Tag: Notch

OnePlus CEO Confirms The Presence Of A Notch On The OnePlus 6

The OnePlus 6 is the next big smartphone launch that we are all waiting for. Considering the company’s portfolio, the OnePlus 6 will have top of the line specifications with an industry-inspired design. So, the device will have a glass back, 19:9 aspect ratio display, and a notch. As a recent leak confirmed that, the phone will have a 3.5 mm headphone jack.

Recently, there has been a collective outcry over the increasing trend of copying the iPhone X. Hence, OnePlus reached out to The Verge to clarify a few things. Carl Pei, co-founder of OnePlus told The Verge that the OnePlus 6 will indeed have a display notch. However, it has a purpose, which is not similar to the iPhone X’s notch.

Another criticism of Android smartphone makers has been the presence of a chin, despite keeping a notch. Carl Pei explained that the only reason the iPhone X doesn’t have a chin is that it has a curved display. At the bottom of each display is a ribbon for connecting it to the device’s logic board, which means a thin chin becomes necessary. Apple decided to curb that with a flexible OLED, which, even though is a great solution, it is also an expensive one.

OnePlus 6 Leaked Image

Another interesting piece of information shared by Carl was about the design of the smartphone. Apparently, it won’t look similar to the new OPPO phone, which is great. The OnePlus 6 will launch sooner than its expected June date and will have a 90% screen-to-body ratio.

OnePlus 6 Specs

The OnePlus 6 will have a 6.28 inch Optic OLED display with 2280 x 1080 px resolution. The notch will house the earpiece, front camera, and other sensors. However, we cannot rule out the possibility of a much more advanced facial recognition technology which will require extra sensors. In such a case, not a lot of people should have an issue with the notch. Considering OnePlus’s previous devices, the OnePlus 6 will have Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for protection on both the sides.

Carl Pei tweeted this after The Verge published their story. However, that did not bode well with many OnePlus fans and he, later on, deleted the tweet. It appears that not everyone is ready to love the notch yet.

Under the hood, the device will have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Octa-core chipset with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. Going by the previous leak, there might be a model with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage as well. Additionally, there will be no support for SD card.

The device will have a dual camera setup with a 16MP sensor and a 20MP low light sensor with an f/1.7 aperture on both lenses. For the front-facing camera, the device will have a 20MP sensor with an f/2.0 aperture with support for Face Unlock.

The OnePlus 6 will run on Android 8.1 Oreo with custom OxygenOS on top. The device might also support gesture-based navigation similar to the iPhone X. Finally, the smartphone will have a 3450 mAh Li-ion battery with Dash Charging and possibly, wireless charging capabilities as well.

March 29, 2018
Apple iPhones In 2019 Will Not Have A Notch

Before Apple launched the iPhone X, there were enough speculations that it would be different from anything we had soon thus far. Leaks pointed to an unusual design language with a notch on top. However, nobody knew what purpose this notch was going to solve. At the launch event, Apple launched the iPhone X with its notch and Face ID. However, what felt like an aberration back in September, is now becoming a trend.

But, it looks like the notch was a temporary fix for Apple. A report from South Korea’s Electronic Times claims that the iPhones in 2019 will not have a notch. In fact, the display will completely “fill the front of new iPhones”. This means that Apple is already working on a way to embed all the sensors and the front-camera inside the display.

iPhone X Notch

That being said, the report apparently cites a few inside sources who are familiar with the matter. However, we have not seen any patents granted to Apple that take this route of embedding sensors and camera inside the display. Although, we came across a Samsung patent that envisions something similar. It is fair to assume that this will be the eventual future of smartphones, as companies strive for a truly bezel-less phone.

The possibility of Apple going the Vivo APEX route also seems scarce. Having moving parts inside a smartphone doesn’t seem like a great idea. Since iPhones are made in such enormous quantities, quality assurance will also be an issue with a pop-up camera.

Asus Zenfone 5Z

Conclusion

While the iPhone X received a lot of flak initially, the notch has become iconic. A lot of Android smartphones launched at MWC 2018 sport a notch as well but, without any real purpose. Maybe, with 2019 iPhones launching without a notch, 2020 Android smartphones will also ditch it.

March 8, 2018
OnePlus 6 Leaked In Live Images

OnePlus has had some of the most successful smartphones in India. From the OnePlus One to the OnePlus 5T, the price to performance ratio of OnePlus devices has more or less been spot-on. Even though the OnePlus 5 received some flak for a shaky camera and design too similar to the iPhone 7 Plus, it was a great smartphone for the price. With the OnePlus 5T, the company moved on to a modern design and introduced Face Unlock as well. However, greater things are expected from the OnePlus 6 and a new leak has revealed some interesting details.

