Redmi S2 High-Resolution Images Reportedly Surface in Czech Republic-3GB of RAM and 32GB Inbuilt Storage

Redmi S2is Xiaomi’s upcoming smartphone but the Chinese phone maker has been pretty hush-hush about this budget handset. Having undergone the usual TENAA and 3C certification treatment in China, the Redmi S2 seems ready for an impending launch. However, in an interesting set of developments, the smartphone has been spotted with high-quality product shots in Czech Republic, of all places, and is said to be displayed at Xiaomi’s offline store this week.

Czechpublication SvetAndroida seems to have obtained exclusive access of a pink-coloured unit of the upcoming Redmi S2, reportedly sourced from people at the Xiaomi store opening in Prague on Saturday. From the high-resolution shots, we can see that the phone looks a lot like the Redmi Note 5 Pro or even the recently launched Mi 6X. It has a similar vertical dual rear camera setup, an 18:9 display, and a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.

According to the report, the Redmi S2 will run MIUI on top of Android Oreo out-of-the-box. It will feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC, coupled with 3GBof RAM and 32GB inbuilt storage. Storage will be expandable via microSD cards. The phone will reportedly sport a 5.99-inch HD+ (720×1440 pixels) display, aMicro-USB port, and a 16-megapixel selfie camera. On the back, the dual camera setup might get a 12-megapixel primary sensor and a 5-megapixel secondarysensor. Battery will likely have a capacity of 3080mAh.

And, as per the report, the smartphone will be displayed at the new Xiaomi store opening up in Prague. The Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S will also be present at the store.

The smartphone was spotted recently on TENAA. According to the listing, there will be 3 variants of the phone – one with 2GB RAM/ 16GB inbuilt storage, one with 3GB RAM/ 32GB onboard storage, and the top-end variant with 4GB RAM/ 64GB inbuilt storage.

Huawei Said to Be Working on Its Own Mobile Operating System to Replace Android-Own Proprietary

Chinesesmartphone maker Huawei Technologies is working on its own proprietary mobile operating system (OS) since 2012 after a US investigation into the company, the media reported.

Thecompany, which is also the world’s biggest telecommunications equipment manufacturer, would ditch Google’s Android platform amid reports that it is under investigation by the US for breaching sanctions against Iran, the South China Morning Post reported on Sunday.

“The company started building its own OS after a US investigation into Huawei and ZTE in 2012. Huawei also has its own OS for tablets and personal computers,” the report added.

According to media report, the US House Intelligence Committee found after a year-long investigation that the Chinese businesses, Huawei Technologies and ZTE Inc, were a “national security threat because of their attempts to extract sensitive information from American companies and their loyalties to the Chinese government”.

Google’s Android OS and Apple’s proprietary iOS have a stronghold on smartphone OS, accounting for 99.9 percent of the global market, according to Gartner.

“The plan to build a proprietary OS was started by Huawei’s founder, Ren Zhengfei, and the company has never given up on it as it is seen as a strategic investment to prepare for ‘worst-case scenarios’,” the report added.

Huawei’s alternative to Android has not been released as it is not “as good” as Android and the system does not have many third-party apps developed for it.

The company is currently under investigation. If the the US Department of Justice finds it guilty of violating sanctions, it could impose criminal penalties on the smartphone maker.

Another Chinese player, ZTE, paid $892 million in fines for exporting US tech to Iran last year.

The USDepartment of Commerce has activated a denial of export privileges against ZTE for alleged violations of the US Export Administration Regulations.

ZTE is currently taking steps to comply with the US denial order.

Coolpad Note 6 With Dual Selfie Camera Launched in India: Price, Specifications- an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 SoC

Coolpad Note 6 has been launched in India. The new smartphone is touted to be an India-exclusive and the latest offline offering from the Chinese company. With Gold and Grey colour option, the Coolpad Note 6 will be available for purchase starting May 1 through over 300 multi-brand stores across eight states, including Delhi NCR, Haryana, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra. It comes in two storage variants – the 32GB storage variant is available at Rs. 8,999, while the 64GB storage variant is priced at Rs. 9,999.

