So far, the Samsung SM-W2018 flip phone has been spotted in a number of alleged leaks. Now, an alleged hands-on video of the phone has been posted on YouTube, which shows off its design, dual-screen display, front camera and the back panel. Considering a hands-on video has surfaced online, a launch should not be too far off.

First spotted by Gizchina, the hands-on video shows the Samsung SM-W2018 featuring a metal unibody design. Among its highlights is the smartphone’s dual-display, with thin bezels on the sides. At the rear, the camera is placed at the center with a setup similar to the Samsung Galaxy S8 where the lens sits next to the fingerprint sensor. Needless to say, the phone seen in the hands-on video is very much similar to what has been on previous leaks.

In terms of specifications, the Samsung SM-W2018 is expected to feature two dual 4.2-inch full HD displays, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 chipset. Samsung is expected to launch two variants of the flip phone – one with 64GB storage and 4GB RAM, and one with 64GB storage and 6GB of RAM. 

In the camera department, the flip phone is rumored to sport a 12-megapixel rear camera. Up front, there could be a 5-megapixel camera for selfies. The device could be fueled by a 2,300mAh battery. Some reports also suggest an iris scanner for biometric authentication. 

While there is no official announcement yet, the SM-W2018 is expected to launch in December this year. Just like its predecessor, the SM-W2018 is also expected to remain exclusive to the Chinese market. In terms of pricing, the phone is expected to be priced around $2,000 (approximately Rs 128,200), which is in line with the previous pricing structure.

Chinese smartphone player Xiaomi has become the fifth largest smartphone brand in Russia during Q3 2017, according to the latest research from Counterpoint’s Market Monitor service.

“Xiaomi grew by 325 percent YoY and was the fastest growing smartphone brand in Russia in both online as well as offline sales,” the Associate Director at Counterpoint Research (Counterpoint Technology Market Research), Tarun Pathak, said in a statement.

Smartphone shipments in Russia grew by 7 percent annually and 38 percent sequentially during Q3 2017. “The Russian handset market grew during this quarter driven by aggressive marketing campaigns by new Chinese brands and subsequent price cuts from all the leading retail chains as consumer spending during third quarter of the year normally remains high due to the new academic year and a ‘back-to-school’ uptick,” said Minakshi Sharma, Research Associate at Counterpoint Research (Counterpoint Technology Market Research).

The online channel smartphone contribution has increased from 12 percent to 15 percent YoY in Russia. During this quarter, Xiaomi and Apple were among the leading smartphone brands in online sales. 

“Apple reached record sales during the third quarter, growing 56 percent YoY due to a drop in the prices of its previous generation iPhone models, prior to the launch of the new iPhones,” Pathak said.

Samsung led the overall and smartphone market with market shares of 20 percent and 29 percent respectively during Q3 2017. Global brands captured almost 58 percent of the smartphone market followed by Chinese brands with 32 percent market share.

Xiaomi (325 percent), Bright and Quick (177 percent) and Huawei (140 percent) were the fastest growing Chinese brands YoY. However, local smartphone brands like Tele2 and Prestigio grew by 61 percent and 54 percent QoQ respectively.

The rumor mill is currently buzzing with leaks on Samsung’s upcoming flagship smartphones. Recently we came across reports of Samsung launching the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ at MWC 2018. It is now suggested that after the launch, the Galaxy S9 series will be available for purchase in April. Now, the Galaxy S9+ has been listed on Geekbench.

The benchmarking website lists a Samsung smartphone bearing the model number SM-G960F. While the listing doesn’t explicitly mention Galaxy S9, the specifications make it seem likely that it is the said smartphone. According to the listing, the Galaxy S9 has a single-core score of 2,680, and a multi-core score of 7,787. As of now, these scores make the Galaxy S9 the most powerful Android smartphone.

The smartphone runs on the latest Android 8.0 Oreo, and comes with 4GB of RAM. Powering the Galaxy S9 is the new Exynos 9 Series 9810 octa-core processor. In other markets, the Galaxy S9 is likely to launch with the latest Snapdragon processor – heavily rumored to be the upcoming Snapdragon 845 SoC. Although this un-released Galaxy S9 shows an impressive score on Geekbench, it still isn’t on par with the new Apple iPhone X or even the iPhone 8 series. The iPhone X has a single-core score of 4,197, and multi-core score of 10,051.

