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Is this Andy Rubin’s upcoming bezeless smartphone?

Alexandra Arici
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If you drive a car you’re probably familiar with the Michelin brand. The company has made a name for itself by manufacturing tires, but it has other affiliations. For example, Michelin has a long history of reviewing restaurants, but is the tire maker taking an interest in smartphones too?

We’ve been telling you that Android creator Andy Rubin wants back into the world of smartphones. The ex-Google executive has assembled a team which is now working on a bezel-less smartphone in the vein of the Xiaomi Mi MIX meant to compete with premium devices like Google Pixel.

Well it appears Rubin’s upcoming smartphone made an appearance in one of Michelin’s commercials dating back to February 2017. It’s a video where we see a lot of phones being paraded, but one in particular draws our attention – a bezeless phone with a white body. It appears to be housed in a transparent protective case that has three cut outs at the bottom, one for USB, one for loudspeaker and one for a headphone jack (probably). So what phone are we’re looking at in the video?

The Xiaomi Mi MIX is ruled out of the equation, since it has four rounded corners and the device shown in the video only has the top corners rounded. It can’t be the Sharp Aquos either, since phone has a very consistent lower bezel with the Aquos logo plastered on top.

So it might be easily assumed that the phone in question is actually Rubin’s smartphone. The phone dubbed Essential recently showed up in Geekbench revealing some of its specifications including a 5.5-inch display with 2,560 x 1,312 resolution and 2:1 aspect ratio in the vein of the LG G6. An octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor clocked at 2.2GHz will keep the Essential going in combination with 4GB of RAM and NFC compatibility. If this is indeed Rubin’s Essential phone, it’s not the first time it leaked into the wild. Previously, an image popped up online testing the device (you can see it above). Can you see the resemblance?

Xiaomi Mi 6 vs Samsung Galaxy S8 (Smartphone Showdown)

Alexandra Arici
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1

The Xiaomi Mi 6 is the fourth Snapdragon 835 smartphone to be announced after the Galaxy S8, Sony Xperia XZ Premium and Sharp Aquos R. But since the Xperia XZ Premium is not expected to ship before May and the Sharp Aquos R will most likely be limited to Japan and a few other markets, the Galaxy S8 and Xiaomi Mi 6 are the only two models who are going to see wider availability.

That’s why we thought comparing the Xiaomi Mi 6 to the Galaxy S8 would be helpful for those interesting in bringing a Snapdragon 835 flagship into their lives.

Design and Display

5.8-inch “Infinity Display” with 2960 x 1440 resolution vs 5.15-inch display with 1920 x 1080 resolution

When it comes to the new Xiaomi Mi 6, don’t expect any mind-blowing design changes à la Xiaomi Mi MIX. Instead Xiaomi preservers the Mi 5 look and feel. The new phone takes advantage of a glass back that curves along all four ages and a metal frame. As for the Galaxy S8, it’s also a device mostly made out of glass. But in stark contrast with the Mi 6, the Galaxy S8 lacks a home button up front and takes advantage of a minimal bezel design which gives the impression of an edge-to-edge display.

The Mi 6 is more conservative, firstly because it preserves the physical home button which also doubles as a Qualcomm Sense ID-enabled fingerprint sensor. Secondly, the phone’s side bezels are pretty skinny, but the ones on top and bottom remain quite consistent.

The Galaxy S8 features a new 18:9:5 aspect ratio that is similar to the 18:9 screen on the LG G6, but taller and skinner than traditional 16:9 screens the vast majority of phones today have, the new Mi 6 included. Basically the Galaxy S8 offers a huge screen in a very small body, one that’s comparable to the iPhone 7 in portability.

The Mi 6 takes advantage of an unimpressive 5.15-inch display with 1080 x 1920 resolution, so customers looking to buy a flagship with media consumption in mind will probably be more impressed by the gorgeous display of the Galaxy S8. Still this doesn’t mean the Mi 6’s display isn’t good for running apps and games, browsing social media and doing everything else you need to do on the phone.

