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Samsung Galaxy X foldable smartphone launch could be imminent

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A new Samsung device has just received certification from the National Radio Agency based in Samsung’s hometown of South Korea.

The device has the model number SM-G888N0 and is said to be known as the Galaxy X, which is set to be the company’s first foldable phone that has been heavily rumored Samsung has been working on. Now the device has received formal certification, it would suggest that the Samsung Galaxy X could be launching very soon, albeit in South Korea to begin with.

The Wi-Fi alliance lists the device as Bluetooth 4.2 and running Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow which would be slightly disappointing. I suspect this may be outdated given the profile of the Galaxy X in the lineup for Samsung and would expect similar specs to that of the rest of the Galaxy line.

The foldable smartphone is said to be being developed under codename Project Valley and points to a late 2017 or early 2018 release.

A device that folds up is an interesting concept and one that if executed correctly, would open the door for Samsung to further increase the display size on a smartphone without increasing its physical footprint.

Foldable phones were all the rage pre-smartphone but could Samsung be using the Galaxy X to reignite that trend or has it finally figured out foldable displays?

If the rumors are true we won’t have long to find out as we could see something launched in South Korea at the tail end of the year.

Tip: How to speed up your Moto G5

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The Moto G5 was a great device for those looking for something on a budget but didn’t compromise on specs. However, the device isn’t as young as it once was and with apps getting more resource demanding, you could find the Moto G5 to be slowing down. Luckily there is a hidden feature that you can change that will instantly speed up your device.

This tip will help speed up your Moto G5 by reducing the impact of the aging processor and resource-hungry apps, as well as the lower processing power in the device, by reducing unnecessary animations that will make it feel the device is quicker. The best bit is there’s nothing extra to install or tons of settings to change, just a simple case of changing a setting with developer options enabled.

The little hack revolves around the animations applied to transitioning between windows and turning the device on or off. By simply turning this off, it contributes to making the device seem extremely snappy and fast by reducing the delay applied to the animation.

First, you’ll need to enable the Developer Options hidden menu. To do this, go into Settings -> About Device and scroll down to “Build Number”. Now, tap on “Build Number” five times and you’ll see a notification saying that “Developer mode has been enabled”.

With that hidden menu now enabled, we can head on into it to begin fastening up our Moto G5.

  1. Head on in to Developer Options in Settings.
  2. Scroll down to the Drawing section.
  3. Of interest here is the Window Animation Scale, Transition Animation Scale, and Animator Duration Scale.
  4. Click on them individually to change the scale.

You are able to turn the animations off completely, or set them to 0.5x (default is 1x) so the animations will be double speed for those who would like to retain them.

You’ll notice your Moto G5 feels substantially quicker without any hacks that affect your software, warranty, or device battery life. Let us know your comments in the section below.

Moto G5S Plus available for pre-order, sales go official September 29th

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The Moto G5S Plus was just unveiled last month, but pre-orders had yet to commence.

That all changed yesterday, as Motorola announced pre-orders for the Moto G5S Plus. The device is a larger version of the Moto G5, but the sheer size of the Moto G5S Plus doesn’t do justice to the new features and hardware this new device packs that separates it from the Moto G5.

The Moto G5S Plus surpasses the Moto G5 Plus in design, as the G5S Plus features an anodized aluminum and water-repellent nano-coating to replace the aluminum metal backplate and plastic frame of the Moto G5 Plus.

A 4GB of RAM/64GB storage option is available for the G5S Plus (there’s a 3GB RAM, 32GB storage option available, too), slightly improved front camera (from 5MP with f/2.2 to 8MP with f/2.0) with LED flash, and a dual rear camera setup (13MP primary + 8MP secondary) round out the differences between the Moto G5S Plus and the Moto G5 Plus.

The display size for the Moto G5S Plus is 5.5 inches, compared to the 5.2-inch screen for the Moto G5 Plus. The screen resolution (Full HD, 1080p), processor (Snapdragon 625), and battery size (3,000mAh) remain the same for the Moto G5S Plus as they are on the Moto G5 Plus. The Moto G5S Plus runs Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box.

Pre-orders have started already, but official sales of the Moto G5S Plus will commence on next Friday, September 29th, from Motorola.com, B&H, Newegg, Fry’s, Sprint MVNO Ting, Walmart.com, and Best Buy. You can choose between Lunar Gray and Blush Gold colors. Expect to pay $229.99 instead of $279.99 for the handset (the $50 discount is for a limited time, Motorola says).

