MWC is around the corner and HMD Global will be present with a few announcements. Apart from the highly anticipated Penta-lens concept phone, the company is expected to launch the Nokia 1 and Nokia 7 Plus. Recently, the company trademarked Nokia 8 Sirocco Edition moniker, so there are chances of this device to be launched as well.
It looks like we finally have a few live images of what could be the Nokia 7 Plus. New of the Nokia 7 Plus in the real world are an indication that the smartphone will indeed be announced very soon. As expected, the device in the images has an 18:9 aspect ratio and the bezels.
While many speculate that this is the Nokia 9, the probability of the Nokia 7 Plus launching before the 9 are higher. Hence, it could be an HMD Global employee testing the Nokia 7 Plus. We see that the person is clicking some photos from the Nokia 7 Plus which has a dual-camera setup on the back.
Nokia 7 Plus Expectations
The Nokia 7 was launched barely three months ago. The Nokia 7 plus will also feature a dual-tone design thanks to a few gilded bits and pieces. Like the fingerprint scanner ring, the dual-camera casing and the Nokia logo on the back.
The Nokia 7 has a 5.2 inch IPS LCD display with a 1920 x 1080 px resolution. The Nokia 7 Plus will have a 6 inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio hence, the “Plus” moniker. The fingerprint sensor will be placed on the back, just like the Nokia 7 although, the device had a 16:9 aspect ratio and thick bezels.
Nokia 7
The device will have a 12MP wide-angle lens along with a 13MP telephoto lens. The front of the smartphone is expected to house a 16MP camera with no LED flash. The primary camera setup will also have a Nokia Pro mode along with the Bothie feature.
The smartphone is expected to be launched at MWC 2018. However, HMD Global could launch the smartphone in China first and then announce its global availability at MWC.
Xiaomi is expected to put up an impressive showing at MWC 2018. Along with smartphones, the company could also unveil the Surge S2, its second custom chipset after the Surge S1. The confusion arises when we look at what Xiaomi could unveil and what the rumours point at. A month ago, there was barely any chatter about the Mi Mix 2S to ever be launched.
But, it is becoming increasingly possible that the Chinese smartphone maker could announce the Mi Mix 2S and not the Mi 7. After a few sketchy leaks, the Mi Mix 2S has shown up in an official Xiaomi banner which states the important specifications and the official design of the device. The first thing that grabs your attention is the design of the Mi Mix 2S and it will surely turn a few heads at its launch.
The back of the Mi Mix 2S is expected to be the same as the Mi Mix 2. It will be made of ceramic which means it’ll be a fingerprint magnet. However, that is a price you have to pay for a device that looks as premium as the Mi Mix 2S. The significant change will be in the camera department. This time around, the Mi Mix 2S will have a dual-camera setup, which could be similar to the one found on the Mi A1, albeit of better quality.
On the front is where Xiaomi will look to one-up the much-famed Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+. The leaked image confirms that the Mi Mix 2S will have a different take on the “notch.” The bezels all around the display will be uniform but, the top right corner will protrude a bit and that will house the front-facing camera.
What’s missing in the render is a fingerprint sensor. This means that Xiaomi could be the second company to launch a smartphone with an in-display fingerprint sensor. This would also mean that Xiaomi will use an OLED panel for the upcoming device as opposed to the IPS LCD panel used on the Mi Mix 2.
Mi Mix 2s Renders
As we all know, the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+won’t look very different from their predecessors. This means that design-wise, Samsung won’t have much to show, and that is where the Mi Mix 2S could excel. A lot of smartphone makers will skip MWC because of the popularity of the Galaxy S devices but, Xiaomi could grab a lot of eyeballs with the launch of this smartphone.
Apart from the design, the image also reveals that the Mi Mix 2S will be powered by the latest and greatest Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset coupled with 8GB of RAM and 256GB onboard storage.
LG and its smartphone business, in particular, has been going through a rocky patch of late. The smartphone maker has been rumoured to take drastic steps in order to shake things up a bit and change the outlook of its smartphone portfolio. One such step was to not follow a launch pattern and bring in new versions of existing phones rather than new phones altogether.
