Sony Xperia XA2, Xperia XA2 Ultra and Xperia L2 pre-orders begin in the US and UK, price revealed

Sony at the CES 2018 earlier this week introduced Xperia XA2,  Xperia XA2 Ultra and Xperia L2 smartphones, but it did not announce the price. Now all the smartphones are available for pre-order in the U.S. through Best Buy and in the UK through Clove UK. Pricing and availability Sony Xperia XA2 - $349.99 (Rs. 22,260 approx.) / £249.17 (Rs. 21760 approx.) exVAT  / £299 (Rs. 26,110 approx.) incVAT Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra - $449.99 (Rs. 28,620 approx.)  / £315.83 (Rs. 27580 approx.) exVAT  /  £379 (Rs. 33,099 approx.) incVAT Sony Xperia L2 - $249.99 (Rs. 15,900 approx.) / £165.83 (Rs. 14,480 approx.) exVAT / £199 (Rs. 17,380 approx.) incVAT In the U.S. these phones are available on  February 16, 2018, while the Clove UK says that the phones will be available by the end of January, which is about two weeks away. Sony Xperia XA2 specifications 5.2-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Full HD display with Image Enhance Technology, Corning Gorilla Glass protection 2.2 GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 630 14nm Mobile Platform with Adreno 508 GPU 3GB RAM, 32GBGB internal memory, expandable memory up to 256GB via microSD card Android 8.0 (Oreo) Dual SIM (Optional) 23MP rear camera with 1/2.3″ Exmos RS sensor, Hybrid Auto-Focus, 84° wide-angle f/2.0 lens 8MP front camera with 120° super wide-angle f/2.4 lens, 1/4″ Exmor R sensor Dimensions: 142 x 70 x 9.7 ...

Honor 8 Pro, Honor 9i, Honor 7X and Honor 8 Lite to get EMIUI 8.0 Android 8.0 Oreo update

Last year Huawei confirmed that Huawei P10 and Mate 9 series will get EMUI 8.0 Android 8.0 Oreo update, now Huawei's Honor brand has confirmed that Honor 8 Pro, Honor 9i, Honor 7X and Honor 8 Lite that were launched running Android Nougat will get the Oreo update with EMIUI 8.0 in the future without confirming exact time-frame of availability. The latest Honor View 10 and the Honor 9 Lite that will launch next week come with Android Oreo-based EMIUI 8.0 out of the box. For now Honor 8 Pro and Huawei Mate 9 are confirmed to bring Google’s Project Treble with the Oreo update so that the devices will get faster updates. EMIUI 8.0 brings AI-powered Real-Time Scene and Object Recognition, Smart Tips, and AI Accelerated Translator. Some of these features might vary depending on the device. EMUI 8.0 also includes features like Smart Resolution, dynamic wallpaper, navigation bar customizations,  intelligent split-screen interface, navigation dock, simplify one-hand operation and smart view on landscape and easy switch. EMUI 8.0 gives smart tips basis the behavior cognizance and requirements. "The software provides simplified interface enabling an easy single touch switching between user spaces, prompt data transfer and quick file sharing abilities," said the company. Commenting on the EMIUI 8.0, Huawei R&D spokesperson ...

HTC 10 Android 8.0 Oreo update starts rolling out

HTC confirmed Android 8.0 (Oreo) update for some of its devices back in August last year. The HTC U11 was the first phone to get the Oreo update in November starting from Taiwan, later the U11 Life got the update, now the unlocked HTC 10 units have started receiving the update starting from the U.S.  Android Oreo comes with lots of new features and improvements including Background limits, Notification channels, snooze notifications, Autofill APIs, Picture in Picture (PIP) display, Adaptive icons and much more. The v3.16.617.2 for the HTC 10 also includes Android security patch for December, 2017. OTA update should roll out for unlocked units in the U.S. from today, but the RUU file is available, which you can download and manually flash at your own risk. No details when the T-Mobile and other carriers variants will get the update. European units should get the update later this month or early next month. HTC U Ultra is expected to get the Oreo update next as the company had already promised.