The 32GB version will be $279.99 (it has a current promotional price of $229.99) and the 64GB version will be $349.99 (current promotional price of $299.99). The promotion offers $50 off for a limited time.

For more information, head on over to Motorola’s product page below to find out more or place your pre-order.

Are you interested in picking up the Moto G5S Plus? What one feature of the G5S Plus stands out for you? Are you torn between this and the new Project Fi-compatible Android One Moto X4?

Piggy Wiggy is just another physics puzzler (review)

There have been a lot of physics-type mobile games that have gone on to huge success in the market. From Angry Birds, to Cut The Rope, to Chalk Ball…these are houlehold names these days. The best-known ones provide a unique twist, mechanic, or other feature that the masses gravitated to, and millions of downloads later these titles have become household names.

Following on these success stories, there are plenty of titles now in the Play Store. One such title is Piggy Wiggy, a family-friendly physics-type puzzle game from the developer Qaibo Games that follows the Cut The Rope style of game mechanic. Let’s take a look at how this game tries to pull you in.

Premise

How to describe the idea of Piggy Wiggy? Each level gives you a combination of pigs & acorns. The goal for each level is to move the pigs around the screen to gobble up all shown acorns….doing so in either the fewest moves and/or the most creative way maximizes your points for that level.

To help with your goal, each level is also loaded with a combination of pulleys, hinges, platforms, plates, and explosive balloons. Each combination of these items can provide you with a multitude of ways to solve the acorn-eating puzzle (particularly so in the later levels)

Setup & Gameplay

To get started with Piggy Wiggy, download the game from Google Play. Once installed, simply open and off you go. There aren’t any settings to fiddle with, save for toggling the sound effects and background music on & off.

From there it’s pretty standard puzzler fare. At first you’re presented a few ‘tutorial’-style levels where the developer provides direction on how to play with simple animations, in lieu of on-screen text.

You play by using your finger to identify a connecting “pulley”. From here you swipe to the piggy of your choice, stretching a band that connects the piggy to said pulley. This launches the piggy towards the pulley in a physics-based arc. In the beginning this in enough to collect (eat) the acorns in between; but as the levels get harder you start using these bands to swing piggies into other objects/tools to set up, and then engage the movements that will complete the level.

As you progress in the game, more and more challenging puzzles emerge, including sequential moves that are required to collect all acorns. These can include various tools such as boulders, popping (exploding?) bubbles, and rail cars that can be slid as-needed to place your piggies right where they need to be.
The visuals and sound effects are clean and colorful; though the constant intermittent oinking gets on the nerves after a while.

What We Liked

Piggy Wiggy is a pretty simple game, and one that is safe for all ages. It’s a title you can have on your device, and feel OK with your little ones picking up and playing. Not only is it safe for their age, but it also can be pretty easy for them to figure out and progress through.

What Could Use Improvement

There really isn’t anything to improve, per se. The problem is that this genre of game has been done a whole lot of times before already. And while fairly polished, smooth, and well-thought-out, Piggy Wiggy doesn’t really give you any new, clever, or otherwise unique angle to make you want to play the game….or play it above any of the other established titles in the genre. It’s just, there. It does what it does well, but it’s also pretty forgettable once you put it down.

Download Piggy Wiggy from the Play Store here.

OnePlus will bring you faster updates via the Individual Application Update program

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OnePlus wants to push out updates faster to its users, as well as gather user feedback more quickly, so the Chinese company today announced a new program called Individual Application Update.

The first Individual Application Update package comes with four apps including OnePlus Launcher, OnePlus Community, OnePlus Weather, and OnePlus Gallery which are now available in the Google Play Store for users of OnePlus 3/3T and OnePlus 5.

By releasing these apps into the Play Store, OnePlus wants to make sure that owners of the smartphone models mentioned above will be able to update the apps largely independent of system updates. What’s more, with this program in place OnePlus should also be able to push out more updates.

This is the first batch of apps available through the program, but more will be added soon enough.

On top of announcing the Individual Application Update program, OnePlus also took the opportunity to reveal that the next app to be updated will be Launcher. Users should expect to see new feature sometime this week (two days left).

The new version will arrive with an optimized home screen folder icon re-designed to display a preview of the first four icons of the folder. Folders that have been opened before will be marked after the update and double finger touch support will be added too. This last feature should allow users to hold an item while sliding on the home screen.

Last but not least, OnePlus encourages users to send in feedback should they encounter bugs.

