EU prices of the Moto G5S and G5S Plus to be about €300 and €330 respectively

Prolific things-finder Roland Quandt has dug up information on European pricing of the upcoming Moto G5S and Moto G5S Plus. According to a tweet of his the smaller model will carry a price tag around €300, while the Plus will command a small premium for a total of €330. He points out that the numbers come from Eastern Europe. Motorola Moto G5S will be ~300 Euro.Motorola Moto G5S Plus will be ~330 Euro.Again, prices from eastern EU.— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) July 28, 2017 We've previously heard a number in the INR20,000 ballpark for the Moto G5S Plus in India, which equates to about...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/eu_prices_of_the_moto_g5s_and_g5s_plus_to_be_about__euro300_and__euro330_respectively-news-26474.php

LG V30 to go on sale on September 15 in Korea, US gets it on the 28th

The LG V30 is the second most highly anticipated phablet to be announced this fall (it's safe to say that the Note8 wins that title), and it's set for an August 31 unveiling at IFA in Berlin - 8 days after its Samsung archrival has gone official. It has now been revealed that the V30 will go on sale in its home country on September 15. In the US, the V30 will go on pre-order on September 17, while you'll be able to pick one up in a store starting September 28th. The current V20 will likely lend its dual camera setup to the V30. The info comes courtesy of an internal LG...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_v30_to_go_on_sale_on_september_15_in_korea_us_gets_it_on_the_28th-news-26473.php

Micromax Selfie 2 goes official with 8MP front camera, Android Nougat

Micromax has unveiled a new smartphone. Dubbed Selfie 2, the device is powered by MediaTek MT6737 SoC and sports an 8MP front camera that features a wide angle Sony IM135 lens and offers support for real-time bokeh effect. The rear camera is 13MP, while memory configuration is 3GB/32GB. There's also a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. The handset runs Android Nougat out of the box, and packs in a 3,000mAh battery. The phone is yet to be launched, so pricing and availability information isn't yet known. Oh, and yes, the company is offering a 100 days replacement warranty offer...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/micromax_selfie_2_goes_official_with_8mp_front_camera_android_nougat-news-26471.php

Samsung Galaxy Note8 receives FCC certification

The Samsung Galaxy Note8 has received FCC certification, marking another necessary step before release to the public. You know what that means - another line of hideous markings on the back of the phone. The Note7 that wasn't meant to be now lives on as the Note FE Seriously though, the US telecom regulator has carried out the required testing and deemed the Note8 consumer ready. There are, of course, piles of technical documentation on the FCC website you can sift through if that's your thing. The Samsung Galaxy Note8 is to be unveiled on August 23 in New York City, and should...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_note8_receives_fcc_certification-news-26472.php

Samsung says Galaxy Note8 will offer "more advanced" multimedia features

Samsung has said that its upcoming Galaxy Note8 smartphone will offer "more advanced" multimedia capabilities, effectively making it the best phone for multimedia consumption. "The Galaxy Note series, first launched in 2011, come with a range of multimedia features, including the large-size display, and S Pen, only available with the smartphone models," the company said during a recent conference call. "The Galaxy Note 8 will feature more advanced, richer multimedia functionalities." However, no details were provided about these advanced features. The Galaxy Note8 is set to be made...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_says_galaxy_note8_will_offer_more_advanced_multimedia_features-news-26469.php

New Samsung Galaxy S8 render leaks

We've already had a couple of massive leaks related to the Samsung Galaxy S8 Active, revealing its design as well as key specifications. And now, a new, high-resolution render has surfaced, offering us a more closer look. Given that this new leak comes courtesy of the usually reliable leakster Evan Blass (a.k.a @evleaks), there's little doubt about its authenticity. Plus, the design revealed here is pretty-much inline with what we've already seen. The original image here is huge, check it out if you want to zoom in on particular details: https://t.co/E8ZSuVaqKT— Evan Blass...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/new_samsung_galaxy_s8_render_leaks-news-26468.php

vivo X20 and X20A monikers leak

The next smartphones from Chinese smartphone manufacturer vivo might be called (or at-least carry model numbers) X20 and X20A. The information comes courtesy of a couple of listings on the website of the China Radio Regulation Authority. Sadly, nothing else is known about these devices at the moment, including specs, pricing, and availability. However, given that they've started appearing in certification listings, we expect to learn more about them sooner than later. Via

