Vivo X5 Pro to Arrive with USB Type-C, Phase-Detection Autofocus Tech

Remember the company that once put out the world’s slimmest smartphone? We’re talking about the Vivo X5 Max, which rolled out with a sleek profile of only 4.75 mm / 0.18 inches.

Well, the company will soon unveil its next model called the Vivo X5 Pro. From what we have seen so far, the phone is shaping up to be quite a monster device. And today, courtesy of the Italian HD Blog, we’re getting the latest info concerning the handset. The X5 Pro will apparently be a mid-range device, but a very interesting one to say the least. According to word on the street, the handset should arrive with a massive 6-inch display (with unknown resolution, probably FHD), a Snapdragon 615 processor inside, plus 3GB of RAM.

What’s more, word on the street claims that Vivo is prepping a heart-stopping 32MP front-facing camera to be implemented into the phone, which will probably be capable of snapping stellar selfies. On top of that, the main camera will benefit from phase-detection auto-focus technology. Even more interesting, the Vivo X5 Pro is poised to be one of the first Android phones to make it out with a new USB Type-C connector out of the box. The phone is also expected to come with a metal frame and a hefty 3,500 mAh battery. If all this info got you excited, then you should be happy to know that the device is poised to be launched sometime in the early days of May, probably on the 6th or 7th day of the month.

Vivo X5 Pro will have USB Type-C

Vivo X5 Pro frontal look

Vivo X5 Pro will sport 6-inch display

Vivo X5 Pro to run on Snapdragon 615
Images credits to HD Blog

Read more »

Elephone’s Dual-Boot Windows 10/Android 5.0 Phone Leaks in Official Renders

A few days ago, word surfaced that little known Chinese device maker Elephone was working towards bringing a monster flagship to the market.

The company itself confirmed it would soon launch a phone capable of dual-booting between Android and Windows. We also saw a few images showcasing the upcoming flagship with a gold/white paint job. This week brings us more official renders of the upcoming phone, which should give prospective customers an image of what to look for (as seen at Giz China). Elephone actually plans to release two models of its new flagship, one powered by Android 5.0 Lollipop only and one capable of switching between Windows 10 and Android 5.0 Lollipop. Sounds pretty intriguing, right?

Elephone to challenge the ASUS ZenFone 2 and Lenovo K80

We already know most of the specs of the handset, including the fact that it will ship out with 4GB of RAM and a powerful quad-core processor of Intel origins. Elephone’s high-end device will also come equipped with an impressive 20.7MP Sony camera on the back and 32GB of internal storage. In the display department, the upcoming model will feature a 5.5-inch display with 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution that will be sustained by a hefty 3,800 mAh battery. Elephone itself said that the dual-boot model would most likely launch in June. The other version of the flagship that will only run Android OS will ship out a little bit earlier, towards the beginning of May, so in a few weeks.

Naturally, the phones will only be available for purchase in China, at least in the beginning. So, if we are to believe the rumors, we should be seeing a Windows 10 device launch as soon as June. It’s interesting to see whether Elephone ends up releasing the dual-boot model internationally, but that’s pretty unlikely, given the history with such devices. Back at CES 2014, ASUS introduced a dual-boot tablet/laptop called the Transformer Book Duet, and even if the device received positive initial feedback, Google and Microsoft ended up sabotaging the company’s efforts of putting it on the market.

So the ASUS Transformer Book Duet turned out to be the device that never was. But if the Elephone dual-boot phone safely stays within the borders of China, it has a big chance of actually becoming a real product.

Elephone's new flagship, profile view

Elephone's new flagship in gold

Elephone's new flagship, dual SIM setup

Elephone's new flagship, showing main camera

Elephone's new flagship in gold

Elephone's new flagship frontal view

Elephone's new flagship back view

Elephone's new flagship in white and gold
Images credits to GizChina

Read more »

Nokia Officially Denies Any Plans of Launching an Android Smartphone in 2016

Nokia made a lot of waves last week after a few reports surfaced saying that the Finnish company was looking to make a comeback in 2016 with a new Android smartphone.

The initial report cited sources familiar with the matter claiming that Nokia was plotting to make a comeback to the smartphone market next year. Then a few days later, a Chinese newspaper quoted Mike Wang, the President of Nokia China, who apparently revealed that the company was planning to set up a R&D facility in China. Well, not long after these news made rounds online, Nokia posted an official statement on its website refuting all these claims.

Nokia says it has no plans of manufacturing smartphones, yet

According to the Finnish company, we shouldn't be expecting it to come out with any consumer handset in 2016, nor any R&D facilities being set up under the company’s banner in China. Nokia’s statement might disappoint the company’s fans who were hoping to see the phone maker jump back into the smartphone pond. However, we should point out that the company doesn't specifically mention that it has no plans of “designing” smartphones. The statement only refers to the absence of plans related to manufacturing handsets. But that’s the thing, after the acquisition of its mobile division by Microsoft, Nokia is prohibited from licensing its brand on smartphones until the end of 2016 (the third quarter to be more specific).

However, the company can take a slightly different route. It can license its own smartphone designs to third-party manufacturers, a scenario that happened with the N1 tablet. Nokia was in charge of designing the product, but all manufacturing operations went to Foxconn.

All hope is not lost

At this point, it’s very hard to believe we won’t see a Nokia phone arrive in 2016 at all. The company is probably trying to keep things under wraps, as well as build hype around its upcoming product while trying to preserve the veil of mystery as much as it can. It’s not unheard of for companies to deny existing rumors and then, a few months later, to play out the exact scenario prophesized by the rumor mill. It’s a marketing strategy after all.

Nokia's current Android smartphone
Image credits to BGR

Read more »