Xiaomi Unveils Mi VR Play Virtual-Reality Headset in China

Made of Lycra and featuring a zipper to insert a smartphone, the Mi VR Play looks like a refined, updated version of Google Cardboard.

Xiaomi has released its first virtual-reality viewer, the Mi VR Play, and an accompanying Mi VR app, for initial distribution in its native China as beta releases to explore the technology.The company announced the Mi VR Play beta release on Aug. 4 through a post on Facebook, describing it as "a lightweight VR headset that sends you into an alternate reality with immersive 2D, 3D and panoramic videos."The device, which must be used with a smartphone to operate, features a zippered front flap where users can insert a compatible 4.7-inch to 5.7-inch smartphone. The device has a body made of Lycra and uses anti-slip rubber straps around a user's head to hold it in place, according to the company. Inside the VR Play, an anti-reflective, optical-grade aspheric lens is used to provide visual clarity for users. The devices are available in a range of stylish designs and colors.Users in China who want to beta-test the new device can do so by buying one for about 15 cents, according to Xiaomi . No additional details or pricing were released, including whether the Mi VR Play devices will reach American shores or other countries in the future. The concept for the Xiaomi device is similar to Google Cardboard devices, which were dreamed up in 2014 by two Google employees as a simple VR viewer made up of cut-and-folded cardboard that is shaped into a boxy-looking VR device. The gadget has a slot that accepts a compatible Android smartphone so that it can take advantage of the phone's display and other features. Several other parts are featured besides the cardboard, including some Velcro, a rubber band, two small magnets and some aftermarket lenses.In February, Google added a virtual-reality product page to its online Google Store and began offering Google Cardboard and other VR devices for sale to consumers from one easy-to-use source, according to an earlier eWEEK story.Google has been working on various VR projects over the last several years. Also in February, reports circulated that Google is in the midst of designing a stand-alone virtual-reality headset device that would not have to be used with a smartphone, unlike its existing Google Cardboard viewer. The latest device would feature its own screen, high-powered processors and outward-facing cameras, according to an earlier eWEEK story.A wide range of virtual-reality products are being developed and marketed as the technology continues to mature. In June, HTC moved its popular Vive virtual-reality product line into its own company-owned subsidiary as the main company continues to react to its tough financial performance in the first quarter of the year. The new subsidiary aims to support and promote the company's VR ecosystem, while isolating it from the parent company's financial woes.A new report issued by research firm TrendForce concludes that Sony's upcoming PlayStation VR headset, which won't be released until October, is already priming the global virtual-reality marketplace, according to a recent eWEEK story. Big preorder numbers for the PlayStation VR point to the device making up some 67 percent of the expected 9 million VR devi ces that will be sold in 2016, the research concluded. Sales of the PlayStation VR headset are expected to "overwhelm its competitors this year, taking 67 percent of the global VR device market with about 6 million units shipped," while competitor Oculus will ship about 2.3 million units of Rift and HTC will ship only about 700,000 units of its Vive headsets, according to the report. The report also projects sales of some 50 million VR devices globally by 2020, for a compound annual growth rate of 53.5 percent.TrendForce also estimates that total sales in the VR market globally will be more than $70 billion in 2020, with software making up about 60 percent of that total.Sony's upcoming $399 PlayStation VR headset was announced in March for an October launch and is aimed at bringing virtual-reality game play to its popular PlayStation entertainment systems.In March, Oculus began shipping preordered units of its $599 Oculus Rift virtual-reality headsets to customers, while the $99 S amsung Gear VR headset went on sale last fall, giving users the chance to view video games, movies and more in immersive, new ways. The Samsung Gear VR is a consumer version of virtual-reality headsets made by Oculus.An April report by research firm Strategy Analytics estimated that the global virtual-reality headset market would bring in about $895 million in revenue in 2016, with about 77 percent of that revenue coming from premium-priced products from Oculus, HTC and Sony. Interestingly, the report concluded that the actual per-device sales totals would be dominated by lower-priced headsets from myriad vendors.The report looked at the VR headset market and predicted that three of the latest devices, the Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive and the coming Sony PlayStation VR, would bring in the bulk of the segment's revenue this year. At the same time, though, those higher-priced devices will only make up about 13 percent of the 12.8 million VR headsets that Strategy Analytics predicts wil l be sold in 2016, the report stated. 
Source: Xiaomi Unveils Mi VR Play Virtual-Reality Headset in China

BlackBerry releases its Hub+ apps on Android

By releasing the suite for all Android Marshmallow devices, it now has more potential users. However, its success depends on how many people deem it worthy of a monthly subscription. It's only free for the first 30 days, after which you'll either have to pay 99 cents per month or agree to continue using the suite with ads. The subscription-based version will also give you access to the company's Contacts, Tasks, Device Search, Notes and Launcher apps. If you want BB's virtual keyboard, though, you're out of luck.

