Meizu M5 Note Review – Better Than Xiaomi? A Solid Budget Phone!

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May 2, 2017

Microsoft has launched the next Surface….Laptop. Not a Surface Book but a full fledged laptop. The Surface Laptop sports a 13.5-inch PixelSense display and is the first Microsoft device to run Windows 10 S.

Windows 10 S

Windows 10 S can best be described as Microsoft’s answer to Chrome OS. All apps that will run on Windows 10 S will be downloaded from the Windows Store. Microsoft says Windows 10 S is aimed at students, most especially those leaving high school for college. The Surface is the first device to ship with it but other manufacturers are expected to release devices running the new OS.

Surface Laptop Design

The Surface Laptop has a fabric Alcantara® covered keyboard that is backlit just like that of the Surface Pro 4 and also spill resistant. The display has a 3:2 aspect ratio and is “the thinnest LCD touch model ever created and put into a laptop” according to Panos Panay, Chief of Devices at Microsoft. Since it is a touch display, this means owners will be able to write on it with the Surface Pen.

The laptop has a clean design and that’s because you won’t see any speaker grilles or cutouts for the speakers. The speakers are positioned underneath the keyboard, so you should literally feel the sound beneath your fingers.

For ventilation, the Surface Laptop has integrated vapor chambers positioned at the back to keep it cool. The Surface Laptop comes in Platinum, Cobalt Blue, Burgundy, and Graphite Gold.

Faster than the i7 MacBook Pro, More battery life than any MacBook Air

Surface Laptop Specifications

The Surface laptop is powered by Intel’s latest Core i5 and Core i7 processors. Microsoft claims the battery life will last for 14½ hours due to the processors and also says it is faster than the i7 MacBook Pro. The Core i5 version will ship with 4GB/8GB of RAM, 128GB/256GB SSD, and Intel HD Graphics 620. The Core i7 version will have 8GB/16GB of RAM, 256GB/512GB SSD, and Intel Iris™ Plus Graphics 640.

There is one USB 3.0 port, one Mini DisplayPort, and an audio jack on the left, and a Surface Connect Port on the right. The laptop measures 308.1 mm x 223.27 mm x 14.48 mm and weighs 1.25kg. It also has support for the Surface Dial off-screen.

Surface Laptop Price

Preorders for the Surface Laptop will start today and will set you back $999 for the Core i5 version with 4GB RAM/128GB SSD. Shipping will begin on the 15th of June, so you should be able to get your shiny new laptop in time for school.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74kPEJWpCD4[/embedyt] [envira-gallery id=”129397″]

Specs Comparison: Xiaomi Mi 6 vs. OnePlus 3T

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May 2, 2017

Xiaomi and OnePlus are the two companies that are known for releasing flagship smartphones with affordable pricing. Xiaomi recently released the Mi 6 flagship phone with powerful specifications. Given its cheap pricing and top-end specs, Mi 6 naturally is one of the major rivals for OnePlus 3T flagship phone of the previous year. Just a week ago, we had reported that OnePlus 3T is sitting in the numero uno spot in AnTuTu’s top 10 list of most popular smartphones for March 2017. The Xiaomi Mi 6 with its lethal Snapdragon 835 is stacked against the OnePlus 3T to find out the best flagship between the two with affordable pricing.

Xiaomi Mi 6 vs. OnePlus 3T: Design

The Xiaomi Mi 6 wears a splash proof full metallic chassis that measures 145.2 x 70.5 x 7.5mm and its weight is 168 grams. The Ceramic variant of Xiaomi Mi 6 weighs 182 grams. It is available in color variants like Ceramic Black, Black, Blue, and White. Xiaomi is speculated to make the Mi 6 available in 7 more colors in the near future. One of the most noticeable design change is that the company has axed the 3.5mm audio jack feature. Users can either use wireless headphones or USB Type-C enabled headphones to listen to music on Xiaomi Mi 6. The company also provides an adapter with Mi 6 that can be used by connect 3.5mm headphones to it.

The OnePlus 3T also bears a full metal design, but the body is not waterproof or dustproof. It measures 152.7 x 74.7 x 7.4mm and its weight is 158 grams. It is available in colors like Gunmetal, Soft Gold and Midnight Black.

