HTC to show off new games and Mixed Reality at Taipei Game Show 2017

HTC branched off into VR and has been busy cranking out accessories and content for the Vive VR headset. Heading to the Taipei Game Show 2017, HTC will unveil a couple of games plus an exploration into Mixed Reality (MR, similar to Augmented Reality, AR). Fantahorn Studio (which launched Front Defence for the Vive last year) and 2 Bears Studio (developed Arcade Sage for the Vive) will each introduce a new game. There will be other games too, it's just that their developers have not been announced. We'd be curious to see the Mixed Reality tech too - that would put the Vive headset in...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_to_show_off_new_games_and_mixed_reality_at_taipei_game_show_2017-news-22854.php

Huawei roadmap details when midrangers will get Nougat

Huawei launched its EMUI 5.0 launcher based on Android Nougat 7.0 along with the flagship Mate 9 and seeded it to the P9 and P9 Plus and Mate 8 since. The company isn't done yet though as the affordable Huawei smartphones will also get the upgrade shortly. A roadmap leaked on Weibo shows us Huawei Nova will be the first lucky device in March, followed by Huawei Honor Note 8 and Huawei G9 Plus in April. Honor 6X came out two months ago and looks like it needs some time to live along with the previous EMUI before getting the 5.0 upgrade in May. The same month will be the lucky one...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_roadmap_details_when_midrangers_will_get_nougat-news-22852.php

JDI begins mass production of 5" WQHD LCD screens

Japan Display Inc (JDI) started mass production of a new 5" LTPS LCD that will have WQHD resolution (1440x2560) with pixel density over 500 PPI. The company says the new technology reduces power consumption in displays by using new materials. The poly-silicon used in the production of screens allows the panel power consumption to drop down thus improving the image signal. JDI also included 2nd gen Pixel Eyes in-cell technology for thinner borders and deeper black levels. The module has an integrated circuit chip to embed the upscaling function from 1080p to 1440p. This would enable the...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/jdi_begins_mass_production_of_5_wqhd_displays-news-22853.php

Acer Liquid Z6E turns up out of the blue in the Netherlands

It is fairly easy to overlook Acer's budget offers, especially at an event the size of IFA. However, some of you might still remember the Liquid Z6 and Liquid Z6 Plus, that were showcased late last year. Acer Liquid Z6E Both units already come with pretty tantalizing price tags, but the Liquid Z6E, spotted today on a few Dutch online stores, takes things even further. It is a toned-down version of the ordinary Liquid Z6. It still comes with a 5-inch HD display and a 1.3 GHz quad-core CPU, presumably on a MediaTek chipset. RAM is set at 1GB and there are 8GB of expandable...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/unannounced_entrylevel_acer_liquid_z6e_turns_up_out_of_the_blue_in_the_netherlands-news-22850.php

Nextbit Robin with Android 7.1.1 appears on GFXBench

Last we heard, Nextbit was beta testing the Nougat update for its cloud-focused Robin smartphone. That was back in November and the beta update was based on Android 7.0. However, now it looks like the device may get the Android version 7.1.1 instead. The company has in fact already started testing the update as a Robin device running the latest Nougat version has been spotted on the GFXBench benchmarking website. Sadly, there's currently no information on when exactly the update will be rolled out, although reports say that's likely to happen early next month. Here's hoping that...

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/nextbit_robin_with_android_711_appears_on_gfxbench-news-22841.php

Samsung Galaxy J7 (2017) passes FCC certification

Earlier today an unknown Samsung-branded device was approved by the US official certification authority, the FCC. The document doesn't say much but it includes the ID of the device - SM-J727. That's the model number of the Galaxy J7 (2017). Rumors say the device will be powered by Samsung's Exynos chipset and will have 5.5" Full HD display and 3GB RAM. The battery is rumored to be 3,000 mAh which is 10% less than the J7 (2016) so let's hope the chipset and the other components will act better so a difference would be uncanny. Via

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/galaxy_j7_2017_passes_fcc_certification-news-22846.php