Samsung Galaxy Note7 Launch Set for August

• The Note7 launch will happen simultaneously in New York, Rio, and London
• The Galaxy Note Unpacked 2016 event will kick off at 8:30pm IST
• Galaxy Note7 is expected to sport iris-scanner on front

Samsung has finally revealed the launch date for its next phablet flagship, and at the same time confirmed the successor to the Galaxy Note 5 will be called the Galaxy Note7. The new Note-series smartphone will be unveiled on August 2, as reported previously.

The Samsung Galaxy Note7 will be announced at an event in New York on August 2 that kicks off at 8:30pm IST. The South Korea company has confirmed that there will be simultaneous events in Rio de Janeiro and London.

Apart from sharing the official teaser for the ‘Galaxy Note Unpacked 2016’, Samsung also claimed that the new S Pen, which will be part of the Galaxy Note7, will come with “added functionalities.”

The company also gave reasons why it is skipping the Galaxy Note 6 name and jumping to Galaxy Note7. “First and foremost though, you might be curious as to why it’s called Galaxy Note7 instead of Galaxy Note 6. There are a couple reasons why. First, the Galaxy Note7 will complement our Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, and unify our product portfolio. Second, the Galaxy Note7 will minimize confusion about the latest mobile technology from Samsung, and provide full alignment with Galaxy S smartphone,” wrote the company in announcement post, confirming previous speculation as to Samsung’s reasons.

Based on flurry of leaks, Samsung’s latest Galaxy Note7 is expected to sport an iris scanner in the front, which will come handy for biometric locks and has been claimed to be more reliable than fingerprint scanners. The handset is said to come in Black Onyx, Silver Titanium, and Blue Coral colours. For specifications, the Galaxy Note7 is said to run a revamped UI from Samsung based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow; sport a USB Type-C port, and also come with a 6-inch QHD Super Amoled dual-edge display. It is likely to feature 4GB of RAM and offer three inbuilt storage options – 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB (with the choice to expand as well). The Galaxy Note7 is rumoured to sport a 12-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front camera, and a 3600mAh battery.

Possible Moto X (2016) Spotted On GFXBench

Ever since the Moto Z handsets were announced, many had wondered if they would be replacing the Moto X lineup. Motorola has reassured us that they won’t, but given the lack of any Moto X announcements, we have to say that we are a tad skeptical. However it looks like some evidence has surfaced to suggest otherwise.

According to a recent sighting onGFXBench, a certain Motorola XT1650 has made an appearance. It has been largely speculated that this could be the 2016 Moto X, and if it is true, it seems that it could be giving the Moto Z lineup a run for its money, which is odd since why would Motorola/Lenovo creating competing devices?

That being said, the specs according to GFXBench reveal a 5.5-inch QHD display and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset. It also appears to be packing 4GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, and interestingly enough what seems to be a dual camera setup. The benchmark reveals two sensors: a 12MP sensor and a 20MP sensor.

We’re not sure if this was an error or if Lenovo really has a dual camera handset in the works. The front shooter appears to be of the 5MP variety which is nothing to shout about. That being said, benchmarks can be faked so take it with a grain of salt for now, but if it’s true, the 2016 Moto X could prove to be a rather interesting handset.

Filed in Cellphones >Rumors. Read more about Lenovo, Moto X and Motorola.

Key Specs	Motorola Moto X
Status	Released
Display Diagonal	4.7″
Processor/Soc Name	Snapdragon S4 Pro, 2-core, 1.7 GHz
Street Price (Approx)	~ $310 Search low Motorola Moto X price (Amazon)
Max. Total Storage Capacity	64 GB
Megapixels	10 MP
Battery Capacity (mAh)	2200 mAh
Complete product data	Motorola Moto X Full specs and details

ZTE ZMax Pro With 6-Inch Display, Fingerprint Scanner Launched

HIGHLIGHTS

• The new ZTE ZMax Pro will go on sale in the US at roughly Rs. 6,600
• It will be available starting August via MetroPCS
• It sports a 13-megapixel rear camera

Chinese handset manufacturer ZTE has unveiled the ZMax Pro smartphone in the US. Priced at just $99 (approximately Rs. 6,600), the new ZTE ZMax Pro will be available via MetroPCS starting August 1. The company is offering a promotional offer for interested consumers who can pre-register the ZTE ZMax Pro and get a free leather case. The offer is limited for consumers who pre-book the smartphone before July 31.