Xiaomi Mi 6 vs. OnePlus 3T: Display

Xiaomi Mi 6 is not a phablet device as it features a 5.15-inch IPS LCD screen that produces full HD resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. It delivers a screen-to-body ratio of 71.4 percent. Its ‘eye care’ feature presents a reduce glared mode that protects the eyes by decreasing the blue light from the screen. It offers a maximum brightness of 600-nits. The OnePlus 3T phablet has a 5.5-inch Optic AMOLED screen that boasts a higher screen-to-body ratio of 73.1 percent and consumes less power by

The OnePlus 3T phablet has a 5.5-inch Optic AMOLED screen that boasts a higher screen-to-body ratio of 73.1 percent and consumes less power by turning off the LED while displaying black color. It also carries support for full HD resolution. The max brightness offered by OnePlus 3T is 407-nits.

Xiaomi Mi 6 vs. OnePlus 3T: Specs

CPU

The Xiaomi Mi 6 is powered by Qualcomm’s most powerful mobile chipset, the Snapdragon 835. The new SoC is the successor of Snapdragon 821 and 820 chipsets that powered most flagship phones in the previous year. It includes four Kyro cores working at 1.9 GHz and another four cores running at 2.45 GHz along with Adreno 540. The recently launched Galaxy S8 duo are also powered by Snapdragon 835 chipset.

On the other hand, the OnePlus 3T is driven by Snapdragon 821 which is also a highly potent chipset that powers other smartphones like Google Pixel, Google Pixel XL, Mi Note 2, Mi 5s and Mi 5s Plus and LG G6.

RAM and ROM

Both the smartphones are equipped with 6 GB of RAM. Even in the internal storage department, both phones provide users with two options such as 64 GB and 128 GB. A microSD card slot is absent on Mi 6 as well as OnePlus 3T.

Battery

The Xiaomi Mi 6 houses a 3,350 mAh battery that supports Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging feature through USB Type-C port. On the other hand, the OnePlus 3T has a slightly smaller 3,400 mAh battery that is coupled with the company’s Dash Charge rapid charging technology.

Xiaomi Mi 6 vs. OnePlus 3T: Software

The Xiaomi Mi 6 is running on Android 7.1.1 Nougat and MIUI 8.0 skin. The OnePlus 3T had launched with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, but its users have already received Android 7.1.1 Nougat upgrade along with the latest version of OxygenOS skin.

Xiaomi Mi 6 vs. OnePlus 3T: Cameras

The USP of the Xiaomi Mi 6 is dual rear cameras which include a pair of 12-megapixel camera sensors. It comes with features like 4-axis OIS, PDAF and dual-LED flash. Its front-facing snapper is of 8-megapixel. The OnePlus 3T has a 16-megapixel rear camera that is enabled with features like OIS, PDAF and LED flash. Its selfie camera is of 16-megapixel.

Now, for the camera comparison, we have done a real life Mi 6 vs OnePlus 3T camera test, which you can check out here.

Xiaomi Mi 6 vs. OnePlus 3T: Pricing & Availability

The Xiaomi Mi 6 that was unveiled on April 19 will start shipping to users from April 28 in China. There is no information on when will it be hitting the markets outside of China. The 64 GB Xiaomi MI 6 and its 128 GB variants are respectively priced at 2,499 Yuan ($362) and 2,899 Yuan ($420) in China.

The OnePlus 3T that was released in November 2016 is now available for purchase in various markets across the world. Its 64 GB model is priced at $439 whereas the 128 GB model can be availed for $479.

Both are flagship phones with powerful specs, but which one will you choose?

