Category: Mobile

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.

BlackBerry To Launch Three Android Devices At MWC 2018

BlackBerry is all set to launch three new smartphones in the coming days. According to a recent leak, these phones come with code name Athena, Luna, and Uni. After years of dominating the smartphone market along with Nokia, BlackBerry has gone off the rails. WIth another set of Android devices, the company would want to establish a strong foothold.

In the last couple of years, the company has launched smartphones like the BlackBerry Priv, BlackBerry KeyOne, and BlackBerry Passport. Now, the company is all set to refresh this lineup with these newer offerings. These devices are expected to be officially launched at the upcoming MWC 2018 in Barcelona.

WIPO has published a new patent from BlackBerry Limited for a smartphone with a sliding mechanism. In fact, the sketch resembles the BlackBerry Priv, which was launched in 2015. Back in the October 2017, a report claimed that the company is working on a new smartphone, is this one in the question?

The only difference between these models is the placement of the camera. The camera will be hidden until the slide is open. The back-case offers a camera lens, which might offer features like a wide-angle lens, fish-eye vision, a zoom lens or a macro lens.

Registered Patent for upcoming BlackBerry smartphone

Specifications of BlackBerry Uni, Luna, and, Athen:

As of now, we just have the specifications of the BlackBerry Uni. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 Octa-core processor with 6 GB or 8 GB RAM and 64 GB storage. The screen resolution of Uni (1620 x 1080) hints that the phone might resemble the BlackBerry KeyOne. This confuses a bit, as it has a mechanism like Priv, but a screen resolution of KeyOne? Considering that these devices will be launched in 2018, BlackBerry might go for a bezel-less design, which might be the reason for this different screen resolution.

Presently, the specifications of the other two models are still unclear. As the MWC approaches, we will have a clear idea about all three devices.

Conclusion:

At least on paper, these smartphones look promising. BlackBerry should make sure that these devices run on latest Android OS with a competitive price tag at the time of launch.

February 17, 2018
Samsung Galaxy S9+ Secrets Revealed By A Reddit User

The launch of Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ is just a few days away. In the weeks of leading up to the official launch, we have had enough leaks to reveal almost everything about the device. However, the leaks don’t really stop until a phone is officially launched. Similarly, there has been another revelation in the story of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+.

Galaxy S9+ Case Renders

An anonymous Reddit user claimed that he/she used the Galaxy S9+ for about 20 minutes. They hosted an AMA and answered a lot of questions pertaining to the Galaxy S9+ in particular. While there have been enough renders to reveal what the devices might look like, a few key details were still missing. Ever since the AMA was hosted, a few of the comments have been deleted. However, enough information was revealed to shed more light on what to expect from the devices.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+: Everything We Know So Far

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The user has revealed that the Galaxy S9+ looks and feels very similar to the Galaxy S8+. The user said that “I was really so [surprised] at the fact that it looked like I was holding an s8. It’s really that similar.” The fingerprint sensor has been moved to a more central position, similar to the Galaxy A8+. The user claimed that the Galaxy S9 has stereo speakers, one in the earpiece and a second at the bottom of the phone. This is similar to what is found in recent Apple iPhones.

Intelligent Scan

One of the most talked-about features of the iPhone X is its Animojis. There were reports that claimed the Galaxy S9 and S9+ will come with its own rendition of talking emojis. According to the user, it is not an exact copy of Animoji. In fact, it offers a different user experience that is better in some ways, but worse in others.

Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ Overview

The smaller sibling 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 at 480fps. The Samsung Galaxy S9+ will become the second phone from Samsung to feature a dual-camera setup on the back after the Galaxy Note8. The Galaxy S9+ will have a 12MP camera with an f/1.4 aperture along with another 12MP camera with an f/2.5 aperture

Owing to the launch of the Samsung flagship phones, a lot of companies have restrained from making significant announcements. The Galaxy S9 is expected to be priced at Rs. 69,000 in India.