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/vivo_x20_and_x20a_monikers_leak-news-26470.php

Sprint's Brick-and-Mortar stores start carrying BlackBerry KEYone

Sprint, the first US carrier that started offering the BlackBerry KEYone, has now begun offering the device through its Brick-and-Mortar stores as well. Until now, the phone was only available through the carrier's online channel, or direct ship. Needless to say, pricing remains the same: $528, or $22/month for 18 months. For those living in neighboring Canada, the unlocked model has arrived (though it's currently out of stock). Oh, and yes, there have also been rumors about an all-black KEYone - just in case you're interested. Via

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/sprints_brickandmortar_stores_start_carrying_blackberry_keyone-news-26467.php

Deal: Save on an unlocked Galaxy S8 for $575, S8+ for $675 in Black or Coral Blue

If you're in the market a Galaxy S8, you'll be glad to know you can get either the S8 or the larger Galaxy S8+ for $150-off from Amazon. The smaller 5.8-inch version runs $575 while the larger S8+ is going for $675. Both models are unlocked US variants, compatible on all major US carriers including Verizon and Sprint support for their CDMA networks. If you were hoping to get another color, you'll have to find a deal elsewhere, because Amazon is only selling the Midnight Black version of both S8 variants for this price. Luckily, Best Buy is also holding the same discounts and has the...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/deal_save_on_an_unlocked_galaxy_s8_for_575_s8_for_675_in_black_or_coral_blue-news-26465.php

Malaysian pre-orders for the Xiaomi Mi 6 starting on July 31

Here is some great news for those in Malaysia: The Xiaomi Mi 6, along with the Mi Max 2, are both going to be available for pre-sale starting at 12PM on July 31. Xiaomi has posted the official news on its Malaysian Facebook page. The banner doesn't mention any specific pricing or release date, though the proof can be found on one of the retailer's websites. Lazada's Malaysian page shows the Mi Max 2 as "Coming soon" with an ETA date between Aug 5 and Aug 10, this listing is with a third-party seller. The price of the Mi Max 2 will be RM 1,199, according to this seller. While the...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/malaysian_preorders_for_the_xiaomi_mi_6_starting_on_july_31-news-26466.php

Samsung Gear S3 Tumi edition now available

Tumi has collaborated with Samsung to release a Tumi edition of the Samsung Gear S3 Frontier. The most notable differences are: a custom-made Tumi watchface that is preloaded on the wearable, and a TUMI watch band made from Italian canvas. While not the most elegant material out there, the canvas watch band changes the overall look and feel of the smartwatch. The band is earl grey-colored which matches the tone of the Fronteir pretty nicely. The band also has a stainless steel fastening buckle. Samsung also says the canvas band is also resilient against the elements, so feel...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_gear_s3_tumi_edition_now_available-news-26464.php

GSMArena smartphone buyer's guide: 2017 July edition

It's the middle of the summer, which is traditionally a time in the year when the smartphone market settles down a bit. Manufacturers have already brought all their H1 flagships to the market and are focusing their efforts on their Fall and holiday quarter lineups. And without the turbulence of significant launches and announcements every week this looks like a perfect time for a new buyer's guide.