Leaked images of the OnePlus 6 reveal that it will have some resemblance to the iPhone X. While the iPhone X and its notch was met with scepticism at the launch, it has, since then, become a feature a lot of other smartphone makers have imitated. The OnePlus 6 will also have a notch on top which will house the earpiece and camera. However, unlike other smartphone makers, OnePlus could use the notch to house extra hardware for a much safer Face Unlock system that could essentially replace the fingerprint sensor.

iPhone X Notch

To the back of the smartphone is where things get interesting. It looks like the OnePlus 6 will finally have a glass design which means it could introduce wireless charging as well. Although, OnePlus has conceded that DashCharge is much better than wireless charging. The dual-camera setup looks uncannily similar to the recently launched Galaxy S9+ as well.

The leaked image shows that the smartphone is running on Oxygen OS 5.1 based on Android 8.1 Oreo.

Specifications and speculations:

The smartphone has 6GB RAM and 64GB storage, which looks like the base variant of the OnePlus 6. OnePlus has been using similar RAM and storage combinations from the launch of OnePlus 3.

The smartphone might have a 6.2-inch display with a higher screen to body proportion. Similarly, the notch houses the main earpiece, front-facing camera and a LED flash unit. Similar to the OnePlus 5T, the company might implement the face unlock using the front-facing camera.

Conclusion:

Applying OnePlus’s two smartphones a year philosophy, the OnePlus 6 is expected to launch in June. However, this might just be a prototype, which may not make into the final production stage.

February 28, 2018
Apple iPhone X Plus Display Image Leaked

A leak claims that the upcoming Apple iPhone X Plus might have a 6.5-inch edge-to-edge display. The overall design is similar to that of the original Apple iPhone X. The tipster claims that these photos have been obtained from LG facility in Vietnam. The tipster also claims that the poster is the part of “production equipment trail run”.

This also confirms that the Apple will source the OLED displays from LG rather than Samsung. Though the screen digitizer found on the display offers a bigger form factor. However, the notch size remains the same.

What to expect from 2018 iPhone lineup?

2018 will see three new iPhones being launched at the Apple annual launch event. One of them will be the 2018 iPhone X, iPhone X Plus and an iPhone X SE. Interestingly, the naming of the upcoming smartphones suggests that the successor to the iPhone SE will indeed be a large iPhone that has design elements similar to the iPhone X.

Kuo claims the 2018 iPhone X will again start at US$ 1000, the iPhone X Plus will be priced higher (likely US$ 1200-US$ 1350) while the iPhone X SE will be priced at around US$ 700-US$ 800.

The iPhone X 2018 (tentative name) will have the same 5.8 inch OLED display found on the current iPhone X. It will have a 2,700 to 2,800mAh battery, supplied primarily by Unimicron. The 2018 iPhone X will also be powered by a new chipset and is expected to feature advanced Face ID.

iPhone SE 2 Concept

The iPhone X Plus will have a 6.5-inch OLED display in a body that might not be much bigger than the iPhone 8 Plus’. It is expected to have a 3,400 to 3,500 mAh battery supplied Unimicron.

Apple iPhone X SE?

The Apple iPhone X SE will be the successor to the original Apple iPhone SE. The iPhone X SE will have a 6.1 inch LCD display with a design similar to the iPhone X. This means that Face ID will be introduced in this smartphone as well.

The iPhone X SE will be powered by the latest chipset, just like the iPhone SE was. However, unlike the 2018 iPhone X and iPhone X Plus, it won’t feature wireless charging. It will also miss out on 3D Touch.

February 27, 2018
Huawei P20 Live Images Leaked

It is now confirmed that the Huawei P20 will be launched in France on the 27th of March. However, one thing that is not clear is the main camera setup on the Huawei P20. Until now, most of the sources predicted the existence of triple camera setup.

The company had a big banner at the MWC 2018 on the Huawei P20 product launch in France on 27th March, which gave us an insight into the triple camera setup. So, we might see a Huawei P20 Plus, which might sport a triple primary camera setup.

However, a new leak from the tipster @evleaks confirms that the smartphone has a dual camera setup, not triple camera setup. In fact, the presence of the notch has been confirmed on the live image of the smartphone.

Initial findings:

The Huawei P20 runs on Android Oreo 8.1 out of the box with the custom EMUI skin on the top. Similar to the Honor View 10, the smartphone has a front-facing fingerprint scanner. The smartphone has a three-sided bezel-less design with a notch on the top.

