Author: Sanket Vijay

Huawei Mate 8 with 6-Inch Display is Now Official

Just a couple of days ago, leaked renders of Huawei’s new Mate 8 smartphone emerged online that showed what the device will look like. The Mate 8 is now official and the device does indeed confirm the renders.

The official specs also confirm earlier rumours. The Mate 8 sports a 6-inch 1080p touchscreen display and will be powered by Huawei’s new Kirin 950 chipset and an ARM Mali-T880 GPU. Furthermore, the handset will be available in 3GB and 4GB of RAM with 32GB and 64GB and 128GB storage variants. The Mate 8 has a large 4,000 mAh battery and will run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

The Kirin 950 chipset comes with four high-power Cortex-A72 cores, clocked at up to 2.3 GHz and an additional four power-saving Cortex-A53 ones, working at 1.8 GHz. There’s also an i5 coprocessor that “supports speech recognition, low-power consumption MP3, all the functions of a sensor hub, fused location provider (FLP) navigation, and reduces location-based power consumption,” the company said in a press release.

The Mate 8 is made of aluminium with a 2.5D curved diamond cut glass, and features a fingerprint sensor on the back. The 16MP primary camera uses Sony’s latest IMX298 sensor. The device also sports an 8MP front camera.

The handset is priced at $480, $590, and $700 for the 3GB/32GB, 4GB/64GB, and 4GB/128GB variants, respectively. The Mate 8 will be available in Champagne Gold, Moonlight Silver, Space Gray, and Mocha Brown colour options.

November 27, 2015
OnePlus is Offering Refunds for Flawed USB Type-C Cable

OnePlus recently admitted that the USB Type-C cable for the OnePlus 2 does not conform to the USB Type-C 1.1 spec, and has agreed to give refunds. This admission comes after a Google engineer, Benson Leung, tested the OnePlus 2’s USB Type-C cable and concluded that it “may cause damage to your charger, hub or PC USB port” if used on a fast-charging device.

However, there’s a condition to the refund. Since the cable won’t cause any damage to the device itself, those who own the handset will not receive the refund or replacement cable. Instead, OnePlus will only refund those who purchased the cable separately. The company is of the opinion that the cable works fine for its intended purpose, that is to charge the OnePlus 2. However, someone who is unaware of the issue may just grab the cable and use it to charge some other handset or a laptop like Google’s Chromebook Pixel.

“If you’ve purchased these products to use with devices other than the OnePlus 2, we are going to offer an opportunity to apply for a refund on those products purchased through the OnePlus website. Please note that cables that were included in the box with your OnePlus 2 are not eligible for a refund, since they are safe to use with the OnePlus 2.”

The device could draw more power than the charger itself is able to support, since it has the wrong resistor for the USB Type-C 1.1 specification (10 k-ohms instead of 56 k-ohms). A good USB charger will cut off power without any damage, but a bad one could fry, or worse, catch on fire. Ideally, recalling all the faulty cables and replacing them would be the right thing to do, but those planning to keep them should “mark it with a tag so you don’t forget it’s special,” according to Leung.

Source

November 27, 2015
Honor 5X Plus Could be Huawei’s New Device Spotted on GFXBench

Huawei is just a few hours away from unveiling the Mate 8 but it looks like the company is already busy working on a brand new device, according to a GFXBench listing. The benchmark listing reveals a new handset, codenamed Huawei ABC-UL00, which is believed to be a new Honor device, the Honor 5X Plus.

According to the listing, this mysterious device sports a 5.2-inch (1080×1920) touchscreen display with a 5 finger gesture support, powered by a 2.2GHz octal-core processor with Kirin 935 SoC and ARM Mali-T624 GPU. The device will apparently feature 3GB of RAM and 64GB internal storage.

On the camera front, this device will sport a 13MP primary snapper and 8MP front. The device will come with standard connectivity features that include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, also GPS and NFC.

The presumed Huawei Honor 5X could be the answer to the recently announced Xiaomi Redmi Note 3. However, we’ll only be able to confirm that once official details are out. Till then, follow this space for more on Huawei’s upcoming launch.

Source

November 26, 2015
OnePlus X to Receive New Oxygen OS Update Today

A new OS is on its way to the OnePlus X, and no, it won’t be a new Android update. Instead, OnePlus X owners will be receiving a new Oxygen OS update that promises to bring several enhancements to the MicroSD card support.

The latest Oxygen OS 2.1.3 will bring UX improvements, along with exFAT SD card support, and the ability to move apps to and from the card. It also fixes a bug that caused the handset to reboot whenever you removed the SD card.

