Qualcomm resumes shipments to Huawei

Ever since Huawei was put on the US government’s Entity List, some of its key partners such as Qualcomm have faced a tough time. In a new development Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf confirmed his company has now resumed trade with Huawei. According to Mollenkopf, Qualcomm is also looking to secure a long-term supply deal with the Huawei but did not disclose what components are being sold.

Back in July, the US Department of Commerceannounced it would begin issuing special licenses for companies that wish to continue their business ties with Huawei. One of the main points of emphasis was that US companies would only be allowed to sell widely available components, a category which includes mobile chipsets.

In August Huawei was granted a new 90-day extension to its temporary trade license agreement to trade with US companies. Later that month reports claimed that more than 130 US companies had filed for the special licenses.

Despite producing its own set of chipsets, Huawei still relies on Qualcomm for a sizeable chunk of its devices. It was reported that in 2018 alone Huawei spent an estimated 11 billion on trade with US companies including Qualcomm, Intel and Micron.

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Google Pixel 4 to come with 8x zoom, 6GB RAM, and Motion Mode

The Pixel 4, likely arriving next month, is rumored to sport a dual camera setup at the back comprising of 12MP main and 16MP telephoto units. And if the latest report is to be believed, we will see it come with a new camera feature called "Motion Mode".

Pixel 4 on left and Pixel 4 XL on right

The "Motion Mode" will let you take sports and action shots with "moving subjects in the foreground and blurry background". Additionally, the Pixel 4 will also come with an improved Night Sight with speed-related improvements.

The report further states that Google will brag about the Pixel 4's ability to take pictures of the starry sky.

But wait, that's not all. An image shared by a user on Chinese social network Weibo reveals that the Pixel 4 will feature 8x zoom which could be a combination of optical zoom and Google's Super Res Zoom feature.

These images confirm the Pixel 4 will come with 8x zoom and 6GB RAM

Another image confirms that the Pixel 4 will come with 6GB RAM. Current Pixels max out at 4GB RAM, and it's good to see Google finally making a jump to 6GB RAM. It now remains to be seen whether Google will also have a model with 8GB RAM.

Source 1 | Source 2

Honor launches a new AI-powered smart app for the visually impaired

At this year's IFA, Honor announced a new color option for Honor 20 Pro, a wider market availability for its Honor Band 5 and also a new smart app that helps visually impaired users to read text.

The app is called PocketVision and it's powered by Honor's AI and the high-resolution camera on the Honor 20-series smartphones. The app can help people with impaired vision to read documents, menus and everything in between. There are three available modes so far - Text-to-Speech Mode, Zoom-In Mode and Negative Image Mode.

The first one is pretty self-explanatory - you point at a text and the phone reads it out loud. It works in English, Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese, Italian and German using the HiAI platform and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) by converting pictures into text.

The Zoom-In Mode utilizes the 48MP main camera on the Honor 20 family and the 8MP telephoto lens to zoom in on the text using the volume buttons delivering great text clarity. And lastly, the Negative Image Mode provides a wide range of color filters to enhance the image by improving the contrast of the text.

PocketVision is available at Huawei's AppGallery and can be installed on all Honor smartphones, but it will work best on the Honor 20-series.

Samsung cancels all Galaxy Fold pre-orders ahead of re-release

Earlier today Samsung officially re-announced theGalaxy Fold, after having spent months fixing the issues that the original batch of reviews uncovered.

Also today, Samsung decided to cancel all Galaxy Fold pre-orders in the US. You're not reading that wrong, the company hasn't started pre-orders, it canceled them. We're talking about the pre-orders that used to be available earlier this year, following the Fold's initial announcement, before all the problems came to light.

The company has sent people who had pre-orders an email about the move, in which it explains that it is taking some time to "rethink the entire customer experience - from purchase to unboxing, to post-purchase service", so that its customers will have "the best possible experience with this revolutionary new technology".