Due to the placement of fingerprint scanner on the bottom, there is a substantial amount of bezel at the bottom. At the back, there is a LEICA branded dual camera setup similar to the Huawei P10. The camera setup is placed vertically, similar to the Apple iPhone X.

Expected specifications:

The smartphone is expected to have a 6 inch 2160 x 1080 px IPS LCD display with a notch on the top. Under the hood, the smartphone will be powered by the HiSilicon Kirin 970 Octa-core chipset with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. However, we might also see a plus version with OLED display and 8GB RAM.

The smartphone is likely to house a triple lens primary camera setup with RGB + wide angle + telephoto lens combination. On to the front, the smartphone is likely to have dual camera setup. In fact, the dual front-facing camera can aid the facial recognition system as well.

Conclusion:

In a recent interview at the MWC 2018, Huawei CEO confirmed that the Huawei P20 will be more powerful than the Apple iPhone X. In fact, the device has a lot of similarity to the Apple counterpart.

February 27, 2018
Doogee V With In-Screen Fingerprint Scanner And iPhone X-Like Notch To Launch At MWC 2018

Doogee is all set to launch its first smartphone with an in-screen fingerprint scanner at MWC 2018. In fact, the Doogee V uses the same technology as that of the Vivo’s recently launched Vivo X20 Plus UD. The smartphone has been officially listed on Doogee’s official website.

6.2-inch Doogee V with in-display fingerprint scanner pic.twitter.com/mqn9w3UjHc
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) January 6, 2018

The Doogee V embraces a unibody glass design with a metallic frame. Similar to the iPhone X, the Doogee V also has a notch on the display which could house the hardware used for “Face ID,” as the company calls it.

Doogee V Specifications:

Doogee V

The Doogee V has a 6.2 inch 18:9 aspect ratio OLED display with 2160 x 1080px resolution. As this device comes with an In-screen fingerprint scanner, there are no physical or capacitive buttons on the front.

The company hasn’t mentioned any details on the chipset or the RAM it uses. In fact, these are the only factors that are yet to be known about the Doogee V. The phone offers a dual primary camera setup with a 16 MP + 8 MP sensor combination, the function of the secondary camera is yet to be known.

The single front-facing camera will also support face unlock. Interestingly, the company has used “Face ID” to describe its facial recognition system. Face ID is what Apple calls its facial recognition system on the iPhone X.

The glass back panel comes with a maze finish with support for NFC connectivity. The smartphone comes with a 4000 mAh Li-ion battery with fast charging support via USB type C Port.

The image also mentions the presence of AI. Along with shrinking bezels and increasing price, many people believe that the integration of AI will be the next big thing in the smartphone industry. Therefore, we will see more smartphones with emphasis on AI in the coming weeks.

February 24, 2018
Oppo R15 Is Another iPhone X Lookalike With A Display Notch

The Apple iPhone X was launched in September 2017 to enormous anticipation. For weeks leading up to the launch, there were hints that the iPhone X won’t look like a regular iPhone. The launch confirmed that as the iPhone X was unveiled with nearly bezel-less design and notch on the display. While the notch received mixed reviews at the beginning, it has since then, become very popular.

iPhone X

The Oppo R15 looks like another Android phone trying to go the iPhone route. New leaked images of the device reveal that R15 will have a nearly bezel-less design but, with a notch on the top. The notch on the Oppo R15 does look to house the front-facing camera and the earpiece. However, it doesn’t look like it will have any of the hardware similar to what the notch on the iPhone houses.

The company has stuck to its older design for the back of the smartphone. In fact, it resembles the Oppo R11s.

A recent rumour speculated that Android P might natively support the notch. Therefore, there have been speculations that the upcoming Google Pixel 3 and the Google Pixel 3 XL might come with a notch with the iPhone X-like Face ID setup.

Specifications:

The Oppo R15 is expected to feature a 5.8-inch QHD+ OLED display with 19.5:9 aspect ratio. Under the hood, the smartphone might be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 Oct-core chipset with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage.

The device might come with the dual camera setup with a primary RGB lens and a secondary telephoto lens. For the front-facing camera, the smartphone might offer high-resolution 2o MP camera with features like Animoji and Face Unlock.

While the iPhone X was met with scepticism, it has since then, become a fan-favourite. However, smartphones like the Huawei P20 Lite, P20 and P20 Plus are expected to be launched with an iPhone X-like notch as well. It begs the question, is the display notch, the answer the design problems of future completely bezel-less smartphones?

