Huawei Mate 9 Smartphone Review

Huawei—one of China's biggest smartphone manufacturers—is closer than it's ever been to entering the mainstream in North America. It's latest premium offering is the Huawei Mate 9 (MSRP $599), a big-screened phablet with top-shelf hardware and features borrowed from previous Huawei phones.

The Mate 9 is a phone with lofty aspirations—Huawei sees it as a competitor to the iPhone 7 Plus and the Galaxy S8, but with the added bonus of being a couple hundred dollars cheaper than its rivals.

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Although the Mate 9 is absolutely worth the $600 price tag, there are still some sacrifices compares to pricier flagships. The Mate 9's software isn't very friendly and its dual, Leica-branded camera falls short of what we've come to expect from the best phones on the market.

For deal hunters who don't need the best phone money can buy, the Mate 9 is a big, fast phone with a fair amount of upside. But if you yearn for the best, there are some slightly more refined options than Huawei's Mate 9.

About the Huawei Mate 9

Credit: Reviewed.com / Michael Desjardin

Good luck fitting this phablet in your pocket.

From a hardware standpoint, The Mate 9 is somewhat of a Greatest Hits of Huawei's previous smartphone efforts. It's got a circular, rear-mounted fingerprint scanner like the Huawei-designed Nexus 6P and a Leica-branded dual camera like the Huawei P9. The Mate 9 also runs on the company's signature Kirin processor.

• Hisilicon Kirin 960 octa-core processor• 4GB RAM• 64GB internal storage, up to 256GB of expanded storage via microSD• 5.9-inch full-HD (1080x1920) IPS LCD display• 20MP/12MP f/2.2 dual camera with Leica optics, OIS, phase detection, laser autofocus, and 4K video support (30FPS)• 8MP f/1.9 front-facing camera• 4G LTE, WiFi, AC/Bluetooth, and NFC support• 4,000mAh lithium-ion battery with fast-charging• USB Type-C port• Fingerprint scanner• 3.5mm headphone jack

What I like about the Mate 9

It's got a ton of horsepower.I'm not gonna beat around the bush—the Mate 9 is fast. Really fast. It scorched our benchmark tests, performing at a level just below what we've seen from the best smartphones in the game right now.

The Kirin 960 chipset doesn't have the same name-recognition as Qualcomm's Snapdragon chipset, but Huawei successfully manufactured a processor that competes at the highest level. The Mate 9 runs on 4GB of RAM, which is the current standard for flagship-level smartphones. It can handle the most demanding mobile games with ease and otherwise delivers the type of day-to-day performance one would expect from a phone in this price bracket.

Credit: Reviewed.com / Michael Desjardin

Yes—the Mate 9 has a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The Mate 9 is also equipped with software that supposedly learns your behavior and optimizes itself over time. While I can't confirm or deny this quite yet, Huawei's "Machine Learning" algorithm will allegedly track your habits and eventually try to guess them in advance, preparing the phone's resources for what it thinks your next move will be.

Time will tell if this is game-changing software or much ado about nothing, but for now, it's at least an interesting conversation piece.

Stellar battery lifeI nearly did a double-take the first time I glanced at the Mate 9's spec sheet and saw an enormous, 4,000mAh-sized battery underneath its hood. At that level, it's one of the highest-capacity smartphone batteries I've ever tested.

The Mate 9 hangs tough with some of the best batteries we've ever tested.

But battery life isn't just about how big your battery happens to be—software plays a big role in how much power a phone's able to squeeze out of a single charge. Although the Mate 9 perplexingly doesn't last as long as I expected given the size of the battery, it's still hangs tough with some of the best batteries we've ever tested.

Normal users can expect a full day-and-a-half of use, and I suspect that heavy users will still have some juice kicking around just before bedtime. The Mate 9 also charges fairly quickly, though you'll have to use Huawei's charger if you want to get the fastest possible charge.

Credit: Reviewed.com / Michael Desjardin

The Mate 9 is big—really big. Its display clocks in at 5.9 inches.

A searingly-bright displayGiven the rise of VR and 4K video, it's a little odd that Huawei built the Mate 9 with a full-HD (1080x1920) display, but your reservations won't last long once you turn the phone on. The Mate 9's 5.9-inch display is colorful, vivid, and bright. Holy moly, is it bright.

In our display test, we clocked the Mate 9's peak brightness at around 630 nits—plenty bright for even the sunniest of days. Despite the relatively low pixel-density, everything from movies to YouTube videos look damn fine on the Mate 9.

What I don't like about the Mate 9

A rather ho-hum designThere's no denying that the Mate 9 plays the part of a premium smartphone quite well. It's dressed to the nines with an aluminum unibody touched with slightly-chamfered edges, the button placement is well-thought-out, and it carries the appropriate amount of heft for a top-shelf device.

That said, the overall design of the Mate 9 is somewhat yawn-inducing. Ordinarily this wouldn't be much of an issue, but given the Mate 9's limitations, the phone's design would ideally have been a good place for Huawei to gain a few steps on the competition.

Credit: Reviewed.com / Michael Desjardin

The Mate 9 is an attractive looking phone, but not a particularly exciting one from a design standpoint.

Instead, it's a slab of metal with a big ol' screen on the front. Attractive? Sure. Head-turning? Not really. If utilitarianism is your cup of tea and you're not looking for anything radical, you needn't worry about the Mate 9's design. Just don't expect to periodically catch yourself admiring your phone from the corner of your eye; the Mate 9 is just another good looking phone in the crowd.

The dual camera doesn't live up to its Leica branding.Slapping two cameras on your smartphone seems to be all the rage these days, but there was a time when Huawei was one of the few smartphones to feature a dual-camera setup. Before the iPhone 7 Plus brought dual cameras into the mainstream, the Huawei P9 was turning heads with its dual, Leica-branded sensors.

Credit: Reviewed.com / Michael Desjardin

The Mate 9's Leica-branded dual camera performs well, but not as well as the Google Pixel, the Galaxy S8, and the iPhone 7 Plus.

The P9's camera performance, unfortunately, fell short of what we've all come to expect from the name "Leica," and while the Mate 9 snaps better photos than its predecessor, it still doesn't stand up to the iPhone 7, the Galaxy S8, and the Google Pixel when it comes to photography.

Here's how the dual sensors work: A 12-megapixel color sensor captures the subject normally while a 20-megapixel monochromatic sensor captures a high-contrast, black-and-white image. The Mate 9 then processes both images together.

In most settings, the Mate 9 gets the job done. Well-lit subjects pop with tons of detail (perhaps the result of the Mate 9's monochrome sensor), and the 12MP RGB sensor captures bright, vivid colors. There's also a nifty option to refocus images in post, and if you're skilled enough, you can create some lovely looking bokeh effects.

In low-light settings, however, the Mate 9 falls short—The image processing software on rival flagships are far better equipped at capturing detail in darker environments. The Mate 9's dual camera isn't a bad low-light performer, it's just not on the same level as the newest iPhone, the S8, and the Pixel.

Be prepared to download a third-party camera app—Huawei's stock camera software is a headache.

The Mate 9 also fumbles some of the fundamentals. I found that the camera took longer than it should to focus on its subjects, and most of the time it over-exposed shots by default. Oh, and be prepared to download a third-party camera app—Huawei's stock camera software is a headache.

For Instagram and Facebook, the Mate 9 will get the job done. If you're a stickler for camera performance, however, you might want to re-think the Mate 9. It's a fine camera, but the Leica branding is little more than just branding.

Huawei's Emotion UI is still super awkward.For all of the Mate 9's raw power, its software is still behind the curve—both iPhone's iOS and Samsung's newest iteration of its TouchWiz feel more intuitive than Huawei's Emotion UI.

Hauwei's software still feels oddly stitched together.

To be fair, the latest version of Emotion is the best it's ever been (I shudder to think of my time with the GX8). But despite how far it's come, it's still feels oddly stitched together. Its menu organization in particular is perplexing, and stock apps (like Huawei's camera software) come with a slight learning curve. At any given time, it feels like whatever you're trying to do is either hidden or awkward to use.

Credit: Reviewed.com / Michael Desjardin

Emotion UI features an optional floating dock that puts extra navigation buttons higher up on the display.

The good news is that Huawei is sincerely making an effort to smooth out Emotion's wrinkles with every subsequent update, and a key principle of Emotion seems to be user flexibility. It's nice, for example, to have the option of switching to an app drawer-style homescreen from the Mate 9's settings menu. And the "floating dock"—which allows your navigation buttons to hover anywhere you'd like on the screen—makes one-handed use a hell of a lot easier.

