OnePlus launcher is the default home app on OnePlus smartphones. In the latest version, the brand has implemented a quick toggle on the left pane to switch between Google Discover and OnePlus Shelf.
Unlike most other launchers out there, the OnePlus launcher comes with OnePlus Shelf, which offers quick access to certain apps and functionalities. But with the launch of OnePlus 8 series, the brand replaced it with Google Discover.
However, the shelf returned again last month with a new way to access – a swipe-down gesture. But now, in OnePlus launcher v4.5.6, the brand has added a quick toggle to access it.
This quick toggle is not available for all users on OnePlus launcher v4.5.6 as it seems to be a server-side update. As you can see from the 9to5Google YouTube video embedded above, the toggle appears on the top right corner on the left side pane.
The implementation is neat as users can now change between Google Discover feed and the old OnePlus shelf with a simple tap.
The brand has a made good decision in this regard as though most users prefer Google Discover with recommended news and updates, there are certain users who make use of the OnePlus Shelf.
The popular social media app, TikTok, is pulling its service out of Hong Kong. The news arrives after the region adopted new national security laws that grow the Mainland Chinese government’s powers.
According to a spokesperson, “In light of recent events, we’ve decided to stop operations of the TikTok app in Hong Kong.” For those unaware, Hong Kong has recently adopted China’s Draconian regulations which have often been criticized for its censorship standards. Thus, global tech giants like Google, Facebook, and Twitter have already stopped processing requests for users’ data from the local government.
TikTok’s parent company ByteDance is a Chinese firm that has been struggling to differentiate its extremely successful western application from its parent company and Douyin (the Chinese version of the social video app). It has faced various criticism regarding its handling of information, and we had even reported on a claim of its harvesting user data.
TikTok has always denied sharing any of its information with the Chinese government. Although now, the new security laws in Hong Kong might undermine this position as it would require companies to hand over various forms of data to the government. Notably, the US is considering a ban on TikTok and other Chinese applications, with India already banning the social media platform along with 58 other apps from China.
Xiaomi launched the Redmi Note 9 Pro in India back in March 2020. Now, three months after the launch, the same model, with a faster charging has been re-launched in the SAME market with a different name – the Poco M2 Pro.
Initially, the Poco M2 Pro was expected to be a rebranded Redmi Note 9 Pro Global edition for India. But that’s not exactly the case here. The new Poco phone borrows the two-tone design as well as 33W fast charging from the global variant but keeps the 48MP quad-camera setup from the Indian variant.
The Poco M2 Pro is priced as follows:
4GB + 64GB – Rs. 13,999 ($187)
6GB + 64GB – Rs. 14,999 ($200)
6GB + 128GB – Rs. 16,999 ($227)
I’m not surprised that the Poco M2 Pro is even priced exactly the same as the Redmi Note 9 Pro (after GST hike). In short, you are getting a fancier design, faster charging, and a Z-axis vibration motor from the Note 9 Pro Max model (Poco is officially calling it the Z-Shocker Haptics) for the same price and with the Poco launcher on top (so no ads too).
This could also mean that Redmi may stop selling the Redmi Note 9 Pro in India soon simply because Poco offers much better value at the same price. But we haven’t got an official confirmation yet.
The Poco M2 Pro will be available in three colors: Out of the Blue, Green, and Greener, and Two-Tone Black.
Poco M2 Pro Specs
The Poco M2 Pro comes with the same specs as the Indian variant of the Redmi Note 9 Pro. So you get Snapdragon 720G processor on board with 4GB / 6GB RAM. You also get the same 48MP f/1.8 quad-camera setup with an 8MP 119º ultra-wide-angle camera, 5MP macro shooter, and a 2MP depth sensor. On the front, you have a 16MP selfie camera sensor.
The M2 Pro is P2i dust and water-resistant. Up front, you get a 6.67-inch FHD+ IPS LCD display with Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The phone features a 5000mAh large battery with 33W fast charging.
Poco M2 Pro Specs overview:
6.67-inch FHD+ 2400 x 1080 display with a punch-hole
Snapdragon 720G
4GB or 6GB RAM
64GB or 128GB of storage
Dedicated MicroSD card slot
Dual SIM (2 x nano) Card slot
48MP + 8MP + 5MP + 2MP quad rear cameras
16MP selfie camera
Side-mounted fingerprint scanner
5020mAh battery
33W fast charging with 33W charger in the box
Audio Jack, IR Blaster, Bluetooth 5.0
Overall, the Poco M2 Pro is an excellent smartphone in its price segment.
