Author: Vipul Vij

Moto X4 Vs Honor 8 Pro Vs OnePlus 3T

The budget segment of smartphones in India saw a plethora of releases in 2017. Even the flagship segment and affordable flagship segment saw the release of some great devices by Samsung, Apple, OnePlus and Honor. However, the Rs. 20,000-25,000 price category is right now full of old devices that were great at one point. In November 2017, Lenovo-owned Motorola launched the Moto X4 that entered this price segment.

Recently, Motorola launched the 6GB RAM variant of the Moto X4 in India at a price of Rs. 24999. At this price, the Moto X4 has competition from the bygone flagship devices OnePlus 3T and Honor 8 Pro. It is worth noting that only a certified refurbished OnePlus 3T is available on Amazon anymore.

While how people perceive a phone is subjective, the Moto X4 does exude a premium feel. The OnePlus 3T and Honor 8 Pro offer great build quality as well but, the contoured glass back of the Moto X4 feels more premium. The Sterling Blue colour of the Moto X4, thanks to a different hue of blue stands out between the three phones.

Both the Moto X4 and OnePlus 3T run Android 8 Oreo out of the box. The Honor 8 Pro, launched after the OnePlus 3T runs Android 7 Nougat right now with no confirmation from the company regarding an Android 8 Oreo update. OnePlus has confirmed that Android 8 Oreo will be the last major software upgrade for the OnePlus 3T. Since the new Moto X4 runs Android 8 Oreo out of the box, there is a high possibility that it will receive an update to Android P as well.

Under the hood, the OnePlus 3T has the 2016 flagship chipset, Snapdragon 821. The Honor 8 Pro has the Kirin 960 while the Moto X4 has the Snapdragon 630 under the hood. OnePlus 3T has a very capable chipset under the hood which is almost two years old now. Add no software support to that, and the OnePlus 3T doesn’t look like a future-proof phone.

The Honor 8 Pro is already lagging in the software department but, it does offer a customisable skin which a lot of people prefer over stock OS.

One of the USPs of the Moto X4 is its ruggedness. While 2017 flagship phones like the Pixel 2 and OnePlus 5T skipped an IP rating, the Moto X4 has an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance. The Moto X4 is the only device in this price range that has a dual-camera setup and provides an IP68 rating.

Let’s compare the specifications and see which smartphone provides the most in this price range.

Spec Comparison:

Specifications	Moto X4	Honor 8 Pro	OnePlus 3T
Price	Rs. 24999 (6GB RAM)	Rs. 25,980	Rs. 24999 (Refurbished)
Display	5.2 inch LTPS IPS LCD	5.7 inch LTPS IPS LCD	5.5 inch Optic AMOLED
Resolution	1920 x 1080 px 424 ppi	2560 x 1440 515 ppi	1920 x 1080 px 401 ppi
Battery	3000 mAh	4000 mAh	3400 mAh
Chipset	Snapdragon 630	HiSilicon Kirin 960	Snapdragon 821
RAM	6GB	6GB	6GB
Storage	64GB, Expandable up to 2TB	128GB, Expandable up to 256GB	128GB, Non-Expandable
Primary Camera	12MP f/2.0 8MP f/2.2	12MP f/2.2 12MP f/2.2	16MP f/2.0 OIS
Primary Camera Video	4K at 30 FPS 1080p at 60fps	4K at 30 FPS 1080p at 60fps	4K at 30 FPS 1080p at 60fps
Secondary Camera	16MP f/2.0 LED flash	8MP f/2.0	16MP f/2.0
Add-Ons	Fingerprint Sensor IP68 Rating	Fingerprint Sensor	Fingerprint Sensor

January 30, 2018

Legendary Nokia 3310 With 4G Capabilities Launched

Nokia 3310 4G variant has been launched in China after weeks of speculations. HMD Global has listed the device on official Nokia website and has partnered with China Mobile. The global availability and price of the phone are likely to be announced at MWC 2018.

New Nokia 3310

The new 3310 4G will be available in two colour variants, Fresh Blue and Deep Black. The previous variant of the phone was launched in four colours, Warm Red and Yellow (both with a gloss finish), and Dark Blue and Grey (both with a matte finish). The other difference between the 2G version and the new one is the OS. The new one runs YunOS, which is a forked Android version built by China’s Alibaba. The older variant runs Nokia Series 30+ OS and its 3G variant runs Java-based Feature OS. The feature phone also comes preloaded with an MP3 player.

