Moto Z Play gets December Security Patch in India, January Security Patch in the US

 By Vaibhav Jain on February 01, 2017       

Recently Motorola announced Android 7.0 Nougat update for the Moto G4, Moto G4 Plus, Moto Z and the Moto Z Force. According to earlier reports, the next Motorola device to recieve Android 7.0 Nougat is the Moto Z Play.

The Z Play features 5.5" full HD screen, a Snapdragon 625 SoC and a 16MP camera. It's 7mm thin and comes with a headphone jack. In terms of design, it doesn't differ much from the Moto Z, though this one comes with a plastic back. 



Today, Motorola has started rolling out a new Software update with December Security Patch for the Moto Z Play in India, and January Security Patch for the users living in US.

The Update costs 35.5MB for the users of Moto Z Play in India, while it costs around 50MB for the users living in the US.

Screenshots-

Also Read:

• Motorola India to start selling Moto Z and Moto Mods in India

• Moto Z Play Review

Comment below if you have or haven't received the update!

MobiCom Debitel to Bring Upcoming Nokia Smartphones to Germany

 By Vaibhav Jain on January 31, 2017       

The Nokia 6 was announced earlier this month and is one of the popular Smartphone of the year 2017.  So far, it is only available in China. This, however, may soon change as Germany’s MobiCom-Debitel is looking to form long-term partnership with HMD Global.

The Nokia 6 features a 5.5" 1080p screen with Gorilla Glass, classic Nokia design and an impressive audio quality according to HMD. The phone comes with an aluminum unibody and runs on a Snapdragon 430 SoC paired with 4GB of RAM. Its camera should follow the Nokia trend and impress everyone. It's 16MP with an 8MP front shooter.

A few days ago, we reported that a White variant of the Nokia 6 is Listed at Lazada (Philippines e-commerce website), and will go on sale starting from February 26, but denying such information HMD Global said that the phone wasn’t launched internationally.

According to a new report which came from reputable leakster Roland Quandt, MobiCom-Debitel (Largest mobile telephone services providers in Europe) is looking to form long-term partnership with HMD Global, in order to bring upcoming Nokia Android Smartphones to Germany in the coming months.

Source: Roland Quandt | Via: Softpedia

Moto G5 and G5 Plus Listed Ahead of MWC 2017 Launch; Pricing Leaked Yet Again

 By Unknown on January 30, 2017       

Motorola might be prepping to launch their Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus at the MWC 2017, but ahead of its official launch, there are a countless number of rumors are making rounds on the internet. And today, we have the phones listed on a Brazilian site along with its specifications and partial pricing. 

According to the listing from Bemol, a Brazilian site, the Moto G5 will be sold for Brazilian Real 1099 (approx. Rs. 23,743), and the Moto G5 Plus will cost Brazilian Real 1499 (approx. Rs. 32,200). That said, the phones will be made available in other regions such as India and the US. 

According to the previous, the Moto G5 will be called as the Moto G5 Play and will be a stripped down variant of the Moto G5 Plus. The phone is expected to feature a 5-inch display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC, 4GB of RAM, and a 3000mAh battery cell. 

Also Read: The Yet-To-Be-Announced Blackberry Mercury To Boast Of The Same Camera As Google Pixel Phones

On the flip side, the Moto G5 Plus is said to have a 5.5-inch 1080p display, the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC, 3GB/4GB of RAM, and a slightly bigger 3100mAh battery. Both the phones are expected to feature Motorola's TurboCharge feature as well and will boot Android 7.0 Nougat out-of-the-box. 

Also, Motorola officially sent out the press invites for an event at the MWC 2017, where the company might unveil the Moto G5 and G5 Plus along with a couple of Moto Mods. But, all these are just rumors, so take them with a grain of salt. 

Asus Zenfone 3 Max Review!

 By Vaibhav Jain on January 30, 2017       

The Asus Zenfone 3 Max has been in house for few days and Today we’ll will talk about our experience with the 3rd Generation Zenfone Max.

The Zenfone 3 Max ZC520TL, which is powered with Mediatek processor comes with a 5.2-inch display, while the ZE552KL variant features a 5.5" display with Qualcomm chipset inside.

We got the 5.2" variant of the Zenfone 3 Max, which sports 3GB RAM and 32GB Storage. Priced right, the device feature great specs including a giant battery, but there are few things which can't be neglected.


Alright, so here's my Zenfone 3 Max review!

Design 

With aluminium-alloy back body, the Smartphone looks premium and feels really comfortable on my hand. It comes in Titanium Gray, Glacier Silver and Sand Gold color. 