You can see the email in the tweet embedded above, which comes from YouTuber M. Brandon Lee, who first made this public. Luckily for the people in this situation, Samsung is throwing in a $250 credit for free to be redeemed on any product sold directly through its online store. That includes the Galaxy Fold, so in the end, if you decide to re-pre-order it, you'll get a nice discount for what is definitely one of the most expensive smartphones ever.

The Galaxy Fold hits Korea first on September 6, and then it will land in France, Germany, Singapore, and the UK on September 18. It's headed to the US "in the coming weeks" officially, with a rumored release date over there ofSeptember 27.

The LG G8X ThinQ brings a 32MP selfie cam, updated DualScreen

LG just unveiled the G8X ThinQ smartphone, a follow-up if not a direct replacement for the G8. To go with it, there's a new DualScreen accessory case/extra display - who needs folding phones when you can leave half of it at home.

The G8X comes with a larger display than the G8, matching the V50's 6.4-inch diagonal. It's lower-res than either of the current models, however, at 2340x1080px as opposed to their 3040x1040px. Perhaps it has something to do with market segmentation in its home country - the G8X will be known as the V50S in South Korea.

The G8X still uses an OLED panel, and this time around LG's fitted an under-display fingerprint sensor - might as well. The selfie camera's changed too - a 32MP Quad Bayer unit replaces the plain 8MP shooter of the G8. Gone is the ToF camera allowing for a smaller and tidier notch up top (plus who uses the Hand ID feature of the G8?).

On the back, the G8X's minimalist approach continues - the phone has two cameras, which sit flush with the rear glass panel. The modules go like this - a regular 12MP main unit (1/2.55" sensor, 1.4µm pixel size, f/1.8 aperture, dual pixel PDAF, OIS) and a 13MP ultra wide angle one (1/2.8", 1.0µm, f/2.4, fixed focus) that covers a crazy 136-degree field of view - just like the G5 from way back. Now, most other high-end phones have one form of telephoto camera or another but not this LG.

The other lines in the G8X's specsheet don't contain surprises. It's powered by the Snapdragon 855 chipset (not the more recent 855+) and has a single configuration with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. There's a microSD slot to expand that, LG is persisting with the headphone jack (and the QuadDAC behind it) and there's a 4,000mAh battery to power things.

  
LG G8X ThinQ

The G8X is big on durability. It's got sheets of Gorilla Glass 6 front and back and has an IP68 rating, but that's not all - it's also covered 14 categories from the MIL-STD 810G standard.

With the G8X, LG is introducing a new version of its in-house Android overlay. LG UX 9.0 has much cleaner and simpler shapes, bolder icons and built-in dark mode. The G8X will launch on Android 9 Pie.

DualScreen

Alongside the G8X, LG pulled the wraps off the DualScreen - a snap-on second display that's an improved version of the one announced with the V50. Essentially, it's a flip case with the cover housing another 6.4-inch display (exact same as the G8X's main one, with notch and all) and a second (or third?), 2.1-inch monochrome OLED display facing the other way.

The DualScreen can be used for displaying two apps side by side, having a big and easy-to-type-on keyboard on one, or for a game pad leaving an unobstructed view of the gameplay. And the best thing about it is that you can leave it at home, when you know you won't need it.

The accessory has no battery of its own and feeds off the phone by plugging into its USB-C port, leaving a set of pogo pins for charging with an included adapter or wireless charging as the next best option. The DualScreen adds 134g to an already hefty 192-gram G8X, so you better weigh in your priorities before going out with it.

Motorola One Zoom unveiled with 48MP and 3x tele camera, 6.4" OLED screen

The new Motorola One Zoom is the best phone in Moto’s current lineup. It has a 6.4” OLED display with 1080p+ resolution and under display fingerprint and it is powered by a Snapdragon 675 chipset, just like the Moto Z4. As you can tell from the name, however, the camera got an upgrade – or three.

The main shooter is still based on a 48MP sensor (0.8µm) with a bright f/1.7 lens and optical image stabilization (OIS). The selfie camera is the same as well, a 25MP shooter with 0.9µm pixels. Both it and the rear cam feature Quad Pixel technology for improved low-light performance.

