Samsung brings Galaxy S9 and Galaxy A8 Enterprise Edition variants to Germany

The Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy A8 Enterprise Edition models have arrived in Germany. The former will be available in the country starting April, while the latter has gone on sale already. They carry a price tag of €849 and €499, respectively. It's worth mentioning that these phones are dual-SIM. In case you aren't aware, Samsung's Enterprise Edition devices come with features such as Knox Configure and Enterprise Firmware Over-the-Air (E-FOTA). The Galaxy A8 Enterprise Edition will get three years of monthly security updates, while the S9 variant will also get quarterly updates...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_brings_galaxy_s9_and_galaxy_a8_enterprise_edition_variants_to_germany-news-29942.php

Skype now supports Android devices running 4.0.3 and up

In a blog post today, Microsoft announced a new version of Skype is being released with optimizations for devices running Android 4.0.3 to 5.1. The updated app hasn't started rolling out yet - that'll happen in the next few days, the company says. Microsoft explains the new Skype app is "is lighter on both disk and memory consumption, allowing for greater speed and better audio and video quality on lower end Android devices, as well as increased performance in challenging network conditions". The new app will be made available to users around the world. Source

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/skype_now_supports_android_devices_running_403_and_up-news-29941.php

DJI Mavic Air Review - A rookies perspective

Introduction I'd been thinking about buying a drone for a long time. On a recent holiday in Thailand, as I was bouncing around on a quad-bike trying to film the rest of the family, I knew drone footage would look an order of magnitude better. A couple of the guys in the office wax lyrical about theirs so I thought it was about time I took the plunge. This rookie was about to get his first aircraft. For once, I kept my sensible head on and decided against buying the most expensive model by default - but which one? All that I was sure of was that it had to record 4K footage. The...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/dji_mavic_air_review__a_rookies_perspective-news-29761.php

Weekly poll results: the ideal weight for a phone is between 140g and 170g

For most people, the ideal weight of a phone is between 140g and 170g. We were surprised to see how many people commented on our poll that "lighter is better". There's a sort of stigma around light phones - the heavier handsets just feel more durable. Of course, that is mostly an illusion. A phone made of polycarbonate will like outlive a metal phone while being lighter. But "plastic" doesn't sell phones, metal and glass do - just look at a list of the best-selling phones. Many people did say that weight is a secondary concern. And it's true that battery and additional hardware add to...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/weekly_poll_results_the_ideal_weight_for_a_phone_is_between_140g_and_170g-news-29934.php

Here is Samsung's ad for the Oscars featuring Issa Rae and Constance Wu

Samsung has released its latest television commercial on YouTube, one that is likely set to air during the 90th Annual Academy Awards on ABC this Sunday. The ad features two TV actresses: Issa Rae and Constance Wu throughout various scenes encouraging viewers to make anything, even "make something awkward". The ad, of course, shows off the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ in the gorgeous Lilac Violet color. Ironically, after saying "make something big" the kids reply with "but we don't have a budget" so the obvious response is "make something small". The irony comes when thinking about the...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/here_is_samsungs_ad_for_the_oscars_featuring_issa_rae_and_constance_wu-news-29938.php

J.P. Mogan reduces iPhone X production estimates for Q1 and Q2

Securities firm JP Morgan has reduced its production estimates of the Apple iPhone X by 25% from 20 million in Q1 to 15 million. Meanwhile, analyst Narci Chang also lowered estimates by 44% from 18 million units to 10 million for Q2. When it comes to the sale of iPhones overall, Q1 forecast was reduced to 52M from 55M while Q2 was reduced to 42M from 45M, not as much of a reduction, but still a reduction nonetheless. This is actually - the second one by J.P. Morgan. Apple's sales appeared strong when it released the first financial report that included iPhone X sales. However, when you...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/jp_mogan_reduces_iphone_x_production_estimates_for_q1_and_q2-news-29937.php

