OnePlus recent launch was met with a ton of excitement and hype. However, like most releases, many folks noted that the camera on the latest OnePlus 7 Pro isn’t up to par with the latest and greatest flagships yet despite the higher price tag.
In an update posted earlier this week, OnePlus revealed major changes coming to the OnePlus 7 Pro’s camera with the latest Oxygen OS 9.5.7 update, and it seems to be promising to say the least.
According to one of the staff members over at the OnePlus forums, the latest update brings major enhancements to how the camera optimizes scenes. The staff member detailed how the latest update brings impressive improvements to the overall color and contrast performance of the camera, how much they’ve improved the white balance, the accuracy of autofocus, noise in HDR, clarity while using the Nightscape mode, and overall clarity.
They also noted that a ton of those improvements wasn’t limited to the main 48MP shooter exclusively. Instead, the improvements would be carried over to the ultra-wide shooter as well as the telephoto shooter.
To keep their claims bold, OnePlus released a number of before and after images that compare the shots before and after the update.
The update is currently out for the OnePlus 7 Pro with no news whether the OnePlus 7 would get a slice of the pie as of yet. With the OnePlus 7 Pro being the charm in the spotlight, we would doubt that OnePlus would be offering as much attention to the OnePlus 7.
With the camera now in a much better position, we’d bet that the OnePlus 7 Pro would an even better of a choice now as we dive deeper into 2019. I mean, just name a better all-rounder with a 90Hz display? I guess that’s what OnePlus would be banking on for the rest of 2019.
Epic’s barrage of updates continues. As Season 9 continues, Epic has released yet another update that has introduced a major weapon to the game along with two highlighting LTMs that you should expect to see this week.
New Weapon – The Proximity Grenade Launcher
The latest patch coming to Fortnite is bringing the new Proximity Grenade Launcher. The newly-introduced Proximity Grenade Launcher is a grenade launcher that explodes when it is in close proximity of an enemy. The launcher, like many others, is a semi-automatic that requires rocket ammo.
The launcher deals 67 or 70 damage to opponents and 131 / 138 to environments when equipped in Epic or Legendary rarities and features a 0.65 shots per second rate of fire. Furthermore, the launcher also features a 2.8 / 3 second reload time and would automatically explode within 10 seconds if it doesn’t manage to get close enough to an opponent.
New Limited-Time Modes – Horde Rush & One Shot Duos
The two new limited-time modes coming to Fortnite are the Horde Rush and the One Shot Duos.
For folks who haven’t played the One Shot Duo LTM before, essentially, a duo of you and some friend would be pit against a hoard of players like the usual Battle Royale mode. However, this is as far as it gets in terms of similarities between the two modes. With One Shot Duos, players would be offered 50 health and a 50 shield max. Furthermore, players would be forced to make use of snipers across the game and would also find bandages as their only healer.
With Horde Rush, you’re looking at a four-man squad divided into multiple stages. Your job is to kill as many zombies, all-the-while protect a number of special locations across the map and beat the final boss to win.
The more zombies or fiends you kill, the harder the zombies would become as you progress through the game.
One Shot Duos Low Gravity. Every player has 50 health. Sniper weapons are the only weapon, Bandages are the only healing item. Jump high and aim well!
Horde Rush Fortnite Fiends are back on the island and angrier than ever! Fight alongside your teammates to rack up your score by finding hidden score multipliers, opening special loot chests, and eliminating as many monsters as you can. Traverse across the map, survive all of the Defend locations and take down the Final Boss to win!
Mode Details
Four player Squad mode divided up into multiple stages.
Prepare to defend an area by searching for weapons & items, scavenging materials, and building defenses.
Rack up points by fighting Fiends, collecting score multipliers, and destroying Fiend Spawners.
Recover from the battle and search for more equipment.
Travel across the map to the next defense point.
Respawning is enabled until the last stage when players have to destroy a Boss Fiend and his horde of minions.
Keep an eye out for special loot chests, which contain powerful weapons & provide a scoring bonus.
WEAPONS + ITEMS
Proximity Grenade Launcher
Fires an arcing, bouncing, explosive projectile that explodes when in proximity of an opponent.
Available in Epic and Legendary Rarities.
Found from Chests, Loot Carriers, Supply Drops, and Vending Machines.
Semi-Automatic.
Uses Rocket Ammo.
Holds 2 Explosive Rounds.
Rate of Fire: 0.65 shots per second.
Player Proximity Radius: 250 units (about half the width of a tile).
Explosion Radius: 300 units (about 60% of the width of a tile).
Explosion damage:
Player: 67/70
Environmental: 131/138
Reload Speed: 2.8s/3s
Projectiles explode automatically after 10s or if it has nearly come to a stop.
Shield Potion
Increased the availability from Chest loot from 11.3% to 12.09%
Small Shield Potion
Increased the availability from Chest loot from 16.95% to 18.13%
With items being added and removed, we’ve noticed that Shield Potions and Small Shields have been less available in Chests. So we’ve increased the chance to find Shields from Chests to compensate for that.
Shotguns
Increased the overall chance to find from Floor loot from 8.50% to 9.77%
After seeing the community’s feedback about Shotgun availability, we’ve increased the Shotgun availability from Floor Loot to make finding them in the early phases of the game easier.
