Asus Zenfone 5 Lite leaks in live shot

And Instagram user, by the name of Marcel Campos recently uploaded a rather interesting shot of a still unannounced Asus handset to his profile. In all likelihood, it's the Zenfone 5 Lite, that frequent leakster Evan Blass described a few hours ago. The overal design and vertical, central camera alignment definitely match, so it is probably the "Lite" variant on display in the photo, rather than the regular Zenfone 5, as pictured in earlier renders. The newly unearthed shot sadly offers little information on the device. If nothing else, the glossy glass back and Asus logo are...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/asus_zenfone_5_lite_leaks_in_live_shot-news-29567.php

Motorola Moto Z2 Force is officially launching in India next week

The Moto Z2 Force - Motorola's current flagship offer will finally be launched officially in India on February 15. The event is already being teased online and media invitations are being handed out. We have to say, however, the excitement is understandably pretty low, since the Z2 Force was originally unveiled all the way back in July 2017. The Lenovo-owned company does have a certain track record of delaying its devices for the Indian market, but over six months is still a rather unprecedented and not exactly favourable scheduling gap. There is still no word on local pricing for the...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_moto_z2_force_is_officially_launching_in_india_next_week-news-29566.php

Leaked Mi Mix 2S banner showcases stunning design and a Snapdragon 845 powerhouse underneath

Xiaomi has been stirring up quite a bit of commotion in the rumor mill lately. The Chinese manufacturer appears to have quite a few interesting devices in the works and info on release schedules and specs has been fluctuating massively, especially in regard to MWC 2018 and the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset. With the Mi 7 flagship now, allegedly, pushed back for after the Barcelona event, tension is mounting around the Mi Mix 2S. It was recently spotted, flexing some serious Snapdragon 845 muscle in AnTuTu scores. If that wasn't enough proof of its impressive internals and Snapdragon...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/leaked_mi_mix_2s_banner_showcases_stunning_design_and_a_snapdragon_845_powerhouse_underneath-news-29568.php

WhatsApp is beta testing p2p mobile payments in India

User to user payments on WhatsApp are finally starting to roll out in India, after what we can only surmise was a pretty lengthy development period of over 10 months, since the first public mention of the feature. It is rolling out gradually to beta testers in the country, meaning that a full release should be coming shortly. In accordance with earlier info, WhatsApp user to user payments are done trough UPI or Unified Payments Interface - India's popular digital payment system, already adopted by all major banks and even some services in the country. WhatsApp payments...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/whatsapp_is_beta_testing_p2p_mobile_payments_in_india-news-29565.php

Samsung's 2015 flagships may get Oreo update

Looks like the Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 edge, S6 edge+, and Note5 will all get the Oreo update. Manufacturer Development pages for these devices on T-Mobile's official website say the carrier "and the device manufacturer have agreed to support a new software update," which is Oreo. It's worth mentioning that this is not the first time we've heard about Oreo for the Galaxy S6. At least a couple of times in the past two months, Samsung customer care reps have confirmed the device(s) will get the update, with one of them even revealing the February time frame for the roll out. Officially,...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsungs_2015_flagships_may_get_oreo_update-news-29564.php

Here are T-Mobile's Valentine's Day deals - free line of service and deals on accessories

Valentine's Day is next week and T-Mobile is offering a bunch of pretty good deals for you and your significant other or anyone else for that matter. Or you can sell the extra line to a friend and make a few bucks a month. Anyway, T-Mobile is already offering its BOGO for up to 12 of its available smartphones (including the Galaxy S8, LG V30, V30+, and LG G6 with up to $700-off on the second one (or $750 off when you get a Note8, S8+ or S8 Active) the second one via mail-in rebate when one of the new lines was switched from another carrier. This offer can be combined with any of the new...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/here_are_tmobiles_valentines_day_deals__free_line_of_service_and_deals_on_accessories-news-29562.php

