Galaxy Note9's 4,000 mAh battery confirmed by Brazil's National Telecommunications Agency

This just in - the National Telecommunications Agency in Brazil confirmed the Galaxy Note9's massive battery in a leaked document. The certification document doesn't reveal much but it confirms one of the main features the Galaxy Note9 will boast over its predecessor - the 4,000 mAh battery. Rumors about the large battery capacity have been going around since April and the bit was later confirmed by a different source in June. Now, a month later, ANATEL is here to solidify these claims with an official document. We think that it doesn't get any more legitimate than this. We hope...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/brazils_national_telecommunications_agency_confirms_galaxy_note9s_4000_mah_battery-news-32359.php

Wireless Charger Duo for the Galaxy Note9 leaks, it can charge the Galaxy Watch too

Roland Quandt just posted a photo of the wireless charger that's going to be announced for the Galaxy Note9 and we have good and bad news. Remember when a leaked FCC document hinted at a crazy fast wireless charger for the Note9 with an output of 25W? Well, the leaked photo shows the very same charger called Wireless Charger Duo with model number EP-N6100. The good news is that it can charge the smartphone and the upcoming Galaxy Watch both at the same time. Pretty convenient, right? Well, yes and no, because as it turns out, the charger is rated at 25W because it has to charge not...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/wireless_charger_duo_for_the_galaxy_note9_leaks_it_can_charge_the_galaxy_watch_too-news-32358.php

Oppo F9 will come with a Pro version, passes Bluetooth certification

There will be a successor to the Oppo F7 after all despite the existing phone being fresh on the shelves since this spring. The latest teaser from Oppo that appeared online suggests that the handset will be coming very soon so an August launch seems plausible. From the teaser, we can conclude that the device will come with a double camera setup on the back and historically, the phones from the F-series have been mostly selfie-centric so we can expect an upgrade to the front-facing snapper as well. Meanwhile, the F9 has popped up on the Bluetooth certification website hinting at...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/oppo_f9_will_come_with_a_pro_version_passes_bluetooth_certification-news-32357.php

Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium hands-on review

Premium Sony Xperias is where a lot of firsts happen - first 4K display on a smartphone with the Z5 Premium, first HDR display on a smartphone with the XZ Premium alongside 960fps super slow-mo video recording, and now, on the Xperia XZ2 Premium - a dual camera for the first time on a Sony smartphone (a bit late to that party, eh?).

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_xz2_premium_hands_on-review-1792.php

Samsung's A-series are possibly going double-digits

Samsung's smartphone lineup is an ever-growing mess of alphanumeric strings of model names. With some J-series hardware now passing as the Galaxy A6 (2018) and A6+ (2018), a reimagining of the A-series was in order, and it appears that could be happening. Samsung's filed for trademarks in Europe for devices named A10, A30, A50, A70, and A90 - doesn't the double-digit designation really open up possibilities for further growth? What's a bit disconcerting, however, is that the Galaxy moniker is missing in the EU filings - only the Tizen-powered Z-series Samsung phones have been...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsungs_aseries_are_possibly_going_doubledigits-news-32356.php

Xiaomi Mi A2 shows up in two more stores for pre-orders days before launch

It seems like the Xiaomi Mi A2 just can't be contained. A month before the company even scheduled the event, a Spanish YouTube channel published a detailed hands-on video, later taken down. And since last week, the device has been popping up in online stores all over the world. First, it was Poland, then it was Romania and now, a Chinese and a UK store have listed the device for pre-order with some immediate price cuts. The Chinese OEM will be holding an event three days from now on July 24 in Spain and a new Mi A2 Lite variant will be tagging along as well. But strangely...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_mi_a2_shows_up_in_two_more_stores_for_preorders_days_before_launch-news-32355.php

Meizu 16 and 16 Plus get 3C certification, live image leaks and launch date confirmed