Infantry Rifle Epic and Legendary variants
Increased the availability from Floor loot from .067% to .105%
Increased the availability from Chest loot from .414% to .645%
Heavy Assault Rifle Common variant
Decreased the availability from Floor loot from 2.04% to 1.715%
Decreased the availability from Chest loot from 12.47% to 10.46%
Mounted Turret
Decreased the availability from floor loot from .59% to .46%
Storm Flip
Adjusted Storm Flip to cause flat damage instead of being based on which Storm Phase is currently active.
Causes 5 damage every second.
This change may not be immediately available at the time of release. It requires a server update and will become active at some point later in the day.
We noticed with scaling damage that players held onto their Storm Flip later into matches, creating undesirable effects. This change gives players more value in using it earlier in matches.
Reduced the availability from Chests from 3.39% to 1.69%
Reduced the availability from Floor loot from 3.32% to 1.66%
Added back into the Arena and Tournament playlists.
We have visual effect changes coming in v9.30 that will help improve readability.
AUDIO
Bug Fixes
Audio was sounding muffled due to a filter optimization issue.
MOBILE
We’ve noticed iOS patches have experienced delays appearing in the App Store recently. Apple has stated that any application can take up to 24 hours to appear in the App Store. If no update is available, be sure to check our social channels for more info.
CREATIVE
What’s New?
Proximity Grenade Launcher Imagine and create new maps to explore all the possibilities of this explosive new weapon!
WEAPONS + ITEMS
Proximity Grenade Launcher
Fires an arcing, bouncing, explosive projectile that explodes when in proximity of an opponent.
Available in Epic and Legendary Rarities.
Semi-Automatic.
Uses Rocket Ammo.
Holds 2 Explosive Rounds.
Rate of Fire: 0.65 shots per second.
Player Proximity Radius: 250 units (about half the width of a tile).
Explosion Radius: 300 units (about 60% of the width of a tile).
Explosion damage:
Player: 67/70
Environmental: 131/138
Reload Speed: 2.8s/3s
Projectiles explode automatically after 10s or if it has nearly come to a stop.
PREFABS
Roadside Garage Gallery
Grass & Mud Floor Gallery
Forest & Grass Floor Gallery
Grass & Forest Floor Gallery
Sand & Rock Floor Gallery
Dinosaur Prop Gallery
DEVICES
Bug Fixes
Text placed on Billboards prior to the v9.20 release will no longer be misaligned.
SAVE THE WORLD
WHAT’S NEW?
Plasmatron 9000 Tongue twister: How fast can you say piercing plasma shots!
Quantum Countdown Step right up, and try to keep your attention on the teleporting bomb.
MISSIONS + SYSTEMS
New Wargames simulation: Quantum Countdown
In this simulation, an unstable bomb is teleporting around your base. The Husks are drawn to its energy and trying to destroy it. Quickly adapt to protect its new location as the Husks take new, and unexpected, routes.
A new Wargames simulation means more chances for Event Tickets, a new banner, and more variety to the Daily Quests.
WEAPONS + ITEMS
A new weapon, the Plasmatron 9000 arrives in the Weekly Store.
Short ranged automatic energy pistol that shoots expanding rings of plasma that pierce enemies.
Available Wednesday, June 12 at 8 PM Eastern Time until Wednesday, June 19 at 8 PM Eastern Time.
GENERAL
SOCIAL
Added pop-up and Main Menu messaging to help players understand when their Xbox Live or PlayStation voice chat is being prioritized over Fortnite Party voice chat.
These visuals appear only if someone else in your party is active in Fortnite Party voice chat, and will not reappear unless you join a different party.
This is in response to players looking for guidance on various voice chat issues that were related to Xbox Live / Playstation party voice chat prioritization.
With E3 2019 underway, Samsung has taken the chance to launch their new monitor, the C27RG5, amidst all the buzz. The newly introduced monitor is yet again being targeted at competitive and enthusiastic PC gamers.
The Samsung C27RG5 is a 27-inch monitor featuring a 16:9 1920 x 1080 monitor featuring a 240Hz refresh rate. The monitor, like most other monitors in this category, would be utilizing a VA panel which is promising to deliver 4ms GTG response times along with 300cd/㎡. Furthermore, the monitor is also said to take advantage of G-Sync if you happen to own any modern Nvidia GPU and would come with a 1500R curvature for folks who really care about immersion.
Regarding I/O, it’s your average setup. With the C27RG5, you’re looking at a single DisplayPort 1.2 port, up to two HDMI 2.0 ports, as well as a headphone jack for folks who have adapted to plugging in their headphones into their monitors.
Samsung revealed that the monitor would be coming in Mid-July and would be retailing for under $400 which is more than impressive for a curved 240Hz monitor.
LG has been dwindling over the past few years. Ever since Samsung and Apple began their feud, Sony, HTC, and LG have become second-class brands that appeal to loyalists from the early Android days. Following the launch of the LG G8 family, LG yet again revered making sure that it’s here to stay.
However, with the LG G8 falling under the bus ever since its debut, it seems like LG is planning to peek into the mid-range territory, that is, if they’re able to actually pull it off. An exclusive leak spilled by C4ETech earlier today revealed the developments of a rather mid-range device featuring LG’s logo.
According to the YouTuber, the mysterious LG device would be an LG W-series smartphone, featuring a rather modern design with the exception of the physical fingerprint sensor at its rear.
After the M, there’s the W – Here’s an exclusive – this is LG’s new W series phone! Real Leaked Image! Looks decent, hope @LGIndia gets the Price & Specs right this time! What are you expecting guys?
