FCC listing for Samsung Galaxy Note9's S Pen confirms Bluetooth support

Recently, there were rumors that Samsung Galaxy Note9's S Pen will feature Bluetooth. Well, those rumors have now been confirmed by the US FCC. Documents on the agency's website have revealed the S Pen (model number EJ-PN960) is a 2.4GHz Bluetooth LE device. Sadly, FCC doesn't reveal all the stylus is capable of. However, rumors say in addition to standard features, the S Pen could also let you control music playback as well as trigger a long-range remote self-timer. It could be used to launch Bixby as well. For its part, Samsung hasn't confirmed anything related to the S Pen yet,...

Read More

Latest OxygenOS brings support for Project Treble on the OnePlus 5 and 5T

Today, OnePlus released its latest versions of the Open Beta for the OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T - version 13 for the 5 and version 11 for the 5T. These versions bring a few new features and optimizations including new accent colors and a revamped UI, but the biggest update is support for Project Treble on the 5 and 5T. Project Treble is the latest solution from Google to expedite the process of updating Android's OS, which has been painstakingly slow for some of the major OEMs, namely Samsung. Treble also makes it easier for the developer community to create custom ROMs for the Android...

Read More

ZTE is allowed to operate in the US this month only

ZTE and the Unites States have been going back and forth with the former's ban on doing business in the United States. Although a deal was made between President Trump and ZTE, the US Congress disapproved this agreement that would bring ZTE back into the ban. The continuation of the ZTE and US saga continues. Today, Reuters reported that the US Department of Commers has granted a temporary lift on the ZTE ban that would allow the company to make transactions within the US necessary to maintain ZTE's existing networks and equipment. This doesn't mean that ZTE is allowed to operate as...

Read More

Verizon's Moto Z Play Droid Edition is now receiving Android 8.0 Oreo update

Verizon's Droid-branded version of the Moto Z Play from 2016 is finally being graced with the update to Android 8.0 Oreo. This has started rolling out today, more than a month after unlocked units got it (back in May). The new software arrives as build ODN27.76-12-30-2, and it's a 1.1GB download. As usual the rollout is likely to be going out in phases, so if you haven't seen the update notification yet, you can either be patient for a few more days or manually go to Settings > System update and check. Oreo brings picture-in-picture mode for supported apps, the Autofill API, adaptive...

Read More

Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 may arrive in September with a pop-up camera

vivo's NEX started a trend, it seems, with its pop-up selfie camera. The Oppo Find X took things to another level, but Xiaomi wants in on the game too. The Mi Mix line is already known for amazing screen-to-body ratios, but in 2018 it's seen quite a few competitors in that area. So to keep up with the joneses, Xiaomi is going to outfit the Mi Mix 3 with a pop-up camera too. That's been revealed by a new leaked image which surfaced on Chinese social media. The name of the device is nowhere to be found, but since the Mix line has always been at the forefront of Xiaomi's fight against...

Read More

Samsung's foldable Galaxy X will have a curved battery, 3,000 mAh or larger

Samsung's much-rumored Galaxy X foldable smartphone still isn't official, but that is probably going to change in 2019. The handset will employ foldable display panels, which will go into mass production this summer, if there aren't any issues. The screens will be ready for an early 2019 launch of the phone, but additional components need to be flexible too. Take, for example, the battery. This will be foldable too, according to a new report, and its capacity will be anywhere between 3,000 mAh and 6,000 mAh. We're obviously hoping for as high a number as possible, given the massive screen...

Read More

Deal: Pixel 2 XL for Verizon is $300, the Pixel 2 is $150 off

Best Buy and Verizon love discounting the second-gen Pixel phones - the first discount came the day after they were announced! Today's deal is better than that one, but not quite as good as some in the past. The good news is that it includes the smaller Pixel 2, which often goes overlooked. Google Pixel 2 • Google Pixel 2 XL Still, the Pixel 2 XL gets the better treatment - it's effectively $300 off. We say "effectively" because the actual discount is to the monthly installments. You pay $22.91 for 24 months, that's about $12.50 down on the regular payments. The deal is valid for...

