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OnePlus is working on the next device in the OnePlus 8 series after OnePlus 7T and OnePlus 7T Pro. As per reports, the OnePlus 8 Pro is already in the development stage, which means that the design may or may not be finalized yet. Recently, there were some new leaked images of the alleged OnePlus 8 Pro, reaffirming the design. The OnePlus 8 Pro will have a noticeable difference in the design as compared to its predecessor. The management at OnePlus has already said that they will be working on exciting camera features and the leaked images justify the claim.
The leaked diagram shows that the device will come with four camera lens on the rear side. This will be the first phone by the company to have four cameras on the backside. The OnePlus 7 Pro comes with three cameras on the rear side with the primary being a 48MP image sensor and a single image sensor on the front. The extra camera on the OnePlus 8 Pro is likely a ToF sensor.
Another leak suggests that the upcoming flagship device will be available in two variants. One version appears with a single punch-hole camera with the second device that will be launched with a punch-hole display. There is no clarity for now but it should likely be the OnePlus 8 with single punch-hole while the model with two punch-hole cameras. The fingerprint sensor could be an in-screen display as the diagram doesn't show any rear-mounted fingerprint reader. The display will be similar to its predecessor with curved design and 90Hz fresh rate. We will be seeing the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro around the first quarter of the next year. This is only the expected and rumored date which isn't confirmed by the official sources yet. Stay tuned for more information on the OnePlus 8 series.
There have been lots of hype around OnePlus new affordable phone - OnePlus Nord. A phone that promises a lot with a relatively smaller price. The new OnePlus Nord was rumored to offer a similar Android experience as any premium phone probably would provide, but at a lower price. The OnePlus Nord hasn't skipped an essential ingredient of a successful phone - a bright AMOLED display, a bigger battery, and multiple cameras. With its other series elevated to the flagship-tier, consumers were asking for a budget-friendly phone for many years, and now, we finally have it.
The phone falls into the sub Rs. 30,000 category and needed something to compete with the same category phones like Vivo's X50 series and Realme's X3. OnePlus Nord is the start of more budget-oriented series, and the company had established this even from the design and feel of its new phone's box. Instead of its typical red long boxes, the phone comes in a relatively compact black box with a large branding name on top of it.
Inside the box, you will find a new silicone case, red Type-c cable, 30T charger, and a SIM eject pin. The OnePlus Nord is much lighter than it looks like, and this is something you might notice even when holding it for the first time. The phone has a glossy finish look with a marble blue color. The camera cutout in the display and the positioning of the rear camera to the left is similar to how Realme X50 5G has placed their camera system.
OnePlus Nord has an AMOLED display with a 6.44-inch display and a Full HD+ resolution and 90Hz refresh rate. You also get an in-display fingerprint sensor, which works well. The OnePlus Nord features a Snapdragon 765G octa-core SoC. The phone is available in three variants - with 8GBRAM/128GB storage, the 12GBRAM/256GB storage, and an India exclusive variant with 6GBRAM/64GB storage.
The phone has a 4,115mAh battery which supports Warp charge 30T fast charging. Other features include NFC, dual-SIM support, and dual-band Wi-Fi. The rear camera is of 48-megapixel with optical image stabilization. The other cameras on the rear side are an 8-megapixel wide-angle camera, a 2-megapixel macro camera, and a 5-megapixel depth camera lens.
OnePlus recently confirmed camera specs through its official twitter page. The company has confirmed that the 8T will have an ultra-wide camera on the rear side. This confirms the earlier rumors about the rear camera specs. The leaks also suggest that the company has placed rear cameras in a relatively large rectangular protrusion, that looks similar to one we have in Samsung's latest phones.
OnePlus also confirmed that the 8T will have the same refresh rate as the OnePlus 8 pro. That will give the display refresh rate a boost from 90Hz to 120Hz to reach peak frame rates of 120 frames per second. While phone manufacturers are moving the refresh rate to a higher level, some apps and softwares seem to lag behind. If you are using an app that is incompatible with such a higher refresh rate, the phone will return to 60Hz or 90Hz depending on the app. This mean that the interface of the phone will experience some shuttering or lag while switching to normal refresh rate.
Another leak suggest that the phone will be using the 2.5+D flexible panel. This also means that the phone will be much brighter than before with a peak brightness of 1100 nits. Those high levels of brightness, coupled with AMOLED panel and the graphics processing capabilities will also ensure the screen is displaying HDR10+ content. The phone covers 100 percent DCI-P3, which is the best color accuracy you can find in any android smartphone by today.
Other details include the 65W warp charging technology that can get a 4,500mAh from zero to hundred percent in less than 40 minutes, plus a 120Hz refresh rate AMOLED display. Additional rumored specs suggest a flat display with the curved panel on the OnePlus 8. The phone features a single hole-punch camera in the top-left corner of the display. The phone is expected to be announced on 14 October, at which point we will know the rest of the details on hardware and software.
Xiaomi is ready to launch the upcoming Mi 11 series in China this month. An exclusive leak suggests that the company will unveil the devices in the last week of the year. And we are already getting some leaks ahead of its launch. The leaks regarding Mi 11 have been floating all over the internet, mainly because it's going to be the first flagship series with Snapdragon 880 processor. The series will include Xiaomi Mi 11 and Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro just like its predecessor Mi 10 series launched in 2020. Although, there are also some rumors about another possible device called Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro. Xiaomi is known for releasing amazing devices with a premium design and no-compromise on specs or features. The device might have a rear glass body with a metal mid-frame for rigidity. All devices are tipped to feature a four-curved screen.
The standard Mi 11 is expected to feature a four-curved display with a top-left punch-hole display. From the front side, it looks almost similar to the Mi 10. Although dimensions aren't known yet, it is likely to feature an FHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate display. The Mi 10 however, had a 90Hz refresh rate. The phone will like to have a UFS 3.1 storage with a triple camera setup along with an LED flashlight. The cameras are horizontally stacked inside a square-like housing. As per renders and leaks, the phone will have a blue gradient color with a chamfered bump. The phone will have a 108MP primary camera, a 13MP ultra-wide camera sensor, and a 5MP macro sensor.
So far, there isn't much information on Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro but it might have an identical design in the series with a quad-camera on the rear side. A leak by a user on Weibo suggests that the pro will feature a large 6.76-inch display. It will have a similar four-curved display with a top-left punch-hole but will feature a QHD+ resolution and 120Hz. Under the hood, it will feature the same Snapdragon 888 SoC as the Mi 11. There will be a 48MP OmniVision sensor, a 20MP ultra-wide camera sensor, a 12MP telephoto with 2x optical zoom. There might be an additional periscope lens for higher-zoom up to 10X. A report also suggests that the series will be powered on a dual-battery system.
Vivo is going to launch two new smartphones in the upcoming weeks which it has already announced today in China. The series consists of Vivo X60 and Vivo X60 Pro. These phones will be the first-ever smartphone to be powered by the Samsung Exynos 1080 5nm processing chip. The new processor is far more powerful than its predecessor. But speed isn't the only feature Vivo X60 offers. The standard Vivo X60 will have a slim design, with a new operating system, and technologically advanced cameras. From the design perspective, the phones will be the slimmest 5G smartphones in the market. The standard model is 7.36 mm thick while the pro model is at 7.59mm. Both phones use a curved glass back with a silk touch. However, the number of cameras isn't the same.
The Vivo X60 and X66 Pro both have a 5.56-inch display with a 2376x1080 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. The AMOLED display phone has a center punch hole to house the front camera. The display is HDR+ certified and has a 19.8:9 aspect ratio. According to the company, this screen is developed with Samsung and is far more clear and brighter even under strong sunlight. The phone will have 8GB or 12GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of internal storage. But the main selling point for the phones is their cameras. Vivo has partnered with ZEISS to improve their lens technology.
The vanilla Vivo X60 has a second-generation Sony camera with standard gimbal support with a 4-axis optical image stabilization and a closed-loop motor impressive anti-shake feature. It comes along with a 13MP ultra wide-angle camera and a 13MP telephoto camera. The pro model has the same Sony IMX camera with gimbal support. The primary camera is 13MP with wide-angle camera and distortion correction features. Another camera is an 8MP periscope camera that provides 5x optical zoom and up to 60x superzoom. Both phones feature a 32MP front camera with f/2.4.
The Xiaomi Mi Max has just been announced and it is going to be a huge one, quite literally! There will be three versions of the handset with slightly different hardware and internal storage capacities, but all versions will sport the same 6.44-inch 1080p display with a ppi count of 342. The enormous phone measures in at 173.1mm × 88.3mm × 7.5mm and weighs in at 203 grams. Initially, the device will only be available in China at a price of RMB1499 ($230 approx.), RMB1699 ($260 approx.) and RMB1999 ($307 approx.) for the respective models.
