Jia Yueting Hints About Faraday Future FF 91’s Price & It’s Probably Costlier Than Tesla Model S

By

-

Jan 12, 2017

LeEco-backed Faraday Future unveiled its FF 91 concept electric car at CES 2017 in Las Vegas which it says will ship in 2018. The company had hinted that those interested in having the car would be required to register their interest by making a down payment of $5,000, but the company failed to disclose the likely price of the Faraday Future FF 91.

Even without knowing what the FF 91 would cost in the long run, registration for the electric car was reported to have reached 64,124 in just 36 hours. Previous rumors had suggested that the Faraday Future electric car would be priced around $150K – 200K USD but in a recent interview, LeEco’s CEO revealed that the FF 91 will be priced under 2 million yuan (around $290,000). This is way more expensive than the Tesla Model S P100D which is currently the fastest accelerating electric car (the FF 91 will soon replace that). The Tesla Model S starts at around $130K in the US. Even at that, the FF 91 is still not as expensive as we thought it would be but sure it is a price that is profitable to the company as the model isn’t tailored after LeEco’s cheap flagship phone sales model where they make money from content sales.

The Faraday Future FF 91 features lots of innovative technology, with superior performance and superior handling. It is an SUV which is touted as having the ability to hit 60 mph in just 2.39 seconds, a few milliseconds faster than the Tesla Model S. The car also has a self-driving feature and is capable of parking itself. The car, in addition, comes with lots of smart connectivity features inside.

In a related development, Faraday Future has opened its official website in China and is now accepting booking from those interested in having the car which it called “Dream Partner” version. All they’ll need to do is to make a deposit of 50,000 yuan. It is also expected to ship in 2018 in China.

(source)

HTC Announces The HTC U Ultra and U Play

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Jan 12, 2017

HTC unveiled two new phones at an event in Taiwan today: the HTC U Ultra and U Play, and just the way the Moto Z Force and Moto Z Play belong to the same series but are targeted at different categories so also are HTC’s new phones.

The new U series are the pioneers of a new design from HTC. Both phones have a curved glass back HTC calls liquid surface. Their fingerprint scanners are front-mounted and like the HTC Bolt, they are also missing audio jacks.

HTC U Ultra

The U Ultra is the higher variant with a 5.7-inch Quad HD display with corning gorilla glass 5 and a smaller 2-inch (160 x 1040) display at the top just like that of the LG V20 and pretty much does the same work too. There is a Snapdragon 821 processor underneath the hood, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and a SD card slot.

The primary camera of the HTC U Ultra is a 12MP UltraPixel sensor with a f/1.8 aperture and 1.55-micron pixels, PDAF,and laser focus. The front facing camera is a 16MP shooter.

The U Ultra comes with some cool features such as four omni-directional microphones that records sound in 360° for immersive audio. It also has a new software feature called HTC Sense Companion that learns about your usage over time and improves how your phone works, sort of like an AI assistant. The U Ultra has a 3000mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0.

HTC U Play

The U Play tones down things a lot. There is a single 5.2-inch 1080p display and the processor is Mediatek’s Helio P10. Dependng on the region, there is a 3GB + 32GB model or a 4GB + 64GB model. The rear and front camera are both 16MP sensors but the front facing camera also has a special 4MP UltraPixel shooting mode. There is a 2500mAh battery inside which is pretty small considering the display is 5.2-inches.

Continue

Xiaomi Aims To Exceed 100 billion Yuan ($14.5 billion) in Sales in 2017

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Jan 12, 2017

Chinese innovative tech company Xiaomi has set a tall figure for itself this year, aiming to rake in more than 100 billion yuan ($14.5 billion USD) of revenue in 2017, Bloomberg reports. This is coming even as the company pledged to go slower at its pace of business expansion and to completely change its online-focused retail strategy which had been successful but unable to sustain the company’s growth.

Xiaomi’s CEO Lei Jun is credited to have laid down the company’s strategy for 2017 in a memo posted on WeChat. The Chief Executive of China’s most valuable startup, in the memo, talked about drastically increasing its store network with additional 200 outlets established. He also envisioned a global expansion for the brand, as well as deepening research into artificial intelligence and online finance. The CEO admitted that Xiaomi had tried to expand too rapidly in past years.

