Tag: leaks

New Leak Reveals The Fingerprint Sensor On Galaxy S9 Will Have A Better Placement

While Samsung has had a financially successful year thanks to its hugely popular Galaxy S8, S8+ and Note8, the company has had to deal with a very consistent criticism. All the three flagship phones launched by Samsung in 2017 had an awkwardly placed fingerprint sensor which baffled critics and consumers alike. However, a new leak reveals that Samsung will change the position of the fingerprint sensor on the Samsung Galaxy S9, at least.

The image was leaked on the Chinese social media website, Weibo. It is a screenshot of the demonstration of the heart rate sensor in S Health app. The screenshot also reveals a single camera setup on the supposed Galaxy S9. While a few publications believe it could be the Galaxy S9 Mini, previous reports have suggested that Galaxy S9 will have a single lens camera while the Galaxy S9+ will have a dual-camera setup at the back.

From L to R – S Health app on Galaxy S9, Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note8

The positive sign here is that Samsung has listened to the multiple consumer complaints and tried to rectify it. While the authenticity of the leak can be questioned, with the launch of the Galaxy S9 just over two months away, it might as well be the Galaxy S9 which means the company will have one less criticism to face, if it nails the placement of the fingerprint sensor.

This leak also corroborates with a previous report that suggested that the fingerprint sensor will be moved below the camera. Although that leak showed a dual-camera setup, it is sensible to believe that Samsung will change the position of the fingerprint sensor on both its new devices.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 will be a revision to the popular Galaxy S8, with the new Snapdragon 845 chipset (in the US and South Korea) or the Exynos 9810 (rest of the world). While the screen size is expected to be the same on the Galaxy S9 and its bigger sibling, the Galaxy S9+, the bezels will be smaller which means the footprint of the phone will decrease while maintaining the same screen real estate.

A report claims that the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ will have a record-breaking 90% screen-to-body ratio!

December 9, 2017
iPhone X Notch Will Come To Huawei P11 Suggest Leaks

The notch on the iPhone X has divided opinions ever since it was unveiled back in September. Now, it appears that Huawei is ready to embrace the notch life as well with its next flagship phone. XDA Developers took a look at some firmware files acquired by FunkyHuawei and re-created an overlay image that was found in the files.

The resulting image shows a cross-over of iPhone X’s and Essential Phone’s notch which will house the front-facing camera, sensors and ear-piece. This also might be the result of Huawei’s latest facial recognition technology, which it claims is better and faster than Apple’s Face ID. back in 2016, Huawei launched the Honor Magic which had Face ID-like features long before Apple launched the iPhone X.

It used the IR sensor in the phone to scan the face of the user and similar to what Face ID does now, it had a feature of displaying notifications on the lock screen only if the phone recognised the face. So, it is possible that Huawei has improved that technology and with AI being an integral part of Kirin 970 chipset, we might see a Face ID competitor very soon.

The files also pointed to a certain level of inconsistency in the phone’s screen resolution. Even though a configuration file revealed that the phone will have a 6.01-inch 2160 x 1080 px LCD display, other files indicate the same-sized screen with a 2244 x 1080 px resolution. That discrepancy might have something to do with the notch, with the higher resolution probably reserved for apps that take advantage of that space.

Notch on the iPhone X

It is likely that the device in question is the Huawei P11. Recently, an advertisement leak revealed that an upcoming Huawei phone will have a triple-lens 40MP camera co-engineered by Leica.

If this device is indeed the Huawei P11, then it might be launched at next year’s Mobile World Congress which will happen in late February.

December 8, 2017
Sony Bezel-Less Xperia Smartphones For 2018 Leaked

Sony has followed a similar design language for all its flagship phones since the launch of the Xperia Z. There were reports that Sony was working on a smartphone with a tall display and thin bezels and new leaked images appear to shed some more light on the design of the phones.

The leaked images show two phones with two different design aesthetics but, both with front-firing stereo speakers. It appears that stereo speakers are gaining popularity with the Pixel 2 and Razer Phone having front-firing stereo speakers as well. Of the two phones, one has a more recognisable Sony Xperia-like box shape while the other one has more rounded edges.

