Honor India to unveil the Honor 9N on July 24

Last week Honor India scheduled an event for July 24, hinting an arrival of the Honor 9i. Today the division took it to Twitter and announced the device will actually be called Honor 9N. This will be the first appearance of the phone outside of China, hinting at an eventual arrival to other global markets as well. Beauty is not what meets the eye but an essence that is all around us! ✨✨Get ready to witness beauty like never before at the grand launch of #Honor9N on 24th July! 😍😍Mark your calendar! #BeautyAllAround pic.twitter.com/HaOS70q6NO— Honor India...

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Nokia X5 to arrive on July 18, this time for real

Nokia X5 was on its way to be unveiled on July 11, but due to an issue with the venue, HMD Global had to postpone the event. Today the company announced on Weibo the new unveiling date - July 18. The Nokia X5 will have a 5.84" screen with HD+ resolution and 19:9 ratio. The chipset is likely to be Helio P60 and coupled with 3/4 GB RAM, according to TENAA. There is a dual 13 MP + 5 MP camera on the back, coupled with a fingerprint scanner, following a similar design in all current Nokia smartphones. Since the Nokia X5 has less impressive specs than the Nokia X6, it is expected to be a...

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Latest WhatsApp beta gets sticker preview

Many popular messaging platforms have been offering its own stickers like Line, WeChat, Skype, Facebook Messenger, and Allo. But WhatsApp has no such stickers, at least not yet. According @WABetainfo on Twitter, WhatsApp Beta version 2.18.218 brings a preview of the incoming sticker feature. WhatsApp first announced that stickers were coming back in May during Facebook's F8 developer conference. WhatsApp beta for Android 2.18.218:1) Sticker preview!2) When the WhatsApp Sticker Store has a new updated sticker pack, there will be a green dot on the "+" button.3) Added the update...

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2018 Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime Plus may come with an iris scanner

Just last month, we heard that Samsung may no offer 3D facial recognition as the permanent replacement for the iris scanner on its upcoming Galaxy S10 flagship device. Perhaps this rumor is a good place to start for the context of this next piece of news. XDA-Developers member deadman96385 has found evidence that the 2018 version of the Galaxy Grand Prime Plus might equip the very iris scanner that Samsung may no longer offer on its flagships in the future. The codename "grandppirislte" appears in a list of model numbers that XDA had uncovered earlier this year. Using the iris...

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Verizon is starting to phase out 3G handsets - will no longer activate them

This shouldn't affect too many of our readers, but for those who may find themselves with an older Verizon handset and are looking to activate service on Verizon, the carrier will no longer activate 3G (CDMA) devices. Verizon confirmed this with Droid-Life. Verizon has already publicly confirmed that it will no longer support its 3G CDMA network towards the end of 2019. However, Verizon has stated that it will no longer activate devices with no 4G LTE compatibility. Virtually all traffic on our network is on our 4G LTE network. To facilitate a smooth transition to 4G LTE capable...

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Prime Day smartphone deals still going on in Germany and UK

July 16 was Amazon's Prime Day, a day that Amazon invented to sell as much as it can, which includes heavy discounts on its own Amazon products like Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and even its Fire tablets and Kindle products. Most of these deals are still going on in Germany until 23:59 on Tuesday. Click on the link in the headlines to see the devices on Amazon. Huawei devices (Germany) Huawei Band 2 Pro - €59 Huawei Watch 2 - €169 Huawei P20 lite (Black, Blue, Pink, or Gold) with free 16GB microSD card - €319 Huawei P Smart dualSIM (Blue, Black, or White) - €159 Huawei...

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Apple unveils new emoji on World Emoji Day

Apple is celebrating World Emoji Day by revealing several new emoji that will be coming to Apple devices later this year. Part of the new Emoji 11.0 standard, there are over 70 new emoji in this update. These include ones such as Smiling Face with Smiling Eyes and Three Hearts, Partying Face, Pleading Face and Cold Face. There are also several new animal emoji, such as Parrot, Lobster, Kangaroo and Peacock. New food items have also been added, such as Lettuce, Mango, Mooncake and Cupcake. There are new people emoji as well, with red heads, curly hair and bald heads...

