Xiaomi puts up the XR, XS and XS Max for sale, and those aren't just phones

iPhones have never been what you'd call affordable and this year is no different with the iPhone XR, XS and XS Max. In China in particular, the latest Apple smartphones start at CNY 6499 ($946), CNY 8699 ($1266), and CNY 9599 ($1397), respectively. But in China, there's also Xiaomi, and Xiaomi has its own XR, XS, and XS Max to offer. In a clear dig...

Silver Samsung Galaxy Note9 will be stepping outside the US

A few days ago a rumor flew by suggesting that there's a silver-colored version of the Galaxy Note9 headed to US shores. It looks pretty nice and the S Pen matches the device's color as well. But if you're disappointed by the limited availability because you really liked the color, you might be in luck after all. The latest report claims that the...

Xiaomi with another teaser video of the Mi 8 Youth Edition

Xiaomi seems to be hyping up for its September 19 event when yet another alteration of the original Mi 8 will be announced. The Mi 8 Youth is expected to be even cheaper than the Mi 8 SE with a price tag hovering around CNY 1,999 ($290) and most of the specs are already known. And judging by the teaser from yesterday and today's one, the design would...

Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge get Google's September security patch

Samsung's developers' team may not have Android 9.0 Pie planned for the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge seeing as they're more than 2 years old now, but there's still some software love for the two. The latest OTA that the company is pushing, delivers the September 2018 security patch and some stability improvements to the OS. Te build number is G930FXXS3ERHD...

Samsung Galaxy A6, J3 and J7 hit US stores, Galaxy Tab A 10.5" tags along

Starting today, Samsung is expanding its mid-range portfolio on US soil by introducing three new affordable smartphones and a 10.5-inch tablet. The phones in question are the Galaxy A6, J3 and J7 while the tablet is the recently released Galaxy Tab A 10.5". All three smartphones have been released on the global market for quite some time now, but...

Pocophone F1 spotted on GeekBench running Android 9 Pie

You can't have missed the Pocophone F1 (or just Poco F1 in India) - the super affordable phone with flagship-grade hardware from Xiaomi that got us pretty impressed. Predictably, Xiaomi isn't just content with putting it out there and raking in cash, it's also hard at work on supporting the F1 from a software standpoint and an Android 9 Pie update...

Razer Phone 2 to be unveiled on October 10 indeed

Razer has sent out invites for a launch event to be held in Hollywood on October 10 and you can bet a Razer Phone 2 is coming. How do we know? Well, the invite has the boxy rectangular outline of the company's first phone stamped on it, which, it seems, is going to be the outline of the company's second phone as an earlier leak showed. That, plus...

Google possibly reveals Pixel 3 color versions

Google's upcoming Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL have leaked so much already that there haven't been many details left unknown. And now you can pretty much scratch another one off the list - the color versions. Google seems to be prepping three of those (how fitting for the Pixel 3, right?). Black, white, and something that can be described both as mint...

Asus Zenfone 5z could be getting Android 9.0 Pie soon

Ever since Google released Android 9.0 Pie officially, users around the globe have been wondering when their devices will be getting the latest alteration of the Android OS. Some manufacturers put out their schedule but others stayed silent. Asus was one of the latter. Luckily, we've spotted a Geekbench score sheet of a Zenfone 5z hinting at a nearing...

AKG unveils a trio of Bluetooth headphones: N700NC, Y500 and Y100

Samsung and AKG unveiled a new line of wireless headphones that range from large over the ear models to compact in-ear ones. AKG N700NC - over the ear Soft ear cushions with memory foam promise a high level of comfort while the Adaptive Noise Canceling tech can block out outside sounds (you can adjust how much). The AKG N700NC offer a flat-foldable...

Nokia 9 and X7 leaked front panels reveal notch-less displays

Except for the extremely fishy penta-camera setup that leaked at the beginning of this month, the Nokia 9 is a fairly mysterious device. The same goes for the rumored Nokia X7, which is believed to be the Snapdragon 710-powered smartphone that the company is readying to launch later this year. And now this - two photos of alleged Nokia 9 and Nokia...

A new OTA update enables 4K video recording on the vivo V11 Pro

The recently launched vivo V11 Pro just received a software update that improves system stability, performance and introduces a new Smart Launcher similar to Google Now's cards. And even if the changelog doesn't mention anything about it, it enables 4K video recording as well. The patch is just 151MB big and carries a build number 1.7.6. The 4K video...