OnePlus X

OnePlus has also stated that there are some unnamed security patches as well as “general bug fixes and optimisations”. The new Oxygen OS update rollout starts from today, though only 10% of OnePlus X users out there will receive the update as of now. This is to test if the update works well. The update will rollout to a wider audience in a few days.

November 26, 2015
Nokia C1 Leaked in Renders Running Windows 10 and Android

A while ago, we had mentioned that Nokia will be back and that a new Nokia device is in the works. This new device, allegedly called the C1, will be the first device to bear the Nokia logo since the Finnish company was sold to Microsoft a few years ago.

The new device will come out in 2016, and there have been a number of leaked renders that claim the design of the C1, though each source has leaked different designs. Today, a new render has surfaced from a first time leakster, which one may question the authenticity of. However, the image shows a very minimalist and sleek design, which actually looks pretty good, if it is confirmed as legit.

The C1 is also depicted running both Android and well as Windows 10 OS. What the final outcome will be is anyone’s guess at the moment. We’ll have a clearer picture once we get word from a Nokia official. Till then, let us know what you think about the above design in the comments below.

November 26, 2015

Hands On HTC One A9 India

HTC India launched the One A9 today. The phone famously criticised for its iPhone-like design will soon be available across the country.

The HTC One A9 sports a 5-inch full HD (1080p) display with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection. Under the hood, the phone is powered by Snapdragon 617 64-bit octa-core SoC paired with 3GB of RAM, 32 GB built-in storage, and a microSD card slot.

On the camera front, the One A9 features a 13-megapixel primary camera with OIS and a 4-Ultrapixel front camera. Other features include a 2,150 mAh battery with support for Quick Charge 2.0. Connectivity options include 4G support, Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth and GPS.

The first thing that comes to ones mind when holding the One A9 is that the device looks and feels exactly like the iPhone 6. The phone is light and the fingerprint sensor is highly sensitive. There is no denying the fact that HTC has explicitly ripped off the iPhone, and perhaps that’s not such a bad thing. For the one thing Apple does succeed in is create beautifully crafted devices, and HTC wants to bank on some of that magic to attract customers, albeit unabashedly.

The HTC One A9 is a good device, and yes, we’re including the design aspect as well. But it doesn’t come quite close to a flagship killer. You can’t hate on the looks here, the metal unibody frame is a winner no matter which brand sports it. The curved edges and curved glass screen gives the device a premium look. The team behind the design of the One A9 have stated that great amount of time and attention has gone into its design, which does feel true. The power button on the side is thoughtfully textured so that its easily distinguishable from the volume control.

Moving from design to functionality, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor won’t beat the flagship phones with faster 808 or 810 chips or even compare to the latter when it comes to 3D gaming, but it’s powerful enough for normal smartphone usage.

The 3GB RAM variant handles tons of apps well and the overall feel is quite smooth. The device comes with Android Marshmallow pre-loaded, which makes it one of the first phones outside the Nexus devices to do so. With the Marshmallow OS you get features like Now on Tap and Doze, among other things. The device also allows for storage expandability up to 2TB even though the capacity isn’t something easy to find in your local store.

Moving over to the camera department, the HTC One A9 along with the Desire 828 have been launched with the tag line ‘the ultra selfie phones’. Indeed, the camera of the One A9 is quite good and manages to take decent images in low light as well.

Although today’s event saw the launch of the One A9, the company is yet to announce the Indian pricing or availability of said device. Approximate pricing of the device is touted to be about Rs. 26,499. Follow this space for more on the launch of the HTC One A9.

Specifications	HTC One A9
Display	5.0 inches
Resolution	1080 x 1920 pixels
Chipset	Qualcomm MSM8952 Snapdragon 617
CPU	Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A53
GPU	Adreno 405
RAM	2GB/3GB
Storage	16GB/32GB expandable up to 200 GB
Rear Camera	13MP
Front Camera	4MP
Battery	Non-removable Li-Ion 2,150 mAh battery
Operating System	Android Marshmallow
Connectivity	4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, hotspot, Bluetooth v 4.1, GPS, NFC
SIM	Nano-SIM
USB	microUSB v2.0
Price	Expected to be around Rs. 26,499

November 25, 2015

Google’s ‘Accelerated Mobile Page’ Will be Similar to Facebook’s Instant Articles

Google is trying to catch up with Facebook and Apple with Accelerated Mobile Pages that make loading web pages a lot faster on mobile devices. Facebook and Apple have been providing previews so far, and Google has stated that the first accelerated pages will “come early next year”.

The project is similar to Facebook’s Instant Articles, which loads articles by publishers 10 times faster than the standard mobile web, using the same technology that goes into displaying photos and videos quickly. This means the stories are already being pre-loaded in the background as you scroll your News Feed, so it opens quickly when you tap on it, which makes it accessible even with a 2G connection.