Take note that some Marshmallow phones might not be able to run the suite yet. However, the company is adding more and more models to its compatibility list everyday, so you can try again. That is, unless you have a tablet -- Hub+ will only work on phones. BlackBerry, by the way, has big plans for the suite and aims to make it available for Android Lollipop and iOS devices in the future.

Source: BlackBerry releases its Hub+ apps on Android

iPhone 7 Release Date, Specs, Price, Rumors: New Video Shows All Possible Apple Phone Features On Board?

First Posted: Aug 06, 2016 07:20 AM EDT

New mock up video shows all possible Apple iPhone 7 specs and features.(Photo : Cole Bennetts / Getty Images)

Rumors about Apple's highly anticipated iPhone 7 release date, specs and price have been flooding the internet for quite some time now. In fact, if new reports are to be believed Cupertino will unveil the handset next month. Famous leakster Evan Blass posted on Twitter that the iPhone 7 will get a September 16 release date and pre-orders for the handset will begin from September 9.

Recently, popular YouTube channel, Unbox Therapy, uploaded an iPhone 7 mockup video titled "iPhone 7 Plus - Hands on with Prototype" which shows all the possible features which the handset might come with. In the video, the iPhone 7 Plus can be seen in blue color with a radical dual lens camera, twin external speakers, a Smart Connector, altered antenna lines and a lightning port. The handset in the video is sans the much rumored 3.5mm headphone jack.

As per the mockup video, the upcoming Apple smartphone will be slightly thinner compared to the current iPhone model. However, the overall design will remain the same. The video shows the iPhone 7 with "docking contact points." These points, which are present at the bottom of the back of the iPhone 7 Plus, could act as an interface for accessories or wireless charging.

Another report coming from Digitimes claimed that Apple's upcoming iPhone 7 will feature 3GB of RAM as opposed to the 2GB currently found on the iPhone 6s. The report, however, did not mention if whether both iPhone 7 models will get more RAM or if it's only the iPhone 7 Plus model which will be graced. Apple, as usual, has remained tight lipped on rumors about iPhone 7 release date, specs and price details. So, we would like to advise our readers to take the information with a grain of salt.

Stay tuned to SWR for more updates on Apple iPhone 7 release date, specs and pricing details.

TagsApple iPhone 7, iPhone 7, iPhone 2016, iPhone 7 release date, iPhone 7 specs, iPhone 7 rumors, iPhone 7 news, iPhone 7 release, iPhone 7 update, iPhone 7 headphone jack

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Source: iPhone 7 Release Date, Specs, Price, Rumors: New Video Shows All Possible Apple Phone Features On Board?

Moto Z Play with Moto Mods surface online before commercial release

We're very much curious about the Moto Z Play which was recently certified on TENAA. A visit to the Chinese FCC means the smartphone is to be announced soon. True enough, some Motorola fans happened to check out the new Moto Z Play phone and got their hands on the smartphone plus some Moto Mods. Motorola hasn't made any official announcement yet so we're regarding this as a leaked set of early hands-on photos.

They don't seem fake or made up. Actually, we've featured some images already a few days ago. Seeing the smartphone plus the Moto Mods made us more excited.

Moto Z Play 3 Moto Z Play Moto Z Play 8 Moto Z Play 6 Moto Z Play 5 Moto Z Play 4 Moto Z Play 1 Moto Z Play 2

Another set of photos of what seems to be a Moto Z Play prototype was published on Google+ by a certain Jerry Yin.

The Moto Z Play looks a lot like the Moto Z and the Moto Z Force. It's only a matter of time before Lenovo/Motorola releases the new smartphone in several key markets. We're guessing China will be first and then India and United States before the rest of the world.

So what can we expect from the Moto Z Play? These specs: 5.5-inch display, 1080p resolution, 16MP rear camera that can capture 4K videos, 5MP front-facing selfie shooter, 2GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 (Cortex-A53 CPU), 2GB RAM or 3GB, 16GB/32GB or 64GB internal storage, microSD card slot for expansion, and a 3510 mAh battery. Out of the box, this smartphone runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

VIA: Lenovo, Jerry Yin

Story Timeline

Moto Z Play, Moto Mod images shared online before official announcement

Moto Z Play ready for testing in India, to launch very soon

Upcoming Moto Z Play specs appear on AnTuTu

Moto Z Play images leak, the last of the Moto Z family breaks cover

Moto Z Play shows up at TENAA, launch impending

Tags: Android, Android 6.0, Android Marshmallow, Lenovo, Moto Z, Moto Z Play, motorola, smartphone

Source: Moto Z Play with Moto Mods surface online before commercial release

Samsung Galaxy A4 release date, specs: New smartphone coming after Galaxy A3, A5, A7, A8, A9

Samsung appears to be gearing up to release one more smartphone from its popular A-series, and is called the Galaxy A4. The company has already launched the Galaxy A3, Galaxy A5, Galaxy A7, Galaxy A8, and Galaxy A9, including their upgraded versions but not an A4 or an A6 so far.

