Smartphone

LG G7 ThinQ could be the smartphone with the loudest speaker in the market

LG is all set to unveil its brand new smartphone, the LG G7 ThinQ on May 2 in New York and May 3 in South Korea (Seoul). With just a couple of days to go before the launch, LG has sent out an exclusive teaser to select media houses which reveals that the upcoming smartphone will have the loudest speaker in the market.

LG boasts that G7 ThinQ will feature a “Boombox Speaker” that will not only increase the sound level by more than 6dB (decibels), but will also double the bass produced by the device. Also, the bass will get amplified to higher decibels if the device is placed on a solid flat surface or a box.

“We have focused on new audio technology as the smartphone is increasingly used to listen to music,” LG said. “The G7 ThinQ’s speaker offers the same quality of sound as if it were connected to an external speaker.”

LG further claims that users will be able to crank up the volume on the G7 ThinQ where it will apparently be 10x louder than other flagship smartphones. The speaker is based on a “special resonance chamber design” at the bottom right corner, which utilizes the device’s full body space to spread the audio and offer better audio output, reports Engadget.

Besides the above, LG G7 ThinQ will be powered by a Snapdragon 845 processor, coupled with support for Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 4.0 fast-charging technology. It will have a notch on top of the display similar to Apple iPhone X. The smartphone is rumored to come with 6GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB of internal storage memory. Additionally, there would be a dual-camera setup on the rear side, which is expected to feature 16 MP and 8 MP sensors.

Further, the smartphone is expected to come with an in-built Hi-Fi Quad DAC, which will enhance the music listening experience on the smartphone. It will come with DTS:X Surround Sound support, which allows the user to experience 3D surround sound effects in 7.1, even if they are using a normal headphone. It has a USB Type-C charging attachment and a 3.5mm headphone jack on the base. The smartphone would be available in five color variants, including Aurora Black, Platinum Grey, Moroccan Blue, Moroccan Blue (Matte) and Raspberry Rose.

Nubia Launches ‘Red Magic’ Gaming Smartphone With 5.99-Inch, 8GB RAM, And Air-Cooling Tech For $399

Nubia Mobile, a subsidiary of ZTE, has now officially launched its first gaming smartphone called the “Red Magic” after it made the announcement last week.

Designed with gaming in mind, the Red Magic has a very aggressive design, complete with slim bezels around the edges and a black anodized aluminum unibody chassis. There is a vertical RGB strip that runs down the rear of the phone below the fingerprint scanner that can be customized to “mimic your gaming persona”. The strip can display 16 million different colors and comes with four different lighting effects to customize your look.

The smartphone comes with a 5.99-inch Full HD+ (1080×2160 pixels) LTPS TFT display with an 18:9 aspect ratio and 1500:1 contrast ratio. The handset is powered by last year’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, and comes with 6GB or 8GB of RAM, 64GB or 128GB of UFS2.1 internal storage, and a 3,800mAh battery. It also has built-in DAC and DTS amplifier.

Nubia also touts that the Red Magic has an “all-new air convection cooling system that dissipates heat effectively across its diamond-cut design without compromising on performance,” apart from three-layer graphite lamination technology that regulates the device’s temperature to remain at optimal levels.

The Nubia Red Magic sports a 24MP rear camera with an ISOCELL image sensor, an f/1.7 aperture, and a 6-piece motor driven lens. On the front, it has an 8MP camera with a BSI sensor, f/2.0 aperture, 76-degree wide-angle lens, and a 3-piece lens. On the connectivity front, it includes Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, USB OTG, 3G and 4G.

The Nubia Red Magic comes with a GameBoost mode, which frees up memory-intensive resources and delivers higher frame rates. It is capable of recording 4K videos at 30fps (frames per second). The dual-SIM (Nano) Nubia Red Magic runs the Nubia Red Magic OS that’s based on Android 8.1 Oreo.