From what we know so far, all three models will share the same 6.44-inch FHD display, 3 gigs of RAM 5mp/16mp front and rear cameras, expandable memory, fingerprint scanner, metal build, USB 2.0 port and the massive 4850 mAh battery. Difference between the model priced at RMB1499 and the one that is priced at RMB1699 lies in the chipset used and the in-built memory. If you are ready to pay the higher price, you can own the 64GB model with the octacore Snapdragon 652 chipset. The cheaper one on the other hand will offer you less internal storage (32GB), as well as the slightly weaker Snapdragon 650 hexacore SoC. Xiaomi is offering the MI Max 128GB version at RMB1999 and this one will come with 4GB of RAM instead of 3GB. The SD 652 SoC will power this one as well while all other specifications will remain the same.
The Max will be made available for purchase in China, starting May 17, but no such plans for the US have been declared yet. If you really like the specifications and the "giant" form factor, there is always the option of importing one though. What do you think? Would you like to see the Xiaomi Mi Max being launched in your country or would you give it a pass?
Author: Saikat Kar (Tech-journalist and enthusiast)
Since the technology has revolutionized the communication industry, we have witness some amazing innovations in mobile phones. The phones are bigger, faster, and smarter than ever before. But one area that most of the mobile phone manufacturers completely ignored is the charging ability. Thanks to companies like Oppo and Reno, we are getting fast charging now. Till now, the Oppo Reno Ace holds the title of the fastest charging smartphone with 65W charging ability. The phone can be fully charged from zero in just 30 minutes. Now, Redmi is here to compete with the Oppo Reno Ace with its 66W charging speed.
Redmi 5G phone with the model number M2001J1E/C has appeared on China's 3C telecommunications website. According to the specifications listed on the website, the phone will pack 66W charging speed that is higher than any other existing smartphone's charging ability. Xiamoi is expected to launch Redmi K30 series phone with 5G network support next month. This would be another milestone towards the fast charging improvements this year.
Earlier this year, Xiamoi claimed to test 100W charging that is good enough to fully charge a 4000mAh battery in just 17 minutes. Oppo, later on, claimed that it is working on a 120W charging solution that could fully charge a 4,000mAh battery in 13 minutes. Sounds exciting. Right? But these are just claims and we have no evidence that it is going to work. As fast charging can cause the phone to over-heat and so far, no one has achieved more than 65W fast charging ability.
It's been some time since Xiaomi revealed a prototype for the Mi Mix Alpha - a phone with an extraordinary screen that wraps entirely around the phone. Now, the tech YouTube Marques had a more in-depth look at the prototype. It may seem like a very attractive product for a prototype, but it still needs some software-level optimization to do the magic trick.
The main attraction of the Xiaomi Mix Mix Alpha is its dazzling scree. It is a 7.9-inch display, measured from end to end with 2088 x 2250 resolution screen. The screen wraps around the phone and has a ceramic strap on the back of the phone that features all the cameras. The device is powered by the Snapdragon 855 plus processor and comes with a 4,050mAh battery that supports 40W fast charging. The phone has a 12GB RAM and 512GB of internal flash storage. Xiaomi decided to do some unusual placement of the software features to utilize the wrapping screen to its full strength. For example, the left edge of the screen showcases necessary information like time/date and notifications.
It has a sort of dashboard for other software features like weather, music control, a step counter, etc. The phone has a 198MP primary camera for taking selfies. Xiaomi placed some digital controls for the volume and power button on the top side. He states that using these buttons can be hit or miss. Xiaomi is still working on the palm rejection algorithm which may cause some accidental presses while using the phone. The company hasn't provided any further information on the availability of the phone yet but rumors suggest that the phone will be available in the market in September 2019 at 19,999 yuan or about $2,800 which is quite expensive for a phone.
Xiaomi has released four premium smartphones with 108MP primary cameras. These four phones are the Mi 10, Mi 10 pro, Mi Note 10, and Mi 10T pro, all of which are expensive smartphones. However, the company is releasing an affordable phone with a super high-resolution camera sensor too. The leaks come directly from the reliable leaker Digital Chat station on Weibo, who posted about the upcoming smartphone J17, which features a 108MP primary camera and another sensor paired with a telephoto macro lens.
The recent Xiaomi Mi 10T has the codename J3 and most Xiaomi have codes beginning with J, so J17 is likely a phone from the company. Other rumors suggest that we may see Redmi Note 10 early next year. Redmi is Xiamoi's affordable smartphone series and in many countries it competes with another affordable smartphone - Motorola's Moto G line. Xiaomi usually introduces new technologies in its Mi series before bringing it to Redmi series.
So far, Redmi series have the high-resolution camera sensor up to 64MP, so 108MP would be a big jump. This would be the first affordable phone to feature such a high-resolution camera. Perhaps the upcoming phone the leaks hints at is the Xiaomi Mi Note 11, an unconfirmed follow-up to the Mi Note 10.
There was a time when Chinese manufacturers were accused of copying features and designs from the more established brands, especially Apple. While some manufacturers are still on that road and it cannot be denied that even the most reputed of manufacturers have copied design elements from Apple, certain Chinese OEMs have introduced revolutionary concepts in the recent years, way ahead of Apple or Samsung. The Vivo Nex is the only true bezel less phone in the world right now and Huawei did revolutionize the smartphone camera by launching the incredible P 20 Pro; which was at that time, the only smartphone in the world with three rear cameras.
As a follow up to the P 20 Pro, Huawei will soon be launching the Mate 20 Pro, which is expected to further improve smartphone photography by introducing an enhanced version of the extremely successful Fusion Light technology we saw on the P 20 Pro. Apparently, the Mate 20 Pro will feature four rear cameras by Leica (an extra wide-angle lens), but instead of using Fusion Light, it will use an AI-powered version of it, called FusionMind. The exact details are fuzzy at the moment, but sources have it that the AI-powered technology will help to produce better, sharper images by automatically squeezing multiple pixels into one pixel, as necessary. Fusion Light on the P 20 Pro already provides users with an option to choose between 40-mp or 10-mp (squeezed pixels) images and this seems to be an enhanced version of that. Aside from the huge notch, it does look like the Huawei Mate 20 Pro is going to be a very lucrative option soon. You can check out some of the other rumors at Gizmochina.
Saikat Kar
US Department of Commerce provided a temporary license to Huawei for three months. Now the Chinese company will be able to keep sending software updates to its consumers for next three months after receiving a temporary license from the US commerce department. The existing license is due to expire on August 19th. The temporary license, effective from today, allows Huawei to take necessary actions to provide service and support, or software updates, security patches to its existing Huawei handsets that people are already using before May 16, 2019. The license will also allow Huawei to receive any security patches or maintain network equipment.
Last week, the Trump administration declared a national emergency to deal with Chinese technologies growth. This allowed the Secretary of Commerce to block all transactions with China considering it as a national security risk. Soon after the Trump administration blacklist Huawei, Google announced its cut-off with the company as it would be illegal for any company to work with the Chinese telecom giant without written permission from the U.S govt.
Google has announced that it would no long provide Android services for Huawei, although it is said that the company can continue to use the open source version of the OS. The Chinese market wouldn't have a great impact as they are already using the limited version of OS. This move, however, will have negative impact on Huawei's international sales numbers. The temporary general license will allow the company and the department to take the required actions for the customers in America and worldwide who are currently using Huawei devices. After this act, people are assuming that Chinese Govt. will surrender to Trump trade deal with China but only time will tell as the rumors suggest that Huawei has already start working on its own Operating system.
Huawei has launched its next flagship smartphone - Mate 30 Pro in Berlin. The only problem is that the phone can't be sold in Germany or anywhere in Europe due to the security ban by the Trump administration. The Mate 30 Pro has a cutting-edge curved display, a more powerful processor, and more cameras than iPhone 11 but it is practically useless without Google's Android software. That means you can't have YouTube, Google maps, Google app store, or any app available on it.
Huawei said that it will provide some workaround to enable users to download some of the apps like Facebook, Instagram, and Netflix. But Huawei knows that people won't buy it without these apps that's why it is not even being launched in western European countries. This could hinder some serious damage on the Huawei sales figure this year. Huawei is the second large smartphone manufacturer of Android smartphone after Samsung. The company was planning to be the number one by 2020 before it got hit by a security ban by Trump.
