Smartphone News and Reviews, Latest Cellphones, Accessories, New Launches, Specifications, Details with Image and Video from Apple, Samsung, Lenovo, Moto, HTC, Xiaomi, Oneplus, Meizu, Sony, Lava, Micromax Yu Mobile and More.
Samsung has launched the Galaxy Tab Active 2 in the US, which is the successor of the Samsung Galaxy Active. There aren’t a lot of rugged tablets on the market, and this one from Samsung tried to fill that gaping hole. However, it doesn’t possess the best specifications out there by any stretch of the imagination. The rubber-like material will absorb the shock keeping the internal hardware and display intact. The tablet is priced at US$ 450 for the Wi-Fi version and is available on Samsung’s official website. Similarly, there is an LTE version, but the price is yet to be known.
Like most of the rugged devices, this is made to withstand various environmental conditions. Subsequently, the device is MIL-STD-810 certified with IP68 water and dust resistance rating. The retail package also includes a rugged S-Pen, which works even in wet conditions. The Galaxy Tab Active 2 can be mounted to a professional grade vehicle, which can charge via pogo pins. The pogo pins connect with the device magnetically to give a firm grip. In fact, the pogo pin looks similar to Apple’s MagSafe charger.
Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 Specs
The Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 has an 8 inch 1280 x 800 px resolution display with a 19:10 aspect ratio. Under the hood, the device is powered by the Exynos 7870 Octa-core chipset with 3GB RAM and 16GB storage which is expandable up 256GB using a micro SD card.
The Galaxy Tab Active 2 runs on Android 7 Nougat with Samsung Experience UI on the top. It is powered by a 4450 mAh user replaceable battery with fast charging capabilities via USB type C port.
The tablet has an 8MP primary camera with a single tone LED flash, which can record 1080p video @ 30fps. Similarly, the device has a 5MP front-facing camera.
Google has launched a new service called ‘Play Instant’. It essentially allows users to try out apps and games before downloading or purchasing them. Users don’t have to download a separate app for this service as it blends in with the new Play Store app. The feature will be compatible with all Android devices.
This is another step by Google to save data and storage. The company recently announced Android Go as well. It is a much more toned down version of Android, meant to work on devices with less than 1GB RAM. The new service means that users can now try out new apps before wasting a lot of data. For people who are low on storage, they can analyse an app and decide whether they should free up space on their smartphone or not.
Android Go
While it sounds archaic to have a smartphone running out of storage, there are still a lot of people who use entry-level Android devices that have 8GB of onboard storage. For such people, Play Instant is a great service. Interestingly, there are a few games that are a part of this service right now. At the time of writing, Google had listed six games that can be tried out without installing.
Simultaneously, Google has also introduced the new Play Games app. While it doesn’t have a UI overhaul, it now features an ‘Arcade’ tab. This is where users can discover new games by watching trailers of new and old games. The idea is for Play Games and Play Instant to tie in together and allow users to try out every game. That, however, is still in a distant future.
OnePlus has been actively promoting its upcoming launch of the OnePlus 6. The company has already struck a deal Sony to release an exclusive OnePlus 6 Avengers Edition. On social media, OnePlus has slowly teased a few features of the OnePlus 6 which are a first for the company. The buzz around the OnePlus 6 is certainly palpable as we move closer to the official launch. So, with the launch a couple of weeks away, what do we know about it so far?
Price
The OnePlus 5, at the time of its launch, was criticised for its price tag. The smartphone was priced higher than the OnePlus 3T and still didn’t offer features like wireless charging or water resistance. However, with a revamped design, the OnePlus 5T sort of justified the price tag. Looking at the recent leaks, it appears that the OnePlus 6 might cost up to a whopping Rs 48999. The base variant, however, could be priced between Rs 34999 to Rs 36999.
Design
The design is where the OnePlus 6 is expected to take things a “notch” further. OnePlus has confirmed that the OnePlus 6 will have a notch on the display while maintaining a thick chin at the bottom. Carl Pei, co-founder of OnePlus has revealed that getting rid of the chin meant that the company had to curve the display from the bottom, which Apple did. However, that would have increased the manufacturing of the smartphone a lot.