Alleged specs of the Snapdragon 670 leak online

Now that we've heard the announcement of the Snapdragon 845 from Qualcomm back in December, we turn our attention to the headlining model of Qualcomm's 600-series chips: the Snapdragon 670. This chip is supposed to succeed the popular Snapdragon 660 CPU and its alleged specs have leaked as WinFuture reports. According to reports, the Snapdragon 670 will be built on the 10nm process, putting it on the same hardware level as the much more efficient higher-end CPUs like the Snapdragon 835 or the Exynos 8895. The SD 670 will have a modified Cortex A55 cluster with six high-efficiency cores...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/alleged_specs_of_the_snapdragon_670_leak_online-news-29561.php

Asus Zenfone 5 Lite render leaks with quad-cameras and an 18:9 1080p+ display

There is a lot of smartphone news lined up for Barcelona later this month at the MWC. The latest leak comes from @evleaks and shows a render of the unannounced Asus Zenfone 5 Lite. We are expecting the Asus Zenfone 5 to be the headliner at Asus' press event but a Lite version might be debuting alongside the Zenfone 5. The render shows a smartphone with four cameras. According to Evan Blass, the phone has Dual 16MP main cameras and dual front-facing 20MP cameras for selfies and portrait camera features like (presumably) beauty mode and artificial bokeh. Asus Zenfone 5 Lite - quad cam...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/asus_zenfone_5_lite_render_leaks_with_quadcameras_and_an_189_1080p_display-news-29560.php

Best phone cameras for selfie videos

You can imagine we have a ton of phones lying around at the office. You'd think then it would be easy enough to pick up just the right one for any given task at any given time. Ah, but selfie videos? Has anybody looked into which phone is the best for vlogging? We are not quite sure, but we're sure it's not us. Well, about time we fix this.

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/top_seven_phones_selfie_video-review-1717.php

Sharp Aquos S3 stars in hands-on photo shoot, shows off its iPhone X-like notch

Sharp's upcoming Aquos S3 smartphone has been doing the rounds in the rumorverse since the beginning of this year, getting certified for sale both by China's TENAA and Taiwan's NCC. Those outings have revealed a few pictures of the handset, but if you want more a source over in China delivers today. This is our first look at hands-on images of the Aquos S3, caught somewhere in the wild with its iPhone X-inspired screen notch and dual rear camera positioning and vertical alignment. Unlike Apple's darling, this model goes with a fingerprint scanner on the back as you can see, since the...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/sharp_aquos_s3_stars_in_handson_photo_shoot_shows_off_its_iphone_xlike_notch-news-29558.php

Qualcomm denies second Broadcom bid

Qualcomm isn't shy of action - it is entangled in lawsuits, signs partnerships and memorandums with smartphone manufacturers and at the same time is being pursued by Broadcom with an aggressive takeover bid. Last week's offer of $82 per share, $121 billion in total was declined today in a statement on the chipset company's website. The Board of Directors believes the second offer is not enough and suggests a meeting with Broadcom "to see if it can address the serious deficiencies in value and certainty in its proposal". The letter also puts two questions on the table - what is the...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/qualcomm_denies_second_broadcom_bid-news-29553.php

EMUI 8.0 with Android Oreo now rolling out to the Honor 8 Pro in India

Huawei has started rolling out the EMUI 8.0 update for the Honor 8 Pro. The update started rolling out first in UK last week but is now rolling out in India as well. The update is 2.81GB in size and brings with it a bunch of changes, most importantly the jump to Android 8.0 Oreo. Apart from that there are also visual changes to EMUI, a new navigation dock, app shortcuts, smart tips, PrivateSpace for private files and folders, AI-based optimizations to performance, 3D panorama mode, Vodafone VoLTE support, and more. Also included is the January security patch. The update is now...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/emui_80_with_android_oreo_now_rolling_out_to_the_honor_8_pro_in_india-news-29550.php