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/smartphone_buyers_guide_2017_h1-review-1635.php

Asus Zenfone 4 Pro appears in Italy

Asus announced six Zenfone 4 phones would arrive in the second half of 2017. The Zenfone 4 Max was the first of them, being officially unveiled at the beginning of July. Now the Zenfone 4 Pro also appeared, thanks to a leak from Italy. The Pro phone is expected to be the flagship of the whole Zenfone 4 series and it seems to have the right specs for the task. The device comes with a Snapdragon 835 chipset with 6 GB RAM. The screen is a 5.7" AMOLED panel of QHD resolution. There is a dual camera setup that sports a "2x zoom" label, suggesting one of the modules sits...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/asus_zenfone_4_pro_appears_in_italy-news-26461.php

July security update reaches Galaxy S6 edge and S6 edge+ in Europe

Samsung hasn't always been timely with security updates for its older smartphones, but things have changed recently. Case in point: a couple of devices that are roughly two years old are now receiving the July security update - and we're still in July, mind you. We're talking about the Galaxy S6 edge and Galaxy S6 edge+. Sure, Google makes a point of sending these out at the beginning of each month, but we really can't fault Samsung too much on this one. The update for the S6 edge is currently rolling out to unlocked units in the Netherlands as build G925FXXS5EQG1. It should make its way...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/july_security_update_reaches_galaxy_s6_edge_and_s6_edge_in_europe-news-26463.php

Apple to pump $2.7 billion in LG Display to secure OLED panels for future iPhones

According to a new report out of South Korea today, Apple is investing KRW 3 trillion (about $2.7 billion) in LG Display. The point of this is to ensure a stable supply of OLED panels for future iPhones, the ones coming in 2018 and beyond. We've already heard that Apple plans on going OLED-only for its handsets starting next year, and this sort of confirms that. The investment will basically serve as an advance payment for said OLED panels to be manufactured in the future. Apple has long been rumored to have made a deal with Samsung for the OLED screen of the iPhone 8 coming this year, but...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/apple_to_pump_27_billion_in_lg_display_to_secure_oled_panels_for_future_iphones-news-26462.php

Flipkart teases a phone with focus on battery life

Flipkart has an ongoing campaign teasing a new phone that it sell exclusively for the Indian market. The #GoBeyond smartphone will have some form of fast charging and great battery endurance, come in more than black and white color, and will have a compact screen. There's no word on the make or model of the device nor when we can expect it to arrive. But we're sure Flipkart will drop more clues soon. Thanks for the tip, srinivas! Source

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/flipkart_teases_mystery_phone_for_india-news-26460.php

Nokia receives $2B from Apple over patent settlement

Nokia announced today its financial results. The company beat the market expectations, with earnings per share going up €0.08 instead of the predicted €0.05. Nokia Technologies scored a rise of 90% in operating profit for Q2 2017, compared with Q2 2016. A major part played a cash infusion of $2 billion by Apple over the patent license deal that the companies signed earlier in the quarter. Back in May Nokia and Apple signed an agreement to end all ongoing disputes. A multi-year patent license deal is now in effect and even though back then no details were revealed, now we learn the...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_receives_2b_from_apple_after_patent_settlement-news-26458.php

Lenovo to announce the K8 Note in India next month

Lenovo has revealed on its social media accounts that it will be launching the K8 Note on August 9, 2017. Most of you did get it right! The #LenovoK8Note will #KillTheOrdinary & leave the rest behind! Ready to see it uncage on 09.08.17? Save it! pic.twitter.com/FKp1Nibknu— Lenovo India (@Lenovo_in) July 28, 2017 The K8 Note is the successor to last year's K6 Note, which was a reasonably specced low cost big screen smartphone that are all the rage these days. We do not have confirmation on the specs yet for the K8 Note but a Geekbench listing mentions a MediaTek MT6797 and 4GB of...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/lenovo_to_announce_the_k8_note_in_india_next_month-news-26459.php

Samsung overtakes Intel to become the biggest chip maker in Q2 2017

Yesterday Samsung reported its record quarter results which were spearheaded by its chip business, which earned $15.7B in revenue and $7.2B in profit. That's almost twice as much compared to Intel's operating income of $3.8B on $14.8B revenue in the same second quarter of 2017 - a record quarter for Intel at that. What's interesting here is that no one has surpassed Intel in the last 24 years and Samsung did it without making a single desktop chipset - only catering to mobiles and wearables. Intel has failed to make an impact on mobile despite its various efforts with Atom and it...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_is_the_biggest_chip_maker_in_q2_of_2017-news-26453.php