However, it is still too early to draw any conclusions on the Galaxy S9. Recently, the Galaxy S9 has been rumored to feature 3D sensing cameras for facial recognition like Face ID on the iPhone X. The smartphone is also rumored to feature a dual-camera setup which “uses anti-glare BBAR layer ghost technology”. This technology in simple terms is used to eliminate glare, and dual images on photos. 

The Galaxy S9 duo is the new anticipated highlight from Samsung, and fans and critics are looking forward to every information, official or rumored, about the smartphones. Coming in today is an alleged benchmark leak of the Galaxy S9+smartphone, which claims to reveals a bunch of specifics.

Spotted on Geekbench (via PhoneArena), the listing reveals that the Galaxy S9+ will be packed with 4GB of RAM, as opposed to the 6GB/8GB that was anticipated till now. One other thing that the listing confirms is the fact that the smartphone will ship with Android 8.0 Oreo on board. We don’t have any reason to believe that the Galaxy S9 model will feature a different technical specifications configuration except for the display, like it has been for the Galaxy S8 as well.

Further, although it is too early to expect an official date of release, many reports suggested a late February or early March release for the smartphone. However, contrary to that, there have also been a word on a release as early as January 2018 for the Galaxy S9 duo. And if we come to think of it, it may actually be true, considering a benchmark leak like the Geekbench’s signifies the Galaxy S9 and S9+ are already being tested before prime time. 

Few days ago, Samsung quietly launched the next-gen Exynos 9810 chipset, built on Samsung’s second-generation 10nm production node. The chipset is believed to be 20 percent faster than the predecessor found in the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+. The chipset will be capable of combining six carrier signals for speeds up to 1.2Gbps. 

Samsung has not official revealed which devices might be powered by the Exynos 9810, but, there are wide rumors that the 2018-flagships – Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ will be powered by the chipset. In fact, the smartphone is expected to launch in two variants – one with Snapdragon 845 SoC and second with Exynos 9810 SoC. 

Remember Samsung’s ‘Never Mind’ offer, launched two months ago? Vivo is now rolling out a similar offer, called FullView Forever offer, which is essentially a one-time screen replacement offer for Rs 990. While Samsung covered a bunch of smartphones under its offer, Vivo’s smartphone is exclusively for its flagship Vivo V7+.

The catch, you ask? The offer is valid only if a Vivo V7+ is bought and activated between the period of November 1 to December 31, 2017. Also, the offer can be availed starting from the seventh day after the Vivo V7+ is activated until a period of 12 months. In case the smartphone is purchased but not activated within the offer period, it won’t be applicable for the offer. Under terms and conditions, Vivo has stated that the offer shall not be applicable on demo units and bulk sales. Also, the smartphone’s screen will not be replaced if it’s scratched, or damaged due to liquid.

The ‘FullView Forever’ offer is applicable pan India and users can repair their smartphone’s damaged or broken screen at all authorized Vivo service centers, with just a payment of Rs 990. However, as the name suggests, this is only applicable once, and cannot be availed after that. Also, all damages may not be covered under the offer; company’s service centre technicians will check and decide if the damaged smartphone falls under the terms of the offer.

Vivo’s V7+ is the company’s first smartphone to feature a FullView 18:9 display. The smartphone flaunts a 5.99-inch HD (1440×720 pixels) IPS display with 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. Under the hood, the Vivo V7+ comes with a Snapdragon 450 octa-core 64-bit SoC paired with 4GB of RAM. There is 64GB internal storage that can be expanded up to 256GB using a microSD card.

For photography, the smartphone boasts a 24-megapixel front camera of f/2.0 aperture; and soft flash support. At the back is a 16-megapixel snapper with f/2.0 aperture, and LED flash.

Other features include a fingerprint sensor, and a 3,225mAh battery. Connectivity options include dual-SIM card slots (hybrid setup), 4G LTE support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, FM Radio, and USB OTG. On the software front, the V7+ runs on Android 7.1 Nougat-based Funtouch OS 3.2. 

