OnePlus 5 Specs Rumors: Dual-Edge Display, Snapdragon 835, 8 GB RAM, 4000 mAh Battery and More

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Feb 27, 2017

Previous rumors have stated that OnePlus would be skipping “4” in the name of its next flagship as the number is consider unlucky in China. Hence, the OnePlus 3T’s successor is rumored to arrive with OnePlus 5 (or OnePlus Five) moniker. According to KoreaPortal, the 2017 OnePlus flagship is expected to feature an aluminum and glass combination chassis along with a dual-edge curved display.

As far as the design of OnePlus 5 is concerned, it is pegged to appear similar to the Galaxy S7 Edge. The source claims it is powered with Snapdragon 830 chipset. It should be noted that Qualcomm has not unveiled a chipset named as Snapdragon 830. Since the Chinese firm has already released Snapdragon 821 chipset powered OnePlus 3T, the OnePlus 5 is pegged to come loaded with Snapdragon 835 SoC.

OnePlus is expected to continue with 6 GB of RAM on its upcoming flagship. However, other sources claim that it may feature 8 GB of RAM. The OnePlus 5 is speculated to come in two storage models like 64 GB and 128 GB. It may feature for expandable storage that will support for up to 256 GB additional storage space.

For photography, the OnePlus flagship may feature a 23-megapixel rear snapper and a front-facing camera of 16-megapixel, the same one that is present on OnePlus 3. It is expected to feature a USB Type-C port. It will be running on Android 7.0 Nougat OS. A 4,000 mAh battery with Dash Charge fast charging support is rumored to power the OnePlus 5. Other sources also claim that the OnePlus 5 would be sporting chassis like Xiaomi Mi Mix.

The recently announced Sony Xperia XZ Premium is the first commercial smartphone to be powered by Snapdragon 835 chipset. Even though it was announced on Feb. 27 at the ongoing Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017, the smartphone is expected to be available for purchase between March to May.

Previous reports have stated that Qualcomm has allotted the initial batch of Snapdragon 835 chipset to Samsung to power the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ flagships that will be announced on March 29. Both phones are rumored to be available for purchase by April 21. Hence, the Xperia XZ Premium and other flagships featuring Snapdragon 835 are rumored to release in the second quarter of this year.

The OnePlus 3 was announced in June last year. Hence, the OnePlus Five running on Snapdragon 835 is likely to be announced at the end of Q2 2017. The authenticity of the rumored OnePlus 5 specs revealed by the source of this news seems doubtful as the report contains inaccurate information like Snapdragon 830 and 400 mAh battery. Hence, we advise our readers to digest this report with the proverbial grain of salt.

(source)

MediaTek Helio X30 with Deca-core SoC, PowerVR Graphics Announced to Rival Snapdragon 835, Exynos 8895

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Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 27, 2017

There are many Chinese smartphones that are powered by MediaTek chipsets. The recently announced Sony Xperia XA1 and Xperia XA1 Ultra are also fueled by MediaTek’s Helio P20 SoC. With the company manufacturing advanced chipsets at a faster pace, it soon expected to take on market giants like Qualcomm’s Snapdragon and Samsung’s Exynos chipsets. The Taiwanese firm has now announced its newest and most powerful chipset – the Helio X30 chipset, at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017.

The MediaTek Helio X20 from last year was the world’s first ten-core processor. Now the company has announced the Helio X30 SoC, an upgraded version of Helio X20.It is also features a deca-core processor built with 10 nm manufacturing process. After Snapdragon 835 and Exynos 8895, the Helio X30 is the third chipset to be built with 10 nm manufacturing process.

The SoC also includes PowerVR graphics. Compared to its predecessor, the Helio X30 consumes 50 percent less power and delivers 35 percent better performance than Helio X20.

The deca-core processor includes two Cortex A73 processors working at 2.5 GHz, four Cortex A53 processors functioning at 2.2 GHz and four Cortex A35 processors running with a speed of 1.9 GHz. For topnotch graphics, it includes PowerVR 7XTP-MT4 quad-core graphics working at 800 MHz.