However, it’s a bit frustrating for recent Redmi Note 9 Pro buyers in India to see Poco M2 Pro users getting better value for the same price. The Note 9 Pro went on sale today, just before the M2 Pro’s official launch and it goes back on sale on July 14 at 12PM – which is also when the Poco M2 Pro goes on sale for the first time on Flipkart!
So what are your thoughts on the Poco M2 Pro as a rebranded Redmi Note 9 Pro?
Liu Xiaoming, the Chinese Ambassador of the UK, has recently given out a statement as a warning to the UK. The government official said that banning Huawei will have consequences.
According to Liu Xiaoming, “banning Huawei sends out a very wrong message.” Furthermore, Liu claimed that the US is to blame and that the UK is still influenced by the former’s policies. Although no specifics were given out regarding the “consequences,” but Xiaoming had hinted at investment or investors from China withdrawing from the UK.
“If you want to make China a hostile country, you’ll have to bear the consequences,” said the Chinese Ambassador. Thus, the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, is in a tough position where he could offend either the US or China. 5G networking is the newest hallmark for a developed nation and was said to vastly improve various fields within the country’s infrastructure. An example of this being newer and faster bandwidth helping in the upcoming elections.
The team at Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) has announced the discovery of new material — amorphous boron nitride (a-BN), in collaboration with Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) and the University of Cambridge.
The South Korean giant claims that it has the potential to accelerate the advent of the next generation of semiconductors. The amorphous boron nitride (a-BN) consists of boron and nitrogen atoms with an amorphous molecule structure.
While amorphous boron nitride is derived from white graphene, which includes boron and nitrogen atoms arranged in a hexagonal structure, the molecular structure of a-BN makes it uniquely distinctive from white graphene, says Samsung.
Amorphous boron nitride has a best-in-class ultra-low dielectric constant of 1.78 with strong electrical and mechanical properties and can be used as an interconnect isolation material to minimize electrical interference.
The material can also be grown on a wafer-scale at a low temperature of just 400°C. And thus, this newly discovered material is expected to be widely applied to semiconductors such as DRAM, NAND solutions, next-generation memory solutions for large-scale servers.
Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) has been working on the research and development of two-dimensional (2D) materials – crystalline materials with a single layer of atoms. It has been working on the research and development of graphene and has achieved groundbreaking research outcomes in this area. SAIT has been working to accelerate the material’s commercialization.
On Thursday, the iQOO Z1x 5G will be made official in China. Ahead of the launch, the company has confirmed some of the key specifications of the device. Yesterday, Master Lu shared the benchmarks scores of the iQOO Z1x 5G.
The iQOO Z1x 5G with V2012A model number recorded a score of 318,256 on Master Lu benchmarks. This score classifies it as a high-end device. The score is an average of CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage tests in which the iQOO Z1x 5G scored 134,086, 102,658, 41,163, and 40,619, respectively.
The variant of the iQOO Z1x 5G that was benchmarked on Master Lu has 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. The screen of the device produces 1080 x 2408 pixels Full HD+ resolution. As the company has officially confirmed, the Snapdragon 765G SoC will be present under the hood of the device.
The iQOO Z1x 5G will be iQOO’s first phone with the Snapdragon 7XX series chipset. Its 6.57-inch IPS LCD punch-hole display will support up to 120Hz refresh rate. The device will be backed by a 5,000mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging. It has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.
iQOO Z1x
It has a front camera of 16-megapixel. The rear side of the phone features a 48-megapixel + 2-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera unit. It is equipped with a side-mounted fingerprint reader. As far as pricing is concerned, it could be priced between 1,500 Yuan (~$214) and 2,000 Yuan (~$285). The handset will be available in China in color options like black, blue, and white.
While smartphones still don’t have a universal charging solution, smartphone manufacturers have mostly stopped using their proprietary solutions in favor of the MicroUSB or USB-C port.
In recent times, the adaptation of the USB-C port for smartphones has increased significantly and it still keeps on growing. Now, as per the report from market research agency Omdia, almost half of the smartphones getting launched this year will feature a USB-C port.
USB-C Interface
The report further adds that by the year 2022, more than half of the computing devices supporting data transmission will be featuring at least one USB-C port. So, this is not just limited to smartphones and also counts in products like laptops.