The Trump admin is also trying to get other countries to block the Huawei's 5G mobile network equipment. The previously released phones are still getting the software update for some time to enable users to have the time to switch to another phone manufacturer. In China, this band didn't affect much because the Chinese people don't use these apps and have alternative apps for years. The company has started to work its smartphone software called HarmonyOS but it may take years to match the Android's functionality and popularity.
While Mate 30 has the cutting-edge hardware to beat the latest iPhone, the company is facing a problem to get the attention of consumers due to the unpredictable situation after the ban. "Huawei has Apple soundly beaten when it comes to form-factor design but even these beautiful looking devices are going to struggle to see any volume without the Google ecosystem," Richard Windsor, a mobile analyst, said in a note this week.
With all the developments in mobile devices these days, it is easy to let some things slip you by. For users making their way from beginner to intermediate user and beyond, there might be some components of mobile devices with which you are not familiar. Here we'll go over some basic information on VPNs to help you understand what they are and how they are used - and with this, you might get some indication on whether or not they're right for you.
The Basic
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network, and in simple terms can be thought of as a go-between between your computer and the internet at large. When connected to a VPN you receive your data from the VPN, and the VPN service itself is responsible for sending and receiving your internet data requests. The benefits of this come primarily down to security, geo spoofing and evading various limitations imposed by your connection point.
When you have a VPN, any attacks have to come through the VPN service, rather than directly to your computer. As VPNs (especially professional ones) have improved security over most basic computer setups, they manage to take a lot of slack for the end user. There is also the added complexity in attacking through a VPN, which again benefits the end user.
"Internet Security Padlock for VPN & Onli" (CC BY 2.0) by mikemacmarketing
Geo-spoofing is a term applied to tricking a website or server into thinking you are from a different location. Sometimes websites or videos are locked behind geographical requirements, so this can be an easy an effective method of circumvention. The same can be said for limitations placed by the connection point themselves. Commonly, this can be seen in free Wi-Fi places like public transport. While the blocking of certain websites is a good idea, they can be overzealous, blocking places which are safe and offer no significant bandwidth drain.
The Modern VPN
Modern VPNs are far from the sluggish old behemoths we had to deal with a decade ago. These days, VPNs can not only access largely the exact same web pages and services as natural connections, they also can do so at a speed which renders them similar in performance.
These days there are an enormous amount of VPNs to choose from, thanks to improving technology and a great market demand. If security is a big concern for you, as it should be, then check out our other articles. These can help to help to decide whether the rest of the features are a good fit for you.
Once you have decided on a VPN service ExpressVPN, we recommend checking out some of the many online reviews, which can help you narrow down the pros and cons, and get the most out of what is right for your devices. Remember to be thorough and read closely, some of them might come with features you didn't even know you would like.
The Take Home
VPNs are becoming more common for a reason. With issues like Net Neutrality raising to the forefront of social conscience our privacy, safety, and freedom of choice and speed have never faced so many threats. The right VPN can help protect you not only now but can help ensure that in the future you are inoculated against many of the issues that governments or businesses see fit to throw at you. Just be sure to use your powers for good.
These days, it isn't rare to take our mobile devices with us everywhere. Mobile phones and tablets have expanded their abilities at incredible rates. Now, the power under our fingertips is vaster than the technology that sent the Apollo missions to the moon. That is an incredible leap forward that, along with the Internet's global community has completely changed the way that humans interact and live.
The digital age has made people available 24/7, no matter where they are. People can communicate using cutting edge chat-apps that even 15 years ago would have required a powerful desktop PC (remember AOL?). Now, we can chat to someone in Indonesia from Seattle at the drop of the hat - and then be chatting to someone in Ukraine moments later - all while waiting for a train (thanks to 3G or public WiFi).
Digital Drawbacks & Technological Threats
Sadly, along with the ability and will to be connected, also comes some very serious drawbacks. Modern problems. Digital threats that in some ways make people more vulnerable than ever before in history. Being connected leaves a trail and these digital footprints code for who we are like digital DNA. The data we create is highly personal and for that reason that data is incredibly valuable and people must seek to protect it.
What we actually find is a decrease in the level of scrutiny we apply to our online presence. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and the plethora of other social media platforms are all there for us to use, but that comes at a cost. We share our intimate moments. We share where we are, when we're away from home, when we're going on holiday, and often leave very easy breadcrumbs on exactly what we're doing, and when we're out, and where to find us. We share details that we wouldn't share with friends or family face to face, but saving them in a public forum is acceptable for millions of us. These posts, and images stay there forever. We think so little of our own private information that we give away lots of our information for free, without even thinking about it.
The inter-connectivity of devices also throws up additional concerns. We login to everything, on everything. Our phones have Facebook, our Facebook is used as a logon tool for many other services. We input our date of birth to gain access, our e-mails, our interests, likes, hobbies, names, friends, and more at an increasing rate. Our entire lives are online somewhere. Where people feel more at home with their mobile devices, we also login to our banks, and provide our financial information. The level of trust that we put into our devices, and the amount of digital data that we're inputting to those devices is increasing, drastically.
Governments, Internet Service Providers, advertisers, corporations, organizations, hackers, and cybercriminals, all want a piece of that pie. The technology has crept up on us quickly and only more recently have people come to accept that data should be considered a form of currency.
Whether it be to protect data from cybercriminals - or the government - the only way to be truly secure is for people to take control of their own digital footprints. Due to the value of personal data, everyone should make efforts to protect it. The sad truth is, that because that data is so valuable everyone is trying to get at it, but fewer are trying to protect it.
Personal cybersecurity
The first thing that people must realize is that mobile devices are just as vulnerable, if not more so, than PCs. In addition, the gap between Apple and Android has closed and now it is common to find malware for both. In fact, in some ways the Open Source nature of Android (as opposed to Apple's proprietary closed source environment) is allowing for encryption apps to pop up at a faster rate: things change.
These days, malware, viruses, spyware, and trojans all offer hackers methods for intercepting data - and their availability online to ‘script kiddies' means that cybercrime is at epidemic levels. The result is an elevated risk of fraud, loss of earnings - and perhaps worst of all - identity theft. For these reason, people need to take personal cybersecurity seriously and must seek to protect themselves and their devices. The most basic step is to make sure that the apps we install on our devices are secure, and that we always update them with the latest security patches and updates.
Third party and untrusted apps might be tempting, but the reality is that they could be malevolent. For this reason, people should to stick to trusted apps from known vendors and app stores. Even on official distributors such as Google Play Store it is possible to come across malicious apps.
For this reason people should take extreme care when downloading apps. Before you agree to install the app, check the permissions carefully. If the app wants access to things it doesn't really need then think twice before installing it. Why does a torch app want access to your GPS location and all of your contacts? If the requests don't seem reasonable simply don't download the app.
Remember that data is a currency, so if an app says it is ‘free' maybe you are actually paying with your data? In some cases, it might be worth paying a pound for a torch app that only requires access to the light on your phone, than to accept the free one that wants access to your entire device.
The Big Public WiFi Threat
Alongside smart devices, which allow us to be connected non-stop, in recent years there has been an explosion in the availability of public internet hotspots. Those hotspots provide high speed connectivity when people are out and about. The advantage of logging onto public connections is that people get to save their mobile data (if they have data limits).
What many people might not realize, however, is that public WiFi can be a security risk. When connected to public networks people's devices are vulnerable to having their data intercepted by another user that is logged onto the same router. This problem is the same on any WiFi - including shared home networks - so if you live in a big house where a lot of people regularly take the password from the router - you could also be at risk. The best solution for the problem is a VPN service.
A VPN service encrypts all the data between a phone, or tablet, and the VPN's servers. The result is that nobody on a public WiFi (or even on a fake hotspot controlled by a cybercriminal) can ‘sniff' the subscriber's data, as that data is encrypted.
The best VPNs provide strong military grade OpenVPN encryption, but many don't. With different levels of protection, and different services providing different benefits (and disadvantages), what you're specifically looking for can change the VPN service that you are looking for. Do you want faster speed, but are willing to accept a smaller number of geo locations, or do you need security at all costs, including speed and price? As such, it's important to do research about which VPN to use.
Other Levels of Protection
McAfee, Norton, AVG. At the launch of the internet, it's rare that individuals would have been desperate for anti-virus. There simply weren't as much malicious code flying around, but now, with an always-on internet antivirus is no longer seen as that "additional level of security that might sometimes help", or for those who delve more often into virus rife areas of the net. Now, things are different. It's rare for new computers, and new operating systems to not include some form of anti-virus, even for a month's trial while you set your computer up ensuring that you're not infected at this vital stage of life of your computer.