Samsung has started rolling out the beta version of Android 8.0 Oreo for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ smartphones. The update is being rolled out via Samsung Experience 9.0 beta which is built on Android Oreo UI and Grace UX. The availability is, however, limited as only to Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ users in South Korea, the US and the UK.

To become a beta tester, users need to have an active Samsung account and download the update via Samsung Members app or the Samsung+ app. In South Korea, Galaxy S8 users need to subscribers of telecom services SKT, KT or LG U+ to download the update. In the US, Sprint and T-Mobile subscribers are entitled for the Android Oreo update. Users in the UK need to have an unlocked device for the same.

Samsung says that during the beta period it aims to “gather helpful insights and feedback from customers on their first impressions of the Samsung Experience 9.0 beta’s performance and usability during the testing period”. Samsung hasn’t given a date for the rollout of the stable version. It also says that the dates will vary in different countries.

SamMobile reports on the new changes Android Oreo beta brings to the Galaxy S8 series. Some of the improvements listed are for Samsun keyboard, Samsung Cloud, performance, security, among others. Android Oreo beta also brings support for dual messenger apps. In addition to this Android Oreo features like managing notifications for each app, notification badges on app icons are also available on Android Oreo beta.

Some of the upgrades include AAC and Sony LDAC support for Bluetooth audio, and addition of auto-repeat and 2x speed in video. Since this is a beta version, some of the features won’t work as expected. Also during this stage, more features and improvements will be added.

It is that time of the year when rumors and leaks around the Samsung Galaxy S9 start emerging online. A new leak now reveals alleged concept images of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ showing its possible design, and some specifications of the smartphones.

The Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ are imagined with a similar design to that of the Galaxy S8 series. The front panel has slight curves on the edges with thin bezels on the sides. There is no home button up front, but the top bezel houses the front camera and speaker grille. The power button, volume rocker and Bixby button are visible on the side panels. In comparison to past leaked renders, the design language remains the same.

However, an interesting discovery in this leak is that the spec sheet mentions “no headphone jack”. If rumors are to be believed, then the Galaxy S9 series would be the first Samsung smartphones without a headphone jack. It is also written that the smartphones will feature an under-screen fingerprint sensor, and 3D sensor for facial recognition. On the contrary, a recent patent filing by Samsung hinted at a home button on the Galaxy S9. It’s a bit too early to determine which mode of biometric authentication Samsung would opt for on the Galaxy S9 series. 

The Galaxy S9 is further rumored to feature a 5.8-inch display, while the Galaxy S9+ will flaunt a 6.2-inch display. For photography, the Galaxy S9 duo is said to feature a pair of 16-megapixel rear cameras, and also dual 12-megapixel front cameras. The smartphones will come with either be IP65 or IP68 rating for water resistance. It’s only conceptualization and speculations at this point so it’s best to keep judgement for when there’s more confirmation. 

Just a day after reports emerged about Microsoft looking at resurrecting its Courier hardware as a full-fledged foldable note-taking device, rival Samsung is also making news for its latest patent which hints at an all-new folding concept smartphone.

Samsung is already known for building flexible displays, however, those have been limited to TVs and curved edge phones. The new patent suggests that it will be possible for the company to build a bendable phone that could be a true successor to the ‘spilling edges’ trend.

The patent application, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, includes sketches of what is called as a ‘flexible electronic device’. The purported device is described as one having two rigid housings paired with a multi-joint hinge in the middle. The device would close with a magnetic force with the screen facing inwards, akin to what could be a full-screen flip phone, ZDNet reports. 

Now, the caveat with a hinge design is that there are ‘teeth’ on the rear side of the phone, which becomes prone to dirt and other objects falling inside. What Samsung is aiming at is a flat surface which improves upon aesthetics as well as functionality. The idea is to retain the flexibility of the display as well as foldability of the device. The sketches suggest that the fold is placed in the middle of the device. But Samsung says that the bend could be placed anywhere on the frame, even at multiple locations. Such a concept, if applied to televisions, could mean a future device which could be folded multiple times to be converted into even a pocketable entity.