The handset will be made exclusively available through IndieGogo on April 26 with a starting price of $399. On the other hand, Chinese users can purchase the 6GB+64GB model for 2,499 yuan, and the 8GB+128GB model for 2,999 yuan.

Xiaomi’s Black Shark gaming smartphone sports Snapdragon 845, liquid cooling

The xiaomi-backed gaming company, Black Shark Technologies, finally unveiled its first ever gaming smartphone dubbed “Black Shark” in China on Friday after several leaks and teasers.

The new gaming-centric smartphone comes with rounded corners along with matte-finished curved panels on the rear side that allows a comfortable grip. It features a 5.99-inch IPS FHD+ LCD (1080 x 2160 pixels) display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The handset is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor coupled with 6GB RAM/64GB of internal storage and 8GB RAM/128GB of inbuilt storage variants. It sports a 4,000mAh battery support for 18W 9V/2A fast charging. The battery can last up to 7 hours of steady hardcore gaming. The smartphone measures 161.62 x 75.4 x 9.25 mm and weighs 190 grams.

The smartphone will also have a multi-stage direct-touch integrated liquid cooling system to prevent the handset from overheating. It also supports DCI-P3 color gamut that covers up to 97 percent with brightness up to 550 nits. The device also has MEMC intelligent motion compensation technology that ensures vibrant color reproduction and smoother video quality while playing games.

The Black Shark runs Android 8.0 Oreo Out-of-the-box with a skinned Joy UI layered on top. The device has a dual-rear camera setup with a 20MP sensor and a 12MP sensor, both with f/1.75 aperture and LED flash. Further, it has a front camera with 20MP sensor with f/2.2 aperture and is capable of taking 4K videos. On the connectivity front, it includes 4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, AGPS, and Glonass. It also has sensors onboard that are Gyroscope, Proximity Sensor, Ambient Light Sensor, and Geomagnetic, Gravity Sensor.

The device has a dedicated Shark Key to access a dedicated gaming mode. The fingerprint scanner and home button at the bottom of the screen can also be turned off during gaming. The company is also flaunting the presence of an X-type antenna, that will ensure connectivity irrespective the smartphone is held in landscape or portrait mode.

The handset comes with a Bluetooth controller called the Shark GamePad, which is sold separately for 179 Yuan. The Gamepad comes with its own 340mAh battery and can last 30 hours without charge. It docks on the top of the phone to transform the smartphone into a full-fledged handheld gaming device. It supports Bluetooth 4.0 and Android 4.4 and above.

The Black Shark smartphone will ship in two color model, Polar Night and Sky Grey. It is now available for pre-order in China through Xiaomi Mall, Jingdong, and Mi Japan and will go on sale starting April 20. The Xiaomi Black Shark handset’s price starts at 2,999 Yuan for 6GB RAM + 64GB storage model and 3,499 Yuan for 8GB RAM + 128GB storage editions. Currently, the smartphone is available in China and there is no information on whether it will be released globally.

Source: t2online

Apple introduces (PRODUCT) RED iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus; available for order from today

Apple yesterday officially announced the launch of the new generation of iPhones, the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition.

The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus will be enclosed in glass with a matching aluminum band and a black front. Both the iPhones will sport Retina HD display and will be powered by an A11 Bionic chip, which is specifically designed to enhance the augmented reality (AR) experience. The iPhone 8 Plus features dual 12MP cameras, which are capable of taking photos in Portrait mode with Portrait Lighting, bringing dramatic studio lighting effects to iPhone, allowing customers to capture stunning portraits with a shallow depth of field effect in five different lighting styles.

In addition, Apple also introduced a new (PRODUCT) RED iPhone X leather folio case crafted from finished European leather for $99, which will be available for purchase from today.

The aim of launching the red variants of the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus is to support (RED), an organization that raises awareness and funds to help combat HIV/AIDS.

“This special edition (PRODUCT)RED iPhone features a stunning red and black color combination and also offers customers the opportunity to make an impact in fighting the spread of HIV and AIDS,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of Product Marketing.