LG V30s with 256GB storage to show up at MWC

We heard that LG will bring an upgraded V30 to the MWC, though company officials refuted that this is in lieu of a G7. Anyway, ETNews reports that the upgraded model will be called LG V30s and will focus on AI and something called LG Lens. The V30s model will have 256GB of built in storage, double what the LG V30+ offers and four times the 64GB of the base model. As for LG Lens, it's the company's vision-based assistant. You can snap a photo and the AI will recognize the object and seek out prices. Lens can translate text (like QuickTranslator)as well as give you location-based...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/lg_v30s_with_256gb_storage_reportedly_bought_a_ticket_for_the_mwc-news-29549.php

Xiaomi Mi 7 specs leak, to come with 8GB RAM

Xiaomi said back in December that the Mi 7 will arrive at MWC 2018 with a Snapdragon 845, but according to some rumors, the company is postponing the announcement and bringing the Mi Mix 2s instead. Still, a leaked screenshot of the Mi 7, said to debut in April, suggests 8 GB RAM and 4,480 mAh battery, a massive upgrade over the Mi 6's 4/6 GB RAM and 3,350 mAh power cell. Other specs reveal the already known Snapdragon 845, a dual camera setup (16 MP + 16 MP) and 5.6" tall screen with FullHD+ resolution. The storage is listed as 128 GB. The screenshot says that the user interface...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_mi_7_specs_leak_8gb_ram-news-29548.php

Meizu E3 coming March 6, press invites reveal

Meizu has started sharing invites for a March 6 launch event. A couple of invitations have to come light, revealing the names E3 G and E3 P. This indicates there could be two variants of the handset. It's being speculated that G and P signify the models will be aimed at gaming and photography, respectively, although the possibility of a single phone having both these selling points can't be denied as well. The device leaked in live images recently, revealing things like a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, a dual rear camera setup in a vertical orientation, and a screen with...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/meizu_e3_coming_march_6_press_invites_reveal-news-29547.php

Huawei Mate 10 Pro undergoes scratch, burn, and bend testing

For his first smartphone durability test of 2018, Zack from YouTube channel JerryRigEverything chose the Huawei Mate 10 Pro as the subject. Now that the handset is up for pre-order in the US, more people may like to know how well it fares in this pretty standard challenge. It turns out that it doesn't disappoint. Its screen scratches exactly when you'd expect, and manages to withstand an open flame for a whopping 40 seconds without any damage, matching Samsung's Galaxy S8 in this regard. Unfortunately though, because the Mate 10 Pro uses an OLED touchscreen, its pixels don't recover once...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_mate_10_pro_undergoes_scratch_burn_and_bend_testing-news-29543.php

Chrome will label all HTTP pages "Not secure" from July

Around this time last year, Google's Chrome browser started labeling HTTP pages with text fields as "Not secure" when you enter any information. And today the company has announced the next and final step in its strategy meant to get website owners to switch to HTTPS encryption. From July, when Chrome version 68 is set to become stable, all HTTP pages will be labeled "Not secure", as seen in the image below. For those webmasters who still haven't transitioned to HTTPS, the company offers set-up guides to help them get started and explain why encryption is important. In the past...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/chrome_will_label_all_http_pages_not_secure_from_july-news-29542.php

Verizon's Motorola Droid Maxx 2 gets updated to Android 7.0 Nougat

Earlier today we told you that Samsung is finally releasing the update to Android 8.0 for the Galaxy S8 and S8+, and it's pretty late to the Oreo party at this point. Still, that's quite an achievement compared to the Motorola Droid Maxx 2 for Verizon. This particular handset is now receiving an update to Android 7.0 Nougat. That's an iteration that's almost one and a half years old at the moment, so to call this update long overdue would be a huge understatement. And it's especially true given that the Moto X Play, in effect the international variation of the Droid Maxx 2, first tasted...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/verizons_motorola_droid_maxx_2_gets_updated_to_android_70_nougat-news-29540.php