Realme 2 Pro to be announced on September 27

Realme has finally revealed when the next smartphone is coming after teasing it during its Realme 2 announcement. But instead of one date, the company just gave out two dates in its press invites - September 26 and 27. Surely, one of the dates is reserved for the official announcement while the other remains a mystery for now. It was confirmed by...

Two new Huaweis at TENAA: one with 7.12" screen, the other with 6.5"

The specifications of the leatherette Huawei phone have been fully uploaded to TENAA and it is huuuge. It has a gargantuan 7.12" screen and a humongous 4,900mAh battery. Oh, and there's the much smaller Huawei Y9 (2019) as well, but more on that in a minute. Our guess is that the large phone is part of the Huawei nova series, though the hardware...

Plastic can be durable - Pocophone F1 torture test confirms it

The Pocophone F1 took the Android community by a storm thanks to its flagship worthy specs and exceptionally low price. But of course, to achieve such low price tag, the company had to cut some corners along the way and in this case, it's the build materials. The whole chassis is made of plastic - including the side frame - which raised some concerns...

Samsung will reveal a new "4x fun" device on October 11

Samsung didn't bring new phones, tablets or watches to IFA as it had announced all of them prior to that. Yet there's a new Galaxy even scheduled for October 11 and the launch of a new device has been promised: "Samsung's newest Galaxy device is bringing more ways to express yourself than ever before." So, what is it? Hard to tell. We'd be most excited...

Xiaomi Mi 8 Youth stars in a teaser video

We've known that the Xiaomi is prepping a Mi 8 Youth variant of the original Mi 8 for a while now and the company even set an announcement date - September 19. Ahead of the official launch, Xiaomi published a teaser video revealing the gorgeous gradient glass back, the rear-mounted fingerprint and the horizontally-stacked camera modules. It also...

A toned-down version of the Oppo R17 appears on TENAA, likely running Helio P60

Three new Oppo smartphones just passed through TENAA with model numbers PBCM30, PBCM10 and PBCT10 - all closely related to the recently launched Oppo R17 and R17 Pro although, we assume all three model numbers belong to a single device with different memory configurations. The design, appears to be a blend between the R17-series and the previous...

Pre-orders for the Apple iPhone XS and XS Max are now open

Apple's new iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max are going on pre-order today and will start shipping in a week for the first batch of 30 countries. The more affordable iPhone XR will go on pre-order a bit later, on October 19, and will ship on October 26. As we found out, a bit disappointing, the new iPhone XS' are costlier than previously projected. The...

Google promotes the Pixel 3, with the number 3

Google has updated its Store page with a promo for the upcoming Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. The promo urges you to sign up to learn more about the Pixel 3 on October 9, the date on which Google will unveil its new flagships. Of course we know a great deal about the new Pixel phones already. We've seen the bigger Pixel 3 XL in a variety of hands-ons and...

Xiaomi's Pocophone F1 is now on open sale in India

Xiaomi's Pocophone F1 has been incredibly successful in India, with its first flash sale achieving revenue of INR 200 crore in less than five minutes. But if you're not into that whole flash sale thing, here's some good news. The "master of speed" is now finally available in the subcontinent in an open sale. No more limited numbers, no more hoping...

Razer Phone 2 looks the same as the original, leaked image shows

The Razer Phone 2 is coming this year, and that much has already been confirmed by the company making it. We've also seen a couple of benchmarks revealing a few of its specs, and now it's time for the first leaked press render showing it. Ready? Here it is. No, that's not the original Razer Phone from last year. Seriously. Here they are in another...

Motorola Moto G7 series coming next year, G7 Play won't be tagging along

It's early, we know, but we don't mind. Some interesting info regarding the upcoming Moto G7-series appeared, saying that the new phones will be released towards the end of Q1 2019 or at the beginning of Q2 2019. What's interesting, though, is the absence of the Moto G7 Play. The vanilla Moto G7 and the plus-sized version will make an appearance...

Dissecting the Apple iPhone XR: what you gain vs what you lose

Yesterday, Apple announced three new iPhones. While the stars of the keynote were definitely the iPhone XS and the iPhone XS Max, it's really the cheaper iPhone XR that caught my eye. There are a number of reasons for this. There is, of course, the lower price but also the fact that on the surface it doesn't seem as if you are losing out on a lot....

New Huawei phone with leatherette back, teardrop notch spotted at TENAA

TENAA has just received an interesting phone from Huawei - one with a leatherette back, complete with faux stitching. There's only photos for now, but this device is interesting for more reasons than its old-fashioned back. Huawei ARS-XXX arrives at TENAA with a leatherette back For one, check out that teardrop notch. Only the Honor 8X Max has such...