With that in mind, it was speculated that the company would launch the LG V30+ Alpha with AI capabilities at MWC 2018. However, a new report coming out of South Korea has claimed that the company would launch the LG V30s at MWC 2018. Along with that, it would also unveil the LG Lens. An AI camera app that will work similar to the Bixby camera and Google Lens.
The LG V30s will have 256GB of onboard storage and over the 64GB found in the regular LG V30. This will also be double the storage found in the LG V30+ which was launched in India in December. The price of the smartphone is expected a little over one million won (US$ 918). With an older chipset and LG’s custom skin, it might not be the best decision to increase the price of the device so much.
The LG Lens will be the marquee addition to the LG V30s over the previous versions. The LG Lens is expected to let users search and shop for items using the camera. Along with that, it will possess a language translation service and augmented reality functionality that uses both the camera and the phone’s GPS.
Google Lens
How much of an appeal the LG V30s will have over the Galaxy S9 and S9+ is yet to be seen. The Galaxy devices will have a newer chipset, design and in all probability, better cameras. The LG V30s is also expected to be priced higher than the previous variants although, it is cheaper than the LG V30 Signature.
HMD Global launched the Nokia 7 in China on 20th October. While many expected the company to launch the smartphone in India as well, that did not happen. After a successful stint in China, HMD Global is preparing to launch a ‘Plus’ variant of the Nokia 7 at MWC 2018. The Nokia 7 Plus is expected to have a much better design and an upgraded chipset.
New renders of the Nokia 7 Plus have been leaked and reveals an impressive new design. The bezels are significantly thinner than the Nokia 7 and the glossy back panel has a golden hue around the camera and fingerprint sensor rims. This design language is similar to the Nokia 6 (2018) design and it looks like HMD Global will implement this in future Nokia devices as well.
It is also expected to have an all-glass design with an aluminium frame. If so, HMD Global could introduce wireless charging support although, it feels like the company might keep that feature for a marquee phone like the Nokia 8 Sirocco or Nokia 9. Recently, a few promotional images of the Nokia 7 Plus were leaked which revealed a few details about the upcoming smartphone.
It is fair to say that the Nokia 7 Plus could be the first Nokia smartphone with an 18:9 aspect ratio and possibly, wireless charging.
Nokia 7 Plus Rumour Round-Up:
The Nokia 7 Plus will have a 6 inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio hence, the “Plus” moniker. The fingerprint sensor will be placed on the back, just like the Nokia 7 although, the device had a 16:9 aspect ratio and thick bezels.
Under the hood, the Nokia 7 Plus is expected to have the Snapdragon 660 chipset. According to a benchmark listing, the Nokia 7 Plus will have 4GB of RAM. Expect 64GB of onboard storage which will be expandable via a microSD card. The Nokia 7 Plus will also run Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box.
Nokia 7 Plus Promotional Images
The Nokia 7 Plus will have a 12MP wide-angle lens along with a 13MP telephoto lens. The front of the smartphone is expected to house a 16MP camera with no LED flash. The primary camera setup will also have a Nokia Pro mode along with the Bothie feature.
The Nokia 7 Plus is expected to be launched at MWC 2018. However, HMD Global could launch the smartphone in China first and then announce its global availability at MWC.
HTC is expected to launch the HTC U12, its next flagship Android smartphone right after MWC. While not a lot is known about the smartphone as of now, the device might have been shown off at a 5G event held by a local carrier in Taiwan. The Taiwanese tech giant has not acknowledged that the smartphone in question is indeed the HTC U12.
HTC U12 Render
A famous tipster on Twitter has conceded that apparently, the device that was shown off could be the HTC U12. The images from the event do hold up with the rest of rumours of the HTC U12. According to recent leaks, the HTC U12 will have thin bezels and an 18:9 aspect ratio, similar to what the device in question has.
Apparently this lightly obfuscated handset on display at a 5G industry event is none other than HTC Imagine, aka "U12," aka the company's next flagship. https://t.co/f89KjGjEyX
At the event, HTC conceded that the particular handset is capable of delivering download speeds of 809.58 Mbps, close to 1Gbps. This means that it could be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset.
