Happy New Year 2018!

Another year has passed and it was great with the advancements in mobile tech once again. We enjoyed covering all the advancements in technology which the year brought along and we are hoping to see many more of those in 2018 as well. Thank you for being with us and we hope to remain your preferred tech website in 2018. Our YouTube channel has almost doubled its subscriber base over the course of 2017. We now have 318K subs compared to 180K at the end of 2016. We are grateful that you appreciate the hard work we put into our video projects and we hope to do even better in 2018. Our...

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New Telegram update brings multiple accounts support on Android

The Telegram messaging app has started receiving a new update. Arriving as version 4.7, the update brings support for multiple accounts on Android. So now you can add up to three Telegram accounts (linked to different phone numbers) on your phone. Use the side menu to switch between accounts. Also, notifications from all accounts are enabled by default - you can change this from the Notification settings menu. Moving on, the update also adds a quick reply feature - just swipe left on any message in a chat to access this functionality. Quick replies have been added to both...

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Oreo arrives on OnePlus 5T in form of OxygenOS Open Beta 1

Just days after teasing Oreo Open Beta for the OnePlus 5T, the company has pushed out the update. The Android 8.0-based OxygenOS Open Beta 1 is now rolling out. So those part of the OnePlus 5T beta program will be able to experience Oreo goodies now. The update also includes Android fixes for the month of December. Following is the complete change-log published by the Chinese company: Launcher Optimized the app shortcut style Combine icon options with app shortcuts Now able to upload photos to Shot on OnePlus System Added Picture in Picture Added...

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Misfit offering 30% discount on some of its products, including Vapor

If you are planning to purchase the Android Wear 2.0-powered Misfit Vapor, you'll be glad to know the company is offering a 30% discount on the smartwatch. The deal is available both in the United States as well as Europe (the UK, Germany, Italy, and France) - those in the US will have to use the promo code BEYOU, while for Europeans, the code is WINTER30. In addition to Vapor, this 30% off deal is available on some other Misfit products as well (depending on the region). Here's the US promo, which ends January 15: And here's the UK promo, which runs through January...

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Happy New Year from SamMobile – We have exciting news!

2017 has been a great year for Samsung. The company bounced back from the Galaxy Note 7 debacle in spectacular fashion. It delivered us two of the best Android devices on the market today – the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8. It retained its position as the leader in the global smartphone market. The company is also on track for a record yearly operating profit.

All of us at SamMobile would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year. We hope that you have a great time celebrating with your friends and family. If you’re headed out to take photos of the amazing fireworks displays, don’t forget to configure the camera’s ISO to as low as possible, adjust the shutter speed for better effects and avoid using HDR, zoom or flash.

We look forward to great things from Samsung in the coming year. Speaking of great things, we have some exciting news. SamMobile will be introducing its new site design in the first quarter of 2018. We’re very excited about it and can’t wait to show it to you. We can only give you a sneak peek right now but will share more about it in the coming months.

Happy New Year once again, and we hope that the coming year brings you all a lot of joy and happiness.

The post Happy New Year from SamMobile – We have exciting news! appeared first on SamMobile.

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The 2017 phone trends as we saw them

What's in vogue, what's fallen out of fashion? It's that time of year when we look back at phone trends over the last 12 months and space permitting we may even make a few predictions for next year. So, using our extensive phone database and test results, let's power up our machine learning algorithms and feed it the 50 most popular phones based on your browsing and search patterns here at GSMArena. These 50 phones will represent our definition of 'the market' and as we're not splitting them down by flagship, mid range or entry level we can average them out to give you the hard facts to...

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Xiaomi Mi A1 finally getting Android 8.0 Oreo

Today, we're getting numerous reports from users in India that the final Android Oreo update is already actively rolling out to their Xiaomi Mi A1 devices. This comes after a tweet by Xiaomi India which announced the pending start of the update seeding yesterday. We have yet to confirm whether the update is seeding outside of India. We are also yet to hear whether the final build brings the fast charging support, which was available in the earlier beta build. Users who update should expect to see the standard new Oreo features such a lighter UI color, the notification dots,...

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Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus in for review

The Xiaomi Redmi 5 phones, announced at the beginning of December, are among the first in the company portfolio to have 18:9 ratio screens (along with the flagship Mi Mix 2). Xiaomi fans commented after the launch that they will hold back purchases until the Redmi Note 5 arrives, but surprisingly it is already in for review with a different name - Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus. When preparing for the successor of the Redmi Note 4, Xiaomi went with the saying "If it ain't broken, don't fix it" motto. The Redmi 5 Plus has similar looking specs - a power-efficient Snapdragon 625 chipset inside,...