HTC’s first phone with 18:9 aspect ratio, bezel-less display coming in November

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What’s the biggest trend in smartphone design this year? That’s an easy one – bezel-less displays, of course. Just look around and you’ll see what we mean. Companies like Samsung, LG, Xiaomi or Essential have turned the bezel-less display into a standard for flagship phones. But not all Android OEMs have joined the party – phone makers like Motorola, Nokia, Sony, and HTC decided to stick with the classic phone design this year and so launched models with visible bezels and standard 16:9 ratio.

But slowly they too will be transitioning to embrace the new design paradigm. And the first one to make the plunge seems to be HTC. According to French website, Frandroid the Taiwanese company – who just entered a “cooperation agreement” with Google is gearing up to unveil its first smartphone with an 18:9 aspect ratio and bezel-less display.

The phone – codenamed Ocean Master – leaked a few days ago alongside the Ocean Harmony and Ocean Lite models. Despite the fact that some HTC hardware engineers and designers will go work for Google, the Taiwanese company will continue working on new smartphones and the next one up seems to be the high-end Ocean Master.

HTC’s current flagship, the U11

The device will make a debut on the market as the HTC U11 Plus and will reportedly take advantage of a 5.99-inch display made by JDI with 1440 x 2880 resolution. The phone will be fueled by a Snapdragon 835 processor with 6GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB of UFS 2.1 storage.

When it comes to photography, the U11 Plus will retain the same 12-megapixel sensor of the U11 and will include a less impressive 8-megapixel selfie snapper (the U11 takes advantage of a 16-megapixel one).

Furthermore, the report says the phone includes IP68 certification and offers support for Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 (up to 18W). Naturally, the Edge Sense squeezable frame is also on on board.

HTC is reportedly gearing up to launch the U11 Plus on November 11 in China, but for now, we don’t know whether the device will land in other markets or not. Although we certainly hope so.

Google’s new “zero-touch enrollment” program offers pre-configured Android devices to enterprises

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For the past few years, Google has been focusing (among other things) on making Android more attractive to businesses. Its latest effort is called “zero-touch enrollment” and is a tool that will allow companies to seamlessly configure their devices before shipping them out to their employees.

With “zero-touch enrollment” employees (or IT people) won’t have to manually configure their devices anymore. All they have to do is sign in and get access to their work apps and data. Google’s new program also ensure corporate policies are in place from the get-go.

Furthermore, businesses will be given the opportunity to specify configurations and device policies with software from a range of enterprise mobility management providers including VMware AirWatch, BlackBerry, MobileIron, IBM, SOTI, and GSuite.

Google says it is working with several Android OEMs to bring “zero-touch enrollment” to their devices including Samsung, Huawei, Sony, LG, HTC, Motorola, as well as Honeywell and Zebra. The first smartphones which will come with zero-touch support are the Pixel, Huawei Mate 10, Sony Xperia XZ1 and Xperia XZ1 Compact. Google also said that any Samsung device running Android 8.0 Oreo will support zero-touch.

Starting this week, Verizon will be offering zero-touch enrollment in the US one the Pixel, but other devices will be added to the roster soon enough. AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile will also jump on board with zero-touch later this year.

Instagram now lets you use face filters in live video

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Instagram enthusiasts have a new feature to play with, as of this week. The photo-centric app just announced a new feature which allows users to add face filters while sharing live video.

To add face filters to your video, tap the face icon which now lives in the bottom corner and start exploring the filters available. Instagram invites you to try the sunglasses filter which will be available exclusively in live video for the next week. And with a simple tap, you will be able to change the scenery reflected in your lenses. The new feature also lets you add things like starts, clouds or rainbow lighting to your face.

Once you’ve completed your live video, you can replay it in Stories or delete the video altogether by tapping on discard.

Face filters are currently live and will be rolling out globally for the next few weeks. So if you’re not seeing the feature yet in your Instagram app, be patient. It might take a while before it reaches your device.

Instagram is constantly adding new features for its users, so just last week the app introduced the option of sharing Stories in Direct messages. And like always, these messages self-destruct within 24 hours of being sent.

NVIDIA SHIELD TV is now only $179, without the Shield Controller

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The NVIDIA SHIELD TV – which was launched a few months ago for $199 – just received a price cut. With this discount, NVIDIA is obviously trying to divert customers away from the new Apple TV 4K which cost $199.

The discounted SHIELD TV is offered with 16GB of storage on board and the SHIELD Remote. However, you should keep in mind the bundle does not include the SHIELD Controller, which can be acquired for an additional $59.99.

