Xiaomi’s massive Mi Max will make its debut on May 10

After teasing the Mi Max phablet yesterday, Xiaomi has announced on Weibo that the phone will be officially unveiled on May 10. The phone is expected to feature a 6.4-inch display, and benchmarks suggest that it will sport a Snapdragon 650.

It looks like the Mi Max will slot in between the budget Redmi series and the flagship Mi 5, offering customers a 6.4-inch Full HD display. With the launch a few weeks away, we should know more about what’s on offer shortly.

What would you like to see in a mid-range phone with a 6.4-inch screen?

Understanding 4G in the UK: Everything you need to know

Cutting through the technobabble.

Everyone knows 4G comes after 3G. It’s faster, better, not to mention more expensive. But “4G” can refer to a bunch of different things, and the various UK operators use 4G in different ways to offer different features to customers.

It can all be a bit confusing, but we’ve brought together all the major details of how 4G works in the United Kingdom to help you understand how it all works — and how it affects you and your phone.

What is 4G?

4G is the latest standard for sending and receiving data on mobile networks, and has the benefit of being significantly faster than the 3G networks that came before it. In the UK, it’s been available since EE launched the country’s first 4G network in late 2012. All four major UK network operators now offer 4G coverage of some sort.

The definition of 4G varies depending on who you ask. Strictly speaking, 4G doesn’t apply to any particular type of technology, but what a mobile data network is capable of doing. The ITU (International Telecommunications Union) has its own set of requirements for what makes a network “4G,” including 100Mbps data speeds when mobile, and 1Gbps when stationary.

4G has a bunch of different meanings, but in the UK we use it to refer to fast LTE networks

But in most countries including the UK, the term “4G” refers to a standard called LTE (Long Term Evolution) that fulfills some, but not all of the ITU’s requirements for a 4G network. So really, the decision to call something “4G” as opposed to 3.5G (or something else entirely), comes down to marketing. It’s easier to appreciate 4G as being faster than 3G, even though, strictly speaking, no current LTE networks meet all the ITU’s 4G requirements.

(In some other countries, the “4G” branding is applied to different technologies like HSPA+ — which in the UK is considered to be 3G — and Wimax, which was never rolled out here.)

Compared to 3G standards, LTE has greater capacity, transferring data more quickly over the airwaves. LTE also allows for lower latency — the amount of time it takes for one packet of data to reach its destination — and smoother handoffs between masts, so you’re less likely to lose connectivity on the go.

In real terms, this means it’s much easier to stream music and video on 4G networks compared to 3G, with a faster, more reliable network ensuring smooth playback without buffering or stuttering. Files download faster, with fewer failures, and image-rich websites load much more quickly.

Frequencies and bands

Even when you’re dealing exclusively with LTE, not all 4G networks are the same. The major UK carriers — EE, Vodafone, O2 and Three — operate on different radio frequencies (“bands”), and have different portions of spectrum available to them on each band.

The three main LTE bands in use in the UK right now are:

• Band 20 (800MHz)
• Band 3 (1800MHz)
• Band 7 (2600MHz)

Different frequency bands have their own advantages and disadvantages. Lower frequencies like 800MHz are capable of transmitting over a wider area and are affected less by thick walls and buildings. Higher frequencies like 2600MHz can transfer data more quickly, but over a shorter distance, and are more susceptible to interference.

Different frequencies have their own advantages and disadvantages.

As such, lower frequencies are often used in rural areas, where one mast can cover a wide area where people are more spread out. And higher frequencies are often used in big cities, where the demand for high-speed data is greater, and it’s easier to have several smaller towers covering one area.

Here’s how the main four UK network operators divide up in terms of LTE bands:

Not all 4G phones support all LTE bands, but most current 4G handsets sold in the UK support at least the main three — bands 3, 7 and 20. (The major exception is the four-year-old iPhone 5, which only works on Band 3.)

This means if you’re bringing a phone from abroad into the UK and want 4G coverage, you’ll need to make sure it supports whichever bands your chosen operator uses. If it supports some, but not all bands — for example, many North American Android phones support Band 3 but not Band 20 — you may only get partial 4G coverage.

Different flavors of 4G

There are a couple of things that can affect data speeds on 4G networks, besides the usual factors like the strength of your signal and how many other people are using the network.

The first is the amount of spectrum available to your operator. This varies for each company, with a bigger “slice” of spectrum allowing more data to be transferred at once.

The second is the “category” of LTE being used, which determines the maximum possible throughput. At the time of writing, O2 and Three have launched LTE Cat. 3 (up to 100Mbps), while Vodafone and EE have launched Cat. 6 LTE (up to 300Mbps).

(To take advantage of higher Cat. 6 speeds, you’ll need a phone that supports the standard.)

What about ‘Double Speed’ 4G?

“Double speed” 4G is EE’s way of taking advantage of its lead in 4G spectrum. Because it has a 20MHz available on Band 7 and Band 3, it offers customers two speed options: 2x10MHz for “normal speed” customers, and 2x20MHz for “double speed” customers.

