Priced at the rough equivalent of $375 and scheduled for a domestic launch on August 2, the "FullVision" LG Q6 is also headed to more markets soon.
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There's good news to report on the BlackBerry KEYone availability front stateside. Less good in Canada. Also, strong hope for India.
The post BlackBerry KEYone lands in Sprint stores, also coming soon to India, but still no unlocked Canadian stock appeared first on Pocketnow.
Samsung is sure taking its time before releasing the company's first dual rear camera smartphone, but the Galaxy Note 8 shooters look pretty great already.
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The Nokia 8 in divisive gold-copper is here to stay, but even if you don't like that color combo, you'll be glad to hear the latest pricing gossip.
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If you own a Moto Z phone or plan to buy one soon, you can buy Moto Mod add-ons safe in the knowledge they will also work with the third generation of flagship Moto Z phones.
A spokesperson told TechRadar, "Motorola has confirmed three generations of support for Moto Mods, so the next gen devices will support current mods".
That means when Motorola launches the next version of the Moto Z line - it may be called Moto Z3 or a variation of that - it will work with the JBL Soundboost 2, Hassleblad camera add-on or other Moto Mods you've already bought.
It means if you buy the new Moto Z2 Play or Z2 Force - or if you own the Moto Z, Z Play or Z Force - along with some Moto Mods you can be safe in the knowledge these will work again if you decide to upgrade your phone later.
The Moto Mods may also work with further phones from the company, but right now Motorola has only promised it will make the third Moto Z line phone compatible.
What's there left to be unveiled about the rugged Samsung Galaxy S8 Active after two more comprehensive leaks? Pricing and availability, mostly.
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The Interactive Web Developer Bootcamp is yours for $29. And if you're not satisfied for any reason, you have the option to return within 15 days.
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Update: Samsung Galaxy S8 Active is an AT&T exclusive, but hold up, this is the first Active phone that could launch on Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile and perhaps in the UK eventually. When Samsung issued the official press release this year, it included two important words when talking about the AT&T exclusivity: 'limited time.' This could be the first Galaxy Active phone for everyone.
Samsung Galaxy S8 Active is the new Android phone that lets you have your all-screen smartphone and drop it too. It's ready for rugged conditions.
Announced this week, it's AT&T-exclusive phone that's dust, water, shock and shatter-resistant, like the S7 Active and S6 Active before it, but this one takes cues from the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus 'Infinity Display.'
Okay, it doesn't have the curved edges of its more delicate counterparts and it does include a little more bezel around all sizes, so it doesn't really sport an Infinity Display. But it still has an expansive 5.8-inch display with a tall 18.5:9 aspect ratio.
What are the Samsung Galaxy S8 Active specs and features, and is it worth its higher than normal price? Let's help you decide if it fits into your active life.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 Active release date is finally upon us after months of rumors and leaks, launching on Friday, August 11, exclusively on AT&T.
It's a later than last year's Active phone that came in June, and it's a little more expensive. Samsung Galaxy S8 Active costs $850 or $28.34 a month for 30 months in the US, but you can get it slightly cheaper at $699 through Samsung's official website.
That's the same price as the larger Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus, which also costs $850 (£779.99, AU$1,349) or $28.34 per month over 30 months via AT&T.
Samsung Galaxy S8 Active is the one and only flat Samsung flagship phone for 2017. Not everyone wants curved, delicate glass. This one fulfills that request.
It has a 5.8-inch Quad HD screen with the taller-than-normal 18.5:9 aspect ratio, just like the Galaxy S8. But this one has a shatter-resistant layer protecting it.
The shatter-resistant screen is rated to survive drops from 5 feet or less on a flat surface, but like the Moto Z2 Force, it can still endure some scratches from falls.
The Super AMOLED screen has a little more bezel to it on all sides vs the Galaxy S8, but it doesn't have a traditional physical front buttons. They're all on-screen.
That means the fingerprint sensor is in the plastic back, not on the front of the screen, right next to the rear camera. Expect to endure more awkward camera smudges when using this durable phone.
If you're buying the Galaxy S8 Active, you're buying it because it has a rugged, durable design. It's the one version of the S8 you can carry around care-free.
It exchanges the S8's fragile glass back for plastic and makes the metal frame extra durable, with a thicker, shock-resistant bumper. Bend as much as you'd like, you won't find a Bendgate here.
