Samsung Galaxy S9 price leak.

If we’re talking about the price of Samsung flagships. Unconfirmed pricing info suggests that the Galaxy S9 will cost £740 according to one anonymous source while Clove UK even claims £800.

Meanwhile in Norway, the alleged pricing for the S9 is NOK 8,790 and for the Galaxy S9+ it’s NOK 9,790. The country is getting the Midnight Black, Coral Blue and Lilac Purple color options.

The Norwegian price for the Galaxy S9 is equivalent to $1,130/€910, which lines up with Clove’s claim of £800. The old Galaxy S8 launched at £690 while the Galaxy Note8 launched at £870.

Assuming the £740 figure is correct (which should make the Galaxy S9+ £830), then the Galaxy S9 duo will see a £50 price hike. And if the £800 figure is correct, it’s a hefty £110 jump. The Norwegian prices are both up NOK 800.

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Galaxy S9 and S9+ in Lilac Purple get leaked.

Samsung will make the Galaxy S9 and S9+ official at a special event in Barcelona on February 25, and as we get ever closer to that date leaks about these two handsets are starting to pour in. Right now we can show you leaked press renders of both the S9 and the S9+ in Lilac Purple, an intriguing color version for the duo, which was hinted at in a video a few days ago.

This is just one of four main hues that Samsung is preparing (there may be other limited editions as well). Expect to also see the S9 and S9+ in Midnight Black, Titanium Gray, and Coral Blue - though not all markets may get all of these.

These press renders confirm, for the umpteenth time, that the S9+ will have a dual rear camera setup while the smaller S9 will have to make do with a single lens on the back. Additionally, the much rumored vertical arrangement of the island housing the camera(s) and fingerprint sensor is a go, which means using your finger to unlock these Samsung phones will be much easier than hunting for the awkwardly positioned one in the company's flagships from last year.

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Pixel 2 New Update enabled Visual Core for all apps.

Google has started rolling out the February update, which enables the Pixel Visual Core on the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. This will allow third party developers of applications that access the camera API to tap into the Visual Core hardware and access the HDR+ image processing feature that has been available in the main camera app since the beginning.Pixel Visual Core is a custom image processor on the Pixel 2 devices that does hardware acceleration of the various image processing algorithms, primarily the HDR+ effect, which greatly increases the dynamic range of the image while reducing noise. It also includes RAISR, which uses machine learning to upscale digitally zoomed images and make them sharper.

All of these effects were available to the main camera app since the beginning but third party apps that accessed the camera could only take a standard picture without any of this additional processing, which greatly affected the image quality as the Pixel 2 camera without the HDR+ processing really isn't anything to write home about. Developers can now modify their apps to access this hardware if their app supports taking picture so their app can also take the same high quality images as the main camera app.

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Grab a Huawei Mate 10 Pro from UK and get a free tablet and £100 cashback.

Over in the UK, Three has an interesting deal going for people looking to purchase one of Huawei's recent flagship smartphones. Regardless of whether you pick the Mate 10 Pro or the P10, you are set to receive a free tablet.

That is the Huawei MediaPad T3 7.0, apparently a £79.99 value. The catch? You need to commit to a 24-month contract with Three, of course. Plans for the P10 start at £26 per month and £31 per month for the Mate 10 Pro (with a £79 upfront charge in both cases).

The deal is only going to be valid until March 4. If you don't mind having Three as your network and have been interested in Huawei's high-end roster, and you have nothing against getting a free tablet, then this is certainly for you. On top of all that, if you opt for the Mate 10 Pro you will also receive a £100 cashback.

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Mate 10 and 10 Pro software update fixes camera and wireless connectivity.

Huawei Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro are getting an important update – version 8.0.0.127 (SP1C00). The change log is a laundry list of optimizations and fixes.

The bug where the camera would occasionally fail to open or display a black screen has been squashed. The Beautify feature has been improved with “special touches” based on the subject’s gender.

