Asus Zenfone Lite L1 and Zenfone Max M1 arrive on sale

Last Wednesday Asus introduced two new budget smartphones for the Indian market - Zenfone Lite L1 and the Zenfone Max M1. At the event, the devices were announced as Flipkart Exclusives that would appear during the Festive Dhamaka Days sale and the time has come. The online retailer has already listed the phones with introductory prices of INR5,999 for the Zenfone Lite L1 and INR7,499 for the Zenfone Max M1. When the promo is over, they will hike up to INR6,999 and INR8,999 respectively, due to the poor performance of the Indian currency. Asus Zenfone Lite L1 • Asus Zenfone Max...

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Another Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 night shot camera sample leaks before launch event

The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 is set to be announced by Xiaomi on October 25 where it will announce a successor to the Xiaomi Mi Mi 2 (and 2S). Given the imaging ability that we saw on the Mi Mix 2S, we are expecting to see a very capable shooter on the Mi Mix 3. A new camera sample allegedly shot with the Mi Mix 3 was posted to Weibo, a Chinese social media network to tease the smartphone's low-light capabilities. The photo below shows a very nice capture of details in lower light conditions and a nice blend of colors. Zooming all the way in, we can tell there was definitely some post-processing...

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Pixel 3 capped at 5W wireless charging on non-Google-approved chargers

Today, in a statement to The Verge, Google confirmed that its Pixel Stand was made specifically for the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL in that these are the only two devices that can pull the fast 10W wireless charging current. Conversely, the Pixel 3 and 3 XL can only reach 10W wireless charging on either the Pixel Stand or any other Google-approved third-party Qi charger. Belkin has a 10W Google-approved Qi charger on the way that will wirelessly charge the Pixel 3 at full speed. We don't limit third-party devices, in fact, were working with our partners in the Made for Google program to get...

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Folks are having trouble activating the Razer Phone 2 on Verizon

The Razer Phone 2 just became available on Monday and despite being officially supported on Verizon as per Razer and its website, customers have not been able to successfully activate the phone on a Verizon line. In order to make calls on Verizon's network, a phone must be officially enabled by Verizon to open the VoLTE protocol for phone calls and text messages. For whatever reason, Verizon hadn't fully enabled the Razer Phone 2 on the carrier and Razer had to tweet that it was working on a fix. We're aware that Verizon is not enabled on the #RazerPhone 2 right now and are working to...

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nubia reveals 8 features of the upcoming nubia X smartphone ahead of launch

Earlier this month, ZTE's sub-brand, nubia, announced the release date of its next flagship - the dual-screen nubia X and it's now teasing the handset with a list of cool features. The list comes in the form of an infographic and since it's shared on the Chinese social media Weibo, we had to work it out with Google Translate. Unfortunately, the explanation of some of the features remains somewhat vague, likely due to inaccurate translation. Almost 100% screen-to-body ratio without a notch and front-facing camera Eye-protecting screen mode. AI-driven theme selector for the...

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Google celebrates Android's 10th birthday with a look back at its history

Android turned 10 this year and to commemorate the occasion, Google brought out the family album to show images of its little robo-baby growing up. You can read the full post over at the official Google Blog. There are interesting tidbits and reminders of how far we've come. Android 1.0 didn't even support on-screen keyboards! 1.5 Cupcake enabled those and good thing too, since hardware keyboards died off quickly. You can even trace the evolution of the Google Assistant. Starting with the Quick Search Box in 1.6 Donut, Voice Actions in 2.2 Froyo, Google Now in 4.1 Jelly Bean, "OK...

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Huawei opens up EMUI 9.0 beta program for the P10, Mate 9, Honor 9 and more

After the Huawei Mate 10 Pro received a stable update to EMUI 9.0 based on Android 9.0 Pie, the company is now looking to expand the beta program to more phones. Most of the handsets are from last year, but there are a couple from earlier this year as well. For now, the beta program is limited to the Chinese market but will soon roll out to the rest of the world. The company just announced that it opening up the doors for Android 9.0 Pie beta participants as long as you have the right handset, the right model number and you are on the latest software version, unrooted. Here's the list of...

