Apple loses Case against Beijing company for “iPhone” Trademark Dispute

A few years back, Apple had settled the iPad trademark dispute in China by paying more $60 million. Along with the iPad, there were also many cases against the iPhone trademark since many Chinese companies have registered for the iPhone trademark. While there is also an iPhone trademark dispute in Brazil, the company called as Gradiente Eletronica had won the case. In 2012, the company also launched the Android powered Gradiente iPhone. However, Apple had applied in the higher court and where it had ordered South America to share the trademark with Apple in Brazil.

Apple had settled most of the trademarks case all over world but not in China. In 2010, Apple has settled the iPhone trademark dispute with Hanwang Technology maker of e-book readers. While there is one more case against the Apple from the maker of leather products. Last month, A top court in Beijing had rejected the final appeal from Apple over the iPhone trademark which was ruled in favor of Chinese company. As of now, there are no clear instructions on the court’s order; we guess Apple had no chances left to fight in court.

Now Apple needs to settle the matter directly with the Chinese company. The about page of the IPHONE website also hints that the company is willing to the share the trademark with Apple. Earlier this month, Vyooh, an Indian software maker had filed a case against Apple over the use of “SplitView” term. The court had Apple not use the SplitView in any of its products in India. Apple had the launched the multitasking feature called SplitView with the latest iPad Pro where you simultaneously use two apps. Apple had appealed against the decision and is waiting for the result.

We have contacted Apple over the issue and still waiting for the reply.

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How To Uninstall Dynamic Notifications App on Samsung Galaxy S7 or any Phone

Yesterday, we posted an article on how you could have an active notification feature (Like Motorola handsets) on your lock screen on your Samsung Galaxy S7 & S7 Edge handsets. If you’re one of those users who have tried out this feature and didn’t like the experience, I’m sure you have been searching a way to uninstall this app, since it is not easily letting you install, right! Well, that’s why we are writing this article as a follow up for users who don’t want this service.

Follow the below instructions to uninstall the Dynamic Notifications application on your Galaxy S7 & S7 Edge smartphones. Though you can follow these steps for basically any Android 6.0 Marshmallow enabled handsets, but with a variation of settings options with TouchWiz UI. So, options may vary for other smartphones if you’re trying on them. But in general sense they should work for any Android smartphone with Marshmallow based OS.

1. Go to Play Store page for Dynamic Notifications application. If you see deactivate option instead of Uninstall option, then continue. Otherwise, you can install the app from that page only.
2. Head over to the Settings application on your handset.
3. Tap on Lock screen & security option, then scroll down and head over to Other security options.
4. In the newly opened list, find Device administrators option and tap on it.
5. You should see a list of application that has administrative access to the system. Disable the toggle button in front of Dynamic Notifications.
6. Now you can uninstall the app from Google Play Store or either app drawer.

Next time if ever you come across situations like this with any apps, then now you know how to deactivate and uninstall them. Hope, you were able to follow these steps easily and uninstall the Dynamic Notifications app on your handset.

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LeEco Le 2 Vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Smartphone Comparison

The smartphone industry is ever changing; there is always a better handset in the market that you look forward to buying when it’s launched. While some people likes to replace their handsets within just couple months, we believe there are consumers who like to stay ahead and get the latest handset in the market by doing extensive research so that they don’t have to change the handset frequently. Talking about the Chinese brands taking over the market in India, they always tend to announce their handsets in their home country first, which is fair. And proves quite advantageous to consumers in India, in a sense.

Advantageous how? Well, before even seeing the launch in India, the smartphones consumers looking forward to buying that handset can read the first impressions of that device. In this case, we are comparing the latest handset, which is yet to be launched in India with a handset that is launched in the country. The handsets in question are LeEco Le 2 and Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 while the first one is going to be launched on May 3rd; the later has been in the market since a couple of weeks. Below is the comparison based on the usage of both the devices.

Design

These days when we search for our next smartphone, we give a significant important to the design of the handset. People nowadays just don’t want a flat box with smart features; they prefer a phone with elegant and attractive design, which will appeal in such a way that they can flaunt it in public. The Le 2 from LeEco is one such handset, the edges and curves will make you fall in love with the handset, in comparison to the Redmi Note 3, it is quite sturdy and offers better build quality. While Xiaomi handset in question here also has a metal body, but it is not what one will call a solid metal body. Moreover, the Le 2 smartphone is quite slimmer at 7.5mm when compared with 8.65mm thickness of Redmi Note 3. All thanks to no audio jack on LeEco handset, which may arise issues for some users, but then again, innovation has its cost to pay; compromise practicality.

Display

Both the handsets offer 1080p display, as well as have same real estate at 5.5-inch, but there are quite the differences between the technologies used on these screens. The Le 2 comes equipped with blue eye filtering technology, which claims to reduce visual fatigue effectively. It is known for a fact that blue ray coming from the display is the key reasons for eye fatigue. Since we use our handsets for quite a lot times, it should help reduce that eye strain. We haven’t fully tested the display on Le 2, but our first impression is quite good, we handheld the device for quite a time. In comparison to Redmi Note 3, it also has some unique technologies such a sunlight display, which offers better brightness management according to the lighting conditions. Now judging the best display between these two is quite tough, but I’ll go with Redmi Note 3 here for the time being, as I had a great viewing experience on its display.