Unfortunately, the leak didn’t reveal any more details regarding the phone, nor its price. However, simply judging by the dual-camera setup on its rear, the physical fingerprint sensor on its rear, and the re-incarceration of the Micro USB port, we could definitely be looking at a low to mid-range phone over here.
There’s no telling what LG could be going for over here. However, history has taught us that LG, HTC and Sony have been too shy to tackle the mid-range segment in certain Asian and European markets, especially with the introduction of their Chinese rivals.
Microsoft is continuing its beastly approach with the Xbox One line of consoles. Following the launch of the Xbox One X back in 2018, Microsoft has its eyes set on the next-generation of consoles, dubbed as Scarlett.
In a video published by the folks over at Microsoft, Microsoft revealed that the new Xbox Scarlett console would be built with AMD’s new Zen2 and Navi architecture, leveraging the incredible improvements as well as the new IPC games from the new Zen2 architecture. In addition to that, they also revealed that the Xbox Scarlett console would be leveraging GDDR6 memory instead of the HBM2.
To keep things simple here’s everything that Microsoft is promising with its new beast of a console. Microsoft says that with the console, they’re looking at the Xbox Scarlett delivering
Up to 120 FPS
8K “capability
Variable refresh rate
Next-Gen Ray-Tracing
Furthermore, Microsoft did bank quite a bit on the new SSD that would be coming to the Xbox Scarlett as well as on the new capabilities it would be bringing to the scene.
Microsoft has revealed that Project Scarlett would be launching in Late 2020. Pricing, as usual, wasn’t revealed. However, we wouldn’t be surprised to see if Scarlett ends up on shelves featuring a $599 price tag. Anything lower than that, and you’re inviting quite a bargain.
Microsoft’s flop at E3 2013 took a major 180 on how the company runs the Xbox platform. And ever since then, Microsoft has proved again and again that they’ve learned their lesson. Following the incredible launch of the Xbox One S and Xbox One X, Microsoft is filling this year’s E3 with rumors of their new console, Scarlett, as well as a number of new games and plans.
Among their latest series of additions revealed at E3 2019 is the introduction of the Xbox One Game Pass to the PC, a major introduction to the PC. According to Microsoft themselves, Microsoft is going to be offering over 100 games to PC players with the subscription as well as a number of discounts ranging from 10% – 20% on DLCs and other add-ons in the Microsoft Store.
Games such as Metro Exodus, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, Forza Horizon 4, Gears 5, Football Manager 2019, and Imperator: Rome would all be coming to the PC the exact day they’re launched for the Xbox One family of consoles.
Like other platforms such as Steam and the Epic Games Store, Microsoft is trying to make the Xbox app a whole lot more like its competitors to keep up with speed. Improvements to the overall Xbox One UI, chats, game recording and others would also take a hit, bringing Xbox One players and PC players together on the PC.
Microsoft is offering an introductory offer for folks who want to jump into the new plan immediately for just $1. However, if you’re planning to jump in later, the Xbox Game Pass would be going for $5.
Furthermore, if you’ve been a subscriber of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on the Xbox, you would also get the Xbox Game Pass for PC as well.
EA has just revealed some more cheesy content coming to Battlefield V. Following some major revelations a while ago from EA Play 2019, EA has decided to keep it cheesy by announcing new changes coming to Battlefield V.
EA began the Battlefield V keynote by revealing a number of maps, beginning with a map dubbed as Marita. Marita is a map based in Greece. The map would take you through a neighborhood in Greece with sloping mountains and through the valley. The map is aimed at largely aimed at infantry-focused combat. The map would be a part of Chapter 4 coming next month.
The next map being revealed is the new Al-Sundan. The map was adapted from The map has been optimized for infantry and vehicle-based combat. The map is so large that EA has made sure that the map has a number of key locations, including an airbase to take-off with a plane. Al-Sundan would be coming in Chapter 4, June the 27th.
The last map EA revealed today is Operation Underground. Operation Underground would definitely remind you of Operation Metro from Battlefield 4 back in the day. You would be taken underground where players would grind themselves through the subway. However, Operation Underground would be coming later this year between October and November, later this year.
EA said that they have added a number of flanks to all three maps. EA continued its event by announcing that they would be introducing even more infantry-based combat maps to Battlefield V.
The team at Battlefield also introduced a new map based on the war between the US and Japan back in the day. The map would be making its way in Chapter 5 and would be available, as usual, as a free map like the others.
Now these were just the maps that EA revealed at EA Play 2019. However, that isn’t all EA had to reveal. At the event, EA revealed some more details regarding what players could expect from the game following the launch of Al-Sundan, Marita and Operation Underground.
Here is what you could expect to see towards the end of Battlefield V’s Chapter 4 and introduction of Chapter 5.
Regarding max ranks, EA has pushed the max rank from 50 to 500 in order to keep players from hitting the barrier.
Like Fortnite, EA would also be introducing private servers for all Battlefield V players. These servers would be available by September, later this year.
Lastly, Battlefield V has finally been added to the Origin Access and EA Access Vault, meaning that you can now play Battlefield V as a subscription if you have been waiting out on it.
Who doesn’t love Star Wars? The franchise itself has had a massive impact on pop culture and enthusiasts can’t think what would happen if it didn’t exist. EA has been making shooter games over the franchise for quite some time. Their latest title was Star Wars Battlefront.
