New BlackBerry smartphones (made by TCL) officially coming to CES 2017

"We'll unveil more news at CES around our plans, showcasing the legacy of the BlackBerry smartphone brand, while also giving a glimpse into what new BlackBerry smartphones will offer as part of our bold new brand portfolio within [TCL]", Steve Cistulli, head of TCL in North America, said in the release.

TCL Communication has confirmed that the collaboration will announce Blackberry branded smartphone devices, keeping into account the standard of security that the customers and partners of the device manufacturers were used to in the past.

It is worth pointing out here that TCL has semi-exclusive rights to build and distribute BlackBerry devices globally excluding key markets like India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and Indonesia.

The DTEK70 will be the last smartphone that BlackBerry releases by itself, as the company recently announced that it's selling its business arm to TCL, the owner of Alcatel-branded phones. While there are no details on what the upcoming BlackBerry handsets will bring, chances are that one of them features a QWERTY keyboard.

The next smartphone that BlackBerry is expected to announce is the DTEK70, now known internally as the Mercury.

BlackBerry shut down its hardware division earlier this year and simultaneously stopped all hardware-related research and development activities due to rapidly depleting revenues.

After BlackBerry's failed attempt with Android with its PRIV model, the company launched DTEK50, and then the DTEK60 with a bigger screen.

According to Android Headlines, analysts are still not sure when the device will be revealed and what name it will commercially use. Blackberry is apparently betting on the new partnership with China's TCL to compete with smartphones produce by Apple and Samsung. That phrasing makes it sound not so much like the evolutionary first will be on the new phones, but will be something announced alongside them.

Source: New BlackBerry smartphones (made by TCL) officially coming to CES 2017

2017 Nokia Phones: Nokia D1C, Nokia P & Nokia Z2 Plus’ Possible Specs, Features And Release Date

Nokia, the legendary mobile phone back in the day is making a big comeback this 2017 by launching 3 smartphones. According to recent reports, Nokia will probably introduce these phones at the Mobile World Congress on February 27, 2017 at Barcelona. Here are the rumored specs and features of each upcoming Nokia phones:

Nokia D1C

The Nokia D1C is said to have two models. The first model features a 5-inch display screen with a 2k screen resolution (though some sources say that it is 1080p) and costs around $150.

It will run on Android Nougat and will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430. For its internal storage, it will either feature 16 GB with 3 GB of RAM or 16 GB with only 2 GB of RAM. And lastly, for its camera specs, it is reported to have a 13 MP rear camera.

For the second model, it will feature a 5.5-inch screen with also a 2k resolution and costs around $200. The device's OS is said to be also running on Android Nougat and will sport the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 chipset. As for its internal storage, it is rumored to feature 16 GB with 3 GB of RAM. It will have a 16 MP rear camera.

Nokia Z2 Plus

For the Nokia Z2 Plus, only little information is known. This device is said to run on Android 6.0.1 (Marshmallow) and will be equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 or 821 chipset. For its internal storage, the only leak discovered is that it will feature 4 GB of RAM.

Nokia P

This smartphone is quite impressive even though there are only a number of leaks available regarding its specs and features. Based on the reports, the Nokia P is said to feature a 2k resolution display.

It will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 and feature 6 GB of RAM. Regarding its camera specs, the only information is that it will have a 23 MP rear camera. Source: Itechpost

Source: 2017 Nokia Phones: Nokia D1C, Nokia P & Nokia Z2 Plus' Possible Specs, Features And Release Date

Love chatting on cell phones? - 'The Emoji Movie' teaser is here

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Source: Love chatting on cell phones? - 'The Emoji Movie' teaser is here

Taiwan market: Smartphone shipments to reach 8-8.5 million units in 2017

Taiwan market: Smartphone shipments to reach 8-8.5 million units in 2017

Max Wang, Taipei; Steve Shen, DIGITIMES [Wednesday 21 December 2016]

Shipments of smartphones in the Taiwan market in 2017 are expected to be flat on year, totaling about at 8-8.5 million units, according to sources from local retail channels.