Hardware

In terms of hardware powering both the handsets, they have different makers and a thus different set of cores. But one thing can be said that Helios X20 on the Le 2 is a quite powerful chipset in comparison to the Snapdragon 650. There is no doubt that Qualcomm processor used on Redmi Note 3 is one of the best mid-range performers, but with the introduction of a flagship chipset on a mid-range priced handset makes LeEco smartphone more appealing. You’ll see a standard 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage on Le 2, whereas Redmi Note 3 offers two variants 2GB/3GB and 16GB/32GB internal storage options. Though, only the time will tell if the performance of the device beats Xiaomi’s performance records or not. Let’s wait for the detailed review of the device until then enjoy the rest of the article.

Full Specifications Comparison: LeEco Le 2 Vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 3

Software

This has certainly been improved on the Le 2 from Le 1s, while the predecessor sported EUI based on Android Lollipop 5.0; the successor comes with Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box. Isn’t that something! The EUI version that you’ll see on this handset is the 5.8, which is quite an upgrade from 5.5 on the Le 1s. You can look forward to a lot of new features if you’re having a hard time choosing to upgrade from Le 1s, or either choosing between them. That comparison for some other time. Right now we have Redmi Note 3 to compare. Though, coming June, the brand has promised to upgrade all their handset up to EUI 5.8. Talking about software comparison, the Xiaomi handset comes with MIUI, which is their own version of Android skin such as the LeEco has EUI. But it is based on the Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, which an older version. Comparing the visual appeal and experience, we thought, EUI presents them better, as the OS on Le 2 felt clean, elegant and swift to use. Multitasking is especially quite fun, as you get a lot of options in the recent menu.

Camera

Now this could be an area where we would see a tie up. The predecessor, Le 1s lacked a good camera package, but this time, it has been improved, you’ll see a 16-megapixel resolution module on the rear, which is accompanied by a Color temperature flash. The company uses a closed look motor and PDAF (Phase Detection Autofocus) Technology in their rear module, which claims a focusing time of 0.09 seconds. With 5P lens setup and an aperture of f/2.0, it should offer a quality on par with other 16MP modules. We will understand it better when we will take it for a spin sometime in near future. Compared with Xiaomi handset, it also comes with a 16MP module on the rear with PDAF Technology and same aperture of f/2.0. Though, there is a huge difference between the selfie modules used on both of these handsets. Le 2 comes with an 8MP resolution module that has a pixel size of 1.4 μm, which ensures that a large amount of light can pass through the sensor, resulting in detailed captures even I dark. We tried the selfie module and pretty much felt it was better than 5MP module on the Redmi Note 3.

Battery

There is again a huge difference between the battery capacities on these handsets, where LeEco offers 3000mAh capacity battery, which is relatively quite lower when compared with 4050mAh capacity battery on the Redmi Note 3. We had a great battery life experience on the Xiaomi handset and can easily state it offers best battery capacity in this segment. Since we are yet to test the Le 2 battery life, we wouldn’t be commenting on it. But if the Le 1s battery life is any indication, it would be just as good. Though, there is the difference that we would like to note, Le 2 comes with USB Type and fast charging support, which Redmi Note 3 comes with a microUSB 2.0 port, which also supports fast charging.

Recommended Read: Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Review

Verdict

On the basis of above analysis, we can easily state some things, like the design of the Le 2, as well as build quality is much better than what Redmi Note 3 offers. Moreover, I would argue that EUI is quite intuitive when compared with MIUI; also, former is based on Android Marshmallow OS, while later is based on Android Lollipop OS. It can be said that camera modules on these two handsets are equally capable. All that matters now the price point, while the higher variant of Xiaomi is available for Rs 11,999 in India, we expect Le 2 to be priced similarly, as it is retailing in China for 1099 Yuan, which is approximately Rs 11,300. Only the time will tell. Stay tuned in to read the detailed review on our website.

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Ubox App Automatically Sorts your SMS Inbox, Swiping Spam Away

People these days are so busy that they always need alternate options that can manage their things. Earlier Gmail has sorted its mail section in different columns where you can easily differentiate mails in your account, thus reducing the confusion. In a similar Ubox, a startup from Delhi has designed some similar application which sorts your normal SMS on your device into different columns and helps in easy control over all the messages.

The application is designed on the concept based on Gmail where the mails in your Google account are stored in different columns like Primary, Social, Promotion, Updates, and Forums. The design of the application is simple and understandable to all the users and the data on your device remains confidential. The application splits all the messages on your smartphone in the different columns like Banks ( Store all the SMS related to Banks), Bills (Details about all the utility Bills), Bookings(Details of your travel, hotel, Match or a Movie), Chats(Stores your personal chat with your contacts) Promo( It stored the general offers provided by the network operators or any of the online stores) and Updates (Priority Messages). The app makes it easier to manage SMS conversations with your Banks, DTH, Operator and other applications in this world of over-promotion.

How does the application Work?

Step 1: You need to download the application from Google Play Store.

Step 2: Open the application from AppDrawer and click on “Lets Do this” on the home screen of the app.

Note: The Applications will access all the SMS and contacts available on your device to sort the data using some key phrases, and the data is secured on your device.

Step 3: While the data has been sorted you can go through the guide which will help you in better understanding the application. Once the sorting is done Continue button appears on the screen. Click on Continue to proceed further. You will be directed to the application’s main page.

The home screen comes with a menu button on the left and search option on the right and plus button to send a new SMS directly from the Ubox App. If you tap on the menu button, you will find the sorted options, i.e., Banking, Bills, Bookings, Chats, Promo, Updates, and Bookmarks.

Banking:

This option shows all the bank transactions under a single column where all the banks are differentiated and comes with respective operations in order. The best thing about the bank transaction is it directly shows the amount details like debited or credited directly instead of complete transaction details and comes with a help icon which shows the full details.

