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Any Android Phones can do dark theme/inverse colour without messing up photos and pictures? Those who have used Windows Mobile/Phone would know the dark theme. Nobody seems to be able to replicate what Microsoft did, even iPhone. All photos and pictures will mess up when dark theme is used. Whereas WM/WP will still present photos and pictures the right way.

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Any Android Phones can do dark theme/inverse colour without messing up photos and pictures? Those who have used Windows Mobile/Phone would know the dark theme. Nobody seems to be able to replicate what Microsoft did, even iPhone. All photos and pictures will mess up when dark theme is used. Whereas WM/WP will still present photos and pictures the right way.

Lol move on liao lah. It's like talking about laser discs when the world has moved on to online streaming.

 

If u look hard enough or root your phone, I don't believe this functionality doesn't exist in Android.

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http://www.hardwarezone.com.sg/tech-news-htc-u11-eyes-has-dual-front-cameras-massive-battery-and-face-unlock

 

 

htcu11eyes_0.jpg

The HTC U11 EYEs is the company's first phone for 2018. 

Sporting dual front-facing 5MP f/2.2  cameras, the U11 EYEs combines three of the most popular features - HDR Boost, Bokeh Mode, Beauty Mode - to create "spectacular selfies".

On the back is the 12MP UltraPixel 2 f/1.7 camera, which is the same module as that of the U11. It comes with UltraSpeed Autofocus, OIS, Pro mode with manual controls, 4K video recording and slow motion 1080p video capture at 120 fps. 

 

The U11 EYEs also comes with Face Unlock, which can be activated by squeezing the sides of the phone. This should be useful in situations when your hands are wet or while wearing gloves. It reportedly can differentiate between a real human face and those on a photo or video.

Other specs include a 6-inch Full HD+ (1,080 x 2,160 pixels) Super LCD 3 display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3, dual nano-SIM support, Edge Sense, Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, 4GB RAM, 64GB internal storage space with microSD support up to 2TB, IP67 water/dust resistance, USB Type-C port, a rear fingerprint sensor, NFC, Bluetooth 4.2, and a 3,930mAh battery which supports Quick Charge 3.0. There is no 3.5mm headphone jack though.

The U11 EYEs will come in three colors: red, silver and black. It will go on sale from tomorrow in Hong Kong and in China later this month for HK$3,898 (~S$660). There is no word on a global release.

Source: HTC via The Verge

 

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http://www.hardwarezone.com.sg/tech-news-these-are-three-dates-note-if-youre-interested-galaxy-s9

 

 

s8front.jpg

Although Samsung has not revealed the exact announcement date for the Galaxy S9, well-known tipster @evleaks appears to have the information from one of his sources. 

Citing information from a C-level executive at a major casemaker, @evleaks tweeted that the Galaxy S9 would be announced on 26 February which happens to be the first day of Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018. Pre-orders are scheduled to start on 1 March with shipping and retail availability from 16 March

 

This is in line with a Bloomberg's report that the Galaxy S9 would be in stores from March. The purported retail box of the Galaxy S9 has been leaked and suggests that the phone would have a rear camera with variable aperture.

Source: @evleaks 

 

 

 

http://www.hardwarezone.com.sg/tech-news-samsungs-dual-front-camera-a8-and-a8-will-be-launching-singapore-27th-january

 

a8_.jpg

Samsung's latest mid-range smartphones, the A8 (2018) and A8+ (2018) will be launching in Singapore on 27th January. Both smartphones feature a bezel-less always-on AMOLED Infinity display with an 18.5:9 aspect ratio. The smaller A8 has a 5.6-inch FHD+ display, while the larger A8+ has a 6-inch FHD+ display. 

Design-wise, both phones look the same with a metal frame and 2.5D curved glass on both the front and rear. The curve on the front glass is very subtle, and the displays don't curve over the edge like they do on the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Note8. Both phones are IP68 certified but unfortunately do not support wireless charging.