The display is glass is slightly curved at the sides in 2.5D fashion. The screen is 1280×720 but display is brilliant.

The Smartphone has 5.2-inch HD display with 75% screen-to-body ratio, 149.5 x 73.7mm dimensions and is 8.5mm slimmer. The Device is really very light.

The fingerprint sensor works most of the time, but its not as responsive as the one in Asus Zenfone 3.

Specs and Performance

The Zenfone 3 Max features a Mediatek MT6737T 1.4GHz quad-core chipset paired with Mali-T720 GPU, it has 3GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage.

The specifications are not that nice but they are competitive at this price. The Performance is fast and smooth, the ZenUI doesn't interfere in-between the device's performance .

The device has a giant 4,100mAh battery which usually lasts 2 days even with a heavy use. When used regular charger to charge, the charge current is really slow, sometimes taking over 3 hours. Also, the LED indicator turns green after it reaches 90%.

Camera 

The 13-megapixel rear camera shoots average quality photographs.  Due to the slower processor, the camera operation feels slow. But the front 5 megapixels camera is just amazing, it is great for selfie lovers. 

Pros and Cons -

Pros -

• Premium Body
• 4000mAh battery
• Compact size

Cons -

• Mediatek CPU
• Camera is not that great

Rumor: Alcatel to Announce Five New Smartphones Including a Modular Phone at the MWC 2017

 By Unknown on January 29, 2017       

As the MWC 2017 is nearing, we are getting more leaks about what smartphones will be unveiled at the world's biggest tech event. And now, we have information about one more Chinese vendor Alcatel's details about their smartphone roadmap to be announced at the MWC next month. 



According to the information shared by a site named Tech2.hu, the TCL-owned Alcatel is planning to announce a total of five smartphones. However, the source did not reveal any information related to the phones but confirmed that one of the phones will be a modular one, same as the LG G5 and Moto Z series. 

Also, the details about the phone have been leaked by the site. It is said that Alcatel is planning to use the same concept of the Lenovo-owned Motorola one of the module will have a removable cover with colorful LED lights, which will glow according to the music played on your phone. This takes us to the Sony's Xperia smartphones which came out with a LED light at the bottom, that used to blink according to the music album. 

Also Read: Moto G5 Will Be The Next Moto G5 Play?

The phone is expected to be powered by the MediaTel octa-core SoC, a 13MP camera module. But, it is still unknown whether this modular phone will be the company's upcoming flagship phone, the Alcatel Idol 5. The pricing of the phone is expected to be around 320 Euro (approx. Rs. 23,400). 



So, that's it. We will keep updating you as always once there's any news related to the Alcatel phones comes out. 

Moto G5 will be the next Moto G5 Play?

 By Vaibhav Jain on January 29, 2017       

Motorola is widely expected to unveil the much-anticipated Moto G5 and G5 Plus on February 26th in an event during MWC in Barcelona. The Moto G5 Plus specs and design is no longer a mystery, as the device have been already leaked multiple times.

According to technoblog, the Moto G5 (non-plus) variant could be the next Moto G5 Play i.e. the Moto G5 will be a successor of the Moto G4 Play and will carry almost same specs.

With a model no. XT1672, the Moto G5 will feature a 5" Full HD display, which is quite impressive as compared to its predecessor. The device will sport a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 Processor, with superior graphics performance than Snapdragon 410, found in the previous model (Moto G4 Play).

Rest of the specs includes 2GB RAM, 32GB Internal Storage with a memory card slot for up to 128 GB, 13 megapixel rear camera, 5 megapixel front and a 2,800 mAh battery. 

Summing up the specs, the Moto G5 will carry almost same features as the Moto G4 Play, but with an upgrade screen resolution, internal storage, processor and design. It seems that there's going to be no Moto G5 Play this year because Moto G5 will take place of the Moto G5 Play!

As per previous leak, the phones are believed to be priced at 1099 Brazilian Real and 1499 Brazilian Real respectively, which further converts to Rs. 23,750 and Rs. 32,500. 

Source (In portuguese) | Via Roland Quandt (twitter)

The Moto E3 Power isn't getting Android 7.0 Nougat!

 By Vaibhav Jain on January 28, 2017       

It's now official that the Motorola Moto E3 Power won't get Android 7.0 Nougat update, i.e. will remain on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

The Moto E3 and E3 Power launched in late 2016, the E3 comes with 1GB of RAM and a 2,800mAH battery, the E3 Power doubles the RAM and increases the battery capacity to 3,500mAH. The Moto E3 Power is the first Motorola phone since 2013 to come with a MediaTek processor. It's a quad core MT6735P chip paired with 2GB of RAM and runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow.



