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OnePlus 6T Price And Storage Variants Leaked

The upcoming flagship from OnePlus, the OnePlus 6T will be launching at the end of this month. The device had already caused a stir in the smartphone market when some of its key specifications such as the in-display fingerprint sensor and improved speed were made public. Latest leaks reveal the storage variants of the OnePlus 6T along with their respective prices.

Pre-order the OnePlus 6T Here

The leak details three variants; a 6 GB / 128 GB, an 8 GB / 128 GB and an 8 GB / 256 GB variant of the upcoming device. According to the leak, these devices will cost Rs 37,999 , Rs 40,999 and Rs 44,999 respectively. If the leaks are true, the OnePlus 6T will be the costliest OnePlus device. However, something worth mentioning is that according to the leak, even the base model has 128 GB of internal storage. This is unlike the OnePlus 6 which had only 64 GB of internal storage in its base model.

The company had earlier hinted at the fact that the OnePlus 6T will be more expensive than its predecessor. However, the company also mentions that the numerous innovations present in the device will surely make it worth the price. The OnePlus 6T has an optical in-display fingerprint sensor and not an ultrasonic in-display sensor. The ultrasonic fingerprint sensor is more secure and efficient than its cheaper, optical counterpart. OnePlus, however, says that they have ensured this is the best in terms of both technology and security. Adding that they have worked really hard to make sure it meets ‘OnePlus standards’.

What’s More

The OnePlus 6T is also expected to be faster than its predecessor and is said to have a water drop notch in its display. But, a small water drop notch means that there will only be enough space for a front-facing camera and not for the required sensors needed to securely unlock the phone using your face. This means that OnePlus will continue to use just the camera for Face Unlock, which is not very secure and won’t work in low-light.

Other expected features include the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC, a 3,700 mAh battery and Android 9 Pie out of the box. The device might feature wireless charging as well. Another change we will see in the OnePlus 6T is the lack of a 3.5 mm headphone jack. The company has provided a solution for the issue by launching a pair of Type-C Bullets which will be compatible with the device. OnePlus is also providing the Type-C Bullets for free, bundled with the device for those who pre-order the smartphone.

Also Read: Huawei Launches The Huawei Mate 20, 20 X and 20 Pro

The OnePlus 6T will launch at an event on October 30. The global event will take place in New Delhi and New York and will have an accompanying live stream. The passes for the event are now available online.

October 17, 2018
Huawei Launches Huawei Watch GT & Band 3 Pro With Heartrate Sensor

Huawei has launched a series of wearables at the launch of the Honor Mate 20 Series. The new products launched by the company include the Huawei Mate 20, Mate 20 X, Mate 20 Pro, Watch GT, and the Band 3 Pro.

The Watch GT is a revision to the smartwatch 1 & 2 and the Huawei Band 3 Pro is an update for the Huawei Band.

Huawei Watch GT

The Huawei Watch GT is a Lite OS based smartwatch which features sleep tracking, fitness tracking, and GPS capabilities. The Watch GT is waterproof for up to 50 meters, measures 46.5 x 46.5 x 10.6 mm and weighs in at 46 grams without the strap. The device has a circular 1.39 inch AMOLED display with a 454 x 454 px resolution 326 ppi pixel density.

The Watch GT is made out of metal with a ceramic bezel and is available in two finishes; Stainless Steel and Black Stainless Steel. The straps for the watch are available in 4 colours: Graphite Black, Saddle Brown, Glacier Grey, and Fluorescent Green.

The watch uses Bluetooth 4.2 to connect with smartphones and is compatible with both Android and iOS. Huawei claims a 2-week long battery backup with active fitness tracking and up to 30 days with normal watch functionalities. Although, if you use it in continuous exercise tracking mode with heart rate monitor and GPS on the battery backup drops down to just 22 hours. However, the Watch GT can be fully charged in a mere 2 hours.

Huawei Watch GT has dual chipsets, a high power efficiency chipset for running less power-intensive processes and a second chipset which is up to 6x faster than the first for running features like activity tracking and heart rate monitor. This according to Huawei allows the watch to get this long battery life.

The Watch GT has an inbuilt heart rate sensor that can monitor and record the user’s heart rate, that can also be displayed on a smartphone app at a later point. It can also record sleeping patterns and suggest improvements for better sleep. The Watch GT has GPS capabilities and will be able to track you while you go out for your runs.