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Top smartphone reviews of 2017

Being a mobile tech reviewer definitely has its perks. Shiny new devices are great and all, but still, at the end of the day, the most gratifying thing is to see our work actually help out readers and eager buyers navigate the vast and often confusing smartphone market. 2017 was a really interesting year, with many great announcements and more than one interesting trend set in motion and ready to unfold in 2018. Before CES kicks off and draws our collective attention to the future of mobile, what better time to sift through the top ten reviews of 2017, as rated by your interest....

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New Nokia 8 update begins rolling out

HMD has started pushing out a new update to its Nokia 8 smartphone. The change-log mentions things like improved system stability and user interface enhancements, aside from the December security patch. This new update - which arrives as Oreo version 4.390 and weighs in at around 330MB - is currently hitting units in some European markets. It's worth mentioning that the device has already received the December patch in some markets (like India), but these extra changes weren't included in that update. Via

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OnePlus 5T Sandstone variant could be in works

If you are a OnePlus fan, you might remember that the Chinese company used Sandstone material on its OnePlus One and OnePlus 2 smartphones. Well, now it looks like the OnePlus 5T could get a Sandstone variant as well. The company recently published a video - called What's in the Box? - which shows random people touching/holding a OnePlus product kept in a closed box, and speculating what is it. As you can see, guesses range from "smooth," "grippy," textured", "like stone," to even something as straight forward as "OnePlus One Sandstone." So while there's no information to back this,...

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Huawei P smart's European pricing and launch time frame revealed

Acclaimed leakster Evan Blass recently revealed that the Huawei Enjoy 7S will be globally available as the Huawei P smart. And now, a new report has revealing pricing and availability info for the device. As per the report, the P smart will go on sale in Germany sometime late January, and will carry a price tag of €249 (around $300). The report talks about the 3GB/32GB variant of the phone. No information yet on whether or not the 4GB/64GB model will be available in the region. Via

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LG Q6 review

LG went all-in with the 18:9 display aspect ratio this year for its flagships - both the G6 and the V30 employ this spec that's become incredibly trendy in 2017. The tall screens have only recently started to make their way to mid-rangers, though, and on that front LG was among the first to deliver, with the Q6.

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New update hitting Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) and Sony Xperia XA

Samsung has started rolling out a new update to its Galaxy A7 (2017) smartphone. Arriving as firmware version A720FXXU2BQL9, it's a security update that brings along Android fixes for the month of December. The update is currently hitting units in Mexico, but should soon be available in other key markets as well. Moving on, the Sony Xperia XA meanwhile has also been receiving a security update that bumps the Android patch level from August 5 to November 6. The update carries a build number of 33.3.A.1.115. Currently only F3111 and F3113 models are getting the update, but...

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Xiaomi Redmi 5 in for review

Xiaomi Redmi 5 sounds like a successor to the Redmi 4, but it actually comes as a vanilla version of the Redmi 5 Plus that is essentially the follow-up of the Redmi Note 4. The name game might not be strong with Xiaomi, but the device appears to have everything you would expect from a 2017 phone in the affordable segment - an octa-core chipset, 18:9 screen and friendly user interface. The Redmi 5 feels nice in hand, mostly due to its tall design. Texting one-handed is quite comfortable, especially when you have extra room for the keyboard. Xiaomi provides a transparent case with...

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Verizon Google Pixel 2 bootloaders can be easily unlocked

Verizon may officially not allow Google Pixel 2 bootloaders to be easily unlocked, but it has now come to light that the process is as easy as unlocking bootloaders of non-carrier Pixel 2 units. According to an XDA report (which cites forum posts from several of its own members), a simple fastboot command (specifically, fastboot flashing lock_critical) does the trick. It's worth mentioning that the method - described in detail in the XDA report we're referring - only works with the standard Pixel 2. Users of the XL model are currently out of luck. Also, there are high chances...

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Nokia 2 will be updated to Android 8.1 Oreo

The Nokia 2 was unveiled at the end of October as HMD Global's lowest-end smartphone to date. It arrived in stores in certain markets last month, running Android 7.1.1 Nougat. Having an older version of the OS on board is pretty much par for the course for an entry-level handset, so that's not surprising at all. However, the Nokia 2 will be updated to Android 8.1 Oreo. Shocking as that may seem, the information comes straight from HMD's Chief Product Officer, Juho Sarvikas, so it's as official as it can get. The Nokia 2 is probably the cheapest phone to get a confirmation of an Oreo update...

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iFixit drops the prices for its iPhone battery replacement kits to $29 or lower

Earlier today we saw that Apple issued an apology for not clearly communicating that it was capping the performance of certain older iPhones when their battery health degraded and offering to drop the price of battery replacement for these devices down to $29 for the entire year of 2018. Now, iFixit has announced that it too will be slashing the prices for all of its iPhone battery replacement kits down to $29 or lower. These kits are available from iPhone 7 and all the way back to iPhone 4S. A typical iFixit battery replacement comes with the battery along with all the tools that...

