Category: Phones

Discover the newest Android phones, from flagship to mid‑range, with honest insights on performance, design and value.

  • Nothing Phone 2 launch confirmed

    Nothing Phone 2 launch confirmed

    We’ve learned a lot about the incoming successor to the Nothing Phone 1, which is likely to be the most unusual phone of 2022, over the previous few months. We still didn’t know when we would actually see the phone land, though. Happily, we now are aware.

    The official launch date for the appropriately called Nothing Phone 2 is July 11, 2023. On that day, at 11:00 ET, Nothing will broadcast the announcement live on YouTube through its website. See the authorized teaser image down below.

    Nothing Phone 2

    The Nothing Phone 2 launch date is now set in stone.

    As with all of its other goods, Nothing uses an animal in its advertising for the Nothing Phone 2. You may recall that the Nothing Phone 1 featured a parrot, the Nothing Ear 2 a rhinoceros beetle, and the Nothing Ear 1 a ladybug. The octopus appears to be the symbol for the Nothing Phone 2 launch date and related marketing materials.

    It’s interesting to note that this advertisement features The Glyph, the phone’s backlight, in its revised form. These exactly match the rumored Phone 2 renders that we saw a few weeks back and that Carl Pei dubbed “f a k e.” That render appears to be more accurate than Pei would have us believe.

    In either case, on the day of debut, we should learn everything there is to know about the Nothing Phone 2. We already know that it will have a 4,700mAh battery and a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 CPU. Also, we already know that it will undoubtedly visit the United States. When the Nothing advertising machine ramps up, keep checking back for more verified information that will likely be released daily.

  • For the first time, Asus’ Zenfone series will support wireless charging with Zenfone 10.

    For the first time, Asus’ Zenfone series will support wireless charging with Zenfone 10.

    The Zenfone 10’s official launch date was recently disclosed by Asus. Together with the release date, the Taiwanese company also confirmed a few important details about the little device, including as a 5.9-inch display, a new generation of hybrid stabilization for its camera, and the introduction of wireless charging.

    After the Zenfone 9 broke cover at the end of July in 2022, this year’s flagship Android phone from Asus will be unveiled sooner than anticipated. On the current event page, Asus announced that the Zenfone 10 would launch on June 29 at precisely 10:00 PM in Taiwan (3:00 PM in Berlin) and 9:00 AM in New York. Users can sign up to receive updates and watch the event live online.

    zenfone 98393

    The business has begun to advertise a few of the Zenfone 10’s features as well. According to reports, the little phone would have a 5.9-inch screen with a punch hole in the upper left corner for the selfie camera, similar to the Zenfone 9 that we’ve reviewed. A second-generation 6-axis hybrid stabilization is also connected to the purportedly updated 200 MP primary camera.

    In addition, Asus will debut new hues with the product, such as the pale olive green shown in the illustration below. Shots of the red moon and the night sky were used to obliquely show the other colors, so possibly we are viewing a space-related subject or something similar.

    asus zenfone 10

    Wireless charging with Zenfone 10

    The way the Zenfone 10 will accept wireless charging is intriguing. In contrast, its predecessor glaringly lacked this functionality. What the speed rating is and whether reverse wireless charging will be available are still unknown.

    The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, which is a noticeable improvement over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in terms of efficiency and performance, will be in charge of the device’s chipset selection. With this, it is expected that the Zenfone 10 will experience an increase in battery life.

  • Official look at the Google Pixel Fold, launching on May 10

    Official look at the Google Pixel Fold, launching on May 10

    Google won today’s game against the leakers. The Google Pixel Fold was presented for the first time by the business. This is actually the first time the business has ever used the term “Pixel Fold” in any official capacity.

    The Google Pixel Fold debut event will take place at Google I/O 2023 on May 10, as anticipated. The Pixel Fold will officially launch next week, however the company did not specify a price or a start date for availability.

    The Pixel Fold is depicted in the still image up top, and it fits all the stories we’ve heard thus far extremely well. The tweet from Google, however, demonstrates animations of the phone unfolding.

    google pixel fold

    The Pixel Fold is depicted in the still image above, which accords quite well with all the speculations we have heard thus far. As you can see in the tweet below, Google also displayed animations of the phone unfolding. While May 4 is celebrated as an unofficial Star Wars holiday all around the world, the tweet’s clever message makes a play on the phrase “May The Force Be With You.”