Huawei P20 Lite now leaks in live images

Huawei is announcing its flagship P20 (or P11, the naming isn't 100% known at the moment) on March 27 at a special event in Paris. While the P20 and P20 Plus / Pro are expected to come with three rear cameras, the entry-level model in the line, the P20 Lite, will stick with two. We've seen this phone get certified by the FCC yesterday, and a few hours ago some 360-degree renders of it were outed based on CAD schematics. To add to that barrage of P20 Lite leaks, we now have some live images to show you. They show the iPhone X-inspired vertical arrangement for the dual rear cameras and their...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_p20_lite_now_leaks_in_live_images-news-29541.php

Xiaomi, Sony and 16 more OEMs to deliver 5G smartphones in 2019

Qualcomm has hit the gas pedal on the 5G connectivity with its latest announcements. The company will provide Snapdragon X50 modems that support the new standard to 18 OEMs, including smartphone manufacturers Asus, Fujitsu, HMD Global, HTC, LG, Oppo, Sharp, Sony, vivo, Xiaomi, and ZTE. The manufacturers are planning to commercialize 5G mobile devices by 2019. While Samsung struck a separate extended partnership last week, the one big company that is missing from the list is Apple. In a separate press release, the San Diego company also said that carriers such as AT&T, China...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_sony_16_more_oem_announce_5g_smartphones_2019-news-29539.php

Mysterious Snapdragon 845 device shows up on Geekbench 4

Snapdragon 845 flexed its muscles in AnTuTu, now it has come to Geekbench 4 onboard an unknown device. This benchmark is easier to compare with current-gen devices as AnTuTu had a major upgrade recently. The device tested ran Android 8.0.0 Oreo and packed 6GB of RAM. Unfortunately, it's model name and even maker have been scrubbed, so there's no way to tell if this is the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S, a Samsung Galaxy S9 or something else altogether. Snapdragon 845-powered device leaves its footprints in Geekbench 4.2 Here are the results, the ones in red are Snapdragon 845 devices while the...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/mysterious_snapdragon_845_device_shows_up_on_geekbench_4-news-29538.php

Deal: used iPhone 6s (Grade A) for just £200

If you're looking for an iPhone on the cheap, you might have to get one used - Apple slashes its prices very rarely. An iPhone 6s from late 2015 costs £450 new, way too much for a device that's over two years old. If you do want to get a used one, eBay has a nice deal. An iPhone 6s with 16GB of storage goes for - used, Grade A - £200 (you can drop to Grade B for £190). 64GB is £245 and 128GB is £310 (32GB is sold out). You're getting 12 months of warranty and some generic accessories - USB cable and SIM ejector. The availability of colors varies so you should check the specific...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/deal_used_iphone_6s_grade_a_starting_from_pound_200-news-29537.php

Unicode Emoji 11 gets finalized, adds 157 new emoji

The Unicode Consortium has announced Emoji 11, the latest update to the emoji set that succeeds Emoji 5 (no idea what happened to Emoji 6-10), with an astonishing 157 new emoji. A huge bunch of these are just racial and gendered variations of existing emoji but there are some interesting new designs in there. While the Unicode set only gives the description and we will have to wait till companies like Apple, Google, Twitter, Facebook, etc. release their interpretations of it, for now the people at Emojipedia have come up with their own designs that follow the general design language of the...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/unicode_emoji_11_gets_finalized_adds_157_new_emoji-news-29536.php

Samsung patents Galaxy J3 Star and Galaxy J7 Star monikers

Samsung classifies its Galaxy smartphones in three major categories - S goes for the flagship devices, the A is for upper-midrange phones and the J series is where the lower-midrangers hang out. According to the US Patent and Trademark Office, the third family is about to get bigger - the Korean company trademarked the monikers Galaxy J3 Star and Galaxy J7 Star. The "Star" addition will join other sub-series like Pro, Prime, Max, Ace, and Nxt. Both phones are yet to be announced, but since stars are usually seen in the sky, we should expect the J3 Star and J7 Star to sit a bit...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_patent_galaxy_j3_star_galaxy_j7_star_moniker-news-29535.php