Huawei is sincerely making an effort to smooth out Emotion's wrinkles with every subsequent update.

But if you've never used a Huawei phone before, it's going to take some time to adjust to Emotion UI. I've got my fair share of complaints about iOS and TouchWiz, but for all their warts, they're a big part of why iPhones and Samsung Galaxies are so easy to approach. Emotion just isn't quite there yet.

Should you buy it? Yes, but only if you understand the Mate 9's shortcomings.

There's no doubt about it: The Mate 9 is a great option for people who want a phablet-sized smartphone without paying hand-over-fist for the Pixel XL, the S8 Plus, or the iPhone 7 Plus. Its performance bites at the heels of those higher-priced options despite costing significantly less.

The Mate 9 is a great option for people who want a phablet-sized smartphone without paying hand-over-fist.

But the roughly-$200 savings you'll accrue in the deal might not make up for the Mate 9's boring design, clunky user interface, and middle-of-the-road camera performance.

In other words, if any of those concessions are enough for you to start wringing your hands, you might just need to bite the bullet and cough up the cash for one of the Mate 9's higher-end alternatives.

It feels like a smartphone whose relatively low price reflects its shortcomings.

The Mate 9's best quality—its discounted price—is also the source of all its grief. Instead of feeling like a smartphone that costs far less than what it should given its performance, it feels like a smartphone whose relatively low price reflects the shortcomings its users will ultimately face for going with the more affordable option.

It's a great phone that most people will be happy with—just as long as they know the score.

Our editors review and recommend products to help you buy the stuff you need. If you make a purchase by clicking one of our links, we may earn a small share of the revenue. Our picks and opinions are independent from any business incentives.

Source: Huawei Mate 9 Smartphone Review

Essential Phone is a new flagship Android smartphone from Andy Rubin

UPDATE: Here's T-Mobile's official statement about the Essential Phone:

"We're excited for Andy Rubin and his team (the device looks amazing), and welcome customers purchasing Essential to bring it to the fastest and most advanced 4G LTE network in the country through our BYOD program. We'll have more to share closer to general availability in terms of what advanced network features might be available in Essential."  

ORIGINAL: Meet the Essential Phone, the latest Android smartphone to enter the flagship market.

The Essential Phone is being made by Essential, a new company that's being headed up by Andy Rubin, one of the co-founders of Android. Essential's new phone comes with Android 7.1.1 Nougat.

Also included with the Essential Phone is a 5.7-inch 2560×1312 display with rounded corners and a 19:10 aspect ratio. The screen has slim bezels on three of its sides, and at the top of the screen there's an 8-megapixel camera that supports 4K video capture. That camera actually covers part of the top of the display, presumably in order to help keep its bezels slim.

The back of the Essential Phone is home two a pair of 13-megapixel cameras, one color and one monochrome. This helps the Essential Phone to capture 200 percent more light than standard smartphone cameras, claims Essential, as well as improve low light performance. Also on the back of the phone is a fingerprint reader and a set of pogo pins that'll be used for adding accessories to the Essential Phone, like a 360-degree camera and a charging dock.

Other features of the Essential Phone include a Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, a 3040mAh battery, USB Type-C, fast charging, NFC, and body with a titanium frame, ceramic back, and Gorilla Glass 5 front. Also of note is that while the Essential Phone doesn't include a 3.5mm headphone jack, Essential will include a USB Type-C-to-3.5mm adapter in the phone's box.

The Essential Phone will be sold unlocked. Here's what its wireless band support looks like:

UMTS/HSPA+: 1, 2, 4, 5 6, 8

GSM: 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz

CDMA EV-DO Rev. A: 0, 1, 10

FDD-LTE: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 17, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 66

TDD-LTE: 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43

TD-SCDMA: 34, 39

Essential says that unlocked phones bought on its site "will work with any carrier", and the company adds that its phone supports Carrier Aggregation. T-Mobile's LTE bands are supported by the device, but it's unclear if the Essential Phone will be certified to work with features like T-Mobile VoLTE or 256 QAM.

Essential is now taking reservations for the Essential Phone, but the only release info that's currently available is "later this summer". Essential will not charge your credit card if you reserve a model, though. When your phone is ready to be shipped, Essential will request your credit card info, and then your phone will ship when your card is charged.

Pricing for the Essential Phone will be set at $699, and its 360-degree camera add-on will cost $199. For a limited time, though, you can add the 360-degree camera to your reservation for $749.

The Essential Phone looks like a nice device, boasting an attractive and clean design (though that front-facing camera placement looks a little strange at first) and a flagship-tier spec list. However, there's no word yet on any carriers selling the Essential Phone in their stores, and that's how most US consumers buy their smartphones. Andy Rubin is a big name to us mobile fans, but he and Essential are relatively unknown to the public, so it'll be interesting to see how well the Essential Phone sells.

Essential today also introduced a competitor to the Amazon Echo and Google Home. Called the Essential Home, the device is an assistant that can answer questions, control smart home products, and give you proactive info, like telling you to leave early for a meeting due to traffic. The Essential Home runs Ambient OS and works with Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant. There's no word on when the Essential Home will launch or how much it'll cost when it does.

So what do you think of Essential's new devices? Are you thinking about reserving an Essential Phone?

Sources: Essential Phone, Essential Home

Source: Essential Phone is a new flagship Android smartphone from Andy Rubin

Nokia's rumored Android smartphones slated to launch soon

Nokia is back with a bang. And we have already seen the Finnish company launching its several Android-powered smartphones, the Nokia 6, Nokia 3, Nokia 5 and the classic Nokia 3310.

However, since the company is back into the smartphone market we are expecting to see a lot more action, and we are talking about some more smartphnoe launches that will happen this year.

While HMD Global will be manufacturing the new devices exclusively, they will follow the company's design guidelines and will retain the brand name.

In any case we are expecting smartphones like Nokia 7, Nokia 8 and Nokia 9-the company flagship smartphone-amongst other several smartphone to be launched soon in the market.

SEE ALSO: Top 10 Most-awaited 6GB-7GB-8GB RAM Smartphones of 2017

Moreover, Nokia will aim to launch phones in all price ranges. So, there will be many more smartphones that the company will be bringing to the market.

While this is a good news for the loyal Nokia fans, here are some of the upcoming Nokia smartphones that we know about.

Stay tuned to GizBot for more updates!

Nokia 7

Rumoured Key Specs

Nokia 7 runs Android,7.1 Nougat and features a 5.5 inches IPS LCD 1080 x 1920 pixels display and a Octa core, 1.8 GHz 4GB RAM Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor paired with and 64GB native storage capacity.

The Nokia 7 boasts of a 24MP main snapper at its rear and an 8MP front-facing selfie shooter. There is a Non-removable Li-Ion 4000 mAh battery powering the phone with support for USB microUSB v2.0 and Dual SIM (Nano SIM).

Nokia P1

Rumoured Key Specs

Nokia P1 runs Android,7.0 Nougat and features a 5.3 inches IPS LCD 1080 x 1920 pixels display and a Octa core (2.45 GHz, Quad core, Kryo + 1.9 GHz, Quad core, Kryo) 6GB RAM Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 MSM8998 processor paired with and 128GB native storage capacity.

The Nokia P1 boasts of a 22.6MP main snapper at its rear and an 5MP front-facing selfie shooter. There is a Non-removable Li-Ion 3500 mAh battery powering the phone with support for USB Yes, microUSB v2.0 .

Nokia Pixel

Rumoured Key Specs

4.0 inches (10.16 cm) 480x800 px, 233 PPI Density

1.2 GHz Snapdragon 200

1 GB RAM

5 MP with Flash rear camera

1 MP front camera

1560 Mah Battery

Nokia EDGE

Rumoured Key Specs

Nokia Edge runs Android,7.0 Nougat and features a 5.5 inches IPS LCD 1080 x 1920 pixels display and a Octa Core 2.3 GHz 4GB RAM Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor paired with and 64GB native storage capacity.

The Nokia Edge boasts of a 23MP main snapper at its rear and an 5MP front-facing selfie shooter. There is a Non-removable Li-Ion 3800 mAh battery powering the phone with support for USB Yes, microUSB v2.0 .

Nokia E1

Rumoured Key Specs

Nokia E1 runs Android,7.0 Nougat and features a 5.2 inches IPS LCD 1080 x 1920 pixels display and a Quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A53 2GB RAM Qualcomm MSM8917 Snapdragon 425 processor paired with and 16GB native storage capacity.

