Someone bought Google’s new Pixel 3 XL smartphone in Hong Kong 3 days before its official unveiling

collected by :John Smith

Engadget reporter Richard Lai has gotten his hands on what appears to be a Google Pixel 3 XL three days ahead of the device's official release. In a video for Engadget, Lai said that he acquired the widely anticipated smartphone from a Hong Kong electronics shop called WahPhone Digital for $2,030. According to Lai, the device seems to be the real deal, with features matching leaked information on the phone, including a rear fingerprint reader and a large upper notch. "[It] feels solid and well-built," Lai wrote. It's still not clear how WahPhone Digital acquired the Pixel 3 XL's days before its official release date.

'Right-to-repair' advocates claim major victory in new smartphone copyright exemption

Copyright Office have granted American consumers and gadget repair shops greater freedom to fix their smartphones and other popular electronics in what "right-to-repair" advocates are calling a major victory. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 made it unlawful to circumvent technological measures used to prevent the piracy of copyrighted books, movies, video games and computer software. But he added that right-to-repair proponents want more robust tools to help consumers. Consumer advocates have pushed for legislation to compel device manufacturers to share instructional manuals and diagnostic tools to help consumers and repair experts fix devices. The Copyright Office holds a rulemaking process every three years to review potential exemptions to the rules against circumventing digital access controls.

How does NTT Docomo's tiny new smartphone measure up?

As it stated in The Card Keitai KY-01L offers basic smartphone capabilities, but how does it compare with card-sized rivals such as the Palm phone and the Light Phone 2? Here's how NTT Docomo's Card Keitai KY-01L stacks up against other smartphones that aim to be more ultra-mobile and simplistic than ever. Why the iPhone 7 is still a smart choiceNTT Docomo says its phone is the "world's thinnest" smartphone, and is the size of a credit card. At 0.2 inches (5.08mm), the phone is incredibly skinny and really not that much thicker than a normal credit card. Unlike the NTT Docomo phone, Palm's device has a full set of smartphone functions, including a camera, an app store, and a voice assistant.