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Showing posts with the label Android

Nokia 6 2nd Generation announced with better CPU, OZO Audio and Bothie mode

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As expected, HMD Global has just taken the wraps off another Android smartphone, a small  Nokia 6  upgrade. Dubbed  Nokia 6 2nd Generation , the handset will be exclusively available for purchase in China for $230.  Unlike the previous  Nokia 6 model  that packs an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor, the 2nd Generation comes with an upgraded 2.2GHz octa-core  Qualcomm Snapdragon 630  CPU. The new Nokia 6 2nd Gen comes in two variations: 32GB and 64GB. Both versions include 4GB RAM though. The former costs $230, whereas the latter will sell for around $245 outright. Both can already be reserved in China, but they will only hit the shelves on January 10. Another difference between the two Nokia 6 smartphones is the new model features  OZO Audio recording , an advanced spatial audio technology with 3D capture and playback capabilities. It offers high fidelity 360-degree sound captured with the smartphone. There are no changes when it comes to photography features

Google looking into Pixel 2 XL bug that affects volume of audio clips sent via a messaging app

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The latest problem affecting the Google Pixel 2 XL is one that Google is already looking into. Complaints have been posted on the Pixel User Community of the Google Product Forum. According to these posts, voice clips sent through a messaging app by a Pixel 2 XL carrying this bug, are arriving on a recipient's phone with very low volume. This is occurring with messages sent through WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat, Google Allo, Telegram and other platforms. The low volume occurs regardless whether the recipient is wearing earphones or using the receiving phone's speakers. Affected Pixel 2 XL units are running both Android 8.0 and Android 8.1. Those who were suffering with this issue while using the former build say that the update had no effect on the bug. The good news is that Google is aware of the problem and is looking into the matter. A manager on the Google Product Forum page says that he will look to gather some information via bug reports and private informat

Render of the Alcatel 5's final design appears for your viewing pleasure

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Final design of the Alcatel 5 tweeted by Evan Blass Thanks to a render tweeted by the inimitable Evan Blass, we can now have a look-see at what is supposed to be the final design of the Alcatel 5 flagship phone. Back in November,  Blass included a render of the Alcatel 5 along with images of five other Alcatel handsets . The latest render released today looks very similar to the one posted two months ago. The phone will feature an aspect ratio of 18:9 and it has a very thin bottom bezel. That leaves no room for a fingerprint scanner, so the latter is placed on back. Last month,  the phone was certified by the FCC , revealing dual front-facing selfie cameras. The February 26th date on the phone's display happens to the be opening day for the 2018 MWC trade show in Barcelona. While there was some talk that the Alcatel 5 would be introduced at CES in Las Vegas starting next Tuesday (January 9th), the render itself tells us to expect the unveiling to take place next month. The FC

Nokia 7 won't remain China-exclusive for too long, other countries will get it soon

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HMD Global introduced the Nokia 7 as a China-exclusive  back in October , but it looks like the smartphone will be making outside this country very soon. Unofficially, the smartphone is already available for purchase at some European retailers, but a few lucky countries will get it through official channels. Word is HMD plans to launch the  Nokia 7  in India later this month. Apparently, the smartphone will be available exclusively through Amazon India for a price that hasn't been disclosed yet.  But that's not all, as Nokia 7 is expected to arrive in Europe in the coming weeks. Other regions are likely to get it by February as well, but we're not convinced the smartphone will make it to the Americas. On a side note, you can already buy the Nokia 7 in Romania for around €325, but the smartphone won't be available until January 17. On the bright side, delivery is free and you get a 24-month warranty.

Sony Xperia XA2, XA2 Ultra, and L2 press renders leak out, rear fingerprint scanners included

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In 2017, Sony released no less than eight Xperia smartphones, from affordable to expensive models, and it looks like the company has similar plans for this year. While many fans are probably waiting for Sony's 2018 high-end phones (which should include an Xperia XZ2), we're now going to talk about the mid-range Xperia XA2 and XA2 Ultra, and the lower-end Xperia L2. We've already seen leaked images showing the Xperia XA2, XA2 Ultra, and L2. However, now, thanks to Venture Beat, we can take a look at press renders of the new handsets - most likely, Sony will use these to promote the three phones once it announces them.      Unlike last year's Xperia XA1 and Xperia XA1 Ultra, which are powered by MediaTek processors, the XA2 and XA2 Ultra will feature octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 chipsets. Both handsets should sport 1080p screens in different sizes: 5.2 inches on the Xperia XA2, and 6 inches on the Xperia XA2 Ultra. The Ultra model should come with a dua