At this price point, ZTE is offering the ZMax Pro with fingerprint scanner which is located at the rear panel. One of the biggest highlight of the smartphone is its 6-inch full-HD (1080×1920 pixels) display. The handset is powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 617 processor clocked at 1.5GHz coupled with 2GB of RAM. It supports expandable storage via microSD card (up to 32GB). The handset also packs a USB Type-C port and supports fast charging. It sports a 13-megapixel rear camera with an LED flash while also packs a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.

The Android 6.0 Marshmallow-based ZMax Pro is backed by a 3400mAh battery. It comes with GPRS/ EDGE, GPS/ A-GPS, 3G, 4G, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi connectivity options.

Apart from revealing the new ZMax Pro, ZTE also announced that there are over 30 million active ZTE device users worldwide. Adding further ZTE CEO Lixin Cheng also revealed that the Chinese company sold 15 million handsets last year.

ZTE in China recently unveiled the Small Fresh 4 smartphone priced at CNY 1,090 (approximately Rs. 11,000).

The ZTE Small Fresh 4 features a 5.2-inch full-HD 2.5D curved glass; 1.5GHz octa-core MediaTek (MT6753) processor; 2GB of RAM; 16GB of inbuilt storage; expandable via microSD card; 13-megapixel rear camera; 5-megapixel front camera; 2450mAh battery, and runs the company’s UI based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

iBall Andi 5L Rider With 5-Inch Display Launched at Rs. 4,699

HIGHLIGHTS

• iBall’s new Andi 5L Rider smartphone features a quad-core processor
• It comes with read/ write support for 21 Indian regional languages
• It sports a 5-megapixel rear camera

iBall has launched the Andi 5L Rider smartphone at Rs. 4,699. The iBall Andi 5L Rider will be available via retail stores across India.

The iBall Andi 5L Rider smartphone also comes with system support for 9 Indian regional languages and read and write support for 21 Indian regional languages. The handset also offers an auto-call recording feature.

The iBall Andi 5L Rider smartphone is a dual-SIM smartphone running Android 5.1 Lollipop. It features a 5-inch FWVGA (480×854 pixels) IPS display with a pixel density of 196ppi. Powered by a quad-core processor clocked at 1.3GHz, the smartphone packs 1GB of RAM and a Mali 400 GPU alongside.

The latest iBall offering also sports a 5-megapixel rear autofocus camera with LED flash and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. It bears 8GB of inbuilt storage, which can be expanded via microSD card (up to 32GB).

The iBall Andi 5L Rider comes with connectivity options such as 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Micro-USB, and GPS. A 2300mAh battery backs the handset, which is available in White, Brown and Blue colours.

Earlier this month, iBall launched the Andi 5Q Gold 4G smartphone priced at Rs. 6,799. The iBall Andi 5Q Gold 4G features a 5-inch HD (720×1280 pixels) IPS display; powered by a 1GHz quad-core processor; 1GB of RAM; 8GB of inbuilt storage; supports expandable storage via microSD card (up to 32GB); runs Android 5.1 Lollipop; dual-SIM; 4G, and 3000mAh battery. Notably, both the SIMs support 4G connectivity. The handset supports download speeds of up to 150Mbps and upload speeds of up to 50Mbps on 4G network.

BlackBerry DTEK50 Android Smartphone Launched

• The DTEK50 is BlackBerry’s second Android phone
• The phone is up for pre-order in 8 countries
• It will begin shipping on August 8

BlackBerry Ltd unveiled a second Android-based handset on Tuesday, a device combining Alphabet Inc’s popular software and broad app catalog with the Canadian company’s security and productivity features at a lower price.

The faded smartphone pioneer is hoping the DTEK50 will sell in greater numbers than the Priv, its first phone using the Android operating system, which Chief Executive John Chen has said suffered because of its high price.

The company said the 5.2-inch touchscreen-only DTEK50 is available from Tuesday for pre-order from BlackBerry’s online shop in the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and The Netherlands for $299 (roughly Rs. 20,000). It plans to begin shipping the device on August 8.

“This is a good marriage of proposition and price point for enterprises,” said John Jackson, an analyst at International Data Corp.

Shares in the Waterloo, Ontario-based company were up 1.4 percent at $7.18 on the Nasdaq and rose 1.6 percent to CAD 9.50 in Toronto.