Specifications

The new Nokia 3310 has a 2.4 inch QVGA colour display with a 320 x 240 px resolution.

Compared to 16MB storage available on its original 2G version, the new 4G variant has 256MB of RAM and 512MB of onboard storage. The storage is expandable up to 64GB via a microSD card. These specifications seem archaic in today’s world where we might witness a smartphone with 10GB of RAM.

Original Nokia 3310

The original Nokia 3310 was launched in 2000 and over the years, has gained a cult status. Not just tech enthusiasts but, people all over the internet have made the Nokia 3310 famous, owing to its “indestructible” build quality.

January 30, 2018
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S Will Be The First Smartphone To Run On Snapdragon 845

Up until a few days ago, Xiaomi looked certain to launch the Mi 7 at MWC 2018. However, that seems to have fallen off the rail recently and the Mi Mix 2S is gaining more impetus by the day. To be launched as a refresh of the Mi Mix 2, the Mi Mix 2S could be announced before MWC 2018 commences.

This means that with the correct specs, the Mi Mix 2S could steal the limelight from the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+. If a new report is to be believed, the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S could be the first ever smartphone to run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845. Something that the Galaxy S9 and S9+ were touted to be. At first, it looked like the Mi 7 will be the first Xiaomi phone to feature the flagship chipset.

Mi Mix 2s Render

Xiaomi will be present at MWC 2018 but, will refrain from making a huge announcement. Announcing the Mi Mix 2S before the Galaxy S9 launch that too with the latest chipset in the market could be a huge coup by the Chinese smartphone maker.

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S

So far, there has barely been any chatter about a possible Mi Mix 2 refresh. The Mi Mix 2 was launched back in September and Xiaomi doesn’t really launch new variants of flagship devices like OnePlus does. So, a possible Mi Mix 2s launch seems improbable. However, that hasn’t stopped people to post renders of the phone.

An earlier render of the Mi Mix 2s showing a notch on the display looked a photoshopped iPhone X photo. Recently though, a new render has emerged which reveals a design worthy of a new variant.

Mi Mix 2s Early Renders

The image shows evenly trimmed bezels all around the display. The Mi Mix 2 had a small chin which housed the front-facing camera. The front facing camera here is placed in the top right corner. It is fitted awkwardly which results in a weird notch on the top right corner. Although this looks like a design prototype that would’ve been buried in the back burner, the design does look like new and different.

It appears that the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S could be a reality soon. Skipping the MWC launch means that Xiaomi would have been left behind in the flagship race but, the Mi Mix 2S could change that.

January 30, 2018
Google Completes US$ 1.1 Billion Acquisition Of HTC’s Smartphone Division

Google has announced the completion of a US$ 1.1 billion deal with HTC. The deal was confirmed in September 2017 but, it has now passed the requisite approvals and is finalised.

Rick Osterloh (Google) and Cher Wang (HTC)

The acquisition will see the transfer of over 2,000 engineers from HTC. Along with the transfer, the company will also receive a non-exclusive license for HTC’s intellectual property. HTC is retaining its Vive VR division and confirmed that it will continue making smartphones. Rick Osterloh, Google’s senior VP of hardware, wrote:

I’m delighted that we’ve officially closed our deal with HTC, and are welcoming an incredibly talented team to work on even better and more innovative products in the years to come.

As It Happened

This is not the first time that Google has taken charge of the hardware for its smartphone lineup. Six years ago, Google announced a US$12.5 billion buyout of Motorola Mobility. However, after opening a manufacturing plant in the United States, the company decided to sell Motorola Mobility to Lenovo for a fraction of the price it bought Moto for. The takeover made Motorola into a capable smartphone manufacturer and has continued to thrive in the smartphone industry since then.

Google Pixel 2

HTC’s flailing smartphone share and tumbling sales in the past few years made people talk about a possible takeover by Google of its smartphone department while HTC continues its work in the VR industry. In late August, reports emerged that a deal between Google and HTC will be announced by the end of 2017.

This move by the Google to buy off smartphone personnel from HTC could bring the company closer to achieving the hardware/software synergy that has worked so well for Apple and the iPhone. Although HTC and other Android smartphone makers still use off-the-shelf processors and other components in their handsets, the tech giant snatched one of Apple’s chip architects earlier in 2017. This could be an attempt to evolve beyond that and design its own chip.