In A Nutshell – What To Expect?
Today, EA has revealed a small gameplay trailer of the game which takes place mid game where we’re trying to uncover our powers and whatnot. The gameplay mechanics look neat and very similar to other action adventure titles. As far as graphics are concerned, the game looks fine but not the best. The visuals are okayish but considering how EA goes with graphics quality the gameplay shows mediocre graphics.
Although the Battlefront game featured creative and iconic Star Wars moments from the movies it lacked originality and felt as if its a direct successor to the Battlefield franchise. E3 2019, however, is here and with it, EA has introduced a new trailer for the upcoming Star Wars game dubbed Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
Gameplay & Graphics
The teaser trailer definitely raised hopes for enthusiasts since it offered a proper storyline instead of an FPS multiplayer experience. The story is set in a world where a galaxy-wide purge of Jedi’s has taken place and players take control of Padawan Cal Kestis who tries to survive the hostility while being chased by the Galactic Empire.
The gameplay shown however is a totally different story. In my opinion, it was every child’s dream to get hold of a lightsaber and have the powers of a Jedi and with the game ready to roll out the dream may very well come true soon. The combat engine appears very enigmatic and appealing with flashy animations and lit up weapons.
Availability & Release
The game overall is not something out of the park. The attention to detail isn’t on par with other titles and the game fails to build up the atmosphere. But to Star Wars fans it doesn’t really matter as much as long as they’re getting a proper Jedi game with a solid storyline. The game is available November 15th later this year on PS4, PC and Xbox One with pre-orders starting here.
Apparently, Chinese manufacturers have been under Apple and Samsung’s skin over the past few years, and 2019 has been no exception. Both, Xiaomi and Oppo have recently showcased some major tech today revealing what their upcoming smartphones could look like featuring an under-display camera.
As the title suggests, these phones are going to finally going to send the pesky notch to the grave. With the selfie camera now tucked under the display, pretty much every manufacturer would jump aboard on the tech and maximize their real estate.
Based on both of the videos, it seems like the displays did pretty well on their own. However, you may also notice that in both, Xiaomi and Oppo’s demos, the camera requires the displays to be turned off or go completely black to take a picture, probably to avoid conflicts with the light and pixels the display lights up.
So far, both, Xiaomi and Oppo have showcased prototypes rather than consumer-end devices. And given the current state of smartphones and how smartphones have adapted to such technologies, we may see these designs be implemented by the end of the year, putting an end to notches as well as pop-up cameras for good.
Xiaomi’s Redmi K20 Pro continues to bake in the oven. As we head deeper into 2019, the aroma coming from the K20 Pro is becoming irresistible, and rightfully so given the leaks that are making their way here. Leaks coming in from Chinese social media site, Weibo, spills the beans on the upcoming K20 Pro, including its price tag and variants.
According to the leaks, the Redmi K20 Pro would feature the Snapdragon 855 SoC. In addition to that, the device would come with a 48MP camera on its back, a 4000mAh battery, NFC, up to 8GB of RAM, and up to 128GB of internal storage rather than the 256GB storage we were hoping for.
According to the leaks, the Redmi K20 Pro would come in three variants.
Taking the leaks into account, that means that the 3 variants top out at 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. Furthermore, the Chinese pricing also gives us a rough idea of what the device may retail in the international market.
With Huawei taking a duck in the US market and from many of its major partners, Xiaomi would be a whole lot more confident in pricing its devices. And given that the Asian & European market is where Xiaomi dominates, we could suggest that the K20 Pro would start at $399 by the time it arrives in international markets.
With pricing out of the way, Xiaomi has clearly shown us why it cares about enthusiasts. Despite its price tag, Xiaomi and re-introduced and introduced NFC, the 3.5mm headphone jack, Hi-Res audio via the 3.5mm headphone jack, and an under-display fingerprint sensor which is incredible for the $399 phone to say the least.
Regarding the release date, Xiaomi has a conference that’s set to go off on May 28th in Beijing which is right around the corner. The question and bite on the tongue is whether Xiaomi could quench the thirst of enthusiasts from the international market given how much we had to wait for the Mi 9 and Mi 9 SE.
Recently, Huawei was all out banned in the U.S due to reasons regarding national security and much more. While the news has been circling the web for quite some time we’d rather say nothing about the whole situation. One thing, however, is completely understood and that is that Huawei would now face a major setback with major companies like ARM, Google, Apple and more completely cutting off Huawei’s upcoming smartphones.
With such intense competition amongst smartphone manufacturers, users tend to forget how Nokia’s clean aesthetic approach makes up for every dink in their smartphone. Nokia has just released a new advert with a tagline stating,
This new advert not only reminds folks of the brand’s Finnish origins but takes a jab at Huawei’s recent plans as well. The Nokia smartphones have been vital contenders in the midrange and budget market and are far superior to Chinese brands when it comes to geometry, looks and software.
With all this debate going on, Nokia has found a strangely satisfying way to tackle the situation to its benefit. The company made its comeback to the mainstream smartphone market after it was acquired by HMD Global and has been making quality devices ever since. Now seems to be a great time for Nokia to make an impact on the U.S markets and corner the mid-range and budget smartphone department. With tensions rising between the U.S and China, Nokia can seriously benefit from here since the Chinese influence is sure to decline in the region.