Coolpad Note 6 specifications

The dual-SIM (Nano)Coolpad Note 6 runs Android 7.1 Nougat and has a 5.5-inch full-HD (1080×1920 pixels) display. Under the hood, it is powered by an octa-core QualcommSnapdragon 435 SoC with a clock speed of 1.4GHz, coupled with Adreno 505 GPU and 4GB of RAM. The smartphone has a dual camera setup on the front that includes an 8-megapixel primary sensor and a 5-megapixel secondary sensor, paired with a 120-degree, wide-angle lens. On the back, there is a 13-megapixel autofocus camera with a six-piece lens that has an f/2.2 aperture.

Coolpad has provided 32GB and 64GB of onboard storage options on the Note 6 that both are expandable via microSD card (up to 128GB). In terms of connectivity, there is 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.1, GPS/ A-GPS, and a Micro-USB port. Sensors on board include an accelerometer, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, and a front-facing fingerprint sensor. The smartphone packs a 4070mAh battery that is touted to deliver a standby time of 350 hours on a single charge. Besides, it weighs 170 grams and measures 153.7×76.4×8.62mm.

“With a dual selfiecamera, great viewing experience, long lasting battery, Coolpad Note 6 will offer a great value for money smartphone for the Indian customers,” said Syed Tajuddin, CEO, Coolpad India, in a press statement. “We are also planning to introduce few more aggressive offline devices in next 2-3 months, in order to make an expansion in the offline market through our retails partners and multi-brand outlets. We are expecting that Coolpad will be able to make a strong presence in the offline market by the end of 2018.”

LG V30, Streamlined design, Excellent audio performance

Dimensions: 151.7 x 75.4 x 7.3mm 

Screen size: 6.0-inch

Resolution: 1440 x 2880 

OS: Android 7

CPU:Snapdragon 835

RAM: 4GB

Storage: 64/128GB 

Battery: 3300mAh

Rear camera: 16MP+16MP 

Front camera: 5MP

The LG V30 is a quietly impressive phone, jam-packed with all manner of tech. It's offering some of the top specs around and does it with a strong battery life, as well as being an audio marvel... perfect if you love listening to tunes on the go.

Screen: The V30 sports the fashionable 18:9 aspect ratio complete with an attractive 6-inch OLED display with 2880 x 1440 (QHD) resolution. While there are still bezels at the ends, the phone looks and feels superb.

Battery life: The battery life is one of the LG V30's best features, easily lasting a day and if you're a light user it could potentially go two days between charging.

Camera: The V30's camera is good - you'll be able to take shots in all conditions and be happy with them. But it's not quite as good as the camera on the Samsung S9 phones, the Pixel 2 or the iPhone X.

Mini verdict: The V30 is LG's best ever smartphone. It's got the most powerful processor around, a great camera and delivers one of the best sonic performances from a phone on the market right now, thanks to the dedicated Quad DAC inside.

OnePlus 6 Price, Specifications, Launch Date, and Everything Else We Already Know- Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC

OnePlus 6 launch is officially scheduled for May 16 in London and May 17 in India and China, making it the earliest OnePlus flagship launch in recent years. While we still have a few days to go before the unveiling, almost everything around the upcoming OnePlus 6 has been outed courtesy of rumours, leaks, renders, and company confirmations. With the OnePlus 6 price in India expected around the Rs. 40,000 price mark, the handset will compete with premium flagships such as the Samsung Galaxy S9 and iPhone X, as well as lower-priced flagship phones like the Mi MIX 2S and the Moto Z2 Force, giving it a lot of major handsets to stand up against. Let’s take a look at the price, design, specifications, features, and everything else we know about the upcoming OnePlus flagship.

OnePlus 6 price

As has been the case with most subsequent flagship generation since the OnePlus One, the price of the OnePlus 6 is expected to be slightly higher than that of the OnePlus 5T. As per a report, the 64GB variant of the smartphone could be priced at CNY 3,299 (roughly 34,700), the 128GB model at CNY 3,799 (roughly Rs. 40,000), and the high-end 256GB variant at CNY 4,399 (roughly Rs. 46,300). These prices will be valid for China; Indian pricing hasn’t been leaked yet.