This acquisition also gives it a huge engineer base in Taipei, Taiwan. That makes Taipei the largest engineering site for Google in the Asia Pacific. In the coming years, it is likely to be the source of new products from the company.

January 30, 2018
Apple iPhone SE 2 Might Not Launch In 2018

Back in 2016, Apple launched the iPhone SE as a smaller variant of the iPhone 6s. It was missing a few features like 3D Touch but, it was intended for people who preferred the smaller form factor and wanted the latest specifications. While many expected the iPhone SE 2 to be launched in early-2017, Apple decided to skip the launch. There have been plenty of rumours about the upcoming iPhone SE 2 but, they all might in vain.

Trusted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has cast a shadow of doubt over the prospect of an iPhone SE 2 launch in 2018. He believes that the company “may have used up its development resources” on the flagship trio it’s prepping for this fall. In his research note, he says:

The announcement of three new iPhone models in the same quarter in the second half of 2017 was the first time Apple made such a major endeavor, and we believe the delay of iPhone X, which had the most complicated design yet, shows that Apple doesn’t have enough resources available for development.

With three new models in the pipeline for the second half of 2018, we believe Apple may have used up its development resources. Also, we think the firm will do all it can to avoid repeating the mistake of a shipment delay for the three new models.

Kuo believes that Apple doesn’t have enough resources to pull off a year with four iPhone launches. He uses the 2017 launch of three iPhones as an example. And with all the three iPhones now with a design like the iPhone X, the process of manufacturing might be even more cumbersome.

However, he hasn’t completely quashed the idea of an iPhone SE 2 launch in 2018. He says that if Apple does decide to launch a successor in 2018, it will be a minor refresh. This means that no bezel-less design or wireless charging. It might end up looking a lot like its predecessor with hardware upgrades like the A11 chipset and a bigger battery.

iPhone SE 2 Concept

Recently, Kuo revealed a few key details about the upcoming 2018 iPhone lineup.

2018 Apple iPhone

Kuo claims the 2018 iPhone X will again start at US$ 1000, the iPhone X Plus will be priced higher (likely US$ 1200-US$ 1350) while the iPhone X SE will be priced at around US$ 700-US$ 800.

The iPhone X 2018 (tentative name) will have the same 5.8 inch OLED display found on the current iPhone X. It will have a 2,700 to 2,800mAh battery, supplied primarily by Unimicron. The 2018 iPhone X will also be powered by a new chipset and is expected to feature advanced Face ID.

The iPhone X Plus will have a 6.5-inch OLED display in a body that might not be much bigger than the iPhone 8 Plus’. It is expected to have a 3,400 to 3,500 mAh battery supplied Unimicron.

2018 Apple iPhone lineup

The cheapest iPhone of the lot will be the iPhone X SE. It will be the successor to the iPhone SE and feature considerable upgrades over the predecessor. Although, these updates might end up costing the essence of the ‘SE’ series. The iPhone X SE will have a 6.1 inch LCD display with a design similar to the iPhone X. This means that Face ID will be introduced in this smartphone as well.

January 30, 2018
Samsung Galaxy S9 Price Revealed

The Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ will be announced on the 25th of February. At the event, Samsung is expected to unveil the global price of the devices along with the first batch of countries where the two phones will go on sale. While there hasn’t been much said about the price of the two phones, the latest news from South Korea sheds some much-needed light on it.

Galaxy S9, S9+ Expected Design

In South Korea, Samsung’s native market, the Galaxy S9 will cost KRW950,000, while the S9+ will be KRW990,000. This amounts to about US$ 883 for the S9 and US$ 920 for the Galaxy S9+. It is worth noting that Samsung always prices its smartphones higher in South Korea. This means that the company will launch the two phones at a price similar or same as that of their predecessors.

For context, the Galaxy S8 was priced at KRW935,000 (around $875) in South Korea. Its global price was US$ 720.

Pre-orders in South Korea will commence on the 2nd of March, five days after the official launch. The phones will be shipped six days later, on March 8th, with market availability expected in the following days. The waiting period this time around is much shorter. The Galaxy S8 started shipping two to three weeks after the pre-orders began.