The company even failed to consolidate on the success of its online-only sales model which fostered the bond with its fans and reduced cost for the company. When rivals copied the strategy and created competition as well as focusing on their own offline sales strategy, the company was left in the lurch without making efforts to add other channels to its sales model. Now, according to Lei Jun, Xiaomi plans to build on a network of about 54 outlets around the country. Another strategy the company seems to be pursuing is a shift outside the Chinese market, especially North America and India. While it may be difficult breaking into the US circuit, India holds lots of potentials for the company. In 2016, smartphone sales surpassed $1 billion USD for Xiaomi in India. That figure could more than double if the right approach is employed because the company enjoys teeming support from fans globally.

Read Also: Xiaomi Denies Rumors That it is Planning a Fundraiser

Another avenue the company hopes to explore this year is its other products aside smartphones. The company has in its arsenal, a wide range of electronic gadgets like air purifiers, robot vacuums, smartTVs, washing machine, scooters, bikes, and several others which are manufactured by its ecosystem-partners. Mr Lei Jun did disclose that the company garnered over 15 billion yuan from such sales in 2016 and as such would continue with the partnership system. Xiaomi is an innovative company with lots of potentials, it is hoped the company can find its bearing this year and get back right on track soon.

(source)

FENWATCH Is The World’s first White & Blue Porcelain Smartwatch Coming To Kickstarter

By

Alex Wang

-

Jan 11, 2017

Most smartwatches aim to be gender neutral, but the FENwatch takes a different route. It’s looking to capture the attention of all the ladies out there, especially those who are looking to add a fashionable watch to their collection. The elegant looks and the blue flowers decorating the dial are clear indications that the company is targeting the female crowd. Never need to charge, the world’s first White & Blue Porcelain Smartwatch FENwatch coming to Kickstarter on Jan 10.

The brand of Fen has emerged from HK and is eager to bring some cultural influence into the smartwatch market. The new smartwatch, called simply as the FENwatch, aims to bring a blend of Chinese and Western cultures together. The FENwatch comes in a unique round face in blue and white porcelain. The front of the FENwatch is made out of ceramic, making it stand out among other watches in the market today. From shaping the clay to drawing the unique designs, over 80 different processes are involved in progressing from raw material to finished product. Hand painting each dial provides each watch with a unique personality and history, allowing each wearer to maintain their individuality.The rest of the FENwatch body is made out of 316L Stainless .K1 glass with

Hand painting each dial provides each watch with a unique personality and history, allowing each wearer to maintain their individuality. The rest of the FENwatch body is made out of 316L Stainless .K1 glass with a sapphire coating which is pure, clear, hard, and wear-resistant. FENwatch’s unique movement combines Swiss precision gears and smart technology together, thereby, integrating traditional craftsmanship with modern technology in one present.

The 467 days of development cycle was not just for perfecting its design. The company reveals that the FENwatch has all the basic features of a regular smart wearable inside its unique body. The FENwatch comes with features such as UV monitoring, sleep monitoring, acts management, step tracker, as well as a pedometer which ensures that all the vital health data are being tracked. While this is good, what’s really the best feature of the FENwatch is its super long 12-month battery life. So, unlike traditional smartwatches, the FENwatch is good to go for nearly one year once its charged completely.

The FENwatch app is available for iOS and Android. It includes the pedometer data, monitors sleep patterns and provides exercise tips to improve health. Features like remote camera, call alert, call reject, phone location services make interacting with the FENwatch in a natural and enjoyable experience.Wear it, you are unique.

FENwatch’s Kickstarter page will kick off on January 10. Stay tuned for more details from this link: Kickstarter

Nokia 6 Proves It is Built to Last, Smashes Walnuts with Ease (Video)

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Jan 11, 2017

Nokia was synonymous with rugged phones way back in the days of feature phones et al. It seems the brand under HMD’s management still intends to retain this high build quality on its smartphones. A few days back, Nokia teased the Nokia 6 as featuring a military grade body which can withstand a wide range of extreme condition. Conditions the device is touted as capable of withstanding include extreme temperature, high humidity, snow, water etc.

