Category: Hardware News

Latest news from the World of Hardware

HTC One M10: Everything We Know So Far

There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding the launch of HTC’s next flagship device. The HTC One M10 has been floating between CES and MWC for a while. HTC is still enjoying the launch of the One A9, but fans have already been asking about the One M10, and HTC is likely to reveal the device within the first quarter. Here’s everything we know about the flagship device so far.

Display

Being a successor to the One M9, the HTC One M10 will look to improve on specs wherever it can. The new iteration is said to come with a 5.5-inch QHD display. You can expect some bright, crisp colours under a Gorilla Glass 4 protection.

HTC One M9+

Design

The design of the One M10 is expected to be slimmer and sharper than its predecessor. To help with that, the device will carry the all-metal, unibody form factor associated with HTC flagships, along with curved edges and bezels to give it an attractive look.

Camera

The One M9 had 20 MP primary camera that proved a little underwhelming, especially in comparison to the sharper, brighter images seen in Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and LG’s G4. HTC is going to have to make some serious improvements in the camera department if it wants to be a killer device. Rumours suggest that the One M10 will sport a bigger 27 MP camera with face detection autofocus technology.

The front camera also boasts of high megapixels for selfie lovers. However, these rumours should be taken with a pinch of salt. It is also possible that HTC will continue with a 20 MP camera and will rather focus on improving the quality of images.

HTC One M10 Concept

Processor

HTC is perhaps waiting till the end of March to release the One M10 so that it can release its device with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset under the hood. You may remember that Samsung has claimed exclusivity of the new chipset for the first three months.

If HTC wants to come out with a powerful new flagship, then it will need to sport a powerful new chip to compete with the likes of the upcoming Galaxy S7 and Xiaomi Mi 5 devices, to name a few. Apart from the Snapdragon 820 chip, the One M10 will also use a graphics card that will improve graphic quality of images for visually appealing gaming experience,

Other Features

One of the highlights of the upcoming flagship is that it will feature a Touch ID fingerprint scanner for maximum security for the device. Other than that, the One M10 will likely sport 4 GB of RAM with 16 GB and 32 GB internal storage variants. The device is also rumoured to feature a battery capacity of 3,500mAh. The device will come pre-installed with Android 6.1, which is another good piece if information.

The above mentioned specs are merely a roundup of all the rumours that have been floating around. Over the next few weeks, you can expect more details to emerge as well as some confirmation for the existing rumours and some images of the device as well. Follow this space for more on HTC’s upcoming flagship smartphone.

January 2, 2016
Asus Zenfone Max Will Launch on January 4

Asus is set to launch the Zenfone Max on the 4th of January, with a massive battery of 5000mAh. The company posted a tweet today reminding fans to mark their calendars. The new device in the Zenfone line sports a 5.5-inch HD IPS display with 267 ppi pixel density and Corning Gorilla Glass on top.

#BeUnstoppable in 2016.Mark your calendar for the 4th of January 12PM, Get Notified here https://t.co/NltJce82kA pic.twitter.com/b1xncgmPCs

— ASUS India (@ASUSIndia) January 1, 2016

Under the hood you get Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 410 chipset with a 1.2GHz Cortex-A53 quad-core processor. The device will be offered in 8GB and 16GB storage variant (expandable up to 128GB), with 2GB of RAM. on the camera front, the Zenfone Max packs a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP selfie shooter with laser autofocus, dual-LED, geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection and panorama.

The handset will run on Android 5.1 Lollipop (upgradable to Marshmallow) with Asus ZenUI on top. The massive battery on the Zenfone Max also lets you use the device as a power bank to charge other smartphones and tablets.

Lastly, the device will be available in black and white colour options and can be purchased exclusively from Flipkart starting January 4. You’ll have to wait till the 4th for the official price of the device.

January 1, 2016
Asus Pegasus X005 Images and Specs Leaked

Looks like Asus is all set to launch a new smartphone under its budget Pegasus lineup of devices. The X005 has passed China’s TENAA certification, which means the device is ready to be sold in the Chinese market soon.

The certification also revealed some details about the device. The Asus Pegasus X005 will sport a 5.5-inch 1080p touchscreen, a 13 MP rear camera with LED flash, a 5 MP front, a 1.3 GHz octa-core CPU, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable storage, 4G, and dual-SIM functionality. The handset runs Android 5.1 Lollipop with Zen UI on top.

