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ZTE aims to have a 5G smartphone on the US market by early 2019

Alexandra Arici
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Even if ZTE didn’t have much to show at CES 2018, the company still has big plans for the US market. In a recent Bloomberg interview, ZTE’s chief executive officer, Lixin Cheng revealed plans for a 5G-capable smartphone which should make it on the US market by the end of 2018 or early 2019.

Obviously, the timeframe will be affected by how fast 5G network coverage will become available in the upcoming months. Two of America’s largest carriers, Verizon and AT&T have already made public their plans to start rolling out 5G networks by the end of 2018.

Sprint, wants to start commercializing 5G services by late 2019, and T-Mobile expects to be able to deploy its own 5G network by 2020. So judging by these estimates, the ZTE smartphone will probably launch under Verizon, AT&T or Sprint.

ZTE’s recent Axon M dual display smartphone was released in partnership with AT&T, so the Chinese company is no stranger to inking deals with US carriers, something competitor Huawei has failed to do.

Even if ZTE currently has an upper hand over Huawei at the moment when it comes to presence on the US market, things could get quite challenging for Axon 7-maker in the near future. US Representative Michael Conaway has proposed a new bill that would restrict the US government from working with service providers that use equipment supplied by Huawei or ZTE for security reasons.

But even if the bill passes, ZTE will still be able to sell its smartphones in the US. However, companies doing business with the US government will be forced to shun ZTE and Huawei.

On top of the 5G-capable smartphone, ZTE says it also has plans to release a 5G tablet and/or a wireless-internet hub for homes.

ZTE is obviously hoping to beat giants like Samsung or Apple in releasing the first 5G smartphones, but it remains to be seen whether this will be the case or not. ZTE has been an active participant in the 5G standards deliberation process, but the lack of homegrown modems and implicit reliance on Qualcomm and Intel for said components, might put the company at a disadvantage.

LG V30 could be getting Android Oreo update soon

Dan Bartram
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An Oreo update for the LG V30 has been on the cards for some time now and it seems that the update could finally be coming to fruition.

Some LG v300S SK Telecom units are already running Android 8.0.0 software but most other variants of the handset across the US and Europe are still running the latest Nougat builds.

However, from a screenshot that has surfaced of an unlocked US variant, LG V30 shows Android Oreo running on the handset lending suggestion an official release could be imminent.

While the OTA we know is not officially available, it shows that the files exist to flash the ROM through other means and that it is probably still in internal testing prior to release. The timelines are unpredictable as to when we will see Oreo hit the LG V30 but it looks like it can be issued any week now so be sure to keep hitting that update button in the settings app.

Sony Xperia XA2 family and Xperia L2 now available for pre-order

Dan Bartram
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Sony unveiled its latest family of Xperia devices and now the XA2, XA2 Ultra, and L2 are available for pre-order in the U.S at BestBuy.

As far as specs go, the Xperia XA2 has a 5.2-inch display with Full HD resolution and a Qualcomm 630 with 3GB of RAM. It has a 3300mAh battery and a massive 23-Megapixel rear camera running Android 8.0 Oreo.

The Xperia XA2 Ultra, as the name suggests, is a larger version of the XA2. You’ll get a 6-inch display, a bigger 3580mAh battery, and a second 16-Megapixel camera. Both Xperia XA2 devices have fingerprint sensors mounted on the rear of the device, finally, that work in the U.S.

As for the Xperia L2, it’s the lower end device of the trio. You’ll get a 720p resolution and a quad-core 1.5Ghz processor, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB of internal storage with room for a microSD card. The Xperia L2 also has a rear 13-Megapixel camera and a front 8-Megapixel camera with a 3300mAh battery but is running Android 7.1.1.

You can pre-order the Xperia XA2 from Best Buy in silver, black, blue, and pink for $350. The Xperia XA2 Ultra comes in silver, black, blue, and gold for $450, while the Xperia L2 in black, gold, and pink is available for $250.

All three Xperia phones are set to launch on February 16, 2018.

Honor 7X now up for pre-order on Amazon

Dan Bartram
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The budget-friendly Honor 7X is now available in the US by way of pre-order on Amazon for $200.