Read More

Samsung's Android Go smartphone might not be Android Go after all

Some interesting photos of the upcoming Android Go-powered Samsung phone also known as Galaxy J2 Core have just surfaced. Interestingly enough these contradict almost everything we know about Android Go devices so it's either that the platform is taking in a new direction or we are seeing a different device here. The OEM is ditching the hardware navigation buttons and the phone pictured comes with an outdated security patch for Android 8.1 Oreo - December 2017. Nothing else could be concluded from the leaked images. There's no mention of the launch date either. Samsung's...

Read More

A new Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (2018) could be coming to US carriers

While we've been caught up in the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 rumors another new slate by Samsung has received certification with the Wi-Fi alliance. The device carries the model name SM-T387, which sounds like a successor to the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (2017)'s T380 model number and suggests a refresh for 2018. It's possible that the device is getting a US release soon. If we go by usual Samsung practice then the SM-T387 model is likely an LTE model. So we can assume that the SM-T385V is headed to Verizon, SM-T387T is intended for T-Mobile, SM-T387A (and SM-T387VK) will be for AT&T and the...

Read More

Land Rover Explore phone now available in Europe with a free Adventure Pack

The Land Rover Explore - a modular rugged Android smartphone - is now available in Europe. The phone is built by the same company that is behind the CAT phones, but features a unique extension system. You can read more about it in our hands-on review. In the UK, the official site and Clove has the phone in stock, it costs £600 (with VAT). A Land Rover Adventure Pack is typically £100 extra, but now you're getting one for free (while supplies last). Land Rover Explore • Pogo pins on the back enable Packs • The Adventure Pack In Germany, Saturn, Cyberport and NotebooksBilliger...

Read More

Oppo Find X teardown: similar pop-up mechanism to the vivo NEX

The Oppo Find X plays up to Oppo's strengths - a motorized mechanism for the camera. It was cool on the N1 and it's even cooler here. Here's a better look at the pop-up action without the back cover getting in the way. But how does it work? It's similar to the NEX S and uses a linear actuator. You can see its motor in yellow and the guiding rails in red. In green are the ribbon cables that hook up the cameras, 3D face scanner and other components to the rest of the phone (there are a couple of coax cables too, so perhaps an antenna). Here's another look. The the screw turns the...

Read More

LG G7 ThinQ review

LG is finally releasing a G-series phone with the latest Snapdragon - yay! Regardless whether we have some supply chain optimization or LG's product planning to thank, the fact of the matter is the G7 ThinQ is now available internationally and it's a proper high-end device.

Read More

Budget 6.1-inch iPhone envisioned next to iPhone X in high-quality renders

Take a look at what could be a pretty close rendition of the entry level iPhone for 2018. The renders were made with the recent rumors and leaks in mind and show an iPhone with a 6.1-inch LCD, which is slightly larger than the iPhone X. Another differentiating factor is the single camera on the back and possibly the use of aluminium for the frame, instead of the stainless steel used in the iPhone X. The back of the 6.1-inch iPhone is said to be glass, like on all current iPhone models so it's an easy assumption that it will also have wireless charging. If a recent rumor...

Read More

Motorola One poses for a photo once again

Okay, let's set the record straight. Motorola seems to be preparing more than one phone under the One series as per latest leaks. The first reports showed a metal body with notched display and fairly thin bezels, while recently another Motorola One device surfaced with strikingly similar design. The latter comes with glass back and slightly altered dual camera design compared to the One Power. Motorola One in white This could mean that both handsets are part of the same family with the first one being the budget variant. Anyway, two more live photos surfaced of what appears to be...