Wireless connectivity got some major fixes too. You can now connect to hidden WiFi networks without issue and you can pause audio when playing over in-car Bluetooth. Related, SIM from carriers in countries with multiple time zones no longer mess up automatic time zone detection.

General improvements to the phone include optimized power consumption (third-party apps are controlled more tightly). Also, the navigation dock is available in Ultra power saving mode.

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Samsung February 2018 security patch ready for release

Samsung users can expect to see the February 2018 security patch rolling out soon as it’s now ready for release. Samsung has detailed the latest security maintenance release for the month of February 2018. The company only ramped up the release of the January 2018 security patch a couple of weeks ago and there are still many devices out there that haven’t received last month’s patch as yet. Nevertheless, we can start looking forward to the February patch now.

February 2018 security patch

All of the patches included by Google in the Android Security Bulletin – February 2018 are present in this security maintenance release. This includes patches for six critical vulnerabilities found in the Android operating system and dozens of high-risk and moderate-risk vulnerabilities.

The most severe issue patched by Google in the latest security bulletin could enable a remote attacker to use a specially crafted file to execute unauthorized code within the context of a privileged process in the Media framework.

The February 2018 security patch also brings fixes for 16 Samsung Vulnerabilities and Exposures (SVE) items that were found in the company’s own software. It’s only a matter of time now before Samsung starts rolling out this security maintenance release to supported devices.

One can never predict which will be the first device to get the new patch but if history is any indication, Samsung will release the February 2018 security patch to mid-range devices first before rolling it out to flagship models.

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the Samsung Galaxy S9 is the last in the S series. From 2019 the new Galaxy X series will start. Such a move is both logical and problematic. We speculate.
We have already seen them all: the first Galaxy S, the S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, S8, and soon the S9. But: are the South Koreans going to count, or is it time for something else. A new rumor  ( via ) suggests the latter.
Instead of a Galaxy S10, Samsung would start the count again next year with the Galaxy X. Indeed, that name was in the past associated with Samsung's folding phone, but it is equally clear the fork is otherwise in the handle. And for the record: no, Apple obviously did not make up the name X. Samsung recorded the name Galaxy X almost a year ago.
If the count with the Galaxy X starts again Samsung has a big problem. Of course, you can continue with the X2, X3 and so on after the Galaxy X. But Samsug has just adjusted the numbering of its A-series to that of the S-series - see the Galaxy A8 (2018) , so that it corresponds to the Galaxy S8 in terms of generation. We can hardly imagine that Samsung will go further with the Galaxy A1, A2, etc. That brings in confusion at the A3, logically. Or rather: who wants to buy an A2 after all, if that name sounds like the cheapest A Samsung ever released?

No, the fork is different in the stem. And so the only logical move seems  to be stopping counting. If so, we may see a Galaxy X (2019) next to a Galaxy A (2019), and possibly a Galaxy Note (2019) and a Galaxy J (2019). Possibly, if Samsung Samsung stays, they can still be released in the necessary Plus or Mini variants.

All that would mean in the future that Samsung's line-up will indeed be quite simple, with a J, A, X and Note series. And then, for the sake of convenience, we now assume that the current series will continue to exist in their own niche.

So: is that the future of Samsung's smartphone series? How could it be - but remember that all of this is based on one, unverifiable rumor. Nevertheless, the aforementioned brand name registration is a good indication that Samsung has big plans with the Galaxy X name. As we said: otherwise it was not already long before the arrival of a device with that name recorded.

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Intel could be the exclusive LTE modem supplier for 2018 iPhones.

KGI - Securities released the latest note to Apple investors with an accent over the deliveries of LTE modems in the 2018 iPhones. According to Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is going to ditch the Qualcomm platforms for the latest Intel XMM 7560 that supports both GSM and CDMA.

Apple cutting supply from the San Diego company and switching to Intel effectively means there could be one iPhone model that works with all four major US carriers - AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint. The split is also a logical step for the two companies that are entangled in a bunch of lawsuits.