Computing power

Snapdragon 835 vs Snapdragon 835

6GB of RAM vs 4GB of RAM

64GB/128GB of storage vs 64GB of stroage

In the processor department, the two phones are on-par, as they both take advantage of a Qualcomm’s first 10nm SoC, the Snapdragon 835. In case you don’t know the octa-core processor consists of four 2.35GHz Kyro cores and four 1.9GHz Kyro cores.

Still the Xiaomi Mi 6 should run smoother thanks to the presence of 6GB of RAM onboard. Like with last year’s Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge, the Galaxy S8 only takes advantage of 4GB of RAM. It also has only a 64GB internal storage option, but owners can expand on that thanks to the microSD card slot onboard. The Mi 6 doesn’t have a microSD card slot onboard, but features a 128GB option.

Cameras

Dual main 12MP+12MP camera vs 12MP main camera

8MP secondary camera vs 8MP secondary camera

The biggest attraction of the Xiaomi Mi 6 is the main dual camera assembly onboard which is composed of a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens with 12-megapixel telephoto lens for 2x lossless zoom. Samsung on the other hand, didn’t put an emphasis on photo upgrades this year.

The phone features basically the same camera as the Galaxy S7 which is a 12MP sensor with f/1.7, phase detection autofocus, optical image stabilization and LED flash. Both handsets carry an 8MP self-portrait camera on the front.

Software

Android 7.1.1 Nougat vs Android 7.0 Nougat

Some users where quite disappointed seeing the Galaxy S7 launch with Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box – given that this software version is already 8 months old. However, an update to Android 7.1.1 Nougat seems to be in the cards for the Galaxy S8.

As for the Xiaomi Mi 6 the phone comes with Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box, with MIUI 8 on top – which as always heavily modifies the experience. As for the Galaxy S8, its interface has been heavily cleaned up, before being re-named Samsung Experience. It’s still not near stock Android, but at least it’s a lot less cluttered.

Other features

By now almost everyone knows that the Galaxy S8 comes equipped with Samsung’s homegrown virtual assistant, Bixby. While Bixby is not fully functional at this moment, which features like Bixby Voice expected to become available later this spring, the platform seems to be quite promising.

As for the Xiaomi Mi 6 – there’s no virtual assistant baked into model. But customers will be able to take advantage of the Google Assistant, so that’s not half bad.

The Galaxy S8 makes use of facial recognition or an iris scanner to authenticate users and is compatible with DeX – a special dock which allows users to hook the phone to an external display, keyboard and mouse for a full desktop experience. Another perk of the Galaxy S8 is that it works with the new Gear VR headset with remote controller. The Xiaomi Mi 6 has none of that. This is as good as place as any to mention, the Xiaomi Mi 6 does away with the 3.5mm headphone jack, while the Galaxy S8 retains it.

The Galaxy S8 also enjoys an IP68 rating, for dust particle and water resistance, but similar info about the Mi 6 has not been made available yet. Last but not least, we should mention the Galaxy S8 has Bluetooth 5.0 onboard.

Battery

3,350 mAh vs 3,000 mAh

Given that the Xiaomi Mi 6 has a larger battery, a less demanding screen and Android 7.1.1 Nougat onboard, we expect it to be able to sustain longer battery life than the Galaxy S8. Still, well have to wait and see how the Mi 6 behaves in real life.

Pricing

Pricing is where the Xiaomi Mi 6 completely trumps the Galaxy S8. The new Chinese flagship is available for $360 and up, while the Galaxy S8 starts at $650.

Verdict

The Xiaomi Mi 6 is a Snapdragon 835-fueled phones for first time flagship buyers, who aren’t yet convinced they want to spend all of their savings on a phone. The Mi 6 has very superior specs om=and a very attractive price-tag attached to it. On the bleak side of things, it will not be officially available in the US, so you’ll probably have to order it from sites like Geekbuying. But the Galaxy S8 feels more premium and certainly brings more options to the table, the center piece being Bixby and the DeX dock.

Gearbest lists the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 with Snapdragon 835, 8GB of RAM

Alexandra Arici
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0

Well what do you know? A day after the Xiaomi Mi 6 went official, the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 showed up with online retailer GearBest.

