Samsung Galaxy S8 Active could be coming to Sprint too

The Samsung Galaxy S8 Active appears to be headed for Sprint, judging by a tweet by @evleaks. That would bring the number of carriers in the US to offer the rugged smartphone to 3 after the Active launched on AT&T and a recent post by the same leakster suggested T-Mobile will follow. pic.twitter.com/XFktn7yCfr— Evan Blass (@evleaks) November 4, 2017 Samsung's Active versions of the flagships have typically been exclusive to AT&T in the US, but this is set to change this year. Oddly, the chronology of the tweets is a bit off - the T-Mobile one came out first, and the screenshot...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s8_active_coming_to_sprint-news-28094.php

Essential PH-1 gets its price slashed in Canada as well

Canadian carrier Telus has reduced the price of the Essential PH-1 smartphone to CAD 650 ($510) off contract, a drop of CAD 400 from the original number. The move follows a similar development south of the border, where the PH-1 is now $499 since a $200 cut was announced a couple of weeks ago. Unveiled at the end of May, the startup's first and only smartphone has been available in the US and Canada since early September, a rather late arrival. Even so, 20 days later the number of units sold was estimated at just 5,000 - practically a handful. Hands-on with the Essential Phone...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/essential_ph1_gets_its_price_slashed_in_canada_as_well-news-28092.php

Nokia 2 pre-orders are now live

The Nokia 2 was made official by HMD Global earlier this week at an event in India. And now, pre-orders for the entry-level device have gone live. Specifically, Russia has become the first country where the phone can be pre-ordered. As for price, the handset costs RUB 7,990, which currently translates into around €117. This, if you compare, is a tad higher than the €99 tag HMD officially revealed for the phone when it was unveiled. Official release time frame for the Nokia 2 is mid November. Source | Via

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_2_preorders_are_now_live-news-28089.php

iPhone X passes bend test with flying colors

Hardly an industry standard for testing, JerryRigEverything's torture routine has become a great source of insight on just how scratch and bend resistant you can expect your next phone to be. Well, in comes the X. The Apple iPhone X is the latest to come out of Cupertino, and like the more pedestrian iPhone 8 and 8 Plus is a glass sandwich with a metal frame all around, only here the metal is steel and not aluminum, so it scratches with a different (still painful) sound. The display won't get damaged by keys and coins, but beware of pocket sand and granite countertops. There's a plastic...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/iphone_x_passes_bend_test_with_flying_colors-news-28091.php

ZTE confirms Axon 7 will have a successor

ZTE has confirmed that there will be a successor to the Axon 7 smartphone. The confirmation came from the Chinese company's US subsidiary in response to a user query on Twitter. In the tweet, the company also termed the Axon 7 as "incredibly successful." There will certainly be a follow on to the incredibly successful Axon 7.— ZTE USA (@zteusa) November 1, 2017 Sadly, there is currently no information on exactly when the handset will arrive. The Axon 7 was made official by the Chinese company back in May 2016, and went on sale the following month. It arrived in the US in July...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/zte_confirms_axon_7_will_have_a_successor-news-28087.php

Google Pixel 2 XL charging speed capped at 10.5W

Okay, so this one isn't an issue as much as a miscommunication. Despite Google's newest, premium Pixel smartphone shipping with an 18-watt USB Power Delivery 2.0 wall adapter, the phone's charging speed is capped at 10.5W. According to a test performed by Nathan K over on Google Plus, the Google Pixel 2 XL has been proven to be charging "slow". This confirms reports of many users who feel that the Pixel 2 XL was not charging at its full potential. The Pixel 2 XL comes with a wall adapter, which is advertised on Google's site, to charge the phone with up to 18W of current. Nathan K's...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/google_pixel_2_xl_charging_speed_capped_at_105w-news-28088.php

Essential Phone gets a price cut of about $315 in Canada

When Essential announced price cut for the PH-1 in the US recently, it was revealed that units in Canada will also get discounted, although exact details weren't available. Well, that changes now, as the company has officially announced price drop for Canada as well. Essential Phone is now available in Canada for $650 CAD (or $0 on most plans) through our great partner @TELUS: https://t.co/zWYHvUW6tl pic.twitter.com/EyhkC088w1— Essential (@essential) November 3, 2017 So as you can see, the handset has dropped to CAD 650, which currently translates into around $510. That's a CAD...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/essential_phone_gets_a_price_cut_of_about_315_in_canada-news-28086.php

