Items tagged with smartphone
The concept of a purpose-built gaming phone is still somewhat in its infancy, though we are starting to see generational upgrades, such as the ASUS ROG Phone II. As the name implies, this is the second generation of ASUS' gaming handset. Like the original ROG Phone released last year, the ROG Phone II combines bleeding edge hardware with gaming-centric software optimizations. ASUS sprinkles in some nifty features (like Air Triggers) and then surrounds it all with optional accessories to amp up the experience. What ASUS has essentially created is not just a gaming phone, but a smartphone gaming ecosystem. For this second act, ASUS sets the stage with some notable upgrades. One that perhaps stands...
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Without question, Google's Pixel 4 XL has been the most leaked smartphone of 2019 prior to its official launch. Heck, even Google teased the device and a key feature or two along the way, so it goes without saying, the hype was big for this fourth generation Pixel. Google tries to set the bar for Android ecosystem partners with respect to industrial design and new enabling technologies with its Pixel phones. And in fact, the new Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL bring with them a couple of firsts for made by Google devices, specifically a 90Hz display and wireless charging. The premise is that hopefully these new features are "done right" so to speak, or at least that the technology has matured enough to...
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A team of researchers has built something that no one wanted. What they created was a prototype smartphone case that is made of artificial human skin called Skin-On. The case and its artificial skin can be used to control functions on an Android smartphone using pinching, squeezing, and prodding of the artificial skin. Project lead Marc Teyssier said he understood that some would find the smartphone case made of artificial human skin creepy, saying, "I get it." Teyssier says that people aren't used to human touch on objects and that the project makes people reflect on tech and why this is creepy. The team also created a mousepad for a laptop made of the artificial skin. The two objects...
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Over that last few years, OnePlus has earned a reputation for offering well-appointed, high-performance mobile devices that compete with other contemporary flagships, but with highly aggressive pricing. When we looked at the OnePlus 7 Pro back in June, or the OnePlus 6T before that, we declared both handsets leaders, in terms of value and performance. With the upcoming OnePlus 7T, which is due to start shipping in just a few days, OnePlus is trying to capture that status again. Looking at the OnePlus 7T’s list of features and hardware specifications, it appears to be a premium Android phone in every sense of the word. The device is built upon Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 855+ mobile...
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It seems as though we can't escape a single week without hearing about a new widespread security exploit that puts us all at risk. This week, the newly detailed attack taking center stage is called Simjacker, and it was revealed by the folks at AdaptiveMobile Security. As its name implies, Simjacker works primarily by exploiting the SIM cards that all of our smartphone use. As the researchers explain it, this new exploit represents a "huge jump in complexity and sophistication" in comparison to other attack vectors that have propagated over mobile networks. Although Simjacker is quite an intricately-executed exploit, we'll give you a brief overview of how it claims its victims. First of...
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TCL is a name that we are used to seeing in the Smart TV segment with its lineup of Roku TVs, but the company also produces smartphones under different brand names. TCL has now unveiled a new smartphone that marks its first "branded" foray in the segment, and the device is a solid mid-range offering. It's called the Plex, it has a 6.53-inch FHD+ display, and runs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 SoC. TCL stepping into the smartphone market isn't exactly a complete surprise, the company has some experience making smartphones for BlackBerry and Alcatel. The Plex has a front selfie camera is a 24MP unit that peeks through a hole punched in the screen and is set off to the left side. The camera...
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Samsung's Galaxy Note series of large format Android smartphones has never been about compromise. The pen-wielding, hybrid devices have always been bigger, more powerful and more capable, with larger batteries and as many bells, whistles and features as Samsung could cram in. As such, Galaxy Note users generally hail from a power user demographic, oftentimes with enterprise and business use cases that require an expanded tool set. And so for this passionate following, it probably comes as no surprise that Samsung has once again upped the Note's game with the latest iteration, the Galaxy Note 10 series. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10 now comes in two sizes, a more modest 6.3-inch Galaxy...
