Here's what upcoming Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 may look like

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 has been spotted in benchmarks several times and has also received certifications like WiFi, Bluetooth, and FCC. However, we didn't get to see the device all this while. Well, that changes now, as an official render of the tablet has leaked, showing both its front and back. The first thing that catches attention is bezels, which are relatively thinner when compared to the Galaxy Tab S3. This, along with the fact that there's no physical home button this time around, means larger display area, hence a different aspect ratio as well. Missing home button...

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Nokia 3.1 goes on sale in US

HMD had announced last week the Nokia 3.1 will go on sale in the US on July 2. Well, the day has arrived and inline with what was promised, the device is now available to purchase in the region. Retailer Best Buy has the handset in stock, and is selling it for $160. Available color options include black. Amazon was also listed as the official sales partner for the Nokia 3.1 in the US, but a quick look at the phone's listing on the retailer's website reveals the device is "currently unavailable." Aside from Best Buy and Amazon, B&H also has a Nokia 3.1 listing, but the device is...

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Instagram introduces "you're all caught up" feature

Instagram just introduced a new feature that will let you know when you're caught up with all posts from the last two days. The Facebook-owned photo sharing platform will show you a "You're all caught up" message once you're totally up to date. Is this really how Instagram scrollers are using the platform though? We've heard that it can be difficult to keep track of your seen posts. With this message, you'll have a better understanding of your Feed and know you haven't missed recent photos or videos. - Instagram We are very skeptical about this "feature". Instagram changed to a...

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BlackBerry releases official guided tour video

Today, BlackBerry released a walkthrough video that covers all the selling points of the BlackBerry KEY2. The timing is great, as the phone just went on pre-sale in the United States with general availability coming July 13. The video walks the viewer through many of the KEY2's features, particularly the keyboard shortcuts, Locker, BlackBerry Hub, and transferring content over from your current device. There are even a couple of shots of the KEY2 that highlight the fact that the phone actually has a 3.5mm headphone jack. The BlackBerry KEY2 is the second iteration of the "KEY" line...

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WhatsApp groups can now be set so only admins post

WhatsApp keeps on adding features to its group chat functionality. Over the past few months, we've seen additions such as group descriptions, a catch up feature, and protection for those who keep being re-added to groups they've left. Today it's time for another group-specific thing to roll out. There's a new setting that only allows admins to send messages to a group. The Facebook-owned service says this will come in handy when the groups are set up as a way to distribute important announcements and information - groups for parents and teachers at schools, community centers, and...

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Deals: refurbished iPhone 7 and OnePlus 3T available on eBay UK

Here are a couple of good UK deals for two of the best phones from 2016 - the iPhone 7 and OnePlus 3T. These are unlocked refurbished handsets and their software support story is pretty good. The iPhone 7 starts at £260 for the 32 GB version in Good condition, £330 for the 128 GB model and £370 for 256 GB. A pristine unit will set you back £425 (new units are available from Apple for £550), it's available only in 32 GB flavor. The OnePlus 3T is £170 with 64 GB storage, Gunmetal and Soft Gold colors are available. The iPhone will get iOS 12, which was unveiled just a week ago....

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Photos show an iPhone fast charger with USB-C

These blurry photos purport to show the new Apple charger for iPhones. It's just an engineering sample, but it could bring two major improvements - USB-C and fast charging. The charger outputs either 5V at 3A (15W) or 9V at 2A (18W). That's a massive jump over the lowly 5W charger that is bundled with the current Apple phones, including the $1000 iPhone X. Even the 12W iPad charger is slower than this one. Apple fast charger with a USB-C port, an engineering sample This power comes out of a USB-C port, which also means that buyers will get a USB-C to Lightning cable in the...

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Xiaomi CEO shares Mi Max 3 retail box, hints at prompt release

Xiaomi founder and CEO Lei Jun has posted an image of the Xiaomi Mi Max 3's retail box with a short message attached to it saying that there is a possibility of the phone being released soon. As leaks go this one doesn't reveal much but is 100% accurate. It reaffirms that Xaiomi's behemoth phone will likely launch in China this month. The Xiaomi Mi Max 3 will use a 6.9-inch 18:9 screen of 1080x2160px resolution, a Snapdragon 710 with up to 6GB of RAM and pack in a 5,500mAh battery. It is expected to launch at a price of CNY 1,699/€220 this month. The Mi Max 3 will likely make it...

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Google releases July security update for Pixels and Nexuses

Another month, another Android security update released by Google for its Pixel and Nexus devices - and it comes right on time no less, this being the first Monday of July. As usual, the company has put up factory images and full OTA zip files which you can flash manually onto your phone if you're so inclined. The over-the-air rollout should follow within a few days. The new build numbers are OPM2.171026.006.G1 for the Pixel 2 and 2 XL (except for units used on T-Mobile, which get OPM4.171019.021), OPM4.171019.021.P1 for the Pixel and Pixel XL, OPM6.171019.030.E1 for the Nexus 5X...

