Apple brings good news for all emoji lovers. The company’s CEO has just announced that, by the end of the year, all the platforms supporting iOS, macOS, or watchOS will receive new emojis featuring foods or even fantasy themes. The announcement came as a celebration for World Emoji Day which, apparently, has been acknowledged worldwide.

All kinds of new emojis on iOS

Apart from this weird but fun celebration, Apple also included these new emojis as a way to deal with the new Unicode 10.0 standard. The update brought a series of 8,158 characters, 56 of which are new smiley faces.

If you like the cute little faces and objects to accompany your texts, you are probably curious about what they will display. Just to offer you a small preview, we can disclose several of the characters you are about to see. Those which will join the line of smiley faces are Crazy Face, Exploding Head, or Face with Monocles.

A Sandwich emoji will also be included, and we can say this one was absolutely necessary. What is slightly more unusual is the whole amount of emojis with fantasy themes, for all geeks out there. Among these characters, you will see Zombies, Mages, Merpeople, Fairies, Elves, Vampires, or Genies.

These come with the latest Unicode changes

If you are aware of the Unicode changes, then you should already be familiar with some of these concepts. However, Unicode only establishes the emojis and the new characters. Then, each manufacturer has to settle for a design. This is why it might take a while until emojis actually get on the device.

This waiting time is highly dependent on the manufacturer. The beta version of Android O, for instance, already has the new emojis available. Apple didn’t reveal when they will come on iOS, but they will most probably be released at the same time with the fall update for iOS 11.

😀🌎🌍🌏📆 Happy #WorldEmojiDay! 🎉 We’ve got some 😎 new ones to show you, coming later this year! 👀👇 https://t.co/xBR9ZJ7l4g pic.twitter.com/fhDrr4J5KG

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) July 17, 2017

Image Source: Pixabay

It’s now official that Microsoft will no longer release any kind of support for Windows Phone, and Windows 10 Mobile might soon join these lines. However, the company will not disappear completely from the mobile market. It has already released the concept for an upcoming device, known under several names, including Surface Phone, Cellular PC, or Surface Mobile.

Several rumors indicate a Microsoft Surface Phone is approaching

There have been many leaks and rumors so far, but the official information is still scarce. Therefore, we don’t have a complete picture of how the Surface Phone might look like, but we can try to put all the pieces together and at least get a preview.

So far, people have been asking a few questions regarding the upcoming device. They are wondering if Microsoft already has a prototype ready for the Surface Phone, and how this prototype might work. Will it run a PC-like Windows 10, or the already existing Windows 10 Mobile? However, the most bugging of questions is the date when the new device will be released, or at least a list of all its specs and features.

When will the new device be released?

So far, rumors indicated of a so-called “cellular PC” running Windows 10 on ARM, and several devices which were testing a new OS for mobile. Some suppliers even claimed the device will definitely be called Surface Phone. This is good to know, but the main piece of information we ask for is a release date.

Most probably, the device is undergoing testing as we speak. This means that it should take between 6 and 18 months to launch. Until the Surface Phone, or whatever it will be called, gets on the market, there will surely be more leaks and rumors to satisfy our unending curiosity.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

Last year, Google launched the long-acclaimed Pixel and Pixel XL phones, but they didn’t quite reach the expectations of the users. Many of them reported their devices froze for no reason, which significantly reduced the performance of the phones. Therefore, the company decided to release an update to fix this bug.

An update to solve the Pixel freezing issues

Google took notice of these freezes, and wanted to come to the help of its users. Therefore, the company announced that this bug should be fixed by the June security update. They have already started rolling it out, so users who experienced freezing issues should shortly get rid of them.

Everything sounds perfect so far, but will this update actually solve the freezing issues? The manager of the Pixel user community declared that these issues, as well as other problems regarding the performance of the device, might have several causes. Therefore, users should offer feedback even after they install the update and report any other problem they experience.

The update worked for some users, while for others didn’t

So far, Google couldn’t pick up a clear pattern of freezing. Users reported using the camera while the phone froze, or being in a call, or just ending a call, and the only solution they could find was to force-shut down. In fact, some new posts on the forums have already appeared regarding the update. For some, the update fixed the problem, while others still have to struggle with it.

While one user who usually encountered the problem rarely said the update made his phone quicker. On the other hand, others complained about it. Some of those who didn’t experience any freezing events declared that, after installing the update, had to deal with micro-freezes of several seconds while they scrolled or typed.

