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Essential Phone Raises $300 Million In Funding, PH-1 Release Date Will Be Announced Next Week
Essential Products, a smartphone start-up by Andy Rubin has raised USD 300 million in new funding. It was also announced that the Essential Phone’s release date will e revealed next week.

Essential Products has also signed up retailers for the distribution of the smartphone which includes amazon.com, BestBuy, Sprint in the US and Telus in Canada. This new development comes a few days after it was reported that all may not be well at Essential Products after losing three top-ranking officials within a month.

The founder of Essential Products, Andy Rubin took to Twitter that the manufacturing process of the $699 smartphone is in full swing and will be available to the consumers soon. The funding round concluded with the funds raised up to $300 million, and the investors included Tencent Holdings, electronics contract manufacturer Foxconn and Amazon.com, which participated via its Alexa Fund. Previous investors Redpoint Ventures and Playground Global also participated.

The Essential phone is one of the most anticipated devices of 2017 as it is the brainchild of the ‘father of Android,’ Andy Rubin. The device;s potential launch will clash with some of the heavyweights of the smartphone industry such as the iPhone 8 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, both of the devices will have top-of-the-line features. The Essential phone will be displayed only in BestBuy stores and retail online through Amazon against the widepread distribution of the likes of Samsung, Apple, LG etc. R. “Ray” Wang of Constellation Research said, “It’s not just about US distribution. This is going to be a global phone. The biggest phone markets are China, India and the US” referring to Essential’s two principal investors from Asia.

Essential PH-1 next to the iPhone

What we know about the Essential Phone PH-1 so far-
- Display – 5.71-inch 2560 x 1312 px with an aspect ratio of 19:10
- Battery – 3,040mAh support for fast charging, Wireless charging
- Chipset – Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
- RAM- 4GB
- Storage – 128GB
- Rear Camera- 13 MP dual cameras with one RGB sensor and one Monochrome sensor and f/1.85 aperture lenses
- Front Camera- 8MP
- Video Recording- 4K at 30 FPS
August 10, 2017
Apple iPhone 6s on Discount and More Tech Deals | Amazon Great Indian Sale

The Amazon great Indian Sale is on and there is a host of deals to choose from. iGyaan brings you some more top tech and smartphone deals currently available on Amazon.

1. Seagate 1TB Hard Drive

The Seagate 1TB hard drive is a handy storage device on the go. It is portable and has USB 3.0 for quick file transfer and weighs only 222 g to make it easy to carry with you. It is available in 6 colours for you to choose from and match the accent you’re going for. It usually retails for Rs 7,999 but is available for Rs 4,099 right now.

2. Apple iPhone 6s (32GB)

The iPhone 6s was launched in 2015 but because of Apple’s constant updates and the device’s hardware, the phone is more than capable of being your daily driver in 2017. With a 12MP rear-facing camera with an f/2.2 aperture and a front-facing 5MP camera with an f/2.2 aperture, the phone will always come in handy to capture great moments. The iPhone 6s costs Rs 46,900 but is available right now for Rs 35,999.

Also Read – Top Tech And Smartphone Deals For The Amazon Great Indian Sale

3. Lenovo 13000 mAh Power Bank

A power bank is a must have smartphone accessory nowadays. With smartphones getting slimmer and batteries inside losing precious power, the Lenovo 13,000 mAh Power Bank is a great buy. It costs Rs 2,999 but right it is available for Rs 1,099.

4. SanDisk Ultra 64GB Micro SD Memory Card

With transfer speeds up to 80mbps, the SanDisk Ultra 64GB MicroSD card fits the bill for memory expansion accessories. It has a durable design and is waterproof, X-ray proof, temperature proof and shockproof as well. It retails at Rs 2,450 but is available right now at Rs 1,349.

Also Read – More Tech And Smartphone Deals For The Amazon Great Indian Sale

5. Sony 16GB USB Drive

With all the cloud storage in the world, it becomes useless if you don’t have internet access. The Sony 16GB USB Drive comes in handy in those times. Good to carry your important documents and a slider design to keep the USB safe, it is a useful accessory to carry around. It costs around Rs 549 but is available at Rs 375 right now.

