Android distribution: Oreo climbs steadily , 9.0 Pie still nowhere to be seen

Even though Google skipped a few months of reporting the state of Android distribution, it's now back on track with the latest statistics for the end of August. The usual trend continues - most of the older Android versions are going down in numbers in contrast to the newer versions. Compared to last month, 8.0 and 8.1 Oreo have risen by more than two percentage points from 12.1% up to 14.6%, which is probably directly related to the newly sold Oreo-powered devices. Interestingly, Nougat 7.0 and 7.1 numbers are exactly the same, although there's a small decline of 7.0 devices and an...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/android_distribution_oreo_climbs_steadily_90_pie_still_nowhere_to_be_seen-news-33059.php

Apple acknowledges iPhone 8 logic board issues, offers free repairs

It's no secret that Apple sells a lot of devices each year so even if the company says there's an issue affecting a small percentage of the devices, we might be talking hundreds of thousands of handsets, or even millions. However, this time around, the acknowledged issue concerning the iPhone 8 might not really be that widespread like some in the past. In an official statement, Apple says there's a logic board issue in some of the iPhone 8 units manufactured between September 2017 and March 2018 - essentially, the handsets sold in the first six months. Users are reporting freezing,...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/apple_acknowledges_iphone_8_logic_board_issues_offers_free_repairs-news-33058.php

Huawei found guilty of 4G LTE patent infringements, has to pay $10.5 million

Recently, Huawei was forced to exit the US market - at least partially - and suffered great losses, but the troubles don't seem to stop there as a jury at the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas found the Chinese firm guilty of multiple patent infringements. Reportedly, back in 2014, the US company PanOptis tried to contact Huawei and schedule meetings to discuss the violations and even offered reasonable non-discriminatory terms to license the patents so Huawei can continue using those technologies. After three consecutive years and numerous letters, the Chinese tech...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_found_guilty_of_4g_lte_patent_infringements_in_the_us_has_to_pay_105_million-news-33057.php

Asus Zenfone 5z review

The Asus ZenFone 5Z has been around for some time now. Flagship ZenFone series devices have been known to border on the excess in the past, and while some of that may have become par for the course for flagship Android phones these days, the ZenFone 5Z leaves no stone unturned and comes with all the proverbial bells and whistles. As with previous ZenFone flagships, it is also priced exceedingly well positioning it squarely between the Poco F1 and the OnePlus 6 but is that really the whole story? Let's find out.

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/asus_zenfone_5z-review-1819.php

A new Nokia phone pops up on 3C

Everyone is looking at HMD Global to release a truly flagship-grade Nokia smartphone after the Nokia 8 Sirocco didn't exactly live up to some expectations. Now, a new Nokia-branded handset, with model number TA-1131, has popped up on the Chinese 3C certification website giving us hope of a Nokia 9 release. We know it's too early to tell since the listing doesn't give away anything specific about the smartphone but we can still hope, right? It just mentions 5V/3A, 9V/2A and 12V/1.5A charging speeds capping at 18W, which confirms fast charging capabilities. However, this isn't new to...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/a_new_nokia_phone_pops_up_on_3c-news-33056.php

Huawei Mate 20 spotted in the wild at the IFA show floor

IFA, or any major tech convention, for that matter, is an incredibly chaotic and overcrowded place. Kind of like a sensory overload, especially for a tech junky. That being the case, the incredible attention to detail among some of you never ceases to amaze us. Mix in a little creepy stalking-style photography and you end up with today's leak, consisting of a few live shots of what is probably the Huawei Mate 20. The Chinese giant already confirmed an October 16 launch date for the device, meaning that there is still some waiting to be done. However, definitely not long enough to...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_mate_20_spotted_in_the_wild_at_the_ifa_show_floor-news-33055.php

Google says no Pixel Watch is coming this year

In spite of past rumors claiming the contrary, Google will not be launching a Pixel Watch this year. The company has confirmed this through Miles Barr, its director of engineering for Wear OS, speaking to Tom's Guide in an interview today. The Pixel Watch was said to be unveiled alongside the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL smartphones at Google's upcoming event in early October. However, the search giant says it wants to focus on its partners in the wearable space, and on improving Wear OS. It offers input to companies making watches using its platform, the latest of which was regarding the...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/google_says_no_pixel_watch_is_coming_this_year-news-33054.php

Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL show up at the FCC

Google's Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL have been leaking a lot lately, even though their official unveiling date might be October 9. Today it's been revealed that they have passed through the FCC's certification process already - with most documents filed in early July, though some date back to late June. We're only now finding out about this because the confidentiality period for the technical reports has ended today. The two devices have been submitted to the FCC by Google itself, unlike in previous years when HTC (for both first-gen Pixels), then HTC and LG (for the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL,...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/google_pixel_3_and_pixel_3_xl_show_up_at_the_fcc-news-33053.php

Sharp Aquos D10 joins the C10 and B10 in its European lineup

Sharp's much anticipated re-entry into the European smartphone market has finally happened this year, and the Japanese company has unveiled a new member of its lineup at IFA today, following the launch of the Aquos C10 and B10 last month. The new model is the Aquos D10, and while it's the highest-end of the bunch, it's still far from a proper flagship. It features a 5.99" 18:9 1080x2160 "Free Form Display" with a claimed 91% screen-to-body ratio, and a rather prominent notch. It's an LCD panel, by the way, no OLED here. At the helm we find Qualcomm's Snapdragon 630, with 4GB of RAM...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/sharp_officially_reenters_european_market_with_d10_c10_and_b10_smartphones-news-33052.php

OnePlus will open a store in Paris, France

While it didn't bring any new devices, OnePlus was at IFA, including co-founder Carl Pei. He revealed something potentially even more exciting than a phone - OnePlus will open a brick-and-mortar store in Paris soon. OnePlus has been all about efficiency since its inception, which means focusing on online sales. The OnePlus 6 already has some retail presence in France, due to a partnership with carrier Bouygues (the phone is in around 20 stores now, but will expand to many more). But this will be a true OnePlus store and it will open in time for the next major launch, says Pei, likely...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/oneplus_will_open_a_store_in_paris_france-news-33050.php

Samsung readying Galaxy J4 Prime and Galaxy J6 Prime for launch

Samsung is prepping Prime versions of its Galaxy J4 and Galaxy J6 devices, as evidenced by the support pages it has up on its Vietnamese website. The devices have already been available in non-Prime form since this Spring. The Prime models will likely be powered by Snapdragon chipsets, instead of the Exynos 7570. Both the Galaxy J4 Prime and Galaxy J6 Prime will likely run Android 8.1 and not the Android 8.0 their Exynos-powered counterparts are running. Rumor has it that Samsung will release the Galaxy J4 Prime and J6 Prime this fall in Vietnam and the Netherlands. Source 1 |...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_readying_galaxy_j4_prime_and_galaxy_j6_prime_for_launch-news-33046.php

Another phone with camera slider showcased, this time from Lenovo

The list of smartphones with a slide-out camera is getting bigger by the day. It all started with the vivo NEX and Oppo Find X and now we are hearing that the Honor Magic 2 and the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 are adopting the slide-out mechanism as well. It seems that Lenovo has been bitten by the periscope-like camera bug as well - the company's vice president just shared a video on Weibo showcasing a still unannounced Lenovo smartphone with extremely thin bezels, small chin and pop-up cameras in Find X style. Moreover, the video reveals that the phone will make use of an in-display fingerprint...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/another_phone_with_camera_slider_showcased_this_time_from_lenovo-news-33047.php

Independent Strategy Analytics survey shows the Sony Xperia XZ3 has the best display

Sony has once again tapped Strategy Analytics to conduct an independent testing of the Xperia XZ3 screen. That's the new P-OLED screen with 1,440 x 2,880px resolution. For the competition, SA gathered what it considered the leading phones on the market. Here's the roster below. Note that the testing was done between August 21 and 23 so the Galaxy Note9 was not available yet. Sony Xperia XZ3 • Samsung Galaxy S9 • Apple iPhone X Sony Xperia XZ2 • LG V30 • Huawei P20 Here's what the 202 consumers that participated saw. The devices were concealed to eliminate...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/independent_strategy_analytics_survey_shows_the_sony_xperia_xz3_has_the_best_display-news-33045.php

HTC U12 life hands-on review

The U12 Life, which is HTC's fancy way of denoting its lite devices, lives up to its name. It is a solid mid-ranger, equipped just well enough to go against some current popular competitors from the likes of Xiaomi or Nokia.

