Skype calls are finally available on Alexa-enabled devices

You can now make Skype calls through your Alexa-enabled device. This integration was initially announced back in September, but it's only gone live today. You can use Skype through Alexa if you own an Amazon Echo, Echo Plus, Echo Dot, Echo Show, or Echo Spot, regardless of which generation you have. You can call friends and family in up to 150 countries worldwide with Skype, and for a limited time when you link up your account with Alexa you receive 100 minutes of free calls per month for two months. Here's how to proceed. First your smart speaker or smart display needs to already be...

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LG XBOOM AI ThinQ WK9 speaker now on sale in the US for $199

The LG XBOOM AI ThinQ WK9, leading contender for having the worst name in 2018 but otherwise a smart home speaker with a touchscreen, is now on sale in the US. It is currently priced at $199, which includes the introductory $100 discount. The WK9 is similar to the Google Home Hub or the Lenovo Smart Display, wherein it is a large touchscreen that sits around your house with Google Assistant on it. It works as any other Google Home device, but with the display showing visual feedback along with audio. You can also use it for watching videos or for making video calls. The WK9 has...

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Moto Z4 (codename Odin) to sport Snapdragon 8150 and 5G MotoMod next year

Although it hasn't released a proper flagship smartphone this year (by which we mean one powered by the Snapdragon 845 SoC), Motorola plans to change things around, strategy-wise, in 2019. The Z3 was disappointing with its use of the top chip from 2017, but next year the company will be back to using the latest and greatest Qualcomm silicon. And that would be the upcoming Snapdragon 8150 chipset, which is due for an official unveiling next month. This will be the successor to the SD845, so expect to see it in every top of the line Android device of 2019. The Moto Z4 will be among...

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Google Photos for iOS now lets you edit depth and focus in portrait mode shots

Today Google has revealed that the latest version of its Photos app for iOS comes with adjustable depth and focus for portrait mode shots. This has previously been available on Android only. From now on if you have an iPhone and the newest iteration of Google Photos, pull up a portrait mode picture, tap the editing icon, and then tap it one more time to edit depth and focus through sliders. You can do this in Apple's own Photos app if you own an iPhone XS, XS Max, or iPad Pro, but if you have another, older iPhone then you didn't have any way to adjust portrait mode depth after shots were...

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Thuraya X5-Touch is the world's first satellite Android smartphone

Thuraya took the wraps off its first Android smartphone, the X5-Touch. Like every other product from this company, it's a sat phone. It's also a normal smartphone that looks nothing like a normal smartphone. It has a 5.2-inch 1080p IPS touchscreen, the Snapdragon 625 chipset, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable storage, an 8 MP rear camera, a 2 MP selfie snapper, and a 3,800 mAh battery. It disappointingly runs Android 7.1 Nougat for some reason. It weighs 262g and comes with IP67 water and dust resistance as well as MIL-STD-810 certification for being able to withstand extreme...

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Alleged Samsung Galaxy A8s front panel leaks, reveals a notch

Samsung has been avoiding the notch for far too long, but with the announcement of the new Infinity-V and Infinity-U displays, it became clear that this won't be the case moving forward. The latest leak suggests that the recently teased Samsung Galaxy A8s will be the company's first notched smartphone featuring a U-shaped cutout. Alleged Galaxy A8s front panel The source claims that these panels are designated for the Galaxy A8s and by the looks of it, the notch is quite minimalist. In fact, it appears to be even smaller than the waterdrop notch in today's Oppo and vivo...

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Realme U1 will be unveiled at a fan festival, you can win one through a photo contest

Realme just announced its "annual fan festival", the Realme Gala. That's an ambitious wording, considering that the brand has been around for less than a year. It will be hosted in New Delhi on November 28. There are two main things on the agenda: 1) unveil the Realme U1 and 2) have fun! There will be free goodies along the way, but if you really want to claim the big prize - the U1 itself - you'll have to participate in the #ReadyForU photo contest. The rules are pretty simple - snap a selfie with a U-shaped object. The three most creative selfies will snag a U1, then the ten runner...

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Samsung to reintroduce flat displays to flagships with the Galaxy S10

Samsung is preparing the next generation of OLED displays dubbed M9, which will be used in the Galaxy S10. Buried at the bottom of a report of changes in chemical suppliers are details on the screens of the three variants. Samsung will reintroduce a flat screen option with the base 5.8" model. There will be a curved 5.8" option as well (the middle phone). The top-specced version will come with a curved 6.2" display. It's been a while: Samsung Galaxy S7 (flat) • Galaxy S7 edge (curved) As for the material suppliers, Samsung is working with new companies for the organic chemicals...