Samsung says the concept design could be applied to any electronic device which uses hinge as part of its functionality. Now, this could include a phone, a head-mounted display, vacuum cleaner, and also medical devices. Essentially, the company is looking at applications of the patent beyond the smartphone segment. 

Although the concept design opens up the floodgates for innovation across product categories, it is hard for developers to overcome component challenges as not all elements can be produced in a flexible or foldable format. If indeed a successful hardware is readied for production, scaling issues are certain to crop up.

Meanwhile, Samsung is looking at launching a foldable Galaxy Note phone in the coming year. However, a wider release and mass production will only happen when it is truly ready for the market.

Samsung and Xiaomi together contributed to almost 45 per cent of the smartphone market in India in the third quarter of this year as the market grew 37 per cent (quarter on quarter) and 18 per cent (year on year), temporarily surpassing the US for the first time ever.

According to the latest research from Counterpoint’s ‘Market Monitor service’, India handset shipments reached an all-time high of over 84 million for the first time ever, driven by strong sale of both feature phones and smartphones.

“This is the first time since 2012 that Samsung and Xiaomi have reached this level of combined share. Additionally, the quarter was marked with return to growth for local handset players such as Micromax and Lava in the smartphone segment,” said Karn Chauhan, Research Analyst at Counterpoint Research.

Chinese brands performance remained strong and contributed to more than half of the total smartphone shipments. 

It is the third consecutive quarter when their market share is well over 50 per cent after they took over local players in the second half of 2016.

However, local brands like Micromax and Lava grew 41 per cent and 24 per cent (QoQ), respectively, in the smartphone segment recovering from their all-time low during demonetisation last year.

Micromax Bharat 2 was the bestselling model in the sub $75 segment. 

Xiaomi, iTel, Oppo, Vivo and OnePlus were the fastest growing smartphone brands during the third quarter driven by festive sales.

Featurephone segment declined 4 per cent (YoY) but grew 22 per cent (QoQ) driven by sub-Rs 1,000 devices as well as entry of Jiophone and Nokia branded phones in the market during the quarter.

“It has been almost a year since Reliance Jio launched its 4G LTE network officially, which drove an inflection point for mobile data consumption as well as demand for 4G capable phones,” said Shobhit Srivastava, Research Analyst at Counterpoint.

Within a year, Jio attracted more than 100 million subscribers to its network and now is targeting the next 100 million subscribers by bringing the first ever LTE featurephone to the market.

Three out of four mobile handsets shipped were “Made in India” during the third quarter. 

Affordable mid end segment (Rs 10,000-Rs 15,000) was the fastest growing segment driven by strong performance of Xiaomi which contributed to almost half of the shipments.

“Three out of the top five bestselling smartphones in India were from Xiaomi alone. Xiaomi has been popular in the past for its value for money offerings,” said Counterpoint Associate Director Tarun Pathak.

Premium segment (above Rs 30,000) grew record three times (YoY) during the third quarter owing to the strong performance of Apple, OnePlus and Samsung.

Qualcomm was the leader among smartphone chipset suppliers.

Samsung has done a pretty good job in making the Galaxy Note 7 battery fiasco a thing of the past. The Galaxy Note 8 is out in the market, and it has received rave reviews. Now, Samsung is back in news for quite an interesting gesture. 200 lucky passengers onboard Iberia Airlines flight number IB 0513 from La Coruña to Madrid Barajas were handed free Galaxy Note 8.

The massive giveaway was organized by Samsung Spain on a domestic flight, and it’s not a part of a global campaign. As seen in the photos shared by the company, the phones were served on a tray by the flight attendants. Along with the phone, there was also a short message that read, “A year ago we asked you to turn it off, we welcome you today on board.”

