LG unveils 5.3 inch smartphone display with a 0.7mm bezel on the sides. The company says that’s the narrowest bezel available for a smartphone screen.

The display panel features a 1920 x 1080 pixel LCD display and uses LG’s new “Neo Edge” technology to keep thing thin as well as LG’s Advanced In-Cell Touch, or AIT touchscreen technology.

Byeong-koo Kim, Vice President and Head of IT/Mobile Development Group at LG Display said -

“With this innovative product having many advantages, ranging from its narrow 0.7mm bezel and high resolution picture quality to its slim design and touch-embedded solutions, LG Display will continue to lead the growing market for large screen smartphones, meeting the expectations of customers and users by enhancing the quality of devices.”

LG isn’t the only company working on ultra-thin bezel technology. Sharp already has its almost bezel-less Aquos Crystal smartphone on the market. LG Display will begin mass production of its new smartphone panel in November and will be supplying customers in China first.

Philips announced its latest flagship smartphone Philips i966 Aurora in China. The smartphone is loaded with 2.5GHz quad core Snapdragon 801 (MSM8974AC) processor. It has 5.5-inch Quad HD display (2560×1440 pixels) with Gorilla Glass 3 protection. It comes with YunOS 3.0 which is an Android based OS. The smartphone has 3GB RAM with 32GB internal storage which is non expandable. The Philips i966 Aurora sports a 20.7MP rear shooter with LED Flash, Exmor RS BSI sensor and an 8MP front facing shooter. Connectivity options include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and 3000mAH battery capacity. It comes with fingerprint sensor which can detect wet finger too.

Philips Aurora i966 will be made available in China for Rs. 37,000. As of now, there’s no word yet on its availability in India.

Specifications of Philips i966 Aurora are -

• Processor – 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801
• Display – 5.5-inch Quad HD with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection
• Resolution – 2560×1440 pixels
• RAM – 3GB
• Memory: 32GB internal
• Camera: 20.7MP with LED Flash
• Front Camera – 8MP
• OS – YunOS 3.0 OS based on Android
• Dimensions – 1523x76x8.2mm
• Battery – 3000mAh

Samsung has introduced a new smartphone called Galaxy Core Max. The smartphone, sporting the model number SM-G5108Q, supports dual-SIM connectivity. The device is currently available in China. Global availability and pricing aren’t revealed as yet, but looking at the specifications it’s likely to be a mid-range or budget phone.

Specifications of Samsung Galaxy Core Max are -

• Display – 4.80-inch
• Processor – 1.2GHz
• Front Camera – 5-megapixel
• Resolution – 540×960 pixels
• RAM – 1GB
• OS – Android 4.4
• Storage – 8GB
• Rear Camera – 8-megapixel
• Battery – 2200mAh
• Dimensions – 136.3×69.6x6x8 mm
• Weight – 132 grams

Chinese smartphone company Xiaomi has a new product up its sleeves to monitor your blood pressure. Branded as iHealth, the new dock attaches to a cuff that can measure your blood pressure and heart rate.

The iHealth dock sounds similar to other such devices, such as the Withings Smart Blood Pressure Monitor, which attaches a cuff to your smartphone and uses an app to record and monitor your blood pressure.

Xiaomi spokesperson said -

“The blood pressure monitor can be used on other Android devices, but it is best suited for Xiaomi smartphones.”

Xiaomi had marked its first move to health-related gadgets back in July when the company launched its Mi Band alongside the company’s flagship smartphone, Mi 4.

Apple will unveil a smartwatch alongside the iPhone 6 on September 9, according to reports. The technology giant is expected to launch the iWatch at a “big” media event next month.

The wearable device could utilize the Home Kit function on Apple’s new iOS 8 operating system, potentially allowing users to control lights and garage doors wherever they are in the house. The iWatch is also expected to be compatible with Apple’s Health app, which collects a user’s fitness and well being data, such as heart rate, from multiple sources and brings it together on one prominent screen.

Though Apple has plans to introduce a wearable device in September, there is no word on when the device might ship. It is likely the device will be shown several months before it will be available to consumers.

Apple’s upcoming wearable device has been frequently referred to as the iWatch by both MacRumors and other rumor sites, but it remains unclear what Apple will call the device at launch. It is expected to be a wrist worn device, however, and rumors have suggested that it will come in multiple sizes with several different designs available at multiple price points.