February 17, 2018
LG Will Launch A Rebranded LG G7 In June 2018

LG is working on a new flagship smartphone with the code name Judy. Smartphone tipster named Evan Blass has shed some light on the upcoming flagship offering from Korean smartphone maker.

Though this is a successor of LG G6, it will have a new name and will not be called as LG G7. The G6 was one of the first flagship smartphones that featured 18:9 aspect ratio with a nearly bezel-less design. The outdated processor ( Snapdragon 821) on G6 didn’t leave enough room for the device to make an impact.

LG G6

This time around, the smartphone maker is taking its time to launch a product with the latest set of hardware. to compete against upcoming Samsung Galaxy S9.

Speculated specifications of LG Judy:

The Judy is expected to have a 6.1-inch display with a new MLCD+ technology, which offers better brightness compared to a typical IPS LCD panel. The smartphone will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Octa-core SoC, paired with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB onboard flash storage.

The MLCD+ is a new display technology, which offers high-level of brightness of up to 800 nits. It does this with less power consumption, up to 30% less than typical LCD panel.

Like with the LG V30, the smartphone will feature dual-camera setup on the back. In typical LG fashion, it will be a combination of a regular lens and a wide-angle lens with an f/1.6 aperture. Like every other LG flagship smartphone, this one will also feature IP68 certification against water and dust resistance. For the first time, the LG smartphone will have a stereo speaker setup, dubbed as “boombox”.

Conclusion:

Launching a smartphone later in the year makes sense for LG. It also falls in line with the company’s decision to not follow a set launch cycle. The presence of the latest chipset will also help its case. Let’s hope that LG gets the pricing right for this one.

February 17, 2018
Honor 8 Pro With Huawei Branding Could Be Launched At MWC 2018

Update: It has been confirmed that the smartphone in question is indeed a rebranded version of the Honor 7x, which is officially called as Huawei Mate SE. The smartphone will retail in the US for US$ 249.99 and will be available in Grey and Gold Colour.

Huawei Mate SE (BND-L34) for the US. A rebranded Honor 7X with identical specs. 249.99 USD. Grey and Gold.

Listed at B&H Photo Video: https://t.co/JpkZaIchng

Was on Amazon too: https://t.co/iACW8AulKz pic.twitter.com/lV82bngMjr

— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) February 17, 2018

It has been confirmed that Huawei will be attending MWC 2018. It is rumoured to announce the Huawei P11/P20 Lite at the event. The marquee launch of the P11/P20 and P11/20 Plus will happen on March 27th. However, it looks like the P20 Lite isn’t the only phone it will launch at MWC 2018. A new leak has revealed that the company might launch the Honor 8 Pro with Huawei branding.

Evan Blass, a popular tipster posted images of the Huawei 8 Pro on Twitter. The device looks exactly like the Honor 8 Pro with thin bezels on the side. The top and bottom bezels are thinner which means that it will have an 18:9 aspect ratio. The Honor 8 Pro, at the time of its launch, had relatively thinner bezels than its competitors with a 16:9 aspect ratio. The images reveal that the LED flash will have a different position this time around.

If Huawei does launch the Honor 8 Pro has a Huawei device, it will have to have a competitive price. The Honor 8 Pro is more than a year old and if priced under Rs. 20,000 it could be a great device.

Honor 8 Pro Specifications

The device has 5.7 inch 2560 x 1440 px display which is ideal for media consumption via VR.

[amazon_link asins=’B01N4FMUFH’ template=’ProductAd’ store=’igyaan-21′ marketplace=’IN’ link_id=’e9005d1d-07ff-11e8-8dc5-8f27400e8a2c’]The Honor 8 Pro runs on the Kirin 960 chipset which is an octa-core chip – four high-performance Cortex A73 cores clocked at 2.4GHz and four low-power Cortex A53 cores clocked at 1.8Ghz. The Honor 8 Pro has 128 GB of storage along with 6GB of RAM.

The phone also has a large 4000 mAh battery and fast charge capabilities, with long battery modes built into Honor’s user interface.