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/htc_u_12_life_hands_on-review-1817.php

Oppo F9 Pro now on sale in India in various online and offline stores

Oppo released its gorgeous mid-ranger, the F9 as the F9 Pro in India just last week. Pre-orders started the minute the device was announced and today the smartphone can be found in online and offline stores. Unlike some smartphones from the company, the F9 Pro can be found in more than one retailer - Amazon India, Flipkart and PayTM Mall. All prices seem leveled off and just to remind you, the handset ships with only one storage configuration - 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage while color variants are Sunrise Red and Twilight Blue. The asking price is INR 23,990 ($338) and all the online...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/oppo_f9_pro_now_on_sale_in_india_in_various_online_and_offline_stores-news-33044.php

Huawei has shipped more than 20 million handsets from the P20 and Mate 10 series

Huawei just announced its next-generation HiSilicon Kirin 980 chipset along with new P20 and P20 Pro color variants and AI Cube smarts speaker and GPS Locator. Yes, we know it's not the most exciting keynote although, the chipset makes it worthwhile to some extent. On stage, Richard Yu, an executive director and CEO of the Huawei Consumer Business group, took the time to boast about the successful P20 and Mate 10 series launch at the beginning of 2018. He revealed that both flagship lineups exceeded the 10 million shipments mark worldwide. Yet, the P20-series milestone is a bit more...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_has_shipped_more_than_20_million_handsets_from_the_p20_and_mate_10_series-news-33042.php

Qualcomm announces aptX Adaptive; plans to get rid of wired headphones

IFA 2018 announcements are already rolling and Qualcomm joined the party. The San Diego company has just introduced the aptX codec for Bluetooth audio with Adaptive sound. The company introduced the platform with a promise for a robust, hi-res and glitch-free listening experience. The aptX Adaptive standard is designed to adjust depending on the content - be it gaming, video streaming or simply listening to your favorite songs on Spotify or any other music platform. It has simplified UI without extra gimmicky features and configurations. The new aptX version will bring easy...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/qualcomm_aptx_adaptive_official_announcement-news-33040.php

Huawei Mate 20 Lite hands-on review

Huawei has been great at bringing the premium features from its flagships to its mid-rangers. The Huawei Mate 20 Lite is practically dripping with AI functions and assists, most of which are photography-related.

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_mate_20_lite_hands_on-review-1818.php

It's official, Huawei Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro will be unveiled in London on Oct 16

During a keynote at the IFA show in Berlin, Huawei has confirmed that the Mate 20 series will be unveiled at a special event in London on October 16. Amusingly, Huawei has branded the Mate 20 as the first smartphone powered by the newly-announced Kirin 980. The Kirin 980 is no joke - it's the world's first 7nm chipset The Mate 20 series will consist of the Mate 20, Mate 20 Pro (perhaps a Mate 20 Porsche Design) and the Mate 20 Lite, which was announced last week. The Mate 20 will feature a 6.3-inch AMOLED screen with a water drop notch, triple cameras, 4,200mAh battery, Wireless...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/its_official_huawei_mate_20_and_mate_20_pro_will_be_unveiled_in_london_on_october_16-news-33041.php

Hands-on with Huawei's AI Cube smart speaker and GPS Locator

Although not really a cube, Huawei's AI Cube smart speaker is an interesting addition to the company's portfolio and an unexpected one. According to analysts, the smart speaker market will reach 220 million in 2020, so Huawei wants to get into the action with a solution of its own. Just like all AI speakers, the AI Cube offers a smart assistant to take care of things you can't be bothered with by using your smartphone or PC. To our surprise, it's not Google's Assistant, but instead, the Chinese tech giant decided to partner with Amazon's Alexa voice assistant. To our question why...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/handson_with_huaweis_ai_cube_smart_speaker_and_gps_locator-news-33038.php

Huawei announces four new P20 Pro colors - we go hands-on

Huawei P20 Pro was announced back in March during a glamorous event in Paris. When we reviewed the phone, we said it is the Huawei smartphone with the most complete package to date. After four months of heavy usage, we came out with the long-term review and the initial wow effect from the performance was gone. The Twilight color option was the key feature that relentlessly stayed with us. Huawei knows the design is a defining feature among flagships now and decided to introduce four new eye-grabbing color options at IFA 2018, two of them with leather texture. Yes, you read that right - the...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_four_new_p20_pro_colors_hands_on-news-33039.php

HiSilicon Kirin 980 is the world's first 7nm chipset, 37% faster than its predecessor