Rumour Roundup:

The Galaxy S9 will have a 5.8 inch Super AMOLED display while the Galaxy S9+ will have a 6.2 inch display. Both the devices will have a 2960 x 1440 px resolution.

dbrand listing for Galaxy S9 skins

Similar to its predecessor, the Galaxy S9 will have a single 12MP SuperSpeed Dual Pixel camera. This time around, however, the camera will have an f/1.5 aperture and record super slow motion videos, probably at 960fps. The Samsung Galaxy S9+ will become the second phone from Samsung to feature a dual-camera setup on the back after the Galaxy Note8. Similar to the Samsung Galaxy Note8, the Galaxy S9+ will have a wide-angle and a telephoto lens setup.

Press Renders

Owing to the launch of the Samsung flagship phones, a lot of companies have restrained from making significant announcements. It was recently revealed that Xiaomi could skip the Mi 7 launch at MWC as well, similar to what Huawei and HTC will do. The new devices from Samsung are expected to be priced similarly to the original price of the Galaxy S8 and S8+. More details are expected to follow until the official release of the phones.

January 30, 2018
10GB RAM In A Smartphone Will Be A Reality In 2018

There is no denying that 2017 was the year of bezel-less smartphones. In 2018, machine learning and AI are expected to be the trend-setters in flagship smartphone at least. A trend that hasn’t caught on is that of beefy RAM and storage options which would be an overkill for a smartphone. When the OnePlus 3T was launched with 6GB of RAM in 2016, many expected smartphone makers to take this figure and ride with it. That, however, did not happen.

Even the Razer Phone, a smartphone designed for gamers had 8GB of RAM. The OnePlus 5T also has an 8GB RAM variant which is priced at Rs. 37999 in India. However, it appears that a smartphone maker is ready to take the RAM/storage configuration up a notch. Vivo, the first company to embed a fingerprint sensor inside a smartphone’s display could soon launch an Android smartphone with 10GB of RAM.

Vivo Xplay 7

The Vivo Xplay 7 is expected to be the next high-end offering from the Chinese smartphone maker. While previous reports claimed it will have a completely bezel-less design, the new images reveal a different story. According to the latest leak, the Vivo Xplay 7 will have a 4K display panel. It will also sport an impressive 92.9% screen-to-body ratio.

Under the hood, the Xplay 7 will have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset. It will also have a whopping 10GB RAM which seems like an overkill for any smartphone right now. For storage, Vivo will offer two variants, one with 256GB onboard storage while the other one will have 512GB of storage. There were reports that even Samsung will launch a special edition Galaxy S9+ variant with 512GB of onboard storage.

Making sure that it is up-to-date with all industry trends, the Xplay 7 will also feature facial recognition. Reportedly, it will have the Face Unlock 2.0 which is the next generation of Vivo’s facial recognition technology. The smartphone will also come equipped with a dual-camera setup on the back which will be capable of 4X lossless zoom.

Thanks to its nearly bezel-less design, the fingerprint sensor will be embedded inside the display. This essentially means that the Vivo Xplay 7 will have a 4K AMOLED display panel. Vivo will use the Clear ID technology which was first introduced in the Vivo X20 Plus UD.

The Vivo Xplay 7 will be announced in spring similar to its predecessor.

January 29, 2018
2018 Apple iPhone Lineup: What To Expect

It is hard to imagine that the iPhone X only went on sale about three months ago. There have been plenty of rumours regarding the 2018 iPhone lineup and it appears that there might be some clarity now. Ever since a report claimed that Apple will discontinue the iPhone X before the next launch event, the speculations surrounding its successors have been soaring high.

iPhone X

Ming-Chi Kuo, one of the most trusted Apple analysts has released new information about the 2018 iPhone lineup.

The Tale Of Three iPhones

2018 will see three new iPhones being launched at the Apple annual launch event. One of them will be the 2018 iPhone X, iPhone X Plus and an iPhone X SE. Interestingly, the naming of the upcoming smartphones suggests that the successor to the iPhone SE will indeed be a large iPhone that has design elements similar to the iPhone X.

iPhone X Plus Concept

Kuo claims the 2018 iPhone X will again start at US$ 1000, the iPhone X Plus will be priced higher (likely US$ 1200-US$ 1350) while the iPhone X SE will be priced at around US$ 700-US$ 800.

The iPhone X 2018 (tentative name) will have the same 5.8 inch OLED display found on the current iPhone X. It will have a 2,700 to 2,800mAh battery, supplied primarily by Unimicron. The 2018 iPhone X will also be powered by a new chipset and is expected to feature advanced Face ID.