⚡️ “Bienvenido #Note8abordo”
Subimos de nuevo a un avión con @Iberia ✈️😍http://t.co/eiRfETOved

— Samsung España (@SamsungEspana) October 6, 2017

¡Hay selfies que rebosan sonrisas! Mucha emoción entregando los #Note8abordo a todos nuestros clientes del IB0513 de hoy ✈️📱 @SamsungEspana pic.twitter.com/KYmS0tZYp2

— Iberia (@Iberia) October 23, 2017

This, not surprisingly, is a reference made to the Galaxy Note 8‘s predecessor, which was banned from airlines around the world. Samsung recalled its Galaxy Note 7 smartphone after reports started pouring in about phone overheating and even exploding. The company said it “conducted a thorough investigation and found a battery cell issue”. Samsung sealed a 3,500mAh lithium-ion battery into a 7.9mm thin smartphone. Keeping the same in mind, Samsung has used a smaller battery in the recently launched Galaxy Note 8. The cutting down on battery size of the Galaxy Note 8 was an intended move to guarantee battery safety.

To recap on the specifications front, the Galaxy Note 8 sports a 6.3-inch QHD+ Super AMOLED Infinity display, with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio. It is powered by Exynos 8895 SoC. On the camera front, there is a pair of 12-megapixel wide-angle lens and a telephoto lens. Both the lenses support Optical Image Stabilization, making it the first such setup in its category. Up front, it houses an 8-megapixel sensor.

The smartphone is priced at Rs 67,900 for the 64GB variant paired with 6GB of RAM. The built-in storage can be expanded up to 256GB via a microSD card.

In contrast with the rumors of Galaxy S9 featuring Apple iPhone X-like Face ID feature, a new patent by Samsung hints at a front-facing fingerprint scanner. Samsung has recently filed a patent with KIPRIS, South Korea’s trademarking organization.

If the information included in the patent documentation is accurate, the Samsung is planning on building a small recess aka notch, into the bottom of the Galaxy S9that will house a small fingerprint reader, SamMobile reports. This patent application – called Cryptic Display Apparatus and Method of Manufacturing Display Apparatus – we see a third option for the positioning of the finger scanner. The first two being at the back or under the home button. Whether it’s beautiful is of course a personal matter, but compared to the current virtual navigation keys on the Galaxy S8 duo or the Galaxy Note 8, such an implementation is less ‘clean’ as far as we are concerned. 

Until last year, the fingerprint scanner in Samsung smartphones was simply in the home button below the screen. Nice and simple. But things changed in 2017 when the full view display trend began. And because it was not feasible to place the finger scanner under the display, Samsung moved it to the back on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8, and that did upset many.

Quite off the line with this patent, a leak last week suggested Samsung to be working on its own 3D image mapping sensors, which would make a Face ID-like feature possible. Face ID is essentially Apple’s new secure authentication feature, which replaces the previously present Touch ID feature for authentication. The 3D recognition is made possible using a TrueDepth camera, which uses a setup of a dot projector, that projects and analyzes more than 30,000 invisible dots for creating a depth map of a user’s face, and an infrared camera to read the dotted pattern.

Now that this year’s Galaxy S8 duo and the Galaxy Note 8 are out and running, the eyes of the fans are now seeking for the next Samsung flagship devices. Fortunately for them, even before Samsung made any official announcement about the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+, a bunch of leaks have been out, speculating what they could be like. And the latest that comes in, is apparently the official logo of the two upcoming Galaxy devices.

Coming from leakster Benjamin Geskin, these are said to be the official logos of next year’s Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. In a tweet, he also suggested that the Galaxy S9 will ship with Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset, which would replace the Snapdragon 835 found in the Galaxy S8 duo. However, that would be for the US and China market, in India and other countries, the Galaxy S9 will be powered by Exynos 9 octa-core chipset, built using the 10nm process.

“The next generation of the innovative Galaxy S8 and S8+" pic.twitter.com/oN0VeJ4Yib

— Benjamin Geskin (@VenyaGeskin1) October 19, 2017

Do note that Qualcomm changed its processor branding earlier this year, so the forthcoming chipset will technically be now referred to as the “Snapdragon 845 Mobile Platform”. Basically, the processor will be Qualcomm’s next generation flagship mobile chipset solution, and the Galaxy S9 will probably be the first one to be powered by it.

Both with 6GB RAM + 128GB internal storage with SD slot

Powered by Qualcomm SDM845 (US & China) and Exynos 9 Octa 10nm SoC

— Benjamin Geskin (@VenyaGeskin1) October 19, 2017

Samsung entered the world of artificial intelligence with the launch of Bixby. Bixby was announced back in March and is currently available in 200 countries with over 10 million registered users. The AI assistant’s entrance was grand but its journey has been filled with hurdles leaving it behind the competition. Samsung has now launched Bixby 2.0 which comes with a big upgrade as it will control the company’s smart products.