Right now, the affordable SHIELD TV is listed as being available for pre-order on NVIDIA’s website, and will be coming soon to Amazon and Best Buy too. NVIDIA says it will start shipping out the bundle come October 18.

The SHIELD TV is a popular choice for those who want to access TV shows, films and the music they purchased off the Google Play, as well as stream 4K HDR content from Netflix, Amazon Video, and Hulu. For music aficionados, the device also offers Spotify and Pandora support.

And to make sure you know the SHIELD TV is a better choice than Apple’s TV (2017), NVIDIA provides us with a comprehensive chart which details all the features that are available with the former and not the latter.

On top of the new remote-less SHIELD, NIVIDA will continue to offer the $199 SHIELD TV, as well as a larger 500GB SHIELD Pro model.

Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 too expensive? Check out these cheap lookalikes

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Chinese phone makers are notorious for copying the designs of famous handset models. For example, we’ve seen an abundance of Samsung Galaxy S8-lookalikes in the past few months.

But Chinese companies won’t stop at replicating just international products – they’ll even go after popular smartphones produced by well-known Chinese handset manufacturers. Seeing the success of Xiaomi Mi MIX phablet, which actually started the whole bezel-less trend, many Chinese companies have started pushing out Mi MIX replicas.

Xiaomi has built a name for itself by offering affordable handsets with great specs, but for some customers paying $500+ for a device like the newly unveiled Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 might not be doable. So some obscure Chinese smartphone makers have taken upon themselves to offer cheaper alternatives. And some of them actually look very much like the original Mi MIX. If you’re curious, here are some of the best Mi MIX clones below.

Doogeee MIX

Price: starts at $219

The Doogee MIX is a Xiaomi Mi MIX lookalike that takes advantage of a 5.5-inch AMOLED display with 1280 x 720 resolution. It relies on an Helio P25 octa-core processor clocked at 2.5GHz in combination with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage (up to 128GB).

Unlike the Mi MIX or Mi MIX 2, the Doogee MIX features a dual-camera setup which pairs a 16-megapixel sensor with f2/0 and phase detection autofocus with an 8-megapixel one. It also comes with a 3,380 mAh battery.

Even if the Doogee MIX was recently launched, the producing company already announced a Doogee MIX 2 model which will come sporting rounded corners.

Bluboo S1

Price: $159.99

The Bluboo S1 comes with a more affordable price tag (if you get it during the flash sale which ends in 3 days) but for this amount of money, you will get a 5.5-inch with FullHD resolution not just 720p. The same processor powering the Doogee MIX also pumps life inside the Bluboo S1. The two models are on par when it comes to RAM and storage, as well.

The Bluboo model is also a dual-camera phone that takes advantage of a 13-megapixel/3-megapixel arrangement on the back. The phone relies on a 3,300 mAh battery and runs Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box.

Leagoo KIICAA MIX

Price: $109

Want a Xiaomi Mi MIX clone that’s even more affordable? Then you might want to take a look at the Leagoo KIICCA MIX. The handset arrives with a 5.5-inch fullHD display and an octa-core MediaTek MTK6750T processor clocked at 1.5GHz which works in concert with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.

Like the previous models listed above, the KIICA MIX also boasts a dual-camera arrangement comprised of a 13-megapixel/2-megapixel sensors. A 3,000 mAh powerhouse keeps the lights on.

Maze Alpha

Price: starts at $189

Industry newcomer took the mobile market by surprise when it unveiled the Maze Alpha bezel-less smartphone. The phone boasts a spacious 6-inch display with fullHD resolution and is powered by a MediaTek Helio P25 processor. There are two versions to choose from, one with 4GB of RAM + 64GB storage and another with 6GB + 128GB storage.

The phone offers the services of a 13-megapixel+5-megapixel dual-camera on the back, as well as a 4,000 mAh battery. It runs Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box.

UMIDIGI Crystal

Price: starts at $109

The UMIDIGI Crystal is one of the most affordable Xiaomi Mi MIX alternatives out there. It boasts a 5.5-inch display with fullHD resolution and a MediaTek MTK6750T octa-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz. It’s offered in 2GB or 4GB of RAM configurations with 16GB or 64GB of built-in storage.

It’s available with a dual-lens rear camera that similar to the one of the Maze Alpha and includes a 3,000 mAh powerhouse.

Ulefone MIX

The upcoming Ulefone MIX is expected to make a debut on the market soon with a body ratio of 90.2%. Not much is known about the device at this point, but you can get an idea of what to expect by checking out the teaser below: