We finally have some 3d CAD renders of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8. This should be the final design for this device. We see in the render that we have a dual camera that is laid out horizontally with the fingerprint scanner in nearly the same position as that of the Galaxy S8. These cameras are said to include independent Optical Image Stabilization. This device will be on the thick size being 9.5mm at the camera bump. We see in the renders that we get dual curved edges like what we saw with the Note 7. You can even see features like the S-Pen, USB Type-C port, and 3.5mm headphone jack in the renders. The phone is expected to be on the expensive side with a cost of close to $1000 at launch. Hopefully Samsung will have better luck with this Note!

via 91mobiles

I finally received my "early drop" edition of the OnePlus 5. One of the first things I just had to do was insert my Verizon sim to see if it would work. We already know that OnePlus did decide to include limited CDMA support so theoretically it should sort of work on Verizon. It is missing LTE Band 13. This is Verizon's C Block Spectrum. Missing this band means that the phone should not work well indoors, but should still be able to get LTE in other places outdoors that you would normally get LTE.

Using the phone with my Verizon sim i found that I had great cellular reception for calls and text no matter where I was. Indoors or outdoors made no difference when it came to calls and text messages. That being said cellular data was hit or miss. My data indicator stated I was on 3G for the duration of the day. The phone never picked up 4G. I went to the part of the city with the strongest 4G LTE signal, and tried toggling data off and on. I tried rebooting the phone and never was able to grab 4G LTE data.

The best speed I was able to get was 2m down and 1.5m up. With that i was able to browse the web and check emails, and even do some social media. Downloading apps was incredibly slow, but i was able to stream video on Netflix and Youtube at the lowest quality settings, 144p on youtube, with no buffering. I was even...

The Huawei Pro 8 is the new and better version of the Honor 8 that took the world by storm last year. Now the phone is even more attractive with a working custom recovery that will allow you to easily root the phone and install custom Roms! Developer OldDroid from Team OpenKirin has just released the working TWRP build for the device.

It is intended to work with Honor 8 Pros that are on stock EMUI 5 or greater and are bootloader unlocked. Huawei offers a developer site that will help you easily unlock your bootloader. From there simply flash the custom recovery and then you can install SuperSU or Magisk to gain root access. Head to the link below for the files you need.

via XDA

Samsung Pay has steadily become a way of life for me. It works at just about every store that I shop at. When it doesn't work it is normally the cashier's fault for pressing the wrong button, and a little education solves that. If I could use it with recessed card readers, like at the gas pump, I would never really need my wallet again.

Samsung Pay is one of the conveniences that I really love about my smartphone. They just made it better for those of you who are Discover Card users. The card was supposed to be added in 2016 so if you signed up for one way back then hoping to be able to use it with Samsung Pay you finally can!

TheVerge

And just like that the OnePlus 5 is rooted. This is one of the perks of owning a OnePlus device. The developer community is strong with OnePlus phones. The phone hasn't even been officially released and we already have a working TWRP and working root. You can root your phone by simply flashing a Magisk or SuperSU file in TWRP. Grab what you need from the link below.

via XDA

We have complained enough about the Pixel not having stereo speakers. It seems that Google has heard us loud and clear. We may indeed be getting stereo speakers on the Pixel 2, but it will come at the expense of a headphone jack according to a new report. The source also confirmed a 4.97" FHD display for the Pixel 2 and 5.99" 1440p OLED display for the Pixel XL 2. Both phones will include a Snapdragon 835 processor.

The Pixel XL 2 is being made by LG and may include a smaller bezel while the Pixel 2 is reported to be manufactured by HTC and may adopt more of a U11 appearance. It seems like Google would want both devices to have the same design like the Pixels of last year. We also found out that pre-production software on the Taimen (Pixel XL 2) refers to "nexus imprint" instead of pixel imprint when referring to the fingerprint scanner. Could this signal a return to the Nexus moniker with two uniquely designed flagships being made by two different manufacturers? I guess we will soon find out.

via XDA

According to a report coming out of South Korea LG will be launching the V30 at IFA 2017 in Berlin. This would be the first time that LG has launched a V series device at IFA. According to the ETNews publication the launch event will take place 1 day before IFA main events. IFA will last from September 1- September 6. This means the official launch will happen on August 31. The V30 is rumored to include an OLED panel and will include a Snapdragon 835 processor. It is expected to cost about $699 for the base model at launch.

via ETNews

You can add one more premium feature to the upcoming LG V30 according to famed leakster "OnLeaks" the LG V30 will come with wireless charging and a glass back. This is reasonable since the phone will likely adopt the overall design language of the LG G6 which also included a glass back and wireless charging. When it comes to glass backs I don't like the idea of another crackable surface, but I can deal with it for wireless charging. What are your thoughts? Does the V30 need wireless charging? Would you prefer no wireless charging and a metal back?

via Phandroid

Courtesy of VentureBeat, we have the first specifics regarding pricing and specifications on the company’s upcoming flagship. Evan Blass reports that the Galaxy Note 8 will be priced at €999, the highest price point the company has ever put on one of its smartphones. The phone will apparently make its debut in the second half of September. The Galaxy S8 was priced at €799 which came out to $725. Thus, it’s a fairly safe bet to say the Note 8 will be priced somewhere around $925.

As expected, the Galaxy Note 8 will apparently ship with a 6.3-inch 18.5:9 “Infinity Display” just like the Galaxy S8 family. Internally the phone will be using mostly the same specifications, so Samsung is certainly going to be relying on the Note 8’s extra features to show why it is worth another $100 over the price of the similarly sized Galaxy S8+.

Like its predecessors, the Galaxy Note 8 is going to be bringing the S-Pen, but that won’t be its only unique hardware feature. Under the hood, the phone will be powered by a Snapdragon 835, but paired with 6GB of RAM. That would make it Samsung’s second device to surpass 4GB and something enthusiasts will...

Bixby voice appears to be showing up on S8 and S8+ devices that have been signed up for the Bixby Early Access Program. You should have also seen several updates to Samsung apps come through which would have added support for Bixby Voice. If you have received the update you should be able to open up Bixby which will then prompt you to setup the new Voice feature.