Items tagged with smartphone
Issues with batteries inside smartphones and other tech devices that pose a fire hazard are nothing new. Samsung has had problems with its flagship Galaxy Note 7 device catching fire; Apple has been associated with battery fires also, most recently with the 2015 MacBook Pro. Budget smartphone maker OnePlus has been called out in India for a smartphone that allegedly caught fire while it was sitting unplugged and turned off. The owner of the smartphone claims that it caught fire at about 3:15 am on July 3 as it sat unused. The smartphone is said to have been sitting in an air-conditioned room when the user woke up to a burning smell. The user alleges that fumes were pouring out of the device,...
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One of the smartest things that Samsung smartphones users can do is to keep their devices updated with the latest firmware from Samsung. Consistent updates allows them to have the latest security updates to help protect their device and personal data. A new report claims that 10 million Samsung smartphone users have downloaded an app from Google Play that is called "Updates for Samsung." The users apparently thought that the app was an official app from Samsung, but what the app does is redirect users to a website filled with ads where they are charged for firmware updates. Samsung offers firmware updates for its smartphones at no cost. As of this writing, the "Updates for Samsung" app was...
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Sony unveiled its Xperia 1 smartphone back in February, and the big claim to fame for the device was its 4K display. Several months later, the smartphone is finally up for preorder, and according to Amazon, the Xperia 1 will ship July 12. There is still a big catch to the Xperia 1 in that Sony doesn't have the best name in the smartphone realm and the device sells for $949.99, which is on par with high-end devices like the iPhone and Galaxy smartphones. Sony knows that it will need a value add to lure buyers to the Xperia 1 over other flagship devices, and its offer is a free set of headphones. The headphones offered to all who preorder the device aren't basic headphones either; they are the...
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Update - 3:44PM ET 6/21/19: This article has been updated to reflect skepticism of the claims made by researchers and any direct causation with the symptom of bone spurs in the subjects of the study. Some recent biomechanics research suggests that young people are developing horn-like spikes at the back of their skulls due to excessive mobile phone use. These bone spurs are reportedly caused by the forward tilt of the head, which shifts the weight from the spine to the muscles in the back of the head. That tilt is reportedly causing bone growth in the connecting tendons and ligaments. The scientists involved in the study claim that the weight transfer that causes the build-up is comparative to...
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Samsung set preorder sales records with the Galaxy S10 lineup, with most people ordering the larger, and more expensive Galaxy S10+ smartphone. Despite the device's popularity in preorders, it has had a few issues that users have had to deal with. Smartphone shoppers looking for a new device can now get nice discounts on the S10 family of smartphones with various colors available at B&H. The most significant discounts come on the Galaxy S10+ that usually retails for $999.99 with 128GB of storage. The unlocked S10+ in on sale at B&H for $220 off the regular price, making it $779.99. Buyers wanting the 512GB version can get it for $100 off making it $1,149.99. The 1TB version is discounted...
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When's the last time you saw a full-featured smartphone launch for well under $500? There have been a few to hit the market in this price range recently, usually with significant caveats, but in general the trend is towards more expensive flagship devices that are commanding upwards of $1000 quite often. Google's new Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL, however, buck this trend with HD OLED displays, big batteries, and the same great camera configuration that made Google's higher-end Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL the Android phones to beat, when it comes to smartphone photography. The new Pixel 3a is a 5.6-inch device, for folks who prefer their phone be a bit more pocketable, but the Pixel 3a XL sports a 6-inch...
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Google is no stranger to issues with the Pixel line of smartphones; the company has settled a class action suit that has to do with a microphone issue on the original Pixel smartphones. More recently, word surfaced that owners of the Pixel 3a and 3a XL smartphones were having problems with unexpected shutdowns that required a hard reset to remedy. Another issue has surfaced for some new Pixel owners. The image above is from YouTuber Erica Griffin, who shared a picture of her Pixel 3a smartphone via Twitter. The issue she has encountered seems to be one of quality control. Her Pixel 3a smartphone made it into the wild with cutouts on the polycarbonate unibody of the device that didn't align...
