Best Buy will offer a $100 discount on Galaxy S9/S9+ pre-orders on Mar. 2

You’ll be able to save $100 off the cost of the Galaxy S9/S9+, provided you’re interested in picking up carrier-branded versions.

The Galaxy S9 and S9+ are iterative updates over last year’s flagships, but they do come with all-new cameras with adjustable apertures and a more sensible location for the fingerprint sensor. The Galaxy S9+ also has 6GB of RAM, 2GB more than last year.

Both phones will make their debut in the U.S. on March 16, with pre-orders set to kick off from this Friday, March 2. If you’re interested in Samsung’s latest flagships, Best Buy is rolling out a $100 discount on Galaxy S9 and S9+ pre-orders for those picking up the devices on March 2.

The deal is valid for one day only, and the caveat here is that the discount isn’t available on the unlocked variant or for Sprint Flex Lease customers — you’ll have to pick up a carrier-branded version of either device. The $100 discount will be automatically applied if you’re paying full price upfront, and if you’re going the instalment route, the discount will be reflected in the form of bill credits.

The unlocked model of the Galaxy S9 and S9+ is also the most affordable at $719.99 and $839.99 respectively, and T-Mobile is matching those prices. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to pick up T-Mobile variants of either device at Best Buy, but the $100 pre-order discount makes other carrier options that much more enticing.

For instance, AT&T’s variant of the Galaxy S9 goes down to $690 with the $100 discount, and you’ll be able to pick up the Galaxy S9+ for $815.

• Where to buy the Galaxy S9: Best deals for your new phone
• Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+ hands-on preview: The biggest gets better

Best Buy is also offering up to $350 when you trade in a Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, or the Galaxy S8 Active, as well as the iPhone X, iPhone 8, or the iPhone 8 Plus. Those looking to upgrade from the LG V30/V30+, Pixel 2/2 XL, Galaxy S7, S7 edge, or the Galaxy S7 Active will receive a $300 credit.

Customers making the switch from the Galaxy S6 series, the Note 5, first-gen Pixels, LG G6 or the V20 will get a $150 trade-in credit. The trade-in offer is available in-store only, and you’ll receive the credit in the form of a Best Buy gift card.

Interested in taking up Best Buy on its offer? You’ll be able to receive the $100 pre-order discount on the Galaxy S9 and S9+ on March 2.

See at Best Buy

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+

• Hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+
• Galaxy S9 and S9+: Everything you need to know!
• Complete Galaxy S9 and S9+ specs
• Galaxy S9 vs. iPhone X: Metal and glass sandwiches
• Galaxy S9 vs. Google Pixel 2: Which should you buy?
• Join our Galaxy S9 forums

You can now pay ₹2,000 to pre-book the Galaxy S9/S9+ in India

Samsung kicks off pre-bookings of the Galaxy S9 and S9+ in India before revealing the price.

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S9 and S9+ yesterday at Mobile World Congress, with both phones set to go on sale in the U.S. starting March 16. The company hasn’t detailed availability or pricing information for the Indian market, but customers interested in getting their hands on Samsung’s latest can pre-book the Galaxy S9 and S9+ by paying a ₹2,000 advance.

The pre-booking page gives us a first look at the color options that will be sold in the country at launch. Both the Galaxy S9 and S9+ will be available in Midnight Black, Lilac Purple, and Coral Blue color variants, but if you’re interested in the 256GB storage variant, you’ll have to go with the Midnight Black option. Both the Lilac Purple and Coral Blue are limited to the 64GB storage model.

Both phones are powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 845 platform in the U.S., but Samsung sells the Exynos-powered variants in India, and the country should be one of the first markets to feature the Exynos 9810. And unlike previous years, there are marked differences between the Galaxy S9 and the larger S9+. The latter comes with 6GB of RAM (the standard S9 gets 4GB), and has a secondary camera sensor with a telephoto lens.

Samsung Galaxy S9 vs. Galaxy S9+: Which should you buy?

