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Top Tech And Smartphone Deals For The Amazon Great Indian Sale

Amazon’s Great Indian Sale is back and we have some amazing tech deals for you to save some bank. The sale will be on from 9th August to 12th August. So, let’s shop!

Apple iPhone SE (32GB)

The Apple iPhone SE is perfect for people who still reminisce the old iPhone form factor but want better performance than an iPhone 5/5s. The iPhone SE features a 4-inch IPS LCD display along with A9 chipset. On the back is a 12MP camera with an f/2.2 aperture and LED flash. The front camera is a 1.2MP sensor with an f/2.4 aperture. The iPhone SE usually retails for Rs 26,000 but during the Amazon sale, it will be available for Rs 19,999.

Apple iPhone 7 (32GB)

Last year’s Apple iPhone 7 is still one of the best phones in the market. It features a 4.5-inch 1334 x 750 px display along with A10 Fusion chipset. On the camera front, it has a 12MP rear camera with an f/1.8 aperture and a front facing 7MP camera with an f/2.2 aperture. Th rear camera captures video at 3840 x 2160 px while the front camera records video at 1920 x 1080 px. The iPhone 7 usually retails at Rs 56,200 but will be available for Rs 42,999 during the sale.

Moto G5 Plus

The Moto G5 plus is one of the most famous Moto phones in the Indian market. Known for its superior camera quality considering its price, the Moto G5 Plus is the perfect pick if camera quality is your top priority and you want to save some bucks. The device features a 12MP rea=facing camera with an f/1.7 aperture and a 5MP front-facing camera with an f/2.2 aperture. The rear camera records videos at 3840 x 2160 px at 30 FPS. The Moto G5 Plus will be available for Rs 14,999 as opposed to its usual price of Rs 16,999.

Samsung On 7 Pro

The On 7 Pro is Samsung’s budget offering in the sub-10K category. It packs a 5.5-inch 1080 x 720 px display along with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 chipset. On the camera front, the device features a 12MP rear-facing camera with an f/2.1 aperture and a front-facing 5MP camera with an f/2.2 aperture. It usually retails for Rs 9,490 but is available for Rs 8,190 right now.

JBL GO Wireless Bluetooth Speaker

The JBL GO Bluetooth Speaker is a great budget bluetooth speaker. It is available in 8 colours for you to choose from. At 132 g, it is extremely light and portable. It has a 3.5mm jack to connect your device via an AUX cable and charges through a micro-USB port. It has a built-in microphone to receive calls as well. The JBL GO speaker usually retails for Rs 3,490 but is available for a price of Rs 1,899 right now.

August 9, 2017
Sharp’s AQUOS S2 Has A Bezel-Less Display That Looks A Lot Like The Essential Phone

Edge-to-edge displays are fast becoming a staple in flagship devices with big players like Samsung, LG and reportedly Apple adopting the technology for their smartphones. Sharp’s AQUOS S2 is the Japanese company’s 29th device with similar design and it looks uncannily similar to the Essential phone PH-1.

The AQUOS S2 has a front camera notch at the top just like the Essential phone but has a smaller 5.5-inch 2040 x 1080 px display with 135-percent sRGB gamut and 550-nit brightness. The trimmed corners though, are very prominent due to its thin bezels and might throw some people off. Talking about thin bezels, the AQUOS S2 is rocking an 87.5 percent screen-to-body-ratio. You still get a decent 3,030mAh battery powering the device. The phone comes in two variants- one is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 along with 6GB RAM and 128GB onboard storage and the other one packs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 with 4GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage. The onboard storage is expandable via microSD card up to 256GB. The phone is running on Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box.

In terms of optics, the f/1.75 dual camera on the back consists of a 12-megapixel sensor plus an 8-megapixel sensor, both also feature a large 1.4um pixel size and together offer a seven-level bokeh effect. On the front is an 8-megapixel 1.4um sensor with an f/2.0 aperture. Sharp claims that the S2 has passed its “rigorous” drop tests for all six sides and four corners thanks to its aluminium mid-frame design. The S2 has ditched the old bone conduction actuator in favour of a conventional earpiece that’s hidden underneath the screen, next to the front camera, with its audio channelled to a thin pipe placed along the top edge of the screen for clearer sound.