The first piece of information about the Mi MIX 2 popped up online a while ago, suggesting the phone will bring forth even a more impressive screen-to-body ratio of 93%, instead of 91.3%. Now the next-gen almost completely bezeless smartphone has been listed on GearBest. Interested parties can register for an Arrival notice in order to get a notification as soon as the phone arrives in stock.

The phone will come with a 6.4-inch display and according to the renders uploaded on the website, it seems that with this model Xiaomi will be getting rid of the remaining bezel on the bottom.

Anyway the phone will allegedly feature 1440 x 2560 resolution, which constitutes a bump up from last year’s 1080 x 2040 resolution. The listing also reveals the phone will run Qualcomm’s latest and greatest chipset, the Snapdragon 835 in combination with either 4GB/6GB or 8GB of RAM and 128GB/256GB of internal storage. The phablet sounds pretty awesome so far.

Current Xiaomi Mi MIX

Now if you want dual-cameras on your Xiaomi flagship, you’ll probably have to buy the Mi 6, because it looks like the MI MIX 2 will feature a 19-megapixel main camera and a 13-megapixel selfie shooter up in front. The soon to be previous-gen Mi MIX had a 16-megapixel camera on a back and an unimpressive 5-megapixel self-portrait snapper.

Last but not least, GearBest indicates the phone will launch with Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box with MIUI 9 on top and not the MIUI 8 available on the Mi 6. This suggests it might take a while before the Mi MIX 2 goes official. Pricing seems to start around $848.

Since none of the info presented on GearBest has been confirmed, we urge you to take it with a huge grain of salt.

Fancy a red phone? Check out the new UMIDIGI C Note

Alexandra Arici
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0

Most phones these days come with black, white/silver paint jobs. But if you’re bored of having to pick from the same color options, you might want to look in the direction of UMIDIGI.

The Chinese smartphone maker is currently present at the Hong Kong “Mobile Electronics Fair 2017” where it will unveil a stunning red version of its C Note. If you’re not familiar with the model, let us refresh your memory a little bit.

The UMIDIGI C Note features a sleek full metal body and arrives with a 5.5-inch SHARP display with 1920 x 1080 resolution. When it comes to computing power, the device relies on the services of a MediaTek MT6737T clocked at 1.5GHz which works in concert with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of built-in storage (microSD card slot available for memory upgrade up to 256GB).

The back of device houses a 13-megapixel Samsung camera with phase detection autofocus and the front is home to a simple, but useful 5-megapixel selfie camera. The phone is kept alive by a pretty hefty battery of 3,800 mA capacity and runs pure Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box (according to UMIDIGI).

The C Note also has a physical home button that also doubles as a fingerprint scanner. The scanner is one of the “live” sensors which allows users to simply place their finger on it to wake the device.

So far available for pre-sale in Golden and Gray, customers will now be able to order this phone in Red as well. Our only complaint is that UMIDIGI did not release the phone in time for Valentine’s Day.

The “brilliant” HTC U (Ocean) flagship is coming May 16

Alexandra Arici
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0

We already knew that HTC was hard at work on its next-generation flagship, which will supposedly take advantage of the new Snapdragon 835 chipset. And now we can tell you when to expect the phone.

HTC revealed on Twitter the phone is headed for a May 16 launch. The company invites fans to “Squeeze in for the Brilliant U” which accompanied by the visual support, represents a blatant reference to the Edge Sense pressure-sensitive technology which will place sensors around the phone’s frame to control various customizable actions with gestures such as squeezing or swiping along its left and right sides.

HTC’s video teaser on Twitter hints the flagship might come with a screen that takes up the entire front of the device, although a recently leaked press render showed the device boasting a physical home button just like the new Xiaomi Mi 6.

Other rumored specifications of the HTC U Ocean include a 5.5-inch display with 1400 x 2560 resolution, a main 12-megapixel Ultrapixel camera and a 16-megapixel selfie shooter. The phone might feature 4GB/6GB of RAM onboard + 64GB/128GB of built-in storage and Android 7.1.1 Nougat with the company’s own Sense 9 UI on top.