Talking about the camera, Samsung has introduced an all-new module with adjustable aperture, with both phones featuring the new sensor. If you’ve settled in on a particular variant of the Galaxy S9 or S9+, you can now hit up Samsung’s store to pre-book the phone.

Here’s how it works: you’ll need to head to Samsung India’s store, select the variant you’re interested in and the color option, and hit the Pre-book Now button. You’ll have to sign into your Samsung account and furnish your phone number as well as the delivery address, and pay ₹2,000 during checkout.

After paying the amount, you’ll receive a coupon code that you can be adjusted against the final bill when you’re picking up the device. Essentially, you’re paying the amount to be one of the first to receive the Galaxy S9 in India. The pre-booking offer is also available from select Samsung stores across the country.

Samsung is expected to detail Indian availability and pricing sometime next week, but if you’ve dialed in on a particular variant of the Galaxy S9 or S9+, head to Samsung India’s store from the link below to pre-book your device.

See at Samsung India

Xiaomi Mi Robot 2 vacuum review: A worthy upgrade

Xiaomi is back with another robot vacuum cleaner, and it’s bigger and better than before.

The Mi Robot is one of Xiaomi’s best ecosystem products, and with the second-generation model, there are a few upgrades on offer.

If you haven’t heard of the Mi Robot, a quick refresher: under the Mi Ecosystem label, Xiaomi partners with Chinese hardware vendors to release lifestyle and smart home products, and the robot vacuum cleaner falls under this category.

The robot is manufactured by Roborock, one of Xiaomi’s hardware partners, and while the first-gen model featured the Mijia label (a Xiaomi sub-brand that caters to the smart home segment), the Mi Robot 2 comes with Roborock branding. The goal is to give more prominence to the ecosystem partners, and aside from the label change, there aren’t any differences in build quality or features. If anything, the Mi Robot 2 feels more robust.

Xiaomi Mi Robot 2 Design and operation

The Mi Robot 2 shares the same design aesthetic as the first-gen model — there are a lot of white elements interlaced with grey — but there are a few changes in the layout. The biggest change is that it now has a mop function, allowing the robot to perform a dry and wet clean in one go.

There’s a manual in English this time around, giving you a breakdown of all the vacuum’s features, and the default language is also English out of the box, so you don’t have to rely on Google Translate to decipher what the vacuum is saying.

The front houses the water tank and mop, and the brushes for the dry clean are located at the back. There are two speakers up front, and the dust collection tray, as well as Wi-Fi reset buttons, are in the same location as before. The dry clean option is unchanged from the first-gen Mi Robot — there’s a rotating brush on the right side that siphons particles into the path of the robot, and there’s a circular brush underneath the vacuum that does a great job of sucking in dirt.

Like before, there are two wheels on either side, and a smaller balancing wheel at the back that sits in between the charging pins. The robot now has a 2cm obstacle clearance, so it manages to go over rugs and other indents on the floor without any issues. And talking about charging, the charger base is significantly smaller than last time. And because there’s a mop feature, you get a pad that prevents the vacuum from streaking wooden floors when it’s charging.

As the front section houses a mop, the vacuum goes back-to-front when cleaning, allowing it to do a dry clean and follow it up with the mop. It still follows a grid-based cleaning system, dividing a particular room into zones and going back and forth to cover the entire space.

The Mi Robot 2 features an even more powerful motor and a better routing algorithm.

The first-gen model had a 1800Pa motor, and the Mi Robot 2 comes with an even more powerful 2000Pa motor. There’s also a carpet mode in which it will increase suction if it recognizes a carpet. The default cleaning mode is set to Balanced, but this can be changed to Quiet, Turbo, or Max by heading into the robot’s settings on the Mi Home app. You can also select a spot cleaning mode by hitting the button on the unit or from Mi Home, and the vacuum will start cleaning that particular zone.