The camera setup consists of two cameras, 12+12 MP shooters, where one is a monochrome camera while the other is RGB. The smartphone can combine the aperture to deliver an extremely wide f/0.95. The Phone also shoots 4K video at 30fps. The front camera is an 8 MP shooter with an f/2.0 aperture and capable of 1920 x 1080p video.

Conclusion

If true, it appears to be a baffling move by Huawei. However, there are chances that Huawei will launch an upgraded version of the Honor 8 Pro. The company has been very competitive when it comes to pricing. Similar strategy is expected with the Huawei 8 Pro.

February 17, 2018
Essential PH-1 Halo Gray Colour Available To Buy On Amazon

The Essential Phone had a lot of hype to live up to. It was, after all, created by Andy Rubin, popularly known as the “father of Android.” However, the smartphone was met with heavy criticism for its camera performance, especially at that price point. Over the months, the company reduced the price of the device from US$ 699 to now US$449. It recently launched three new colour variants of the device as well. Now, Essential has announced an Amazon-exclusive Halo Gray colour variant of the device.

Essentail Ph-1

The Halo Gray version of the Essential PH-1 now gets support for Alexa (Amazon’s AI). The pre-orders have already begun for the limited edition variant and the phone will go on sale from the 21st of February. Essentail hopes that these new colour variants will help competing with the likes of the OnePlus 5T and Xiaomi Mi Mix 2.

Design:

The Essential PH-1 looks like no other phone on the market. In fact, this is the first smartphone to embrace the notch, which houses the selfie camera. The material of choice for the smartphone is also quite unique. This is the first smartphone to use premium and sturdy materials like Titanium and ceramic. The smartphone does support additional modules like 360-camera. docking station etc.

In case three new Essential Phone colors weren't enough, today we're unveiling Halo Gray, the first Essential Phone to come with Alexa built-in. Halo Gray is available for pre-order exclusively from Amazon starting today. https://t.co/hkwkBKGypr pic.twitter.com/lDad2xngBq

— Essential (@essential) February 16, 2018

Specifications:

The smartphone uses a one of a kind IPS LCD QHD panel with a notch on the top. Under the hood, the smartphone runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Octa-core SoC, paired with 4 GB RAM and 128 GB storage. The smartphone runs on latest and stock Android UI with promised timely software updates up to 2 years.

The dual main camera setup on the smartphone houses dual 13 MP cameras (RGB + Monochrome) with support for 4K video recording and portrait mode. There is an 8 MP selfie camera with similar video recording capabilities.

Conclusion:

At the price of US$ 449, the Essential PH-1 is a very impressive device. However, it is not available in India and the company hasn’t revealed any plans on changing that either.

February 17, 2018
HTC Desire 12 With 18:9 Display To Launch At MWC 2018

Smartphones in 2018 are expected to have the standard 18:9 aspect ratio. Not just premium phones, but, even budget and entry-level devices are expected to follow the industry norm. HTC, which recently launched the HTC U11+ in India, might be launching an entry-level phone with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The company is rumoured to launch the HTC Desire 12 with a tall display at MWC 2018.

HTC Desire 825

Evan Blass, a popular tipster on Twitter revealed that the company is working on an entry-level device. He later revealed that this smartphone will be called the HTC 12 Desire. The company is also expected to launch the HTC U12 at MWC 2018.

Specifications:

The HTC Desire 12 will have a 5.5-inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. We have seen the majority of bezel-less smartphones have a display close to 6 inches, so, this information might not be accurate.

The smartphone is expected to have a MediaTek processor, paired with 2GB RAM and 16GB onboard flash storage. If these specifications turn out to be true, the HTC U12 Desire could be one of the cheapest smartphones with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The device will be powered by a 2730 mAh battery.

The smartphone is expected to have a 13 MP primary camera and a 5 MP front-facing camera. However, there is no further information on other specifications about the cameras.