Motorola sold over 100k units of the Moto E3 Power smartphone on the first day of its launch in India. In a move that disappoints Moto E3 users, Motorola has confirmed on their Software product page that they won't be updating the 3rd Generation Moto E to Android 7.0 Nougat.

We don't know who should be blamed! Share your thoughts in the below comment section.

Thanks Harshith!

Samsung Galaxy S8 Specs

 By Vaibhav Jain on January 28, 2017       

Samsung Galaxy S8 Specification
OS And Hardware
OS	Android 7.0 Nougat || Samsung Experience
Chipset	Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 | Samsung Exynos
GPU	-
Body
Dimensions	-
Weight	-
Colors	Silver, Black
Display
Type	Super AMOLED
Screen Size	5.8 / 6.2 inches
Resolution	2960 × 1440 pixels
Multitouch	Yes
Protection	Corning Gorilla Glass 5
Sensors	Fingerprint, Iris and others
Memory
Card slot	microSD, up to 256GB
Internal	64 GB
RAM	4 GB
Camera
Primary	12 MP
Secondary	8 MP
Multimedia
3.5mm jack	Yes
Battery and Power
Type	3000mAh / 3500mAh
Releasing Date
Status	To be announced on March 29, 2017
Expected Price
Euro	€799 / €899

Image by Venyageskin1

The Yet-to-be-Announced Blackberry Mercury to Boast of the Same Camera as Google Pixel Phones

 By Unknown on January 28, 2017       

It is already a known fact that Blackberry will be unveiling their last phone, the Blackberry Mercury at the MWC 2017. At the same time itself, TCL, the parent company of Blackberry will reveal the full name of the product, but for now, it will be Blackberry Mercury. 

And here's another leak about the phone itself coming from the tipster, Roland Quandt. But, this time he is suggesting about the camera technology used in the upcoming Blackberry phone. The phone will get the same hardware used in the Google's Pixel phones, who are currently the leading the market in terms of camera. 

Proof for my earlier tweets: BlackBerry "Mercury" BBB100 with 12MP Sony IMX378 rear cam, Samsung S5K4H8/Omnivision OV8856 8MP front cam pic.twitter.com/DSLzc0a4Fx

— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) January 27, 2017

The Blackberry Mercury will use the same 12.3MP Sony IMX378 sensor on the rear, which can produce some good looking shots. At the front of the phone, there will be the Samsung's S5K4H8 sensor with a megapixel count of 8MP. 

Also Read: Google’s Pixel 2 To Have Improved Camera And Higher Price

However, this doesn't mean that the Blackberry Mercury will capture images same as the Google Pixel phones as the search giant has additionally made several hardware and software tweaks in Pixel phones. 



As far as specifications of the phone are concerned, there will be a 4.5-inch screen adorning at the front of the phone along with a QWERTY keyboard (Typical Blackberry). It will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 SoC, coupled with 4GB of RAM and the phone will run Android Nougat out-of-the-box.  

Moto G5 and G5 Plus to Carry the Same Price Tag as their Predecessors

 By Unknown on January 28, 2017       

Lenovo-owned Motorola has already sent out media invites for an event to be held at the MWC 2017, where the company is widely expected to unveil the much-anticipated Motorola Moto G5 and G5 Plus. 

However, rumors have it all for now. In the latest leak coming out from the prominent tipster, Roland Quandt (@rquandt), the Moto G5 and G5 Plus will be priced similarly to their predecessors, Moto G4 and G4 Plus, at least in Brazil. 

Motorola G5 and G5 Plus will carry the exact same price tags as their predecessors it seems, at least in Brasil. 1099/1499 Brasilian Real.

— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) January 27, 2017

Going by the previous Brazilian prices for Moto G4 and G4 Plus, the phones are priced at 1099 Brazilian Real and 1499 Brazilian Real respectively, which further converts to Rs. 23,750 and Rs. 32,500. 

Also Read: Moto G5 Plus Full LEAK! Specs And Pictures!

Having said that, these prices will be revised when taking the phone in Indian smartphone scenario. But, for now, these are the prices of the Moto G5 and G5 Plus.

Google’s Pixel 2 to have improved camera and higher price

 By Vaibhav Jain on January 27, 2017       

Last year, Google gave us the first two Pixel Smartphones i.e. Pixel with 5" Display and Pixel XL with 5.5" Display, with some extra Artificial intelligence in the form of the fledgling Google Assistant. 

Both Google Pixel and Pixel XL were great devices but things like waterproofing were left out because of an "internal conflict between hardware (namely, camera) and/or waterproofing vs. price point".



