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Moto G7 range prices and renders leaked ahead of launch

The Moto G7 range is expected to be unvelied next month at an event in Brazil. Key sources indicate that Motorola plans to announce four different Moto G7 variants. These include the Moto G7, Moto G7 Plus, Moto G7 Play, and Moto G7 Power. Today, MySmartPrice has posted fresh renders of the next-generation G series phones from Motorola. In addition, they’ve also shared the European pricing of a few Moto G7 models.

According to the report, the Moto G7 Play will likely be the entry-level offering and will be priced at EUR 149 in several European markets. It’ll be offered in a choice of Gold and Blue color variants. The handset is expected to get powered by Snapdragon 632 processor.

Meanwhile, the Moto G7 Power will get a price tag of EUR 209 and will come in Lilac Purple and Black color variants. Besides, it’s expected to get powered by Snapdragon 625 processor and will feature a massive 5000mAh battery with fast charging.

Elsewhere, the report has also posted renders of the handset giving us an idea about the design. Going by the leaked renders, the Moto G7 and Moto G7 Plus sport a waterdrop-styled notch on top. Besides, both handsets can be seen sporting a rather thick chin which has the Motorola branding.

On the back, both handsets pack dual-rear cameras and the fingerprint sensor right below it. Meanwhile, the Moto G7 and Moto G7 Power can be seen sporting an iPhone X-style notch and thick bezels with the Motorola branding. In terms of specs, the report indicates that Moto G7 and Moto G7 Plus could run Snapdragon 660 processor. The report, however, has not revealed prices of the standard Moto G7 and Moto G7 Plus.

January 18, 2019
Pixel 3 Lite allegedly shows up in a video

We’ve already come across several leaks and rumors about the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL Lite. Past reports indicate the search engine giant plans to launch the duo in the US this spring in partnership with Verizon. Today, we have another leak about the Pixel 3 Lite, which surprisingly, comes in the form of a review.

Sources indicate the Pixel 3 Lite shown in the video is likely a pre-production sample. However, it falls in line with earlier leaks which tipped at a plastic body instead of metal like the standard Pixel 3 range. Even the frame appears to have been made of plastic, and the white color variant shown in the video sports a yellow power button.

Besides, the video reveals the presence of the classic 3.5mm headphone jack on top. Another interesting bit of information revealed is the repositioning of the SIM card slots, which have now been moved to the side.

In terms of specifications, the video suggets the Pixel 3 Lite gets powered by Snapdragon 670 chipset paired with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of built-in storage. Elsewhere, it features a 12.2MP primary camera as well as an 8MP front-facing shooter. The device runs Android 9 Pie and gets fuleled by a 2915mAh battery. You can check out the video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwaT4u-1Y60

Finally, the video suggests Google plans to launch the Pixel 3 Lite and Pixel 3 XL Lite sometime in Spring this year, right after the I/O conference.

Readers, however, are advised to take this information with a pinch of salt as nothing is official for the moment. We’ll update you as soon as we hear anyhting new. Until then, keep checking back for more.

January 17, 2019
LG to announce a foldable phone at MWC 2019 alongside the LG G8

It’s not just Samsung and Huawei who are planning to launch foldable smartphones. As reports suggest LG is also prepping a foldable smartphone which could launch as early as next month. According to a report by South Korean publication Naver, the company plans to launch the G8 flagship at MWC 2019, as well as a foldable smartphone with a unique form factor.

The report explains that unlike the upcoming foldable phone from Samsung, the Galaxy F, which features a large flexible display which can be folded to be used as a phone, LG’s foldable offering will have much different approach.

LG plans to use an add-on display to increase the screen real estate. The report explains that LG’s foldable phone can be used as a normal smartphone, though users can attach a secondary display if they need a larger screen for watching movies, videos, and more.

Apart from this, not much can be gleaned from the report. As additional key details about the LG’s foldable phone are still a mystery.

LG’s vice chairman said during CES 2019 that the company is going for changes with the form factor to stay competitive in the market. Besides, reports of LG’s foldable phone emerged for the first time back in November last year, suggesting that LG might give us a glimpse of the smartphone at CES 2019. But nothing has happened since then, and we’re now looking forward to MWC 2019 for LG’s foldable phone.