Conclusion:

While the specifications do come across as entry-level, pricing could make a difference for the HTC U12 Desire. The 18:9 aspect ratio could differentiate it from other entry-level devices. Also, there are chances that this could be an Android Go device considering the specifications. However,

HTC hasn’t learned anything from the past. People no more look for a brand name, instead, they dig down deep for the specifications. The only upside about the HTC Desire 12 is the 18:9 display. The processor, RAM, and ROM don’t say much about the device. However, nothing has been confirmed by the company yet. This means that the leaks could amount to nothing, come MWC 2018.

February 17, 2018
2018 Apple iPhones Will Have A Smaller Notch

Launched in September 2017, the iPhone X was a big design shift for Apple. One of the most eye-catching features of the iPhone X is its display notch. Unlike a lot of phones that might launch with a notch this year, the iPhone X’s notch has a purpose. It houses the front camera, earpiece and all the hardware required for Face ID.

At the time of its launch, the iPhone X received mixed reviews for its notch. However, people soon realised that the notch blends into the UI pretty soon. For the majority of people, the notch doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb. For the minority of people that are annoyed with it, Apple might have good news for you.

The next generation iPhone X will have a smaller notch. This was claimed in a research note issued by analysts Andrew Gardiner, Hiral Patel, Joseph Wolf, and Blayne Curtis at investment bank Barclays. While they believe that the 2018 iPhones will only have a slightly improved Face ID, this could result in a smaller notch. Along with that, the note also claims that Face ID will be introduced in the upcoming iPad Pro:

We remain confident that Apple is set to deploy its TrueDepth 3D sensor across the iPhone range in 2018 and to also add it to the pending iPad Pro refresh as well.

Given the complexity and multiple years spent developing the current generation of module, combined with supplier comments over the past month regarding multi-year customer commitments, we do not envisage a major change to the architectural make-up in 2018 […]

We do expect the sensor to evolve slightly, potentially reducing in size (i.e., smaller notch) and improving in specificity […] helping to further drive very strong growth [for some Apple suppliers] in 2H18 as the second generation of sensor ships in this year’s new iPhones.

2018 iPhone Lineup: What To Expect

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.

February 16, 2018
Images Of Nokia 7 Plus With Bezel-Less Design Leaked

The Nokia 7 Plus could be the first Nokia-branded Android One smartphone. It is expected to be launched at MWC 2018 along with the Nokia 1. After a plethora of leaks and speculations about the Nokia 7 Plus, now we have a live image of the first Nokia smartphone with 18:9 aspect ratio display.

The Nokia 7 Plus will be a spiritual successor of the highly popular Nokia 7 (at least in China). The Nokia 7 was launched with a 16:9 aspect ratio display, powered by Snapdragon 630 Octa-core processor. Nokia 7 Plus, however, is expected to have an 18:9 aspect ratio with an almost bezel-less design. The single Zeiss lens on the Nokia 7 has been doubled on Nokia 7 Plus.

It looks like the company is testing the phone internally in India. The leaked image has a name “Raj Sharma” and the word “Namaste”, which means welcome. Therefore, it might hint at a possible launch in India sooner than expected. As we move closer to MWC 2018, more details about the upcoming Nokia device are being leaked.

Rumoured Specifications:

Nokia 7 Plus will be the first Nokia smartphone to offer an 18:9 aspect ratio display. The IPS LCD display will supposedly have a 2160 x 1080 px resolution. The fingerprint sensor along with the dual Zeiss branded cameras are located on the back, with a hint of an orange accent around the camera ring. According to the renders, it could sport an all-glass design, similar to the Moto X4 and Nokia 7.

It is worth noting that the Nokia 7 Plus will run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC, coupled with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage. The “Android One” branding on the back of the phone guarantees that the device will launch with Android 8 Oreo out of the box. Hence, you can expect regular software updates for the next two years.

Nokia 7 Plus Renders

Renders suggest that the company has decided to retain 3.5 mm headphone jack and a USB type C port charging and data syncing. At least on paper, the Nokia 7 Plus looks like a well-balanced smartphone, with a smart set of specifications.