The Sharp AQUOS S2’s availability in markets other than Japan is not yet clear, But China seems to be getting the phone as pre-orders have started. The standard model with Snapdragon 630, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage is priced at 2,499 Yuan (about $370 or Rs. 24000), and it comes in black, white, blue or mint green. The premium model due to arrive later is priced at 3,499 Yuan (about $520, Rs. 33000) and packs a Snapdragon 660, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage doesn’t have the mint green option.

August 8, 2017
Google Pixel 2 Renders Show New Colors And Big Bezels

A new render shows the upcoming Google Pixel revision-2 in its full glory, however, all is not good in leak-land. On one hand, the new design leak may show some exciting colors with some Google style exciting names like “Abundantly Red” and “Really Blue.” The front side on the other hand, shows the phone that looks like something right out of 2016. The Google Pixel for 2017 will be manufactured by LG, a company that has showcased that it is more than capable of making bezel less phones with the LG G6 and the upcoming LG Q5 and LG v30. The Google Pixel 2 seems to take a more conservative approach to bezels it appears. The Pixel 2 pictured has a big forehead and chin above and below the display along with considerable side bezel action.

The Google Pixel 2 is expected to have some simple design changes like a relocated glass shade at the back, a newer build material, removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack and possible IP68 waterproofing as well. But if these renders are anything to go by, and the display is as mundane and boring as it appears to be, we might see the most unsuccessful Google made phone this year.

The Google Pixel 2 is rumoured to run the Snapdragon 835 chipset and be offered with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of Storage along with Android O out of the box. The Google Pixel 2 is also expected to have a slightly larger battery and improved cameras when in comparison to the camera of the original Pixel which was one of the biggest positives of the “Google Phone” last year. The pixel 2 will also feature forward firing stereo speakers according to leaks.

The new “Abundantly Red” colour shown by phonearena does catch the eye and hopefully, Google does end up launching a red colored Pixel, as that alone may be reason enough to consider the phone, that and the fact that it may still be the best Android Phone out of the box, design not considered that is. This red with black front, may just be what the doctor ordered though.

August 8, 2017
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Leaked In Live Pictures
While Samsung is prepping the Launch of the Galaxy Note 8, it appears the company may not have much to launch as a new leak showcases the phone in all its glory. The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is pretty much a sneak image compilation from on of Samsung’s pre-launch briefings the company holds with media and partners.

The images show the Galaxy Note 8 in the Midnight Black colour variant and the pre-setup of the ‘always on’ feature which is common for Samsung devices. Although the images are not of the highest quality, it’s as good as it gets when it comes to leaks. The virtual home button is also visible in one of the images with the display layout much like the Samsung Galaxy S8+.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will be the first Samsung phone to feature a dual-camera setup and these images confirm that as well. As expected, the fingerprint sensor sits beside the dual-camera and the phone is reminiscent of the Note series in terms of the build. The Galaxy Note 8 shown in the images has a square-ish body unlike the Galaxy S8 and S8+ with Samsung’s signature curved edge display on top. The leaked images are a pretty good look at the upcoming Galaxy Note 8 and the date on the phone suggests that it was captured recently.

Expected Specifications of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 8:
- Launch- August 23
- Price – $1100 (approximately INR 71,000
- Display- 6.3-inch Super AMOLED
- Battery- 3,300 mAh battery
- Chipset- Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
- OS- Android Nougat 7.1.1
- RAM- 6GB
- Storage- 64GB/128 GB
- Camera- 12-megapixel dual camera
- Improved S-Pen functionalities
- Iris Scanner and Fingerprint sensor
August 8, 2017
iPhone X Leaked Case Render Shows All Screen And No Home Button

The iPhone 8 is nearing its launch and the rumour are running on a frenzy, churning out new leaks and renders every other day. The recent leaks have mostly surrounded around the iPhone 8’s camera hardware, but the latest leak has everyone talking about the design (again).