The specs of the X005 are similar to the Pegasus X002, but the design of the new model is something new in the lineup. The X005 sports a metal frame and a unibody design, according to the image. The handset will come in three colour variants – Blue, White and Gold. You can expect an official announcement of the Asus Pegasus X005 soon.

January 1, 2016
Samsung Galaxy A9 with 6-Inch Display is Now Official

Just yesterday we told you that Samsung’s new Galaxy A9 device passed China’s TENAA certification. This meant that a launch was soon expected. But it turns out that ‘soon’ meant ‘today’. Yes, China has finally unveiled the 6-inch Galaxy A9 smartphone today.

The announcement confirms the rumoured specs that we have come to know about the device. The Galaxy A9 sports a big 6-inch Full HD AMOLED display and a metal frame. Powering the device is a Snapdragon 652 (earlier named 620) chipset with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage.

The new handset also features a fingerprint scanner embedded in its home button, and will run on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. The device features a 13 MP primary camera with a wide f/1.9 aperture and optical image stabilisation, and an 8 MP front. The Galaxy A9 also packs a massive 4,000mAh battery with QuickCharge support.

Connectivity support includes Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, bluetooth v4.1, GPS/Beidou and NFC. The only thing remains is the price, which is yet to announced.

December 24, 2015
LG G5 Could Sport a Dual Rear Camera Setup

it looks like some rumours about LG’s upcoming flagship device, G5, are indeed true. One of the rumours that had been making the rounds was that the LG G5 will sport a dual camera set-up at the back – 16 MP and 8 MP. A new leaked image shared by a Reddit user confirms this rumour. The image reveals the devices back, showing two cameras fitted under a black panel.

The Redditor also revealed some specs as well. The device will sport a 5.3-inch Quad HD display, powered by the new Snapdragon 820 SoC with 3 GB of RAM and an 8 MP front. Other specs include a full metal body, SIM and MicroSD slot, heart rate sensor that’s under the camera module, a fingerprint sensor embedded in the power button, a USB Type-C port, bottom firing speaker and an IR blaster on top.

No word yet on when LG plans to launch the device. However, as Samsung has claimed exclusivity to the Snapdragon 820 chipset for the first three months, which likely means that any other device sporting the same will be launched only after March.

Source

December 24, 2015
New Photos of Samsung Galaxy A9 Reveal Design

Expected to be unveiled at the CES in January, Samsung’s new Galaxy A9 smartphone is set to become one of the largest smartphones by the company with a 6-inch 1080p Super AMOLED screen. The handset recently passed the FCC and today, the device has been approved by China’s Telecommunication Equipment Certification Center, which means it’s ready to be sold in China soon.

The certification body also reconfirmed what we’ve come to know about the rumoured specs and has also revealed some new images of the device. The Samsung Galaxy A9 is going to sport a 6-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display and a metal frame. It will also have a battery marked at 4000 mAh to match the huge screen.

The device will be powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 620 (or 652, according to the new name change) processor clocked at 1.8 GHz. The new handset also features a fingerprint scanner embedded in its home button, and will run on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. The Galaxy A9 is also expected to include a 13 MP main camera, 8 MP front camera, 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage.

No word yet on the pricing of the device, but rumours suggest the A9 will be priced around $450 or close to Rs. 30,000.

Source

December 23, 2015
Samsung and LG Smartphones to Not Have 4K Displays in 2016

There have been a lot of talk around whether Samsung and LG are planning to embrace Ultra HD (4K) panels for its smartphones in 2016. Latest reports from iNEWS has stated that Samsung in particular will stick with QHD (2560 by 1440) panels due to lack of 4K content in the market. Another report suggests that LG is pulling out too.

Another reason behind this decision is perhaps the overheating issues and power efficiency with 4K panels from LG Display and Samsung Display. Samsung would have benefited from 4K displays for its smartphone as would have worked well its Gear VR headset. However, the population for Gear VR users is still mighty low as of now, which is why Samsung deemed it unnecessary.

What these companies are planning to do instead is try to improve on its existing displays in power draw and outdoor visibility, especially the 1440p panels that are expected in next year’s flagships. Currently, Sony is the only phone manufacturer with 4K display resolution in the market.

December 18, 2015
Samsung Galaxy A9 Passes FCC, Likely to Launch in January

Samsung is not just busy with the flagship Galaxy S7 devices. We know that Samsung likes to equally focus on its low-end and mid-range devices too. Just a few weeks ago, Samsung’s Galaxy A7 was spotted on FCC, which meant that an official announcement was imminent. Now, the upcoming Galaxy A9 device has been spotted on FCC as well. This means that the device will soon be available to the public.

