Asus teases Zenfone 4, showing the dual camera on its back

Asus teases Zenfone 4, showing the dual camera on its back

Asus has been in social media, building up hype for the . The latest is a teasing peek at the back of the phone and its dual cameras. The photo features spokesperson Gong Yoo and sets the unveiling date to August 17. This will be one of several Zenfone 4 devices, the is already official and there should be two more devices the blue (S835, 5.7 QHD AMOLED, dual camera) and the single cam device in red. By the way, the August 17 event is in Taiwan, theres a European event (in Rome) set for the September 21.

HomePod uncovers more new iPhone 8 features

HomePod uncovers more new iPhone 8 features

Yesterday a sketch of the design along with some new features that appeared in HomePod's firmware, including facial recognition. After a deeper look, developers have uncovered hints to even more of the upcoming features the new Apple flagship will bring tap-to-wake option and a split status bar. The API holds no data whatsoever about under-the-display fingerprint scanner, so most likely Apple scrapped the idea. Instead of having a home button, the iPhone 8 will have a home indicator that will act as the button. The status bar is also redesigned it will be split by the earpiece and camera module. Followers of Troughton-Smith also uncovered a lot of new references to the facial recognition that Apple is bound to implement in the new iPhone. The Tap to wake isnt exactly a new feature in smartphones. Yet, since the iPhone 8 will be the first Apple phone without a home button, it is about time that it made it to iOS.

Analysts: ASP of Samsung phones on the rise, thanks to Galaxy S8

Analysts: ASP of Samsung phones on the rise, thanks to Galaxy S8

Strategy Analytics have tallied the numbers and discovered that the average selling price (ASP) of Samsung phones during the April-June quarter was the highest in the last three years $235. The analysts attribute this to strong sales of the duo. Last year, the ASP was $232, dropping to $227 in the second half of the year when the Galaxy Note7 was supposed to take over as the new flagship. The historic high, however, was back in Galaxy S4/Note 3 era of 2013 $289. Back to 2017. Samsung sold an estimated 93 million phones in the April-June period of which 19.2 million were a Galaxy S8 or S8+. Budget models did well too, allowing the company to capture 21% of the smartphone market. | (in Dutch)

Moto E4 Plus arrives in the US on August 11, pre-orders start this Thursday

Moto E4 Plus arrives in the US on August 11, pre-orders start this Thursday

The was , the , back in June. Since then, the E4 Plus has been made available in some places, the , while the E4 even (where it's been ). Today we find out that the E4 Plus is on its way to the US too not only that, but it will arrive sooner than you might think. The phone will go up for pre-order at Verizon prepaid on August 3, which is this Thursday. On the same day the unlocked model will make an appearance at Amazon, Best Buy, B, Fry's, Newegg, as well as Motorola's online store. For the unlocked unit you will be required to pay $179.99, but Amazon will have it with ads too, and in that iteration it will be cheaper. The Moto E4 Plus will become available at all the places mentioned above on August 11. Additionally, Sprint and Ting will start selling it on that day. Then on August 14 it will be up for grabs from Republic Wireless too. The E4 Plus' main claim to fame has to be its humongous 5,000 mAh battery, which should ensure full-day operation for even the most demanding users. Otherwise, the handset is a lower-midrange offering, sporting a 5.5-inch 720p touchscreen, the Snapdragon 427 chipset paired with 2GB of RAM, 16 or 32GB of expandable storage, a 13 MP f/2.0 main camera, and a 5 MP f/2.2 selfie snapper. It runs Android 7.1 Nougat.

Moto Z2 Force is now $720 at Motorola, already $80 cheaper although it's still on pre-order [Edited]

Moto Z2 Force is now $720 at Motorola, already $80 cheaper although it's still on pre-order [Edited]

Motorola has reached out to clarify that the pricing for the Moto Z2 Force wasn't intentionally priced at $800. Here's the statement from Motorola: At the event, we do recall hearing $30/month. So don't give 'em a hard time. A new smartphone receiving a price cut while it's still on pre-order definitely is surprising, but that's exactly what's happened to . Scheduled to become available in the US on August 10, it went on pre-order at the company's online store for a hefty $800. Starting today, however, you can pre-order one for just $720. Why would this happen? Well, in lieu of an official explanation we're going to have to assume that sales of the device at the initial $800 price point were less than stellar. So the company decided to make the Z2 Force a more appealing package by handing it a 10% price reduction. If you pre-order you still get a free projector mod, by the way, so there doesn't seem to be a catch for this new price point. Coincidentally, $720 is exactly the same price as the Z2 Force's predecessor was sold for last year. Of course all of the above only applies if you buy your Z2 Force straight from Motorola. , and none of them have done any cutting up until this point. Maybe that's bound to happen soon, there's no way to tell just yet.