From there, it’s pretty simple — double-speed customers have twice as much spectrum available to them, and as such can enjoy data speeds twice as fast as normal.

It’s worth remembering that “double speed” isn’t a standard in itself, nor are there any special handset requirements needed to use it. It’s just EE’s way of describing how it’s offering two different speed tiers to customers.

Understanding 4G+

Think of 4G+ as adding additional lanes of traffic to a road.

4G+ is the friendly marketing name used by most UK and European operators for what’s technically termed LTE-Advanced. The big advantage here is that it allows operators with two (or more) slices of spectrum in different bands to combine them into one extra-large slice, known as carrier aggregation. It’s like adding additional lanes of traffic to a road.

Right now only EE and Vodafone have launched 4G+ in the UK — EE on band 3 + band 7, Vodafone on band 7 + band 20.

Not all 4G phones support 4G+, and not all phones that do support 4G+ automatically support all combinations of bands. (EE has a list of compatible phones here) That said, if you’re buying a high-end phone in the UK and it does do 4G+, chances are it’ll support 4G+ on both EE and Vodafone.

Voice over LTE (VoLTE)

VoLTE is what’s next for good old-fashioned phone calls, with calls being made over the 4G network as opposed to the older 3G or GSM networks. This allows for clearer audio for calls with less interference, and in the long-term gives operators a way to free up extra spectrum for 4G, as fewer customers are using those airwaves for old-style voice calls.

All the major UK operators will eventually have VoLTE.

All the major UK networks have committed to launching VoLTE, though the marketing terms differ slightly between networks. (On Three it’s “4G Super-Voice,” on Vodafone it’s “Voice over 4G,” for example.)

Three is the first provider to have launched VoLTE, and EE is continuing its nationwide trial at the time of writing.

As with other types of LTE technology, just because a phone supports LTE doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll do voice over LTE. (And even then you won’t necessarily get VoLTE everywhere you get a 4G signal.) While many newer, high-end handsets do support VoLTE, you may need to update your firmware before it’ll work.

Does using 4G drain a phone’s battery?

In the early days of 4G, there was often a sizeable battery hit involved with using high-speed LTE networks. More recently, with newer and more efficient radio hardware in phones — not to mention more widespread LTE coverage and stronger 4G signals — the difference is much less noticeable.

While you may notice a slight battery life gain by disabling 4G, generally it’s advisable to keep it turned on, as it’s supposed to be. The only exception is you’re spending a lot of time an area with very weak, unusable 4G coverage — or you know for a fact your area doesn’t have 4G, and won’t be getting it anytime soon.

While sending and receiving data over the mobile network can contribute to battery drain, other factors like screen brightness, background app usage and the age of your phone can play a much larger role.

Xiaomi CEO shows off Mi Band 2 with LCD display, physical buttons

It looks like Xiaomi’s getting ready to unveil the Mi Band 2. CEO Lei Jun teased the wearable at a conference in China, revealing an LCD display and physical buttons.

From MyDrivers:

The display on the Mi Band 2 will likely cycle through daily steps taken, BPM, and the time, with the physical button allowing users to toggle through different modes. The image shows that the Mi Band 2 will utilize a rubber strap that’s similar to the one on its predecessor.

The $15 Mi Band has been a huge success for Xiaomi, and the addition of a display in the successor is a welcome move. There’s no mention of a launch date, but with the vendor set to announce the 6.4-inch Mi Max on May 10, it is likely we’ll see the Mi Band 2 make its debut at the same event.

Honor V8 with dual camera setup breaks cover at TENAA

Honor’s getting into the spirit of naming phones after automobile engines, with the vendor’s upcoming V8 passing certification at TENAA. Based on the certification, it looks like Honor will offer two variants of the V8: a KNT-AL10 model with a 5.7-inch Full HD display, 2.3GHz octa-core CPU, and 32GB storage; and a KNT-AL20 version with a QHD display, 2.5GHz octa-core CPU, and 64GB storage.

From TENAA:

As highlighted in the certification images, the Honor V8 will be available in rose gold, with gold and silver options also available. Other specs include 4GB of RAM, 12MP dual camera setup at the back, 8MP front shooter, 3400mAh battery, fingerprint scanner at the back, and Marshmallow.

The phone is slated to make its debut in China on May 10, which is the same day Xiaomi plans to launch its Mi Max phablet. What do you guys make of the phone?

EE plans to have 95% of the UK covered with 4G by 2020

EE has announced the UK mobile operator is set to increase 4G coverage to 95% and bring back customer support to within country borders. The company will introduce 600 new positions across the UK and Ireland, which should please customers who both expect and appreciate customer support based in the UK.

By 2020 EE hopes to have around 95% of the UK covered with 4G with a focus on eradicating parts of the country that have next to no signal coverage. With the backing of BT post-purchase, the mobile network will have the resources to ramp up network enhancements and extension. All customer calls will be answered within the UK and Ireland by the end of 2016.