	Xiaomi Mi 6	OnePlus 3T
DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT	145.2 x 70.5 x 7.5mm 168 g / 182 (ceramic edition)	152.7 x 74.7 x 7.4mm 158 grams
SCREEN	5.15-inch 1080p IPS LCD	5.5-inch Optic AMOLED GG4
CPU / GPU	Snapdragon 835 Adreno 540	Snapdragon 821 Adreno 530
MEMORY	6GB RAM 64GB / 128GB ROM	6GB RAM 64GB / 128GB ROM
CAMERA: REAR	Dual 12MP 1.25um pixel 2160p @ 30fps 720p @ 120fps	16MP f/2.0 1.12um 2160p @ 30fps 720p @ 120fps
CAMERA: FRONT	8MP 1080p video	16MP 1080p video
OS	MIUI 8 Android 7.1.1	OxygenOS 4.0.2 Android 7.1.1 (updated)
PRICE	2,499 Yuan ($362) 2,899 Yuan ($420)	64 GB at $439 128 GB at $479

Smartisan Nut Pro with SD 626 Likely Coming with Enhanced System Optimisation

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May 2, 2017

For the past couple of months, two Smartisan smartphones have made the rounds, first receiving 3C certificates, then appearing on TENAA and finally on AnTuTu benchmark. The devices were identified as OD103 and OD105 on TENAA. Also, Smartisan recently announced that they would be holding a launch event on May 9, 2017, in China. The device expected to launch has been identified as the Smartisan Nut Pro.

The Smartisan Nut Pro is said to pack a Snapdragon 626 processor backed by 4GB of RAM. The device may likely have two storage versions of 32GB and 64GB respectively. The Nut Pro possesses all the features of a decen mid-ranger including a 13MP rear camera as well as 4MP selfie shooter. There is also the Android 7.1.1 Nougat OS providing the interface.

While the specifications are not new, what’s new is that Smartisan may likely include some level of optimization on the device. The latest teaser poster shared by the company gives this impression. The poster talked about mobile phone chips coming in faster than 310% over the years but the phones don’t perform faster than 13%. While the poster is just meant as a countdown to the launch event, it could also contain some clue that Smartisan is planning to surprise us with some features other than those offered by the decent Snapdragon 626 chipset.

Already, booking for the Nut Pro has opened, where participants would need to deposit 500 Yuan to register. The device is set to ship on May 10 with its price likely set at 1,799 Yuan.

(via)

Realistic Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Renders Showcase Its Possible Looks (Video)

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May 2, 2017

Samsung is rumoured to be working on a replacement phablet for the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7 whose journey ended even before it began last year. The Galaxy Note 8 has been the subject of several rumours lately and as would be expected some creative geek has pieced the rumours and leaks together to come up with a video render of the device.

The YouTube video showcases the render of the Galaxy Note 7 captured from all angles and was created by Concept Creators. The Galaxy Note 8 is expected with a giant 6.4-inch display as well as dual cameras at the rear and these all came to life in the latest renders.

From the video, the Galaxy Note 8 would feature a bezel-less Infinity display just like the Galaxy S8. This is a Note, so there is a built-in S Pen stylus which pops out from the bottom and offers up to 4,096 different levels of pressure, same as on the defunct Note 7. The Galaxy Note is also shown to come with a dual-lens camera set up at the rear, with the cameras aligned in the vertical direction. Some would agree that the Galaxy Note 8 promises to be more interesting than the Galaxy S8. After all, the S8 didn’t feature a dual camera setup, to the disappointment of some.

One feature which is absent on the Note 8 render is a rear fingerprint sensor. Perhaps, Concept Creator is suggesting that the sensor would be embedded under the screen up front. Other biometric security features like facial recognition and iris scanning will likely find their way into the Galaxy Note 8. The Bixby button is still visible at the side of the device, meaning it is likely going to be on the Note 8.

While these all look exciting, the renders aren’t the real stuff so the Galaxy Note 8 design might be different. It won’t be bad if the Note 8 comes out this beautiful, though, but it might just be too soon to say. The Galaxy Note 8 is likely a couple of months away and before then, more stunning renders will surely emerge.

Meizu X2, First Dual Rear Camera Phone From Meizu Spotted with Specifications & Pricing

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May 2, 2017

A leaked photo of a mysterious Meizu phone had surfaced yesterday. The right side of the image that contained information on the specs and pricing of the phone was blurred. The presence of a dual rear camera on it suggested that it could be the company’s forthcoming flagship phone, the Meizu Pro 7. Now, the same image has appeared once again and the information on its right side is quite clear and easily readable.