At its November launch the Priv, which features a slide out keyboard, cost $699 (roughly Rs. 47,000) without a contract in the United States and CAD 899 without a contract in Canada. The company trimmed the Priv’s price in April.

Calling the DTEK50 “the world’s most secure Android smartphone,” BlackBerry said it will alert users if someone is making remote use of its camera or microphone, or accessing the phone’s location information.

BlackBerry did not announce any distribution deals with major US carriers, with initial US sales instead expected to come mostly via Best Buy Co Inc, Amazon.com Inc and BlackBerry’s own online store.

Canada’s biggest wireless carriers will all sell the device.

“The lack of specific detail on operator channels outside Canada says that there’s still no path to massive volumes,” IDC’s Jackson added.

BlackBerry recognized sales of roughly 500,000 devices in the three months to the end of May, down from some 1.1 million a year earlier as demand for its aging product portfolio sunk.

Once a dominant force in smartphones, BlackBerry now holds just a sliver of the global smartphone market. Earlier this month it said it would cease production of its Classic handset, which uses its own BlackBerry 10 operating system.

Chen last month expressed confidence the company’s trimmed-down handset business can turn a profit by a self-imposed September deadline, even as some analysts urge the company to ditch the unit.

A third Android device is expected from BlackBerry in the coming months.

Xiaomi Mi Max Shipments Top 1.5 Million in 2 Months, CEO Confirms

HIGHLIGHTS

• The figure was shared by an analyst on Weibo
• Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun went on to share the Weibo post
• The Mi Max went on sale in May in China

Xiaomi is said to have shipped 1.5 million units of the Mi Max in the two months since its launch in China in May this year. The company’s largest smartphone yet, the Xiaomi Mi Max (Review) features a 6.44-inch display.

The 1.5 million units shipped figure comes from analyst Kevin Wang on Chinese social network Weibo (viaGizmoChina), and was reposted by Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun – pretty much confirming the credibility of the number.

Wang added that similar large-sized smartphones in 2015 saw a maximum of 300,000 units being shipped – contrasting the wild popularity of the Mi Max.

In China, there are three variants of the smartphone – one bears 3GB of RAM, 32GB of inbuilt storage and a 1.8GHz hexa-core Snapdragon 650 processor; another bears 3GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and a 1.8GHz octa-core Snapdragon 652 processor, while the last bears 4GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a Snapdragon 652 processor.

Of the three variants, only the first was launched in India late last month at Rs. 14,999, but Xiaomi said the top-end model with 4GB of RAM will be made available in India soon at Rs. 19,999.

As we mentioned, the Xiaomi Mi Max sports a 6.44-inch full-HD (1080×1920) 342ppi display. It bears a 16-megapixel rear camera that offers phase detection autofocus (PDAF) and LED flash. The phablet also bears a 5-megapixel front camera also on board with 85-degree wide-angle view. Both cameras have an f/2.0 aperture.

The dual-SIM handset supports 4G LTE with VoLTE, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS/ A-GPS with Glonass, and Wi-Fi 802.11ac with Mimo. There’s no NFC on board. It is backed by a massive 4850mAh battery, measures 173.1×88.3×7.5mm, and weighs in at 203 grams.

The Mi Max sports an infrared emitter to act as a universal remote control, apart from an ambient light sensor, gyroscope, accelerometer, and proximity sensor. It bears a hybrid dual-SIM slot, with up to 128GB microSD cards supported.

Intex Aqua Ring With 5-Megapixel Front Camera Launched at Rs. 4,999

• The smartphone is priced at Rs. 4,999
• It comes with a MediaTek quad-core processor
• There is a 5-megapixel front camera on board.

After the Intex Aqua Pride and Aqua Q7N, the Indian smartphone company has launched another smartphone in the Indian market. The Intex Aqua Ring is priced at Rs. 4,999, and is being exclusively sold on Amazon India.

The Intex Aqua Ring has a Sandstone back cover and a round oval ring on top which houses the camera and flash. It supports dual-SIM dual standby, and runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow out-of-the-box. It features a 5-inch HD (720×1280 pixels) display with 294ppi pixel density and 16.7 million colour support. It also sports Asahi Dragon trail Glass protection. The smartphone runs on a 1.3GHz MediaTek MT6580A quad-core processor paired with Mali 400 MP2 GPU and 1GB of RAM. It offers only 8GB of inbuilt storage, but comes with support for expandable storage via microSD card (up to 32GB).