Huawei confirms three-cam Huawei P20 with its latest press invite

We told you that Huawei is having its P11/P20 launch on March 27 and today the company started handing out official press invites. The image has three circles, clearly indicating that the new flagship will have triple camera setup on its back. If it is not clear enough, the invite also drops second hint, saying guests will "see mooore with AI". At the event, happening in Paris, France, Huawei is expected to show a lite, regular and Plus version of the P11 or P20 - the name is yet clear. Aside from the triple camera that might be arranged in a vertical setup, other suggested specs...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_three_cam_huawei_p20_press_invite-news-29533.php

Hyperknit covers for the Samsung Galaxy S9 spotted in online store

Cloth is trending up in tech - it's becoming popular in cases and other phone accessories (even smart speaker). It appears that Samsung will broaden its range of offerings - from the existing alcantara to Hyperknit cases. What's Hyperknit? It's a woven fabric with a characteristic texture that has been used for sports clothing until now. This is the gray option, though a red version should be available as well. Samsung Galaxy S9 Hyperknit cover This case appeared in a Romanian online store QuickMobile where it's priced €30. That's the same price as an alcantara cover. Source |...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/hyperknit_covers_for_the_samsung_galaxy_s9-news-29532.php

Samsung starts rolling out Android 8.0 Oreo update for the Galaxy S8

Samsung has started the roll out for its much anticipated Android 8.0 Oreo update for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ devices. Version SM-G955XXU1CRAP — is currently rolling out in Germany. Software info The update will first roll out to those who were on the beta program and then make its way to other users. Similarly, it will eventually make its way out of Germany to other regions. When exactly will your region get it is unknown but the important thing is that the S8 is getting Oreo after what seemed like an eternity since it was released by Google. With Oreo there will also...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_starts_rolling_out_android_80_oreo_update_for_the_galaxy_s8-news-29531.php

Wileyfox enters administration

It's been confirmed that Wileyfox, the UK mobile phone manufacturer and retailer, has been placed into administration resulting in redundancy for 20 of its staff. Wileyfox entered the market in 2015 with the launch of the Storm and Swift smartphones running Cyanogen, an open source mobile OS based on Android. At this juncture Wileyfox's website, while still operational, is 'out of stock' of all models. A quick search of amazon.co.uk still shows a range of Wileyfox products. No clarification has been made for on-going support for existing Wileyfox users. Their most recent USP was...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/wileyfox_enters_administration-news-29529.php

Huawei P11/P20 lite renders reveal an iPhone X-like dual camera

Next Huawei flagship will not arrive until March 27, but thanks to devoted leaksters we know all about it by then. Latest 3D images reveal the Huawei P11/P20 lite, and by the looks of it, the company will introduce a notch in its affordable flagship series too. Huawei P20 lite renders Based on the CAD schematics, the phone will have dimensions of 148.6 x 71.2 x 7.4 mm (8.4 mm at the camera bump). The display will be 5.7" in diagonal, with rounded corners and a notch. The renders of the P11 lite (or P20 lite, the name is not yet confirmed) also include dual-cam...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_p11_p20_lite_renders_dual_cam-news-29528.php

New image of bezel-less vivo flagship pops up

First we saw a massive bezel-less screen, allegedly of the vivo X30, later a live image of the eventual vivo Xplay 7 popped up on Weibo without a notch. Now a new photo appeared comes to lend some credibility to the impossibly high screen-to-body ratio (perhaps even record-breaking) of the Xplay 7. The phone pictured appears to be the same as the one in the live image from Monday - vivo's Funhouse user interface, and slightly thicker bottom bezel that might host the selfie camera, similar to what Xiaomi did with the Mi Mix back in 2016. We have already seen vivo implementing a...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/new_image_bezelless_vivo_pops_up-news-29527.php

These apps shows remaining battery on AirPods when connected to Android

In the past few months, there have been at least three Android Apps that can display the remaining battery life on a pair of Apple's AirPods. At their very basic functions, each of these apps can display the remaining battery life of your AirPods and even their charging case. It's worth noting that you will only be able to see the remaining battery life of the charging case if one or both of the AirPods are in the case and battery life will be shown in 10% increments. Droidpods is the newest of the three and offers a persistent notification that will show you the remaining battery life...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/these_apps_shows_remaining_battery_on_airpods_when_connected_to_android-news-29524.php

