Google wiil charge OEMs for pre-loading its GApps

And it's happening - Google is forced to charge its OEMs for distributing its GApps in the EU after being fined with €4.3 billion. Sundar Pichai did confirm that the company has to start charging Android manufacturers for pre-installing apps like Play Store, YouTube, Drive, Maps, etc., but Google's search and Chrome will remain free of charge as the company says the last two generate enough revenue on their own. For the distribution of its apps, Google will start collecting royalties from 28 European countries including Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Lichtenstein based on pixel...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/google_wiil_charge_oems_for_preloading_its_gapps-news-33834.php

A Honor smartwatch is incoming

Earlier today the upcoming Honor Magic 2 Fullview display, slider smartphone was teased yet again, reminding us of its upcoming October 31 release date. As per a newly uncovered banner, it turns out the Magic 2 won't be the only Honor device to be unveiled at the event. Clearly, the banner doesn't reveal much about the Honor Watch, but with some extrapolation and pixel-peeping, there might still be a few predictions to be made here. Most of these revolve around the recently announced Huawei Watch GT. It doesn't really take much more than a silhouette to spot the resemblance between...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/a_honor_smartwatch_is_incoming-news-33833.php

Two new vivo phones stop by TENAA

Shortly after the vivo Z3 launch, the Chinese vendor is prepping up another release for the mid-range segment. Actually, a TENAA listing tells a story of two devices with different model numbers (V1818A and V1818T) and identical specs. Supposedly, one of them is aimed at a carrier. A 6.22-inch IPS display with 720 x 1520 (HD+) resolution takes up most of the front panel. We can also see a fairly thick chin and a familiar earpiece grill, hinting at a waterdrop-styled notch, housing the 8MP front-facing camera. The device is powered by an octa-core CPU clocked at 1.95 GHz, which could...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/two_new_vivo_phones_stop_by_tenaa-news-33832.php

Samsung Galaxy A9 (2018) listed on TENAA

Usefulness, justification and your personal feelings on the matter aside, the Galaxy A9 (2018) officially holds the "the world's first quad camera smartphone" title and for better or worse has its sales pitch all lined up out of the gate. Now, all that remains is for Samsung to expand availability further and hope the hook works. The process is clearly already in motion, since the "SM-A9200" is now listed on TENAA. This, naturally, means that its release in China is imminent. In case you missed the official announcement from a few days ago, here are some basic specs on the Galaxy...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_a9_2018_listed_on_tenaa-news-33831.php

Nokia 8.1 spotted on GFXBench, rocking a Snapdragon 710

HMD Global has been on somewhat of an announcement spree lately, unveiling the Nokia 7.1, Nokia 3.1 Plus and, most recently, the Nokia X7 (7.1 Plus) in a matter of weeks since the beginning of October. Now an intriguing GeekBench listing appears to detail yet another upcoming HMD device - the Nokia 8.1. It's a pretty fresh test run as well, dating October 19 and, better still, a surprisingly detailed one. Instead of a codename, the device appears with its full market moniker. Some other hardware details include the Snapdragon 710 chipset, also properly reported with a legible model...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_81_spotted_on_gfxbench_rocking_a_snapdragon_710-news-33830.php

Yet another Honor Magic 2 teaser video pops up online

The Honor Magic 2 is still shrouded in quite a bit of mystery, in the absence of any detailed specs leaks or a TENAA listing. Honor has, however, already made it abundantly clear that it intends to mount an online "Viral Marketing" campaign for the handset to the best of its abilities. We can't really attest as to how well it's actually working out so far, but the upcoming Fullview display smartphone, with a camera slider, a la Oppo Find X, has now been teased over and over again. The latest such clip appears to come from the TikTok social platform and is executed in a style very much...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/yet_another_honor_magic_2_teaser_video_pops_up_online-news-33829.php