Oppo R15 is rumored to come with MediaTek's Helio P60 chipset

Oppo has already started teasing its upcoming R15 earlier today, and now a new rumor out of its home country of China gives us a key detail regarding its specs. According to a source that's been reliable at times in the past, the Oppo R15 will have MediaTek's newly unveiled Helio P60 chipset at the helm. This features a CPU with four Cortex-A73 cores clocked at 2 GHz and four A53 cores also at 2 GHz. For graphics it has the Mali-G72 MP3. From Oppo's teaser we know that the R15 will be yet another Android smartphone coming with a notch at the top of its display, a trend that's...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/oppo_r15_is_rumored_to_come_with_mediateks_helio_p60_chipset-news-29936.php

Amazon server outage makes Alexa unresponsive

Remember Amazon's amazing Super Bowl ad in which Alexa lost its voice? Well, funny story: today that scenario became reality. Thanks to a widespread server outage, the retail giant's virtual assistant has become unresponsive. Some can't get it to work at all, while for others its answers have been intermittent. On the other hand you might be lucky enough not to be affected by the issues, because the outage is regional. You may encounter the signature blue ring staying lit for a long time, as much as 15 seconds even, without any answer. When you finally do get something out of Alexa, it...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/amazon_server_outage_makes_alexa_unresponsive-news-29935.php

Apple Watch outsells all other smartwatches combined in 2017

According to a recent survey by IDC, the Apple Watch was the highest selling smartwatch in the last quarter and the entire year of 2017. Apple shipped an estimated 8 million units in Q4 of 2017 compared to 5.1 million in the same quarter in 2016. Overall market share in Q4 went from 14.4% behind Fitbit and Xiaomi in 2016 to 21% in 2017, ahead of everybody else. As for the whole year, Apple shipped 17.7 million units in 2017 versus 11.3 million in 2016. Total market share went from 10.8% in 2016 to 15.3% in 2017. But here's the real kicker; the numbers you just read were...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/apple_watch_outsells_all_other_smartwatches_combined_in_2017-news-29930.php

Leaked HTC Desire 12 Plus specs talk of a larger 6" screen with 18:9 aspect ratio

The HTC Desire 12 will get a larger, more powerful sibling - the Desire 12 Plus. With 18:9 screens, both phones will bring HTC's new premium design to the low end. The Plus model will have a 5.99" LCD screen (up from 5.5"), but keep its 720 x 1,440px resolution (268ppi). This pushes the dimensions of the phone to 158.2 x 76.5 x 8.4mm and 155g. The HTC Desire 12 Plus will have a 13MP camera on the back and an 8MP selfie shooter on the front, upgrading the camera setup of the non-Plus model. Another upgrade includes the move away from a MediaTek chipset (with a quad-core processor)...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/leaked_htc_desire_12_plus_specs_6_inch_18_9_screen-news-29927.php

Relive the evolution of Sony Xperia design in two minutes

Sony unveiled its latest design language at the MWC, called Ambient Flow. The Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact return to the curvy backs of Sony's earlier designs. Need a refresher? This video traces Sony's design language from 2012 to today. It starts with Iconic Identity - the time of the Xperia S and company with their ergonomic curves and transparent row of buttons. Then, OmniBalance came and ruled Sony design from 2012 to 2015, first introduced with the Xperia Z. OmniBalance shed the curves and went for a very rectangular look. It also cemented some traditional Xperia features like...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/relive_the_evolution_of_sony_xperia_design_in_two_minutes-news-29926.php

Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery RPG coming to Android and iOS this Spring

The Harry Potter franchise is still going strong and a new game is coming this Sprint. The Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery is an RPG game that sees you going to the famous school for witchcraft and wizardry. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Myster is an RPG set in 1980's It's something of a prequel, the story takes place in the 80's (before Harry was even born). This means you'll get to interact with all your favorite professors - yes, all of them, Snape and Dumbledore who, well, you know... Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery will be available on both Android and iOS. You can...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/harry_potter_hogwarts_mystery_rpg_coming_to_android_and_ios_this_spring-news-29925.php

Xiaomi teases Mi Mix 2s with Snapdragon 845 in new video

Xiaomi already confirmed that a Mi Mix 2s is arriving with Snapdragon 845 on March 27. The manufacturer teased the phone's AnTuTu score in the latest official poster. Earlier today Xiaomi posted a video on its Weibo account, asking "how fast is your Snapdragon 845". How fast is your Snapdragon 845? The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s is going to be among the first devices with the latest Qualcomm chipsets. The new phablet will join the company of the Sony Xperia XZ2 phones, the US versions of the Galaxy S9 duo and the Asus Zenfone 5 flagship. Previous leaks reported a 6.01" OLED screen with...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_tease_mi_mix_2s_snapdragon_845_new_video-news-29924.php