Since the strategy of promoting smartphones by highlighting product and technology differentiation has increasingly become less effective, some international brands have shifted their focus to promoting brand image as a means to ramp up sales in the local market, indicated the sources.

For example, Sony Mobile has been focusing on promotion of high-end models counting on a relatively high brand loyalty to its products by local consumers, said the sources.

While offering upgrades for interfaces and memory capacity for its existing models, Samsung Electronics has been adding more sales outlets to promote its products, added the sources.

However, Asustek Computer is expected to continue to release models with high price/performance ratios in a bid to compete with local rival HTC and other China-based brands, including Oppo, Huawei and Xiaomi Technology.

Meanwhile, the ratio of entry-level to mid-range models to total smartphone shipments in the local market is expected to continue to rise in 2017, up from the current level of 45%, the sources estimated.

Source: Taiwan market: Smartphone shipments to reach 8-8.5 million units in 2017

MVR Global To Release Cross-Platform VR Headset in 2017

Normally, when you fail at a Kickstarter campaign, it's the end of the road for you. Sometimes, however, either because of not taking the hint or really believing, companies will continue with their dream. This is the case with MVR Global, a British VR company. Even though they failed their Kickstarter, they have carried on with their goal of releasing a cross-platform VR headset in 2017.

Who is MVR Global?

Image courtesy: MVR Global

MVR Global was founded by brothers Sachin and Samir Patel in 2012. In 2015 they were joined by Koonal Patel and Sachin Varland. In 2016, MVR Global published a Kickstarter campaign for their product, the MVR Ascend. It promises a great deal, mainly that it is cross-platform. Cross-platform, as in everything from mobile to PC, to consoles are supported with the headset. How the headset can achieve this isn't clear, but according to their main site and Kickstarter page they have patent-pending technology which enables this cross-play. The Kickstarter also promised to include specialised controllers of your choice.

Image courtesy: MVR Global

MVR Global promised a lot in their kickstart, but they only managed to raise £15,000, about 10% of their goal. Their last update reads: "In just over an hour our Kickstarter campaign will end. Unfortunately, it did not go the way we wanted, and we are quite disappointed and surprised at the result, especially considering the good press reviews we had.

Image courtesy: MVR Global

"There are some factors we feel contributed to this outcome, but to dwell on these issues would only make this situation harder to contemplate. So we are not going to dwell on this, we are not going to let this Kickstarter campaign drag us down, and we will endeavour to bring the Ascend to market. We all know that Kickstarter in no way represents the views of the whole consumer universe, and so do professional investors. We have some these investors lined up that believe in the product as much as we do and we are confident that we will find others and with their combined help, bring the MVR Ascend to reality (pun intended!)"

What is MVR Ascend

Image courtesy: MVR Global

Thanks to eleventh-hour investors, it seems that we will see the MVR Ascend on the market. So what exactly does it do? It's a headset which doesn't look too different from existing models. The obvious difference is a lack of a cable, which was a major selling point. There is also a flip-up front to slide your smartphone into. In fact, that is how you do all of your VR entertainment with this headset. When you're not using your phone, MVR has their own special screen which streams from whichever source you choose. If you have an iPhone, you need to use this screen, because MVR Global's app is not compatible with that phone at this time.

Image courtesy: MVR Global

There are also built-in headphones, rather than having to awkwardly slot your own over the top. Whether the headphones are any good is unknown, but you can't swap them. MVR also have this interesting sensor which they promise mimics any input you select. However, the patent for this technology is still awaiting approval.

Image courtesy: MVR Global

One final promise to note is that MVR says that all current XBox and PS4 games can be played in VR. Now, this is a bit of a cheat, because it involves the mapping of the right analogue stick to your head. However, it's probable that when real VR titles start pouring in the MVR can support these as well.

Availability

Image courtesy: MVR Global

MVR Global put the price of their product on Kickstarter at S$357 for the headset with a PS4 controller. For the Xbox 1 Controller, the price was put at S$484. The price bump is down to the inclusion of MVR's streaming screen because you can stream PS4 content to your Android phone. If you wanted both controllers, the price was an amazing S$700, which comes with two controllers and ships worldwide. By contrast, the HTC Vive is still sitting at over S$1300. Currently, the headsets are not available for pre-order, but you can sign up on their website here.