Evan Blass tweeted a photo of the iPhone 8 encased in a neon yellow case and shows off an edge-to-edge display with no home button below the screen. The image suggests that the notch on the top of the phone will house all the sensors and the dual-cameras which will be used for 3D mapping for FaceID. Latest HomePod firmware leak has seemingly confirmed that Apple will go all out with facial recognition as reports of it ditching TouchID on the 2017 flagship catches on. The image doesn’t reveal much, except very thin bezels and an almost screen front of the device.

iPhone 8 (encased) pic.twitter.com/9LpARCAML2
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) August 8, 2017

The extension of the screen on the left and right side of the notch shows the battery percentage and signal strengths. This seems to strengthen the rumours that Apple will make certain tweaks to the software to take optimal advantage of the huge screen real estate. As usual, you need to take this leak with a pinch of salt as the date on the phone is that of March, meaning the image could be a few months old.

The possibilities of a bezel-less iPhone 8 have increased in the past few months especially after the success of Samsung Galaxy S8 and S+ and the LG G6 with their edge-to-edge displays. If Apple does decide to take the bezel-less display route, it will be interesting to see its implementation of iOS on the flagship device. 2017 is turning out to be the year where flagships shift to bezel-less phones with reports of the LG V30 and Google Pixel XL 2 also reportedly sporting such displays. Even the Essential phone PH-1 has a bezel-less display and Evan Blass even pointed out the similarities between the two devices.

August 8, 2017
Sony Xperia XZ1 With Android 8.0 Spotted

A new leak suggests that the Sony Xperia XZ1 will feature a 19 MP camera and Android 8.0. Sony is expected to launch the Xperia XZ1, Xperia XZ1 Compact and the Xperia X during the Sony pre-IFA launch event on August 31.

The listing on GFXbenchmarking shows two models – G8341 and G8342. As per the listing, the Sony Xperia XZ1 will have a 5.1-inch 1920 x 1080 px display and 5-finger gesture support. The device will feature a 2.4GHZ octa-core processor along with Adreno 540 GPU. The device will run on Android 8.0 and has 4GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage out of which 50GB will be available to the user. The listing doesn’t show the battery size or whether the onboard storage is expandable or not.

The rear camera on Xperia XZ1 will be an 18MP with autofocus and an LED flash which will record videos at 3840 x 2160 px. The front-facing camera is a 12MP lens which will also record video at 3840 x 2160 px (4K). The GFX listing shows that the device has connectivity features like Bluetooth, GPS, NFC and WiFi. As per the GFX listing, the device has an accelerometer, gyroscope, light sensor and proximity sensor as well.

An earlier Geekbench leak suggested that the Xperia XZ1 will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset making it the flagship device out of the three phones. The phones will be unveiled come IFA, Berlin by Sony and the latest leak suggests that the XZ1 might be one of the first few phones to run on Android 8.0. the Xperia XZ1 Compact will be a smaller version of the XZ1 with a 4.6-inch 1080 x 720 px display and a 2,800mAh battery.

August 8, 2017
LG V30 Gets Leaked in LG’s own Marketing Campaign
Every phone launch is preceded with plenty of rumours and renders which are to be taken with a pinch of salt. But rarely does a marketing campaign by the manufacturer of the device, leak its own most anticipated phone of the year. The LG V30 is an exception. If you don’t know it yet, LG and Joseph Gordon-Lewitt, the Hollywood actor/filmmaker has been collaborating to host annual creative competitions that often involve participants filming something with an LG phone for the past couple of years. This year is no different, apparently.