As per tradition, Huawei just announced its high-performance flagship SoC at this year's IFA in Berlin - the HiSilicon Kirin 980 that's expected to power up the upcoming Mate 20-series. The key selling point of is that it's world's first 7nm-based chip (manufactured by TSMC) promising plenty of power and efficiency gains over its predecessor and over the 10nm chipsets by the competition. The Kirin 980 uses an 8-core CPU design with 2x high-performance Cortex-A76 cores and 2x "power-efficient" Cortex-A76 cores. We assume those two power-efficient Cortex-A76 cores are clocked lower than...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/hisilicon_kirin_980_is_worlds_first_7nm_chipset_37_faster_than_its_predecessor-news-33011.php

ZTE nubia wants to slap a smartphone on your wrist

ZTE's sub-brand nubia has showcased a smart bracelet with a curved screen that's so big, you can easily say that it's a smartphone on your wrist. The device is called nubia-α and according to the teaser video, it can do pretty much everything a normal handset could. Remember when Lenovo introduced a flexible wrist phone some time ago? It seems like ZTE beat it to the punch and we are not talking about a concept here - the Chinese firm plans to release a ready product as early as next quarter. The video shows a flexible OLED screen, cellular connectivity, apps (probably Android)...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/zte_nubia_wants_to_slap_a_smartphone_on_your_wrist-news-33037.php

Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro to come with Snapdragon 660 in India

Xiaomi launched its Redmi 5 series back in December 2017 and the Redmi Note 5 Pro made its way to India by February. In five days the country will finally get to see the next iteration of the affordable Redmi series, and one of the phones might be the Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro. The Note variants aren't announced yet, but already appeared at numerous listings, including the EEC. Information coming from Weibo suggests the Redmi Note 6 Pro will make its way to India and will be powered by a Snapdragon 660 chipset. Screenshot of the taken down post The post, albeit already deleted,...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_redmi_note_6_pro_snapdragon_660_india-news-33036.php

Honor Play review

The alluring but always elusive gaming smartphone - many have tried to build it, even Razer, but no one did it perfectly. Now, Honor is also joining the gaming race but with a new concept. Instead of greatness, the new Honor Play is pursuing affordability. And that's a very welcome turn of events.

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/honor_play-review-1813.php

Motorola quietly unveils its first Android One handsets - the one and one power

The motorola one and one power (apparently with no capital letters) have been leaking all over the web for the past few months and some of the recent reports even suggested that the newly launched Motorola P30 for the Chinese market is actually the motorola one for the global market. There's also plenty of evidence that the P30 Note equals to the motorola one power but today's quiet announcement from the company is here to debunk those myths. It appears that the motorola one and one power are entirely new devices even though they share similar design and hardware with their Chinese...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_quietly_unveils_the_one_and_one_power__companys_first_android_go_handsets-news-33035.php

Motorola quetly unveils its first Android Go handsets - the one and one power

The motorola one and one power (apparently with no capital letters) have been leaking all over the web for the past few months and some of the recent reports even suggested that the newly launched Motorola P30 for the Chinese market is actually the motorola one for the global market. There's also plenty of evidence that the P30 Note equals to the motorola one power but today's quiet announcement from the company is here to debunk those myths. It appears that the motorola one and one power are entirely new devices even though they share similar design and hardware with their Chinese...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_quetly_unveils_the_one_and_one_power__companys_first_android_go_handsets-news-33035.php

Meizu 16X passes by TENAA with Snapdragon 710

Meizu 16 was unveiled last month along with a Meizu 16 Plus, but the company CEO promised a more affordable device with Snapdragon 710 that will be called Meizu 16X. The phone now appeared with a model number M872Q at TENAA, revealing its front and back, along with all the specs. Meizu 16X on TENAA Since the Meizu 16 Plus was initially called M892Q and the vanilla Meizu 16 was M882Q, it is pretty safe to consider this phone as the Meizu 16X. We are also sure this is the Qualcomm platform since only the 710 has cores that clock up to 2.2 GHz. Meizu is one of the last...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/meizu_16x_passes_by_tenaa_with_snapdragon_710-news-33034.php

Google Pixel 3 live images appear

A complete review of the yet unreleased Google Pixel 3 XL appeared online last week, just to be followed by another full-scale review a day later. They both concentrated on the bigger phone, saying nothing about the vanilla Pixel 3. Lo and behold, several days later live images of the phone finally appeared on Reddit, and by the looks of it, the phone will come with a 5.5" tall screen, no notch and dual selfie cameras. Google Pixel 3 live images Google is not big on the design changes - it looks like the phone will look a lot like the predecessor Pixel 2. The back will be...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/google_pixel_3_live_images_appear-news-33033.php