 

a8__0.jpg

On the rear of each phone is a single 16-megapixel f/1.7 camera. The front camera setup is more interesting, as each phone sports a dual front-facing camera setup comprising of a 16-megapixel f/1.9 lens paired with an 8-megapixel f/1.9 lens. The dual front cameras can be used independently and support Samsung's Live Focus feature, which lets users add a background blurring bokeh effect that can be adjusted before or after taking a shot.

a8selfiecams.jpg

Besides having a larger screen, the A8+ also has 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage compared to the 3GB RAM and 32GB of storage found in the A8. Naturally, the A8+ also has a larger 3,500mAh battery, compared to the 3,000mAh unit inside the A8. Both phones are powered by the same Samsung Exynos 7885 octa-core processor.

The Galaxy A8 (2018) and A8+ (2018) will be available in gold and black, and will be sold at authorized retailers from 27th January for S$648 and S$798 respectively.

 

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http://www.hardwarezone.com.sg/tech-news-vivo-smartphones-will-be-launching-saturday-singtel-and-m1

 

 

 

 

Vivo-V7.jpg

Vivo V7+

 

Chinese smartphone brand Vivo will be launching its first two smartphones in Singapore this Saturday (3rd February), with Singtel, M1 and authorized Vivo retailers.

The mid-range V7+ will be priced at S$469 and sports a bezel-less 18:9 aspect ratio 5.99-inch HD display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 processor, 4GB RAM, a 16-megapixel, f/2.0 rear camera, and a 24-megapixel , f/2.0 front camera.

 

The entry level Y65 smartphone will be priced at S$269, and has a 5.5-inch HD display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor, a 13-megapixel f/2.2 rear camera and a 5-megapixel f/2.2 front camera. 

Vivo-Y65-467x467.jpg

Vivo Y65

 

"Vivo is thrilled to work with Singtel and M1 to bring our innovative smartphones to more people in Singapore. Our mission is to inspire consumers to be confident in expressing themselves by enabling them to present their best side to the world, through our quality products that meet their lifestyles and needs. We aim to bring unique experiences and benefits that are exclusive to Vivo users in the future," said Mr. Liu HongBin, Chief Executive Officer, Vivo Singapore.

 

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http://www.hardwarezone.com.sg/tech-news-htc-u11-eyes-has-dual-front-cameras-massive-battery-and-face-unlock

 

 

The HTC U11 EYEs has dual front cameras, a massive battery and face unlock

hwz_og.jpg By Cookie Monster - on 16 Jan 2018, 8:56pm

 

 

htcu11eyes_0.jpg

The HTC U11 EYEs is the company's first phone for 2018.

Sporting dual front-facing 5MP f/2.2 cameras, the U11 EYEs combines three of the most popular features - HDR Boost, Bokeh Mode, Beauty Mode - to create "spectacular selfies".

On the back is the 12MP UltraPixel 2 f/1.7 camera, which is the same module as that of the U11. It comes with UltraSpeed Autofocus, OIS, Pro mode with manual controls, 4K video recording and slow motion 1080p video capture at 120 fps.

 

The U11 EYEs also comes with Face Unlock, which can be activated by squeezing the sides of the phone. This should be useful in situations when your hands are wet or while wearing gloves. It reportedly can differentiate between a real human face and those on a photo or video.

Other specs include a 6-inch Full HD+ (1,080 x 2,160 pixels) Super LCD 3 display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3, dual nano-SIM support, Edge Sense, Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, 4GB RAM, 64GB internal storage space with microSD support up to 2TB, IP67 water/dust resistance, USB Type-C port, a rear fingerprint sensor, NFC, Bluetooth 4.2, and a 3,930mAh battery which supports Quick Charge 3.0. There is no 3.5mm headphone jack though.

The U11 EYEs will come in three colors: red, silver and black. It will go on sale from tomorrow in Hong Kong and in China later this month for HK$3,898 (~S$660). There is no word on a global release.

Source: HTC via The Verge

My previous 6 phones all HTC.

 

The last one as HTC One M9.

Everything ok except

Battery life decline quite badly after 6 months. Then front camera lost auto focus function after a year.

 

My older HTC One is still working fine. Was totally disappointed with the HTC One M9.