OnePlus 6T will be unveiled a day early thanks to Apple

OnePlus was all busy preparing for its big event on October 30 in New York, where its next smartphone was finally supposed to become 100% official. And then Apple announced an event on the exact same day, in the same city even. Because of that, the OnePlus 6T's unveiling is now taking place a day early, on October 29, still in NYC. Pete Lau, the company's CEO, shared a lengthy post on its forums going into the decision process, and it basically all boils down to something along the lines of - "we didn't want Apple to steal our thunder". That's understandable, given that Apple is...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/oneplus_6t_will_be_unveiled_a_day_early_because_of_apple-news-33828.php

Huawei Mate 20 Pro's face unlocking gets fooled quite easily

2D face unlocking (the type built into Android for the past few years) is not very secure, and we've known that for some time. But ever since Apple introduced the world's first 3D system (which it calls Face ID), we were under the impression that it was pretty much on par, security-wise, with a fingerprint scanner. You can then imagine our surprise to find out that a couple of guys in Germany were both able to unlock the same Huawei Mate 20 Pro phone with their faces, despite only one of them being enrolled into the system. The Mate 20 Pro uses a 3D face unlocking mechanism, so in...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_mate_20_pros_face_unlocking_gets_fooled_quite_easily-news-33827.php

iPhone XR shipping dates already slipping back

Pre-orders for the new "budget" iPhone XR have just started and the stock is already depleting, pushing multiple versions's shipping dates to up to two weeks. Analysts earlier this year predicted that this will be the best-selling iPhone and it has the potential with a price tag of $749, which is considerably less expensive than the $999+ iPhone XS and $1099+ XS Max. In the US, T-Mobile has already sold out the 128GB and 256GB yellow version of the phone and the same goes for the coral and red 128GB models. In the UK, the yellow, coral and red 64GB variants are hardest to find....

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/iphone_xr_already_out_of_stock_in_some_markets-news-33823.php

Samsung is working on an in-display front-facing camera

Waterdrop notches are replacing the original big cutouts lately and now we get to see what comes next. 2019 will probably be the year when holes in the displays becoming trendy with in-display cameras and sensors. According to the latest intel, Samsung is already working on that. Great news! Samsung established the direction of mobile phone design in 2019!On October 18th, Samsung Display invited about 20 customers to hold the "2018 Samsung OLED Forum" at the Shenzhen Marriott Hotel in China. At the meeting, Samsung showed a PPT pic.twitter.com/sYu0ORTd6V— Ice universe (@UniverseIce)...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_is_working_on_an_indisplay_frontfacing_camera-news-33821.php

Asus ROG Phone pre-orders begin, Italians get €100 credit for accessories

The Asus ROG Phone has two USB-C ports - the extra one is for accessories. And there are plenty of them. To that end, pre-ordering from Asus Italy between October 18 (today) and October 24, you'll get €100 credit for accessories. The phone itself is €900 for the 8/256GB version, you can see it here. The retail box comes with the AeroActive Cooler, so that's a pretty good start. You can pre-order the Asus ROG Phone in the US as well - from Microsoft of all places. It's $900 for the 8/128GB model, $1,100 for 8/512GB. Here it is on Amazon too. Asus ROG Phone • The AeroActive...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/deal_preorders_of_asus_rog_phone_in_italy_come_with__euro100_credit_for_accessories-news-33820.php

Apple Watch charger with USB-C now on sale

Apple's Apple Watch Series 4 just gained a new friend. Up until now, it was sold with an USB-A charger in three lengths, but now the company introduced a version with USB-C without changing the price of $29. The very same charger, but with a new cable A 1-meter and 2-meter cable lengths are unavailable yet, but hopefully, Apple will add them soon. The company also sells plugs with USB-A inputs, but you'll need some sort of an adapter in order to use the cable properly. The USB-C Apple Watch Charger is available online at the Apple Store. It will need the weekend to...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/apple_watch_charger_usb_c_for_sale-news-33816.php

Deals: eBay UK and Ireland offers 10% off site-wide (ends later today)