The back of the phones is where it gets even more interesting. It appears that Sony will be re-imagining its whole smartphone lineup come 2018. At the back of the phones, the device with squared off edges has a mix of glossy and matte finish. The matte finish on the back forms two semi-circles at the top and the bottom while the middle area is covered with a glossy finish material. The two camera modules are oddly spread apart, which probably means one is just a depth sensor as this much spacing would result in much larger parallax for any other arrangement. It also appears that this phone will have a fingerprint sensor housed inside the lock button like previous Sony Xperia phones.

The other phone has a more uniform matte finish at the back with a fingerprint sensor in the middle and a dual-camera setup at the top left corner. Both the phones are touted to have a 5.7-inch 18:9 4K displays. They’ll also be one of the first devices to have Snapdragon 845 and have 6GB of RAM and run Android 8.0 Oreo.

The credibility of the leak can be questioned but, the bizarre design of the two phones almost validates the leak. It does seem questionable that the two phones will have the Snapdragon 845 chipset since Samsung will have early access to the chipset similar to last year. Sony might unveil the two devices at MWC 2018 but, that will mean that the devices will have to make do with the 2017 Snapdragon 835 chipset.

December 8, 2017
Samsung Galaxy S9 Will Not Launch At CES 2018

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ have long been rumoured to be unveiled at CES 2018 in late-January of 2018. All these rumours might amount to nothing as Samsung has said that unveiling the new flagship phones at CES seems ‘unlikely’. This also means that instead of the Galaxy S9 and S9+, the South Korean tech giant might unveil its foldable Galaxy X at CES.

That leaves two separate occasions for the Galaxy S9 and S9+ might be unveiled. It could either be in February during the Mobile World Congress (like the Galaxy S5, S6, and S7) or at a dedicated event in March, like the Galaxy S8 and S8+.

There have been multiple reports chronicling the specifications and new features of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus.

The display size of both the phones will be identical to their 2017 counterparts with the Galaxy S9 sporting a 5.8-inch Super AMOLED display while the Galaxy S9+ will have a 6.2-inch display. The bezels will be thinner than the previous generation devices with the infamous curved edges and “Infinity Display.” It is also reported that the Galaxy S9 series will have a 90% screen-to-body ratio.

Unlike 2017, where there were barely any differentiating factors between the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, Samsung is planning something different for 2018. It appears that the Galaxy S9 will have a single camera at the back while the Galaxy S9+ will have a dual camera setup at the back.

Samsung is developing a new software to make facial recognition on the Galaxy S9 faster than the Galaxy S8. However, Samsung is planning to introduce a host of software tweaks to reduce the delay in recognising the face and scanning the iris of users. Contrary to popular belief and some reports, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ will not have a screen-embedded fingerprint sensor.

Recently, the Snapdragon 845 chipset was unveiled and the Galaxy S9 series will be the first of the many smartphones which will be powered by the new flagship chipset.

As far as pricing is concerned, it won’t be a surprise if the Galaxy S9+ surpasses the Galaxy Note8 price and touch the thousand dollar mark, similar to the iPhone X. The Samsung Galaxy S9 is expected to be priced similarly to the Galaxy S8+.

December 7, 2017
Next Huawei Phone Might Have A Triple-Lens 40MP Camera

New leaks on Twitter suggest that Huawei is working on a new smartphone which will pack a triple-lens 40MP Leica-branded camera. Several ads for a “Huawei PCE Series” phone were spotted online by mobile tipster Evan Blass.

Is the next Huawei P-series going to be an imaging powerhouse? A digital artist at one of the company's creative agencies added these "PCE Series" ads to their portfolio — claiming 40MP, 3 lens rear (5x hybrid zoom) + 24MP selfie, all Leica-co-developed. pic.twitter.com/t8w3VlL55L
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) December 6, 2017

Apparently, the source of the ads is a creative agency that works with Huawei. However, the ads have not been officially published and the agency already removed them from its portfolio.

The leaked advertisements reveal the specifications of what might be one of the most impressive and power packed smartphone cameras. The upcoming smartphone, according to the ad will have a triple lens rear-facing 40MP camera, 5X hybrid zooming (which uses a digital and optical zoom for better capturing far away objects) and a 24MP front-facing camera. The camera will also be co-engineered by Leica, the same company that co-engineered the cameras for the Huawei P10 and Huawei Mate 10.

Blass claims that the phone in question here is the follow up to the Huawei P10, tentatively named Huawei P11. 2016 is the year that saw a rise in dual-camera setups on smartphones, and 2018 might see the first ever smartphone with a triple-lens if the leaks are true for the Huawei P11.