Apart from the Nokia 8, HMD Global missed the mark by pricing its budget devices higher than expected. The likes of Nokia 6 lost out to Honor 7X, Mi A1 and others. The Nokia 7 Plus, to make a mark in the Indian market, has to be priced close to the Moto X4. At a price close to Rs. 20,000 the device will be the only device with an 18:9 aspect ratio and Snapdragon 660 chipset.

However, nothing can be said about the pricing of the smartphone yet. While the Nokia 7 Plus specifications are impressive, these are leaks at the end of the day.

February 16, 2018
Google Pixel 2 Now Available for Rs. 41,999

Google Pixel 2, the flagship smartphone from Google is one of the best photogenic smartphones in the market. In fact, It scores perfect 100 points on DxOMark. The Pixel 2 was originally launched for Rs. 61,000, which is now available for just Rs. 41,999. If you are looking for a smartphone with flagship level processing, faster OS updates and best-smartphone camera, then Pixel 2 is the to consider.

How to get Google Pixel 2 for Rs. 41,999?

Due to unimpressive sales number, the phones retail price was brought down to Rs. 49,999. Now, with flat Rs. 8,000 cashback from Citibank, the final price comes down to Rs. 41,999. The cashback is applicable to all the Citibank cardholders.

This offer is applicable only on Flipkart, which is the authorised online reseller for the Google Pixel 2 and Google Pixel 2 XL.

Login to Flipkart, add Pixel 2 to card, check-out and make payment using Citibank card. This deal is applicable for EMI plan as well

One has to make a complete payment of Rs. 49,999. The cash back will be credited back to user’s account in next 90 days.

Specifications:

The Google Pixel 2 comes with a 5.0-inch 1080p pOLED display, protected by 2.5D curved tempered glass on the top. It has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset, 2.4GHz octa-core processor, Adreno 540, 4GB RAM and 64GB/128GB onboard storage. The two-tone colour of the phone is also reminiscent of the original Pixel from 2016.

The two-tone colour of the phone is also reminiscent of the original Pixel from 2016, which runs on Android Oreo 8.1. As is with every Google phone, the new Pixel 2 will be first in line to receive Android P update in 2018. The fingerprint sensor sits at the back of the device but, this time around the “glass window” is smaller.

This year, the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL use a technology called “dual-pixel” which divides every pixel into two. Google has decided to go for a single camera setup similar to last year’s Pixel phones. The rear-facing camera is a 12.2 MP sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and 1.4 micron pixel size. On the front is an 8MP camera with an f/2.4 aperture.

Google has introduced new features in the camera department like the addition of AR. You’ll be able to add 3D characters and emoji into photos and videos and see them move around as you’re capturing the scene. That includes things like a sleepy coffee cup, but also some recognisable characters.

February 16, 2018
Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S: Everything We Know So Far

Xiaomi is expected to launch the Mi Mix 2S at MWC 2018. A few weeks ago, the Mi Mix 2S looked like a fragment of someone’s imagination. Especially with the weird design and how the “notch” was being handled in the renders. However, the past couple of weeks have proved that the Mi Mix 2S is definitely real and could be launched very soon. While it was predicted to be launched before MWC, there has been no indication from the company and the MWC now seems like the ideal event for its launch.

The Mi Mix 2S seems more than just a revision of the Mi Mix 2. It will have a new design, an upgraded chipset and possibly, an in-display fingerprint sensor. So, with a few days to go for its launch, what do we know about the device so far?

Price

One of the mysterious aspects of the device is its price. So far, there has been no information leaked about the pricing of the phone. However, considering Xiaomi’s competitive pricing for all its devices, the Mi Mix 2S could be the cheapest smartphone running on Snapdragon 845 after MWC 2018. Devices like the Galaxy S9 and Sony Xperia XZ2 Pro will be priced much higher. The Mi Mix 2S is expected to be priced slightly higher than Mi Mix 2.

