Honor employee loses prototype device in Germany, company offering reward for its return

Losing a prototype device is never fun. A prototype in someone else's hands is the mother of all leaks, providing pretty much any and all information on said product. Not that we need more leaks, as no product is ever a secret these days. But the topic always calls back to the lost iPhone 4 prototype that had people going wild.

An Honor employee has unfortunately lost a prototype device belonging to the brand on a train in Germany. The German arm of the brand posted this message (translated to English):

"On Easter Monday, April 22, 2019, an Honor employee lost an Honor smartphone prototype while traveling on Deutsche Bahn Intercity-Express trip #1125 from Düsseldorf (at 6:06 a.m.) to Munich (at 11:08 a.m.). The prototype is in a gray protective case which conspicuously disguises the camera with a cover."

The reward to anyone who finds it is a whopping 5,000 euro, which is nothing to scoff at. Since prototype devices often use special hardware that differs from the final product, it's likely very valuable to Honor. Considering that the next device to launch is the Honor 20 next month, this may be the device that was lost.

If you happen to find it, tweet or email the brand for your reward. It's been a few days and the device hasn't been found so presumably it's still out there in the wild.

Source: @HonorGermany
Via: Android Police

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Mario Kart Tour beta kicks off in May on Android

Mario Kart on our phones always felt like it was a good idea, but it took Nintendo years before they decided to go ahead with it. For those who are learning about this for the first time, it was back in 2018 that the company announced Mario Kart Tour for mobile devices.

If the thought of playing Mario Kart on your phone tickles your fancy, then you might be pleased to learn that Nintendo has announced that the closed beta for the game will be taking place late May, and at the moment, it seems that the beta will only be available for those on Android devices.

Gamers who are interested in taking part in the closed beta can submit an application on Nintendo's website, but note that there is no guarantee that your application will be successful. Nintendo mentions that if applications outnumber the number of possible participants, then selection will be done at random (which we imagine will most likely be the case).

Applications are already open and will run until the 7th of May, with the closed beta scheduled to take place from the 22nd of May until the 4th of June. It will also only apply to gamers living in the US and Japan.

At the moment not much is known about the game, like how much it would cost (the website does mention there will be in-game purchases) or what the gameplay will be like, such as how faithful it will be to the gameplay on consoles like the Nintendo Switch. In any case, we should have more details once the closed beta kicks off.

Source: Nintendo

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The latest Samsung Galaxy Fold casualty is Mr. Mobile

The story of the Samsung Galaxy Fold isn't quite over. After reports that units were failing left and right in the hands of tech journalists as they were prepping for their reviews, Samsung decided to scratch its launch plans for the Samsung Galaxy Fold which should have seen the phone show up in stores this Friday.

As things currently stand, Samsung has not shared when we should expect the Samsung Galaxy Fold to go on sale again.

Unfortunately for Samsung, it doesn't look like the company issued a recall on all the review units that it handed out. As you might expect, we have another report of a failing Samsung Galaxy Fold — courtesy of Mr. Mobile. Based on his description of the issue, a small bump has appeared in the middle of the display, likely from a piece of debris which worked its way in from the hinge on the back of the phone. The display on the phone hasn't failed yet, but Samsung will be collecting the device to examine it further.

Sigh. A little grain of something found its way beneath my Galaxy Fold display. Like the saying goes: "not surprised; just disappointed." Sending this back to Samsung hoping they figure out a way to seal up that hinge.

Silver lining: video tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/9UfYDMOEul

— Michael Fisher (@theMrMobile) April 23, 2019

With the Samsung Galaxy Fold's display proving to be extremely susceptible to failure, we're curious to see how the Huawei Mate X will hold up. Huawei's phone fold the opposite way, leaving the flexible display exposed on the outside when it is folded. The hinge mechanism Huawei uses shouldn't allow debris to enter from the back side which could make it more robust.

It's honestly surprising that Samsung's didn't catch these issues sooner. Hopefully, the company is able to find an easy fix and get the phones into the hands of consumers. Going back to the drawing board at this stage could be catastrophic, not just for Samsung but other foldable display smartphone makers as well.

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Oppo Reno 5G is crazy fast, hits 1.8Gbps download speeds in real-world test

The Oppo Reno 5G was officially unveiled in Zurich today. While the phone has a lot of great features which are worthy of your hard-earned cash, the phone's main goal is to be Oppo's first 5G smartphone.

During the event, Swisscom was on stage to show off the phone's 5G capabilities which are enabled by the phone's Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 which is paired with the company's 5G modem. The 1.8Gbps download speed number that was shared is pretty astonishing! Especially when Swisscom stated that the speed test was performed on the 5G network that it's currently in the process of rolling out, not in a lab setting.

Swisscom was quick to point out this was real world usage and not a lab result.

— Sean Riley (@RileySeanM) April 24, 2019

Since Oppo has absolutely no market presence in North America, we'll likely never see the Oppo Reno 5G on any of the major service providers in the US or Canada. That being said, the Oppo Reno 5G will be available starting in May in select markets across Europe for 899 Euro. The full list of service providers that plan to carry the Oppo Reno 5G has not been released, but EE in the UK has already stated that the phone will be heading to its network this summer.