For that small price, you’ll get a lot of device. The Honor 7X has a 5.93-inch 18:9 display and Full HD+ resolution. You’ll also get 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage with up to 256GB of expandable storage. Powered by a 3340mAh battery, you’ll not have to worry about charging it throughout the day either.

The Honor 7X comes with Android 7.0 under Huawei’s EMUI user interface.

With flagships now hovering around or just under the $1000 mark, the Huawei 7X offers an extremely well-rounded device for a fraction of the price. Huawei has also suggested that an update to bring facial recognition via an update will be hitting the device sometime in the first quarter of 2018.

Do you have the Huawei 7X? Drop us a comment below and let usknow what you think.

Samsung Galaxy S9 packaging leaks showing off some specs

Dan Bartram
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Samsung has already confirmed it will be showing off the Galaxy S9 in February at Mobile World Congress next month and we may have just seen a sneak peak of the retail packaging.

That might not sound extremely exciting and on its own, it’s not. Samsung retail packaging often lists the specifications of the device inside on the exterior of the box, so getting sight of the retail packaging for the S9 has given some insight into what the specs could be.

A Reddit user uploaded an image of the claimed Galaxy S9 retail packaging so obviously, this must be taken with the usual ‘caution’. However, if truly the S9 packaging then we could be in for a treat.

According to the packaging, the Galaxy S9 is to feature a 5.6-inch Quad HD+ sAMOLED screen and an 8MP AF Selfie camera, accompanied by a Dual Pixel 12-Megapixel OIS f/1.5 + f/2.4 rear camera. Of most significance is the stereo speakers tuned by AKG that could reveal Pixel inspired front-facing speakers for the first time. Most likely the speakers will be downward firing since conflicting rumors suggest Samsung are trying to make the bottom and top bezels even slimmer simply leaving no room for speakers. It also seems the S9 will remain at 4GB of RAM as opposed to the 6GB found in the Note 8.

As we already know, the Galaxy S9 will be powered by Samsungs own Exynos 9810. Stay tuned for the latest news about the Galaxy S9 as we approach MWC and the release date of the device.

Planet Computers’ Gemini brings the classic PDA into the Android era

Alexandra Arici
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Some of you might remember the Psion Series 5, a personal digital assistant (PDA) device that launched back in 1997. Well, the original Psion designers have returned to give the classic pocket computer a modern form.

Under the umbrella of UK startup Planet Computers, the Psion Series 5 revival project is named Gemini.

The Gemini looks like a tiny laptop with a 5.99-inch 18:9 ultrawide 1080p display and a full physical keyboard which sits on top of the display when folded. Closed it becomes a pretty sturdy device, tipping the scales at around 320g and being 15.1mm thick.

It runs a pretty stock version of Android and includes a deca-core MediaTek Helio X27 processor, aided by 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. It’s kept alive by a pretty impressive 4,220 mAh battery.

On top of sporting a physical keyboard, the Gemini is also unique among other Android smartphones because of its ability to dual-boot Linux.

The clamshell phone can also work as a desktop, but you’ll need some additional accessories for it to do so. The two USB-C ports on the phone can be connected to a USB, Ethernet hub and HDMI-out allow you to connect things like an external display, mouse, and keyboard.

For those interested in reviving the good old says, you should know the Gemini is available on Indiegogo for $399 and up. Shipping is expected to start soon.

Your next OnePlus phone might come from a carrier

Alexandra Arici
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After months of being rumored, Huawei hot deal with US carriers, Verizon and AT&T eventually fell through.

One of the world’s biggest smartphone makers, Huawei had hoped to finally crack the US market with the launch of the new Mate 10 Pro. Now it looks the firm will be launching the phone without a carrier partner, although it’s a well-known fact that US customers tend to buy their phones through a carrier.

This is something other Chinese companies are well aware of. For example, OnePlus – which appears to have some expansion plans in this direction, as well.

The company, which originally set out selling phones through an invite system, has matured enough to start considering the next step in their evolution – inking a deal with US carriers to sell their phones through them.

OnePlus 6 concept

Speaking at CES 2018 with CNET, OnePlus’ CEO Pete Lau said that if the right opportunity and timing were to come along, the company would be very happy to experiment in this direction.

Building on the grand success of the OnePlus 5T, the company is currently working on their next-flagship which might make it on the market as the OnePlus 6.