If you open any message using this application you will find three options, i.e., follow, block and bookmark. The follow option is used to notify about the connecting message; block option is used to mute the further notifications and bookmark option acts a reminder for your important messages.

Pros

• Auto Sorting
• Normal SMS Page
• Follow the important message
• Mute the unwanted Message notification
• Easy interaction

Cons

• You cannot sort the data manually.

For example, sometimes you get OTP messages which are not system generated and hence create a mess as because this message will end by joining the chat zone which is the private chat area with contacts on your device.

I wish that applications would have been more interesting for me if it could create a backup of all the messages and helps in easy switching from one device to other. Overall Ubox is a refreshing new SMS inbox which helps users break through their SMS inbox clutter and gives them back control over their inbox.

Note: I have tested the application of few devices i.e, Samsung Galaxy S7, Le Eco LeMax, Motorola Moto X Style, LG Nexus 5X and the screenshots are taken from LeMax.

WP-Appbox: Ubox - Smart SMS Inbox (Free, Google Play) →

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LG K10 LTE Tips, Tricks, FAQs & Useful Options

LG has recently launched two new smartphones, i.e., the K7 LTE and K10 LTE priced at Rs 9500 and Rs 13500 respectively. The LG K10 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 SoC Quad-Core processor clocked at 1.2 GHz. The device has a 5.3-inch IPS display with 277 PPI and 1280 x 720 pixels as its resolution. It packs a 13 MP rear camera with LED flash and 5 MP front camera. The device is powered by a 2300 mAh Li-Poly battery and runs on Android Lollipop 5.1. If you are willing to purchase this smartphone then here are tips & tricks of the same that can help you in exploring your device with ease. You can also check the review of the device which we have covered earlier on PhoneRadar.

You can also check the tips of other LG Smartphones which we have covered earlier on PhoneRadar

LG K7 LTE
LG G4
LG Nexus 5X
LG G4 Stylus

• How to insert the SIM card on your device?
• What is the type of SIM supported on this device?
• How to share your Data network via Tethering on the device?
• How to take a Screenshot on my LG K10 LTE?
• How to check for the Android Updates on the device?
• How to Install external apps with apk files on the device?
• How to customize the Quick Settings in the Notification Panel?
• How to use the Power saving modes on the LG K10 LTE?
• What are the sensors available on the phone?
• Are there LED notification lights on the device?
• How to use the Screen pinning feature on the LG K10 LTE?
• What are the Pre-installed Apps on the device?
• Can I Move apps from phone storage to SD card on this device?
• What are the bloatware applications on the device?
• Can I remove the bloatware apps from the device?
• How much is the internal storage on the LG K10 LTE?
• Does the device support OTG?
• How much free RAM is available on the device if no apps are running?
• What is the SAR value of the device?
• What are the benchmarking scores on the device?
• Will the LG K10 LTE get Android Marshmallow 6.0 Update?
• What are the shortcut options on your device?
• What is Quick Cover View and how to use that on your device?

How to insert the SIM card on your device?

To insert a SIM card on your device, remove the back panel and place the SIM card on to their respective ports as per the marked directions and power on your device. You have successfully inserted SIM card on your device, and it will be ready for use in some time.

What is the type of SIM supported on this device?

LG K10 LTE is a dual SIM smartphone supporting dual Standby. The SIM card supported by the device is Nano SIM card.

How to share your Data network via Tethering on the device?

Sharing of the data network on any device is done using the tethering mode on your device. To share the data network on your device, open the Settings and tap on Tethering in the connectivity section. In the new window, tap on Wi-Fi hotspot and toggle the off button to enable that on your device. You can use your network by setting a password for your device by tapping on Set up Wi-Fi hotspot.

How to take a Screenshot on my LG K10 LTE?

There are two ways in which you can capture a screenshot on your device.

Method 1: This method is the general method of capturing a screenshot where you need to press the power button along with the volume down button to capture the screenshot on your device.

Method 2: In the you need to open the notification panel and tap on Capture option and click on image option and select the region that you want to capture and click on the tick button. The image is saved to the gallery on your device.

How to check for the Android Updates on the device?

Android Updates help in fixing the bugs on your device and thus help in improving the performance of your smartphone. To check for Android Updates on your device, open the Settings and tap on About Phone. In the new window, head over to the common section and tap on Update Center and click on Software Update. Further, tap on check now for Update; the device checks for updates and if there is no new update on your device then a message stating ” You are using the latest software version for current OS” is displayed on the screen.

How to Install external apps with apk files on the device?

External apk files can be installed by enabling the Unknown Sources option on your device. To use this on your device, open the Settings and tap on security in the Privacy section. In the new window head over to Phone Administration and tap on Uknown Sources and click on the OK button in the pop-up to enable that on your device.

How to customize the Quick Settings in the Notification Panel?

To customize the quick settings in the notification panel, you need to open the notification panel and head over to the end of the layer and click on edit button. In the new window, you need to tap on the check box adjacent to the options that you want to appear on notification panel and also drag the options among themselves to arrange them on your device.

How to use the Power saving modes on the LG K10 LTE?

The power saving mode is used to enhance the battery life your device during the low battery conditions. To use this on your device, open the Settings and tap on Battery & Power Saving. In the new window, tap on power saver and toggle the off button to enable the power saver on your device.

What are the sensors available on the phone?

Acceleration, Gyroscope Uncalibrated, Light Sensor, Magnetic Field, Orientation, Proximity and Rotation vector are the sensors available on the device and helps in automation the device.

Are there LED notification lights on the device?

No, there are no LED notification lights available on your LG K10 smartphone.

How to use the Screen pinning feature on the LG K10 LTE?