Google has employed 4,500 developers working on AMP on Github. The AMP project has drawn in publishers including The Guardian, The Washington Post, BuzzFeed, and Vox Media. Google has also attracted advertisers like Outbrain, AOL, OpenX, DoubleClick, and AdSense who are developing ads that abide to quick-loading specifications of AMP.

It’ll be interesting to know just how quick-loading mobile pages will be when advertisers begin to push more data intrusive and data-intensive specs over time. For now, you’ll have to wait for early 2016 to have a taste of what accelerated mobile pages will look like.

November 25, 2015
Huawei Mate 8 Leaked in Renders

Huawei is working on a new Mate device, which will be the successor to last year’s Ascend Mate7. Some leaked images of the Mate 8 have now emerged out of China which pretty much confirm what the device will look like. It’s not much of a surprise that the images reveal a similar design to the Mate7 with differences mainly in the rounded fingerprint sensor and camera at the back.

Rumours suggest that Huawei will hold an event for the Mate 8 on the 26th of November. The images reveal a metal body and three colour variants: grey, gold, and copper. The renders also show that the fingerprint sensor will be just below the camera, and two speaker grilles on either sides of the USB port on the bottom of the phone.

From what we know so far, the Mate 8 will sport a 6-inch 1080p touchscreen display and will be powered by Huawei’s new Kirin 950 chipset and an ARM Mali-T880 GPU. Furthermore, the handset will be available in 3GB and 4GB of RAM with 32GB and 64GB of storage, respectively. The Mate 8 will run on 4,100 mAh battery and Android 6.0 Marshmallow, though nothing has been confirmed just yet.

November 25, 2015

Xiaomi Launches the Redmi Note 3 with Fingerprint Sensor

Xiaomi held an event today at China National Convention Center in Beijing where it launched a slew of new devices, among which is the Redmi Note 3. Early rumours pegged the device’s name as the Note 2 Pro, but now the name has been confirmed as the Note 3.

The Redmi Note 3, as earlier leaked images suggested, indeed has a full-metal body and a fingerprint sensor at the back, which makes it the first Mi phone to do so. The Note 3 sports a 5.5-inch full HD Sunlight Display, a 64-bit octa-core MediaTek Helio X10 processor (Cortex-A53) coupled with 2GB/ 3GB of RAM. On the camera front, the Redmi Note 3 features a 13MP primary with face detection, auto-focus and two-tone flash, and a 5MP front. The device is available in 16GB and 32GB storage variants.

The Redmi Note 3 with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage is priced at CNY 899 (approximately Rs. 9,500) and another with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage at CNY 1,099 (approximately Rs. 11,500). No word yet on the Indian pricing or launch date. Have a look at the specs below.

Specification	Xiaomi Redmi Note 3
Display	5.5-inch full HD screen
Resolution	1920×1080 pixels
Weight	164gms
Chipset	Mediatek Helio X10
CPU	2GHz 64-bit octa-core processor
GPU
RAM	2GB/ 3GB
Front Camera	5MP
Rear Camera	13MP with LED flash, phase-detection autofocus
Storage	16GB/ 32GB
Expandability
Battery	4000 mAh
Operating System	Android 5.1.1
Price	CNY 899 (16GB)/ CNY 1,099 (32GB)

November 24, 2015

Yutopia Out in the Wild

YU has been showing off the camera of its upcoming smartphone, Yutopia, for a while now. The company has been tweeting images that feature a BMW i8 shot by Yutopia. From what the images reveal, the camera does indeed look solid and the pictures look quite spectacular. Here are some of them.

Clearly, YU is trying to get fans excited about the release of Yutopia with these pictures. YU has kept the details of the Yutopia under wraps, and the company clams that the device is “the most powerful phone ever.” We’ll just have to wait for the launch to know exactly what the device is made of.

Let us know what you think about Yutopia’s camera in the comments below.

November 24, 2015
OnePlus 2 to go on an ‘Open Sale’ This Week

There is exciting news for OnePlus fans out there. The Chinese smartphone maker will have an ‘Open Sale’ this week for the OnePlus 2 as part of the Black Friday deals, according to a teaser on its social media accounts. Users in India can now buy the OnePlus 2 without invitation from November 25 to November 27.

“In keeping up with our promises announced earlier, we are back with our “Open Sale” days for the OnePlus 2 one more time starting midnight 12 AM from November 25 and ends on November 27 at 11:59 PM,” the company said about its India sale via a blog post.

The OnePlus 2 will be available without invites from OnePlus.net website.