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Honor View 10 now open for registrations on Amazon India

Amazon has started registrations for the Honor View 10 launch in India, unsurprisingly exclusive to Amazon India. Registrations in this case doesn't mean you put any money down but simply that you will be alerted when the phone goes on sale, which will happen on January 8, 2018. The price is yet to be announced. The Honor View 10 is the flagship device in the Honor series, which is Huawei's online exclusive range. It has a 5.99-inch, 2160x1080 18:9 Full View display, 16MP + 20MP dual rear camera system, and 13MP front camera with face unlock. It runs on the Kirin 970 SoC with 6GB RAM...

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Users file lawsuits against Apple for slowing down old iPhones

Apple confirmed it slowed down old devices to keep the battery life, but the silent way the company pushed the feature angered many people. According to Reuters, at least eight owners filed lawsuits in US District Courts in California, New York, and Illinois and a similar one was deposited in an Israeli court. Apple iPhone 6s Slowing down iPhones on purpose was widely accepted as a bad move, but Apple said it had to implement the feature to keep the phones from shutting down abruptly. A case, filed on Thursday in San Francisco said that "the batteries inability to handle the...

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Amazon India teases upcoming Samsung Galaxy On smartphone

Amazon India is teasing a new upcoming device from Samsung. The landing page talks about a 'new way to shop', 'superior performance', and a 'stunning new look' before ending with 'coming soon'. We believe it is a successor to one of Samsung's older mid-range devices. Perhaps a 2018 Galaxy On7 or On8. That's pretty much all we can gather from the dark side view of the device and the fact that it says 'Shoot. Shop. On.' in the teaser. The page also talks about a new way to shop, suggesting a new payment system. Both, Samsung and Amazon, have their payment systems in India, Samsung Pay...

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Nokia 3310 4G (TA-1077) spotted on TENAA, runs YunOS

The Nokia TA-1077, which received a certification in China earlier this month and is already said to be the Nokia 3310 4G, has now been spotted on TENNA. The listing also includes images of the device. While details are scarce on the specifications front, one interesting info the listing reveals is that the handset will be powered by Yun-OS, an Android-based operating system from China's Alibaba. No information yet on what price tag the Nokia 3310 4G will carry and when exactly it will be available. Source | Via

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Top 10 phones of 2017: Best video recording

We're completing our 2017 best camera roundup with a look at the Top 10 phones for video capture to come out this year. Unsurprisingly, some of these were already featured in the Top 10 rear cameras article from a couple of weeks ago, and whaddayaknow, some can also tike pretty nice selfies. We're done with the stills, though, it's now time for video. #review-body .atitle b { color: #b23f33; height: 100%; display: inline-block; padding: 0 0.5em 0 0; } #review-body p.atitle { border-bottom: 2px solid #b23f33; } #review-body .atable td.value { float:...

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LG and Samsung also confirm not slowing down old phones

Apple admitted purposely slowing down old iPhones, with plans to keep on doing it. This wasn't well accepted across the internet and major companies decided to dissociate from such practices. After HTC and Motorola's announcement yesterday, today LG and Samsung also confirmed not tinkering with the performance of older devices. LG G5 & Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Speaking to PhoneArena, an LG representative stated they "never have never will" do such a thing, adding that the company cares what the customers think. The other Korean manufacturer provided a longer answer: "Product quality...

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Motorola Moto Z2 Force on T-Mobile gets Oreo

T-Mobile has started rolling out the Oreo update to Motorola Moto Z2 Force units on its network. The update carries a build number of OCX27, and also includes Android security fixes for the month of December. This comes a week after the Moto Z2 Force on Verizon started getting Oreo, making Verizon the first US carrier to roll out the update. If you are on T-Mobile, you should be getting the update in the days to come, so be patient. Source | Via

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Xiaomi launches the Yeelight speaker, powered by Alexa

Xiaomi joins the smart home speaker game with its latest announcement. The gadget is called Yeelight and is powered by Amazon's Alexa. The speaker's design is similar to the Echo Dot with a blue LED ring and volume control buttons on the top. Specs-wise, the speaker has quad-core Cortex-A53 CPU with 256 MB RAM and 256 MB internal memory. The Yeelight has six microphones that listen in 360 degrees with a 5-meter range. To reduce the echo, Xiaomi is using Acoustic Echo Cancellation and Beamforming technology. It has 4 GHz/5 GHz dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity, but can also be paired...

