OnePlus & Meizu Allegedly Cheated on AnTuTu and Geekbench Results

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Feb 1, 2017

Benchmark platform Geekbench and Android forum XDA have both accused two of China’s top OEMs in the smartphone niche of manipulating the test results of some of their handsets when running benchmark apps. The two companies in question are OnePlus and Meizu and the smartphones which are on the hot seat are the OnePlus 3T and the Exynos 8890-powered Meizu Pro 6 Plus.

According to the report, both the OnePlus 3T and Meizu Pro 6 have the capability to detect when they are under benchmark test and so will run at a seamless pace in order to achieve a better score. The modification is also reported to occur when the devices run through AnTuTu benchmark as well as other benchmarks.

However, in defending its position, OnePlus did not categorically deny the allegation but did reveal that in order to attain some improvement in the user experience on some graphically intensive games, it “implemented certain mechanisms in the community and Nougat builds” allowing the CPU to run faster. In other words, the processor runs faster when certain apps that task the CPU like extreme games are being used, and the mechanism is included in the OS. In that case, the result posted by the OnePlus 3T when it hit AnTuTu might be inaccurate. The device might not run at the same speed when the smartphone isn’t running an extreme app. OnePlus has promised to remove the trigger which causes the CPU to run faster when certain apps are in operation, though. The changes would accompany future builds of OxygenOS for the OnePlus 3 and 3T. On its part, Meizu is yet to respond to the allegation that the Pro 6 manipulates its benchmark test.

This isn’t the first time such accusation is coming out among smartphone makers. A few years ago popular smartphone makers like Samsung and HTC were discovered to be targeting benchmark apps by boosting CPU frequency when those apps are detected. AnTuTu even got around to creating a separate app so users of the Galaxy S5 and the HTC One M8 could accurately test the true benchmark data of their phones. Perhaps, we just can’t rely on benchmark tests anymore to determine the firepower inside a smartphone since the result can be modified. What do you think?

(source)

Apple Beats Samsung to Occupy Top Spot in Global Smartphone Market Share in Q4 2016

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 31, 2017

A recent statistical data of global smartphone shipments for last year has shown that Apple did beat Samsung to emerge as the top brand last year. If you are a fan of Apple, don’t start jubilating just yet. Apple only edged out Samsung in the fourth quarter of 2016, recording a total of 78.3 million iPhone sales as against 77.5 million recorded by Samsung during the same period.

The huge sales figure gave Apple control over an estimated 17.8% of the entire smartphone market in Q4 2016, while Samsung came in second with 17.7% share. However, in the analysis of smartphone shipments for the entire year, Samsung maintained its strong grip of the market leadership, coasting home with 309.4 million shipments in 2016, giving it a 20.8% control of the entire market. Apple still retained her second position despite losing out its leadership of the Chinese market, with an estimated total shipment of 215.4 million units, representing 14.5% of the entire market share.

Despite the huge figures, the duo of Samsung and Apple saw a slight decline in the number of shipments made in 2016, when compared to the figure achieved in 2015. Samsung shipped 10.3 million fewer handsets last year, while Apple delivered 16.1 million fewer phones when compared to 2015. Both tech giants did lose some of their market shares to Huawei and emerging brands like OPPO and Vivo, which also made the list of the top five global smartphone company last year in terms of shipments. Huawei occupied the third position with a 9.3% share. BBK subsidiaries, OPPO and Vivo finished fourth and fifth with 5.7% and 4.8% of the market, respectively.

In general, global smartphone shipments rose by 3% to reach 1.5 billion units during the 12 months of the year. According to Strategy Analytics, strong demand for smartphones in China and Africa provided the platform for the increased shipping figures for the industry.
(source)

Leaked LG G6 Prototype Photos Capture the Flagship’s Front & Rear view

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 31, 2017

A group of three photos said to be those of LG‘s expected G6 flagship have appeared online gifting us a more detailed view of the device. The prototype photos capture the LG G6 from three different angles, one showing the front view, another the rear view, and yet a third which shows the bottom edge where the USB ports and speaker grills are situated.