This is bad news for Google, as it seems that this bug was not as easy to fix as they have thought. If they want to maintain their users happy, they need to find a quick solution to deal with the issue and optimize the Pixel phones once and for all.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

Several rumors are here to entertain the most nostalgic of tech enthusiasts. It seems like Samsung really wants to revive flip phones, and is planning to release a new version of their latest folding phone W2017. The device should be coming to Samsung’s home country, South Korea, but maybe it will reach other countries as well.

Samsung wants to bring flip phones back

Samsung really seems like it has some sort of passion for flip phones and refuses to let them die. The company already has a history in releasing crossovers between the old school phones and Android-equipped smartphones.

It all started in 2013, when they released the Galaxy Golden. Then, in 2015, Samsung came with the Galaxy Folder, quickly followed by Galaxy Golden 2 in 2016. The latest folding phone in the series was W2017, which launched last November. However, these phones were available only in certain countries. For instance, W2017 was sold only in China.

A new W2017 with top specs

Now, rumors suggest that Samsung will bring a new W2017 version, and will add South Korea on the list of countries which will benefit from the device. However, this is not official information. Samsung has not confirmed any of the rumors, so it did not reveal an official launch date.

The new flip phone might come with some exclusive features. Among them, there is Samsung Pay, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor, wireless charging, or scanner for fingerprint. If this was not enough, rumors also suggest resistance to water and dust, front and rear camera or 5 and 12 megapixels, respectively, and storage of 64 GB.

Besides, the phone should sport two OLED screens of 4.2 inches each. This would make it quite big when it is open. After all, it is not a classical flip phone, but it sure reminds us of the trend which swept up the early 2000s.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

Moto Z2 Play, Thinner but with Less Battery Life

The Moto Z lineup is anything but thick. Actually, Motorola’s first ever generation of modular smartphones are maybe the slimmest available on the market right now. Still, it seems like the company is still not happy and will reduce the thickness of the new Moto Z2 Play device. However, there is a price Motorola will pay and that is battery life. Its predecessor had a very praised 3510mAh battery. It seems like this one will only have about a 3000mAh battery. This will also reduce the running time of the device from 50 hours to only 30. The new Moto Z2 Play is powered by the Android 7.1.1 system.

Slimmer, but with a cost

The original Z Play model, which was actually the most affordable one out of the three available, was the thickest one of them. It was a little under 7 millimeters thick and weighted 165 grams. Reduced in weight and size, the new Z2 Play is getting closer to the original Moto Z device. That one was 5.19 millimeters thick.

It is worth noting that all the components of the new Moto Z2 Play are going to receive updates. From the chipset which will be a Snapdragon 626 this time, to the memory and storage departments. The new Moto Z2 Play will have a 4GB of RAM and 64GB storage capacity. The Super AMOLED display is one of the only things which will remain the same. It will stay at 5.5-inch diagonal with a 1080 x 1920 resolution. Maybe Motorola wants to make sure that all of their MotoMods will be compatible with all the devices form the Z series.

Motorola is back in business

As for the camera, the selfie one will remain the same at 5-megapixels. However, the company wants to reduce the main camera’s resolution while making its imaging quality better. So, the Z2 Play will have a 12-megapixel, f/1.7 component with dual autofocus pixels, instead of the previous 16-megapixel camera. It will come in two colors, Lunar Gray and Fine Gold. The Moto Z2 Play is the first of a series of smartphones from Motorola which will be released during this year. It remains to be seen how will the fans receive them.

Image source: gsmarena

New leaks suggest that it was worth the wait for HTC fans. After trying to make a comeback for a few years now, the company will probably earn the flagship title with their new HTC 11. May 16^th is the big day when the device enters the markets.

HTC has no longer been present among the top smartphone manufacturers lately. After releasing the landmark device One M8, they failed to produce a new smartphone to reach the same glory. However, judging from the leaks, HTC 11 might become the highlight of their history.

Some sources supposedly succeeded to leak the retail box of the new phone. This is exciting for all fans and tech enthusiasts, as they display a series of strong specs. First of all, it will offer a huge amount of power, as it features the same processor used by Samsung for their Galaxy S8 devices, namely Qualcomm Snapdragon 835.