The Nokia 2 appears in artist renders

HMD Global launched three Nokia smartphones with Android and two more are on their way - the flagship Nokia 8 and the ultra entry-level Nokia 2 that appeared on Geekbench earlier this week. Based on the specs and the current design HMD implements, a digital artists published renders, which present an educated guess of what the phone looks like. The Nokia 2 is said to have a 4.5" display of HD resolution. There will be no fingerprint sensor or home button on the front - the navigation is reportedly all on-screen. The back is expected to look a lot like the Nokia 3, Nokia...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/the_nokia_2_appears_in_artist_renders-news-26450.php

Samsung Galaxy S8 Active detailed specs leak

The first Galaxy S8 Active photos leaked on Monday. Now, there is even more info about the rugged Samsung smartphone after most of the specs were revealed on Chinese social network Weibo. The Galaxy S8 Active will have a 5.8" Super AMOLED screen with 2960x1440 pixel resolution. That matches the specs of the Galaxy S8 panel, but there won't be curved edges this time around. Similarities continue with Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and the Snapdragon 835 chipset. The big difference is battery capacity - the Galaxy S8 Active will offer a huge 4,000 juice pack, compared to the 3,000mAh...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s8_active_detailed_specs_leak-news-26451.php

New Verizon Galaxy S7/S7 edge update brings email improvements

Verizon has started pushing out a new update to Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge units on its network. The update - which arrives as software version G935VVRU4BQG1 for the former and G930VVRU4BQG1 for the latter - brings improvements related to the email app. Specifically, the update fixes the app's sluggish behavior when running within the Knox container, a change aimed at Knox Business and Enterprise users. Release notes say this change has been done "while ensuring optimal performance and information security." The Android security fixes for the month of July are also included in...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/new_verizon_galaxy_s7_s7_edge_update_includes_email_improvements_for_knox_users-news-26448.php

Motorola Moto X4 pricing revealed

The yet-to-be-announced Motorola Moto X4 is expected to be a mid-tier smartphone that'll be supported by Google's MVNO, Project Fi. The device has been the subject of several leaks and rumors so far, and now we have some pricing-related information for the phone. What the latest report says is the 32GB storage variant will carry a price tag of €350 ($410) in Europe. It's yet to be seen how much of a premium the 64GB version will command. Moto X4 32GB will have some interesting pricing it seems. ~350 Euro in eastern EU. Lower than I thought.— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) July 27,...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_moto_x4_pricing_tipped-news-26449.php

LG Q6 to launch in Europe next month

The LG Q6, which was officially unveiled along with its Q6+ and Q6α versions earlier this month, will be available for purchase in Europe in August. This information was revealed by tipster Roland Quandt‏ in a tweet which said Germany will get the handset on August 21. And given the way the EU market normally works, other countries on the Old Continent should get it at about the time. LG Q6 launching in .de from Aug 21 at 349 Euro. 18:9 is coming to the masses!— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) July 27, 2017 The tipster also revealed pricing information for the phone: €349,...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_q6_tipped_to_launch_in_europe_next_month-news-26447.php

New Motorola dash camera coming - 4'' touchscreen, $99 price

A new dash camera is coming soon from Motorola. While the name isn't currently known, the device has a 4-inch screen, features wide angle lens and a microSD card slot, and is capable of recording Full HD videos. There's also a motion detection feature that'll help you park your car. Binatone Global - an IoT electronics and lifestyle products firm, which has exclusive rights to design, develop and market certain Motorola accessories - is the company behind the product. The camera carries a price tag of $99, and will be available in the United States and Europe soon - the latter...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_to_launch_new_car_camera_soon__4_screen_full_hd_video_99_price-news-26446.php

Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro now available in US

The Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro - which was made official last month, and has only been on sale in India so far - is now available for purchase in the United States as well. It's not officially coming from Samsung, but Amazon has the device listed on its website for $319.99. This means that you won't be getting the software tailored to the local market, but probably also less carrier bloatware. Both single and dual-SIM models are available - the listing for the latter says it's an international variant with no US warranty, and is compatible only with GSM networks like AT&T and T-Mobile....