Nikon announces D3500 DSLR for $499

Nikon has launched a new entry-level DSLR, the Nikon D3500, which replaced its previous model, the D3400, that was launched two years ago. The D3500 isn't remarkably different from its predecessor but does feature some notable changes. It has a different design that is both smaller and lighter than the D3400. The battery performance has also improved, and the D3500 is now capable of 1550 shots on a single charge. The price has also been reduced. The D3500 with a single AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR kit lens will be available for $499. A dual kit lens including...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/nikon_announces_d3500_dslr_for_499-news-33031.php

Olloclip's new Multi-Device Clip lens mount is compatible with most mobile devices

Olloclip has unveiled a new lens mount for your smartphone today. It's descriptively called the Multi-Device Clip, and it should work with most mobile devices. So you'll finally be able to use Olloclip's add-on lenses even if you don't have an iPhone - starting next month, when the Multi-Device Clip will become available for $60. Your purchase will include one of the Connect X lenses that the Multi-Device Clip is designed to be used with. Any additional lens will cost you $45. Your options are: super-wide (four-element lens with 120-degree visibility), ultra-wide (with 155-degree...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/olloclips_new_multidevice_clip_lens_mount_is_compatible_with_most_mobile_devices-news-33032.php

Jaybird X4 announced with water-resistant design

Jaybird has launched the new X4 Bluetooth wireless headset. It features improved design over the previous X3 model while maintaining most of the features and performance. The X4 features an IPX7 certified design, which makes it a lot more water-resistant than the X3 that were merely sweat-resistant. The X4 also features a new Speed Cinch cord design that lets you tighten the slack at the back of your neck for a more comfortable fit. Apart from the design, not much else has changed. It still has the same audio quality and the same 8-hour battery life. It also unfortunately has...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/jaybird_x4_announced_with_waterresistant_design-news-33026.php

LG Candy smartphone announced, available in India September 1

LG has launched a new smartphone called Candy in India. The phone is priced at INR 6999 ($98) and will be available starting September 1 across retail outlets. As you can tell from the price, the LG Candy is a budget Android smartphone. It features a 5.0-inch 720p IPS display with a 8MP camera on the back and a 5MP camera on the front. It's powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage. It's kept running by a 2500mAh removable battery. The phone comes with four different colors covers in the package. Black is the default but users can also...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/lg_candy_smartphone_announced_available_in_india_september_1-news-33025.php

vivo X23 specs appear on a leaked presentation slide

The vivo X23 is launching on September 6 and it looks like it plans to leak every single day until that point. This time around, we get a shot of what is said to be a presentation slide listing the phone's specs. Given that the source has already removed the image, and the close proximity of the announcement itself, this may be legit despite containing one glaring typo. That's further solidified by the fact that these specs come to reconfirm what has already been outed about the X23. So, the device should have a 6.41" 1080x2340 Super AMOLED touchscreen with 19.5:9 aspect ratio and...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/vivo_x23_specs_appear_on_a_leaked_presentation_slide-news-33028.php

Google Assistant is now bilingual

Google's Assistant has become the first service of its kind to gain bilingual abilities. At the moment, you can talk to it in any combination of English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, and Japanese, while more languages are going to be supported for this new feature "in the coming months". The company's demos show full sentences spoken in each language, to which the Assistant responds appropriately. So it seems like you can't mix and match languages within the same request you make to it, but this is still quite the technical accomplishment, part of Google's multi-year effort to make...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/google_assistant_is_now_bilingual-news-33027.php

Apple Watch Series 4 shows off its big display in a leaked render

The first renders showing the upcoming iPhone XS and its bigger sibling (possibly to be called iPhone XS Plus) weren't it in terms of Apple-related leaks for the day. We've also got an official looking render of the Apple Watch Series 4. At first sight it's got a familiar look, and it's even expected to have the exact same length and width as its predecessor. The difference, however, is in the screen. Specifically, the fact that the Series 4 will employ a bigger display in the same chassis, by trimming the bezels. Past rumors said the new panel would be around 15% bigger. The...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/apple_watch_series_4_shows_off_its_big_display_in_a_leaked_render-news-33030.php

iPhone XS and its bigger sibling get pictured in leaked renders

While this year's three new iPhone models have been leaking a lot as we get closer to the September 12 event during which they'll get official, there's been some controversy around their names. Not anymore, according to a new report from 9to5Mac. The successor to the iPhone X, with its similar looks and 5.8" touchscreen, will allegedly be called iPhone XS. This is a certainty, apparently. What's less clear is what the bigger, 6.5" model will be called - iPhone XS Plus perhaps? Anyway, here they are, one on top of the other, in the first leaked render depicting two thirds of Apple's 2018...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/iphone_xs_and_its_bigger_sibling_get_pictured_in_leaked_renders-news-33029.php