Optics include a 5-megapixel rear camera with dual-LED flash, autofocus, panorama mode, face beauty and gesture features. A 5-megapixel camera is present at the front as well. Additionally, the Intex Aqua Ring packs a 2450mAh battery.

Connectivity options include 3G support (both SIMs), Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, and GPS. There is no support for 4G connectivity on this smartphone. The Intex Aqua Ring’s dimensions are at 72×143.5×9.25mm, and the smartphone weighs 159 grams. The smartphone is currently available on the e-commerce site only in Black colour. Intex is offering a one-year warranty for the Intex Aqua Ring, and a six-month warranty for boxed accessories that come along with the smartphone purchase (including battery). The company has introduced an Emergency Rescue Mode to help users in case of a calamity of any sort. Just by pressing any volume key for more than three seconds will activate the mode, and it will send your pre-registered emergency contact a message along with your location.

Reliance Lyf Water 4, Water 6 smartphone launched, price starts at Rs 7,599

Reliance has expanded its product portfolio with the launch of two smartphones – LyfWater 4 and Lyf Water 6, priced at Rs 7,599 and Rs 8,999 respectively.

Both handsets have similar set of specifications. They runAndroid 5.1.1 Lollipop and offers dual-sim functionality, along withVoLTE support.

The smartphones feature 5-inch HD display with 720×1280 pixel resolution secured with Asahi Dragontrail Glass. Processing power is derived by 1.2GHz quad-coreQualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor, clubbed with 2GB of RAM. As for the cameras, they have 13MP rear camera with LED flash and 5MP front-facing camera for selfies.

Reliance Lyf Earth 2 launched with 13MP front camera at Rs 21,599

Reliance Lyf Water 4 offers 16GB of internal storage which can be expanded further using a microSD card. The device is backed by a 2,920mAh battery and offers 4G, LTE, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS as connectivity options.

On the other hand, the Lyf Water 6 comes with 32GB of internal storage which can be expanded through a microSD card. Having 4G, LTE, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS as connectivity options, the phone has a 2,920mAh battery.

Last month, Reliance launched its Lyf Earth 2 smartphone. Priced at Rs 21,599, the handset comes in Green, White, Gold and Midnight Black colour options.

Reliance Lyf smartphones gets price cut by 25%

The device has a thick aluminium alloy frame and incorporates a fingerprint sensor. Users can also assign different fingerprints as shortcuts for launching various apps. Like all the other smartphones in the Lyf series, this also offers 4G LTE connectivity with VoLTE support.

Reliance Lyf Earth 2 features a 5-inch Full HD display with 1080×1920 pixel resolution. The display is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The smartphone runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, and is powered by a 1.5GHz octa core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor. It offers 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage.

iPhone 7 to Launch in the Week of September

Apple traditionally holds its iPhone launch event in September every year, but there is no official announcement on the iPhone 7 event date yet. However, a fresh leak now points at a tentative launch time frame. The iPhone 7 may be launched in the third week of September, specifically in the week of September 12.

This time-frame comes from tipster Evan Blass, who is noted for his accuracy when it comes to leaks. Last year, Apple launched the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus on September 9, however it came to India a month later. The same pattern is also expected this year.

The iPhone 7 was expected to launch in three variants – iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and a new iPhone 7 Pro version. However, new leaks hint that Apple may just stick to two variants this year. There is also expected to be a new base storage variant – 32GB. The probable storage offerings are going to be shuffled to 32GB, 128GB, and a possible new 256GB variant.

Apple may also introduce a new dual camera setup in its large iPhone 7 Plus variant. There is also going to be the addition of the Smart Connector at the back, again exclusive to the large variant only. To accommodate all this new hardware, the iPhone 7 Plus may get a bump to 3GB RAM.

The variants are expected to sport slightly bigger batteries, and the new Apple A10 processor for faster performance. The Home Button is expected to perform multiple functions, and be Force Touch enabled. Because of the new chip (and if the rumoured death of 3.5mm audio jack is true), the iPhone 7 is also expected to be at least 1mm slimmer than its predecessor.

There’s also a lot of chatter about the 3.5mm audio jack. Conflicting reports on the removal of the audio output make it difficult to really nail a presumptive conclusion on whether it will be included this year or not. There’s also expected to be a new Space Black colour variant with this year’s launch.