It is quite apt that the leaked prototype looks very much similar to the earlier leaked images of the G6, just that the LG G6 prototype is not yet in the finished state. Despite the unfinished state, we still get to see the device in its true outlook, especially the ultra-slim bezels around the screen. The screen isn’t a curved one but the device features a high screen-to-body ratio. There is no front home button, instead, the LG logo sits under the display and it may perform some virtual button functions.

The back view reveals, even more, details of the LG G6 flagship, showing the horizontally aligned dual rear cameras on the device. The dual lenses are separated from each other by the LED flash which sits at the middle in a spectacular design. The fingerprint sensor is also clearly visible at the rear, lying just under the cameras.

The third and final leaked prototype photos captures the device from the bottom edge revealing the presence of a USB Type-C port as well as an opening for the mouthpiece and speaker grills. February 26 is the set date for the G6’s release and hopefully, before then, more leaks would surface.

(Source)

ZTE Blade A610 Plus Features in Video Teaser, Coming Soon!

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 31, 2017

Chinese smartphone maker ZTE has released a video, via its Twitter handle, which teases an upcoming smartphone whose name was kept in the dark. The device is billed to go official in India any moment from now but has been revealed to be the ZTE Blade A610 Plus.

The ZTE Blade A610 Plus moniker wasn’t explicitly mentioned in the video but the design which gives the idea of the device in question. According to report, the Blade A610 Plus comes with a spectacular 5,000mAh battery which would no doubt be one of its strongholds when it goes official.

The smartphone is also tipped to launch with a 5.5-inch display with Full HD resolution (1080 pixels) while there is a MediaTek MT6750T chipset onboard. The device comes with 2GB of RAM as well as 16GB of storage space. Camera wise, there is a 13MP rear camera and an 8MP front camera on the smartphone, while the interface is provided by an Android .0 Marshmallow OS. The device also comes with support for 4G LTE.

"Hello again, India!" pic.twitter.com/kwFj0EGOoS

— ZTE India (@ZTEIndiaSocial) January 30, 2017

The ZTE Blade A610 Plus was teased by ZTE India on its official Twitter handle, and earlier on the company had scheduled a February 3 launch date. The Blade A610 Plus is expected to hit the India market as the main attraction of the launch event.

(source)

Xiaomi Redmi Pro 2 Specs Leaks: Single Camera, Larger Battery

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jan 31, 2017

The Redmi Pro is the top of the Redmi line. Launched in August and the first Xiaomi phone to sport an OLED display and dual cameras, this phone has been missing from Xiaomi’s website for a while now. The reason for that seems to be because Xiaomi has been working on the Redmi Pro 2.

Earlier today, leakster @Kjuma who is gradually building a reputation for genuine leaks posted a snapshot revealing tons of details of the upcoming device.

Redmi Pro 2 Specs

First, there is a camera change. The Redmi Pro 2 will not have dual cameras. It seems people weren’t too pleased with the performance of the dual camera combo of the Redmi Pro, so Xiaomi is ditching it for a single sensor. The new camera is actually a Sony IMX362 with a 1/2.55” sensor and a 1.4µm pixel. The camera has also got Dual Pixel autofocus.

The big change for me is actually the processor. The Redmi Pro launched with a Helio X25 SoC. The Helio X25 is actually a great processor but some of us wanted a Snapdragon variant but sadly there wasn’t one. The Redmi Pro 2 will be launching with a Snapdragon 660 processor this time. The Snapdragon 660 aka MSM 8976 Plus will take over from the 653 and 652 as the mid-range chip for 2017.

Another major change is the battery capacity which Xiaomi has bumped from 4050mAh to 4500mAh. There is no mention of a change in screen size though the display appears to be bigger than 5.5-inches. Notwithstanding, the larger battery should suffice even if the displau is bigger.

Redmi Pro 2 Price

The Redmi Pro 2 will be available in two storage variants according to the image. There will be a 4GB RAM variant with 64GB of built-in storage priced at ¥1599 (~$232) and a 6GB RAM variant with 128GB of storage priced at ¥1799 (~$262). Expect the prices to go higher when it launches though.

There is no mention of a release date but we are really excited about the new device. What do you think about the specs of the Redmi Pro 2?

(Source)

Samsung Galaxy S8 & S8 Plus Likely Battery Capacity Leaked, Impressive?