The Pocophone F1 can't stream HD video from Netflix, Hulu or Amazon as it turns out

Here we go again - the Pocophone F1 does not have Widevine L1. Technical details aside, this means that you won't have access to HD quality videos from streaming services - Netflix, Amazon Video, Hulu, BBC, all the major players rely on it. Widevine is a DRM system that ensures a video stream cannot be copied illegally. There are three levels, but essentially any stream with 720p resolution and above requires L1. The phone does come with L3, which enables 540p streaming, but even on a mobile screen it doesn't look great. Widevine is not something you can just install, even an OTA update...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/the_pocophone_f1_cant_stream_hd_video_from_netflix_hulu_or_amazon-news-33023.php

ZTE Axon 9 Pro hands-on review

ZTE has been branching out its mobile business quite a bit lately. Experimenting with various concepts, like the nubia Red Magic, just to see what sticks. Still one family has been notably missing form the Chinese manufacturer's lineup for quite some time.

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/zte_axon_9_pro_hands_on-review-1816.php

BlackBerry KEY2 LE is already up for pre-order in the UK and Netherlands

Mere hours have passed since BlackBerry made the KEY2 LE official but already the phone can be ordered in the UK and the Netherlands by eager early adopters. Retailer Unlocked-Mobiles has the KEY2 LE up for pre-order at a price of £349 for a Black 32GB model with shipping estimated for September 10. Dutch retailer Belsimpel also has a pre-order up for the KEY2 LE with a price tag of €429 and a supposed shipping in 2 weeks. BlackBerry's latest phone will cost $449 in the US, CAD 579 in Canada and €429 in the rest of Europe. If you're not up to speed with what the BlackBerry...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/blackberry_key2_le_is_already_up_for_preorder_in_the_uk-news-33022.php

Official: Apple will show off its 2018 iPhones on September 12

The date is set - Apple will unveil its new iPhone lineup on September 12 at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, one year to the date from its last iPhone event. The star of the show will be the new iPhone and more specifically the new iPhones. We're almost certain there will be three iPhone models - an updated 5.8-inch iPhone, a new cheaper 6.1-inch LCD iPhone and a 6.5-inch flagship within the dimensions of the current iPhone 8 Plus. The event could show new iPad Pro's. Rumor has it both the iPad Pro 10.5 and Pro 12.9 will get thinner bezels, Face ID and more streamlines...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/apple_will_show_off_its_2018_iphones_on_september_12-news-33024.php

ZTE loses $1.1 billion in 1H 2018 due to US ban but expects growth to return in 2019

After battling the US sanctions for the most part of 2018, ZTE finally settled for $1.7 billion in sanctions and paid $1.4 billion back in July. This has resulted in the worst half ever by recording a net loss of $1.1 billion. But despite the bad first half of 2018, the company is still expected to post a net profit between $3.54 million and $146.40 million throughout Q3 2018. Orders and production have returned to normal and are in line with July and August plans. The projected net loss due to the US ban is right on point - between 7 and 9 billion yuan. Looking ahead, the company...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/zte_loses_11_billion_in_1h_2018_due_to_us_ban_but_expects_growth_to_return_in_2019-news-33020.php

Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 pictured with a Find X-esque camera slider, coming in October

Okay, now we know for sure what the 2019 trend will be - camera sliders. It all started when vivo announced its NEX S concept at this year's MWC in Barcelona. Later on introduced a finished device. Oppo was then fast to respond with an even bigger slider on its Find X flagship and now Honor is looking to introduce the Magic 2 smartphone with the same camera mechanism. Well, it didn't take long for another one to pop up but this time from an entirely different Chinese smartphone maker - Xiaomi. The company's president just posted a render of the still unannounced Mi Mix 3 - a...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_mi_mix_3_pictured_with_a_find_xesque_camera_slider_coming_in_october-news-33021.php

BlackBerry KEY2 LE hands-on review

Call it circumstance, an unnatural attraction towards stand-out design and functionality, or some of us, around the office simply showing our age and geeky nature. Regardless of the particular reasoning behind it, we kind of liked the BlackBerry KEY2 and judging by some of the responses, we have been reading in our review, we're definitely not the only ones.

