Category: Brands and Companies

All Brands and Company Names

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
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
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s Running On Snapdragon 845 To Be Launched In February

Xiaomi is going to be a part of the upcoming MWC 2018. While many expect the company to launch the Xiaomi Mi 7 at the event, there are rumours that another phone could be launched before MWC. The Xiaomi Mi 2s, a refresh of the Mi Mix 2 could be launched as early as February right before MWC commences.

This leak comes a tipster on Weibo. On the Chinese social media website, he claims that the Mi Mix 2s could be launched before the Mi 7. While we would have liked more information about the upcoming phone, he stops at the possible date. He does ask readers to guess which of the upcoming phones would be Xiaomi’s first Snapdragon 845-powered device.

No prizes for guessing this but, the Xiaomi Mi 7 is more likely to feature the Snapdragon 845 chipset. The Mi Mix 2s, if real, is a refresh over the Mi Mix 2 while the Mi 7 is the next flagship device that will succeed the Mi 6. Xiaomi would rather use the Snapdragon 845 for the Mi Mix 3 that will launch later in the year.

Mi Mix 2s Early Renders

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s rumours so far:

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 Render

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.

There is a high chance that Xiaomi will never launch the Mi Mix 2s. However, it will be an interesting strategy especially if this render turns out to be the actual design of the phone.

January 27, 2018
Apple iPhone SE 2 With Wireless Charging To Launch in May Or June

The Apple iPhone SE was launched in March 2016 as a smaller variant of the iPhone 6s. While a revision was expected in 2017, Apple skipped a launch last year. However, new reports suggest that the iPhone SE 2 will be launched this year in Q2.

iPhone SE 2 Concept

Rumour Roundup

This report is a bit contradicting to previous reports about the upcoming iPhone SE successor. The report also claims that the rumoured iPhone SE successor will have a glass back and support wireless charging. This does make sense as all the three iPhones released in 2017 had wireless charging. Apple would want to keep a uniformity among its new iPhones especially with the launch of the AirPower.

[amazon_link asins=’B06ZXWWD6R’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’igyaan-21′ marketplace=’IN’ link_id=’aefa006e-0340-11e8-a4e4-2d95408d4ed9′]

AirPower is a wireless charging pad that can charge an iPhone, Apple Watch and the AirPods all at the same time. Bringing in the iPhone SE 2 with the same feature will mean it will be compatible with Apple’s latest product.

Also read: Apple iPhone SE 2: What To Expect?

The iPhone SE was launched in India at a starting price of Rs. 39000. However, it has received a lot of price cuts lately and is available at a price of Rs. 18,996 for the 32GB storage variant. A lot will depend on the pricing of the iPhone SE 2 in India. Now that the phone will be manufactured by Wistron in its Bengaluru manufacturing plant, the price could be much more competitive.

iPhone SE 2 Leaked Back Panel

The Wistron plant in Bengaluru, which was established early this year, has been producing iPhone SEs for India. But production for the new iPhone SE is expected to be ramped up as Apple may supply other regions with India made units.

The Apple iPhone SE 2 is expected to be priced at around Rs. 30000 to target the mid-range or the affordable flagship category. At this price, the iPhone SE 2 will compete with the likes of Honor View10 and the OnePlus 5T. Although, the OnePlus 6 is expected to be launched in June as well.

January 27, 2018
Leaked: Moto G6 Play Renders Reveal Moto X4-Like Build

Lenovo-owned Motorola will soon launch a new Moto X4 variant in India. The Moto X4 had a different build when compared to other Moto phones of 2017. The glass sandwich build was appreciated by many, and it looks like Motorola will implement that design on other devices as well. The Moto G6 Play is expected to be launched in a couple of months similar to when G5 and G5 Plus were launched in 2017.

New renders of the Moto G6 Play have surfaced online and the trickle-down effect of the Moto X4 seems to be in full swing. The renders reveal that the Moto G6 Play will have glass on the front and back with an aluminium frame. The ring-shaped LED flash will also return, last seen on the Moto X. Another interesting bit here is the fingerprint sensor.

Usually, the fingerprint sensor on the ‘G’ series is placed on the front in the home button. But, the Moto G6 Play is touted to have thin bezels. This means the fingerprint sensor will be placed on the back. However, according to the renders, Motorola will house the fingerprint sensor inside the ‘M’ logo which is an interesting move.

It also looks like the ‘Moto’ branding on the front of the device will be replaced with ‘Motorola’.