HTC U12 Specifications
Some rumours claim that the HTC U12 will have a 4K resolution display.
The Snapdragon 845 will power the new flagship. Like a lot of flagship devices in 2018, the HTC U12 will have 6GB of RAM and expandable onboard storage. The fingerprint sensor will be placed on the back of the phone as Clear ID seems unlikely to feature this soon in an HTC device.
HTC U11+
The device will also have Edge Sense, a feature that allows users to launch an app or action by squeezing the frame of the device. The Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL had the feature as well which could only launch the Goog Assistant. HTC, however, allows for a lot of customisations pertaining to the use of Edge Sense.
The HTC U11 EYEs had a dual-camera setup on the front as well as Face Unlock. The HTC U12 is expected to have a better implementation of that along with a dual-camera setup on the back.
After the deal with Google, a lot of people speculated that the HTC U11 would be the last smartphone from the HTC brand. However, in its subsequent statement, Google hinted that HTC would continue launching smartphones. Since then, HTC has launched more than a couple of smartphones, the latest being the HTC U11 EYEs.
A few days ago, news of the Nokia 7 Plus came about. At the beginning, it appeared that it would be an incremental upgrade to the Nokia 7. Apart from the Nokia 7 Plus, the company is expected to launch the Nokia 8 Sirocco Edition, Nokia 1 and a concept phone with a Penta-lens.
A new leak has revealed the design of the Nokia 7 Plus which is expected to be launched at MWC 2018. The Nokia 7 Plus might be the first device from the company to feature an 18:9 aspect ratio. The image also reveals a few key details about the camera on the Nokia 7 Plus. The camera will offer 2x zoom thanks to a wide-angle 12MP and telephoto 13MP lens. Similar to the Nokia 8, the device will also have the “Bothie” feature.
Nokia 7 Plus Expectations
The Nokia 7 was launched barely three months ago. To expect a completely overhauled 7 Plus might be a bit foolish. Also, “Plus” variants launched after the regular variants usually just feature minor upgrades. The Nokia 7 plus will also feature a dual-tone design thanks to a few gilded bits and pieces like the fingerprint scanner ring, the dual-camera casing and the Nokia logo on the back.
The Nokia 7 has a 5.2 inch IPS LCD display with a 1920 x 1080 px resolution. The Nokia 7 Plus will have a 6 inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio hence, the “Plus” moniker. The fingerprint sensor will be placed on the back, just like the Nokia 7 although, the device had a 16:9 aspect ratio and thick bezels.
Nokia 7
The Nokia 7 Plus will have a 12MP wide-angle lens along with a 13MP telephoto lens. The front of the smartphone is expected to house a 16MP camera with no LED flash. The primary camera setup will also have a Nokia Pro mode along with the Bothie feature.
The Nokia 7 Plus is expected to be launched at MWC 2018. However, HMD Global could launch the smartphone in China first and then announce its global availability at MWC.
At the upcoming MWC 2018, HMD Global will be making a few announcements. Android Go device like the Nokia 1 and a concept phone like the Nokia 10 are expected to be announced. A lot expected the Nokia 9 to be launched as well but, it looks like the company will skip a Nokia 9 launch. HMD Global might launch the Nokia 8’s updated version.
To support that argument, HMD Global has recently trademarked a Nokia phone with model number TA-1005 as the ‘Nokia 8 Sirocco’. Incidentally, TA-1005 was the speculated model number of the Nokia 9. For context, Sirocco is a reference to the Nokia 8800 Sirocco edition which was launched in 2006.
Nokia 8800 Sirocco Edition
It was a premium looking variant of the Nokia 8800 which featured a glossy steel body along with a sapphire glass on top of the display. The Nokia 8 Sirocco edition could be a premium variant of the Nokia 8 or an updated version.
The Nokia 8 Sirocco edition is expected to feature a 5.2 inch display with an OLED display made by LG. Other specifications could remain the same as the Nokia 8. This means that HMD Global could delay the launch of the Nokia 9 for another event.
