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Can the new BlackBerry Android slider change the game?

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BlackBerry is gearing up for a new launch as various leaks of a new BlackBerry Android phone have surfaced over the past few weeks. Skeptics had said that the Canadian company, with John Chen leading it, will not migrate to Android should start reconsidering their forecasts, as it looks like the new BlackBerry Venice is going to debunk most of what we had expected of the struggling company.

Although the BlackBerry Passport wasn’t as successful as Chen had hoped, it did give the company a bit of spotlight and thus an opening for novelty and innovation. People are more interested in BlackBerry now because of the Passport, because of Chen and his new management techniques, as well as because an Android phone from BlackBerry had been unheard of until a few weeks ago when rumors first surfaced.

In the meantime, Evleaks, Crackberry and many more have picked up on a series of leaked images showing the new BlackBerry Android phone that is code-named Venice. People seem to be very interested in the new release, not just because it involves Android 5.1 Lollipop, but because of a new design element that the company will be introducing with this phone: the slider keyboard.

BlackBerry Venice, from what we can tell, is going to attempt to revolutionize the way in which we use our smartphones and if the company engineers everything right and matches software just as well, we might have a new winner on our hands. Most fans of the company might not like the operating system switch, but our sources tell us that Android will only be on the surface. Deep down, the BlackBerry Venice will still be BBM, encrypted communications, total security and a proprietary messaging and file sharing system.

Android 5.1 Lollipop for BlackBerry means more of a visual overhaul than one impacting performance, as most of you probably know that the company’s previous devices had had no performance issues. Or at least, not very often. Porting Android to a BlackBerry phone is a bit scary because it might change the way in which long-time BlackBerry fans perceive the company and it might change the way in which they interact with their phones. Hopefully, the change will be for the better.

Keep in mind that this BlackBerry Android phone is not yet official, or confirmed by the company, so all the information within this article (and elsewhere, for that matter) should be taken with a grain of salt. Nonetheless, the leaked images seem authentic enough to warrant a confirmation on the community’s part that BlackBerry is indeed working on an Android-based smartphone and one with a slide-out keyboard on top of that.

The most interesting part about the Venice device is its slider keyboard. The name of the handset is not confirmed yet, but “Venice” has appeared in leaked documentation repeatedly, pointing towards a consistent presence of the new device on the company’s agenda. Whether the slide-out keyboard will change the way in which we use smartphones remains to be seen, but the concept is certainly promising.

Those of you who are used to QWERTY keyboards, like BlackBerry fans and those familiar with Seacrest’s Typo cases will most likely love the idea, while those accustomed to on-screen typing (as is the case with Android and iOS most of the time) might be a bit taken aback at first. Until we can actually test the slide-out keyboard on the BlackBerry Android phone, we remain just as skeptical as anyone else. Our hopes are that the keyboard will not add to much weight or bulk to the phone, and the leaked images look pretty good from that point of view at the moment.

At the same time, if the new BlackBerry Android phone uses a slide-out keyboard, it’s going to have some software optimization and hardware optimization in place for the seamless use of the keyboard itself. The fact that the keyboard is built-in will most likely make it easy to use and more responsive than any touch-based keyboard. Considering that BlackBerry’s keyboard tech is off the chart and people all over the world enjoy what they make, I would say the slider will be a success.

Nonetheless, skeptics say BlackBerry doesn’t have a shot at getting back in the game with the big players. Many hope (probably Chen, too) that the switch to Android and the addition of a slide-out, hiding keyboard will convince more people to come to the BlackBerry side. Android is a very important factor, maybe even more important than the QWERTY element, because people are used to it. With this move, BlackBerry can attract long-time Android fans who didn’t like BlackBerry’s own OS, and that’s quite the market share right there.

Whether the BlackBerry Android phone is a success among Android fans or not depends on you guys. Do you think the company can pull off Android or do you think that they should stick with what they know? In my opinion, there’s little the company can do right now to get back in the game, and partnering with Google is one of the few things that can actually present serious results.