 

 

So my current phone I changed to Samsung Galaxy S8. After 3 months I think some HTC function perform better than Samsung.

 

Samsung finger print recognition takes 3 seconds to unlock. Lousy detection speed. At least HTC One M9 much faster, less than a second.

 

Just need to get use to each phone.

 

Also using iPhone X.

Nothing to shout about. The back of the phone has a cracked line when I place S8 and X together in my back pocket and sat down in my car.

 

Still prefer HTC keyboard.

Samsung and iPhone keyboard layout both sucks.

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http://www.hardwarezone.com.sg/tech-news-android-p-will-look-more-iphone-x-thanks-notch-support

 

 

 

 

ipxfront.jpg

Be prepared for more Android phones with the iPhone X's notch design coming this year!

Sources told Bloomberg that Google is planning on an overhaul of the Android interface for the next generation of smartphones which will copy the "notch" design of the iPhone X. This is part of Google's overall strategy to get iPhone users to switch to Android by improving the aesthetics of the software.

The Android update, due later in the year, will also more tightly integrate Google’s digital assistant, improve battery life on phones and support new designs, like multiple screens and foldable displays, the people added.

 

By embracing the "notch" design of the iPhone X, Android phone makers have to design their devices with cutouts at the top to accommodate cameras and other sensors. Another key feature of the upcoming Android version, also known as Android P, will focus on Google Assistant. Developers can integrate the digital assistant with their apps. 

Google's major overhaul of the Android interface this year is the direct opposite of what Apple plans to do with iOS 12. The latter is working to improve the performance and stability of the software.

Source: Bloomberg

 

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My previous 6 phones all HTC.

 

The last one as HTC One M9.

Everything ok except

Battery life decline quite badly after 6 months. Then front camera lost auto focus function after a year.

 

My older HTC One is still working fine. Was totally disappointed with the HTC One M9.

 

Still prefer HTC keyboard.

 

 

 

Tiagong that HTC has the best mirrorlink support, but I personally have not try it out.

 

Can't seem to get my old Xperia V to work with my HU.   [:|]

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U can buy oneplus phones.
Just sister companies.

 

 

Vivo V7+

 

Chinese smartphone brand Vivo will be launching its first two smartphones in Singapore this Saturday (3rd February), with Singtel, M1 and authorized Vivo retailers.

The mid-range V7+ will be priced at S$469 and sports a bezel-less 18:9 aspect ratio 5.99-inch HD display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 processor, 4GB RAM, a 16-megapixel, f/2.0 rear camera, and a 24-megapixel , f/2.0 front camera.

 

The entry level Y65 smartphone will be priced at S$269, and has a 5.5-inch HD display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor, a 13-megapixel f/2.2 rear camera and a 5-megapixel f/2.2 front camera. 

Vivo-Y65-467x467.jpg

Vivo Y65

 

"Vivo is thrilled to work with Singtel and M1 to bring our innovative smartphones to more people in Singapore. Our mission is to inspire consumers to be confident in expressing themselves by enabling them to present their best side to the world, through our quality products that meet their lifestyles and needs. We aim to bring unique experiences and benefits that are exclusive to Vivo users in the future," said Mr. Liu HongBin, Chief Executive Officer, Vivo Singapore.

 

 

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https://www.techspot.com/news/73345-lg-next-flagship-phone-reportedly-arrive-june-all.html

 

 

 

 

LG's next flagship phone will reportedly arrive in June with an all-new design And a low-power, 800-nit screen By Rob Thubron  on Feb 19, 2018, 10:14 AM
2017-04-27-image-16.jpg

Back at CES, LG said it was moving away from a yearly smartphone launch cycle and will instead focus on releasing more variants of its handsets. It was also reported that CEO Jo Seong-jin ordered a complete redesign of the G6’s successor. Now, its rumored that the company's next device, codenamed “Judy,” will arrive in June.

Reliable leaker Evan Blass (writing for VentureBeat) says that Judy won’t come with the usual incremental upgrades we so often see in the latest handsets. Instead, it will feature a brand new design, with the biggest change being the screen.