There's another site-wide promo running on eBay for the UK and Ireland and this one has a Halloween flavor to it. Using the PUMPKINS coupon code, you can get 10% off any purchase. The usual conditions apply - you need to spend at least £20 and the discount is capped at £50. Note that the deal ends at 10:00pm BST, so there's not much time left. There's a whole section of Halloween-themed stuff, but there are plenty of electronics discounted too. Like this Nintendo Switch (new) for £300 - or rather £270 after the 10% discount. That beats Amazon's price of £280, plus the eBay deal (by...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/deals_ebay_uk_and_ireland_offers_10_off_sitewide_ends_later_today-news-33819.php

Leaked Mi Mix 3 photos show rear fingerprint reader and dual front cameras

Xiaomi's Mi Mix 3 should be here in less than a week but thanks to the leaked set of live photos and a press render, we have a pretty good idea of what we'll see at the event. Now the first live image is here to reveal a dual front-facing camera setup accommodated on the slider and a full-screen design, which we already knew about. A press render also revealed more details like a 24MP unit as well as an additional sensor needed for the advanced facial recognition. Mi Mix 3 According to a different Weibo leakster, the Mi Mix 3 won't be coming with an in-display fingerprint...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/leaked_mi_mix_3_photos_show_rear_fingerprint_reader_and_dual_front_cameras-news-33817.php

Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro review

It's been almost nine months since the Redmi Note 5 series premiered, and it's already time for an upgrade. The Redmi Note 6 Pro is now official, shaking up the lineup with one of the most recognizable and controversial features on the market - a frame-to-frame display with a notch.

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/xiomi_redmi_note_6_pro-review-1835.php

TSMC expects 7nm chips to account for 20% of its 2019 revenues

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) held an investor meeting, announcing more than 50 chip designs of the 7nm process technology will be issued by the end of 2018. The increase in interest for the new manufacturing process will raise its revenue share up to 20% for the new process only in Q4 2018, amassing for nearly 10% in the calendar year. Company CEO CC Wei announced expectations of 20% total share of 7nm chip sales in 2019 when most of its customers Apple, Huawei, and Qualcomm will rely on the first-gen process. TSMC will include an enhanced version with EUV in...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/tsmc_7nm_chip_sales_20_percent_2019-news-33813.php

OnePlus is giving you a chance of winning the OP6T by... tapping?

OnePlus is famous for its promo contests and we are now just getting a new one. It's all about tapping on your screen and the more you tap, the bigger chances of winning the upcoming OnePlus 6T. All you have to do is sign up on unlock.oneplus.com from your mobile device and start tapping. All users participating are tapping for a common milestone but every 24 hours, the company will pick a lucky winner to get the OP6T when it launches. Only one tap is needed to enter the competition but as we already said, the more you tap higher you chances. But there's more - once the global...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/oneplus_is_giving_you_a_chance_of_winning_the_op6t_by_tapping-news-33814.php

New mysterious Oppo shines on TENAA

Oppo keeps expanding its portfolio with new phone. The cheap-to-midrange field is getting extremely crowded after the arrival of Oppo F9, later relaunched as Oppo A7x in China, the appearance of the Oppo K1, the new Realme 2 Pro and now another phone is on its way, according to TENAA. Oppo PBFM00 A device with the model numbers PBFM00 and PBFT00 was listed with full specs today at the Chinese regulatory, complementing the pictures, released last week. We think the phone might be called Oppo R17s, Oppo R15x or Oppo R17 Neo, but it might as well be part of a more affordable...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/new_mysterious_oppo_tenaa-news-33811.php

Samsung's Galaxy Book2 is powered by SD850 chip and comes with an S Pen

Samsung announced the Galaxy Book2 - a follow up of the original Galaxy Book that launched last year and it wants to take on Microsoft's Surface Pro with a secret weapon under the hood - Qualcomm's brand new Snapdragon 850 SoC that promises good performance and great efficiency - while still powering a full-fledged Windows 10 OS. And even though the Galaxy Book2 claims to be a just as good alternative to the Surface Pro, we can't miss the fact that the Galaxy Book2 runs a low-power SoC while the latest Surface Pro 6 packs Intel's latest quad-core ultra-low voltage processors - Core...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsungs_galaxy_book2_is_powered_by_sd850_chip_and_comes_with_an_s_pen-news-33812.php