Rumoured Specifications

The Moto G6 Play will have a 5.7 inch display with a 1440 x 720 px resolution.

The G6 Play will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 chipset, have 2GB or 3GB of RAM along with 16GB and 32GB storage options. As visible in the renders, the fingerprint sensor could be housed inside the ‘M’ logo on the back of the phone.

The Moto G6 Play will retain the single camera setup on the back and front. The LED flash, similar to the Moto X, will be ring-shaped around the camera lens.

So far, there has been no hint by the company about the launch of a smartphone. These are, after all, just renders and renders are supposed to be taken with a grain of scepticism.

January 27, 2018
Leaked: Samsung Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+ Press Renders

This seems to have become a daily occurrence. The upcoming Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ have been leaked again, this time in their press renders. The new flagship phones from Samsung will be launched on the 25th of February, as confirmed by the company.

The image doesn’t reveal anything we did not know till now. No prizes for guessing here that the design of the phones is identical to their predecessors. The bottom bezel appears to be thinner ever so slightly. The rest remains the same, at least on the front. To the back, the components of the phone will be placed a bit differently. Again, something that we have known through weeks of renders and leaks.

Image via: @evleaks Galaxy S9+, S9 rear components layout

The fingerprint sensor will be placed below the camera module on both the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. While the Samsung Galaxy S9 will have a single camera, the Galaxy S9+ will have a vertically-placed dual-camera setup. Interestingly, the Galaxy Note8 was the first ever Samsung phone with a dual-camera setup and the cameras were placed horizontally.

[amazon_link asins=’B06Y3GYZKW’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’igyaan-21′ marketplace=’IN’ link_id=’bb26268e-0340-11e8-9a44-df758d466e62′]

This change in the Galaxy S9+ could purely be for design purposes as the fingerprint placement has also changed. Or, it could’ve been done to have another design difference between the ‘S’ and the ‘Note’ series. The glass back remains the same and so does the button placements. It looks like Bixby button is going nowhere, hopefully, Samsung will let us remap it.

One thing that is a bit bothering are the bezels on the left and right side of the screen. This looks like an error more than anything else as the Galaxy S8 and S8+ had a much better design with the edge display. It seems highly improbable that Samsung will go ahead with such bezels on the side.

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.

Leaked Galaxy S9 Dummy Video

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+

The Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ are expected to be the most sought after flagship phones at least in the early part of 2018. Let’s hope the side bezels remain constrained to the images and the real deal look more like their predecessors.

January 27, 2018
Apple HomePod Smart Speaker Up For Pre-Orders For US$ 349

Apple announced its Siri-powered smart speaker HomePod at its developer conference in June 2017. At the time, the company said it would go on sale in December 2017. However, due to some reasons, Apple pushed the release and it is now finally available in the US, UK and Australia at a price of US$ 349. The HomePod will hit the stores on February 9th and that is the shipping date of the pre-ordered units as well. It will be available in two colour variants, white and space grey.

While the fanfare around an Apple product launch is enough for it to be sold out within minutes, the HomePod is still available for pre-orders. Even though it is a new kind of product from Apple, the company still makes about two-thirds of its sales from its smartphones.

The HomePod is powered by Apple’s A8 chip, which also powered the iPhone 6. It has built-in Siri, six microphones and HomeKit support to control compatible smart home devices. An interesting feature is the ability to automatically optimise sound for a given room. The Google Home Max also has a similar feature where it automatically optimises the sound based on where it is kept in a room. It also has seven tweeters and a high excursion woofer.

Despite the late launch, the HomePod will ship without features like AirPlay 2, which allows pairing and multiroom audio. Apple has said that those features will be added via a software update.

The Competition

Amazon and Google are its two biggest competitors in this industry. For its size, the Apple HomePod is the priciest offering in the market. The Google Home Max is much larger and is priced at US$ 399. The Google Home is priced at US$129 while the Amazon Echo costs US$ 99. Both Google and Amazon offer an ultra-affordable variant of their smart speakers, the Google Home Mini and Amazon Echo Dot. Both are priced at US$ 49.

A lot of smart speakers in the market also support Spotify playback, the most successful music streaming service now. The HomePod, however, will only support Apple Music.

There is no word on the HomePod’s availability in the Indian market as of now. With Google also not bringing its smart speakers in the Indian market, it’ll be interesting to see both the company’s strategy for India.

You can pre-order it here

January 27, 2018