According to Lau, the phone will arrive late in the second quarter of the year and will be powered by a Snapdragon 845 – no surprise here.

But will OnePlus manage to succeed where Huawei has failed? It might. An apt example that a Chinese company can secure partnerships with US carriers is ZTE. The company has been a presence on the American market for a few years now and recently released the experimental Axon M phone in partnership with AT&T.

While the US government continues to be wary of Huawei’s supposed ties to the Chinese government, it apparently has no objections to ZTE’s practices. Although back in March, ZTE received a record $1,2 billion fine for illegally selling US-made goods in Iran and North Korea.

Will the US government’s goodwill extend to OnePlus? We’ll just have to wait and see.

Google reveals the first batch of Android Excellence Apps and Games for 2018

Alexandra Arici
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Since June, Google has been trying to highlight the best apps and games in its Play Store through a new category called Android Excellence.

While not all the apps included in Google’s elite list are widely-known (sales and installs are not a factor here), they do offer an incredible experience and are in line with Google’s best practices.

In order to celebrate the arrival of 2018, this week Google unveiled the best Android apps and games for Q1 2018.

Below you can find the complete list:

Android Excellence Apps

1tap

Acorns

Airbnb

Blink Health

Blinkist

Clue

Ditty

EyeEm

Fabulous

IFTTT

iReader

Journey

KKBOX

LinkedIn

Mobiils: Budget Planner

Musixmatch

Shpock

Stocard

Video Editor

ViewRanger

YAZIO

YOP

While you might be familiar with apps like Airbnb, EyeEm, Musixmatch or LinkedIn, other names are a bit more obscure. For example, Blinkist is an app which provides users with the abstracts of bestselling nonfiction books. Google is obviously looking to encourage users to discover new apps. Moving on to games:

Android Excellence Apps

Agent A

Bit Heroes

Bloons Supermonkey 2

Dancing Lane

DEAD WARFARE: Zombie

Dragon Project

Fire Emblem Heroes

Futurama: Worlds of Tomorrow

Idle Heroes

Last Day on Earth: Survival

Lords Mobile

Lumino City

Modern Combat Versus

Old Man’s Journey

The Walking Dead: No Man’s Land

War Wings

So, in case you were looking for a new game to play, Google’s list arrives just on time.

CES 2018 roundup: Best smartphones

Alexandra Arici
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Even if CES 2018 is still going on, the majority of companies already made their big product announcements. So below we take a look at some of the best smartphones that were launched this week in Las Vegas.

Sony Xperia XA2 and XA2 Ultra

Sony introduced two new solid mid-rangers with great specs and a focus on taking better selfies. The XA2 Ultra is actually the first Sony phone to come with a dual selfie camera setup.

There’s more good news – the fingerprint scanner on these phones will finally work for US users. Although it no longer resides in the power button on the side, but on the back of the devices.

Xperia XA2

  • 5.2-inch IPS LCD display with fullHD resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio, 424ppi
  • Snapdragon 650 with Adreno 510 GPU
  • 3GB of RAM
  • 32GB of storage (microSD card slot available)
  • 23-megapixel rear facing camera with f/2.0, phase detection autofocus and LED flash
  • 8-megapixel front facing camera with f/2.4
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
  • 3,300 mAh battery
  • Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box

Xperia XA2 Ultra

  • 6-inch IPS LCD display with fullHD resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio, 367ppi
  • Snapdragon 650 with Adreno 510 GPU
  • 4GB of RAM
  • 32GB/64GB of storage (microSD card slot available)
  • 23-megapixel rear facing camera with f/2.0, phase detection autofocus and LED flash
  • Dual 16-megapixel (f/2.0, OIS, AF) + 8-megapixel (f/2.4) front-facing camera
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
  • 3,580 mAh battery
  • Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box

Sony also announced the Xperia L2, a budget smartphone coming with a 5.5-inch 720p display, quad-core MediaTek MT6737T processor and 3GB of RAM/32GB of storage out of the box. Unfortunately, the phone will ship with Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box, unlike the XA2 and XA2 Ultra.