According to latest information out by 9to5Google suggests that 
Google's Pixel 2 will be Water-resistant, and will feature even better camera than the original, with Google reportedly aiming to master low light photography.

Google is currently testing multiple Pixel 2 prototypes with unsurprisingly a Snapdragon 83x processor, but another from Intel. 

Along with the Pixel 2, Google is working on a Cheaper "Pixel" Smartphone named "Pixel 2B" (B for budget?), which would purportedly be released either “alongside or shortly after Pixel 2”.

Google Pixel 2 is expected to be “at least” $50 more expensive than the current Pixel Smartphones.




Source: 9to5Google | Image Credits: Jonas Daehnert

Here's the First Look at the Samsung Galaxy S8 Launching on March 29

 By Unknown on January 27, 2017       

There are a countless number of leaks and rumors regarding the upcoming Samsung flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S8. But, today's leak is coming from the most prominent tipster Evan Blass (@evleaks). 

In his tweet, he posted an image of the Galaxy S8, which looks absolutely stunning and is on-par with the earlier leaked rumors. Yes, Samsung is ditching the hardware home button from the front and there are no details on whether the company will go with on-screen navigation keys. But, that's the only option the company is left with. 

Also Read: LG G6 To Ditch The Removable Battery In Favor Of Water Resistant Properties

Speaking about the leaked image, the phone looks exactly similar to the Huawei Honor Magic from the front and the rear doesn't have a major departure from the Galaxy S7 as it has the same glass back, which will be prone to fingerprints. 

However, the interesting part is the fingerprint sensor placement. Yes, the biometric sensor is placed right to the camera module, which was rumored earlier as well. Also, Samsung is not going away with the 3.5mm headphone jack and the phone will feature an USB Type-C port. 

In the same tweet, it is said that the phone will be launched on March 29, which is also in-line with the previous suggestions.  

LG G6 to Ditch the Removable Battery in Favor of Water Resistant Properties

 By Unknown on January 27, 2017       

As we are closing in towards the MWC 2017, multiple leaks and rumors are coming out regarding the smartphones to be unveiled at the MWC 2017. One amongst the list is the South Korean smartphone manufacturer LG's, G6. 

The company already confirmed that they will unveil the phone at the mega tech show on February 26 and also gave us a glimpse of how the phone looks like by officially releasing a render of the device. Today, we have another rumor coming out from CNET saying that the LG G6 won't feature a removable battery; Instead, the phone will come with water resistant properties. 

Also Read: Moto G5 Plus Renders Showcased By Case Maker

LG is the one brand who are consistently offering removable batteries with almost all of their smartphones including the LG G5 and most recently released LG V20. With this move, the LG G6 will be competing with the likes of Samsung's upcoming phone, Galaxy S8 and Apple iPhone 7 series of phones. 

The report also says that the LG G6 will feature the most exciting Google Assistant and it will be the first smartphone to feature that as the feature is exclusive to Google Pixel phones. 

Moto G5 Plus renders showcased by Case Maker

 By Vaibhav Jain on January 26, 2017       

We have already seen multiple leaks, renders and real life Images of the Upcoming Motorola Moto G5 Plus. What appears to be the Case Maker Renders of the 5.5-inch Moto G5 Plus has been published by Roland Quandt of winfuture.de .

As you know, the only Motorola device that has been leaking in recent weeks is the Moto G5 Plus, and it even passed through the FCC recently. It's rumored to come with 4GB of RAM, a 5.5" 1080p screen and a new all-metal design similar to the Moto Z. 

The FCC listing also revealed there will be other variants of this phone, one having 2GB of RAM, so it's very likely that the Moto G5 will come in Plus and Play variants like in 2016.

We already know that Motorola will announce the Moto G5 Plus on February 26th in an event during MWC in Barcelona.

Here's how one case maker thinks the Motorola Moto G5 Plus will look. Seems based on preliminary renders from Lenovo/Moto (1/2) pic.twitter.com/gKAUojiARW

— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) January 26, 2017

Motorola officially introduces its VERVEONES ME headphones

 By Felipe Berhau on January 26, 2017       

Motorola's Accessories Division, owned by Binatone Global, has officially announced its VERVEONES ME, as for Music Edition. The new device comes with all the great features introduced last June with the original VERVEONES, but adds more colors, water resistant and will be sold for almost half the price.

Motorola Home at CES 2017 showing its new VerveOnes ME

As you can see from the picture, the Verves are stereo earbuds with IP54 water resistance. They also offer an HD sound experience and come with its own charging case for up to 8 hours of music and calls.