As far as pricing goes, the report suggests LG plans to price its foldable phone in the range of KRW 1 miilion (roughly $900). The report also adds that LG plans to announce several handsets at MWC 2019, including the flagship, the LG G8 or the LG G8 ThinQ.

January 17, 2019
Galaxy S10+ leaked live photo tips at dual selfie cameras

Samsung will officially unveil the Galaxy S10 series at an Unpacked event in San Francisco on February 20. We’ve already come across multiple leaks about the upcoming flagship, giving us a fairly good idea about what to expect. Multiple reports suggest that Samsung will announce three different variants of the flagship. These include the Galaxy S10 Lite, Galaxy S10, and the top-end Galaxy S10+. Yesterday, the would be top-of-the-line model, the Galaxy S10+ was spotted on Geekbench with rather impressive scores. Today, the handset has allegedly appeared in a live photo thanks to a Reddit user.

Going by the leaked image, it appears the Galaxy S10+ will pack dual selfie cameras housed within the punch hole on the screen. The leak falls in line with earlier rumors, which also indicated two selfie cameras tucked in the upper right corner in a punch hole. Besides, the leaked image also suggests it’ll have extremely thin bezels, way thinner compared to the Galaxy S9+.

Key sources also indicate that the Galaxy S10+ will be lighter than the Galaxy Note 9, despite being the same size. Besides, the image suggests that fingerprint scanner is housed within the display, which is also in line with earlier leaks about the device.

Yesterday, the Galaxy S10+ was spotted on Geekbench with Snapdragon 855 chipset, 6GB of RAM, and Android 9 Pie. The listing showed that the handset the listing reveals that the handset racked up single and multi-core scores of 3413 and 10256 points.

Galaxy S10 release date and pricing rumors

A report via Korean publication ETNews also suggests that the Galaxy 10 range might go on sale on March 8. In addition, the report also suggests that the handset’s 5G variant would go on sale on March 29. As far as pricing goes, the report suggests that the entry-level Galaxy S10 could be priced between $700-$800, while the handset’s top-end variant could be priced as high as $1600.

More details about the Samsung Galaxy S10 are likely to surface as we near its official release. We’ll update you as soon as we hear anything new. Until then, keep checking back for more.

January 17, 2019
Massive breach exposes 773 million emails, 21 million passwords

We’ve come across security hacks time and again. However, the latest breach takes it a whole new level exposing 773 million email addresses and over 21 million unique passwords. Experts believe it’s possibly the largest data breach in history, as more than 87GB of emails addresses and passwords were leaked by hackers.

The breach was first reported by security researcher Troy Hunt, who explains that the hack was a collection of numerous other data breaches, going all the way back to 2008. The trove of leaked data was posted popular hacking forum, Mega, though was shortly taken down. The leaked data was dumped in a folder called #Collection1, which had over 12,000 files with a size of over 87GB.

“Collection #1 is a set of email addresses and passwords totalling 2,692,818,238 rows. It’s made up of many different individual data breaches from literally thousands of different sources,” explained Hunt.

Is it a big deal?

So, how serious is this issue? Hunt suggests it’s pretty big despite the fact that information such as credit card and social security numbers have not been leaked. For one, he says the way in which passwords were dumped in #Collection1. They were all in plain text, compared to other data breaches where passwords were cryptographically hashed, making them very difficult to read. Besides, Hunt found that nearly 140 million email accounts and over 100 million unique passowrds in the breach were new to his new database.

Hunt has also loaded the email addresses and passwords on Have I Been Pwned. It’s a database where you can check whether your email or password was affected by the breach. He further advises users to look into Password Manager to secure all their sensitive information such as passwords and banking info.

“A password manager provides you with a secure vault for all your secrets to be stored in (not just passwords, I store things like credit card and banking info in mine too), and its sole purpose is to focus on keeping them safe and secure”, further added Hunt.