Google Image Search gets badges that categorize the results

Google Image Search gets badges that categorize the results

Google has added a new feature to its Image Search product on Android (when you search through the Google app) and the mobile web badges. Badges categorize the content that the images depict. They will tell you if there's a recipe to be found on the same webpage as a particular image, for example. Badges also identify GIFs so you can quickly pick the latest meme to send to your friends. The new functionality is meant to help you uncover images where more in-depth information is available if you see a bag you like a badge will tell you if it's available for purchase. You can discover the additional content by one single tap. Badges will live in the bottom lefthand corner of images. They will classify the image you are viewing and clarify the action you can take. In the example above, searching for cupcakes reveals badges for recipes as well as videos (in the case of the latter the badge will also tell you how long they are). | |

Chrome 60 for Android adds fast home screen search widget

Chrome 60 for Android adds fast home screen search widget

Google has released Chrome version 60 for Android today. It will be rolling out through the over the next few days. Once you get the new version, you'll be able to use the very handy home screen widget it comes with. This basically lets you place Chrome's Omnibox onto your home screen. Then you're always just one tap away from searching for stuff in Chrome or entering a URL. The widget makes using the browser faster, because if you use it you're saving a tap the one on the Chrome icon. No need for that anymore, just jump straight into the Omnibox. The widget is 4x2 sized by default, but you can make it as big or as small as you want to. Aside from this feature, Omnibox clipboard URL suggestions are live in Chrome 60 too (though this had also been spotted in version 59 last week). What this means is that if you copy a URL to the clipboard, Chrome will offer up that as a suggestion in the Omnibox dropdown. Additionally, developers will be happy to know that Chrome 60 includes the updated Payment Request API which allows access to native Android payment apps to autofill checkout forms. The Credential Management API has been revamped too, now being simpler to implement, with user passwords being returned directly. Last but not least, faster font loading is made possible by tweaks to the relevant CSS display property and descriptor.

Facebook is allegedly working on a standalone video chat device with a laptop-sized touchscreen

Facebook is allegedly working on a standalone video chat device with a laptop-sized touchscreen

According to a new report citing people familiar with the matter, Facebook is currently busy working on a dedicated video chat device for use in the home. This will come with a touchscreen measuring between 13 and 15 diagonally, and might run a version of Android. It will feature a wide-angle camera and AI-powered microphones and speakers. The device is said to be in testing at the moment, including in people's homes, despite still being in the prototype phase. The large screen and smart camera technology are supposed to help far flung people feel like they're in the same room, aligning with CEO Mark Zuckerberg's mission of bringing people closer together through Facebook. The video chat device will be geared for use in the living room. One prototype has a thin, vertical stand that holds the display. For this product, Facebook is testing software that lets the camera automatically scan for people in its range and lock onto them. An example of this at work is the camera automatically zooming onto a painting that a child brought home from school to show a parent who's away on a business trip. The company is also developing a 360-degree camera for the device, but this is apparently unlikely to be ready in time for the initial launch. Speaking of which, the video chat device could be officially unveiled during next spring's F8 developer conference. It should cost a few hundred dollars when it eventually becomes available. Additionally, Facebook is working on a smart speaker to go head to head with Google Home, Amazon Echo, Apple HomePod, and all the other competitors in this increasingly crowded space. Facebook's speaker will undercut those products in pricing, since it's expected to be in the low $100 range. However, since the whole smart speaker thing has been done before (many times), Facebook may just decide to abandon that project and focus all of its attention on the more innovative video chat device. |

Latest update to Google Allo prepares it for web client

Latest update to Google Allo prepares it for web client

Allo users have been yearning for a web client that could finally expand the apps capabilities to a roomier laptop or desktop keyboard. Earlier in July, a Google exec confirmed on Twitter that the web client is coming in . Its been more than three weeks since then and has performed a teardown of the latest version (15) of Allo where a few preparations for the web client were found. These findings are based on strings of code found in the decompiled APK. In addition to a new icon, the teardown reveals the Allo for web pairing screen. To get here, youd tap Scan QR Code, which launches the camera to read a code, which youd presumably get when you fire up the Allo portal. If youve ever paired WhatsApp to a computer or Web interface, the experience will likely be almost the same. A couple more obscure features and tweaks have been added to Allo version 15. You can check those out by heading to the Source link for s full APK teardown.

Sony's smartphone shipments for Q1 FY2017 stood at 3.4 million, profits up

Sony's smartphone shipments for Q1 FY2017 stood at 3.4 million, profits up

Sony has revealed its financial results for the first quarter of financial year 2017, and it's largely good news. Total smartphone shipments stood at 3.4 million, which is up from the 3.1 million figure the company reported in the same period last year. Although mobile revenues were down (which the company says was due to change in product mix of smartphones), operating income shot up significantly to JPY 3.6 billion. Sony attributes that to reduction in operating costs and R expenses. Overall, revenues were up 15%, and operating income also stood 3 times higher than the same quarter of 2016. The Japanese company is targeting to ship a total of 16.5 million smartphones this year.