Its bulky body is ready for your rough-and-tumble lifestyle. It's up to military grade standards, passing extreme temperature, pressure and altitude tests.
It's also certified to protect against dust, vibration and water. Its IP68 water-resistant rating means it can survive 5 feet submerged for up to 30 minutes.
While past Samsung Active phones had camouflage patterns, this one blends in with the premium tier with subdued Meteor Gray or Titanium Gold colors.
Samsung Galaxy S8 Active matches the S8 and S8 Plus cameras and increases its battery capacity, which is great news for long excursions.
It has a 12MP rear camera with the same superb f/1.7 aperture and dual-pixel autofocus for proper photos even in lowlight. The 8MP selfie came returns, too.
Considering the photos and videos on the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 are among the best on phones, we're eager to see it in a more durable design.
It has a 4,000mAh battery, which means you're likely to enjoy extra battery life from the S8 Active. The S8 has a 3,000mAh battery, and the S8 Plus a 3,500mAh battery.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 Active specs again match the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus – at least in the US where Qualcomm's chips are at the heart of the power.
It has an efficient Snapdragon 835 chipset and 4GB of RAM, along with 64GB of storage and a microSD card slot for up to 256GB of additional space. Other S8 Active technical specs include Bluetooth 5.1 and NFC.
The S8 Active is launching right on the cusp of the Android O launch, but it'll still come with Android Nougat. You can hope it'll launch with Android O along with the S8 and S8 Plus, though this is all up to the sole provider, AT&T.
In last one year, Indian telecom industry has seen the biggest turnaround of all time. While faster data came for a price and affordability was an issue, arrival of Jio entirely changed the way Indians use mobile internet. The record breaking telecom company is close to completing a year in the country, and it already has more than 125 million customers, thanks to its free unlimited services. Well, who can forget the never-ending queues outside Reliance stores, legal war between telcos and media houses minting page views and TRP on Jio.
Once again, Jio makes a comeback for haunting competing telcos with its alluring data offerings and disrupting existing price trends. Unlike previous announcements, there is no attractive data or voice offer, but it’s the much awaited JioPhone itself.
How much does JioPhone cost?
Technically, JioPhone’s effective price is Rs 0, but users will have to pay a sum of Rs 1500, which is refundable after completion of three years. But in a practical sense, there's hardly anyone keeping the same phone for three long years. Even if someone manages, it’s likely to catch hardware or software issue like most other phones.
Jio has not clarified about the repair cost or warranty of the phone till now. However, we expect the phone to come with at least one of year warranty.
What are JioPhone recharge plans?
JioPhone buyers can recharge with Rs 153 to avail free voice, SMS and unlimited data for a month. There are two more Jio sachet plans at Rs 24 with two days validity and Rs 54 with seven days validity. Users can go for a Rs 309 plan, which allows them to watch video content from the Jio Apps on a bigger screen.
How to buy a JioPhone?
Interested users can choose to pre-book JioPhone from 5:30 PM starting today and pay Rs 500 up front. The rest of the amount, that is Rs 1,000 can be paid at the time of delivery. What’s more is that people will be able to pre-book the handset from Jio’s official retail stores and from the MyJio App.
Those looking to pre-order the handset offline will have to visit a Jio Store where Adhaar details of the user will be taken and they will be provided with a token number. Online booking for the JioPhone will begin on jio.com and users will need to log into their Jio Account.
How and where to pre-register for JioPhone?
To register you can head over to Jio.com and choose the suitable option – individual or business. You can submit your details like name, email, phone number and pin code for individual registration. Businesses can leave their contact name, business name, PAN or GSTN number and the number of devices required.
SMS Booking-
You can also register for a JioPhone via SMS. All you need to do for this is send an SMS in the following format.
JP <PIN CODE> <Store code>
Send the above message to 7021170211.
In the above message, you will have to find and enter the Jio store code by visiting the nearest Jio store or a Reliance Digital outlet.
Offline Booking-
You can also book your JioPhone by visiting the nearest Reliance Digital or Jio store or other authorized Jio retailers. You will have to submit a copy of your Aadhaar card. In some instances, the retailer may not require you to submit your Aadhaar card, but it’s best to carry one just in case.