Huawei Band 3 Pro

The Huawei Band 3 Pro offers a less invasive and more lightweight option for those with fitness tracking needs. The Band 3 pro does have a GPS tracker, heart rate sensor, and is waterproof to upto 50 meters. It measures 45 x 19 x 11 mm and only weighs 25 grams, almost half of the Watch GT. It has a metal construction with a high gloss UV coating and a silicone rubber strap. The smart band has a 0.95 inch 2.5D AMOLED display with a 240 x 120 px resolution. The Band 3 Pro is built on the Applo 3 microprocessor.

The Huawei Band 3 Pro apart from the touchscreen has a physical home button to easily navigate through the menus. Like the Watch GT, it also uses Bluetooth 4.2 to connect and is compatible with both Android and iOS devices. The Band 3 Pro has an inbuilt heart rate sensor that can monitor and record the user’s heart rate, that can also be displayed on a smartphone app at a later point. It can also record sleeping patterns and suggest improvements for better sleep. All the activities can be monitored and tagged in the App and then later reviewed for data collection on the user’s daily performance.

Also Read: Huawei Launches Porsche Edition Mate RS

The Huawei Band 3 Pro is priced at €199 (around Rs. 16,900) and the Huawei Watch GT has a price of €249 (around Rs. 21,100). Both, the smartwatch and fitness band are available for pre-order in the UK and will be available in other markets including India in November.

October 17, 2018
Huawei Launches Porsche Edition Mate 20 RS

Huawei has launched it’s 2018 flagship phones the Mate 20 and 20 Pro. As is typical of Huawei they have tied up with Porsche Design to offer up RS variants of the phone with premium engineered design and prices. The Porsche Design Huawei Mate 20 RS is run on the Kirin 980 chipset. The phone features face unlock along with in display fingerprint access.

Porsche Design

The front houses a 6.39 inch, 2K+ 3120 x 1440 px resolution display with a 538 PPI pixel density. The Huawei Mate 20 RS has 8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage along with 256 GB expandability via microSD. The back has an exclusive leather wrapped design with a triple camera setup. One 40 MP Sensor with a wide angle lens and an f/1.8 aperture paired with a 20 MP ultra wide angle lens and an f/2.2 aperture. Finally a 8 MP sensor with a Telephoto lens and an f/2.4 aperture. The front has a 24 MP, f/2.0 aperture equipped snapper along with IR flood illuminator and depth sensor to allow for secure face unlock much like Apple’s Touch ID.

Huawei has emphasised on the AI capabilities of Huawei Mate 20 RS. This is because of their new Kirin 980 chipset which is the worlds first 7nm Mobile chipset. Huawei is also pushing impressive battery performance with a 4200 mAh battery. The Phone supports super fast charging upto 40 W using what the company calls HUAWEI SuperCharge. The phone can also handle Wireless charging upto 15 W with what the company calls HUAWEI Wireless Quick Charge.

The Huawei Mate 20 RS will be available in two colors a black and a red, both will have Leica branding along with leather stitched back with Porsche design logo. The PORSCHE DESIGN HUAWEI Mate 20 RS 8GB + 256GB will have a MSRP of EUR 1695. The PORSCHE DESIGN HUAWEI Mate 20 RS 8GB + 512GB will have a MSRP of EUR 2095. The phones will go on sale from 16^th November, 2018. The Red color variant will be sold as a limited edition release in China.

ALSO READ : Huawei Mate 20, Mate 20 Pro And Mate 20 X Launched

October 16, 2018
Huawei Launches The Huawei Mate 20, 20 X and 20 Pro

Huawei has launched its new flagship smartphones the Mate 20, Mate 20 X and Mate 20 Pro. The new devices replace the previous Mate series devices and offer improved specs and optics. The phones are built around Huawei’s new 7 nm chipset the Kirin 980 and offer varied specifications, along with varying price brackets.

Huawei Mate 20

The lowest variant the Mate 20 is also the cheapest in price. The phone has a 6.53 inch display with a 2244 x 1080 px resolution and 381 ppi pixel density. The display has an 18:7:9 aspect ratio and features a water-drop notch on the top to house the front camera.