To be as comprehensive as possible, we’ve also gathered a multitude of rumors about the Venice, so that we can get an idea what lies beyond the surface. The BlackBerry Android phone is supposed to be a beast and compete against everything that’s on the market right now, and if rumors are true, it might have a great shot at taking on the major leagues.

According to various insiders, rumors, leaks and community members, the BlackBerry Venice will feature a 5.4-inch IPS display with an FHD resolution of 1080*1920, or something close to that. Under the hood, it will sport a Snapdragon 808 (just like the one in the LG G4), 3 GB RAM and up to 128 GB expandable internal storage. USB Type-C might be features in the end, although in the leaked images of a prototype, we can’t spot it. There will be a massive 18 MP camera on the rear with dual-tone flash and optical image stabilization and an 8 MP camera on the front, which sounds absolutely amazing. If the company gets the camera setup right, Lumias, Samsungs, iPhones and any others that you can think should start trembling.

A fingerprint sensor might be possible, although the design of the phone might not allow for that, unless embedded in the sliding keyboard. Since there’s no trace of such a feature in the prototype images, it’s safe to say that the BlackBerry Venice might lack the feature. But it might use eye-tracking technology for biometric security instead, which is an interesting idea to consider. A microSD card slot and a big battery will only add to the appeal of the device. A removable battery is out of the question, however, because the design can’t allow for that, from what we can tell.

No matter what the BlackBerry Android phone, code-named Venice, will bring to the market, it’s definitely going to be a step ahead for the company. Availability and pricing are uncertain, seeing as John Chen and co. haven’t completely confirmed the existence of the phone yet. A prototype was flashed at the MWC this year, but that’s about when it comes to official information. When we have more, we’ll let you know. Are you excited?

As part of the editorial team here at Geekreply, John spends a lot of his time making sure each article is up to snuff. That said, he also occasionally pens articles on the latest in Geek culture. From Gaming to Science, expect the latest news fast from John and team.

Consoles

PS5, PS4 Game Death Stranding Coming Natively to iPhone 15 Pro

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PS5 and PS4 console game Death Stranding Director’s Cut is coming natively to the iPhone 15 Pro, demonstrating its power. The entirety of Kojima Productions’ seminal hiking sim, Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil Village, and Assassin’s Creed Mirage, will be available on your phone. Bonkers!

Tech giant: “Continuing Apple’s leadership in smartphone silicon, A17 Pro improves the entire chip, including Apple’s biggest GPU redesign. The new CPU is 10% faster with microarchitectural and design improvements, and the Neural Engine is 2x faster, powering iOS 17 features like autocorrect and Personal Voice.

According to the company, the pro-class GPU is 20% faster and unlocks new experiences with a 6-core design that boosts peak performance and energy efficiency. Hardware-accelerated ray tracing, 4x faster than software-based, gives iPhone 15 Pro smoother graphics and more immersive AR and gaming experiences. The iPhone 15 Pro brings console games to smartphones for the first time.

As with all cutting-edge Apple products, participation is expensive. The iPhone 15 Pro will cost £999/$999 at launch, and the Max model will cost £1,199/$1,199 for a 6.7″ screen. The most basic option only gives you 128GB, so you’ll need more if you want to play Death Stranding on the go.

However, the blurring of standalone consoles and mobile games is fascinating. The success of Genshin Impact, a full-fledged open world, has shown there’s a market for console-like mobile games. It will be interesting to see how Death Stranding performs on this latest iPhone generation.

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Android

Launched Redmi Note 12 series: 200MP camera, 210W charging for less than $400

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The three phones have similar screens and processors, but they vary in a number of ways.

The Redmi Note series from Xiaomi has historically been the brand’s most well-liked smartphone line, providing excellent value in the entry-level market. The Redmi Note 12 series has now been unveiled by the firm in China.

The Redmi Note 12 Discovery Edition, Redmi Note 12 Pro, and Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus are the three phones we truly have this time. A flat 6.67-inch FHD+ 120Hz OLED screen, a Mediatek Dimensity 1080 5G processor, and a 16MP selfie camera are features shared by all three devices.

