Just in: Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 hands-on

Just in: Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 hands-on

This year the moniker bezel-less is in every sales and marketing department of a smartphone company. While many companies like Samsung, Apple or even Vivo go for their first device with minimal bezels, Xiaomi has already launched the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2. There are a lot of improvements over the first iteration of Mi Mix. Xiaomi implemented a smaller 6-inch screen (technically, 5.99). The display also has 18:9 ratio, making it look a little bit taller than the first Mi Mix's screen. We lined the two phones next to each other, and the new phablet is visibly smaller. It also feels better in hand because of the more rounded corners. The Mi Mix 2 has a ceramic body that makes the device way more slippery than usual. The camera is now protruded and has a golden rim. It might look stylish, but after several hours staying in the pocket, the bump already got a ring of dust around it. The camera itself is pretty good, and while the back is a fingerprint magnet, it can also be used as a mirror for proper selfies. Or not. We didn't have much luck with it most selfies we shot like this were out of focus. The camera menu is simple, and the actual images that come out have accurate colors and proper contrast. We dont want to jump to conclusions though because the complete tests are still ahead. Well just leave these images here so that you can get a first glimpse. Xiaomi has improved the Mi Mix 2 in many ways such as the ease of handling and performance. Hopefully, camera quality too. But as the screen and battery capacity have been shrunk, the price tag has grown bigger (by $100). And it's no longer the single bezel-less phone on the market. So it's not all roses here. Well have to dig in deeper to be able to answer whether the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 is really worth it. Stay tuned!

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ZTE posts 2 nubia teasers as Z17S press event date nears

ZTE posts 2 nubia teasers as Z17S press event date nears

We are eagerly waiting to hear about the ZTE nubia Z17Ss release on . In the meantime, the nubia Weibo account has posted a 10 second teaser showing off the nubia Z17S. In the first video (Source 1) we dont see the front of the phone at all, but there are some really nice-looking color options. There were three color options shown in the video: gold, a sapphire blue, as well as more of an aqua blue color, which is pretty rare among smartphones. In the second video (Source 2) we are shown close-ups of the dual-camera unit on the back of the phone, accented with a red ring around the two lenses, much like the nubia Z17. The was already released earlier this year with razor thin side bezels and a traditional 16:9 aspect ratio display. Based on the leaks that weve seen so far from the and , not to mention the latest smartphone trends, we are looking at a new variant of the high-end Z17, but with a taller, 18:9 aspect ratio display. The phone is said to have just 3mm bezels on the top and bottom against the 5.73-inch display. In order to accommodate the larger screen, alleged leaks have shown the phone to omit the front-facing flash. Other specs include a 2.0GHz octa-core CPU, 6GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal storage. Check out the for more specs. | | |

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Nokia shuts down its OZO VR department

Nokia shuts down its OZO VR department

Nokia decided to let go the mobile phone sector and go for an Internet of Things with the purchase of Withings in 2016. It also had the Ozo VR 360-degree camera, but that is now canceled due to slower-than-expected development of the market. The company announced it's shifting focus from VR to digital health and growing brand and technology licensing. In a statement to the media, Nokia said the plan is to reduce investments and halt development of further versions of the OZO VR camera and hardware. This will affect 310 of all 1090 employees mainly in Finland, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The VR market surely is not as hot as Nokia might have wanted, but the lack of interest towards their device might have something to do with the price tag of $45,000 rather than a general issue.

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ZTE Axon M foldable phone found on Geekbench

ZTE Axon M foldable phone found on Geekbench

The Axon M, ZTE's soon to be released foldable phone has appeared on Geekbench. As we confirmed yesterday via the , Android 7.1.2 Nougat will be the operating system of choice when launched. Other specs detailed by the Geekbench listing are 4GB of RAM and that its running a quad-core CPU on a Qualcomm chipset, expected to be the Snapdragon 821. We expect the Adreno 530 GPU to have no trouble driving the twin 1080p screens providing a total resolution of 2,160 x 1,920 pixels. As always, without knowing the production state of the Axon M being tested its best to avoid drawing any conclusions from the results. That said, of interest is that the single-core score of 1677 places it right between the ZTE Axon 7 and the OnePlus 5 which run the Snapdragon 820 and Snapdragon 835 respectively. Additional specs you should expect to get are: Whilst similar in concept to which was launched in 2011, the Axon M will benefit from the engineering advances made in the years in between and as a result should be better executed. Whilst a novel concept, it remains to be seen if the general public votes with their wallets. Well know soon enough as the Axon M is due to be unveiled during an event in Brooklyn on October 17.

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LG publishes preliminary earnings for Q3 2017

LG publishes preliminary earnings for Q3 2017

Q3 2017 just ended and the time for financial reports has come. LG Electronics published its preliminary data for the July-September period. The Korean company expects sales of KRW15.2 trillion (around $13.3 billion), while the operating income is predicted to be KRW516.1 billion ($454.4 million). These results are preliminary, with the official results expected to be announced later this month. Compared with April-June 2017, LG had a 22.3% decline in operating income, while sales were up 4.6%. The year over year comparison looks better though profits rose 82.2% and revenues increased by 15.2%. We'll have to wait for the detailed earnings report to know how the Mobile Communications division fared. Hopefully it improved over its and

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