Read More

Galaxy Note9 colors revealed by S Pen versions, 8GB version benchmarked

The Samsung Galaxy Note9 will debut a new color option - brown - but there are more changes compared to the Galaxy Note8 palette. The color options can be gleaned from a list of S Pen versions (their colors will, of course, match the main body of the phone). So here are the colors: PN960BBEGWW: black PN960BJEGWW: gray PN960BVEGWW: violet / purple PN960BLEGWW: blue PN960BAEGWW: brown If you remember, the Galaxy Note8's Orchid Gray color option was more of a violet hue, despite its name. But with the Galaxy Note9 there is explicit separation between Gray and...

Read More

MIUI 10 confirmed to hit 28 Xiaomi devices

Xiaomi is well-known for its updates of older devices to the newest user interface. Back in January, the 3.5-year old Redmi 1s got MIUI 9 and the Chinese company will keep the tradition with the new MIUI 10. According to an announcement on the official MIUI forum, the 3-year old Mi 4c is among the devices that will receive the latest version. Global ROM is currently in beta testing and the program will finish on July 24, but some current flagships like the Xiaomi Mi 8 and the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S have already started to receive a notification that their international OTA update has...

Read More

Asus ZenFone 5z to launch in India tomorrow, cost less than the OnePlus 6

We've known that the ZenFone 5z will be launching on July 4 in India exclusively on Flipkart for some time now, but price wasn't revealed up until now. It seems that Flipkart has accidentally uploaded all of the ZenFone 5z variants' pricing. Screenshots of the ZenFone 5z variants on Flipkart with pricing The device will be offered in two colors - Midnight Blue and Meteor Silver while storage configurations are 64GB, 128GB and 256GB. The starting price is INR 29,999 ($438) for the 6GB/64GB model, INR 32,999 ($482) for the 8GB/128GB variant and INR 36,999 ($540) for the the most...

Read More

iOS App Store turns 10 - here are the top apps of all time

Apple's iOS App Store will turn 10 years old on July 10 so to commemorate this, app analytics firm App Annie has made a detailed report of the top apps and games in the App Store, spanning 2010 (when it started tracking the App Store) to today. The report is divided between Apps and Games and then by most downloaded and the most profitable - the paid ones. Top Apps by download and revenue The most downloaded apps are Facebook and Facebook Messenger, YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp Messenger. But in terms of top apps ranked by consumer spend it's the subscription services that...

Read More

Snapdragon 845-powered vivo 1805 visits TENAA

Currently there is only one vivo phone with a Snapdragon 845 chipset - the NEX S. There just might be a second phone on the way, though Geekbench 4 doesn't give enough details to tell for sure. A "vivo 1805" was benchmarked with Qualcomm's top chipset. It ran Android 8.1 and packed 8 GB of RAM. There's a few megs of difference between the NEX S and the 1805, but again that's not enough to be certain that these are different devices. Looking at vivo's lineup, it can definitely use a few more Snapdragon 845 entries. There are plenty of phones with the Snapdragon 660 - like the Z1, V9...

Read More

Samsung Galaxy Note9 renders reveal design

After the lengthy article about the Galaxy Note9's features the other day, we've got a pretty good idea about what to expect during the phone's official launch on August 9. Note9 with case But that doesn't mean that the rumor mill has stopped spinning. In fact, the latest batch of rendered images gives us a good look at what the Galaxy Note9 will look like. And as stated before, the device won't be offering any substantial changes in the design department. How the Note9 should look like in different colors based on previous reports We still have the curved front...

Read More

OnePlus 6 Red edition hands-on

This is the OnePlus 6 in the new red color. There is not much to say except that it is the OnePlus 6, in red color. As you can see, it is extremely red. OnePlus told us something about adding an anti-reflective layer to the six panels of glass, which is what gives it the shimmering look, but that's not important. The important thing is that it is very, very red. Even the front is red, courtesy of the new wallpaper exclusive to this edition. Even the sides are red with a glossy finish and matching red buttons. It's even more red than the red OnePlus...