Samsung Galaxy A8+ (2018) to be sold in India as an Amazon exclusive

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In India, the Samsung Galaxy S8+ is an Amazon Exclusive The  Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018)  and  Samsung Galaxy A8+ (2018)  will launch in India this month. With the Infinity Display present on both models, these will be cheaper substitutes for Sammy's 2017 flagships. And pricing is important in India, which is the second largest smartphone market in the world after China. With a low per capita income, Indian smartphone buyers have to do their research on whether a certain handset is affordable. When the Samsung Galaxy A8+ (2018) launches in India, it will be an Amazon exclusive. We come to that conclusion thanks to a teaser on the Amazon India website that allows those interested in the phone to leave their email address so they can be notified when pre-orders start. The teaser lists the phone as being an Amazon Exclusive. We expect pricing to be in the range of 38,000-42,000 Indian Rupees, which translates to $600-$650 USD.  The phone features a 6-inch Super AMOLED panel with a

Razer Phone users reporting nasty fingerprint scanner, camera, and screen problems

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Razer just confirmed that its  Razer Phone  suffers from a selection of nasty and potentially game-breaking issues that numerous users apparently suffer from. Apparently, multiple people have had their fingerprint scanners stop working on them. Weirdly enough, certain users also reported that the fingerprint menu disappear from the settings menu - should I imply what a grave security concern that one is? Apparently, a costly factory reset fixed the issue for some users but others were not that lucky. Another lesser malady that affects some Razer Phones is a weird bug that randomly applies filters to your captured images. We can't say if this is the fruit of a super-advanced AI that wants you to get as many  Instagram likes  as possible or merely a silly bug, but we could easily see how aggravating such an issue could be. This new bug got seemingly introduced with a recent incremental software update and some users managed to get it fixed by, you guessed it, a factory re

OnePlus 5T in "Sandstone White" is now official, sales open on January 9th

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After leaking out earlier today, the OnePlus 5T in a brand new color, "sandstone white" has just gone official on the company's website. The new OnePlus 5T finish pays tribute to the original OnePlus "sandstone" designs and has the same textured finish on its back that makes it different from all other phones out there. It is also looks very similar to the limited Star Wars edition 5T released exclusively to India earlier. Interestingly, OnePlus seems to be drawing inspiration from the Pixel 2 XL "panda" look, as this newest 5T model has a similar white back with black front approach and one button in a contrasted red color (in this case, it's the alert slider). The white paint also completely conceals antenna lines on the bottom. The new sandstone white OnePlus 5T comes as a high-end configuration: with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The price will be the same as the similar model that is currently offered in black, $560 for an u

Final Android 8 Oreo is coming to multiple Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ devices

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For a while now, Samsung has been running  a Beta program  for early adopters that wish to test out Android 8 Oreo on their devices before it hits the public in an official update. Last we heard, enlisted  Galaxy S8  and  Galaxy S8+  devices were receiving  their fifth Oreo beta patch , fixing both major and minor bugs. It now seems that Samsung is prepping to roll out the update to a number of its S8 and S8+ phones worldwide. Watchers have spotted multiple versions of the flagship duo getting certifications over at the Wi-Fi Alliance — a non-profit that certifies Wi-Fi products. The models that went through are SM-G950F, SM-G955F, SM-G950FD, SM-G955FD, SM-G950N, SM-G955N, SM-G950X, SM-G955X, SM-G950XN, SM-G955XN, SM-G950XC. Translation: these are the European, Asian (India and Singapore), Korean, and Global versions of the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. And this does fall in line with earlier reports that stated the official update would be arriving  by the end of Janua

Best iPhone, iPad and Android games (January, February, March 2018)