HTC U11 EYEs with 6-inch FHD+ full-screen display, dual front cameras surface, expected on January 15

HTC U11 EYEs, a new mid-range smartphone in the U11 series codenamed Harmony is expected to be introduced in China on January 15th, according to @evleaks. It will have a 6-inch FHD+ full-screen screen, on-screen button and Edge sense technology that lets you launch apps or perform certain actions just by squeezing the phone. [HTML1] It will have IP67 ratings for dust and water resistance and pack a 3930mAh battery. Even though details about the camera is not mentioned, the image reveals single rear camera with dual-tone LED flash and dual front cameras. HTC U11 EYEs rumored specifications 6-inch (1080 x 2160 pixels) Full HD+ Super LCD 3 display Octa-Core Snapdragon 652 64-bit processor with Adreno 510 GPU 4GB RAM, 64GB internal storage, expandable memory with microSD Android 7.1 (Nougat) with HTC Sense UI Fingerprint sensor Water and dust resistant (IP67) 4G LTE, WiFi 802.11 ac (2.4 and 5GHz), Bluetooth 4.2 and GPS with GLONASS, USB Type-C 3930mAh battery The HTC U11 EYEs is said to come in Black, Silver and Red colors and will cost 3,299 yuan (US$ 510 / Rs. 32,490 approx.). We should know more details when the phone goes official in a couple of days. Source 1, 2

Samsung Galaxy S9 retail box surfaces – f/1.5 aperture camera, stereo speakers and more specifications revealed

We're just a month away from the launch of the Galaxy S9 and S9+. While the company is busy at work, retail box of the Galaxy S9 has allegedly surfaced online. The retail box found by Reddit users reveal some basic yet key specifications of the S9 that should keep us excited till the launch which happens to be in February at the MWC 2018 event.  As rumored, the Galaxy S9 will sport a 5.8-inches curved-edge Super AMOLED Infinity display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The retail box shows key camera specifics including a super-speed Dual-Pixel 12-megapixel camera with OIS, an F1.5/2.4 variable aperture camera similar to Samsung W2018 that can record super slo-mo videos, but we're yet to know the frame rates at which the videos are recorded. It has an 8-megapixel selfie snapper on the front and Stereo speakers and earphones tuned by AKG. The Galaxy S9 duo will be water and dust resistant rated at IP68. There is an Iris scanner, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage and support for wireless charging. While there are not many differences in terms of specifications between the S9 and this year's S8+, it should be interesting to see the what features that would tag along. Though ...

Insta360 Nano S offers 360-degree 4K videos, multiview shooting and more

Insta360 introduced the ONE, 4K 360 camera last year. This year at the CES it has introduced new Nano S, a compact camera that attaches to iPhone using lightning port to shoot 4K 360° video and 20 MP 360° photos. It also has MultiView feature that allows users to show multiple angles of a scene simultaneously and share them via a live broadcast or one-on-one chat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQfJbHblqiY Insta360 Nano S highlights and specifications Sony sensor with f/2.2 aperture Integrated support for 360° live-streaming on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter (via Periscope) Uses iPhone's gyroscope to counteract every wobble and shake for shooting smooth footage MultiView lets you record in every direction, and arrange the best of what you see in one frame One-touch sharing to social apps - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more Converts iPhone’s display into a real-time 360° camera viewfinder Photo resolution: 6272x3136; Video resolution: 3840x 1920 at 30fps; Photo format: jpg, insp, RAW(DNG format); Video format: mp4, insv, Log Dimensions: 110 x33x21mm SD Card: Supports UHS-I, exFAT(FAT64) format; max storage capacity is 128 GB 800mAh battery with 60 minutes of endurance The Insta360 Nano S comes in Silver and Matte black colors, is priced at  $239 (Rs. 15,200 approx.) and is available through Insta360 Store and Amazon.

