#PhoneNews – LG Readies The V10 Successor To Battle Samsung And Apple In September

Last year, LG introduced the V10 which was indeed ‎a major refresh to its line of smartphones as it brought a dual screen display onboard. Though

#PhoneNews – Huawei Honor 8 Is Official. It’s A Beauty!!!

Huawei is indeed positioning itself to keep to its promise of becoming the Leading Smartphone Maker by 2025 (or was it an earlier year?) and every phone it’s been releasing since the Mate 7 has been a hit back to back.
Next off the block is its indeed slim and iPhone-looking

#PhoneNews – Infinix HOT S Coming Soon. It’s First With A Fingerprint Scanner And To Support Virtual Technology

Ok…. Infinix is on a roll this year with about 6 different models planned for

#SmartWatchFeature – The Elephone W2 Smartwatch: Offers More Than You Budget For

In reviewing the Top 20 smartwatches in the UK presently, I was stunned to find out that Chinese OEM, Elephone does have a smartwatch called the The Elephone W2 Smartwatch.

The watch; which is

#LaptopNews – RollTop Positions To Be The Future Of Laptops

Meet RollTop

This Orkin Design concept laptop employs the use of a flexible OLED display which rolls out like a roll of tissue to become a fully functional 17inch touchscreen which doubles as a PC monitor

When It’s rollout screen is folded, it becomes a usable 13in tablet. Combining with the embedded keyboard, it becomes a notebook laptop.

In addition, it’s roll up packaging houses the USB ports, speakers, as well as the power supply for the RollTop.

For convenience, the case comes with a sling belt attached to both ends which enables RollTop to be carried over the shoulder with utmost ease.
It’s believed to be debuting soon

#PhoneNews – Samsung Galaxy J2(2016) Is Official. Brings New Features Never Seen On Any Mid Ranger Before

Check out the all new Samsung Galaxy J2(2016):

It’s the latest in the mid range J-series to get its 2016 face lift and it turned out
GREAT!!!
Samsung has not only upped the build quality, camera performance, battery capacity and speed of the J2 (2016), it also brings with it a new “ Smart Glow” technology.

The technology sees you getting specific colour codes for notifications from apps, contacts, messages, mails, etc without you having to look at the screen of the phone. This is made possible by the LED lining around the camera at the back that glows according to the colours set for whatever notification you receive.

Also coming on board the J2(2016) is a
Turbo Speed Technology (TST) feature that sees apps load up to 40% faster than some phones with 3GB RAM.
Then there’s the S Bike Mode. Built for those who ride or commute on bikes more often, once switched on, the phone is able to play a message to whoever calls you that you’re on a bike and can’t answer then. It then gives the caller the opportunity to have his/her call go through to your phone by pressing “1” if the call is an emergency. However, the rider or passenger on the bike would still not be able to pick the call until its sensors determine that the rider or passenger on the bike has stopped or is in a stationary position.

The Galaxy J2(2016) features:

5in Super AMOLED 720x1280p screen @294ppi
1.5GHz Quadcore Spreadtrum CPU
1.5GB RAM, 8GB ROM exp via MicroSD to 128GB
8MP camera with LED flash, 5MP selfie camera
Android OS 6.0.1
Dual Micro SIM support
2600mAh removable battery

It’s listed on the Samsung India website at a $145 price tag with sales commencing next week.

Its also very likely to see an International Market release soon.

#PhoneNews – “Apple’s iPhone 7: Most Boring iPhone Build Up Ever” – Analysts

Many tech blog polls as well as iPhone fan pages have arrived at pretty much the same conclusion when asked about how they feel about the coming iPhone 7 and it hasn’t been upbeat at all.

This was majorly fueled by Apple’s news release that the 2016 iPhones

#TechNews: Another Wrist-worn Smartphone Warms Up For Release

2017 is fast becoming one to reckon with as the Year Of The Foldable Screens. With the likes of Samsung, LG and more recently, Lenovo  bracing up to unveil their official foldable phones and tablets for the markets then, these surely indicate the shape of the smartphone world in the next couple of years.

Another Chinese OEM that would likely join the league of the foldable screens is Blu with its Wearable Smartphone
Unlike the other OEMs listed above with relatively deeper pockets to finance their research and production, Blu has had to resort to crowdfunding to help see this project to its desired end. Failing twice at Kickstarter.com, it’s now on Indiegogo soliciting funding from everyone or anyone that believes in this product.

The Blu Wearable Smartphone, which is its temporary name, will feature a 5.3in 1080x1920p FullHD polyester flexible OLED Willow Glass screen by Corning, which supports it’s ability to fold around your wrist, protect it from scratches due to everyday use and allow for Gesture-oriented User Interface. It runs on an Octacore Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 CPU , Adreno 430 GPU and comes with 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM to ensure powerful performance.

Coming to the cameras, we are only told of a main 13MP camera without LED flash. The Blu Wearable Smartphone would run on Android OS 6.0 or Android N(depending on time of release) and would be powered by a whooping 4800mAh battery. Charging would be via a micro USB port, with transfer of files possible only via NFC or Bluetooth.

No official pricing has been fixed yet but it sure is one worth looking at when it eventually gets released (fingers crossed).

#GadgetNews: Samsung’s Foldable Tablet Is Almost Here. See Some New Features

A 10in tablet might be too big to fit into your pocket right now, but in no distant future, it sure will. How you ask? Well, Sammy is actually up to something.