    Along with the tweet, the company also published a new Pixel Fold page at the Google Store. This page reveals the Google Pixel Fold launch details and gives folks interested in getting one the ability to sign up for alerts about its availability.

    What else do we know about the Google Pixel Fold launch?

    We can be sure that Google will introduce the Pixel Fold and Google Pixel 7a at Google I/O. There is a good probability that the Pixel Tablet will also make its formal debut, but Google hasn’t said anything about that just yet.

    Several of the same features seen in the Pixel 7 Pro will probably also be found in the Pixel Fold. A triple-lens rear camera with wide, ultrawide, and telephoto lenses, the Tensor G2 SoC, a ton of Memory, a ton of storage, wireless charging, and more would be included. Of course, with all that power and the foldable design, the Pixel Fold will probably be incredibly pricey. As of now, reports point to a starting price of $1,799, the same as Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4.

  • Xiaomi MIX 5 live image – design, UD camera & key specs

    Xiaomi MIX 5 live image – design, UD camera & key specs

    The mysterious Xiaomi Mix 5 is now again a hot topic of conversation after reports about it died down last year. The MIX 5 was supposed to launch in 2022, but for reasons that are still a mystery, that plan was scrapped. But a new source boosted the prospect of a 2023 release, raising hopes for the much awaited gadget.

    Popular tipster DCS published a live image on Weibo that was purported to be the Xiaomi MIX 5 in a recent leak. The gadget has a boxy form with symmetrical bezels and an under-display camera, which appears to depart from the typical design language associated with Xiaomi. Intriguingly, the recently unveiled Red Magic 8 Pro gaming smartphone and the MIX 5 look remarkably similar. Given that the antenna lines are in precisely the same locations, it is quite likely that this is a Red Magic 8 Pro upon closer investigation. But on the off chance that this is the real deal, the gadget might have the following specifications.

    xiaomi mix 5

    Specs

    The Xiaomi MIX 5 is expected to have outstanding features, according to a live image that tipster DCS posted on Weibo. According to reports, the smartphone has a huge 6.73-inch display with a resolution of 3200 x 1440 pixels, most likely an AMOLED panel. The MIX 5 is expected to include a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC under the hood, along with a huge 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The smartphone is anticipated to include a substantial 4820mAh battery to run all day. The picture also reveals that MIUI 14, which is based on Android 13, will operate on the MIX 5.

    Overall, these specifications indicate that the MIX 5 will be a powerful and capable device that could be worth waiting for.

    Harware

    In the past, it was rumored that the Xiaomi MIX 5 would come with an impressive 200W fast charging capability. It is unclear if this feature will be included in the upgraded version of the device. Furthermore, earlier reports suggested that the MIX 5 would be equipped with a 48MP front-facing camera and a triple-camera setup on the back. This setup was said to consist of a 50MP OIS lens, a 48MP ultra-wide sensor, and a 48MP telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom. However, there is no official confirmation regarding these camera specifications as of yet. It remains to be seen if the final product will match these rumors or if there will be changes made to the device.

  • Huawei Band 8 – topnotch health management features and up to 14 days battery life

    Huawei Band 8 – topnotch health management features and up to 14 days battery life

    The Huawei Band 8 is the newest fitness tracker that Huawei has unveiled in China. The item was unveiled alongside the Huawei Enjoy X mid-range phone, the Nova 11 line of smartphones, and the Matebook D 14 and MateBook D 16 notebooks for 2023. Below are a complete list of the Band 8’s features, specifications, and cost.

    huawei band 8 169

    Huawei Band 8 specifications and features

    The company’s lightest and smallest large-screen fitness tracker is the Huawei Band 8. The device has an 8.99mm thickness and weighs only 14 grams, making it somewhat lighter than the previous model. Due to its small bezels, it has a 1.47-inch AMOLED screen with a 368 x 194-pixel resolution, a screen-to-body ratio of 65 percent, and a 2.5D high-quality curved glass screen that gives it a beautiful aesthetic. There are more than 10,000 different watch face designs for the Band 8 fitness tracker.

    Fast charging is supported by the Huawei Band 8; a full charge takes 45 minutes and 5 minutes of charging gives 2 days’ worth of usage. Any worries about the Band 8’s battery life are put to rest by the fact that a fully charged battery can last up to 14 days. It is the first Huawei fitness band that have HarmonyOS 3.1 installed.