The Nokia 6 smartphone is yet to go on sale but it is already in the hands of some crazy testers who did test the ruggedness of the Nokia smartphone by smashing a walnut with the phone. Of course, the Nokia 6 comes with an all-metal unibody so anyone would expect the back of the smartphone to successfully smash a walnut shell but the front screen? Well, the tester in the video used both the front screen and the back casing to smash the walnut and it did break the shell without any damage to the Nokia 6’s display or body, not even a scratch.

Read More: Nokia 6 Unboxing & Hands-on Images

Despite its tough, rugged body built, coupled with its decent specs lineup, the Nokia 6 is pocket-friendly. The smartphone carries a price tag of 1699 yuan ($245 USD) and is already up for pre-order exclusively on Jingdong (JD.com) in China. The device will go on sale starting from January 19.

Nokia 8 Details Leaked: Snapdragon 835, MWC 2017 Launch & More!

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Jan 11, 2017

Although Nokia had unveiled its first smartphone under HMD Global which signalled the return of the Nokia brand, many are still expectant of that true flagship smartphone that we had all been waiting for all these while. Indeed, during the launch of the Nokia 6 in China, HMD did tease that a true flagship device would be coming our way on February 26 at the Mobile World Congress 2017.

Not much is known about the expected flagship device but it has been revealed that it is known with the codename Nokia Supreme and may likely enter the market as Nokia 8, continuing the naming tradition of the Nokia 6. Curiously, the purported flagship was said to have been on display at Qualcomm’s booth at CES 2017, but only a few noticed it.

On the specifications, the leak reveals that the Nokia 8 would be powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 835 chip. Perhaps, that it is the reason it found its way into Qualcomm’s booth at CES. The flagship device is also expected with a large 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display with QHD resolution (2560 x 1440 pixels) resolution. The display is a flat-screen and not a curved display.

https://youtu.be/RbQSJMFwZvY

In addition, HMD is also said to be putting together a Snapdragon 821-powered version of the flagship device with a slightly cheaper price tag. Going further, the device is also said to sport a powerful 24MP rear camera with OIS, and super EIS. There is also a 12MP sensor up front for selfie snapshots. On the memory aspect, the Nokia 8 is rumored to pack just two storage versions, one with 64GB storage and another with 128GB storage, both of which are expandable via microSD up to 256GB. It is expected that the Nokia Supreme will come pre-installed with Android 7.0 Nougat, since the Nokia 6 ships with Google’s latest mobile OS.

(source)

Samsung Galaxy S8 Design Revealed By Case Maker; Main Camera Lacks LED Flash?

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Jan 11, 2017

Samsung Galaxy S8 release date is drawing near as new renders and leaked information consistently. Ghostek, a case maker has created a render that shows a Galaxy S8 fitted inside its waterproof case. It reveals a lot about Galaxy S8’s design. However, it is astonishing to see that the rear camera does not feature an LED flash.

Industry experts had revealed earlier that the South Korean company would be bringing overhaul improvement to the design of Galaxy S series smartphones. Hence, the Galaxy S8 is expected to arrive with a revamped design.

There is no concrete evidence to confirm that the Galaxy S8 design revealed by Ghostek is real. However, it cannot be dismissed since case makers are known to receive information on forthcoming smartphones quite earlier so that they can manufacture various kinds of accessories.

The Galaxy S8 sitting inside Ghostek Atomic 3 waterproof case shows that the smartphone features a dual-edge curved display. Previous rumors have also stated that S8 would sport such type of curved screen.

The Home button is missing on the Galaxy S8 in the new render. Also, the fingerprint reader is neither present on front nor on the rear of the smartphone. As early rumors have stated, the fingerprint sensor may come embedded under the display. Hence, it may not be visible in the image.

What’s worrisome about the new render is that there is no LED flash for the main camera of Galaxy S8. It is unlikely that Samsung will axe such an important feature on S8, but case makers are required to build accessories based on the specifications provided by the smartphone companies. The lack of LED flash questions the legitimacy of the image.