The company also confirmed that the OnePlus 6 will have an all-glass design, something the company has shied away from since the OnePlus X. Whether this means the device will also have wireless charging has not been confirmed yet. iGyaan received an exclusive image of the OnePlus 6 in a test case. The test case hides the bezels of the device but, the notch is visible in the image. If you zoom in on the top left corner of the image, the date on the desktop shows 23rd April, which is when our source sent this photo to us. A few people on Twitter thought the notch was photoshopped, but, if you zoom in, you can see the front camera and the earpiece, despite the image being clicked in dark.
Display
The OnePlus 6 will have a 6.28 inch Optic AMOLED display with a 2280 x 1080 px resolution. This weird resolution is a result of the notch. OnePlus is expected to retain the Optic AMOLED display. The company has been adamant about its use of a 1080P panel over 1440P and it doesn’t seem like the stance will change anytime soon.
Under The Hood
As has been OnePlus’s strategy with the OnePlus 6, it has confirmed a few specifications of the smartphone as well. The OnePlus 6 will run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset and have up to 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. This is the first time that a OnePlus device will have 256GB of storage. The limited edition OnePlus Avengers Edition will only be available in the 256GB storage model. As has been the history, the storage will not be expandable via a microSD card.
The OnePlus 6, again, as confirmed by the company, will be water resistant. This also a first for OnePlus. The exact ceritifcation of the smartphone has not been confirmed right now.
OnePlus 5
Camera
The device will have a dual-camera setup on the back and a single camera on the front. While the leaked image of the OnePlus 6 revealed a vertically placed setup, the OPPO R15 has a setup similar to the OnePlus 5T. Apart from that, the 6 is expected to retain the OnePlus 5T camera implementation. Going by the industry trend, it could have a few “AI capabilities,” similar to the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2s.
Conclusion
The OnePlus 6 will launch on the 16th of May in London followed by its India launch in Mumbai on the 17th of May. The smartphone will subsequently go on sale in India on the 21st of May via Amazon exclusively. If the price of the OnePlus 6 is not too expansive and is closer to the launch price of the OnePlus 5T, the 6 could be one of the best smartphones of 2018. However, a lot will depend on how the smartphone performs since specifications are not the only thing that matters.
The 2017 iPhone lineup saw a huge shakeup. The iPhone X was a big departure from what we were accustomed to seeing and the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus also offered great upgrades over the previous generations. Another big difference between the iPhone 8 and iPhone X was the colour variants. While the iPhone X is only available in a Silver and Space Gray, the iPhone 8 is available in Space Gray, Silver and Blush Gold.
It now seems that the iPhone X will also be available in the Blush Gold colour variant. Prominent leaker on Twitter teased the iPhone X with a few pictures of the production unit. He has not mentioned a timeline for the introduction of the new colour variant. But, with a few Apple events scheduled, the launch could happen very soon. The pricing of the iPhone X Blush Gold colour will be the same as the regular iPhone X available in the market right now.
The Blush Gold colour is a mix of Gold and Rose Gold. The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are the only two devices available in this colour as of now. If the iPhone X is indeed launched in this colour, it looks like the upcoming 2018 iPhone lineup will be launched in Blush Gold as well.
Apple iPhone X Specs
The Apple iPhone X has a 5.8-inch 2436 x 1125 px OLED True Tone Super Retina display.
Under the hood, the smartphone has the Apple A11 Bionic chipset with a neural engine, a hexacore processor, 3GB of RAM and storage options of 64GB, and 256GB.
iPhone X
The phone runs on iOS 11. It is powered by a 3,000 mAh battery and supports wireless charging as well. The iPhone X is also IP67 certified for water and dust resistance, and wireless charging.
The iPhone X has dual 12-megapixel rear cameras, and it’s equipped with dual optical image stabilization. In between the two cameras is a quad-LED True Tone flash. Both the front and back cameras have the portrait mode.
HTC Desire 12 and the Desire 12+ are the first set of non-flagship smartphones from company to have an 18:9 aspect ratio display. These devices offer a glass back, glass front, and a metallic mid-frame. The Desire 12 has a 5.5 inch HD+ 1440 x 720px resolution display, powered by MediaTek Quad-core chipset, whereas the Desire 12+ has a slightly bigger 5.7 inch display powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 Octa-core chipset.
HTC has officially launched the HTC Desire 12 and Desire 12+ in Europe. These are the first set of non-flagship smartphones from HTC to feature taller 18:9 aspect ratio display with a premium glass design. The price of the Desire 12+ ranges between 235 Euros and 249 Euros (depending on the market). Similarly, the Desire 12’s price ranges between 185 euros and 199 Euros (depending on market).