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OnePlus Roaming announced: a global SIM-free data service

Plot twist! OnePlus just introduced a global SIM-free data service with the latest Oxygen OS beta. The company says it should work in "most" countries and regions, though we don't have a list yet. The service is called OnePlus Roaming and lives in the Settings, Wi-Fi & Internet. From there you can purchase packages or activate the ones you've bought ahead of time. The list of data packages and their pricing will differ depending on the country. OnePlus Roaming is a SIM-free data service Note that the service doesn't support voice calls, this is data-only (not a huge issue...

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Huawei's 3D Moderator app brings AR to the Mate 20 Pro and Porsche Design

Huawei is launching its 3D Moderator app for the Huawei Mate 20 Pro and Mate 20 RS Porsche Design which enables some pretty impressive AR tricks. Using the advanced tech inside the Mate 20 Pro/RS Porsche Design notch and the Kirin 980 chipset, 3D Moderator can scan a real life object and let you play with it inside the camera viewfinder. The app creates "AI Live Model" or "3D Live Object" by using the combination of the 24MP selfie camera, the dot projector, flood illuminator, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor and the IR camera, in conjunction with the Kirin 980 chipset's two...

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Xiaomi Mi A2 long-term review

Second time's the charm, right? That's certainly what Xiaomi would have you believe. The second coming of its Android One line is here, but is it any good? You still might not be very used to the concept of pairing Xiaomi hardware with unadulterated Google software - after all, the company's MIUI is one of the heaviest Android skins you can find. But there's no trace of that in the Mi A2, and this device is definitely as intriguing as its predecessor, which was Xiaomi's debut album in the Android One collection.

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A few new press renders of the LG Q9 pop up

It looks like LG is prepping a G7 Fit doppelganger in the face of the LG Q9. Render by render the purported LG Q9 leaves no doubt that it is, in fact, a rebadged LG G7 Fit for select markets. The new set of renders don't show the rear of the device but show a good deal of the front and both sides. The LG Q9 will have a conventional metal frame with glass on both ends and three buttons on each side - volume and likely a power button (no Assistant button here). On the front the LG Q9 has a screen with a notch. If indeed the Q9 proves to be a G7 Fit in disguise then we can...

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OnePlus' first 5G phone could cost $100 more than the OnePlus 6T

OnePlus clarified that its upcoming 5G phone will not be the OnePlus 7, but will still launch in early 2019. This suggests a new product line and rumors have already started appearing that it will come with a new price tag. The 5G-enabled OnePlus phone will cost $650/€650, according to people in the know. That's $100 over the OnePlus 6T, which sounds fairly reasonable considering that 5G in early 2019 will be bleeding edge - the iPhones may have to wait until 2020 to upgrade from 4G. This 5G model will likely use the Snapdragon 8150 chipset and the X50 modem. Even if it uses the X24...

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Huawei wants to introduce foldable 5G device at MWC 2019

Huawei held a private demo of a foldable 5G prototype for Korean carriers, according to ETNews. A senior government official confirmed Huawei is working on a flexible product with next-gen network support. The Korean news agency said Huawei's plans are to introduce the phone at MWC 2019. Prototype, released to Korean media Huawei is pretty much ready with the product, according to the report, with the official saying he was surprised how developed the device is. When the 5G phone is unfolded, it has 8" screen, while folded it goes down to 5", which is slightly larger than the...

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Moto G7's battery capacity doesn't instill confidence

Motorola's G series phones have been known for their great value-for-money but never for great battery life. And that doesn't seem likely to change with the upcoming Moto G7. According to battery details revealed by the FCC, the Moto G7 will pack an unimpressive 2,820mAh battery to go along with its demanding 6.4-inch screen (the diagonal is still not officially confirmed, mind you). That would make the Moto G7's power pack smaller than the one of its predecessor - the Moto G6 had a 3,000mAh battery. The FCC was the main source of the previous major Moto G7 leak, which revealed the...

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Samsung offers a behind the scenes look of how it tests its devices

Samsung is offering a peek behind the scenes of how a smartphone or wearable is designed. The Reliability Test Group is vital to the process and is involved from the very beginning. As soon as the specifications are determined, the group starts starts planning the tests. Then a feedback loop forms - the manufacturing sites send in prototypes, the group evaluates them and reports on what needs to be improved. It varies by device, but a single model may have to go through as many as 12 different cycles. Here's a look at some of them. 1. Image quality lab Tests are performed in...