Ghostek is a well-known brand that makes cases for iPhones and Samsung Galaxy smartphones. BGR has reported that the Galaxy S8 render by Ghostek was revealed by an unknown user with unproven track record on Weibo. According to the publication, a source has revealed to it that the render has been made on the basis of actual data originating from Samsung factories.

(Source)

LG G6 Features Teased in Video; Sets Expectation for ‘Ideal Smartphone’

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Jan 11, 2017

Even though LG has not confirmed it directly, it is heavily pegged to unleash the LG G6 flagship in February through MWC (Mobile World Congress) 2017 event. LG has released a teaser video that reveals that the LG G6 will be an ideal smartphone.

The teaser video begins with a question: “What’s on your wish list for the ideal smartphone?” People can be seen asking for larger screen in a compact, comfortable to hold and use, one-hand usability, waterproof, a camera that is able to “capture it all once” and a “more reliable” device.

At the last part of the video LG hints that these features will be arriving on its new smartphone. The description of the video on YouTube reads: “Your wishes for the ideal smartphone will come to life. Stay tuned for its arrival in February 2017.” Hence, it seems that the South Korean company is hinting on LG G6 features that will get unveiled to the world at MWC 2017.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wr-N5cZBcl0

Recently, LG announced a new display that would support a quad HD+ resolution of 1,440 x 2,880 pixels along with an aspect ratio of 9:18. It delivers a higher pixel density of 564 ppi. It is known to consume 30 percent less power than its predecessor and offers better viewing under direct sunlight.

The 5.7-inch quad HD+ display is speculated to be taller and slimmer than the 5.7-inch quad HD screen on LG V20. The taller display would allow users to easily multi-task through multi-window mode. It can be seen see that a larger screen for multi-tasking is one of the desirable features for ideal smartphone. In spite of having larger screen, the LG G6 will arrive with a smaller body.

Another important feature that LG seems to confirm in the video is the water-resistance capabilities of LG G6. If the South Korean company brings this feature on LG G6, it will be its first global smartphone to feature it.

The LG G5 failed to impress the audience with its modular design. Will the LG G6 turn out to be the ideal smartphone that people are looking for?

That Cute Selfie Pose with the V Sign Could Get Your Identity Stolen

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Jan 11, 2017

Do you know sharing a selfie snapshot of yourself with a pose where you did the V sign or peace finger sign could lead to your identity being stolen? This might sound crazy but it is dead true! In case you are wondering what we mean by this, here is the gist.

Chinese authorities have started warning the public that displaying the V-sign in a photo snapshot, may put you at risk of identity theft. The V sign is a hand gesture in which the index and middle fingers are raised and parted, while the other fingers are clenched. It has various meanings, depending on the cultural context and how it is presented. It is a very popular pose pattern for persons in Chinese photo shoot.

Now, the authority is warning that your fingerprints can be extracted from these images and used to gain access to your personal accounts. This is only possible, though, in situations where the use of fingerprint identification is enabled to unlock your online accounts.

How it all works has been demonstrated in December 2014 by a cyber-security expert, Jan Krissler who alleged he successfully digitally cloned the fingerprints of Germany’s defence minister. The hacker was able to achieve this feat by grabbing the target’s photograph shot during a press conference and then using commercial software to replicate it.

A lot of flagship smartphone enthusiasts look forward to having the NFC feature on their favorite new releases. This is because of the “secure” fingerprint features the NFC offers. Now we know better, it is very well advisable to store your password as numbers in your head. It is sure safer up there.

(source)

Android Rules in China and iOS Growing in Europe Says Kantar Report

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Jan 11, 2017

In a new report released by Kantar Worldpanel, Android is the OS that dominates in China. The info was gotten from a survey carried out between September and November.

Android however lost market share in the United States, Britain, France, and Japan but increased its share of the smartphone market in other European countries like Germany, Spain, and Italy. Apple’s iOS gained more customers with its new iPhone 7 in Japan, Great Britain, and France.