HTC Desire 12
The Desire 12 and 12+ looks similar to the HTC U11+. Subsequently, both the mid-range smartphones sport an 18:9 aspect ratio and thin bezels. Although, the top and bottom bezels are quite prominent despite the tall display.
HTC Desire 12+ Specs
The HTC Desire 12+ has a 5.99 inch HD+ 1440 x 720px IPS LCD display with 18:9 aspect ratio. Under the hood, the device has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 Octa-core chipset with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage. The storage is user expandable up to 400GB using a micro SD card.
The smartphone has a dual primary camera setup with a 13MP RGB sensor and a 2MP depth sensor. It is worth noting that the Honor 9 Lite has a similar design and primary camera setup. Similarly, the device has an 8MP front-facing camera. Both the camera units can record videos up to 1080p @ 30fps. Like most of the mid-tier smartphones, the HTC Desire 12+ has a rear-facing fingerprint sensor. The device runs on Android 8 Oreo with custom HTC SenseUI on the top with 2965 mAh battery, which charges via micro USB port.
HTC Desire 12+
HTC Desire 12 Specs
The HTC Desire 12 is a miniature version of the Desire 12+ with a few other changes. Unlike the ‘Plus’ variant, the Desire 12 misses out on a fingerprint sensor and dual camera setup. The device has a same HD+ 1440 x 720ppx IPS LCD display with a smaller 5.5 inch screen size. The device is powered by MediaTek 6739 Quad-core chipset with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage. Similarly, the storage is user expandable up to 400GB using a micro SD card.
The smartphone has a same 13MP primary camera but misses out on the depth sensor. Even the front-facing camera has been downgraded from 8MP to 5MP.The smartphone runs on Android 8 Oreo with custom HTC SenseUI with a 2730 mAh sealed-battery.
HMD Global launched the Nokia 7 Plus at Mobile World Congress 2018. This is the first non-flagship series smartphone from the company, which has an 18:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone comes with a dual Zeiss branded camera setup and a 16MP front-facing camera. The Nokia 7 Plus is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 Octa-core chipset with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage.
Xiaomi has launched the Xiaomi Redmi 5 in India on the 16th of March. The Redmi 5 is the cheapest smartphone from the company with an 18:9 aspect ratio display. The smartphone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 Octa-core chipset with 2/3/4GB RAM and 16/32/64GB storage. The smartphone has a 12MP primary camera and a 5MP front-facing camera.
OnePlus has finally lifted the curtains off of the OnePlus at an event in London. The OnePlus 6 will launch in India on May 17th where the pricing details will be announced. The OnePlus 6 follows up the successful OnePlus 5T, which was launched in November, about five months after the OnePlus 5 launch. Makes you wonder whether the OnePlus 6T is just around the corner!
The base model of the OnePlus 6 is priced at US$ 529 (Rs 35,800 approx.), the 8GB RAM/128GB model will retail for US$ 579 (Rs 39200 approx.) while the 8GB RAM/256GB storage variant will cost you US$ 629 (Rs 42500).
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) is now available for smartphones and tablets running on iOS and Android OS. The game is developed by a China-based company Tencent, the corporation that owns WeChat. PUBG is a multi-player online battle royale game where around 100 players parachute into an unknown location. To survive in the game, one has to rummage for weapons to kill fellow players. The safe area decreases over the time, which forces the players to engage in a battle. The last player or the team that survives will be the winner of the round.
The mobile version of PUBG has an experience very similar to the PC version. However, the graphics have been toned down to support mobile GPU. Unlike PC or the Console version, the game is limited to a single map, which still offers a long-lasting gameplay. The game weighs around 670MB at the time of download and requires at least 1GB of storage space.
The game was originally released for Windows OS in the March of 2017. Later that year, the game was released for Xbox under preview programme. One can play this game on a PC or a console and now, a smartphone.
As this is an online multi-player game, it requires an active internet connection. One can play as a guest player or can connect his/her Facebook account, which helps to save your gaming. One can customise the look and fashion of the character from the inventory menu option. After choosing the look of the player, he/she will be carried in an aeroplane and the player has to jump off the pane mid-way.