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Microsoft Surface Phone might be first to bring 8GB of RAM and Snapdragon 830

The Microsoft Surface Phone could come packing some world-first specs that blow away anything out there right now. Namely that’s 8GB of RAM and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 830 CPU.

Before getting too excited know that these claims are based on a Windows 10 compatibility listing. Found on Microsoft’s minimum hardware requirements page is a list of compatible chipsets for Windows 10, and here Forbes found the MSM8998. This is thought to be Qualcomm’s next flagship CPU, the Snapdragon 830.

It was from that Snapdragon 830 CPU find that the jump to 8GB of RAM was made, as this chip is expected, by analysts, to support that much.

While all these presumptions require a little hope, that 8GB of RAM is very possible. Microsoft is focusing on a single platform in Windows 10 that works across hardware. Where smartphones are the weakest it makes sense to bulk performance there so Windows 10 can be all it can be in all hardware guises.

Samsung is also rumoured to push out as much as 8GB of RAM in its next Galaxy Note 6 phablet smartphone.

This much RAM, which would put these handsets above some computers for specs, is starting to make sense for gaming, multitasking and video editing support. Since Windows 10 can be used with Continuum to make the smartphone a PC, effectively, the more RAM the better.

Expect to see more on the Microsoft Surface phone as the expected announcement in October gets nearer.

READ: Best smartphones to look forward to in 2016

Paramount agrees to offer Sky UK content across Europe

The European Union is supposed to be a big old open market, but Sky customers may beg to differ — most don’t have the same movie options as folks in the UK and Ireland. That’s because Disney, Paramount and other major US studios negotiate lucrative deals country by country, stopping Sky UK from offering content online or via satellite to folks outside the UK. As a result, the EU antitrust commission sued Sky and the movie studios, going after contracts that tie the broadcaster’s hands. Now, Paramount has agreed to eliminate clauses that stop Sky UK from offering its services elsewhere, a deal that the commission seems likely to accept.

The deal would also apply in reverse, so that Paramount can’t oblige broadcasters outside of the UK to limit services in Britain and Ireland. (It’s unclear if the deal means that Sky UK will then be forced to sign up any European customers who wants access to currently geo-blocked movies, however.) The commission’s goal is to eventually eliminate the restrictions by 2017 as part of its Digital Single Market strategy, with the aim of allowing more broadcasting competition.

The EU commission is taking comments on the proposal, and if all parties are satisfied, the commitments, which run five years, will be made legally binding. The EU commission says it’s still “investigating the conduct” of other parties in the suit, namely Disney, NBCUniversal, Sony, Twentieth Century Fox, Warner Bros and Sky.

Via: Deadline

Source: European Commission

Logitech made this retro game display from 160 light-up keyboards

Because when there’s VR and cosplay around the corner, a simple gaming keyboard is not going to cut it.

Logitech’s installation at PAX East at least caught the eye. It’s made of 160 keyboard, with every key thenlaser-etched for more (multi-colored) light to bleed through. Each key acts as a pixel, treating you to a short Earthbound-ish bullet-hell cross-over… thing in glowing primary color joy. It teamed up with Iam8bit to program the short movie.

Source: YouTube (Logitech)

Google Play Store may be coming to Chrome OS

As Google I/O draws near, it looks like big things are in the works for Chrome OS.

Google has been working on getting Android apps on Chrome for a while. We saw the release of the ARC Welder tool in April 2015, helping developers port Android apps to Chrome OS. More recently, a new find by a user at Reddit might mean the entire Google Play Store is headed for your Chromebook.

After mentioning he briefly saw a mention of Allowing Android apps on the developer channel of Chrome in the settings page, another user provided a screen shot of a new dialog all about Google Play. A look into the Chrome source found more than one reference about both the setting and the new dialog, so something is in the works.

Many rumors about Chrome and Android merging have been heard, but Google always has maintained that the two will continue to be separate projects.

So what might be happening? That’s the big question.

Right now, the Android Runtime for Chrome includes a rudimentary version of Play Services that allows Cloud Messaging, Google sign-in, a contacts provider and OATH2 support, as long as the developer does a few extra steps to set things up through the Google Developer console. For full access to the Google Play Store, this restriction would have to be lifted. This would mean a full version of Play Services either built into Chrome, or a bigger and better ARC module. Either of these two things could happen, but it would take Google building it and distributing it for it to actually work.

With Google I/O a month away, we expect to learn exactly what this means. We’re pretty sure the end users would love to have access to a million or so Android apps on their Chromebook, but what will developers and publishers think? Having an app that lives right beside a web browser on a product with a full keyboard and mouse or trackpad means more thought goes into monetization and delivery, which means more work on one or both platforms. Teams working on social media apps, web portals and shopping apps (as well as any app that can also live as a web page) will have their work cut out for them, that’s for sure. It’s going to be an interesting ride.