Nokia P1 Concept Showcases Premium Design of the Flagship Smartphone

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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.

This iPhone 8 Concept Has Its Camera in The Apple Logo

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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

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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)

Android 7.1.1 Nougat Arriving Soon To Xiaomi Redmi Note 3, Redmi Note 4?

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Jan 29, 2017

A new listing of Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 on GFXBench shows the smartphone running on Android 7.1.1 Nougat OS. Hence, it is likely that the phablet is likely to get the software update soon.

The Redmi Note 3 with 32 GB storage and 3 GB of RAM has appeared on GFXBench. The operating system of the handset is mentioned as Android 7.1.1. This indicates that the Chinese manufacturer is testing the smartphone with the latest Android version. There are no details available on the version of MIUI present on the device.

However, since some of the specs of the smartphone appears to be mentioned incorrectly, the news about Nougat update for Redmi Note 3 should be taken with a pinch of a salt. The GFXBench listing shows that the smartphone features a 5.7-inch full HD display, but it actually features a 5.5-inch screen. The processing speed of hexa-core processor is shown as 2.0 GHz, but in reality its processing speed is 1.8 GHz.

Xiaomi had released the Marshmallow update customized with MIUI 8 skin for Redmi Note 3 users in December 2016. Hence, it is unlikely to release the newer software so soon to Redmi Note 3 users. Moreover, Xiaomi has also released Redmi Note 4 to succeed Redmi Note 3. If the company released Android 7.1.1 Nougat for Redmi Note 3, it is likely that its successor would be also treated with the latest flavor of Android.

In the past, the Xiaomi Mi 4c was spotted on a benchmarking site Android 7.0 Nougat. Some of the other Xiaomi smartphones that are rumored to receive Nougat update soon include Xiaomi Mi 4c, 4i 4s, Mi Max, Mi Note, Mi Note 2, Mi 5, Mi 5s and Mi Mix. However, the Chinese company has not revealed any information on when will it be releasing Nougat update to its device.

OPPO Find 9 To Launch in Snapdragon 835 and 653 Variants

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Jan 29, 2017

OPPO Find 9, the rumored flagship smartphone that is expected to launch is now pegged to arrive in Snapdragon 835 and 653chipset variants. Previous rumors have hinted that it may sport a bezel-less screen.

The OPPO Find 9 has been in the rumors since April 2015, but the smartphone has not released yet. New rumors hint that a cheaper version of OPPO Find 9 will be fueled by Snapdragon 653 whereas its flagship model will be powered by Snapdragon 835 that will be carrying an expensive price tag.

Recent reports have revealed that the Qualcomm will be providing initial supply of the Snapdragon 835 SoC to Samsung for its Galaxy S8 smartphone that is expected to launch at the end of March. It is expected to be available for purchase in April. Hence, other high-end smartphones that are rumored to feature release before April would come powered by some other processor and Snapdragon 835 driven flagships may be available in April or later.

Hence, speculations indicate that the OPPO Find 9 running on Snapdragon 653 would be available for purchase earlier whereas its Snapdragon 835 sibling may be available purchase by April or later.

The OPPO Find 9 may come with RAM options such as 4 GB and 6 GB as well as with internal storage variants like 64 GB and 128 GB. As far as the appearance of the device is concerned, it bears a resemblance to Nubia Z11, a 2016 smartphone that came with high-end specs and ultra-thin bezels. It is learnt that the OPPO Find 9 would be sporting even thinner bezels.

The rumor mail has revealed in the past that the OPPO Find 9 would be featuring a quad HD 5.5-inch screen. It would be becoming with a rear camera of 21-megapixel and a front-facing shooter of 16-megapixel. It would be packed with a 4,100 mAh battery equipped with VOOC flash charging technology by OPPO.

As far as pricing is concerned, the OPPO Find 9 is pegged to be available for purchase with a starting cost of CNY 3,999 ($581). Since it appears to be very costly for the Chinese market that is filled with numerous high-end smartphones with low price, it is likely that the $581 belongs to the flagship version of OPPO Find 9.

iPhone Loses Position of Top Selling Phone in China for The First Time in 5 Years

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Jan 29, 2017

For the first time in five years, the iPhone wasn’t the best selling smartphone in China. That title is now held by the OPPO R9 which sold 17 million units, which is 4% of the market share and 5 million units more than the units of iPhone 6s sold in 2016. The report comes from Counterpoint Research, an analysis firm with headquarters in Hong Kong.

It is one thing to not be the top selling smartphone and it is another thing to have declining sales. For Apple, they are also suffering from the latter. In 2016, top sellers like OPPO, Vivo, and Huawei recorded an increase in shipments by 109%, 78%, and 21% respectively; Apple’s shipments declined by 21%, a tad better than Xiaomi who recorded a 22% decline in shipments.