December 7, 2017
Nokia 9 And Nokia 8 (2018) To Be Launched On 19th January

Nokia 9 is highly anticipated as the successor the Nokia 8, and it appears that the Nokia 9 could be launched as early as the 19th of January. A new report from China claims that the Nokia 9 and a new iteration of the Nokia 8, named Nokia 8 (2018) will be launched on the 19th of January. It is worth noting that HMD Global has not announced or hinted at any new launch as of now.

The report also claims that both the phones will be customised for the Chinese market hence, may come with special ROM where Google services may be replaced by local alternatives.

The leaked specifications of the Nokia 9 include 5.5-inch QHD display. Whether this display will have an 18:9 aspect ratio is yet to be seen but, considering the phone is launching in 2018 and will be a flagship device, the bezels might be shrunken and considerably thinner than the ones found on the Nokia 8.

Chances are that the Nokia 9 will be launched in two variants, one with 6GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage while the other version of the phone may have 6GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage.

The 64GB variant of the Nokia 9 may be priced at around CNY 3,699 (Rs 35,965 approx.) while the 128GB storage variant might be priced at CNY 4,199 (Rs 40,826 approx.).

The Nokia 8 (2018) is expected to be priced similar to the Nokia 8 which was launched in India back in September at a price of Rs 36999.

Both the Nokia 9 and Nokia 8 (2018) are expected to have dual cameras at the back and have IP67 rating for water and dust resistance.

While the Nokia 8 entered the Indian market a few weeks after its global launch, it will be interesting to see if HMD Global follows a similar pattern if and when the Nokia 9 and the Nokia 8 (2018) are launched.

December 5, 2017
Huawei Nova 2S Images Leaked

Huawei will launch the Huawei Nova 2S at an event on the 7th of December. New images have leaked of the upcoming smartphone that reveal the design and the placement of all the ports. It is worth noting that there is a 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom of the device.

According to recent leaks, the Nova 2S will have a 6-inch display with a 2160 x 1080 px resolution which translates to an 18:9 aspect ratio.

Under the hood, the device will have the Kirin 960 chipset and 6GB of RAM. There is no information about the storage options however, expect a minimum of 64GB onboard storage when the phone is launched. A new report suggests that in order to improve heat management, the device will have an under clocked version of the Kirin 960 chipset.

Despite the tall display and thin bezels, Huawei has placed a home button on the front of the phone. It is safe to assume that the physical home button also houses the fingerprint sensor since there is no fingerprint sensor at the back of the phone.

The device will run Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box with Huawei’s custom skin EMUI 8.0 on top.

Another interesting thing about the phone is its four cameras. It appears that the smartphone will have a 20MP + 16MP camera setup at the back and a dual 20MP setup at the front.

December 4, 2017
Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) Will be Launched As Galaxy A8+

The Samsung Galaxy S9 will not be the only Samsung phone with an infinity display to be launched in early-2018. Numerous reports have claimed that Samsung’s Galaxy A series will also get the infinity display in 2018 and a new leaked image appears to reiterate that.

The images show that the upcoming Galaxy A8+ will indeed have an infinity display although, the top and bottom bezels are prominent and is by no means even close to what the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy Note8 looked like. The details given on the website reveal that the smartphone has the model number SM-730.

Earlier reports have suggested that Galaxy A7 (2018) or the Galaxy A8+ will have a 5.7-inch 2160 x 1080 px AMOLED display.

Under the hood, depending on the market, the device will either have the Exynos 7885 or Snapdragon 630. The device is also expected to have two variants, one with 4GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage and the other 6GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage.

Galaxy A8+ is expected to have a 16MP main rear camera and a 16MP front-facing camera.

It is also expected to run Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box with an update to Android 8.0 Oreo scheduled for some time later in 2018.

December 3, 2017
Here’s Everything We Know About The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 So Far

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 has been one of the most successful smartphones of 2017. As this year reaches its summit, the anticipation around the upcoming Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 will increase exponentially. The Redmi Note 4 was launched in January of 2017 and it is widely expected that the Redmi Note 5 will also be launched at a similar time to maintain consistency.

There have been multiple leaks about the Redmi Note 5 and conflicting reports have somewhat clouded what actually could be the Redmi Note 5.