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Android P Beta 3 is out now with near-final system behaviors

A new preview release of Android P is available now if you have a Pixel, Pixel XL, Pixel 2, or Pixel 2 XL. Today Google has announced Android P Beta 3, "an early release candidate build" which comes with "near-final system behaviors". The official Android P APIs have been finalized with the previous beta, and this one seems to be all about bug fixes and minor improvements here and there. No major new features have been added this time around, but Google keeps on polishing the software ahead of its graduation from beta to stable - which will happen in August or September most...

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MediaTek wants to make 5G modems for iPhones, push Intel out

MediaTek is close to securing a deal to supply Wi-Fi chips to Apple for HomePod devices, but the chip maker has loftier goals in mind - to deliver the modems for future iPhones. A few days ago Bloomberg reported that Apple may drop Intel as its second modem supplier (the primary one being Qualcomm) and hinted that MediaTek might pick up its orders. The company unveiled its 5G modem in early June. The Helio M70 will be capable of reaching 5 Gbps speeds and will be built by TSMC on a 7 nm node. The modem will start shipping in 2019, six months ahead of the original...

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Deal: Refurbished GPS+Cellular Apple Watch 3 for $320

BestBuy has a deal on certified refurbished Apple Watch Series 3 - both the GPS and the GPS+Cellular models. You can get a refurbished Apple Watch Series 3 with GPS for $250 (normally $330) and a GPS+Cellular Apple Watch Series 3 starting at $320 (normally $400). All models come with free shipping with delivery by July 10. Prices vary depending on the watch finish and band. Source

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HMD is fixing the VoLTE issues with the Nokia 7 plus

A couple of weeks ago the Nokia 7 plus received support for dual VoLTE, including support for Vodafone India's service, but it also caused issues for some users. The June update seems to have broken the service on already supported carriers like Jio and Airtel. Other carriers are still working out how to enable the service after the Nokia 7 plus was updated. The good news is that people are now reporting success in using VoLTE. The update also messed things up for people running the Android P Developer Preview and required them to restore the software back to Oreo to make the phone...

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HTC cuts 22% of its workforce - 1,500 will lose their job by September

HTC will be laying off 1,500 workers in its manufacturing unit in Taiwan in a move to streamline its operations and cut loses. The people affected in the move will lose their jobs by September and represent a 22% chunk of the 6,450 workforce HTC has as of June. This scale down is part of the merging of HTC's smartphone and VR businesses in one division. HTC's outlook isn't bright. Despite the hope in the success of the new Vive Pro VR headset and the new U12+ flagship, HTC is continuing to bleed money. And while the $1.1B deal with Google did alleviate some of the financial...

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T-Mobile seeds updates to the Samsung Galaxy S8 Active and LG V30/V30+

T-Mobile is seeding the June security patch to the Galaxy S8 Active through its second Android 8.0 Oreo update. The device was upgraded to Oreo back in April. Meanwhile the LG V30/V30+ received a new update with "various bug fixes and system improvements". The V30 situation is a bit messier than the Galaxy S8 Active's - it received Oreo on T-Mobile at the beginning of May but the rollout was paused a few days later due to undisclosed issues and was finally resumed at the end of May. At the end of last month, T-Mobile committed to deliver Oreo to the LG V20 in August, started...

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Mysterious Meizu gets certified, likely the Meizu X8

Meizu announced an entry-level phone called M6T back in May, and is now gearing to refresh its mid-range porfolio, according to a Chinese regulatory listing. The listing reveals a phone with a model number M816Q is approved, and connecting the dots leads to the Meizu X8. Meizu M816Q listing Last week Meizu founder Jack Wong revealed the Meizu X8 is already in the pipeline. It will be powered by Snapdragon 710 and will arrive as a direct competitor of the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE, but with a bigger display. We are thinking the M816Q is exactly this midranger, since the Meizu M6T sported a...

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Fix for the "oil painting" effect of OnePlus 6 is in the works

OnePlus has been fighting an "oil painting" effect in its cameras for a while now - the OnePlus 5 and 5T have it, the OnePlus 6 has it too. So here's a bit of good news: fixes are on the way. The 5/5T fix is already being tested through the Open Beta program and should roll out soon (it seems that the update is already rolling out in China). OnePlus confirms it is working on a fix via email The new model, OnePlus 6, will get a fix as well, which will roll out with the next software update (after passing through the beta stage, of course). It seems that the issue is caused by the...