Nokia 8 Specifications
The Nokia 8 has a 5.3 inch 2560 x 1440 px display and 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for protection.
Under the hood is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset and a 2.45GHz octa-core processor, the Adreno 540 GPU, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage which is expandable via microSD card. The smartphone has an aluminium unibody design and an IP54 rating for splash resistance. The fingerprint sensor is housed inside a physical home button which sits between two navigation touch capacitive buttons below the screen.
Powering the device is a 3090mAh battery with QuickCharge 3.0 support via USB Type-C port. It runs stock Android 7.1.1 OS and the company has promised monthly security updates and yearly Android updates.
The device is the first Nokia Android device to feature Carl Zeiss optics. The smartphone boasts a Zeiss powered dual camera setup at the rear – a primary 13MP RGB (colour) sensor with optical image stabilisation paired with a 13MP secondary monochrome (black and white) sensor and an f/2.0 aperture. The dual-camera setup is capable of recording videos in 4K at 30 FPS and has a portrait mode for bokeh effect. On the front is a 13MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture which can also record 4K videos at 30FPS.
The device also received a significant price cut in India and is now available for Rs. 28999.
Interestingly, the first ever smartphones in 2017 to run Android 8 Oreo out of the box were not the Google Pixel 2 devices. It was the Sony Xperia XZ1 and Xperia XZ1 Compact. Sony smartphones launched since then have come with Android 8 Oreo out of the box, which is different than what many other OEMs have done.
Continuing on that, Sony has confirmed that its flagship devices will now receive software updates for up to years after the launch. This means that the Xperia XZ1 and the Xperia XZ Pro could receive software updates to Android P and Android Q. The new Sony Xperia update policies were discovered by Xperia Blog.
However, the new policy does not guarantee the company’s mid-range and budget phones will get the same software update treatment. This will depend on whether these devices will meet the company’s “exacting standards.” Also, the hardware on these smartphones will have to be able to produce a stable user experience.
Another good news for Xperia flagship buyers is that the company might release security updates outside the normal Android OS update cycle. This means that high-end Xperia smartphones will be updated with latest security patches for a long time. However, the same cannot be said for the budget smartphones in the Xperia lineup.
One exciting Xperia flagship in the pipeline is the Xperia XZ Pro. It is rumoured that the device will be launched at MWC 2018 in late-February.
Xperia XZ Pro: Rumour Roundup
It will have a 5.7 inch OLED display with 4K resolution, thin bezels and possibly, an 18:9 aspect ratio.
Under the hood, the Sony Xperia XZ Pro will have the Snapdragon 845 chipset, 6GB of RAM and up to 128GB of onboard storage. The storage is expected to be expandable via a microSD card. The fingerprint sensor is expected to be housed inside the lock button on the side. Although, with the presence of an OLED display, Sony could go ahead and use a screen embedded fingerprint sensor.
The device will be powered by a 3420 mAh battery which will support QuickCharge 4.0+.
The Xperia XZ Pro will have a dual rear camera setup, with one of the cameras having an 18 MP sensor with 1.33 microns pixel size and a 12 MP sensor with 1.38 microns pixel size. On the front will be a 13 MP camera.
The Sony Xperia XZ Pro will run Android 8 Oreo out of the box and with the latest policy, could see a software update up to 2020. This is a great news for Xperia XZ Pro suitors.
Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+will be launched on the 25th of February in Barcelona. So far, almost every aspect of the two smartphones has been leaked, while there are few details which are predicted to retain their place from the predecessors. A recent leak revealed that the battery capacity of the two devices will be the same as that of their predecessors and now, images of several components of the Galaxy S9 and S9+ have been leaked.
The battery images do not reveal anything that we don’t know so far. The S9 will have a 3000 mAh battery while the Galaxy S9+ will have a 3500 mAh battery. These are the same capacities as their predecessors. Both the smartphones will also support QuickCharge 4.0 and wireless charging.
Along with the battery, other interesting components leaked are the camera and fingerprint sensor of the Galaxy S9. As we know, the S9 will retain a single camera on the back while the Galaxy S9+ will have a dual-camera setup. The leaked components corroborate with that.