Read More

Sony will begin Xperia XZ2 Premium pre-orders in China on July 11

Sony will start taking pre-orders for the Xperia XZ2 Premium in China on July 11 and will hold a special announcement event for the flagship on July 22 in Guangzhou. We expected Sony to reveal the shipping date and exact price of the Xperia XZ2 Premium in China today but it just gave us the pre-order dates. Rumors give an estimate of around CNY 6,000/€780/$900 and it may start shipping on July 22, the day of its Chinese induction event. Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium pre-orders in China open July 11 The Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium will go on sale in the US on July 9 through Amazon and...

Read More

Mi Max 3 Pro certified by NCC, imminent launch confirmed

The National Communication Commission (NCC) certified a phone with model number M1804E4A on June 25, which is likely the previously rumored Mi Max 3 Pro. The certification document not only confirms the existence of such device but also hints at nearing launch, probably alongside the regular Mi Max 3 as the CEO has said before. For now, we know that the Mi Max 3 will come with the less powerful Snapdragon 636 while the Pro version will boast a Snapdragon 710 chipset and most of the other specs will probably be shared across the two phablets. Both devices should pop up in just a few...

Read More

Vivo Z10 goes official with 24MP selfie camera

Vivo India introduced the latest addition to its smartphone portfolio. The phone is called vivo Z10 and is simply a renamed vivo V7+ with 32 GB storage, instead of the original 64 GB. The vivo Z10 comes with Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 and has 4 GB RAM. The display is 6" with HD+ resolution and tall 18:9 ratio. There is a 16 MP camera on the back with Ultra HD mode that makes 64 MP photos through image stacking. The selfie snapper is 24 MP, coupled with an LED flash. Sadly, the vivo Z10 runs Android Nougat 7.1, but at least it has a face-unlocking feature called Face Access. The...

Read More

Oppo A5 design confirmed, specs revealed through TENAA listing

A few days ago, a phone similar to Oppo's Realme 1 handset appeared online - the so-called Oppo A5. Of course, specs are different and the A5 sports a dual camera instead of just one on the back but we suspect it will be just as affordable as the Realme 1 in India. The latest TENAA listing reveals a bit more about the device and since it's seeking certification from the Chinese authorities, we assume it's going to be for its home market. According to the listing, the A5 will be powered by a Snapdragon 450 paired with either 3GB or 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. The screen...

Read More

Honor 10 GT with 8 GB RAM unveiled

Huawei announced the Honor 10 with 6 GB RAM back in May, but a mightier version was just unveiled in China. It is dubbed Honor 10 GT and has 8 GB RAM and will begin shipping on July 24. It will also come with the latest GPU Turbo and tripod-free Night Mode update out of the box. Aside from the expanded RAM, everything else in the GT version is identical to the vanilla Honor 10 - tall 5.84" display with 19:9 ratio, Kirin 970 chipset with AI features and dual camera with one RGB sensor and the secondary being monochrome. Huawei said at an event today in China that the new GPU...

Read More

Deals: Free memory card with Samsung flagships, discounts on iPhone 8 and Xperia XZ1

A few sweet US deals are available today on Samsung, Apple and Sony smartphones. Free memory card (up to 256GB) with Galaxy S9/S9+ and Note8 Samsung is offering a free microSD card if you purchase any of the company's current flagship smartphones, including the Galaxy S9, S9+, and Note8. For Galaxy S9 series, memory card size depends on the internal memory of the device you purchase - for example, if you go for a 64GB Galaxy S9, you'll get a 64GB card. For Note8 however, the max you'll get is a 64GB card. The promo ends July 31, and you can redeem your offer by August...

Read More

Meizu 16 to arrive on August 26

The upcoming Meizu flagship will be called Meizu 16 and will arrive as a successor of the anniversary Meizu 15 phone. Up until now, we knew the device is expected sometime in August, but without an exact date. According to sources from China, Meizu CEO Jack Wong said the phone will arrive on August 26 and will be available for order right after the launch. The Meizu 16 is expected to arrive with Snapdragon 845. Rumors and leaks have been pointing to an under-display fingerprint scanner and a large tall screen. Other reports suggested a pressure-sensitive home button under the eventual...

Read More