Like Snapdragon 835 and Exynos 8895 chipsets, the Helio X30 also supports up to 8 GB of LPDDR4 RAM at 1866 MHz. It also supports UFS 2.1 storage. The smartphones powered by Helio X30 will deliver a max display resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 pixels.

For photography, it Helio X30 SoC can feature dual 14-bit ISPs to support 16-megapixel + 16-megapixel dual cameras that can shoot with a recording resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels. The CorePilot 4.0 technology can determine the power usage and deliver optimum battery performance at the lowest power. It also features support for Cat. 10 LTE modem.

Jeffery Ju, MediaTek’s Executive Vice President and Co-COO confirmed at MWC 2017 that the Helio X30 would be powering less than ten smartphones this year. Rumors have it that the Vernee Apollo 2 would be the first smartphone that would be featuring the new chipset. It is slated to get unveiled at MWC.

(source)

ZTE Blade V8 Hands On: The Second in Line With Dual Cameras

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Habeeb Onawole

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Feb 27, 2017

The ZTE Blade V8 is the second phone in the Blade V8 line. Don’t be surprised, the Blade V8 Pro was announced before it and is even already on sale.

I’m going to be honest with you, the Blade V8 is the least attractive in the V8 line. I’m not saying it is ugly but it is not as good looking as the others. It doesn’t have the shiny silver/gold bands the V8 Lite has on its back; and since it sports an all-metal back-plate, it lacks that mesh-like design on the V8 Pro.

The Blade V8 might not be the most attractive one but it shares some similarities with its siblings. Take for example the camera housing. It is the same as that of the V8 Mini; and like the V8 Pro, also has its fingerprint scanner which also doubles as a home button sitting up front.

Where the Blade V8 is different from its siblings is in the design of its speakers. The speakers are positioned on the bottom and have circular cut outs (12 in total). The fact that there are two grilles doesn’t mean it has stereo speakers, that design is just to maintain symmetry. Sitting in between them both is a microUSB port. At the top is an audio jack and a noise cancelling microphone.

The front of the phone is covered in glass. The bezels are a bit large but that is expected for a phone in this price range. The top bezel is where the front facing camera, speaker, sensor and a front flash lies. At the bottom is the fingerprint scanner and navigational buttons that are sadly not backlit. The right hand side is has the power button and volume rocker and the left has the sim tray.

The Blade V8 sports a 5.2-inch 2.5D Full HD display and is powered by the more recent Snapdragon 435, unlike other mid-rangers in its class such as the Nokia 6, Nokia 5, and Moto G5 which all use the Snapdragon 430. There is 2GB/3GB of RAM, 16GB/32GB of storage and a 2730mAh battery.

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Xiaomi Mi 5C with Pinecone Chipset Pricing Detail Leaks

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Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 27, 2017

Chinese innovative startup Xiaomi is all set to unveil its in-house processor named Pinecone tomorrow in a conference specifically slated for the unveiling. Rumor has it that Xiaomi will also unveil a new Mi 5C smartphone along with the SoC.

As a matter of fact, the Xiaomi Mi 5C had long been rumored to use Xiaomi’s in-house Pinecone chipset and that seems to have been confirmed when the Mi 5C appeared on benchmark website GFXBench packing an unnamed processor that fits the specs of the Pinecone processor.

Ahead of the expected launch, the Mi 5C likely price tag has leaked online via a screenshot which looks like it had been grabbed from Xiaomi mall. The leak reveals the Mi 5C would carry a price tag of 1499 Yuan ($218). We cannot verify the authenticity of this information, besides, Xiaomi does not release the price of their smartphone officially prior to its launch. So, we’ll likely rate this leak 30% as it may likely be a fake listing.

The Xiaomi Mi 5C is expected to come with a 5.5-inch 1080p display and would have 3GB of storage as well as 64GB of internal storage. There is also a 12MP rear camera as well as an 8MP front-facing camera. The smartphone runs MIUI 8 based on Android 7.1.1 Nougat.

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Huawei P10 Camera Samples: New Generation Leica Dual Cameras Capture Great Daylight Images

By

Joel Joseph

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Feb 27, 2017

Huawei’s P10 comes with an upgraded dual camera setup at the back supported by dual tone LED flash and laser focus. The camera setup now consists of a 20MP monochrome sensor for crisp black and white images along with a 13MP RGB color sensor.