Huawei Mate 10 Pro

Despite loosing the AT&T/Verizon deal, Huawei announced at CES 2018 that Mate 10 Pro flagship is still coming to the States and will be offered via retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, and Newegg. The Chinese company has even partnered up with Wonder Woman (aka actress Gal Gadot) to help promote the shiny new phone in the country. Any takers?

Mate 10 Pro

  • 6-inch AMOLED display with 1080 x 2160 resolution, 18:9 aspect ratio, 402ppi
  • Kirin 970 with Mali-G72 MP12 GPU
  • 4GB of RAM
  • 64GB of storage
  • Dual 12-megapixel (f/1.6, OIS) + 20-megapixel (f/1.6, 27mm) rear-facing camera with phase detection & laser autofocus, Leica optics, dual-LED dual-tone flash
  • 8-megapixel front facing camera with f/2.0
  • 4,000 mAh battery
  • Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box
  • Price: $799

Huawei also said it will be bringing the Mate 10 Porsche Design to the States. The exclusive model comes with 256GB storage and some premium design tweaks. This version is going to set you back with a whopping $1,225.

Zenfone Max Plus (M1)

Looking for a smartphone with an 18:9 aspect ratio display and a big battery that won’t break the bank? ASUS has your back with its latest Zenfone Max Plus model which will become available this February.

Max Plus (M1)

  • 5.7-inch IPS LCD display with 1080 x 2160 resolution, 18:9 aspect ratio, 424ppi
  • MediaTek MT6750T with Mali-T860MP2
  • 3GB of RAM
  • 32GB of storage (microSD card slot available)
  • Dual 16-megapixel (f/2.0) + 8-megapixel (17mm) rear-facing camera with phase detection autofocus, LED flash
  • 8-megapixel front facing camera with f/2.0
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
  • 4,130 mAh battery
  • Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box
  • Price: $229

BlackBerry Motion

Introduced a while back, the BlackBerry Motion is now available for pre-order in the United States via Amazon. Unlike, the KEYone, the BlackBerry Motion comes sans a physical keyboard under the display and it’s the first handset in the company’s portfolio to offer water-resistance.

BB Motion

  • 5.5-inch IPS LCD display with FullHD resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio, 403ppi
  • Snapdragon 625 with Adreno 506
  • 4GB of RAM
  • 32GB of storage (microSD card slot available)
  • 12-megapixel with f/2.0 and phase detection autofocus
  • 8-megapixel front facing camera with f/2.0
  • 3.5mm headphone jack
  • 4,000 mAh battery
  • Android 7.1 Nougat (planned upgrade to Oreo)
  • Price: $449

Alcatel 5

Alcatel isn’t really known for high-end phones, but the company is looking to change directions with the new Alcatel 5 series. Details are scarce for now, but we do know the phones in this series will come with 18:9 screens, brushed metal bodies and facial recognition. Prices will start at around $300.

Essential unveils new accessories for its phone including HD earphones, fast charger

Alexandra Arici
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Did you purchase an Essential phone? Well, then you might find yourself in need of a few accessories for the phone.

Just as CES 2018 is currently in full swing in Las Vegas, Essential Inc. announced it has started selling a bunch of new accessories for the bezel-less smartphone. So far, the company only offered the Essential 360 Camera for purchase.

Well starting this week you’ll have a few more options to choose from. Here’s what you can get:

  • Essential Earphones HD – $99
  • Essential Earphones Mini – $49
  • USB Type-C Fast Charger – $39
  • USB Type-C to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter – $15

The Essential Earphones HD use a 9.2mm High-Resolution driver, which allows you to enjoy high-quality music on your phone (and even on your computer). The audio accessories also come with a multi-function button which let users to control music playback, answer phone calls and activate the Google Assistant. For added protection, the Earphones HD – which also feature a digital USB-connect, support USB Audio Class 2 – ship with a custom-built, hard shell.

The Essential Earphones Mini are a toned down version of the Earphones HD, offering less impressive sound. They will ship with the same multi-action button on board and are compatible with other USB Type-C devices.

The Fast charger is a 27W power adapter that ships with a USB-C cable. It can provide up to 4 hours of battery life in just 10 minutes.

Additionally, two other accessories for the Essential phone are coming soon:

  • Essential Phone Dock: enables wireless charging on the Essential Phone via its magnetic Click Connector
  • Protective case for the Essential 360 Camera
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