The Ones ME are already available at verve.life which is the official website for the Motorola active lifestyle products. You can get them now for $149.99 which is almost half the price of the original Verves. While a white version has been announced so far, TechDroider's got a little surprise for you. These are Black/Lime and Black/Orange versions which will be announced soon too. Enjoy!

Report: Cheaper "Google Pixel 2B" in works

 By Vaibhav Jain on January 26, 2017       

Latest information out by 9to5Google suggests that Google is working on a lower-priced 2017 Pixel Smartphone, that would be named "Pixel 2B".

The "Pixel 2B" will come out with moderate specification and is scheduled for release "alongside or shortly after the Pixel 2". 



Google aims to bring the lower-priced Pixel 2B at emerging markets, with a goal of bringing "Google experience and the Google Phone" outside big markets.

The report also says that, the Google Pixel 2B will be "significantly cheaper if it ever actually launches".

Google Pixel 2B will bring Nexus back to life? Share your thoughts by commenting below!

Source: 9to5Google

Motorola files patent for Iris Scanner, Could We See It On the Moto Z 2017?

 By Vaibhav Jain on January 26, 2017       

Manufacturers have already started implementing high-level technology into their mobile devices. One of them for Security purpose is the Iris-Scanner.

Recently patent filings hint that Motorola is working on a new Smartphone which will feature Iris Scanner. According to the patent, the Iris Scanner system would rely on two narrow-angle lenses for capturing the individual eyes of the user.

We already know that the 2017 Moto Z will follow the same design as of the First generation Moto Z and will be compatible with all existing Moto Mods. Though, Motorola could implement Iris-Scanner to the 2017 Motorola's flagship Smartphone to make it more secure.



The patent does shows a Smartphone with front facing fingerprint sensor and an Iris-Scanner technology. We’ll see soon enough whether or not this will actually make its way into the Moto Z 2017. What are your thoughts?

Thanks Moto Fan!

Several Nokia 6 Users are Claiming Peeled Off Nokia Logo at the Rear

 By Unknown on January 26, 2017       

In a most unusual way, several users who have purchased the Nokia 6 via the first flash sale in China are complaining a weird problem in social media. 

People are posting the image of the Nokia 6 complaining that the text in the logo of the Nokia 6 is fading away showing the white background, which is very annoying. 

As you can see in the image above, the black text in the Nokia is completely faded away in the N and O letters, whereas the other letters are completely fine. 



We have no clue about why this is happening with the several users, and it might be a defect in the hardware build quality itself.

That said, there's no reply from HMD Global regarding this issue, but we are expecting the company to respond very soon. We will keep you posted if we receive any update from the company officially. 

Rumor: 2017 Google Pixel will be waterproof

 By Vaibhav Jain on January 26, 2017       

Last year, Google gave us the first two Pixel Smartphones i.e. Pixel with 5" Display and Pixel XL with 5.5" Display, with some extra Artificial intelligence in the form of the fledgling Google Assistant. 

Both Google Pixel and Pixel XL were great devices but things like waterproofing were left out because of an "internal conflict between hardware (namely, camera) and/or waterproofing vs. price point".



Now Stephen Hall a senior editor for 9To5 Google has tweeted that waterproofing feature is "definitely coming with next Pixel Smartphones".

Little tidbit we were told in October last year that I forgot about: “Waterproofing definitely coming with next Pixel device.”

— Stephen Hall (@hallstephenj) January 25, 2017

While this is still a rumor, So take with a pinch of salt. 

Also Read: Google Pixel 2: What Features to Expect

Hugo Barra's Next Stint will be With Facebook as VP of Virtual Reality

 By Unknown on January 26, 2017       

The news is finally here. When Hugo Barra announced his exit from Xiaomi, a couple of days ago shook the entire world with his decision. However, everyone was curious about his next assignment. Today, Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook on his official Facebook account posted that Hugo will be joining the Silicon Valley-based company after his tenure with Xiaomi next month.

So, Hugo Barra will be joining as the VP of Virtual Reality as Facebook owns OCULUS, one of the pioneers in VR technology. This will be a huge boost for both Facebook and the team at OCULUS. Not only OCULUS, but Hugo Barra will also be leading the entire VR team at the Facebook. But, the major part of VR at Facebook is all about OCULUS.



Hugo Barra joined Xiaomi back in 2013 as the Global VP to expand the company's presence globally. Under his leadership, Xiaomi has grown globally as one of the major players in the international market. Xiaomi' Senior Vice President, Xiang Wang will now take charge as the Global VP.