Why is JioPhone a great deal?
For those who need a perfect secondary phone or a feature phone that has support for 4G and runs essential apps, then JioPhone is the right choice. What makes it unique is its price and data plans, and the TV connectivity feature.
If you do some calculations, JioPhone users are going to get unlimited data and voice by paying just Rs 1853 (153 x 12) over a year. Rs 153 a month plan gets you 500MB of high-speed data, which drops down to 128Kb/s after you exhaust 500Mb. So if you need extra high-speed data, you can always opt for sachet plans we mentioned above. Or the best option is to go for Rs 309 or Rs 509 plan that brings more data and TV cable feature.
So even if you fail to claim your deposit of Rs 1500 after three years, you’ll still be in a win-win situation.
Can you use another network SIM on a JioPhone?
Unlike CDMA phones, the SIM is replaceable, but you can only use a Jio SIM on the phone. So if you already have a Jio SIM, you can certainly use it with your phone, but the plan will have to be upgraded to Rs 153, as it is exclusive only to JioPhone.
So you can’t use any other network on this phone, no matter if it is 2G, 3G or 4G.
Update: It is said that there will be 4-6 variants of JioPhone, out of which, some of them will come with dual SIM support allowing users to access other carrier SIM cards.
What is JioPhone cable tv accessory?
Reliance JioPhone has a cable tv accessory can be used to connect the device to a screen and then stream content from JioTV and JioCinema apps. It is a casting service that can be attached to any TV, including CRTs to reflect their phone’s screen to the big screen.
The concept is pretty similar to Amazon’s Fire Stick TV and Google’s Chromecast. According to the latest report from Business Standard, the device is expected to come with an extra cost of Rs 500.
Can JioPhone replace your set-top box?
If you get a little practical about it, we would say a no because after all, it’s first a phone than a casting device. It’s natural to expect some limitations when you pit it against dedicated TV boxes. If you already have a DTH at your home, you wouldn’t need to use it there. But if you have a different subscription for each room and you spend limited time watching TV, then it makes more sense. On the brighter side, it is a pretty unique feature to be on an affordable device.
We just hope the JioPhone cable TV accessory is portable and easy to carry. Data connectivity will also be a huge factor to look for because poor 4G speed or network issues may limit it to an extent.
What are the features and specifications of JioPhone?
Voice calling will always be free for Jio customers. Jio services integration is lined up with all e-commerce players across the country, and NFC integration will let it make payments just like Samsung Pay.
Like most other feature phones, JioPhone has an alphanumeric keypad, 2.4-inch QVGA display, headphone jack, SD card slot, torch light, four-way navigation system and FM radio. Moreover, it will feature a digital voice assistant, a panic button, and support for 22 Indian languages.
Talking of multimedia capabilities, the Reliance JioPhone can play a wide format of audio and video files with support for up to HD (1280 x 720) movies. The device comes preinstalled with various entertainment apps like JioTV, JioCinema, JioMusic, etc. It also features an SOS function, which gets activated by long pressing 5.
Moving on to the optics, the zero-cost feature phone rocks a 2 MP rear camera and a 0.3 MP Selfie snapper. While there is a LED torch in the handset, it is located at the top and can’t function as a camera flash.
Connectivity options include 4G LTE, VoLTE and ViLTE till Wi-Fi, GPS, NFC, a micro USB 2.0 port and 3.5 mm headphone jack. To power it up, there is a 2000mAh Lithium-Polymer battery that juices up the handset with an expected talk time of 12 hours and 15 days standby.
Which processor will JioPhone feature?
This question is already making rounds on the internet, not just because everyone is excited to know, but also because of the tweets that followed from Qualcomm and Spreadtrum.
On July 21, Qualcomm India tweeted, “Glad to partner with @reliancejio on the new #JioPhone, powered by our #205 mobile platform.” This indicates that the JioPhone will run the Snapdragon 205 processor.
However, another tweet followed up from rival Spreadtrum saying, “Making India digital with #JioPhone. @Spreadtrum is proud to be a part of the digital freedom for #featurephone users. @Reliancejio.”
Under the hood, there is either a Spreadtrum SC9820A SoC or a Snapdragon 205 chipset. Both of them feature dual-core CPUs with Cortex-A7 cores clocked at up to 1.2 GHz each. While Spreadtrum packs a Mali 400 GPU, the Snapdragon chip sports its own Adreno 304 graphics unit.