The Galaxy S10 has been well out in markets throughout the globe and has made a generally positive impact on the modern smartphone innovation threshold. One of the most striking features of the Galaxy S10 was it adopting the punch hole infinity O display which instead of a traditional notch which was a bold move.
The circular notch on the S10e and an extended one on higher variants was a decent step up from the traditional notches and offered a seamless experience with an easy to forget protrusion. Samsung today has officially launched a set of featured backgrounds fit for the Galaxy S10’s Infinity-O display.
The backgrounds feature iconic Disney, Pixar movies and much more now available for purchase on the Galaxy Store available according to one’s region and location. These wide varieties of backgrounds feature iconic moments from Frozen, Zootopia, The Incredibles and much more blending in the circular notch which makes the phone look aesthetic.
Ever since the launch of the device, the internet flooded with unique designs complimenting the punch hole notch on the S10 mostly because it made the phone’s incredible display look majestic and mesmerizing. Samsung, however, has finally decided to bring in top-notch backgrounds officially for enthusiasts. Wallpapers on a smartphone make up the phone’s approach and standpoint, having such creative wallpapers would only add value to your phone and what better way than to pimp your phone and hide the notch in doing so.
This is Samsung’s first cooperation with Disney and Pixar. The manufacturer plans to provide more quality backgrounds for users and to collaborate with more brands in the coming future.
Xiaomi has been a major contender in the mid-range market. Following the massive appeal Xiaomi garnered with the Poco F1, Xiaomi is about to take the hype for the K20 to the next level.
Following a number of leaks and renders, Xiaomi CEO, Lei Jun, revealed on Twitter that the leaked renders of the Xiaomi Redmi K20 are indeed true and is not a render of some sort.
The first official look of #Redmi #K20 (PS: this is a real picture of the phone, not a rendition.)
said Lei Jun on Twitter, revealing the Redmi K20.
The color scheme the Redmi K20 is about to come with is definitely going to turn heads in a world of unique glass back designs. Furthermore, this also means that the color revealed in the leaks over the past two weeks would actually be a color option among the K20 series of devices.
Xiaomi, being Xiaomi, would definitely make sure that the K20 is released in a number of other variants and colors as well. However, I would personally be stoked to see if Xiaomi has something in-store that looks just as good as the Nebula Blue OnePlus 7 Pro that OnePlus recently launched.
Xiaomi is expected to reveal the Redmi K20 and Redmi K20 Pro on May the 28th, 2019. Specifications regarding the Redmi K20 and K20 Pro include either a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC a Snapdragon 730 SoC, upto 8GB RAM, upto 256GB of internal storage, a pop-up camera, a 48MP triple-camera setup on its rear, and a 4000mAh battery to top it off. And if that wasn’t enough, all fingers are pointing towards the inclusion of the headphone jack on the Redmi K20 and K20 Pro which would make a ton of enthusiasts appreciate Xiaomi a whole lot more after they axed it on the Mi6 back in the day.
Anyways, pricing as of yet hasn’t been revealed. However, rumors have suggested that the Xiaomi Redmi K20 Pro, the variant with the Snapdragon 855 would retail for at least $399. However, until Xiaomi actually reveals the device, take a ton of these recent leaks with a grain of salt.
Every smartphone enthusiast in Asia has their eyes set on Xiaomi’s upcoming Redmi K20 and K20 Pro. A ton has been leaked about the two devices in the past, but it seems like we’re pretty close to the launch as leaks continue to make their way through the crevices.
The Xiaomi Redmi K20 is said to come in two variants, the Redmi K20 and the Redmi K20 Pro. The latter of the two is the star of the show and the center of attraction amidst all the recent launches from its competitors.
Sourced from the folks over at 91Mobiles, we finally have a glimpse at what the front of the Redmi K20 (Non-Pro) looks like, and it seems to look cheesy for the better or worse.
According to the alleged leaks, the Xiaomi Redmi K20 would feature a full-view display, a pop-up camera and an under-display fingerprint scanner. However, these aren’t any improvements that you may want to brush off. In fact, the new under-display fingerprint sensor that Xiaomi has been touting would be a whole lot faster than under-display fingerprint sensors from last year.
Furthermore, the device is also said to feature a 4000mAh battery, a 48MP main camera, a 13MP ultra-wide, and an 8MP telephoto camera on its back to keep up with the trends in 2019.
How accurate these rumors and renders are are yet to be seen. However, by the looks of it, there’s no going back from here. Personally can’t wait to see how well Xiaomi prices these devices.
Oppo seems to be working on yet another mid-ranger it seems. The story comes after a mysterious device, dubbed as the Oppo PCGM00 has emerged on Geekbench’s database.
According to the leak, the alleged Oppo K2 is suspected to be yet another mid-ranger from Oppo, featuring a Snapdragon 710 SoC paired with 8GB of RAM, a typical setup for many mid-rangers nowadays. In addition to that, the leak revealed that the device managed to score 1521 and 5670 in the single-core and multi-core department and is suggested to run Android 9 Pie out of the box.
Just like many Geekbench leaks, that’s all we could scour about the Oppo K2. And if these leaks are true, Oppo could very well be working on the device with many leaks and rumors filling in more of the cracks and crevices of the K2’s spec sheet in the near future.
Given the hardware the K1 introduced, we’re keen to see whether the K2 brings much more to the table other than the SoC and RAM. After all, it hasn’t been long since the Oppo K1 launched back in October 2018.