But while the Z4 had just those two cameras, the Zoom adds an 8MP telephoto cam with 3x optical zoom and OIS. There’s also a 16MP ultra wide-angle (117°) camera and a 5MP depth sensor.

The chassis of the Motorola One Zoom is built out of polished 6000-series aluminum. The OLED screen is protected by 2.5D chemically-strengthened glass (Panda King), the back gets Gorilla Glass 3.

Moto used P2i nano-coating to make the phone splash-proof. It’s powered by a 4,000mAh battery, which supports 15W TurboPower fast charging through the USB-C port. You’ll be glad to hear that there’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack (there’s an FM radio receiver to boot).

  
Motorola One Zoom

The One Zoom comes with 4GB of RAM and 128GB storage. It’s a dual-SIM phone with a three-card slot – two SIMs and a microSD.

It will be available starting today at a price of €400. 

iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max have all their specs seemingly leaked

After many months of rumors, purported leaks, and speculation, Apple will finally make the new trio of iPhones official on September 10. And today out of China comes a new report that seems to leak all of the new devices' specs. Before we go into the actual information, don't forget to take all of this with a healthy serving of salt - it's just an unconfirmed rumor at this point. That said, a lot of the stuff in it lines up with what we've heard in the past, and the rest is at least plausible.

iPhone 11

This is the successor to the iPhone XR, and hence Apple's entry-level option for late 2019. Like the XR, it will start at $749 in the US, and it will feature the exact same screen as its predecessor. The A13 chip is in, aided by 4GB of RAM. The front camera is 12 MP, and the Face ID sensor will be angled in a way that makes unlocking work at wider angles. So maybe even unlocking while the phone sits on a table will be possible.

Moving on, the iPhone 11 gets a 3,110 mAh battery, which is a small bump up from the XR's 2,942 mAh cell. The device will have no 3D Touch, and won't support the Apple Pencil. On the back there's a dual 12 MP camera system, while support for both Wi-Fi 6 and reverse wireless charging is built-in. Storage versions are 64/256/512GB.

iPhone 11 Pro

This is the successor to the iPhone XS, and keeps the exact same OLED screen as that model. Like the iPhone 11, it has the A13 chip, newly angled Face ID, no 3D Touch, 12 MP front camera, reverse wireless charging, and Wi-Fi 6. Where it differs from the entry-level model is in that it has 6GB of RAM, triple 12 MP rear cameras (standard + ultrawide + telephoto), support for the Apple Pencil, and storage options starting at 128GB (with 256/512GB available too).

The iPhone 11 Pro has a 3,190 mAh battery, a huge step up from the 2,658 mAh cell in the XS. It will however keep its predecessor's pricing, starting at $999. It's said to sport a frosted glass design, which will be different from the iPhone 11's glass design, though it's not exactly clear how.

iPhone 11 Pro Max

This is the successor to the iPhone XS Max, it comes with the same screen, yet devoid of 3D Touch this year. It's got the same improved Face ID as the other iPhone 11 models, as well as the A13 chip, 12 MP front camera, reverse wireless charging and Wi-Fi 6 support. It shares the rear cameras with the iPhone 11 Pro, as well as the RAM amount at 6GB and the Apple Pencil support. It has a 3,500 mAh battery, quite the leap from the 3,174 mAh cell in its predecessor.

Storage options will be identical to those for the iPhone 11 Pro, aka 128/256/512GB, and the iPhone 11 Pro Max starts at $1,099 just like the XS did last year. It also has the frosted glass design like the iPhone 11 Pro.

An 18W power adapter is said to ship in the box with all three models, and the cable will be Lighting at the phone end but USB-C at the brick end. As rumored countless times before, 5G support will only come to iPhones in 2020.

Source (in Chinese) | Via

Samsung Galaxy Note10+ handily defeats Apple iPhone XS Max in a speed test

The Samsung Galaxy Note10+ beat the Apple iPhone XS Max in the PhoneBuff speed test by a whole 30 seconds.