Word on the street would also have us believe the product will lack a 3.5mm headphone jack, while water resistance appears to be in the cards. Like in the case of the HTC U Ultra, the “brilliant” U will probably also take advantage of the Sense Companion, the company’s own attempt at AI-driven helper technology.

Yahoo Mail now lets you log-in with any email address

Alexandra Arici
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1

Yahoo is trying really hard to prevent its users from abandoning its Mail service in favor of other apps. And now with the latest update for Android, Yahoo Mail has gained support for third-party mail clients including Gmail, AOL and Outlook.

What that means is that you won’t have to have a Yahoo email address in order to log into Yahoo Mail. If you open the app now for the first time, you’ll be asked to select your preferred email provider. Then Yahoo asks for permission to sync your email messages.

On top of making this particular announcement, Yahoo also lists a few features which supposedly make its email service a lot better. The search company says it can deliver relevant search email results, even when users search using only a keyword. The people-only notification features might come in handy when you’re waiting for a reply from a person and you jump up each time you see a mail notification only to realize you’ve received only a newsletter.

Yahoo Mail users can also choose which action appears when they swipe left or right on a message including delete, archive and more. Multiple mailbox management, password-free login authentication and personalized themes are a few other reasons why Yahoo thinks you should switch to its Mail interface even if you’re using Gmail or AOL.

The new version of the Yahoo mail app is currently available for download for Android and iOS users. Take it away!

AliExpress names Ulefone Power 2 as top pick in Tech Discovery section

AndroidGuys
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Online retailer AliExpress has named the Ulefone Power 2 as one of its top picks for the Tech Discovery section of its website. As such, it will be sold at $169.99 over the week or so. Additionally, the Power 2 comes with a gift bag of accessories valued at $40. Customers who take advantage of the AliExpress deal will still receive the kit which includes a phone stand, tempered glass screen cover, and leather case.

The metal-clad Ulefone Power 2 packs a behemoth 6,050mAh battery and features a MediaTek octa-core 1.5GHz processor with 4GB RAM. Running Android 7.0, it offers up a 5.5-inch full HD display, a 16-megapixel rear camera, 13-megapixel front-facing camera, and 64GB of storage. Sold in black, grey, and gold colors, the Power 2 also houses a fingerprint scanner.

Ulefone is currently attending the Global Sources Electronics Exhibition in Hong Kong, where the Power 2 has become its most frequently inquired-about model when talking with distributors.

Note: North American buyers may want to double check to ensure that the Power 2 is compatible with their respective service provider. While it might work for phone purposes, the data speeds may be less than expected.

  • WCDMA:2100/900(B1/8)
  • GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 (B5/8/3/2)
  • FDD-LTE:2100/1800/2600/900/800(B1/3/7/8/20)

Urbanears Plattan 2 review

AndroidGuys
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We all have a preference on how we listen to audio–music, podcasts, videos, or online meetings–our global society is never far away from a pair of headphones or earbuds.   Choosing the right pair, however, can be a daunting experience.  Hovering right around the USD$50 mark, these mid-range headphones deliver exactly what one would expect in term of quality, convenience, and comfort.

Design

Like many headphones on the market today, these headphones are stylish above anything else.  They are sturdy and come in an array of colors.  They are relatively comfortable for a trip on the train into town, or to listen to audio while writing a paper, but I wouldn’t suggest them for an eight-hour workday.  Although they do not come with a carrying case, they are ultra-portable, since they flip up and the nylon cord can be used to wrap them up.  The cups are only 2.5 inches in diameter and can fold up, and the cord is an impressive 45” long.  The entire headphones weight 130 grams.

Sound

These headphones are not sold as noise-cancelling, but I did notice that it did a great job of muffling outside noises (like most over-the-ear headphones do).  To me, the bass comes through a lot more on these headphones than others that I have used, so if you’re into bass, these might be a good option for you.  For spoken-word, they did the job, but for music, it sounded a little muddled, but not horrible.