They both have a 3.5mm connector, NFC, IR blaster, and Wi-Fi 6 compatibility, among other things. In contrast, there are a few significant variances.

Redmi Note 12 Discovery Edition

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The Note 12 Discovery Edition of the Redmi Note 12 has a 200MP HPX primary camera (f/1.65, OIS), making it possibly the most striking model. This camera can capture photographs with a resolution of 200MP, 50MP pixels (using four-in-one binning), or 12.5MP (using 16-in-one binning). Additionally, the phone offers a 2MP macro lens and an 8MP ultrawide camera.

The phone is notably different from its stablemates in that it supports 210W wired charging; according to Xiaomi, a full charge can be achieved in just nine minutes. Although you only get a 4,300mAh battery here, this high wattage comes at the expense of battery capacity.

Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus

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Thought a 200MP smartphone with a larger battery would be cool? With the Pro Plus model, you get precisely that. The triple back camera system will have the same 200MP+8MP+2MP resolution as the Discovery Edition.

The Pro Plus variant, on the other hand, chooses a 5,000mAh battery and still blazing-fast 120W cable charging. Xiaomi claims that a full charge should be achieved in about 19 minutes.

Redmi Note 12 Pro

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Have no interest in megapixels? The Redmi Note 12 Pro, which adds a 50MP IMX766 primary camera (f/1.88, OIS) in addition to the 8MP+2MP duo, fills this need. The Oppo Find X5 Pro and the Asus Zenfone 9 both feature flagship devices with 50MP sensors similar to this one. We therefore have high hopes that it will also produce acceptable image quality on the Note 12 Pro.

The Pro version additionally includes a 5,000mAh battery with 67W wired speeds. A 100% charge should be expected in a still quick 46 minutes.

Pricing and availability for the Redmi Note 12 series
The base 8GB/256GB variant of the Redmi Note 12 Discovery Edition costs 2,399 yuan (about $332), while the base 6GB/128GB model of the Redmi Note 12 Pro costs 1,699 yuan (about $235). Do you want Pro Plus? The 8GB/256GB variant thus has a starting price of 2,099 yuan (about $290).

Although Xiaomi acknowledged that these phones are currently limited to China, it advised us to “keep tuned” for international announcements. To be fair, the Chinese Redmi Note 11 series was very different from the international variants that debuted a few months later.

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Gadgets

What Has Changed Over Time Between the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, Galaxy Z Fold 3, and Galaxy Z Fold 2?

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We let the specs speak for themselves. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 compares to the Z Fold 3 and Z Fold 2 in the following table.

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The revolutionary Galaxy Z Fold 4 from Samsung was released a few months ago. The foldable has the same $1,800 starting price as the Galaxy Z Fold 3 from the previous year. Samsung will need to convince consumers to pay up for its high-end devices this year, though, as a recession and record-high inflation are both predicted. But it would be difficult to find a better option than Samsung’s book-style foldables if you’re eager to ride the leading edge of foldable phone technology (and have the money to boot).

Continue reading Samsung Unpacked
Galaxy Z Fold 4, Z Flip 4, and Every Reveal from Samsung
Better Design, Same High Price for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
Galaxy Z Flip 4 from Samsung Gets New Software Features
The company calls its foldable phone-tablet, the Z Fold 4, a “multitasking powerhouse.” It features a higher-resolution display, the most recent Qualcomm chipset, Android 12L out of the box, and a new 1TB option. (Scroll to the bottom for a side-by-side spec comparison for more specific information.) The business claims that in addition to providing features like new gestures and an enhanced taskbar, it has tried to make multitasking more intuitive.

The camera system of the Z Fold 4 was also enhanced by Samsung. Three cameras—a 50-megapixel primary sensor, a 12-megapixel ultrawide sensor, and a 10-megapixel telephoto lens—are located on the back of the device. Both optical and digital zoom up to 10x are supported by that telephoto lens. In addition, there are two “front cameras.” The Z Fold 4’s main display has a 10-megapixel sensor, which is the most noticeable, while the internal screen has a 4-megapixel under-display camera.