The Nokia E1 boasts of a 13MP main snapper at its rear and an 5MP front-facing selfie shooter. There is a Non-removable Li-Ion 2700 mAh battery powering the phone with support for USB Yes, microUSB v2.0 and Dual SIM (Nano SIM).

Nokia 9

Rumoured Key Specs

Nokia 9 runs Android,7.1 Nougat and features a 5.27 inches OLED 1440 x 2560 pixels display and a Octa core (2.45 GHz, Quad core, Kryo + 1.9 GHz, Quad core, Kryo) 4/6 GB RAM Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 MSM8998 processor paired with and 64GB native storage capacity.

The Nokia 9 boasts of a 13MP main snapper at its rear and an 12MP front-facing selfie shooter. There is a Non-removable Li-Ion 3800 mAh battery powering the phone with support for USB v3.1, Type-C reversible connector .

Nokia C9

Rumoured Key Specs

Nokia C9 runs Android,v6.0 Marshmallow and features a 5.0 inches IPS LCD 1080 x 1920 pixels display and a Octa core Processor 3GB RAM Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 MSM8996 processor paired with and 32GB native storage capacity.

The Nokia C9 boasts of a 16MP main snapper at its rear and an 5MP front-facing selfie shooter. There is a Non-removable Li-Ion 4000mAh battery powering the phone with support for USB microUSB v2.0 and Dual SIM (Nano SIM).

Nokia Z2 Plus

Rumoured Key Specs

Nokia Z2 Plus runs Android,7.0 Nougat and features a 5.5 inches IPS LCD 1080 x 1920 pixels display and a Yes, Quad Core 1.77 GHz 4GB RAM Snapdragon 820 processor paired with and 64GB native storage capacity.

The Nokia Z2 Plus boasts of a 16MP main snapper at its rear and an 8MP front-facing selfie shooter. There is a Non-removable Li-Ion 3000 mAh battery powering the phone with support for USB Yes, microUSB v2.0 .

Nokia D1C

Rumoured Key Specs

Nokia D1C (5.5-inch) runs Android,7.0 Nougat and features a 5.5 inches IPS LCD 1080 x 1920 pixels display and a Octa Core 1.4 GHz Cortex A-53 3GB RAM Qualcomm MSM8937 Snapdragon 430 processor paired with and 32GB native storage capacity.

The Nokia D1C (5.5-inch) boasts of a 16MP main snapper at its rear and an 8MP front-facing selfie shooter. There is a Non-removable Li-Ion 3000 mAh battery powering the phone with support for USB Yes, microUSB v2.0 .

Nokia C1

Rumoured Key Specs

Nokia C1 runs Android,v6.0 Marshmallow and features a 5.5 inches IPS LCD 1080 x 1920 pixels display and a Octa core (1.8 GHz, Quad core, Cortex A72 + 1.4 GHz, Quad core, Cortex A53) 2GB RAM Qualcomm MSM8976 Snapdragon 652 processor paired with and 32GB native storage capacity.

The Nokia C1 boasts of a 13MP main snapper at its rear and an 5MP front-facing selfie shooter. There is a Non-removable Li-Ion 2800mAh battery powering the phone with support for USB Yes, microUSB v2.0 .

Nokia Heart

Rumoured Key Specs

Nokia Heart runs Android,7.0 Nougat and features a 5.2 inches IPS LCD 1440 x 2560 pixels display and a Octa Core 1.4 GHz 2GB RAM Snapdragon 430 processor paired with and 16GB native storage capacity.

The Nokia Heart boasts of a 12MP main snapper at its rear and an 8MP front-facing selfie shooter. There is a Non-removable Li-Ion 3000 mAh battery powering the phone with support for USB Yes, v3.1, Type-C reversible connector.

Nokia 12

Rumoured Key Specs

5 inch OLED screen with Full HD resolution

runs on Android 7.0 Nougat

a Snapdragon 821 CPU, 4G LTE

64 or 128 GB of storage are here

plus a fingerprint scanner

a 21 megpaixel back camera

Stay tuned to GizBot for more updates!

Source: Nokia's rumored Android smartphones slated to launch soon

HTC U11 vs Gionee M6s Plus: 5.5-inch powerful flagship against a 6-inch mid-ranger

"Squeeze For The Brilliant U", is the tagline for the U11. You may ask why squeeze? That's because this smartphone comes with Edge Sense, which is beyond the traditional touch screen interaction. A simple squeeze is now all you need to be able to unlock a whole new world with it.

The first advantage the U11 has is on the Quad HD resolution on top of its 5.5-inch Super LCD5 screen. The amazing detail found on-screen will amaze you a lot. The metal body and fingerprint sensor are also there, along with Gorilla Glass 5 protection. But with the IP67 certification, it sets itself apart from the rest of the competition as the dust and water-resistant feature takes away your worries about it getting damaged easily.

Under the hood of the U11 is just one of the best out there in the market. Sporting the Snapdragon 835 chipset paired with a blazingly fast Kryo octa-core processor, great graphics and 4GB RAM – there's nothing that would slow this beast down.

Amazi ng performance is one thing, how about amazing camera capabilities? The U11 primary camera has achieved an incredible DxOMark 90 score, making it the highest rated smartphone ever in DxOMark history. It has an impressive multi-axis optical and electronic stabilisation system and super-fast autofocus in all lighting conditions make the camera quick, your pictures sharp and videos smooth. It even improved on its camera and video for a more dynamic exposure range with HDR Boost without the lag, new white balance enhancement, a major reduction in noise, and excellent detail preservation. A 16MP selfie camera is also there to make it a great camera smartphone.

Regarding software, the latest Android Nougat 7.0 will be available right out of the box. This means you will be getting only the best and latest software to support its already powerful hardware.

But do take note of the U11's limited 3000 mAh battery though. On normal days, it should have no trouble lasting you for a full day. But when the time comes where you use it pretty heavily, that's where it is best to have a power bank around just in case.

Now then, we mention about the Gionee M6s Plus having so many sixes to its name. You will understand why it is so, once you check it out its full specs as per below:

6-inch Full HD AMOLED capacitive touchscreen with 1080 x 1920 pixels or ~367 ppi pixel density

2.5D curved glass

Fingerprint sensor

Qualcomm MSM8976 Pro Snapdragon 653 chipset, Octa-core (4x1.95 GHz Cortex-A72 & 4x1.44 GHz Cortex-A53) processor, Adreno 510 graphics and 6GB RAM

12MP primary camera with f/1.9 aperture, phase detection autofocus and dual-LED (dual tone) flash

8MP secondary camera with f/2.0 aperture, 1/4" sensor size and 1.12 µm pixel size

256GB internal storage + microSD expansion slot up to 256GB maximum

Android Marshmallow 6.0

Dedicated security chip that provides ten layers of protection

Non-removable Li-Po 6020 mAh battery with Fast battery charging

Reverse charging (charge other devices)

Dual-sim and 4G LTE

May 2017 release date

$4,299 Chinese Yuan or ~$625 USD

The first thing that you will notice about the M6s Plus, is on its intimidating 6-inch Full HD AMOLED screen. The bigger screen real estate lets you view more and do more. It also has 2.5D curved glass which makes it look even more incredible.

Regarding hardware, you can find it comes with the mid-range Snapdragon 653 chipset, a decently fast octa-core processor, good graphics and a whopping 6GB RAM. Although not the fastest, but enough for the usual stuff that you will be installing on your smartphone.

Camera-wise, there's the reliable 12MP-8MP camera setup which is slightly above average. You still get to enjoy good-looking photos out of it though, although there's nothing to shout about.

When it comes to storage, you will find plenty around with the 256GB internal storage. You won't face any issues with it running out of space that easily.

There's also an added security feature found on the M6S Plus that is not available anywhere else. This is in the form of a dedicated security chip which lets you enjoy maximum security out of this phablet.

With a 6020 mAh-rated battery, the M6S Plus should have no problem supplying enough juice to it for a day or two in between charging.

A word of caution though regarding the M6s Plus, it will still be running on the dated Android Marshmallow 6.0 upon its release very soon. There has been no confirmation whether it will get an update to the latest Android Nougat 7.0, so keep that in mind when getting this phablet.

Conclusion:

HTC U11 has all the hallmark of a great flagship with great looks, the best hardware, best camera and the latest software to boot.