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The promise of 5G wireless service has been exciting for most users as carriers like Verizon have promised not only much faster data speeds on-the-go with mobile devices, but also much faster wireless speeds inside homes and businesses. Verizon has touted its 5G Home service that will put faster 5G wireless speeds inside homes with downloads of 1Gbps promised. One caveat to that service is that the initial rollout will be in only five cities. A new video of a user tesing the Verizon 5G service on a Samsung Galaxy S10 5G smartphone has surfaced, and it shows that Verizon has made good on its 5G promises in Chicago. The video shows the S10 5G shooting up to 1098 Mbps download speed on a device...
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One of the strangest devices spied during Mobile World Congress 2019 was the insanely fat Energizer 18,000 mAh phone. The official name was the Power Max P18k Pop, and while it was Energizer branded, the device was actually to be made by Avenir Telecom. Shortly after the show, Avenir took to Indiegogo for funding to build the device. Anyone who looked at the incredibly fat profile and imagined themselves holding a power brick up to their face may have thought twice about such a thick smartphone. The Indiegogo campaign was seeking $1.2 million in funding for the device and missed by a long shot. The Indiegogo campaign raised a scant $15,005, and honestly it's a surprise the campaign raised that...
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Way back in the day before smartphones were even a thing. the phone that everyone wanted was the Motorola Razr. All these years later it's easily the sexiest of the flip phones. Rumors have been swirling that Motorola is set to bring the Razr flip phone back to the masses as a folding screen smartphone. A leak last month pointed to a Snapdragon 710 SoC and a 6.2-inch folding display. New images have leaked that allege to be the folding screen smartphone, and it does look like leaked line art images we have seen in the past. The new images were leaked on Weibo from a user caleld @JJUT_, and the original post was deleted shortly after being shared. As with anything that turns up on the internet,...
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About a year ago we talked about the Nubia Red Magic Gaming phone aimed at mobile gamers and it was an interesting option. Prior to the Red Magic device, Nubia unveiled the Red Magic Mars gaming phone. Nubia is back with its latest smartphone aimed at mobile gamers, and like past Magic devices, the Nubia Red Magic 3 is packed with serious hardware. One of the key features for the smartphone is the 6.65-inch Full HD AMOLED display that has a refresh rate of 90Hz and supports DC dimming and HDR. The SoC inside the Magic 3 is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, and it is paired with 6GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 64GB of storage. There are three additional versions of the Nubia Red Magic 3 gaming phone that each...
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If you are looking for a bit more intelligence in your "smart" phone, the LG G8 ThinQ may have a few additional tricks up its sleeve. LG is aiming to create a more intuitive and automated experience by embracing artificial intelligence processing care of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855 SoC and their own in-house algorithms. The LG G8 ThinQ is more than just clever silicon and software, of course, and it boasts a premium build quality and expanded camera features to match. Beyond its Snapdragon 855 mobile platform, the G8 ThinQ runs with 6GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 128GB of UFS 2.1 flash storage. If you record a ton of video or have other significant storage needs, you can also slot in a card like the...
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It looked as if Samsung had a hit on its hands with the Samsung Galaxy Fold that hit preorder in the U.S. stage earlier this month and sold out quickly. Not long after Samsung's seemingly successful preorder for the device, word started to surface from reviewers at multiple outlets that the folding screen was failing; something that Samsung has vowed to investigate. Samsung had a launch for the device in China slated for April 24, and it is being reported that the event is being postponed. Samsung isn't stating that it is postponing the Chinese launch due to the screen failures; it has given no official reason for the delay. Official comment or not, the screen failure issue is widely viewed...
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One of the only ways to get a really good deal on a smartphone these days is to switch carriers. If you are ready to switch to a new carrier and want to give Google Fi a try, Google has a smoking-good deal going on the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL today only. The deal will save you 50% off the purchase price. The half-off discount is good on Pixel 3 or Pixel 3 XL smartphones that are purchased April 22, 2019, between 12:00 AM PT and 11:59 PM PT. One bit of good news for those who are already using Google Fi is that current customers can get the discount as well. Typically smartphone discounts this significant are only for new customers. Buyers are required to activate the smartphone within 30 days...
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We know that Google is working on new smartphones for the Pixel family; after all, the company leaked specs on the Pixel 3a and 3a XL on its website. Details of those devices have also leaked that show the mid-range smartphones will cost around $500 with the Pixel 3a XL naturally being the more expensive version. Google is now teasing the devices and has confirmed the unveil date for the smartphones. Google has a landing page celebrating Avengers: End Game and using footage from the film to tease the upcoming smartphones. The landing page for the video (which can be seen below) says "On May 7, something big is coming to the Pixel universe." May 7 is the same day that the Google I/O 2019...