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Motorola drops the price of the Moto G5S Plus in India

Motorola has announced a permanent price drop for the popular Moto G5S Plus in India. The phone will now start at INR 14,999 ($235), a good INR 1000 drop over the previous price tag. The price drop is likely to better compete with newer competition in the market, many of which now sport an 18:9 display. The Moto G5S Plus has always been a pricier option in the budget segment in India and with this price drop Motorola is hoping it can still steer some of the prospective buyers away from the shinier competition and towards itself. The phone is available in 4GB + 64GB configuration...

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Huawei Enjoy 7S to be sold globally as Huawei P smart

Last week Huawei announced a new midranger with the name Enjoy 7S. The phone comes with Kirin 659 chipset, dual cameras on the back and the latest EMUI, based on Android Oreo. According to Evan Blass who proved himself in leaking valuable info, the phone will be sold outside China as Huawei P smart. The Huawei P smart will keep the same specs as the Enjoy 7S - 5.65" display with FullHD+ resolution and octa-core CPU, working at 2.36 GHz. The memory combinations are 3 GB RAM + 32 GB storage or 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage, but Huawei would not surprise anyone if it decides to try...

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Amazon India teases new Galaxy On smartphone, possibly a Galaxy J7 Pro variant

Amazon India has started teasing the launch of a new smartphone in Samsung’s Galaxy On lineup of handsets that the company sells solely through online retailers. Galaxy On smartphones have always been rebadged Galaxy J series phones, and judging from the teasers about “new ways to shop” and “superior performance” on Amazon’s landing page, the new device could be a renamed Galaxy J7 Pro.

New Galaxy On smartphone likely to be renamed Galaxy J7 Pro

The Galaxy J7 Pro is the only handset in Samsung’s budget lineup with support for the complete version of Samsung Pay, so the new Galaxy On being teased isn’t likely to be the Galaxy J7+ as some are speculating. There’s no clear hint about a dual camera setup, either, which is the highlight feature of the J7+. Furthermore, it simply makes more sense to rename an existing device and make it a part of the Galaxy On series instead of launching a new phone, especially one that hasn’t been released for offline sale in the country.

Amazon India isn’t telling us when the device will be launched, only saying that it is “coming soon.” As with previous Galaxy On phones, this one should be slightly cheaper than its regular Galaxy J counterpart, possibly with an upgrade in the RAM or storage departments. We’ll know more when the device goes official; you can sign up to be notified once that happens by visiting the source link.

The post Amazon India teases new Galaxy On smartphone, possibly a Galaxy J7 Pro variant appeared first on SamMobile.

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Apple issues statement regarding iPhone batteries and performance

Last week, we saw reports of Apple slowing down the performance of older iPhones. Back then, Apple had provided a short statement to media stating it was doing this to protect devices with older batteries from suddenly shutting down. Obviously, that didn't go down so well with people who have had theories of Apple intentionally slowing down older iPhones, with multiple lawsuits being files and the hue and cry that comes with these sort of things. Today, Apple has released a full and formal statement regarding the situation surrounding the iPhone batteries and performance. Right off the...

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Samsung to unveil new Exynos SoC next week; Galaxy S9/S9+ clear FCC

Earlier this month, Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon 845, the SoC that'll likely power Samsung's next-gen S series smartphones in the US and China. The rest of the world, no points for guessing, will get Exynos-powered Galaxy S9 and S9+. Well, the next-gen Exynos SoC that'll power these flagships will be made official next week on January 4. A recent tweet from the South Korean company effectively confirmed this. Discover #TheNextExynos that goes beyond a component. Stay tuned. http://pic.twitter.com/542sWnQ7EZ— Samsung Exynos (@SamsungExynos) December 28, 2017 No official...

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Samsung doesn’t slow down phones that have older batteries

After many users noticed that old iPhones with low-capacity batteries were slowing down, Apple officially confirmed that it does indeed slow down older iPhones with naturally degraded batteries. The company has been hit with multiple lawsuits over this and has now even issued an apology.

People are naturally wondering if other smartphone manufacturers do this as well. Samsung has confirmed that it doesn’t slow down smartphones with older batteries.

The curious case of throttled iPhones

It had long been a conspiracy theory that Apple intentionally slows down older iPhones to get customers to buy a new one. In light of recent reports that contained sufficient evidence, Apple confirmed that it does do this but offered a different explanation.

Smartphone batteries output less power as they become older due to natural degradation. This can lead to the device shutting down unexpectedly if the processor comes under heavy load and demands more power to ramp up speed.

Apple decided to throttle the processor speed on older devices in order to prevent unexpected shutdowns resulting from the battery’s inability to keep up. Whether or not that was the intention is another matter but it also ended up limiting how fast an iPhone can get without clarifying it to users. Apple introduced this behavior last year for the iPhone 6, 6S and SE.