HTC U11 is currently available for $649 USD and comes in Amazing Silver, Sapphire Blue, Brilliant Black, Ice White and Solar Red colours.

Elsewhere, Gionee M6s Plus provides what others do not dare to step in. A huge 6-inch Full HD AMOLED screen, mid-range hardware, good camera, a security chip, whopping 6020 mAh battery and huge 256GB storage makes for a great combination. The only downside is on its dated Marshmallow OS.

Gionee M6s Plus is currently available for $4,299 Chinese Yuan or ~$625 USD. It is only available in Black colour.

Source: HTC U11 vs Gionee M6s Plus: 5.5-inch powerful flagship against a 6-inch mid-ranger

Andy Rubin’s Essential Smartphone Takes Aim at the Apple Inc. (AAPL) iPhone

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Andy Rubin and his new company Essential Products are preparing to make a big announcement on May 30. Rubin took to his Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) account to give the heads up. He then pointed followers to Essential's new Twitter account, where a teaser silhouette of a smartphone in a hand was posted. It looks like the long-rumored Essential smartphone, expected to be aimed directly at Apple Inc.'s (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone, is about to be official.

What's Known About the Essential Smartphone

The Essential smartphone has yet to be launched. Andy Rubin and Essential Products have been very secretive about the device they're developing, but occasional hints and discussions with mobile carriers have combined to provide clues about what they're up to.

We first reported on the Essential smartphone back in January. That's when Bloomberg broke the story that Rubin and his company were prototyping a new premium smartphone and shopping it to Sprint Corp (NYSE:S) executives.

According to Bloomberg, the new device ran Alphabet Inc's (NASDAQ:GOOG, NASDAQ:GOOGL) Google Android operating system. That was no surprise since Rubin created Android before selling it to Google. However, considerable effort was being put into ensuring the new device was not going to be just one of dozens of unprofitable (or barely profitable) Android smartphone clones.

Instead, the Essential smartphone would be a premium, flagship-quality device aimed directly at the market dominated by Apple's iPhone.

Bloomberg reported prototypes had a larger display than the iPhone 7 Plus, but in a smaller form factor thanks to a virtual lack of bezels. The display was mounted in a premium ceramic backing — the kind of material AAPL currently uses for its most expensive Apple Watch Edition Series 2. Magnetic charging was in the mix, and engineers — many of whom had been hired from Apple and Google — were working on pressure-sensitive display technology.

The Essential smartphone prototypes also featured a charging port that did double-duty for connecting accessories.

The tweet from Essential shows the silhouette of a smartphone, with a large object jutting from the top corner, suggesting there is an add-on plugged into it. And Rubin tweeted another hint, with a photo of a colleague working at what appears to be a 360-degree camera testing station. The Verge published an enhanced version of the photo in that Essential tweet and it shows what is almost certainly a camera accessory.

So at this point, we are looking at a premium Android smartphone, designed to accept accessories to enhance its functionality — with a 360-degree VR camera looking to be one of those. It's likely to support wireless charging and be equipped with a pressure sensitive display, similar to the iPhone's 3D Touch.

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Source: Andy Rubin's Essential Smartphone Takes Aim at the Apple Inc. (AAPL) iPhone

No smartphone needs 8GB of RAM, especially not a Nokia

How much RAM is too much on an Android phone? That's a question smartphone makers are yet to answer, as they keep pushing the envelope in the memory department. Most flagship handsets ship with 4GB of RAM and more memory should help with app performance. But customers in certain markets like China want even more RAM than that. That's why you get OnePlus handsets with 6GB of RAM or why Samsung's Galaxy S8 for Asia comes in a 6GB RAM flavor. A new report says that Nokia's flagship phone might ship with as much as 8GB of RAM on board, or the amount of memory you'd find on a decent-to-pro laptop.

The leak comes from Geekbench, which registered benchmark scores for a device labeled as Unknown Heart.

As you can clearly see in the following screenshot, the benchmark result says the device packs 8GB of RAM and an eight-core Qualcomm processor.

Image Source: Geekbench

However, there's nothing to prove that this is the Nokia 9 other than that name. A few days ago, a series of leaked Nokia images suggested that Heart might be the internal code name for the Nokia 9:

Image Source: FrAndroid

That leak also revealed the prototype phone packed 4GB of RAM rather than 8GB.But what's puzzling about this benchmark are the actual scores. The device registered 615 in single-core tests and 1116 in multi-core tests. That's a lot less than what's expected from a handset packing a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor. We'd expect those scores to be around 2000 and 6000 points, respectively, which is what the Galaxy S8 gets.

On the other hand, this leak might be accurate, and there could be an explanation for the low scores. HMD Global did confirm that it plans to launch a variety of Nokia smartphones this year, but it's yet to announce any details about flagship models, such as the Nokia 9.

Source: No smartphone needs 8GB of RAM, especially not a Nokia

Sony realised it was a bad idea to sell mid-range phones at flagship prices

When Sony introduced its new Xperia X series last year, we thought Sony had completely gone bonkers. It replaced its high-end Xperia Z line with products that are severely overpriced for what it was offering.

The Xperia X, for example, was doomed from the start. It's a mid-range smartphone that went on sale for RM2,499 in Malaysia. It had a Snapdragon 650 processor, a 23MP camera that doesn't shoot in 4K and it isn't even water resistant. Nobody is going to pay flagship price for that. The RM1,999 Xperia X Compact didn't fare much better either.

During its investor relations event, Sony appears to have learnt their lesson and they are abandoning this whole "premium standard" category altogether.

During its review of its 2016 performance, its Xperia X and Xperia X Compact had performed below expectations globally. In their sales breakdown, these two models had achieved 85% of its target in Japan however it only managed to hit 31% for markets outside of Japan. As a comparison, its flagship models like the Xperia X Performance and Xperia XZ had performed better by hitting 104% of its target in Japan and 60% overseas. Overall, they had sold 14.6 million smartphones last year, which is 73% of its intended target of 20 million units.

Moving forward, Sony will be focusing on its flagship XZ and mid-range XA series. Looking at the chart above, it appears that they will be introducing two new refreshed XZ models which could happen sometime during IFA 2017 in Berlin.

Despite selling fewer phones, Sony Mobile has finally become profitable for a full year in 2016. When we had a chat with some of their executives at MWC 2017, we are told that their focus was on profitability rather than market share and Sony has been making losses before they had the X series. Since they are back to black, we hope that with this renewed focus, Sony will have more room to create more exciting products like during their heydey.

[ SOURCE ]

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Source: Sony realised it was a bad idea to sell mid-range phones at flagship prices

Sony is discontinuing its midrange Xperia lines to focus on its flagship smartphones

Changes are on the way to Sony's smartphone lineup. The company is discontinuing its Xperia X and Xperia X Compact lines of devices, which it considers "premium standard" (midrange), Sony announced at its investor conference, according to XperiaBlog.

Sony has decided to shift its focus to its flagship devices, and says it will launch at least two new devices that fit into that category before the end of the year under the Xperia name. Given the trend of smartphones and Sony's design prowess, those devices should be something interesting to say the least. But as usual with Sony smartphones, the software will remain the big question.

Sony usually unveils its flagship device at IFA in September, so it shouldn't be too long before we see new devices from the fabled company.

Source: Sony is discontinuing its midrange Xperia lines to focus on its flagship smartphones

Apple’s iPhone 9 Is Expected to Be the Largest iPhone to Date

While we're still eagerly awaiting official information on the upcoming iPhone 8, which will mark the 10th anniversary of Apple's flagship smartphone, news surrounding the following iteration has already begun to surface.

According to The Investor, Apple and Samsung Display have inked a deal to provide OLED panels for three new iPhones. These OLED panels are in turn a big reason why the iPhone 8 is rumored to cost around $1,000 USD.

The iPhone 8 will then account for one of the three iPhones detailed in the aforementioned contract, while the other two are expected to be variants of the iPhone 9, which will boast 5.28-inch and 6.46-inch displays, making it the largest iPhone ever.

For now, no other details surrounding the iPhone 9 have been disclosed, but with this news, just let the hype begin to marinate.

Now, here's everything we know about the iPhone 8 so far.

Read Full Article

Source: Apple's iPhone 9 Is Expected to Be the Largest iPhone to Date

How Thin is the Line Between Budget and Flagship Smartphones in 2017?

"Hey, you're a technology writer, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"So, I was planning to buy a new phone and just couldn't understand why I should pay a ton of money when I can get roughly the same hardware at a significantly lower price?"

