Sony Starts Working on New Android Launcher to Replace Xperia Home Launcher

Sony has discontinued the Xperia Home launcher to make way for a new launcher. The latest revelation comes just in a week after the Japanese giant formally announced the discontinuation as a "business decision". The company is putting its original launcher into "maintenance mode" and is even closing the Xperia Home beta community in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, it has been discovered that a new home app in works to replace the existing Xperia launcher. The new offering could include gesture controls - inspired by Android P. It may also come with an enhanced interface to make Sony smartphones as appealing as the competition that has devices running Samsung Experience 9.0, LG UX 6.0, and Edge Sense 2.

"The reason for discontinuing new feature development in the current Xperia Home Application is that we are developing a new Home Application," Sony's Xperia Home Open Beta Community Moderator Erika Prymus said in a Google+ post.

Prymus didn't reveal what all the features Sony will offer on its new launcher app. However, as XperiaBlog.net reported, one of the new additions are likely to be the gesture controls that could be similar to the ones available on Android P. The availability of gesture controls could also set the pitch for new devices having a thin-bezel display and a notch design - matching some of the latest flagship offerings.

The launch schedule of the new home launcher app by Sony hasn't revealed yet. However, considering the moderator's statement on the public platform, it could happen sometime in the coming months.

Unlike the Xperia Home launcher that hasn't received a major overhaul in the recent past, Samsung introduced its Experience 9.0 earlier this year with a list of changes, including an improved keyboard and tons of new emoji characters. There are also several advancements on the LG UX 6.0 that comes preloaded on the LG G7 ThinQ and HTC's Edge Sense 2 that runs on the HTC U12+.

Apple Expects LCD iPhone Models to Drive Majority of Sales This Year: Report

While the 2018 iPhone lineup is likely to include two new OLED display-featuring models, Apple is apparently not very optimistic about the premium experience and is now reportedly expecting that LCD models will make up the majority of iPhone sales in the upcoming lineup. It is reported that the Cupertino giant initially wanted almost equal production of iPhone models featuring LCD and OLED panels, but possibly due to poor demand of the iPhone X that debuted last year with an OLED panel and a massive starting price tag of Rs. 89,000 ($999 in the US), the company shifted its original estimation. Presently, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 series model include LCD panels. Some initial reports claimed that the new LCD iPhone this year will come somewhere between $600 (roughly Rs. 41,000) and $700 (roughly Rs. 48,000).

Citing people involved with Apple's supply chain, The Wall Street Journal reports that instead of its new OLED models, Apple expects its LCD models to make up the majority of iPhone sales in its new lineup, expected to debut this Fall, notesMacRumors

The company reportedly changed its expectation by taking in view the "sign of consumers' sensitivity to the price of smartphones", considering the weaker demand of the iPhone X than the initial forecasts mainly due to its price tag. Furthermore, it is said that Apple could retain at least one lower-priced LCD iPhone in its 2019 lineup instead of shifting entirely to OLED. This may be a strategic move majorly to offer an affordable option in the market.

It is unclear whether Apple is considering particularly the 2018 iPhone LCD model as its sale-driving offering this year or including the iPhone 7, iPhone 8, and the iPhone SE in the list of "LCD models" that are likely to attract several customers despite the launch of new models.

Having said that, the strategy of bringing a new LCD-based iPhone this year appears to be aimed at bolstering revenue as it is rumoured to be the cheapest in the new family. As per a recent note by Apple-watching analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who is working at TF International Securities, the lower-end iPhone in the new range that will come with a 6.1-inch LCD panel will come somewhere between $600 and $700 price, while the new 5.8-inch OLED iPhone will be priced between $800 (roughly Rs. 55,000) and $900 (roughly Rs. 61,600) and the 6.5-inch OLED iPhone will be priced between $900 and $1,000 (roughly Rs. 68,500). All these models are expected to carry an iPhone X-like design, though certain features will be specific to the OLED models - certainly, to project them as premium in the range.

Apple could deploy an MLCD+ panel on the new iPhone model instead of a traditional LCD panel to deliver an enhanced experience. Also, the LCD version may include Face ID support to fill in the absence of the fingerprint recognising Touch ID.

Asus ZenFone Ares With 8GB RAM, QHD Display Launched: Price, Specifications

Asus ZenFone Ares has been launched in Taiwan. The new model has specifications similar to last year's ZenFone AR. It also has a bunch of features specific to deliver augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) experiences. The handset additionally includes SonicMaster 3.0 Hi-Res Audio 384 kHz audio decoder and supports DTS Headphone with 7.1 channel support. Asus is selling the handset in the Taiwanese market with a price tag of TWD 9,990 (approximately Rs. 22,700). This is significantly cheaper than the price of the ZenFone AR that was launched in India back in July last year at Rs. 49,999.

Asus ZenFone Ares price

Taiwanese retailer PCHome is taking pre-orders for the Asus ZenFone Ares. The online listing features the handset along with its price of TWD 9,990. Furthermore, the handset will be available for purchase through local retailers in the country. The Taiwan launch was first reported by DealnTech.

Asus ZenFone Ares specifications

The dual-SIM (Nano) Asus ZenFone Ares runs Android Nougat with ZenUI on top and features a 5.7-inch QHD (1440x2560 pixels) Super AMOLED display with a standard 16:9 aspect ratio. The display panel has a Tru2life technology to enable VR experiences and comes with an oil-repellent coating. Under the hood, there is a dated Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 SoC, coupled with 8GB of RAM. The smartphone has a 23-megapixel camera sensor on the back with Asus' high-res PixelMaster 3.0 technology on top and an f/2.0 aperture. The camera is also capable of capturing motion tracking and depth sensing to enable AR effects out of the box. On the front, there is an 8-megapixel sensor with an f/2.0 aperture.

For storing content, the Asus ZenFone Ares has 128GB of onboard UFS 2.0 storage that is expandable via microSD card (up to 2TB). The smartphone has 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth v4.2, GPS/ A-GPS, USB Type-C, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. There is also a fingerprint sensor embedded under the home button. Besides, the smartphone packs a 3300mAh battery that supports Qualcomm's Quick Charge 3.0.

Asus ZenFone Ares

• KEY SPECS
• NEWS

Display

5.70-inch

Processor

quad-core

Front Camera

8-megapixel

Resolution

1440x2560 pixels

RAM

8GB

OS

Android 7.0

Storage

128GB

Rear Camera

23-megapixel

Battery Capacity

3300mAh