The leaked image suggests that the name of the phone is Meizu X2. The Meizu X2 is speculated to be a successor phone for Meizu X that was launched in November 2016. The display of the phone has thin bezels on its left and right sides. Even the top bezel that houses a selfie camera and the bottom bezel that reportedly features fingerprint reader enabled Home button are quite thin.

The top left corner of the phone features a horizontally arranged dual rear camera which is probably the USP of the phone. It seems to be coupled with a dual-tone LED flash. Hence, the Meizu X2 is speculated to be the first dual camera phone from the company. The Meizu branding is present just above the center of the rear panel. Around a month ago, the rumor mill had revealed alleged images of the first dual rear camera phone. In the below image, a phone that is placed at the center appears somewhat similar to the Meizu X2 phone.

The alleged Meizu X2 also carries information on the key specs of the phone. There is no information on the size of the screen, but the leaked details suggest that it is shielded with a 2.5D curved glass. Like the Meizu X, it may feature a 5.5-inch full HD screen. The phone has a MediaTek Helio X25 SoC under its hood and it features a 3,350 mAh battery that is coupled with 18W fast charger.

The rumored Meizu X2 will be arriving in three versions. There will be two 32 GB RAM variants featuring 3 GB RAM and 4 GB RAM options. These models will be respectively priced at 1,749 Yuan ($253) and 1,899 Yuan ($275). The highest configuration variant of Meizu X2 will be packed with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB storage. It will be costing 1,999 Yuan ($289).

(source|via)

HTC U-Series Device with Snapdragon 835, 2K Display Runs Through AnTuTu

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May 2, 2017

Taiwanese smartphone giant HTC released a poster about two weeks back which points at a launch event scheduled for 15th of May. The poster discloses in clear terms that the device expected to be unveiled on that day belongs to the U series. The U-series device may be a surprise package after all, as a new AnTuTu benchmark records have shown an HTC U-series phone with Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 835 chip is in the works.

The smartphone is listed as HTC U-3F and quite curiously, the specifications listed for the U-3F is the same as those of the HTC CBP which was seen on AnTuTu’s database around March. It is possible that both listings are for the same device. The most spectacular of the specs listed is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor which powers the device as well as the Adreno 540 GPU. Meaning that HTC is joining the elite league of phone makers with SD 835-powered devices at present.

The HTC U-3F is listed with a 2K display resolution, a 16MP selfie camera and a 12MP sensor at the rear. The device is also listed with 4GB of RAM and 64GB storage. Furthermore, the HTC U-3F runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat out-of-the-box and earlier rumours tips the HTC U-series device to launch as HTC U11.

ZTE A2018 Seen on TENAA: Sports Dual Rear Cameras with Optical Zoom & 2K OLED Display

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May 2, 2017

ZTE released the Axon 7s a few weeks ago but it doesn’t qualify as their flagship device for 2017. It’s not because it is powered by last year’s Snapdragon 821 but rather because it was released quietly, almost escaping our radar. So when we learnt a new ZTE phone was spotted on TENAA, we were excited but after taking a look at the specs of the ZTE A2018, we are left wondering what the company is playing at.

The ZTE A2018 (definitely not the final name) on first sight, looks a lot like the ZTE Axon 7s. They can even pass for the same device. The stereo speakers share have an identical design and the dual rear cameras and fingerprint scanner are positioned exactly the same. Both phones also have the same 2K OLED display. Where the ZTE A2018 differs is in its internals.

The A2018 is powered by an unspecified 2.15GHz quad-core processor. Some say it is the Snapdragon 820 but while it is unusual for ZTE to under-clock their processors, we want to believe it is the Snapdragon 821. It just doesn’t make any sense to release a phone with a Snapdragon 820 phone in 2017. There is 4GB of RAM paired with 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB of ROM with support for storage expansion.

Gionee M6S Plus Goes on Sale in China, Starts at ¥3499 (~$507)

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May 2, 2017

Gionee announced the M6S Plus last week as a successor to the M6 and M6 Plus. For this new high mid-range device, Gionee has gone all out with the specs. From its monster 6000mAh battery, to the Snapdragon 653 SoC paired with 6GB of RAM, and all these sitting behind a 6-inch Samsung AMOLED display, you should expect this to be pricey too.

