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.

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
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
iPhone X May Support 4K Video Recording 60 FPS
Rumours surrounding the iPhone 8 refuse to fizzle out as we approach the launch of Apple’s next gen iPhone. A few days ago, Apple’s HomePod firmware was leaked, which seemingly confirmed the front design of the iPhone 8 along with features such as face recognition, virtual home button and AR support.

A Portuguese news site iHelp has unearthed that the iPhone 8 will record 3840 x 2160 px 4K videos at 60 FPS with both the rear and front camera. The code, visible in the screenshot mentions a device that supports 4K video at 60 FPS. Interestingly, there’s also a mention of “front4k60” and “back4k60”, suggesting that the iPhone 8 will indeed feature the high-resolution video recording with both the cameras.

Currently, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus support 4K video recording at 30 FPS with the rear camera while the front camera caps out at 1080P at 30 FPS. The introduction of 4K videos at 60 FPS puts the impetus on the rumours of the next iPhone will have augmented reality capabilities. The jump to 60 FPS will increase depth recognition of the rear camera resulting in better AR experience.

The Apple HomePod firmware also suggests that the 4K video from the front and rear cameras will support Apple’s new HVEC file type, which reduces the file size by a significant amount. This makes sense because 4K videos generally have large file sizes and HVEC can reduce the size by almost 50 per cent resulting in better storage management. More study of the firmware suggests features like tap to wake, a new “smartcam” mode and support for FaceID.

From what we’ve gathered so far, the iPhone 8 may have the following key specifications-
- Launch- September
- Price- $1,200 (Rs. 77,000 approx.)
- Display- 5.8-inch OLED display
- Chipset- A11 chip
- OS- iOS 11
- RAM- 3GB
- Storage- 128GB/256GB
- Camera- Vertically-placed dual camera setup
- Video Recording- 3840 x 2160 px 4K video at 60 FPS with front and rear camera
- Face recognition for unlocking the iPhone 8, called the ‘FaceID’
- TouchID- integrated in the lock button
These rumours are more reliable than others since they stem out of an actual Apple firmware leak, but nothing is set in stone until Apple unveils the new iPhone 8 come September.
August 5, 2017
Samsung Launches Leader 8, Flagship Flip Smart Phone

In order to continue being the flag-bearer of flip smartphones, Samsung has announced the new Leader 8 in the Chinese market. The new device will succeed last year’s SM-W2017 as the Samsung flagship flip phone for 2017. The Leader 8 was announced on Samsung’s website along with all the specifications.

4.2″ Super AMOLED Internal and External Panels

The flip smartphone, codenamed SM-G9298 packs two 4.2-inch Super AMOLED display panels with a 1920 x 1080 px resolution, one on the outside of the device and one inside. The Leader 8 runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chipset along with 4GB RAM and 64GB of onboard storage, expandable up to 256GB. Samsung has decided to go with a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset this time around unlike last year’s Exynos Chipset in the SM-W2017. The Leader 8 has a 2,300mAH battery with wireless charging capabilities. Among other features, Samsung has also packed in Samsung Pay, a digital wallet for mobile payment.

12MP Rear-Facing Camera, Fingerprint Sensor and Heart-rate Sensor

On the camera front, it houses a 12 MP rear-facing camera with an f/1.7 aperture for better low-light performance and a 5 MP front-facing camera with an f/1.9 aperture. The rear facing camera records 3840 x 2160 px video at 30fps and supports autofocus. There is no mention of OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) in Samsung’s announcement post. The fingerprint sensor sits just below the rear camera along with Samsung’s standard heart rate sensor.

A flip smartphone in the era of bezel-less sleek phones is a different move from Samsung, but it has identified an audience for new-age flip phones. The specifications of the Leader 8 will hold up against many smartphones of 2017. Details of pricing and the availability of the phone have not been shared by Samsung yet. This puts a question mark on whether this device will be made available for international markets.

August 4, 2017
LG Confirms Switch To OLED Display For The Upcoming V30

LG has announced that its next flagship device will be the ‘first smartphone from LG to sport a plastic OLED FullVision display.’ The LG V30 was widely reported to feature an OLED display and this announcement confirms those rumours. LG has specified that it’ll be a FullVision display much like the one on the G6. It’s worth noting that LG will feature POLED technology on a smartphone for the first time since the G Flex 2, which was launched a couple of years ago.