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsungs_new_galaxy_j7_pro_smartphone_now_available_in_us-news-26445.php

Unlocked BlackBerry KEYone launches in Canada, quickly goes out of stock

The BlackBerry KEYone unlocked variant was originally scheduled to arrive in Canada in June, but that didn't happen. Later that month, the company confirmed that the launch has been delayed to "later this summer." Well, the good news is that the model was finally made available in the country through Wallmart. However, there's a bad news as well - the stock depleted very quickly. A quick look at the retailer's website reveals the model - which carries a price tag of CAD 650 ($517) - is still out of stock. There's no information on when the next batch will be available. Meanwhile,...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/unlocked_blackberry_keyone_launches_in_canada_quickly_goes_out_of_stock-news-26444.php

Nougat for Samsung Galaxy Tab A 9.7 could be arriving soon

Looks like the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 9.7 will get the Nougat update soon. The device - which was launched way back in 2015 running Lollipop - has now been certified by the WiFi Alliance, with the listing revealing Android 7.0 OS. Sadly, there's currently no info on exactly when the roll out will begin, but given that the update has started collecting necessary certifications, it shouldn't be too long before that happens. Source | Via

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/nougatpowered_samsung_galaxy_tab_a_97_receives_wifi_certification-news-26443.php

YouTube Red and Google Music may eventually merge to one service

Google has been looking into some kind of unity for the streaming services that it offers. Currently, if you sign up for Google Play Music, you'll get YouTube Red included for free (and vice-versa), which gives access to exclusive content, removes ads from YouTube, and lets you download YouTube videos to watch offline. YouTube's head of music, Lyor Cohen, has confirmed that Google Music and YouTube Red need to be merged in order to educate consumers and bring in new subscribers. This should come in some sort of unification and/or rebranding of the subscription service. In a...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/youtube_red_and_google_music_may_eventually_merge_to_one_service-news-26440.php

Google hires Essential's head of User Experience

Liron Damir was once the lead designer for Pebble and WebOS. His most recent position was at Essential as head of UX (User experience) which focused on the way customers interacted with the products. After moving around a couple of startups, Damir has more recently been hired by Google to lead the design of Google Home products. Damir's departure follows that of another executive on the Essential team, which, honestly, doesn't look very good for the startup smartphone company. We are still waiting to see when we can get our hands on the Essential PH-1, as the company has yet to begin...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/google_hires_essentials_head_of_user_experience-news-26439.php

LG Watch Style drops to a much more palatable $139.99

Back in February LG launched two smartwatches in partnership with Google. The Watch Sport and Watch Style were the first devices to ship with Android Wear 2.0. While the Watch Sport has an 'everything plus the kitchen sink' approach to specs (and size), the Watch Style lacks a lot of features - NFC, a heart rate monitor, and a decently sized battery for example. With that in mind, its recommended retail price of $249 has always seemed a bit ludicrous, especially considering the fact that it's not even that stylish despite the name. Now though, an LG Watch Style can be yours for just...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_watch_style_drops_to_a_much_more_palatable_13999-news-26438.php

AMD launches Ryzen 3 series of desktop processors

After Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 5, AMD has launched its entry level Ryzen 3 series of desktop processors. The series includes two models, the Ryzen 3 1200 and the 1300X. The $129 Ryzen 3 1300X has four cores and four threads with a base clock of 3.5GHz and boost clock of 3.7GHz. It can go up to 3.9GHz with XFR provided you ditch the stock Wraith Stealth cooler and get an aftermarket one like the new $59 Wreath Max with RGB lighting. The $109 Ryzen 3 1200 also has four cores and four threads with a base clock of 3.1GHz and boost clock of 3.4GHz. Both have 65W TDP. Both processors are...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/amd_launches_ryzen_3_series_of_desktop_processors-news-26437.php

Google Pixel and Pixel XL now start at $420 ($399.99 refurbished) through new deals