USB Type-C or USB-C is a new USB connector system with 24-pins that has a rotationally symmetrical connector. The standard, which was finalized in August 2014, is now being widely adopted by the manufacturers in smartphones and laptops.
Apart from charging the device, the USB-C port can also be used for several other functions such as data transmission, video output, power supply and can also be equipped with USB Power Delivery for a faster-charging speed.
Although not every smartphone manufacturer is using the same solution for charging smartphones, that could change soon. Earlier this year, the European Union voted to establish a common charging standard for mobile devices.
The aim of this to improve convenience for consumers, and cut considerable electronic waste from the disposal of discarded chargers. But there’s no yet specific timeline or plan about how this will be accomplished.
Just a day after Xiaomi announced the crowdfunding for a new coffee machine in China, the company has today announced that it will be crowdfunding its first smart door, dubbed as Xiaobai Wisdom Gate H1.
During the crowdfunding campaign, the smart door will be available for 3,999 yuan (~$570) but the actual retail price is set at 4,999 yuan (~$713). There’s a battery-powered version as well, which costs 4,399 yuan (~$627). Xiaomi is also offering a free installation service worth 1,040 yuan (~$148).
The newly unveiled Xiaobai Wisdom Door H1 is 2050mm high and 960mm wide. It has a traditional door design, which has two doors — left and right, and either can be open at a time or both simultaneously.
It is said that the door is made of up Stainless Steep through the precision casting process and comes with built-in reinforced iron bone. The door has a thickness of 95mm and weighs around 85 kilograms.
The interior is filled with sound-absorbing honeycomb panels, says the company. There’s also a 10-inch IPS touch-screen panel equipped with an HD 1080p camera sensor that supports 150-degree wide-angle, infrared night vision, and Xiaomi facial recognition algorithm to identify the person and determine age, gender, and other information.
As for unlocking the door, along with the standard lock, it also supports fingerprint-based unlocking, which the company claim has a pass rate of 99.7 percent. Xiaomi claims that to make this product, the company went through 15 months of careful research and development process, along with 300,000 tests, and filed 28 product patents.
Similar to most other smart home products from Xiaomi, this one too can be easily controlled using the company’s Mi Home application.
Pixel fans are eagerly waiting for the Pixel 4a mid-range phone, but the company is silent on its arrival. Since it recently received certifications from Singapore’s IMDA and India’s BIS, it is being said that the phone may launch this month. However, there are contradictory rumors that claim that the launch has been postponed to October. It is unclear whether the Pixel 4a will be arriving alongside the Pixel 5 series that is expected to debut in October. Speaking of Pixel 5, publication Pigtou in partnership with XLeaks7 has shared its CAD renders to reveal its design.
The leak reveals that the Google Pixel 5 has 144.6 x 70.4 x 8mm dimensions. With the camera bump, its thickness may increase up to 9.5mm. The appearance of the Pixel 5 not too different from the Google Pixel 4 from last year.
The device seemingly features a 5.78-inch display and the CAD renders show that it is surrounded by thick and symmetrical bezels. The display has a punch-hole placed at its top-left corner.
The Pixel 4 series lacked a fingerprint scanner and its users were provided with face unlock as the only biometric recognition feature. The Pixel 5 CAD renders show that the company will bring back the fingerprint scanner on the device.
The Pixel 5 seems to be sporting a glass back and an aluminum frame. The square-shaped module on the back houses the cameras along with an LED flash. A USB-C port along with a pair of external speakers can be found on the bottom edge of the Pixel 5. It lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack.
we are not posting that Pixel 5 leak because it is almost certainly not the device you think of as Pixel 5
— David "bury me with my golden arm" Ruddock (@RDRv3) July 6, 2020
According to Android Police’s David Ruddock, Google’s hardware team is in total chaos and it is yet to decide on the Pixel 5. This is the reason why the Pixel 5 leaks have not appeared yet. Since the authenticity of the Pixel 5 CAD renders could not be confirmed, readers are advised to digest the leak with a grain of salt.
Last year, companies like Samsung and Huawei introduced their first foldable smartphones in the market and now both the companies are gearing up to launch a second-generation of the same pretty soon.