The iPhone X Plus will have a 6.5-inch OLED display in a body that might not be much bigger than the iPhone 8 Plus’. It is expected to have a 3,400 to 3,500 mAh battery supplied Unimicron.

iPhone X SE?

The cheapest iPhone of the lot will be the iPhone X SE. It will be the successor to the iPhone SE and feature considerable upgrades over the predecessor. Although, these updates might end up costing the essence of the ‘SE’ series. The iPhone X SE will have a 6.1 inch LCD display with a design similar to the iPhone X. This means that Face ID will be introduced in this smartphone as well.

You may also like: iPhone SE 2- What To Expect?

iPhone SE Concept

The iPhone X SE will be powered by the latest chipset, just like the iPhone SE was. However, unlike the 2018 iPhone X and iPhone X Plus, it won’t feature wireless charging. It will also miss out on 3D Touch.

As for investor reaction to the 2018 iPhone lineup, Kuo says that there is an air of “conservative sentiments due to concerns about a lack of major spec upgrades.” However, Kuo predicts the market will appreciate the 6.1 inch iPhone X SE, which he says will account for around 50% of the new iPhones sold in the second half of 2018.

It still feels very early to predict what Apple will do in September. Pricing the iPhone X SE at such a price will only make sense if Apple does indeed discontinue the iPhone X. If not, then an iPhone X at a price of around US$ 800 will eat up the potential iPhone X SE sales since it provides an OLED display, and the A11 Bionic chipset is still very capable.

January 29, 2018
Moto X4 With 6GB RAM Launched At Rs. 24999
Lenovo-owned Motorola has launched a new version of the Moto X4 in India. The new smartphone has 6GB of RAM and runs Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box at a price of Rs. 24999. It will go on sale via Flipkart and Moto Hub from 11:59 pm, 31st January. The Moto X4 was launched in November in India at a starting price of Rs. 20999 for the 32GB storage variant. The 64GB storage variant is priced at Rs 22999. The Moto X4 remains one of the few phones in this price bracket that offers a dual-camera setup and IP68 rating.

Accompanying the launch are a few offers from Motorola as well:
- Get Rs.1500 flat discount with ICICI bank credit cards
- Exchange offer – Additional Rs.3000 off on exchange of your old smartphone
- Get up to 490GB data free when you recharge with INR 199 on Vodafone
- No cost EMIs up to 12 months starting at Rs. 2083
The new Moto X4 has the same specifications as the previous two versions apart from a bigger RAM.

Specifications

The Moto X4 has a 5.2 inch 1920 x 1080 px LTPS IPS LCD display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top for protection.

The Moto X4 has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, 2.2 GHz octa-core processor and Adreno 508 GPU, along with 3GB or 4GB of RAM and 32GB or 64GB of onboard storage which can be expanded up to 2TB via microSD card. The phone has an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance. The fingerprint sensor is housed inside the home button which also doubles up as a single navigation button.

The device is powered by a 3000 mAh battery with TurboCharge capabilities.

The device has a dual-camera setup at the back. The main camera is a 12MP sensor with an f/2.0 aperture, and the 8MP secondary camera with an f/2.2 aperture is equipped with a wide-angle lens. The dual-cameras allow users to have depth effect shots, bokeh effect shots, ultra-wide angle shots, and selective focus shots. On the front of the device is a 16MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture and an LED flash. The cameras record 4K videos at 30 FPS.

The Moto X4 has impressive specifications for its price and with 6GB RAM, it gives consumers a new version to look out for.
January 29, 2018
Dbrand Leaks Samsung Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+ Design

Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ will be launched on the 25th of February in Barcelona. So far, there have been enough leaks to suggest that the new devices won’t look a whole lot different from their predecessors. The latest images of the upcoming devices come from an unlikely source called dbrand. One of the most famous smartphone skin makers in the world, dbrand has started taking pre-orders for the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ customised skins.

dbrand listing for Galaxy S9+ skins

Many on social media believe that dbrand has opened itself up to a potential lawsuit. It is worth noting that dbrand did the same before the launch of the Galaxy S8 and S8+. The design visible in the images of dbrand’s official website is very similar to what we have seen so far. The fingerprint sensor is now placed below the camera module on both the phones.