Thanks to Meizu's CEO, we already know the key selling points of the upcoming company's flagships - the Meizu 16 and 16 Plus. The devices even got their official launch date set up for August 8, which is only a day before the Galaxy Note9 announcement. But like every handset launching in China, the Meizu 16 and 16 Plus need to go through the 3C certification process. A screenshot of the document shows that both devices (with model numbers M882Q and M892Q) are now eligible for the Chinese market. Unfortunately, the listing doesn't give away anything specific about the...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/meizu_16_and_16_plus_get_3c_certification_live_image_leaks_and_launch_date_confirmed-news-32354.php

Galaxy Note9 shows up in renders in Lilac Purple

The Samsung Galaxy Note9 is going to be officially revealed on August 9, but it's hardly the best kept secret ever. Even so, new bits come out every now and then and the latest is a set of renders of the phone in the color scheme that Samsung calls Lilac Purple. It complements the Coral Blue images we saw earlier and the live shots of the Midnight Black unit from yesterday. We're yet to see a real-life yellow S-pen, though. Other than the color, there's not much new info we can extract from the render - the Note keeps the sharper corners when compared to the S-series, there is...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/galaxy_note9_shows_up_in_renders_in_lilac_purple-news-32353.php

OxygenOS 5.0.4 for OnePlus 3/3T brings July security patch and camera improvements

After OnePlus pushed the July security patches along with much-needed fixes for its more recent OnePlus 5/5T and OnePlus 6 handsets, the company is now sending an OTA update for the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T in the form of OxygenOS version 5.0.4. The new OS version delivers the latest July 2018 security patch and some camera improvements. Unfortunately, the changelog mentions only front camera image quality optimization, so still no love for the main camera. Speaking of, OnePlus has finally fixed a long-lasting issue with third-party camera apps that crashed after switching to...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/oxygenos_504_for_oneplus_3_3t_brings_july_security_patch_and_camera_improvements-news-32352.php

FCC now accepting your petitions on whether T-Mobile - Sprint merger should go through

The T-Mobile and Sprint merger has been rumored on and and off for a while until recently when it was officially confirmed. However, the FCC has to perform a 180-day review of the merger before it can decide whether the $26 billion merger will take place or not. Now through August 27, you can submit petitions or comments on why you think the T-Mobile - Sprint poses a concern or benefit. After this, either party of the merger or a supporter can submit a rebuttal to the petitions until September 17. The period will last 180 days is more of a guideline as the FCC is not required to make any...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/fcc_now_accepting_your_petitions_on_whether_tmobile__sprint_merger_should_go_through-news-32351.php

The rumored Samsung Galaxy Watch will come in two sizes

A new bunch of FCC documents that were published today reveal that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Watch will be launched in two different sizes. We saw the same Watch leak yesterday with a 1.19-inch round display while today's leak reveals a larger 1.3-inch round display. This larger watch will have a larger 48mm chassis while the smaller one was 43.4mm. Source: FCC.gov In this FCC document, you can see the two sizes side by side and the slight differences between them. Based on these CAD drawings, the larger Samsung Galaxy Watch could be a sportier variant based on the shape of...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/the_rumored_samsung_galaxy_watch_will_come_in_two_sizes_-news-32350.php

Our Samsung Galaxy A6+ (2018) video review is up

Samsung's Galaxy A6+ (2018) mid-ranger arrived on the market in May, so you're probably familiar with it. Hopefully you have already gone through our written review of the device, published earlier this week. Today we've also uploaded our video review of the Galaxy A6+, which is embedded below for your viewing pleasure. It contains the most important details you need to know about the phone, neatly condensed into a six-minute video. Even if you did read our written review, it may help to refresh your memory about what makes this phone stand out and where it falls short. The A6+ is...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/our_samsung_galaxy_a6_2018_video_review_is_up-news-32349.php