A portion of all proceeds from the products goes to the Global Fund HIV/AIDS grants, which provide testing, counseling, treatment and prevention programs with a specific focus on eliminating transmission of the virus from mothers to their babies.

Since partnering with (RED) in 2006, Apple has donated more than $160 million to the Global Fund, making it the organization’s largest corporate donor.

“Today’s announcement is further evidence of Apple’s leadership in and commitment to the AIDS fight since the beginning of (RED) in 2006,” said Deborah Dugan, (RED)’s CEO. “The more than $160 million Apple has donated in the last 11 years today equates to more than 800 million days of life-saving ARV medication that prevents the transmission of HIV from mothers to their babies. We’re honored that Apple has dedicated its resources to our purpose, and can’t wait to see customers bring our mission to life through the purchase of iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition.”

The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition will be available in 64GB and 256GB models with a starting price of $699. Starting today, the iPhones are available to order online in select countries and regions and in stores beginning April 13.

The iPhones will start arriving in stores on April 13 in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, the U.K. and, of course, the United States. These will be followed by Brazil, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, UAE and other countries and regions later in April, and Chile, Colombia, India, Israel, Turkey and other countries and regions following in May.

Source: Apple Newsroom

Nokia 9 could feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 SoC, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage

Nokia 9, HMD Global’s next flagship smartphone has been in the news for the last few months. Thanks to the leaked renders and images that keep appearing on and off. Now, a Finnish site Suomimobiili has leaked out a complete specification sheet of Nokia 9 that lists all the expected features in the upcoming smartphone. The leak also reveals a picture labeled “camera revolution” of the upcoming Nokia 9 flagship by HMD.

According to the latest leak, Nokia 9 suggests to have features that can give tough competition to Samsung Galaxy S9 or the recent Apple iPhone X. Nokia 9 may feature a 6.01-inch QHD AMOLED display panel with 18:9 aspect ratio and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The smartphone is said to give “more display area in the same footprint as a traditional 5.5-inch device”. The device will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, coupled with 8GB RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The spec sheet suggests the device would measure 150.6 x 75.2 x 7.3 mm and have an 18-karat gold trim on the rear panel.

Nokia 9 will feature a huge ZEISS 41MP primary wide-angle camera with Xenon+ LED flash, which was previously seen on the Nokia 808 PureView. The secondary lens will be a 20MP Telephoto lens with OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) and variable f/1.5/f/2.4 variable aperture. It will also have a 9.7MP monochrome camera with ZEISS optics to complete the triple-camera setup. The main camera of Nokia 9 comes with 4x optical zoom support and an LED flash and may feature a 21MP sensor on the front with f/1.8 aperture. The Nokia 9 will feature the company’s proprietary Dual-Sight Bothie, apart from a Pro Camera mode.

The handset will provide Qi wireless charging support, which is expected to deliver 60 percent charge in 30 minutes. The smartphone will also pack a massive 3,900mAh battery that could provide a standby time of 565 hours and talk time of up to 24 hours. Nokia 9 will use a USB Type-C slot for charging. The device will come with an IP68 rating, making Nokia 9 water and dust resistant. The smartphone is tipped to run Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box.

Connectivity options on Nokia 9 include Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS/ A-GPS, Glonass, USB Type-C, and NFC. The specifications sheet also notes the use of five high-performance microphones capable of recording audio in 24-bit. It is sporting the Android One branding on the rear as well. The smartphone could support an in-glass fingerprint reader, G-sensor, e-Compass, Gyro, Hall sensor, and barometer.

Notably, HMD Global has not confirmed any of the above-mentioned details for Nokia 9, so the report should be taken with a pinch of salt. The Nokia 9 was previously anticipated to be launched by HMD Global unveiled at the MWC 2018 in Barcelona, but HMD Global launched the Nokia 8 Sirocco instead. Several leaks and rumors had surfaced on the internet before the event, but the handset never made its way into the launch event.