Starring the #OnePlus2. #BlackFriday: Unlimited is coming to a https://t.co/aVnLDQyFoW near you. pic.twitter.com/ARNQuWiXXK

— OnePlus (@oneplus) November 23, 2015

For those still wondering about the device and whether you should go for it, check out our review of the OnePlus 2 and watch the video below for all the details.

November 24, 2015
BlackBerry Device Sporting Exynos 7420 SoC Leaked in Benchmark

BlackBerry just released the much talked about Android-powered device, Priv, a few weeks ago. And now it looks like the company is working on another device already. It’ll still be a while before we know exactly how well the Priv does, but BlackBerry is in no mood to wait, which makes sense since they’ve been out of action for a few years now.

According to GFXBench database, a new BlackBerry device has been listed sporting Samsung’s Exynos 7420 SoC and running Android 5.1.1. Now, it is important you take this news with a grain of salt, as we cannot confirm the authenticity of said listing. But the image below reveals some specs about a possible upcoming BlackBerry device.

If the above listing is in fact true, it would mean that BlackBerry is going for a chipset most popularly found in Samsung’s Galaxy S6. The handset may feature a 5.1-inch QHD touchscreen, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, a 16 MP rear camera, and a 5 MP front.

We cannot confirm anything as of yet, but given BlackBerry’s new found enthusiasm to get back into the game, another new device may not be such a farfetched idea at all.

November 24, 2015
Scientists Discover Diamond Nanothreads That are Crazy Strong

A new discovery makes graphene look a lot weaker now. Australian researchers have discovered that diamond nanothreads (one-dimensional diamond crystals capped with hydrogen) could be extremely strong. This ultra-thin diamond nanothread is a 1D structure with poly-benzene sections connected by Stone-Wales (SW) transformation defects.

What this basically means is that if mixed with the right amount of defects, these nanothreads become supremely flexible and durable. This will potentially allow one to create nanoscopic structures that cater to how strong you require them to be, with a ‘perfect’ mix of bendy and rigid shapes.

“Its highly tunable ductility together with its ultra-light density and high Young’s modulus makes diamond nanothread ideal for the creation of extremely strong three-dimensional nano-architectures,” say Zhan and co.

Of course, these nanothreads have been discovered on in simulation and only real-life applications can tell just how useful diamond nanothreads can be. The next step would be for material scientists to create nanothread construction kits and start measuring this material’s properties for real. Since the potential applications are wide, you may just see these little nanothreads everywhere around you very soon.

Source

November 23, 2015
Xiaomi Smartwatch Rumored to be Unveiled on 24th November

Xiaomi is holding a big event on Tuesday, November 24 where the company plans on unveiling a few new products that include the Redmi Note 2 Pro and an Android Wear smartwatch. Yes, rumours have pretty much been confirmed that Xiaomi will showcase its very first smartwatch this Tuesday.

Popular Chinese tipster Leaksfly said that Xiaomi will pull the wraps off the Mi smartwatch on 24 November. Although not much is known yet about the internal hardware of the Xiaomi Mi smartwatch, it is all but confirmed that the watch is expected to run on Google’s Android Wear OS. Earlier in the month, Xiaomi launched a new fitness tracker, called the Mi Band 1S series.

Xiaomi Mi Bands

Meanwhile, Xiaomi is also planning to unveil the Redmi Note Pro 2 (which may well be called Note 3 based on a teaser) at said event. The device will sport a metal build and a fingerprint sensor. The specs are similar to the Note 2 with a 5.5-inch screen, 1080×1920 resolution, MediaTek MT6795 chipset and a true octal-core 2GHz CPU. There is 2GB/3GB RAM inside and 16GB of internal storage, a 13MP primary camera and a 5MP front.

We’ll bring you more details on all the devices unveiled at the event on November 24.

November 23, 2015
iPhone 7 to be Waterproof and Have 3GB of RAM

There’s still about 10 months left before Apple comes out with its next flagship devices, and yet there have been tons of rumours and speculations already in the air about every little detail related to the iPhone 7.

Research company TrendForce has revealed some more dirt on the iPhone 7. Apparently, the highlights of the next generation of iPhones will be a 3GB RAM and waterproof design. These are supposed to be the defining new features of the iPhone 7, though as usual, you should take these rumours with a grain of salt. Furthermore, it seems like only the iPhone 7 Plus variant will get the bumped up RAM.

TrendForce also reiterates what many sources have speculated that a 4-inch iPhone is in the offing and will see an early 2016 release, while the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will be unveiled sometime during the second half of 2016.

Lastly, while Apple will likely beat its own sales performance next year with an estimated 260 million units, the Cupertino giant, however, might not manage to take the smartphone sales crown from Samsung, which is expected to sell around 310 million units next year.

Source

November 21, 2015