Kuo added that diversification of the deliveries is not off the table and the two companies might decide to work together in exchange for concessions in the ongoing patent war. Apparently, Qualcomm is expecting a lower demand from Apple, and that’s one of the reasons for the deal with 6 Chinese manufacturers, announced 10 days ago.

All three new Apple -  iphone 8, iphone 8 plus, iphone X support 2x2 MIMO technology, while the expected three devices in 2018 might finally have 4x4 MIMO that will bring even faster LTE speeds.

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HTC working on a new budget 18:9 Ratio Smart Phone.

We expect HTC to hold off on major announcements at MWC 2018, more specifically, the U12 

flagship. Still that doesn’t mean the Taiwanese manufacturer has put its smartphone efforts on hold altogether. A fresh new batch of insider info, courtesy of reliable leakster Evan Blass, describes a new entry-level HTC handset on its way to the market.

This comes only days after another mysterious and still unannounced HTC phone was spotted in the GeekBench database. However, unlike the '2Q5W1', with its mid-range specs, this newly unearthed device, codenamed Breeze is described as a budget offer, with only one headlining feature - an 18:9 5.5-inch display.

The rest of the leaked specs sheet is highly unexceptional - 2GB RAM, plus 16GB storage, 13MP main camera setup, a 5MP selfie and an undisclosed MediaTek chipset. To top it all off - a 2,730mAh battery.

The Breeze could potentially be one of the devices HTC unveils at MWC 2018. If the price is right, it could still be a good value offer. Whatever the case, we will be reporting from the Barcelona venue in a few days to keep you up to date with developments.

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Samsung Galaxy S9+ cases leak/ Wireless Charging Pad.

We’ve seen cases by third-party makers leak the design of the upcoming Galaxy S9+, but now we get a chance to look at some of Samsung’s official cases for the upcoming flagship. There’s good news for alcantara fans, but four flip cases are featured too.

In the upper right of the image you see a wireless fast charger with a slightly different design than the S8-generation wireless chargers.

A couple of days ago we saw the flip cases officially called Clear View cases – handled on video. They are pretty much the same as the S8 cases the old phones even fit! - but feature cutouts for the dual rear camera and repositioned fingerprint reader.

Nokia 7 plus appear with 18:9 Ratio.

Nokia 7 plus will be the first Nokia phone to have the new-standard 18:9 Ratio screen and that screen will stretch 6-inches across. The screen will sit underneath Gorilla Glass while the back of the Nokia 7 Plus will be made of aluminum and house a dual camera with Zeiss branding.

The camera will offer 2x zoom thanks to a Wide Angle 12MP and Telephoto 13MP snappers. The cameras will be bolstered by Nokia's Pro mode for fine shooting parameters control and will be able to capture "Bothies" with the aid of the front-facing snapper (said to be a 16MP one). Nokia 7 plus will also feature a dual-tone design thanks to a few gilded bits and pieces like the fingerprint scanner ring, the dual-camera casing and the Nokia logo on the back. The aluminum is said to have a Ceramic texture and feel, meaning it should be less slippery than plain aluminum.

To complete the list of expected specs the Nokia 7 plus will be powered by a Snapdragon 660, as previously known, mated to 4GB of RAM and 64GB storage and a microSD slot. USB-C port with Quick Charging and Android Oreo out of the box are the other highlights.

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OnePlus 5T Oreo update now rolling out as OxygenOS 5.0.3

OnePlus 5T Oreo update, as some you might already know, started rolling out late last month. It arrived as OxygenOS 5.0.2. However, due to some issues, the roll out was temporarily stopped. Good news is the update has again started rolling out, and this times, it's arriving as OxygenOS 5.0.3.As for changes, most of them remain the same, just that the change-log now mentions some fixed issues. If you've been waiting for the OTA notification, your wait shouldn't be too long now.
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Galaxy S8 Oreo update may not arrive until February end in some countries

Samsung recently detailing its Experience 9 software suite, it's reasonable to assume the Galaxy S8/S8+ Oreo update roll out is imminent. However, some markets, it appears, will have to wait longer for the update.