"It's not that straightforward, and honestly, I'm not even sure I can aptly summarize the difference considering how massive the price gap is. Therefore, I'm gonna an article about it; you should wait for that to come out."

Okay, that conversion never happened but I've seen people talk about it on various networks and there's an absolutely good reason why this debate has been trending in the community for the past year.

Year after year, smartphone OEMs, in a hope to overshadow their competitors, have managed to upscale the quality of smartphones you can purchase for dirt cheap prices. 4GB RAM for $200? Sure. Dual Cameras? Sure, take that as well. The market is teeming with options, some of which are even capable of completely captivating your attention away from those shiny iPhones.

But flagship phones still exist and are doing well for themselves. They represent the best of what's out there and what could be arriving in the future.

"Wait, Wait, hold on a second, I'm not paying $500 extra for just experiencing a new technology which most probably isn't even that stable and fit for everyday use."

"What? How did you get access to this article and more importantly, who are you? Mind you, that was a made up conversion?!"

"You can call me the general consumer"

"Okay, fine, you can stay but would you let me conclude without interfering with your extremely precious views?"

"Yeah, sure, go ahead."

In order to produce a definitive answer, I switched from my Google Pixel to perhaps what most would consider "the best budget handset", Xiaomi's Redmi Note 4. If you think about it, though, I would have been more comfortable with a Moto G5 Plus since it runs on a stock Android interface. However, the Redmi Note series is known for its impeccable performance and perennial demand online. Hence, it seemed more appropriate for a thorough understanding of the situation.

So, What's Lacking?

The very first time I realized I'm switching to a budget phone was during the initial setup process. There wasn't any page for "Tap and Go" to migrate content which necessarily pointed at the lack of NFC. Hence, I had to start from the bottom, manually input credentials for my three accounts and whatnot. That probably isn't a big deal for most people. However, I was using it to figure out the difference between budget and flagship phones. Therefore, I will be nitpicking without any shame whatsoever.

The build quality is another area which severely delineated the price gap. Buttons were not as tactile as I'm used to, the construction felt flimsy, the light bleed around capacitive buttons looked cheap, and just the overall metal unibody didn't feel on par with what it is up against here. That being said, it was substantially better than what I was expecting – the subtle curves helped with the grip, it is surprisingly lightweight considering the fact that it sports a 4100 mAh battery pack and the gold variant I was using did attract a few spectators.

The next apparent drawback was the absence of quick charging which is even more worrying when there's a 4100mAh battery. The phone roughly consumes three hours to completely charge unless you manage to keep your hands off during the process. However, the superior battery life did make up for that deficiency. I'll come back to the battery life later.

"Can I intervene for a second?"

"What is it now?"

"This article sounds more like a review and less like a comparison between flagship and budget phones, don't you think?"

"Yes, you can say that. But these are the specific areas where manufacturers cut corners to reach that sweet price spot. People usually overlook these aspects and some even never go past the RAM and selfie camera details. If you want to know the variation between budget and flagship phones, these are the features you need to look into."

"Fine, go on."

"Also, if it were a review, I would've appreciated the pros more and highlighted the cons less because the price factor would have balanced out everything at the end."

Okay, let's return to our discussion.

The most glaring shortcoming for me, though, was the touch latency. That slight 1 sec delay between a tap and the screen to respond made a huge impact on my experience. My typing pace was drastically low, app opening times felt frustrating, and it just acted as a constant reminder that I'm not on a premium product.

Long-term performance has also been one of the major concerns for smartphones in the lower end price bracket. However, that issue has been largely diminished with the onset of more reliable entrants like the Moto G or Xiaomi's Redmi Note lineup. What is still a concern is software support. Although one can argue flagship Android phones (other than the ones coming from Google) also tend to sort of fade out after the first year which is quite pathetic. Same goes for the software itself, even higher end non-Google phones feature bloated software skins no one likes and asked for. Hence, I think I can let the software slip by in this conversation.

By this time, a couple of days had passed, and I was almost settled with the Redmi Note 4. Yes, 'almost' because, for the first time, I tried out the camera extensively. Now, just a little bit of context here, I click photographs on a regular basis and no, I'm not talking about selfies and before this, I was using the Google Pixel which is still the best camera phone you can get. Hence, the Redmi Note 4 had a tough competition coming up. But, to my surprise, it held up.

I mean, yes, it wasn't close or anything to what the Pixel can generate, but for casual photography in sufficient lighting conditions, the Note 4 did quite okay. Of course, for the sake of this discussion, I'll have to say that camera is another segment where flagship smartphones completely blow budget ones out of the water. It can be certainly titled the most crucial difference between the two.

Other than these sectors, though, I couldn't find any drastic distinctions. Sure, you can say that budget phones do not possess standout features such as S8's bezel-less display, but it's fine honestly. When it comes to day-to-day usage, these additions hardly matter. Oh and one more thing, flagship smartphones are always available and easily accessible, unlike the flash sales you've to go through for acquiring phones like the Redmi Note 4.

Moreover, there were a couple of areas where the Note 4, in fact, outshined the Google Pixel for me. The former comes with a substantially better battery life; there's an infrared sensor which I still don't understand why flagship phones ditched in the past few years, Dual-SIM support and obviously, the enormous price gap. Additionally, I wasn't paranoid about dropping the Redmi Note 4 all the time which is a surprisingly good feeling to have.

The bottom line is, there are no radical differences between these two anymore. If I had never used a flagship phone, I would have no complaints whatsoever, but I know, that just beats the entire point of this discussion. Except for the camera, touch latency, budget phones have come a long way, and I can only imagine what manufacturers, at these prices, will be offering in the next year or two.

The line is barely visible anymore.

"Woah, Woah, wait up, so only the camera and touch latency?"

"More or less, yeah. But of course, if you put a budget and flagship phone side-by-side, differences will be more apparent, and also, the latter comes with a much better set of hardware specifications."

"So, what if I buy something in the range of $450?"

"It will be very close to owning a premium phone. But at the end of the day, it comes down to the experience and not every high-end smartphone is worth spending that much money anyway. Just a few like the Galaxy S8, iPhone 7, or the Google Pixel can make you realize what happens when OEMs spend more than six months in developing a product."

"Ah, well, thanks for helping out, man. So can you get me a Redmi Note 4, it's always unavailable?"

"Get out of here!"

Source: How Thin is the Line Between Budget and Flagship Smartphones in 2017?

Nokia's Upcoming Flagship Smartphone Appears Online, Specs Also Confirmed

HMD Global unveiled four new Nokia smartphones this year, but the most loyal Nokia fans can't wait to see what the company is preparing for the high-end market. The upcoming high-end Nokia smartphones have been rumored for quite awhile now, but we still don't know much about them.

A Nokia 9 prototype has leaked online thanks to the folks over at frandroid.com. Unfortunately, the phone was pictured in a case to keep its design away from prying eyes so we can't say much about it, besides the connectors.

However, we have a full list of specifications. The phone packs a 5.3-inch Quad HD display with an Always-On feature, Snapdragon 835 chipset, 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage, dual 13 MP rear cameras, Android 7.1.1 and a QuickCharge 3.0 fast charger.

Source: Nokia's Upcoming Flagship Smartphone Appears Online, Specs Also Confirmed

iPhone 8 Release Date – Reports Claimed Apple iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus Will Likely Be Released Sometime In Late September

Apple might push back the iPhone 8 release date all the way to November. But research firm suggests Apple iPhone 8 release date will be during a normal time frame, which is to say that the smartphone will likely be released sometime in mid-late September.

The Apple's iconic flagship smartphone will take things to the next stage once the impending iPhone 8 is officially released later this year.

The Apple iPhone 8 is rumored to feature a sleek new redesign with an edge-to-edge screen display. With that being said, the iPhone 8 will likely propel the largest and most significant upgrade cycle the technology company has seen yet.

Seeing as how the iPhone form factor design has more or less remained unchanged since the 2014 release of the iPhone 6, the current iPhone owners have been rooting for something new and different for years now.

As for anyone curious regarding the redesigned iPhone 8, we recently posted exclusive images of what the final iPhone 8 design will likely look like.

With the excitement for the upcoming iPhone 8 building with each passing day, there have been a few nerve-racking reports claiming that the smartphone might be subject to notable delays. In fact, a handful of reports have even said that Cupertino-based tech titan might push back the iPhone 8 release date all the way to 11th month of the year. Even some of the more optimistic speculations we've seen have said that the device might not be released until October.