All you need to do to start the cleaning process is press the power button at the top, and the robot kicks into action. The Mi Robot 2 has a total of 12 sensors that allow it to create a virtual map of your house, and the vacuum starts off by identifying the boundaries. There’s a laser edge sensor that lets the robot maintain proximity (10mm) to a wall, and the 2mm rubber bumper ensures the vacuum doesn’t get damaged when it does manage to hit something.

The routing algorithm has gotten much better from the first-gen model, thanks to a new laser distance sensor. The vacuum has a 5200mAh battery that’s good for about 45 minutes of cleaning time, and if it runs out of charge midway, it automatically returns to the charging dock to recharge. It picks up from where it left off once it’s fully charged.

Xiaomi Mi Robot 2 Monitoring and usage statistics

You don’t necessarily need to use the Mi Home app to monitor the Mi Robot 2. You can start the cleaning by hitting the power button, and the robot does the rest by itself. But if you want to take a look at the vacuum’s cleaning route in real-time or get a detailed view of the cleaning statistics and remaining charge level, then Mi Home comes in handy.

You can easily connect the Mi Robot 2 to Mi Home after downloading the app. The vacuum has built-in Wi-Fi, and it’s fairly straightforward to hook it up to Mi Home. Just install the app and log in with a Mi account, and you should see the Mi Robot 2 shortly after the app loads. You can then connect the robot to your home’s Wi-Fi network (it works over 2.4GHz), and once it’s paired with Mi Home, you can access its full list of features.

From within the Mi Home app, you’ll be able to view the virtual map that the vacuum “sees,” and take a look at the cleaning area and the time it took the robot to clean a particular room. A cool new feature is the ability to put a marker anywhere in the house and direct the robot to clean that spot.

Mi Home lets you set a Do Not Disturb schedule for the robot, which essentially shuts down the vacuum for that predetermined time. There’s also the ability to change the volume level, install new language packs, set automated cleaning schedules, view the cleaning history, and get details on maintenance. The main filter and brush are washable, so you won’t have to change them anytime soon. The filter is usually good for about 150 hours of cleaning time, and the brushes need to be changed after 300 hours.

You can also change the cleaning mode from within Mi Home. If you’re changing the cleaning mode from the default to either Turbo or Max, note that the robot will make significantly more noise. Particularly in Max mode, it feels like there’s a whirlwind in your house.

Xiaomi Mi Robot 2 Bottom line

Overall, the Mi Robot 2 is a significant upgrade over the first-gen model. The new laser sensor does a better job of routing, and the wet clean option makes it an all-round vacuum.

Honestly, the sheer number of features available with the Mi Robot 2 make it one of the best products in this space. The vacuum is available for $540, and while that’s $200 more than the first-gen model, the enhancements justify the cost. If you’re interested in picking it up, use coupon code NEWXMVCM at checkout to get the cost down to $539.

See at GearBest

Vivo’s APEX has an insane 98% screen-to-body ratio and retractable front camera

Vivo is showcasing the future of smartphone authentication with its latest concept phone.

Earlier this year, Vivo rolled out the first phone with an in-display fingerprint sensor in the X20 Plus UD. At Mobile World Congress, the company is showing off the APEX concept phone, which has a screen-to-body ratio in excess of 98%, a half-screen in-display fingerprint sensor, and a retractable front camera.

The X20 Plus featured a fingerprint sensor near the bottom of the display, but the APEX takes that idea even further by allowing the entire bottom half of the screen to read your fingerprint. The larger surface area makes it easier to authenticate, and while the quoted 0.7ms time isn’t as quick as traditional fingerprint sensors, the ability to just place your finger on your phone’s screen and unlock it is demonstrably cool.

The APEX has miniscule 1.8mm bezels on three sides of the device — the smallest in the industry, according to the company — with the bottom bar at 4.3mm. Vivo says microchips mounted directly to the flexible circuit board allowed the company to trim down the bezels even further, with the device featuring an OLED panel.