Sony Xperia XZ3 gets portrayed inside various cases

On August 30 Sony is holding its annual press event at IFA in Berlin, and it's widely anticipated that the Xperia XZ3 will make its debut on that occasion. Like its name implies, this will be the successor to the Xperia XZ2 which was unveiled at MWC back in February. Today case maker Olixar has seemingly revealed the design of the upcoming smartphone, showing us the following renders of the XZ3 inside a range of its protective cases. Sony Xperia XZ3 inside different cases Thus, the Xperia XZ3 seems to be a cross between the XZ2 and the XZ2 Premium in terms of design. It...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_xz3_gets_portrayed_inside_various_cases-news-32348.php

Samsung Galaxy Note9 smiles for the camera in newly leaked live images

As we're now rather close to its official unveiling event taking place on August 9, the Samsung Galaxy Note9 is leaking pretty much every day, sometimes multiple times within any given 24-hour span. On that note, here are a couple of live images of the device - one showing the front with the screen on in the About section of Settings, and the other showcasing that back with the new position for the fingerprint sensor. The pictures don't really bring anything new regarding the phone to the table, but they do serve as the umpteenth reconfirmation of details such as the model number...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_note9_smiles_for_the_camera_in_newly_leaked_live_images-news-32347.php

ASUS launches the 6GB ZenFone Max Pro (M1) variant in India

ASUS has launched the 6GB RAM variant of the popular ZenFone Max Pro (M1) in India. Priced at INR 14,999 ($218), the ZenFone Max Pro is the only phone in India to be priced under the INR 15,000 mark to have a Snapdragon 636 processor and 6GB of memory. The new variant will be available alongside the previous ones exclusively on Flipkart. It will go on sale starting Thursday, July 26. Apart from the memory, the 6GB variant is identical to the other two variants. You can read our preview here.

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/asus_launches_the_6gb_zenfone_max_pro_m1_variant_in_india-news-32345.php

Huawei Mate 20 Lite to come in at least two variants

We've heard some things before about the upcoming Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro, but there was nothing on the Lite version until now. Twitter leakster Roland Quandt, tweeted about the Mate 20 Lite coming in two variants. He concluded on the basis of the two different code names he was told - "Sydney M + Sydney I." He also speculates that the alterations will feature a rear-mounted fingerprint reader and an in-display one based on the information he got about the phones' accessories. Huawei Mate 20 Lite is codenamed "Sydney". There seem to be (at least?) two variants: Sydney M + Sydney I....

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_mate_20_lite_to_come_in_at_least_two_variants_codenamed_sydney-news-32341.php

Huawei to launch nova 3 and nova 3i in India on July 26

Huawei is set to launch the new nova 3 and the nova 3i in India at an event on July 26. The company has already sent out invites to the media for the same. We don't know the exact pricing and availability information but the phones will be available exclusively on Amazon. The launch will happen just two days after the company launches the Honor 9n in India, on July 24, which will be available through Flipkart. The nova 3 and the nova 3i are premium Android smartphones, with the more expensive nova 3 having a Kirin 970 processor, 6GB RAM, 128GB storage, dual 16+24MP rear...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_to_launch_nova_3_and_nova_3i_in_india_on_july_26-news-32339.php

Samsung already preparing for Galaxy Note9 pre-orders

The date for the Samsung Galaxy Note9 launch is fast approaching, so naturally, the company is preparing for the device's launch. In fact Samsung is already planning to start the pre-orders in South Korea. At least according to one of the posts on Twitter showing off the Galaxy Note9 banners. However, we expect the device to launch globally with a price pretty similar to Note8's, which is somewhat expected considering the minor upgrade the Note9 will bring over its predecessor. Source

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_is_preparing_a_preorder_in_korea_of_the_upcoming_galaxy_note9-news-32337.php