The South Korean technology giant has just released its flagship device, the Galaxy Note 7, and now it appears to be ready to get into budget and mid-range smartphones. It has now emerged that the company is working on Galaxy A4.

According to a report by PriceRaja, five models of Samsung device with code name SM-A430FD, SM-A430L, SM-A430X, SM-A430S and SM-A430K have been spotted on Wi-Fi certification listing, giving a hint that its release date is not far off. Samsung hasn't revealed if the code names stand for the Galaxy A4 but it is very likely as the Galaxy A3 (2016) was codenamed A310 and A510 for the A5 (2016). 

A Samsung device with code name SM-A430U, believed to be the Galaxy A4, was earlier spotted on Zauba, a website that keeps track of imports and exports in India, for testing. Three units of SM-A430U were shipped from South Korea to Bangalore, India, for R&D purpose and evaluation and not for retail sale. Each unit comes with a price tag of Rs. 31,757 (price not final).

Samsung is tight-lipped on the device, but reports have claimed that the device could come with a 5.5-inch HD display, powered by an Exynos processor, runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system, and comes packed with a 3GB RAM.

Source: Samsung Galaxy A4 release date, specs: New smartphone coming after Galaxy A3, A5, A7, A8, A9

Nintendo will release Zelda, Mario, and Pokemon games for NX before September 2017

The Nintendo NX is set to release in the first quarter of 2017 and it appears that Nintendo wants the machine to hit the ground running when it launches. Sources are saying that in its first six months, those who purchase an NX will be treated to new Pokémon, Mario, and Zelda titles.

With the success of Pokémon Go, one would think that an NX game featuring the famous pocket monsters was inevitable. However, this would mark the first time that Game Freak, the main developers of Pokémon, will bring the franchise to consoles. Given that the NX is supposedly a console/handheld hybrid, then Nintendo's rule of keeping Pokémon strictly on handhelds can be circumvented due to the NX not technically being a traditional console.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was already announced as being a launch title for the NX (along with a simultaneous release on the Wii U). As for the new Mario game, the report doesn't say anything about it other than it is coming out within the launch window of the NX.

One of the main reasons for the Wii U's failure was due to the lack of third party support. This is something Nintendo wants to fix with the NX. As such, the company has secured deals with publishers like Sega, Square-Enix, Ubisoft, and Activision. Graphically, games will be "somewhere between a PS4 and PS3." While this does put the NX at a disadvantage compared to the PS4 Neo and Xbox Scorpio, this should be enough horsepower to allow for more third party games to run on the system.

Having three huge franchises like these at launch will certainly make the NX a more enticing console for consumers, but it will still be facing an uphill battle. Nintendo is supposedly targeting both smartphone and core gamers with the NX. This is good in theory, but given how these two sides have wildly different tastes, it will be hard to make a system that ends up pleasing both.

We should be hearing more about the NX in September during the Tokyo Game Show. Hopefully, we'll finally get some straight answers about the console and Nintendo's plan for it.

Source: Nintendo will release Zelda, Mario, and Pokemon games for NX before September 2017

Nintendo NX Will Apparently Have Zelda, Mario and Pokemon Games Within Six Months of Release

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Bringing out the big guns for the (apparently) little console. By Joe Skrebels

A new report claims the Nintendo NX will receive new Mario and Pokemon games, alongside The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild within six months of the console's March 2017 launch.

"Sources close to Nintendo" have reportedly told MCV that the company is hoping to avoid the slow start of its previous two consoles, Wii U and 3DS.

Anecdotally, few of Nintendo's major internal studios or second parties have shipped a major release since 2015, which could be seen to bear out such a rumor.

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MCV also claims that Nintendo has already garnered third-party support - another struggle for its consoles in recent years - from Sega, Square Enix, Ubisoft, Activision and Warner Bros.

Finally, MCV also says that its sources tell it that last week's reports that the NX will be a handheld console that can be plugged into TVs are "100 per cent accurate".

One source says that the console's power sits between a PS3 and PS4, and that Nintendo's intention is to "upgrade" smartphone gamers, rather than draw fans away from PS4 and Xbox One.

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The only games currently confirmed for an NX release are Zelda, Ubisoft's Just Dance 2017, and Sega's as-yet-untitled 2017 Sonic game.

Want to sort the NX facts from the fiction? Check out our comprehensive rundown of all the rumors so far.

Joe Skrebels is IGN's UK News Editor, and he's slowly frothing about the perfect match that is Monster Hunter and NX. Froth with him on Twitter.

Source: Nintendo NX Will Apparently Have Zelda, Mario and Pokemon Games Within Six Months of Release