Apple iPhone XR pre-order starts today

Apple announced the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and the iPhone XR in September. While the first two are already out on the market and selling, the third device was scheduled to arrive in the second half of October. Now the time has come, and the iPhone XR is finally available for pre-order. The first wave of arrival consists of 50 countries and regions, with the actual shipments and sales beginning next Friday, October 26. The iPhone XR comes with 6.1" LCD panel, one 12 MP camera on the back and 2,942 mAh battery. It is available in five colors with a price tag of $749 in the...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/apple_iphone_xr_pre_order_starts_today-news-33810.php

Samsung Galaxy Book2 arrives with Snapdragon 850 and Gigabit LTE

Today Samsung has made the Galaxy Book2 official. The 2-in-1 is the successor to the original Galaxy Book which was unveiled in February 2017. This device is basically the Korean company's competitor to Microsoft's Surface Pro, but with a twist - it's powered by a Qualcomm SoC, unlike its predecessor which opted for an Intel Core m3. The Snapdragon 850 is at the heart of the Galaxy Book2, which also has a 12-inch 2160x1440 Super AMOLED touchscreen, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. The integrated X20 modem supports Cat.18 LTE 5CA and up to 4X4 MIMO for Gigabit speeds where...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_book2_arrives_with_snapdragon_850_and_gigabit_lte-news-33809.php

OnePlus 6T might work on Verizon, would be the first OnePlus ever to do that

According to past rumors, the OnePlus 6T will be the Chinese company's first ever device to be offered by a US network - T-Mobile, that is. But that's apparently not the only exciting new OnePlus 6T US carrier-related development. A report today says that according to "multiple different industry sources", the 6T will also be the first OnePlus handset ever to support Verizon's network. This, however, doesn't mean that the carrier nicknamed Big Red will sell the phone directly, just that if you buy one unlocked you will be able to use it on Verizon. This is obviously very big news if...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/oneplus_6t_might_work_on_verizon_would_be_the_first_oneplus_ever_to_do_that-news-33808.php

Apple is announcing new iPads and Macs on October 30

Apple is holding a brand new launch event on October 30 in New York City, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. As usual, the company has only released a cryptic teaser image alongside the invite, and you can see it below. Obviously this will be a product launch, and since new iPhones and Apple Watches were unveiled last month, what could this possibly be about? Oh wait, it's new iPads. Specifically, the 2018 editions of the two sizes of the iPad Pro. Theze tablets have been leaked quite a few times already - they will have very small bezels and rounded screen corners, Face ID and no...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/apple_is_announcing_new_ipads_and_macs_on_october_30-news-33807.php

iPhone XS and XS Max sales strong, split evenly

If you were wondering how Apple's iPhone XS and XS Max were doing, sales-wise, a new report from CIRP comes to shed some light on the matter. Here's the gist of it: sales were strong until the end of the third quarter, and split evenly between the two models. In the ten days that they were available out of Q3, they each accounted for 8% of US iPhone sales for the entire quarter. The combined 16% market share achieved in ten days is comparable to the entire quarter's sales of each of last year's models. iPhone XS and XS Max sales were similar to the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus in their...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/iphone_xs_and_xs_max_sales_strong_split_evenly-news-33806.php

AnTuTu lists September's top 10 best performing Android phones

September has passed and AnTuTu is out with its monthly report on the top 10 best-performing Android smartphones and there's a bit of a movement compared to the August ranking. Now Asus' ROG Phone takes the first place mostly due to its overclocked CPU on the Snapdragon 845 platform. Instead of running the four big cores at 2.8 GHz, the ROG Phone's clock speeds go up to 2.96 GHz. The second place is taken by August's leader, Xiaomi Black Shark and it's closely followed by the OnePlus 6 taking the third position probably thanks to its nearly stock Android experience and software...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/antutu_publishes_septembers_top_10_best_performance_android_phones-news-33804.php