The upcoming smartphone will be smaller than last year’s V20 despite sporting a larger 6-inch display. LG claims to have reduced the top and bottom bezels by 20 per cent and 50 per cent respectively while the LG logo is moved to the back of the device. The Plastic OLED screen on the device means that the edges can be curved for a more ergonomic fit in the user’s hand. Although from the image released, it doesn’t seem like LG has taken Samsung’s route of fully curved edges. A Corning Gorilla Glass 5, which incorporates shatter-resistance technology will protect the screen.

LG V30 render leaks

The screen resolution will be 1440 x 2880, which translates to a QHD+ display and enhance the device’s VR capabilities. The advantage of an OLED display is the operational response time, which is a lot faster than LCD. This accelerated response time effectively eliminates afterimages, an important consideration for action movies and VR.

Along with a POLED display, the LG V30 is rumoured to run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Chipset with 4GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage. The device will be powered by a 3,300mAh battery with support for wireless charging. On the camera front, it will take the G6’s route and sport a 13MP dual-camera setup along with a fingerprint sensor at the back.

The LG V30 is expected to launch at the IFA 2017 in Berlin on August 31. Rumoured to be priced at around USD 700 (approximately INR 45000), it will compete with the soon-to-be-announced Samsung Galaxy Note 8.

August 4, 2017

From the Moto G5 Plus to The Moto G5S Plus – What Has Changed?

Lenovo-owned Motorola just announced the Moto G5S Plus, successor to its popular mid-ranger the Moto G5 plus. Priced at Rs 15,999, the Moto G5S Plus is at par with the Moto G5 Plus which is priced at Rs 14,999.

The Moto G5 plus, like its predecessor the Moto G4 Plus has superior camera performance especially considering its price point. Add to that, an all metal design and fast user experience thanks to Motorola’s stock-ish take on Android 7.0 made the Moto G5 Plus a success.

Motorola has decided not tinker with the design of the G5S Plus and it is reminiscent of the G5 Plus with the addition of antenna lines on the top and bottom of the back. The G5S Plus gets the same 1920 x 1080 px display but a bumped up display size of 5.5-inch. The fingerprint sensor sits below the display and can double up as a single-navigation button as well and the screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The highlight of the new device is the 13MP dual-camera setup with an f/2.0 aperture. The dual camera captures Bokeh, and selective focus shots, along with other capabilities of background replacement and exposure management.

The G5 Plus became the phone to beat in its price segment because of superior camera performance when it was launched earlier this year and the G5S Plus will enter the market with high expectations. How does theG5S Plus stack up against the G5 Plus? Let’s find out.

Specifications	Moto G5 Plus	Moto G5S plus
Price	Starting at Rs 14,999	Rs 15,999
Display	5.2-inch IPS LCD	5.5-inch IPS LCD
Weight	155 g	168 g
Screen Resolution	920×1080 px	1920×1080 px
PPI (Pixels Per Inch)	424ppi	401ppi
Display Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass 3	Corning Gorilla Glass 3
Battery	3,000mAh	3,000mAh
Operating System	Android Nougat 7.0	Android Nougat 7.1
Storage	16GB/32GB	32GB
Expandability	microSD card up to 256GB	microSD card up to 128 GB
Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon 625	Qualcomm Snapdragon 625
RAM	3Gb	3GB
CPU	Octa-core 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53	Octa-core 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53
GPU	Adreno 506	Adreno 506
Primary Camera	2MP with f/1.7	13MP dual-camera with f/2.0
Primary Camera features	Good performance under low-light conditions.	Bokeh, Selective focus, exposure management.
Secondary Camera	5MP with f/2.2	8MP wide angle lens with f/2.0
Primary Camera Video Recording	4K (3840 x 2160) at 30fps	4K (3840 x 2160) at 30fps
Secondary Camera Video Recording	1920×1080 at 30fps	1920×1080 at 30fps

The Moto G5S Plus will enter the budget smartphone segment which already has big players like Xiaomi and Huawei’s sub-brand, Honor. Motorola’s focus on the camera performance suggests that it has identified a certain section that rates camera performance highly and on a budget, and the new G5S Plus’ camera performance may just decide its fate in the highly competitive price-segment.

The spec-bump other than the camera is nothing to ride home about. Although the Moto G5S Plus will feature a dual-camera setup, the aperture is now f/2.2 which may effect low-light image quality. How the Moto G5S Plus performs in the real world is yet to be seen and a camera comparison with the G5 Plus will be an interesting one. Stay tuned on iGyaan for more updates.