Announced at the Samsung Developer Conference (SDC) 2017 in San Francisco, Samsung says that “Bixby 2.0 will be ubiquitous, available on any and all devices”. Like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, Bixby 2.0 will be the hub for a smart home ecosystem. You will be able to use Bixby 2.0 to control devices including smartphones, TVs, refrigerators, home speakers, among others.

Bixby 2.0 is said to be equipped with more “natural language capabilities” which will enable to function not only for a single person but an entire family. According to each member’s usage of Bixby 2.0, the AI assistant will configure its response and actions. Samsung is really expanding its platform for Bixby 2.0, as it won’t be limited only to the company’s products. 

Developers will be able to use Bixby 2.0 and create applications for different services in fields like sports, food, entertainment, travel, among others. As of now, Bixby SDK will be available for select developers. Samsung will eventually make the Bixby SDK open for all developers. Samsung also showcased Project Ambience which is a small dongle or chip that enables Bixby’s functionalities on different products.

In addition to Bixby 2.0, Samsung also announced a common IoT platform, SmartThingsCloud. Under this, Samsung’s existing IoT services like SmartThings, SamsungConnect, and ARTIK will be grouped together for seamless connectivity. Samsung also partnered with Google for developers to use the ARCore SDK to develop AR apps and services for the Galaxy S8 duo, and the Galaxy Note 8.

With last year’s Galaxy Note 7, Samsung introduced the iris scanner, followed by Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8’s Face Unlock. However, this facial recognition feature by Samsung has often been criticized for not being the safest biometric security measures. Then came along Apple’s Face ID, which was released with the anniversary edition iPhone X. Apple claims Face ID has a one in a million chance of being spoofed (though that claims is yet to be put through a test). And looks like Samsung has picked something from Apple, and is treading on the Face ID path. Samsung is reportedly working on its own 3D image mapping sensors.

Galaxy S9 will use 3D sensor front camera

— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) October 12, 2017

According to a tweet posted by tech informant Ice Universe (via SamMobile), Samsung will be placing this 3D image mapping sensor on the upcoming Galaxy S9, which would work quite similarly to Apple’s Face ID. Face ID is Apple’s new secure authentication feature, which replaces the previously present Touch ID feature for authentication. Other than unlocking a smartphone, Face ID also allows users to make cashless payments. Apple explains, that to enable the 3D recognition it integrated a dedicated TrueDepth camera. The setup includes a dot projector, which projects and analyzes more than 30,000 invisible dots for creating a depth map of a user’s face, and an infrared camera to read the dotted pattern. There is also a flood illuminator that helps the infrared light identify your face, even in the dark. 

In simpler words, the camera takes a 3D scan of your face from all angles. This 3D scan of your face is securely saved inside the smartphone’s enclave hardware chip. When you want to unlock your iPhone X, this 3D map is compared and once it matches, the authentication is successful. 

Now that gives an idea on the lines of what Samsung’s Face ID may work, it is also interesting to note the recently announced image sensors the company launched. Samsung has created new image sensors that it thinks can help get rid of the infamous camera bump, which we now see in almost every other smartphone. The company has developed the duo of new ISOCELL sensors — two different components with different selling points. One of them is a 1.28-micrometer (μm) 12-megapixel ISOCELL Fast 2L9 sensor with dual-pixel technology, and the other is an ultra-small 0.9μm 24-megapixel ISOCELL Slim 2X7 sensor with Tetracell technology. 

Basically, with the new sensors, you can expect improved speed in focus, as well as the ability for the camera to keep locked-on and track moving objects. On its blog, Samsung promises that this will all be possible in low light too, vowing that it’ll keep the next smartphone bump-free, while also delivering ‘bokeh’ depth of focus effects with just a single lens. We are hoping this hint is for the Samsung Galaxy S9. 