DxOMark gives the LG G7 ThinQ just a touch better score than the LG V30

LG G7 ThinQ's camera is just a tad better than last year's V30 flagship phone from the company, according to DxOMark's thorough testing. The handset got 83 points on the photo section and 79 on the video forming a total score of 83. That's just one point ahead of the V30 and on par with Sony's Xperia XZ Premium - an early 2017 flagship from the Japanese company. The conclusion is that the G7 ThinQ's AI-aided dual-camera setup isn't as consistent as could be expected from a high-end smartphone. The stills and the videos appear vivid and offer good exposure but the unimpressive dynamic...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/dxomark_gives_the_lg_g7_thinq_just_a_touch_better_score_than_the_lg_v30-news-33803.php

Indian Huawei Mate 20 Pro launch set for next month

Huawei announced today that it will be launching the Mate 20 Pro smartphone in India next month. The company press release was very light on details - there isn't even an exact date inside. Also, while the press release mentioned "devices" being launched, it only mentioned the Mate 20 Pro by name, so we are not sure how many of the four new Mate 20 devices will be launched. We reached out to Huawei for confirmation but did not get a response. Huawei launched the new Mate 20 series of smartphones at an event in London earlier this week. The new range includes the Mate 20 Pro, the...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_to_launch_the_mate_20_pro_in_india_next_month-news-33801.php

Deal: Refurbished Apple iPhone 6 for £125, iPhone X for £643 on eBay

The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max are great, but their price tags are bordering on the absurd. Luckily, we've now got a couple of deals for those looking to gain entry in Apple's iOS on a tighter budged. eBay has promos for refurbished iPhone X and iPhone 6, allowing you to save a some cash. The iPhone 6 goes for as low as £124.99, while the iPhone X can be purchased in good condition for £642.99. Now the absolute lowest prices come with a catch - the iPhone 6 has to be on EE and with 16 GB storage in Space Grey color. There's only Good condition available, with Very Good and...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/deal_refurbished_apple_iphone_6_iphone_x-news-33802.php

Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 hits India

Samsung's premium 10.5-inch tablet, Galaxy Tab S4, just arrived on Indian soil three months after its initial release. The company is making the device available for purchase starting today at its online shop and offline retailers. However, if you are willing to wait, the tablet will be offered on Amazon.in starting October 20 with a price tag of INR 57,900 ($787) and various launch offers. That's some steep pricing right there as Apple's iPad Pro 10.5-inch model goes for around INR 50,000 ($679) but without accounting for the Apple Pen and the flip cover keyboard. Unfortunately,...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_tab_s4_arrives_to_india-news-33800.php

Android 9 Pie comes to Sony Xperia XZ1 on October 26

Last week the Sony Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact got their Android Pie serving and today the company announced that it's about to add more phones to the list. A trio of former flagships will receive Pie starting October 26 - the Xperia XZ Premium, the Xperia XZ1, and the Xperia XZ1 Compact. Ten days later the Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium will get to join the fun. Sony said the Xperia XA2, the Xperia XA2 Ultra, and the Xperia XA2 Plus are also bound to receive Android 9 Pie, but owners of the mid-range devices have to wait until March 4, 2019. Until then we are likely...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/android_9_pie_arrive_xperia_xz1-news-33799.php

Lenovo S5 Pro and K5 Pro official with dual cameras, stereo speakers, large batteries

Lenovo unveiled two new phones today, the S5 Pro and K5 Pro, mid-rangers at slightly different price point but with similar features. Both have a clear focus on photography and pack side-firing stereo speakers along with decently-sized batteries with fast charging. Oh, and we got a couple of watches alongside them too. Lenovo S5 Pro The Lenovo S5 Pro offers the good things in life delivered at a moderate price. The phone has an upscale build with a metal unibody that has been sand-blasted for a satin finish. Lenovo S5 Pro in Ice Blue, Pure Gold and Crystal Black The phone...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/lenovo_s5_pro_and_k5_pro_official_with_dual_cameras_stereo_speakers_large_batteries-news-33798.php