This year, the recent video submissions feature an unreleased phone which is slated to launch on August 31 at IFA, Berlin. Yes, we are talking about the highly anticipated 2017 flagship, the LG V30. This year’s competition ended on July 31st, and the submissions went live on 7th August. The stills from these entries match up with numerous rumours about the V30. The images, although hazy, clearly show a dual-camera setup and a fingerprint scanner at the back, just like its predecessor the LG V20. The more minimalistic and rounded off bezels are also visible in a front-angle image.

LG recently announced that it’s shifting to OLED panels from now and the LG V30 will be the first device to feature one. This will be the key difference between the V30 and the V20, along with a spec bump, of course. The launch of the new flagship is just a few days away now, so let’s take a look at what might be the key specifications of the V30 –
- Launch: August 31
- Price : $700 (Rs 45,000 approx.)
- Display: 6-inch POLED
- OS: Android Nougat 7.1.1
- Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
- RAM: 4GB or 6GB
- Storage: 32GB/64GB/128GB
- Battery: 3,300 mAh battery
- Fingerprint sensor
- Camera: 13-megapixel dual-camera
- Wireless charging
- ESS Quad DAC
The Joseph Gordon-Lewitt collaboration seems to have put LG’s marketing team in hot waters. The launch is now imminent and we seem to have a clearer picture of what the device might look like.
August 8, 2017
OnePlus 5 Launched In Soft Gold Colour Variant

OnePlus has announced that the OnePlus 5 will be available in a limited edition gold colour variant. Much like the OnePlus 3, the new colour will be called the “Soft Gold” colour, it will be available with 6GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage. The new colour variant’s front is white, unlike the black front on the Slate Gray and Midnight Black colour variants. OnePlus has also announced that the Slate Gray colour variant will soon be available with 8GB RAM and 128GB onboard storage which was only available in 6GB RAM/64GB onboard storage till now.

OnePlus teased its followers on social media a few days ago that a new colour variant of the OnePlus 5 will be unveiled soon, and everyone anticipated a RED device. Prior to the launch of the OnePlus 5, it was speculated that it will be launched in a red as well as a blue colour variant. Sadly, that was not to be and OnePlus launched its 2017 flagship in a Slate Gray and Midnight Black colours. The Soft Gold colour is just like the one on the 3 and 3T and has a soft finish at the back.

Keeping OnePlus 5’s design and the dual camera setup’s uncanny resemblance to the iPhone 7 Plus in mind, a RED colour variant was not a far-fetched idea. All of that, however, it was just speculation as the Soft Gold variant was announced on 7th August. The new limited edition colour variant will be an Amazon exclusive but the date for India launch has not been announced yet.

OnePlus recently rolled out OxygenOS update 4.5.7 which seemingly fixed EIS (electronic image stabilisation) in 4K video in the OnePlus 5 and even featured a new Slate font. However, soon after the update there were reports of the device facing stutters during gaming and battery drain issues for Jio users. These complaints along with previous reports of a jelly scrolling effect prompted OnePlus to abort the 4.5.7 update. OnePlus later announced that it has started rolling out 4.5.8 update fixing the issues while featuring EIS in 4K video and the new font.

The white front on the new colour of variant of the OnePlus 5, makes its lack of an edge-to-edge display that more prominent and the look of the phone doesn’t hold up against many flagships of 2017 so far. Apart from the colour, the new variant of the OnePlus 5 has all the flagship specifications just like the other two variants. It runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Chipset along with 6GB RAM and 128GB onboard storage. The device has a 3,300mAh battery, a 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 px AMOLED display and a 16MP and 20MP dual camera setup at the back. The 20MP camera is a telephoto lens that enables 2X lossless optical zoom.

August 8, 2017
Samsung Has Shipped Over 20 Million Galaxy S8 Units

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ was launched back in April and received rave reviews for its display and camera performance. And now, a report by market research firm, suggests that Samsung has already shipped over 20 million units of the Galaxy S8/S8+ since its launch.

