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Mobile Phones

Razer Buys Cloud Smartphone Maker Nextbit

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Razer Buys Cloud Smartphone Maker Nextbit

Gaming peripheral maker Razer buys into smartphones with Nextbit, the small startup behind the Robin "cloud smartphone" founded by former HTC, Google and Amazon employees.

According to the new owner, Nextbit will operate as a "standalone business unit under its own management" with a staff of 30. It should also continue providing Robin owners with product support and software updates (including a leap to Android 7.0) while working on more products under the Nextbit brand.

“Nextbit is one of the most exciting companies in the mobile space,” Razer says. “Razer has a track record of disrupting industries where our technology and ability to design and innovate have allowed us to dominate categories with longstanding incumbents, such as the peripherals and laptop categories. With the talent that Nextbit brings to Razer, we look forward to unleashing more disruption and growing our business in new areas.”

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LG Leaks G6 Flagship

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LG Leaks G6 Flagship

The Verge obtains a first image of the upcoming LG smartphone flagship-- the G6, a handset featuring a typically sleek design replete with rounded corners and minimal bezels.

As apparently confirmed by LG Display, the G6 has a 5.7-inch display with an unusual 2:1 aspect ratio and a screen-to-bezel ratio greater than 90%. LG appears to have abandoned the modular design of last year's G5 in favour of minimalist glass and metal construction with a non-replaceable battery. The Verge adds a headphone jack is included.

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ZTE Details Crowdsourced Hawkeye Phone

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ZTE Details Crowdsourced Hawkeye Phone

Back in October 2016 ZTE announced plans to take the people's advice for the development of its next phone. Now the company is ready to reveal the results-- the Hawkeye, an eye-tracking, self-adhesive smartphone.

The result of an online voting campaign, the Hawkeye has some unusual capabilities. Apparently potential customers demanded a phone with self-adhesive polymers on the back, meaning one can stick it on any stable surface. It also incorporates eye tracking via pair of front-facing cameras, allowing users to scroll through websites and the like without using their fingers.

Another odd, if interesting, feature is a display with a split screen design that is only visible to users directly in front of it. This prevents others from trying to look at what is on screen.

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Nokia Brand Launches First Android Smartphone

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Nokia Brand Launches First Android Smartphone

A first Android smartphone featuring Nokia branding emerges-- Finnish brand owner HMD Global announces the Nokia 6, a 5.5-inch handset complete with Snapdragon 430 processor.

Further specifications include LTE connectivity, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage,and 16MP rear-/8MP front-facing cameras. Audio comes through Dolby Atmos-equipped dual amplifiers, and the cameras feature f/2.0 lenses.

“Just a short while ago we announced the launch of HMD Global. From the outset we have stated that we intend to move with speed to establish a position as a player in the smartphone category and create products that truly meet consumer needs," the company says. "The Nokia 6 is a result of listening to our consumers who desire a beautifully crafted handset with exceptional durability, entertainment and display features."

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Qualcomm (Accidentally) Details Snapdragon 835 CPU

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Qualcomm (Accidentally) Details Snapdragon 835 CPU

Sharp-eyed journalist Evan Blass (aka @evleaks) leaks details of the upcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chip ahead of CES 2017-- a mobile CPU designed to improve both battery life and 3D graphics.

The successor to the 821 processor, the 835 uses 40% less power while providing "up to a 27% performance increase" compared to previous chipsets. Built using a 10nm design featuring over 3 billion transistors, it combines a Kyro 280 CPU, Adreno 540 GPU and Hexagon DSP. According to Blas the 835 is ideal ideal for even thinner smartphones with larger batteries, and offers users with over a day's worth of talk time, 5 days of music playback and over 7 hours of 4K video streaming.

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Meizu Intros M5 Note

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Meizu Intros M5 Note

Meizu announces an update on last year's M3 Note-- the M5 Note, a 5.5-inch handset featuring a design 0.1mm thinner than its predecessor, together with 4GB RAM and up to 64GB of storage.

Interestingly, the M5 Note as a smaller battery compared to the previous model, since it has a 400mAh number compared to the 4100mAh battery powering the M3 Note. However the M5 Note does add 18W fast charging, and according to Meizu it can be fully charged in just 90 minutes. Other features derived from the M3 Note include the 1080p 5.5-inch display, Helio P10 chipset, 13MP rear-facing camera and fingerprint sensor in the back.

The OS of choice is Android 6.0, and connectivity comes through hybrid dual-SIM (nano+nano/microSD).

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OnePlus 3 Gets 3T Boost

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OnePlus 3 Gets 3T Boost

OnePlus presents a boosted variant of the flagship OnePlus 3-- the OnePlus 3T, a smartphone near identical to its predecessor apart from an upgraded Snapdragon 821 CPU, larger battery and a camera improvements.

The OnePlus 3T retains the same form factor as OnePlus 3, even if the company managed to squeeze a 3400mAh battery (up from OnePlus 3's 3000mAh) promising 13% more use on a single charge. Speaking of charging, OnePlus also added "Dash Charge" rapid charging able to provide a day's worth of power after all of 30 minutes of plugging it in.

As for the CPU, the Snapdragon 821 is the faster sibling of the 820, the chip powering flagship handsets such as the Google Pixel and the LeEco LePro3. The other aforementioned upgrade involves the cameras, as the front-facing shooter has a 16MP sensor while the rear-facing camera gets a scratch-proof sapphire lens cover and better electronic image stabilisation.

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BlackBerry Presents DTEK60 Android Phone

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BlackBerry Presents DTEK60 Android Phone

BlackBerry might not be in the phone development business, but it is still lending its name to 3rd parties-- as is the case with the DTEK60, a TCL-made Android handset packing BlackBerry software.

A successor to the DTEK50 (technically a clone of the Alcatel Idol 4), the DTEK60 features enhanced security through the addition of a fingerprint sensor. It also carries a 5.5-inch 1440 x 2560 resolution display, Sanpadragon 820 CPU, 4GB RAM, 21MP rear-/8MP front-facing cameras, and 3000mAh battery inside glass-backed casing. Connectivity comes through USB-C port.

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Kodak Brings Ektra Back in Smartphone Form

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Kodak Brings Ektra Back in Smartphone Form

The 1941 Kodak Ektra camera gets a revival in the shape of a smartphone-- specifically a "professional-quality, photography-first" handset sharing the name.

“Kodak has a rich history in imaging technology and the launch of the Kodak smartphone today demonstrates our ongoing commitment to bringing the latest advances in photography to consumers," the company says. “The original Kodak Ektra camera was launched in 1941 and in its latest reincarnation, opens up a world of creative opportunities to all who care about photography.”

As one might imagine, the Kodak Ektra smartphone is not actually made by the company itself-- after all, following its 2012 bankruptcy Kodak is solely in the business of licensing its IP. Instead, the device is made by UK-based Bullitt Group, a company specialised in bringing together components from a variety of sources in order to build phones for various brands (for the curious, these include Cat, JCB and Ministry of Sound).

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