Interestingly, the infamous Bixby button retains its place on the left-hand side of the device, just below the volume rockers. The lock/unlock button is on the right-hand side. As speculated, the top and bottom bezels look thinner ever so slightly. Thankfully, Samsung will continue with its edge-to-edge design, unlike a previous press render.

Rumour Roundup:

The Galaxy S9 will have a 5.8 inch Super AMOLED display while the Galaxy S9+ will have a 6.2 inch display. Both the devices will have a 2960 x 1440 px resolution.

Press Renders

Similar to its predecessor, the Galaxy S9 will have a single 12MP SuperSpeed Dual Pixel camera. This time around, however, the camera will have an f/1.5 aperture and record super slow motion videos, probably at 960fps. The Samsung Galaxy S9+ will become the second phone from Samsung to feature a dual-camera setup on the back after the Galaxy Note8. Similar to the Samsung Galaxy Note8, the Galaxy S9+ will have a wide-angle and a telephoto lens setup.

Case Leaks Of Galaxy S9+

Owing to the launch of the Samsung flagship phones, a lot of companies have restrained from making significant announcements. It was recently revealed that Xiaomi could skip the Mi 7 launch at MWC as well, similar to what Huawei and HTC will do. The new devices from Samsung are expected to be priced similarly to the original price of the Galaxy S8 and S8+. More details are expected to follow until the official release of the phones.

January 29, 2018
Leaked: Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+ To Feature ‘Intelligent Scan’

The Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ are poised to be the most high profile unveiling of MWC 2018. A lot is expected from the two new flagship phones in terms of new features and improved camera performance. It is fair to assume that the design of the Galaxy S9 and S9+ won’t be turning any heads. Samsung might still spring a few surprises at the launch event especially pertaining to the biometric system.

In an APK teardown of the Settings app in the latest unreleased Android Oreo beta for the Galaxy Note8, an XDA member ‘mweinbach’ has found a few strings relating to ‘Intelligent Scan’. These strings could hint at a possible Galaxy S9 feature since neither the Galaxy S8 or Galaxy Note8 offer such a feature.

Iris Scanner on Galaxy S8

What Is Intelligent Scan?

There isn’t much known about the feature as of now. The same XDA member has also uploaded a Samsung help graphic. It basically explains to the users how this feature works. The seven-second graphic barely gets into any details of this new feature. No mechanism or hardware enhancement has been explained in the graphic. It only showcases that with ‘Intelligent Scan’ the biometric system will work in all lighting conditions, in theory at least.

Galaxy S9, S9+ Expected Design

Apparently, the new feature is a combination of face and iris scanning. This extra layer will improve accuracy and security of the system in extremely dark or lit up environments. These are the situations where iris scanning and facial recognition systems fail. There have been reports that suggest the Samsung Galaxy S9 devices might have a 3D sensor equipped front-camera for improved biometrics.

While a feature like this will be convenient, especially for people who still don’t like rear-facing fingerprint sensors. A major issue with this authentication system is third-party support. Unlike a fingerprint sensor which uses the standard Android API, Samsung-specific authentication systems have their own APIs and implementations. This means that Intelligent Scanning will only be used for unlocking a device but, in-app support for things like banking might not be available. Something that Face ID on the iPhone X does well.

January 29, 2018
Leaked: Sketch Revealing Nokia 10 With A Rotating Five-Camera Setup

HMD Global is preparing for a huge MWC 2018 event. It is expected to launch the Nokia 9, Nokia 1 and also unveil a concept phone that might be consumer-ready by the end of 2018. This concept device is expected to have a five-camera setup on the back of the device. If so, Nokia could seriously turn some heads with this announcement.

While such rumours sound astonishing and almost unreal, a new sketch of the Nokia 10 has been unearthed. The sketch, leaked by an industry insider on Baidu, shows the Nokia 10 with a rotating Penta-lens camera setup on the back.

How Does It Work?

The sketch reveals that the Nokia 10 will have a large circular module similar to the Nokia Lumia 1020. The setup employs a multiple-lens camera setup with different lenses of varying focal lengths that are mounted on a rotating lens base.

Nokia Lumia 1020

Based on the sketch, it appears that the main setup will be that of a dual-camera while the other lenses could be hidden inside the module. The lenses will rotate and position themselves on top of the main camera in the middle of the module. Thanks to this mechanism, the lenses will be able to change their focal lengths in combination with the main camera to offer a much larger zooming range.