Besides the strong processor, the new HTC comes with several other specifications. It comes with 4 or 6 GB of RAM, 64 or 128 GB storage, and even a microSD of 2 TB. The high resolution is supported by a 5.5-inch display, accompanied by Adreno 540 graphics and special protection for the screen.

HTC 11 will also allow you to take great photos. The rear camera sports 12 megapixels, while the front one will provide high-definition selfies in 16 megapixels, adding the special Selfie Panorama feature.

Among the other available features, there’s water resistance, a scanner for the fingerprint, noise cancellation, and a strong 3,000 mAh battery. The edges will also be touch sensitive, so you will be able to open apps just by handling and squeezing them.

Note that these rumors are not official yet, so we cannot confirm the authenticity of these specs. However, the leaks sound promising, and we might be witnessing the rebirth of HTC among the smartphone leaders.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

A Google engineer demonstrates how a Google app helps smartphone users develop their passion for nighttime photography. The Nexus 6P and the Google Pixel have two of the best cameras on a mobile phone developed by Google. They owe everything to Google’s algorithmic techniques behind the scenes. Since the release of the Google Pixel, many smartphone users were extremely surprised by its low-light performance.

After seeing the amazing pictures, smartphone users hope that the app will be incorporated in all Android smartphones

Nevertheless, it appears that this smartphone hides a lot of unregistered potentials which is waiting to be unveiled by customers. Florian Kainz, who is a software engineer at Google Daydream and who had previously worked at Industrial Light & Magic, has recently undergone some experiments using the cameras on the Pixel and the 6P. He focused on nighttime photography.

His purpose was to struggle and replicate a low-light picture with long exposure taken with a professional DSLR by utilizing the mobile sensors found in Google’s smartphones. Thus, he developed a manual-exposure app which enabled him to take several photos choosing whatever exposure time, focus distance and ISO he wanted. Now, after seeing the photos, everyone requires that the new app should be incorporated in all Android cameras.

All those passionate about nighttime photography may be thrilled about Kainz’s new technique

Kainz shoots pictures of 32 or 64 2-second exposures by using a tripod-mounted smartphone where he implanted the DNG format. After taking the pictures, he uploaded all that data in his computer to perform incredible post-processing. The Google engineer has averaged out the noise and the errors from those pictures, and then he underwent some manual alterations to offset tiny bits of movement which occurred between frames.

After all his detailed and meticulous work, he obtained stunning nighttime photography. The pictures which were posted online made a lot of smartphone users very curious. They were wondering about the techniques and the apps used to obtain such beautiful images without using a professional DSLR camera, but a smartphone one. People have reasons to be excited since the steps to improve nighttime photography are meant to improve automation.

For instance, the Google Pixel already features an improved HDR mode by default. This helps users take multiple pictures of the same scene, combining them into a single frame which is sharper and clearer. Basically, Kainz’s technique is only increasing the number of exposures.

Image courtesy of: static pexels

This year, the most important and expensive flagships which are to be launched are Google Pixel 2 and Samsung Galaxy S 8. Most likely, any smartphone user is curious to find out why these two devices are so unique, looking at their features. Both gadgets are thought to be the best ones which their makers could ever develop. Samsung is looking forward to erasing the Galaxy Note 7 incident from users’ minds by launching a revolutionary device.

Both smartphones are expected to surpass the performance of their developers former devices

When it comes to Google, the company is expected to continue with its Pixel line. If we were to compare the designs of these two smartphones, they are very different. For example, Samsung Galaxy S8 is known to preserve the headphone jack. Nevertheless, Google Pixel 2 decided to get rid of this feature, following Apple’s steps. Some may say that Google might manage this change better than Apple did.

Samsung Galaxy S8, as well as the Google Pixel 2, are expected to be dustproof and waterproof. When it comes to the hardware, Samsung’s device is bound to be powered by the new Exynos 8895 processor, featuring the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset. Google Pixel 2 is expected to be equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 too. Both these processors are praised for their excellent performance.

Google Pixel 2 and Galaxy S8 are rumored to feature the same processor

Nevertheless, rumor has it that Google is interested in Intel chipsets. Both new smartphones are expected to extend their random-access memory. As far as the imaging is concerned, Samsung Galaxy S8 is said to have a fantastic camera which will offer users the opportunity to capture videos at 1,000 frames per second.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus is known to be equipped with a dual camera setup. Nevertheless, the standard model is bound to be outfitted with a second front camera which will be used for iris recognition purposes. Unfortunately, there are no sufficient data regarding the imaging of Google Pixel 2. All we know from developers is that Google’s new smartphone will receive an upgrade for this feature.

