These companies are fighting to build the 2018 Pixel Smartphones

 By Vaibhav Jain on March 30, 2017       

Image: Benjamin Geskin

Last year, Google and HTC 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. According to the recent reports, Google has already sold over 2.1 million units of Pixel phones since their release in fall 2016. So, it's no surprise that the company is planning new models for 2017. 

HTC will continue to be Google's manufacturing partner for this year's Pixel smartphones as the Taiwanese Smartphone maker scored a two-year manufacturing deal from Google last year.

As reported by Digitimes, HTC is now competing with LG, TCL, and Coolpad for the Pixel 3 smartphones, which Google will release in 2018. The same report also notes that LG is more likely to win orders for the Pixel 3 smartphones. 

2017 Google Pixel rumors have been surfacing over the last couple of months and many of those rumors have been consistent across multiple reports. As per the initial reports, 2017 Google Pixel will be codenamed "Walleye" and the 2017 Pixel XL will be codenamed "Muskie", Google is also working on a third larger Smartphone under codename "taimen." 

Which company should make the 2018 Pixel Phones? Should it be HTC with its awesome designs? Or LG with its mind-blowing specs? Or Coolpad with affordable prices? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Top Tech Brands Are Trying to Connect with You

 By Vaibhav Jain on March 30, 2017       

If you have been paying close attention to the tech market recently, you will have noticed that a lot of brands – particularly those who used to be conventional, like Samsung – are now engaging their users more and more. Enthusiast brands like OnePlus and Xiaomi have been doing this for a while, but traditional ones are now beginning to respond to users, take advantage of user-generated content and even run digital campaigns like never before.

The shift in marketing trends, according to the masters in business administration online department of Northeastern University, is caused by changes in behavior. We interact with each other differently these days, with social media being an essential part of our lives. Instead of formal reviews from various sources, we can now access peer reviews and tech videos easily.

To understand more about tech brands’ efforts in reaching out to their users, the Trends That Are Changing the Way Brands Market to Consumers by Northeastern University is the infographic to read.

Google has already sold 2.1 million units of Pixel and Pixel XL

 By Vaibhav Jain on March 30, 2017       

In 2016 we saw some incredible decisions taken by some of the reputed companies over the globe. One such decision that stands out from every other is that Google releasing their own smartphones. The Google Pixel phones were the search giant's first attempt to take on the Apple iPhone.

And, they succeeded in doing that. The Pixel and Pixel XL is widely regarded as the best smartphone of 2016 and best camera smartphone of all time. However, Google has done a poor job of shipping adequate supply of both Pixels.

Despite of Google's inability to maintain supply for its Pixel-branded smartphones, HTC has reportedly already shipped more than 2.1 million Pixel and Pixel XL units to Google since their release in fall 2016.

Comparing with Apple or Samsung, the numbers are quite low. However, if we consider how bad the Nexus sales were and Pixels are supposedly available only in a handful of countries, this number seems pretty impressive.

The 2017 Pixel Smartphones are still a few months away and hopefully by then a healthy number of units will be shipped.
Source: Ctee

A new Pixel Launcher is coming?

 By Unknown on March 29, 2017       

AndroidPolice is reporting that the Pixel Launcher got redesigned overnight to include many new design elements. As you know, Google has its own launcher, that a few OEMs use, while other build their own. But the Google Now Launcher had become quite a popular alternative.

This launcher showed what a pure android experience means, and over the years, Google has added and removed a couple design feats. This time, the source reports that the search bar is back after being gone for a while.

The source also points out that the weather and clock widget are gone with this redesign, but that it might come back later with a new update. You can see the differences in the following picture:

If you are wondering how to get the new design with the search bar, which to me looks nicer, the source says all you need to do is clearing App data from the settings. Tell us what you think about this new design in the comments section.

Samsung Announces Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus, Available April 21

 By Vaibhav Jain on March 29, 2017       

You are probably watching along to the Galaxy S8 live stream, but the phones are now official with enhanced features such as a bezel-less, dual-edge Infinity Display and Bixby, an intelligent interface, that offer a new level of functionality and convenience.

As for the rest of the story that has been leaked in various forms over the past weeks, this is what we are looking at. So, we have a "new era of smartphone design and fantastic new services, opening up new ways to experience the world".



With the regular Galaxy S8, you get a 5.8-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED display, Exynos Octa-core or Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor depending on the market, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage plus microSD support up to 256GB, Dual Pixel 12MP camera (f/1.7) for the best low-light, zoom and anti-blur photos with enhanced image processing, 8MP (f/1.7) front camera, 3000mAh battery, fast wired and wireless charging, IP68 water and dust resistance, and Android 7.0 Nougat.

The Galaxy S8 Plus isn’t much different, but it does have the bigger 6.2-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED display and a bigger 3500mAh battery. The rest is the same.

The Galaxy S8 and S8+ will be available starting on April 21, and will be offered in a rich color palette including Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Arctic Silver, Coral Blue and Maple Gold.

What else new, though? Well, you get a new Gear VR with Controller (powered by Oculus), The Samsung DeX which transforms your smartphone into a desktop by providing a secure desktop-like experience, Samsung Connect for smart device management, enhanced Samsung Health and a New high-performance earphones tuned by AKG by Harman. 

Full Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus Specs