Week 1 in review: Galaxy S8 rumors, Nokia and BlackBerry plans for 2017

CES or no CES, the stream of Samsung Galaxy S8 rumors is flowing steady. This week has brought us a release date, a hint at a Continuum-like feature, and a live photo, which may very well be a fake. Or it might be real, given that the phone is supposedly already in testing in China.

In the 'tangible' folder we have the announcement of the Asus Zenfone AR this week in Las Vegas. A Google Tango-capable 5.7-incher with 8GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 821 inside, it also supports Google Daydream. You can't be Tango-Daydreaming, though - only one at a time. Asus also pulled the wraps off an iPhone 7 Plus-like dual-camera Zenfone 3 Zoom - unlike the Zenfone Zoom with its periscope 3x mechanism, the Zenfone 3 Zoom has a 2.3x range, courtesy of two separate cameras.

Also at CES, Xiaomi unveiled an even hotter looking white version of the already scorching Mi Mix bringing the number of borderless flagships available outside of China to zero - the Mi Mix will still be exclusive to its home market, officially at least. Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon 835 top-end chipset, once again. Samsung made the A (2017) official too, not at CES, strictly speaking.

A leaked slide brought the initially expected 3-4 Nokia smartphones to 6-7 - how about we start seeing them one by one already? We'll be seeing a BlackBerry device at MWC this spring, that's for sure - a proper hardware QWERTY one, too.

As usual, we've provided some quick links for you to read the full scoop on these stories and more. Check them out below.

Asus unveils Zenfone 3 Zoom, Zenfone AR with 8GB of RAM, Tango and Daydream

The Zenfone 3 Zoom packs a 5,000 mAh battery, while the Zenfone AR is the first phone to have that amount of memory and support both AR and VR.

Samsung Galaxy S8 release date allegedly revealed

Korean sources say that the device will launch on April 18 due to late design changes.

First alleged photo of the Samsung Galaxy S8 surfaces

There's no guarantees it's real, but it does give you a look into the button-less future.

Samsung Galaxy S8 reportedly already being tested in China

Both the international and the local version are being evaluated.

Galaxy S8 to come with Continuum-like feature called Samsung Desktop Experience

This is billed in a leaked slide as the "Next Mobile Workspace".

Samsung unveils Galaxy A3 (2017), A5 (2017) and A7 (2017)

The metal bodies are just 7.9mm thick and they all have USB Type-C connectors.

Samsung reveals EU pricing for the Galaxy A3 (2017) and A5 (2017)

It looks like the rumors were right and the company will not be selling the A7 (2017) in Europe.

BlackBerry Mercury confirmed for MWC, new teaser video outed

The phone will focus on security, productivity and reliability.

New BlackBerry DTEK70 (Mercury) renders leak

The leak - which came in the form of a Weibo post - shows the black colored variant of the device, from both front as well back.

Slide reveals Nokia/HMD plan 6-7 Android phones for this year

From flagship to entry level, New Nokia will cover all the bases.

Qualcomm announces the Snapdragon 835

Qualcomm has announced a successor to the high-end Snapdragon 820 series. Many improvements have been announced, including Quick Charge 4.0.

Xiaomi announces white Mi Mix at CES, still China-only

Despite what many were hoping, Xiaomi isn't planning on selling the Mi Mix elsewhere.

Purported image of Sony Xperia X (2017) leaks

Claimed to be a press image, the leak shows from an angle the front of the black-colored model of the new Xperia X.

5.5-inch HTC One X10 leaks, images and specs outed

The device will be the successor to the One X9 when it launches later this month.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 to have 4K display and Bixby AI assistant

The phone will have the newest Samsung voice assistant and better resolution for enhanced VR experience.

Vivo V5 Plus leaked specs reveal dual front cameras

The phone will sport a 20MP + 8MP cemara combo and Moonlight Glow flash at the front.