While we eagerly await the launch of the Galaxy Note 8, the Galaxy S8 and S8+ aren’t faring too bad in the market even after three-and-a-half months post their launch. The reported 20 million+ units shipped so far, translates to about 2,78,000 units per day, since April 21st. Compared to Samsung’s shipping volume of last year’s Galaxy S7, the company’s Mobile Division Chief, Koh Dong-Jin, says that S8 shipments have increased by approximately 15% in comparison to the S7 shipments sent out in 2016.

This news follows another report that claimed that Samsung had shipped a total of 79 million smartphone units in Q2 of 2017. This figure helped Samsung maintain its spot as the number one smartphone maker in the world. Huawei will be vying for the second spot which currently belongs to Apple. With the launch of the Galaxy Note 8 just a few days away, Samsung looks all set to solidify its top position.

Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ was extremely well-received for its bezel-less curved edge display and superior camera quality. It launched with top-of-the-line specifications like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset along with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage. Samsung decided to go with a single 12MP camera with an f/1.7 aperture. The improved performance of Samsung’s TouchWiz UI was a welcome change which ran on top Android Nougat 7.1.

August 5, 2017
LG V30 Image Leak Showing A Prototype Of The Upcoming Smartphone

LG has recently announced that the LG V30 will be the ‘first smartphone from LG to sport a plastic OLED FullVision display.’ The company is expected to launch its V30 flagship in a press event on 31st August at IFA in Berlin.

Following the LG V30’s renders, a leaked image of the smartphone’s prototype has recently surfaced. The image is reported to be an engineering unit of V30. This hands-on photo of the device confirms the widely reported features like the P-OLED display, and the bezel-less 18:9 form factor, similar to this year’s LG G6.

Leaked Image Of The LG V30 Prototype

The picture showcases the V30’s front-facing camera on the top-left and a 6-inch POLED display. By the looks of the leaked image, LG’s claims of reducing the top and bottom bezels by 20 per cent and 50 per cent appear to be true. LG will be replacing the ‘V’ series hallmark feature, the secondary display at the top with a “floating bar.” Speculations are, that the newly introduced feature will work similar to the V10 and V20’s secondary display by revealing the time, date, notifications, etc.

So far, here’s what we know about the LG V30

LG’s flagship device is expected to run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Chipset with 4GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage. Along with a POLED display, the LG V30 is rumoured to be powered by a 3,300mAh battery with support for wireless charging. On the camera front, the smartphone will feature a 13MP dual-camera setup along with a fingerprint sensor at the back, much like the other flagships of the year.

Rumoured to be priced at around USD 700 (approximately INR 45000), LG V30 is expected to go on sale about a month after its launch in August, with pre-orders starting on September 17.

August 5, 2017
OnePlus 5 Receives Update Fixing EIS In 4K Video

OnePlus burst onto the scene in 2014 by claiming that its device, the OnePlus One had flagship specifications on a budget price. OnePlus further delivered on the promise with its OnePlus 2, 3 and 3T. After the success of its first four devices, the OnePlus 5 was heavily anticipated.

Despite the controversies and design plagiarism claims, OnePlus 5 was well-received for its premium user experience and snappy performance. OnePlus has finally started rolling out an OxygenOS update that brings in EIS for 4K videos.

The company had removed optical image stabilisation (OIS) from the OnePlus 5 and capped EIS to only 1080P videos. The decision to discontinue OIS in OnePlus 5 which featured on the cheaper 3T raised a few eyebrows, but OnePlus promised that an update will fix that issue. Lack of OIS meant that the OnePlus 5 had shaky low-light performance and the 4K video quality was heavily panned.

The OxygenOS 4.5.7 update, which is now rolling out to users in a phased manner, brings along EIS feature for 4K recording, as per the changelog posted by the company. This feature brings image stabilisation to 4K videos for more stable footage from the OnePlus 5. Apart from the EIS, the update also brings along a new OnePlus Slate font, which will offer font customisation option to the users. The OxygenOS update, additionally comes with July security patch for the OnePlus 5, along with the latest GMS (Google Mobile Services). The company says that the update brings along optimisations for Wi-Fi connectivity, standby battery life, and automatic backlight adjustments.