Apple’s top rival Samsung has confirmed that it doesn’t do this. The company has categorically said that it doesn’t reduce CPU performance through software updates over the lifecycle of a smartphone. It has sent out the following statement:

Product quality has been and will always be Samsung Mobile’s top priority. We ensure extended battery life of Samsung mobile devices through multi-layer safety measures, which include software algorithms that govern the battery charging current and charging duration. We do not reduce CPU performance through software updates over the lifecycles of the phone.

The post Samsung doesn’t slow down phones that have older batteries appeared first on SamMobile.

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Samsung pushes out update to fix Galaxy Note8 LTE data interruption issue

Samsung has started rolling out a new update to its Galaxy Note8 flagship smartphone. The update doesn't change the build number (which remains at N950FXXU2BQKG), but it includes a fix for an LTE-related issue. Specifically, the changelog says the update fixes intermittent interruption of LTE data. That's it. Aside from this, some other usual bug-fixes are also included. Reports say the update is currently hitting units in Taiwan - no information on if and when other key markets will get it. Source | Via

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Samsung releases December security patch for the Galaxy A7 (2017)

The December security update is gradually making its way to more devices. It was released for the 2016 and 2017 models of the Galaxy A3 just yesterday. Samsung has now rolled it out for the top-of-the-line model of its premium mid-range lineup. The Galaxy A7 (2017) is now receiving its December security patch update.

Galaxy A7 (2017) December security patch

Samsung detailed the December security patch earlier this month. It brings fixes for 11 critical vulnerabilities that were discovered in the Android operating system. Fixes for 10 vulnerabilities discovered in Samsung’s own software are included as well.

There’s not much in the way of new features to be expected from this update. It’s a security maintenance release that’s primarily meant to address security issues and that’s pretty much all that it does.

Samsung is now rolling out firmware version A720FXXU2BQL9 for the Galaxy A7 (2017) in Mexico. Owners can check to see if the update is available for them by heading to the Download updates manually option in the Software update menu of the Settings app. It may take a while for the update to become available in all regions, shouldn’t be more than a few days.

The update is also available for download from our firmware section.

The post Samsung releases December security patch for the Galaxy A7 (2017) appeared first on SamMobile.

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New OnePlus 5T update brings camera improvements

The OnePlus 5T has started receiving a new update. Arriving as OxygenOS 4.7.6, the update brings along multiple changes, including those related to camera and system. To start with, camera-related changes include clarity improvements for selfie in low light, performance improvements for third-party camera apps, and some stability improvements. Moving on, system-related changes include screenshot and WiFi display improvements. The update - which weighs in at 86MB - also adds assistive lighting for face unlock, and bumps the security patch level to December. In case you missed, an...

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The 20 most popular phones of 2017

While we wait for 2018's phone launches with anticipation, let's take a moment and glance back over our shoulder and have a look at your most popular phones of 2017. Before we get into the phones themselves, it became apparent that 3 brands dominated the top 20. The top 20 most popular phones, brand breakdown Samsung led the way with 35%, followed by Xiaomi 25% and Nokia 15%. The remaining 25% comprised OnePlus, LG, Motorola, Huawei and Apple with 1 entry a piece. So let's get going and look at the top 20 in more detail. Top 10 Your most popular phone of 2017 was the...

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HTC and Motorola don't intentionally slow down older devices, unlike Apple

The mother of all mobile-related conspiracy theories was shockingly confirmed one week ago, when Apple admitted that it purposefully slows down old iPhones. While the company's intention is actually to prolong the life of those devices that are affected by aging batteries, this admission was obviously very controversial on the internet, where even much smaller issues turn into all-out flame wars at times. What Apple does is it throttles the CPU of iDevices that have old batteries, in order to prevent situations in which the battery life becomes worse. And today two of its competitors have...

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Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra is the H4233 that leaked in September

Back in September an upcoming 2018 Sony smartphone had its specs leaked by a benchmark run. So far, however, all we've had to go on was its model number, namely H4233. And while that in itself betrayed the phone's mid-range status, it's always good to know exactly what a device is actually going to be called. In this case, the H4233 will be sold as the Xperia XA2 Ultra, the successor to the XA1 Ultra which launched this May. The official confirmation of its name comes by way of SIRIM, the Malaysian product certification body, which has outed it through its documents. The XA2 Ultra...

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Here's a leaked list of devices sporting the Snapdragon 845 in 2018

By now it's pretty clear that most of the top of the line Android smartphones of 2018 will have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC at the helm, which was unveiled at the beginning of this month. Thus, the situation next year will pretty much emulate what happened in 2017 with the Snapdragon 835. Today from a source in China comes a list of handsets that will be using the SD845 in 2018 along with their expected announcement timelines. We can't verify the validity of this information, but the presence of these devices in the list is anything but surprising. In February, Samsung will...