Samsung has been on a move and has been bringing innovation to pretty much every corner of the globe. Samsung over the course of a few years has managed to constantly bring something worthwhile to its smartphones starting from the budget lineup and going all the way up to the flagship series.
As per a tweet by our trusty Ice Universe, Samsung is working on yet another smartphone which is expected to break barriers releasing just later this year. Funnily enough, the phone is neither the Galaxy Note 10 or the Galaxy Fold. While no further information is disclosed, we are certain of the fact that the phone would take a unique perspective on the modern smartphone model.
When the word premium is taken into consideration, the Galaxy S series and the Note series smartphones come into mind. Mostly because of their price point and the overall features they pack. Both the franchises have beautifully etched the premium market space as they bring in more and more features to consumers.
Samsung has been experimenting quite a lot with the Galaxy A series recently and has brought in various technologies such as a completely bezel-less display, the removal of the headphone jack and much more. It could possibly mean that Samsung aims at releasing another device with extraordinary potential in order to evaluate the audience’s reaction.
As for the unique feature of the device, we could be seeing a completely bezel less display with UFS 3.0 a complex camera setup and much more. It would certainly be interesting to see how Samsung manages to erradicate the punch hole and would they be willing to go for a pop up style camera?
Samsung has enjoyed massive success and its fair share of backlash over the first half of 2019. From the Galaxy Fold debacle to the launch of the revamped Galaxy A-series of devices and Galaxy S10 family.
According to the trusty Ronald Quandt, it seems like Samsung is about the revitalize the hype for the Galaxy S10 series lineup again with the upcoming, yet rumored, announcement of the Cardinal Red Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus.
It seems like the new Cardinal Red color would be limited to the Samsung Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus exclusively and wouldn’t be coming to the Samsung Galaxy S10e that everyone has been raving about lately.
Whether the Cardinal Red color comes to the Samsung Galaxy S10e or the Galaxy S10 5G is yet to be seen. However, given that these two phones are at the forefront globally, there’s a strong possibility that we may never see these colors coming to either the S10e or the S10 5G.
Given how well Samsung has positioned their lineup this year gives me a strong sense of stability this year in Samsung’s overall revenue, especially with the addition of the new Galaxy A-series lineup.
Xiaomi’s upcoming Redmi-branded K20 is about to steal the show, at least that’s how rumors are putting it. As we get closer to the launch of the K20, leaks have emerged suggesting what allegedly seems to be a thorough leak of the Redmi K20’s specifications.
According to a fairly large Xiaomi fan page, Redmi Italia, the upcoming Redmi K20 and K20 Pro have more than a punch behind their sleeves. The page also noted that the Redmi K20 would consist of two devices, the Redmi K20 and the K20 Pro.
Beginning with the Redmi K20 Pro, there’s a lot you’ve got to get hyped for. According to the alleged spec sheet leaked via the aforementioned source, the K20 Pro would come with the following hardware.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
6 / 8GB LPDDR4x RAM
64 / 128 / 256GB UFS 2.1 ROM
6.4-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display featuring a 91.2% screen-to-body ratio
Corning Gorilla Glass 6
6th-Gen Under-Display Fingerprint Sensor
NFC
48MP (Main) / 13MP (Ultra-wide) / 8MP Rear Camera Setup
20MP Selfie Camera
3.5mm headphone jack
Type-C Charging Port
4000mAh battery
27W Fast Charging (with support for Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 4.0 technology)
Regarding the K20, the source suggested that the K20 would retain the same spec sheet as the K20 Pro with the exception of the SoC. This means that the K20 would most probably come with a Snapdragon 700-series SoC, we would say that it may very well be the Snapdragon 730 after all the teases Xiaomi has been throwing lately.
Regarding pricing, there isn’t much around this far. However, the source specifically mentioned that the K20 Pro would most probably start at €360 (US $399) which would be an absolute steal given the hardware Xiaomi’s bringing to the table.
Whether the rumors about the Redmi K20 Pro being rebranded as the Poco F2 is yet to be seen. However, while it does have some substance to it, we could be looking at yet another merger between the Poco and Redmi brands to keep things simpler.
Huawei has finally announced the Honor 20 Pro. After months of leaks and rumors, Huawei has finally announced the Honor 20 Pro.
The Honor 20 Pro is Huawei’s latest device that aims to tackle OnePlus and Xiaomi where it hurts the most. The Huawei Honor 20 Pro comes with a punch-hole display, their new holographic back design, a 6.26-inch IPS display, the Kirin 980 flagship SoC, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, a 4000mAh battery, virtual 9.1 surround sound, up to 8GB of RAM, up to 256GB of internal storage and a whole lot more.
The device comes in Phantom Blue with sort of a green hue at certain angles, Phantom Black with sort of a purple hue at certain angles, Sapphire Blue, Icelandic White, and Midnight Black. However, if you decide to jump onto the trendy train, Huawei continues to collaborate with the folks over at Moschino in order to bring yet another design palette into the mix.
The Huawei 20 Pro, like many other phones released this year, the Huawei 20 Pro comes with a quad-camera setup on its back, with two out of the three shooters featuring OIS under the hood. On the back, you’re looking at a 16MP ultra-wide, 48MP main camera coupled with OIS, an 8MP telephoto coupled with OIS, and a 2MP macro shooter for those who really love to get versatile with their smartphone photography.