New update lets you fully disable the Bixby button on your Samsung phone

Back in September Samsung finally addressed a big pain point for many users of its flagship smartphones by letting them disable the Bixby button. There was a catch, however. While disabling the key did ensure that it wouldn't load the Korean company's assistant service if pressed, the button wasn't fully dead. In fact, after being disabled it started acting like the power button for whatever reason. Pressing it resulted in waking up the screen. Needless to say, this state of affairs has irked certain Samsung customers. And now the company is finally issuing a fix, in the form of a new...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/new_update_lets_you_fully_disable_bixby_button_on_your_samsung_phone-news-28085.php

Huawei Mate 10 Pro review

Instead of marching in lockstep, the Huawei Mate 10 series will be chasing each other from one place to the next, quite unlikely to catch up except in a select few regions - if any at all. It's not a parade then, it's a pursuit and therefore more exciting. So, which one would you pick? The super-sharp Mate 10 or the have-it-all-but-not-quite Mate 10 Pro? The former had its primetime slot already, it's now the Pro's turn to take the spotlight.

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_mate_10_pro-review-1679.php

New Sony infographic reveals the journey of each Android software rollout

Many people complain about how long it takes entities that aren't Google to update their Android devices to the newest versions of the OS. After the new release is already available on Pixels and Nexuses, a few months usually pass before the likes of Samsung, Huawei, and Sony roll out the same Android version to their products. Today Sony wants to explain why these things take so long, and it's doing that through an infographic (what else?). The company says it knows how exciting it is for its customers to have "a shiny new version of Android" breathing new life into their devices. Sony...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/new_sony_infographic_reveals_the_journey_of_each_android_software_rollout-news-28084.php

Here's an official iPhone X video guided tour

Today is iPhone X launch day. Following a pretty long wait from its initial unveiling in September, Apple's most expensive smartphone ever has become available across the world in the first wave markets. To celebrate the occasion, the company has outed an official guided tour video on its YouTube channel. The roughly four-minute long production aims to walk you through what's new and different about the iPhone X compared to all of its predecessors. After watching it you should definitely have become more familiar with the handset that starts at $999. If this video has inspired you...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/heres_an_official_iphone_x_guided_tour_on_video_-news-28083.php

HTC to launch dual-cam phones in 2018

We've seen the HTC U11 and its Plus-sized sibling HTC U11+ being launched, but both devices missed one key feature that most other 2017 flagships had - a dual camera. According to HTC President Chialin Chang, the company will implement it next year, once it figures out how to make it stand out. Chang confirmed that HTC is going to match its 2017 release strategy and launch only five or six smartphones next year. It also plans to jump into the grinder that is the Chinese smartphone market. It is dominated by affordable to mid-tier devices with a price tag not more than CNY2,000/$300....

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_launch_dual_cam_phones_2018-news-28082.php

New Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus render suggests FullView screen

Xiaomi just announced the Redmi Y1 and Redmi Y1 Lite and now another Redmi handset is on its way. A render of the Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus appeared on Weibo, suggesting the device will have FullView display with 18:9 ratio, which would be a first for Xiaomi. The image, if real, shows a dual camera on the back and a dual-LED flash, all lined in a vertical setup. Below them is a fingerprint scanner in a similar fashion like the Redmi Note 4. Rumors suggest the Redmi 5 Plus will arrive with Snapdragon 625 or the newer 630 and the RAM could be 3 GB, paired with 32 GB of storage. We are...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_redmi_5_plus_render_fullview_screen-news-28079.php

Apple scores record-high fiscal Q4

Right when Apple started shipping its flagship iPhone X, the company also announced its fiscal Q4 results. Cupertino reported a revenue of $52.6 billion between July and September, a 12% increase year-on-year. International sales accounted for 62% of the income. According to the report, Apple sold 46.67 million iPhones, 10.3 million iPads and generated $8.5 billion via its Services in the fiscal quarter. This marks an all-time high revenue for services that include digital content, AppleCare, Apple Pay, licensing and other services. With Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Christmas...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/apple_fiscal_q4-news-28077.php

Samsung Galaxy Note8 sales in South Korea hit one million mark

The Samsung Galaxy Note8 went on sale in the company's home country of South Korea towards the end of September. So it's been just over a month, and fresh reports say that over a million Note8 units have already been sold in the country.