Samsung releases full change log for Samsung Galaxy S8's Oreo update

After Samsung's Experience UI 9.0 update for the S8 and S8+ was put on a brief hold, the company releases the full list of changes to the UI. The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ were both being updated with Android Oreo 8.0 when the OTA was momentarily pulled. Now that the update has been rolling back out for a few days, Samsung is releasing the full list of changes for Samsung Experience UI 9.0. This list of changes applies specifically to the Samsung Galaxy S8 powered by Samusng's own Exynos 8895. More specifically, this applies to the International Unlocked SM-G950F...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_releases_full_change_log_for_samsung_galaxy_s8s_oreo_update-news-29919.php

Samsung Galaxy Note9 runs its first benchmark

Samsung's Galaxy S9 and S9+ have only been official for a few days now, but even so the leaks have already moved on to the Korean company's next big thing: the Galaxy Note9. Despite the fact that it's only expected to be announced in late summer, a prototype has already been spotted in a benchmark's database. We're talking about HTML5test, which handily reveals that the Note9 will unsurprisingly sport an Infinity Display of its own. The listed resolution is 412x846, but note that this benchmark always contains fractions of the actual resolution of any phone. What's more important here is...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_note9_runs_its_first_benchmark-news-29918.php

Huawei confirms P20 Pro's name with a billboard in Barcelona

Huawei is due to announce its next flagship smartphone family at a special event in Paris on March 27. But while we've known that for a few weeks now, there has been some confusion regarding exactly what the models to be unveiled there will be called - the P20 and P20 Lite have leaked so much that they're pretty much a certainty, but what about the third device, the one rumored to come with three cameras on the rear? So far we've worked under the assumption that this will be the P20 Plus, because that's the naming scheme the company has employed in previous years, but it turns out that it...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_confirms_p20_pros_name_with_a_billboard_in_barcelona-news-29917.php

MWC 2018 is over, here are the highlights as we saw them

MWC 2018 was jam-packed with exciting tech, which, as per usual, we had a lot of fun experiencing and reporting on. Hopefully, you took just as much enjoyment out of reading our coverage and hands-on impressions. Just in case you missed something from the busy schedule, we have prepared a quick run-down of all the highlights of the Barcelona venue. And just in case you prefer the more retro approach to things, here are some key points in writing as well: alcatel In keeping with its track record, the TCL corporation unleashed a slew of new devices into the wild, complete with some...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/mwc_2018_highlights-news-29914.php

The notch is spreading for no good reason: the MWC was rife with iPhone X lookalikes

Smartphone makers are like school kids - they see the popular guy wear a weird hat and rush off to the store to buy weird hats too. It's easier than developing their own style. Apple has been just such a trend-setter in Smartphone High and after successfully undermining the headphone jack, it's now responsible for an explosion of notches. But screen notches didn't originate with Apple - time for a detour to History class. As former Motorola designer pointed out on Twitter, the MOTOFONE F3 had a notch way back in 2006. This one barely had an UI, though, so the notch didn't get in the way....

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/the_notch_is_spreading_for_no_good_reason_the_mwc_was_rife_with_iphone_x_lookalikes-news-29909.php

Ikimobile BLESSPLUS is a phone made of cork, we go hands-on

Cork in a handset? Now, there's something you don't see every day. That's definitely how ikimobile's booth at MWC 2018 caught our eye. Well, the tree they had set up on the show floor helped draw some attention as well. But, it was the ecological and sustainability pitch that really piqued our interest. Ikimobile takes a firm stand on the matter, by working mostly with cork - 100% natural, renewable, and recyclable with no carbon footprint and no harmful emissions. The company also prides itself on manufacturing independently in its home Portugal market and engaging in various other...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/ikimobile_blessplus_made_of_cork_handson_review-news-29905.php