From our time playing around with Huawei P10’s camera, the quality of images was quite satisfactory. The Leica branded setup can take some nice looking photos with a good amount of detail, great dynamic range adjustment and very accurate color reproduction. You can check out Huawei P10 camera samples down below.

Note that we haven’t tested the phone’s camera in detail and these images were taken during the time we got to play around with the handset at MWC 2017. Our thorough review of the P10 and the P10 should be coming very soon.

Meanwhile, check out the Huawei P10 camera samples from down below. You can also check out our hands-on with the phone from here.

Huawei P10 Hands On: Solid Compact Built, Super Fast UI & A Powerful Dual Camera Setup

By

Joel Joseph

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Feb 27, 2017

Gizmochina’s Linas has been checking out all the new phones at MWC 2017. Huawei announced the new Huawei P10 and Huawei P10 Plus at MWC and we got our hands on the Huawei P10 flagship today. So, here are some great Huawei P10 hands on images of the device, directly from MWC, Barcelona.

The Huawei P10 gets an upgrade in terms of its design and looks, and now, it resembles like most other smartphones in the market. The corners are round and this makes the P10 look more like the iPhone 7 Plus. In fact, if you look closely, there’s a good resemblance to the Google Pixel series. Now, while some may complain about a lack of original design of the P10, Huawei has made sure that the phone has a solid built quality. The phone looks and feels great and the eight color and three different texture options help give your phone a separate identity.

We got our hands on the beautiful silver variant of the device and the overall built quality of the device was top notch. The front features 2.5D Gorilla Glass protection. The back now has antenna lines on the top and the bottom, similar to Meizu and iPhone’s design, which means they are less evident at the back. Then you have the new generation of dual cameras on the top as well as dual LED flash and laser focus.

Up front, you’ll notice that the side bezels are pretty thin, although there’s considerable bezel on the top as well as the bottom. The button like thing you see on the bottom bezel is the under glass fingerprint sensor. So, it’s not really a physical button but it accepts a number of gestures acting as an all-in-one Home / Back button.

The power button and volume buttons are tactile and the texture along with the red color highlight on the power button is a nice touch.

The USB Type-C port, 3.5mm headphone jack, and the speakers are all located at the bottom of the device.

From the time we got to play around with the device, the UI is super smooth and the gaming performance is also great, thanks to the powerful Kirin 960 chip inside with 4GB of RAM.

There’s a beautiful 5.1-inch display on the front with 1080p display. Under the hood, the phone has a 3200mAh battery with 4GB + 64GB memory combination. It’s running Android 7 Nougat out of the box with the company’s EMUI skin on top.

The dual camera setup at the back is improved and you can take great pictures especially in bright sunlight. We will soon upload the real life camera samples from the Huawei P10 soon, so check that out for more details on the camera quality.

More Huawei P10 hands on images are added below. Feel free to check them out.

Huawei P10 Hands on images:

Huawei P10 Silver — This color won’t be available in China

The OPPO 5X Precision Optical Zoom Might Just Make it The Smartphone Camera King

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Habeeb Onawole

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Feb 27, 2017

OPPO makes really nice phones with superb cameras. Their OPPO F1s is even tagged the “Selfie Expert”. Today, it announced a new dual camera technology it calls 5X Precision Optical Zoom and from the looks of it, the Chinese manufacturer has managed to outdo itself.

OPPO teased the new camera technology last week when it confirmed it will indeed be attending Mobile World Congress 2017. Achieving 5X optical zoom in a smartphone’s camera is pretty difficult but OPPO has managed to do that by using a dual camera combination.

The 5X Precision Optical Zoom uses a telephoto and wide-angle lens setup but also includes a prism to divert light via a periscope. Since the setup is like a periscope, the second sensor is hidden inside the rest of the camera module. OPPO says shifting the light from its natural path results in a high level of clarity at any zoom level

The refraction of light in this manner allows the camera to zoom in on far away objects without the need for large lenses. OPPO’s 5X Precision Optical Zoom contains 50 components and comes in at just 5.7mm.

The hardware is just a part of it. The software also plays its own role by stitching together image data from both cameras when you zoom to mid-way levels.