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Android 8.1 Oreo update for the Xiaomi Mi A1 finally resumes with July security patch

Xiaomi has started sending out a new Android 8.1 Oreo update to the Mi A1 Android One device. This comes after the initial rollout was stopped due to the emergence of a pretty nasty bug that wiped your entire SMS history. Basically you'd apply the update and after the mandatory reboot all your messages would just be gone. That's supposedly no longer the case. The new update even has the July security patches built-in. After you install the new release, you'll be on build OPM1.171019.026.V9.6.4.0.ODHMIFE. The software comes over-the-air as a 467MB download. If you've already...

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Samsung Galaxy A6+ (2018) review

The Samsung Galaxy A-series are going through a bit of an identity crisis with J-style metal replacing the glass in the lower end of the lineup. But we already knew that - we had the A6 (2018) in for review just last month. Now it's the plus's turn - the Galaxy A6+ (2018) brings more than just a bigger display.

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Truecaller introduces call recording feature in the Android app

Truecaller has introduced a new call recording feature within the Android version of the app. Users will be able to record incoming as well as outgoing calls from within the app without having to use a separate recording app. You get an option to record every time you place or receive a call. The call is then recorded and saved locally on the device. The feature is only available to premium subscribers of the app. Others can get a 14 day trial but after that you will need to subscribe to keep using. These days, quite a few Android smartphones come with call recording built-in, so...

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alcatel 5V debuts with notched screen, dual rear cameras, 4,000 mAh battery

TCL-owned alcatel has unveiled its newest flagship offering today, the 5V. The phone comes with a 6.2-inch 19:9 notched display with 720x1500 resolution, an 88% screen-to-body ratio, and 2.5D Dragontrail glass on top. The alcatel 5V has a dual 12 MP + 2 MP rear camera system with dual-tone LED flash, with the secondary sensor being used only for depth information, enabling bokeh effects. The main snapper has 1.25μm pixels and 1/2.8" size, and the camera software can do things like AI scene detection, burst shot, HDR, real-time bokeh, and it also contains electronic image stabilization...

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Deal: unlocked LG G7 ThinQ gets a $120 discount in the US

The LG G7 ThinQ has been available in the US for about a month and a half and it already has its first serious discount - B&H sells it for $630 (unlocked), which is $120 off the MSRP. The Platinum model is available now, the Black one is coming soon. Both are bundled with a free tempered glass protector (worth $20). LG G7 ThinQ in Platinum and Black Again, the phone is unlocked and has all the bands you need to use it on AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile. Google's Project Fi is supported as well (though the G7 is listed at the full $750 at the Fi website). Note that you...

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Huawei releases schedule for GPU Turbo update for its smartphones

Huawei has announced the list of devices that will be getting its GPU Turbo feature. Along with device names, the company also revealed approximately when these devices will be getting the feature in a future update. All in all, there are fourteen devices that have been confirmed to receive the update. The update will start rolling out next month for devices such as the new Mate 10 and the P20 Pro. Others will be receiving it in September and some, such as the Mate 9 and P10 Plus in November. The GPU Turbo feature is a bit of a head scratcher. Huawei claims it will improve...

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vivo NEX Indian pre-orders start on July 19

The futuristic vivo NEX S is arriving by the end of this month in five new markets - Russia, India, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. The date for India is July 19, and the device already appeared for pre-order on vivo's online store and Amazon India, right in time for Amazon Prime. The online retailer has exclusive rights to sell the phone and brings some incentives with it. By July 17 you have to redeem an e-gift card and then pre-order the vivo NEX S between July 19 and July 25. It will bring extra INR5,000 off on exchange, no cost EMI up to 12 months, one-time free screen...