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_note8_sales_in_south_korea_hit_one_million_mark-news-28075.php

New Nokia Steel Limited Edition models now available

New Limited Edition models - Full Black and Rose Gold - for the Nokia Steel smartwatch are now available to purchase from the company's official website. The former costs $129.5, while the latter will set you back $149.95. An additional wrist band (in leather) is also available for both models, but that'll cost $50 for the Full Black variant and $30 for the Rose Gold variant. For more information or if you want to place an order, head to the Source link below. Source | Via

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_steel_smartwatch_now_comes_in_two_new_limited_edition_models-news-28073.php

Over 300k people register for Oppo R11s in first 24 hours

Oppo announced the R11s yesterday, with launch set for November 10. China is the first country where the device will go on sale. Registrations for the handset went live shortly after the unveiling, and a quick look now reveals that the figure has already crossed the 300k mark. Given that there's still a week before the device will be available to purchase, it's likely that the figure will cross the 1 million mark. Oh, and yes, keep in mind these are registrations we're talking about, and not pre-orders - no money has changed hands yet. So it's possible that the final sales number is...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/over_300k_people_register_for_oppo_r11s_in_first_24_hours-news-28074.php

Sony Xperia XZ1 currently going for $590 in US ($110 discount)

The Sony Xperia XZ1 has received another price cut in the US. A quick look at the flagship device's listing on Amazon reveals it's currently going for as low as $589, which if you compare, translates into a discount of around $110. It's the blue variant that's going for $589 - others are a bit expensive, going for up to $599.99. But still, even if you buy any of the higher priced models, you end up saving at-least $100, which is not bad at all. There's currently no information on when the promo ends, so those interested in availing it may have to act fast. Source

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_xz1_currently_going_for_590_in_us_110_discount-news-28072.php

New OnePlus 5 update fixes KRACK security issue

OnePlus has started pushing out a new update to the OnePlus 5. Arriving as OxygenOS 4.5.14, the update brings along a bunch of changes, including fix for the Wi-Fi WPA2 security issue (also known as the KRACK vulnerability). Other changes include support for Airtel VoLTE in India and Band 66 of Freedom in Canada. In addition, there are also some battery usage-related as well as GPS-related optimizations. Finally, some usual bug fixes are included as well. Source

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/new_oneplus_5_update_fixes_wifirelated_security_issue-news-28070.php

HTC U11+ almost became the Pixel 2 XL

Google's new Pixel 2 devices are each manufactured by a different phone maker. HTC made the Google Pixel 2 while the larger Google Pixel 2 XL was contracted by LG. However, this was not the plan from the very beginning. A new report shines some light on a canceled device, one that would eventually be released as the HTC U11+ on the morning of November 2. According to The Verge "a source familiar with HTC" confirmed that the very HTC device that was announced early Thursday morning is synonymous with the Google device codenamed "muskie". The muskie was originally intended to be the direct...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u11_almost_became_the_pixel_2_xl-news-28068.php

Deal: Purchase Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+ or Galaxy Note8, and get free Gear VR or DeX Station

If you are in the US, and are planning to purchase the Samsung Galaxy Not8 or the S8/S8+ smartphones, you might want to check out the deal the South Korean company is offering: purchase any of these devices and get a free Gear VR or DeX Station. The promo, which runs through November 18, is also available in the Galaxy S8 Active. Keep in mind that only those purchases that are directly made through Samsung.com or Shop Samsung App will be eligible. For more info, head to the Source links below. Source 1 2

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/deal_purchase_samsung_galaxy_s8_s8_or_galaxy_note8_and_get_free_gear_vr_or_dex_station-news-28071.php

iPhone X torn down on video, reveals dual batteries

The Apple iPhone X has been covered extensively since a select number of YouTube personalities got their hands on the phone ahead of the launch date. The iPhone X officially becomes available tomorrow, November 3. So as people line up or eagerly await the arrival of the big brown UPS truck to their homes, the iPhone X has already been torn down on video. Interestingly. The overall structure of the iPhone X is similar to the how iPhones were built in the past: The display is removed from the top and hinges at the top. The iPhone X's display is connected to the board on its right side, so...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/iphone_x_torn_down_on_video_reveals_dual_batteries-news-28067.php

OPPO officially announces the R11s with 6-inch FHD+ display

The ColorOS 3.2 brings improved performance and efficiency. The new update also brings Split Screen mode. Facial unlock is part of the feature set here as well, incorporating artificial intelligence to recognize its user. Face unlock can act as quickly as 0.08 seconds. The OPPO R11s offers a high performance mode for gaming at 60fps on the Snapdragon 660 CPU. Pair that with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage for storing plenty of games, music, and video. The R11s has a 6.01-inch AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution at 2,160 x 1080 pixels, protected by Gorilla Glass 5....