After that, you have to search for your opponent to kill them. Similarly, the game will let you know about your teammate’s condition. The gameplay looks smooth even on a two-year-old Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 smartphone (2GB RAM model). So, this game can be easily played even on a non-flagship smartphone.
Motorola is expected to launch the Moto G6 and E5 series in the coming months. However, we are yet to receive any official statement from the company on these devices. Leaks and rumours have suggested that all the upcoming smartphones will have 18:9 aspect ratio display with a glass unibody design. This time someone has leaked the live images of the Moto E5 Plus, which reaffirms the aforementioned facts.
The leaked images show the Moto E5 Plus in its all glory. The smartphone has a glass back with a circular camera cutout similar to the Moto X4. However, even though it has two camera grills, the device has a single camera sensor. The moto logo is just below the camera cutout, which might house the fingerprint sensor. But, except for the Moto M, the company has never implemented a rear-facing fingerprint sensor.
On the front, we have a taller display, with 18:9 aspect ratio with rounded corners on all four sides, similar to the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5. Additionally, there is an earpiece, front-facing camera and an LED flash.
Moto E5 Plus Specs
The Moto E5 Plus comes with 5.8-inch 1440 x 720px IPS LCD display with 2.5D tempered glass protection. Under the hood, the smartphone is powered by an unknown quad-core chipset with 3GB RAM and 32GB/64GB onboard flash storage.
The mobile has a primary camera setup with dual camera cutout like the recently leaked Moto G6 lineup. However, it just has a single 16MP primary camera and an empty cutout. Similarly, there is an 8MP front-facing camera assisted by an LED flash. The smartphone will have a sealed 5000 mAh Li-ion battery.
Moto X4
The smartphone is expected to run on nearly stock Android 8 Oreo OS. In fact, there were rumours of Motorola adopting Lenovo’s custom skin for its upcoming line of budget smartphone. That, however, does not seem plausible.
Huawei all set to launch its trio of flagship smartphones in France on the 27th of March. However, the Huawei P20 Lite is already available in some countries. In our previous story, we covered a leak about the Huawei P20 Pro’s triple camera setup. And now, a new leak talks about the camera capabilities of the Huawei P20 Pro, that the smartphone will have a 40MP camera.
The Huawei P20 Pro has a 40MP primary sensor, which supports 5x hybrid zoom. Note that, hybrid zoom is obtained with the combination of optical zoom and digital zoom. There is a secondary 8MP sensor, which offers 3x optical zoom, which also helps to create portrait mode. Similarly, there is a third sensor with 20MP resolution. Unlike the other two sensors, this is a monochrome sensor which helps to capture contrast and sharpness.
The sensor comes with f/1.6 aperture and f/2.4 aperture with Leica branding. Huawei recently released a teaser video, which arguably talks about the slow-motion video capabilities of the device. Going by the video, the device is expected to support 1080p @120fps.
The device will have a 4000 mAh battery with 20watt fast charging capability. The device is IP67 certified, similar to the Apple iPhone X. The leak also confirms that the device will not support wireless charging.
Huawei P20 Pro Specs
The smartphone is expected to have a 6.1 inch 2240 x 1080 px OLED display with a notch on the top. Under the hood, the smartphone will be powered by the Kirin 970 chipset with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. In fact, the smartphone is expected to support native face unlock algorithm similar to the iPhone X.
The device is also expected to offer a wide range of AI capabilities, which might improve the smartphone photography.
The smartphone is likely to house a triple lens primary camera setup with RGB + wide angle + telephoto lens combination. On to the front, the smartphone is likely to have dual camera setup. In fact, the dual front-facing camera can aid the facial recognition system as well. The device will run on Android Oreo 8.1 with custom EMUI on the top.
Xiaomi will launch the successor of the Mi MIX 2 on the 27th of March in China. The company has been teasing different features of the Mi MIX 2s over the past few weeks. The company has now released new promotional images which confirm the design of the smartphone. Going by the teaser, the smartphone looks similar to the Mi MIX 2. This also means that all the rumours about the MIX 2s having a notch were false.
Mi MIX 2
As of now, the company has confirmed that the device will have a dual camera setup with AI capabilities. Similarly, Xiaomi recently launched the Redmi Note 5 in China with the dual camera setup with AI capabilities. So, we might see a similar camera implementation on the MIX 2s as well. Additionally, the company has also confirmed that the smartphone will be powered by Snapdragon 845 chipset.