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 leaked screenshots reveal iris scanner, new S Pen commands

After wallpapers for the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 leaked yesterday, today we get a glimpse of some new features in the latest flagship, particularly the iris scanner.

Yes, the iris scanner is confirmed, according to leaked images Android Authorityreceived. The screenshots are from Samsung’s new Grace UX aka TouchWiz interface, and show an additional phone lock feature called Irises. The Galaxy Note 7 lets you scan your eyes, so you can unlock your phone just by looking at it. However, take note there’s a lengthy disclaimer that lists when the scanner might not work, including if you’re wearing glasses or in low light.

While Samsung is yet to confirm exact specifications, rumours are that the Note 7 will be available in a choice of Black, Silver and Blue and will include Samsung’s Exynos 8893 processor with 4GB, making it the most powerful smartphone to date.

It is also expected to run Android Nougat, the latest version of Android’s operating system alongside Samsung’s TouchWiz interface.

Samsung is planning to release the Note 7 on August 2nd and has already sent out invitations to to an exclusive ‘unpacked event’ where the Korean tech giant is expected to officially unveil the device for the first time.

There have also been rumours that the Galaxy Note 7 will be available to buy in store on August 2nd in Korea, the USA and UK as the device will go on sale just hours after it is officially unveiled.

OnePlus 3 Soft Gold Colour Variant Officially Launched

Last month, we reported that OnePlus 3 will be getting a Soft Gold colour variant sometime late in July. Now, the company has announced that the variant will be launched in US on Tuesday and will be launched in Europe, Canada, and Hong Kong on August 1.

Although the company has not revealed this variant’s launch date for India, it added that “more information on the exact launch date for India soon”

In its forum, the company said that this will not be “your typical gaudy gold smartphone” and has a rather toned-down, “light, elegant look”. OnePlus has also pointed out that the variant will only be available in limited quantities.

OnePlus 3 was launched in India last month at Rs. 27,999 and till now only Graphite colour was available for purchase. Much to the relief of consumers, the company scrapped its invite system with the release of OnePlus 3 and also said that all of its future handsets will be sold without the invite system.

The company also said that it will be focussing on its flagship series and will not be releasing a follow-up to its budget smartphone OnePlus X.

In our review of the phone, we said that after three previous attempts, OnePlus has finally managed to get everything right with the OnePlus 3 and that this is a phone which excels in almost every department. We also added that OnePlus has even fixed the reliability and build quality issues on some of company’s previous devices.

InFocus M535+ With 13-Megapixel Front Camera Launched at Rs. 11,999

US-based InFocus on Monday launched the M535+ smartphone in India, a variant of the InFocus M535 that was launched last year. Priced Rs. 11,999, the company is also bundling a selfie-stick worth Rs. 1,000 alongside. The smartphone will be available via retail stores starting Monday in Gold and Silver colour variants.

The selfie-focused InFocus M535+ carries forward the all-metal body of its predecessor, but features more memory (3GB of RAM instead of 2GB of RAM on the M535), a higher-resolution front-facing camera (13-megapixel instead of 8-megapixel), a higher resolution display (full-HD instead of HD), as well as a more capable SoC (octa-core versus quad-core).

The dual-SIM InFocus M535+ runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow, and sports a 5.5-inch full-HD (1080×1920 pixel) display with a pixel density of 401ppi. It is powered by an octa-core MediaTek MT6753 SoC, coupled with 3GB of RAM. As we mentioned, it sports a 13-megapixel front-facing camera – which offers autofocus abilities – with a Samsung 3L2 sensor, apart from a 13-megapixel rear autofocus camera with LED flash and a Samsung 3M2 sensor.

The InFocus M535+ comes with 16GB of inbuilt storage, which is expandable via microSD card (up to 64GB). It is powered by a 2600mAh battery, weighs 158 grams, and is 7.2mm thick. It supports 4G connectivity, with 4G VoLTE support.  The other specifications of the M535+ are common to the M535.

Commenting on the launch, Sachin Thapar, Country Head, InFocus India, said, “InFocus M535 has received tremendous response from the customers and has become one of the iconic models in the premium metal series. Riding on the popularity of M535 and further expand the metal series line-up, we have launched the new InFocus M535+ which is designed to cater to the pro-selfie generation who is looking for best camera, more power and style in their smartphone.”

