LTE-enabled Apple Watch Series 3 said to debut by the end of the year

LTE-enabled Apple Watch Series 3 said to debut by the end of the year

A report from Bloomberg cited person/persons familiar with the matter four times, so we will approach this story with the deserved amount of skepticism. According to the report, Apple could be releasing an LTE-enabled alongside the or toward the end of the year. But according to another person familiar with the matter (from the same report, mind you) it could be delayed well into 2018. Do you see where the skepticism comes in? Anyhow, Apple had an LTE-enabled version of the Watch before the launched but had to put it off because it needed more time to improve overall battery life over an LTE connection, which is limited by the batterys relatively smaller size compared to a smartphone. Speaking of LTE, Intel is slated to provide the modem chips for LTE. Qualcomm was Apples main modem supplier but the two companies are in a bit of a legal bind at the moment. Back to the report, Apple was said to have already been talking to US carriers about its connected wearable. Carrier support would be limited at launch, though the four major US carriers are all said to plan to sell the new Watch. Heres why we think its still too early for Apple to release a new watch: Apples first watch was released in April of 2015 and the new Series 2 came out alongside the in September of 2016, about 1.5 years later. Following this timeframe (because this is all we have to go off of) its more likely that Apple would launch a Series 3 Watch in Q2 of 2018 to offset the launch of its iPhone 8, which is supposed to . Furthermore, Tim Cook said that the Apple Watchs sales have grown 50% year over year and is the #1 selling smartwatch by a very wide margin. If you had a product and it was selling increasingly well, youd want to ride the wave as long as possible, right? Apple would be jumping the gun if it released the Series 3 next to the iPhone 8 in September. We are just speculating here since, for all we know, Apple could even release a new Apple Watch next to every iPhone from here on out. A more likely scenario is Apple releasing an LTE-enabled Apple Watch Series 2 next to the iPhone 8. This report is definitely one of the more obscure ones. So we personally wont be holding our breaths for a new Apple Watch this September. |

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SHARP AQUOS S2 officially coming on August 14, will be announced Aug 8

SHARP AQUOS S2 officially coming on August 14, will be announced Aug 8

Do you remember the ? It was a smartphone made by the Japanese electronics maker in 2014 which incorporated a display that cut really close to the edges of the phone itself. The and Boost Mobile in the US with mid-range specs. Since 2013, Sharp has made a total of 28 full-screen smartphones, mostly in markets outside of the US. Sharps newest full-screen smartphone is going to be officially unveiled on August 8 for a release to the Chinese market on August 14. The upcoming phone is called the and will feature the highest screen to body ratio of any smartphone: 84.95%, the remaining area will be dedicated to a front facing camera. Sharp says this will make a 5.5-inch smartphone feel like a 5-incher. Sharp aims to eventually make a smartphone that is 100% display. The challenge here is finding where to place the front-facing camera, earpiece, and fingerprint sensor, which we are assuming will be on the back of the AQUOS S2. Additionally, Sharp aims to achieve a breakthrough in anti-dropping technologies. The AQUOS S2 marks SHARPs re-entry into the Chinese smartphone after four years. Ever since Foxconns acquisition of SHARP, the Taiwanese manufacturer has been aggressive about SHARPs return to the smartphone business. This invite confirms a previously leaked version of the invitation in Chinese. The also cites a rumor that says the phone will feature a fingerprint scanner under the display. |

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T-Mobile REVVL T1 leaks again, this time courtesy of the carrier itself [Updated]

T-Mobile REVVL T1 leaks again, this time courtesy of the carrier itself [Updated]

: Pricing and availability information for the device has now leaked. The REVVL will carry a tag of $170 and will be available starting next week: August 10. Back in May a leak told us to expect a new line of own-brand Android smartphones from T-Mobile to land at some point this year. It would be called REVVL, and the first device in the series was going to be the . Today the existence of this upcoming handset was confirmed by T-Mobile itself, because someone working for the carrier uploaded the relevant support documents already, even if the REVVL isn't official yet. This gives us a pretty good idea of what to expect. Although the documents simply call the phone REVVL, every detail they reveal lines up perfectly with what we had heard about the REVVL T1. So either T-Mobile forgot to add the T1 suffix, or perhaps it changed its plans and won't have an entire REVVL line, just one device. Time will tell. Anyway, this REVVL comes with a 5.5-inch touchscreen, a 1.5 GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of expandable storage. Its main camera is a 13 MP unit, while the selfie snapper has 5 MP resolution. A 3,000 mAh battery is there to give you power. Disappointingly, the REVVL does not have the latest Wi-Fi standard built-in (802.11ac). Its display resolution is unclear at this point the carrier's website says it's HD (which should mean 720p), but the initial leak claimed it would have a 1080p panel. There's also some confusion about the Android version on board, since this is listed as 7.1 on one page, and 7.0 on another. At least it's certain that it will be Nougat. The official renders above reveal what looks like a front-facing LED flash, a speaker inside the bottom bezel, a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, and the T-Mobile brand plastered over the lower back. Nothing is known about pricing or the REVVL's release date, but now that the support documentation is up on T-Mobile's website we expect the launch to happen very soon. |