The leaked image of the fingerprint sensor doesn’t necessarily confirm the placement of it on the phone but, that also has been confirmed in several separate leaks. One thing to notice here is the size of the fingerprint sensor. It is slightly wider than the one found on the Galaxy S8 which indicates that it will have a different position to retain the symmetry.
In a topsy-turvy build-up to MWC 2018, LG now appears to be gearing up for a launch. It was reported that the company would skip a launch at MWC because of the launch of the Galaxy S9 and S9+. There are reports that claim the company will launch the rumoured LG V30+ Alpha at MWC 2018.
LG V30
LG has been going through a bit of a rebranding/rehashing of its flagship smartphone lineup lately. And it is confirmed that the LG G7 won’t see an early release that its predecessors have seen over the years.
LG V30+ Alpha
The device will have new technologies and functions and could carry an odd name for a smartphone, V30+ Alpha. This name kind of resembles a math formula and it’ll be interesting to get to know the logic behind this moniker. That is if LG devices to go with this particular name. The reports suggest the smartphone will be a product of the partnership between LG and Google with Google Assistant-based AI functions.
So far, we have seen different implementations of AI from different smartphone makers. If LG goes the Google route, it will be interesting to see if the LG V30+ Alpha will focus a lot on music. Since the Pixel 2 phones have the Now Playing feature, the LG V30+ Alpha could implement that feature, and along with its superior HiFi Quad DAC, the smartphone could be a music-oriented version of the 2017 flagship from LG.
Google also uses a lot of machine learning for its camera and has the best photography camera on the market right now. But, it seems highly improbable if the LG V30+ Alpha will come with such advanced machine learning capabilities that could potentially match up with the Pixel 2 devices. However, a tight integration of Google Assistant within the LG UI is a possibility or even a stock OS running LG V30+ Alpha could be announced.
Smartphone makers, at large, are striving for sleeker phones. With wireless charging gaining more attention, it appears that a glass build will be more prominent in the coming months. Although an IP67 or IP68 rating has become more of a necessity in flagship devices nowadays, these phones are not meant rugged use by any means.
In comes Land Rover, a company known for making outdoorsy cars aimed at people who like the luxury. Land Rover has confirmed that it will soon launch a smartphone aimed at people who like outdoor life. The carmaker has teamed up with Bullitt Group, the same company that makes rugged CAT phones like the S60.
CAT phones are some of the most rugged Android smartphones on the market. They even have features like a thermal camera. So, going with Bullitt Group does seem like an appropriate choice for Land Rover to make rugged smartphones. The smartphone is called Land Rover Explorer and will be launched at MWC 2017. While there were no details ousted about the device, it will be available for order in April.
One of the most differentiating features of the Land Rover Explorer is its modularity. Similar to the Moto Z family, you will be able to slap on a mod to increase the functionality of the device. The most talked-about mod is the Adventure Pack, which adds a powerful GPS antenna, extra battery life, and an AR viewfinder for navigating in the wilderness.
So far, the price of the smartphone has been revealed for the UK and European markets. It will be priced at €649 or £599 depending on the region. No details about the device’s global availability were made public. With its launch just a few weeks away, more details are expected to be announced at MWC 2018.
Updated: A report claims that the Samsung Galaxy S9+ and its smaller sibling will have the ability to make 3D emoticons using the front-facing camera, similar to Apple’s Animojis. This does seem plausible as Samsung is expected to have an advanced facial recognition system as well. Also, both the devices will have dual speakers, one at the top and one at the bottom of the phone.
Samsung will launch the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ on the 25th of February in Barcelona. Two of the most anticipated flagship devices of 2018 are expected to go on sale in the first week of March. Samsung is expected to announce the release schedule as well as the first batch of countries that will receive the two devices.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ became extremely popular for their infinity display, sleek design and terrific camera performance. Even though the camera was not much of an upgrade over the Galaxy S7, it was enough to be one of the best in class in early-2017. The quad HD resolution coupled with Samsung’s Super AMOLED panel meant that even today, the Galaxy S8 has one of the best smartphone displays on the market.