Not only is antivirus an integral part of your computer system, but firewalls are also included in the same package to help keep your computer safe. The problem arises that we're using our PCs, and our Laptops less and less, and using our mobile phones, and tablets more and more. There's a huge disconnect between the level of security on our larger devices, and our mobile phones, but we're still storing our intimate data on unprotected devices.
This could be a bit more understandable if protective services weren't easily available for mobile devices. Antivirus, firewalls, and password protection are just as available for devices, and the larger firms often provide multi-device deals, permitting several devices to be covered by the same services.
As well as more digital based protection, there's a large amount of physical ways to protect the data on our phones as well. Phone manufacturers are constantly in an evolutionary arms race with chancers who find new back-door entrances into devices. This has led to an increase in the amount of protection required to unlock a phone. Rather than just a pin, we now have patterns, passwords, swipe to unlock, fingerprint scans, google sign-ins. These simple methods help to keep that data secure from prying hands.
Our data, and our lives are much more mobile than they were before. Keeping up with that level of change is not only important: it's imperative.
We live in the golden age of mobile communications and web browsing, and thanks to advances in technology our computers have become faster and smaller. As a result of this many new industries have grown around the platform to create an ecosystem of functions, services and enjoyment for users. Some new sectors that have grown as a result of the ubiquity of mobile devices are the mobile gaming and gambling industries as barriers to access and cost came down. In this post, we take a look at 3 reasons why mobile devices have grown to become the perfect platform for gaming and gambling activities.
1. Gaming on the Go
By far the biggest contributing factor as to why mobile devices have become the best place for gaming and gambling is the portability of the devices we now use. Smartphones pack lots of sophisticated hardware and software in a pocket-sized device that allows us to access content on the internet such as video games, mobile slots, and virtual casino's. Mobile games nowadays have evolved into very well-designed titles with realistic graphics that provide anything from a quick game to pass the time such as Flabby Bird, to fully immersive experiences that provide hours of entertainment such as PokemonGo.
Whether you're on your daily commute, have a few minutes to kill in a waiting room, or relaxing at home, - mobile users have access to billions of pages of content, services and much more at the tap of a screen. This portable convenience is why gaming has taken off so spectacularly, everyone with a mobile device is a potential gamer, and millions are taking up the challenge.
2. Online Casinos and Gaming Platforms
An extension of the points made above is the fact that casino and video games are now available on the internet and in app stores. Technological advances mean that anyone can enjoy the experience of a casino without having to painstakingly plan a trip to Las Vegas or Macau. In the same way, besides the cost of your mobile there is often no need for further investment to play mobile games as many are available for free. This is in contrast to investing in a video games console or an expensive gaming PC,- as well as the games, for example.
Needless to say, many gaming and gambling experiences are now specifically optimised for mobile to ensure each user's best experience on their particular device. Either way, the availability of virtual experiences on the internet and the speed and convenience of mobile mean have helped to grow the industry's popularity.
3. Social Gaming
Another internet-based phenomenon that has resulted from the digital boom and mobile platforms is social media. Our smartphones have allowed us to connect with our friends and family beyond just having their phone number. Social media also allows people to discover or build communities based around interests they follow and so it is with mobile gaming and gambling. There is no advertising that is as powerful as word of mouth, and that is what social gaming does best for virtual casinos and games; word spreads and fast popular games end up growing very quickly.
The three reasons outlined above are some of the most important factors as to why mobile devices are currently the best platform for playing video games and enjoying gambling experiences. Together they have created the best conditions for gaming and gambling to become as popular as they are today.
Unknown to many, Sharp was the original company who introduced the world's first bezel-less or borderless Android smartphone with the Aquos Crystal. Although the credit has to go to Xiaomi for refining it further with the Mi Mix and giving us the world's most advanced bezel-less smartphone at the time. However, Sharp is not about to go out of the game it seems as the latest leak on Weibo is pointing towards another borderless smartphone from the Japanese company. From what we can see, it may resemble the Essential Phone in the way that it has a hole near the top of the display to allow for the front camera.
Rumored to be the FS8010, this one won't be packing flagship specs like the upcoming Mi Mix 2 or any other borderless smartphone. Check it out below (based on what the rumors have provided us with so far).
5.5-inch 1080 x 2040 flat, borderless LCD display
Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 SoC
4GB RAM
64GB internal storage
Single 12-mp camera
8-mp front camera
Android 7.1.1 Nougat
Saikat Kar (tech-enthusiast)
Even in 2018, Apple, Samsung and Google were competing only with each other in the smartphone camera battle and the Pixel 2 was leading only by the narrowest of controversial margins. Right now though, only the Google Pixel 3 is still on the top 3 list, with the likes of the iPhone XS Max and the Note 9 not even making it anywhere onto the top 5 spot! According to the latest rankings on DXOMARK, the top three positions are held by the Huawei Mate 20 Pro (116), the Huawei P20 Pro (109) and the Google Pixel 3 (107). While these results have not been officially published on their site yet, the leaked screenshot you see above has been all but confirmed by multiple reliable sources. Just in case you are not aware, DXOMARK is basically the most reliable and trusted benchmarking source when it comes to ranking D-SLR cameras and smartphone cameras after rigorous testing in various conditions.
It is clear now that the Chinese brands are not only offering similar hardware at better price points than Samsung or Apple, but they are actually producing better hardware too! The Huawei Mate 20 Pro is so far ahead of the curve that it's almost embarrassing for the rest of the competition to be honest. Consider the fact that
Saikat Kar
Realme is ready to show off its next smartphones for 2021 - Realme Race Pro and Realme X9 Pro. The company has been working on the display technology for these mobile phones. The Realme Race Pro will feature a large 6.8-inch OLED display screen with a 1440p and 160Hz refresh rate. Higher display rates are not rare but so far only phone manufacturers came up with 160Hz before Realme. The device will be powered by a high-speed Snapdragon 888 processing chip and comes with a 12GB of RAM configuration. The phone comes in two variations - 12GB and 512GB for internal storage.
Realme Race Pro will run on Android 11 with Realme UI 2 interface and Adreno 660 GPU. The device will feature a triple camera system at the rear panel with 64-megapixel primary camera sensor and two 13-megapixel camera sensors. The front camera isn't' specified yet but according to rumors, it will have a panorama feature. There will 4k video support at 30fps, 1080p at 30, 60, and 120fps. For security, it uses an under-display fingerprint scanner that uses optical scanning technology. The device will be powered by Li-Po 5,000mAh non-removable battery that comes with 125W fast charging. The phone will be available in black and a few other colors.
While the Realme X9 Pro isn't the most powerful smartphone on the market, it should still make some significant improvements over its rival devices with MediaTek's flagship-category Dimensity 1200 chip. The device comes with a 6.4-inch OLED display with 1080p and 120Hz refresh rate. The Pro features up to 2556GB of internal storage, 4,5500mAh battery, and 65W fast charging. Like Realme Race Pro, Realme X9 pro also comes with triple-cameras at the rear panel with a 64-megapixel primary camera and a couple of 13-megapixel lenses.
Vivo has released a new smartphone, the Vivo Z5x in the budget category. The launch has been official placed in China and will probably be available in Indian market in near future. But when? We don't have an official timeline for this yet. The phone has moderate specifications usually comes within this price range, but it has two features that are premium-like: It's 6.53-inch full HD+ display with a screen resolution of 2340x 1080 pixels with an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. The device is equipped with a powerful 5,000mAh battery and the company supplies an 18W fast charger, which is called dual engine flash charging. The battery is big enough to keep you going with a single charge for a whole day, even if you love to talk selfies. The phone will go on sale from the 1st of June.
The device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 710SoC main processor. The Android Pie version 9 with Vivo's funTouch OS 9 will run the device. It has three cameras at the back side: 16MP, 8MP, and 2MP. The last being the depth sensor, and in the front a punch hole type notch houses a 16MP selfie camera. The phone is available in three colors: Aurora, Extreme night black, and Phantom black.
For the security, Vivo Z5x has fingerprint scanner. Connectivity options include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and 3.5mm headphone jack. It comes with 4GB, 6GB, 8GB RAM and 64GB, 128GB storage options, expandable up to 256GB via microSD. The smartphone has been launched in China started at Yuan 1,398 which is approximately Rs. 14,500. The other variants are available for 15,400, 17,400, and 20,500 in Rupess. ensors on the phone include accelerometer, ambient light sensor, compass/ magnetometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, and fingerprint sensor. The Vivo Z5x measures 162.39 x 77.33 x 8.85mm (height x width x thickness) and weighs 204.10 grams.