Yesterday, Samsung announced that it would be present at the CES press conference in January. The company’s blog mentioned that some announcements will take place at the event, but mostly centred around TV and home appliances. While it’s almost certain that Samsung will not unveil its flagship S7 devices at the event, it is now highly likely that the Galaxy A9 will debut at the CES.

A couple of days ago, leaked images from China emerged revealing that the Samsung Galaxy A9 is going to sport a 6-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display. It will also have a battery marked at 4000 mAh to match the huge screen.

Other specs are expected to include a 13 MP main camera, 8 MP front camera, 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage. Additionally, the phone would also have a fingerprint scanner, will run on octa-core Snapdragon 620 and come equipped with Samsung Pay. The Galaxy A9 is expected to be priced around $450 or close to Rs. 30,000.

December 18, 2015
Samsung to Have Snapdragon 820 Exclusivity Until April

As we all know, Qualcomm is ready to start off the new year with its new and powerful Snapdragon 820 chipset. And it has also been rumoured that many of 2016’s flagship devices will sport the new chipset. However, word around the rumour mill is that Samsung is planning to keep the chipset to itself for the first three months.

Here’s why that is. As you may also know that Samsung is planning to unveil its next flagship Galaxy S7 devices. These devices will come in two versions. One will sport Qualcomm’s newest chipset while the other will feature the Exynos 8890 chipset. And Samsung wants exclusive rights to the Snapdragon 820, at least initially. The company wants to show off the new SoC with the Galaxy S7 before anyone else gets there.

So what does this mean for other companies like Xiaomi which is ready to launch the Mi 5 flagship smartphone with the Snapdragon 820 chipset? The Chinese company had already delayed the launch that was initially supposed to take place in December due to the launch of the Snapdragon 820 chipset. Now, if rumours are true and Samsung does indeed hold exclusive rights to the next-gen SoC until April, then this would mean that other flagship devices like the Mi 5 and LG G5 won’t see a launch in the first quarter.

Samsung’s next flagship smartphone has been rumoured to come with a pressure sensitive screen (like Apple’s 3D Touch), a retina scanner, a USB Type-C port, and an improved camera, among other things.

December 17, 2015
First of its Kind Sapphire Display to be Part of Bluboo’s Upcoming Smartphone

Bluboo, the Chinese manufacturer, may not exactly belong to the same league as OnePlus, Xiaomi or Huawei, but it’s definitely trying its best to make it there. The company is now reportedly working on Picasso, its new smartphone, and is trying to make it the first of its kind device.

Sources suggest that Picasso has an entirely sapphire display and is undergoing security and reliability tests right now. Sapphire is the second hardest element in the world after diamond and therefore is quite a fancy choice for the screen of a gadget.

A sapphire screen is highly resistant to scratches and breaking. Because sapphire is very costly, screens made out of the material have been restricted to small, premium and luxury devices in the past like high-end watches and some Vertu smartphones.

Bluboo incorporating sapphire in the screen of Picasso is definitely a first of its kind move. However, let’s see what this does to the price tag of the smartphone. Do you think smartphones need a sturdier screen, and if yes, could Bluboo may have found an (albeit super-expensive) answer?

December 16, 2015
iPad Air 3 to Launch Early Next Year Without 3D Touch

According to popular and trustworthy Apple insider, KGI’s Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPad Air 3 is set to launch in the first half of 2016. Kuo also stated that the upcoming 9.7-inch Apple tablet will not come 3D Touch capabilities.

…new iPad Air 3 in 1H16F unlikely to feature 3D Touch. We forecast that iPad Air 3 will opt not to feature 3D Touch because of production issues.

Kuo also said that the “3D Touch [is] one of the most severe production bottlenecks in iPhone 6s supply chain.” There have been no further details on the specs of the iPad Air 3 and we’ll no more as we approach the launch. It is likely that Apple will hold an event for the iPad Air 3 along with the rumoured 4-inch iPhone 6c.

Meanwhile, Kuo also states that the upcoming iPhone 7 flagship will include 3D Touch as was expected, and will have “similar technology & structure as the iPhone 6s.” The iPhone 7 launch will likely take place next September.

December 16, 2015
Xiaomi Mi 5 Specs Revealed in Online Retailer’s Website

Xiaomi fans are eagerly anticipating the new flagship smartphone, Mi 5, for a while now. The company has been delaying the launch of the device which was earlier supposed to come out by the end of this year, but will now see an early 2016 launch. This is also due to the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor due to feature in flagship devices in 2016.