Apart from being the first Xiaomi smartphone to be powered by the Snapdragon 845 chipset, it is also expected to have wireless charging. Recent teasers have hinted towards the wireless charging feature, which means that it won’t have a ceramic back like its predecessors. It will also be interesting to see if the wireless charging feature will impact the pricing of the device.
Xiaomi Mi MIX 2s Specs
The smartphone is expected to have a 6 inch 2160 x 1080p display. Under the hood, the smartphone will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. However, the smartphone will not support memory expansion, just like its predecessors.
The Mi MIX 2s is expected to have a 4400 mAH Li-ion battery with fast charging. The phone will run on Android 8 Oreo OS with custom MIUI 9 skin on the top. Another interesting feature expected is gesture support. Similar to the Mi MIX 2 which recently got updated to Android 8 Oreo, the Mi MIX 2s will have gesture-based navigation system as well.
Samsung recently launched the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S9+ in India. The smartphones resemble the Galaxy S8‘s design with a new camera setup with variable aperture. After launching its flagship series, the company is updating its older portfolio with the newer version of Android OS. Samsung follows the two-letter OS upgrade for its flagship smartphones. The Galaxy S8 was released with Android Nougat and the device has received an update for Android Oreo.
According to an official document found on Samsung’s website, the company is planning to upgrade at least 6 devices, which have completed the two year’s OS cycle. However, unlike the S8 or the S7, these devices will not receive the latest Oreo update. Instead, these OS builds will be based on an older Android version with security patch and bug fixes. Though these devices are listed to receive the software update, no time frame is mentioned.
Left to right: Update for Galaxy S6 Edge, Update for Galaxy S6 Edge+, Update for Galaxy S8
According to the document, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge will receive Android 7 Nougat update G9250ZCU2ERB2. The update weights at 1233.30MB, which upgrades the smartphone from Android Marshmallow to Android Nougat. However, the Galaxy S6 Edge+ and the Galaxy Note 5 are expected to receive the incremental software update. The Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Note 8 will receive Android 8 Oreo update with Samsung Experience UI 9.0. In fact, the update for the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy Note 8 is already live in most of the countries.
OnePlus is expected to launch its new flagship, the OnePlus 6 in June. Going by the company’s recent track record, the OnePlus 6T will be launched by the end of the year. But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves and for now, concentrate on the OnePlus 6. The smartphone is expected to be one of the best affordable flagship devices of 2018.
The last two OnePlus devices have looked awfully similar to some OPPO smartphones. That is mainly because OnePlus’s parent company is OPPO Electronics. Since OnePlus is a very young company, it is possible that the R&D department is shared between the sister companies. Hence, the OnePlus had the exact design as the OPPO R11 and the OnePlus 5T looked like the OPPO R11S. With this in mind, it is possible that the new OPPO R15 could be the OnePlus 6.
OnePlus 6 Leaked Images
It is worth noting that OnePlus only has the design similar to its OPPO counterparts. All OnePlus devices are launched with flagship specifications and it won’t be any different for the OnePlus 6 either. Also, a recently leaked image of the OnePlus 6 resembles the OPPO R15 Dream Mirror Edition. The device has a glass back with a very reflective finish albeit, a horizontally placed dual-camera setup. The leaked image of the OnePlus 6 revealed a vertically placed dual-camera setup, which looks similar to the Galaxy S9+.
OPPO R15 Dream Mirror Edition
Another big change expected in the OnePlus 6 is wireless charging. The OPPO R15 Dream Mirror Edition doesn’t support wireless charging despite having a glass build.
OnePlus 6 Specs
The device will have a 6.2 inch 2160 x 1080 px Optic AMOLED display with a higher screen to body ratio. The device will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset with up to 8GB RAM and 256GB, similar to the OnePlus 5 and 5T.
OnePlus 5T
There will be a tiny notch up front, which will house the front-facing camera and the earpiece with an LED flash unit. In fact, the smartphone is expected to have a Face ID like feature, which uses the front-facing camera. Hence, we could see some extra sensors in that notch to enable a much more secure facial recognition system. That will also sort of justify the notch, just like on the iPhone X.
The device will have a dual primary camera setup, similar to the OnePlus 5T, were, the secondary sensor will be used for low light photography.