January 16, 2019
Moto RAZR to be resurrected as foldable phone: Report

The Moto RAZR phone was a 90’s fashion icon and the king of flip phones, with worldwide sales of nearly 130 million units. Now, a new report claims that the iconic flip phone could be revived as a foldable screen phone. According to a report by Wall Street Journal, Motorola’s parent company Lenovo is looking to cash in on the popularity of the original Razr phone, with an upgraded foldable model.

Besides, the report further notes that the upcoming Razr will be a Verizon exclusive in the US. Also, Lenovo is reportedly planning to launch them in February at a price tag of $1500. That said, the report also adds that the device is undergoing testing, and exact details are yet to be finalized.

Lenovo plans to manufacture over 200,000 units of the new Razr

Other details such as specifications, screen size, and design remain a mystery for the moment. The report, however, does note that Lenovo plans to manufacture over 200,000 units of the new RAZRs, which is rather surprising given it’s a $1,500 luxury smartphone.

Well, this isn’t the first time that the RAZR has been planned to make a comeback. Back in 2016, Motorola Mobility showcased a video showcasing the handset being used in a high school. Flip phones and old-school handsets in brand new avatars is becoming a popular trend among manufacturers. HMD-Global re-launched the iconic brick phone from the 90s – the Nokia 3310 to inject a dose of fun and nostalgia among users.

The same could happen with the new RAZR, giving users that satisfying feeling of flipping the phone. Beware! Apple, the iPhone’s popularity could take a hit with this slick and stylish revival.

January 16, 2019
Spotify’s ‘Car View’ mode now rolling out for some users

Drives are a lot more fun if you’ve your favorite music or podcast playing in the background. That said, trying to fiddle with your music while driving poses a threat not only for you, but for others on the road as well. To prevent such mishaps from happening, tech giants are constantly testing several new features to make it easier for drivers to find their music. Spotify has been striving to making its app user-friendly and safe while driving.

Now, it appears Spotify has begun rolling out a new driving mode under the name ‘Car View’, which aims to make listening to music safe and easy while on the go. A report by Android Police suggests that Car View was activated automatically as soon a user connected his device with the car’s Bluetooth.

The layout under Car View is reminiscent of Spotify’s regular interface, though there are subtle changes such as larger fonts and icons which should make Spotify relatively easy to use while driving.

The screen looks pretty minimalist under Car View, featuring a heart icon on the bottom left, a Share button on the bottom right. along with a Play/Pause button in the center. That said, it appears the feature has rolled out only for a handful of users, hence you might have to wait a little while before the feature arrives on your device.

January 16, 2019
Galaxy S10+ with Snapdragon 855 and 6GB RAM spotted on Geekbench

Come February 20, Samsung will officially unveil the Galaxy S10 series at an Unpacked event in San Francisco. We’ve already come across multiple leaks about the upcoming handset, giving us a fairly good idea about what to expect. Multiple reports suggest that Samsung will announce three different variants of the flagship. Today, the top-end Galaxy S10+ model has made an appearance on benchmarking database Geekbench with rather impressive scores.

The Galaxy S10+ (SMG975U) was spotted on Geekbench with Snapdragon 855 chipset, 6GB of RAM, and Android 9 Pie. Elsewhere, the listing reveals that the handset racked up single and multi-core scores of 3413 and 10256 respectively.

While multi-core scores see a slight improvement in performance compared to Snapdragon 845, we can for sure see a surge in single-core scores. That said, the listing shows the Galaxy S10+ with 6GB of RAM, which is contrary to earlier rumors which tipped at 8GB of RAM.

Meanwhile last week, the entry-level model of the flagship, referred to as the Galaxy S10 Lite also surfaced on Geekbench. It also appeared with Snapdragon 855 processor, 6GB of RAM, and Android 9 Pie. That said, the listing revealed rather unimpressive single and multi-core scores of 1986 and 6266 points.

In other related news, a report via Korean publication ETNews also suggests that the Galaxy 10 range might go on sale on March 8. Besides, the report also suggests that the handset’s 5G variant would go on sale on March 29. As far as pricing goes, the report suggests that the entry-level Galaxy S10 could be priced between $700-$800, while the handset’s top-end variant could be priced as high as $1600.