DxO Mark praises Galaxy S9+ with a score of 99

The Samsung Galaxy S9 has been making headlines all week leading up to, during, and after its announcement last weekend. DxO Mark is a company dedicated to testing all kinds of camera equipment and includes smartphone cameras as well. The Galaxy S9+ was praised for offering "one of the most comprehensive smartphone imaging feature sets available today." This is definitely a result of Samsung's dual-aperture camera system that switches between f/2.4 for bright lighting conditions and a much faster f/1.5 aperture for taking photos in low-lighting conditions. Here's DxO Mark's brief...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/dxo_mark_praises_galaxy_s9_with_a_score_of_99-news-29915.php

Rugged Samsung leaks: likely the Xcover 5

Samsung's weekend was all about the Galaxy S9, but behind the scenes other phones are getting ready for their time in the spotlight. Like this one, which prolific leakster Roland Quandt says is not a Galaxy S9 Active. There's only one other thing it could be then - the Galaxy Xcover 5. The Xcover 4 was launched in March last year so it's about time for a new one. Note the rugged, grippy exterior with exposed bolts - it's a tough phone alright. Samsung Galaxy Xcover 5 (leaked photo) Unfortunately, we don't know much about it yet beyond that its single camera will have a bright...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/rugged_samsung_leaks_likely_the_xcover_5-news-29912.php

Vodafone Spain spills the beans about the Huawei P20 Lite

While the Huawei P20 family was not at the MWC in Spain, the Huawei P20 Lite did show up in a brochure from Vodafone Spain. The carrier helpfully listed the salient specs, pretty much confirming what we already know from leaks (with some differences, rumors tend to round numbers off). The P20 Lite will have a 5.84" screen with 1080p+ resolution. The phone is pictured from the back, so we can't see how much of the screen the notch takes up. Good thing that there are leaked photos. We do see the dual camera on the rear with its 16MP + 2MP sensors (given its resolution, the secondary...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/vodafone_spain_spills_the_beans_about_the_huawei_p20_lite-news-29911.php

Twitter introduces Bookmarks features for saving tweets

Twitter has launched a new bookmarking feature for tweets. The feature was in testing on iOS for some time now but was officially released for both platforms today. Found something historic?Don't want to forget a joke?Article that you want to read later?Save the Tweet with Bookmarks, and come back to it whenever you want. Only you can see your Bookmarks. pic.twitter.com/fM2QLcOYNF— Twitter (@Twitter) February 28, 2018 The bookmarking feature is available under the old DM sharing button. The button has now been redesigned and lets you send the tweet via DM, add it to bookmarks or...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/twitter_introduces_bookmarks_features_for_saving_tweets-news-29904.php

The Motorola E398 (aka ROKR E1) could vibrate with sound too

The Dynamic Vibration System on the new Sony Xperia XZ2 is pretty cool - it analyses the sound that is playing (from the music player or even a game) and uses the larger vibration motor to add a haptic feel to the sound. For example, it vibrates with the bass drum or the hi-hats. But as Aarjith reminded us, this isn't the first phone to do such a thing. In fact, we have to travel all the way back to 2004 and check out the Motorola E398. The same hardware was also sold as the ROKR E1, aka the first phone to support iTunes. Motorola E398 The phone could play MP3 files through its...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/the_motorola_e398_aka_rokr_e1_could_vibrate_with_sound_too-news-29903.php

Fitbit: Adidas Ionic launch date announced and new smartwatch leaked

Fitbit weekly roundup. Q4 Results miss analysts' estimates, release date for Fitbit Ionic: Adidas edition announced and leaked images of their next smartwatch appear. This week Fitbit revealed fourth-quarter revenue of $570.8 million for the 2017 holiday season, down from $573.8 million from the previous year, which missed analysts estimates of $588.1 million. Fitbit ended the year with $1,615.5 billion in revenue, down from $2,169.5 billion when compared to 2016. Fitbit, is being squeezed by cost-effective fitness trackers from the likes of Xiaomi with its Mi Band 2, and of course...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/fitbit_adidas_ionic_launch_date_announced_and_new_product_incoming_-news-29900.php