Samsung Galaxy S7 edge in Vietnam accidentally got Oreo

The guys over at AndroidU received a tip from a user in Vietnam who appears to have received the Android Oreo update on their Galaxy S7 edge, complete with the Samsung Experience UI 9.0. The update was obviously a mistake made by someone at the Samsung development team or related departments, who must have pushed a seemingly finished build of the update. It isn't possible that Samsung would purposefully release such an update to the S7 before the newer Galaxy S8. Aside from this, Samsung did not even hold a an Oreo Beta trial for S7 edge users. We don't know how many people actually...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s7_edge_in_vietnam_accidentally_got_oreo-news-29523.php

EMUI 8.0 update rolling out for Honor 9 and 8 Pro in France, 7X and 8 in Q2

Mid-last month, Honor India stated that the Honor 8 would not be getting Android Oreo/ EMUI 8.0 due to software and hardware limitations. Social media reps are sometimes misinformed, and that proved to be true when this piece of news was immediately contradicted not two weeks later when Honor confirmed that 9 of its phones would be updated to Oreo - Honor 8 included. Just yesterday, Honor France tweeted that two Honor phones will begin the OTA update process today, February 7: the Honor 9 and Honor 8 Pro. Tout d'abord, les mises à jour pour le passage à EMUI 8 ! 😊 Honor 9 : 7...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/emui_80_update_rolling_out_for_honor_9_and_8_pro_7x_and_8_coming_in_q2-news-29522.php

Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra review

The Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra upgrades the mainstream XA2 with a huge screen and a whole bunch of selfie-taking goodies such as a high-end dual-selfie rig, OIS, autofocus, and a front-facing flash.

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_xa2_ultra-review-1720.php

Nest finally joins Google's hardware team

Google purchased Nest in 2014 and has allowed it to operate as an independent entity under the Alphabet umbrella for the past few years. The company has been churning out new smart home devices such as thermostats and security cameras during this time. But while it has obviously worked closely with Google even before, it hasn't been 100% integrated into the search giant's hardware team. Until today. Google is announcing that Nest is finally joining its hardware team - you know, the one that's responsible for "Made by Google" Pixels and Home speakers and Chromecasts. This move is long...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/nest_finally_joins_googles_hardware_team-news-29521.php

ZTE to announce Blade V9 with 18:9 screen and Snapdragon 450 at MWC

ZTE managed a pretty rare feat back in December - leaking one of its own upcoming devices. The phone in question is the Blade V9, which got listed on the company's official website for Spain. That was obviously pulled quickly but we still grabbed some official images and the full specs nevertheless. According to an unnamed source speaking to Android Headlines, the Blade V9 will finally become official at MWC, when ZTE plans to unveil it for the world to see. The handset is expected to be "quite affordable", which makes sense given the Blade line's legacy and its non-flagship specs. The...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/zte_to_announce_blade_v9_with_189_screen_and_snapdragon_450_at_mwc-news-29520.php

Google is working on a gaming console and game streaming service, rumor says

According to a report from The Information, Google's latest venture has everything to do with gaming, an area that so far it's been absent from. If the unnamed sources are to be believed, the search giant is hard at work on its very own game streaming service. This will be called Yeti, or that may just be its codename for now. The service will be accompanied on the market by a "Made by Google" gaming console, but Yeti will also work on Chromecasts. Yeti will not compete with Amazon's Twitch, since it's not that kind of game streaming. Google's service will stream the games to you...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/google_is_working_on_a_gaming_console_and_tame_streaming_service_rumor_says-news-29519.php