The Gionee M6S Plus is now on sale today in China and film star, Dakang Secretary is the brand ambassador for the phone. For ¥3499 (~$507), you can snag the 64GB variant on Jingdong. There is also a 256GB version but it is not available for purchase now though the price is listed as ¥4299 (~$623)

The Gionee M6S Plus does more than just pack impressive specs. The phone is also pretty secured with a dedicated fingerprint encryption chip with an EAL4+ certification. Gionee says the 6020mAh battery also supports QC 3.0 and will still retain over 80% of its capacity after a 700 charge cycle.

OnePlus CEO Latest Post Suggests OnePlus 5 in The Works

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May 2, 2017

OnePlus is one company known for its cheap flagship, the latest of which are the OnePlus 3 and 3T. The company is rumoured to be planning on a new flagship with high-end specs and a cheap price which is believed to go by the name OnePlus 5.

Before now the company had not made any comment about the expected device but recently, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau seems to have confirmed that the company is working on something big. The supposed confirmation comes in a Weibo post where the CEO re-posted OnePlus phone’s Weibo post which talks about the company engaging in labour without rest in order to bring out a surprise. The CEO’s post encouraged them to continue, showing that the company may likely be working on a new smartphone which is likely the OnePlus 5.

Recently, renders and likely specs of the OnePlus 5 leaked thereby giving us an idea of what the device might likely come with. Among the rumored specs is a Snapdragon 835 processor as well as 8GB of RAM, 5.5-inch 2K display as well as a dual 16MP rear camera. With the increased level of production of the Snapdragon 835 chip, the OnePlus 5 is rumoured as launching either this month or next month. Already the device seems to have got radio approval in China.

LeEco Le X920 Live Photos Surface Yet Again; Launch Nearing?

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May 2, 2017

LeEco has recently unveiled Le Pro 3 Al edition and it is rumored to be working on the launch of another handset that is dubbed as LeEco Le X920. Its leaked shots were last seen around two weeks ago and its alleged hands-on video was also spotted around a month ago. Now, the rumor mill has yet again revealed new photos of LeEco Le X920.

The fresh leaks not only reveal the appearance of a live handset of Le X920, but also some of its key specs. The image of the front side of the phone shows that its selfie camera is enabled with a LED flash. On the rear side, it seems to sport a single rear camera enabled with laser autofocus above it and a LED flash below it. A fingerprint scanner can be seen below the rear camera module.

The third image shows a screenshot of the “About Phone” screen. The name of the device is mentioned as Le X920 and it is running on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow OS overlaid with EUI 5.6. The phone is driven by Snapdragon 820 chipset that features a quad-core processor gunning at 2.15 GHz. Most of the recent flagship phones come with Snapdragon 835 or 821 chipset. Rumors of this Le X920 have been surfacing since December 2016. Hence, it seems to be a phone that is launching late because of the ongoing financial issues of the company.

Previous rumors have hinted that the Le X920 will be coming with a huge screen of 6.3 inches that will carry support for quad HD resolution of 1,440 x 2,560 pixels. The SoC of the phone is expected to be coupled with 4 GB of RAM. The native storage of the Le X920 is rumored as 64 GB.

Speculations have it that it includes a 22.5-megapixel Sony IMX318 Exmor RS sensor camera on its rear. Its selfie camera is speculated to be of 8-megapixel. It does not feature a 3.5mm audio jack which means the USB Type-C port is what users will depend on for charging and listening to music. Rumors have it that the Le X920 will be arriving with a 3,700 mAh battery.

The other two leaked photos shown above apparently shows that the company is ready with the Le X920 phone and also suggests that it is also ready with its stock. However, the phone has not appeared yet on China’s telecom certification body called TENAA. Speculations are rife that the Le X920 would be launching with a pricing of 1,388 Yuan ($201). In 2016, LeEco had launched Le Max that came with 6.3-inch screen. Its successor, the Le Max 2 came with 5.7-inch screen. Rumors have it that the Le X920 may arrive as Le Max 3.