As usual, Huawei ended the presentation by revising some of the major features the Huawei 20 Pro comes with which includes the new 9.1 virtual surround sound technology, their in-house 22.5w SuperCharge Technology, some speedy optimizations that have been baked within EMUI, and a few more.
The Huawei Honor 20 Pro is set to retail for €599 across Europe and would come with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage.
Fortnite is about to hit its second year next month. As Season 9 launches, Epic is making sure that its strong player base continues to stick with the game. Following some major disruptions and radical changes during the Fortnite World Cup, Epic has announced that they would be pushing major overhauls to the competitive side of Fortnite as well as introduce some major performance patches along the way.
Beginning with the performance side of Fortnite, Epic has announced that would be fixing several performances regressions. As expected, these major overhauls would be making their way to the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, the Nintendo Switch, and mobile. Epic Games says that they have laid the foundation for these improvements with Update 9.01, but would be adding a few more with Update 9.10 next week.
Coming over to the competitive side of Fortnite, Epic has announced some rules and changes that would be put into place as the Fortnite World Cup is underway.
Aside from removing vehicles altogether, Epic has announced that they would be re-instating the vehicles with the next update where they expect the issue to have be resolved.
In addition to that, Epic has also announced that they would be introducing some rules for Duo players who are competing in the World Cup. According to Epic, duos who unfortunately lose a partner to a disconnect or some issue are able to leave the game without facing any penalties. However, if a duo partner has left the scene and you’re left to fend off the other teams, it would be up to you to either back down or double down as the penalty would be in full-effect if you plan to leave the game after the Battle Bus launches.
Lastly, Epic has announced that they would be pushing an additional fix to Fortnite later this week with Update 9.10. The fix involves correcting the suppression of build sounds with gun-fire as well as landing at certain velocities without a sound.
None of the other issues were announced in the blog post. However, with three to four days left before the patch notes roll in, Epic may very well be able to gather some more bugs in the game. Let’s hope that’s the case.
Samsung’s Galaxy S10 has been out for quite a while now and the phone has been performing excellently. Despite strong competition, the punch hole design display along with various innovations prove to be worth the wait. However, Samsung is known to lead with the Galaxy Note lineup along with the S series. This year would mark the 10th Galaxy Note having a decent upgrade over the Galaxy S10.
The device in the picture shows a Note smartphone most probably the Note 10 with an insane bezel size and an absolute minimal chin as compared to the Galaxy S10. Moreover, the phone retains the Note DNA with the classic S Pen inside the bottom slot beside the USB-C connector and a headphone jack.
The following render was recently leaked on twitter allegedly by Samsung itself and has been circling the web. The rendered image shows what seems to be a Galaxy Note series smartphone alongside a Galaxy Fit wrist band. While this may be an advert for the versatility of the Galaxy Fit, the inclusion of the Galaxy Note device having a different approach is worth noticing.
While even the hints of the phone are a healthy few months away, rumours have already started pouring out about the device. The Note series is known to house better specs and beefier internals with a hefty price tag to ensure an overall quality device and we expect the Note 10 to take it up a notch.
Samsung recently has been experimenting a lot with the Galaxy A series smartphones and showcased devices getting rid of the notch and even the punch hole notch. The render here only shows the bottom half of the Galaxy Note 10 therefore not much could be said about the top half of the device. It seems likely that the phone is to rock a standard circular notch up top but given how the competition has caught up not much could be said.
OnePlus has finally revealed the OnePlus 7 family of devices a few minutes ago. After months of long rumors and leaks, it’s finally official.
Like the rumors insisted, the OnePlus 7 Pro was the star of the show. We finally had our look at the OnePlus 7 Pro’s new hardware and the incredible new Fluid AMOLED display under the hood. In addition to that, we finally get to see OnePlus jumping aboard what its cousins have been doing so far, including a pop-up camera. That leads the device to feature a 93% screen-to-body ratio.
OnePlus has also insisted that the new fingerprint sensor has also been upgraded. OnePlus says that the new display featuring the under-display fingerprint sensor would not only be faster but would also be much more secure than that of the OnePlus 6T.
Aside from the specs themselves, the display had been the major talking point of the OnePlus 7 Pro throughout the keynote, and rightfully so. Not only has OnePlus completely adapted to the bezel-less formula that its cousins, Oppo and Vivo, have been perfecting for a while, but has also managed to bump up the resolution on the OnePlus 7 Pro to QHD compared to the all-so-methodical 1080p displays we’ve been seeing from these “flagship killers”.
800-nits of brightness is what the 6.67-inch Fluid AMOLED display on the OnePlus 7 Pro touts, along with that 3120 x 1440 resolution.
Now OnePlus isn’t the first to introduce such a panel to a smartphone. I mean, Asus had introduced a 1080p 90Hz display last year with the ROG Phone and Razer has been, on the other hand, been banking on that 120Hz IPS display for the past two years. However, what OnePlus has done is bring the best of both, Razer and Asus to the playing field.
OnePlus then showcased some worthy examples of how reliable the pop-up camera on the OnePlus 7 Pro is. OnePlus showcased an alleged demonstation of how strong the pop-up camera is by hanging a 22kg weight to the camera on the OnePlus 7 Pro.
The 48MP IMX 586 sensor is here, acting as the main camera on the OnePlus 7 Pro. Furthermore, the device has also been bundled with two more cameras to keep up with the trends of 2019. On the back, alongside the main 48MP sensor, you’ll find a 16MP ultra-wide shooter and an 8MP 3x-zoom telephoto shooter.