The device, which won’t be called the G7, will reportedly measure 6.1 inches and come with an 18:9 Full Vision display. It will include an MLCD+ panel that allows it to hit 800 nits while using 35 percent less power than standard IPS displays. For comparison, the iPhone X has a full screen brightness of 634 nits, according to DisplayMate.

While it will reportedly have ‘only’ 4GB of RAM, the phone will be one of several modern flagships to feature Qualcomm’s next-gen Snapdragon 845 platform, which you can read about here. It also comes with dual 16-megapixel rear cameras with glass optics and f/1.6 apertures, stereo “boombox” speakers, HDR capabilities, 64GB internal storage, water resistance (IP68 ingress protection plus military standard durability), and wireless charging.

It was revealed last week that LG would be introducing a new version of its V30 handset, called the V30s, at MWC next week. The device comes with AI-powered camera and voice search features, which will also be present in Judy.

LG’s mobile division has been trying to turn its fortunes around for years. Despite being a very good phone, last year's V30 struggled against the best that Apple, Google, and Samsung had to offer. Hopefully for LG, Judy will stand out in a crowded market.

 

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http://www.hardwarezone.com.sg/feature-hands-asus-zenfone-5-android-phone-notch

 

 

 

 

The ASUS ZenFone 5 is an Android phone with a notch

 

 

Familiar?

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No, this really isn't an iPhone X.

 

ASUS today took the wraps off the latest phone in its ZenFone series, and in some ways I’m not even surprised by what I’m seeing.

It’s impossible to talk about the ZenFone 5 without first addressing the elephant in the room. The ZenFone 5 looks really similar to the iPhone X, so much so that you could be forgiven for not being able to tell them apart at first glance. 

The resemblance is more than superficial, and it even uses the same vertical camera orientation as the iPhone X. 

zf5ipx_0.jpg

The resemblance is uncanny.

 

ASUS isn’t the first Android manufacturer to ape Apple’s flagship and its signature notch, but it’s certainly the first major brand to do so. Depending on how you feel about so-called clones, this is either a depraved move or a stroke of genius.

But I’d rather not waste time passing judgement and dive into the specifications. They’re promising for sure, and clone or not, this may be ASUS’ best ZenFone yet.

The Taiwanese company announced three variants of the phone comprising the ZenFone 5ZenFone 5Z, and ZenFone 5Q, but it’s the first two notched models that will obviously garner the bulk of consumers’ interest.

 

Design & Hardware

Both phones share a lot in common, and save for some key hardware differences, are actually identical. For a closer look, you can check out our photo gallery here

Here’s what they share in common:

  • 6.2-inch 2,246 x 1,080-pixel IPS LCD notch display
  • 100 per cent DCI-P3 color gamut coverage
  • Main rear camera: 12-megapixel, f/1.8
  • Second rear camera: 8-megapixel, f/2.2 120-degree wide-angle lens
  • Front camera: 8-megapixel, f/2.0 83-degree lens
  • Dual SIM/microSD support
  • 3,300mAh battery
  • 153 x 75.6 x 7.85mm
  • 155g

However, despite all the similarities, the ZenFone 5Z is really the top dog, and it's far more powerful. Here's a table summarizing their differences:

ZenFone 5 vs ZenFone 5Z   ZenFone 5 ZenFone 5Z SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 with ASUS AI Boost RAM 6GB LPDDR4X 8GB LPDDR4X Storage Up to 128GB EMCP Up 256GB UFS 2.1  Microphone 2 noise-canceling microphones 3 noise-canceling microphones LTE CAT12 3CA 4x4 MIMO LTE for up to 600Mb/s data transfer CAT16 4CA, 4x4 MIMO (for operators) CAT12 3CA 4x4 MIMO (open channel) Gigabit LTE Always-on listening capability None Always-on listening

Both Qualcomm chips can take advantage of the newly announced Artificial Intelligence Engine, but the Snapdragon 845 also enables something called AI Boost. That said, this sounds slightly gimmicky to me, as it's sort of an on-demand overclocking option that pops up when the phone detects a demanding app.