HTC free fall continues in January, revenue hits six-month low

HTC published its financial results for January, and they do not look promising. Compared with December 2017, revenue sank 15.3%, while the fall on a yearly basis was even bigger - 27%. The consolidated income of NT$3.403 billion (or $116.12 million) marked a six-month low for the Taiwanese company. HTC's golden hen - Google Pixel 2 Analysts say lowered Pixel 2 sales and HTC U11 Eyes launch mid-January hurt the sales performance. In February, Vive Pro and the standalone headset Vive Focus VR will be available, but because of reduced work days during Lunar New Year, sales are...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_january_revenue_six_month_low-news-29517.php

HTC U11+ launches in India, exclusive on Flipkart

Thanks to an exclusive deal with Flipkart, HTC has brought the HTC U11+ to India. And it's the top-specced model to boot, the one with 6GB of RAM and 128GB storage. There's no choice in colors, though, there's only Amazing Silver. The price is INR 57,000, compared to INR 46,000 for the base U11 (also the 128GB model). You can get it on monthly installments between 3 and 12 months (at a price of INR 19,000 to INR 4,750 a month respectively). HTC U11+ (Amazing Silver) arrives in India via Flipkart A Pixel 2 XL (with similar hardware) is INR 65,000 for the 4GB/64GB model (and it...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u11_launches_in_india_exclusive_on_flipkart-news-29518.php

Huawei Mate 10 and 10 Pro software update fixes camera and wireless woes

The Huawei Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro are getting an important update - version 8.0.0.127 (SP1C00). The change log is a laundry list of optimizations and fixes. The bug where the camera would occasionally fail to open or display a black screen has been squashed. The Beautify feature has been improved with "special touches" based on the subject's gender. Wireless connectivity got some major fixes too. You can now connect to hidden Wi-Fi networks without issue and you can pause audio when playing over in-car Bluetooth. Related, SIMs from carriers in countries with multiple time zones no...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_mate_10_and_10_pro_software_update-news-29516.php

Apple now accepts Alipay at physical stores in China

Apple will allow payments with Alipay in all its 41 stores in mainland China, Financial Times reported. The partnership between the manufacturer and the Alibaba affiliate marks the first time a third-party mobile payment platform makes its way in any of the 500 Apple stores globally. Apple sold 41.1 million smartphones in China in 2017 and generated net sales of $44.7 billion, but still struggles to to push its own Apple Pay platform. Alipay, on the other hand, is a market leader in China, where along with its rival WeixinPay accounts for $11.4 trillion of payments in 2016. Eyeing...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/apple_alipay_physical_stores_china-news-29515.php

Telegram adds streaming and auto-night mode on Android

Telegram has added streaming support on the Android app. Videos can now be watched without downloading them first. Clicking on the video will start streaming and you can watch it instantly. Telegram video streaming • auto-night mode The update also adds auto-night mode on Android. The app can now automatically switch to the night mode at night or in a dark environment. These changes are available in the latest v4.8 of the app. Telegram also announced a new login widget for websites. Websites can now have the Telegram widget to authenticate new users, similar to Facebook,...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/telegram_adds_streaming_and_autonight_mode_on_android-news-29514.php

Samsung Galaxy S9+ in Coral Blue swims to the surface

According to @evleaks, the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ will come in four colors: Midnight Black, Lilac Purple, Titanium Gray and Coral Blue. Yesterday we saw the duo in purple, today comes the blue version of the S9+. We think we have the complete set. Renders by dbrand do a good job of portraying the black S9 duo. Then there are these renders (with a transparent case) that show off the gray one (courtesy of MyTrendyPhone.no). And for completeness sake, the purple color from yesterday. Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ in Midnight Black, Titanium Gray and Lilac...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s9_in_coral_blue_swims_to_the_surface-news-29513.php

Huawei P20 Lite with a notched 19:9 screen goes through the FCC

Screen notches - not just for expensive flagships anymore. FCC certified (and described in good detail) what could be the Huawei P20 Lite (model name ANE-LX1). It will have an extra tall 19:9 screen, including the notch. The screen has a resolution of 2,280 x 1,080px and (if we're reading the schematic right) the diagonal should be around 6.1". The phone itself will measure 148 x 70mm. On the back of the phone is a dual camera (vertically oriented). Of course, the FCC doesn't list the camera resolution. A fingerprint reader is not included in the schematic. Additional info...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_p20_lite_with_a_notched_19_9_screen_goes_through_the_fcc-news-29512.php