More details about the Galaxy S10 are likely to surface as we near its official release. We’ll update you as soon as we hear anything new. Until then, keep checking back for more.

January 16, 2019
Apple launches smart battery cases for its 2018 iPhone range

Apple today launched new smart battery cases for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. Priced at $129, these new smart battery cases are designed to offer extra battery life to iPhone users. They feature a similar design compared to battery cases offered for the iPhone 7, sporting a bump in the back which houses the battery pack.

Available in Black and White color options, each battery case offers different battery life depending upon the iPhone model. For instance, the iPhone XS battery case is rated to deliver up to 33 hours of talk time, up to 25 hours of video playback, and 21 hours of internet use.

On the other hand, the iPhone XS Max smart battery case, when paired with the iPhone XS Max churns out 37 hours of talk time, 25 hours of video playback, and up to 20 hours of internet use. Finally, the smart battery case for the iPhone XR offers up to 39 hours of talk time, up to 27 hours of video playback, and up to 22 hours of internet use.

Compatible with Qi-certified wireless chargers

Besides, these new smart battery cases support Qi-wireless charging unlike the battery case for the iPhone 7. They also support Lighting accessories such as EarPods and Lighting Connector. Besides, these new smart battery cases display battery status on the iPhone’s lock screen and in the Notification Center giving users an idea about their handset’s battery.

January 15, 2019
Samsung Galaxy S10 will reportedly go on sale on March 8

Samsung will officially unveil the Galaxy S10 series on February 20 at an Unpacked Event in San Francisco. That said, we haven’t heard anything concrete as to when the smartphone will actually go on sale. However, a new report from Korean publication ETNews suggests that the flagship might go on sale starting March 8. Besides, the report also suggests that the Galaxy S10’s 5G variant would go on sale on March 29. That said, it’s still unknown whether Samsung will adopt the same approach as it did last year, by shipping the device earlier to customers who pre-ordered the handset.

As far as pricing goes, the report suggests that the entry-level Galaxy S10 could be priced between $700-$800, while the handset’s top-end variant could be priced as high as $1600.

Samsung expected to launch three different Galaxy S10 models

As per earlier reports, Samsung is expected to launch three different variants of the Galaxy S10. These include the Galaxy S10 Lite, the Galaxy S10, and the Galaxy S10+. the Galaxy S10 Lite would feature 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. On the other hand, the standard Galaxy S10 will have 6GB of RAM, and will come in a choice of 128GB or 256GB storage options.

Finally, the top-end S10 Plus will be offered in configurations with 6GB or 8GB of RAM, as well as 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB of built-in storage. Besides, the 5G variant of the flagship will come in configurations with 8GB/12GB of RAM, and 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB of storage.

Elsewhere, both S10 and S10 Plus will feature an in-screen ultrasonic fingerprint scanner. However, the S10 Lite will reportedly get the standard rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. Besides, all three Galaxy S10 variants will feature Bright Night and portrait lighting. Key sources also indicate that all models will have a dual NPU (Neural Processing Unit).

However, readers are advised to take this information with a pinch of salt as nothing is official at the moment. We’ll know everything when Samsung officially unveils the Galaxy S10 on February 20.

January 15, 2019
RCS Chat finally arrives on Google Fi

Google officially announced that RCS Chat support has arrived on Google Fi network. It’s the next-generation chat standard that allows users to share high quality images and video, texting over Wi-Fi, read-receipts, as well as better group chats. That said, the RCS standard doesn’t offer end-to-end encryption in order to protect users’ privacy.

“With RCS in Messages, you can do and share more when you message friends, family members, groups, and even businesses who are on RCS. You’ll be able to see typing indicators and read receipts, share high-resolution videos, and message over Wi-Fi or data with others that have RCS enabled,” explained Product Manager Punyabrata Ray explained in a blog post. ”

As long as you have a ‘designed for Fi’ phone, RCS support will be automatically enabled on your device. It’s available on several handsets such as the likes of Pixel phones, LG G7, LG V35, Moto G6, as well as Moto X (Android One variant). Besides, RCS also supports other Android smartphones as well. All you’ll need to do is donwload the Google Messages app and set is as your default messaging app.