Americans love the iPhone and the results show it. The iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and iPhone 6s were the most popular devices in the US within the period with a combined share of 31.3%. Leaving Samsung’s S7 and S7 Edge at the fourth and fifth position with 28.9% of smartphone sales. The Google Pixel was able to grab only 1.3%.

Continue

Lenovo ZUK Brand Will Release Android 7.0 Nougat Update Next Week

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Jan 11, 2017

Lenovo‘s elite brand ZUK is set to push update ushering in Android 7.0 Nougat to two of its smartphones which are the ZUK Z2 and Z2 Pro. According to a Weibo post by Lenovo’s VP, both the ZUK Z2 and ZUK Z2 Pro will receive update to ZUI 2.5, which will be based on Android 7.0 Nougat.

The Lenovo ZUK Z2 was announced around May last year and it came running ZUI 2.0 based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The ZUK Z2 Pro was announced earlier on in March 2016 but packs similar UI and operating system. The ZUI 2.5 is perhaps a new upgrade of the ZUI 2.0 which was available earlier on.

The update is billed to bring in lots of cool features like an optimized system stability, security patch, optimization of split screen experience, and so on.

(source | via)

Two New Nokia 6 Variants Gets Bluetooth SIG Certification

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Jan 11, 2017

When the Nokia 6 launched, it was said that the phone will remain a China exclusive. It seems that will be changing as two new variants have been certified by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG).

The devices have model numbers TA-1000 and TA-1003 and are described as the Nokia 6. Rumor has it that the Nokia 6 might be heading to India as well and may be priced at Rs.9,999 (~$150) but new info says it will still be priced at about $250.

The new models might probably be global variants of the phone with the same or slightly different specs. We can’t confirm now until more details are released.

Continue

Xiaomi Denies Rumors That it is Planning a Fundraiser

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Jan 11, 2017

It is a known fact that Xiaomi is facing financial deficit due to the poor performance it posted last year. It is also not a secret that the tech giant is planning a foray into the highly lucrative US market. Because of the financial implications of such venture, rumors were rife that the Chinese company is planning a fundraiser to help finance its entry into the US market.

This rumor has however, been debunked by Xiaomi’s Chief Financial Officer Shou Zi Chew in an interview with the Wall Street Journal at CES in Las Vegas. According to the company executive, Xiaomi doesn’t need to raise funds in order to respond to the loss of market shares to competitors. He hinted that the company is still very robust financially with a very healthy cash balance. He, however, refused to disclose specifics on how robust the cash balance is.

Xiaomi had been one of the high fliers since it opened its doors, even topping the Chinese smartphone market in 2014. However, several factors such as unavailability of its smartphones and using a single sales channel led to the company losing some of its market shares to competitors like OPPO, Vivo, and Huawei. The company is repositioning by adopting multiple sales channels and also targeting markets outside of China in a bid to recover lost grounds. It is yet to be seen if the company can recover but there is no doubt they are capable of doing that, with the avalanche of innovative products in their arsenal such as the Mi Mix and Mi TV 4 unveiled at CES 2017.

(source)

Samsung Foldable Phone: Unrolls into 7-inch Tablet, Likely Q3 Release Date

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Jan 11, 2017

Foldable phones have been in the making for years but it seems Samsung finally has one ready to hit the market this year. Reports have it that the company has switched from its initial design of a fold-in bendable screen to one that folds outwards so that owners will not need to unfold the phone just to check notifications.

A Korean media outlet says that a device with such a display should be ready to hit markets in the third quarter of the year if it is eventually greenlighted as the company has to consider things like demand and profitability and as well sort out the political issues it is facing.

Details of the new phone leaked says the display can be unrolled into a 7-inch tablet. That means since it folds outwards, you will have a sort of two-sided display phone probably of in-equal halves judging from the images, which when unfolded becomes a larger device. So of you want to watch a video or read a book or do something that basically gets better with a larger screen estate, all you have to do is unfold the screen.

Continue

Samsung Says 96% of Galaxy Note 7 Phones Have Been Returned

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Jan 11, 2017

The Galaxy Note 7 was pulled off the market after a second spate of explosions started with the replacement units. Samsung, in a statement released on Tuesday says over 96% of all Galaxy Note 7 phones have been returned since the recall began last year.