Mi Mix 2S Design Sketch

Display

As bezels get thinner, the average size of smartphone displays has become bigger. In 2016, 5.5 inch displays were the norm, however, tall aspect ratios mean most devices come with a 6 inch display. That is expected to be the case with the Mi Mix 2S as well. The device will have a 6 inch display with a 2160 x 1080 px resolution. However, due to that notch on the top right corner, it might have an unusual resolution.

Under The Hood

The Mi Mix 2S was heavily touted to be the first ever Android device running on the Snapdragon 845 chipset. However, that won’t be the case but, it will be one of the first few devices on the market. Recently, an official banner ad of the Mi Mix 2S was leaked, and it revealed that the device will have 8GB of RAM and 256GB storage. In typical Xiaomi fashion, the storage won’t be expandable. This will be an upgrade over the Mi Mix 2, which has 6GB of RAM and 128GB storage in India.

The fingerprint sensor is largely expected to be placed on the back, however, the banner ad did not show a fingerprint sensor. To assume that the Mi Mix 2S could have an in-display fingerprint sensor might not be stretching it. The Mi Mix 2 did not have a headphone jack, and similarly, the Mi Mix 2S won’t have a headphone jack as well. Powering the device will be a 3400 mAh battery with support for QuickCharge 4.0+.

OS

So far, only the Xiaomi Mi A1 runs Android 8 Oreo. All other Xiaomi phones even the Mi Mix 2 runs Android 7 with MIUI 9 on top. There have been reports that claim the Mi Mix 2S will run Android 8 Oreo out of the box. This does make sense, and maybe after the launch of its 2018 flagship device, the company will start rolling out Android Oreo update for other devices as well.

2016 Mi Mix

The Mi Mix 2S will run MIUI 9 on top of Android 8 Oreo and will be one of the first in line to receive the MIUI X update. The trend of Face Unlock means the Mi Mix 2S might have a software implemented facial recognition, similar to the OnePlus 5T.

Camera

The smartphone cameras have gained importance over the years. Nowadays, camera performance can make or break a device. The Google Pixel and Pixel XL launched in 2016 did not have all the flagship features. However, they did have the best smartphone camera at that point, which papered over their other shortcomings. Xiaomi would want to launch a flagship device with great camera capabilities.

The Mi Mix 2S is expected to have a dual-camera setup on the back, a first for the Mix series. Leaks suggest that Xiaomi will use a Sony IMX363 sensor.

February 16, 2018
One Telugu Letter Can Crash Your iPhone Or iPad
A Telugu character is all over the internet, causing massive app-crash on iOS devices. Some users have reported, whenever they receive a message with the specific Telugu character, the app crashes and becomes unresponsive. The bug is affecting the iPhones and iPads running on iOS 11.2. However, if the iPhone/iPad runs on iOS 11.3, then your device will not be affected. So, if a user receives a text with the Telugu character on WhatsApp, iMessage, or Gmail the app goes unresponsive.

Apple has officially responded, stating that the company is working on a software update to fix the issue. So, we might expect an interim iOS update, which should patch the bug.

Apple has responded to iMore stating:

The bug has been patched on the beta version of iOS 11.3. Users will receive a software update very soon that patches the bug.

How to fix this on an affected iPhone or iPad:
- If the third-party app like WhatsApp or Gmail are affected, then uninstall and re-install the app (delete the complete thread after re-installing)
- If the iMessage app is affected, then tell your other friend to send a text and open the text message from notification shade, go back to the main page and delete the complete thread.
February 16, 2018
Images Of Huawei P11 Lite With iPhone X-Like Leaked

Huawei will be launching a smartphone at MWC 2018. After some speculation that the company would skip the event, it confirmed its presence. However, it also confirmed a launch event for March 27. At MWC 2018, the company is expected to launch the Huawei P11/P20 Lite while the March 27 event will see the unveiling of the Huawei P20 and P20 Plus.