It increases the operating frequency to boost performance, but you'll have to activate it manually when the phone prompts you, which seems slightly strange.

Another AI-powered feature is what ASUS calls AI Charging. This is supposed to extend the lifespan of your battery by varying the charging pattern to suit your usage habits. For instance, if the phone learns that you tend to go to bed at 10pm, it'll charge slower to reduce heat and avoid overcharging. 

aicharging.jpg

The ZenFone 5 can vary its charging patterns to suit your usage habits.

 

The 19:9 aspect ratio also allows you to make the most of the available screen real estate when watching 16:9 videos. This means no unsightly black bars around your video, which is definitely welcome. Furthermore, ASUS decided not to allow video to play around the notch, opting instead to blackout the areas to the left and right of it. The notch can be quite distracting when watching video, so I quite like this move.

 

zf5-notch.jpg

So...what's in the notch?

 

That aside, the main camera on both phones uses a Sony IMX363 sensor with large 1.4μm pixels that can let in more light for better low-light photography. The second 120-degree wide-angle camera is better suited for capturing wide landscapes, so ASUS is providing you with a choice, not unlike what LG did on the V30. 

The wide-angle camera can come in handy for shooting broad landscapes or in confined areas, where you need to capture more of a scene but don't have room to maneuver. 

zenfone5.jpg

Here's a more visual representation of what the camera offers.

 

In addition, you get 4-axis optical image stabilization on the main camera and dual-pixel phase detection autofocus (PDAF) for faster focusing.

Both rear cameras are complemented by a color correction sensor and LED flash packed into the round window below the camera module. 

And now, for a closer look at that notch. It's slightly narrower and taller than that on the iPhone X, and it holds the front camera, speaker, proximity sensor, and LED indicator. As it turns out, the notch is supposedly 26 per cent smaller than the one on the iPhone X.

zenfone5notch_0.jpg

The notch holds the front camera and speaker.

 

The phone is sandwiched between two sheets of 2.5D Gorilla Glass, and one of the most distinctive things about it is the way that light reflects off the glass back. It may have a similar vertically-oriented camera module as the iPhone X, but the pattern of reflections it produces is quite singular. 

The other key difference is of course the presence of the fingerprint sensor, which sits at the back of the phone.

zenfone5rear_0.jpg

The ZenFone 5 also has a vertically-oriented camera module on the rear.

 

The ZenFone 5 charges via a USB-C port, and there's thankfully a 3.5mm headphone jack here as well. 

zenfone5bottom_0.jpg

There's still a headphone jack!

 

The power button and volume rocker are located on the right, while a combination nano SIM and microSD slot sits on the left. 

zenfone5side_0.jpg

Power and volume buttons are on the right.

 

Being slightly larger and also lighter than the iPhone X, the ZenFone 5 feels less hefty in hand. I don't necessarily mean this in a bad way, but those who like how weighty the iPhone X feels won't find the same thing in the ZenFone 5.

 

Camera smarts

ASUS may have jumped onto the notch bandwagon, but it also has no intention of falling behind the AI photography trend as employed by the likes of Huawei and LG. In fact, AI plays a really big part in the phone's capabilities, and is mostly centered around the phone's photo-taking capabilities.

zenfone5camera_0.jpg

ASUS is talking up the AI features on its camera.

 

For starters, the ZenFone 5 supports things like AI Scene Detection, which identifies the scene or subject a user is shooting and automatically applies the ideal settings for the best results. This takes into account things like color saturationwhite balanceexposure and brightnessauto exposure timesharpness, and noise

It is capable of detecting 16 different scenes:

  • People
  • Food
  • Dog
  • Cat
  • Sunset 
  • Sky
  • Green field
  • Ocean
  • Flower
  • Plant
  • Snow
  • Night view
  • Stage
  • Text
  • QR code
  • Tripod 

You'll notice fine distinctions between things like cat and dog, and ASUS says that's because it wanted to take into account different expectations when shooting the two. For example, dog owners tend to have the luxury of having more time to frame the shot of their pup, whereas cat owners may want to capture their feline in action. In the latter case, ASUS may then apply a faster shutter speed.

zenfone5rear2_0.jpg

The camera can currently recognize 16 different scenes and objects.