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Huawei Mate 20 RS Porsche Design available for pre-order in the UK

The Huawei Mate 20 RS Porsche Design has taken a tentative first step on the Old Continent. Clove UK has started taking pre-orders for the luxury flagship and expects to have units in stock on November 16. It's best not to ask about the price. Really, skip over to the next paragraph. Still here? Okay then - the 8/256GB model will cost you £1,920 (VAT included). Clove isn't offering the pricier 512GB model (yet). We snooped around other stores for the Mate 20 RS, but found nothing. Not that we were hoping to get a better deal. Though a better deal will soon exist. The luxury...

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Apple to fix the front camera of the iPhone XS duo with iOS 12.1

A number of iPhone XS and XS Max owners have complained about the front-facing camera not being able to catch enough detail when taking selfies. Even though Apple says that they don't do beautification filters, it's no secret that the front camera is smoothening the skin a little bit too much, particularly when the lighting is not optimal. So in an upcoming iOS 12.1 update, the company promises to fix it. According to an Apple spokesperson, the problem lies within the Smart HDR function. Instead of selecting the frame with a short shutter speed that has captured more details, the...

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Asus ROG Phone's UK release scheduled for November 15

It's finally happening! Four months after its announcement, the Asus ROG Phone is finally confirmed to arrive to the UK just days after it went for pre-order in Italy. The company sent out invites for a November 15 event, which will mark the start of sales. The phonewill be showcased side by side with Asus' ultra-thin ROG Zephyrus M laptop and overclocked RTX 2080 Ti GPU from Asus' Strix-series of gaming hardware. As of now, the actual release date and pricing are yet unknown but according to recent rumors, we could expect a price tag of around £900. Via

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Xiaomi Black Shark Helo debuts with 10GB of RAM and AMOLED screen

As promised, Xiaomi just introduced the follow-up of its Black Shark gaming smartphone - the Black Shark Helo. And just like its predecessor, this one aims to impress with powerful internals and plenty of features at a competitive price. Black Shark Helo The main difference between the two generations is the screen. The new Black Shark Helo swaps the LCD panel for an AMOLED one but still notch-less, 6.01" in diagonal and with FHD+ (1080 x 2160) resolution. Refresh rate stays at 60Hz so if you are looking for smoother experience, you should wait for the considerably more...

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Samsung launches HMD Odyssey VR+ with Anti-Screen Door Effect

Last year Samsung introduced its mixed reality headset called HMD Odyssey VR and a year later the company brought an update. The new iteration comes with some hardware improvements, aimed at making the usage more comfortable - the main one is a new screen with Anti-Screen Door Effect technology that blurs the pixels. When looking at the 3.5" dual AMOLED screens inside the headset, you might see pixels or the so-called screen-door effect. It brings pixelation in some environments, causing dizziness or nausea at times. The Odyssey VR+ now has an extra grid "that diffuses the light...

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Our Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) unboxing video is up

Samsung introduced the Galaxy A7 (2018) last month and the device made its way to our office for a review. Before going to the lab and performing our standard lengthy tests, we handed the package to Will who unboxed the phone in front of the camera. In the video you'll also find five of the key features Samsung offers with the new device that is already hitting markets like India and South Korea. The Galaxy A7 (2018) might charm you with its triple camera or unusual FP scanner placement, but it has even more going for it. We are still working on the full text and video review, so if you...

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Retailer accidentally lists OnePlus 6T, confirms microSD slot, €10 price hike

The OnePlus 6T event was pulled forward, but only by a day. Still, German retailer Otto mixed up its calendar and published the page for the phone, price and specs included. The page has been taken down since, but the Internet doesn't forget. The phone is listed at €580 and will ship in mid-November (the OnePlus 6 was €570 for the same RAM/storage). Most of the specs we've seen already, but there was a surprise. That aside, the card slot accepts two nanoSIMs. The price is for the 8/128GB model and Otto claims that storage is expandable via microSD cards. This will be a first for...

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Apple iPhone XR review

The iPhone XR is the third iPhone to be launched this year, after the iPhone XS and the iPhone XS Max. While the two iPhone XS models are nearly identical save for the size, the iPhone XR is a significant departure for the iPhone X series and possibly a new chapter going forward.