As we get closer to the unveiling of their successors, Google's Pixel and Pixel XL are starting to be offered for lower prices more often. Today both Woot and Verizon have promos on the Pixels, though in the case of the former we're talking about refurbished devices, offered in black only - and for a very limited time. You can get a refurb Pixel for $399.99, or a Pixel XL for $449.99 from Woot, but you do have to act fast - the deal is only on for around six more hours. If you'd rather get a brand spanking new phone for your money, then Verizon has something for you. Namely, if you opt...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/google_pixel_and_pixel_xl_now_start_at_420_39999_refurbished_through_new_deals-news-26436.php

Huawei Mate 10 will have "full-screen display", CEO says while revealing exit from the low-end

Huawei's next flagship phablet will be called Mate 10, just as anticipated. This has been confirmed today in an interview by Richard Yu, the chief of Huawei's consumer division. He also said it would come with a "full-screen display", which we take to mean "near bezelless", joining the defining trend of 2017 in the smartphone world. Such an edge-to-edge screen was rumored for the Mate 10 at the beginning of this month, and now it's pretty much a given. We've also heard that the phablet would be powered by the upcoming Kirin 970 chipset, but Yu stayed mum on that one. He did however promise...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_mate_10_will_have_fullscreen_display_ceo_confirms_while_revealing_exit_from_the_lowend-news-26435.php

Meizu Pro 7 and Pro 7 Plus get more than 100,000 registrations in the first day

Yesterday Meizu finally announced the Pro 7 and Pro 7 Plus, its latest flagship smartphones, following many weeks of leaks, rumors, and speculation. The devices both come with a second screen on the back, dual rear cameras, and top specs throughout. The first flash sale for the duo will happen in China on August 5, which is next week. Ahead of that, as usual in China, the company has started taking registrations - you can't participate in a flash sale without registering first. In slightly less than one day, the Meizu Pro 7 and Pro 7 Plus managed to score over 100,000 registrations,...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/meizu_pro_7_and_pro_7_plus_get_more_than_100000_registrations_in_the_first_day-news-26434.php

HMD now owns 500 Nokia design patents, including one for the Lumia Camera UI

An interesting revelation comes today regarding Nokia, both old and new. About 500 design patents have been transferred from Microsoft Mobile to HMD Global. The former is the company that made the Microsoft and Nokia branded Windows handsets following the acquisition by Microsoft of Nokia's smartphone division many years ago. The latter is the company currently holding the exclusive license to use the Nokia name for smartphones. HMD Global has already launched the Nokia 3, 5, and 6, and will unveil the flagship Nokia 8 next month. This top of the line offering may have something rather...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/hmd_now_owns_500_nokia_design_patents_including_the_one_for_the_lumia_camera_ui-news-26433.php

Unlocked Moto Z2 Play is up for pre-order in the US, Verizon's model just $120 this weekend

The Moto Z2 Play has been available at Verizon since late June, so it's finally time for the unlocked model to make an appearance. This can now be pre-ordered directly from Motorola's online store. It is priced at $499.99 and will work on all major US carriers - AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, even Verizon. You can choose between black and gold, color-wise. Note that the unlocked model comes with 64GB of built-in storage, twice the amount found in the Verizon-specific iteration of the smartphone. Speaking of which, coincidentally or not the carrier nicknamed Big Red has decided to run an insane...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/unlocked_moto_z2_play_is_now_up_for_preorder_in_the_us_verizons_model_is_120_this_weekend-news-26432.php

iPod nano and shuffle were discontinued today, iPod touch got double the storage

Today it's time to shed a tear for the iPod nano and iPod shuffle, because both of them got discontinued by Apple. This comes less than three years after the same thing happened to the iPod classic. The iPod nano and shuffle have been unceremoniously pulled from the Apple website, and the company has since confirmed to TechCrunch that it is in fact discontinuing the music players. So if you want an iPod, from this point on your only option will be the iPod touch - and who knows how long it will be before that one bites the dust too. For now, Apple seems to be doubling down on the touch,...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/ipod_nano_and_shuffle_were_discontinued_today_ipod_touch_got_double_the_storage-news-26431.php