Screen pinning feature is available on the devices with Android Lollipop on it. To use this on your device, open the settings and tap on Security. In the new window head over to the advanced settings and tap on Screen Pin. Further, toggle the off button in the window to enable that on your device. Now open the recent menu and tap on the pin button for the application that you want to pin on your home screen.

What are the Pre-installed Apps on the device?

The device comes with some basic tools, few bloatwares, and all the google related apps pre-installed on your device.

Can I Move apps from phone storage to SD card on this device?

Yes, there is an option available on your device using which you can move an app from internal to external storage on your device.

What are the bloatware applications on the device?

Remote Control, Cell broadcast, and Evernote are the bloatware apps available on the device and helps in automating the device.

Can I remove the bloatware apps from the device?

Yes, you can remove the bloatware apps by uninstalling them from your smartphone.

How much is the internal storage on the LG K10 LTE?

The device comes with 16 GB as its internal storage, and around 10.28 GB of free space is available for the end user, and pre-installed apps and OS occupy rest of the space.

How much free RAM is available on the device if no apps are running?

The device comes with 2 GB RAM where 306 MB of RAM is used by System, 197 MB of RAM is used by pre-installed apps and 1.4 GB of free RAM is available when no apps are running on the device.

Does the device support OTG?

No, the device doesn’t support OTG drive on your device.

What is the SAR Value of the device?

The radio wave exposure guidelines employ a unit of measurement known as Specific Absorption Rate(SAR). The SAR limit recommended by the international commission on non-ionizing radiation protection is 2 W/Kg averaged over 10g tissue. The head SAR value of the device is 0.754 W/Kg and the body SAR value of the device is 0.500 W/Kg.

What are the benchmarking scores on the device?

After testing the device with various benchmarking tools available on Google Play Store here are their respective scores.

Antutu benchmark score: 28138
Vellamo Multicore score: 1248
Vellamo Metal score: 907
Chrome Browser Score: 2072
Geekbench Single-core score: 483
Geekbench Multi-core score: 1457
Quadrant Standard score: 14239

Will the LG K10 LTE get Android Marshmallow 6.0 Update?

The device comes with Android Lollipop 5.1 there is no information of the device getting the Android M update.

What are the shortcut options on your device?

The volume keys on your device can be used to open few applications on your device. To use this on your device, open the Settings and tap on Shortcut keys in the general column. In the new window, toggle the off button to enable that on your device. These are the screen off gestures where you need to press the volume button twice to launch the app on your device. Volume Up button is to launch the Quick Memo App and the volume down button are used to launch the Camera application on your device.

What is Quick Cover View and how to use that on your device?

The smartphone comes with, an additional flip cover out of the box and must be attached to the device incase you want to use the quick cover view. This option shows the Time, Date, Battery percentage, Call Notification and weather notifications on the transparent edge of the panel. You can tap or swipe on the transparent part of the cover to answer calls or stop alarm on your device.

These are the general questions that any user search for when they purchase a new device. If you still have any query related to the device then pass your message on PhoneRadar Forums, or you can tweet us @PhoneRadarBlog.

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Micromax Fools their Customers by Remotely Installing Apps & Advertisements

It is not new that smartphone brands have been accused of adding too much bloatware on their handsets, which not only adds unnecessary apps on the customer’s device but also makes their handsets quite slow. Micromax, an Indian smartphone brand has been accused of such behavior in the past, but this time, the company has crossed all the levels and is now seen actively spamming its users with advertisements on their devices.

The brand that is quite popular among rural areas in the country, where people are not that much educated in terms of technical terminologies, is fooling them by installing an app for “Software Update”. But unfortunately, it is being used to send pop-up advertisements of apps like FreeCharge, Voonik and Entertainment apps. Some Micromax handset users shared this concern with us that they are seeing these ads, not one or two times, but on a regular basis. While we have heard complaints from some Yu Televentures ( Venture of Micromax Informatics Limited) handsets users, such as Yuphoria.

We suggested one of the users Jerry with Yuphoria mobile to uninstall the app and try to remove it from the system. But after instructing that, user shared screenshots of his device where we learned that it is not a third-party application, but instead a system app. This kind of apps can only be removed once you do the rooting. You can clearly see that the app cannot be uninstalled or even disabled. He also informed us that the app in the question here was not installed on his handset, YU5010A, it should up a month after the device was purchased. That clearly tells us the brand is still remotely installing apps on their users.

We suggested one of those users to uninstall the app and try to remove it from the system. But after instructing that, user shared screenshots of his device where we learned that it is not a third-party application, but instead a system app. So, factory resetting the device didn’t helped at all. This kind of apps can only be removed once you do the rooting. You can clearly see that the app cannot be uninstalled or even disabled.

@amitbhawani @Prerit16 @geekyranjit factory reset does not help it is a system app (I had the same in my earlier micromax)

— dk (@disha24x7) April 28, 2016

It was recently only that company has changed their Logo and strategy on how to cater the needs of Indian and other markets they are present in. They are calling it a Micromax 3.0, with a tagline of “Nuts. Guts. Glory”. It is one thing to promise best user experience on handsets and another thing to actually give, at least that is what their users are claiming. Though, you can see this report where it comes in the light that company hasn’t been active in rolling out any software update as promised to its users. Then, what is the purpose of having a dedicated app for Software Update.

This is not the first time the brand has been accused of something like this. Last year the company has been accused of remotely installing apps on its user’s devices. On a Reddit thread from last year, you can see that it has been found Micromax has replaced the Google’s Android firmware OTA service and added a service called FWupgrade.apk, which was a service provided by a Chinese company called Adups Technology. It would automatically install apps with the consent from the user.