How much storage do you get on the JioPhone?
The JioPhone offers 512MB of RAM along with 4GB of storage. Additionally, there is support for up to 128GB of micro SD card.
Does JioPhone have hotspot?
Hotspot availability is the biggest suspense surrounding JioPhone. According to various sources, JioPhone may not have the hotspot feature most probably because of its OS. It is being said that the Snapdragon variant will be coming with the hotspot feature but it will be locked for some reason. Since it is still unclear, we cannot give a confirmation on this. Being one of the essential features, we feel that JioPhone should have hotspot to be a competent 4G phone.
Which software does the JioPhone run?
According to revealed details during the JioPhone announcement, it is said that the phone will come with a version of Firefox OS called KaiOS.
Will JioPhone run apps like PayTm, Whatsapp, YouTube or Facebook?
From what we understood, Jio may restrict PayTm and WhatsApp on JioPhone. This may be because the company wants more Jio users to start using JioMoney and JioChat services. But it will most likely run apps like Facebook, Google and more. From what we got to know from the presentation, there’s one app that is guaranteed to be on the phone and it’s none other than Narendra Modi app. It features all the latest updates about the work India’s Prime Minister is up to along with his podcast ’mann ki baat’.
Update: Latest report from Factor Daily signals at talks between Reliance Jio and WhatsApp are in preceding talks. It is also said that Reliance Jio and Facebook, the owner of WhatsApp, have an existing business relationship that gives green signal to the allegations.
Is JioPhone violating net neutrality principles?
Net Neutrality is one of the core tenets of a free and fair internet. Over the last few years, it has come under scrutiny during several incidents in different countries all over the world. In India, the one major event that attracted a lot of debate and activism was Facebook’s Free Basics offering. Another incident that has the possibility of drawing attention is Reliance Jio’s JioPhone.
During the JioPhone announcement, Reliance Jio had revealed that it would be creating its own app store. Light versions of popular apps like Facebook, YouTube and more were said to be made available in this app store.
Incumbent Idea raised concerns that the JioPhone won’t let you install other third-party apps that compete with Jio’s apps. This is little complicated, given the fact that the JioPhone comes with KaiOS. The phone’s hardware is very basic as well, meaning that it won’t be able to run regular apps properly.
If third-party developers optimize their apps to run on the JioPhone, then it comes down to Reliance Jio approving them. Meaning, we cannot say that JioPhone is violating net neutrality principles until complete details about the feature phone are revealed.
What is the significance of JioPhone?
For a cost of Rs 1500, Jio plans to offer a phone that will support 4G services which are impossible to find on any other device. If you look at the presently available feature phones, none of the them offers even the half of the features that are being promised with JioPhone. Soon after Jio’s announcement, analysts across the country went out to predict things. Incumbent service providers, now burdened with the fear of competition are expected to come up with a fresh plan to tackle this unexpected hit coming from Jio.
Analysts expect an overall industry revenue to rebound from its downward graph. Apart form this, Jio’s TV casting feature has affected the stock prices of DTH service providers, though it can never completely take over the segment.
While the disruptive potential of JioPhone is unhealthy for the rivals, it is still a great move to rub-off country’s digital divide. Moreover, we still know very little about Jio’s plans, so it could be just more than what we have imagined to be in near future.
If you are unable to get your hands on the JioPhone, here are the alternates you can consider.
LG is rumored to be announcing a new flagship phone at IFA 2017 at the end of August, and it seems the LG V30 (which is the flagship we're expecting) may be ready to buy across the globe a month later.
An LG source has shown Android Authority an internal document that claims the phone will launch in both the US and Europe on September 28.
It's currently uncertain whether the V30 will come to the UK, but a European launch date does suggest the phone will see a release in the UK, unlike the LG V20.
The document claims the V30 will launch in South Korea on September 15, while pre-orders for the phone will open in the US on September 17. There's no word of a UK pre-order date at the moment.
LG's V30 is rumored to have a 6-inch edge-to-edge OLED display with very thin bezels, so it should be able to compete with the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 8.
It may also come with the top-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor too. But we won't know any of these details for certain until August 31, when the phone is expected to launch at IFA 2017.