February 23, 2018
Asus ZenFone 5 Specifications Leaked Before Its MWC 2018 Launch

As per the recent leaks and benchmarks listing, Asus might launch it’s flagship ZenFone 5 at MWC 2018. The Asus ZenFone 5 was spotted on AnTuTu with a brief insight into specifications. The one with the top of the line specifications is expected to have the model number Z01RD. We might see multiple variants of the ZenFone 5 with this one being the most powerful of the lot.

Another leak about the ZenFone 5 reveals an interesting detail about its design. The leaked image shows off an iPhone X-like notch on top of the display, similar to the likes of Huawei P11. However, unlike the iPhone X, the ZenFone 5 might just house a front-facing camera and an earpiece inside the notch. The notch on the iPhone X, on the other hand, serves a much more important purpose.

Early ZenFone 5 Sketches

The notch on the iPhone X was met with scepticism at the time of the launch. However, the users and reviewers have appreciated the notch since its launch. Leaks also suggest that Android P is expected to support the notch natively, which suggests, the upcoming Google Pixel 3 and Pixis3 XL could also come with a notch. However, it will be interesting to see what the implementation of the notch will be like.

ZenFone 5 AnTuTu listing

Specifications:

The AnTuTu listing reveals that the smartphone might be powered by the Snapdragon 845 SoC with 6 GB RAM. The internal storage is listed as 32 GB, which sounds quite weird for a modern day flagship smartphone. Like every other smartphone maker, Asus has planned to go with 18:9 aspect ratio display with 2240 x 1080p resolution.

The ZenFone 5 runs on Android Oreo 8.0 out of the box with custom Zen UI. The ZenFone 5 scores 238129 points, which is marginally less than the 265267 points scored by Galaxy S9. Does it point towards the fact that, ZenFone 5 is using a slightly underpowered processor that the Galaxy S9?

The ZenFone 5 is expected to feature a dual camera setup at the back, possibly with a regular and a telephoto lens. The front notch is expected to house a front-facing camera with hardware for facial recognition like the one on the Apple iPhone X. However, the implementation of the facial recognition technology might differ from Face ID. The smartphone is expected to be available in Midnight Black, Moonlight White, and Rouge Red colour, with a full metal unibody design.

Conclusion:

MWC is a week away and we are already seeing smartphones which are expected to go official at the event. It looks like we will be seeing a lot of Android devices with a notch. With these set of specifications, we are also expecting a price tag of at least US$ 600 for the entry-level model.

February 19, 2018
2018 Apple iPhones Will Have A Smaller Notch

Launched in September 2017, the iPhone X was a big design shift for Apple. One of the most eye-catching features of the iPhone X is its display notch. Unlike a lot of phones that might launch with a notch this year, the iPhone X’s notch has a purpose. It houses the front camera, earpiece and all the hardware required for Face ID.

At the time of its launch, the iPhone X received mixed reviews for its notch. However, people soon realised that the notch blends into the UI pretty soon. For the majority of people, the notch doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb. For the minority of people that are annoyed with it, Apple might have good news for you.

The next generation iPhone X will have a smaller notch. This was claimed in a research note issued by analysts Andrew Gardiner, Hiral Patel, Joseph Wolf, and Blayne Curtis at investment bank Barclays. While they believe that the 2018 iPhones will only have a slightly improved Face ID, this could result in a smaller notch. Along with that, the note also claims that Face ID will be introduced in the upcoming iPad Pro:

We remain confident that Apple is set to deploy its TrueDepth 3D sensor across the iPhone range in 2018 and to also add it to the pending iPad Pro refresh as well.

Given the complexity and multiple years spent developing the current generation of module, combined with supplier comments over the past month regarding multi-year customer commitments, we do not envisage a major change to the architectural make-up in 2018 […]

We do expect the sensor to evolve slightly, potentially reducing in size (i.e., smaller notch) and improving in specificity […] helping to further drive very strong growth [for some Apple suppliers] in 2H18 as the second generation of sensor ships in this year’s new iPhones.

2018 iPhone Lineup: What To Expect

2018 will see three new iPhones being launched at the Apple annual launch event. One of them will be the 2018 iPhone X, iPhone X Plus and an iPhone X SE. Interestingly, the naming of the upcoming smartphones suggests that the successor to the iPhone SE will indeed be a large iPhone that has design elements similar to the iPhone X.

iPhone X Plus Concept

Kuo claims the 2018 iPhone X will again start at US$ 1000, the iPhone X Plus will be priced higher (likely US$ 1200-US$ 1350) while the iPhone X SE will be priced at around US$ 700-US$ 800.