Along with the updated specifications, Samsung stressed its desire to create foldable phones that are more environmentally friendly. The Fold 4 is the first of Samsung’s folding devices to employ parts manufactured from recycled fishing nets. There are several recycled components inside the phone, including the connector cap for the display and the bracket for the side keys. Nevertheless, it’s challenging to assess the significance of these changes without tearing them apart.

In relation to sustainability, Samsung claims the Z Fold 4 uses stronger materials. An “optimal layer structure,” which provides better damage prevention, is now used for its main cover. The typical aluminum frames and Gorilla Glass Victus on the cover and back support everything mentioned above.

The lack of dust resistance on the Z Fold 4 is still a drawback of its foldable nature. It still has the IPX8 classification from the previous year, meaning it can be immersed for up to 30 minutes in freshwater up to 1.5 meters deep. The Galaxy S22 line of smartphones, in contrast, features IP68 water- and dust-resistance, which means the devices can tolerate sand, grime, and dust. They can also be submerged for up to 30 minutes at a depth of 1.5 meters.

The S Pen storage slot is still missing, but Samsung has introduced a cover with a S Pen holder that is available for purchase separately. Check out the specs table below from CNET for more details on how Samsung’s cutting-edge Z Fold series has changed over time.

See how the Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Watch models compare for more information.

Galaxy Z Fold 4 vs. Z Fold 3 vs. Z Fold 2

Galaxy Z Fold 4 5G Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G Galaxy Z Fold 2
Display size, resolution Internal: 7.6-inch AMOLED (2,176×1,812 pixels); External: 6.2-inch HD Plus (2,316×904) Internal: 7.6-inch AMOLED (2,208×1,768 pixels); External: 6.2-inch AMOLED (2,268×832 pixels); Internal: 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED; External: 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED; 2,260×816 + 2,208×1,768 pixels
Pixel density TBC 387ppi (external) + 374ppi (internal) 386ppi (external) + 373ppi (internal)
Dimensions (Millimeters) Folded: 67.1×155.1×15.8mm (Hinge) ~14.2mm(Sagging). Unfolded: 130.1×155.1×6.3mm Folded: 67x158x16mm (hinge) ~14.4mm (sagging). Unfolded: 128x158x6.4mm Folded: 68.0×159.2×16.8mm (hinge) ~13.8mm (sagging). Unfolded: 128.2×159.2×6.9mm (frame) ~6.0mm (screen)
Weight (Ounces, Grams) 9.27 oz; 263g 9.56 oz; 271 g 10 oz; 282 g
Mobile software Android 12L Android 11 Android 10
Camera 50-megapixel (main), 12-megapixel (ultra-wide), 10-megapixel (telephoto) 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (telephoto) 12-megapixel (main) + 12-megapixel (wide angle) + 12-megapixel (telephoto)
Front-facing camera 4-megapixel (under display), 10-megapixel (front cover) 4-megapixel (under display), 10-megapixel (front cover) 10-megapixel, 10-megapixel
Video capture 4K 4K 4K
Processor Snapdragon 8 Gen Plus 1 Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 Snapdragon 865 Plus
RAM/Storage 12GB + 256GB/512GB/1TB 12GB + 256GB/512GB 12GB + 256 GB
Expandable storage None None None
Battery/Charger 4,400 mAh 4,400 mAh 4,500 mAh
Fingerprint sensor Side Side Side
Connector USB-C USB-C USB-C
Headphone jack None None None
Special features Foldable phone, 30x optical, 30x space zoom, IPX8, 25-watt fast-charging (no in-box charger) 5G-enabled; Foldable display, 120Hz refresh rate (front cover and main display), IPX8 water-resistance, S Pen support Foldable display, 120Hz refresh rate, wireless charging support
Price (USD) $1,800 (256 GB); $2,000 (512GB), $2160 (1TB) $1,800 (256GB); $1,900 (512GB) $1,999
Price (GBP) TBC £1,599 (256GB); £1,699 (512GB) £1,799
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