Galaxy Note Fan Edition goes on sale in South Korea

Just 5 days after the unveiling of Samsung Galaxy Note Fan Edition, the phone has gone on sale in South Korea. It costs KRW699,600 which equals $611 and only 400,000 units will be sold in the initial batch.

The Galaxy Note FE is a reborn Galaxy Note7, but with slight differences. Now it runs on Android Nougat, instead of the original Android Marshmallow 6.0.

Since the battery was the reason Galaxy Note7 caught on fire, Samsung completely overhauled it. Its capacity was decreased to 3,200 mAh, as opposed to the original power cell with 3,500 mAh charge.

The phone is sold in three versions for the three South Korean mobile carriers - SK Telekom, Korea Telekom and LG Uplus.

When the original was released in September 2016, its price tag was close to KRW1 million. Now the Fan Edition’s price is around 30% cheaper.

Apple will make only OLED iPhones from 2018

We're already knee deep in speculation regarding Apple's 2017 plans but why not step it up a bit and move into 2018 territory. Rumor has it that Apple will release three iPhones in 2018 and all of them will have OLED displays.

This means that Apple will transition its entire phone lineup from LCD to OLED next year.

It also means that Apple will have three different iPhones once more. Some rumors suggest there will be two screen sizes - 5.28" and 6.46", both sporting OLED, so what about the third one?

In 2017 Apple is expected to release iPhone 7s and 7s Plus incremental upgrades and a special anniversary iPhone 8 with a taller OLED display.

OLED displays are hard to come by and Apple doesn't yet have the supply to accommodate an all-OLED lineup. The company has reportedly struck a deal with Samsung to make the screen for the iPhone 8 but that could limit its availability when it launches.

The OnePlus 5 scores 87 on DxOMark

OnePlus had been really boasting about the dual-camera featured on the OnePlus 5, even weeks before the phone’s launch. It gave many fans some really high expectations, so some were upset by the camera as far as saying that it wasn’t worth the hype it got.

Some notable mentions of the OnePlus 5’s camera are its excellent outdoor shots with “outstanding color and detail”. DxO says the OnePlus 5’s white balance is often accurate, stable and consistent when shooting outside; details are also well preserved. Meanwhile, shooing high dynamic scenes tents to under expose shadowy areas.

Indoor shots, on the other hand, are good but not consistent. Low light conditions prove to be a challenge for the OnePlus 5 with a noticeable blur and lack of details in handheld shots. White balance is a little off under tungsten and fluorescent lights, but not entire unacceptable.

Focusing is excellent on the OnePlus5. DxO says the autofocusing is consistent, quick, and responsive in all lighting conditions thanks to the OnePlus 5’s hybrid contrast detection AF and phase detection AF. The inconsistencies in white balance and reduced details in low-light photography are what kept the score from getting any higher.

Nokia Android with dual-lens Zeiss camera is coming this year

HMD Global and ZEISS signed a partnership to bring the Zeiss brand back to Nokia smartphones. Later a tweet dedicated to the announcement hinted that a dual-camera Nokia smartphone is the first product to come from the partnership.

HMD shared its excitement saying it's looking “to set new imaging standards within the smartphone industry”.

Previously we saw Zeiss optics in the Nokia 808 PureView and Lumia 1020 with staggering 41 MP sensors - arguably the best cameraphones of their time.

According to previous reports the Nokia 9 will be the 2017 flagship that will debut the Zeiss branding in the HMD lineup.

Nokia and Xiaomi sign a collaboration agreement

Nokia and Xiaomi announced they have signed a business cooperation and patent agreement. The two companies will license each other's cellular standard essential patents. Xiaomi also acquired patents assets as a part of the deal.

Under the agreement, Nokia will provide network infrastructure equipment to Xiaomi. It will improve the capacity and low-power performance of the Chinese manufacturer’s smartphones. Both companies will also work together on data transport and connection solutions. They will eventually explore opportunities for cooperation in the area of Internet of Things.

Xiaomi could make great use of Nokia’s rich patent portfolio if it to expand to western markets. It is currently present in over 30 countries and regions, but most of those are in the SEA region.