If you're familiar with the PhoneBuff-styled speed test, you know this is a big deal. And if you're not familiar, it uses an AI-trained robot to simulate the same actions on both phones, opening a bunch of apps and performing tasks for one lap, and then re-opening all of the apps to see if the phone has kept them in the RAM.

Interestingly the Galaxy Note10+ was faster to open most of the games and didn't fall behind the iPhone XS Max in any of the tasks. And on the second lap it managed to use its 12GB of RAM to outdo the 4GB iPhone XS Max and claim the top spot alongside the OnePlus 7 Pro.

Here's the full video.

Huawei outs MediaPad M6 Turbo tablet with more RAM

Huawei has added a new version of the MediaPad M6 tablet today, meant for the Chinese market - at least for now. This is the MediaPad M6 Turbo, which comes with 2GB more RAM, taking the memory amount up to 6GB. It's unclear why the company would launch such a high-end device (it's powered by the Kirin 980 SoC like the P30 Proand Mate 20 Pro) with only 4GB of RAM, but that's exactly what happened back in June.

And now Huawei is rectifying that mistake, while also adding a cool new word to the tablet's name. The M6 Turbo also has two color versions that are much more exciting than the non-Turbo's Champagne Gold: Phantom Red and Phantom Blue. As you can see these can show some interesting patterns on their backs depending on the angle at which light hits. That's been a trend in the smartphone world for a long time now, and it looks like it's finally arrived in tablet land.

The MediaPad M6 Turbo still has the same 8.4" 2560x1600 IPS touchscreen like the non-Turbo variant, as well as the Kirin 980 SoC, microSD card slot, 13 MP rear camera, 8 MP front-facing camera, and 6,100 mAh battery. It comes with 128GB of storage built-in and runs Android 9 Pie with EMUI 9.1 on top.

The Wi-Fi-only version is priced at CNY 2,699 ($377 or €343 at the current exchange rates), while the model with added 4G connectivity retails for CNY 2,999 ($419, €381). It's unclear if or when the MediaPad M6 Turbo will be offered outside of China.

Source (in Chinese) | Via

Microsoft will release the HoloLens 2 in September

Microsoft unveiled the second version of its AR headset – the HoloLens 2 – at MWC in February earlier this year. Reuters reports that the headset is ready to go on sale in September at a price of $3,500.

This buys you the HoloLens 2 itself. The Developer Edition will cost $99 a month and will pack some extra goodies like $500 in Azure credits, plus 3-month trials of Unity Pro and the PiXYZ plugin (which helps you view CAD-based models in AR). Clearly, the HoloLens 2 is still aimed at businesses.

Anyway, the second generation product offers much wider field of view than the original HoloLens – 52°, up from a claustrophobic 34°. The resolution is kept the same, “47 pixels per degree” (which is obviously more pixels in total). There’s more computing power and hardware-accelerated eye and hand tracking. And the headset itself is more comfortable to wear.

  
HoloLens 2 features a wider FoV, more processing power and better hand/eye tracking

While you won’t own one yourself, you might encounter the HoloLens 2 in presentations from companies that rely heavily on CAD to design their products. For now at least, the only consumer-friendly AR is the kind you get on your phone.

Source | Via

Realme Q hands-on shots confirm it's a re-branded Realme 5 Pro

Earlier today Realme CMO Xu Qi Chase confirmedthe upcoming Q series will launch with four phones in its portfolio. One of those devices was teased to come with the Snapdragon 712 chipset which led to speculation that it will be a rebrandedRealme 5 Pro for the Chinese market. Now, a set of in-hand photos of the device confirm that it’s indeed the Chinese version of the Realme 5 Pro complete with new packaging.

    
Realme Q hands-on pics

Apart from these leaked photos, Realme officially teased the device on their Weibo profile showing off the back of the phone with its quad-camera setup and 48MP main sensor. Alongside that, the company gave a hint at the price which will be in the triple-digit range - likely CNY 999 ($140). This will likely be the entry-level variant with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage.

As for the other three devices in the new Realme Q lineup, we should be seeing rebranded versions of the Realme 5 and Realme XT alongside a new entry-level phone. We’ll make sure to follow up on the matter once we have more details.