Microsoft's fiscal Q4 report is out - 17% growth year-over-year

Microsoft published its financial report for the fiscal Q4 (ending in June) and the company has seen a 17% revenue growth ($30.1 billion) over last year. The company's operating income grew 35% to around $10.4 billion with net income of $8.9 billion GAAP and $8.8 billion non-GAAP. That translates into $1.14 GAAP earnings per share and $1.13 non-GAAP. Microsoft returned $5.3 billion to shareholders this in Q4, through dividends and share repurchases. Most of the Microsoft operations have seen significant growth in revenue - double digits in most of them. Here are some of...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/microsofts_fiscal_q4_report_is_out__17_growth_yearoveryear-news-32335.php

Xiaomi Mi A2 and Mi A2 Lite appear in Romanian stores, here are the prices

The official unveiling is next week, but the Xiaomi Mi A2 and its smaller sibling, the Mi A2 Lite, have already popped up in a Swiss store, a Polish store and now in a couple of Romanian stores - complete with prices and shipping dates. On QuickMobile.ro, the Xiaomi Mi A2 with 32GB storage is €275 while the 64GB one is €300 - that's RON 1,273 and RON 1,400 in local currency. Both versions have 4GB of RAM and will be available in 7 days. PCGarage.ro is charging more - RON 1,400 and RON 1,600 for the two versions respectively - and units will arrive later, availability is set for 11 days...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_mi_a2_and_mi_a2_lite_appear_in_romanian_stores_here_are_the_prices-news-32334.php

Samsung is planning to merge the Galaxy S line with the Note one

According to the Korean media, The Bell, Samsung's Vice Chairman, Jay Lee, is looking to merge the mainstream Galaxy S flagship lineup and the S Pen-carrying Galaxy Note family. There are several reasons why this sounds logical. Samsung Galaxy Note8 Firstly, the Chinese vendors are taking a massive chunk of Samsung's market share in the low-end and mid-range segment while users looking for flagship models frown at the ever-rising prices. Secondly, since last year, a good part of the community struggles to find any compelling reason to jump on the Note8 instead of settling for the...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_is_planning_to_merge_the_galaxy_s_line_with_the_note_one-news-32332.php

Honor 9N ready to launch in India as Flipkart's exclusive

Honor is preparing to launch its Honor 9i in India as Honor 9N and there's already a scheduled event on July 24. The company even teased the device the other day via its Twitter account but the post didn't reveal any details. However, now Flipkart has set up a page promoting the Honor 9N launch happening on the very same day of the event at 11:30 AM. Just like other Honor devices, this one will be a Flipkart exclusive in the subcontinent. The landing page doesn't say much about the device's specs and only markets the notched display and the stunning color options but it's safe to...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/honor_9n_ready_to_launch_in_india_as_flipkarts_exclusive-news-32330.php

Meizu X8 appears in live images, shows off a minimalist notch

Meizu X8's launch is nearing but it remains a rather mysterious device since all the info we've got so far are a few teasers from the CEO himself. Today, a live image reveals a bit more about the design and confirms the Snapdragon 710 chipset inside. According to the Weibo leakster, this is a pre-production unit. As you might remember, Jack Wong said that the device will be better than the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE but didn't say why except that it will incorporate a bigger screen. Well, now we know what else - much smaller notch. It might be due to the angle the photo is taken at but the...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/meizu_x8_appears_in_live_images_shows_off_minimalist_notch-news-32329.php

Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 to have iris scanner and Intelligent Scan

Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 has been leaking for quite some time, and something was off the entire time. The new tablet appeared with thin bezels and no home button on the front, raising the question what type of biometric security it would have. Rumors have been suggesting iris scanner and face recognition features, and finally, SamMobile reported that the Galaxy Tab S4 would indeed sport them both. The information was leaked from a firmware video that shows how both features work. The animation that explains how the iris scanner and face recognition act when powering the device is the...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_tab_s4_iris_scanner_intelligent_scan-news-32328.php