Since the ability to spy on Android devices, many applications have come and go. Others have emerged and took over the industry. It takes good conduct and powerful mechanisms to remain relevant in this industry.
Here, we have the six best free spy apps for Android that are undetectable all through. These apps have made it possible for many people to believe in remote spying. You don't need all the rigorous techniques to use them, and that's why even amateurs are welcome.
Keep reading to see the future of spying in Android devices. In most of the solutions we are going to discuss, they are also applicable in the Apple world.
Part 1: Spyier Undetectable Android Spying Application
First, we have the Spyier Android spying tool that can spy on any device without any detection. That is possible through the stealth mode feature that enables it to hide its icon. That way, it works in the targeted phone's background as it fetches everything you need.
Talking of everything, Spyier has over 35 features you can use to explore the victim's Android phone or tablet. You don't need any rooting to use any of them. A one-time simple installation is enough on the targeted phone to make it work.
Later, it will get you all the calls, contacts, messages, location, browsing history, and more. You should check out the main website to read the full features list. How Spyier works have resulted in millions of downloads in more than 190 countries.
Others have read about it on major news outlets such as Tech Radar and iGeeksBlog. You can also read this post to get free spy app for Android undetectable from Spyier. After the installation, you get the target's results in your online account.
It's the first thing you will have to create before getting to the installation process. If you are worried about time consumption, it will only take you five minutes to start using Spyier. After that, the updates will be trickling into your account in real-time.
The features are presented on a dashboard that works with all browsers. That means you can use any smartphone, tablet, or computer to view the account. The only limitation you will be facing is the internet connection.
There is also the issue of data security. Spyier makes sure of this by not storing anything in its cloud. That way, any unauthorized access will not bear any fruits. So, it's one of the few apps that make sure you are the only one viewing your targeted phone's results.
How to Spy on Android Undetectably Using Spyier
Step 1: Make sure the Android you are spying has OS version 4.0 and above. After that, visit the Spyier website and sign up for an account. Next, select the Android icon and go ahead to pay for a plan that suits your objectives.
Step 2: You will later receive a confirmation email with everything you need to get started. Once you see it, use the sent link in the email to install Spyier on the targeted phone. Make sure you activate the stealth mode to hide its icon before finishing the installation.
Step 3: Once you finish installing, login to your account remotely to view the results. You will see the dashboard after the syncing completes.
To spy on the phone, click on the links you see on the left part.
Part 2: Minspy Undetectable Android Spying App
Another application that your target will never notice is the Minspy solution. It has the stealth mode that helps it to hide while spying on the Android. It works with Android 4.0 and above, and you don't need to root the device.
Minspy needs you to install it once on the culprit's Android before getting the results remotely. After that, you are free to log in anywhere as long as you have an updated browser connected to the internet.
It will show you all the vital details such as messages, calls, social media activities, and media files. You can visit the main website to see all the features and what they can do.
Part 3: Spyine Undetectable Android Spying App
Spyine works with Android 4.0 and above, and it's also undetectable. It needs a one-time installation on the victim's phone without any rooting tricks. After that, you can enjoy remote access using any internet-enabled device.
Some of its intuitive features include contacts, SMSs, installed applications, and SIM Card details. It's so undetectable such that you can uninstall it without the user's knowledge.
Part 4: Spy on Android Undetectably Using Spyic
Millions of people have also used Spyic to spy on Androids without being seen. Again, it's the power of the stealth mode feature that has helped the users to remain invisible. Also, it does not require any rooting techniques.
That means using Spyic will leave the targeted phone just like the way it was. For you, the results will be in your online account. They will include calls, location, social media, photos, and videos.
It's possible to view the results anywhere you are if you are connected to the internet. The control panel here works with all browsers.
Part 5: Spy on Android Undetectably Using Neatspy
Neatspy will also never tell when you use it on any Android target. It will work on Android 4.0 and above without the rooting. That is why it's gaining popularity as the days go by. You only require to install it once on the culprit's phone and activate the stealth mode.
In your online account, that is where you get all the information from the saved contacts to the installed applications. Since the dashboard is compatible with all browsers, you only need an internet connection to access the results.
Part 6: Spy on Android Undetectably Using ClickFree
Lastly, we have the ClickFree solution that also goes undetected after installing it once on an Android. You can deploy it on OS version 4.0 and above, and it's another solution that disregards rooting.
The spied data will always be in your online account. It will include the calls, browsing history, calendar notes, and keylogger reports. With a panel that fully works with all browsers, you can log in using any internet-enabled device.
Conclusion
You can spy on a wide variety of Android apps if you any of our six recommendations. You can start with Spyier to see how it goes. After that, we know that you will have an app that you will always depend on for spying purposes.
We are endorsing all since they are 100% undetectable. You can hide the apps, and they also don't need rooting. So, there is nothing that will alert the target of their presence.
On its latest flagship device, Galaxy S6, Samsung has ditched the microSD card slot for good. Depending on a faster internal storage for all Android and User files. The Korean giant will release 3 variants with different storage sizes (32GB - 64GB - 128GB). So...
How much storage available on a 32GB Galaxy S6 ?
Well, it's only about 23GB available for the user data after. The system-reserved storage is 6.5GB, with an extra 2GB reserved under the "Used space" heading. This means 9GB of storage is taken up the moment you open the box. You can disable apps, but not uninstall them.
The 64GB model will have around 54GB available for the user and finally, the 128GB will have 118GB available for the user. Your Choice!
Salary is the worst addiction that makes you kill your dreams and work your whole life. We get up early in the morning and travel to work 9 to 5 for an income that only fulfills our basic needs. On top of that, we don't have the freedom of our own life. We can't travel, take days off, or rest if we like it. Jobs bound us to a strict routine of slaves and keeps our mouth shut with minimum wage.
The world is starting to see how jobs take away our entire life. That's why people are more focused on starting their own business. But it's not as simple as most of us might think. Most startups usually fail within the first year, and very few of them manage to become a stable business with a decent income. The problem is our education system. They teach us how to be a good employee, but no one tells us how to start a business. They don't give us practical education or experience.
We discover new things by making mistakes and suffering terrible losses. We can only withstand a limited number of losses before we fall down. And not all of us have the courage to get up again and give the business another shot.
So, what's the solution to this problem?
Research!
Use the internet and contact experienced people of the same industry to learn from them. Don't for the time when you will give up everything and start working on your new business. Learn things whenever you can. Only when you are sure that now you have learned enough to start a successful business of your industry should you take the next step.
The Internet is the source of valuable information where you learn from the experience of other people. This article is one of them. This is a humble approach to share our experience and knowledge with all ambitious entrepreneurs and businessmen. Here I have shared things you must have when starting a new business. You don't necessarily need all of them. It's just some things that may be helpful for some businesses and essential for some industries.
A Unique Selling Proposition
This is not optional. If you are to start a business, you must have an idea that is unique. Of course, the entire business idea can't be unique due to the saturation we have in every single market. However, you can add one unique thing in the same cliché idea to stand out in the market.
For example, for a food business, you could have a great taste that your customers won't find anywhere else. Whether it be quality, low prices, or additional service, that's for you to decide. It's not something you would find easily. You will have to research the entire market. See what people are doing and what your customers expect. Look for a market gap and make it your unique selling point.
Focus all your business processes and marketing on that unique selling point to attract and retain customers. As long as you keep offering that uniqueness, you will keep getting returning customers. And a business with loyal customers never fails.
At Least Six Month of Budget
It's a frequently asked question: how much money do you need to start a business? There is no one right amount. It all depends on the industry and the scale of the company you are starting. There is also not one formula to get an exact number. But here is something that will give an approximate idea of what you need.
First, make a list of initial necessities you will need for the business. For example, equipment, workers, office, etc. write down the price that would be spent before starting operations.
After that, get an estimate of how much money you will have to spend if you don't get any return at all. It includes rents, bills, and wages.
Finally, multiply the monthly expenses to six and add it with initial expenses. That's your total investment. Remember, you multiplied the monthly expenses to six because you must have at least six months of budget to keep the business running. You can't expect profit at the beginning, and you need a strong backbone to suffer losses for this time period.
Answering Machine
You start your marketing before you start operations. This means that you will spread brand awareness and let the world your business exist. So, you will be getting calls from prospects who may be interested in your product or services. If you don't properly retain them, you will lose potential customers. That's why you will need a professional phone number with a receptionist to answer all such calls.
For many businesses, having a receptionist is crucial. For example, a doctor can't make an appointment and deal with customers while also treating a line of patients.
Now you might be wondering how a new business can afford a receptionist. It's difficult enough to pay for other expenses, and hiring a receptionist before starting operations would be way out of budget. Fortunately, there is a perfect solution for it.