There is also a new optical image stabilization that fine tunes the telephoto lens. A precise rotation of the prism’s angle in 0.0025° increments results in the stabilizer having a 40% improvement in performance over previous generation and in turn produces images that are sharp even when zoomed in 5x.

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Meet Alcatel A5, an affordable Modular Phone with LED-lit Back Casing

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 27, 2017

The Mobile World Congress 2017 is already living up to its billing as a surprise springer and one of the surprises that have sprung up at MWC is the Alcatel A5. Alcatel unveiled the A5 at MWC packing quite a number of spectacular features top of which is a modular build similar to the Moto Mod. The difference is that the Alcatel A5 is a budget Android smartphone and yet pack such high-end modular feature.

In case you are at a loss as to what a modular phone really is, it is a new smartphone design in which different pieces can be swapped out for different kinds of functionality. In a modular design, the main component is the main board to which other components such as cameras or batteries are attached. These are packaged in easy-to-remove modules which can be replaced as needed without having to rework the soldering. In this case, the module is basically a case for the phone with an embedded POGO connector that you snap on to the device.

The Alcatel A5 comes with three modules and one of the modules is an LED case which churns out colorful LED animations at the back of the device. The colorful light display at the back casing is activated via a Light Show app inside the phone and the light effect is customizable. It can be set to light up when you receive a notification on the phone. The company also showcased a second module which is a 3000mAh battery add-on and a third which is a speaker case with a kickstand that boosts the volume and quality of music playback.

On the hardware corner, the Alcatel A5 sports a 5.2-inch display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. The smartphone is powered by a MediaTek MTK 6753 processor and runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box. The budget modular phone equally crams a decent 2,800mAh battery under its hood.

The price of the Alcatel A5 is yet to be fixed and the availability date is also unknown as of now but Alcatel says the new handset falls into its pre-existing midrange Pop family of devices, which typically cost between $150 and $200.

AGM X2 Max with SD 835, 8GB RAM Tipped to Launch at MWC 2017

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 27, 2017

Chinese rugged phone manufacturing company AGM is officially present at the ongoing Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain. The company is set to become one of those to spring up surprises at MWC 2017. One of the major surprises that would come out from AGM’s stable is the AGM X2 rugged smartphone lineup which takes the baton from the AGM X1.

The specifications of the AGM X2, X2 Pro and X2 Max just leaked and really they all promise to be stunning devices packing top-notch hardware. Perhaps you are not a fan of rugged smartphones because they usually sacrifice a sleek design for ruggedness but with the AGM rugged smartphone lineup you can literally eat your cake and have it. The X1 comes with a classic design yet is a rugged smartphone that can withstand extreme conditions in the outdoors. The X2 lineup is expected with an even better, classic design which maintains AGM phones’ ruggedness.

According to the leak source, AGM would be unveiling the three smartphones at MWC 2017 and all three models are expected with flagship specifications including the Snapdragon 835 chip on the topmost model.

The “base model” AGM X2 is said to pack a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC backed by 6GB of RAM with 64GB of storage. The X2 is expected to pack a 16MP dual-lens camera at the rear while there is a 12MP camera up front. The AGM X2 Pro, on the other hand, is fired up by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset with a whopping 8GB of RAM and 128GB storage combo. The device is said to be powered by a 6000mAh. Too good to be true? Wait until you see the specs of the AGM X2 Max.

The X2 Max is said to feature Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 835 chipset supplemented by an amazing 8GB of RAM. The device has 256GB of storage onboard. The AGM X2 Max is a dual-camera packing smartphone having a 21MP dual-lens shooter and a 20MP front-facing selfie camera. The X2 Max will also come with Quick Charge 4.0 for fast charging and has IP68 Dustproof and Waterproof protection.

MWC 2017 is happening now and will run through to March 2. We’ll have to be on the watch for AGM as they take the wraps off these three amazing smartphones with killer features. You can check out AGM’s official website for their rich rugged smartphone lineup.