Google Fi will support faster LTE data in 33 countries

Apart from announcing RCS Chat support, the search engine giant also announced that it’s improving data sppeds for users on roaming. Google says it’ll offer 4G LTE data speeds for users who travel internationally. Users on roaming are expected to get faster 4G LTE speeds on their travels in the ‘next few weeks’.

Google Fi will support faster LTE data in 33 countries it covers. These include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, as well as the UK.

January 15, 2019
OnePlus 7 leak hints at notchless bezel-free display, pop-up selfie camera

OnePlus 7 is expected to be the successor to the current OnePlus 6T. The company received immense backlash from users over the notch with the current flagship. However, a new leak suggests that the Chinese manufacturer might ditch the notch altogether with the upcoming OnePlus 7.

The leak was spotted by a contibutor on Slashleaks. The image allegedly shows the OnePlus 7 alongside the OnePlus 6T. The phone on the left, is seemingly the OnePlus 7, while the one on the right is the current OnePlus 6T flagship, sporting the waterdrop-styled notch. In addition, we can barely see any bezels on either sides of the handset, indicating that OnePlus plans to remove all possible bezels from its upcoming flagship.

Credits: CoolAPK/SlashLeaks

Besides, we can’t see the front-facing camera on the next-gen OnePlus flagship going by the leaked image. We’re still not sure where the company plans to house the front-facing camera, but it appears the handset might sport a motorized, pop-up camera mechanism like the Vivo Nex.

OnePlus 7 expected launch in May

The OnePlus 7 will likely release in May this year if the company sticks with its existing launch cycle. Rumor also has it that OnePlus to release two new smartphones in the first half of 2019, which’ll inlcude a 5G handset. CEO Pete Lau, also indicated that the 5G-enabled phone will be completely different device than the OnePlus 7 with a different branding. He also indicated the 5G smartrphone will cost nearly $200-$300 more than the current OnePlus 6T.

Besdies, Lau also confirmed that the next OnePlus flagship will run the latest Snapdragon 855 processor. Apart from this, no other details about the upcoming flagship are known at this point. Key sources, however, suggest that the handset might feature an in-screen fingerprint scanner, as well as a triple rear camera setup.

More details about the OnePlus 7 are likley to surface in the near future. We’ll update you as soon as we hear anyhting new. Until then, keep checking back for more.

January 14, 2019
PlayStation 5: Everything we know so far

We already know that Sony has already begun work on its next-generation console – the PlayStation 5. However, we haven’t heard anything substantial so far from the company itself. Luckily, analysts and fans just can’t stop talking about it, giving us an idea about what’s next. Hence, without wasting a beat, here’s an article about all the key details we’ve gathered about the PS5 so far:

PlayStation 5 release date

Sony is expected to publicly unveil the hardware roadmap for PS5 on February 21, 2019. However, the hardware reveal date hasn’t been announced yet. That said, sources indicate it could happen between August to September 2019.

As far as release goes, Sony is rumored to release the PS5 in the United States and Japan on November 16, 2019. Release for Tier 2 regions, which include Australia and Europe, has been planned for November 23, 2019. While the 25th Anniversary Limited Edition PS5 is slated for a release by December 3rd, 2019.

PlayStation 5 rumored specifications

We already know for a fact that game studios are already developing titles for the PS5. According to credible industry insider Marcus Sellers, third party studios have had access to PS5 dev kits since early 2018. Thanks to that, key specs of the upcoming PS5 have been tipped at. Hence, we have a fairly good idea about the upcoming console’s hardware.

Just like the PS4 and PS4 Pro, Mark Cerny is the lead system architect for the PlayStation 5. At the core of the PS5, there’ll be an AMD accelerated processor unit or APU – a chip which includes both the CPU and GPU. It’ll be a desktop class APU unlike the PS4 which features a mobile-class APU – meant for notebooks.

The APU unit in the upcoming PS5 will pack 8-cores, 16 threads, and will be based on the latest 7nm manufacturing process. As far as GPU goes, the PS5 will likely feature a custom GPU, based on the upcoming Navi architecture.