Like many other companies, OnePlus also bragged about how they’ve snatched the first place spot on DxOMark’s charts from the likes of Google and Huawei. However, only real-world tests would tell how much of a magic OnePlus has actually done on these cameras.
Coming over to some of the major features the OnePlus 7 Pro features, you’ll be happy to see the newly introduced vibration motors along with the introduction of dual stereo speakers here.
Regarding the rest of the specifications, expect nothing out of the ordinary. With the OnePlus 7 Pro, you’re looking at a Snapdragon 855 SoC, upto 256GB of UFS 3.0 storage, 12GB of RAM, 10-layer vapor-chamber liquid cooling, and a 4000mAh battery with Warp Charge 30.
The OnePlus 7 Pro is set to launch for a decent price of just $669, $699, and $749 for the 6/128GB variant, 8GB/256GB variant, and 12/256GB variant, respectively.
Coming over to the neglected OnePlus 7, you would be happy to know that it’s still here. Aside from it being neglected at the OnePlus 7 New York keynote, OnePlus did make sure that it made its presence in India.
The OnePlus 7 is basically the OnePlus 7 Pro, in the body of the OnePlus 6T, minus the 12GB of memory, the QHD+ Fluid AMOLED display, and the pop-up camera.
However, the price of the OnePlus 7 still makes it a cheesy option if you want some of that OnePlus sugar. Over in India, the OnePlus 7 is set to retail for ₹32,999 and ₹ 37,999 for the 6/128GB and 8/256GB variant, respectively.
For folks who have their eyes peeled on one of the cheesy colors OnePlus has announced today, you would have to wait until May 17th for the Mirror Grey OnePlus 7 Pro and until May 28th for the Nebula Blue variant. If you want to take it a step further, the OnePlus 7 Pro in Almond would be available somewhere June and would launch alongside the OnePlus 7.
For those who were anxious about 5G, apparently OnePlus showcased the OnePlus 7 Pro 5G briefly. The OnePlus 7 Pro 5G features the new Qualcomm X50 5G model. The OnePlus 7 Pro 5G would exclusively be available with the UK carrier, EE. Regarding the availability date, that seems to be unknown as of yet, but that’s about it for the OnePlus keynote.
The OnePlus 7 has just been announced officially by the manufacturer. The device was the most anticipated upper mid-range smartphone of the year and after a plethora of leaks and rumours, the phone is officially live. Amidst all the hype regarding the premium features of the phone, OnePlus has officially taken a couple of steps towards 5G.
OnePlus has partnered with EE telecom a British telecom company and a division of the BT group to provide blazing fast 5G technologies throughout the U.K. The telecom company has been the leader when it comes to 4G technology in the U.K and stayed on top for over 5 years providing the best in class performance to users. Today, paired with the new OnePlus Pro 7 series smartphones, EE has taken 5G a step further and announced their game plan for the U.K markets.
The company has announced six major cities throughout the country bringing faster speeds than ever before starting from London, Cardiff, Belfast, Edinburgh, Manchester and Birmingham. EE also plans on adding 10 more cities into their coverage and provide an all-round 5G panel to Britain. One thing of notice here is the fact that EE would be the first to bring 5G speeds to the country and having OnePlus by their side would definitely boost sales significantly.
Together with OnePlus, EE plans on continuing its glorious record with 5G and OnePlus. Moreover, they have also launched a wonderous deal of providing free upgrades to a select 50 OnePlus 6T users on their network to the latest and greatest OnePlus 7. While most smartphones have already hopped on the 5G bandwagon, OnePlus while being late to the party has some perks.
The OnePlus 7 Pro would be the first 5G ready device paired with the first 5G telecom network in Britain for enthusiasts and would definitely attract a wide array of users to their service. Furthermore, OnePlus’s reputation is already cemented in our modern day markets. That paired with its unique market attack would definitely bring in qualitative sales not just in the U.K but in Europe as a whole.
Motorola’s MotoOne has just emerged, and it seems to be a cheesy device to lookout for. Sony isn’t the only brand to jump onto the 21:9 trend it seems. Renders courtesy of Ishan Agarwal showcase the new 21:9 display on the upcoming MotoOne in full swing.
Earlier today, Ishan Agarwal, a reknowned leaker had revealed some massive leaks regarding the upcoming MotoOne smartphone. According to the renders revealed today, the device would most probably come in three colors, a dual-camera setup on its rear, and the aforementioned 21:9 display.
Contrary to Sony’s implementation, Motorola’s MotoOne vision would actually feature a punch-hole display upfront, along with an array of mid-range specs under the hood.
Speaking of specs, the Motorola MotoOne is said to feature an Exynos 9609 SoC. a 6.3-inch display, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage, a 48MP dual-camera setup on its back, a 3500mAh battery and more. Furthermore, the device is said to feature TurboPower Fast Charging as well. And while the display may not be 4K like the one on the Xperia 1, we could definitely expect this tall display to be an IPS LCD display while Samsung keeps its exclusivity with punch-hole AMOLEDs.
MySmartPrice further revealed that the device would be revealed at a keynote scheduled on May 15th, 2019 in Sao Paulo, Brazi.
Regarding performance, I’m personally interested to see how well the device performs. Performance on the Samsung Galaxy A50 hasn’t been the best as far as I’ve tested it and nor is the speed overall. Let’s see whether a clean stock install of Android helps with that.