New Patents (shown below) said to have been filed by Samsung since November 2015 clearly indicate a tablet that folds in half. The tablet, as shown in the patent drawing, will also have a curved edge screen probably for getting to see notifications even when the tablet is folded.

Also highlighted is a new “Floating Screen” technology that allows you see full images or text notifications without you fully opening the tablet. Then there’s a side screen too that would start up the camera without you having to launch the app from the tablet itself.

While we hope this gets to be showcased and released soon, (because Samsung just seem to have been teasing us with more patents than actual products in this regard), we know for sure that the era of foldable screens is upon us.

#GadgetNews: The Best Android Tablet Is………

With not as many good tablets in the market compared to phones, it’s rather quite easy settling for the Apple iPad as being the Best because it’s all up in our faces more often than not.

Moreso, when you really don’t have so many Android OS tablets to battle with the iPads of this world, except the ones from the Samsung stable. But believe it or not, there really is one tablet that leads the pack so far as Android OS tablets are concerned.
Introducing the Google Pixel C Tablet
Acclaimed the Best Android Tablet by many tech blogs all over the World, we take a cursory look at its specs and find out why it’s called so.

Features:
•10.2in IPS LCD QuadHD 2560x1800p screen @308ppi
•1.9GHz Quadcore NVIDIA Tegra X1 CPU
•NVIDIA Maxwell GPU
•3GB RAM, 32/64GB ROM
•8MP camera, 2MP Front Facing Camera
•USB 3.0 & USB Type-C ports
•Stylus support
•Detachable Bluetooth Keyboard that also functions as a cover
•Android OS 6.0
•34.2 Wh battery (12hrs of optimal use)

Comparing it with other lead tablets like the iPad Air 2, it comes out ahead. However, the Microsoft Surface Pro 3 & 4 are ahead. It’s closest Android rival is Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S2 which actually comes really close in matching the Pixel C blow for blow.

Above all, the Google Pixel C is a great combination of Ruggedness & Beauty with its sturdy look, sleek feel and top rate processing speed. It offers a whole lot more than you expect.

#GadgetNews: The HTC Dark Shadow Tablet

Ok one OEM that seems to not want to have any presence in the Tablet market is Taiwanese OEM, HTC. But just take a look at the baby below?

Impressed yet? Well that’s Hasan Kaymak’s concept design of the HTC

#TechNews: Infinix Enters The Smartwatch Market With The XBand

Infinix has entered the smartwatch with the Infinix XBand smartwatch.

The XBand , which in all fairness, looks so much like a long lost twin of the Huawei TalkBand B2 (see here) is set to get the Nigerian tech market to embrace wearable technology with an affordable but yet functional wristband that not only tells the time & allows you get notifications of calls, SMS & mails, but is a full fitness tracker too – by way of monitoring your heartrate, steps taken in walking or jogging workout sessions, etc.

With its Bluetooth connectivity, it’s able to pair with Android phones (not just Infinix smartphones) as well as the iPhone.
One interesting feature, also like the Huawei TalkBand, the display of the XBand can be detached and function as a Bluetooth headset. This enables you receive & make calls on the go. Coming in black and brown strap options, the Xband is also water resistant.

Price – N25-27k coming to Jumia.com.ng or at 3C HUB sales outlets

#TechNews – Vivo X7 and Vivo X7 Plus (Specs Feature Review)

Vivo is one of the many OEMs from China that seems pretty much obsessed with the iPhone look and build. As if previous models didn’t stress this fact enough, it’s latest flagships – the Vivo X7 and Vivo X7 Plus are a further confirmation to the above facts. But one thing these flagships do differently from the iPhones, is their daring attempts at high end features though keeping them all under a pocket friendly price.
Check out their amazing features:
– 5.2in/5.7in Super AMOLED 1080x1920p screen
– Octacore Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 CPUs
– 4GB RAM, 64GB ROM
– 13MP/16MP SONY cameras with LED flash, Both have 16MP selfies
– Android OS 5.1
– Dual SIM support
– Fingerprint scanner
– 3000mAh/4000mAh Battery
While the Vivo X7 would cost $375, the price of the X7 Plus would be made available when both phones hit the Chinese Markets first on the 7th of July.
Highs :
Screen resolutions, CPU, Cameras, Memory, Battery, Price, Build Quality
Lows:
A Quad HD screen would probably have been a more daring option for the X7 Plus.
Overall:
Both phones are indeed power houses for the prices they offer.

#TechNews: Garmin Vivomove Brings Smart Tech To Conventional Watches

One reason for a rather slow adoption of smartwatches globally is the tendency for some smartwatches to go all geeky with bells & whistles for notifications and potentially lose the basic watch functions. But why though? It’s a Watch in the first place
Well, Garmin, notable for its Mapping technology, has announced a semi smart watch that keeps the traditional looks of a classic analog watch but infuses some level of smart tech to its features.
The Garmin Vivomove is sleek, stylish and indeed beautiful. Cutting the traditional watch build but brings two bars on the left and right sides of the clock arms that monitor data such as steps taken, sleep hours & quality as well as calories burned.
It offers some level of customisation by allowing you swap straps to suit your style. Other key features include its One-year battery life as well as its resistance to water for up to 50metres.
The Vivomove is said to cost $150, with a more premium model sporting steel straps costing $300
It pairs with Android phones and iPhones