Even the memory is expected to receive an upgrade, as the PS5 will likely come equipped with the faster GDDR6 RAM, compared to GDDR5 found on the PS4. In terms of storage, the PS5 will most likely come with a 2TB HDD, as the size of games keeps increasing.

Rumor also has it that next-gen consoles will be based on flash storage, which will make noticeably them faster and quieter. Another big focus on the PS5 would Virtual Reality. The AMD APU mentioned above has been designed with VR in mind.

Elsewhere, an industry analyst also indicates the PS5 will almost certoianly feature backwards compatibility. Mat Piscatella, analyst with NPD group suggests he’ll be surprised if the PS5 didn’t support backwards compatibility.

Readers, however, should take this information with a pinch of salt as nothing is official for now.

January 14, 2019
Massive Galaxy S10 details leaked again

There’s been no dearth of leaks about the upcoming Galaxy S10. The flagship is slated for a release at an Unpacked event on February 20. Today, we’ve come across another massive Galaxy S10 leak that may not leave any surprises when the flagship officially launches.

According to Max Weinbach (a contributor to XDA Developers), the Galaxy S10 Lite would feature 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. On the other hand, the standard Galaxy S10 will have 6GB of RAM, and will come in a choice of 128GB or 256GB storage options. Finally, the top-end S10 Plus will be offered in configurations with 6GB or 8GB of RAM, as well as 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB of built-in storage.

Besides, the 5G variant of the flagship will come in configurations with 8GB/12GB of RAM, and 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB of storage. Weinbach further notes that the foldable Galaxy X, will have 12GB of RAM and 512GB or 1TB of storage.

Key Galaxy S10 camera details also leaked

Weinbach has also revealed key camera details about all three S10 models, stating that all variants will feature an ultra-wide 16MP f/1.9 lens with 123-degree field of view. Besides, all three will also feature a 12MP standard lens with OIS, as well as a variable aperture that can switch between f/1.5 and f/2.4.

However, the top-end Galaxy S10 Plus will have an additional 13MP telephoto lens with f/2.4 aperture, OIS, and 45-degree. Now, this implies that the S10 Lite and standard S10 will pack dual-rear cameras, while the S10 Plus will feature a triple-lens camera setup. However, this happens to be in contrast with Samsung Insider IceUniverse, who indicated that the standard S10 will also have three cameras on the back.

Coming back to the report, all three Galaxy S10 variants will feature Bright Night and portraint lighting. The report also notes that all models will have a dual NPU (Neural Processing Unit).

Elsewhere, both S10 and S10 Plus will feature an in-screen ultrasonic fingerprint scanner. However, the S10 Lite will reportedly get the standard rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.

Finally, the report suggests that Galaxy S10 will sport glossier bodies than the Galaxy S9, and that it’ll be offered in a choice of black, white, green, and blue color options. The Galaxy S10 Lite might also get a yellow color option depending upon the region, adds the report.

However, as is usually the case with leaks, readers are advised to take this information with a pinch of salt. That said, we’ll know everything when Samsung officially unveils the Galaxy S10 on February 20.

January 13, 2019
VLC plans to bring AirPlay support soon, reaches 3 billion downloads

VLC announced two major milestones during the ongoing Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2019) in Las Vegas. The open-source video player confirmed that AirPlay suuport will soon arrive on VLC, allowing users to stream content from their iOS or Android device to their Apple TV. The feature will be the biggest addition in the upcoming version of VLC, since the addition of Chromecast support last summer.

VLC suggests that Air Play support could arrive for the primary VLC app in about a month for free. That said, they haven’t announced an exact release date yet.

“Just like with Chromecast, we intend to support AirPlay on any platform. There is no release date yet at all. We would like it to be part of VLC 4, which is the next major release we are currently working on. We will let you know in advance once we define a date”, said developers at VLC during CES 2019.

Apart from this, VLC also announced that the video-player app has finally reached a whopping 3 billion downloads. Now, this happens to be a moumnetal growth since May 2012 when the service reached one billion user downloads.

In addition, key sources also indicate that VLC plans to add native supoprt for VR content on the service. Besides, developers at VLC are also keen to bring the service to more platforms such as the PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Roku.

January 11, 2019