Xiaomi Black Shark 2's October 23 announcement officially confirmed

Just the other day a leaked Xiaomi Black Shark 2 poster suggested that the launch date is going to be October 23 and now we have an official confirmation that the handset is indeed coming 5 days from now. You can see the teaser poster that was published earlier today on Weibo coming straight from Black Shark. Unfortunately, the post doesn't say anything in particular about the handset but we do know that it will feature RGB logo on the back and side strips while a TENAA listing gave us a decent look of the device. Source

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_black_shark_2s_announcement_date_officially_confirmed_comes_in_5_days-news-33797.php

Vertu comes back to life with Aster P Android smartphone

Vertu is back - the luxurious maker introduced a new smartphone with pompous design and massive price tag. At a launch party in Beijing the company announced the Aster P with titanium alloy frame, sapphire glass screen and back panels from real leather. Internals are nowhere as flashy, but they aren't bad either - Snapdragon 660, 12 MP camera and a 3,200 mAh battery. Promo images of Vertu Aster P The phone arrives in two series - Baroque and Gothic, with the differences being mostly in the appearance. The Aster P has two panels on the back that open in a wing-like motion...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/vertu_aster_p_official-news-33796.php

Google Pixel 3's OLED panel is LG-made, teardown reveals

After the Google Pixel 3 XL teardown from iFixit, here comes the Pixel 3 disassembly. The smaller brother appears to be built similarly to the XL, but there are some key differences. The repairability score is the same 4/10, suggesting you'll probably need to resort to a specialist if it comes to repairs. For now, there's only a video showing the disassembly steps and the components found inside so we will have to wait for the full article to come out. Once again, there's plenty of adhesive, which is still repair-friendly and you'd need only a T3 Torx screwdriver for the whole...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/google_pixel_3s_oled_panel_is_lgmade_teardown_reveals-news-33795.php

Essential cuts 30% of its workforce

Essential canceled its PH-2 smartphone back in May and now the company is cutting 30% of its staff, according to Bloomberg. The reductions will affect all divisions, including hardware, marketing, and sales. The business media reported earlier Essential is switching its focus to an AI-based smartphone. Is Essential falling apart? Essential's website states there are 120 employees at the Palo Alto company. A spokesperson wrote in an email that "they are very sorry for the impact on the colleagues" and "the sharpened product focus will help deliver a truly game-changing consumer...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/essential_cuts_third_staff-news-33794.php

Caviar adds a skeleton watch to iPhone XS and XS Max

The Russian company Caviar, known for its custom premium iPhone redesigns just announced another over-the-top version of the recently released iPhone XS and XS Max. This time the company slapped an open-mechanism skeleton watch on the back. They are part of the company's new Grand Complications Skeleton lineup. The customization comes in three different colors - Pink Gold, Titanium and Black & Gold. As the name and prices imply, the models are made of real titanium and gold. The body is engraved with decorative gears of polished titanium or gold, depending on the model while the...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/check_out_caviars_new_skeleton_watch_design_on_the_iphone_xs_and_xs_max-news-33793.php

Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 camera samples and teaser video appear

Next week Xiaomi is announcing its Mi Mix 3 flagship with a slider design. We've already seen the teasers about 5G support and 10 GB RAM, and we know the phone will have fast face unlocking features. Latest info comes from the company founder Lin Bin who posted two camera samples on his Weibo profile. They show the portrait mode in action, although they were clearly taken in a very dark environment so it's hard to just image quality based on them. Camera samples of the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 We also got a teaser video for the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3. A short 15-second clip reveals the all...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_mi_mix_3_camera_samples_company_founder-news-33792.php

Sony Xperia XZ3 is finally available in the US, yours for $899.99

Sony's Xperia XZ3 is available in the US in unlocked form starting today. That's quite a delay compared to the initially outed release date of September 24, but hey, better late(r) than never. The phone has been up for pre-order in the States for almost a month now. You can pick one up from Amazon or Best Buy. You'll have to pay $899.99 for the privilege of owning Sony's latest flagship smartphone. Obviously you'll be receiving an unlocked unit, but note that it will only work on GSM-based carriers such as AT&T, T-Mobile, and their sub-brands and MVNOs using their networks. No Sprint or...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_xz3_is_finally_available_in_the_us_yours_for_89999-news-33791.php