Meizu X8 appears in live images, shows off a minimalist notch

Meizu X8's launch is nearing but it remains a rather mysterious device since all the info we've got so far are a few teasers from the CEO himself. Today, a live image reveals a bit more about the design and confirms the Snapdragon 710 chipset inside. According to the Weibo leakster, this is a pre-production unit. As you might remember, Jack Wong said that the device will be better than the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE but didn't say why except that it will incorporate a bigger screen. Well, now we know what else - much smaller notch. It might be due to the angle the photo is taken at but the...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/meizu_x8_appears_in_live_images_shows_off_minimalist_notch-news-32329.php

Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 to have iris scanner and Intelligent Scan

Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 has been leaking for quite some time, and something was off the entire time. The new tablet appeared with thin bezels and no home button on the front, raising the question what type of biometric security it would have. Rumors have been suggesting iris scanner and face recognition features, and finally, SamMobile reported that the Galaxy Tab S4 would indeed sport them both. The information was leaked from a firmware video that shows how both features work. The animation that explains how the iris scanner and face recognition act when powering the device is the...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_tab_s4_iris_scanner_intelligent_scan-news-32328.php

Honor Note 10 launch scheduled for July 31

Honor just announced on its Weibo account that the Note 10 will be unveiled in Beijing on July 31. The event will be exclusively for the Chinese market, with the global event taking place in Berlin on August 30, as we already told you yesterday. The post says to prepare for an AI flagship with big screen that will arrive in just 10 days. Size-wise the display is rumored to be AMOLED panel by Samsung with a 6.9" diagonal. According to a leaked photo from earlier this week, the Honor Note 10 is expected to have tiny bezels on top and bottom and even tinier on the sides. The phone...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/honor_note_10_launch_july_31-news-32327.php

Waze now compatible with Android Auto app

Waze finally gets an Android Auto version that works on the standalone app. The Android Auto app lets anyone with an Android phone use a hands-free optimized interface for basic communication and music controls when mounted to a dashboard. Previously, the app was only compatible with head units equipped for Android Auto. But about a couple of weeks or so ago, according to Android Police, an update to Waze added support for the app. When you go into the Android Auto car dash mode, you should see Waze as a second option for navigation. Let us know if you'd rather use Waze...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/waze_now_compatible_with_android_auto_app-news-32326.php

Instagram adds green dot on profile pictures to show you who's online

Because you obviously aren't using Instagram enough, the Facebook-owned service has added a helpful new feature that should make it even harder to ever leave its interface. From now on, a green dot will show up on in the bottom right corner of the profile pictures of the people who are currently online and using the app. The dot will be seen in Instagram Direct as well as your friend list when you share a post from the feed. According to Instagram, the dot will let you know when your friends are available to chat. And we assume the hope here is that you'll use Direct instead of...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/instagram_adds_green_dot_on_profile_pictures_to_show_you_whos_online-news-32325.php

Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium arrives in the UK in late September

Sony unveiled the flagship Xperia XZ2 Premium in April, and it's expected to become available in the US at the end of this month. While we've seen it on pre-order in some other places, so far it hasn't received anything resembling a global launch. That may slowly change in the coming weeks, however. Clove, an online retailer from the UK, has just announced that the phone is due to land in that country at some point in late September. It will carry a price tag of £799 VAT included, for a SIM-free unit. If you want to pre-order one right now, you can by visiting the Source linked...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_xz2_premium_arrives_in_the_uk_in_late_september-news-32324.php

SoftBank and Leica invest $121 million in Light, smartphone coming by year's end

Light has been ahead of the curve - it introduced a camera with 16 lenses back in 2015, before LG kicked off the multi-camera craze in the smartphone world with the G5 in 2016 (and most phones are still at 2). Now the company has scored a sizable $121 million Series D round lead by SoftBank's Vision Fund (but Leica also participated). A smartphone with Light's technology is set to launch by the end of the year. It won't go up to 16, but the smartphone tech supports up to a still-insane 9 cameras. Concept of a Light-powered phone camera • Automotive applications are also on the...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/softbank_and_leica_invest_121_million_in_light_smartphone_coming_by_years_end-news-32323.php

Huawei working on smartphone with a display hole for the camera instead of a notch