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Huawei patents smartwatch with Bluetooth earbuds holster

Huawei is back at it again with the unusual patents in the smartwatch industry. After patenting a touch-sensitive bezel, gestures on the back of the hand and a gaming smartwatch, the latest information is for Bluetooth earbuds-charging pod. The wireless earphones can either be stored in the wristband or in a holster that is attached to the strap. The built-in solution would enable easier phone calls, noise cancellation and waterproofing. Huawei has patented several ways of charging, if the earbuds are stored in the body - they can either be where the watch is attached to the strap...

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Unlocked LG V35 ThinQ US pre-orders include free Daydream View VR headset

Just last week, word broke out that the unlocked variant of the LG V35 ThinQ is about to hit the stores. Now pre-orders have gone live and they come with a nice bonus. Retailer B&H is currently accepting the pre-orders for the handset, and is asking $900, which is the phone's launch price tag in the US. To sweeten the deal, the retailer is including free Google Daydream View VR headset (2017 edition), which usually goes for $100. While there's no information from B&H on when shipments would begin (the listing just says "coming soon"), LG has confirmed a mid-July launch time frame....

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Moto E5 Plus will launch in India next week, exclusive to Amazon

In under 10 days the Moto E5 Plus will launch in India. The phone (unveiled in April) boasts a 5,000 mAh battery and 15W TurboPower charger. It also has a large, tall screen - 6" 720 x 1,440 px - and runs Android Oreo out of the box. The E5 Plus will be exclusive to Amazon when it launches on July 10 (the Tuesday a week from now). Pricing is still to be announced. In Europe, the phone costs €170 (INR 13,600). The old E4 Plus model launched at INR 10,000 (currently down 10%), however the new Moto E5 (not Plus) launched at INR 12,000 (and is also 10% off), so the European pricing...

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Alleged 2018 iPhone spotted running Geekbench with iOS 12 and 4GB of RAM

September isn't that far off, so it's not implausible to see the next iPhone giving a go at popular cross-platform benchmark Geekbench. The device in question identifies itself as iPhone 11,2 and runs iOS 12 on 4GB of RAM (1GB more than the iPhone X) and a newer SoC - D321AP which suggests a newer model than the iPhone X' D22AP. Both the single-core and multi-core results show the same ballpark performance as the iPhone X, but benchmarks are decided many times through optimization and not brute strength. To rehash, Apple is expected to launch three iPhones in 2018 - the...

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Huawei nova 3 specs revealed by TENAA

Huawei already launched its P20 series for all the flagship-thirsty fans. The upper-midrange portfolio is reserved for the Huawei nova series, and the third iteration arrived on TENAA last Monday. This week the nova 3 specs were fully unveiled by the Chinese regulatory, giving us a good idea of what to expect. Huawei nova 3 The Huawei nova 3 will have octa-core CPU, clocked at 2.3 GHz. The setup is most likely to arrive on a Kirin 659 chipset, although we would not be surprised if the SoC actually ends up being the Kirin 710. The chip is paired with 6 GB RAM and 64/128 GB...

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Samsung Galaxy On6 is official with 5.6-inch AMOLED

Samsung has announced its latest On Series smartphone, called Galaxy On6, in India today. The phone is a doppelganger of the Galaxy J6 (right down to the model name) and offers the same 5.6-inch 1480x720px 18.5:9 Super AMOLED display and Exynos 7870 chipset with 4GB of RAM. You also get a 13MP main and 8MP selfie camera and a 3,000mAh battery. The rest of the Samsung Galaxy On6 highlights include show Android 8.0 Oreo with Samsung Experience on top, a fingerprint scanner (alongside Samsung's take on Face Recognition) and 64GB of storage with microSD card expansion. The optional dual SIM...

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vivo Z1i arrives officially with 128 GB storage and Snapdragon 636

Another addition to the vivo portfolio has just been introduced in China. The Z1i is an upgrade over the Z1 that was announced a month ago with a different chipset, more storage and better selfie camera. It also has a dual camera setup on the back and a notch on the screen, but at least the chin is really thin, so you get a massively tall 6.26" display. vivo Z1i in Black The vivo Z1i now comes with Snapdragon 636, which is actually a downgrade compared to the 660 in the vivo Z1. While RAM stays 4 GB, internal storage is 128 GB and there is room for 256 GB microSD card in...

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Samsung Galaxy Note9 S Pen will let you control music playback

Last week, Samsung started sending out press invites for an Unpacked event that will see the debut of the Galaxy Note9. The invite image focused on the S Pen, indicating expanded stylus functionality. And now we have some news on what those enhancements would likely be. As per tipster Ice Universe, who has a decent track record when it comes to Samsung leaks, the stylus will also act as a portable Bluetooth controller, allowing you to control music playback as well as trigger a long-range remote self-timer. The tipster also says some gameplay features might be enabled. It's worth...

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