 

When it comes to landscape shots like sunsets or the ocean, the camera will also draw from its AI data model and apply the ideal settings.

This seemed to work well enough when I tried it out with photos of flowers, animals and fields (and actual food) provided by ASUS, but there were also small glitches, such as when the phone initially identified a picture of a flower as text.

Still, things may improve as this isn't the final version of the software yet. The data models aren't static either, and ASUS says the overall experience will improve as the pool of reference photos that builds them grows. However, no user data or photos are sent to the cloud to refine these models, and ASUS will simply refine them on its end and push them out with firmware updates. 

In addition, the camera uses AI to learn the type of photos that owners want through something called AI Photo Learning. The phone presents you with identical photos treated with slightly different image settings and lets you pick the one you like best.

Over time, the camera comes to understand your preferences, and it then applies what it thinks is the best setting to replicate a similar look and feel for future shots. 

The settings derived from AI Photo Learning also take precedence over those that the AI Scene Detection feature may suggest. However, not all scenes and subjects are supported, and compatible photos will be marked by an icon in your photo library. 

Other so-called smart features include AI Beautification and AI Portrait, which works best for those who like to take selfies. The beautification mode can supposedly detect the gender of human subjects and apply digital makeup for women.

zf5-2.jpg

The camera offers a variety of shooting modes, including time lapse and super resolution up to 49-megapixels.

 

ASUS says it's analyzed over 100 different shades of skin color for the best results, and captures facial details using a scanning pattern with 365 dots. The effects can also be applied in video while live streaming on popular social media platforms, which sounds pretty handy if you care about that sort of thing.

 

Finally, the AI-powered portrait mode applies a bokeh effect to the background in real-time, and it works with both the front and rear cameras on the ZenFone 5 and 5Z. 

The rear cameras offer a hardware-based solution as they can use both lenses for more precise depth perception, whereas the front camera relies on software. 

However, the software on the demo unit I had still appeared slightly wonky, and the front camera tended to produce over-exposed images with uneven patches of blur in the background. Similarly, I wasn't able to get the rear cameras to work with objects. 

But since the firmware is still being updated, retail units may perform better.

The camera software also offers options for a gradienter and histogram, and you can toggle a manual mode that lets you play with things like focus, ISO, and exposure. 

zf5.jpg

Here's a look at the camera's manual mode.

 

 

ZenUI 5.0 and ZeniMoji

Finally, ASUS says that this is its cleanest version of ZenUI yet, with no duplicate apps for the browser, email, keyboard, or messaging. 

But now that we're on the topic of software, the ZenFone 5 has taken yet another leaf from the book of the iPhone X. It supports something called ZeniMoji, which as its name suggests, is a form of allowing cute avatars to take cues from your own facial expressions.

zenimoji.jpg

Apple has Animoji, Samsung has AR Emoji, and ASUS has ZeniMoji?

 

ASUS uses a combination of 52 different expressions to mimic yours, and it can also be used in video calls or live streams on social media. The company doesn't use a 3D depth camera for this, and it's instead trained its algorithm on hundreds of thousands of 2D faces with different expressions, lighting conditions, and angles. The algorithm then makes use of this data to approximate a 3D model of your face.

Unfortunately, I haven't had a chance to try this out yet, so I can't say how well it works.

 

Price and Availability

The ZenFone 5Z will retail for €479, so ASUS is looking to be one of the most affordable flagships with a Snapdragon 845 SoC. The 5Z is slated to be available in June. 

Onthe other hand, the ZenFone 5 retails at .... we'll update this as soon as we get the details!

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Twincharged

Wonder why they need to copy the notch... Stupid notch. Still can't get used to it for watching videos. Other than that, its ok.

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Wonder why they need to copy the notch... Stupid notch. Still can't get used to it for watching videos. Other than that, its ok.

No choice I guess, else where to put the front camera?

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