OnePlus 6T will have a special night mode for better low-light photography

The OnePlus 6T is due to get official at the end of the month, and little tidbits about it are being outed daily at this point. Now a new report says we should expect to see a dedicated night mode in the camera app, which will aid in creating much better low-light shots. This information supposedly comes straight from a OnePlus representative, so it's as good as official. It's unclear exactly how it will work, since the rep didn't go into any detail. What we do know is that this will enable photos with "ample clarity and sharpness, with a good dark-to-light contrast, and negligible...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/oneplus_6t_will_have_a_special_night_mode_for_better_lowlight_photography-news-33790.php

Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 will have 1080x2340 screen resolution

Xiaomi is officially announcing the Mi Mix 3 next week, and the company's teaser campaign for its next flagship smartphone is now in full swing. It's already revealed that we should expect the top version to come with a whopping 10GB of RAM. 5G support should also be in, in some form or another. Today the company's product marketing director for mobile phones, Zhi Zhiyuan, has outed another tidbit. The Mi Mix 3's screen resolution will be 1080x2340, making for a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. Unlike other handsets advertising that resolution, here you'll be able to take advantage of all pixels,...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_mi_mix_3_will_have_1080x2340_screen_resolution-news-33789.php

Huawei Mate 20 Pro camera samples: testing out the new triple camera

The weather in London didn't cooperate, but we still managed to shoot some camera samples with the Huawei Mate 20 Pro in better light than we had at last night's event. The phone has three cameras and they offer a lot of versatility, regardless of whether or not you want to call it 5x zoom. So, let's see how close you can get to a subject. We start with the main camera - the 27mm in 10MP mode. Then onto the 80mm 8MP telephoto camera (which is a 3x zoom over the main cam). The third shot uses the 135mm hybrid zoom (a digital zoom that combines data from those two cameras). Note: the...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_mate_20_pro_camera_samples_testing_out_the_new_triple_camera-news-33788.php

Nokia 7.1 spotted running Geekbench with Android 9.0 Pie

Nokia's mid-ranger, the Nokia 7.1, was announced just this month and it runs pure Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box. Some were disappointed to see the handset with Oreo instead of Pie given that the latter was officially released back in August but HMD Global assured swift update to the latest version. Just over two weeks have passed, and we are already seeing a Nokia 7.1 smartphone running Geekbench on Android 9.0 Pie. It seems like the company is right on schedule for a stable release of Android Pie next month as it initially promised. HMD also wants to deliver Android Pie for...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_71_spotted_running_geekbench_with_android_90_pie-news-33787.php

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S starts receiving Android Pie

A new update was pushed to the Mi Mix 2S units in China and it's a big one - the official Twitter account of MIUI announced the phone is the first by the company to receive Android Pie. The Mi Mix 2S is getting performance and AI improvements like Adaptive Battery and Adaptive Brightness, thanks to the new OS. There are also smart suggestions for app features and Digital Wellbeing for monitoring your screen time. On top of the Android Pie, Xiaomi implemented "more refined UI" that utilizes tall screens better. The phone learns from your usage patterns and adapts to speed up...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_mi_mix_2s_starts_receiving_miui_10_with_android_pie-news-33783.php

Why Huawei's NM cards mean you don't get to expand the Mate 20 storage

Yesterday's event in London was a busy one for Huawei. The company announced 4 phones, a smartwatch, a smartband and a new memory card standard dubbed Nano Memory card (NM). Huawei's Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro both come with the new standard to replace the microSD card. And it's a move that will cause plenty of inconvenience without any significant gains in the long term. The new cards were only announced alongside the phones and Huawei confirmed that it has collaborated with Toshiba, which promised to build them. But with the standard not coming before the launch Toshiba has quite a...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/why_huaweis_nm_cards_essentially_means_nonexpandable_storage_for_the_mate_20-news-33785.php

