a Galaxy S8 with a large display and battery. The flagship lives up to its name, coming with a plus-size build. The Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus packs similar design and hardware like the S8 save for a few differences in the battery capacity and display size.
Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus Specifications
The Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus features a superior 6.2-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2960 x 1440 pixels and 529ppi. On the Galaxy S8 Plus, Samsung is also offering two versions which would be sold separately in specific regions. There is a Snapdragon 835-powered version which comes with an octa-core processor clocked at 2.35GHz. There is also an Exynos 8895-powered version equally clocked at 2.35GHz. Both the Snapdragon and Exynos versions come with 4GB of RAM and 64GB internal storage which can be expanded up to 256GB via microSD.
The camera configuration is the same as on the Galaxy S8 sporting a 12MP rear sensor with optical image stabilisation (IOS), LED flash and a f/1.7 aperture. Up front, users get an ample 8MP frot-facing camera with f/1.7 aperture and autofocus. There is an iris scanner at the top bezel up front and the device equally has a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor which also unlocks the phone.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus packs a larger 3,500mAh battery under its hood. The flagship comes with a larger dimension measuring 159.5 x 73.4 x 8.1 mm. Since it packs a larger battery, it is a little weightier at 173g. You also get such stunning features like an IP68 water and dust resistance, Wireless charging support, LTE Cat.16, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, NFC, MST for Samsung Pay, USB Type-C port and lots more. Samsung still retained the 3.5mm audio jack on the Galaxy S8 Plus. The Galaxy S8 Plus runs on Android 7.0 Nougat as well.
Pricing & Availability
Samsung also did not announce the official price of the Galaxy S8 Plus but the plus-size flagship will join its sibling in going up for pre-order tomorrow, March 30. It will also be available in Black, Gray, Silver, Blue and Gold variants. If you’re buying the Galaxy S8 Plus, you equally qualify to get a free Gear VR headset with a controller and a set of games. The Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus will be available in stores from April 21.
SAMSUNG GALAXY S8
Galaxy S8 Plus
DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT
148.9 x 68.1 x 8.0 mm, 155 grams
159.5 x 73.4 x 8.1 mm, 173g grams
DISPLAY
5.8-inch 2960 x 1440p (570 ppi)
OLED
6.2-inch 2960 x 1440p (529 ppi)
OLED
CPU
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 @ 2.3 / Exynos 9 @ 2.3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 @ 2.3 / Exynos 9 @ 2.3
MEMORY
4GB + 64GB
MicroSD: Yes
4GB + 64GB
MicroSD: Yes
CAMERA
12MP f/1.7 OIS
8MP f/1.7 Front Camera
12MP f/1.7 OIS
8MP f/1.7 Front Camera
BATTERY
3000mAh
Fast Charging
Wireless Charging
3500mAh
Fast Charging
Wireless Charging
OS
Android 7 Nougat
Android 7 Nougat
SPECIAL FEATURES
IP68 Certification
IP68 Certification
COLORS
Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Arctic Silver, Coral Blue and Maple Gold.
Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Arctic Silver, Coral Blue and Maple Gold.
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