    Huawei’s TruSleep 3.0 sleep tracking technology, which is included with the Band 8, has a 10% increase in accuracy over earlier versions. The enhanced algorithm offers users expert and credible sleep advice. In addition, the business has introduced the “Smart Sleep Improvement Plan” in partnership with the China Sleep Research Association to provide users with sleep issues with systematic and individualized sleep interpretation and improvement programs.

    Huawei Band 8

    With HUAWEI TruSeen 5.0 heart rate monitoring technology, the Band 8 has also gotten an upgrade to its heart rate algorithm, increasing accuracy by 10%. It has a function called “7-day resting heart rate” that plots the user’s resting heart rate over the last seven days. In addition to supporting automatic blood oxygen detection, heart health research, women’s health management, and 24/7 stress monitoring, Band 8 has professional health management capabilities.

    It is also the first fitness tracker made by Huawei to use a smart negative screen. Users can access smart scene information such as timetables, hotels, airlines, and trains by swiping the screen to the right, which brings up the negative screen. The gadget can quickly morph from a “smart travel secretary” and into an access control card, traffic card, and smart flash card.

    Huawei Band 8 price and availability

    The standard version of the Huawei Band 8 is priced at only 269 Yuan (~$39), and the NFC version is priced at 309 Yuan (~$45). It will be available for purchase starting April 26 on Huawei Mall, major e-commerce platforms, and authorized experience stores. It comes in four colours: Magic Night Black, Cherry Pink, Emerald Green, and Vibrant Orange.

    Source: gizmochina.com

  • Pre-order the OnePlus 11 to get the best #deal

    Pre-order the OnePlus 11 to get the best #deal

    The OnePlus 11, which was previously available only in China, has now arrived in the US. Pre-orders have now been available for the flagship device. Here are the finest locations to order the device in advance and locate the best discounts and trade-in prices.

    OnePlus 11 pre-orders

    Even without the enormous camera array on the back of the phone, the OnePlus 11 offers a lot. The OnePlus 11 features top-notch specs on the inside. A Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, as much as 16 GB of RAM, and either 128 or 256 GB of internal UFS 4.0 storage are all included in that.

    The 50MP Hasselblad-branded sensor system is housed in a well-known wraparound camera configuration on the back of the device by OnePlus. The 5,000mAh battery is charged using an 80W rapid charging system. Unfortunately, the US model can only charge at 80W while other models can do so at 100W. Additionally, this time around there is no wireless charging.

    The best part about the flagship device from OnePlus is the price. The OnePlus 11 comes in at $699, taking a bite at the competitively priced Pixel 7 series while offering a Qaulacomm SoC and other heavy specs.

    oneplus 11

    Pre-order the OnePlus 11

    OnePlus.com

    As is normally the case, the website with the best deal is from the company selling the device, OnePlus. With a Red Cable Club account, buyers earn a number of points for future purchases. On a purchase like the OnePlus 11, that means getting a larger amount of credits.

    Although rewards points are fantastic, the real value is seen when you trade in your outdated technology. Naturally, OnePlus has some restrictions. According to OnePlus, you’ll receive an immediate $500 credit toward your OnePlus 11 purchase if you trade in a OnePlus smartphone, yet we were unable to make this credit show up.

    You can also receive up to $200 with that and any other trade-ins; this money could be paid to you after you make a purchase or be made immediately. For instance, OnePlus will add $200 to the trade-in value of a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, making the total trade-in value $560. These values wouldn’t even come close to justifying the trade-in without the credit.

    If you’re looking for accessories with your OnePlus 11 pre-order, now would be the time to bundle the OnePlus Buds Pro 2. At $50 off, those who are looking to keep it in the OnePlus ecosystem will want to take that offer up.

    Best Buy

    The second best place to pick up the OnePlus 11 is Best Buy. Unfortunately, the company isn’t offering trade-in deals with pre-orders, however, customers who place a pre-order will get a $100 gift card. While it isn’t a glamorous trade-in bonus, a Best Buy gift card can go a lot further than OnePlus credit if you already have the devices you need.

    The OnePlus 11 should ship out around February 16, with pre-orders going on until the day before.