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The iPhone XS Max crushes the Google Pixel 3 XL in a speed test

Running benchmarks on smartphones is a good way to see which one does the number crunching faster, but that doesn't always match the real life performance. That's why it's always good to see a speed test, which aims to come closer to your everyday use patterns. As you can see, the Pixel 3 XL was able to keep the pace with the iPhone XS Max on the first lap but the latter just obliterated Google's flagship phone in the second one. It seems that the Pixel 3 XL struggled to keep the bigger apps open or cached in the background. And even though the Pixel 3 XL and the XS Max both have...

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Samsung Galaxy A7 (2018) hits South Korea

Samsung announced the triple-cam Galaxy A7 (2018) in Malaysia, and just days later it was listed in India on Flipkart. The Asian presence will keep expanding with the latest addition being the company's home market, where it costs the equivalent of $440. The main camera on the back has a 24 MP sensor with f/1.7 lens, and is accompanied by an ultra-wide f/2.4 lens with 8 MP sensor behind it. There is also a depth-sensing snapper with fixed focus, 5 MP and f/2.2 aperture. The back panel is missing the fingerprint scanner which made its way to the right side, doubling as a power...

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HTC Exodus 1 unveiled: a phone that runs dApps and is also a hardware wallet

HTC unveiled the its first blockchain-focused phone - the Exodus 1. It's available for pre-order now and is expected to ship out in December. You can only pay for it in crypto-currencies - BTC 0.15 or ETH 4.78 (which is about $960/€830 today, but tomorrow who knows?). What makes this phone special is the Zion crypto wallet that was developed by the company. It uses the security enclave of its Snapdragon 845 chipset to keep your keys hidden from untrusted parts of the OS (Android Oreo) and apps. Zion will turn the HTC Exodus 1 into your hardware cryptocurrency wallet. But what if you...

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Four days into the pre-order campaign, the iPhone XR's initial stock is gone

The day pre-orders for the new iPhone XR opened, some colors variants sold within hours. We've reported that the red, coral and yellow models were met with the highest interest around the globe but it seems that blue, white and black caught up four days later. Browsing through the different Apple stores, all the shipment dates have been pushed back to "1-2 weeks." We are talking USA, Canada, Japan, Germany, France, China and UK. Analysts have predicted that despite the relatively slow start of the XR compared to its more expensive XS and XS Max siblings, the former will pick up the...

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Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro escapes China, starts selling in Taiwan

Xiaomi announced the Mi 8 with a transparent back as Mi 8 Explorer back in May. Then in September, the phone got renamed as Mi 8 UD in China and Mi 8 Pro on the global scene, but the actual arrival dates outside China remained uncofirmed. Until today - the device finally escaped the home market and reached Taiwan. The Mi 8 Pro has a 6.21" OLED panel with UD fingerprint scanner. There is a Snapdragon 845 chipset and 3,000 mAh battery that can be seen through the transparent back of the phone. The device also has a Twilight Gold variant, but it is yet to appear in a market outside...

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Honor Magic 2's latest teaser showcases an awesome gradient color variant

Honor Magic 2 is almost upon us and the company is warming up with a series of teasers revealing some cool bits about the device. Today's video showcases another color variant and shows its Yoyo AI-powered personal assistant. The gradient paint job has become a trademark for the Chinese company so it doesn't come as a surprise that Honor Magic 2 will feature eye-catching color variants. This one features a purple to red gradient. Who doesn't like purple and red? Towards the end of the video, the AI-powered assistant Yoyo says "hi" so we are curious to see the features that Yoyo will...

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Qualcomm introduces 11nm Snapdragon 675 with new CPU

Qualcomm is all about announcements today - first the president of the company introduced OnePlus as one of the first companies to implement a 5G smartphone with the Snapdragon X50 modem, and later the company unveiled the gaming-based Snapdragon 675 chipset with new CPU cores as an improvement of the still fresh Snapdragon 670. The biggest update is the improved processor with Kryo 460 cores. Two of them are based on the new Cortex-A76 for performance and can reach up to 2 GHz speeds, while the other six are for efficiency and are based on Cortex A55. The ISP and the GPU remain the same...

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