Doogee Flagship will sport Helio X30, Dual Front Cameras, and 8GB of RAM

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Feb 27, 2017

Its been a couple of months since Mediatek announced its Helio X30 processor. But just like Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835, there is still no phone in the market sporting the new chip. However, Doogee has revealed its plans to launch a new flagship and it is touting it as the first “worldwide MTK X30 processor” phone. With no release date at hand, that remains to be seen.

The Doogee flagship packs a number of impressive specifications. It will have a 5.7-inch 2K display, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Doogee is also going all out with the cameras. There are two 16MP cameras up front and a single 21MP sensor on the rear.

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Gionee A1 & A1 Plus Launched With Large Batteries & Selfie Focused 20MP Camera

By

Joel Joseph

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Feb 27, 2017

Gionee has launched two new smartphones at MWC 2017, the Gionee A1 and the Gionee A1 Plus. Like the name suggests, the latter is the larger variant of the two and comes with pretty good features and specs. Both the phones focus on providing a great selfie experience (both phones have flash on the front as well as back) along with large battery life. They both feature fingerprint sensors.

The Gionee A1 Plus comes with a large 6-inch 1080p display along with 4GB of RAM and Helio P25 chipset inside. There’s 4G LTE connectivity as well as 64GB of internal storage expandable up to 256GB. Given its large 4550mAh battery, the phone measures 9.1mm in thickness and weighs 226 grams. In the camera department, the Gionee A1 Plus comes with a large 20MP Selfie camera on the front along with a dual 13MP + 5MP setup at the back.

Coming to the less powerful Gionee A1, the phone comes with a 5-inch Full HD display and will be powered by the Helio P10 chipset. There will be 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, again expandable up to 256GB. There’s a 5.5-inch 1080p display as well. In the camera department, there will be a 13MP sensor at the back (f/2.0) and a 16MP selfie shooter up front. The battery is large on this model as well and will come with 4010mAh capacity. The phone is 8.5mm thick and weighs 182 grams.

Both the phone will run on Android 7 Nougat and come with Amigo UI on top.

Pricing and availability details are yet to be announced.

Sony Xperia XZ Premium, Xperia XZs, Xperia XA1, XA1 Ultra Official Images, Price, Release Date

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 27, 2017

As the rumor mill had hinted, today Sony has unveiled four smartphones at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017 such as Xperia XZ Premium, Xperia XZs, Xperia XA1 and Xperia XA1 Ultra. Here are all the official images and information their pricing and release dates.

Sony Xperia XZ Premium Official Images, Specs, Pricing, Release Date

The Sony Xperia XZ Premium comes with fitted with a 5.5-inch 4K Tirluminos display coupled with Gorilla Glass 5. It is powered by Snapdragon 835 chipset and 4 GB of RAM. Its native storage is 64 GB along with external storage. Its 19-megapixel rear snapper can shoot 960 fps slow motion videos of 720 pixels. It has a 13-megapixel wide-angle selfie camera. It is packed with a 3,230 mAh battery. It runs on Android 7.1 Nougat OS and features a IP68 certified chassis.

The Xperia XZ Premium is expected to cost around $799. Since it is running on Snapdragon 835, it is pegged to launch in April or May. It will be available in two colors like Black and Silver.

Sony Xperia XZs Official Images, Specs, Pricing, Release Date

The Xperia XZs has a 5.2-inch full HD display and its powered by Snapdragon 820 chipset and 4 GB of RAM. Its internal storage is 64 GB and a microSD card slot. It features the same 19-megapixel snapper present on Xperia XZ Premium. It also features 13-megapixel wide-angle selfie shooter. It has a battery of 2,900 mAh capacity. It also comes preloaded with Android 7.0 Nougat.

The Sony Xperia XZs will be available for purchase in April with a pricing of $699. It also features a IP68 rated body and comes in color choices of Black, Silver and Blue.

Sony Xperia XA1 and Xperia XA1 Ultra Official Images, Specs, Pricing, Release Date

The Xperia XA1 has a 5-inch HD display whereas the Xperia XA1 Ultra has a 6-inch full HD edge-to-edge screen. Both smartphones are powered by MediaTek Helio P20 chipset. The XA1 has 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage whereas its Ultra variant has 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. Both smartphones feature microSD card slots.