According to a Korean media outlet, Huawei is working on a strange smartphone design that could potentially mean the end of a notch era. But don't get too excited, because what follows might be even worse. The design features a display cutout for the camera, only this time it's smaller and surrounded by screen on all sides. Instead of placing the front-facing snapper on the notch, the engineers want to put it away from the top bezel so they can squeeze a bit more display on the front and get rid of the notch. This concept might introduce an entirely new problem. For example, how...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_working_on_smartphone_with_a_display_hole_for_the_camera_instead_of_a_notch-news-32322.php

TSMC expects high smartphone SoC demands in contrast to cryptocurrency mining chips

2018 iPhones are coming in September, just like every year, so TSMC is gearing up to mass produce the next chip from the A-series. And it seems that the semiconductor manufacturer is optimistic about this year's lineup. Despite the rather "lethargic" chip sales of smartphone SoCs, the Taiwanese company is expecting "high single-digit" sales growth mostly due to the release of 2018 iPhones. Speaking of, Apple will equip its smartphones with a 7nm A12 chip and the next jump will be to the 5nm manufacturing process some time in 2020. Anyway, TSMC also says that their cryptocurrency...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/tsmc_expects_high_smartphone_soc_demands_in_contrast_to_cryptocurrency_mining_chips-news-32314.php

Samsung Galaxy Watch gets FCC certified, we get a schematic and some specs

The FCC has certified the Samsung Galaxy Watch and while it hasn't posted any photos, it did provide a detailed schematic of its back. You can see the name of the watch engraved on the bottom and digging through some of the other docs we find some of the specifications. The screen measures 30.2mm - that's 1.19" - and body of the watch is 51.2 x 43.4mm. The supplied charger (ETA0U60JBE) provides 700mA of power over a meter-long USB cable to the wireless adapter. LTE was tested, so this is a 4G-enabled model spanning bands 2, 4, 5, 12, 13, 25, 26, 66. Wi-Fi b/g/n (only at 2.4GHz) and...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_watch_gets_fcc_certified_we_get_a_schematic_and_some_specs-news-32313.php

Story time: making the Mirror Black color for OnePlus 6 wasn't easy

OnePlus loves black. It published a detailed story on how the Midnight Black option of the 3T came to be, now it has detailed the development process of Mirror Black for the OnePlus 6. The team took inspiration from functional glass you encounter every day - a car's windscreen and sunglasses. The end result is a Gorilla Glass 5 mix of both. Follow the source link to read OnePlus' full story on Mirror Black. The inspiration between the Mirror Black glass of the OnePlus 6 Over 70 prototypes were tested before the right recipe was found. It includes five laminated layers,...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/the_story_behind_the_mirror_black_oneplus_6-news-32320.php

Canalys: Samsung catches up to Xiaomi in India, both post record shipments in Q2

Canalys reports that Samsung and Xiaomi each shipped a record 9.9 million smartphones in India during the second quarter of this year. The total number of phones shipped in the country was just under 33 million. Samsung has bounced back and is only a hair behind Xiaomi in terms of shipments, after losing its lead in the previous two quarters. The company's share grew almost 50% quarter to quarter, those are the best gains it has seen since the end of 2015. The best-selling phone in Q2 was the Xiaomi Redmi 5A with 3.3 million units shipped, giving it a healthy margin over Samsung's...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/canalys_samsung_catches_up_to_xiaomi_in_india_both_post_record_shipments_in_q2-news-32318.php

Galaxy S9 and S9+ update adds 480fps super slow motion mode, but with a catch

When the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ launched, they featured a 720p @ 960fps slow-motion mode that could record up to 0.2s of real time. The latest software update for these two enables a 480fps mode, which brings up the recording time to 0.4s real time. Now for the catch - shooting in manual Super slow motion mode is at 480fps only. If you want 960fps, you'll have to switch over to the automatic mode. We're not entirely sure what the reasoning behind this change is, but we can take solace in the fact that auto mode is quite good anyway. Samsung Galaxy S9+ (Exynos) receiving...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/galaxy_s9_and_s9_update_adds_480fps_super_slow_motion_mode_but_with_a_catch-news-32311.php

Huawei P20 Pro long-term review

It was an exciting flagship season this spring, yes, but once the dust has settled, there was only a handful of devices that left lasting impressions. On top of that shortlist is the tri-eyed beast that is the Huawei P20 Pro and it was high time we do a long-term review of this one while using it as a daily driver.