Source: MVR Global To Release Cross-Platform VR Headset in 2017

Xiaomi could release Redmi Note 4 in Jan in India for Rs 11,999

Xiaomi will bring the Snapdragon 625 SoC variant in India, which will be launched in 2GB/3GB/4GB RAM options.

The Chinese tech giant is reportedly gearing up to launch another flagship, the Redmi Note 4, in India, sometime in mid-January next year at price of Rs 11,999.

According to a report by maktech blog, Xiaomi will bring the Snapdragon 625 SoC variant in India, which will be launched in 2GB/3GB/4GB RAM options.

Xiaomi launched the handset back in August for the Chinese market, the then released Redmi Note 4 is powered by MediTek Helio X20 SoC coupled with Mali-T880 MP4 GPU, while for Indian market it is rumoured to be powered by a 2GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor coupled with Adreno 506 GPU.

In terms of specification, The Redmi Note 4 will feature a 5.5-inch full HD display, 2GB/3GB/ 4GB RAM with 16GB/ 32GB internal storage, which can be expanded further using microSD card. It sports a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera. The smartphone is packed with 4100mAh battery and runs on Android 6 Marshmallow with MIUI atop.

Source: Xiaomi could release Redmi Note 4 in Jan in India for Rs 11,999

Microsoft Surface Phone 2017 Release Date Rumors Run Rampant, Hinting A MWC 2017 Launch

#MicrosoftSurface #SurfacePhone – Microsoft Surface Phone 2017 Release Date Rumors Run Rampant, Hinting A MWC 2017 Launch : Looks like a Microsoft Surface Phone 2017 release is just around the corner with CES (Consumer Electronics Show) 2017 in January being the most likely release date window. Other sources hazard a guess that Microsoft will unveil the oft-rumored smartphone at the MWC (Mobile World Congress) 2017.

Interestingly, Microsoft has launched a web page where important MWC visitors and partners can arrange a meeting with the company during the upcoming mobile industry gathering, which is slated to take place in Barcelona from Feb. 27 to March 2, 2017.

The rumor mill is now rife with all sorts of speculations surrounding the Microsoft Surface Phone 2017 release date. Meanwhile, tech pundits suggest that Microsoft is not ready to unveil the new Surface Phone yet and will just shed more light on the company's progress in bringing the much-awaited device.

Despite riding high on the success of its Surface Pro line, Microsoft has been unable to penetrate in the global smartphone market. This failure can largely be attributed to the lack of a developer's favored Android and iOS operating systems on its devices.

However, it looks like things are likely to change in 2017 with Windows Phone-based smartphones taking center stage. Microsoft, in collaboration with Qualcomm, recently announced plans to enable a full Windows 10 support to devices powered by the Snapdragon processors.

Trotted out as the first ARM-based processors, these will enable users to run full desktop apps on both PCs and phones. There is also a strong possibility that the company wants to just discuss the developments with partners at the event, still keeping the Microsoft Surface Phone 2017 under wraps, according to TrustedReviews.

Microsoft Surface Phone 2017 Specs & Features

Deemed as an iPhone killer by zealous tech buffs, the new Surface Phone is expected to boast an array of jaw-dropping specs and features such as Snapdragon 835, a mammoth 6GB of RAM, and Windows 10 Mobile Redstone.

Another highly touted feature of the upcoming smartphone is Continuum, which is basically a productivity tool that's capable of transforming a phone into a big-screen projector. Here's how it works:

In order to see content and apps on a larger screen, users need a dock or adapter that can be connected to a monitor or a TV. Once connected, users can see their content and browse through their apps on a larger screen, according to a blog post on Microsoft's official website.

Moreover, the Microsoft Surface Phone 2017 is expected to feature Quick Charge 4.0 for faster charging. There's also hearsay that Microsoft will oust some popular Nokia Lumia features. Source: mobilenapps

Source: Microsoft Surface Phone 2017 Release Date Rumors Run Rampant, Hinting A MWC 2017 Launch