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Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite jumps the gun and goes on sale, is cheaper than expected

The Xiaomi Mi A2 is not what you would call "official", but that shouldn't get in the way of a good deal. And it is a good deal - a seller on AliExpress is asking $190/$210 for the phone, even though initial rumors suggested $283 or so (to be fair, we're comparing a price for China with one for Europe, but even EU taxes can't account for $90). Anyway, the listing confirms the expected specs - a metal body with a notched 5.84" screen (1,080 x 2,2280px) on the front and 12 + 5 MP dual camera on the rear (which shoots 4K video). Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite in Gold, Black and Blue The...

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ZTE shares rise albeit expectations of $1.3B loss in H1 2018

The US Department of Commerce lifted the ban on ZTE trading with American manufacturers last week. The resolution was reached after ZTE managed to pay over $1.4 billion in fines and replace all its board of directors and key employees. The decision was good news for the stock market in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, where the company's shares jumped by 15% and with the daily 10% limit, respectively. ZTE stated on Weibo that it plans to "set out with full confidence," even if financial estimates for the first half of 2018 are suggesting a loss of CNY9 billion ($1.3 billion). ZTE also...

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eBay UK deals: 20% off select products from Samsung, Google, B&O and others

window._epn = {campaign:5338110667}; There's a 20% discount going around sellers on eBay UK, including some Samsung, Google and B&O accessories. The discount code PLAY20 is valid from today until Thursday at midnight and is capped at £100 off (the minimum sped is £20). The Google Home seems to be sold out, but 2nd gen Chromecasts are still available at £24 post-discount and Home Minis at £27.2. Some of Samsung's SmartThings are discounted too, like the smart power outlet for £36 or a moisture sensor for £26. Various Samsung phone accessories are part of the deal too. Let's...

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OnePlus trademarks Warp Charge

Dash Charge is one our favorite features on the OnePlus phones, but the company has now trademarked Warp Charge. The simplest explanation is that OnePlus ran into some trademark issues in the EU because the name clashes with the Bragi Dash (wireless headphones, nothing like a charger, but what do we know). The trademark application for the Warp Charge covers chargers and cables for phones, but doesn't go into specifics like power. We bring it up only because Super VOOC made its debut with the Oppo Find X Lamborghini Edition and Dash Charge is a rebranding of VOOC. The current Dash...

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Xiaomi teases the Mi A2 ahead of launch

Xiaomi is launching the stock Android version of the Mi 6X on July 24 in Madrid, Spain. The phone will arrive as Xiaomi Mi A2 and the manufacturer just teased it on Twitter, saying all Mi A1 fans "will love this" while posting an image of the actual Mi A1 with the number 2 visible in the background. This image is the first time Xiaomi actually uses the number 2 in its promo communication since the text also had the hashtag #2isbetterthan1. Although Mi A2 is not a surprising moniker, it's good to have that officially confirmed. The Xiaomi Mi A2 is coming with 5.99" Full HD+ screen...

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Nokia 3.1 now available in Germany, Italy and Malaysia

Small, affordable, Android One - that's the elevator pitch for the Nokia 3.1. The phone just launched in Germany, Italyand Malaysia, check out the links below. The pricing in Europe is around €150-170 and in Malaysia it's MYR 655 (€140). The regional Nokia sites don't have it yet, but Amazon and other retailers do. Germany Amazon €159 Saturn €161 MediaMarkt €161 NotebooksBilliger €165 Italy Amazon €154 El4u €150 Uniero €170 ...

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Meizu 16 Plus front panel leaks to reveal ultra-thin bezels

Meizu CEO Jack Wong will announce the next flagship, called Meizu 16, on August 26. There is more than a month until the unveiling of the series, but a Weibo user just showcased the front panel of the Plus-sized variant of the device. The new phone will have practically no bezels on the side and extremely thin top and bottom ones. Meizu 16 Plus front vs Oppo Find X The glass panel of the Meizu 16 Plus came from a component factory in China and to get a proper understanding of the size, it was compared with an actual Oppo Find X. The futuristic smartphone with the retractable...

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