Apple: iPhone X and 8 come with "hardware update" to avoid throttling issues

Apple responded to US Senate in a letter on the issues with throttling the CPU in older iPhones, prices of battery replacement and similar eventual scenario with future devices. The company acknowledged it failed to communicate the problem and is considering a refund for those who paid the full price of $79 for a battery replacement. Apple also said that iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus have hardware updates so they will not experience massive CPU-throttling like older iDevices. In response to Senator John Thune, head of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/apple_iphone_x_hardware_update_deal_throttling_issues-news-29511.php

Apple's second Beta of iOS 11.3 introduces Battery Health Beta

Last night Apple released the second Beta of iOS 11.3 to developers. It's notable in that it lets us have a first look of Apple's proposed solution to how we can monitor our Battery Health and control what Apple is calling the 'Peak Performance Capability' of our iPhones. Apple has been very verbose to label this 'Beta' within the release so expect things to change, but see what we have. For iPhone 6 and later, iOS 11.3 adds new features to show battery health and a recommendation if a battery needs to be replaced. These can be found in Settings > Battery > Battery Health...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/apples_second_beta_of_ios_113_introduces_battery_health_beta-news-29508.php

Sony Xperia XZ Premium gets patches for "Meltdown" and "Spectre"

Sony Xperia XZ Premium owners started receiving the latest firmware update for their phones. The build number moves from 47.1.A.12.34 to 47.1.A.12.75 and brings February security update that fixes "Meltdown" and "Spectre" CPU vulnerabilities. Sony Xperia XZ Premium security update The new firmware is version 47.1.A.12.75 and it doesn't mention any other changes, so chances are you won't notice much difference in terms of user experience. The 120MB size also suggests no major changes. The upgrade is now seeding to dual-SIM phones, but single-SIM versions should be getting it...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_xz_premium_patch_meltdown_spectre-news-29510.php

Samsung Galaxy C10 Plus shows up on AnTuTu

A upcoming Samsung smartphone just appeared on AnTuTu's website, sporting the model number SM-C9150, being powered by a Snapdragon 660 mated to 6GB of RAM and running Android 7.1.1. At the time of writing it's most probable that this device will prove to be the Samsung Galaxy C10 or C10 Plus for China, although it could be named under the J series elsewhere as the Galaxy C7 (2017) before. The screenshot from the device's profile in AnTuTu doesn't give out much information and some of the information it does is a bit questionable. First, the 1920x1080px resolution indicates an 16:9...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_c10_plus_shows_up_on_antutu-news-29509.php

New Google Photos notification shows a preview of shared photos

Back in 2016, Google announced a new feature that would let you receive messages from apps that you don't necessarily have installed on your device. For example, your friend could send you a message on Allo even if you didn't have the app installed on your Android phone. You could even reply to the Allo message natively through that notification, as if you had the app installed. It appears that Google Photos is the latest Google app to soon adopt the feature, as 9to5Google reports. Although the App Preview Messaging API is still in the preview stage, Google appears to be testing the...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/new_google_photos_notification_shows_a_preview_of_shared_photos-news-29505.php

You can't text behind the wheel in France anymore, even when pulled over

There has been a recent increase in accidents caused by distracted drivers behind the wheel, and the number one culprit of distraction is the cell phone. Having these super-fast mobile computers in our pockets really entice us to take them out while waiting at a light or when stuck in traffic. In France, a new court ruling from the Court of Cassation has altered the current texting and driving laws that are in effect. Specifically, the law states : The use of a telephone held in hand by the driver of a vehicle in circulation is prohibited. This court ruling has changed the legal...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/you_cant_text_behind_the_wheel_in_france_anymore_even_when_pulled_over-news-29504.php