A few days ago, renders of the Huawei P11/P20 Lite were leaked by a popular tipster on Twitter. And now, live images of the device have been leaked by FCC. The leaked images confirm what has been rumoured for a while now. The Huawei P11/P20 Lite will have a lot of similarities with the Apple iPhone X.

On the front, it will have an iPhone X-style notch that will house the earpiece and front-camera. On the back, Huawei P11/P20 Lite will have a vertically placed dual-camera setup. The position of the camera module is uncannily similar to the iPhone X. It even protrudes a bit, just like the iPhone X. The LED flash is placed below the cameras, while it is placed between the two cameras on the iPhone X.

The fingerprint sensor will be placed on the back. Therefore, we might have to wait until the end of the year for a Huawei phone with Clear ID. The device also appears to have an all-glass build with an aluminium frame.

Expected Specifications

With bezels getting thinner, the standard size of a smartphone has increased from 5.5 inches to 6 inches. The Huawei P11 Lite is expected to have a 6 inch display with a 2880 x 1440 px resolution. Just like the Mate 10, Huawei could use an OLED panel as well. As seen in the renders, the corners are curved which means an OLED panel is expected on the Huawei P11 Lite as well.

Under the hood, it will have the HiSilicon Kirin 970 chipset along with 6GB or 8GB of RAM. The fingerprint sensor will be placed on the back of the phone. While the smartphone is expected to be thin, it is expected to house a big battery that will support SuperCharge

The MWC 2018 event isn’t too far away. Hence, we are expected to see frequent leaks of devices that are expected to be launched in the coming days.

February 16, 2018
Samsung Galaxy S8 Android 8 Oreo Update Suspended

Android 8 Oreo, much like iOS 11, seems to be a troubled software update of 2017. Officially launched back in August, OEMs were slow to roll out updates but, at least some devices were being updated. Samsung recently started rolling out the Android 8 Oreo update to its 2017 flagship, the Galaxy S8 and S8+. This rollout began after an extensive Beta program was carried out.

Experience UI Based On Android 7 Nougat

However, the company had to suspend the new software update rollout. This isn’t the first time an OEM had to suspend the Android 8 Oreo update. Smartphone makers like Xiaomi, OnePlus also halted updates to their devices. Samsung has come out and clarified its stance on the matter:

Following a limited number of cases where Galaxy S8 and S8+ devices have rebooted unexpectedly with the Android 8.0 Oreo, we have temporarily stopped the rollout of the update. We are investigating the issue internally to ensure that the impact to the affected devices is minimized and the rollout of the update can resume as quickly as possible.

When the year began, Xiaomi had to suspend the Android 8 Oreo update to its Mi A1 devices. Many users complained about issues pertaining to an unresponsive camera and dialer app. Similarly, OnePlus had to suspend the rollout for the OnePlus 5T.

There is no confirmation from the company as to when the rollout will resume. The downloaded files will be deleted if you haven’t installed the update yet.

Some Android 8.0 Oreo features:

User Interface

Users can now organise notifications into custom channels and modify the alerts for the entire channel. An autofill framework in the operating system makes the repeated filling of forms easy for the user. This can range from sign up information to a new service, or credit card information to make a payment. The feature will prevent frustration and repetitiveness by allowing users to quickly fill in a form. Users will have to opt-in for the Autofill framework, after which new and existing applications can make use of the feature.

Picture-In-Picture Mode and New Notifications

A new picture-in-picture feature allows users to continue operating the device without interruptions for things like watching a video. Another interesting change in the UI this time around is Adaptive Icons. The supported shapes are Circle, Squircle, Rounded Square and Square.

Behind The Screen

A cache budget is allocated to every application. When the system is low on resources, the applications that exceed the cache budget the most will be the first to have their cached files deleted. Developers can also set custom triggers to update the content when it is stale or outdated, even without a specific request from the user. There are also background execution limits, which ensures that applications running in the background don’t use up a lot of system resources.

Media playback should be significantly improved for users, as now there is fine-grained control to scrub to a particular frame in a video. Applications can also now mix multiple audio and video tracks at once, for streaming purposes.