OnePlus has also recently teased a new colour variant, widely rumoured to be Soft Gold for the 2017 flagship. The company finally looks set to leave the controversies in the past and move ahead with strengthening its current device with timely updates.

NOTE– OnePlus has aborted the OxygenOS update 4.5.7 due to complaints of gaming glitches and battery drain for Jio users. OnePlus has announced that it is rolling out 4.5.8 update fixing all the bugs as well as bringing EIS to 4K video recording and the new Slate font to all OnePlus 5 devices.

August 5, 2017
LG Q6 to Launch In India On August 10 For Rs 14,990

LG recently unveiled the Q6, a less powerful variant of the G6 with the same bezel-less FullVision display. And now, LG has announced that the Q6 will launch in India on August 10 at a price of “Rs 1_,990” and will be an Amazon-exclusive. LG launched the Q6 in three variants in South Korea – Q6a, Q6, and Q6+ and might launch the Q6+ in India as the Q6.

The LG Q6 features a 5.5-inch 2160 x 1080 px full HD display with an impressive 78% screen-to-body ratio. The device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 Chipset with an octa-core 1.3GHz Cortex-A53 processor. The smartphone will be available in 2Gb/3GB/4GB RAM and 16Gb/32GB/64GB onboard storage variants. The onboard storage can be expanded up to 256GB via a microSD card. As stated earlier, India might get the most powerful variant, the Q6 with 4GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage. In terms of optics, the smartphone is equipped with a 13MP single rear camera sensor, unlike the dual-camera setup on the flagship G6. On the front of the device is a 5MP front-facing camera with a wide-angle lens.

The device is powered by a 3,000mAh battery with support for fast charging. The version of fast charging is not confirmed yet. A big omission from the Q6 is the fingerprint sensor, which nowadays is a standard feature even in mid-range devices. LG has also added a facial recognition feature, but its accuracy is for the consumer to judge.

The mid-ranger will be available in Astro Black, Ice Platinum, Mystic White and Terra Gold colour variants. LG might have decided to go with a mediocre chipset and single camera setup, but made up for the mid-range specs with a near bezel-less display. The teaser shared by LG doesn’t confirm the price yet, but the LG Q6 is expected to cost between Rs 17,000-Rs 20,000.

August 5, 2017
Google Pixel 2 Image Leak, Showing Familiar Thick Bezels

Google’s next in the Pixel lineup, the Pixel 2 and the Pixel XL 2 are set to release later this year. Google’s 2017 Pixel smartphones have been at the centre of various rumours for a while now. Though no official announcements have been made yet, the speculations and leaks have offered a good enough idea about how the next flagship devices will turn out to be.

New reports have surfaced, offering further insight to the Pixel 2. The current updates confirm few of the earlier speculations, like the lack of a headphone jack and offer the first live image of the device.

Google Pixel 2 Leaked Image

The image shows that the Pixel 2, contrary to the past leaks, will adopt a similar design of its predecessor. The top and bottom bezels on the front side remain just as large as last year’s Pixel. Whereas, its larger sibling, the Pixel XL 2 is reported will have have the top bezel cut-out similar to the iPhone 8.

Apart from that, both the Pixel 2 and the Pixel XL 2 are expected to feature a 5-inch and a 6-inch curved glass around the flat OLED display. Speculated to have an improved processor and a single-lens, dual-flash rear camera setup, both the devices will most likely be water resistant and are expected to run on Snapdragon 835 chipset and with 4GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage.

On the design front, the smartphones will have the back panel similar to the Pixel. However, this time the rear has been redesigned to match the Pixel XL’s shorter glass frame that no longer encompasses the fingerprint sensor.

According to the reports, Google’s Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 will be manufactured by LG, whereas, the last year’s Pixel lineup was manufactured by HTC. Despite the change of hands, the upcoming Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 will feature HTC’s squeezable frame. And though the reports of Google ditching the 3.5mm headphone jack seem to be in tandem with the current speculation, the recent image also showcase front-facing stereo speakers in both the devices.