The XA1 and XA1 Ultra feature 23-megapixel rear cameras. The front-facing camera on XA1 is of 8-megapixel whereas an OIS enabled 16-megapixel selfie camera is present on Xperia XA1 Ultra. Both phones run on Android 7.0 Nougat OS. The Xperia XA1 comes with a 2,300 mAh battery whereas its larger sibling includes a 2,700 mAh battery.

The Sony Xperia XA1 will go on sale from April 26 with a price tag of $299. The pricing of Xperia XA1 Ultra was not announced at the launch event. It is pegged to be available for purchase by summer.

Would You Buy The New Nokia 3310 Feature Phone?

By

Joel Joseph

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Feb 27, 2017

The legendary Nokia 3310 is back, and for most readers out here, it would have been one of the first phones that you every played with. There is no question about the importance of the old Nokia 3310 in the phone market, however, is a feature phone like the 3310 still relevant in the current market?

The Nokia 3310 comes with a refreshed design, in bright new colors (some of which I’m personally not a big fan of) and an increased battery life. Yes, the phone boasts of 22 hours of talk time and over 50 hours of music playback. Then there’s the legendary Snake game included in the phone that was probably the first game we played on our phones. All these things are enough for a healthy dose of nostalgia. But is it enough for fans to purchase the phone at $52?

Since most of the readers on gizmochina are obsessed with the best value for money smartphones, we would like to hear from you whether you would consider purchasing the refreshed Nokia 3310.

Huawei P10 Lite Live Images Leak Ahead of Launch

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 27, 2017

Huawei is set to add a lite version of the recently unveiled P10 flagship. The Huawei P10 Lite recently appeared on benchmarking website Geekbench revealing some of its specs. Now, the P10 Lite’s live images have also leaked online revealing its beautiful design features.

Ordinarily, we’d have thought the P10 Lite would pack trimmed down specs and design similar to those of the P10 but the flagship does not come with a design similar to that of the P10. The P10 Lite features an attractive design, nonetheless. For one, the P10 Lite packs a single camera at the rear and its entire design resembles that of the Huawei P8 Lite. The P10 Lite uses a metal frame with dual glass on both sides and a fingerprint sensor is also mounted at the rear.

On the specs angle, the Huawei P10 Lite will come with a 5.2-inch IPS display with full HD resolution. It is expected to be powered by an octa-core Kirin 655 chip with the Mali-T830 GPU firing up the graphics. The P10 Lite will pack 4GB of RAM inside as well as 32GB of expandable storage. The camera affairs would be piloted by a 12MP rear camera with f/2.2 aperture and LED flash while up front there’ll be an 8MP sensor. Huawei’s latest EMUI 5.1 based on Android Nougat is expected to provide the interface on the P10 Lite.

We won’t see the P10 Lite very soon as it is said to have a March launch date. The P10 Lite would be available in black, gold and white colors and is expected to be priced around €349 ( approx. 2,539 Yuan).

(source)

ZTE Launches Blade V8 Mini and V8 Lite with Dual Cameras & Android Nougat

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Feb 27, 2017

The Blade series is ZTE’s line of affordable smartphones. This year, they have announced four Blade phones already: the ZTE Blade V8, Blade V8 Pro, Blade A2 Plus, and the ZTE Blade A610 Plus. They don’t seem to be done yet as they have announced the ZTE Blade V8 Lite and Blade V8 Mini at MWC.

Blade V8 Lite

The Blade V8 Lite is inspired by French upholstery. It sports a curved design and a slim metal body with Zircon sand blasting finish. There is a 5-inch HD display, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB ROM with SD card support (128GB max.) It is powered by an MTK6750 octa-core processor.

The V8 Lite has an 8MP autofocus rear camera with LED flash and a 5MP fixed focus camera up front for selfies. There is a non-removable 2500mAh battery under the hood,a fingerprint scanner, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

The Blade V8 Lite comes with Android Nougat out of the box, has Bluetooth 4.1, FM Radio and VoLTE support. It supports Bands 3, 7, and 28 FDD LTE.

Blade V8 Mini

The Blade V8 Mini is the more sophisticated one of the two. Like the V8 Pro and V8, the V8 mini also comes with dual cameras. ZTE says it is aimed at photography lovers who want to take bokeh pictures without buying a DSLR. The Blade V8 Mini also supports 3D photos. What it does is combine two pictures taken by the dual cameras into a single 3D image.

