Show menu Home › News › Xiaomi teaser shows curved, ceramic body for the Xiaomi Mi 5s and Mi 5s Plus? Xiaomi teaser shows curved, ceramic body for the Xiaomi Mi 5s and Mi 5s Plus?

Mi 5s or no Mi 5s, that is the question. If Shakespeare were alive today, he might have written that line in a new play after observing everything that has been going on over the last few weeks. We have seen benchmark tests revealing high-end specs, and a teaser promoting an extremely high AnTuTu score for a phone named the Xiaomi Mi 5s. The 164,000+ scored by the device makes it unlikely that the new Xiaomi phone certified by TENAA that we showed you this morning, is the heavily anticipated model. We also have to keep in mind that a message board response allegedly from the company suggests that there is no Mi 5s, and that the phone(s) might have another name, like the Mi Note S.

A new teaser released by Xiaomi late yesterday, reveals that like its flagship Xiaomi Mi 5, the Mi 5s (or whatever it will be named) has a ceramic body. The teaser also hints that the new handset will feature a tapered back, another trait of the Mi 5.

Just the other day, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun released camera samples from the Mi 5s. As with everything else about this device, there are conflicting reports about what to expect from the rear camera on this model. We've pointed out that many expect a 16MP shooter sporting a 4-axis OIS, PDAF laser focusing and an aperture of f/1.8. Others have stated that there is a dual camera setup on the back of this unit. Considering that there could be two versions of this device (the Mi 5s and Mi 5s Plus), perhaps both are right. Knowing the manufacturer's history of following a certain Cupertino based tech firm, this would be very Apple-esque.

Just as night follows day, you can expect more leaks ahead. Some might be real, others will be much ado about nothing.

source: TechUpdate3

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Another Samsung Galaxy S7 edge catches on fire, this time in the Philippines

While the defective battery issue that turned the heralded Samsung Galaxy Note 7 into a torch appears to be a thing of the past, the manufacturer might have a new fire to put out. A  gent in the Philippines named Weng Briones turned to social media to post pictures of a burnt out phone that was once his Samsung Galaxy S7 edge.

While he didn't give any details on the incident, Briones says that he returned his now crispy handset back to the Samsung Mobile Store inside the Supermall in Taytay. Apparently, the staff there was able to refund him the price of the phone. In his post, Weng praised the staff at the store "for their immediate action regarding my issue."

Earlier this month, we told you that Samsung has been sued in New Jersey by a man who ended up with second and third degree burns when his Galaxy S7 edge exploded in his shirt pocket. The victim, Daniel Ramirez, had to undergo painful skin grafts on one of his legs. As a result of the incident, Ramirez's suit claims that he has suffered "permanent and life-altering injuries." Before that suit was filed, a consumer reported that his Galaxy S7 edge caught on fire while charging overnight.

"We went to Samsung store at SM City Taytay and they have refunded my money in full. Kudos to all the staff of Samsung SM Taytay for their immediate action regarding my issue. In spite of the unfortunate incident, I am however, impressed by their aftersales-support. Much respect to Samsung. Keep safe everyone."-Weng Briones

As we told you earlier today, smartphone buyers have apparently lost confidence in Samsung after the Galaxy Note 7 incident. The sad thing about this story is that at the time the Galaxy Note 7 was launched, it appeared that the phablet was going to be an exclamation mark on a kick-ass year for the manufacturer. With talk that the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco will cost it up to $1.5 billion, Samsung is also facing the possibility that future handsets will be shunned by consumers. Judging by his comments however, Briones might not be so quick to leave Samsung's camp.

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iPhone 7 owners apparently break their devices trying to drill a new headphone jack

Of the many new features Apple has packed into the iPhone 7 duo, the main talking point seems to be the removal of the headphone jack. As is tradition following an iPhone launch, there have been a number of trolling efforts related to Cupertino's latest and greatest. One clip in particular shows users how they can get still enjoy a 3.5mm port using that most famous of DIY instruments -- a drill. Where most seem to have gleaned that the TechRax clip is made for amusement, some iPhone owners have seemingly heeded the advice.

Of the many new features Apple has packed into the iPhone 7 duo, the main talking point seems to be the removal of the headphone jack. As is tradition following an iPhone launch, there have been a number of trolling efforts related to Cupertino's latest and greatest. One clip in particular shows users how they can get still enjoy a 3.5mm port using that most famous of DIY instruments -- a drill. Where most seem to have gleaned that the TechRax clip is made for amusement, some iPhone owners have seemingly heeded the advice.

We hope that these people are joking, and that nobody has seriously drilled a hole in their device in the hope of retrieving the old 3.5mm headphone port. 

Apple's decision to remove this omni-present feature was always going to be met with resistance. If you want the perks of the iPhone 7 but don't want to lose the port, there are other ways for you to achieve your goals besides these very drastic measures. 

Though we trust that our wonderful readers won't have gone to such extremes, it pays to be mindful that following any at-home gadget repair / mod tutorials -- from the serious to the plain silly such as this -- will almost always void your warranty. 

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Samsung Galaxy A9 (2017) rumored to be on the way

Out of China comes word that the Samsung Galaxy A9 (2017) is on the way. With an alleged model number of SM-A9200, the handset would be the sequel to the Samsung Galaxy A9 (2016). The latter is equipped with a 6-inch Super AMOLED screen and is powered by a Snapdragon 652 SoC carrying an octa-core 1.8GHz CPU and the Adreno 510 GPU. 3GB of RAM is inside along with 32GB of expandable native storage. A 128GB capacity microSD slot is available to those seeking additional storage.

The 13MP rear-facing camera comes with OIS and there is a front-facing 8MP shooter for selfies and video chats. A massive 4000mAh battery keeps the lights on, and Android 6.0 is pre-installed.

That is the current model, which was released on New Year's Day 2016. What will be updated for the next generation unit? We could see a new chipset, perhaps 4GB of RAM, and maybe a slightly higher capacity cell. Perhaps the 12MP/5MP camera combo seen on Sammy's current high end phones will be added. Eventually, we should come across some benchmark tests that will give us some idea of what to expect for the Samsung Galaxy A9 (2017). If this information is legit, at least we can expect a follow up to Samsung's top-of-the line A-series phone.

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