Sony Xperia XA Ultra Launched in India: Price, Release Date, Specs, and More

• Sony Xperia XA Ultra Dual has a 16-megapixel front camera
• The front camera has OIS as well as a flash module
• The smartphone is powered by the MediaTek Helio P10 SoC

Sony on Tuesday launched the Xperia XA Ultra in India. A self-focused smartphone, it features a 16-megapixel front facing camera with OIS and flash, and has been priced at Rs. 29,990. Sony says smartphone will be available via Sony Center stores and other electronic retailers from Wednesday.

To recall, Sony had launched the Xperia X Dual and Xperia XA Dual in India in May, and had at that time said the Sony Xperia XA Ultra would be launched at a later date in the country.

The Xperia XA Ultra supports dual-SIM (Nano SIM), and runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. It features a 6-inch full-HD (1080×1920 pixels) display with the new Mobile BRAVIA engine 2. The Sony Xperia XA Ultra is powered by a 64-bit MediaTek Helio P10 MT6755 octa-core processor paired with 3GB of RAM. It offers 16GB of inbuilt storage which can be expanded via microSD card (up to 200GB).

The cameras on the Xperia XA Ultra is pegged as the big highlight of the smartphone. It sports a 21.5-megapixel rear camera with Exmore RS sensor, hybrid autofocus, HDR photo mode, auto-scene recognition, and LED flash. It comes with an adjacent 16-megapixel selfie camera with a Sony Exmore R sensor, front-facing flash, OIS, auto-focus, HDR photo mode, and wide angle lens (up to 88 degrees).

It packs a 2700mAh battery which is expected to deliver up to 2 days of battery life. The Sony Xperia XA Ultra comes bundled with a quick charger that claims give 5.5 hours of battery life in just 10 minutes of charging.

Connectivity options on the Sony Xperia XA Ultra include support for 4G, GPRS/EDGE, 3G, A-GPS, Wi-Fi, Miracast, Bluetooth 4.1, DLNA, and NFC. The handset is expected to be available in White, Graphite Black, and Lime Gold colour options. The Sony Xperia Ultra’s dimensions measure at 164.2×79.4×8.4mm, and it weighs around 202 grams.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor launched

Qualcomm has launched Snapdragon 821, successor to its high-end mobile processor Snapdragon 820. The company claims that the new processor is 10% faster than Snapdragon 820.



Qualcomm, however, stressed that the latest Chipset by the firm, it is not a replacement for the current Snapdragon 820. "Rather than replace the Snapdragon 820, the 821 is designed to complement and extend the competitive strengths of our Snapdragon 800 lineup," said the company in a blog post.


The Qualcomm Snapdragon 821, as per the company, "is engineered to deliver faster speed, improved power savings, and greater application performance, ensuring 821 powered devices keep pace with the growing performance demands of users to deliver the unmatched user experiences the Snapdragon 800 tier is known for."

Qualcomm has not revealed as to which devices will the new processor be powering, but has confirmed that commercial devices running on Snapdragon 821 will launch in second half of this year. This means that the handsets like the rumoured Nexuses and the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 might feature the new chipset. Asus Zenfone 3 is also likely to come with the new processor.

The company claims that the Snapdragon 821 "will help set a new bar for smartphones, tablets, mobile VR head mounted displays and other new devices."

Honor 8 with 12MP dual camera and Android Marshmallow launched in China

Huawei under its Honor brand has launched its latest flagship Honor 8 in China. the smartphone succeeds the last year launched Honor 7 and features dual cameras with 12MP resolution. Honor 8 comes in Pearl White, Sunrise Gold, Midnight Black, Sakura Pink and Sapphire Blue colour options.

Honor 8 flaunts a metal body design with a glass back and also comes equipped with a fingerprint sensor. The handset features a 5.2-inch full HD 2.5D curved display with 1080x1920 pixel resolution. Powering the device is an octa-core Kirin 950 processor paired with 3GB/4GB of RAM. It offers 32GB/64GB of onboard storage and the users can expand it up to 128GB by installing a microSD card.

Honor 8 runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system topped with the EMUI of the company. The hybrid dual-sim device boasts of 12MP rear dual cameras with dual-tone LED flash and an 8MP front-shooter for selfies. The connectivity options of the device include, 4G, LTE, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, NFC and USB Type C. The handset is backed by a 3,000 mAh battery with fast-charging support.