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/oppo_officially_announces_the_r11s_with_6inch_fhd_display-news-28069.php

Qualcomm claims Apple shared its trade secrets with Intel in new lawsuit

The ongoing, worldwide legal war between Qualcomm and Apple definitely isn't stopping anytime soon. Today the chip producer has filed a new lawsuit against the iPhone maker, and this one could be quite bad for Apple if Qualcomm's allegations are proved truthful. Qualcomm says Apple "exercised its commercial leverage" to demand "unprecedented access" to its "very valuable and highly confidential software, including source code". We're talking modem firmware, by the way - Apple has been buying mobile data modems from Qualcomm for years. With the iPhone 7, however, the company has also...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/qualcomm_claims_apple_shared_its_trade_secrets_with_intel_in_new_lawsuit-news-28066.php

Class action lawsuit in the works against Google for Pixel 2 XL issues

Google's Pixel 2, and the Pixel 2 XL more than that, have definitely bin hit by quite a few issues since their launch last month. While the bigger model has had more problems, some Pixel 2 units did exhibit weird clicking and whistling. On the other hand, various Pixel 2 XL phones have been caught suffering from burn-in, and even a "black smear". Google may get in a lot of trouble over these things soon, as a law firm is currently investigating whether there's enough to justify a class action against the company. Google Pixel 2 XL We're talking about Girard Gibbs, which...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/class_action_lawsuit_in_the_works_against_google_for_pixel_2_xl_issues-news-28065.php

KGI: 2018 iPhone X will keep 6P rear camera lens design

Often reliable KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in a memo to investors that it is highly unlikely that Apple will integrate a 7P (seven-lens plastic array) or 2G3P (two glass, three plastic) design in the iPhone X successor's camera. His statement is based mainly on the fact that Apple has the most advanced camera platform right now with the 6P design. The current camera specs help the iPhone X to "strike a phenomenal balance between picture quality and form factor design", says Kuo. Switching to a new design might improve aperture performance, and that's it. Another reason that Apple...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/kgi_2018_iphone_x_keep_6p_rear_camera_lens_design-news-28063.php

LG V30 owners in Korea can now preview Oreo beta

LG is offering V30 owners in South Korea a chance to preview Android 8.0 Oreo before its official December rollout. All you need to do is register interest through LG's Quick Help app and LG will send a firmware update within this month. LG will use the customer feedback to improve the final Android 8.0 firmware. The maker offered something similar last year - 2,000 LG G5 owners were given the chance to preview Andorid 7.0 Nougat before it was finalized. Source

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/lg_v30_owners_in_korea_can_preview_oreo_before_its_rollout-news-28062.php

Razer Phone camera samples from our tour of London

London is a beautiful city and it gave us an opportunity to take a bunch of great sample photos with the newly introduced Razer Phone. We used the main camera, tried HDR mode, tested the tele photo camera and snapped plenty of selfies (some of which in HDR as well). We'll break down the images by category. Photos The Razer Phone features a 12MP camera with a bright f/1.8 lens. We have daytime shots, indoor shots and even a few night photos. Outdoor photos offer plenty of detail, though there's a warm tint and the colors are a tad oversaturated. The colors are pleasing if not always...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/razer_phone_camera_samples-news-28064.php

OnePlus CEO discusses decision to keep 3.5mm headphone jack

OnePlus already confirmed that the OnePlus 5T will have a headphone jack but now CEO Pete Lau discussed the company's choice in more detail. We think the key takeaway is this: "Sometimes, industry trends go against our core beliefs." It's good to see a company take a stand against user-unfriendly, fashion-driven choices. But OnePlus didn't make this choice lightly. It queried its users' preferences and considered the effects on sound quality. While aptX is supported (by the 3T and 5), the team still believes that wired audio offers the superior quality. Especially if you're shopping on...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/oneplus_ceo_discusses_35mm_headphone_jack-news-28061.php