The Huawei Mate 20 has a rear mounted physical fingerprint reader and an IP 53 rating for dust and water resistance. The phone features a glass front and back design mounted on an aluminium frame. At the back of the phone are triple cameras with Leica lenses which were earlier teased by the company and placed inside a square camera mount. The primary camera is a 16 MP sensor with a wide-angle lens and an f/1.8 aperture. This is paired with an additional 12 MP ultra-wide sensor with an f/2.2 aperture. Finally an 8 MP telephoto f/2.4 aperture lens equipped camera completes the layout. This new camera setup allows Huawei to access a wide range of focus lengths from 16 mm to 270 mm.

The front houses a 24 MP f/2.0 sensor inside the water drop notch, allowing for larger screen real estate than the Pro. The Mate 20 has either 4 GB or 6GB of RAM and is paired with 128 GB of storage, the phone also offers expandability via the NM cards which are unique to Huawei phones for now.

The phone has a 4000 mAh battery and will be available in four colours ; Midnight Blue, Black, Emerald Green and including the popular twilight colour option

Huawei Mate 20 X

The Huawei Mate 20 X is the largest of the three with a 7,2 inch display and a 2244 x 1080 px resolution. The phone also runs on the Kirin 980 platform, but is designed to impress the phablet market which now primarily is based around the Samsung Galaxy Note series. The Mate 20 X has HUAWEI Supercool which features a liquid multi-dimensional cooling system with a Vapour Chamber and a Graphene Film.

The Mate 20 X has support for the HUAWEI M-Pen, which can be used to activate the Memo directly from a locked screen. The screen has a 4096 high level pressure sensitivity, which according to the company makes using the Pen, lifelike.

While larger the Mate 20 X has an IP 53 rating for dust and water resistance. This is the only smartphone in the line-up to offer a dedicated 3.5 mm headphone jack. The fingerprint sensor is placed on the back under the square triple camera layout much like the Mate 20. The camera layout is equipped with a Leica 40 MP Wide Angle Lens, f/1.8 aperture camera paired with a Leica 20 MP Ultra Wide Angle Lens, f/2.2 aperture based module. The 8 MP Telephoto sensor is the third sensor and offers a 3X zoom along with an f/2.4 aperture equipped Leica lens. The Mate 20 x has laser focus, phase focus and contrast focus along with Huawei AI Image Stabilisation.

The phone will be available in only one variant with 6GB of RAM and 128 GB of Storage, and will be expandable via a NM card to upto 256 GB. The battery is a massive 5000 mAh unit which supports Huawei’s fast charge capabilities. The Mate 20 X will only be available in two colours Phantom Silver and Midnight Blue.

Huawei Mate 20 Pro

The Huawei Mate 20 Pro as the name suggests offers better specs and is also the phone that will be sold globally and remains the true flagship launched by the company.

The Huawei Mate 20 Pro has a 6.39 inch curved OLED display with a 3120 x 1440 px resolution and 538 ppi pixel density. The phone has a full sized notch display with a 19:5:9 aspect ratio and Corning Gorilla Glass protection. Just like the Mate 20 the phone is based on the new 7 nm Kirin 980 chipset. This has dual neural processing units which help it compute solutions of task based questions. This allows for AI based camera modes that will automatically detect what you are shooting (like food, landscapes or portraits).

The Mate 20 Pro also has larger camera sensors in comparison to the Mate 20. Still made in collaboration with Leica, the first is a 40 MP wide lens f/1.8 aperture based camera. Paired with a 20 MP ultra wide sensor with an f/2.2 aperture and an 8 MP telephoto sensor with f/2.4 aperture. While this gives the Mate 20 Pro more megapixels, the phone also features a wide ISO range up to 102,400 ISO. The camera also supports Super HDR capability and can shoot macro shots of objects as close as 2.5 cm. Just like the Mate 20 the varied camera setup allows for varied focal lengths ranging from 16 mm to 270 mm.

The Mate 20 Pro is the only phone of the three which is IP68 rated water and dust resistant. Huawei also provides a special underwater case for the Mate 20 Pro to allow for underwater photography upto a depth of 5 meter .

The dual NPUs present in the device offers features such as AI Portrait Colour video. With this, you can implement effects in your videos, in real time. The device also offers a 3D live emoji feature which looks pretty similar to Apple’s Animoji. It has a new 3D live object modelling feature. With this you can just scan an object and the smartphone will recreate it in 3D. You can then animate this 3D model or can even integrate it with your surroundings using a skeleton mapping system. You can even interact with the 3D model if you are taking a photo or video, and it will mimic your actions.