There are businesses that let you outsource receptionist work. You get an answering service from a reliable company that will professionally deal with all your calls. Every time someone calls your number, it will be attended by a real person who will guide them as per your instructions. This will present you as a professional company to impress your prospects.
A Website
You will be left way behind the market if you don't have a website. You might wonder since when a website is so important. It's become crucial as most of the world population regularly started using the internet. It works like an online branch of your business where you will get customers. Whether it's a product or a service you offer, you can rely on the internet to get you leads that you will contact to convince and convert into customers.
You need a domain, hosting, and a website. The first two barely cost $50 a year. As for the website, you can get one in any budget. There are sites you can get in $20, and you can have them custom-built for additional cost according to your requirements. With this, you should also consider acquiring some digital marketing services to promote your website and attract potential customers.
A Network of Relevant Professionals
A network is one of the biggest assets of a professional. People think money is all they need to start a business. Honestly, you can always arrange the funds. But you can't have someone else run the business at your place. It's very important that you stay in touch with every professional that is remotely linked to your industry or business.
Even if they are not in the same industry, save their contact number and keep in touch. You should try to have one person from every profession in your network. You never know when you might need a lawyer. Other than that, the expertise of a marketer is also useful. Furthermore, keep business cards of reliable electricians, mechanics, plumbers, and other such professionals for maintenance of your office.
Business License
Many businesses are not allowed to operate without a license. For example, if you are a dentist, you will need to get a license first. You get the license only after your fulfill certain requirements. The government doesn't want an unqualified person to provide services that could harm somebody. That's why a license is important. Get information about its requirements and complete them before you even start the plan of your business.
Document of Roles and Responsibilities
You might be working alone, have partners, or employees. Many businessmen underestimate the value of documentation, which they later regret. You need to write detailed roles and responsibilities of each actor and have him sign before you start working together. If you don't do that, it will later cause problems between you two.
It's particularly important if you have a co-founder or partner. Decide what goals each of you must achieve to keep the business running. If you are the one doing all the work and the other one only benefitting, sooner or later you will sick of it. Write documents and decide that each will only be rewarded after achieving certain goals and milestones.
Team of Business Developers
There are businesses with lousy products and services that keep running and making profit just because they have great business developers. Their job is to bring work for you, in other words, customers. It takes more time to attract a customer than to retain it. You can't spend all your time looking for customers and convincing them. Your expertise lies elsewhere, and that's where you should focus.
Work on your product or service to provide the best user experience. Business developers will bring customers to your doorsteps. If you can retain them with quality, they will keep returning, reducing your marketing cost. Make sure you find some experienced business developers and hire them on commission at the initial phases.
Nokia has recently been at the front of tech news all around the internet, as its comeback is no more a matter of speculations but something that has already begun. The Nokia 6 was recently released in an online flash sale that was exclusive to China. It got sold out in under a minute! As you can imagine, that's exactly the kind of start that HMD was hoping for. Unfortunately, the Nokia 8 and its flagship specs turned out to be nothing more than a rumor. Nevertheless, we have recently received reliable (somewhat) news from GFXBench that Nokia might be in the process of launching a huge tablet. How huge you ask? 18.4-inches to be exact!
The 2.65kg tablet will reportedly be launched with beefy specs such as a gigantic 18.5-inch QHD display with 2560 × 1440 pixels resolution, Qualcomm 835 SoC with the Adreno 540 GPU, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage, 4G LTE, GPS, NFC, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Check out the screenshot from GFXBench above to see more details. If this turns out to be true, will you be buying one? How much would you pay for this device?
Saikat Kar (tech-enthusiast)
HMD Global is about to release the Nokia 9.2 and just before its launch its predecessor Nokia 9 PureView gets the price cut. The Nokia 9 Pure view is now starting from Rs. 35,000 in India that comes with 8GM RAM and 128GB internal storage. For some reasons, HMD Global decided to skip the 9.1 entirely and moved to 9.2 instead. There is no confirm news about its price but rumors suggest that it will be the first Nokia phone with 5G support and may cost around $600 with 256GB storage.
The Nokia 9 pure view had a crazy Penta-camera setup which promised to capture 10 times more light than a single camera sensor. However, the camera failed to live up to the hype and HMD Global decided to return to more standard camera configuration and moved to a higher level of a megapixel. Another rumor suggests that this will be an under-glass 32MP front-facing camera making the 9.2 the first phone to use this technology.
The device will be powered by the powerful Snapdragon 865 processing chip and will support 5G network connectivity. Recently BenGeskin released the pictures of possible renders of Nokia 9.2. According to the pictures, the smartphone has almost no bezels on the front. The back design uses the Oreo rear quad-camera system instead of the standard camera array. As per the news, the phone will use the Android 10 operating system. Other rumors suggest that the phone will be using 8GB RAM with 128GB internal storage.
Nokia 9.2 also sports a P-OLED display. The screen has a resolution of 1440 x 2560 pixels and 490 PPI pixel density. For the front camera, the phone is using a 24MP camera lens. On the rear, it has four cameras all 13MP. The rear cameras have features like Digital Zoom, Auto Flash, Face detection, Touch to focus, etc. This device runs on a big 4500 mAh battery but there is no information on the fast charge capacity. For connectivity, it comes with WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, Volte, NFC and more.
HMD Global was expected to launch its upcoming smartphone at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona but the company had to delay the release due to coronavirus pandemic. The company called the successor of the Nokia 9 as a Nokia 9.3 PureView. A fresh wave of leaks suggests that the next smartphone is said to feature 108-megapixel primary camera and 120Hz display. The smartphone might feature an array of camera sensors at the rear side - just like the Nokia 9 PureView. One of these camera sensors will be able to offer the optical image stabilization technique as well. The phone is now expected to available in the second half of this year after the first release was canceled due to coronavirus situation.
A reputable Nokia Tipster has shared some leaks about the smartphone. The phone might be using either a 108-megapixel sensor from Samsung or a 64-megapixel sensor from Sony. These sensors will be used to record video from the mobile camera. As per leaks, HMD CPO wanted to use only the 108-megapixel sensor and abandon the system of simultaneous operation of several sensors. The configuration of other cameras is unknown right now, but it is safe to guess that there will be telephoto, macro, and depth sensors along with the primary camera.
To display a high-refresh-rate at 120Hz the phone needs a high-capacity processor under the hood. The company will use the OLED screen on the display and a powerful Snapdragon 865 processor. The previous model used Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 plus. Another leak suggests the color options - Polar night, bold and lighter shades similar to copper hues HMD Global has already introduced before.
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More details leaked about the Upcoming HTC One (M9) flagship (codenamed Hima). This time around we're hearing that despite what some previously leaked pictures have shown us, the device won't be almost identical in terms of design to its predecessor, the HTC One M8.
In fact, in certain aspects it will be quite different. For the design of its front, and specifically the BoomSound speakers, the One (M9) will reportedly be inspired by the Nexus 9 tablet, also made by HTC and pictured below.
Hence, the M9 is rumored to come with an edge to edge glass panel on its front. The speaker panels will no longer be exposed like they were in the original One and the One M8. Rather, they will be enclosed within the aforementioned glass. This will get two 45 degree cutouts for the slit speaker grills, which will span around 50% of the handset's top and bottom edges.
And this will apparently make the One (M9)'s design closely resemble that of the Nexus 9. According to the source of the information, the new style will enable a "slicker" and "more refined" look on the new flagship smartphone when compared to its predecessors.
HTC launch the One M9 with 32GB internal storage along with microSD support up to 128GB. However, According to HTC ROM developer @LlabTooFeR, the HTC One M9 will also have a 64 GB variant. Reportedly, this should be launched "later this year" in selected markets worldwide.
Both the One (M8) and One (M7) offer two storage capacities, so we're not really surprised to hear that the One M9 won't come in just a 32 GB variant. Obviously, the One M9 64 GB should be a bit more expensive than the regular 32 GB model, possibly costing $50 or $100 more.
As per a report that got out of South Korea, Samsung is on its way to make a few new features available in the affordable smartphones.
We're discussing about the fingerprint sensor and the support for Samsung Pay along with NFC. A source informed that Samsung is planning to deploy fingerprint sensors in budget smartphone models, although we're not quite sure what kind of smartphones would fall into the "budget" segment.
It seems that Samsung is getting affected by the Chinese makers, who include fingerprint scanners in lower to medium range devices. Moreover, at the same price point Chinese makers offer more features than Samsung. The tech giant is taking these steps to bolster its presence in the emerging markets. Currently Samsung is holding the top spot in 14 out of 15 emerging smartphone markets.