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 31, 2017

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus battery capacity is the subject of one of the latest report emerging from South Korea. According to the report, Samsung has decided to infuse a 3,250mAh battery inside the Galaxy S8 and a 3,750mAh battery inside the S8 Plus.

This revelation is in contrast to the 3,000mAh and 3,500mAh battery capacities tipster Evan Blass had hinted would feature on the Galaxy S8 and its Plus variant respectively. This new leak, however, places both batteries at almost the same capacity with the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge which came in at 3,000mAh and 3,600mAh . This is despite the curved AMOLED display and larger screen sizes at 5.8 inches and 6.2 inches respectively. Perhaps, the device would come with a better power management considering that there would be a Snapdragon 835 chipset inside.

Also, the batteries are said to have similar dimensions but the source hints at the possibility of the battery capacity getting altered at the long run in order to bring in some increase. But that may not likely happen since the company would want to tread the path of caution, ala Samsung Note 7. The Galaxy S8 is expected to be launched on March 29 while it may go on sale in mid-April.

(source)

OLED Display on iPhone X May Reduce Apple’s Profits for Q2 2017

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jan 31, 2017

It’s no news that this year marks 10 years since the first iPhone was released. To celebrate the event, rumor has it that Apple will launch an anniversary edition called the iPhone X which will have an OLED display.

An analyst at Cowen & Company, Timothy Arcuri says the decision to use an OLED display will add about $50 million to the company’s cost for the second quarter. This will in turn reduce profit margins.

Sources say that Apple has an agreement with Samsung to be the sole supplier for the 5.8-inch OLED display in the iPhone X. The outcome of that partnership has thrown a spanner in the works of other manufacturers like Huawei, Vivo and OPPO who wish to purchase OLED displays from Samsung. This has led them to form a partnership that will invest in a smaller company that manufactures OLED screens.

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Elephone Launches in Russia

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jan 31, 2017

Chinese smartphone maker Elephone has launched in Russia. This should make it easier for their fans based in Europe to get access to their phones. A total of four devices have been launched and they can be purchased on online store DNS.

First is the Elephone S1 priced at 6990 Rubles (~$116). That is way pricey for a phone with a 5-inch 720p display, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of built-in storage, and a measly 1800mAh battery. It ships with Android 5.1 but is upgradeable to Android Marshmallow. You can also expand the storage to up to 64GB via a microSD card slot. Though it does have a fingerprint scanner, that still doesn’t justify the high price.

Elephone S1

Next is the Elephone S3. This has a larger 5.2-inch FHD display, 3GB of RAM and 16GB ROM. There is a 13MP rear-camera and a 5MP front-facing shooter. You also get a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and a 2100mAh battery. The Elephone S3 sells for 10,990 Rubles (~$183) and is available in silver, gray and gold.

Elephone S3

For 16,999 Rubles ($283), you can pick up the Elephone P9000. Apart from having a larger 5.5-inch 1080p screen, the P9000 has 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage. There is a Helio P10 processor under the hood and a 3000mAh battery. The P9000 ships with Android 6.0 Marshmallow and has a 13MP Sony IMX258 sensor on the rear.

Elephone P9000

Elephone S7

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Intel Plans to make 7nm Based Chips This Year

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jan 31, 2017

Chip makers Qualcomm and Mediatek announced towards the end of 2016 that their new flagships chips will be built on the 10nm node. However, Intel has announced that it will start trial production of 7nm chips this year.

For decades, Intel has based its chip creation on the words of its co-founder Gordon Moore who said that “the number of transistors incorporated in a chip will approximately double every 24 months”. The statement which is now referred to as Moore’s Law has seen chip manufacturers nearly double the performance and efficiency of a processor roughly every 2 years.

However, they discovered that the law couldn’t be applied any further during the making of 14nm-based chips as it was pretty difficult to fit more transistors on a smaller area. Now, the interpretation of Moore’s Law has to do with the reduced cost of transistors.

Intel says the 7nm is still in a testing phase and the result from the trial production will help them invest in large factories that can begin to produce chips based on the 7nm technology. They have also announced that they will be returning to the tradition of two new chips per manufacturing cycle instead of three like they did with their 14nm based chips (Broadwell, Skylake, and Kaby Lake).