SEE ALSO:  iPhone 8 Release Date, Leaks, Rumors: Apple iPhone 8 Plus To Feature Latest Camera Sensors, Specs, Prices And More

The reasons behind the delay is that there have been roar that the firm has seen poor yields when manufacturing the iPhone 8's advanced OLED touchscreen display. Moreover, there have been manifestations that a number of Apple's partners responsible for supplying some of the iPhone 8's more advanced technology modules that won't be able to supply the Apple's demand in time for a September launch.

According to Morgan Stanley's Greater China Technology Research, the research firm claimed that the Apple iPhone 8 release date will be during a normal time frame, which is to say that the smartphone will likely be released sometime in mid-late September. Morgan Stanley relays that it has found no evidence of ongoing production dilemmas or delays in Apple's supply chain.

Source: iPhone 8 Release Date – Reports Claimed Apple iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus Will Likely Be Released Sometime In Late September

Motorola Flagship Spotted On Geekbench With Snapdragon 835, Android Nougat And More: Is This The Moto Z2?

An unannounced Motorola handset that's likely the Moto Z2 popped up on Geekbench, sporting a Snapdragon 835 processor and other enticing specs.

Lenovo's Motorola is expected to unveil new flagship smartphones as soon as next month and the purported Moto Z2 is shaping up as a powerful device. A benchmark listing now reveals the core specifications of Motorola's upcoming smartphone and it looks pretty solid.

Moto Z2 Specs On Geekbench

Popular benchmarking tool Geekbench lists a device with model number XT1650, believed to be none other than the upcoming Moto Z2. The listing actually dates back to January, but at the time it was not associated with the Moto Z2.

As the expected unveiling edges closer, this listing that has so far gone under the radar has now drawn more attention, as it holds clues as to what the Moto Z2 may bring to the table.

Geekbench reveals that the upcoming Moto smartphone will pack an MSM8998 Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, indicating that it will be among the first smartphones to rock the powerful Snapdragon 835.

The U.S. versions of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ already boast Snapdragon 835 power and the processor gained high praise, launching as Qualcomm's first 10-nanometer chip.

The benchmark listing further reveals that the handset has 4 GB of RAM and was running Android 7.1.1 Nougat when it went through the benchmarking tests. In other words, the Moto Z2 should be on par with other flagship smartphones currently on the market, at least when it comes to processor, RAM and OS version.

The smartphone scored 6,207 points in the multi-core test and 1,930 in single-core, indicating that it will be powerful enough to emerge as a worthy rival to existing Android flagships.

Moto Z2 Rumored Specs And Features

The Geekbench listing doesn't reveal any other specifications for the purported smartphone, but other recent leaks do paint a pretty exciting picture of what to expect.

A leaked Moto Z2 render from earlier this week, for instance, indicated that Motorola's upcoming flagship will sport a neat metal design. Based on that render, the Moto Z2 may share a number of similarities with the upcoming Moto Z2 Play, including the sensor positions, side button location and front-mounted fingerprint scanner. The side bezels are pretty slim, albeit the top and bottom bezels are still quite hefty.

Earlier leaks indicated that the Moto Z2 would also sport a dual rear camera setup, but trusted tipster Evan Blass (aka @evleaks) refuted the claims. Instead, the Moto Z2 is expected to feature a single rear camera with a regular LED flash. The smartphone should also work with the company's modular extensions called Moto Mods.

Not much else is available at this point, but the Moto Z2 is expected to make its debut next month, on June 8. Motorola is also expected to unveil the Moto Z2 Force and Moto Z2 Play on the same date, with market availability likely to follow shortly afterward.

With no official confirmation, however, it's highly advisable to take all leaks and rumors with a grain of salt for now. As always, we'll keep you up to date as soon as we learn more.

© 2017 Tech Times, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

Source: Motorola Flagship Spotted On Geekbench With Snapdragon 835, Android Nougat And More: Is This The Moto Z2?

Sony Xperia XZ Premium: Release date, price and specs of Sony's new flagship smartphone

Sony unveiled its latest flagship smartphone, the Xperia XZ Premium, at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

A successor to the Xperia Z5 Premium, which launched in 2015, the XZ Premium is a plus-sized device with a 5.5-inch screen.

It also boasts a host of "premium" features including a 4K HDR display, advanced camera technology and an attractive glass design.

Here's everything you need to know about Sony's new top-of-the-range device.

Price and availability

Sony says the Xperia XZ Premium will be available globally in two colours - Luminous Chrome and Deepsea Black. The Chrome version is available exclusively at Carphone Warehouse in the UK.

It will cost £649 when bought SIM-free, or £79.99 on a £39 per month 10GB contract.

The phone is set to be released in the UK on 2 June 2017 and pre-orders are currently being taken at both Sony's official site and Carphone Warehouse.

Design

The Xperia XZ Premium has what Sony describes as a "glass loop" surface, which means the glass continues all the way around the device, with metal caps on only the top and bottom.

The glass is Corning Gorilla Glass 5, which can supposedly survive 1.6-metre, shoulder-height drops onto hard, rough surfaces up to 80% of the time.

At 7.9mm thick, it is marginally thinner than its smaller sibling, the Xperia XZ , which launched in September last year.

All of the buttons are down one side of the device, and there is a fingerprint sensor built into the power button, allowing you to unlock it easily with one touch of your thumb.

The back of the phone is mirrored, which is handy if you want to check your make-up, but does mean it picks up fingerprints very easily.

Display

Based on Sony's Bravia TV technology, the Xperia XZ Premium is the first smartphone in the world to feature a 4K HDR display, offering exceptional brightness, colour, clarity and contrast.

To show this off, Sony has partnered with Amazon Prime Video to offer a selection of 4K HDR content to Xperia XZ Premium customers - including Amazon Originals series.

Specs

The Xperia XZ Premium features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, making it one of the first smartphones capable of "Gigabit Class LTE", offering download speeds of up to 1 Gbps.

This is possible because of the integrated Snapdragon X16 LTE modem, which claims to deliver "fibre optic speeds on the go".

The Snapdragon 835 platform also supports graphics-intensive gaming, and works with the PlayStation 4, so you can play games from your console on your smartphone.

The phone comes with a USB 3.1 connection which means file transfers are 10 times quicker than USB 2.0 with a transfer speed of up to 5Gbps, and a USB Type-C port for easy charging.

Camera

Sony has incorporated technology from its premium compact cameras to create the new Motion Eye rear camera system on the Xperia XZ Premium.

The camera has 19MP high resolution sensor, with 19% larger pixels to help you capture sharp, detailed images in low-light and backlit conditions.

It has "memory stacked image sensor" capable of recording in HD at a rate of 960 frames per second, meaning you can create videos and play them back in super slow motion - four times slower than on other smartphones.

The phone also includes a feature called Plus Predictive Capture, which automatically starts buffering images when it detects motion, even before you press the button, to ensure you don't miss the moment.

Software

Sony claims that the Xperia XZ Premium learns how you use your phone and adapts and makes recommendations.

Xperia Tips and new Xperia Actions offer you advice about the features you're using and suggest map downloads based on your location.

Meanwhile, the battery is maximised using something called Smart Stamina technology, which estimates how long your current battery will last based on your normal usage and warns you if you're going to run out of power later that day.

There's also something called Battery Care that charges your phone to 90%, waits, then charges to 100% just before your normal wake-up time. This is designed to protect your battery and keep it healthy up to twice as long.

Other features

The Xperia XZ Premium and XZs is water resistant and protected against dust, so you don't need to worry if you get caught in the rain, and you can wash off dirt under a tap as long as all the ports and attached covers are firmly closed.

However, it shouldn't be completely submerged or exposed to seawater, salt water, chlorinated water or liquids such as drinks.

Read More Mobile World Congress 2017
Source: Sony Xperia XZ Premium: Release date, price and specs of Sony's new flagship smartphone

Doogee Flagship to Feature Dual Rear and Front Cameras

It's been a few months since we last heard of Doogee's upcoming flagship smartphone for 2017. But some new information from China has revealed that the upcoming Doogee flagship, which is rumored to be called the X30, will feature a total of four cameras.

While dual rear camera systems have become the latest trend in smartphones these days, Doogee has decided to take it a step further and also put two cameras on the front of its latest flagship, making it the market's first quad-camera smartphone.

The two cameras on the front of the device will be composed of one RGB camera and one monochrome camera. The camera system composition will lead to better selfies due to the added image data provided by the monochrome camera.