Early Galaxy S9 Concept
A similar level of superiority is expected from the Galaxy S9 and its bigger sibling. This time around, even though it looks like the design won’t see much of a change, the camera department is expected to see a vast upgrade. With enough leaks out on the internet so far, here’s what we know about the 2018 flagship devices from Samsung so far:
Price
Surprisingly, one of the least talked about aspect of the Galaxy S9 and S9+ has been the price. With the price of flagship smartphones touching new heights in 2017, this year doesn’t seem to be any different. However, if the latest reports from South Korea are anything to go by, Samsung could nail the pricing of the Galaxy S9 and S9+.
Press Renders
In South Korea, Samsung’s native market, the Galaxy S9 will cost KRW950,000, while the S9+ will be KRW990,000. This amounts to about US$ 883 for the S9 and US$ 920 for the Galaxy S9+. It is worth noting that Samsung always prices its smartphones higher in South Korea.
This means that the company will launch the two phones at a price similar or same as that of their predecessors. For context, the Galaxy S8 was priced at KRW935,000 (around $875) in South Korea. Its global price was US$ 720.
Design
Even a year later, the Galaxy S8 and S8+ are still two of the best-looking smartphones in the market right now. All the renders and leaks have suggested that Samsung will retain the design for the upcoming Galaxy S9 and S9+. This should not be disappointing, owing to the superior design of the 2017 flagship phones. The new smartphones will have a glass back with an aluminium frame.
Fingerprint sensor placement on the Galaxy S8
The top and bottom bezels will be slightly smaller while the edge-to-edge infinity display will be present as well. The fingerprint sensor will now be placed below the camera module, a much better position than the one on the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy Note8. Interestingly enough, Samsung will also retain the Bixby button on the left-hand side.
Display
As mentioned before, the Galaxy S8 and S8+ had two of the best displays of 2017 and it won’t be different with the S9 and S9+. Unlike the majority of “bezel-less” smartphones of 2017, the Galaxy S8 devices had an 18.5:9 aspect ratio and the Galaxy S9 and S9+ are expected to retain that. The Galaxy S9 is expected to have a 5.8 inch Super AMOLED display with a 2960 x 1440 px resolution. The Galaxy S9+ might have a 6.2 inch Super AMOLED display with a 2960 x 1440 px resolution.
Galaxy S8
On top of the display will be Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for protection. The same glass will also be used on the back.
What’s Under The Hood?
The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ will run on the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset in the US and South Korea. As is with other Galaxy devices, rest of the markets will receive the Exynos 9810 chipset running Galaxy S9 and S9+.
According to a leak, Galaxy S9 will be offered in two options, 4GB RAM/64GB storage and 4GB RAM/128GB storage. The bigger sibling of the two, the Samsung Galaxy S9+ will be available in 6GB RAM/64GB storage, 6GB RAM/128GB storage and 6GB RAM/256GB models in major markets across the world. The same tipster also claims that Samsung will launch a special edition Samsung Galaxy S9+ with 512GB of storage.
Unless Xiaomi beats Samsung to it, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ will be the first smartphones ever to run on the Snapdragon 845 chipset.
Camera
The camera department is expected to see the most noticeable upgrade this time. Unlike what happened in 2017, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ are expected to have much more superior cameras than their predecessors. In a recent leak of the retail box of the Galaxy S9, it was revealed that it would have a 12MP camera with an f/1.5 aperture. Interestingly, the camera would support a variable aperture.
Galaxy S9+, S9 rear components layout
Taking a route Apple has tread so far, the ‘Plus’ model of the new flagship will have a dual-camera setup. In order to justify a higher price tag, Samsung Galaxy S9+ will now offer something substantial that the regular S9 doesn’t.
OS
The Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ are expected to run Android 8 Oreo out of the box. While so many OEMs have already rolled out Android 8 Oreo update for their existing flagship phones, Samsung’s Galaxy S8 and Note8still run Android 7.1 Nougat. This will change once the Galaxy S9 phones are launched.