The most reliable leak so far was an image of the Redmi Note 5 showing off an 18:9 aspect ratio display with key specifications revealed on the screen of the phone.

According to the image, the Redmi Note 5 will have Snapdragon 625 chipset. The phone also has a 5.99 inch display with a very 2017-like 18:9 ratio and Full HD+ (2160 x 1080 px) resolution.

The phone shows 54GB of storage available, meaning that the variant in question here is the 64GB unit. There is at least one camera with a 12 MP sensor and the smartphone runs on Android 7.1.2 Nougat. The device appears to be powered by a 4000 mAh battery and due to thin bezels, the fingerprint sensor is placed at the back of the phone, much like the Redmi Note 4.

It is highly unlikely that Xiaomi will go for the Snapdragon 625 chipset since it is the same chipset found on the Redmi Note 4. A year later, consumers would expect more and this doesn’t fall in line with the Redmi Note series. The Chinese smartphone maker could go for the Snapdragon 636 chipset which will enable mid-range devices to have bezel-less displays with FHD+ resolution.

In terms of optics, there have been few reports suggesting that it will have a dual-camera setup while some reports suggest that it will have a single 16MP camera at the back and 5MP camera at the front.

The price of the phone is expected to be under the Rs 15000 mark when it launches in India next year.

December 3, 2017
Huawei Nova 2S To Launch On The 7th Of December

Huawei has started sending out press releases for the launch of the Huawei Nova 2S scheduled for the 7th of December. There is no word on what the price of the smartphone will be.

According to recent leaks, the Nova 2S will have a 6-inch display with a 2160 x 1080 px resolution which translates to an 18:9 aspect ratio.

Under the hood, the device will have the Kirin 960 chipset and 6GB of RAM. There is no information about the storage options however, expect a minimum of 64GB onboard storage when the phone is launched.

Despite the tall display and thin bezels, Huawei has placed a home button on the front of the phone. It is safe to assume that the physical home button also houses the fingerprint sensor since there is no fingerprint sensor at the back of the phone.

The device will run Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box with Huawei’s custom skin EMUI 8.0 on top.

Another interesting thing about the phone is its four cameras. It appears that the smartphone will have a 20MP + 16MP camera setup at the back and a dual 20MP setup at the front.

December 1, 2017
Samsung Is Working On The First Ever Truly Bezel-Less Phone

Samsung has been experimenting with smartphone displays for quite some time now. Who can forget the Galaxy Round in 2013 or the Galaxy Note Edge. Recently, Samsung’s flagship phones come with curved edges and in 2017, the top and bottom bezels were extremely thin as well. However, it appears that Samsung is not satisfied with thin bezels and has started working on an all-display smartphone with no bezels.

A series of new Samsung patents have been published in the WIPO (World International Property Office) database. One such patent dates back to May of 2017 which describes an electronic device with a curved display on both sides of the device. So, no rounded display, but, 180? curved, up to the back of the smartphone.

Along with some sketches demonstrating what the device might look like, it also discusses the production method for such a smartphone. That is a positive sign because a lot of patents just sit at the back burner but, a well thought out production plan means that the company is serious about this.

In one of the sketches, you can see the regular edge display, with a rounded screen. Then there is another illustration of a smartphone with a round edge. The display is bent 180? on both sides and extended all the way to the rear of the phone.

December 1, 2017
Specifications Of Sony’s Upcoming Bezel – Less Phone Leaked

Sony has been one of the few smartphone makers who hasn’t jumped the bezel-less smartphone train so far and has continued with its tried and tested designs. All of that appears to be changing as the specifications of an upcoming bezel-less smartphone from Sony have been leaked online.

According to the leaked spec sheet, the device will have a 5.7-inch 4K HDR display with Gorilla Glass 5 on top.

Another interesting thing to note here is that Sony H8541 will have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset. Now, the Snapdragon 835 is a flagship chipset for only a couple of months more as the Galaxy S9 will have the Snapdragon 845 chipset. The new 2018 flagship chipset won’t be available to smartphone makers until a few months after the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+, similar to what happened during the Galax S8 launch, thanks to a deal between Qualcomm and Samsung.

The upcoming Sony H8541 will have 4GB of RAM, 64GB of onboard storage which could be expandable via microSD card. it will be powered by a 3420 mAh battery which will charge via a USB Type C port.

Other that that, the spec sheet mentions the presence of Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, GLONASS, NFC, and IP68 water and dust resistance.