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What are the best new games to play on an iPhone, iPad or an Android device? We take a look at what is released in the past month and bring you the best new games on mobile with no regards to genre or style. And this month, our number one recommendation is Sid Meier's Civilization VI for iPad. For $30, you get the full game, free of annoying ads and with all the depth of the gameplay that you can expect from the strategy. Mobile online battle arena (MOBA) Arena of Valor - one of the most popular games in China - is now localized and there is a few other games that are worth your attention. Take a look. Sid Meier's Civilization VI $30, Download on  iOS Sid Meier's Civilization VI, the latest turn-based strategy in the series, is now available on the Apple iPad. Civilization VI arrives on the iPad quite unexpectedly, but it is a game that is worth playing. Named best strategy game of 2016 by The Game Awards, Civilization VI is a game about building

Instagram users may soon be able to post their Stories to WhatsApp

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Instagram Stories, by design a clone of Snapchat's once defining feature, have been rapidly growing in popularity ever since their introduction back in March, 2017. Despite the feature's initial inept integration in Facebook, the things went quite well when the company introduced it to Instagram. So well, in fact, that Instagram Stories have by now far its Snapchat counterpart in terms of popularity, boasting some 300 million daily active users as of November, 2017. But Facebook's efforts of pushing the format show no signs of abating. In fact, the company is now experimenting cross-posting Stories to t:WhatsApp, albeit only in Brazil. According to  TechCrunch,  who received official confirmation from Facebook, the feature is being tested with a limited number of people in Brazil, with a wider rollout in the cards for later this year. The users who have access to the feature are able to share their Instagram Stories directly to WhatsApp, as a WhatsApp Status.

New Samsung trademark hints at Galaxy S9/S9+ camera improvements

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Samsung earlier today unveiled the  Exynos 9810  officially – the first true 9-series Exynos SoC that will power Samsung's flagship phones in 2018, in some markets, at least. Coincidentally, the South Korean tech giant also filed a new trademark in its home country today, that may very well hint at some of the camera improvements bound for its 2018 lineup. The phrase  “The Camera. Reimagined.”  was trademarked by the company earlier today, giving us an early glimpse at some of the possible camera improvements for the Galaxy S9 and S9+, and maybe even the Note 9 further down the line. But what does the announcement of the new Exynos chipset has to do with the camera capabilities of future Samsung phones? Well, in the official announcement of its new silicone, Samsung specifically touted some of its stand-out image processing capabilities, such as UHD video recording and playback at 120fps, vastly improved low-light performance, and accurate shallow depth-of-field simulation

Cosmic Watch is a cool and sleek app that tracks the movement of Earth and nearby celestial bodies

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Nowadays, we no longer look up — our noses are always buried in our phone screens. Well, if you don't look at the stars, why not put the stars in your smartphones? Terrible satirical jokes aside, there is a handful of apps out there that do a great job at showing and teaching us about the known celestial bodies. Cosmic Watch is one among them. The app's main purpose is to show you how the Sun, Moon, constellations, and planets in our solar system move around our planet. Its Time Travel feature allows you to speed up time and watch said bodies move around our pale blue dot as fast as you like, giving you a glimpse into the future alignments in our solar neighborhood. A solar eclipse detector and world clock round off the time-centered features. Thanks to a few buttons and toggles, you can change the on-screen graphics — the way that Earth is drawn on screen (realistic or glowing wireframe), add or remove clouds, layer extra spheres that show you where the constellations and

Deal: Unlocked Samsung Galaxy S7 (refurbished) is on sale for $220, save $100 (31%)!

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Product Location Item Condition Current Price Offer Expires Samsung Galaxy S7 32GB GSM unlocked (Black, Gold) eBay Refurbished $220 ($320); $100/31% off N/A BUY HERE Looking for a great phone on a budget? If so, you're in luck, as Samsung's t:Galaxy S7model is now discounted on eBay. You can currently grab the refurbished GSM unlocked version of the 2016 flagship in Black and Gold for $220 on the e-commerce site. For comparison, unlocked refurbished S7 units are selling for about $320 on Amazon, so you'll be saving a neat $100 with this offer.  Please keep in mind that these units are  not new , but have been professionally restored to working order. This means the product has been inspected, cleaned, and repaired by the reseller. You might find some wear and tear on the housing of the device, but aside from that, you'll receive a fully operational phone. A 60-day warranty is also on board, and you can return the product within 30 days if you'r