Counterpoint: Oppo was the market leader in China in Q3

According to research agency Counterpoint, Oppo was the top smartphone vendor in China for the third quarter of 2017, marginally outshipping Huawei and vivo. Xiaomi and Apple complete the top 5. Counterpoint's market report gives an 18.9% Q3 share in China for Oppo during the quarter that ended in September compared to 18.6% for Huawei and vivo. Analysts use different methods so it's normal that their reports contain slightly different numbers. Just a few days ago Canalys released a report that put Huawei as the leader in China, over Oppo. That report cited a 5% fall in total...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/counterpoint_oppo_ships_more_phones_than_huawei_in_china_in_q3-news-28060.php

Sony Xperia XZ Premium captures trampoline dodgeball at 960fps

What happens when you combine trampolines with dodgeball? The results include plenty of fast-paced aerial action, which are best viewed in slow motion. Enter the Motion Eye camera found on the Sony Xperia XZ1, XZ1 Compact and XZ Premium. Here are the results - they do look quite impressive. Sure, the video is grainy, but high frame rate cameras don't play well with indoor lighting (even the big ones need bright lights or ideally the sun). http://blogs.sonymobile.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/SONY_XZ_SLOW_MO_HD-5890098aa22caf0ee4dfb6102f1ab623.mp4 And if you were in the mood for...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_xz_premium_960fps_promo-news-28059.php

Caviar introduces iPhone X Tesla with solar panel on the back

The Russian company that makes customized iPhones with a golden plaque of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin now launched the iPhone X Tesla with a solar panel on the back. This is the second Caviar-modified Apple flagship this year after the meteorite-coated iPhone X in September. According to the company, you just need to leave your phone laying on its face, and the back gathers sunlight to charge the device. The body also has PVD coating and shockproof plate. There is also a golden plate next to the camera setup because why not. The company directly replaces the glass body with a...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/caviar_iphone_x_tesla_solar_panel-news-28058.php

OnePlus teases 5T with five teas

OnePlus posted a tea-ser... see, we can make puns too. The image below shows 5 cups of tea, a more than obvious hint at the upcoming OnePlus 5T. Earlier the company teased the portrait mode of the new camera and the presence of a headphone jack. What the OnePlus posts won't tell you - at least not yet - is that the phone is likely to be unveiled on November 16 and will feature an 18:9 screen and a 20MP + 20MP dual camera. A bit of OnePlus trivia: apparently the engineers like Masala chai. And no, it seems you can't buy one of those mugs (they are not in the Gear section of...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/oneplus_teases_5t_with_five_teas-news-28057.php

HTC videos highlight the benefits of U11+ and U11 Life

HTC introduced the HTC U11+ and U11 Life to challenge the flagship and mid-range markets. If you have 8 minutes to spare, you can listen to HTC's Vice President talking about what makes these two so special (and don't forget to check our U11 Life hands-on review as well). He kicks off with a recap of some unique U11 features, which are also present in the U11 Life - the EdgeSense, the noise-canceling USonic headphones and the camera's HDR Boost. Also, the Life is HTC's first Android One phone. Not in the US, though. Speaking of the US, American viewers might want to stop the video after...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u11_and_u11_life_video-news-28056.php

Samsung Galaxy Note8 Enterprise Edition now available in US

After South Korea and Germany, Samsung has now brought the Enterprise Edition variant of the Galaxy Note8 to the US. It costs $994 and is immediately available for order through authorized Samsung channel partners. As the name suggests, the variant is aimed at business users. It's unlocked, and comes with a special three-year warranty, a three-year license for Knox Configure as well as Samsung Enterprise Firmware Over the Air (E-FOTA). Source

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_note8_enterprise_edition_now_available_in_us-news-28053.php

Razer Phone pricing info for Europe and North America

The Razer Phone is tied up in the gaming associations of its parent company, but there's another way to look at it - a competitively priced Android flagship. Believe it or not, you don't have to pay $1,000 for a Snapdragon 835 chipset and a 5.7" QHD screen (120Hz screen at that). Instead the pricing is as follows: $700 in the US, €750 in Europe and £700 in the UK. Pre-orders should start any moment now and sales in the launch countries kick off on November 17. Razerzone.com will be selling the phone online in the US and Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland, Germany, France, Denmark...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/razer_phone_pricing_info_for_europe_and_north_america-news-28055.php