BlackBerry Keyone Black Edition arrives to US online retailers

BlackBerry sold 850,000 devices last year and called the number "mission accomplished". Still in pursiuit of its first million, the brand announced that the BlackBerry Keyone Black Edition will arrive soon to US online retailers. Currently available at AT&T with 3 GB RAM and 32 GB storage, the phone costs around $500 or $16.67 monthly with a 24-month plan. The more powerful version with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB memory will be available at "select retailers", although BlackBerry is yet to pinpoint exact stores or launch dates. The Black Edition of the keyboard-packing smartphone costs...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/blackberry_keyone_black_edition_us_online_retailers-news-29907.php

The new Nokia phones are coming to the UK in April

The new Nokia phones from the Mobile World Congress will be available in the UK next month - Clove UK already has shipping date and pricing info. The Nokia 7 Plus will arrive first on April 16th. Pre-orders are live at £350 for the Black & Copper model. Next, the Nokia 8 Sirocco will land on April 23 for £650. The Nokia 8110 4G will arrive on the same day for £80. Both Black and Yellow colors will be available. The Android Go Nokia 1 will come last - May 7 - at €80, same price as the banana phone. Dark Blue and Warm Red colors are available (don't forget about Xpress-On...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/the_new_nokia_phones_are_coming_to_the_uk_in_april-news-29908.php

Three Huawei phones hit TENAA with 18:9 screens, some dual cameras too

Huawei has a couple of affordable phones in the works, TENAA reveals. One is the ATU-TL10, which is joined by the very similar AUM-TL20 and the lower-end AUM-TL00. There's a good chance that the AUM-TL20 is the Huawei Enjoy 8 (aka Honor 7C). All three phones have 5.7" screens with an 18:9 aspect ratio (and 720p+ resolution). They run Android 8.0 Oreo on 1.4GHz octa-core processors (make unknown). The memory situation is this: the ATU-TL10 and AUM-TL20 both have 3GB of RAM and 32GB storage, the AUM-TL00 is 2GB/16GB. All phones have a microSD slot. Huawei AUM-TL20 (photos by...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/three_huawei_phones_hit_tenaa_with_18_9_screens_dual_cameras-news-29906.php

Xiaomi to launch Redmi Note 5 Pro as Redmi Note 5 in China

Xiaomi launched the Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus in the closing days of 2017. Many were discouraged that the Redmi Note 5 is not arriving, but the Plus-version became the long awaited successor of the Redmi Note 4 on the global stage. Instead of leaving China without the emblematic phone, Xiaomi will just reboot the dual-cam Redmi Note 5 Pro as Xiaomi Redmi Note 5. Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro, a.k.a. Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 The Chinese version will have the same specs - Snapdragon 636 chipset, 4/6 GB RAM and 12 MP + 5 MP camera setup on the back. The selfie snapper will be 20 MP, the battery will...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_launch_redmi_note_5_pro_redmi_note_5_china-news-29902.php

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s leaked photo suggests under-screen fingerprint scanner

Xiaomi has scheduled a launch on March 27 for the Mi Mix 2s. Confirmed specs include only Snapdragon 845, as the company revealed in an official poster. According to the latest live image, the phone might also have an under-display fingerprint scanner. The image, if real, suggests the finger should be positioned in the lower central part of the screen. It might also be just a request for the user to place his finger on the proper scanner on the back, as it does on the stock Android lock screen. At this point, we are just speculating and truth will be unveiled in the end of...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_mi_mix_2s_leaked_photo_under_screen_fingerprint_scanner-news-29901.php

IDC: Smartphone shipments decline 0.5% in 2017

IDC published its yearly analysis of the smartphone shipments market. According to the company, manufacturers pushed 0.5% fewer devices in 2017, compared with 2016, or a total of 1.46 billion smartphones, almost all of them running either Android or iOS. The analysts predict a compound 2.8% growth in the next five years, forecasting a volume of 1.68 billion units shipped in 2022. Ryan Reith, Program VP at IDC, said a considerable factor for global volumes was the China decline of 5% in 2017. EMEA also dropped 3.5%, while the US remained flat. Room for growth is present though,...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/idc_smartphone_shipments_decline_2017-news-29899.php