The statement below from the research director at Counterpoint, Neil Shah explains why Apple suffered a decline last year:

“The key features which are driving smartphone market have been fast-charging, OLED displays, bigger batteries and dual cameras which were already available. But most were missing in the iPhone 6s. The iPhone 7 Plus has a bigger battery and dual camera but it was beyond the reach of most consumer in China because of price. In the iPhone 8, the OLED screen which is rumored will be a positive. I think the next model will be key for Apple.”-Neil Shah, research director, Counterpoint

Coral Blue Xiaomi Mi Note 2 Coming Soon?

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Jan 29, 2017

Xiaomi released the Mi Note 2 back in November. The dual-curved phone was originally available in black and silver. However, at CES 2017, they unveiled three additional colors (pink, green, and blue) for the device. That brings it to five colors, right? But why stop there?

According to Xiaomi Founder Lei Jun, the Mi Note 2 will be available in coral blue as well. On his Weibo page, you will find pictures of his skiing trip in Switzerland in which he is holding a blue phone he has confirmed to be the Mi Note 2.

The Mi Note 2 is already referred to as a Galaxy Note 7 alternative. Releasing it (Mi Note 2) in one of the original colors (Blue Coral) of the Note 7 might actually be smart but some will still see it as a sort of imitation. But we guess Xiaomi is just taking advantage of the situation. So if you have been waiting for one more reason to pick up the phone, you have it already.

Oukitel U20 Plus Review – Dual-Camera For just $100?

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Linus

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Jan 28, 2017

Oukitel is a smartphone maker that produces mainly affordable smartphones. The U20 Plus model is one of them and it has a dual camera setup and decent specs for the price of just about $100. Stay tuned for a full review.

Thanks to Tomtop for sending Oukitel U20 Plus for a review.

Oukitel U20 Plus Review: VIDEO REVIEW

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJLiqWGJBLU[/embedyt]

Oukitel U20 Plus Review: UNBOXING

The phone comes with all the usual accessories and some extras include a nice TPU case to protect your phone.

Oukitel U20 Plus Review: DESIGN

Design-wise, the phone is made entirely of plastic. It does not feel premium or anything but I have no complaints about the build quality.

We have a 5.5” 1080p display, which is sharp and good enough for daily use for a cheap phone.

The buttons are made of plastic too but they have a decent tactile response. One thing that I hate is that the power button is on the left. It is simply inconvenient.

On the back, we have a dual-camera setup that allows you to take pictures with bokeh effect. There is one 13MP shooter and another that has only 0.3MP. A fingerprint sensor is far from the fastest I’ve seen but it works 8/10 times.

We have the LED light but the capacitive buttons are not backlit.

The loudspeaker is like on most of the cheap phones – the sound is flat.

Oukitel U20 Plus Review: HARDWARE and PERFORMANCE

The phone sports okay specs for the price. The device ships with a quad-core MTK6737T chip (1.5GHz), 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage.

The gaming performance is pretty good if you play the 3D games like Asphalt 8 on medium graphics. Still, you may see a few skipped frames but nothing major.

The phone gets warm pretty quickly but it does not overheat.

Oukitel U20 Plus Review: BENCHMARKS

Oukitel U20 Plus Review: USER INTERFACE

The Android 6.0-based user interface will give you a pretty much stock Android experience but there are some added features like a theme store or a bunch of gesture and motion controls that work pretty well.

I didn’t have any major lags or hiccups even after installing quite a few apps and I believe this is the most important thing for a cheap phone.

Oukitel U20 Plus Review: IMAGE QUALITY

When it comes to the image quality, you should never expect any great results from cheap phones. Still, the Oukitel U20 Plus can take some decent daylight photos but obviously, there is quite a bit of noise and the level of detail could be higher.

If you want to use a secondary camera, you have to select the SLR shooting mode. I have to tell you that the results are pretty good and you get a nice shallow depth of field effect.

The low-light camera performance does not really impress but that it the case for most of the cheap phones.

The selfies look okay for social media needs.

The video quality is okay… for a cheap phone.

Download full resolution camera samples

Oukitel U20 Plus Review: CONNECTIVITY

I didn’t have any connectivity issues and even the GPS lock speeds and accuracy were okay.

Oukitel U20 Plus Review: BATTERY LIFE

The 3300mAh battery performs pretty well. With my usage, I could get around 5 hours of screen-on time, which is a pretty good result.