Huawei Y7 Prime arrives in India as Holly 4 Plus

Back in June this year, Huawei unveiled the Y7 Prime smartphone. Now, the company has brought the same device to India, although under a different moniker: Holly 4 Plus. Like the Y7 Prime, the Holly 4 Plus is powered by Snapdragon 435 SoC, and sports a 5.5-inch, HD display. RAM is 3GB, while internal memory is 32GB. The handset features a 12MP rear camera and an 8MP front shooter. Measuring 153.6 x 76.4 x 8.35mm and weighing in at 165g, the phone runs Android Nougat out of the box. A 4,000mAh battery is there to keep the lights on. The handset also features a rear-mounted...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_y7_prime_arrives_in_india_as_holly_4_plus-news-28052.php

MIUI 9 global rollout begins

The start of the rollout of the global MIUI 9 was announced by Xiaomi today. Devices that will get the UI early November will be the Redmi Note 4, Mi Mix 2, Mi Max 2 and the Redmi Y1 series, which just went official. MIUI 9 optimizations and compatibility The new MIUI 9 features were introduced back in July at a Shanghai event, but now the stable version of the new ROM is actually seeding. New goodies include Smart App launcher, split screen and the so-called App Vault, reachable with a left swipe from the home screen. More MIUI 9 new features Xiaomi put a...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/miui_9_global_rom_announced-news-28054.php

Oreo beta program for Samsung Galaxy S8 officially kicks off

After rumors, confirmations, and last minute leaks, the Galaxy S8 Oreo beta program has been formally launched by Samsung today. In a press release, the company announced the launch of what it's calling Samsung Experience 9.0 Beta. "Following Samsung Experience version 8.5, which was released with the Galaxy Note8, Samsung Experience 9.0 is based on the latest version of the operating system built on the Android Oreo UI and UX, and will be available on the next flagship Galaxy device," the press release said. The Galaxy S8 Oreo beta program is currently only available in three...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/oreo_beta_program_for_samsung_galaxy_s8_officially_kicks_off-news-28050.php

Xiaomi announces the Redmi Y1 and the Redmi Y1 Lite

Xiaomi had an event today in India where two phones were introduced within a new smartphone series - the Xiaomi Redmi Y1 and the Xiaomi Redmi Y1 Lite. The Redmi Y1 and the Redmi Y1 Lite might be part of new series, but they are already familiar. The phones are the global versions of the Redmi Note 5A Prime and the Redmi Note 5A, released in September in China. Xiaomi Redmi Y1 The Xiaomi Redmi Y1 has a 5.5" LCD with Full HD resolution and a Snapdragon 435 chipset with an octa-core CPU clocked at 1.4 GHz. There are two memory options - 3 GB RAM + 32 GB storage or 4 GB RAM + 64 GB...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_redmi_y1_redmi_y1_lite-news-28051.php

India won't get Nokia 7 anytime soon, HMD confirms

HMD Global has confirmed that they currently have no plans to launch the Nokia 7 smartphone in India. The confirmation came directly from the company's Chief Marketing Officer Pekka Rantala. His exact word were "Nokia 7 is designed for Chinese consumers, so currently we've no plans to bring it to India". The phone was launched last month, with China becoming the first market to get it. The Snapdragon 630-powered handset starts at CNY 2,499 (around $377 or €320) and goes up to CNY 2,699 ($407 or €345) depending on the model you purchase. Via

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/india_wont_get_nokia_7_anytime_soon_hmd_confirms-news-28049.php

HTC U11 Life hands-on review

Life is short... no, we mean Life is short for Lifestyle. The HTC U11 Life certainly enjoys fine living, but it won't make you spend your life at work. Affordability, flagship looks and respectable specs were the goals HTC set for itself when designing this phone.

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u11_life-review-1677.php

HTC enters the bezel-less race with the U11+

It took HTC a while to get here, but it finally has a phone with a nearly bezel-free front. The U11+ has an 18:9 6.0-inch Super LCD6 of 1440x2880px resolution with Gorilla Glass 5 and no physical buttons on the front (the fingerprint scanner moved to the rear). On the back there's a 12MP UltraPixel 3 OIS camera with an f/1.7 aperture, 1.4µm pixels, UltraSpeed autofocus, and a dual-LED flash. It can do 1080p video capture at 120fps, and 4K recording with Hi-Res audio. The front camera has 8 MP resolution, 85-degree field-of-view, f/2.0 aperture, and 1080p video recording. The U11+ is...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_enters_the_bezelless_race_with_the_u11-news-28038.php