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_p20_pro_long_term-review-1791.php

Vivo NEX S launched in India as the Vivo NEX, goes on sale July 21

Vivo has launched its flagship NEX S in India. Simply called NEX for the Indian market, the phone will be available for purchase on Amazon and Vivo online store starting July 21 for INR 44,990 ($651). The NEX S' claim to fame is its motorized front camera. Although not the first phone to have a motorized camera, the NEX S' party trick is to hide it completely within the body and then pop it out when its needed, complete with artificial sound effects. The hiding of the camera module has resulted in a complete lack of top bezel, although there is still a noticeable chin at the...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/vivo_nex_s_launched_in_india_as_the_vivo_nex_goes_on_sale_july_21-news-32321.php

Oppo Find X will launch in Pakistan on August 4

The Oppo Find X and its amazing slide out mechanism have made their way to Pakistan. The phone will be available throughout the country in brick and mortar stores. The price is PKR 129,999 ($1,000/€870), availability is set for August 4. That's a day after it launches in India and a couple of days before the Philippines get it. The Bordeaux Red and Glacier Blue colors will both be available, there's no hint of the rumored White color. Source | Via

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/oppo_find_x_will_launch_in_pakistan_on_august_4-news-32316.php

Honor to announce a new device on August 30, could be the Honor Note 10

Honor just sent out invites for its upcoming IFA event scheduled for August 30. The invite promises a new device launch and given the timing we'd expect it to be a major one. Since the Honor 10 flagship is already official and rumors about the upcoming Honor Note 10 are piling up there's a good reason to believe that it will be the star of the show. We don't have as many details as we would like to, but we know some things for sure - it will have a huge display, it will probably sport Huawei's Kirin 970 SoC and a 6.9-inch Super AMOLED panel. We will know the rest come August 30...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/honor_to_announce_a_new_device_on_august_30_could_be_the_honor_note_10-news-32310.php

OnePlus CEO says the OnePlus X wasn't a success

Pete Lau, OnePlus' CEO, sat down and answered some questions from fans. Only the first part of the interview is published, but it gave us some interesting insight about behind the scenes and how the company develops a phone. One thing that caught our eye was the CEO's disappointment with the OnePlus X. In the interview, he gets asked what's the product that he was expecting more of. He replied: The OnePlus X. We aimed to create a best in class flagship-lite product, and although the community loved the design and thought the product was beautiful, most still preferred flagship...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/oneplus_ceo_pete_lau_says_the_oneplus_x_wasnt_a_successful_handset-news-32309.php

Nokia X6 officially begins global rollout as Nokia 6.1 Plus

HMD Global finally announced the Nokia X6 for the rest of the world under a new name - Nokia 6.1 Plus. And it was Hong Kong that got the handset first as reported last week. Nokia 6.1 Plus in Black and White The Nokia 6.1 Plus features identical hardware to its Chinese counterpart with the only difference being the software. The phone runs Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box and is a part of the Android One program. We do have to note, though, that while the original Nokia X6 comes with various storage configurations, the 6.1 Plus comes only in 4GB/64GB flavor. Nokia 6.1...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_x6_officially_outside_of_china_first_stop_hong_kong_as_nokia_61_plus-news-32317.php