L16 Camera

The German lens maker Zeiss has already patented miniature zoom camera that uses a similar technique. It comprises of a number of lenses arranged in a circular pattern that can rotate. This is a telling sign since Zeiss has had a long-running association with Nokia. As recently as the Nokia 8 had the Zeiss lenses.

The Nokia 10 won’t be the first device to offer such a multi-lens camera solution. The L16 has 16 lenses although, it is just camera and not a smartphone. Huawei is rumoured to launch the Huawei P11 with a triple-lens camera as well.

With such a large camera module on the back, it will be interesting to see how the smartphone maker will introduce a decent sized battery and position the fingerprint sensor as well.

January 29, 2018
Xiaomi Mi 7 Will Not Be Launched At MWC 2018

There have been a few reports that claim that Xiaomi was planning to launch the Mi 7 at MWC 2018. It now appears that might not be the case. It is for certain that the Chinese smartphone maker will be present at the event being held in Barcelona.

However, a high-ranking company employee has stated in anonymity that there will be no major announcements involved. This means that the prospect of announcing the 2018 flagship, Mi 7 looks uncertain now. While a major announcement might include a flagship device, there have been rumours of Xiaomi announcing its Surge S2 chipset as well. With Xiaomi present at MWC 2018, it will eventually unveil something and if the Mi 7 is not on the cards, the Surge S2 and the Mi 6X powered by the chipset could be announced.

There have been a few leaks pertaining to the Xiaomi Mi 6X which reveal a new design of the smartphone. It is rumoured to sport an iPhone X-like vertically placed dual-camera setup. Xiaomi’s own Surge S2 chipset is expected to power the potential Mi A2 smartphone.

Xiaomi Mi 7 Leaks

But, not announcing the Mi 7 does make sense for Xiaomi. Even LG, Huawei and HTC will skip a major announcement due to the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+. If Xiaomi were to launch its new flagship smartphone running the latest flagship chipset, it would want the device to gain some traction. With the Galaxy S9 and S9+ being two of the most anticipated flagship devices of 2018, that could be tough.

Xiaomi Mi 7: Rumour Roundup

The Mi 7 is expected to have a 6-inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio and a bezel-less design. It will be interesting to see if Xiaomi takes the Mi Mix route. Which means house everything in a bottom bezel or have even bezels around the display.

The build of the smartphone appears to be made of glass which means that Xiaomi could finally introduce wireless charging in its smartphone lineup. Previous renders revealed almost zero bezels around the display and a small cutout on top for the front-facing camera and sensors.

Previous Mi 7 Renders

The company has confirmed that the device will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845chipset, and is expected to have either 6 or 8GB of RAM along with 128GB of storage which won’t be expandable. Thanks to the Snapdragon 845 chipset, the smartphone is expected to have some enhanced AI features. It might also have facial recognition software as one of the marquee features.

The Xiaomi Mi 7 is expected to have a 19MP + 19MP dual camera setup with an f/1.7 aperture and 4X optical zoom. To the front, it is rumoured to have a 16MP camera.

If the launch of the Xiaomi Mi 7 is not on the table, then the company will have to make a very interesting announcement to gain any sort of attention amidst the fanfare around the Galaxy S9 phones scheduled to launch on 25th February.

January 29, 2018

Honor 9 Lite Vs Honor 7X Vs Xiaomi Mi A1 Vs Moto G5s Plus

2017 saw the launch of a lot of great mid-range smartphones. Right from the Moto G5 Plus in early 2017 to the Honor 7X, the mid-range segment had some excellent additions. It is fair to rate the Honor 7X, Xiaomi Mi A1 and the Moto G5s Plus as the three top phones in their price segment. And in January 2018, Honor launched the Honor 9 Lite with four cameras and a price of Rs. 10999.

At a price of Rs. 10999, the Honor 9 Lite is a great prospect with its bezel-less design and a very capable Kirin 659 chipset. The Xiaomi Mi A1, Honor 7X and the Moto G5s Plus possess good cameras and have been great performers over the past few months of testing.

In terms of design, the Honor 9 Lite is the clear winner. At such a price, to offer a glass build is commendable. The other three phones have a great aluminium unibody design as well but, the Honor 9 Lite wins by a mile here.