The bezel-less design also sees the traditional front camera make way for the “8MP Elevating Front Camera.” The camera module is hidden in the chassis, and pops up when you need to take a selfie. It takes just 0.8 seconds to “rise” up from the chassis, and retracts after use. And as there’s no room for a standard earpiece, Vivo is rolling out Screen SoundCasting Technology, which makes the screen vibrate to produce sound.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen the tech — Sony’s 2017 OLED 4K HDR TV has an “Acoustic Surface” that emits sound from the screen — but Vivo is the first to do so on a phone. Vivo has also retained the 3.5mm jack and included a DAC along with three amplifiers in the device.

As for an eventual launch, Vivo SVP Alex Feng said that the company is exploring possibilities:

APEX is an iteration of our constant pursuit of setting new industry standards and to deliver the ultimate mobile experience. From breakthroughs in audio, photography to In-Display Fingerprint Scanning Technology, Vivo has remained committed to realizing our vision for future smartphones.

What we showcase in this concept phone is only a fraction of our innovation pipeline. We will continue to explore all possibilities to bring the best possible experiences to our consumers.

The APEX in its current form is unlikely to be a retail product, but the phone is a proving ground for upcoming biometric authentication technologies. It’s possible we’ll see the half-screen in-display fingerprint sensor make its way into a phone in the coming years; and as for the retractable camera, I’d sure love to see one in a consumer phone at some point.

What do you guys make of the APEX?

Tesla’s electric trucks may be more cost-effective than expected

When Tesla unveiled its Semi electric truck, it made audacious claims about the big rig’s value — namely, that companies would recoup the cost of the vehicle in 2 years thanks to the savings on fuel. As it turns out, that might have been conservative. DHL exec Jim Monkmeyer told Reuters in an interview that he expects the shipping company to reach that point in a year and a half, saving tens of thousands of dollars per year. The absence of fuel is only part of the equation, he noted. As EV motors are much less complex than the big diesel engines that power conventional trucks, the Semi shouldn’t need as much maintenance.

Appropriately, Tesla’s Elon Musk has hinted that the Semi’s performance might see an upgrade. He’s “feeling optimistic” that Tesla can outdo the specs from the November 2017 debut without hiking the price. We’d take that with a grain of salt when Musk’s companies tend to set overly ambitious goals, but it’s not an idle claim when the first deliveries are slated to start in 2019.

DHL’s hopes depend on the Semi living up to initial expectations, of course, and there’s a lot that could go wrong. It’s no mean feat to produce an EV that large with a range of 300 to 500 miles (the battery will be gigantic), and a lot of Tesla’s math is predicated on the assumption that diesel prices remain the same. If there are unforeseen technical hurdles or diesel becomes cheap, the Semi’s value may go down the tubes. However, it’s not often that customers suggest a vehicle maker is underselling its product — while caution is definitely warranted, this bodes well for the future of electric trucks.

Via: Electrek

Source: Reuters, Elon Musk (Twitter)

Canon launches the EOS M50, its first 4K mirrorless camera

Canon has responded to criticism of the lack of 4K in all but it’s high-end DSLRs by launching the EOS M50, its first mirrorless M-series camera with Ultra HD 4K video. Packing a new DIGIC 8 processor, the 24.1megapixel, APS-C model can shoot 3,840 x 2,160 video at 24 fps, or 1080p video at 60 fps. At $780 (body only) Canon says the M50 is now its “entry-level” M-series camera. Since it’s the only one with 4K, that presents an awkward dilemma for potential buyers of the top-end EOS M5 and M6 models.

If the M50 has become Canon’s new entry-level mirrorless, then it’s a good sign that Canon is getting set to revamp the rest of the lineup. It strongly resembles the high-end, DSLR-like M5, rather than the smaller M10 and M100 models. It has an OLED optical viewfinder with touch and drag autofocus, Canon’s vaunted Dual-Pixel phase-detection AF, a vari-angle, flippable touchscreen ideal for vloggers, 120fps slow-motion video (at 720p), a new silent-shooting mode and WiFi, Bluetooth and NFC connectivity.