No specific details on the type of sensors and lenses the camera systems on the new Doogee flagship were revealed but previous rumors have claimed that the dual front cameras will use two 16-megapixel sensors.

RELATED: Doogee Flagship will sport Helio X30, Dual Front Cameras, and 8GB of RAM

Rumors have also claimed that it will feature a 5.7-iunch 2K display, a MediaTek Helio X30 processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of internal storage, and a 4050mAh battery.

Always be the first to know. Follow us:
Source: Doogee Flagship to Feature Dual Rear and Front Cameras

The LG V30 will look like every other flagship this year

Smartphone design is a tricky business. Every company wants all the same features as its competitors, but chasing an identical set of features has an unfortuante consequence: a bunch of black rectangles that all look vaguely similar. When one company does come up with a genuine innovation — like the zero-bezel display on Samsung's new Galaxy S8 — the result is that every single smartphone that comes out for the next year looks mostly similar.

I'd like to say that LG is boldy bucking the trend this year, but accoridng to a report from The Investor, the LG V30 is just going to be more of the same.

A new report says that LG "is finally jumping on the OLED bandwagon," and will release a flagship later this year with an OLED display. That follow extensive rumors that Apple, one of the few other companies that has stuck by LCD screens for the last couple years, will switch to OLED for the iPhone 8.

OLED screens have always had a handful of advantages over LCD displays: better contrast, superior battery life, and theoretically better contrast. It's not been enough to persuade manufacturers to switch, but a new technological breakthrough has made them indispensable.

That breakthrough is designing OLED panels that don't need a bezel surrounding the edge of the screen to house components. That has a huge influence on the design of smartphones, which have long been designed around the touchscreen — and consequently, also designed around the bezel. Removing the bezel makes the phone much prettier, and provides a rare wow factor that can sell a phone in a store from a 30-second glace.

So, it makes sense that LG is abandoning its long-used LCD panels and moving to OLED, just to keep up with the competition. But it also means that, by definition, the LG V30 will look a lot like the Galaxy S8, or the iPhone 8, or the OnePlus 5, or the Pixel 2, or basically any other flagship you can think of this year.

I know it's strange to think of an upgrade as a bad thing for consumers. For all I know, the move towards OLED panels and zero-bezel displays will be a huge turning point down the line. But for right now, I'm just sad that one feature is dictating physical design in favor of identical black rectangles with edge-to-edge displays.

Source: The LG V30 will look like every other flagship this year

Next-gen OnePlus 5 flagship phone hits AnTuTu benchmark

We're expecting OnePlus to unveil the next flagship smartphone sometime next month which means we still have a few weeks to gather more speculations and leaked images. The next-gen phone was leaked in Weibo over the weekend after being sighted on Geekbench. We also saw the design sketches that gave us an idea about the dual cameras and ceramic part.

A teaser popped up as well after we learned about the possibility of a seamless back. More related information are expected to be revealed as this latest sighting on AnTuTu tells us that the next model will definitely have 16MP cameras.

Listed on AnTuTu is a OnePlus A5000 phone that runs Android 7.1.1, Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, Adreno 540 GPU, 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution, 6GB RAM, and a 64GB onboard storage. It's not clear though if the 16MP and 16MP will be for the front and rear cams or for the dual rear camera system. But if we are to check previous AnTuTu sightings, the '16MP + 16MP' detail is written to describe the front and rear shooters. However, we've been saying the phone will take advantage of the dual camera systemso there is a possibility.

Other features we know so far include the Oxygen OS on top of the Nougat platform, curved back design, speaker, mic, USB port, and a headphone jack. Let's just wait and see for the official announcement and perhaps more leaks and rumors in the coming weeks.

VIA: Weibo

Source: Next-gen OnePlus 5 flagship phone hits AnTuTu benchmark

LG G6 smartphone: Taking on the Samsung Galaxy S8

THE HANS INDIA |   May 14,2017 , 10:57 PM IST

After the tepid response to last year's modular G5 device, South Korean giant LG has now unveiled a premium segment G6 smartphone that is water resistant and comes with a new display format, exceptional screen-to-body ratio, a wide-angle camera and more. Priced at Rs 51,990, LG G6 has to compete with Apple iPhone 7, OnePlus 3T, Google Pixel and the newly-launched Samsung Galaxy S8, a real tough fight in the premium space. G6 is slim and the screen takes up approximately 80 per cent of the phone face. The metal frame that wraps around the perimeter of the phone imparts solidity and style with a soft matte finish. G6 features a 5.7-inch QHD+ (2,880 x 1,440 resolution) FullVision display and an 18:9 screen aspect ratio, a first ever in any smartphone. Even with the large screen, the G6 fits comfortably in one hand, giving you a big screen experience without the inconvenience of a big phone. The 163-gram device has 64GB storage (expandable with a hybrid SIM slot) and a 3,300 mAh battery. Like the G5, the G6 also comes with dual rear cameras, one standard 13MP and another 13MP camera with 125-degree wide angle lens. Unlike the Apple iPhone 7 Plus, there is no "bokeh" effect but you can switch between the standard and the wide angle lens to capture more content in each frame. Targeting Instagram users, LG has added a separate app called "Square Camera" that divides the 18:9 display into two identical perfect squares. With this, users can shoot images in 1:1 format, a popular format on social media apps such as Instagram and review them in the adjacent window. Users can also create GIFs by combining between two and 100 photos from the gallery. The G6 can go just about anywhere without worry,  thanks to its IP68 water and dust resistance that makes it safe to be immersed in up to 1.5 meters of water for as long as 30 minutes. Apart from Google Pixel phones, G6 is the only other device that comes with Google Assistant built-in which works seamlessly and intuitively with LG apps, giving answers fast and managing everyday tasks. G6 features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processing platform which is the same chipset in last year's OnePlus 3T and Google Pixel devices. Compared to the 821 processor, Qualcomm's latest 835 chipset is faster and quicker at recharging mobile batteries. If you are looking for something new, LG's latest flagship smartphone with an exceptional screen-to-body ratio and an extra wide-angle camera will provide you something unheard of till date. 'The Selfie Expert' OPPO F3 – First sale begins across India today By Anuj Sharma

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Source: LG G6 smartphone: Taking on the Samsung Galaxy S8

LG Rolls out Flagship Smartphone in Key Emerging Markets

LG launched its G6 premium smartphone in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East, it said Thursday.

The flagship handset went on sale in major markets in Latin America via over 30 mobile carriers including Vivo, TIM and Claro, the three major service providers in Brazil.

LG is targeting Latin America's growing smartphone market.

Brazil is one of its main production bases along with China and Vietnam. LG will start producing the G6 in Brazil in the second half of this year, and plans to expand its presence to more countries.

Copyright © Chosunilbo & Chosun.com

Source: LG Rolls out Flagship Smartphone in Key Emerging Markets

Is this the 2017 Moto X smartphone?

When Motorola launched the Moto Z line of smartphones last year, many wondered if the company was scrapping the Moto X lineup for the new line of flagship phones with modular capabilities.

The answer seems to be no, because while there was no 2016 Moto X smartphone, it looks like a 2017 model is on the way.

Rumors about the next Moto X have been circulating for a while, and now a (very) brief video has shown up on a Chinese website which seems to be a snippet from a Moto X presentation.

It looks like the new Moto X has a 5.5 inch display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage. It has a 3,800 mAh battery with fast charging support, a fingerprint sensor on the front and a dual-lens rear camera with laser autofocus.

The new phone also has a metal body and IP68 rating for water resistance.

Motorola describes the phone as a "flagship," but the Snapdragon 660 processor is more of an upper mid-range chip, suggesting that the new Moto X will sit somewhere between the Moto Z and Moto G in the company's smartphone lineup.

As always, it's probably a good idea to take leaks of this sort with a grain of salt until a product is officially announced. But the specs certainly seem plausible.

via /r/Android

Source: Is this the 2017 Moto X smartphone?

Amazon Great Indian Sale: Upto 40% off on Samsung, Motorola, Apple and other smartphones

 |   |   | Amazon Great Indian Sale: Upto 40% off on Samsung, Motorola, Apple and other smartphones

Amazon is offering discounts on new smartphones.

Published: Friday, May 12, 2017, 6:00 [IST]

E-commerce giant Amazon.in is once again holding its flagship sale event 'Great Indian Sale' for Indian consumers.

Available on its app and website between May 11 to May 14, the four day event will offer great discounts on a wide-range of products including smartphones, electronics, home entertainment, clothing and house hold products.