August 5, 2017
Samsung Will Continue With Rear-Mounted Fingerprint Sensor on The S9, Note 9 To Feature Screen Embedded Sensor

Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ launched earlier this year to great reviews for its great display and camera performance. Though the devices were dubbed as the phones to beat in 2017, not all was rosy in the Samsung world. Samsung received a lot of flak for the awkward placement of the rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. And according to KGI, the Galaxy S9 may be no different from its predecessors.

KGI has reported that the Galaxy S9, which is expected to release next year, will feature the same rear placed fingerprint sensor, while the Galaxy Note 9 will feature a screen embedded fingerprint sensor. The news of Samsung going with a similar fingerprint sensor setup as the S8 may be a little disappointing, but it doesn’t that mean that Samsung can’t change its placement to a little more ergonomic location.

The news of the Galaxy Note 9 featuring a screen embedded fingerprint sensor is a welcome one for consumers. Reports have suggested that since Apple dropped the technology for its upcoming iPhone 8, Samsung is not willing to risk the nascent technology in its Galaxy S9 either. It will, in fact, launch the Note 9 later in 2018 with the screen embedded fingerprint sensor. Samsung believes that the Galaxy S9 will have enough new features likes an improved iris scanner, dual-cameras etc. to become a hot-seller, come 2018. Hence, it can afford to preserve the screen embedded sensor for its fall release.

Although the Galaxy Note 9 will be revealed as the first Samsung smartphone to carry screen embedded technology, it is worth noting that the screen embedded sensors will cost 4-5 times more than the previously employed fingerprint sensors. Samsung will also switch from Synaptics to Egis at the time of the Note’s release to supply the company with fingerprint sensors on the Galaxy Note 9.

Samsung will unveil the Galaxy Note 8 on August 23 and although the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy Note 9 are far from its release, these reports suggest that the 2018 flagships have some interesting features in store for the consumers.

August 5, 2017
Samsung OLED Production Lines For iPhone 8 Ramping Up To Full Capacity

As the launch of the iPhone 8 approaches, a new report suggests that Apple is claiming almost one third of Samsung’s OLED displays for the upcoming iPhone 8’s screens.

Samsung has reportedly geared up to operate seven of its next-generation OLED production lines at full capacity, all of which are dedicated to Apple and the iPhone 8. By ramping up their scale of production, Samsung Display, a unit of Samsung, is now able to manufacture about 45,000 panels a month for OLED displays, out of which 15,000 of them are allegedly reserved for Apple.

Samsung Display being the only supplier of the Apple iPhone 8’s OLED screens, the manufacturer, is said to further increase the production from 15,000 panels per month for Apple to 105,000 panels per month. The report says that full-scale production will begin later this month, with output capacity increasing by 700%.

At this rate and capacity, Samsung Display facilities are expected to yield approximately 130 million 5.8-inch screens per year. However, due to Apple’s specific requests, which involve “high degree of technical difficulty”, the actual production may decrease to 60% (which will amount to about 79 million displays for Apple iPhone 8).

Subsequently, the current reports of Samsung facing technical challenges during OLED display manufacturer for its future iPhones, seem to validate the rumours of production delays for the next iPhone, potentially leading to a limited iPhone 8 launch.

Though Samsung is currently reported to be the sole supplier of the OLED displays for the iPhone 8, it might not be the case for long. Apple seems to be already on a hunt for a new OLED display supplier for its future iPhones.

Recent announcements of Apple investing $2.7 billion in LG Display to help set up new OLED production lines dedicated for the future iPhones seems a little less than promising for Samsung. Subsequently, LG is also planning to invest $13 billion in OLED production over the next three years in order to continue its dominance in the OLED TV screen market. The company hopes to “make inroads against rival Samsung in smartphone displays.” Irrespective, Samsung is building the world’s largest OLED production plant in hopes of getting future Apple orders.

August 5, 2017