Experience UI
As is with every other Samsung smartphone, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ will have the Experience UI on top. Samsung’s Experience UI has come a long way since its inception and is miles ahead of the TouchWiz UI. As every custom skin does, Experience UI has a divided opinion as well. But, you can always use a launcher if you want a stock OS look.
Bells And Whistles
The Essential Ph-1 was probably the most stock Android phone when it was launched. No whimsical features of any sort, just pure stock Android OS. Even Google’s own Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL had features like Active Edge and Now Playing that came in handy at times. The Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ will be nowhere near to what the Essential Ph-1 was.
Pixel 2 Now Playing
A recent leak suggested that the upcoming flagship devices will have a ‘Smart Scan’ feature. This will basically combine iris and face scanning for a more accurate authentication system. However, since this will use Samsung’s API, the Smart Scan won’t be utilised for activites like banking. Face ID on the iPhone X has replaced Touch ID which means it is used for storing sensitive data and even banking.
Smart Scan
The smartphones will also have an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance. Thanks to a glass back, wireless charging will again be a feature on the new devices.
Conclusion
On the 25th of February, the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ will be launched. As two of the most high-profile smartphones of early-2018, a lot will be riding on the success of the devices for Samsung. Even though the design is similar to their predecessors, it, by no means, a bad decision. If the renders turn out to be true, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ will again be two great looking devices with top-notch specifications.
With the Galaxy S9 sporting a single camera and the Galaxy S9+ with a dual-camera setup, consumers might be drawn towards the bigger sibling. It will be interesting to see how big of a difference the camera performances will make.
There have been a few reports that claim that Xiaomi was planning to launch the Mi 7 at MWC 2018. It now appears that might not be the case. It is for certain that the Chinese smartphone maker will be present at the event being held in Barcelona.
However, a high-ranking company employee has stated in anonymity that there will be no major announcements involved. This means that the prospect of announcing the 2018 flagship, Mi 7 looks uncertain now. While a major announcement might include a flagship device, there have been rumours of Xiaomi announcing its Surge S2 chipset as well. With Xiaomi present at MWC 2018, it will eventually unveil something and if the Mi 7 is not on the cards, the Surge S2 and the Mi 6X powered by the chipset could be announced.
There have been a few leaks pertaining to the Xiaomi Mi 6X which reveal a new design of the smartphone. It is rumoured to sport an iPhone X-like vertically placed dual-camera setup. Xiaomi’s own Surge S2 chipset is expected to power the potential Mi A2 smartphone.
Xiaomi Mi 7 Leaks
But, not announcing the Mi 7 does make sense for Xiaomi. Even LG, Huawei and HTC will skip a major announcement due to the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+. If Xiaomi were to launch its new flagship smartphone running the latest flagship chipset, it would want the device to gain some traction. With the Galaxy S9 and S9+ being two of the most anticipated flagship devices of 2018, that could be tough.
Xiaomi Mi 7: Rumour Roundup
The Mi 7 is expected to have a 6-inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio and a bezel-less design. It will be interesting to see if Xiaomi takes the Mi Mix route. Which means house everything in a bottom bezel or have even bezels around the display.
The build of the smartphone appears to be made of glass which means that Xiaomi could finally introduce wireless charging in its smartphone lineup. Previous renders revealed almost zero bezels around the display and a small cutout on top for the front-facing camera and sensors.
Previous Mi 7 Renders
The company has confirmed that the device will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845chipset, and is expected to have either 6 or 8GB of RAM along with 128GB of storage which won’t be expandable. Thanks to the Snapdragon 845 chipset, the smartphone is expected to have some enhanced AI features. It might also have facial recognition software as one of the marquee features.
The Xiaomi Mi 7 is expected to have a 19MP + 19MP dual camera setup with an f/1.7 aperture and 4X optical zoom. To the front, it is rumoured to have a 16MP camera.
If the launch of the Xiaomi Mi 7 is not on the table, then the company will have to make a very interesting announcement to gain any sort of attention amidst the fanfare around the Galaxy S9 phones scheduled to launch on 25th February.