Honor 7X Oreo Beta goes live in four EU countries

Today, Honor has launched its Beta program for Honor 7X owners in four European countries: France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. The program will let you test non-final builds of EMUI 8.0 based on Android 8.0 Oreo. New features will include a refined UI, improved performance and stability, as well as some of Huawei's AI features, though just the ones that don't require the Kirin 970's NPU. Honor 7X The Honor 7X will be receiving EMUI 8.0 Oreo sometime in Q2 of this year. So making the Beta available now shows the phone maker is on track for a Q2 release. If you have an Honor 7X in...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/honor_7x_oreo_beta_goes_live_in_four_eu_countries-news-29895.php

Huawei P20 Lite leaks with 5.6-inch screen, dual cameras and a notch

As the major announcements from the MWC are getting discussed, Evan Blass tweets a photo of the alleged Huawei P20 Lite, even though it isn't even set to be announced for another month. For a while, Huawei's P20 was rumored to have three rear cameras, but when Blass tweeted the supposed picture of the P20 with a notch in the display and dual rear cameras, we can pretty much hold our breaths until we see a P20 Pro model, one that many hope will have three main cameras. Triple cameras aside, Blass has an amazing track record when it comes to smartphone leaks. Huawei P20 (with two, not...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_p20_lite_leaks_with_56inch_screen_dual_cameras_and_a_notch-news-29893.php

Check out our Nokia 8110 4G video hands-on from MWC 2018

Nokia is playing the nostalgia card again this year, following up on the reinvented iconic 3310 feature phone from 2017. This time around it's the banana phone redux - meet the Nokia 8110 4G, arriving on the scene 22 years after the original. The device famously used by Neo in the Matrix movie is reimagined for the modern world, with 4G LTE capabilities, alongside Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and even GPS. It's still unashamedly not a smartphone, as you'd expect from a handset sporting a 2.4-inch 240x320 display that isn't touch-sensitive. Still, you get 512MB of RAM and the Snapdragon 205...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/check_out_our_nokia_8110_4g_video_handson_from_mwc_2018-news-29894.php

Possibly canceled LG G7 leaks in full, with hands-on images and specs

LG has revamped its smartphone strategy this year, vowing not to release new devices just to respond to competitors. Thus, the much anticipated G7 has apparently been canceled or rebuilt from scratch, according to past rumors. That, however, hasn't stopped it from leaking in full at MWC today. The images you can see below have been outed by Israeli publication Ynetnews, which also has a hands-on video up - hit the Source linked below to watch it. LG G7 (Neo) The G7 was codenamed Neo, and it features what's probably going to be 2018's top trend in the Android world: a screen...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/possibly_canceled_lg_g7_leaks_in_full_with_handson_images_and_specs-news-29896.php

Our Galaxy S9 video hands-on from MWC 2018 is up

Samsung's Galaxy S9 has undoubtedly been the king of the show at this year's MWC, alongside its bigger and better-specced sibling, the S9+. Samsung's flagship duo stole the spotlight from many of its competitors, and rightly so given what they deliver. If you've already taken a look at our hands-on review of the S9 and S9+ in written form, perhaps now would be a good time to watch us deliver our first impressions on video. You'll find out about the most important features of the S9 phones in less than five minutes. While you impatiently sit around and wait for our full review of the...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/our_galaxy_s9_video_handson_from_mwc_2018_is_up-news-29892.php

Unannounced vivo V9 appears on a billboard in Indonesia with a screen notch

Yesterday Asus outed the Zenfone 5 and 5z, identical smartphones on the outside that borrow heavily from the iPhone X in the looks department. But if you want a screen notch on a handset running Android, you will soon have another option: the upcoming vivo V9. This too comes with the polarizing feature, as the images below attest. They were captured by a reader of ours and they show the vivo store (and the billboard right above it) in Pangkal Pinang City, Bangka Island, Indonesia. vivo V9 billboard in Indonesia Besides the slim overall bezels of the phone, it reveals that you...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/unannounced_vivo_v9_appears_on_a_billboard_in_indonesia_with_a_screen_notch-news-29891.php

Apparently the Sony Xperia XZ2 gets 6GB RAM in the US, UK and Canada as well.