Check out this neat Oppo R17 promo video

Oppo R17 appeared with a tiny notch and an under-display fingerprint scanner back in August and appeared in stores in early September. The phone was initially available for purchase in China, but now it's preparing to go global. Or so we assume, going by today's video on the official YouTube channel that highlights some of the key features of the R17, including Google services. The funky 30-second video looks like a TV ad since it focuses on the most prominent features like the gradient design, the tiny notch on the massive display and the fingerprint scanner beneath the OLED...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/check_out_this_neat_oppo_r17_promo_video-news-33786.php

Short video demos Xiaomi Mi Mix 3's face unlock feature

The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 will be unveiled a week from now, but we've seen the phone many times already. Here's another look at it, complete with a new trick. The third generation Mix will keep the trademark bezel-less design and continue to avoid notches by moving the camera to a manual slider. The phone will support face unlock and, as you can see in this video, it's pretty quick. If you're curious how the phone unlocked the laptop, it's the Dynamic Lock feature in Windows 10. The phone connects over Bluetooth and automatically locks the laptop when the connection drops out. It can then...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/short_video_demos_xiaomi_mi_mix_3s_face_unlock_feature-news-33782.php

MediaTek's Helio P70 coming soon with more advanced AI hardware, insiders claim

The Helio P60 was announced this February and proved to be a popular chipset (it's already used in 15 phones), but MediaTek will reportedly introduce a sequel by the end of this month. The Helio P70 will be very similar to the P60 - it will be built on the same 12nm process and will feature an octa-core processor (four A73 and four A53) plus a Mali-G72 GPU. Details like CPU clock speed or GPU core count are not known yet, but that's not the key upgrade. The P60 was billed as MediaTek's AI-focused chipset with an "AI processing unit" (APU). The P70 will use a Neural Processing Unit...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/mediateks_helio_p70_coming_soon_with_more_advanced_ai_hardware_insiders_claim-news-33784.php

Xiaomi Pocophone F1 US pre-orders open, but you don't get LTE

Xiaomi Pocophone F1 arrived in August with a Snapdragon 845 and a hard-to-believe price tag of $300. Eventually, it went up to €370 for the 6/128 GB variant in Europe, and now the phone made its way to the United States. The most affordable SD845-powered phone appeared on B&H Photo Video's website for $370 with 6 GB RAM and 64 GB storage. Sadly, the global version that's on sale is incompatible with the CDMA networks of Verizon and Sprint and worse still, it lacks the LTE bands to operate on AT&T and T-Mobile's 4G networks. The Xiaomi Pocophone F1 should work with US...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_pocophone_f1_us_preorder-news-33780.php

Montblanc Summit 2 is the first watch with Wear 3100 chipset

The Montblanc Summit 2 is the first smartwatch to use the new Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset. The watch design is inspired by the 1848 chronograph and comes in a 42mm unisex case. The Summit 2 features a 1.2" AMOLED display with 390 x 390px resolution (327ppi). It features exclusive watch faces inspired by the 1858 timepieces, but also business, feminine and sporty watch faces. Montblanc Summit 2 Even with the new 3100 chipset, the 340mAh battery doesn't last very long - you're looking at a full day use in smartwatch mode and an extra 4-5 days in time only mode. The watch...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/the_montblanc_summit_2_is_the_first_watch_with_wear_3100_chipset_is_not_easy_to_get-news-33781.php

Xiaomi officially confirms: Mi Mix 3 will have 5G support and 10GB of RAM

Remember that cryptic teaser poster from yesterday? Well, it didn't take long for Xiaomi to confirm that we read it right - the Mi Mix 3 will be among the first 5G-supporting smartphones on the market as well as the first one to feature 10GB of RAM. The first official confirmation of the 5G support comes from Xiaomi Spain while the 10GB of RAM rumor was backed up in a Weibo post. Here are the two posters that also subtly hint of the slide-out cameras. The posters from Weibo and Xiaomi Spain Facebook page Let's face it, 10GB of RAM is excessive, and will likely mostly serve as...

Source: https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_officially_confirms_mi_mix_3_will_have_5g_support_and_10gb_of_ram-news-33778.php