A user from the Maghreb region of North Africa (which consists of Algeria, Morocco Tunisia, Libya and Mauritania) got in touch with Samsung support to enquire about the update, and was told the roll out is scheduled for February end.

There's currently no official information on which markets will get the update first and exactly when, but what now looks apparent is that the roll out won't complete anytime before Q1 this year.

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PHONE NEWSChinese Man Bites iPhone Battery & Causes Explosion in Electronics Store.

From the past couple of years, we are increasingly seeing the battery related issues on the smartphones. In 2016, we have seen the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 battery explosions. Coming to the end of 2017, Apple faced several lawsuits for intentionally slowing down the older iPhones. Now in 2018, a new battery explosion has been reported in China. According to the report, a Chinese man has bitten the replacement battery of his iPhone which later exploded within the Apple store.

However, the battery is exploded just after the unknown person taken the ruptured battery away from his face. From the CCTV video, we can see a small explosion and huge flash followed by smoke spreading all around the place. We can also see the customer closely examining the battery before biting it. Though it is closer to few other customers, there are no casualties reported from this incident.

It is mentioned that the man has bitten the battery to test the authenticity of it. We normally see people biting the gold to test its authenticity. We have no information whether the battery in question is the original replacement battery or not. From the video, we can see many other electronic devices inside the store along with servicing. Apple has recently decreased the cost of a replacement battery from $79 to $29 for all iPhones beginning from iPhone 6.

Upcoming vivo Xplay7 with 10GB of RAM

Vivo is looking to break the 8GB RAM barrier in the phone world. Such rumors are swirling about the vivo Xplay7, which should be the maker's next flagship.

The same leaked slides also point to it having a 4K screen, a Snapdragon 845 and up to 512GB of storage.

The vivo Xplay7 will also likely inherit the under-the-display fingerprint scanner built by Synaptics and featured in the vivo X20 Plus UD.

So far we can only speculate over the vivo Xplay7 and cling to a few rumored renders of it. It's supposed predecessor, the vivo Xplay6 was launched in the far December of 2016.

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HTC New midrange device appears on GeekBench with Snapdragon 625 with android Oreo.

A new smartphone has appeared on GeekBench’s database with an HTC model number: 2Q5W1. This isn’t a new HTC flagship, however. Based on the specifications from GeekBench, the tested device is powered a Snapdragon 625 CPU with 3GB of RAM.
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Google increase its devices shipment in 2017 revenue goes upto 38%.

The parent company of Google, Alphabet, posted Q4 2017 and fiscal year 2017 results. The report said the 2017 revenues were $110.9 billion, which is a 23% increase year over year. The October-December period accounted for $32.3 billion, $4.69 billion of them coming from Google other revenues that include Pixel phones and Play Store sales.

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, while not disclosing any numbers, said in its earnings call that shipments of devices doubled in 2017, including “tens of millions” Chromecast, Chromebook and Google Home speakers.

Other revenue category posted 38% increase in Q4 on a yearly basis. Back in October-December 2016, Google snatched $3.40 billion from hardware and app-related sales.

Aside from the earnings announcement, Alphabet introduced John L. Hennessy as the new Chair of the Board at Alphabet, replacing Eric Schmidt who stepped down at the end of 2017.

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Microsoft introduces budget oriented Surface Laptop and Surface Book 2 variants.

Microsoft has introduced new price points for each of its Surface Laptop and Surface Book 2 models. Both now start at a lower price, albeit with reduced specs.

Starting with the Surface Laptop, the new base model comes with an Intel Core m3 processor with Intel HD Graphics 615, 4GB RAM and 128GB storage and is priced at $799. Previously, the point of entry for this computer was $999, which has a more powerful Core i5.

Similarly, the Surface Book 2 now starts at $1199 for the 13.5-inch model, and has an Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM and 128GB storage. Previously, the cheapest variant was $1499 and had 256GB storage.