August 3, 2017

Honor Note 9 Specifications Leaked
Honor, the sub-brand of Huawei has recently launched the Honor 9 in China and is expected to hit other markets like India soon. Amidst that, leaks of the Honor Note 9 has surfaced. The successor to the Honor Note 8 is expected to go on sale in September.

The Honor Note 9 will house a massive 4,600 mAh battery, which is an upgrade, albeit a small one over the Honor Note 8’s 4,500mAh battery. As far as the chipset is concerned, it is expected to run on HiSilicon Kirin 965 along with 6GB of RAM and 64GB onboard storage. The device will sport a 12MP dual-camera setup at the back, just like many other flagships of 2017. Whether it will be a telephoto lens setup like the one on the iPhone 7 Plus or a monochrome lens setup like the Honor 8 Pro is still not clear.

Honor Note 9 Leaked Image

The image shows that the Honor Note 9 will be a massive device with an edge-to-edge display. The top and bottom of the front of the phone do possess a considerable bezel compared to other flagships of 2017 like the LG G6 and the Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+.

The Honor Note series is a budget offering of large display phones with excellent battery life, something that even flagships of 2017 have lacked. The Honor Note 8 launched at a price of 2799 Yuan (approximately Rs 28,144) for its 128GB onboard storage variant. The Honor Note 9 is expected to follow suit in terms of budget pricing.

Rumoured Key Specifications of the Honor Note 9 are-
- cameExpected Launch- September 2017
- Battery- 4,600mAh
- Chipset- HiSilicon Kirin 965
- Edge-to-edge display
- 12MP dual camera setup
The Honor Note 8 launched with a 6.6-inch Super AMOLED display and a 4,500mAh battery. It runs on the Kirin 955 chipset and a 2.5GHz octa-core processor. It also houses the Mali-T880GPU and 4GB of RAM along with 32GB/64GB/128GB onboard storage. The Honor Note 8 was a budget phablet and the Honor Note 9, expected to launch in September of this year will take Honor’s Note series forward with high-end specifications at a mid-range price tag.
August 3, 2017
Google Pixel 2 And Pixel 2 XL Image Revealed

Google’s first Android smartphone – Pixel was launched on 20 October, 2016. Confirming the rumors, Osterloh announced last year that Pixel will pave way for its successors, the Pixel 2 and the Pixel 2 XL. He said, “There is an annual rhythm in the industry. So, you can count on us to follow it. You can (also) count on a successor this year, even if you don’t hear a date from me now”.

Google is expected to launch the two Pixel successors later this year – Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. Though no release dates have been announced yet, the rumors offer a hint at what Google has in store for us.

Recent render leaks from one of the case makers show that the upcoming Pixel successors will be getting the best of both the worlds. The renders of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL show that the devices will reportedly employ polarizing curved edges of the Galaxy Note 8 and top bezel cut-out of the iPhone 8.

Furthermore, Olixar has made the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL cases available for pre-orders with prices starting from $5.99 for the basic FlexiShield range in UK and US.

Though the details about the Google’s upcoming smartphones have been hard to come by, here’s all we know about the next Pixel lineup.

Several reports suggested that only the Pixel 2 XL will be launched with these features, but according to updated renders, Google seems to follow last year’s strategy of making both the phones almost identical with few exceptions. Given the previous rumors of LG manufacturing the smartphones, both the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL look similar to the LG G6.

Evident from the recent case images, both the Pixel 2 and 2 XL are expected to feature curved glass around the flat OLED display with small bezels. Speculations about the Pixel 2 XL sporting a slightly larger OLED display at 6 inches have also been doing the rounds, whereas the Pixel 2 is said to have a 5-inch, 1080p display in a chassis similar to the previous model.

Reports suggest that the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will 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.

A recently updated image suggested that Google may be planning to replace the good ol’ 3.5mm headphone jack with a single USB-C port. But it can’t be said for sure as the case images of the top or bottom of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are still unavailable.

Other than that, both the smartphones will have the back panel much like the original Pixel – a mix of metal and glass. However, this time the fingerprint sensor might not be covered with the glass.

The word on the street is that Google may launch the not so“affordable” Pixel successors by the end of this year. Osterloh hinted that the second edition of the highly-priced smartphones may not be ideal for a budget buyer. Therefore, we can expect the Google Pixel 2 to be in the same or slightly higher price bracket than its predecessor.

August 3, 2017