The ISO range is 100-25,600, expandable to 51,200 max, depending on the mode. Burst shooting runs at 10fps, or 7.4fps with continuous autofocus, letting you capture a maximum of 47 images in the latter mode. Video shooters get an external 3.5mm microphone input and HDMI output while shooting, and there’s also micro-USB port (but no high-speed USB Type C, unfortunately).

The EOS M50 looks like a very solid entry-level mirrorless camera, but does beg that question as to why someone would now buy the more expensive M5 model. In response, Canon appears to have dropped the prices of all its mirrorless cameras, lowering the M5 from $980 to $930, and dropping the the M6 by $100 from $780 to $680.

As mentioned, the M50 will cost $780 for the body only (in black of white) or $900 with the EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM kit lens. You can also grab it with both the EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM and EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM lenses for $1,250. It arrives in April of 2018.

Canon’s entry-level Rebel T7 DSLR targets social media users

On top of its M50 mirrorless with 4K video, Canon also took the wraps of its latest DSLR, the Rebel T7. The successor to the two-year-old, 18-megapixel Rebel T6 now has a much bigger 24.1-megapixel sensor, making it more attractive next to excellent smartphone cameras on the iPhone X and Galaxy S8+, for instance.

The Rebel T7 makes it fairly easy to take photos with “Scene Intelligent” and auto modes, then share them on social networks via WiFi and NFC. Other specs remain largely unchanged, including the 9-point phase-detection autofocus, 3fps burst shooting speed and 1,920 x 1,080, 30fps video. Clearly, this is a camera for beginners, albeit beginners that have developed high expectations because smartphone cameras are so good these days.

The Rebel T7 also arrives in April of 2018, and will only be sold as a kit with the the EF-S 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 IS II lens for $550. For around the same price, however, you might be more tempted by Nikon’s D3400, which has a similar sensor and offers slightly better performance.

Huawei MediaPad M5 Hands-on Review

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Huawei MediaPad M5

Huawei has made a new Android tablet for movie watchers and mobile game players. It’s the 10.8-inch MediaPad M5, and it’s one of the most sensibly-designed tablets we’ve encountered. The M5 is the middle-of-the-line model in Huawei’s new M5 tablet range, succeeding the MediaPad M3, and it’s joined by the 10.8-inch M5 Pro, and a more hand-friendly 8.4-inch MediaPad M5. We spent the most time with the Pro version, but the differences between all three are few, so our experience with the Pro mostly applies the others as well.

Multimedia tablet

First, let’s address the difference between the M5 Pro and the regular M5. It’s the addition of stylus support, and the inclusion of the new M-Pen stylus in the box. The stylus won’t operate with either of the other M5 tablets.

Both 10.8-inch MediaPad M5 tablets have pogo-pins connectors for a keyboard case, which when connected activates a Windows-style desktop environment for greater productivity and speed. Otherwise, the key specs are identical between the two. The 8.4-inch M5 has one key difference. It has dual speakers built-in, rather than the quad-speaker set-up on the larger M5 devices.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

That makes a difference, and ties into the clever design and media-friendliness of the 10.8-inch MediaPad M5 tablets. The IPS screen has a resolution of 2,560 x 1,600, and a strong pixel-per-inch density of 280ppi. It looks sharp, bright, and brilliantly high resolution. It’s also apparently enhanced by something called ClariVu. This improves picture quality by 20 percent, Huawei said, but how it does this and what the exact changes are were not immediately obvious.

In Huawei’s demo it looked a little like alterations we expect from High Dynamic Range (HDR). We’ll need to investigate this further, watching different videos, before we can understand how it works, and its effectiveness.

The Huawei MediaPad M5 is one of the most sensibly-designed tablets we’ve encountered.