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Huawei P10 & P10 Plus Renders Leak Revealing More Thrilling Details

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 31, 2017

A new set of renders has leaked suggesting Huawei has got the P10 and a P10 Plus variants in the works. The Huawei P10 had been making the rounds of late with leaked details coming out left, right and centre. The P10 was recently leaked as coming with more paint jobs and also with a highly sophisticated audio system developed in partnership with Yamaha and Harman Kardon.

Perhaps buoyed by the successful outing so far of the Mate 9 and Mate 9 Pro, the latest leak suggests that Huawei is planning to launch the P10 in two variants. One of the P10 variants comes with a straight display, while the other variant would have a curved edge screen.

Both versions feature dual Leica cameras at the rear but the difference lies in the P10 having a straight screen and the P10 Plus having a curved display. In addition, the Huawei P10 Plus also sports a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor while the P10 packs only a front fingerprint sensor. It is not known if the P10 Plus also has a front fingerprint sensor as it still has a home button at the front. The rear camera on the P10 Plus also has a uniquely designed round flash. The P10 comes with full network support and has a model number VTR-AL00 while the P10 Plus also with full network support comes with model number VIC-ALoo.

The apertures up front on the P10 Plus is quite different from the P10, opening up the possibility of the device having an iris scanner, in addition to the front camera and PDAF. The Huawei P10 is expected to be launched at MWC 2017 where all the facts and features of the flagship would be made bare.

(source)

Google Rolls out Android 7.1.2 Nougat Update

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 30, 2017

Barely a few months after the Android 7.1 upgrade was released, Google has announced that it is once again rolling out another update – 7.1.2 that would fix bugs and refine the OS’ features. The beta version of the Android Nougat 7.1.2 started rolling out yesterday to compatible devices which are enrolled in the Android Beta Program. The smartphones which would get the beta version now includes the Google Pixel and Pixel XL, Nexus 5X, Nexus Player and Pixel C. Next on the line to get the update would be the Nexus 6P.

The smartphones which would get the beta version right now includes the Google Pixel and Pixel XL, Nexus 5X, Nexus Player and Pixel C. Next on the line to get the update would be the Nexus 6P and it would hit the device soon.

According to Google, Android 7.1.2 is an incremental maintenance release focused on refinements, so it includes a number of bugfixes and optimizations, along with a small number of enhancements for carriers and users. After the Beta testing is over, the final release of the latest version would roll out via OTA updates in a few of months and the Nexus and Pixels smartphones which featured in the Beta program would get it first. If you are interested in joining the Android Beta Program you can enroll by visiting android.com/beta.

(source)

Meizu Pro 7 Leaked Shot Reveals Dual Edge Curved Display

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jan 30, 2017

The leaked specs of the Meizu Pro 7 had surfaced yesterday and now an alleged real shot of the display has also emerged. Even though it’s a low quality image, it does reveal the dual-edge curved display of the smartphone.

The snapshot revealed by PriceRaja suggests that the device shown in the video is Meizu Pro series smartphone. The display features a sidebar on the left side to give access to frequently used apps. The Home button appears to be clickable and may come embedded with a fingerprint scanner.

As previous rumors have stated, the smartphone seems to sport a metal unibody design. Speculations are rife that the chassis of the Pro 7 is made up of titanium.

The leaked presentation slides contained shots that appeared as press renders of Meizu Pro 7. However, none of the slides showcased the front side of the flagship phablet. However, the slides contained the details on the specifications of the Pro 7.

The Meizu Pro 7 is expected to feature a 5.7-inch display with 4K resolution. A MediaTek Helio X30 chipset that features a 64-bit deca-core processor. Other rumors have claimed that the phablet would be powered by HiSilicon Kirin 960 chipset manufactured by Huawei.

The Meizu Pro 7 is speculated to be available in different RAM options such as 8 GB, 6 GB and 4 GB. All the three variants are expected to offer an internal storage of 128 GB. Rumors are rife that the Meizu Pro 7 with 8 GB RAM would be costing 3,799 Yuan ($552).

