smartphone News - Page 21 of 73 - CNX Software

August 7, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Android 9 “Pie” Released – Download Firmware Images and AOSP Source Code

After several Android P developer previews and Android P beta releases, Google has now officially released Android 9 “Pie” operating system which brings new features leveraging artificial intelligence such as adaptive battery, app actions or slices, as well as support for WiFi RTT indoor positioning, displays with notch, a new neural API, and so on. I’ve already covered the new features in previous posts, so I won’t go over them again in this post. There’s however a new service/app called Digital WellBeing, which I had not heard of before, and which aims at helping you taking time away from your phone. It will officially launch this fall, but Pixel phone owners can apply for the beta version. You can install Android 9 on your phone by downloading the firmware images (or via OTA) if you own one of the following phones “Google Pixel 2 XL “taimen”, Google Pixel 2 “walleye”, […]

August 1, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

Xiaomi Mi A1 Android One Smartphone Sold for $159.99 (Promo)

Xiaomi Mi A1 was the first Android One smartphone by Xiaomi. It’s been my main phone for nearly a year, and with a Snapdragon 625 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and a decent 5.5″ full HD display, I’m pretty satisfied with it, especially I’m getting firmware updates nearly monthly, including security updates and new version of Android. But an updated model, Xiaomi Mi A2 (Lite) has just been launched, so it should come as no surprise that Mi A1 is getting some discount, and that’s exactly what Banggood has done by offering Xiaomi Mi A1 phone for $159.99 shipped with coupon BGA164BMY. Here’s a quick reminder of the specifications: SoC – Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa-core processor up to 2.0 GHz with Adreno 506 GPU @ up to 650MHz; 14nm FinFET process System Memory – 4 GB RAM Storage – 64 GB internal storage, micro SD slot up to […]

July 22, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments

Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite Android One Phone Now Up for Pre-order for $181.99 and up

Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite is the successor of Xiaomi Mi A1 smartphone, which will also run the latest Android 8 Oreo firmware, and receive regular firmware updates for at least 18 months since it’s part of Android One program. Mi A2 Lite phone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor coupled with 3 to 4GB RAM, and 32 to 64GB storage. It will officially be announced on July 24th together with its big brother Xiaomi Mi A2 powered by Snapdragon 660 processor and a larger 5.99″ display, but some companies are already taking pre-order with Banggood starting at $199.99, and GeekBuying offering it for $181.99 shipped and up.. Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite specifications: SoC – Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa core Arm Cortex A53 processor @ up to 2.0 GHz with Adreno 506 GPU System Memory – 3GB or 4GB RAM Storage – 32GB or 64GB RAM, micro SD card […]

July 17, 2018July 18, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

MediaTek Introduces Helio A-Series Processors for Mid-Range Smartphones, Starting with Helio A22 SoC

MediaTek started their Helio processor portfolio with X-series processors such as Helio X20 in 2015, with X standing for eXtreme performance. Since then the company has mostly stopped aimed at the top of the market, and launched P-Series (Premium) the next year with Helio P20 processor among others, which do not quite offer the same level performance, and can be found in smartphones that are sometimes referred to as mid-range premium mobile devices. The company has now launched another Helio family of processor with Helio A-Series, with A standing for “Advanced” but it could also be read as “Affordable” since the new series targets the mid-range market. The first member of the family is Helio A22 system-on-chip (SoC) with the following key features and specifications: CPU – Quad core Arm Cortex-A53 processor at up to 2.0 GHz GPU – Imagination PowerVR GE8320 GPU Memory I/F – LPDDR3 up to 4GB […]

July 2, 2018July 2, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Vivo Announces TOF 3D Sensing Technology with 300,000 Sensor Points

Earlier this year, I reviewed a TOF sensor board based on STMicro VL52L0X Time-of-Flight ranging sensor that allows to measure distance accurately up to 2 meter using a 940 nm laser and a detection array with a few points to measure the time it takes for the light to travel and determine the distance. VIVO has showcased a smartphone solution leveraging time-of-flight technology at Mobile World Congress Shanghai 2018, but instead of using it for 2D measurements with a small detection array, their TOF 3D Sensing Technology creates 3D scans of objects using a whopping 300,000 sensor points. The technology will enable features & applications such as facial, gesture and motion recognition, 3D photography and extended/augmented reality. Vivo’s TOF 3D Sensing solution is said to deliver 10 times more depth of information than existing Structured Light Technology, for example used for FaceID in the latest iPhones. Vivo’s technology allows 3D […]

June 27, 2018June 27, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Qualcomm Introduces Snapdragon 632, 439 and 429 Mobile Platforms

Qualcomm has announced three new snapdragon mobile platforms for high- and mid-tiers mobile devices with Snapdragon 429, Snapdragon 439, and Snapdragon 632 processors. The new chips will bring higher performance, better battery life, more efficient designs, improved graphics and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities into these classes of devices. Snapdragon 429 & 439 Designed for mid-range smartphones, both Snapdragon 439 and Snapdragon 429 processors are pin-to-pin compatible, equipped with artificial intelligence capabilities, X6 LTE modem, and deliver up to 25% performance increase over previous generation processor, respectively Snapdragon 430 and Snapdragon 425 that enhance the camera, voice, and security experience. Snapdragon 439 however features an octa-core Cortex A53 processor clocked at up to 1.95 GHz coupled with an Adreno 505 GPU delivering up to 20% faster graphics rendering compared to SDM430, while the Snapdragon 429 comes with a quad core Cortex A53 processor and an Adreno 504 GPU yielding up to […]

June 8, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

SMOS DeX Station is a $40 DeX Pad Alternative for Samsung Galaxy S8, S9, & Note 8, and Other USB Type C Phones

DeX is the “Desktop Experience” on some premium Samsung Galaxy phones that allow you to run apps on an HDMI display or TV through Samsung Dex Pad that sells for $75 and up. But if you want to save some money, there’s an DeX Pad alternative with SMOS DeX Station going for $39.99 on Amazon, which should also work with other phones with a USB type C port, but obviously without Samsung DeX mode. The dock includes a USB type C port to connect your phone, as well as USB 3.0 type A ports for keyboard and mouse, or optional mass storage device, HDMI output port up to 4K @ 60 Hz according to the specifications, and a USB type C charging port. The dock ships with a 60cm USB type C cable, and a 1.5m HDMI cable. Amazon reviews are mixed with people really happy about their purchase, but […]

June 7, 2018June 18, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments

Unihertz Atom is an Android 8.1 Phone with a Tiny 2.4″ Display (Crowdfunding)

What we used to call phablet – smartphones with 5″ to 6″ display – are now simply called smartphones, as most companies now offer smartphones with larger displays since they are better suited for tasks like web browsing. Unihertz has gone the other way by launching Atom, an Android 8.1 smartphone with a tiny 2.4″ display. Demand does exist for such Phone, as while the Kickstarter campaign started a couple of days ago, the company has already raised close to $700,000 from around 3,000 backers. The “Atom” name clearly infringes on Intel’s trademark, so the model name is likely to change in a few days as has happened for “Atomwear” and “Nerdonic Atom X1“, but this did not affect the campaigns after they changed the names. Unihertz Atom smartphone specifications: SoC- Unnamed octa-core processor clocked at up to 2.0 GHz System Memory – 4GB RAM Storage – 64GB internal storage […]