This backdoor left open on Micromax devices is clearly being used to monetize the device and gets benefits from users even after selling the device. Now it is ethically wrong and as well as raise concerns that company can also remotely monitor all the activities happening on the customers handsets. And since this app was pre-installed on the device, it will not uninstall unless you root the device. Now if you’re not familiar with rooting procedure, then it’s hard to get rid of these unnecessary advertisements popping up on your Micromax handsets.

Is this the new Micromax 3.0 going to continue this agenda, monetize its consumers without their consent? Looks-like that is how the company has been surviving all these years, as their market is decreasing in the country.

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Sony Smartphones with 4.6″ Display, 16MP Front Camera Revealed

Sony Corporation hasn’t had a fruitful start to the year 2016 as it has reported a 20% drop in the revenues as far as its smartphones sales are concerned. The primary reason behind it could be the non-availability of the Sony Xperia X series devices that were announced at the MWC 2016 event. Recently, the rumored details of the two new high-end smartphones called as Xperia M Ultra and Xperia X Premium surfaced online. As per the leaks, the Xperia M Ultra will be the device targeted at the photography lovers while the Xperia X Premium will come with the best display.

Today, two upcoming smartphones with model numbers F3311 and F3216 from Sony has been spotted on the GFXBench listing revealing most of the relevant information. The device with model number F3311 comes with low-end features while the F3216 offers upper mid-range specifications. The names of the smartphones can only be revealed if the company makes any official announcement in coming days. Both the smartphones will run on Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box.

As per the listing, the Sony F3311 will come with a 4.6-inch HD display and come powered MediaTek MT6735 quad-core processor clocked at 1.3GHz clubbed with Mali-T720 GPU. It has 1.5GB of RAM, 16GB of onboard storage and will also include an externalSD card slot for further expansion of memory. The smartphone will feature a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP front-facing camera for video chats and selfie clicks.

The Sony F3216 also flaunts a 4.6-inch display but comes with a higher (1080×1920 pixels) full-HD resolution. The device fuels MediaTek Helio P10 octa-core processor clocked at 1.9GHz paired with Mali-T860 GPU and 2GB of RAM. The smartphone will be suited for the camera lovers as it will feature a 20MP rear camera with LED flash and a 16MP front shooter for selfie lovers. It has 16GB of built-in storage that can be further expanded via a microSD card option.

Apart from this, no other details about the upcoming Sony branded devices have been revealed. As of now, we cannot confirm any of the above information and advise you to wait for the official announcement that may happen in coming months. Stay tuned!

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How To Get Motorola Like Active Notification for Samsung Galaxy S7 & S7 Edge

When you are using a premium handset, you expect it to be best in terms of everything since you paid a lot of money for that handset. But the perfection is impossible when taking in consideration the needs of a mass audience. As you might have read that Samsung recently posted their sales revenue for the Q1 2016, which is all thanks to their flagship handset, Galaxy S7. It has been receiving good response from the premium consumers all over the word.

But there are certain things that we thought would have been better on the Galaxy S7 if the company had done a little more research. There is a new feature on their handset this time called Always-On Display. What it does is that it will light up as soon as you unlock the device. You’ll constantly see a time and calendar, which can be customized according to needs. There was one feature though that we thought was missing on it. It was the ability to display notifications as well. We have shown our concerns about it in our detailed review of the device as well.

It’s one thing that Always-On can’t show the notification arriving on the phone, but it’s a whole lot another thing if it isn’t helpful in understanding whether you have received a notification or not. It is kind of annoying; you would know this if you’re a user of this handset. So, we have a fix for you if you’re having same bad experience with Always-On display. Follow the below steps to make your experience much better.

1. First you have to turn OFF the Always-On display.
2. Then you need to download an application named Dynamic Notifications from Google Play Store. Download link is at the end of the article.
3. After installing the app make sure that it has access to notifications on your device.
4. The app will automatically open the take you to the Settings where you can enable that option once you tap on OK.
   Now you’re all set to receive the notifications on your lock screen.

The current version of the app that you’ve installed will allow you to make some customizations. You can change the appearances of the lock screen. You can either choose home screen background, a custom image or a color to be displayed as notification lock screen. There are some additional features on the app, which you will be able to access once you purchase it, as they are paid. For $1.99 you can get some interesting features like hiding notification details, auto-wake screen every time you take it out of pocket, night mode and more. So, this application should help you in getting minimal notifications on lock screen. Until Samsung decides to add third-party application support, we would be sticking with this app. Will you too?

WP-Appbox: DynamicNotifications (Free^*, Google Play) →

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Samsung Galaxy J5 2016, J7 2016 Models Launched & Priced in Korea

Earlier, we exclusively covered about Samsung Galaxy Note 6 smartphone that is rumored to launch with a curved display. Now, Samsung has silently launched the mid-range Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016) & J7 (2016) in its home country South Korea. Both the smartphones come with a metallic frame around its sides and comes in Black and Gold color options. The Galaxy J5 (2016) & J7 (2016) are available at respective price tags of 2,90,000 won (approx $250), and 3,63,000 won (approx $318) and will be exclusively sold via KT network.

Samsung Galaxy J5 (2016)

The smartphone packs a 5.2-inch (1280×720 pixels) HD Super AMOLED display and comes powered by 1.2GHz quad-core processor clubbed with 2GB of RAM. It supports dual sim dual standby and runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow based TouchWiz UI overlaid. It has 16GB of built-in storage and also includes a microSD card slot for further expansion of memory upto 128GB. The handset powers a 3100mAh battery that is rated to offer upto 369 hours of standby time.