Pixel 2 XL Runs Android 8 Oreo

A smart sharing feature allows the operating system to guess the context of a photo, and pick the best application to hand the image over to. The more you use your phone, the more your smartphone will learn about your behaviour and act accordingly. A smart copy feature enables similar functionality but for text, where the smartphone recognises if the text copied is an address, a phone number or name of an entity, and suggest opening a relevant app.

February 16, 2018
Asus Might Launch A Gaming-Centric Smartphone At MWC

Asus will be launching its next generation of Zenfone series smartphones in MWC 2018. Along with that, it could also launch a gaming-centric Android smartphone. As the brand has already established itself in notebook gaming territory, this upcoming device will have a lot to live up to.

Upcoming Asus ZenFone series

Along with Asus ROG, the brand will also announce a bunch of smartphones like ZenFone 5, ZenFone 5z, and ZenFone Max Pro. These smartphones will feature newer processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon 636) with taller 18:9 aspect ratio screen and a dual rear-camera setup. All three smartphones will be powered by Android Oreo 8.0 with custom Zen UI on the top.

According to sources, the smartphone will be named after ROG (gaming laptop series from Asus). Presently, there is no confirmation of the additional details of the phone. The only thing is that the brand should launch a phone with competitive pricing.

As Razer Phone has already set up an example for a gaming smartphone, here is the list of features that might feature on Asus ROG smartphone.

Speculated specifications:

Following the footsteps of the Razer Phone, the device will have a 120Hz display. It will have an IPS LCD display with a 2880 x 1440 px resolution.

Under the hood, the smartphone is expected to have either the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 or the 845 chipsets. Depending on when the phone is launched, the chipset inside may vary. To handle the sort of heavy gaming, the chipset will be paired with either 6GB or 8GB of RAM. It will also have either 64 GB or 128 GB onboard flash storage based on UFS 3.0. To tackle overheating, it will apparently have a Liquid Cooling System

Similar to the Razer Phone, the device from Asus will have dual front-firing stereo speakers.

In the day and age of all premium smartphones having top-notch specifications, does a gaming phone make sense? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

February 15, 2018
Samsung Galaxy Note9 May Not Have An In-Display Fingerprint Sensor

The under-the-display fingerprint scanner is now a real thing, thanks to the Vivo X20 Plus UD. The Samsung Galaxy Note8 was widely expected to be the first-ever device with this technology. However, for some reasons only known to Samsung, that did not happen. A few days ago, it was rumoured that the Galaxy Note9 will finally implement this technology. However, according to recent rumours, Samsung has decided not to implement this technology.

The report claims Samsung has stopped working on this technology for an unknown reason. Therefore, the Korean tech giant will stick with the rear-mounted scanner like the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.

Theoretically, to implement this technology the device must have OLED display (doesn’t work on IPS LCD) with a capacitive touchscreen. The scanner sits behind the display. (accesses fingerprint through a semi-transparent layer).

Possible reason:

Samsung might go with the Quantum-dot display technology instead of OLED, which makes it impossible to implement this technology. Which might have made an exclusive deal with Vivo that prevents other smartphone manufacturers to implement this technology.

The technical difficulties in the manufacturing these chips might be it. An earlier report claimed that Samsung didn’t want to rely on Synaptics and wanted the in-screen fingerprint sensor of the Galaxy Note9 to be based on its own technology. However, it might have run into some trouble which made it drop the technology altogether.

Cumbersome Placement of the Fingerprint sensor placement on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note8

Another reason for this decision could be Apple. Apple has already confirmed that it believes Face ID is the future. In order to compete with Apple and it face ID tech, Samsung could implement better facial/iris recognition in the Galaxy Note9.

Conclusion:

A recent report, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will feature the under-the-display fingerprint scanner. Now, a new report completely disapproves the last report. Finally, Samsung might implement this feature on Samsung Galaxy S X or Samsung Galaxy Note X.

February 15, 2018