Apart from these two brands, other smartphone makers are also working on their own foldable devices. While companies are working on an innovative design for their smartphones, it seems that technology will remain unchanged for years.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip
According to the report from market research firm UBI Research, foldable smartphones are expected to keep using the ultra-thin glass (UTG) and colorless polyimide (CPI) at least for the next five years.
It further added that the shipments for the CPI films and UTG will reach 4.5 million units and 3.5 million units, respectively, this year. The firm predicts that both the materials will grow in the next 5 years.
As per the estimated, by the year 2024, CPI films shipment will reach 37.1 million units and UTG 30.5 million units. The research firm said it took into account the outlook for foldable OLED panels and manufacturers’ yield rates.
Samsung Electronics is procuring its foldable OLED panels from Samsung Display which uses Sumimoto Chemical’s CPI films. On the other hand, BOE and Royole both have used CPI films from South Korea’s Kolon Industries.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip smartphone, launched earlier this year, was the first foldable smartphone from Samsung to use ultra-thing glass (UTG). The company will be using the same for the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 2, which is expected to launch next month.
The report from UBI Research claims that Samsung Display will supply Samsung Electronics with foldable OLED panels with UTG while shipping those with CPI films to Huawei. But, most other vendors will use CPI films but are researching foldable OLED panels that use UTG as well.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, people are stuck at home and can’t really go outside much, especially in a country like India which is among the worst-hit countries globally. So, Samsung India has come up with a new plan for offering customer service.
The South Korean giant has introduced customer care services for Indian users through WhatsApp with an aim to provide prompt resolution to queries of consumers without needing them to leave their homes.
This new service will be available on Samsung’s WhatsApp support number (1800-5-SAMSUNG) from 9 AM to 6 PM, seven days a week. The company has also said that the users can use the service for seeking technical support related to any Samsung product, get information about service center locations, the status of a repair, new offers, and also request for demo and installation of Samsung products.
The WhatsApp-based customer care service from Samsung comes on top of other “contactless” services that the company is already offering — remote support, live chat, call center assistance, and DIY videos.
Meanwhile, the company is now gearing up to launch its new flagship smartphones next month, possibly on 5th August. Along with the Galaxy Note20 series and the Galaxy Z Fold 2 smartphones, the company will also be launching the Galaxy Watch 3.
Samsung will be launching the Galaxy Note20 series in August. The rumored launch date is Aug. 5. Speculations are rife that the most advanced model in the series will be called Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. Twitter user and Youtuber Jimmy is Promo shared the leaked shots of the Galaxy Note20 Ultra. The new images showcase the sleek design of the phablet.
The live shots of the black variant of the Galaxy Note20 Ultra show that it has a glossy appeal. Recently, the Mystic Bronze edition had surfaced inadvertently on Samsung Ukraine’s website. The bronze edition seemingly Matte AG Glass finish. However, this finish seems to be absent on the black variant.
Here is a comparison done by a well-known Chinese tipster between the front design of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and last year’s Galaxy Note10+.
I shot Note10+ at the same angle, let's compare the subtle differences between N20U and N10+. 1.N20U is more square 2. N20U bezel is narrower 3. N20U hole is smaller 4.N20U seems to be more curved pic.twitter.com/TBSooqTMiB
The leakster mentions the Galaxy Note20 Ultra’s screen will be more curved and it will be surrounded by slimmer bezels. The South Korean company seems to have reduced the size of the camera hole. Lastly, the device appears more squarish.
The camera bump is easily noticeable on the backside of the Galaxy Note20 Ultra. Three camera lenses, an LED flash, and another sensor can be seen inside it. The third lens appears to be a periscope zoom lens.
The redesigned chassis of the Note20 Ultra features the volume rocker and power button on its right edge. The leakster who shared the images claims that the location of the S-Pen and the speaker are now on the left side of the USB-C charging port. The device lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Rumors have it that the Galaxy Note20 Ultra will have a 120Hz refresh rate supporting 6.87-inch QHD+ display. It will be fueled by Snapdragon 865+ SoC and may come with up to 12 GB of RAM. The 108-megapixel triple camera system of the Note20 Ultra may support up to 50x zoom. The phablet may house a 4,500mAh battery. According to a latest report on ETNewsSouth Korean publication, the Galaxy Note20 series will be available for purchase from Aug. 21 in the home market.