Oukitel U20 Plus Review: CONCLUSIONS

Oukitel U20 Plus is another cheap phone from China that aims to impress you and it does by offering a dual-camera setup on a budget.

The image quality is not stellar but you can definitely get some decent photos for social media. Also, you get a nice and sharp display, a decent all-around performance for a cheap phone, a fingerprint scanner and a decent battery life.

On the other hand, the phone looks kind of cheap since it does not sport any premium materials in the construction. Also, I don’t like that the power button is on the left side and the capacitive keys are not backlit.

At the end of the day, the Oukitel U20 Plus is an interesting and pretty good phone for the price of just above $100 but as always, you have to consider a few shortcomings before buying it.

Buy Oukitel U20 Plus

Clearer Images of LG LG Watch Style Leaked Online

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Jan 28, 2017

Android Wear 2.0 is coming very soon and if you are eager to get your hands on a watch sporting the new OS, you should look no farther than at the LG Watch Sport and Watch Style smartwatches.

Images of the watches were leaked recently but they were blurry and might have made it difficult to appreciate their beauty. Yesterday, Evan Blass (@evleaks) posted a new set of pictures of the Watch Style that are way clearer and show more details.

The Watch Style is the smaller of the two and has a 1.2-inch OLED display with a 360 x 360 resolution. Unlike the Watch Sport which has two physical buttons and a digital crown button, the LG Watch Style has only the latter. The pictures show the watch in two color variants: a Silver version with khaki-colored straps and a Rose Gold version with cream-colored straps.

LG’s Watch Style has an Ingress Protection (IP) rating of 67. So apart from being dust proof, you can also immerse it in water with a depth of between 15cm and 1 meter for 30 minutes. The Watch Style is said to have 512MB RAM, 4GB ROM, and a 240mAh battery.

BlackBerry Mercury Shares Same Camera Sensors as Google Pixel?

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Jan 28, 2017

BlackBerry has a new phone codenamed Mercury it plans to release soon. The device which has the same physical keyboard + touch screen design like the BlackBerry Priv was privately unveiled at this year’s edition of CES, but won’t launch until next month at MWC.

Ever since news of the device surfaced there have been speculations of its internal specifications, none of which have been confirmed by BlackBerry. New details that have emerged are related to the camera. The info released by Roland Quandt (@rquandt), says the BlackBerry Mercury sports the same camera sensors present in the Google Pixel phones.

If you remember, the Pixel and Pixel XL sport a 12.3MP f/2.0 Sony IMX378 rear camera and results have shown that the Pixel and Pixel XL take fantastic pictures. The front facing camera on the Mercury according to @rquandt is an 8MP Samsung S5K4H8 or an OmniVision OV8856.

Even if the camera turns out to be the same, they might not produce the same results as the Pixels have software enhancements and ‘additional sensor hardware’.

LG G6 Real Image Leaks, this time Captured from the side

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Jan 27, 2017

Another render of LG‘s next generation flagship, the LG G6 has again appeared, originating from South Korea. The renders is no different from the first one which leaked earlier on, just that the device is captured from a different angle on this one. Specifically, the device is shot from the side on this render which happens to be the second photo of the G6 we are getting but it isn’t much different from the first one.

The LG G6 comes with a design which is markedly different from all what LG had done in the past. The device in question comes in silver with a blue color scheme around the display. There is a SIM card slot at the right side and the fused antenna band lines are also visible. The G6 will feature an all-metal body and is said to have a near bezel-less display with a screen to bezel ratio of up to 90%. Since the SIM slot sits at the right, the volume rocker will likely be at the left side.

In addition the design shows the device with well chamfered edges and there are words that the G6 would be water resistant. It is said to come as a 5.7-inch device which would cram a Snapdragon 835 chip inside. There are also rumors of a lower Snapdragon 821 chip onboard and this seems to have been corroborated by Forbes in a new report. The LG G6 is expected to be launched on February 26 at MWC 2017 and when that happens we’ll get the true picture.

Samsung Galaxy S8 Real Image Leaks, See How it Compares with Xiaomi Mi Mix

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Jan 26, 2017

This is the real live render of the Samsung Galaxy S8 capturing both the front and the back view and it is coming as a huge surprise. The Galaxy S8 project has been a closely guarded secret in Samsung’s circle and it has been a well-kept one until now. The Galaxy S8 real live photos come courtesy of popular tipster on Twitter Evan Bass.

The photo shows quite explicitly that the Galaxy S8 would feature an all screen curved display as well as an all-glass body both at the front and rear. The rear also gets a curved edge design and curiously, there is an elliptical fingerprint scanner at the right side of the rear camera. The camera takes a more reduced bumped and you also get the regular dual-tone LED flash on the left side of the camera. Up front, the usual physical home button is visibly absent as the device features an all-screen design in which the display takes a large chunk of the screen. There aren’t any design bezels on the display instead, the screen curves at the sides to meet the rear curved glass.