The ZTE Blade V8 Mini has the same 5-inch 720p display as the V8 Lite and even the same RAM and ROM. The processor however differs. ZTE has settled for the now popular Snapdragon 430 which is present in the Nokia 6, Nokia 5 and Moto G5 The dual rear cameras are a combination of a 13MP sensor and a 2MP sensor. The front camera is a 5MP shooter but has a moonlight flash to brighten up your selfies.

There is also a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner that does more than unlock your phone. You can configure it to open a certain app when you touch it when the screen is off. The V8 Mini also lets you create a sort of private space that encrypts your pictures, documents, messages and apps.

There is a 2800mAh battery powering the Blade V8 Mini. It runs Android Nougat with ZTE’s MiFavor 4.2 overlay and also supports VoLTE.

ZTE has not mentioned the price details for both phones or when they plan to hit the shelves.

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Samsung’s New Gear VR Headset Has a Vive-like Controller

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Feb 26, 2017

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Tab S3 yesterday in Barcelona. Asides that, it also announced the new Gear VR headset which now comes with a controller.

The new Gear VR headset, like the former is made in partnership with Oculus and comes with a controller that makes interacting with games easier and much more fun. For those of you with keen eyes, you will notice the controller looks very much like that of HTC’s Vive.

The controller has a circular touchpad for navigation; a trigger button for grabbing, shooting, and aiming depending on the app; and also has integrated home, volume, and back buttons. Samsung has designed the controller such that it works with one hand.

Since there is a new controller, Samsung and Oculus are working on over 70 new titles that will take advantage of the new hardware. They have also said the controller will work with existing touchpad apps. The controller’s SDK will also be available to developers in a few weeks and you can even submit your request here.

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5G-Capable ZTE Gigabit Concept phone with up to 1Gbps Download Speed Announced

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 26, 2017

ZTE on Sunday, unveiled its first 5G-capable smartphone, the ZTE Gigabit Phone. The phone is said to be capable of achieving an ultra-fast download speed of up to 1Gbps using carrier aggregation. You might want to think we are already entering another phase of mobile telephony, just that the ZTE Gigabit phone is just a concept.

ZTE might never actually sell the 5G smartphone but it showcases the potential in terms of lightning-fast download speeds which 5G network offers. But you need not worry, 5G network may actually be the next feature smartphones manufacturers would be jostling to have on their devices. Already, Intel, Qualcomm, and Samsung have all announced new chipsets that can support gigabit LTE speeds. US carriers, AT&T and Verizon are planning to roll out their own 5G network later this year.

The ZTE Gigabit is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, which features an integrated Snapdragon X16 LTE modem.This is a combination of wireless carrier aggregation with 4×4 MIMO antenna technology and 256-QAM modulation to achieve download speeds of up to 1Gbps. The phone is still on display at MWC 2017 in Barcelona and the practical demonstration of this technology is ongoing. In addition, the Gigabit makes 360-degree VR, 4K video, and instant cloud storage possible while on the move.

LG G6 Teardown Video Reveal Advanced Heat Pipe, Safer Battery, Wireless Charging

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 26, 2017

The LG G6 was officially announced on Feb. 26. It comes with an impressive design and specs. Since the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 met with premature death because of its faulty batteries, its rivals have been putting full efforts to reveal how safe their devices are. During a recent press meet, an LG executive had dismantled the LG G6 to reveal its internal components.

In the LG G6 teardown video, the executive can be seen opening the back panel of the smartphone that features Gorilla Glass 5. Removing it reveals a large-sized fingerprint sensor module. It also reveals the wireless charging coil. LG has confirmed that the wireless charging would be available only on the U.S. variant of the LG G6.

The antenna assembly along with the loudspeaker can be removed by unscrewing the screws from the rear side. Removing the top antenna detaches the wireless charging coil to reveal other components like the mainboard and the battery.

The advanced heat pipe with a copper plate can be over the Li-Po battery at the center by disconnecting a few connectors. Internal testing has revealed that the heat pipe can reduce the temperature of the Snapdragon 821 chipset by 10 percent. The heat pipe contains 0.1g of liquid cooling solution to prevent overheating.