There are no details about the camera on this phone.

November 30, 2017
New Honor V10 Images Leaked Before Imminent Launch

Huawei’s sub-brand Honor is preparing to launch the Honor V10 in London on the 5th of December. However, there have been multiple leaks that have revealed a lot of the specifications and features of the smartphone well before the official launch.

The new leaked images show the phone in a bright red colour. The bezels remain thin around the display and the phone has a front-mounted fingerprint sensor.

A benchmark listing revealed the specifications of the upcoming Honor V10.

The Honor V10 will have 5.99-inch FullView screen with Full HD+ resolution (2160 x 1080 px). An 18:9 aspect ratio means that the phone will have a tall display and thin bezels, which has become a norm in 2017.

Under the hood, the Honor V10 will have the Kirin 970 chipset, Mali-G72 MP12, 6GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB of onboard storage. As per the leaked images, the Honor V10 will have a fingerprint sensor placed on the back of the phone due to thin bezels and a missing home button. The smartphone is expected to be powered by a massive 4000 mAh battery with support for QuickCharge.

You may like – Unboxing The Honor 7X

Huawei announced EMUI 8.0 along with the launch of the Mate 10 Pro, which means that the Honor V10 might run Android 8.0 Oreo (since EMUI 8.0 is based on Android 8.0 Oreo) and EMUI 8.0 on top.

The Honor V10, according to the listing, will have a 16MP+20MP setup at the back. Considering how Honor has so far predominantly implemented the dual-camera setup, one of the cameras will have an RGB sensor while the other will be equipped with a monochrome sensor. On the front of the phone will be a single 13MP camera.

November 28, 2017
Samsung Galaxy S9 Might Have A Feature The iPhone X Should Have Had

Samsung Galaxy S9, despite many reports, might have a screen-embedded fingerprint sensor.

The Apple iPhone X became available to the public in November, just a few months before the launch of the Galaxy S9. One of the most talked about features of the iPhone X has to be Face ID and the lack of a fingerprint sensor. Similarly, the awkward placement of the fingerprint sensor on the Galaxy S8/S8+ was also a talking point for many and iGyaan pointed it out as well in our full review of the Galaxy S8/S8+.

It appears that Samsung will fix that by embedding the fingerprint sensor inside the display rather than positioning it in the middle at the back of the phone. The patent was first reported by LetsGoDigital, which notes that the new technology is likely to appear on the Galaxy S9.

The international patent was submitted in April 2017, while the Korean patent was filed during 2016. This shows that a screen embedded fingerprint sensor has been a long standing aim of the Samsung design team. This looks like the ideal place for the fingerprint sensor instead at the back or completely moving to another way of biometrics like Face ID.

The Samsung Galaxy S9 is expected to be unveiled at CES 2018. As we have reported, the Galaxy S9 will be the first smartphone to have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset, as per a deal with Qualcomm. Other than that, the new smartphone is expected to be an incremental upgrade over the Galaxy S8 although, a screen embedded fingerprint sensor will mean that the Galaxy S9 will grab all the headlines at the time of its launch and might push Galaxy S8 users to upgrade to the Galaxy S9.

November 28, 2017
Another Flagship To Launch Along With The Galaxy S9

As we approach the end of 2017, the focus has already shifted to what we can expect from the 2018 flagship phones. A new report suggests that along with the Samsung Galaxy S9, the LG G7 will also be unveiled at CES 2018.

2017 has seen the Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy Note8 and the iPhone X steal the limelight from the likes of the LG V30. That, however, has been the case for a few years now. The LG flagship phones make the list of every tech critics’ ‘Top’ list but, never seem to capture the consumer’s imagination like its rivals.

LG G6

2018 by the looks of it, won’t be any different. The LG G7 is expected to be launched with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 since Samsung will most probably have exclusive access to the Snapdragon 845 chipset for the first few months of 2017. Something similar happened in 2017 when LG G6 launched close to the Samsung Galaxy S8 and had to make do with the Snapdragon 821 chipset.

Samsung Galaxy S9 Renders

The LG G7 is also rumoured to feature an OLED display, with the fingerprint sensor to be placed under the screen rather than the back. The Samsung Galaxy S9, meanwhile, will have a regular rear-facing fingerprint sensor but, reports suggest that it will be positioned in a better location.

November 27, 2017