Welcome back to another edition of Rumor Roundup! Today we have some leaks regarding iris scanners, when exactly when we’ll get our first official look at the hotly anticipated LG V20, and a possible smaller OnePlus 3. Let’s dive right in!
Iris scanners for the masses
Samsung hopes to bring its newest stand-out feature to its mid-tier lineup according to quotes from an executive, according to Sammobile. The new iris scanner was heavily featured in promotional material and was first new feature discussed at the Note 7 press conference on Monday. Now, we’re hearing from DJ Koh, Samsung’s Mobile Chief about bringing the scanners to other phones in Samsung’s lineup once the costs become controllable.
“Through continued cost cutting, iris scanning can trickle down to mid-end models.There is a view that Android is weak in security compared to its competitor and we want to expand software security that can overcome this image.”
Don’t expect to see any cheaper Samsung phones use this feature for at least another year or so. Samsung isn’t dumb enough to cut off its nose off to spite its face by adding the biggest selling feature of its current flagship device to much cheaper devices. Why spend $800 on a phone when you can get the same features on a phone for less than half the price, right? Still, this is exciting news to those who are interested in having a secure phone.
The V20’s debut
Recently, we’ve written a lot about the LG V20. We loved last year’s V10 so it makes sense that we’d be excited about the follow-up this year. The V10 had a major focus on multimedia which made it stand out from the Samsung Galaxy Note 5. We’re hoping to see that same commitment to a great camera, a high-end DAC, and lots of storage.
And, we won’t have to wait long to find out if the hype is for good reason. LG sent out invites indicating that we’ll be seeing the LG V20 in the flesh on September 6 at an event in San Fransisco. Will the V20 take on the Note 7 this year or will it fall flat like the LG G5 did earlier this year? We’ll have all the coverage for you on the day of the event.
OnePlus 3 Mini
OnePlus fans have been clamoring for a smaller flagship since last year when a OnePlus 2 Mini was rumored. That turned out to be the OnePlus X, but this year may actually bring a OnePlus 3 Mini with the same flagship specs as the OnePlus 3.
A GFXBench listing indicating that a 4.6″ OnePlus device with a Snapdragon 820 processor, a 16MP camera, 6GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage are starting to surface. But, would it sell enough to justify the newer device? The OnePlus 2 sold around 1.5 million devices in a year and that was without a true mini version. Would the OnePlus 3 Mini compliment it’s bigger brother or just eat into its sales?
We hope that OnePlus does take the plunge and release a smaller flagship for those who enjoy easier to handle phones, but we remain skeptical.
That wraps up our Rumor Roundup for today! What are you most excited for, a more cost-efficient Samsung phone with an iris scanner, the LG V20 being debuted, or a OnePlus 3 mini? Let us know down in the comments.
I’m consistently amazed at stupid decisions smartphone companies make. Do I want a smaller phone? Yes! So not like 5.5 inch phones. Do I want a 4.6 phone? No. That’s suicide. Who the f wants a 4.6 phone. Even apple is 4.7. Makes absolutely no sense and sales will show that. They should opt for 4.8 to 4.9.