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Samsung will unveil Galaxy S9’s Exynos processor on January 4

Qualcomm officially announced the Snapdragon 845 three weeks ago. Its latest flagship mobile processor is based on the same 10nm process as its predecessor. The Snapdragon 845 will likely power the North American, South American and Chinese variants of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+.

The handsets will be powered by Samsung’s latest Exynos processor in other markets. Samsung is going to officially unveil its latest high-end Exynos processor on January 4. According to previous reports, it’s going to be called the Exynos 9810.

Galaxy S9’s Exynos processor

Samsung is teasing its next Exynos processor through the official Samsung Exynos Twitter account. The tweet mentions that this processor “goes beyond a component.”

It’s possible that this is a subtle hint to the advanced artificial intelligence capabilities of the new chip. Some reports have even suggested that it may have dedicated cores for artificial intelligence tasks but nothing is known for sure right now.

Samsung is going to announce its new flagship Exynos processor on January 4, 2018. The Galaxy S9 is going to be the first device to tout it. Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy S9 at the Mobile World Congress 2018 in February. The handset will likely be released at some point in the following month.

The post Samsung will unveil Galaxy S9’s Exynos processor on January 4 appeared first on SamMobile.

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Apple & Samsung take 70% of holiday activations

During this holiday season Apple & Samsung accounted for 70% of devices activated according to Flurry Analytics, with Apple taking the Lion's share with 44%. Google was a no show. Flurry took a look at the most gifted smartphones and tablets around the globe this holiday season, examining activations throughout the week leading up to Christmas day. Flurry Analytics, part of Oath, is used by over 1M mobile apps and has insight into 2.1 billion devices worldwide. Apple Dominate Similar to last year, 44% of new phone and tablet activations were Apple devices. Whilst Samsung's...

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Gionee S11 to launch in India in January 2018

Gionee will be launching its S11 smartphone in India in January 2018, according to the sources at Techook. The phone first launched in China last month along with three siblings. The Gionee S11 has a 5.99-inch, 18:9 FullView Display and a MediaTek Helio P23 processor with 4/6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. It boasts a dual camera system on the front and back, with the rear having a 16MP + 5MP system and the front having a 16MP + 8MP system. Apart from that, the S11 has a 3410mAh battery, hybrid dual SIM slot, and Amigo OS 5.0 based on Android 7.1 Nougat. The phone is priced at...

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Deal: The LG V30 is down to £700 at CarphoneWarehouse

The LG V30 is still fresh on European shelves but it's already seeing its first discount - in this case a 12% drop in price at CarphoneWarehouse in the UK. Originally a £795 prospect in both Silver and Blue, the 64GB LG V30 is now down to £700. Other retailers in the UK offer the V30 as well, but their price is harder to swallow. The V30 is in stock and available for next day delivery and there doesn't appear to be a timer on the new price. Mind you, at £700 the LG V30 is still rather expensive but so are its competitors such as the Pixel 2 XL, Galaxy S8+ or iPhone 8...

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December security patch update arrives on Galaxy A3 (2016) and A3 (2017)

Samsung is pushing out updates to a multitude of devices this week, and the latest devices to receive an update are the 2016 and 2017 models of the Galaxy A3, the smallest of Samsung’s premium mid-range phones that the company didn’t upgrade for the 2018 lineup. The update brings the December security patch to both devices; there’s nothing else of importance on offer, at least not in terms of user-facing features.

Galaxy A3 (2016) and Galaxy A3 (2017) owners can see if the update is available for their device by tapping the Download updates manually option in the Settings » Software update menu. The update will take time to propagate to all regions, so if it isn’t already available in your country, be sure to check again in a few days. It’s possible not every country will see an update with the December patch, as Samsung doesn’t release regular updates for non-flagship devices. In that case, you’ll just have to hold out until the company decides to release an update for your country with the most recent security fixes.

Thanks, Arif!

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ZTE briefly lists the Blade V9 listed on its website

An official product page for the ZTE Blade V9 briefly went online and was subsequently pulled down. But, luckily, it was online long enough to grab all the information about the upcoming phone. The Blade V9 is ZTE's first phone with an 18:9 aspect screen (the tallest so far was the 17:9 ZTE nubia Z17s). The Blade V9 has a 5.7-inch LCD of 1080x2160px resolution. Inside there's a Snapdragon 450 chipset coupled with either 2GB, 3GB or 4GB of RAM with 16GB, 32GB and 64GB of internal storage, respectively. There's also a MicroSD card slot which doubles as a second SIM housing. There...