Samsung had released the Galaxy Note 7 in August to critical acclaim only for things to go south when reports of some devices bursting up in flames started to circulate. Samsung decided to issue a recall after carrying out an inspection of the phones. Replacements were later sent back to those who had returned their phones. But that was not the end of Samsung’s woes as the replacement units still kept having issues.

Things got so bad when a Galaxy Note 7 exploded on a Southwest Airlines flight and the Federal Aviation Authority had to ban the phone from flights.

Samsung had to issue another recall and eventually kill the Note 7 but it wasn’t easy getting people to part with the phone as some felt since they didn’t have any issue with their phone, they should not have to return it. To solve the issue, the company had to roll out an update that disabled the phone from charging.

Continue

Apple iPhone 8 to Ditch Aluminum Unibody For Stainless Steel Frame

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Jan 11, 2017

Apple will ditch the traditional CNC machining process for a more refined stainless steel forging process for its next generation iPhone 8 flagship that would be launched later this year. There have been rumors that the iPhone 8 will not come with an all-metal unibody like its predecessors but would adopt an all-glass body just like Samsung’s latest flagships. That doesn’t remove the fact that the frame would be made of metal, but the type of metal wasn’t revealed.

Now, latest rumors are saying that the Apple flagship will have as its frame, a stainless steel body. The rumor is said to have emanated from “sources within the upstream supply chain. If it turns out to be true, it will mark a big departure from what we have become accustomed to on successive Apple iPhones. This isn’t the first Apple iPhone to use a Stainless steel body, though, as the iPhone 4 used stainless steel on its chassis. The stainless steel chassis is said to be supplied by Foxconn and Jabil, two companies who did supply the one used by the iPhone 4.

The new stainless steel material doesn’t only bring in a new t0 the iPhone 8 design, it will somehow lower the cost of production as it is said to be 30%-50% cheaper than the aluminum unibody- CNC machining process. Whether this reduction in production cost will lead to reduction in the iPhone 8’s price is unknown. It may not affect the price anyway, because the iPhone 8 is rumored to have a curved AMOLED display on one of its models which is way more expensive than LCDs.

(source)

Nokia Hints at A Snapdragon 835 Phone Launching at MWC 2017

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Jan 11, 2017

HMD Global launched its first Nokia android smartphone a few days ago since it took over the license to release phones under the brand name. The new phone called the Nokia 6 has received a not-so-friendly welcome due to its use of the Snapdragon 430 SoC which apart from being old is also not as powerful as other mid-range chips and therefore doesn’t justify the high price Nokia is asking for the phone.

Earlier today, the company (HMD) held a meeting in China where it hinted at a new phone launching at MWC 2017. The hint came as part of a slide used during the meeting and loosely translates to ‘See (you) at MWC 2017, February 26’.

While HMD did not explicitly mention that the phone launching will have a snapdragon 835 processor, the company had issued a statement in the past when asked about a Snapdragon 835 phone that the new high-end chip had just been released and it will need some time to prepare, and will make the announcement when the time is right. It appears that today’s meeting was the right time.

It was also mentioned at the meeting that the Nokia 6 will go on sale at 10:00 am on the 19th of January and will be sold exclusively by Jingdong. It is reported that HMD and Jingdong have signed a 5-year agreement giving the latter exclusive marketing rights in China.

Continue

Latest Android Distribution Numbers: Froyo Dies, Lollipop Still Tops

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Jan 10, 2017

Google‘s monthly Android platform distribution chart has just been updated and it shows some promising results. One of the good news is that Google’s first mobile OS, Android 2.2 Froyo launched in May 2010 is almost extinct, as it is not listed on the chart. What this means is that the maiden Google OS is presently installed in less than 0.1% of devices globally.

Apparently, some persons are still stuck in the past as Google’s earlier second and third gen operating system, Gingerbread and Ice Cream Sandwich still posted 1.0% and 1.1% in the distribution chart. The figures are declining, though, as they were both at 1.2% in December.