The Huawei Mate 20 Pro features an in-display fingerprint sensor a first for the Chinese brand. The fingerprint reader uses a 10 level dynamic pressure sensing technology which improves the unlock speed, which has increased by 30% compared to the previous generation. The phone also offers up a 3D face unlock with an IR flood illuminator and 3D sensor placed next to the front cameras in the notch of the display.

Reverse Wireless Charging

The Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro pack a 4,200 mAh battery, offering great battery back up. The company has also introduced a 40 W fast charger which it claims can charge 1 % in just 30 seconds. The fast charger and the device have gone through various security checks and procedures and are absolutely safe, according to Huawei. Huawei has also included a 15 W fast charging wireless charger. This is compatible with both the devices.

The most impressive feature however is the reverse wireless charging. The Mate 20 Pro can be used as a wireless charger for other smartphones. By placing another smartphone with wireless charging capabilities in contact with the Mate 20 Pro’s back, the Mate 20 pro can wireless charge the other device.

Huawei Mate 20 costs €799 for the 4GB RAM and 128GB storage variant and €849 for the 6GB RAM and 128GB storage variant.

Huawei Mate 20 Pro costs EUR 1049 for its 6GB RAM and 128GB storage variant.

Huawei Mate 20 X costs EUR 899 for its 8GB RAM and 128 GB storage variant.

All three devices will go on sale mid November 2018. The Mate 20 Pro will launch in India end November, with the Mate 20 and Mate 20 x to be launched subsequently. Huawei has also launched a variety of cases and accessories to go alongside the three devices, including a wireless charger for the Mate 20 pro and Mate 20 RS.

October 16, 2018
HMD Global Launches Nokia X7 In China
HMD Global on Tuesday launched a new premium smartphone called the Nokia X7. The device is currently available in China and Nokia will soon launch the device in other markets as well.

Specifications:

The Nokia X7 measures 154.8 x 75.76 x 7.97 mm and weighs 178 grams. It has a 6.18-inch Full HD+ LCD display with a resolution of 2280 x 1080 px and a pixel density of 408 ppi. The smartphone has an aspect ratio of 18.7:9 and runs on the Octa-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 CPU along with the Adreno 616 GPU. It is available in 3 storage variants, 4 GB RAM with 64 GB ROM or 6 GB RAM with 64/128 GB ROM which is expandable up to 400 GB via a microSD card.

The Nokia x7 runs on Android 8.1 Oreo and it has a 3,500 mAh battery with fast charging support. The handset has dual rear cameras with dual LED flash, the first sensor is a 12 MP, f/1.8 aperture equipped main sensor with OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) and a secondary 13 MP sensor. The device can capture 4k 2160p video at 30 fps. Other than the dual rear cameras, it also has a 20 MP front selfie camera.

In terms of connectivity, it has 802.11 Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, a 3.5 mm headphone jack and USB Type-C port for charging and data transfer. The device can be securely by the onscreen pattern lock or the rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. Talking about the sensors, the smartphone has an electronic compass, gyroscope, ambient sensor, accelerometer, and a proximity sensor.

Package contents of the device include the handset itself, a 9V/2A charger, a USB cable, a card reader and a protective case.

Also read: Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 To Launch On October 25

Price and Colours:

The device is available in 4 different colors which are Dark Blue, Night Red, Magic Night silver and Night Black. The price for different variants are as follows:
- Nokia X7 4 GB RAM / 64 GB ROM price- CNY 1,699 (around Rs. 18,000)
- Nokia X7 6 GB RAM / 64 GB ROM price- CNY 1,999 (around Rs. 21,200)
- Nokia X7 6 GB RAM / 128 GB ROM price- CNY 2,499 (around Rs. 26,500)
October 16, 2018
Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 To Launch On October 25

The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3, which is the next flagship from the smartphone giant will launch in an event on October 25. The announcement has been made by the company through a teaser on Weibo. The teaser in itself is very interesting. It also displays the sliding camera mechanism that we will see on the Mi Mix 3.

Apart from this, Xiaomi just posted another image on Weibo, teasing the Mi Mix 3. The image has two notebooks, and the covers read ‘5G’ and ’10G’ respectively. It is clear that with the first one, Xiaomi is hitting at the fact that the Mi Mix 3 will have 5G connectivity. However, the second notebook is a bit confusing. Xiaomi could be hinting at the fact that the device will have 10 GB of RAM. This is the only possible explanation as of now. While the lack of infrastructure and modems to support the 5G network is an issue, Xiaomi might have worked its way around the issue, hence posting the teaser. Also adding to this is the teaser from back in September. This image showed the Mi Mix 3 in a 5G testing station with its notification bar displaying a 5G network.