(source 1, 2)

Xiaomi Launches New 599 Yuan ($87) Qicycle Children Bike

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May 2, 2017

Xiaomi has launched a new product under its crowdfunding platform and just as was teased, the product is one for the kids. It is a children bicycle manufactured by Riding (Xiamen) Technology Co., Ltd who also manufactured the Xiaomi Qicycle foldable electric bicycle launched last year.

This version is specifically developed for the kids, with a design that is child-friendly and safe. The Xiaomi Qicycle children bike uses an ergonometric design and is without sharp edges that could easily injure the children. The seat is also very soft and the body covered with a protective cover made from foam. The hand bar is designed with an anti-slip property to make braking easy.

The Qicycle Children bike comes in two forms, one is without pedals and then the other with pedals. The one without pedals is to aid the child during development to learn to walk independently on his or her own. When the child has come of age, the pedals can then be installed. Thus, the pedals are detachable. Also, the chain is well protected that it doesn’t come in contact with the child’s body part.

The Xiaomi Qicycle chidren bike is presently available on the Mi home crowdfunding platform for $599 Yuan ($87). The product would ship from June 9.

ZTE’s Axon 7 Latest Update Brings Night Mode, 256GB Storage Support & Others

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May 2, 2017

ZTE has rolled out a new update for its Axon 7 flagship device which was launched last year. The update is apparently for Axon 7 users in the US but there is at least a ray of hope that the update would spread to other regions soon. the new update brings the latest build, B25 which is said to incorporate feedbacks received since the launch of Android Nougat on the Axon 7.

Among the features which the Axon 7 update brings, one of them is that users now have the option to use night mode setting and the device now supports up to 256GB storage of microSD storage. The update now allows users to disable some stock apps that isn’t useful to them anymore and also brings several other bug fixes.

Here’s a summary of the new features the update brings.

Enables “Night Mode” setting
Supports 256GB micro SD cards
Allows users to disable some stock apps
Optimizes the “Do Not Disturb” function
Fixes various Wi-Fi Calling issues
Improves device stability and security
Miscellaneous performance improvements and other fixes.

The ZTE Axon 7 is a Snapdragon 820-powered device which was launched with a powerful Hi-Fi audio system. The smartphone also came as the first Daydream-ready smartphone from a Chinese manufacturer. The device was recently upgraded to Android Nougat from the Marshmallow which it launched with.

Fitbit Higgs Leaked Photos Surface; Reveals Unsexy, Boxy Appeal

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May 2, 2017

Apple is expected to introduce its next generation of Apple Watch by fall this year. Fitbit is now expected to release its new smartwatch that is codenamed as Project Higgs before the launch of Apple Watch 3. However, Fitbit was supposed to launch it by spring this year, but the production problems have allegedly delayed its arrival. Yahoo Finance has now come across leaked photos of the upcoming Fitbit smartwatch.

New information suggest that Higgs smartwatch may probably launch in fall this year. The leaked photos suggest that the smartwatch has an aluminum unibody and it will allow users to change the bands. It will be arriving with features like inbuilt GPS, heart rate tracker and will also provide access to music services such as Pandora.

Fitbit’s upcoming smartwatch will allow its users to perform touchless payments. It would be able to deliver around 4 days of battery performance. It is expected to hit the market with a pricing of about $300.

As far as the appearance of the Fitbit Higgs smartwatch is concerned, it appears like the Fitbit Blaze. The publication has reported that its source has said that the Higgs does not look sexy. It has a retro-like feel and the employees who have seen it has complained about its design. The leaked photos clearly show its boring boxy appeal.

The delay in the arrival of Fitbit Higgs has reportedly happened because of the problems associated with two of its key features that surfaced during its production. The final prototype revealed that its antenna was not positioned correctly. This resulted in flaw in GPS connectivity which led to redesigning of the smartwatch so that it could receive stronger GPS signal. Also, the Project Higgs was supposed to be a water-resistant device, but this feature too has apparently ran into problems.