Last year, Meizu had released Meizu Pro 6 in April with 5.2-inch quad HD display and MediaTek Helio X25 chipset and later in November, a 5.7-inch quad HD display totting Meizu Pro 6 Plus powered with Samsung Exynos 8890 was unveiled. Hence, speculations also indicate that Meizu will be releasing both Pro 7 and Pro 7 Plus this year.

The Chinese manufacturing is known for following a pattern of releasing its high-end devices in the second quarter. Hence, it is pegged to get announced between April and June.

Fresh Samsung Galaxy S8 Renders Leak Revealing Infinity Display, Rear Fingerprint Sensor

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 30, 2017

Nott quite long ago, popular tipster Evan Blass leaked what is purported to be the real renders of the expected Samsung Galaxy S8 flagship. Evan Blass’ leak was perhaps the real shot we are getting on the Galaxy S8 ever since the device started resonating in the media. One again, another set of renders which are very similar to the one leaked by @evleaks have surfaced.

The latest leaked renders were shared by concept designer Benjamin Geskin who seems to have taken the leaked photo of the Galaxy S8 shared by Evan Blass and turned it into a set of sleek renders. The features highlighted on the render include the Infinity Display, Bixby button and then the elliptical-shaped rear fingerprint sensor.

Since it is based on Evan Blass’ leaked images, this one seems to be more accurate with a far better clarity of details. The dual curved edge display comes out very clear. The Bixby button is also seated at the right and it is rumored to be used to activate Samsung’s AI technology- Bixby. The rear camera and LED flash at the rear is also very conspicuous.

samsung-galaxy-s8-official-3 — Galaxy S8 Concept Render by B. Gaskin

The Samsung Galaxy S8 is expected to pop on March 29 according to the tipster but before then, here are the few details we know so far. The Galaxy S8 would feature a 5.8-inch Super AMOLED display with a 1440 x 2560 pixels resolution. We expect the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset onboard as well as between 4GB and 6GB of RAM which is accompanied by 64GB o expandable storage. It is likely that a USB Type-C port would be featured along with the traditional 3.5mm audio jack. The Galaxy S8 is also expected to feature an IP68 certification rating for dust and water resistance. There is also rumored to be a Galaxy S8 Plus in the works which come with a larger 6.2-inch display and a dual rear camera.

(source)

Nokia P1 Concept Showcases Premium Design of the Flagship Smartphone

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jan 30, 2017

Nokia is expected to unveil new devices at the upcoming Mobile World Congress (MWC) on Feb. 26. Earlier this month, rumors started swirling that the Nokia P1, the alleged flagship from the company was spotted at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2017 at Qualcomm’s booth. However, the chip manufacturer denied the rumors and said it was only a reference unit. Concept Creator, that has created concept images of Galaxy S8 and iPhone has also created Nokia P1 concept based on the rumors of the device.

The video does not contain any information on the specifications of the device. However, only few details on the specs are revealed in the name of the video. It states that the Nokia P1 features a 22.3-megapixel rear camera, 6 GB of RAM and 256 GB of native storage.

The Nokia P1 concept video shows that the device features a hybrid SIM slot at the bottom part of the left side of the device. Its rear camera is enabled with triple LED flash along with a Nokia logo at the center. The right edge of the device seems to house a display lock/unlock button and volume controllers.

At the bottom, it seems to sport a 3.5 mm audio jack, a USB Type-C port and an external speaker. Below the display is a physical home button that probably features a fingerprint scanner. The smartphone seems to house a large display with super-slim bezels. Above the display, there is a selfie shooter and another Nokia logo.

As far as the design of Nokia P1 is concerned, it bears a premium appeal as its sports a metal unibody chassis like Nokia 6 along with chamfered edges. The device is shown in three colors, white, silver and black.

Rumors have revealed the Nokia P1 would be fueled by Snapdragon 835 chip. It is expected to feature a 5.3-inch quad HD IGZO display from Sharp. Some of the other features of Nokia P1 include a 3,500 mAh battery, and Android 7.0 Nougat OS.

There is no confirmation on whether the Nokia P1 will be announced at the upcoming MWC 2017. Some rumors have also stated that the company may unveil it in the second half of the year.