Source 1 (in Chinese) • Source 2 (in Chinese) | Via

Royole FlexPai, the first and only foldable phone, gets disassembled on video

The Royole FlexPai is the first (and so far only) flexible phone that’s available for purchase. Zack from JerryRigEverything has one and in the video of his usual torture test we saw that, ironically, the foldable phone does not bend. Now it’s time for part 2: the disassembly.

The motherboard is in the “left” half of the phone (when viewed from the front), the battery is on the “right”. A couple of ribbon cables connect the two halves.

The most interesting part, however, is the hinge that allows the FlexPai to fold in half. It doesn’t close very tightly (there’s a huge gap left between the two halves) and it needs strong magnets to hold the phone closed.

The hinge looks completely different from Samsung’s solution used on the Galaxy Fold, which we saw in a disassembled in a series of posts on Weibo:

    
A close up look at the Galaxy Fold hinge mechanism

Samsung’s hinge keeps the two halves much closer, but it also proved to be a source of problems. We wonder why we haven’t heard of Royole FlexPai’s failing – not enough units in the wild or are they actually tough enough for daily use?

Samsung Galaxy Fold is on its way to India

After many months of fixes that are supposedly going to make it sturdier, Samsung's Galaxy Foldis going to become available at some point next month, perhaps around the same time as the new iPhones hit the streets.

Samsung has slowly been readying the launch of its first foldable smartphone, and as part of that process the company's Indian website is now listing the Fold. That means the device will also launch in the subcontinent, though at this point it's unclear if India will be in the initial batch of markets to get it in September.

If that's not the case, then if you are in India and dying to get a hold of the Fold you're still in for some more waiting. However, it truly seems like the worst is over and you can now start looking forward to the day it's released - and make sure you've saved up enough cash to afford it.

Source

Fitbit Versa 2 goes official with OLED display, improved battery life and Alexa support

Building up on the success of last year’s Versa smartwatch, Fitbit just announced a worthy successor called the Versa 2. The new version brings several improvements including an OLED display, Amazon Alexa and Spotify integration as well as a faster processor and longer-lasting battery.

Alongside the Versa 2, Fitbit announced a new coaching service called Fitbit Premium. It's $10 a month or $80 per year and gives you specific guided plans for workouts, calorie intake and weight control.

All Versa 2 variants feature an aluminum casing and now come with NFC which alongside Fitbit Pay allows you to use the watch for contactless payments. There’s also 24/7 heart rate tracking and 50M water resistance which means you’re good to track your swimming workouts.

In addition, it features all the standard fitness tracking modes for running, cycling, yoga as well as new sleep tracking modes. The new Sleep Score function adds a detailed breakdown grade of your sleep patterns based on your heart rate.

The device also features an Always-On Display which comes in handy for a quick glance at the time, workout progress and battery life. As far as battery life, Fitbit is promising 5 days on a single charge which is a full day more than its predecessor. The Versa 2 only has a single button on the left side which is programmable. There’s still no built-in GPS so you’ll need to pair your phone to track your runs.

  
Fitbit Versa 2 Special Editions

The Fitbit Versa 2 is up for pre-order starting today and will be available in stores starting September 15. Retail for the regular versions is $199 while the special editions which feature an extra woven strap will go for $229.

130+ US companies have filed for licenses to trade with Huawei

Back in July, the United States Commerce Department announced its planning to issuespecial licenses to US companies wishing to continue their trade ties with Huawei. Now according to people familiar with the situation who spoke to Reuters , the Commerce Department received more than 130 application requests from local tech firms. While these figures are not officially confirmed yet, it signals that this solution might come into effect soon.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross explicitly stated that the new licenses will be issued only for widely available components which do not pose a threat for national security. It remains to be seen exactly which components fall in line with these requirements. Recently, Huawei officials claimed that the mobile division will likely see upwards of $10 billion in potential losses due to the trade ban.

Huawei was also granted another 90-day extension to its temporary trade license with its US trade partners but only time will tell if a more long-term solution will come in effect any time soon.

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