What readily comes to mind on sighting the leaked Galaxy S8 images is Xiaomi’s Mi Mix concept device with almost similar bezel-less, entire screen design. We cannot tell from the image, neither is it indicated if this is the S8 or the larger S8 Plus but both devices are not wider than the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, meaning the Mi Mix would be wider than the duo. The rear camera on the Mi Mix also doesn’t have any bump and has a round-shaped fingerprint sensor at the rear unlike the elliptical one mounted on the Galaxy S8.

This is the Samsung Galaxy S8, launching March 29 https://t.co/lQZ0K0q2MA pic.twitter.com/dlusRMX4YH

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) January 26, 2017

Years back, we would have thought this was just a concept that might never be commercialized but Evan Bass also tipped that the Galaxy S8 would be launched on March 29. An earlier leak tipped the flagship as coming in April. Which ever is correct, we know the Galaxy S8 launch is right at the corner, coming with a top notch design as well as a fiery specs lineup marshaled by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 835 chipset.

Moto Z (2017) Likely Featuring Iris Scanner, Motorola Patent Filing Reveals

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Jan 26, 2017

Motorola recently filed a new patent application which hints at the likelihood of the feature being used on the upcoming Moto Z (2017). The feature is an iris scanner which would bring some level of authentication to the device if really it is featured.

The sketches of the patent leave no doubt that it is an iris scanner, a function which works the same way like the more common fingerprint scanner. However, the iris scanner brings some extra level or security because it is more difficult to clone than the fingerprint. The patent filing also reveals that the iris scanner will feature a pair of narrow-angle lenses to focus on the user’s eyes. Another revelation on the filing is that the Moto Z (2017) will continue the tradition of a front fingerprint scanner which would be a dedicated one and not embedded under the home button.

The Moto Z (2017) is Motorola’s next big thing and it will do some good if such feature is included inside the device. The device recently appeared on benchmark website Geekbench and is revealed to pack flagship features like an octa-core Qualcomm chip clocked at 1.9GHz, which is the Snapdragon 835. There is also 4GB of RAM onboard and it runs the latest version of Android Nougat (Android 7.1.1). The device also performed well both on the single core and multi-core tests, scoring 1930 points and 6207 points respectively.

The current generation Moto Z was launched around the middle of last year so we don’t expect anything to become official very soon.

Google Pixel 2 Rumors: Topnotch Camera, Advanced Processor Coming on Pixel 2; Budget-Friendly Pixel 2B In Works

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Jan 26, 2017

Google Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones are expected to get succeeded by newer smartphones later this year. However, the rumor mill has revealed that the alleged Google Pixel 2 will be arriving with advanced features and a higher pricing. Also, a cheaper Pixel phone is also said to be in works.

Water-resistant Chassis

One of the rumored features of Google Pixel 2 is that it will be coming with a water-resistant body. However, it is said to be “still on the table,” indicating the Google is still not sure about adding water-resistance feature to Pixel 2.

However, major flagships from other brands like iPhone 7, Samsung Galaxy S7 and the upcoming LG G6 are equipped with water-resistant chassis, it is likely that the Google will include the feature on Pixel 2.

Related: Google Pixel 2 Renders Leaked

Topnotch Camera

The 12.3-megapixel is one of the bestselling features of the original Google Pixel. DxOMark, a benchmarking platform for cameras has a given a rating of 89 to the main camera of Google Pixel which makes it the best smartphone camera ever. Rumors have it that one of beat features of Google Pixel 2 will be its topnotch camera.

Google is unlikely to increase the megapixel count, but rumors hint that the stellar camera of Pixel 2 will support advanced low-light photography and it will be also coming with some new features.

Advanced Processor

Google is speculated to be testing multiply prototypes of Pixel 2 with different kinds of processors. One of the prototypes is powered by Snapdragon 83X SoC whereas there is another variant that includes Intel chipset. Also, the search engine is rumored to be testing a custom chipset for Pixel 2. Speculations even suggested that Google is working with MediaTek for Pixel 2. However, this rumor seems unlikely to come true.

Cheaper Pixel 2B Arriving?

The Google Pixel 2 is expected to arrive with an expensive price tag. The starting price of the first-generation Pixel 2 is $649. However, the Pixel 2 is expected to cost “at least” $50 more than the current pricing of Pixel.

