Samsung Galaxy M40 goes on sale in India

The Samsung Galaxy M40 goes on sale today in India starting noon local time through Amazon.in and the company's online store. It's priced at INR19,990 ($285) and comes in 6GB/128GB configuration. The Galaxy M40 has Snapdragon 675 SoC under the hood and runs Android Pie out-of-the-box. It flaunts a 6.3-inch FHD+ PLS display that has a hole in the upper-left corner which houses the 16MP selfie camera. At the back, the M40 sports a triple camera setup which is a combination of 32MP main, 8MP ultra-wide, and 5MP depth sensor units. It ships with a 3,500 mAh battery which draws power...

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Google will offer opt-in RCS regardless of carrier, coming to the UK and France this month

Over the past couple of years, Google has taken it upon itself to help carriers develop the next generation of SMS known as Rich Communication Services, or just RCS. Of course, for RCS to work across carriers and across borders, each individual carrier must decide carrier interoperability and which devices are compatible. The reality is there are carrier politics and rules that have made progress on RCS slow to a crawl. As first reported by The Verge Google is now making the final push for RCS to become a useful reality. Android users in the UK and France will be able to opt-in to use RCS...

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Xiaomi makes fun of notches in new series of promo videos

Xiaomi has unveiled the Mi 9T last week for international markets, and while it's nothing but a rebranded Redmi K20, that doesn't mean it's not a very interesting upper-midrange offering, what with its notch-less display and pop-up selfie camera. The Chinese company is focusing on exactly that in a new series of three video promos for the phone that are all about dissing the notch. Each episode explores how ridiculous a notch would look like in other settings. Here's what happens at a hairdresser's: At a dentist: And weirdest of all, a make-up session gone...

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Deals: get a refurbished iPhone X for XR money or a new iPad 9.7 (2018) for half that

In the UK, a new iPhone XR will run you £750, even the refurbished ones aren't cheap. You might want to consider an iPhone X instead - there are refurbished, unlocked units on eBay for £630 (64GB). You're getting an HDR-capable OLED display and a telephoto camera over the XR and almost the same phone as the iPhone XS. iPhone X in Silver While we're looking at Apple gadgets, Currys is selling new iPad 9.7 (2018) (32GB, Space Gray) for £305, though the price should drop down to £285 tomorrow. Argos has the same model at £320 too (but supply is running out). You can also have it...

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OnePlus 7 Pro 5G gets OxygenOS 9.5.4 with improved touch sensitivity, bug fixes galore

Over the past few weeks OnePlus has been pushing a lot of software updates to its newest phones, the 7 and 7 Pro, but don't forget there's a third model that launched recently as well - the OnePlus 7 Pro 5G. Today the company has started sending out OxygenOS 9.5.4 for this device, proving that it hasn't forgotten about its first ever 5G smartphone. The changelog is filled to the brim with bug fixes and various improvements. If you are among the lucky few who have a 5G network around and own a OnePlus 7 Pro 5G, expect to see optimized DC dimming, improved touch sensitivity for the...

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Taiwanese TPK Holding reportedly backs out of Japan Display bailout deal

Back in February, Japan Display (JDI) was reportedly on track to receive upwards of $700 million in funding from Taiwanese panel maker TPK Holding and the Chinese Silk Road Fund for its OLED production line. An estimated $230 million of that sum was supposed to come from the Taiwanese conglomerate but now Reuters is reporting that the deal is no longer happening. This blow comes just as JDI was on the verge of losing its number two spot globally. JDI remains Apple's main supplier of LCD panels but its late entry to the OLED market nearly put the company out of business as Apple devices...

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Xiaomi trolls OnePlus once again as Redmi K20 Pro prepares to launch in India

The Redmi K20 and K20 Pro will arrive in India on July 15 (and they'll keep their names). To build anticipation, Xiaomi's promo campaign starts as it did last year - by trolling OnePlus. Remember the "Do the ma+h" gift bags with a calculator? This year it's about numbers too, specifically the AnTuTu score. A few days ago the @RedmiIndia account tweeted "Somebody jus+ announced the world's fastest phone" (the "+" instead of "t" makes it clear who is the target of this dig). The company also promised to beat that, saying "hold my AnTuTu". And today Redmi delivers the second punch - Redmi K20...