HTC U11 life announced in two versions: Android One and Sense

Alongside its new flagship, the U11+, today HTC has also unveiled a mid-range smartphone - the U11 life. This comes in two versions: Android One and Sense. The latter runs HTC's UI overlay on top of Android 7.1 Nougat, has Amazon Alexa pre-installed alongside Google Assistant, and will be available in North America. And the update to Oreo is supposedly arriving within 30 days. The Android One variant is coming to the rest of the world running pure, unadulterated Android 8.0 Oreo from day one. Aside from that, the two models are almost identical. Regardless of where you buy your U11...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u11_life_announced_in_two_versions_android_one_and_sense-news-28046.php

AT&T starts pushing BlueBorne fix to BlackBerry Keyone

AT&T has started pushing out a new update to BlackBerry Keyone units on its network. Arriving as build number AAP606 and weighing in at over 40MB, the update brings along a couple of security-related changes. Firstly, it includes fix for the BlueBorne vulnerability, which - as you might already know - is a major security issue, as it allows a remote attacker to take control of devices via Bluetooth, even if they are set in non-discoverable mode. The second change included in the update is the regular monthly security fixes. The patch the update brings along is for the month of...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/at_t_has_started_pushing_blueborne_fix_to_blackberry_keyone-news-28048.php

Google starts selling Daydream View (2017) in France, Italy, and Spain

Google's new Daydream View VR headset went on sale in the US a couple of weeks ago, and now it's been made available in a handful of European markets. Specifically, users in France, Italy, and Spain can now purchase the headset directly from their respective online Google Stores. As for price, the device carries a tag of €109, which currently translates into around $127. For comparison, those in the US can purchase the headset for $99. The complete list of countries where the Daydream View (2017) is now officially available includes the following names: Australia, Canada, France,...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/google_starts_selling_daydream_view_2017_in_france_italy_and_spain-news-28047.php

Google Assistant arrives for Spanish in the US, Mexico, and Spain

Google Assistant is now officially available for major Spanish-speaking markets: Mexico, the US, and Spain. The company promised more Google Assistant languages during the Made By Google event and today, Italian joins Spanish as the newest languages that Google Assistant supports. The two new languages will support a wide variety of queries for weather, local places, money or unit conversions, sports, games, jokes, calendar, and searching for flights. Google has also included fun questions like "What makes you happy?", "Can I call you Siri?" and other quirky Easter eggs as per Google's...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/google_assistant_arrives_for_spanish_in_the_us_mexico_and_spain-news-28045.php

T-Mobile offering $130-off the Galaxy Note8, additional $200 with Samsung Pay Promo

T-Mobile recently ended its Buy One Get One free promotion with the Samsung Galaxy Note8. If you're still in the market for one on T-Mobile, you can take advantage of the latest offer from T-Mobile. You can get $130 off of the Galaxy Note8 by putting just $100 down (plus taxes for total cost) as opposed to the normal $230 down-payment that T-Mobile requires for you to buy the Note8 on an EIP (Equipment installment plan). Add this to 24 monthly payments of $30 for a grand total of $820. You can get an additional $200 in the form of Samsung Rewards points that you can redeem on...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/tmobile_offering_130off_the_galaxy_note8_additional_200_with_samsung_pay_promo-news-28044.php

Razer Phone hands-on review

It's official - computer hardware company Razer is stepping into the smartphone market with the Razer Phone. We were invited to attend the announcement event and, the way these things work, we got to spend a few precious moments with one of the Razer Phones.

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/razer_phone_hands_on-review-1678.php

Razer Phone is official with 120Hz screen, 8GB of RAM, 4,000 mAh battery

Razer is officially entering the smartphone space. The gaming-focused company acquired Nextbit back in January, and today it's unveiled the first device to emerge out of that acquisition: the Razer Phone. A simple name hides massive specs, in this case. Design-wise, the Nextbit heritage is clear, what with all the sharp corners. The color scheme is much more business-friendly, however, which may come as a surprise from a company that absolutely loves green LEDs. The Razer Phone is made out an all-aluminum CNC chassis, has a 24-bit DAC, and it boasts two front-facing stereo speakers with...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/razer_phone_is_official_with_120hz_screen_8gb_of_ram_4000_mah_battery-news-28043.php