Samsung Pay might work on non-Samsung smartphones next year

Samsung Pay started out being exclusive to the Korean company's high-end smartphones but has since made it into the mid-range, in its more restricted Mini iteration. We've already heard that Samsung plans on bringing Pay Mini to Android devices made by its competitors, as well as iOS, and today a new report says the company wants its payments service to be ubiquitous. Apparently there have been internal talks regarding the possibility to make Samsung Pay available to the high-end smartphones made by other companies. It also plans on making the full fledged service available on some of its...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_pay_might_work_on_nonsamsung_smartphones_next_year-news-26430.php

Foxconn plans to open a factory in the US

Taiwan-based manufacturer Foxconn, most popular for manufacturing the Apple iPhone plans to build a 20-million sq.ft facility in Wisconsin for LCD panel development. The investment will cost around $10 billion and will open around 3,000 jobs. Soon in the United States LCD panels are currently integrated into all iPhones and iPads, but Apple stated on multiple occasions that it would like to switch to OLED. It even purchased machinery for in-house OLED development for the 2018 iPhone. The location of the factory was announced by the US president Donald Trump, while Foxconn CEO Terry...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/foxconn_plans_to_open_a_factory_in_the_us-news-26428.php

Daydream VR compatible device list to grow to 11 devices by the end of 2017

Google launched Daydream last year at I/O 2016, making it the company's first official attempt at mobile VR. Unfortunately, the feature did not quite take off and hardware support from most device manufacturers never came. If you go to the Daydream website right now, you will see support for six devices, including the Pixel, Pixel XL, Moto Z, Axon 7, Mate 9 Pro and the ZenFone AR, with the Galaxy S8 support still coming even though it was announced back at I/O 2017. However, the list might be getting a sizable expansion by the end of the year. Sundar Pichai mentioned in the...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/daydream_vr_compatible_device_list_to_grow_to_11_devices_by_the_end_of_2017-news-26429.php

Huawei scores 73M shipments in H1 2017

Huawei published its resluts for the first half of 2017, and the numbers certainly look promising - 73 million shipped phones for six months and 36% increase in revenue YoY. A breakdown of smartphone shipments reveals 8.5 million Huawei Mate 9 and Huawei Mate 9 Pro units were moved. At second come the P10 and the P10 Plus with 6 million shipments. The one-month old Honor 9 already reached 1 million sales. Compared with the same period last year, shipped smartphones grew 20.6%, while the revenue is now CNY105.4 billion, or about $15.4 billion. Huawei Consumer Business CEO...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_announces_73m_shipments_in_h1_2017-news-26426.php

Upcoming OxygenOS update for OnePlus 5 could improve battery life significantly

The OnePlus 5 has solid battery life as is, but the next big OxygenOS update may improve it significantly - unnamed sources claim 7 hours of screen will eat up only 50% of the battery charge. Those are unofficial claims, of course, and they lack important details - 7 hours doing what? It seems that the key improvement will be Energy Aware Scheduling. EAS makes the Linux kernel smarter leveraging the big.LITTLE architecture found in many modern chipsets, including the Snapdragon 835. EAS takes into consideration core size and clockspeed when deciding where to run each app. The Google...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/upcoming_oxygenos_update_for_oneplus_5_could_improve_battery_life_significantly-news-26427.php

WhatsApp now has 1 billion active daily users

WhatsApp had 1 billion active users per month last year. Now it has 1 billion active users per day. The monthly active users have grown from 1 billion to 1.3 billion. The more interesting metric is the messages sent daily - that's a whopping 55 billion. Add to that the 4.5 billion photos and 1 billion videos shared daily and you've got a very active social network. Source

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/there_are_1_billion_active_people_on_whatsapp_every_day-news-26425.php