Project Higgs had also encountered software related issue. The source claims that Pandora was not the first choice of the company. Also, a partnership with Spotify was also ruled in the early development stage.

A leaked photo of a wireless Bluetooth headphones by Fitbit has also surfaced. It is codenamed as Parkside. It is expected to be unleashed alongside the smartwatch. It is expected to be priced around $150 and will come in two color options like Nightfall Blue and Lunar Gray. The Nightfall Blue variant sporting a metallic accent can be seen in the leaked image.

Samsung Galaxy S7, S7 Edge Sales Surpass 55 Million Units, Claims Strategy Analytics

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May 2, 2017

At present, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are hogging all the limelight. However, its predecessors, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge from 2016 are also immensely popular flagship smartphones. A new report from Strategy Analytics reveal that Samsung has sold more than 55 million units of Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge until the end of the first quarter of this year starting from March 12, 2016. It further states that 7.2 million units of Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge were sold in the first quarter of the year.

The higher sales of Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge could have probably happened because of the discontinuation of Samsung’s other flagship of 2016, the Galaxy Note 7 and the late arrival of Galaxy S8 duo in April this year. According to the report, Samsung had a market share of 23 percent in the first quarter as it sold 80 million smartphones out of the 92.8 million units its sold.

Since the reputation of the smartphone business was marred by the Galaxy Note 7 debacle, Samsung aims to make a full-fledged recovery by the launch of Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ smartphones. Hence, both the phones are available with unmatched features like larger dual-edge curved screens, iris scanner, facial recognition, Bixby AI assistant and more.

The sales of Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are expected to surpass last year’s models. There were 550,000 reservations made for Galaxy S8 and S8+ in just two days of pre-orders in South Korea. It was 150,000 than the Galaxy Note 7 and 5.5 times more than the Galaxy S7 pre-orders for initial two days in the previous year. To meet such a high demand, the South Korean company has reportedly produced twice the number of S8 and S8+ units for 2017 in comparison to S7 and S7 Edge units in 2016.

According to KGI Securities analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo the Galaxy S8 and S8+ have received phenomenal market response since their launch. The analyst had previously forecasted that Samsung would ship 40 to 45 million units this year. However, the market feedback has significantly increased for the full-screen design of the Galaxy S8 duo after their launch because of which the analyst has revised his forecast by stating that Samsung may ship 50 to 55 million units of Galaxy S8 models.

(source|via)

Official OPPO F3 Promo Images Posted Online Highlights Dual Front Facing Cameras

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May 1, 2017

China’s number two phone manufacturer, OPPO, has a new phone launching in a few days. The device called the OPPO F3 was recently seen on GFXBench and Geekbench revealing its specifications. What surfaced online today are official promo images of the phone courtesy of AndroidPure.

The OPPO F3 like its bigger sibling the F3 Plus (released in March) sports dual front facing cameras in the same 16MP + 8 MP configuration. The phone has a 5.5-inch FHD display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. It is powered by MediaTek’s MT6750T processor unlike the F3 Plus that has a Snapdragon 653 SoC. There is 4GB of RAM paired with 64GB of storage with the option to expand via MicroSD.

The main camera is a 13MP sensor with dual-tone flash. One of the front cameras is a 120° wide-angle sensor for those awesome wide angle selfies. The OPPO F3 has a front mounted fingerprint scanner and a 3200mAh battery with support for fast charging. It also has VoLTE, Bluetooth 4.1 and dual SIM support (hybrid, nano only).

Leaked Info Suggests The ASUS Zenfone Zoom S is Actually a Smaller Zenfone 3 Zoom

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May 1, 2017

ASUS’s Zoom series is aimed at photography enthusiasts. The original Zenfone Zoom launched with 3x optical zoom. It was refreshed at CES 2017 with the Zenfone 3 Zoom which still has optical zoom but now wields dual cameras. The Zenfone Zoom S scheduled to launch later this month is said to be a smaller variant of the Zenfone 3 Zoom.

The info says the phone will have the same Snapdragon 625 processor and 4GB of RAM but will ditch the 5.5-inch display for a 5.2 or even 5-inch display. The unnamed source also says the Zenfone Zoom S may be a Malaysia exclusive.

