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OPPO R9s, R9s Plus with 16MP rear and front cameras break cover in China

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Two new OPPO smartphones broke cover recently at a press event in China. The OPPO R9s and R9s Plus look particularly iPhone-ish, except the antenna lines on the metal-clad back of these devices are barely visible and their home button evokes Samsung’s aesthetics.

Oh, and they each have 16-megapixel rear- and front-facing cameras, which not only makes it infinitely easier for us to remember their camera specs, but also makes the phones an alluring pick for the selfie-loving generation. We were impressed with the 16-megapixel selfie cam on the F1 Plus, the R9s’ predecessor, and it would make sense to think OPPO has something similar, if not better, on offer here.

[irp posts=”2006″ name=”OPPO F1 Plus Hands-On Review”]

The rear-facing camera system, objectively speaking, is an even more impressive specimen, featuring a Sony sensor that no other device has yet and an f/1.7 aperture for superior performance in low light and to achieve a better depth of field, which some photographers refer to as “bokeh.” It can also shoot super-crisp 4K video at the standard 30 frames per second, though only the R9s Plus has an optically stabilized camera to compensate for shaky hands and movement.

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The R9s will come in shades of gold, rose gold, and black

The R9s comes with a 5.5-inch, 1080p screen with curved-but-not-too-curved Gorilla Glass 5; a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 system-on-a-chip, alongside 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage; a fingerprint scanner on the home button; and a 3,010mAh battery that charges to 75 percent in 30 minutes.

The R9s Plus has a larger footprint, opting for a 6-inch display at full resolution and minimal bezels on the sides to keep the size of the phablet in check. Rounding off the specs, the Plus model makes use of a Snapdragon 653 chip, an incremental upgrade over the Snapdragon 652 inside many of today’s top midrange phones; 6GB of RAM; 64GB of storage; and a 4,000mAh battery.

[irp posts=”3906″ name=”The OPPO F1s is an affordable ‘selfie expert'”]

Both devices ship with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, making them the company’s first Marshmallow devices, although that isn’t meant to be a compliment. OPPO has been notoriously slow to adopt the latest Android software, with their existing phones still running Android Lollipop and below.

The OPPO R9s and R9s Plus will retail for 2,799 yuan ($415) and 3,499 yuan ($520) in their native China. They will go on sale starting October 28. The three available color options include gold, rose gold, and black. No word yet on pricing or an intended release outside China, but dollars to donuts, international markets will see the R9s under a different name before the year ends.

At least we hope so. These phones sound promising, and we’d hate to see them get a limited release.

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Source: GSMArena

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Apple is reportedly considering a clamshell iPhone

They will likely wait if the first foldable will be popular.

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Apple’s current foldable strategy is just one guy going “wouldn’t it be nice if we had a foldable phone” and everyone else nodding along. For years, Apple has constantly teased the development of its own entry into the market but failing to produce anything other than rumors. Now, while we’re still missing the mythical foldable, the company is reportedly considering a second foldable already: a clamshell iPhone.

Currently, all the previous rumors pointed to a traditional book-style foldable phone from Apple. The forecast says that the device might finally launch this year, but they do say that every year. In the meantime, according to Bloomberg, a clamshell version is already “under consideration.”

It hardly needs reminding that “under consideration” doesn’t mean anything other than “it might happen.” In contrast, the traditional foldable is probably in a “we’re just making sure everything is perfect” phase.

According to Bloomberg, Apple is likely evaluating whether there is enough demand for the first foldable. If, as the company predicts, it takes off, the company will want to capitalize on the hype immediately.

There’s a lot of expectations riding on Apple’s mythical foldable. Sometimes, it even feels like the unreleased phone has reached a point where it can’t possibly meet everyone’s standards. But, at the very least, we hope it does launch this year.

SEE ALSO: An analyst has revealed the iPhone Fold’s price, and it’s insane

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Samsung is teasing smart glasses again

The brand is experimenting with more form factors.

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What comes next after the smartphone? For years, brands hunted for an answer. Apple, for example, placed its bet on the Vision Pro, a wager that hasn’t paid off yet. Samsung, on the other hand, is betting on a different horse: augmented reality.

In a new earnings call (via Seeking Alpha), Samsung’s Seong H. Cho, the brand’s head for mobile marketing, confirmed that they will experiment more with “diverse form factors such as next-generation AR glasses.”

Samsung has been teasing a pair of glasses for a while now. However, with an impressive lineup already in the works (including the brand’s first trifold smartphone), it’s understandable that hype for the teased glasses took a bit of a backseat.

But, with an official word now about the wearable, the game is once again on to create an impressive pair of smart glasses.

The only question here is the “next-generation” part. Since Samsung doesn’t really have a pair out in the market right now, it’s a bit difficult to determine what the next generation might mean.

Of course, it could simply be a marketing term that implies smart glasses are the next generation of technology. If it pertains to what’s already out in the market, it could mean a pair that comes with a camera or even a display. Of note, most smart glasses today (or, at least, those accessible to most users) use only audio for its smart functionalities.

SEE ALSO: Samsung teases anti-shoulder surfing privacy feature

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Nothing will not release a Phone (4) this year

But the Phone (4a) is still scheduled.

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Nothing Phone 3

Last year, Nothing offered a worthy alternative to the usual flagship brands. Though the Phone (3) edged closer and closer to flagship-level prices, the smartphone is still a decent performer through and through. This year, however, a Phone (4) is not in the works.

Through a new YouTube video, Nothing’s Carl Pei has confirmed that the brand will not release a Phone (4) this year. The Phone (3) will still be the brand’s flagship option throughout 2026.

Pei did not reveal any explicit reason why they couldn’t make a new flagship this year. However, he does say that he wants every upgrade to be meaningful.

Despite the lack of a flagship, Nothing’s work will continue through the (a) series. The brand will release the new Phone (4a), for which Pei is promising a revolution. He says that there will be significant upgrades which will push the series closer to a flagship-like experience. It will also have new designs.

Unfortunately, the new phone might not come cheap. Along with the phone’s announcement, Pei confirmed that prices might increase this year, as a response to spiking RAM prices. It’s unclear how much it’s changing, though.

At the very least, the (a) series is usually priced competitively. However, if the increases affect the entire lineup, the flagship’s prices might go up to even more concerning levels.

SEE ALSO: Nothing will no longer lock screen ads on the Phone (3a) series

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