  • Samsung’s foldables can’t do it – this newly leaked foldable can do it – Phantom V Fold

    Samsung’s foldables can’t do it – this newly leaked foldable can do it – Phantom V Fold

    The foldable industry is now fairly saturated, with products ranging from Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold to Oppo’s Find N range. Additionally, it appears that a new smartphone will soon enter the foldable market. The questioned phone might be made by the Chinese company Tecno Mobile.

    MySmartPrice has found web leaks of new foldable device images. The outlet claims that the phone in the images could be the Phantom V Fold. After the business unveiled its Phantom Vision V idea, a device with a rollable sliding screen, this was announced.

    Something interesting about this book-like foldable is its ability to shut completely flat. This is a feat that Samsung’s own foldables can’t do as Samsung continues to innovate on its hinge technology.

    The Phantom V Fold also appears to have a display cover with a punch-hole camera. On the device’s rear, there is a three-camera arrangement as well. We were unable to see the primary screen, therefore we are unsure about how severe the crease may be.

    The handset is wrapped in a black casing that obscures much of the design, making it difficult to make out much else on it. However, it looks that the Phantom Vision V’s camera sensor arrangement is comparable.

    According to leaker Paras Guglani, the Phantom V Fold could be coming sooner than later. Guglani claims Tecno is preparing to launch the device globally on February 28.

  • Cheapest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 phone around – Red Magic 8 Pro

    Cheapest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 phone around – Red Magic 8 Pro

    The Red Magic 8 Pro is one of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 smartphones that have already been released. Since its late December launch, the phone has only been available in China, but that will now change.

    Today, Nubia announced the Red Magic 8 Pro’s global release, and it does appear to be a fantastic gaming phone. The aforementioned Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, together with an enhanced cooling system, powers the phone.

    More specifically, among other cooling measures, you have a bigger vapor chamber cooling plate and an integrated cooling fan with a maximum speed of 20,000 RPM. Therefore, people looking for the finest long-term gaming performance should keep this phone in mind. Another thing that shouldn’t be surprising is the presence of two capacitive shoulder triggers.

    Red Magic 8 Pro

    What else does it bring to the table?

    The rest of the phone also looks pretty impressive, featuring a 6.8-inch 120Hz OLED screen, 12GB to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, 256GB to 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage, a 6,000mAh battery, and 65W wired charging via the included charger.

    Switching to the cameras, Nubia’s handset brings a second-generation 16MP under-display selfie camera. Otherwise, you’ve got a triple camera system on the back, consisting of a 50MP GN5 main camera, 8MP ultrawide snapper, and 2MP macro lens.

    A 3.5mm connector (excellent), Bluetooth 5.3, dual stereo speakers, an in-display fingerprint sensor with heart rate detection, Red Magic OS 6.0 on top of Android 13, and support for Wi-Fi 7 are some further noteworthy Red Magic 8 Pro features.

    Red Magic 8 Pro

    Red Magic 8 Pro pricing and availability

    These specs don’t mean much if the device is hideously overpriced. Thankfully, the Red Magic 8 Pro is one of the more competitively priced Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 phones in global markets.

    The 12GB/256GB phone will be available for $649 / €649 / £579. Need more RAM and storage? Then the 16GB/512GB model will set you back $799 / Є749 / £709. The Red Magic 8 Pro will go on sale from February 2 in Asia-Pacific regions, Europe, Latin and North America, and the Middle East.

  • No CPU throttling for Galaxy S23 – improved cooling system

    No CPU throttling for Galaxy S23 – improved cooling system

    You may or may not remember Samsung tipster Ice Universe pointing out that the low Geekbench results for the Galaxy S23 line suggested that the overclocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip powering the Galaxy S23 devices was not functioning properly. A benchmark test called Geekbench is used to evaluate and compare the central processing unit CPU of chipsets used in smartphones (it works with processors on other types of devices, but we are focused on handsets for this story).