Over the screen is a 2.5D piece of glass, matted to the aluminum unibody. This is the first time Huawei has used the same kind of 2.5D glass design we see on its phones for a tablet, and a rarity in the industry. It makes a massive difference in comfort. There are no sharp edges where the screen meets the body, making it comfortable to hold — a big deal if you’re watching a full length movie, or multiple TV episodes. Almost everyone would be doing this with the tablet in landscape orientation, and Huawei has put some thought into this.

The speakers run along the top and bottom edges of the tablet when held in landscape orientation, but they thankfully don’t get covered by your hands. Huawei has also placed the volume rocker and the sleep-wake key on the tablet’s right hand side corner. They fall instantly to finger, and aren’t intrusive when you’re handling the tablet. The Huawei brand name is even placed along the bottom edge in landscape orientation, prompting you to hold it this way.

Sound is also a major part of the MediaPad M5’s expertise here. We only saw a few brief video demos on the MediaPad M5, but it was good enough to make us want to watch more. The quad-speakers are tuned by Harmon Kardon, and they use Huawei’s Histen surround sound technology too. If video on a tablet is your thing, you’re going to adore the MediaPad M5.

Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

How about the stylus? After all, it’s the reason you’ll want to pay more — inevitably — for the M5 Pro. In the short time we spent with it, we weren’t so impressed, unlike first tries with the S Pen stylus that comes with Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S3 tablet, or the Apple Pencil. It’s quite thick, but the quick access shortcut buttons are placed in a position near the tip that makes them all-to-easy to press when holding the stylus normally.

The stylus also didn’t work especially well outside of Huawei’s own supplied note app, giving the impression it needs some software optimization to perform better. We’ll need more time to properly assess it, but at the moment it’s not a reason to buy the M5 Pro over the regular 10.8-inch M5.

In the short time we spent with the M5 Pro’s stylus we weren’t very impressed.

All three MediaPad M5 tablets have the Kirin 960 processor inside, a 13-megapixel camera on the back, an 8-megapixel camera on the front, and both Wi-Fi and 4G LTE connections built-in. They’re available in two colors, champagne gold and space grey, and run Android 8.0 Oreo with Huawei’s own EMUI 8 user interface over the top. A game mode further proves the MediaPad M5’s entertainment credentials, pushing power and system resources to the game for the best experience possible.

The battery inside the 8.4-inch MediaPad M5 will allow 11 hours of continuous video, and it can recharge in two hours, while the 10.8-inch model shows 10 hours of continuous video, and charges up in three hours. The stylus provides 50 days of use on a charge. Rather annoyingly, the MediaPad M5 does away with the 3.5mm headphone socket, but it does include a dongle adapter in the box.

It’s early days, but the 10.8-inch MediaPad M5 is our pick of the three new tablets; but while it’s clearly capable, we do question how many people still want a tablet today, or feel the need to upgrade from an older one. Huawei didn’t announce prices or availability when we first saw the M5 range, so we cannot compare them against Apple’s iPad range, which remains the most popular choice for tablet buyers.

Huawei MediaPad M5 Compared To

ReMarkable tablet

Asus Transformer Pro T304

Apple iPad 9.7

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3

Dell Venue 8 7000

Nvidia Shield Tablet

Apple iPad Air 2

LG G Pad 7.0

Microsoft Surface 2

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 (8-inch)

Smart Devices SmartQ U7

Dell XPS 10

Amazon Kindle Fire

Lenovo IdeaPad K1

Acer Iconia Tab A100

ZTE debuts budget-friendly Blade V9, and its first Android Go-powered phone

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Following the Blade V8 series, ZTE is offering the next-generation of devices within the Blade family — the Blade V9 and the Blade V9 Vita. The Chinese company made the announcement on Sunday at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

In addition to the Blade V9, ZTE also introduced its first Android Go smartphone, called the Tempo Go. Here’s everything you need to know about the ZTE Blade V9 and Tempo Go.