Yesterday, we reported on a rather interesting find, regarding the memory configuration of Sony's latest flagship pair. Today, the plot thickens even further. Apparently, the US, UK and Canada listings for the bigger Xperia XZ2 all quote 6GB of RAM. Once again, that is 2GB more than the standard international version gets. The original scoop pertained to regional XZ2 and XZ2 Compact units for Hong Kong and Taiwan. We went over a total of four listing to confirm both phones would get the higher RAM loadout. However, while doing a follow-up sanity check on the matter today, it seems the XZ2...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/apparently_the_sony_xperia_xz2_gets_6gb_ram_in_the_us_uk_and_canada_as_well-news-29889.php

Deal: SanDisk's 400GB microSD card drops to $190

If your phone has a microSD slot (which is quick becoming a rarity), you might want to check out the SanDisk 400GB microSD card. It started at a hefty $230, but you can now have it for $190. B&H Photo Video, Amazon and NewEgg have it at that price. Best Buy is charging $200. There are smaller cards too, the 256GB ones start at $100 if you don't need so much storage (there are faster, pricier versions of the 256GB card too). The 64GB and 128GB cards get you the most bang for your buck, we did the math: Capacity Price GB/$ 16 GB $9.90 ...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/sandisks_400gb_microsd_card_drops_to_190-news-29888.php

CEO: Huawei Watch 3 is coming, but not soon

Huawei CEO Richard Yu wants you to know that his company is working on the a third generation smartwatch. No, it's not coming anytime soon, this is just an FYI. According to Yu, the Watch 2 sells well and there's no need to hurry. The Watch 2 was unveiled at MWC 2017 and some expected to see the 3rd edition this year. Clearly, this didn't happen and there were no new Huawei phones either (the P10 was another MWC 2017 announcement). The P20 phones are coming on March 27, but from Yu's comments it sounds unlikely that they will be accompanied by a smartwatch. IFA in September is the next...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/ceo_huawei_watch_3_is_coming_but_not_soon-news-29887.php

LG K10/K10+ (2018) and LG K8 (2018) hands-on at MWC

LG's official announcements at MWC this year were admittedly a bit light on the hardware front, with a major focus on AI instead. In case you missed it, the V30S ThinQ and V30S+ ThinkQ were unveiled at the Barcelona venue, with most of the focus falling on the company's new and ambitious smart platform, rather than the new V30 colors and memory upgrade. Still, that is not to say the Korean giant didn't bring any hardware to the venue. We just had to go looking for it around the showfloor. What we found were three new mid-rangers - the K10, K10+ and K8. Well, technically, two, since the...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/lg_k10_k10_2018_and_lg_k8_2018_handson_at_mwc-news-29886.php

Asus Zenfone 5, 5z, 5 Lite hands-on review

The annual MWC event in Barcelona is almost over, but we can't call it a day before we handle all new Zenfones Asus had in store for us. The event last night brought us a whole bunch of new devices, some of them to be available in different variants in a typical Asus fashion. The notorious notch made an appearance, too, and it's shaping to be the next trendy thing after the "full-view" screens.

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/asus_zenfone_5_lite_max_m1_hands_on-review-1732.php

Amazon Prime Music launched in India

After doing a soft launch last year with Echo, Amazon has now properly launched its Prime Music service in India. The service, which was earlier limited to the Echo devices, will now also be available on iOS, Android, desktop, Fire TV Stick and the Amazon website. The service includes millions of songs across 10 Indian languages. The mobile apps also include support for Alexa, so instead of typing you can just tell Alexa which song you want to play, although this only works within the app. Users will also be able to download as many songs as they want to play locally within the...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/amazon_prime_music_launched_in_india-news-29885.php

Samsung Galaxy J8 spotted on Geekbench

Samsung decided to unify its naming scheme - first it was the Note, then the A-series caught up with the S flagships. Apparently, the affordable J series are next for rebranding, according to a new benchmark of a Samsung device with the model number SM-J800FN. The phone has Exynos 7870 chipset, coupled with 3 GB RAM and runs Android Oreo. The single-core score of the device is 728, while the multi-core result is 3683, although these results are comparable only with the alleged Galaxy J6 (2018) and the eventual Galaxy J4 (2018) due to the Geekbench version. The 7870 chipset,...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_j8_spotted_on_geekbench-news-29884.php