The iPhone X 2018 (tentative name) will have the same 5.8 inch OLED display found on the current iPhone X. It will have a 2,700 to 2,800mAh battery, supplied primarily by Unimicron. The 2018 iPhone X will also be powered by a new chipset and is expected to feature advanced Face ID.

The iPhone X Plus will have a 6.5-inch OLED display in a body that might not be much bigger than the iPhone 8 Plus’. It is expected to have a 3,400 to 3,500 mAh battery supplied Unimicron.

iPhone X SE?

The cheapest iPhone of the lot will be the iPhone X SE. It will be the successor to the iPhone SE and feature considerable upgrades over the predecessor. Although, these updates might end up costing the essence of the ‘SE’ series. The iPhone X SE will have a 6.1 inch LCD display with a design similar to the iPhone X. This means that Face ID will be introduced in this smartphone as well.

You may also like: iPhone SE 2- What To Expect?

iPhone SE Concept

The iPhone X SE will be powered by the latest chipset, just like the iPhone SE was. However, unlike the 2018 iPhone X and iPhone X Plus, it won’t feature wireless charging. It will also miss out on 3D Touch.

As for investor reaction to the 2018 iPhone lineup, Kuo says that there is an air of “conservative sentiments due to concerns about a lack of major spec upgrades.” However, Kuo predicts the market will appreciate the 6.1 inch iPhone X SE, which he says will account for around 50% of the new iPhones sold in the second half of 2018.

February 16, 2018
Google Pixel 3 Could Have iPhone Style Notch

When the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus were unveiled, there was a sense of anticipation for what was coming. The iPhone X was unveiled and it represented a design that was unusual and a departure from the iconic iPhone design. The most eye-catching design element was the notch on the display. It has a purpose, similar to what the notch did on the Essential phone but, more prominent.

Essential Ph-1

Since then, there have been a lot of smartphones that have tried to imitate the iPhone X notch. It looks like the upcoming Google Pixel 3 devices will also embrace the iPhone X notch. Follow up to Android 8 Oreo, Android P is codenamed Pistachio Icecream internally. According to “people familiar with the matter,” Android P is expected to better accommodate handsets with an iPhone X-like notch at the top of the display.

This means that Google is expecting more Android devices to have a notch on top. As we said earlier, the notch on the iPhone X might be unusual but it is on its way to becoming iconic. For Google to take this step, there could be more reasons than just a trend. Google could implement an iPhone X like notch on its own line of Android devices.

Huawei P11/P20 With A Notch

The Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL will have a lot to prove. The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL were marred by controversies. The Google Pixel 3 smartphones are expected to look and perform like premium smartphones and Google could introduce something like Face ID. If Google does implement facial recognition, a notch would make sense in terms of design as well as its functionality.

A lot of Android devices like the Doogee V or Sharp Aquos S3 have a notch as well, but, doesn’t have a lot of functionality.

Along with better optimisation for a display notch, the next version of Android will also have design improvements. Apparently, one of the main goals of Android P is ”improving the look of the software” to better appeal to existing iPhone users. This is to lure iPhone users to switch to Google services and Android devices.

Sharp Aquos s3

Another major change will be better support and optimisation for devices with a foldable display. This could be a huge hint at the possible launch of the foldable Samsung phone, the Galaxy X. Continuing its tryst in making AI better, Google is reportedly considering allowing third-party developers to directly integrate Assistant into their own apps.

While Android Pistachio Icecream sounds like a fun name, Google could easily name it something else since this is an internal codename. One of the most talked-about possible names is Peppermint.

February 13, 2018
This Chinese Phone Looks Like the iPhone X With An In Screen Fingerprint Sensor

After the launch of the iPhone X several manufacturers have shown off their phones via leaks, including one smartphone from Oppo which could very well also be the next OnePlus flagship the OnePlus 6. However, with FaceID being a feature made up of confusion and doubt this manufacturer has made the perfect iPhone X clone, complete with Notch and all. The phone also offers up the added advantage of the in-screen fingerprint sensor, a technology that was widely expected in the iPhone X, but never made it to the phone in time. The next iteration of the iPhone may see this technology, however, that has not stopped manufacturers in China from beating Apple to the market.

The Leagoo S9 pro as the device is named also uses the name of the upcoming Samsung flagship. The phone is rumoured to have a Helio P40 chipset complete with 8 GB of RAM and 64 GB of on board storage. The screen designed like the display on the iPhone X is of a 6.21 inch size in a form factor smaller than the Samsung Galaxy S8+ while still using an AMOLED display manufactured by Samsung themselves.

The Leagoo S9 pro is also rumoured to sport a 5000 mAh battery, however, that seems highly unlikely.

January 3, 2018