Source: Indianexpress

Leaked LG G7 renders show display notch, headphone jack, and smooth design

LG was supposed to debut its upcoming flagship, G7 at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in February 2018. However, the company chose to skip the MWC. Then, leaked renders of a device named G7 (Neo) appeared at LG’s MWC booth, which was later scrapped off. However, the news surrounding LG’s G7 refuses to die.

Now, popular leaker @OnLeaks has made a 3D video of the upcoming LG flagship in collaboration with @TheMrPhone based on the designs and specifications leaked to @OnLeaks by accessory makers. However, LG G7 is yet to receive an official confirmation.

The video below show the device from all possible angles.

As you can see from the 360-degree video, the LG G7 sports a similar design to that of LG G6, and will feature a metal and glass design and an edge-to-edge display. However, the upcoming flagship G7 will include a notch in the screen to house the front-facing camera, light sensor and speaker. It will also have a 3.5mm headphone jack, USB-C port, and a speaker grille placed at the bottom. The new renders of the LG G7 also show that there is a vertically-placed dual rear camera with an LED flash module, and it also has a fingerprint reader on the back side.

The G7 is expected to include a 6-inch LCD display with a 19:9 aspect ratio. The G7 will powered by a Snapdragon 845 processor, and will have up to 4GB / 6GB RAM, and 64GB / 128GB of internal storage. It will measure 153.2 mm long, 71.9 mm wide, and 8.2 mm thick but 8.5 mm at the thickest point with the camera bump.

The renders also show just one button on the left, which may likely be the power/ lock key, while the right side has three buttons, including a volume rocker and a mysterious key that might enable access to a personal assistant. The top side of the smartphone suggests two microphones, which could likely be to improve the sound, especially in voice calls and while recording videos.

There are rumors that LG is likely to unveil the G7 in April or May this year. Until the company officially unveils the G7, we can expect to hear and see more leaked renders of the device. Keep watching this space for more updates!

Source: TheMrPhone, OnLeaks

Huawei has patented a smartphone with a foldable display, which can turn into a tablet

Huawei, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer, has filed for a patent with a foldable display with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), reveals the Dutch website LetsGoDigital.

The patent titled “mobile terminal folding mechanism and mobile terminal”, which was published on WIPO’s website on March 29, was filed by Huawei on September 19, 2017, according to LetsGoDigital, who was the first to spot the patent. The patent explains the working of a foldable smartphone with a flexible screen.

According to the patent granted to Huawei, the illustrations of the proposed foldable smartphone indicate that it consists of one large flexible display that can be folded in the middle. The foldable smartphone when opened will serve as a tablet-sized device and when folded would be the size of a regular smartphone that can be carried around in your pocket.

The folding mechanism comprises of soft and hard components that can be folded frequently without any problems and small gaps or holes in the design are avoided. However, the patent doesn’t explain how the device will be used when it’s closed.

In October last year, Richard Yu, the CEO of Huawei’s Consumer Business Group, had told CNET that is working on a foldable smartphone and even have a prototype of it ready. Apparently, the Chinese firm wants to avoid having a gap between the two screens, which is down the center of their foldable smartphone. Looks like this was the reason behind the delay that the company is trying to get rectified.

Not only Huawei but big companies like Apple and Samsung are also working on a smartphone with a foldable display. It would be interesting to see how early does Huawei rectify its technological problem and would it be the first to release the official foldable smartphone in the market.

The patent from Huawei can be seen here.

Source: letsgodigital

Huawei teases P20’s triple camera setup in new promo videos

While Huawei’s upcoming P20 lineup (P20 Pro, P20, and P20 Lite) is slated for announcement on March 27^th, multiple reports speculating the specifications, price and color of the phones have been doing the rounds for some time now.

To make the speculations more exciting, Huawei has released two new teaser videos for the P20, which displays its triple camera setup at the back.