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Kuo: 5.4", 6.7" iPhones with 5G and 6.1" LTE iPhone coming in 2020, all OLED

According to a report by renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo Apple's 2020 iPhone lineup will be all OLED with two new screen sizes and be the first to have 5G. Kuo expects that there will be two premium iPhones - a 5.4-inch OLED and a 6.7-inch OLED, both with 5G - and the third will be an iPhone XR successor with a 6.1-inch OLED that will max out at LTE. This means Apple will finally address the needs of the fans who've been clamoring for a smaller premium iPhone - the current iPhone XS has a 5.8-inch display and weighs nearly 180g. Moving to a 5.4-inch diagonal would result in a...

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nubia Red Magic 3 goes on sale in India starting June 27

ZTE's sub-brand nubia unveiled its gaming phone Red Magic 3 last month and now it's making its way to India. The handset is a true beast, having a large 90Hz OLED screen, Snapdragon 855 chipset and an active cooling system for optimal performance during long gaming sessions. And the best news is that it's coming to India with an aggressive pricing. The Red Magic 3 is priced at INR 35,999 ($515) for the 8GB/128GB version while the beefed-up 12GB/256GB model asks INR 46,999 ($675) and will be available on Flipkart starting June 27. Source

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Sony Xperia 1 vs. Samsung Galaxy S10+

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App drawer and app shortcuts coming to Xiaomi's MIUI

Xiaomi's MIUI is one of the few UIs still lacking an app drawer as an option but a newly released alpha version of the software reveals this is about to change. Probably because of the well-received POCO Launcher that's essentially a MIUI distribution with an app drawer and app shortcuts for the Pocophone F1. The latest alpha version of MIUI's build number is 4.10.6.1025-06141703 and it introduces a button for the app drawer on the home screen. Tapping it opens the drawer and tapping on the arrow at the top of the screen or pressing the back button closes it. Swiping up and down doesn't...

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Samsung Galaxy A8 Star gets a One UI boost with Android Pie update

Samsung is now rolling out the Android 9 Pie firmware update for the Galaxy A8 Star, a few days after it updated the Galaxy A9 Star - its Chinese version. The firmware G885FOLM2BSF8 brings Samsung's new One UI as well as the May security patch. Currently Galaxy A8 Star owners in Vietnam have reported getting the update and more countries are expected to follow the rollout soon. One UI significantly improves the look and feel of the phone with larger icons, a dark mode and a more refined design. Samsung has been updating midrangers left and right since the beginning of the year -...

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Unlocked LG V40 ThinQ now receiving Andriod Pie update

After Verizon, AT&T and U.S. Cellular rolled out the Android Pie update for the LG V40 ThinQ now it's time for the unlocked version to join in. The new V40520A_03 firmware build comes alongside the May security patch (instead of the June one) and weighs in at 3.92GB. Users will receive all the standard Pie features including gesture navigation and dual app support alongside several refinements to the camera app. V40 owners will now be able to stream their videos directly to YouTube thanks to the Live extension in the camera app. Another welcome addition is Cine Shot which brings...

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SK Telecom partners with Nokia and Ericsson on 6G R&D

SK Telecom (SKT) has struck a new strategic partnership with Scandinavian telecom equipment vendors Nokia and Ericsson for advancements in the field of 6G development. Even though 5G is still being rolled out in a handful of countries, the Korean telecom wants to stay ahead of the curve and lay the foundations for a solid future implementation. SKT CEO Park Jeong-Ho met with his colleagues Tommi Uitto from Nokia Mobile Network and Per Narvinger from Ericsson to sign joint technology development memorandums. Both deals are part of the larger collaboration between the governments of...