While positively rated, Microsoft's Surface computers are often criticized for their high prices. These new variants are cheaper but they also lose out on critical specifications, so the value proposition remains the same. However, if you are on a tight budget and don't mind a slightly slower processor or less storage, then these just might be within your reach now.

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Galaxy S8 Active gets Wi-Fi certified with Android 8.0 Oreo.

Samsung is almost ready to release the Android Oreo for its S8 and S8+smartphones, following a lengthy beta testing period that has recently ended. The company even put out an infographic today detailing the new features you can expect to see in the Oreo-infused Samsung Experience 9 software. In the US, T-Mobile is already testing the new release, but it now looks like a third model may be joining the aforementioned S8 duo in tasting the treat pretty soon.

We're talking about the other member of the S8 family, the S8 Active. This rugged handset launched last year as the first in the Active line to be offered by Sprint and T-Mobile in addition to AT&T. The S8 Active running Android 8.0 Oreo is now Wi-Fi certified, which is a necessary step to be taken before the update goes out to users.

This doesn't mean you will surely receive that coveted update notification in a few days, but it's at least a good indication that Samsung is actively developing the Oreo update for the Galaxy S8 Active and hasn't forgotten about this particular model. Once the Korean company finishes its work, it will be time for the aforementioned carrier partners to start their own testing, which will probably take some time too. You can, however, rest assured knowing that Oreo is indeed headed to the Galaxy S8 Active in the near future.

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New update release for Samsung Galaxy A8+ |2018|

Samsung has started pushing out a new update to its Galaxy A8+ (2018) smartphone. Weighing in at around 115MB and arriving as firmware version A730FXXU1ARAC, it's a security update that's currently hitting units in India only.
No, it's not the February update - security level stays at January 1 (if you remember, the device has already got the January update). So it's not clear what exactly the update brings along.

The same happened with the Galaxy Note8 recently, so we assume this new update for the Galaxy A8+ (2018) also includes fixes for the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities.

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Essential Phone will directly get Android 8.1, company says 8.0 isn't stable

The Essential Phone Oreo (8.0) beta program has been running for quite some time now. Recently, the company even promised that the final update will be released soon. However, now it has been revealed that the device won't be getting Android 8.0.

In a tweet, the company announced the phone will directly be updated to Android 8.1, saying 8.0 has some stability issues that will be fixed in 8.1.

This change in plan also means that the final Oreo update roll out time frame will be pushed back by a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, the company will launch the Android 8.1 beta program for early testers.

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Samsung Galaxy Note8 new update brings security improvements.

Shortly after rolling out the January security patch to the Galaxy Note8, Samsung has started pushing out a new update to its flagship smartphone. Carrying the build number of N950FXXU3BRA8, the update is currently hitting units in Brazil and France.
The change-log only mentions "improved security." It's quite possible that the update includes fixes for the Meltdown and Spectre security vulnerabilities, as Verizon Note8 recently received these fixes through an update.
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Samsung details Oreo-based Experience 9 update

Samsung is edging ever closer to seeding the final Oreo firmware to the Galaxy S8 and S8+and has put together an infographic, detailing all that's new about Samsung Experience 9, which is the software suite for Oreo Samsung smartphones.

There are plenty of improvements, including the keyboard or Bixby. The former has 4 new High Contrast modes and a new toolbar above the numeric row with shortcuts for emoji, stickers and GIF search.

The Samsung keyboard has also received a new simplified settings menu.The Bixby briefing panel can now play background music and show colors matching the weather outside. Speaking of colors there's a new Color Lens feature in the Accessibility settings. It changes the color of your screen to better suit your needs. You can have it Yellow, Orange, Red, Rose, Magenta and more and you can play around with the intensity.

Then there are other bits and pieces peppered about the place. Bixby Automation has gotten a new Dashboard with customizable cards, you can add a shortcut to the Samsung Cloud to the homescreen, Finder has gotten quicker and will show cards and results from Google Play and Galaxy Apps.

We expected Samsung to deliver the Oreo update earlier but we guess now is as good a time as any.

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