Check out the official iPhone XS, XS Max and XR promo videos

At a packed event yesterday Apple introduced three new iPhones and a re-designed Watch Series 4 so there's plenty to digest. But if you happen to be one of those people who missed it, the official videos on Apple's YouTube channel can help you catch up quickly. The first one is about the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR and showcases all the important features...

Deals: get 10% off any smartphone or smartwatch bought on eBay

The prices of the new iPhones are pretty steep, especially in Europe. The older models got cheaper, but not by much. But wait - eBay is offering a 10% discount on all smartphones and all smartwatches. The deal expires today at midnight. There are conditions to using the PHONE10 code, of course. You need to be a registered user on eBay.de or eBay.at,...

Sony Xperia XZ3 review

Few phones can claim they caused quite as big of a stir as the Xperia XZ3. After Sony dropped its first curved OLED Xperia, seemingly out of the blue at IFA 2018, reactions have ranged from overwhelming excitement, through confusion and all the way to denial and anger. That's a level of drama typically reserved for soap operas or celebrity gossip...

One fewer: the OnePlus 6T will not have a headphone jack, Carl Pei confirms

"Never settle" sounds like a permanent promise, but things change. The OnePlus 6T will not have a 3.5mm headphone jack, says co-founder Carl Pei. And the company just unveiled a pair of affordable USB-C headphones. "Making a great phone doesn't mean putting every component available into the device," says Pei. A survey by the company revealed that...

Apple iPhone XS, XS Max and XR announcement coverage wrap-up

Did you watch the Apple event last night? We saw new iPhones and new Apple Watches as well. Check out this official 4 minute video introduction, highlighting the new iPhone features. There's an intro video for the watch as well. Let's start with the iPhones. Here's a three-way comparison between the new models: iPhone XS Max vs. iPhone XS vs. iPhone...

Galaxy A7 (2017) is getting a follow-up after all, according to a Bluetooth certification

It's been nine months since the beginning of 2018 and this is the first solid evidence that Samsung is readying a follow-up to the Galaxy A7 (2017). The 2016 and 2017 versions all launched at the beginning of each year while the 2018 model seems to be delayed more than half a year. According to a Bluetooth certification sheet, the device is on its...

New iPhone XS, XS Max and XR benchmarked, RAM revealed

In typical Apple fashion, the iPhone XS announcement of its trio of iPhones, the company didn't give much specifics about its chipset outside of the 7nm process and their core count. But RAM and clock speeds weren't confirmed. Luckily, a Geekbench listing is here to fill in the gaps. Two benchmark sheets reveal the multi and single-core performance...

It's 2018 and Apple still doesn't provide fast charger with its iPhones

Yesterday, Apple announced three new models of the iPhone with varying feature set. But one thing among them is common: they all ship with the same charger. The charger in question is the same 5W unit that Apple has been providing for several years now. It is one of the lowest power output chargers you can get on any phone today and is seriously...

LG V40 ThinQ officially coming on October 3

Okay, we were expecting LG to spill the beans soon given that its V40 ThinQ is collecting regulatory approvals from the NRR and the FCC but we weren't expecting it so soon. In a blog post on its official website, the company scheduled an event to announce its new flagship. The date is October 3 and the event will be held in New York followed by a...

Samsung Galaxy Note8's latest update introduces Super Slow-Motion and AR Emojis

Samsung just started gradually rolling out an OTA update for last year's Galaxy Note8 and it's an important one. Reportedly, the first stop is France, but we expect it hit other markets soon enough. The patch weighs in at around 712MB, has a build number N950FXXU5CRHA and carries two new exciting features that weren't previously available to the...

Apple Watch Series 4's ECG feature will be unavailable at launch, US-only when it arrives

At its big event yesterday, Apple announced its Watch Series 4 and focused a lot on its ability to do EKG readings - an impressive feat and a first of its kind on a smartwatch. The new Apple Watch performs an ECG in 30 seconds by combining the built-in heart rate sensor, electrodes embedded in the digital crown and a special ECG app. On stage, Apple...

You can get iOS 12 before its September 17 rollout

During its annual iPhone event, Apple announced that it will release iOS 12 to the general public on September 17. But Apple is currently seeding the Golden Master build of iOS 12 for developers and users enrolled in the Public Beta program. This will likely be the final build of iOS 12 that will get released to everyone in a few days time. So if...