The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 has some interesting features other than its sliding camera and ‘truly bezel less’ display. The device has a QHD+ AMOLED display by Samsung. It will run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC. It might offer upto 10 GB of RAM as the teaser hints. The specifics of the primary camera are unknown. The device has a 20 MP front facing camera. The sliding back panel is manually operated and it slides out to reveal the front camera and a few other sensors.

Also Read : HTC To Launch Exodus Blockchain Smartphone On October 22

The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 also has a dedicated Xiao AI button. The Xiao AI is Xiaomi’s assistant and a physical button will offer better accessibility for the same. The device is sure to bring along some surprises at its launch.

October 16, 2018
Huawei Mate 20 Pro Unboxing Video Leaked Before Official Launch

Huawei has been performing very well globally and even surpassed Apple in terms of sales, this August. They are now the world’s No. 2 smartphone seller only lagging behind Samsung. The company is set to launch the much awaited Mate 20 Pro smartphone in a London Event today evening. The device will have true flagship specifications and further help Huawei strengthen their position in the global smartphone market. A lot of leaks and alleged features about the device have been making rounds on the internet. And now, hours before the official launch, a hands-on video of the Mate 20 Pro has surfaced online.

Although, the original video has now been taken down by the uploader, we were able to get our hands on some small clips. The first clip demonstrates the all-new in screen fingerprint sensor which seems smooth and snappy. The phone has a notched display that houses the speakerphone and the front camera. It has 3 onscreen buttons for navigating through the device.The second clip shows the back of the phone with a gradient colour panel. The clip also shows off the triple rear camera setup that the Mate 20 Pro will have.

Apart from the fingerprint sensor, the triple rear cameras, and the notch display, it will be the first smartphone to run on the 7nm Kirin 980 processor.The Mate 20 Pro will have a 4,200 mAh battery with fast charging support of up to 40W. In terms of memory, the device will be available in 6 GB or 8 GB RAM variants paired with 128 GB to 512 GB of inbuilt storage.Talking more about the cameras of the handset, it will have triple rear camera setup comprising of dual 20 MP telephoto sensors and an 8 MP ultra-wide angle sensor.

Also read: Palm Launches Credit Card Sized Android Phone

Sadly, Huawei has removed the 3.5mm headphone jack from the phone. But, they are kind enough to ship the device with the new USB Type-C headphones. Huawei will launch the device officially today evening and will answer all question regarding details, price and availability of the smartphone.

October 16, 2018
Honor 8X Launched In India

The Honor 8X had been launched alongside the Honor 8X Max in China last month. Both the devices sport huge displays and some impressive specifications. Today, the Honor 8X has been launched in India. The Honor 8X starts at a price of Rs 14,999 for its base variant and is available exclusively on Amazon.

Design

The Honor 8X has a double textured design. It has a metal middle frame and 2.5D glass. The back is made of 15 layers of Aurora Glass, according to the company.The finish on the device looks really premium and stylish. The display houses a notch, thin bezels and a very slim chin. On the back, there is the dual rear camera setup, LED flash, fingerprint scanner and the Honor branding.

Display

The device has a 6.5 inch IPS LCD display with a 19:5:9 aspect ratio. It has a resolution of 2340 x 1080 px and a pixel density of 396 ppi. The device has a screen-to-body ratio of 91%. The display is bright and vibrant and has good viewing angles.

Processor

The Honor 8X runs on the Hisilicon kirin 710 SoC. It has an Octa Core CPU with a clock speed of 2.2 GHz. The device has 4 GB and 6 GB RAM options. It has the Mali G51 GPU with GPU Turbo technology. It has 64 GB and 128 GB storage variants and the storage is expandable upto 400 GB via a microSD card. The device is running on EMUI 8.2 based on Android 8.1 Oreo.

Camera

The device has a 20 MP + 2 MP dual camera setup on the back. The 2 MP sensor is a depth sensor. The camera setup has PDAF and is AI ability. It shoots 1080p videos at 30 fps. It has a 16 MP front facing camera which shoots 1080p videos at 30 fps.

Battery & Other Features

Under the hood, the device packs a 3,750 mAh battery. It has a fingerprint reader, headphone jack and a microUSB port for charging and connectivity. The device has Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2 and GPS for connectivity.