On the camera department, the smartphone sports a 13MP rear camera with f/1.9 aperture, laser autofocus, LED flash and a 5MP front-facing camera for selfie lovers. It includes standard connectivity options like 4G-LTE, VoLTE, NFC, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS and microUSB 2.0 port. Its dimensions measure 145.8 x 72.3 x 8.1 mm and weighs around 159 grams.

Samsung Galaxy J7 (2016)

The J7 (2016) launched in Korea is the slightly downgraded variant of the original China version. The device comes with 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display but is limited to HD resolution when compared to the Chinese variant that features 5.5-inch full-HD screen. It comes equipped with 1.6GHz quad-core processor coupled with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage that can be further expanded to 128GB via microSD card slot. It has 1GB lesser RAM than the Chinese variant which comes with 3GB of RAM.

It has same camera sets like the Galaxy J5 (2016), a 13MP primary camera and 5MP front shooter for selfie lovers. The dual sim dual standby supported device has connectivity options like 4G-LTE, Bluetooth, VoLTE, NFC, Wi-Fi and microUSB port. It packs a slightly larger 3300mAh battery and runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box. The dimensions of the handset measure 151.7 x 76 x 7.8 mm and weighs around 170 grams.

The company is yet to reveal the official date for the launch of next-gen Galaxy J series smartphones in the Indian market. Stay tuned for more updates in coming days!

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InFocus S1 with Helio P10 SoC & 8MP Selfie Camera Spotted Online

Last month InFocus had launched the Bingo 10 smartphone with Android 6.0 Marshmallow out-of-the-box. The device is also touted as the most affordable smartphone running on Marshmallow. Now a new device named InFocus S1 is spotted on GFXbench. Like the recently launched InFocus smartphones, the S1 also runs on Marshmallow based InLife UI overlaid.

It comes powered by Helio P10 octa-core processor clocked at 1GHz along with Mali T860 GPU. The device includes 3GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. There will be a MicroSD card slot for storage expansion. In the camera department, it features a 13MP rear camera wth autofocus and LED flash. On the front is an 8MP sensor for selfies and video calls.

The device supports NFC, and we guess it will be accompanied with a fingerprint sensor for secure mobile payments. If this comes true, then the InFocus S1 will be the first smartphone from the company to offer fingerprint sensor. It comes with single SIM options and might offer 4G LTE services. Other connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and a MicroUSB port.

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LeEco lands in the Silicon Valley U.S., plans to sell Smartphones & Super TV

LeEco (LeTV) is one of the fastest growing Chinese company and has been impressive with its huge range of businesses starting from content to smart TV’s, mobile handsets, cloud computing and driverless cars. The company has recently announced its plans to manufacture smartphones in India and will also set up R&D centers and exclusive retail stores. With the impressive number of businesses and products, the U.S expansion of the company was always under its belts.

Now, LeEco has a U.S headquarter in Silicon Valley and will start bringing the LeEco products to the U.S market soon. The LeEco HQ located on North First Street in San Jose is about 800,000 square foot and is home to 250 employees at present. The number will grow to 800 by year end, and this is the right time to grab the opportunity for those who are looking for a good job.

The company said that it wants to create a massive end-to-end ecosystem with its different ideas and intends to push the ecosystem to new heights to enhance the user experience with its value for money products. LeEco challenges to compete for bigger brands like Apple, Amazon, Google, Huawei, Samsung, LG among others and with their extensive ecosystem they are sure to grab the top spots in the future.

While the U.S expansion of the popular Chinese brands like Xiaomi and Meizu is still a question, the LeEco has performed exceedingly well in the very short span of time and the U.S expansion makes things even more attractive.

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Huawei Mate 9 to Sport Kirin 960 SoC & 20MP Dual Rear Cameras

After unveiling the Mate S with pressure sensitive display, Huawei also launched the Mate 8 in November last year. The device came with flagship specifications build into an Aluminum build body. It is the first device to be powered by the in-house Kirin 950 octa-core processor. While the Mate 9 can be expected to launch in the second half of 2016, now the latest rumors reveal few specifications of the device.

Though it is too early to speak about the device, we are expecting Huawei to launch the Mate 9 in the second half of 2016. The device might sport Quad HD display as Huawei recently mentioned that Quad HD resolution is required for better VR experience. Recently Huawei unveiled the Kirin 955 octa-core processor as the enhanced variant of the Kirin 950. Now the upcoming Mate 9 is said to be powered by Kirin 960 octa-core processor.

While the Kirin 950 lacks the enough power to compete against the Snapdragon 820 & Exynos 8890 chipsets, we expect the Huawei to do better with the upcoming Kirin 960 chipset. The device also comes equipped with 20MP dual rear cameras. Recently launched Huawei P9 and P9 Plus came with 12MP dual rear camera. The upcoming Honor V8 that will be launched on May 10th in China also sports 12MP dual rear cameras.

As the Huawei P9  and P9 Plus came with Leica branding, we can expect the same to be repeated with the dual cameras on Mate 9. Other possible specifications seem to be 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. Since the device will be launched in late 2016, we guess the Mate 9 to run on Android N out-of-the-box. The fingerprint sensor can be expected on the rear of the device.

Since the above mentioned details are based on rumors, we can expect few changes in the final device. Stay tuned for more updates!

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LG K7 LTE Tips, Tricks, FAQs & Useful Options

LG has launched a new smartphone, i.e., K7 LTE priced at Rs 9,500. The device comes with 5-inch IPS display and 854 x 480 pixels as its resolution. It is a dual SIM smartphone and supports dual standby. The device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 Soc Quad-Core processor clocked at 1.1 GHz coupled with Adreno 304 GPU and runs on Android Lollipop 5.1. It packs a 8 MP rear camera with LED flash and 5 MP selfie shooter. If you are purchasing the device then here are the Tips & Tricks of the same that can help you in exploring your device with ease.