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Next-year Snapdragon 670, 640 and 460 specs leak

Qualcomm announced its flagship chipset in the beginning of December at the Snapdragon Technology Summit. According to the latest leak from Weibo, the chipset company from San Diego is preparing three more SoC platforms for 2018 - Snapdragon 670, Snapdragon 640 and Snapdragon 460. The SD670 comes as a successor of the SD660. The biggest change is the process it is built on - it will be 10nm so it will be more power-efficient. The CPU will have eight cores - 4x Kryo 360 at 2 GHz and 4x Kryo 385, clocked at 1.6 GHz. The GPU will be Adreno 620 and dual 14-bit Spectra 260 ISP. It will...

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LG reveals upcoming Google Assistant powered ThinQ Speaker

LG has revealed its upcoming Bluetooth speaker called ThinQ Speaker. The key feature of this speaker is that it comes with Google Assistant built-in. Along with being able to do your typical Google Assistant tasks like asking about the weather or the news or anything else, the ThinQ Speaker will also be able to integrate with LG's line of smart home appliances. You will be able to tell Google Assistant to turn on your air purifier or your robot vacuum cleaner. LG has also partnered with Meridian Audio for the speakers and the device is capable of streaming high quality lossless...

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What’s New With Android 8.0 Oreo Part 15: Automatically turn Wi-Fi on near known networks

Android 8.0 Oreo makes many significant changes to the operating system, both under the hood and in the user interface. There are also a few minor features that aren’t easy to find, especially ones that are part of stock Oreo and not exclusive to Samsung devices. One of these minor features is a new option in Wi-Fi settings that, when enabled, turns on Wi-Fi whenever the device is near a saved Wi-Fi network.

What’s New With Android 8.0 Oreo: Wi-Fi turns itself on near known networks

This works through location tracking; the device keeps track of where each saved Wi-Fi network is located. It’s a nifty feature, especially if you have ever forgotten to turn the Wi-Fi back on when you reach home after turning it off to avoid connecting to those saved public Wi-Fi networks that you don’t want to log in to. Of course, it’s also useful if you tend to turn Wi-Fi off to save battery juice when away from home or office, although the location tracking involved in making the Wi-Fi detection work is bound to negate any benefits that you’d benefit from disabling Wi-Fi.

But the feature works well, and the OS also notifies you each time it adds a particular Wi-Fi network to the list of saved networks. It’s disabled by default, and to enable it on a Galaxy S8 running the Oreo beta, you need to go into the phone’s settings, tap Connections, tap Wi-Fi, then go into advanced Wi-Fi settings by tapping the three-dot button on the top right. Here, toggle the Toggle on Wi-Fi automatically option. Naturally, keeping Wi-Fi on is recommended until the phone learns the location of your most frequently used networks.

To see more of what Android 8.0 Oreo brings to Samsung devices, check out our What’s New With Android 8.0 Oreo series.

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New Galaxy Note 8 update brings a fix for LTE data interruption

Samsung is pushing out a new update to the Galaxy Note 8 in Taiwan, bringing a fix for the issue of “intermittent interruption of LTE data.” That’s the only highlight in the changelog, and the firmware version (N950FXXU2BQKG) hasn’t changed from the last time, so this looks to be just a followup update. We’re not sure what kind of LTE data interruption Samsung is talking about, although we’re hoping the update fixes the problem with switching between 3G and 4G networks that at least one member of our team has been experiencing on his Note 8.

New Galaxy Note 8 update rolling out

It also remains to be seen if this update will be released for all regions or stay exclusive to a few countries. For now, if you’re using a Galaxy Note 8 in Taiwan, you can see if the update is available for your phone from the Settings » Software update menu. The rollout seems to have begun a couple of days ago, so it should have reached most eligible handsets at this point. We also have the latest firmware available in our database, so you can use a PC to manually install the latest software if the update isn’t available for you over the air.

Seeing the new update on your Galaxy Note 8?

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Samsung’s new 2-in1 Chromebook might come with a stylus

Last month, a new Samsung Chromebook under the codename ‘Nautilus’ was spotted in the Chromium Repository. The details in the commits pointed to a 2-in-1 device with a detachable keyboard.

Today, Chrome Unboxed has unearthed one more interesting titbit about the device. According to new commits, Samsung’s ‘Nautilus’ is expected to come with a stowable stylus just like the Chromebook Pro and Chromebook Plus in 2017.

A Pixelbook Competitor?

In the new commits by Jongpil Jung, who was earlier linked to Samsung by his email address and previous Samsung Chromebook commits, there are multiple references to inserting the pen, ejecting the pen, and the stylus tools menu reacting to these actions. These actions should sound familiar to anyone who has used any Samsung’s stylus-enabled devices in the past.

Samsung’s Chromebook Pro and Chromebook Plus were announced at CES 2017, and have generated a lot of interested in the Chrome OS ecosystem. It looks like Samsung is keen on pushing the envelope even further with this detachable 2-in-1 Chromebook. When launched, Samsung’s ‘Nautilus’ will compete with Google’s PixelBook in terms of form factor and features. Since PixelBook is priced too high for a Chromebook, Samsung’s offering will have better success in the market if it’s priced reasonably.