This seems to have become a daily occurrence. The upcoming Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ have been leaked again, this time in their press renders. The new flagship phones from Samsung will be launched on the 25th of February, as confirmed by the company.
The image doesn’t reveal anything we did not know till now. No prizes for guessing here that the design of the phones is identical to their predecessors. The bottom bezel appears to be thinner ever so slightly. The rest remains the same, at least on the front. To the back, the components of the phone will be placed a bit differently. Again, something that we have known through weeks of renders and leaks.
The fingerprint sensor will be placed below the camera module on both the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. While the Samsung Galaxy S9 will have a single camera, the Galaxy S9+ will have a vertically-placed dual-camera setup. Interestingly, the Galaxy Note8 was the first ever Samsung phone with a dual-camera setup and the cameras were placed horizontally.
This change in the Galaxy S9+ could purely be for design purposes as the fingerprint placement has also changed. Or, it could’ve been done to have another design difference between the ‘S’ and the ‘Note’ series. The glass back remains the same and so does the button placements. It looks like Bixby button is going nowhere, hopefully, Samsung will let us remap it.
One thing that is a bit bothering are the bezels on the left and right side of the screen. This looks like an error more than anything else as the Galaxy S8 and S8+ had a much better design with the edge display. It seems highly improbable that Samsung will go ahead with such bezels on the side.
Rumour Roundup:
The Galaxy S9 will have a 5.8 inch Super AMOLED display while the Galaxy S9+ will have a 6.2 inch display. Both the devices will have a 2960 x 1440 px resolution.
Leaked Galaxy S9 Dummy Video
Similar to its predecessor, the Galaxy S9 will have a single 12MP SuperSpeed Dual Pixel camera. This time around, however, the camera will have an f/1.5 aperture and record super slow motion videos, probably at 960fps. The Samsung Galaxy S9+ will become the second phone from Samsung to feature a dual-camera setup on the back after the Galaxy Note8. Similar to the Samsung Galaxy Note8, the Galaxy S9+ will have a wide-angle and a telephoto lens setup.
Case Leaks Of Galaxy S9+
The Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ are expected to be the most sought after flagship phones at least in the early part of 2018. Let’s hope the side bezels remain constrained to the images and the real deal look more like their predecessors.
Nokia appears to have big plans for MWC 2018. The Mobile World Congress is scheduled to take place in Barcelona from the 26th February to 1st March. Nokia is rumoured to be launching two smartphones and a concept phone with five camera lenses. One of the two consumer-ready phones will be the 2018 flagship, Nokia 9.
The Nokia 9 will succeed 2018’s Nokia 8 and is expected to have a modern design with thin bezels and a tall display. New renders of the smartphone have been leaked by case makers and the design looks promising. The renders reveal that the Nokia 9 will have a tine forehead and chion with almost no bezels on the sides. To the back will be a dual-camera setup, possibly by Zeiss Optics.
These leaks are in line with a previous render that surfaced a while ago. One of the standout aspects of that render was the dual-camera setup on the front. It looks like more and more smartphones in 2018 will sport dual cameras on the front as well.
Rumour Roundup:
According to a recent FCC filing,
he Nokia 9 will have a 5.5-inch OLED display.
Under the hood, the Nokia 9 will have the Snapdragon 835 chipset and 128GB of UFS 2.1 storage.
Previous Nokia 9 Renders
Powering the device will be a 3250 mAh battery with 18W fast charging. The device will run Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box with very little customisations.
The listing reveals a 12 MP + 13 MP dual-camera setup at the back and a 5MP front-facing camera which could be the resolution of one of the front-facing cameras.
However, FCC filing does not always reveal accurate specifications. So, the Nokia 9 is expected to debut with the Snapdragon 845 chipset since the Nokia 8 is already powered by the Snapdragon 835. Apart from that, the Nokia 9 could have a bigger screen size especially since it is expected to launch with trimmed down bezels.
The Nokia 9, along with the Nokia 1 are expected to be launched at the MWC 2018 event in a few weeks. Till then, expect more leaks and renders of the upcoming smartphones. Stay tuned for all the top news!