For those who want to know a little more about the upcoming flagship device, we have something for you today. An online retailer’s website, Oppomart, has listed the Xiaomi Mi 5 along with what is quite possibly the confirmed specs of the device. (Update: the device has been taken down from the site)

The specifications confirm what have been rumoured about the device including the fact that it will indeed feature Snapdragon 820 processor under the hood. The Mi 5 will sport a 5.5-inch screen with quad HD (2560×1440) display, 20MP primary camera and an 8MP front.

The device will also come with 3,800mAh battery and 4G LTE support. RAM is set at 4GB and will offer 16GB/64GB/128GB storage options. The flagship is listed at a price of $599 ( Rs. 40000 approx.). It will also be available in classic white and black colours.

The actual look of the device is still a mystery as different sources have revealed different designs. The price listed on the website could differ after the actual launch of the device, but it does look likely that the company will stick to this price tag considering the next-gen specs listed. We’ll know more as we reach closer to the launch of the Xiaomi Mi 5.

December 16, 2015
Samsung Galaxy S7 to Have a Pressure Sensitive Display

Expected to make its debut during the Mobile World Congress in February 2016, Samsung Galaxy S7 is likely to arrive with a pressure sensitive display.Though Samsung is tight-lipped about its new smartphones, its silence hasn’t done much to keep speculations and rumours in check as Wall Street Journal reports that the display of S7 will be pressure sensitive.

Looks like Samsung is all set follow in the footsteps of Apple which cannot stop talking about the 3-D Touch of the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.

Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge

Additionally, Galaxy S7 will have a Type C USB Port which means the device will charge significantly faster. WSJ quotes sources that say that a single round of charging would “allow for a full day’s charge in under 30 minutes and in some cases significantly faster than that.”

There are rumours of a retina scanner as well to be included in the smartphone, but things are quite uncertain at this point. Like the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S7 will arrive in two variants, that is, S7 and S7 Edge. Once unveiled in February, it would take another couple of weeks before the smartphone is finally up and ready for shipping hopefully in March. Hold your breath until then.

December 15, 2015
Apple Reportedly Working on OLED Displays in a Secret Taiwanese Lab

Sources have revealed that Apple has opened a lab in Taiwan and has recruited at least 50 engineers to work on display tech for iPhone and iPad. It is further suggested that many of these engineers previously worked for companies like AU Optronics and Qualcomm.

While the company is working on making its displays thinner, lighter and more efficient, Bloomberg says Apple is working on OLED (organic light-emitting diodes) displays. They are not only thinner, but also require no back-lighting. LG and Samsung have previously employed the same tech in the screens of their various products from television sets to mobile phones.

The Apple iPad Pro

If Apple manages to incorporate its own in-house OLED displays, its supply demands from other manufacturers would go down, giving the company an edge over its counterparts. Any progress on the display front would mean less dependency on companies like Samsung Electronics, Sharp Corp. and Japan Display.

Meanwhile, there is immense secrecy around the lab with no external signs of Cupertino company anywhere close to it. Apple has declined to make any official comments about it.

Source

December 15, 2015
Huawei Honor 7 Enhanced Edition with Android 6.0 is Official

Huawei wants to bring its Honor brand to the U.S and it plans on doing that at the CES 2016 next month. Along with this comes the announcement of an enhanced version of the Huawei Honor 7. The enhanced edition will have Android 6.0 Marshmallow pre-loaded, as well as Huawei’s EMUI 4.0 skin running on top.

Calling it an enhanced version means the device is bound to bump up a spec or two. The new version will feature 32 GB of internal storage rather than 16 GB as seen in the original Honor 7. Other specs remain the same, however, with a 5.2-inch screen with an aluminium body. On the camera front, it comes with a 20MP rear camera with PDAF, fast focus (0.1s), and Sapphire lens cover. The front camera is 8MP along with 26mm wide angle lens, and front faced soft light feature.

The device will be powered by the Kirin 935 chipset with octal-core 2.2GHz CPU and Mali-T628 GPU. 3 GB of RAM, 3,100mAh battery and a fingerprint scanner add the final touches to the device. The Honor 7 Enhanced Edition is currently available in China and will make its way to the U.S soon.

The original Honor 7 was launched in India at a price of Rs. 22,999. No word yet on when the enhanced version will come to India. The

December 14, 2015