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New triple cam Sony phone pops up - Xperia 1s or 1v

You're looking at an image of a mystery Sony smartphone with a triple camera, glass back and a purple paint job. Currently there is only one Sony smartphone with a triple camera and it's the Xperia 1. And on the Xperia 1, the triple camera sits in the center of the rear panel and not in the upper left corner. We can only guess at which device this is but Chinese blogger Zackbuks says it's the Sony Xperia 1v or 1s and it's going to be announced in Tokyo on July 9. Sadly he doesn't share anything about the internals. The Sony Xperia 1 was announced in late February and at the...

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Samsung now rolling out Night mode for Galaxy Note9

A week after the Galaxy S9 and S9+ received their a dedicated Night mode, the Galaxy Note9 is getting the same treatment. The new firmware version N960FXXU3CSF9 has already begun rolling out to Galaxy Note9 units in Germany and weighs in at 704MB. Update change-log and Night Mode The main improvements with the new patch are in the camera department where users will be able to capture more detailed shots in low light scenarios with less noise compared to the existing scene optimizer. Another welcome addition is a built-in QR-code scanner available directly in the camera...

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Huawei expects international sales to drop by up to 60% after the US trade ban

According to people familiar with the matter, Huawei's marketing and sales managers across the globe are preparing for a massive decline in smartphone sales following the US trade ban. Experts forecast anything between 40% and 60% fewer shipments worldwide. The sales managers will be continually monitoring the demand in different markets and adjust shipments accordingly, but estimates are for a drop between 40 to 60 million units in sales. Moreover, Honor will be monitoring its sales and could discontinue the Honor 20-series before they even launch in most markets. The company will...

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Samsung remains the undisputed leader in the display market

Samsung retained its top position in the display market during the first quarter of 2019, a report from IHS Markit reveals. The Korean company shipped $3.4 billion worth of displays, which is 40.2% of the total market, but a decline of 6.6 percent points on a yearly basis. JDI remained a distant second with a 12.3% share of the market, while BOE was the biggest gainer - it nearly doubled its share to 11.9%. In fact, IHS predicts that in Q2 BOE will easily outpace JDI and capture the second spot. Legend: Q1 2018 in Grey • Q1 2019 in Light Blue • Q2 2019 predictions in Dark...

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Samsung Galaxy Note10 Pro case solidifies rumors

As we near the late August release of the Samsung Galaxy Note10 series we're bound to run into more and more leaks about it. After a series of 3D renditions of the Galaxy Note10 Pro we now get a few images of a basic silicone case that's allegedly made for it. The case seems to confirm all previous leaks and renders we've seen of the device. There doesn't appear to be a cutout for a 3.5mm headphone jack at the bottom, there looks to be a cutout for an IR on the top and the rear shows a vertical cutout for a triple camera as well as a separate cutout for the flash and likely heart...

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vivo V1913A/T with triple cameras appears on TENAA

While vivo is preparing to launch the Z1 Pro in India, a new TENAA listing revealed the key spec sheet of another phone from the manufacturer bearing the V1913A/T model number. The phone will feature a 6.38-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen with a waterdrop notch for the 16MP selfie cam. It will also pack a fingerprint scanner under its display. Around the vivo V1913A/T sports 16MP and 8MP cameras alongside a 2MP depth sensor and LED flash. vivo V1913A/T profile The octa-core CPU is clocked at 2GHz and will be paired with either 4GB or 6GB RAM and 128GB storage which can be expanded...

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Vivo Z1 Pro is shaping to be a gamer-centric smartphone

The vivo Z5x is arriving in India under the moniker vivo Z1 Pro, named after Generation Z. We know the phone's specs like a Snapdragon 712 chipset with enhanced GPU and a 5,000 mAh battery, but latest posts on social media reveal vivo India is catering the new phone to gamers. It would provide improved cooling, Net Turbo for better connectivity and plenty of other Turbo-named features to provide an even faster performance of the phone. Alleged vivo Z1 Pro live images The vivo Z1 Pro will provide uninterrupted gaming experience with a special game countdown that will...

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