A report from DigitalTrends that LG has performed numerous tests and analysis on the LG G6 batteries to ensure complete safety of its users. Driving a sharp nail through it, exposing it to extreme temperatures and dropping heavy objects on it to test its ability to withstand intense pressure are some of the tests carried out by LG to demonstrate the safety of the LG G6 batteries. All these tests confirm that the LG G6 batteries are safe and they do not explode on general use.

The LG G6 is expected to be available in South Korea and some regions by March 10. The LG G6 pre-orders will run through March 2 to 9 and its shipments will begin from March 10. As far as the U.S. release of the smartphone is concerned, the U.S. carriers are expected to begin its sales by spring.

(Source 1,2)

Huawei Watch 2 unveiled: Android Wear 2.0, SD 2100 chip, NFC & Lots of Features

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Feb 26, 2017

Huawei recently launched the P10 and P10 Plus flagships at MWC 2017 and in addition to the two smartphones, the company also announced its latest smartwatch, the Huawei Watch 2. The Huawei Watch 2 joins LG’s smartwatch as the first two watches which runs on Google’s Android Wear 2.0.

Apart from Google’s latest OS running inside the Huawei smartwatch, the Watch 2 comes with a sportier body and equally has a Classic model with a black paint job and leather straps. The Watch 2 sports a circular 1.2-inch face. The display is surrounded by etched ceramic bezels which add a premium feel to the device. It is powered by a Snapdragon 2100 chipset and features NFC which can be used for Android Pay. There is also the prospect of LTE support onboard, depending on your region.

The Watch 2 is a complete fitness band, packing features like heart rate monitor, fitness features for monitoring activities like running, cycling or working out on the treadmill. There is also IP68 level of protection against water and moisture, so there is no cause for concern about using the device in wet conditions. Huawei did well in cramming a large 420mAh battery inside the device which can last up to 25 days under the Watch mode. Under normal usage, though, the smartwatch can last up to 2 days.

The Huawei Watch 2 also comes in gray, yellow, black and bright orange variants and carries a price tag of 329 Euros ( around $350). The device will start shipping to the US in April, while some European countries would get a feel of it earlier on in March.

Nokia Smart Health Devices to Arrive as Rebranded Withings Products This Summer

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Feb 26, 2017

Nokia has officially three new phones at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017 namely, Nokia 3, Nokia 5 and an updated edition of Nokia 3310. At MWC 2017, Nokia also confirmed that the Withings wearables will be sold as Nokia products starting from summer this year.

In June 2016, Nokia had acquired Withings for $191 million. Withings is a French based firm that specializes in making smart health devices like smartwatches, fitness bands, connected scales, blood pressure monitors, thermometers, home cameras and more. These products as well as its software will be rebranded as Nokia devices.

Since Nokia is a well-known brand name, it makes sense for the company to kill Withings branding. The rebranding was officially confirmed by Cedric Hutchings, the Vice President of Digital Health for Nokia and the former CEO of Withings. According to Hutchings, ”Withings joined Nokia because we share a vision to inspire individuals to take control of their own health. With the full power of a brand recognized for trust, reliability and quality, we will reach more people and impact more lives to help the human family be healthier together.”

Nokia will be relaunching the Health Mate app from Withings with a new design. It will arrive as HIPAA-compliant Patient Care Platform that will serve as a common place to get information from all the health devices by giving users with a “360-degree view of health.” The app is expected to include ‘in-depth coaching programs” that will provide users with up to eight weeks of fitness plans.

Through the Patient Care Platform, doctors and health experts will be able use smart devices to monitor the health of their patients in order to provide them with timely treatment and prevent unneeded visits to the hospital.

The decision of rebranding Withings to Nokia has come at a time when there is less demand for wearables in the market. The sales of Fitbit health bands are declining and Pebble was acquired by Fitbit for $23 million as it met with financial troubles. HMD Global has relaunched the Nokia brand by releasing phones like Nokia 6, Nokia 5, Nokia 3 and the updated Nokia 3310. With Nokia branding for health products, the company aims to broaden its consumer products profile.

(source)