August 10, 2017
LG Q6 Goes On Sale On Amazon For Rs 14,990

LG recently teased the launch of the Q6 in India with its edge-to-edge display. And now the phone is available to buy on Amazon at a price of Rs 14,990. The USP of the device evidently is the premium edge-to-edge display with an 18:9 aspect ratio found on the LG G6. The LG Q6 launched in South Korea in three variants – Q6, Q6a and Q6+. LG has decided to launch the variant with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage in India.

The phone features a 5.5-inch 2160 x 1080 px IPS LCD display with a pixel density of 442ppi and an impressive 78% screen-to-body ratio. The device is powered by a 3,000mAh non-removable battery and runs on Android 7.1.1 Nougat with LG’s custom skin on top of it. The device packs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 chipset with a 1.4GHz octa-core processor and Adreno 505 along with 3GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage which is expandable via microSD card up to 2TB. The handset lacks a fingerprint sensor but LG has introduced face unlocking feature instead. There is no confirmation on the presence of Corning Gorilla Glass

Resemblance with the LG G6 ends with the display, as it features a single 13MP rear-facing camera with a single LED flash and on the front is a wide angle 5MP sensor. The rear camera records video at 1920 x 1080 px at 30 FPS. LG also claims that the Q6 has US Military Standard-810G Certified which means that it can survive quite a few drops.

The smartphone is on sale at Amazon for Rs 14,990 and is available in three colour variants, Astro Black, Ice Platinum and Terra Gold.

August 10, 2017
LG V30 To Be The First Smartphone With An F/1.6 Lens
LG is set to launch its 2017 flagship, the V30 on August 31 at IFA, Berlin. Although we have seen a lot of leaks and renders of the V30, LG is not shy about shedding some light on its upcoming smartphone either. A few days ago, LG announced that the new phone will be LG’s shift to OLED panels and now, LG has shared a blog post telling us that the V30 will be the first camera phone with an f/1.6 lens. Apart from the official announcements, the LG V30 was leaked due to the company’s own official marketing campaign.

The f/1.6 lens lets in 25% more light than f/1.8 lens on the likes of the iPhone 7 Plus. Besides the wider aperture, the glass Lens also delivers greater light-collecting ability than a plastic lens as well as better colour reproduction. Along with the new construction, the camera will feature laser detection AF, optical image stabilisation and electronic image stabilisation. LG hasn’t made it clear whether both the cameras will take advantage of this construction but it definitely will compete for the best camera phone of 2017. LG has shown that the V series will continue to focus on media consumption. From the V10, which had one of the best cameras two years ago to the V20 which had great sound and now the V30, which presumably has the best lens so far in a smartphone.

LG also recently announced its shift to OLED displays, and that the LG V30 will feature a 6-inch edge-to-edge display, which will be an improvement over the V20’s design. This shift also indicates that LG has prioritised the quality of media consumption on the upcoming smartphone as well as future devices.

What we know about the LG V30 so far-
- Launch: August 31
- Price : $700 (Rs 45,000 approx.)
- Display: 6-inch 2880 x 1440 px 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 with an f/1.6 aperture
- Wireless charging
- ESS Quad DAC
August 10, 2017
More Tech And Smartphone Deals For The Amazon Great Indian Sale

There are more deals on Amazon to keep you shopping. Here are the top tech and smartphone deals for the Amazon Great Indian Sale to save some of your hard earned money.

TP-Link Wireless-N Router

The TP-Link Wireless Router is an essential for good internet connection at your home or office. It has a data transfer rate of 300 MB per second and has all the essential ports you might need to setup your internet connection. It usually retails for around Rs 1,499 but is right now available for Rs 899 on Amazon.

Samsung Evo Plus 32GB MicroSDHC Card

The Samsung Evo Plus 32GB microSD card is fast, durable and now affordable. It comes with an adaptor which makes it compatible with almost brands while maintaining its speed. It has ultra-fast read and write speeds up to 95mbps and 20mbps respectively. It is right now available for Rs 749 while it usually retails for around Rs 1,149.