While it seems like the upcoming Nokia 8 will have top-end specs, it might not quite have a top-end price tag, as Vodafone Romania is seemingly going to sell it for €517.42 (around £465/$605/AU$760).
That price isn’t up on Vodafone’s website yet, and instead supposedly comes from a “reliable source” who supplied it to Mobilissimo, so take it with a pinch of salt, as the information could be wrong or subject to change.
Even if it’s accurate, that’s just for Romania, as it’s unlikely that it will cost exactly the same in other countries.
But this does suggest that the Nokia 8 will not just be cheaper than flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S8 and HTC U11, but also that it could be cheaper than was previously rumored, as we’d heard before that the price would be around $675 (roughly £510, AU$860).
Though an even earlier leak pegged it at roughly £360/$470/AU$595, so pricing rumors are all over the place, but all of them would see it undercut many high-end phones.
With rumors of a 5.3-inch QHD screen, a metal shell, a dual-lens camera, a Snapdragon 835 chipset and 4GB or 6GB of RAM the Nokia 8 could be quite a bargain if today’s price is accurate.
And you shouldn’t have to wait long to buy it, with HMD Global (the company using the Nokia name) expected to announce the phone on August 16.
Need more now? You’re in luck, because we’ve also just seen our first real-world photos of the Nokia 8.
Via PhoneArena
Following an August 31 announcement at IFA Berlin, the high-stakes LG V30 could start selling in Korea on September 15, followed by the US on the 28th.
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Plenty of plausible iPhone 8 renders have been floating around of late, but this sketch comes directly from Apple, along with Face Unlock confirmation.
The post A ‘done deal’: This is the final iPhone 8 front design, confirmed by Apple, alongside Face Unlock appeared first on Pocketnow.
BlackBerry is gearing up to launch its latest smartphone, the KEYone, in India. The company has started sending out invites for the launch event to media. A teaser was also posted on social media, hinting that the phone to be launched is the KEYone.
The BlackBerry KEYone has launched earlier this year at the Mobile World Congress 2017 event in Barcelona. The KEYone retains BlackBerry’s two key unique selling points – security and a full QWERTY physical keyboard. Apart from that, the phone also brings a productivity suite to help you work on-the-go.
The BlackBerry KEYone comes with a 4.5-inch display of 1620 x 1080 pixel resolution, resulting in a 3:2 aspect ratio. The display is protected by a scratch-resistant glass.
The KEYone runs on Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box, along with the full security and productivity suite from BlackBerry. The phone features a textured back with an aluminum frame. The 4-row QWERTY keyboard is backlit and comes with gesture support. The spacebar comes with a fingerprint sensor embedded into it, something that was missing in the Priv.
Other specs of the KEYone include Snapdragon 625 SoC, 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage and a 3505 mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 support. The phone comes with a 12MP rear camera with PDAF and 4K video recording support, along with an 8MP front camera.
Connectivity options on the phone include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi b/g/n/ac with dual band support, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, NFC and a USB 3.1 Type C port.
iPhone 8 leaks have become so popular that even Apple appears to be getting in on the action, seemingly confirming two previously rumored features.
First, all of those iPhone 8 bezel-less display concepts out there appear to be on point. An icon within code for the new HomePod speaker firmware has been found by iOS app developers Steve Troughton-Smith and Guilherme Rambo.
It shows the expanded, edge-to-edge screen – thought to be a 5.8-inch AMOLED display – with no top bezel and no home bottom whatsoever. This is how Apple is expected to make the screen bigger and make the phone smaller than the iPhone 7 Plus.
It's a mystery as how Apple will secure the iPhone 8 given the missing traditional Touch ID fingerprint sensor. Which leads to the next discovery.
Today's second leak from the early HomePod software seems to confirm that 3D facing-scanning technology is indeed coming to the iPhone 8.
Developer Troughton-Smith says he came across code indicates an infrared face unlock, and it belongs to something new called 'BiometricKit.'
3D face unlock is one way to bypass your iPhone lockscreen and use Apple Pay, but will it be replacement or will Apple also include TouchID under the screen?
We'll have to wait until the iPhone 8 launch date, which we still suspect will be in September. Unless, of course, Apple leaks more of its own surprises first.