You can also check the tips of the other LG devices that we have covered earlier on PhoneRadar.

LG G4
LG Nexus 5X
LG G4 Stylus

• How to insert the SIM card on your device?
• What is the type of SIM supported on this device?
• How to share your Data network via Tethering on the device?
• How to take a Screenshot on my LG K7 LTE?
• How to check for the Android Updates on the device?
• How to Install external apps with apk files on the device?
• How to customize the Quick Settings in the Notification Panel?
• How to use the Power saving modes on the LG K7 LTE?
• What are the sensors available on the phone?
• Are there LED notification lights on the device?
• How to use the Screen pinning feature on the LG K7 LTE?
• What are the Pre-installed Apps on the device?
• Can I Move apps from phone storage to SD card on this device?
• What are the bloatware applications on the device?
• Can I remove the bloatware apps from the device?
• How much is the internal storage on the LG K7 LTE?
• Does the device support OTG?
• How much free RAM is available on the device if no apps are running?
• What is the SAR value of the device?
• What are the benchmarking scores on the device?
• Will the LG K7 LTE get Android Marshmallow 6.0 Update?
• What are Home Touch Button and how to customize them on your device?
• How to enable the Developer Mode on your device?

How to insert the SIM card on your device?

SIM card insertion on LG K7 LTE is an easy process. To insert the SIM card on your device, power off your device and remove the back panel. Now, remove the battery and insert the SIM cards on their respective ports. Further, put back the battery & back panel and boot your device. You have successfully inserted SIM card on your device, and it will be ready for use in some time.

What is the type of SIM supported on this device?

K7 is a dual SIM smartphone and supports dual standby. The SIM card supported by the device is Nano-SIM card.

How to share your Data network via Tethering on the device?

Sharing of the Data Network can be done using the Tethering Mode on your device. To share the Data network on your device, open the Settings and tap on Tethering in the Network and Connectivity column. In the new window, tap on Wi-Fi hotspot and toggle the off button to enable that on your device. You need to create a password for the hotspot before the hotspot is activated on your device.

How to take a Screenshot on my LG K7 ?

The screenshot is used to capture the data on your screen and store that in the form of the image which may be either .jpeg or .png format. You need to press the power button along with the volume down button to capture screenshot on your device. Once the screenshot is captured, it is saved to the gallery on your device, and can be quickly accessed from the notification panel for an instant use.

How to check for the Android Updates on the device?

Android Updates help in fixing the minute bugs on your device and helps in improving the overall performance of your smartphone. To check for updates on your device, open the Settings head over to the general column. Further, head over to the bottom of the screen and tap on About Phone. In the new window, on the common section, tap on Update Center and further click on Software Update. Now click on “check now for Update’, the device check for update and if there is no new update then a message stating “You are using the latest software version for current OS” is displayed on your screen.

How to Install external apps with apk files on the device?

External apps can be installed by enabling the Unknown Sources option on your device. To activate this on your device, open the Settings and head over to the general Column. In the new window, head over to the privacy section and tap on Security. Further, click on the check box adjacent to the Unknown Sources option and tap on the OK button in the pop-up to enable that on your device.

How to customize the Quick Settings in the Notification Panel?

To customize the quick settings in the notification panel, open the notification panel and tap on the edit button. Now tap on the check box for the options that you want them to appear on the screen. You have successfully customized the notification panel on your device.

How to use the Power saving modes on the LG K7 ?

Power saving mode is used to enhance the battery life of the device at low battery conditions. To use this on your device, open the Settings and head over to the general column. Now click on Battery & Power saving in the Phone Management section and tap on battery saver. In the new window, toggle the off button to enable that on your device.

What are the sensors available on the phone?

Acceleration, Magnetic Field, Orientation, Rotation vector and Proximity are the sensors available on the device and helps in automating the device.

Are there LED notification lights on the device?

No there are no LED notification lights available on the device.

How to use the Screen pinning feature on the LG K7 ?

Screen pinning feature is available on the devices with Android Lollipop on it. To use this on your device, open the Settings and tap on security. In the new window, head over to the bottom of the screen and tap on screen pinning. Further, toggle the off button to enable that on your device. Now open the recent menu and tap on pin button for the app that you want to pin on your home screen.

What are the Pre-installed Apps on the device?

The device comes with basic tools like Calculator, Calender, camera, clock, Gallery, File Manager, LG Apps and all the google related apps pre-installed on your device.

Can I Move apps from phone storage to SD card on this device?

Yes, there is an option available on the device using which you can move apps from internal storage to external Storage on your device.

What are the bloatware applications on the device?

Cell Broadcasting, Evernote, Quick Memo+ are the bloatware applications that comes pre-installed on your device.

Can I remove the bloatware apps from the device?

Yes, the bloatware applications can be removed by uninstalling them from your device. To remove an app from your device, open the app drawer and tap firmly on the app that you want to remove and darg to the uninstall option. Now click on the OK button in the pop-up to remove the app from your device.

How much is the internal storage on the LG K7 ?

The device comes with 8 GB as its internal storage, and around 3.97 GB of free space is available for the end user and rest of the space is occupied by pre-installed apps and OS.

How much free RAM is available on the device if no apps are running?

The device comes with 1.5 GB of RAM where 197 MB is used by System, 172 MB of RAM is used by pre-installed apps and around 1.0 GB of free RAM is available when no apps are running on the device.