Samsung has quietly launched a new smartphone under the J-series. Called Galaxy J2 (2017), the smartphone is yet another entry-level option from Samsung. The price was first tipped by Mumbai-based offline retailer Mahesh Telecom on Twitter. Samsung has reportedly priced the Galaxy J2 (2017) at Rs 7,390. However, the company has not yet revealed the pricing and the availability of the smartphone officially.

It goes without saying that the Galaxy J2 (2017) is the successor to Galaxy J2 (2016), which was launched last year. Samsung has launched the smartphone with some interesting features for its users – Smart Manager and Ultra Data Saving Mode. To begin with, the Smart Manager feature helps create more space in the device by freeing up cache, and automatically deleting duplicate images and APK files. This feature comes handy if you often tend to run out of storage space on the phone. The Ultra Data Saving Mode as the name suggests helps save data by up to 50 percent, claims the company.

The smartphone comes with a 4.7-inch Super AMOLED display. It is powered by a quad-core SoC paired with 1GB of RAM. Also on offer is 8GB internal storage, which can be expanded up to 128GB using a microSD card. In terms of optics, the Galaxy J2 (2017) sports a 5-megapixel rear camera and 2-megapixel front camera. Other features include dual-SIM card slots, 4G LTE, Wi-FI, Bluetooth and GPS. The smartphone is fueled by a 2,000mAh battery. One thing that the smartphone misses out on when compared to its competitors is the fingerprint scanner.

Given the pricing, the Galaxy J2 (2017) will compete against the likes of Redmi 4,  Moto E4 Plus and Nokia 3. The Redmi 4 comes in three variants – 16GB storage with 2GB RAM, 32GB storage with 3GB RAM and 64GB storage 4GB of RAM. The Redmi 4 is powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 435 SoC. On the camera front, it comes with a 13-megapixel primary camera with LED flash, and phase detection autofocus (PDAF). Up front, it has a 5-megapixel selfie snapper. It runs on Android Nougat 7.0 based MIUI 8 custom OS. 

The Moto E4 Plus has a 5.5-inch HD (720p) display. It is powered by a 1.3GHz MediaTek MTK6737 quad-core SoC. The 32GB of internal storage is expandable up to 128GB via microSD card. The Moto E4 Plus is equipped with a 13-megapixel primary camera with f/2.0 aperture, auto-focus, and LED flash. On the front, it features a 5-megapixel front snapper.

The Nokia 3, on the other hand, comes with a 5-inch HD display, MediaTek’s MT6737 quad-core SoC, 2GB of RAM and 16GB internal storage which is further expandable up to 32GB via microSD card. For optics, the smartphone comes with an 8-megapixel camera both in the front and rear. It houses a 2,650mAh battery and runs on stock Android Nougat 7.0 out-of-the-box.

{BGR}

Smartphone technology would take a major leap when foldable displays are finally introduced commercially. We’ve seen patents filed and accepted in the past couple of years, and prototypes as well. The latest buzz on this area comes from The Investor’s report saying that Apple is developing its first iPhone with a foldable display. For this product, Apple is reportedly working with LG Display, and not Samsung amid fears of losing this technology to the South Korean giant.

The report states that LG Display has started work for supplying foldable panels for the iPhone. LG Innotek is also said to have begun work on developing the rigid flexible printed circuit board (RFPCB) for the foldable OLED iPhone. It won’t be soon though till we see the foldable iPhone as production for the displays will begin in 2020. This isn’t the first we’re hearing of a possible foldable iPhone. Last December, LG Display was reported to have started mass production of foldable displays for smartphones. Among the companies LG would supply foldable displays to included Apple, Google, and Microsoft.

Apple‘s choice of LG display for its foldable iPhone is being treated as a precaution to Samsung potentially gaining ideas. Samsung is currently the sole provider of the iPhone X’s OLED panel and is expected to continue the same next year as well. However, Samsung has already announced its plans for the company’s first foldable smartphone.

Samsung recently confirmed that it would launch a foldable smartphone around early 2018 under its Galaxy Note series. Although details are scarce, some reports suggest that the ‘Galaxy X’ smartphone will come with a flexible or secondary display. The secondary display will turn on when the smartphone is folded or bent from the middle. It’s design is expected to be so that it doubles as a flip phone as well.