The rest of the details mentions the phone will be available in 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB storage versions and will also have dual 12MP rear cameras. The front facing camera will remain a 13MP shooter.

Leaked Image Shows HTC U 11 Specs, Will Have 6GB RAM, NFC, IP57 Water Resistance

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May 1, 2017

I bet a lot of people are itching to squeeze the HTC U 11 but there’s still a good fifteen days before the official launch. HTC’s 2017 flagship will be unveiled in Taipei, Taiwan. Ahead of the launch, an image showing the specification details of the phone has been leaked online.

The image specifically mentions that this is the dual SIM 128GB version which hints that there will probably be another storage variant(s). The HTC U 11 will sport a 5.5-inch Quad HD display with Gorilla Glass 5 for protection. There will be 6GB of RAM and as mentioned above, 128GB of storage. There will also be a storage expansion slot that accepts up to 2TB cards.

We already know it will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 but the image also says the HTC U 11 will have IP57 water resistance. There are no dual cameras on the phone. The rear camera is a 12MP HTC Ultrapixel 3.0 sensor with a f/1.7 aperture and UltraSpeed auto-focus. The 16MP front facing camera with a f/2.0 aperture will be able to take panorama images.

Other features listed include the return of HTC’s BoomSound technology, 3D Audio recording, Hi-Res Audio, and HTC’s Usonic active noise cancellation. The U 11 will support dual nano SIM cards, Quick Charge 3.0, NFC, and dual band WiFi.

While most of the specs have already been listed, one important detail that is missing is the battery capacity. Quite a number of people have complained about the 3000mAh battery that is inside the HTC U Ultra. For a phone with a 5.7-inch display and an extra 2.05-inch screen, that’s pretty small. Now that the number of screens and size have been trimmed down on the HTC U 11, does that mean the battery capacity has also been cut? For HTC’s sake, we hope not.

Looks Like Microsoft Lumia is Finally Dead & Buried in China

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May 1, 2017

It has been four months since the Microsoft Lumia Weibo account was renamed as Nokia mobile phones in China but the company is yet to come out to announce the death of the Lumia brand. But Microsoft China seems to have confirmed the closure of the Lumia line.

Microsoft China recently posted a series of videos on video sharing website Bilibili in China which individually showcases the entire Lumia lineup. The videos contain promotional teasers for a long lineup of Microsoft Lumia phones in the Lumia series. From the videos, the Nokia 650 is likely the last Lumia smartphone Microsoft will be selling. Recall that there are rumours Microsoft is killing the Lumia line in favour of a new Surface phone brand. The post accompanying the videos reveals that the videos are to commemorate the classic series which the company began in 2011. In addition, it reveals categorically that the Lumia series have been shelved.

While we are not sure of the emergence of a new Surface phone brand from Microsoft, the post contains the rider “let’s look forward”. This could be a reference to a new product line which could possibly be the Surface phone, just when we though Windows 10 devices are dead and buried. So, while the Lumia brand may be dead, that doesn’t mean Windows mobile is dead. We may likely be seeing the re-emergence of Windows mobile phones soon, not so soon anyway. A recent report has suggested that the company has postponed the launch of the Surface Phone to 2018.

(source | via)

HydrogenOS Update Brings aptX and aptX HD Bluetooth Support for OnePlus 3

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May 1, 2017

OnePlus has two operating systems for its phones. There is HydrogenOS for China variants and OxygenOS for the international models. The latter is more popular as it usually gets updated a lot more frequently.

HydrogenOS

However, an update for HydrogenOS is bringing a new feature that isn’t yet available to OxygenOS, and that is support for aptX and aptX HD Bluetooth codecs. What is aptX and what does it do?

When you transmit audio over bluetooth, it is compressed and the audio quality is not as good as when you use a pair of wired earphones or when you stream over other wireless methods. aptX still compresses the audio but it just sounds a lot better. According to Qualcomm Global Trading Pte. Ltd., a Qualcomm subsidiary that acquired CSR, the original owner of aptX, the codec enables CD-like quality wireless audio because it solves the problem of sending the full music bandwidth over bluetooth.