Sprint to introduce 5G in six major US cities by 2019

Sprint announced it is preparing to deliver mobile 5G in the first half of 2019. Customers of the carrier in Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles are promised to get "5G-like capabilities", later joined by Atlanta, Houston and Washington DC. In 2018 and 2019 the company will position thousands of Massive MIMO radios, increasing its network capacity across the country. As part of the coverage expansion, Sprint promises to connect "people, places and billions of things with blazing fast speed, ultra-reliable, low-latency wireless service". The press release asto states that "this breakthrough...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/sprint_to_introduce_5g_in_six_major_us_cities_by_2019-news-29883.php

Nokia 6 (2018) coming to US in May, HMD confirms

A few days back, HMD Global's CEO, Florian Seiche, confirmed the new Nokia smartphones (1, 6 (2018), and 7 Plus) aren't headed stateside. Then came reports that these phone may launch in the country in Q2 this year. And now, HMD has confirmed at-least the Nokia 6 (2018) is coming this May. The confirmation came from Juho Sarvikas, HMD's chief product officer, in a recent interview. The executive, however, didn't provide any info on pricing. In the interview, Sarvikas also commented on the company's decision to not go for carrier partners for their phones. "The trend is that the open...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_6_2018_coming_to_us_in_may_hmd_confirms-news-29880.php

Amazon acquires Ring - the company behind the video doorbell

Today, Amazon has agreed to acquire Ring - the company behind the Ring Doorbell, an internet-connected doorbell that offers a live visual and audible feeds at your home's front door. Likewise, you can intercom with guests who arrive at your home via the Ring app. An agreement was made to the tune of over $1 billion, though this is an estimated number based on reports. Specific terms of the deal haven't been made known just yet, but we don't expect the Ring brand to go anywhere. Amazon will keep Ring's core business intact as a daughter company while Amazon sprinkles its name and Prime...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/amazon_acquires_ring__the_company_behind_the_video_doorbell-news-29876.php

Our Nokia 7 plus video hands-on from MWC 2018 is up

Nokia is having a blast at MWC this year, announcing both a new flagship (the Nokia 8 Sirocco) and the Nokia 7 plus, perhaps the most intriguing device in its current roster. It's a premium midranger powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 660, in theory promising to give you most of the performance of a phone powered by an 8-series chip, but for a fraction of the price. The Nokia 7 plus will cost €399 when it hits the streets, and you get plenty of hardware for that amount. An 18:9 screen, Nokia's first? Check. A dual rear camera setup with 2x optical zoom? Check. An interesting two-tone design...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/our_nokia_7_plus_video_handson_is_up-news-29875.php

Asus Zenfone Max (M1) has a 4,000 mAh battery, 18:9 slim-bezel display

Late last year Asus unveiled the Zenfone Max Plus (M1), and today at MWC the company took the wraps off its slightly smaller sibling, the Zenfone Max (M1). This model comes with a 5.5-inch 1,440x720 18:9 IPS display capable of up to 400 nits of brightness. The phone has an 83% screen-to-body ratio thanks to its slim bezels. It's powered by either the Snapdragon 425 or the Snapdragon 430, depending on which variation you happen to buy. Similarly, you can get it with up to 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, but there may be some lower-end options in some markets. The Zenfone Max (M1)...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/asus_zenfone_max_m1_has_a_4000_mah_battery_189_slimbezel_display-news-29874.php

Asus Zenfone 5 is full of AI, has a smaller notch than the "Fruit Phone X"

After introducing the entry-level Zenfone 5 Lite, Asus got to the main event of its MWC press conference. That is, of course, the Zenfone 5. And the higher-end Zenfone 5z. These models are almost identical, save for the chipset used, and the amount of RAM and storage you can get them with. They are both filled to the brims with AI: AI Boost (for more power when gaming), AI Photography (with scene detection, photo learning, portrait mode and beautification), AI Display (stays on while you're looking at it and has automatic color temperature adjustment), and even AI Ringtone (which...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/asus_zenfone_5_is_full_of_ai_has_a_smaller_notch_than_the_fruit_phone_x-news-29873.php