OnePlus 3T

One of the best phones of 2016, and still holds up pretty well against most of the 2017 devices, the OnePlus 3T comes with great specifications and user experience. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 Chipset along with 6GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage. The smartphone comes in two colours, Gunmetal and Soft Gold. The OnePlus 3T costs Rs 29,999 but is available at Rs 27,999 right now.

Honor 6X (32GB)

Huawei’s sub-brand Honor’s budget offering, the Honor 6X is a budget-friendly smartphone in the sub-15K category and offers a dual-camera set up as well. It features a 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 px display along with the Kirin 655 chipset and an octa-core processor. It sports a 12Mp + 2MP dual camera setup at the back and an 8MP front-facing camera. It retails for Rs 11,999 but is available at Rs 10,999 right now.

Apple iPhone 6 (32GB)

The Apple iPhone 6 was launched back in 2014 but continues to get constant software updates making it more than capable to be your daily driver in 2017. It sports a 4.7-inch 1334 x 725 px IPS LCD display and Apple’s A8 chipset. It features an 8MP rear-facing camera with an f/2.2 aperture and a front-facing 1.2MP camera with an f/2.2 aperture. It’s priced at Rs 29,500 but is available for Rs 23,999 right now.

August 9, 2017
Lenovo Launches K8 Note In India Starting At Rs 12,999

Lenovo has announced the newest entrant to its ‘K Note’ series, the K8 Note, at a price of Rs 12,999 for the 3GB RAM with 32GB storage and Rs 13,999 for the 4GB RAM with 64GB storage. The successor to the K6 Note was unveiled today in Delhi at a launch event which had been teased by Lenovo India on social media for the past couple of weeks.

The Lenovo K8 Note packs the Helio X23 chipset with a 2.3GHz high-performing deca-core processor and the Mali T-880 MP4 GPU. The device has two variants – 3GB RAM with 32GB onboard storage and 4GB RAM with 64GB onboard storage which is expandable up to 128GB via a microSD card and features USB OTG support for added storage options. The phone features a 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 px display with a pixel density of 441ppi and a Corning Gorilla Glass with oleophobic coating for scratch resistance. The smartphone is powered by a 4,000mAh battery with turbo charge. The K8 Note is splash resistant due to its P2i coating although the resistance might decrease with time due to wear and tear.

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The Camera is key for the new Lenovo K8 Note, with a 13Mp Pure cell sensor mated with a 5MP Samsung BSI sensor dual camera setup and dual LED flash at the back. The phone is capable of depth mode effects along with 1920 x 1080 px Video capture. A 13MP camera with LED flash and an f/2.0 aperture sits on the front of the device above the display. The camera UI will also feature a stock android layout with no customisation offered by Lenovo apart from the depth mode.

Lenovo has given a lot of importance to media consumption with a TheaterMax feature for content consumption via VR. The Dolby Atmos app lets you customise the music settings according to your preference when a pair of headphones is plugged in. The device has a dedicated music key on the left, under the SIM card and microSD card slots which can be programmed to launch an app and control music playback.

Lenovo recently announced that it will drop Vibe Pure UI from all forthcoming devices and adopt a pure Android skin starting with the K8 Note. The phone runs on Android 7.1.1 out of the box with a clean stock Android UI, Lenovo has included the Lenovo Help App, along with basic features like double tap to wake and color modes for the display. The fingerprint sensor sits on the back of the phone under the dual camera setup , and is extremely responsive. Stay tuned for our unboxing.

August 9, 2017
Top Tech And Smartphone Deals For The Amazon Great Indian Sale

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

Apple iPhone SE (32GB)

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

Apple iPhone 7 (32GB)

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

Moto G5 Plus

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

Samsung On 7 Pro

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

JBL GO Wireless Bluetooth Speaker

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Expected Specifications of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 8:
- Launch- August 23
- Price – $1100 (approximately INR 71,000
- Display- 6.3-inch Super AMOLED
- Battery- 3,300 mAh battery
- Chipset- Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
- OS- Android Nougat 7.1.1
- RAM- 6GB
- Storage- 64GB/128 GB
- Camera- 12-megapixel dual camera
- Improved S-Pen functionalities
- Iris Scanner and Fingerprint sensor
August 8, 2017
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