Here is the Nokia P1 concept video:

Moto G5/G5 Play Full Specs Surface Ahead of MWC 2017

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jan 30, 2017

The rumor mill has been consistently spilling beans on the Lenovo Moto G5 Plus, but now details of the regular Moto G5 has also surfaced. Both the smartphones are expected to get unveiled at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017.

At the end of the previous week, the Moto G5 received certification from FCC (Federal Communications Commission) in the U.S. Its listing on FCC has revealed some of it specs. The smartphone will be equipped with a 3000 mAh battery enabled with Turbo Charging feature from Motorola.

The FCC documents have also revealed that the package of Moto G5 will also include a DTV Dongle television tuner that is compatible with Android devices. With NFC onboard, the smartphone will also carry support for Android Pay. A Brazilian blog has also revealed several details of Moto G5 that has a model number of XT1672.

It has a 5-inch screen that offers a full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The device will be running on Snapdragon 430 chipset that will be coupled with 2 GB of RAM. It is expected to feature a native storage of 32 GB and it will also feature a microSD card slot. The Moto G5 is speculated to come loaded with Android 7.0 Nougat OS.

Its rear camera will be of 13-megapixel whereas its front-facing shooter will be of 5-megapixel. Even though the FCC listing has stated that Moto G5 has a 3,000 mAh battery, the Brazilian blog has reported that the smartphone will include a 2,800 mAh battery.

Speculations suggest that the larger battery belongs to Moto G5 and the smaller one is of Moto G5 Play. Both the smartphones are expected to come with similar specs. However, the Moto G5 is pegged to feature 3 GB of RAM.

The arrival of the smartphone is rumored to be drawing near as it is not only listed with FCC but also it has been approved from Brazil’s Anatel certification body. Like the Moto G5 Plus, it is expected to come in color choices of Silver and Gold. There is no information available on the pricing of Moto G5.

(source)

This iPhone 8 Concept Has Its Camera in The Apple Logo

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jan 30, 2017

Concept phones are amazing. Though most times they feature designs the world is not ready for at the moment of release. Or at other times, designs that tend to be quite unusual or even bordering on being impracticable. But we love them all the same and this iPhone 8 concept is an example.

Last year, there was a rumor that the “Moto dimple” would double as a fingerprint scanner in the Moto M. I was particularly thrilled about it because the dimple was one of my favorite designs of the Moto G and Moto X series. Sadly, the Moto M didn’t have its fingerprint scanner embedded under the dimple. This iPhone 8 concept aims at a similar design but instead of a fingerprint scanner, it is putting the rear camera under the Apple logo. The concept design was created by Iskander Utebayev.

Placing the camera under the Apple logo might or might not have been considered by Apple itself but one thing we are sure about is that singular design change will raise the cost of the iPhone. The reason is because you will need a larger piece of sapphire glass to cover the lens. It is also hard to tell if moving the camera to that position will offer any advantages over the currently used position but the bottom line is the design doesn’t look bad.

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ZTE May Cancel Hawkeye in Favor of A Higher-End Model

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jan 30, 2017

When ZTE announced its Project CSX last year, there were high hopes for it. Following the unveiling of the phone’s (Hawkeye) specs a couple of weeks ago, those hopes have turned into disappointment. Speculations suggests the ZTE Hawkeye might be cancelled in favor of a higher-end model.

Hawkeye is currently on Kickstarter with a $500,000 goal and a February 19 deadline. Right now funds pledged sits at $36,056. ZTE knows they can’t meet the funding goal as people are very disappointed with the specs of the device. They have admitted they made a mistake in communicating the goals of the project and anticipating customers’ preference and want to salvage the situation.

An update posted on the Kickstarter page on January 20 has a link to a poll for features/specs that needs to be changed in Hawkeye while the price remains at $199. Below is the poll results as at today.

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Meizu Pro 7 Features Leak: 4K Display, Titanium Body & More!

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 30, 2017

Last year, Meizu released a series of smartphones with not so spectacular specs lineup but all that changed when the Meizu Pro 6 Plus was released. It seems Meizu is intent on taking the bar a tad higher this year as the Meizu Pro 7 specifications have leaked so early in the year.