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Xiaomi reports profitable Q3, lead by good performance in India

Xiaomi has beaten analysts estimates with its Q3 performance. The Chinese maker ended the September quarter with CNY 2.48B (€312.6M) profit - a big step up from Q3 of 2017's CNY 11B loss. Xiaomi's revenue in Q3 of 2018 rose 49.1% to CNY 50.85B (€6.4B). Xiaomi's positive quarter was spearheaded by the maker's top-notch performance in the Indian market, where it was leading the smartphone sales. Xiaomi has set itself up for success by expanding its market presence in Europe by entering the United Kingdom but analysts don't expect its profits to expand until it manages to boost its...

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Apple dialing down on iPhone production, as sales come below targets

Per inside sources, Apple is currently adjusting its production orders due to lower-than-expected sales of all three 2018 iPhones, not just the iPhone XR. The board had to cut down on the production after a decision was made a few weeks ago when Apple shocked investors with surprisingly low demand numbers. After decreasing the iPhone XR production by a third, the Cupertino-based company is now revisiting its orders for the iPhone XS and XS Max as well. According to analysts, the launch of three new iPhones this year is a double-edged sword because Apple is now struggling to forecast...

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nubia Red Magic Mars will be unveiled next week, benchmarks show S845 chipset

The reveal date for the nubia Red Magic Mars has been set. A Pacific Rim-themed image confirms the "Mars" name for nubia's second gaming phone and marks November 28 as the big date. That's Wednesday next week. The nubia Red Magic Mars will be unveiled on November 28 We've not heard much about the device. 10GB of RAM was officially teased along with "4D Shock" haptic feedback (a clear nod at Sony). Combined with the rumor of shoulder buttons, we could be in for a very gamepad-like experience. A couple of benchmark results from Geekbench and AnTuTu just came out and offer a...

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Realme arriving in the Philippines on November 29

Realme already has 4 smartphones in its portfolio, with a fifth to arrive in two weeks. For the last several months the company has been expanding steadily and according to the latest press release, Realme will arrive in the Philippines, its sixth market, on November 29. Realme's new logo Although the information does not clarify which devices will hit stores in the Asia-Pacific country, we are hoping for a Realme U1 arrival since the Helio P70-powered device is having an unveiling the previous day in India. Jacky Chen, COO of Realme Philippines, said the primary aim is to "push...

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Oppo R-series phones are coming to India

Oppo's premium R-series will soon be available in another major market - after China and Europe the phones are launching in India. The exact timing is yet to be unveiled, as is the lineup. The Oppo RX17 Pro is almost certain as it's the only phone present in both China and Europe. Then it's a toss up between the R17 (China) and RX17 Neo (Europe, Japan). Stay tuned! Something new is coming up. #OPPO R-Series. pic.twitter.com/2GQ1sG5FQP— OPPO Mobile India (@oppomobileindia) November 19, 2018 Pricing is another matter to be determined. As far as the Pro is concerned, it will be around...

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MIUI 10 global beta with Android Pie seeding to Xiaomi Poco F1

Xiaomi has released the Global Beta ROM of MIUI 10 with Android Pie underneath to the Poco F1. The firmware can be installed on the Pocophone F1 either through the Updater app or through Fastboot. The Global Beta also signifies that the final version of the Android Pie firmware is closing in on release. MIUI 10 over Android 9.0 Pie has been promised to arrive by the end of the year for Poco F1 owners. Hey guys! We are now open with the Android Pie beta for #POCOF1. Please feel free to use it and do share feedback on the beta build in the feedback app. This will help us refine the...

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Samsung Galaxy Note9 Pure White arriving on November 23

Christmas is on its way and what a wonderful way to celebrate the snowy months with a snow white phone. That's probably what Samsung execs were thinking when they were developing the Pure White Galaxy Note9 that leaked two weeks ago. Although the rumor came from Evan Blass who suggested the image might be photoshopped, sources from China claim Samsung is indeed launching the device in Taiwan on November 23. The Samsung Galaxy Note9 will have a completely white body, coupled with a white aluminum frame and a white S Pen. This will be the sixth official color of the phone after the...

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Five-cam Nokia 9 case leaks in CAD renders

HMD Global is hosting an event in Dubai, UAE, on December 5. Realists expect a notched Nokia 8.1, a global arrival for the Nokia 7.1 Plus, currently available in China as Nokia X7, and an affordable Nokia 2.1 Plus. Optimists, however, are hoping to see a Nokia 9 PureView with five cameras on the back and latest CAD-based image of a case brings more fuel to that particular fire. Is this the real case or is this just fantasy? The 3D image of the case is likely based on the actual CAD phone renders we saw earlier this month. Everything is in place - a cutout for two speakers on...

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