Apart from the pricey Pixel 2, Google is also speculated to be working a Pixel 2B that will be coming with modest specs as well as significantly lower price tag.By launching the alleged Pixel 2B phone, the company aims to bring the “Google experience and Google Phone” to developing markets.

Google Pixel 2, Pixel 2B Release Date

Rumors are rife that the Google Pixel 2 release date will be set in October this year. The Pixel 2B may launch alongside the Pixel 2 or it may be made available shortly after it

Sony’s 4K Display Flagship with Snapdragon 835 SoC Along with 4 More Phones Arriving at MWC 2017

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Jan 26, 2017

Sony has confirmed that it will be present at the upcoming MWC (Mobile World Congress) 2017 on Feb. 27. Its event will begin at 7:30 PM GMT. Fresh details coming from a Georgian blog suggest that the Japanese tech giant is going to announce an astonishing total of 5 smartphones.

Here are the details of 5 Sony smartphones that are slated to get unveiled at MWC 2017:

Sony Yoshino

Codenamed as Sony Yoshino, it is speculated as a flagship smartphone that will feature a 5.5-inch display that will carry support for 4K resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels. It is said to be powered by Snapdragon 835 chipset and may feature 4 GB or 6 GB of LPDDR4 RAM. With Sony IMX400 image sensor onboard, it is expected to be an amazing device for photography.

Sony BlancBright

Carrying a codename of Sony BlancBright, it is expected to be an upper-midrange smartphone that would include a 5.5-inch display that would be supporting quad HD resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels. Speculations indicate that it will be featuring Snapdragon 835 or 653 SoC along with 4 GB of RAM. Like Yoshino, this smartphone is also rumored to house Sony IMX400 image sensor.

Sony Keyaki (zelkova)

A mid-range smartphone that is codenamed as Sony Keyaki, this smartphone is expected to come with 5.2-inch display that would be supporting a full HD resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. It may be powered by MediaTek Helio P20 and 4 GB of RAM. One of its major features will be its in-built storage of 64 GB. Its main camera is rumored as 23-megapixel snapper and for selfies it may be coming with a 16-megapixel shooter.

Sony Hinoki (cypress)

Codenamed as Sony Hinoki, it would be a budget-friendly smartphone that would be featuring a 5-inch screen with HD resolution of 1,280 x 720 pixels. It is also speculated to be driven by MediaTek Helio P20. Its other rumored features include 3 GB of RAM, native storage of 32 GB, 16-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel selfie camera.

Sony Mineo

Sony Mineo is speculated as codename for another mid-range smartphone. Nothing much is known on the specifications of this device. However, it is expected to carry a pricing of $350.

By looking at the details of the five smartphones, it seems that Sony has a mega event waiting for its fans at the upcoming MWC 2017. However, since the rumored information of the forthcoming Sony phones have surfaced from a not so reliable source, it is advisable to take the news with a grain of salt.

Fresh set of Samsung Galaxy S8 Concept Images Surface – Beyond Stunning!

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Jan 26, 2017

Once again, we get to feast our eyes on a new set of Samsung Galaxy S8 concept renders created from information gathered from multiple leak source as well as the recently leaked glass protectors said to be for the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus. The concepts were created by graphics designer Lee Kingway who shared them on Weibo.

This might just be the closest we could get on how the Galaxy S8 and its sibling would look like considering the way Samsung closely guards the flagship’s images against leaking out in spy photos. So far, we are yet to see any render of the device said to have leaked from Samsung’s factory. We’ll make do with these concept renders for now and it may not be far from the real machine.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 is expected with ultra-narrow bezels at the top and bottom and that is captured in the concept rendition. We also have the iris scanners, a curved display which we expect to be a Super AMOLED display. The display is rumored to cover almost the entire screen just like on the Mi Mix and there won’t be physical home button up front and the designer took those into consideration.

At the sides, there is a USB Type-C port at the bottom and a 3.5mm headphone jack as well. We don’t know if Samsung will yank off the good old headphone jack since there is a Type-C port. What is the use having them both on anyway? There is also the rumored dedicated button for launching Samsung’s new virtual assistant Bixby on the left. The camera is said to remain unchanged from the Galaxy S7’s and that is captured on the renders.

The designer did include an ellipsis-shaped area at the side and quite honestly we are not sure if Samsung would include that on the real deal. The Galaxy S8 is rumored to have an underglass fingerprint sensor onboard and that might just be it.

Read Also: Samsung Galaxy S8 & S8 Plus Cases Leak in Latest Video Revealing Startling Details

The flagship Samsung Galaxy S8 is said to launch in April and we are sure going to get the real images by then but for now, enjoy these flawless beauties which we sincerely wish were real. More images down below.