Unfortunately Samsung has not yet given any particular time frame to make these features available in the budget segment. As per speculations, Samsung Pay will be available in low and medium range smartphones in the first half of 2016. This will be rolled out for the company's Android devices. Analysts are still divided in their opinions of whether its Tizen smartphone will also have support for the payment system. Customers can expect access to some high-end Tizen offerings next year.
It has become quite a norm with Samsung - just before the release of major smartphones certain information gets leaked. This time around a list of Galaxy S7/S7+/S7 edge accessories have surfaced which gives out pricing info - specifically in the German market. Thanks to German WinFuture, the selection packages few major surprises.
To start off, Samsung is planning to compete with Apple by manufacturing a battery case that would look exactly like Apple's case, which will hopefully look beautiful in terms of design. The case would cost €89.99 ($99.9) which packages a battery with a capacity of 2,700 mAh with support for wireless charging. As per recent speculations, the Galaxy S7 is supposed to come with a 3,000 mAh battery and the S7+ and S7 edge are said to package a gigantic 3,600 mAh battery.
Another interesting thing in the list is the first of its kind Samsung LED View Flip Cover (€69.99, or $77.7). According to the source, the flip-type case will have LEDs which will send out notification in case of incoming calls. Finally, a Leather Cover in black and brown color will also be released during the launch.
Rumors about the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 have been going haywire recently and just a few days ago, one such rumor suggested that there will also be a flat screen variant of the upcoming device. This conclusion was based on the fact that the model number SM-N930F was allegedly seen on Samsung's own website. However, we saw no such indications in the leaked teaser image which we showed you earlier. The latest report published by SamMobile and informed by their source in South Korea, further stresses on the fact that Samsung is not going to market a flat screen Note 7 this year. According to them, there will be only one dual Edge curved screen variant of the device in 2016.
This decision was supposedly taken because the South Korean OEM is now trying to focus more on making profits than gaining market share. We like the Edge display more than the flat one and are behind this decision by Samsung. They add more functionality to the display and look just downright gorgeous. However, there is a large group of people who find the dual Edge impractical as there have been reports of the Edge display getting activated unwillingly, in spite of Samsung's palm rejection technology. What kind of a display would you like to see on the Samsung Galaxy Note 7?
Author: Saikat Kar (tech-enthusiast)
We had only heard rumors up until now about Samsung's upcoming virtual assistant and the artificial intelligence that powers it, but it has now been confirmed by Samsung officially. Previously, Samsung had filed for patenting the name "Bixby" and reports are suggesting that's exactly what the AI assistant will be called on release. Also, the good news is that it will be launched along with the upcoming S8 as expected.
In the official statement by Executive Vice President Rhee Injong, "Developers can attach and upload services to our agent,"
"Even if Samsung doesn't do anything on its own, the more services that get attached the smarter this agent will get, learn more new services and provide them to end-users with ease."
Although this means that third party services will be supported, Samsung did not specify any details about which ones it will work with or how exactly it will work with them. It will be interesting to see how the AI developed by the Korean electronics giant manages to stack up against the competition and especially the likes of the mighty Google Assistant that is now exclusively available to the Pixel phones.
Saikat Kar (tech-enthusiast)
Samsung had earlier announced that customers in the US should start receiving safe replacements for their hazardous Note 7 smartphones by September 21 and they have kept their promise. Reports indicate that Samsung has already started to distribute the new batch of smartphones to the customers and resellers here in the US. We guess Tim Baxter (COO, Samsung Mobiles US) meant it when he proclaimed the aforementioned deadline in an official apology video, in which he also requested all customers to immediately power down their devices and contact Samsung for a replacement or a refund.
Apparently, Best Buy is one of the first resellers in the US to notify their customers about the replacements having arrived. Although we are not sure, but Best Buy is probably also the only reseller right now that's providing the replacement Galaxy note 7 smartphones to their customers. Nevertheless, we are pretty sure that the other resellers and carriers will pick up on it before September 21. Now that Samsung has guaranteed safety with their new batch of Note 7s, will you be opting to buy one or would you choose something else from what the competition has to offer?
Saikat Kar (tech-enthusiast)
Even though Samsung did not exactly say it out loud, we are sure that the iris scanner will inevitably be a part of the Galaxy S8 next year. The company has made it official that they will compensate their parts suppliers, who suffered a loss as a direct result of the Note 7's recall and subsequent discontinuation. Both common sense and reports from South Korea are suggesting that this compensation will involve endowing the S8 with an iris scanner. Additionally, Samsung may also choose to equip the S8 with a dual-lens rear camera sensor to increase revenue for the affected supply chain partners.
Sources state that the main partners who will benefit from this decision are Sekonix (camera lens supplier), Samsung Electro-Mechanics (camera module supplier), Patron and MCNEX (iris scanner manufacturer) and Kolen (supplies the lens necessary for building the iris scanner). Since there is also another rumor going around, which states that Samsung will concentrate on one flagship smartphone in the entire next year, this might actually be a good strategy. It will help Samsung stay in good terms with their suppliers, as well as slowly turning around the unfortunate incident which has and will continue to cost all involved parties dearly for at least a good while more.
Saikat Kar (tech-enthusiast)
According to the latest reports, Samsung may release an "Edge" variant for its upcoming flagship device Galaxy S6. The Galaxy S6 Edge will pack a curved display like the current Galaxy Note Edge.
Instead of releasing a Prime variant which is like releasing the same device twice but with higher Specs, Samsung decided to change its strategy to provide a newer/better option with a new technology, Flexible Displays. The Galaxy S6 Edge will pack the same Specs and Design as the original Galaxy S6 but with curved display on the side. Rumored Specs for the Galaxy S6 include QHD display, Exynos 7420/Snapdragon 810 chipset, and 16MP or 20MP camera.
As the Korean Giant did with the Galaxy Note 4, Both S6 variants (Original, Edge) will be released at the same time, the expected release date is the first Half of 2015 (H1,2015).
Contrary to what we had been led to believe previously, a new report/rumor is indicating that the release for the Galaxy S8 will be delayed till April. As per the report, the delay is brought on to absolutely ensure the safety and quality of the product on release. Samsung had officially stated earlier that "Currently we do not have any plans to release Galaxy S8 early." We were led to believe that this means Samsung will stick to their usual routine of releasing the next Galaxy device a day prior to the MWC in Barcelona. Whether that happens or not, remains to be seen now.
We also have news that Samsung may begin to put together the prototypes and begin testing the S8 from January, after receiving the first order of the necessary parts from its supply chains in the same timeline. Mass production of the final build should begin around the month of March after two months of testing. If you are not yet aware of all else that the rumors are predicting about the Galaxy S8, take a look here. Keep in mind though, nothing is confirmed as of yet.
Saikat Kar (tech-enthusiast)
For those of you who don't know it already, Samsung Display is a division of Samsung Electronics that supplies panels to multiple manufacturers all over the world. Their clientele includes Apple, Huawei, Oppo, Vivo and of course, Samsung's own internal departments. Apparently, Samsung Display's recent flexible OLED sales to the aforementioned Chinese OEMs have reached brand new heights as this sub-division of the South Korean giant is boasting of a sales figure that amounts to a sum of over 1 billion USD in Q3, 2016. The fact that ONLY Samsung Display makes the 6th-gen A3 flexible OLED panels is largely responsible for the impressive sales number.
In a report by IHS Market, both the small and mid-sized display business is dominated by Samsung Display with an astounding market share of 96.2% in Q3, 2016. In the entire display business, Samsung maintains the lead with a share of 31.8%, while Japan Display Inc. (JDI) comes in as a distant second and a market share of 15.4%. LG is at the third position with a respectable 13.1% share of the business.
Saikat Kar (tech-enthusiast)
In what was quite a shocking revelation, it has been speculated that the LG G6 won't feature this year's flagship chipset, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835. Keep in mind that this is just a rumor at this point of time and may not hold true. However, the implications of such an event are devastating for LG, should it turn out to be true. The LG G-series of smartphones have traditionally been a rival of Samsung's Galaxy S-series every year. If it misses out on the most powerful upcoming smartphone chip for Android phones which its arch-rival will be sporting, LG will lose the competition even before the sales begin.