Amdroid 5.1 Lolipop still tops the chart with a total of 33.3% on the distribution chart, this is closely followed by Android Marshmallow with 29.6%. Android KitKat comes in at the third position with 22.6%, while Android Jelly Bean completes the top 4 with 11.6%. Google’s latest mobile OS, Android 7.0 Nougat is still at its lowest ebb, with a 0.7% distribution figure four months after it was released. That figure is expected to spike this year anyway, as more and more Android smartphones adopt or get upgrades to Android Nougat.

(source)

Meizu 2017 Flagship Still Unlikely to Use a Qualcomm Chip Despite Settlement

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Jan 10, 2017

Yesterday, Meizu hosted the media to an interview session which had the company’s President and Vice-President as the guest. During the interview, the company talked about its 2016 market performance, revealing that it did record a total figure of 22 million units in smartphone sales last year. This is said to be an encouraging figure as it represented a 10 % growth from its 2015 sales record, despite declining growth in the smartphone market.

The Meizu officials also talked about other pertinent issues like the Qualcomm patent agreement signed recently and its 2017 product plan. Unfortunately, the company has stated that despite the settlement with Qualcomm, we may still not see a Meizu flagship this year with a Qualcomm chip onboard, as the Meizu flagships for 2017 will likely still use MediaTek MTK chips. As earlier reported when the Meizu product plan leaked, the brand will likely have a Snapdragon-powered Meizu smartphone in the fourth quarter of the year, around December to be specific. It was also revealed that Meizu’s Flyme OS has got over 50 million users presently.

Despite the no-show of a Snapdragon-powered Meizu flagship, the settlement is of immense importance because it will allow the company to enter more foreign markets without fear of patent infringement. 2 million of its 22 million units sold last year, was from markets outside China. That figure has the potential to rise further this year. Also, the company hinted at a gradual increase in prices of its smartphones this year, occasioned by an increase in prices of raw materials. Meizu is known for its moderate price tags on its smartphones and it won’t ridiculous if there is a slight adjustments in its price tags on subsequent smartphones.

(via)

HTC U Ultra to Have Google Pixel’s Stellar 12 MP Camera, Secondary Display Like LG V20 [Leaked Photos]

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Jan 10, 2017

HTC is holding a press event on Jan. 12. Recent leaks have claimed that the Taiwanese company will announce HTC U Ultra and U Play smartphones at the event. Speculations also indicate that HTC U Ultra will feature the marvelous camera present on Google Pixel.

At the end of 2016, rumors had revealed that the HTC U Ultra (codenamed as Ocean Note) would be sporting a rear camera with a highest DxOMark score. Newer information indicates that HTC U Ultra will be housing the same camera that is present on Google Pixel and Pixel XL. Previous speculations seem to have incorrectly stated that a dual camera setup will be available on HTC U Ultra.

DxOMark is the most trusted industry standard for measuring camera and image quality. The Google Pixel’s 12.3-megapixel camera has a highest DxOMark rating of 89.

HTC is expected to tweak the camera software on U Ultra. Hence, the image quality and camera performance will be different from what the Pixel smartphones can deliver.

The HTC U Ultra is speculated to be driven by Snapdragon 821 chipset that will be support by 4 GB of RAM. Leaked photos have revealed that it will be sporting 5.7-inch quad HD display. Like the LG V20, the U Ultra is expected to house a secondary ticker screen above the main screen along with Always-On display support.

It will be running on Android 7.0 Nougat OS. It is expected to come with a native storage of 64 GB. Previous rumors have stated that it won’t be featuring 3.5 mm audio jack. However, its USB Type-C port will support headphones connectivity. It is speculated to come with a large 4,000 mAh battery.

The HTC U Play (codenamed as HTC Alpine) is said to be a smaller edition of U Ultra. It is expected to feature a 5.2-inch full HD display. Rest of its features are expected to be similar as U Ultra.

HTC has released a new teaser for its Jan. 12 launch event. The event will be available for viewing through live stream. It will begin at 11 AM EST / 10 AM CST / 9 AM MT / 8 AM PT.

(Source)