    The Galaxy S23‘s single-core Geekbench score was comparable to other smartphones powered by the same SoC, as we noted approximately a week and a half ago. However, the multi-core scores fell short of expectations, which is strange given that the overclocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 2’s X-3 high-performance core should result in higher Geekbench scores than other models using the chip’s stock configuration.

    galaxy s23 snapdragon

    Previous Geekbench tests hinted that Samsung was throttling the CPU of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for the S23 line

    And since none of the multi-core Geekbench tests for the Galaxy S23 line topped a score of 5,000 (something that other phones running the latest Snapdragon application processor (AP) did, it led to concerns that Samsung must be throttling the processor on the Galaxy S23 series which is something that would be done if the chipset was overheating.

    galaxy s23 geekbench

    Let’s explore the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset that powers the Galaxy S23 range in more detail. There are two variations; the Motorola X40 and OnePlus 11 will use the 4nm process node and the X-3 high-performance core, which has a 3.2 GHz clock speed. Samsung Foundry will produce the version for the Galaxy S23 range utilizing its 4nm production node and an X-3 high-performance processor clocked at 3.32GHz.

    However, a recent Geekbench test on the Galaxy S23 Ultra resulted in a multi-core score of 5,179, finally crossing the 5,000 threshold, according to Android Headlines. This suggests that any thermal issues that would have compelled Samsung to reduce the processor’s speed may have been resolved.

    The cooling system on the Galaxy S23 model will reportedly be enhanced and 1.6 times more effective than the cooling system on the Galaxy S22, according to a Twitter tipper by the name of Ahmed Qwaider (@AhmedQwaider888). The cooling system on the Galaxy S23+ will be 2.8 times more effective than the one on the Galaxy S22+, while the cooling system on the Galaxy S23 Ultra will be 2.3 times more effective than the one on the Galaxy S22 Ultra.

    The new chipset and cooling systems should keep the Galaxy S23 line from overheating

    The upgraded cooling systems will be able to prevent the Galaxy S23 series from overheating during periods of high usage without the need to throttle the processor, which is the bottom line. Furthermore, if your flagship phones’ overclocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipsets are going to be throttled in any case, what would be the point?

    The tipper notes that the Galaxy S23 models’ battery life would increase and less heat will be produced as a result of the upgraded Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC and better cooling system. Additionally, he claims that the performance of the Neural Processing Unity (NPU) would increase by 60% due to the enhanced usage of artificial intelligence (AI) features, and that the performance of the CPU will increase by 36% compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip used in the Galaxy S22 series.

    The Samsung Galaxy S23 series is rumored to be pre-installed with the One UI 5.1 interface which includes newer Android 13 features that were released by Google with the Android 13 Quarterly Platform Release 1 that was dropped early last month. The One UI interface is designed to make it easier for users to reach on-screen elements that are usually placed out of reach of users sporting a large-screened phone. This is done by keeping most of the elements near the bottom of the display.

  • OnePlus 11 #leak reveals what’s in the box, and the phone’s key specs

    OnePlus 11 #leak reveals what’s in the box, and the phone’s key specs

    The OnePlus 11 is scheduled to be revealed in China on January 4 before going global on February 7 in India. Despite the fact that we have already seen images of the phone, the one and only Evan Blass has added some new shots and information to his Twitter page. Before many of today’s tipsters even knew what a smartphone was, Blass has been providing trustworthy photographs and information about impending products.

    According to the tweet, the OnePlus 11 will feature a 6.7-inch AMOLED curved display with a QHD+ resolution of 1440 x 3216. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC will be under the hood with the following configurations offered: 12GB of RAM with 256GB of storage, 16GB of RAM with 256GB of storage, and 16GB of RAM with 512GB of storage. The phones will employ the fastest LPDDR5X RAM chips with UFS 4.0 storage. OnePlus has spared no expense as far as this aspect of the phone is concerned.

    The primary camera on the back of the phone will be powered by a 50MP Sony IMX890 sensor. A 48MP ultra-wide camera and a 32MP telephoto lens with a 2x optical zoom are also included in the array. The 16MP front-facing camera is used for selfies and video calls. A 5000mAh battery with a 100W quick charging capacity keeps the lights on. The phone will have an IP54 rating, which will protect it from sporadic sprays of water and dust. Don’t intentionally immerse the phone.

    ColorOS 13.0 will be pre-installed on the OnePlus 11 when it is unveiled in China. Its foundation is Android 13. The phone weights 205 grams and is available in Green and Black

    Blass’ leak also includes an image showing what will be inside the OnePlus 11 box. Besides the phone, there is a protective cover, a SIM tray pin, a manual, a charger (!), and a USB-C charging cable.