The first video titled “See Brighter” shows a DLSR-photographer trying to capture the perfect shot in low-light with all types of professional equipment possible but is unable to do so even after multiple attempts. On the other hand, the Huawei handset user gets the perfect shot in a single try in the same lighting conditions as the photographer and too without any additional equipment. With this video, Huwaei is hinting at the aperture width and low-light camera capabilities.

The second video titled “See Closer” shows a DLSR-photographer carrying heavy prime and zoom lens who is trying to capture pictures at a closer angle. On the other hand, the Huawei handset user is seen using the zoom feature of the camera to get a closer picture. With this video, Huawei is hinting at the 3X optical zoom feature of the camera.

Huawei ends both promo videos with the tagline, “See Mooore with AI” (read: 3 ‘o’s), which hints that at least one upcoming model of the P20 will feature a triple camera system.

The Huawei P20 series launch event will happen in Paris on March 27, 2018 where more details about the handsets are expected to be revealed. Stay tuned!!!

OxygenOS Open Beta 4 Shows Support For A Display Notch In OnePlus 6

We had recently reported how the Chinese smartphone manufacturer, OnePlus’s upcoming flagship, OnePlus 6 is rumored to have an iPhone X-like display notch at the top of the screen.

Over the weekend, this piece of information was further confirmed by XDA Developers when they discovered references to the notch in the OxygenOS Open Beta 4 firmware files that OnePlus released for the first Android 8.1 Oreo build for the OnePlus 5T.

According to the XDA Developers, they found that evidences within the APK settings of the latest OxygenOS beta that hinted OnePlus 6 would be code-named “enchilada.” They also found an image (see below) named “screendecor_up_img_enchilada_1? within the firmware, which was likely used by OnePlus engineers as an overlay to test apps while an actual OnePlus 6 prototype was still in testing.

While it’s not a conclusive proof that the upcoming OnePlus flagship will have a notch, it does lend weight to multiple reports suggesting the same. Although, there have been floating rumors of OnePlus 6 being launched on March 27^th, there is no confirmation from the company yet about the new device or its launch date. Keep watching this space for more updates!!!

Source: XDA Developers

LG G7 (Neo) concept renders leaked, reveal iPhone X-like notch, dual vertical rear camera

Looks like Apple’s iPhone X-like notch fever has caught on its competitors too! We had recently reported how OnePlus is planning to implement an iPhone X-like display notch at the top of the screen for the camera and speaker cut-out in its upcoming flagship, OnePlus 6.

Now, Technobuffalo have leaked the renders of Chinese manufacturer, LG’s upcoming smartphone, G7 (Neo), which provides us an insight of the forthcoming device. While the renders aren’t official, these are made by Benjamin Geskin, who has a profound record of leaking smartphones well in advance.

LG G7 (NEO) Renders based on MWC leak. https://t.co/0nlkkfAlYv pic.twitter.com/lE0gzo70pB

— Ben Geskin (@VenyaGeskin1) March 7, 2018

The leaked renders of G7 show off a heavily borrowed design of the iPhone X, complete with the notch at the top and an almost bezel-less edge-to-edge display. The G7 is expected to include a 6-inch OLED display with a pixel density of 900ppi. It will have a screen resolution of 3,120 x 1,440 pixels with a display aspect ratio of 19.5:9. The G7 will powered by a Snapdragon 845 processor, and will have up to 4GB / 6GB RAM, and 64GB / 128GB of internal storage.

Also, there is a vertical dual camera setup which could include two 16MP sensors with OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) and f/1.6 aperture size. Below the dual cameras is the fingerprint scanner, which also doubles as the phone’s home button. There will also be an 8-megapixel sensor front camera. It will come with 3,000mAh battery, Android Oreo running out-of-the-box, and include DTX-X powered speakers. Other features also include IP68 water and dust resistance with a military standard rating for durability, camera AI, digital assistant and wireless charging.

It’s believed that this handset is internally being called as “Judy”, according to popular leaker Evan Blass and the official launch is likely to happen in June.

While LG still hasn’t confirmed any information about the G7, we will bring you more updated news as and when we hear about it.

Source: Technobuffalo