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Xiaomi moves into 5G with the Mi Mix 3 5G at MWC 2019

The flood of 5G phones continues.  Xiaomi on Sunday became the latest company to launch a 5G phone, the Mi Mix 3 5G. The device — a variant of the recently released Mi Mix 3 — will cost 599 euros ($679) and will launch in May.  Xiaomi’s initial 5G wireless partners include Europe-based Orange, Sunrise, Telefonica, …

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Galaxy Fold’s cheaper challenger: TCL’s foldable phone bends into a watch at MWC 2019

Out in the showroom, TCL’s first foldable phone stands in a glass box as though entombed, safe from the greedy hands of the journalists who have come to see the cheaper alternative to Samsung’s $2,000 Galaxy Fold and Huawei’s just-announced Mate X. But behind closed doors, TCL’s GM of global marketing, Stefan Streit, lets us paw over a modest pile …

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VR games can look amazing with this game

The first time you try VR, you’ll likely have the same reaction I did: It feels pretty cool to be enveloped in a computer-generated world that puts you inside an epic spaceship battle or scuba diving next to a giant blue whale. But after spending a few minutes adjusting to virtual reality, you realize it doesn’t look all that much …

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BlackBerry hits pause on annual phone upgrade trend

Phone launches typically run on a predictable cycle. A new Samsung Galaxy S phone launches in the first quarter, while new iPhones make their debut in September. But BlackBerry Mobile, run by Chinese consumer electronics giant TCL, is bucking its usual trend this year and won’t be launching a new flagship phone in the summer. Francois Mahieu, general manager of …

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TCL’s DragonHinge can enable a family of foldable devices

Update, Oct. 24: A new dual-hinged foldable phone prototype from TCL bends into thirds like an accordion — we went hands-on. Original story follows. If you want a good foldable phone, you need a good hinge. At least that’s what TCL believes.  The Chinese company is best known for budget televisions but also produces phones through its BlackBerry Mobile and Alcatel brands. And on Sunday it unveiled …

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Nokia goes retro at MWC with Nokia 210, unveils 1 Plus, 3.2 and 4.2 phones too

Nokia didn’t just bring the five-camera-toting Nokia 9 PureView to MWC. The storied phone brand also introduced a whole slew of more affordable new phones on Sunday. These are the Nokia 210, which struts a familiar old-school design, and the midrange Nokia 1 Plus, Nokia 3.2 and Nokia 4.2. With its physical number keys, brick body and limited software capabilities, …

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LG V50 will be Sprint’s first 5G device this spring

LG and US carrier Sprint unveiled the LG V50 ThinQ 5G phone on Sunday at MWC 2019 in Barcelona. It’s the Korean phone-maker’s first 5G-enabled device, meaning it’ll connect to the latest generation of high-speed mobile data. As one of the first few high-end 5G phones, it’ll also directly compete with Samsung’s recently launched 5G phone, the Galaxy S10 5G. …

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Vivo partners Energous for wireless over

Phones from Chinese phone maker Vivo will soon have a pretty cool feature. Powered by Energous’ WattUp wireless charging tech, Vivo phones could soon tap onto radio frequency to recharge their batteries, and there’s no need to place them on a charging mat to do so, as WattUp is able to do over-the-air charging.  While there’s no word on when …

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