 

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OnePlus 7 launch date confirmed, here’s how to watch it live

In a market filled with Android smartphones priced over $1,000, OnePlus is one of the few companies who are still making flagship smartphones priced below the $600 mark. If you're looking to save yourself some money and wouldn't mind seeing what OnePlus has to offer with the OnePlus 7, then mark the 14th of May down on your calendars.

This is because OnePlus has officially confirmed that the 14th of May is when the OnePlus 7 will be officially announced. This is in line with an earlier rumor which first gave us the 14th of May date. There will be four launch events taking place in various parts of the world. One will be held in London, another in New York, another in Bengaluru, and one more in China.

They are also expected to take place at different times which means that if you live in those areas, you will be able to check it out for yourself in person. OnePlus will start selling ticket sales to its event starting on the 25th of April and you can get your hands on them through the company's website.

If you don't live in any of the locations mentioned above or if you have no intention of purchasing a ticket to watch the launch live in-person, not to worry because OnePlus will be hosting a livestream on YouTube on the 14th of May on its YouTube channel.

As a quick recap for those who might have forgotten what to expect, the OnePlus 7 will be offered in at least two variants: the OnePlus 7 and the OnePlus 7 Pro. The Pro model is rumored to be a bigger model and could feature a 90Hz display and a triple camera, but apart from that, the base hardware specs such as the use of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset will be similar.

Source: OnePlus

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OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro specs leak with Pro rocking 90Hz display

There have been many rumors floating around about the next OnePlus device, from pop up selfie cameras to a Pro model in the works. The CEO Pete Lau even confirmed the existence of a second model joining the main OnePlus 7, though he did not give any details about it.

However, a new leak has given us the full rundown about both the OnePlus 7 and the OnePlus 7 Pro. The lower end model will be similar to the current 6T, featuring a 6.4-inch 1080p display, a Snapdragon 855 processor, a choice of 6GB/128GB and 8GB/256GB of RAM and storage, a 3,700 mAh battery with 20W fast charging, dual 48MP/5MP cameras on the rear, and a teardrop notch housing the front facing camera.

The OnePlus 7 Pro gets a nicer 6.7-inch 3120×1440 display with a 90Hz refresh rate, which is an awesome choice. Other differences include a motorized pop-up front facing 16MP camera, a choice of 12GB of RAM with the 256GB storage option, tripe cameras (48MP main sensor with OIS, 8MP 3x zoom sensor, and 16MP wide angle), and a 4,000 mAh battery with 30W fast charging. Both include Bullets Wireless 2 earbuds as well.

There will also be a OnePlus 7 Pro 5G model, which will likely just add 5G capability. It's unknown if this model will launch alongside the other two.

The basic OnePlus 7 sounds like a solid device, much like the last few have been. With the right price point it'll satiate most people's desires for a high end smartphone without breaking the bank. But the higher end OnePlus 7 Pro is intriguing. It seems that OnePlus is stepping into a higher end category, and we may see a major price jump with it. Hopefully they don't near the $1,000 mark, because people usually buy OnePlus devices for the price rather than feature set and design.

These specs are unconfirmed but they do line up with previous leaks. Hopefully we'll see OnePlus do something really interesting with the upcoming duo. We'll find out May 14 when it launches!

OnePlus 7 Pro / Pro 5G:
6.7″ 3120x1440p – 19,5:9 – 90Hz

48MP F1.6 OIS+EIS, 8MP 3x Zoom F2.4, 16MP 117° F2.2, Selfie: 16MP F2.0

Snapdragon855, 6+128GB, 8/12+256GB,
UFS 3.0

4000mAh 30W Warp Charge

In-Display FP

Blue/Grey/Brown

(Tweet 1/2) pic.twitter.com/v3jU9tguUs

— Max J. (@Samsung_News_) April 22, 2019

Via: PocketNow

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OnePlus 7 Pro confirmed by the company’s CEO

According to earlier rumors, it has been suggested that OnePlus could be deviating from their usual launch of one flagship smartphone in the first half of the year. Instead, the company has been rumored to have at least one more model in the works in the form of the OnePlus 7 Pro which could sport a triple camera setup on its back.

It turns out that the rumors were true, according to a recent report from The Verge in which OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has effectively confirmed that the company will be launching at least two models of its flagship smartphone this year. Details of the handset were not revealed in full, but rather Lau spoke more about the display on the device.

According to Lau, he claimed that OnePlus had spent three times as much on its display this year compared to earlier models, and that he hopes that it will "redefine fast and smooth" as far as displays are concerned. It was previously rumored that the handset could feature a display with 90Hz refresh rate, which while not as fast compared to handsets like the Razer Phone 2, still puts it above most of the competition.

We should point out that the 90Hz display will only be for the Pro model and not for the regular OnePlus 7, so you might have to shell out a bit more cash if you want that smooth display. Lau still has yet to confirm the handset's launch date, but last we heard, it will most likely be making an appearance on the 14th of May, 2019.

Source: The Verge

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