Kai Technologies announces successful growth of KaiOS in India through JioPhone

US-based Kai Technologies, a mobile operating system provider today announced its successful growth and presence in the Indian market through the JioPhone. KaiOS is already available in U.S. and Canada through partnerships with Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile since 2017. KaiOS is baked on Firefox OS which is an open-source project started in 2011 and the operating system debuted in the USA in 2017. The operating system's Store is based on HTML5 so most of the games, apps, messaging, streaming apps, and social media are already available. It also has support for 4G/LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS, and is compatible with chipsets from major manufacturers. The operating system is lightweight and can power phones that use limited memory and energy, making it power affordable devices with a longer battery life.  The company hopes that the KaiOS-powered mobile phones in India will emerge as a new category altogether. Commenting on the occasion, Sebastien Codeville, CEO of Kai Technologies said: Ownership of a powerful digital device can enrich one’s life and creates new opportunities for the user, their family, and the community. We’re thrilled by the performance of KaiOS on the JioPhone. The launch opens up more opportunities for millions of Indians. We have added specific features to support the vision of Digital ...

Airtel offers 1 year free Amazon Prime membership to postpaid, broadband customers

Airtel today announced that it is offering its Airtel Postpaid customers with an Infinity plan of Rs. 499 or above and its V-Fiber Broadband customers with Rs. 1099 plans or above free one year Amazon Prime membership, worth Rs. 999 that includes unlimited access to Amazon Prime Video, as part of their plan benefits at no additional cost. Amazon Prime Video gives you access to over 11 million Prime eligible products, early & exclusive deals, special discounts and more. The offer for one year of Amazon Prime can be activated  through the Airtel TV app. To claim the offer you need to: Download the Airtel TV app from the App Store or Google Play Open the Airtel TV app and click on the special Airtel – Amazon digital card (available only to eligible Airtel customers) Signup for Amazon Prime by registering a phone number and password  (No credit card or additional information required since customers receive this at no additional cost from Airtel) Download the Prime Video app and begin streaming Commenting on the partnership, Akshay Sahi, Director and Head of Amazon Prime India,said: We are thrilled to come together with Airtel to make Amazon Prime benefits directly available to more customers.This move enables seamless access ...

Microsoft partners with Signal to roll out Skype Private Conversations with end-to-end encryption

Microsoft has teamed up with Signal; a protocol for the private messenger to bring an experimental feature called 'Private Conversations' with end-to-end encryption on Skype app. However, the end-to-end encryption is only available between one-on-one contacts but not in group chats.  The end-to-end encryption feature will cover chat, files, and audio messages, but not audio or video calls. The private conversations feature is an additional layer of security for conversations since already offers some degree of encryption to protects chats. To start a private conversation, users need to click the '+' and select New Private Conversation and chose the contact with whom you'd like to start the Private Conversation with. An invitation will be sent to your contact asking to accept your invitation which is valid for 7 days. Once the contact accepts the invitation, you can start having a conversation. However, the chat will be available on that specific device and If you'd like to move the conversation to a different device, you would need to resend the invitation. To end the private chat, you need to go to the chat header, scroll down and select End Private Conversation. Deleting the Private Conversations is similar to a regular chat. Additionally, the Private Conversation will have a lock icon next to your ...

Nokia Asha phones might return as HMD Global files trademark

HMD Global just trademarked "Asha" with the EU Intellectual Property Office. Asha is the Nokia's former feature phone line-up with a touchscreen display and support for services like Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter. Nokia's Asha series, compact smartphone-like phones with attractive designs were the cheapest alternatives to the actual smartphones back in the day, but it wasn't a great success for Nokia compared to their smartphones. We hope HMD wouldn't go the similar feature phone route with Asha series, For one, the new application specifically mentions that "Asha" can be used for smartphones which confirms that the series would indeed include smartphones. With Google working with Micromax for launching low-cost Android Oreo (Go Edition) phones for Rs. 2,000, it could be possible that HMD might use the Asha series to introduce low-cost Android phones. HMD itself is said to be working on Nokia 1 which is said to be Android Go edition phone, so it is possible that HMD would tag them under the Asha series. Source | Via