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iPhone 8 display assembly spotted in the wild, no Touch ID in sight

iPhone 8 display assembly spotted in the wild, no Touch ID in sight

Last we heard, the highly anticipated anniversary is still on track for a . That hopeful report was quickly followed up by reputable industry insider tips that , meaning part leaks are inbound as well! Enter the first couple of live shots of what is said to be a complete iPhone 8 display assembly. It's hard to make out and not attached anything, so no confirmation is possible on either the alleged OLED technology of the panel or its almost edge-to-edge design and irregular shape around the earpiece. What does mostly check out with previous rumors and , however, is the number of cutouts around the earpiece. Apparently, the two identically sized ones on the left are for the new Apple iris scanner and so is the bigger one on the right. The last hole, of course, being for the FaceTime camera. Now, there is the small matter on the second long cutout above the earpiece, which we have seen in previous leaks, but appears to be missing from the photos. At least, we can't spot it, so make what you will of that. There is also no sign of a Touch ID sensor, at least not in the traditional iPhone round home button fashion. This, of course, leads us back into the ongoing . Here are the options so far: First there is the popular theory that a will hold the sensor, much like on some Sony Xperia phones. A less likely scenario is having the reader embedded in the glass back of the iPhone 8. We've already seen of it and those don't really suggest such a setup. An under-display option, while still technically possible is widely dismissed by expert, at least for this iPhone generation. And last, but not least, there is the possibility that Cupertino decided to skip the Touch ID on the anniversary model, having the new iris tech fill its place as a reliable (by smartphone standards) biometric authentication method. If you really feel like jumping down the rabbit hole on this one, there is a slight possibility to count the number of ribbon cables coming off the assembly and make some theories based on that. However, we've trod deep enough into the realm of speculation already, so tell us your thoughts on the matter in the comments.

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First live images of the iPhone 8 back surface

First live images of the iPhone 8 back surface

Apple is yet to announce a date for the iPhone 8 launch. But with the event closing in, the leaks are coming at a faster pace. The latest lead we have about the design is an image from the Foxconn factory. A picture of the back is taken right before it is packaged and transferred to another line of production and you can see a fingerprint below the Apple logo. Apple will unveil in September and the orientation of the dual camera suggests this is the iPhone 8. But it's the fingerprint reader on the back that is perplexing. Jony Ive & co. seem to have decided against a , focusing instead on the iris scanner. Could this be the iPhone 7s instead? Perhaps not, until now, all 7s leaks showed the dual camera in the upper left corner.

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Meizu M6 Note specs and release date leak

Meizu M6 Note specs and release date leak

Remember the that arrived in December 2016? When we reviewed it, we said . Maybe Meizu took notes since the successor will arrive allegedly on September 6 with a faster chipset. The Helio P25 is the current SoC inside the flagship and we expect the M6 Note to offer faster and more power-efficient performance than the M5 Note. It is paired with octa-core CPU and Mali-T880 GPU. There will be a 5.5 LCD screen with Full HD resolution, nothing out of the ordinary here. The memory combo might be 3 GB RAM + 32 GB storage or a more expensive version that would arrive with 4 gigs of RAM and 64 more for all your data. The battery is expected to have 4,000 mAh capacity. When announced, the phone should cost CNY1,599 or about $240.

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alcatel Idol 4 Pro Windows 10 phone now on sale in Europe

alcatel Idol 4 Pro Windows 10 phone now on sale in Europe

The Windows 10-powered alcatel Idol 4 Pro smartphone was scheduled to launch in Europe last month, but it . However, the device is now available for purchase in the region. The UK got the handset today, while other key markets like Germany and France got it a few days back. As for pricing, the phone carries a tag of 419.99 and 479.99, respectively (ouch!). The Idol 4 Pro is nothing but a re-branded and this sport of pricing seems kind of steep for the phone's hardware and the brand positioning.

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