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/blackberry_key2_le_hands_on-review-1815.php

BlackBerry announces the KEY2 LE - toned-down KEY2 version with cool color options

The BlackBerry KEY2 was well-received by the Android community, especially by the business users in the US, Canada, Germany and Central EU. However, we can't overlook the fact that the KEY2's price tag is a little off for the hardware it offers. So here's where the BlackBerry KEY2 LE comes into play - a slightly toned-down version of the original while retaining the iconic features that made the KEY2 a great business-oriented device. BlackBerry KEY2 LE in Slate On contrary to the original's Snapdragon 660, the "lite" version settles for the Snapdragon 636 chipset paired with...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/blackberry_announces_the_key2_le__toneddown_key2_version_with_more_color_options-news-33013.php

The ZTE Axon 9 Pro runs stock Android, boasts stereo speakers and a large batery

After skipping a year, ZTE's budget-friendly flagship is back - check out the Axon 9 Pro. It runs stock Android now (8.1 Oreo) on Qualcomm's top Snapdragon while sipping power from a large 4,000mAh battery. Starting with the screen, it's still an AMOLED panel but that's where similarities end. It's bigger, 6.21", it has a notch and it has 1080p+ resolution (down from QHD on the Axon 7). The good news is that the screen is HDR10-capable and it has an RGB sensor for accurate white balance. Even better - Axon's powerful stereo speakers are still on board. They are Dolby Atmos-enabled to...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/the_zte_axon_9_pro_runs_stock_android_boasts_stereo_speakers_and_a_large_batery-news-33019.php

New images of the vivo V11 Pro surface

The upcoming vivo V11 Pro has been heavily rumored to the point where we know about as much as there is to know about it. So these fresh pictures of the device caught in the wild don't reveal anything new but serve to reiterate what we've seen so far. The V11 Pro will have a dual camera on the back, a fingerprint scanner embedded into the display and a water drop notch. vivo V11 Pro caught in the wild The remaining three images of the vivo V11 Pro are from a retail store and the device is a non-functioning sales dummy. It serves as an example of the V11 Pro held in hand and...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/new_images_of_the_vivo_v11_pro_surface-news-33017.php

Flipkart sold out of Nokia 6.1 Plus phones in three minutes

The first batch of Nokia 6.1 Plus phones in India started selling right on schedule - 12:00pm local time. And by 12:03pm Flipkart was all out of stock. The retailer doesn't say how many units were sold in total, but it did say that it was selling 150 phones a second. Multiplied by 180 seconds that's 27,000. Keep in mind that the phone was also available on Nokia.com, so the total will be higher. More Nokia 6.1 Plus units are on the way, the next sale on Flipkart will be on September 6 at 12 noon local time. Nokia.com should be restocking as well, but there's no info on when that...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/flipkart_sold_out_of_nokia_61_plus_phones_in_three_minutes-news-33016.php

Honor teases the Honor Magic 2 with slide-out cameras and FullView display

After announcing the Honor Play for the global market, the company's president surprised us all by teasing the successor to the original Honor Magic. The latter was released back in December 2016 and never got a follow-up until now, of course. The successor is called Magic 2 and the device didn't get a proper announcement - the George Zhao just teased some of the key features. The most noticeable one is the so-called FullView display - no notches, no big ugly chins - just display. And as you may have figured out by yourselves, the device will have slide-out cameras as there's no room...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/honor_teases_the_honor_magic_2_with_slideout_cameras_and_fullview_display-news-33018.php

Honor Play shines on the global scene for €329

Sony announced a new phone, LG introduced two devices and Honor lined up with the big players to announce a global arrival of its cheapest Kirin 970-powered smartphone Honor Play. The device was initially introduced in India with a price tag between $290 and $350, but now it will reach all markets, including the European and North American countries. Honor Play in Midnight Black, Navy Blue and Ultra Violet The Honor Play is marketed as a gaming smartphone and as such arrives with GPU Turbo, making it the 8th Honor device with the feature that enhances performance and lowers...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/honor_play_global_scene_329-news-33015.php