This year, Google has officially brought Android apps to Chrome OS, thereby effectively paving the way for making Chrome OS a replacement for Android on tablets. Android’s tablet market hasn’t been going anywhere with no interest from Google. Chrome OS with Android apps might very well become the new tablet OS of choice for all the OEMs going forward.

There is a chance that this new 2-in-1 Chromebook by Samsung will make an appearance at the CES 2018, even if it doesn’t go on sale immediately given the early stages of development.

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Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ swing by the FCC

The Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ have just passed an important milestone on their way to retail shelves, or at least an official announcement. Both handsets have been certified by the FCC on December 27th, just in time for New Year’s. As expected, there is no information on the phones’ specs listed in the FCC documents. There’s not even a standard design outline in there, which might be because some of the documents were submitted to the FCC way back in mid-November, at a time when the final design may not have been, well, finalized.

Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ by the FCC

The FCC has certified the international unlocked models carrying model number SM-G960F and SM-G965F (for the S9 and S9+ respectively). Naturally, further certifications will be necessary before Samsung can bring the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ to market, including those by the major carriers in the US. The devices were already being tested by authorities in China, and the FCC is another pit stop on the path to an official launch. It’s one of the more important pit stops, though, and the FCC certification suggests things are proceeding as planned as far as development on the two devices is concerned.

Does the December certification also mean that the Galaxy S9 could be unveiled early, as some rumors have suggested? Not really, especially if we consider the additional time Samsung is taking for making sure the batteries inside its flagships are safe after the Galaxy Note 7 debacle. Not to mention recent rumors have pegged the S9’s launch for MWC 2018, and there’s no logical reason for Samsung to mess with the launch schedule of its mainstream flagship line.

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Image of Meizu 15 Plus confirms bezel-less design

Images of the 15 Plus, the anniversary phone by Meizu, appeared earlier this month, revealing no bezels from three sides. A new render from Weibo today confirms the design and reveals the phone will have dual cameras at the back, coupled with what appears to be a 10-LED dual-tone flash, last seen in the Meizu Pro 6. The front will have only a single bezel at the bottom under the screen. The Meizu 15 Plus will have a single selfie camera, implemented on the front screen like the Essential PH-1 or the Sharp Aquos S2. The display will have rounded corners and will span all the way to...

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Huawei Mate 10 Pro giveaway: We have a winner!

Our long-running Huawei Mate 10 Pro holiday giveaway is finally over and we have a winner. Congratulations: Mihai S. If you are reading this, check your email. We already reached out to discuss a few details before we get that shiny new Mate 10 Pro rolling your way. To all the other participants - thank you for the impressive turnout and interest and we wish you better luck next time! Our Gleam statistics counted almost 15,000 users this time around and for good reason. The Huawei Mate 10 Pro is truly one of the best phones of 2017. It managed to shine in both our 2017...

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Samsung launches Samsung Mobile Care insurance service in Spain

Samsung Electronics has announced the launch of Samsung Mobile Care in Spain. Launched in collaboration with the insurer Allianz Global Assistance, Samsung Mobile Care is a paid smartphone insurance scheme aimed at covering accidental damages for Samsung devices.

Samsung Mobile Care covers accidental damages

Under the scheme, customers can make a single payment of €129 (~$154) or €5.99 (~$7) per month during the 2-year coverage period. For that money, Samsung Mobile Care covers your Samsung smartphones from any physical damage during the plan period. Covered accidental damages include damage to the screen, cracks, breakage of glass, liquid damages etc. Theft and cosmetic damages are not covered under the policy. The plans also offer other benefits, like worldwide coverage when you travel abroad.

The website mentions users can claim for accidental damages twice in the 2-year coverage period. For each of those claims, Samsung charges a deductible of €79 (~94) as a service fee. Users can also request for renewal of the plan after the 2-year coverage period.

Currently, the scheme is applicable only for the Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, and the Galaxy Note8. The plan must be purchased and activated within 30 days from the date of your smartphone purchase.

Samsung already offers a similar insurance scheme in the US under the name Samsung Premium Care. The US plan offers a wide variety of benefits not covered under the standard warranty policy. They include home visits for repair, coverage for accidental damages, and extended warranty. Samsung Premium Care is free for the first month. After the first month, the service costs $11.99 per month. In the US, a customer can get a maximum of 3 accidental damage claims per 12-month period with $99 deductible.

While third-party accidental damage insurance plans were always available in many markets, it is always nice to see the device manufacturer offering the same. Considering how expensive replacing damaged screens for high-end Samsung phones can be, it may be a good investment for people who want complete peace of mind while using their expensive Samsung phones.

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