ZTE Blade V9

The ZTE Blade V9 has a 5.7-inch Full HD+ display with an 18:9 aspect ratio, which provides a longer screen for viewing more content. The edges around the screen have been minimized for a more full-screen design, a trend every smartphone manufacturer is following.

The back of the phone is glass, giving it a more expensive feel. It’s slim, and despite its large size, it feels fairly compact. The back is incredibly minimal, with just the ZTE logo, a fingerprint sensor, and a dual-camera system.

There’s a 3.5mm headphone jack at the top, and sadly, ZTE opted for a MicroUSB charging port on the bottom. The company said since this phone is primarily meant for markets outside the U.S., there’s not much demand to see USB-Type C in an affordable smartphone.

Specifications

Under the hood, the Blade V9 is powered by the Snapdragon 450 processor, which performed well in our brief hands-on time with the phone. Apps opened quickly, and moving throughout the operating system was fluid.

Perhaps what’s more impressive, however, is how the Blade V9 does not come installed with ZTE’s MiFavor user interface. No, it runs stock Android 8.1 Oreo. Why did ZTE dump its own software? Because its customers — specifically from the Z Community forum — preferred the bloatware-free, pure version of Android. It’s a big change, and ZTE told Digital Trends it will use stock Android in all its future smartphones, including those in its higher-tier Axon range.

There’s hardly any apps pre-installed on the phone, except for a few core Google apps. The user interface is simple, but it’s likely why it’s so fast to react.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

The Blade V9 also packs a 3,100mAh battery, and comes in a variety of storage options. With the 2GB RAM model, you’ll get 16GB of storage; 3GB of RAM comes with 32GB; and 4GB offers 64GB. There’s a MicroSD slot for expandable storage of up to 256GB, as well.

Camera

Dual lens cameras aren’t new on ZTE phones, but we’re impressed at the speed and quality from the Blade V9’s camera. A 16-megapixel camera is accompanied with a 5-megapixel one, and the two are capable of taking portrait mode-like selfies. The camera results, in our brief tests, looked good, with solid color accuracy, no blur, and good detail. We’re excited to see how the camera reacts in all sorts of environments, especially because ZTE has improved its low-light image processing with the V9.

As for the front-facing camera, it comes in at 8-megapixels, but 13-megapixels interpolated. That means pixels are added to the image by estimating the new color and intensity. So, even though you’re taking a photo with an 8-megapixel camera, the camera’s software will make it look as though it was taken with 13-megapixels instead. This may not necessarily mean the photo will look better since it’s essentially simulating the higher-resolution.

Price and availability

The ZTE Blade V9 will be available in Spain, Germany, Russia, and Mexico. The Blade Vita is a similar device with slightly different specifications, and it will launch in China with the company’s MiFavor UI instead of stock Android.

As for color options, the Blade V9 comes in four different variants — black, gold, blue, and grey. We likely won’t see the V9 here in the U.S., but ZTE usually works with smaller carriers like MetroPCS and Boost Mobile to bring different versions of the Blade V-series phones. Expect the same for the V9.

Tempo Go

The Tempo Go is an even more budget smartphone with a simple design. It includes a 5-inch display, and comes in at 854 x 480 pixels. At the bottom, you’ll find both a 3.5mm headphone jack and a MicroUSB charging port.

What’s unique about this device is that it runs Google’s new Android Go platform, which is a much smaller size version of Android meant for lower-end phones. It’s capable of running on phones with just 512MB of RAM. Android Go comes with lightweight Google apps that are smaller than 10MB in size, like Gmail Go.

Specs

The Tempo Go is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 210 chipset, with a battery capacity of 2,200mAh. The phone comes with 8GB of storage, which is expandable to 32GB thanks to a MicroSD card slot, and it only has 1GB of RAM. On the back, there’s a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera.

The phone has a custom version of the Google Play Store integrated, allowing users to download either the lite or full version of apps, depending on their preference. Android Go also includes Google Assistant Go, allowing users to interact with Google’s artificially-intelligent assistant.