LG is going to introduce a round-faced sequel called the LG G Watch R next week at IFA 2014 in Berlin.

LG G Watch R, features -

• Clear circular display with a button on the side
• Digital step counter
• Distance meter
• Compass

The smartwatch also seems to adopt a classic wristwatch design and thus you can also expect it to come with a full metal build. According to a recent report one of the LG officials called the G Watch R as a “game changer”.

LG’s L Bello is the slightly more powerful of the two, featuring a 5-inch FWVGA (480×854 pixels) IPS display and a 1.3GHz quad-core processor. It took gets 1GB of RAM and 8GB of inbuilt storage. There’s an 8-megapixel autofocus rear camera and a 1-megapixel front shooter.

Specifications of LG L Bello are -

• Display – 5.00-inch
• Processor – 1.3GHz Quad Core
• Front Camera – 1-megapixel
• Resolution – 480×854 pixels
• RAM – 1GB
• OS – Android 4.2
• Storage – 8GB
• Rear Camera – 8-megapixel
• Battery – 2540mAh
• Dimensions – 127.5 x 67.9 x 11.9mm
• Colors Available – White, Black, Gold, Red and Green

Specifications of LG L Fino are -

• Display – 4.50-inch
• Processor – 1.2GHz Quad Core
• Front Camera – 0.3-megapixel
• Resolution – 480×800 pixels
• RAM – 1GB
• OS – Android 4.4.2
• Storage – 4GB
• Rear Camera – 8-megapixel
• Battery – 1900mAh
• Dimensions – 127.5 x 67.9 x 11.9mm
• Colors Available – Black, White and Gold

Xolo has launched Xolo 8X-1000, a new Android smartphone that will be available starting next week at Rs 13,999. The smartphone runs on Android 4.4 KitKat with Xolo’s new HIVE UI, which is internally developed by Lava International.

Vishal Sehgal, co-founder & director, Lava International, said -

“We are excited to announce HIVE to our XOLO customers. Built on an Android core, HIVE is a “Made in India, Made for India” platform designed by our Software Design Centre at Bangalore. With user empowerment at its core, HIVE enables users to contribute creatively to the platform, taking smartphone personalization to The Next Level.”

Hive features are -

• Customized UI elements .
• New launcher, widgets.
• Customized system apps that offer additional features and the ability to connect with Xolo’s software development team to offer feedback.
• Provide ease of use and flexibility.
• Unique feature called Edge, a platform for designers to create and share themes, wallpapers, and ringtones for users.

Specifications of Xolo 8X-1000 are -

• Display – 5 inch
• Resolution – 1280 x 720 pixels
• Rear Camera – 8 MP shooter with Sony’s Exmor R Sensor
• OS – Android 4.4 KitKat
• Processor – 1.4GHz MediaTek MT6592M Octa-Core
• RAM – 2GB
• Internal Storage – 16GB expandable up to 32GB
• Front Camera – 2 MP
• Battery – 1920 mAh

Xiaomi finally announced the most expected Mi 4, successor of the Mi 3 that was unveiled last year. The phone will be available in China. The phone has been priced at $320 for the 16GB version and $400 for the 64GB version.

Mi4 has a 5-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) IPS display , based one-glass solution (OGS) made by Sharp / JDI, powered by a 2.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor with Adreno 330 GPU. It runs on MIUI v6 on top of Android 4.4 (KitKat). It has a 13-megapixel rear camera with Sony BSI sensor, and a 8-megapixel front-facing camera win Sony sensor. It has a stainless steel frame, 67.5mm-wide body and weighs just 149 grams.

Specifications of Xiaomi Mi 4 are -

• Display – 5 inch IPS with Corning Gorilla glass protection on top of it
• Resolution – 1920 x 1080 pixels
• Processor – 2.5 GHz quad core Snapdragon 801
• RAM – 3GB
• OS – Android 4.4 KitKat
• Internal Storage – 16GB/64GB of non-expandable storage
• Rear Camera – 13MP with LED flash
• Front Camera – 8MP
• Weight – 149 grams
• Battery – 3080 mAh
• Colors Available – Black and White
• Frame Design – Stainless Steel Metallic frame
• Weight – 149 grams
• Expected Price – Rs 19,499/Rs 24,499