The e-commerce giant has also joined hands with Citibank to offer additional 10 percent discount on its website and 15 percent discount on its app to debit and credit card holders.

SEE ALSO: Best, recently launched budget smartphones under Rs 10,000

As smartphones sell like hot cakes, Amazon is offering upto 40% discount on the purchase of new smartphones. That said, here's all you need to know about the smartphones on offer at this great occasion for smartphone enthusiasts.

Stay tuned to GizBot for more updates!

8% off on Motorola Moto G5

Click Here to buy this offerKey Specs

5-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Full HD display with Corning Gorilla glass 3 protection

1.4GHz Octa-Core 64-bit Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) processor with Adreno 505 GPU

2GB /3GB RAM

16GB internal memory

expandable memory up to 128 GB with microSD

Android 7.0 (Nougat)

Dual SIM

13MP rear camera with dual-tone LED flash

5MP front-facing camera

Water repellent nano-coating

Front-ported loudspeaker

Fingerprint sensor

4G VoLTE

2800mAh battery with 10W rapid charging

Motorola Moto G5 Photo Gallery

27% off on Apple iPhone 7

Click Here to buy this offerKey Specs

4.7-inch (1334 x 750 pixels) IPS 326 ppi display, 1400:1 contrast ratio, 3D Touch

Quad-core A10 Fusion 64-bit processor with six-core GPU, M10 motion co-processor

2GB RAM

32GB,128GB and 256GB storage options

iOS 10

Water and dust resistant (IP67)

12MP camera

7MP front camera

TouchID Fingerprint sensor, Stereo speakers

4G VoLTE

1960mAh built-in battery

Apple iPhone 7 Photo Gallery

13% off Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro

Click Here to buy this offerKey Specs

5.7-inch (1920×1080 pixels) Full HD Super AMOLED display

2.2GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 626 14nm processor with Adreno 506 GPU

4GB RAM

64GB Internal Storage

expandable memory up to 256GB via micro SD card

Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow)

Hybrid Dual SIM (nano+nano/microSD)

16MP rear camera

16MP front camera

Fingerprint sensor

4G VoLTE

3300mAh battery with fast charging

Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro Photo Gallery

13% off on Moto Z with Style Mod

Click Here to buy this offerKey Specs

5.5-inch (2560 x 1440 pixels) Quad HD AMOLED Corning Gorilla Glass display, 535ppi

2.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor with Adreno 530 GPU

4GB LPDDR4 RAM

32GB / 64GB internal memory

expandable memory up to 2TB with microSD

Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow)

Single-SIM (Nano-SIM)

13MP rear cameras

5MP front-facing camera

4G LTE (Cat 9) / 3G

2600mAh battery with Turbo charging

Motorola Moto Z Photo Gallery

23% off on Apple iPhone SE

Click Here to buy this offerKey Specs

4 inch Retina HD Display With 3D Touch

A9 Chip With 64-Bit Architecture Embedded M9 Motion Coprocessor

12MP ISight Camera

1.2MP Front Facing Camera

Touch ID

Bluetooth 4.2

LTE Support

4K Recording And Slow Motion At 240fps

15% off on Honor 6X

Click Here to buy this offerKey Specs

5.5-inch (1080 x 1920 pixels) Full HD 2.5D curved glass IPS display

Octa-core Kirin 655 ( 4 x 2.1GHz + 4 x 1.7GHz) 16nm processor with Mali T830-MP2

3GB / 4GB LPDDR3 RAM with 32GB (eMMC 5.1) storage

4GB RAM with 64GB (eMMC 5.1) storage

expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD

Hybrid Dual SIM (nano+ nano/microSD)

Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) with EMUI 4.1

12MP rear camera with LED Flash and 2MP secondary camera

8MP front-facing camera

Fingerprint sensor

4G VoLTE

3340mAh (typical) / 3270mAh (minium) battery with support for fast charging

Honor 6X Photo Gallery

29% off on HTC U Play

Click Here to buy this offerKey Specs

5.2-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Full HD Super LCD display with Corning Gorilla Glass protection

Octa-core MediaTek Helio P10 processor with up to Mali T860 GPU

3GB RAM with 32GB storage

4GB RAM with 64GB internal storage

expandable memory up to 2TB with microSD

Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)

Hybrid dual SIM (nano+nano/microSD)

16MP rear camera

16MP front-facing camera

HTC USonic, Dual microphones with noise cancelation

4G LTE

2500mAh battery with fast charging

HTC U Play Photo Gallery

5% off on LG G6

Click Here to buy this offerKey Specs

5.7-inch (1440 × 2880 pixels) QHD+ LCD display with a 18:9 aspect ratio, 564 PPI

Quad-core Snapdragon 821 processor with Adreno 530 GPU

4GB LPDDR4 RAM

32GB / 64GB (UFS 2.0) internal memory

expandable memory up to 2TB with microSD

Android 7.0 (Nougat) with LG UX 6.0, Google Assistant

13MP dual rear cameras

5MP front camera with 100-degree wide-angle lens

Fingerprint sensor

Water, dust resistant (IP68)

32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC, Dolby Vision

4G LTE

3300mAh battery with Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0

LG G6 Photo Gallery

42% off on LG V20

Click Here to buy this offerKey Specs

5.7-inch (2560×1440 pixels) Quad HD IPS Quantum display at 513 ppi

2.1-inch (160 x 1040 pixels) IPS Quantum Display at 513ppi

Quad-core Snapdragon 820 processor with Adreno 530 GPU

4GB LPDDR4 RAM

64GB (UFS 2.0) internal memory

expandable memory up to 2TB with microSD

Android 7.0 (Nougat)

Dual SIM (nano+nano)

16MP rear camera

8MP secondary rear camera

5MP front camera

Fingerprint sensor

4G LTE

3200mAh removable battery with Quick Charge 3.0

LG V20 Photo Gallery

20% off on Apple iPhone 7 Plus

Click Here to buy this offerKey Specs

5.5-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) IPS 401ppi display, 1300:1 contrast ratio, 3D Touch

Quad-core A10 Fusion 64-bit processor with six-core GPU, M10 motion co-processor

3GB RAM

32GB,128GB and 256GB storage options

iOS 10

Water and dust resistant (IP67)

12MP wide-angle

7MP front camera

TouchID Fingerprint sensor, Stereo speakers

4G VoLTE

2,900 mAh battery built-in battery

Stay tuned to GizBot for more updates!

Source: Amazon Great Indian Sale: Upto 40% off on Samsung, Motorola, Apple and other smartphones

Samsung will launch new flagship smartphone months after Galaxy S8

Samsung said in a regulatory filing that its January-March operating profit was 9.9 trillion won ($8.75 billion), compared with 9.9 trillion won it estimated earlier in April.

Samsung however has made a decision to turn down calls for a corporate restructuring, and has offered instead to reward shareholders by paying its first-ever quarterly dividend. Samsung is betting on the Galaxy S8 smartphone, which uses curved OLED screens that wrap around its corners.

SAMSUNG looks set to launch the follow up to the controversial Galaxy Note 7 later this year.

"The cancellation of the entire existing shares held by the company was unexpected, and helped boost Samsung Electronics' share price along with its positive earnings outlook", fund manger Park Jung-hoon at HDC Asset Management said.

Samsung is now working on its Galaxy S9 smartphone but users are trying to make most out of the Galaxy S8 device.

On Thursday, the company's IT & Mobile Communications (IM) division, which includes the company's smartphone business, reported a drop in revenue and profits in the first quarter, which the company blamed on adjustments of the prices of the S7 and S7 edge.

Samsung earlier considered the proposal, but said Thursday it had officially dropped the plan, citing regulatory hurdles and potential risks to its business. Further operating profit for the quarter was KRW 9.90 trillion, an increase of KRW 3.22 trillion YoY. Revenue increased more modestly to 50.55 trillion won ($59.81 billion), a 0.77 trillion won ($911.5 million) increase from Q1 2016.

The results, driven by strong demand for its memory chips, represented the company's second-largest ever quarterly profit. The company's goodwill had taken a major hit previous year with the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 exploding. "The company will aim to improve performance YoY by maximizing sales of the Galaxy S8 and S8+ and successfully launching a new flagship smartphone in the second half", Samsung said in a press release. Samsung has now released an update that fixes the Samsung Galaxy S8 red tint issue.

Source: Samsung will launch new flagship smartphone months after Galaxy S8