One thing that I noticed is these headphones are not quiet.  I typically keep my audio settings right in the middle, but with these, I had to turn them nearly all the way down.  These are loud headphones, which is great in a noisy area or an airplane, but not necessarily ideal in a quiet office.  According to Urbanears’ website, the frequency response is from 10Hz to 20kHz.

Features

The coolest thing about these headphones is what Urbanears calls the Zoundplug. This allows the user to plug the 3.5mm jack into either the left or the right side of the headphones, so depending on the placement of the device, this is incredibly convenient.  Also, because of the secondary jack, you can share your audio with a friend.  The audio will play out of both jacks simultaneously, even to another pair of headphones. If multiple people all have the Plattan 2, you can daisy chain an infinite loop of sound.

The nylon cord also includes a mic and remote, so you can take your calls with these headphones, and also use the single button to skip a track (depending on device/software).

Wrap-up

These headphones are not overly expensive, but for the price, I like them.  They are a decent mid-range headphone and perform as expected.  It may seem trivial, but I love the ability to put the cord on either the right or left side.  The ability to share audio is gimmicky to me, but kind of neat nonetheless.   The sound runs loud, but the quality is okay–neither poor nor excellent.  I would wear them on the train, but not all day long.

Ubiquiti Networks expands retail availability of its AmpliFi HD Mesh Wi-Fi system

Alexandra Arici
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0

Ubiquiti Networks’ AmpliFi HD Mesh Wi-Fi system is an internet solution for a wholly modern day problem: spotty residential Wi-Fi coverage.

You’ve probably heard the term “mesh networking” before, touted as the next-generation of wireless networks. But what does a mesh network do exactly? Basically, it uses multiple antennas to deliver a stronger, more consistent Wi-Fi signal across greater distances without bandwidth.

Most homes suffer from Wi-Fi dead zones, but the AmpliFi HD aims to solve this problem with a super easy to set up system, one comprised of a router working in concert with two or more plug-in antennas units, designed to cast a wider blanket of coverage. And today, Ubiquiti Labs announced the the AmpliFi HD and related products will soon become available for purchase with BestBuy, GameStop and Sam’s Club.

The AmpliFi HD family includes the AmpliFi HD Mesh System available for $349.99, Standalone AlpliFi HD Router which sells for $149.99 and the Standalone AmpliFi HD Mesh Point for $129.99.

The core product is the AmpliFi HD Mesh System which takes advantage of a router shaped as a stylish cube with a clear base that glows and a circular touchscreen display. The AmpliFi base can display current time and network speed analytics, while a compatible app delivers additional stats related to network speed and signal strength. Additionally, the AmpliFi HD system can support up to 10 antennas with advertised top speeds of 5.25Gbps.

The AmpliFi HD family of products will go on sale at Best Buy, GameStop and Sam’s Club in both online and in brick and mortar locations.

Android pay and PayPal: A new way to pay

AndroidGuys
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With millions of us already fully emerged in the “PayPal way” some big news has dropped for both Android pay and PayPal users today:

Whether it’s picking up those last minute bargains or making those 2AM “I can’t sleep” impulse purchases (we’ve all been there) very soon we will all be able to start using that exact same PayPal account to tap and pay with our mobile devices in shops and breeze through checkouts in Android apps via Android pay.

Pali Bhat – Global Head of Payment Products over at Google went on record earlier today via the Official Google Blog stating:

“We’re thrilled to bring you even more options at checkout, thanks to a new strategic collaboration between Android Pay and PayPal, one of the world’s leading online payment platforms”

To begin with, PayPal users will be able to pay using their available balance and over time they will have the ability to use cards that have been linked to their PayPal account.

PayPal’s integration with Android Pay is coming to Android OS 4.4 and higher, which means anyone with KitKat, Lollipop, Marshmallow and Nougat OS will be free to make the most of this exciting new financial collaboration.

For now, this is only available to people in the U.S. and to get things up and running all end users need to do is simply link their PayPal account to use with Android Pay, and that’s it, JOB DONE.

We are expecting to see this new feature becoming visible in the Android Pay and PayPal apps within the next few weeks.

Watch this space.

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