Price & Availability

The Honor 8X costs Rs 14,999 for its 4 GB/ 64 GB variant, Rs 16,999 for 6GB/ 64 GB variant and Rs 18,999 for the 6 GB/ 128 GB variant. It will be available exclusively on Amazon and the sale for the device starts on October 24.

October 16, 2018
Palm Inc Launches Credit Card Sized Android Phone

Palm Inc was founded in 1992 and it specialized in manufacturing PDAs (personal digital assistants) which became outdated with time. In 2011, HP acquired the Palm Brand and they manufactured a few models under the Palm brand running webOS. But the phones were unable to compete with Android smartphones due to lack of apps and support. In 2014 China-based TCL corporation bought the Palm brand from HP. In 2015 TCL confirmed they will revive the Palm Brand with the approach of crowdsourced smartphones.

And finally, in 2018, we see the first Palm smartphone, called the Palm Phone running on the Android operating system. The new device is supposed to be your secondary phone other than your large screen smartphone.

Specifications

The dimensions of the Palm Phone are 96.6 x 50.6 x 7.4 mm and it weighs 62.5 grams. The smartphone has a tiny 3.3 inch Full HD LCD display with a pixel density of 445 ppi. It runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 Octa-Core CPU and has 3 GB of RAM with 32 GB of inbuilt storage. The device has an IP68 rating which makes it water and dust resistant.

The phone has an 800 mAh which the company claims will provide all-day battery backup or 3+ days of standby time. For photography, the smartphone has a 12 MP rear camera and an 8 MP front selfie camera which is also used for securely unlocking the phone via face recognition.

The Palm Phone runs on Android 8.1 and has a custom UI for easily navigating through apps on its small screen. In terms of connectivity, the device has 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.2, 802.11 Wi-Fi and the USB Type-C port for charging and data transfer. The device also has a bunch of sensors including a gravity sensor, proximity sensor and a gyroscope. The device is available in two color variants: titanium and gold. Palm Inc also showcased a wide variety of accesories for the device including a sports strap and leather wallet.

Price and Availability

The Palm Phone has a price tag of $ 349 in the USA and will be available from November. It is exclusively available to Verizon customers under NumberShare for a $ 10 additional monthly charge. Under the NumberShare scheme, customers can receive text messages and calls on both their phones simultaneously. However, the availability of the Palm Phone outside the USA is still unconfirmed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fycs1-ElYGs

October 16, 2018
Samsung SM-W2019 Flip Phone With Two Screens To Launch Soon

The upcoming Samsung SM-W2019 Smartphone will launch soon and has been spotted on TENAA. The flagship flip phone from Samsung will mostly have its availability restricted to China and not see a global launch. The device has two 4.2 inch screens, a Snapdragon 845 SoC and a 3,000 mAh battery among other features. The cost of the device is somewhere around the $ 2,000 price mark, like its predecessor.

Also Read: Nokia X7 Design Revealed Ahead Of Launch

Specifications

The SM-W2019 has two, 4.2 inch Super AMOLED displays, according to reports. The device also has a dual camera setup just like the one in the Galaxy Note 9 and the Galaxy S9+. It runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC and has 6 GB of RAM. The device sports a Bixby key and a USB Type-C port for connectivity and charging. A big upgrade has been in terms of the battery. While the SM-W2018 had a 2,300 mAh battery, the SM-W2019 has a 3,000 mAh battery. While many pointed out that a 3,000 mAh battery isn’t enough for two screens, it goes without saying that not both screens will be on at all times, hence solving this issue.

The flagship flip phone series was started by Samsung in December 2016. It announced the first of this series, the SM-W2017. This device had the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset. It costs an outrageous $ 3,000 but still found its target market. In 2017, Samsung launched the SM-W2018 which ran on the Snapdragon 835 chipset and had a price tag of over $ 2,000. Not many people would value or find the need for such a phone in today’s world. However, it seems like Samsung does have quite a few fans for this series.

Apart from these few rumours and leaks, there is nothing else that is known about the device as of now. Though, it does look like Samsung will launch it this year itself, not letting the date get too close to the launch of the Galaxy S10 or the Note 10.

October 16, 2018
Top 5 Android Launchers You Need To Try

Android launchers allow you to get a totally different user experience from your existing smartphone. The capabilities of these launchers are infinite ranging from theme customization to swipe gestures to battery boost by managing background apps.

Evie Launcher:

Evie launcher is a home screen replacement that was designed with performance in mind. It has an alphabetic app drawer with a translucent background that makes it look very pretty. Apart from the looks, the key features of this Android launcher are custom shortcuts which can be user created, quick navigation that allows you to instantly access all apps with a swipe up. The launcher also supports personalization so the user can change app icons, manipulate icon size or customize the layout.

Play store Rating: 4.7

Nova Launcher:

This is one of the first 3rd party Android launchers. It is available for download as a free version or a paid version with added functionalities. The free version has a customizable App Drawer, color control for label folders and unread badges. The paid version includes gestures like swipe, pinch, and double tap to open your favourite apps, custom app drawers to create new tabs or folders, etc. Overall, it is a very robust and swift android launcher.

Play store Rating: 4.6

Also Read: Nokia X7 Design Revealed Ahead Of Launch

Microsoft Launcher:

This is Microsoft’s attempt at making an Android launcher and is surely influenced by the Windows design and themes. The launcher has a quick search bar with photo and audio search capabilities with Bing as the default search engine. It has Cortana support, which is Microsoft’s personal voice assistant. The launcher has a swipe up toggle menu for easily turning on/off options like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Rotation lock, etc.

Play store Rating: 4.6

POCO Launcher:

POCO Launcher is the same launcher that the budget flagship smartphone Poco F1 has. It is fully customizable with a beautiful design and is super fast and light. Some key features include convenient search with recommended apps, easy app management by category and privacy protection by hiding private app icons.

Play store Rating: 4.2

Pixel Launcher:

Pixel Launcher is the home screen experience straight from the Pixel phones by Google. Key features of this Android launcher are quick access to Google search from the primary home screen, app suggestions, swipe right from home screen for Google news cards and personalized information like upcoming birthdays of friends. The Android launcher is very simple and easy to use which is synonymous to Google’s vision of using technology.

Play store Rating: 4.2

October 15, 2018
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 To Launch With A 6.6 Inch Display

Smartphone industry insiders claim that the Note 10 will have a 6.66 inch screen. The claims are based on the specifications handed over by Samsung to its display manufacturing unit. This has been done so that work on the huge Super AMOLED panel can start early.

Also Read: Apple Watch Series 4 Now Available For Pre-Order In India

Battle Of The Biggest

The 6.66 inch display is an 8% bump in surface area from the Galaxy Note 9’s 6.4 inch display. The Galaxy Note 9 currently has the biggest display Samsung has ever made and this will surely beat it. It is also interesting to note that even though the Apple iPhone XS Max has a 6.5 inch screen, due to its aspect ratio and notch, its usable surface area is less than that of the Galaxy Note 9. Also joining the bandwagon of massive displays next year is a variant of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S10. The Galaxy S10+ will have a 6.44 inch display as compared to the 5.8 inch display its other variants will have.

It is also noteworthy that Samsung has codenamed the Note 10 as ‘Da Vinci’. This could hint at better S Pen integration into the latest Note. We may see an upgraded experience and capability with the S Pen. Although the launch of the device is far away, Samsung has decided to finalise the specifications already. It has done this to have a longer development period. According to experts, they want to take their time and deliver a great product. The design is final and will be shown at the MWC in February 2019.

As of now, we will have to wait for some kind of confirmation from Samsung itself on this news. However, the gigantic screen is a possibility. These days, premium manufactures are taking it upon themselves to deliver the biggest and best screens. Coupled with the fact that Samsung is always on the lookout to better Apple, we could see a 6.66 inch display on the Galaxy Note 10.

October 15, 2018
Nokia X7 Design Revealed Ahead Of Launch

HMD Global has scheduled a launch event on 16 October and it is likely to launch the Nokia X7 there. Nokia has been constantly posting teasers of an X series device on their Weibo page. The device will feature a vertically aligned dual-rear camera setup with Zeiss optics and an LED flash. The latest poster suggests that the device has a notch in its display and a rear mounted finger print sensor.

The notch houses an earpiece and the front-facing selfie camera. The phone has thin bezels on either side and a thick bottom chin which carries the Nokia branding. It seems that the rear panel is made out of glass and not plastic as it will be a flagship device.

The Nokia X7 has already passed TENAA certification in China and the certification does reveal some specifications of the device.