The Meizu Pro 7 isn’t a new entrant to the rumor mills, the device was earlier rumored as coming last year but wasn’t launched eventually. It should be noted that the Pro7 was among the devices listed in the leaked Meizu product schedule for 2017. And if that schedule is to be taken seriously, the Pro 7 should debut in June this year with a MediaTek Helio X30 chip onboard.

The leaked specification appeared in form of a Powerpoint document with images purported to be those of the device. The image, however, resembles those of the Pro 6 Plus, so we doubt if they are really for the purported Pro 7 or if the Pro 7 even exists.

Be that as it may, the leak specifies that the Meizu Pro 7 would feature a titanium body as well as a 5.7-inch 4K display (resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels) with support for AOD display screen technology. The flagship is also rumored as packing a rear camera with 12MP Sony IMX362 CMOS sensor. The camera is said to retain the ring flash featured on the Pro 6 and Pro 6 Plus.

On the SoC, the Pro 7 is rumored as coming with an Helio X30 chip with more than two storage versions. The base version is expected with 4GB RAM + 64GB storage and it is expected with a 3299 yuan price tag. The second version expected to feature 6GB RAM + 128GB storage has a rumored price of 3,599 yuan. Yet, there is a third with 8GB RAM + 128GB storage rumored to be priced at 3799 Yuan. We’ll need to take these leaked specifications and photos with a pinch of salt because they are too outrageously good to be true.

(source)

Sony Xperia XA (2017) Features in a New Leaked Video

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 29, 2017

The Sony Xperia XA looks set to get a successor after one year on the throne. The Xperia XA was announced in February during the MWC 2016 and did hit the market in June. And now, ahead of MWC 2017, renders of the device had earlier surfaced in a leaked image and now in a leaked video.

The most prominent feature with which the Sony Xperia XA (2017) could be recognized is the positioning of the front-facing camera as well as the USB Type-C port that it is coming with. The Xperia XA (2017) also comes with a sleek new design all shown in the 2-minute video. The video appeared on YouTube courtesy TechLover HD and even though the device carries the model number G3121 with no name officially ascribed to it yet, we know it is the 2017 edition of the Sony Xperia XA.

The video captures the device from different angles as well as shows the display of the device while in operation. The model number, Android version as well as a January 5 security patch. The Xperia XA (2017) on display is a prototype version and it is definitive that this is the Sony flagship that we would be seeing at MWC 2017. Unfortunately, not much is known about the specifications of the device, perhaps apart from the fact that it would feature a 23MP rear camera, as captured on the video. It would also come with somewhat narrow bezels at the sides, while the top and bottom edges would have wider bezels. You can check out the video from down below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PtFKWwWCnc&feature=youtu.be

These OnePlus 3 Kernel Tweaks Deliver Up to 8 Hours of Screen-on Time

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 29, 2017

OnePlus 3 happens to be one of OnePlus‘ most successful smartphone, perhaps that explains why the company manufactured a OnePlus 3T variant of the same smartphone with some upgraded features in order to continue exploiting the success of the smartphone. OnePlus 3 comes with some spectacular features, one of which is the DASH Charge technology which it claims is superior to any other fast charging technology in the market.

Despite the DASH Charge, there is just a 3,000mAh battery onboard which fuels a 5.5-inch FHD display powered by a Snapdragon 820 processor, making it difficult to get much of the battery saved after charging. There is a custom Doze mode for battery saving but that only works when the smartphone is in sleep mode. However, if you are looking to get a more intense battery saving time on the OnePlus 3, then these kernel tweaks on XDA Forum could come in very handy. It could help prolong your phone’s battery life consistently, getting you up to roughly 7 to 8 hours of screen-on time on the OnePlus flagship.

One good thing about these kernel tweaks is that it doesn’t alter your phone’s usage afterward and you can always revert it back to custom settings if you are not okay with it. All the regular usage features like radios, network location, sync on, visible screen brightness are not affected by the tweaks. Apart from that, the kernel tweaks can also work and smartphone having a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chip inside it, not just OnePlus 3. But your phone must be rooted in order for these kernel tweaks to be applied.

After rooting the device, you’ll need to download a profile for the Interactive Governor, which will automatically apply the tweaks to your Snapdragon 820 chipset. You can get the full How to guide on XDA Forum from here.

(source, via)