OnePlus 6 design

In terms of design, there’s quite a lot of information in the public domain. Firstly, OnePlus has itself confirmed that the smartphone will sport a 19:9 display with a notch on top. This notch has been implemented to accommodate the front camera, face unlock sensor, and other such stuff. Similarly, there will also be a chin on the bottom of the display. On the back of OnePlus 6, there will be a glass panel. Additionally, the OnePlus 6 Marvel Avengers Limited Edition variant will sport a textured back based on the Avengers: Infinity War’s theme. Lastly, the OnePlus is rumoured to sport a 6.28-inch full-HD+display, much like the one on the Oppo R15. A 3.5mm headphone jack has also been confirmed.

OnePlus 6 specifications

Let’s start off with specifications that have been confirmed by OnePlus. The OnePlus 6 will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC, with 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of inbuilt storage. As for rumours, the handset will come with a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, a vertical dual rear camera setup, and the latest version of Oxygen OS on top of Android 8.1 Oreo, with an Android P update expected in the future.

The smartphone is rumoured to get wireless charging support considering the presence of a glass back panel has been confirmed by the company. Face Unlock could be yet another feature we expect on the OnePlus 6, as most modern Android flagships sport the same. And, lastly, OnePlus’ popular Dash Charging will definitely be a part of the package; with improved capabilities or not, is currently uncertain. Some camera improvements can be expected as well.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Amazing performance, Impressive camera

Dimensions: 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.6mm 

Screen size: 6.3-inch

Resolution: 1440 x 2630 

OS: Android 7.1.1 

CPU: Exynos 8895

RAM: 6GB

Storage: 64GB/128GB/256GB

Battery:3,300mAh

Rear camera: Dual 12MP

Front camera: 8MP

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 was the first time the brand's phablet range was seen as a real rival for the Galaxy S phones - the larger screen and more power starting to resonate with the average phone buyer. The S Pen is the real point of differentiation, and it's cool to always have a notepad with you.

Screen:  The Note 8 maximises Samsung’s dual curved edge and nearly bezel-less Infinity Display to the point where this phone feels like a mini tablet from the future. It's more squared off than the Galaxy S phones, but still lovely to look at. 

Camera: The camera on the Note 8 is superb and near the front of the pack for all round quality. On the rear its dual lenses allow for optical zoom as well as digital zoom, as well as live focus which enables you to do all kinds of effects including blurring the background - even after you've taken the shot.

Battery life: The battery in the Note 8 isn't quite best in class - you can thank the large screen and slender design for that. But it'll still last you all day unless you're streaming a lot of video or using it with the brightness pumped up.

Mini verdict: It's an expensive phone – only just behind the iPhone X in terms of out-and-out cost. But it's a better choice than the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus – its competitor in terms of overall size and quality – if you want to be able to jot things down in an instant and take beautiful bokeh photos, as well as splash the phone in water. 

Huawei Mate 10 Pro, Great camera for enthusiasts

Dimensions: 154.2 x 74.5 x 7.9mm 

Screen size: 6-inch

Resolution: 1080 x 2160 

OS: Android 8 

CPU: Kirin 970 

RAM: 6GB

Storage: 128GB

Battery: 4,000mAh

Rear camera: 20MP+12MP 

Front camera: 8MP

The Huawei Mate 10 Pro is a phone that might not instantly be on your wish list, but the brand has made huge strides of late (just look at where the P20 Pro sits), and the battery life is something that outranks most on this list. If you're feeling that it's time for a change, this is worth checking out.

Screen: The Full HD screen is a match for the Pixel 2 but not its other Android competitors like the Galaxy S9 and Note 8 phones from Samsung. As such, the screen on the 10 Pro is very good...but not spectacular.

Battery: The biggest talking point of the Huawei Mate 10 Pro is its battery. Huge at 4,000mAh, it translates to impressive performance, with the possibility of stretching usage to two days from a single charge if you knock it to flight mode overnight.

Camera: On the rear, the dual camera setup is a solid point-and-shoot option, but it really excels if you dive into manual mode; if you're a camera enthusiast who's willing to spend time fine-tuning, you can get some great shots from the Mate 10 Pro.

Mini verdict: It's not the best looking or bristling with the most features, but the Huawei Mate 10 Pro is a brilliant phone if you're looking for a big screen and top quality battery life.