The company already has numerous fans who loved the 12.3-megapixel camera of the first generation. Customers are likely to be pleased with such a well-equipped camera this time, too. Google did not indicate a precise release date, while the launch of the new Samsung Galaxy S8 is set for March 29. Now that you know more about the two new smartphones, you will be ready to decide which one is worth it.

Image courtesy of: flickr

For now, the new LG G6 is available for pre-orders on Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T. Starting with March 22, the device will also be available on T-Mobile. T-Mobile is bound to sell the new smartphone for $26 per month for the next two years and an additional down payment of $26. The total amount will reach to $650. Users who will buy the LG device before April 30 will receive a free Google Home speaker. Usually, this costs $129, but they will get it for free.

The LG G6 is already available for pre-orders on Verizon, Sprint and AT&T

On April 7, the new LG G6 will be available on T-Mobile in silver and black. However, besides T-Mobile, other retailers had already opened the pre-orders for the LG smartphone. Each retailer has different offers for the new LG gadget to earn more customers in the US. For instance, Verizon pre-orders started on March 17.

Customers need to choose between two options. The first one consists in paying $28 per month for two years without any down payment. The second one is paying the total of $672. On the other hand, AT&T has other offers. They opened the LG G6 pre-orders on March 17. The first option for customers is to pay $24 every month for thirty months without a down payment. The other option is to pay the full price of $719.99. AT&T Mobile will also offer a free Google Home speaker.

The device will also be available on T-Mobile

Sprint opened the pre-orders of LG new smartphone on March 17, the device being available in black and ice platinum. The offer includes a $29.50 monthly fee for two years. The company also added the deal with the LG HDTV free. Nevertheless, US Cellular is bound to offer plans with three-no-cash-down payment. The customer can choose between three different offers: the first one includes a monthly fee of $19.92 for 30 months, the second one consists in a $24.90 every month for two years and the last one $29.88 for twenty months.

Besides all these, the customer is also free to purchase the smartphone for its total price of $549.99. On April 7, the new LG G6 will also be available in Canada on Videotron. The phone will cost$199.95 only on a two-year contract. The monthly plans start at $79.95. If you want to pre-order the device, you only have to choose the most convenient plan and purchase it.

Image source: wikipedia

During the last seven days, a lot happened in the Android world where Samsung Galaxy S8 was delayed, and Nokia 8 flagship was leaked. Moreover, we also found out that Google’s Pixel 2 is going to be pricey. Samsung had already announced the release date for the biggest Android handset Galaxy 8. However, the Galaxy 8 was delayed again.

At the beginning of this week, it was confirmed that the new smartphone would be launched on April 21 after customers will be able to pre-order the device starting on April 10th. Nevertheless, the handset appears to be postponed one more week after the release date was already changed once. Developers did not provide a particular reason for this delay, though Samsung is believed to be extremely cautious with this launch due to the rushed Galaxy Note 7 launch from last year that ended with a boom.

Some analysts think that this delay appeared because of the innovative updates which are to be implemented to Galaxy S8 and Galaxy 8 Plus which are bound to be the most significant changes in the Galaxy range. Nevertheless, specialists argue that this delay will not affect the public launching data. Some leaked images of the Galaxy S8 indicate the existence of a new home button.

The last video leak which appeared offers users a clear look at the new Galaxy S8 and Galaxy 8 Plus. The focus of the video is on the externals of the new device. The top of the smartphone is equipped with a secondary microphone and also the SIM card tray. The base of the device is outfitted with a USB-C port for connectivity and charging and a 3.5 mm headphone jack to benefit from an audio connection.

During the last few days, there were also revealed more data about Nokia 8 flagship. We found out that HMD Global unveiled a series of new Nokia branded device during the MWC show, including the launch of Nokia 6. It was rumored that this summer Nokia might release the new Nokia 8. The new Nokia smartphone is said to be outfitted with a Qualcomm’s 10nm Snapdragon 835 processor, a 23 MP camera and a full-metal chassis.

The camera will sport the Carl Zeiss technology which was present in Nokia Lumia 920. Maybe the new high-end flagship model will challenge the likes of iPhone 7, Galaxy S8 and Huawei P10.

Image source: wikipedia