LG V40 ThinQ stops by the FCC in the US, hints at nearing launch

The LG V40 ThinQ is the next flagship from the company and we've seen plenty of leaks for the past few weeks. We've have a good idea of what it would look like, especially thanks to these rumor-based CAD renders. Specs aren't a secret as well so the latest FCC listing only comes to confirm that the announcement is very close indeed. The model number...

Sony Xperia Ear Duo can read out your notifications on iOS and Android

Sony has updated the Xperia Ear Duo software on both Android and iOS. The biggest change is that the wireless earphones can read out notifications from the phone - who's calling you or even the text you just received. Another neat trick is that you can assign one of the commands to "current time", so you can check the time without having to reach...

Honor aims to deliver first 5G phone in 2019, make the top 3 globally by 2022

Everyone is preparing for the arrival of the 5G networks next year. Almost all major brands have pledged to deliver a 5G ready smartphone in 2019 as China, the USA and other countries are looking to launch their next-generation networks that will drive the AI and IoT to new heights. And Honor makes no exception. During an INS Conference in Hong Kong,...

Apple will no longer provide Lightning to 3.5mm adapter with the iPhone

Apple will no longer provide the Lightning to 3.5mm adapter with the iPhone. A quick look at the spec sheets on Apple's website confirms that the adapter is no longer listed among the accessories that come bundled in the box. This applies to all the iPhone that are part of the 2018 lineup, including the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone...

Apple discontinues the iPhone X, iPhone 6s and the iPhone SE

Apple today announced the launch of three new smartphones for 2018, the iPhone XS, the iPhone XS Max and the iPhone XR. You can read more about them here and here. However, what's not on sale anymore is equally interesting. Usually, when Apple launches a new smartphone, the previous year's model gets a sizable price drop and a second tier status....

Huawei trolls Apple, thanking it "for keeping things the same"

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few hours, you know that today was a big day for Apple. The company announced the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR, three new devices that look a lot like last year's iPhone X (from the front, at least). Huawei didn't take long to respond, cheekily thanking Apple "for keeping things the same"...

Here's how Dual SIM works on the iPhone Xs and Xs Max

For the first time ever, Apple has announced iPhones with Dual SIM functionality. The new iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max have this built-in, but in most places it won't necessarily be what you might expect. See, the iPhones come with just one physical SIM slot as usual. It's just that this is augmented with an eSIM. So if at least one of the carriers...

Apple HomePod update adds Siri improvements and phone calls

Apple today announced new features for the HomePod home speaker system. The company improved the Siri voice assistant feature on the HomePod, which gained a few new features. One of them is 'Search by lyrics‘, which lets you say something like "play the song that goes like this..." or "play the song that goes ‘I'm a rebel just for kicks now.'" and...

iPhone XS, XS Max and iPhone XR release dates and pricing roundup

Apple just unveiled another trio of iPhones but this time all are deriving from the original iPhone X. They are called iPhone XS Max, iPhone XS and the iPhone XR and we are now going to compare their prices across various markets. Pricing Here's what the the base 64GB models will cost you depending on where you live. Country iPhone XS iPhone XS Max...

Here are the new prices of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 7 (and Plus models)

The new iPhone XS, XS Max and XR are official and the prices are steep. The good news is that the older models just got cheaper. Well, some of them, the iPhone X is dead - replaced by the iPhone Xs. The iPhone 8 and even iPhone 7 models live on, however, at new prices. These prices are for the base models of each device. You can check the original...

Apple close to shipping the 2 billionth iOS device

Apple has built stores in many countries around the world, which attract millions of customers a year. Some even serve coffee, in case you want to hang out. This has proven successful as the company's stores attract 500 million visitors each year. And they are not just there for the coffee either, Apple is on track to ship its 2 billionth iOS device....

Apple Watch Series 4 arrives with larger display, ceramic and sapphire back, ECG and larger displays

Three years in a row, Apple used the same design for its Apple Watches and introduced only minor hardware updates whereas this year, the company finally brought some major changes. The design concept is pretty much the same but the size grew and now allows for a larger display to fit in. Now instead of the 38mm and 42mm models, Apple offers the Watch...

Apple iPhone Xr has a tall 6.1" LCD with a notch, single camera on the back

The iPhone Xr is the last of its kind - it still uses an LCD screen. But it is a tall screen (19.5:9) so you get slightly more surface area than an iPhone 8 Plus, even when you account for the notch. Apple has a new name for this display - Liquid Retina. Name aside, the pixel density is the same as the iPhone 8 Retina display (326ppi), resolution...