Price and availability

The Tempo Go will be sold unlocked on GSM, UMTS, and LTE networks in the U.S. It’ll cost you $80, and will be available for purchase on ZTE’s site. As far as color variants, the Tempo Go only comes in the grey model.

Editors’ Recommendations

• ‘Smart’ sunglasses from Vuzix work with Android and iOS, will debut at CES
• Vuzix serves up new ways to get your hands on its cool Blade smartglasses
• All phones in Alcatel’s 2018 budget lineup feature an 18:9 display
• Shadow is a cloud gaming service that wants to make your gaming PC obsolete
• Sony Xperia XA2 Ultra vs. Moto X4: 2018’s new midrange challenger

HMD’s Nokia 8 Sirocco is another breath of fresh air that runs Android One

HMD Global made a huge splash at Mobile World Congress 2018, launching not one, but five new Nokia-branded phones. The Nokia 8 Sirocco, the flagship of this year’s line up, is a gorgeous phone with strong specifications.

If you’re unaware, HMD Global is a company that launched last year, with the branding license to create new mobile phones under the Nokia brand name. It has to follow certain guidelines from Nokia, to make sure the phones are up to standard. Here’s everything you need to know about the Nokia 8 Sirocco.

Design

The Nokia 8 Sirocco is a departure from the other Nokia phones announced by HMD Global at MWC.  A sleek Gorilla Glass 5 case wraps around a stainless steel frame. On the front you’ll find a nearly bezel-less, 5.5-inch P-OLED screen with a 2,560 x 1,440 pixel resolution, that curves around the edges ever so gracefully. At these edges, the phone is just 2mm thin, but at its thickest it’s 7.5mm.

Flip the phone over and there’s a dual-camera setup with a flash unit sitting top center of the case. The fingerprint sensor falls right below the camera, which should make it easy to locate quickly. Missing, unfortunately, is a 3.5 mm headphone jack.

Long-time Nokia devotees may recall the company has used the Sirocco name — which refers to a desert wind or breeze — before, differentiating an expensive special edition Nokia 8800 phone with it around 2006.

Specifications

The Nokia 8 Sirocco looks stunning, and no improvement is needed for the specification either. A Snapdragon 835 processor along with 6GB of RAM provides the power, and there’s 128GB of onboard storage which should be enough for most. Be warned there’s no MicroSD slot for additional storage. There’s an ample 3,260mAh battery that supports both quick and wireless charging, and the phone is also IP67 water-resistant.

It is worth noting the Snapdragon 835 is about to be succeeded by the Snapdragon 845, and will therefore not be the “fastest” Qualcomm chip available. However, it will provide more than enough power for almost everyone for several years to come, so don’t be put off buying it.

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

In terms of cameras on the Nokia 8 Sirocco, there are two lenses on the back of the phone featuring a main 12-megapixel, wide-angle camera, along with a secondary 13-megapixel telephoto lens. Nokia continues its partnership with Zeiss lenses on the Nokia 8 Sirocco. For selfie use, a 5 megapixel, wide-angle camera sits above the screen.

Nokia has added a new Pro Mode where you can make adjustments to the ISO, shutter speed, and other settings to improve the final look of your photos in the camera app. It’s a common feature on most high-end smartphones, but rarely included with camera apps on Android One devices.

Software

Speaking of software, the Nokia 8 Sirocco is indeed a part of the Android One lineup, meaning it runs a stock version of Google’s Android 8.0 Oreo. We’ve more often seen Android One used on low- to middle-end devices such as the Xiaomi  Mi A1, and the HTC U11 Life; but the Nokia 8 Sirocco is considerably higher spec than these phones. Having Android One is a good thing, as it receives timely operating system and security updates, unlike phones with a manufacturer user interface, and there’s no bloatware.

Price and availability

HMD said the Nokia 8 Sirocco will set you back a pricey 750 euros, and it launches in April 2018. There’s no word yet about a U.S. release.

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