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A new report is making the rounds that originated with The Chicago Tribune. The publication took several smartphones, including multiple iPhone models, and tested them to see how much radiofrequency radiation the devices emit. The testing alleges that some iPhones are emitting radiation that is exceeding federal safety limits. The publication used an accredited lab to test the smartphones per federal guidelines. In the testing, the iPhones were under a clear liquid meant to simulate human tissue, and probes measured the radiofrequency radiation. While testing found that several iPhone models were producing radiofrequency radiation over legal limits, the worst performer was the iPhone 7. The testing...
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Motorola has a pair of new smartphones coming soon, and some details on the devices have leaked from reputable leakers. The smartphones are the Motorola One Zoom and the Motorola One Pro. The devices are variants of the same smartphone and details were leaked by Evan Blass and Roland Quandt, both notable for their accuracy with smartphone leaks. Both the Motorola One Zoom and Motorola One Pro have the same design with thin bezels and a back with a blocky, rectangular raised area that has four lenses. The leaked details claim that the primary sensor will be a 48MP unit, and there are ultra-wide and telephoto lens to help add versatility to photo taking. The Motorola logo that is directly under...
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A new rumor is making the rounds that claims Apple will change the branding for its high-end iPhone line this year. Leaker CoinX posted via Twitter that the naming convention for the iPhone for 2019 will include "Pro" hinting that high-end versions of the smartphone might be called the iPhone Pro. Reports indicate that CoinX has a short history of Apple leaks, but has been accurate with leaks in the past. The leaker was accurate on current iPhone naming, the iPad mini coming back, and the iPhone XS Max. The leaker was also correct on symmetry differences between iPhone XS Max and the iPhone XR. All the leak claimed was that the Pro name would be used. Apple already uses the Pro branding...
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LG has a new patent that was granted in China for a smartphone that goes beyond what the folding screen devices we have seen so far offer. The patent shows a device that has a folding screen in the middle with no seam, similar to what Samsung did with the Galaxy Fold. Things get quite different from there. LG's patent shows a Z-fold device, and as one of the images here shows, the third screen is a stand-alone unit and appears to fold back onto the front surface of the smartphone. The design would give a full front screen that looks pretty much like all the smartphones we are used to seeing today that can unfold into a device that has a screen three times as wide when needed. LG filed for the...
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Next month marks the kickoff for IFA 2019 in Germany. The show opens on September 6, and ahead of the show, LG has debuted a video invite for an event that indicates it will be showing off some new products. The teaser video starts with an 8-bit style video game running on a single screen smartphone form factor. If we are to assume anything about the form factor of the device being shown off from the video, which could be a version of the LG V50 ThinQ smartphone, it would appear that the bezels are thin and there is no notch. The biggest feature of the smartphone in the video is a second screen that folds out, offering twice the screen space. The video shows a game that has a head moving through...
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Folding smartphones are coming and are poised to become more commonplace in the future. LG has a new patent application that shows line art teasing a device of the future with a tri-fold design and a very cool hinge. Unlike Samsung's devices that come with a stylus that stores inside the body of the device; LG's patent shows a hinged display that curved around to accommodate the stylus. The cool part about the ingenious hinge design isn't only that the pen will always be close by, but the pen will also help prevent dirt and debris from getting inside the folded device and damaging the screen. Samsung knows all about debris getting inside folding smartphone. Debris getting under the screen was...
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Samsung has had some embarrassingly high-profile failures of its devices over the years, with its most recent embarrassment coming from the Galaxy Fold debacle. The Galaxy Fold was highly touted, sold well in preorders, and failed almost immediately once reviewers got their hands on the device. The failures prompted Samsung to postpone the launch of the device and several retailers to cancel preorders. Samsung has now announced when the Galaxy Fold will ship, and what it has done to fix the smartphone. Samsung has stated that it is conducting final product tests and intends to make the Galaxy Fold available to consumers in specific markets in September. What markets it will make the device...
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