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2018 was the year of the notch, and it looks as though 2019 is the year where smartphone OEMs seek out new ways to minimize the appearance of the notch or get rid of it altogether. Companies like Samsung have gone with a punch hole cut-out for the front-facing cameras, while this new smartphone concept from one of ASUS’ designers takes a completely different approach. The renders, which were uncovered by reliable leaker Evan Blass, show that the ASUS 5G smartphone concepts have a dual slider design, which sets them apart from similar implementations by Xiaomi. The dual slider design seems to pay homage to the Nokia N95 from many moons ago. One of the ASUS concepts...
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There have been rumors going around that Google is gearing up to launch new mid-range smartphones to appeal to a wider range of smartphone buyers. As smartphone prices continue to grow, many consumers are simply not buying and are holding onto older devices for longer. Previously, a rumor suggested that these new mid-range devices will be called the Pixel 3 Lite and the Pixel 3 XL Lite. A new rumor claims that the mid-range Pixel devices will be called the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL. The mid-range devices will reportedly launch in black, white, and iris colors; iris is said to be a mix between blue and purple. Pricing rumors suggest that the smartphones will go for about 450 euros, which would...
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Some details have leaked about the next Android One smartphone coming from Motorola; the device is tipped to be called the Motorola One Vision in most markets and the Motorola P40 in China. The rumor claims that the smartphone will run the Samsung Exynos 9610 SoC that is found on board Samsung's Galaxy A50. The image you see below is a rendering leaked by Tigermobiles that shows the same design as previous renders that leaked via other sources. The renders confirm that the front camera will peek through a hole punch display, and it has been noted that the phone will have a 48MP rear camera. The screen is a 6.2-inch unit, and the front camera is in the top left corner of the screen. The rear camera...
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The first Black Shark gaming smartphone launched in April of 2018, and while not exactly svelte, the smartphone was powerful. Rumors circulated late last year that the Black Shark 2 gaming smartphone would launch in October, but that launch never materialized. We had heard that the Black Shark 2 would launch with a Snapdragon 855 under the hood, and that has been confirmed with its official announcement. The smartphone is landing for the Chinese market, and Black Shark promises that it is committed to building a strong gaming eco-system based on hardware, software, and services. Along with the Snapdragon 855 SoC, the smartphone has up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It uses a direct touch...
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Huawei has seen massive growth in the smartphone market in part because prices for Apple and Samsung devices have soared. Huawei is very popular outside of the U.S., but the company has virtually no marketshare inside the U.S. due to the government urging carriers not to offer its devices over fears of spying. In January 2019, the U.S. DOJ filed criminal charges against Huawei for alleged trade secret theft, bank fraud, and obstruction of justice. Huawei has now filed suit against the U.S. government over product bans in the States. Despite Huawei fighting the U.S. government in court, the company is preparing for the worst. The worst-case scenario for its products isn't that the ban of its devices...
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Samsung Electronics has launched the highest capacity mobile DRAM for smartphones promising it will power next-gen experiences for devices. Samsung's new memory tech is the industry's first 12GB low-power double data rate 4X, or LPDDR4X, package that is optimized for premium smartphones. The new chips provide higher capacity than most ultra-thin notebooks offer, and should give smartphone users plenty of headroom to tackle more demanding applications in the future. Samsung promises a seamless user experience for features like multiple-cameras, 2x screen sizes, AI, and 5G connectivity. Samsung notes that the 12GB mobile DRAM will maximize the potential of devices that have more than five...
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Google's current Android smartphones are the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. Rumors are swirling that Google is getting ready to unveil new flagship devices in the coming months. The new phones, logically, are expected to be named Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL. And there of course has been a swirl of rumors hinting at some of the features that these smartphones will offer. Google Pixel 3 One of the features that folks who travel internationally frequently, or have a line for personal and a line for business, will appreciate is support for dual SIM cards. The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL do offer a sort of dual SIM functionality with a single physical SIM and an eSIM, but the catch is that both SIMs can't be...
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