HTC exits Indian smartphone market

Taiwanese manufacturer HTC is calling it quits in India, according to a report by Economic Times. Several of the company's top management, including country head Faisal Siddiqui, sales head Vijay Balachandran and product head R Nayyar have put in their papers, according to three senior executives who talked to ET. Several of the other employees are also being asked to leave. The company is stopping all its distribution agreements. Local manufacturing has been stopped for almost a year now. HTC will continue to operate its VR business, which includes sales of the HTC VIVE and...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_exits_indian_smartphone_market-news-32315.php

Honor Note 10 launch scheduled for July 31

Honor just announced on its Weibo account that the Note 10 will be unveiled in Beijing on July 31. The event will be exclusively for the Chinese market, with the global event taking place in Berlin on August 30, as we already told you yesterday. The post says to prepare for an AI flagship with big screen that will arrive in just 10 days. Size-wise the display is rumored to be AMOLED panel by Samsung with a 6.9" diagonal. According to a leaked photo from earlier this week, the Honor Note 10 is expected to have tiny bezels on top and bottom and even tinier on the sides. The phone...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/honor_note_10_launch_july_31-news-32327.php

Waze now compatible with Android Auto app

Waze finally gets an Android Auto version that works on the standalone app. The Android Auto app lets anyone with an Android phone use a hands-free optimized interface for basic communication and music controls when mounted to a dashboard. Previously, the app was only compatible with head units equipped for Android Auto. But about a couple of weeks or so ago, according to Android Police, an update to Waze added support for the app. When you go into the Android Auto car dash mode, you should see Waze as a second option for navigation. Let us know if you'd rather use Waze...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/waze_now_compatible_with_android_auto_app-news-32326.php

Instagram adds green dot on profile pictures to show you who's online

Because you obviously aren't using Instagram enough, the Facebook-owned service has added a helpful new feature that should make it even harder to ever leave its interface. From now on, a green dot will show up on in the bottom right corner of the profile pictures of the people who are currently online and using the app. The dot will be seen in Instagram Direct as well as your friend list when you share a post from the feed. According to Instagram, the dot will let you know when your friends are available to chat. And we assume the hope here is that you'll use Direct instead of...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/instagram_adds_green_dot_on_profile_pictures_to_show_you_whos_online-news-32325.php

Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium arrives in the UK in late September

Sony unveiled the flagship Xperia XZ2 Premium in April, and it's expected to become available in the US at the end of this month. While we've seen it on pre-order in some other places, so far it hasn't received anything resembling a global launch. That may slowly change in the coming weeks, however. Clove, an online retailer from the UK, has just announced that the phone is due to land in that country at some point in late September. It will carry a price tag of £799 VAT included, for a SIM-free unit. If you want to pre-order one right now, you can by visiting the Source linked...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_xz2_premium_arrives_in_the_uk_in_late_september-news-32324.php

SoftBank and Leica invest $121 million in Light, smartphone coming by year's end

Light has been ahead of the curve - it introduced a camera with 16 lenses back in 2015, before LG kicked off the multi-camera craze in the smartphone world with the G5 in 2016 (and most phones are still at 2). Now the company has scored a sizable $121 million Series D round lead by SoftBank's Vision Fund (but Leica also participated). A smartphone with Light's technology is set to launch by the end of the year. It won't go up to 16, but the smartphone tech supports up to a still-insane 9 cameras. Concept of a Light-powered phone camera • Automotive applications are also on the...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/softbank_and_leica_invest_121_million_in_light_smartphone_coming_by_years_end-news-32323.php

Huawei working on smartphone with a display hole for the camera instead of a notch

According to a Korean media outlet, Huawei is working on a strange smartphone design that could potentially mean the end of a notch era. But don't get too excited, because what follows might be even worse. The design features a display cutout for the camera, only this time it's smaller and surrounded by screen on all sides. Instead of placing the front-facing snapper on the notch, the engineers want to put it away from the top bezel so they can squeeze a bit more display on the front and get rid of the notch. This concept might introduce an entirely new problem. For example, how...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_working_on_smartphone_with_a_display_hole_for_the_camera_instead_of_a_notch-news-32322.php