Specifications:

Also read: Apple Watch Series 4 Available For Pre-Order In India

The Nokia X7 measures 158.5 x 75.7 x 7.9 mm and weighs 185 grams. The listing reveals the smartphone will be available in three colour options including Red, Silver and Blue. The handset has a 6.18 inch display with a resolution of 2246 x 1080 px. The phone runs on an unspecified 2.2GHz Octa-Core processor. In terms of storage the device will be available in two variants: 4 GB RAM and 64 GB ROM or 6 GB RAM and 128 GB ROM. It also supports memory expansion upto 400 GB via a microSD card.

For photography, it has 12 MP + 13 MP dual rear camera that shoots 2160p videos at 30 fps and a 20 MP front facing selfie camera. The phone has a 3,400 mAh non removable lithium battery. In terms of sensors, it has a Gravity sensor, Proximity sensor, Ambient-light sensor and a finger print sensor for securely unlocking the smart phone.

Besides the handset, the package is bundled with a travel charger, a USB cable and a user manual. For now we can only wait for the event till Nokia officially launches the device and demonstrates all of its features.

October 15, 2018
HTC To Launch Exodus Blockchain Smartphone On October 22

HTC has teased its very own blockchain smartphone in an Instagram post. The device, named Exodus, will launch on October 22. This is the world’s first major blockchain phone. The announcement about this was made earlier this year, in May. Blockchain refers to the decentralised ledger technology which underlies cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. The HTC Exodus is a crypto phone that supports cryptocurrencies. Rumours also say that you will be able to purchase the phone using cryptocurrency.

Also Read: Samsung To Launch Foldable Smartphone Soon

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo10uP_hptt/?taken-by=htc.exodus

The teaser on Instagram does not reveal anything about the device other than the name and the launch date. However, reports tell us some of the details. The software used in the phone is not Android, but is based on it. The device includes some security protocols which handle the required encryption for the safe transfer of currency, according to reports. The company also revealed that the device has a new trust execution environment. This keeps the cryptocurrency safe and secure in an ‘enclave’ within this trust zone. It also has a ‘Social Key Recovery’ which prevents hackers from getting access to your wallet.

Siri Finney

A Switzerland based company, Sirin Labs was the first to make a commercial Blockchain smartphone, going by the name Finney. The device features a built in ‘cold storage’, peer to peer resource sharing and other Blockchain elements. It features a 6-inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The display also features a notch. The device has a 12 MP main camera and an 8 MP front camera. The Finney costs $ 999 and is available on pre-order.

HTC had earlier mentioned that for the phone to be truly successful, they need support from cryptographers and the cryptocurrency community. Nothing about the other features of the device is known as of now. However, reports suggest that the phone will cost around $ 1,000.

October 15, 2018
China Sees Decrease In Domestic Mobile Phone Shipments

Telecommunications Research Institute of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology recently released a report on the domestic phone shipments in China and it does not look too good for the smartphone market. In the period from January-September 2018, the domestic mobile phone market shipped 305 million units, down 17% year on year. September 2018 saw 91 new model launches, down 26.0% year-on-year and 65.5% quarter-on-quarter. 18 models of 2G phones, 1 model of 3G phones and 72 models of 4G mobile phones saw their release in that month.

Reports also stated that in the period of January to September 2018, 2G mobile phone shipments were 16.762 million units, down 19.7% year-on-year. 3G mobile phone shipments were 49,000 units, down 90.9% year-on-year. While the 4G mobile phone shipments were 288 million units, down 16.7% year-on-year.

635 new phones were launched since the beginning of the year. Out of this, 144 models were 2G compatible and 488 models were available with 4G support. 92% of the sales were garnered by the top 10 manufacturers in China. This includes giants like Xiaomi, Oppo and Apple.

Around The World

September also saw Korean smartphone manufacturers Samsung beating Apple in the global smartphone market. This is hapenning as companies like Xiaomi, Huawei and Oppo are closing in. Apple however targets the top end of the market while most Chinese manufacturers target the lower end. This is much more price sensitive. Other manufacturers may win the race in terms of the number of phones sold but Apple almost always wins the profitability race.

In Quarter 2, according to a research website, the best selling smartphone models were the Oppo R15, Vivo X21, iPhone X, iPhone 8 Plus and Honor 7C. A research analyst when talking about Q2 had commented that during the quarter, OPPO and Vivo also expanded their presence in the premium segment by launching devices like the Find X and Nex. According to him, the premium segment is likely to get more competitive in the later part of 2018.

October 15, 2018