Does the device support OTG?

No the device not support USB OTG drive on it.

What is the SAR Value of the device?

The radio wave exposure guidelines employ a unit of measurement known as Specific Absorption Rate(SAR). The SAR limit recommended by the international commission on non-ionizing radiation protection is 2 W/Kg averaged over 10g tissue. The Head SAR value of the device is 0.596 W/Kg and the body SAR value of the smartphone is 0.443 W/Kg.

What are the benchmarking scores on the device?

After testing the device with various benchmarking tools here are their respective scores.

Antutu benchmark score: 20492
Vellamo Multicore score: 1019
Vellamo Metal score: 704
Chrome Browser Score: 1585
Geekbench Single-core score: 298
Geekbench Multi-core score: 999
Quadrant Standard score: 8691

Will the LG K7 get Android Marshmallow 6.0 Update?

The device comes with Android Lollipop 5.1 Out of the box. There is no information provided by the brand about the device getting the Android Marshmallow Update.

What are Home Touch Button and how to customize them on your device?

The button combination on Home Button bar can be customized on your device. To change the Home Button options, open the Settings and head over to the display section. In the new window, tap on Home Touch buttons and click on Button combination. Now you need to drag the icons to rearrange the Home Touch Buttons on your device. At Max, you can add 5 Home Touch Buttons on your device. The additional home touch buttons include notification, Capture, and SIM card manager.

How to enable the Developer Mode on your device?

To enable the developer mode on your device, open the Settings and tap on General. In the new window, tap on About Phone option and head over to the common section. Further tap on Software info and click on build number 7-8 times continuously to enable the developer option on your device. Once the option is enabled, it will appear on the Settings window just above the About Phone option.

If you still have any query related to the device then pass your message in the comment section below, or you can tweet us @PhoneRadarBlog.

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Top 5 Features of the Meizu M3 Note Smartphone

Meizu is all set to announce its M3 Note in the country next month, which has got us all excited. And we know our readers are too. Since it is being touted as the killer mid-range handset. Competing with handsets like Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 and LeEco Le 1s, which are considered one of the best handsets in that range. The M3 Note was first launched in China earlier this month; we were present at the event and went hands-on with the device in an exclusive video.

Later, you saw us posting several posts about the device, comparisons with Redmi Note 3 and Le 1s. As well as our detailed of the M3 Note is now also published, which we would recommend you to take a read before you buy this device, regardless of which country you’re residing. Now we are bringing you the top five features that we liked about the device, which should encourage you to think about this device if you’re in a market for hunting a mid-range device.

Gesture Options

There are not many brands keeping their focus on the things that matters when it comes to user experience. With Meizu offering several useful gesture options, it’s quite easy to use some features on the handset. The gesture feature that I like allows me to draw a letter and open a dedicated app. There are few letters that the lock screen would recognize and based on what operation you’ve selected it will open that once you draw that letter. It’s not a premium feature that will take a lot of work in providing it. The double tap to wake up feature was quite convenient, which should be made mandatory on all Android smartphones.

Fast Fingerprint Sensor

One of the most significant needs these days in terms of security on the smartphones is the biometric sensor. If a device has a fingerprint sensor, it is more secure than a handset with no biometric sensor. Well, that is the perception among the consumers. Though, it is quite true to some extent. The fingerprint sensor on the M3 Note is quite fast, and the fact that it is placed on the front makes it more convenient. Because let’s face it, a fingerprint sensor on the rear doesn’t always help, as we are not always holding our devices in hand. Most of the times it is lying on our desk. It is one of the USP of this handset; this biometric sensor is quite responsive, unlike most of the handset in this range such as the Lenovo Vibe K4 Note.

Camera Package

The camera package on this handset is quite good when compared with some handsets in this price range. It might not beat the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 and LeEco Le 1s, but it is quite good in taking pictures in natural and artificial light, excluding the low-light performance. The rear module is of 13-megapixel resolution while the front-facing module has a 5-megapixel resolution. Talking about the features, the sensor uses PDAF (Phase Detection Autofocus) Technology to ensure that faster focusing is done as well as larger details are being captured. Overall, the device offers a good camera package for the price it comes. If you’re keen to see how the camera outputs look, well, you can head out to our detailed review post and check out the camera samples there.

Meizu M3 Note Review

Big Battery

There is a big battery installed on this handset in order to make sure that you get at least a day’s charge even with heavy usage. And that’s what is the first step to making sure the battery life of the device is good. The battery capacity that we are talking about here is the 4100mAh. It is quite interesting to see that despite the large battery capacity, it doesn’t feel bulky at all. The reason behind it is that the company uses a high-density battery pack that enables them to make sure the thickness and weight remain in less. We have been using this handset for quite a while, and we can state that its battery life is on par with what you saw on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3, which in my opinion has the best battery life in the sub 10K category handsets.

Metal Build

Since the device is not yet announced in India or any other country for a fact; we are considering the price tags it has been launched with, in China. At 799 Yuan (Approx. Rs 8,250) you’re getting a handset with metal body, and not just any metal body, but it is by far the sturdiest metal construction we have seen in a handset with such affordable price tag. You get beautifully design smartphone with 2.5D curved glass protection on display, which doesn’t only gives better protection than just the coating, but also offering attractive design. A glamorous look if I say.

These are the five features that we thought are the USP of the Meizu M3 Note. The only thing that should be stopping for you to buy this handset is that it’s yet to be launched in India. If you’re residing in China, then you should go ahead and buy this handset. For the Indian consumers, the handset should be available sometime in May as the brand has announced that they are going to launch the M3 Note on May 11th.

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