The smartphone is priced at $299 for the 3GB RAM with 32GB storage and the 4GB RAM with 32GB storage costs $374.

LG Stylus 2 Plus smartphone to launch in India soon, likely to be priced at Rs 25,990

Last month, LG launched its mid-range smartphone Stylus 2 Plus in Taiwan. And it seems that the Stylus 2 will be hitting Indian shores soon. According to a tweet posted by Mumbai-based retailer Mahesh Telecom, the smartphone will be soon launched in India at a price of Rs 25,990. It will come in Titan, Gold and Brown colour options.

On the specifications front, the LG Stylus Plus 2 sports a 5.7-inch Full HD display with 1080x1920 pixel resolution. It is powered by a 1.4GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor, coupled with 2GB/3GB of RAM. The smartphone offers 16GB/32GB of internal storage which can be further expanded up to 32GB via microSD card.

LG Stylus Plus 2 runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow and has a fingerprint sensor as well. It sports a 16MP rear camera with LED flash and an 8MP front shooter. Connectivity options include 4G, LTE, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS. Battery capacity is a respectable 3,000mAh, and the phone comes with a Pen Keeper for storing the included stylus. In addition, the LG Stylus 2 also show a pop-up message if it is moved without the stylus in place.

Recently, LG launched two new smartphones X5 and X Skin in Korea. Both devices were announced last month in Korea. They are powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core processor and run Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

LG X5 features a 5.5-inch HD display with 720x1280 pixel resolution. It offers 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage, which can be expanded further up to 32GB using a microSD card. The dual-sim handset boasts a 13MP rear camera with LED flash and a 5MP front shooter for selfies. The device is backed by a 2,800mAh battery and offers 4G, LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and NFC as connectivity options.

As for the X Skin, it has a slightly smaller 5-inch HD display of 720x1280 pixel resolution. The dual-sim handset offers 1.5GB RAM and 16GB of internal storage.

Motorola to launch budget Moto E3 in September

Lenovo-owned Motorola seems to be ready with another smartphone launch in India. After announcing the Moto Z and Moto Z Force last month, Motorola is now gearing up to launch its sub-Rs 10,000 third-generation Moto E handset. While Motorola hasn't revealed much about the Moto E3 smartphone, rumours suggest that the company will launch it in September.



The Motorola Moto E3 will feature a 5-inch 720p display and will be powered by a quad-core CPU. The smartphone will run stock Android 6.0 Marshmallow and be backed by a 2,800mAh battery.

The company had launched two variants -- 3G and 4G -- of the second-generation Moto E. However, Motorola is expected to launch only a 4G LTE-enabled Moto E3 handset. On the camera front, the Moto E3 is expected to feature an 8MP rear camera along with a 5MP front camera.

The device is expected to be priced around 99 Pounds in the UK, where it is likely to be launched first. This translates to around Rs 8,800 in India.

Motorola's latest flagships -- Moto Z and Moto Z Force -- are also expected to hit the shelves by September. The Moto Z Force is more powerful out of the two as it has more battery capacity, better rear camera, and features a second-generation Shatter Shield display, the technology which was first seen in Moto X Force.



Both the devices run Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow out-of-the-box, and feature 5.5-inch QHD display. Other common features include a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 4GB RAM and Adreno 530 GPU.

Google’s Nest launches its first outdoor camera

Google's Nest has launched its first-ever outdoor Camera. Priced at $199, the Nest camera outdoor can be pre-ordered in the US from the company website.

The camera makes use of magnets and screw mounts to attach to the wall and its concave base lets users position it in any direction. As per the company, the Nest Cam Outdoor, unlike other cameras, is always recording and uploading the video on to the cloud.

In addition, it always needs to be plugged into a power source. This means that unlike some security cameras that run on battery and start capturing footage only when they sense any movement, The Nest Cam Outdoor records videos all the time.

The camera comes with a 25-foot cable, records audio, features two-way talk and more.

Like its indoor camera variants, the Nest Cam Outdoor shoots videos in full-HD resolution with a 130-degree view. It also has 8 infrared LED lights for night vision.

Furthermore, Nest has also announced a redesigned app that will be arriving by the end of this month. The app will also bring a new feature called 'Spaces' that makes it easier for users to manage Nest products.