LG Q2 2017 financial report: home tech bring money, phones struggle

LG Electronics published the financial results for the second quarter of this year. The revenue went up 4% year over year to $12.89 billion while the operating income was 13.6% higher, $0.59 billion. Most of that was made by the Home Appliance division - it brought in $0.41 billion of operating income on a revenue of $4.65 billion. That's a 12% increase in sales, much better than the other three main divisions of LG Electronics. LG Mobile posted an operating loss of $0.12 billion on a revenue of $2.39 billion, about the same numbers as a year ago. Lower than expected sales of LG...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_unveils_q2_2017_financial_results_home_tech_bring_money_phones_not_so_much-news-26424.php

Samsung profit keeps rising in Q2 2017 thanks to the chip business

Samsung reported a record-breaking profit in Q2 2017. It registered KRW61 trillion or about $54.7 billion revenue. The operating profit stood at KRW14.07 trillion ($12.6 billion), which is a staggering 72% increase year-over-year. The expectations are Q3 numbers to be even bigger because of OLED panels shipments to Apple for the new iPhone. Chip business was the top earner among Samsung's businesses for Q2 2017 with $7.2 billion operating profits(KRW8 trillion) out of KRW17.58 trillion revenue, or about $15.7 billion. The number will keep growing in the July-September period...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_profit_keeps_rising_in_q2_2017_thanks_to_the_chip_business-news-26422.php

Sony Xperia XZ1 (G8341) goes through Geekbench, leaves Snapdragon 835 footprints

The Sony G8341 was spotted again, this time in Geekbench scores. The benchmark confirms the suspected Snapdragon 835 chipset and 4GB of RAM, though it only showed Android 7.1 Nougat. Other leaks about this phone - supposedly the Xperia XZ1 - suggested it will run Android O instead. Considering that Google is still tinkering with the OS, we wouldn't jump to any conclusions yet. Sony G8341/SO-01K (Xperia XZ1) on Geekbench Additional leaked specs include a 5.2" 1080p screen and a price tag of $860/€760. The phone has another code name, SO-01K (for Japan) and we'd like to point out...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_xz1_g8341_goes_through_geekbench_leaves_snapdragon_835_footprints-news-26423.php

Exynos 9610 and 7885 leak: 10nm chips with Cortex-A73 cores and Mali-G71 GPU

A couple of months ago, a leak teased two new Exynos chipsets from Samsung Electronics. A new rumor revises the specs of one of those and adds a new chip into the mix. Exynos 9610 Now rumored to be a 10nm chip (not 14nm), the Exynos 9610 will feature an octa-core processor - four each of Cortex-A73 and A53, the big cores clocking up to 2.4GHz. The GPU has been revised to Mali-G71 (not G72, which would have been 25% more energy efficient). It may seem a bit strange that Samsung isn't sticking to its in-house Mongoose cores, but this isn't the top chipset - that will be the Exynos...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/exynos_9610_and_7885_leak_10nm_chips_with_cortexa73_cores_and_malig71_gpu-news-26421.php

Rose Pink Galaxy S8 arrives in North America

Samsung launched the impressive-looking Galaxy S8 in March, but its pink variant took until June to arrive. The Rose Pink option was announced in Taiwan and now it's starting to expand to other markets as it's hitting Mexico. The Rose Pink Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ will be available for pre-order from August 10 and will start shipping on August 16. Samsung partnered with case manufacturer Montblanc to offer pink cases for customers who pre-order online through Telcel or AT&T. The pink case could be purchased only by customers who choose the Rose Pink variant from any of the...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/rose_pink_galaxy_s8_arrives_in_mexico-news-26420.php

Asus Zenfone AR coming to the US

Last we heard, the Asus Zenfone AR was expected to launch in the US sometime late June or early July. However there has obviously been some delays as the device is yet to be made available in the country. While there's still no official information on when US will get the phone, the latest development suggests that will happen any moment now. An image showing the official Flip Cover accessory for the handset has surfaced, pointing to an imminent launch for the device in the US. ASUS Zenfone AR view flip cover leak. U.S. release seems imminent. #TheAndroidReport #Android...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/asus_zenfone_ar_us_launch_seems_imminent-news-26417.php