In our recent comparison of the Xiaomi Mi A1 and Honor 7X, both the smartphones were at par when it came to day-to-day performance. The Honor 9 Lite has the same chipset and RAM configuration as the Honor 7X while the Mi A1 shares the specifications with the Mi A1. Software on all the phones is extremely smooth. At the end of the day, it will boil down to personal preference, whether you like stock Android OS or the customisable EMUI.

Specifications

Specifications	Honor 9 Lite	Honor 7X	Xiaomi Mi A1	Moto G5s Plus
Price	Starting Rs. 10999	Starting Rs. 12999	Rs. 13999	Rs. 14999
Display	5.65 inch IPS LCD	5.93-inch LTPS IPS LCD	5.5 inch LTPS IPS LCD	5.5-inch IPS LCD
Resolution	2160 X 1080 px	2160 X 1080 px	1920 x 1080 px	1920 x 1080 px
Battery	3000 mAh	3340 mAh	3080 mAh	3000 mAh
OS	Android 7.1 Nougat EMUI	Android 7.1 Nougat EMUI	Android 8 Oreo	Android 7.1 Nougat
Chipset	HiSilicon Kirin 659	HiSilicon Kirin 659	Snapdragon 625	Snapdragon 625
RAM	3GB/4GB	3GB/4GB	4GB	4GB
Storage	32GB/64GB (Expandable up to 256GB)	32GB/64GB (Expandable up to 256GB)	64GB (Expandable up to 128GB)	64GB (Expandable up to 128GB)
Primary Camera	13MP + 2MP (depth sensor)	16MP + 2MP depth sensor	12MP wide-angle f/2.2 + 12MP telephoto lens f/2.6	13MP + 13MP with f/2.0
Primary Camera Video	1080P @ 30fps	1080P @ 30fps	4K @ 30fps	4K @ 30fps
Secondary Camera	13MP + 2MP (depth sensor)	8MP	5MP	8MP f/2.0
Add-ons	Fingerprint sensor	Fingerprint sensor	Fingerprint sensor	Fingerprint sensor

January 27, 2018

Leaked: Nokia 7 Plus Running On Snapdragon 660 Spotted

HMD Global launched the Nokia 7 in China in October 2017. Many speculated that the smartphone will be launched in India especially after launching the Nokia 8 at a competitive price. That did not happen and it looks like a new version of the Nokia 7, the Nokia 7 Plus is on the cards. HMD Global seems to have a lot of launches on its plate right now. From the Nokia 9 to Nokia 1 to a mysterious Penta-lens smartphone, MWC 2018 could be huge for the company.

Spotted on GeekBench, the Nokia 7 Plus could run on the Snapdragon 660 chipset. This would be an upgrade over the Nokia 7 which has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 chipset. According to the listing, the Nokia 7 Plus will have 4GB of RAM. The Nokia 7 has two variants, one with 4GB and the other one with 6GB of RAM. It is possible that the Nokia 7 Plus will have a 6GB RAM variant as well.

The Nokia 7 Plus scores a decent 1636 in single-core and 5902 in multi-core test. That is all the information available in the listing.

Nokia 7 Plus: Just A Nokia 7 With Snapdragon 660?

The Nokia 7 was launched barely three months ago. To expect a completely overhauled 7 Plus might be a bit foolish. Also, “Plus” variants launched after the regular variants usually just feature minor upgrades.

The Nokia 7 has a 5.2 inch IPS LCD display with a 1920 x 1080 px resolution. The Nokia 7 Plus could feature a bigger display hence, the “Plus” moniker.

Nokia 7

The Nokia 7, unlike the Nokia 8 has a single camera at the back. The Nokia 7 has a 16MP camera at the back with an f/1.8 aperture, 1.12-micron pixel size and Carl Zeiss optics. The primary camera records 3840 x 2160 px (4K) videos at 30fps. On the front of the device is a 5MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture and autofocus.

Expect the same camera setup on the Nokia 7 Plus.

There is no front-facing home button/fingerprint sensor on the Nokia 7. However, that doesn’t mean it has thin bezels. The bezels are more or less the same while the fingerprint sensor is now found on the back of the phone. HMD Global is expected to maintain that for the Nokia 7 Plus as well.

HMD Global could spring a surprise and announce the Nokia 7 Plus at MWC. After all, the company has been teasing a great showcasing at the MWC 2018.

January 27, 2018

Author: Vipul Vij

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