As you know already, this year's SD 835 chip is made on Samsung's 10nm process. Rumor has it that any phone which comes out before April will not be sporting the flagship SoC as the chips will all be used in the Galaxy S8 first, before being delivered to any other smartphones in 2017. What this means is that the S8 will be the first phone to have the Snapdragon 835 inside. As the LG G6 is scheduled to be showcased at the MWC next month and the S8 has been confirmed to be delayed indefinitely, facts are suggesting that the G6 will be sporting the Snapdragon 821 SoC from 2016. Make no mistake though, the SD 821 is still the most powerful chip for Android phones right now, but by the time the G6 is released, it may just be playing second fiddle to the more powerful and power-efficient SD 835.
Saikat Kar (tech-enthusiast)
Although renders by leaksters and case makers had given us a good idea about what to expect this year from the Galaxy S line-up, this is the first time that the internet has treated us to an actual live image of the upcoming Galaxy S8. Courtesy of VentureBeat, we have a live image which shows the S8 both from the back and the front. Let us now take a deeper look at what has been revealed about the S8 by the picture, provided that it is indeed the Galaxy S8 which we are seeing here.
We can see a single camera module with flash and the fingerprint scanner placed right beside it. Additionally, there appears to be a single speaker grill at the bottom and there's a chance that another speaker grill will be found on top of the phone. There's USB Type-C as expected and most delightfully, the 3.55mm audio jack can be seen as clear as the light of day. Earlier rumors had suggested that the S8 Plus may feature a dual camera module, so this could very well be the regular S8 that we are seeing here. True to what every rumor had been predicting, the phone has no physical Home button and sports a bezel-less curved display. To find out everything else about the Galaxy S8, check out our Samsung Galaxy S8 specifications here.
Saikat Kar (tech-enthusiast)
Apple may take a page out of Samsung's book as the iPhone 8 is rumoured to sport an iris scanner for security. If you remember, the Galaxy Note 7 was the first phone to come with an in-built iris scanner and as of now, there has been no other release from any company which sports similar technology. If the rumors are true then the most expensive version of the iPhone 8 with an OLED display will be Apple's first phone with an iris scanner.
Rumors also indicate that the Galaxy S8, which will be launched next month, could sport the same iris scanner as the one we briefly saw on the Note 7, before it was discontinued. It will be interesting to see what changes Apple brings to the scanner to make it stand out from the competition. If they do indeed bundle in the iris scanner, will that justify the $1000 rumored price tag for the iPhone 8? What do you think? Let us know in the comments section.
Saikat Kar (tech-enthusiast)
According to DisplayMate, the Galaxy S8 quite simply has the best looking display on a mobile phone yet. DisplayMate is an industry expert when it comes to calibration and testing of displays in general and not only smartphones. If you doubt that title of being the best panel ever, check out what they found in their extensive testing of the smartphone's Super AMOLED QHD+ panel and decide for yourself.
Apparently, the Infinity display on the S8 and the S8+ has a peak brightness above 1,000 nits! If you have no idea what that means then consider the fact that at the highest brightness settings, the Pixel XL caps out at 403 nits, the iPhone 7 at 700 nits and the S7 itself at 855 nits. This basically puts the S8 and S8+ on an entirely different league and sunlight visibility issues non-existent.
In terms of the color gamut, the Infinity display can cover as much as 142% of sRGB / Rec.709 Gamuts and 113% of the DCI-P3 Color Gamut. The display also has Mobile HDR Premium certification from the UHD Alliance for better dynamic range. For the rest of the report, click here.
Saikat Kar (tech-enthusiast)
The Galaxy S8 and S8+ are fantastic devices, but they have their flaws too. Fortunately, one of those flaws will not be a battery malfunction or more explicitly, a battery blow up anytime soon. In order to make sure that the Galaxy Note 7 disaster never repeats itself ever again in any of Samsung's future smartphones, the South Korean company has taken multiple steps; 8 to be exact! Check out the video that Samsung has released as the official release date for the S8 and S8+ draws near with each passing day.
Clearly in their attempt to take battery safety more seriously than ever, Samsung has also taken the controversial decision to stick with batteries that are practically of the same size as that of the S7 and S7 Edge from last year. While it may not be that bad for the S8+, this has had a detrimental impact on the S8 in terms of battery life. Consider the fact that both phones are pushing more pixels and a significantly larger and brighter screen than their predecessors and the problem should become apparent to you as well.
Saikat Kar (tech-enthusiast)
Although the Galaxy S8 and S8+ have not been released to the public yet, they are apparently receiving their first OTA updates. The updates contain the Android security patch for the month, but more interestingly, has the "fix" which takes away the ability to remap the Bixby hardware button from both devices. It wasn't easy to begin with as you had to install a third party app to get it done, but post the update, it just won't be possible anymore unless you decide to root your brand new device. The build numbe on the two updates are G950FXXU1AQDD (S8) and G955FXXU1AQDD (S8+) .
As of now, the update is only hitting the review units and pre-release handsets probably, since the two smartphones are not yet available for purchase anywhere. However, what this does mean is that if you do decide to buy any of the two handsets or if you have pre-ordered any one of them, the April security patch will be waiting for you, along with the Bixby Button reprogramming limitation patch as soon as you switch on your phone for the first time. Get that Wi-Fi ready and start getting to know Bixby I guess!
Saikat Kar (tech-enthusiast)
It is now official, the Galaxy Note 7 disaster is well and truly behind the company as the S8 and S8+ have seen an unbelievable 30% hike in pre-orders, as compared to the S7 and S7 Edge. Given that the S7 did not have any bad publicity to deal with, it wouldn't have been surprising if people were a bit more apprehensive about the S8 series this year. However, that's not the case and the S8 series is now officially the most successful launch for a smartphone that Samsung has ever experienced.
Tim Baxter, President and CEO at Samsung Electronics America, has proudly stated that the overwhelming response from customers worldwide is a result of Samsung "recommitting" itself as a innovator to bring innovations to the market. This news comes hot in the heels of another important update. Samsung will apparently be releasing a software patch very soon, which will take care of the red tinge issue, which is slowly becoming infamous; something that Samsung will probably not take very lightly.
Saikat Kar (tech-enthusiast)
As per a recent report published by Strategy Analytics, Samsung is selling their smartphones at $465 less than Apple on an average. This conclusion was reached after the firm established that the average selling price of iPhones is $692 and that of the Samsung smartphones is $227. This data is still somewhat dated though, given that the parameters were last updated at the end of Q4, 2016.
You can probably guess that this isn't really a big surprise since Apple only sells premium smartphones, while Samsung does business in every budget category out there. The difference wasn't so shocking before though, but we are guessing that's an obvious effect of the tremendous competition from Chinese manufacturers, who continue to grow in the emerging markets. As Xiaomi, OnePlus and others continue to take over the budget and mid-range segments, Samsung has no choice but to lower the prices in order to stay competitive. They are nevertheless, still the leader in all segments on a global basis.
Saikat Kar (tech-enthusiast)
If anyone who has used the Galaxy S8 was asked to point out a single flaw in the S8's design, it would be the fingerprint scanner's placement. Of course the Bixby button could be up for argument as well, but it will more likely lose to that awkwardly placed sensor by far. If you have been following us, then you probably already know that the design choice in this regard wasn't really a "choice" for Samsung. After putting in the necessary money into developing a fingerprint scanning tech that could be placed below the glass, Samsung found that it wouldn't be ready before the beginning of the Galaxy S8's mass production process. They literally had no space left at this point to implement the fingerprint scanner, except where you see it right now.
Sadly enough, it seems that the Note 8 will not be able to sport the tech either as Samsung and even Apple is facing some serious issues with implementing the technology into their respective upcoming flagship smartphones. In the words of a Samsung representative (according to the report), "We made every effort to install a display-integrated fingerprint sensor on Galaxy Note 8, but we decided not to install it on this strategic phone due to various technical limitations such as security." Samsung will continue to work with CrucialTec and others in the field to develop and integrate the technology, but it doesn't seem like something which could happen before the Galaxy Note 8 is released.
Saikat Kar (tech-enthusiast)
Samsung had introduced the world to its first set of dual cameras with the Galaxy Note 8 just a few days ago and now the OEM is getting ready to do something similar in the mid-range segment as well. As per a report by Thai Mobile Center, the Galaxy J7+ will be Samsung's dual camera powered handset in the mid-range price segment in select countries. Of course, we can expect the dual camera setup to be much watered down than what we are seeing on the Galaxy Note 8 for obvious reasons. The Galaxy J7+ itself will likely be a more powerful version of the current gen Galaxy J7 (2017). If you are interested about the specs, just take a look below to know what the rumors are predicting at the moment.
5.5-inch Super AMOLED Full HD display
Exynos 7870
4GB of RAM
32GB internal storage with expandable memory card slot
13-megapixel (f/1.7) + 5-megapixel (f/1.9) rear camera
16-megampixel front camera