Vivo is reportedly working on a smartwatch. The moniker of the device could be Vivo Watch. Two variants of the Vivo Watch were spotted at the 3C certification platform in the previous month. The listings suggested that the smartwatch could be inching towards its launch in China. Yesterday, the Vivo Watch was found listed in the database of the Bluetooth SIG certification platform. Devices are known to go official in a timeframe of around one month after appearing at Bluetooth SIG. Hence, there is a possibility that the Vivo Watch may break cover as early as next month.
The Vivo Watch variant that has received approval from the Bluetooth SIG as a W2056 model number. The listing only confirms the support for Bluetooth 5.0 on the device.
The 3C listing of the Vivo Watch had revealed two model numbers namely, W2056 and W2052. The 3C listing only confirmed that the device may come with 5W charging. The two model numbers may belong to the two size variants of the Vivo Watch.
It was in June 2019 that Vivo China had claimed that it would be launching devices like smartwatches and AR glasses in the future. Since then, it has been silent on the existence of Vivo Watch. In April, a reputed tipster from China had first spoken about the existence of the Vivo Watch wearable device. He had revealed that the company began with the production of the Vivo Watch. Hence, it appears that the arrival of the Vivo Watch may not be far away.
At present, there is no word on the design and specifications of the Vivo Watch. Hopefully, the rumor mill will spill more details before its official announcement.
Among the mainstream smartphone brands, Huawei and Samsung are the two companies that have successfully launched foldable smartphones that can transform into a tablet-like device. Samsung will be announcing the Galaxy Z Fold 2 in the coming month. Like the predecessor Galaxy Fold from last year, the upcoming model will be flaunting inward folding design. On the other side, Huawei’s Mate X from last year and the Mate Xs that went official earlier this year both arrived with fold-out design. A fresh report on LetsGoDigital states that Huawei Technologies trademarked the “Mate V” brand name with European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). It is speculated that the Huawei Mate V could be arriving later this year with a fold-in design like Samsung’s foldable phones.
Reports surrounding the upcoming foldable phone from Huawei claims that it could be called Huawei Mate X2. However, since it is likely to arrive with a completely new form factor, the company may adopt a new name for it just as Samsung is now rumored to call its next Fold product as Galaxy Z Fold 2, and not Galaxy Fold 2.
The publication has shared some design renders of how the Huawei Mate V with fold-in design will appear. The Mate V name appears suitable since the letter V looks like a book-like folding design. One of the patent filings that Huawei had filed in August had carried the design of a fold-in foldable phone. The images in the post belong to those patent filings.
The images show the presence of a large inner display and a smaller display on the outside. The backside of the device has a quadruple-camera unit. The fourth lens in the setup appears square which indicates that it could be a periscope zoom lens.
Rumors have it that the main display of the upcoming foldable smartphone will support a 120Hz refresh rate. The Huawei Mate Xs reportedly encountered lackluster sales due to its hefty price tag. It remains to be seen whether the Mate V arrives with an enticing price tag.
Recent reports have revealed that OPPO is gearing up to launch the OPPO Reno4 series in India. Fresh information shared by 91mobiles reveals that the Chinese firm will launch the OPPO Reno4 Pro in the third week of this month. Its arrival is going to clash the launch of the OnePlus Nord that is expected to go official on July 21. It will also rival with the Vivo X50 and Vivo X50 Pro phones that are rumored to launch around July 16.
It is unclear whether the company will be launching the vanilla OPPO Reno4 alongside the Pro model. There is no word on the pricing of the Reno4 Pro for India. The predecessor OPPO Reno3 Pro had landed in India for Rs. 29,990 (~$402) and the pricing had increased to Rs. 31,990 (~$429) in April due to the GST hike in the country. Hence, it seems that the Reno4 Pro could be priced between Rs. 30,000 (~$402) and Rs. 35,000 (~$469) in the country.
The OPPO Reno4 Pro that debuted in June in China came with a 6.55-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display that supports the 90Hz refresh rate. Rumors are rife that the India edition of the phone will support a 120Hz refresh rate. The rest of the specs of the phone could be identical with its Chinese variant.
The Reno4 pro is powered by up to 12 GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 256 GB of UFS 2.1 storage. It runs on ColorOS 7.2 based Android 10 OS. It has a 4,000mAh battery that supports 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 fast charging. The smartphone is powered by a Snapdragon 765G mobile platform.
The Reno4 Pro has a 32-megapixel front camera. Its back is fitted with a triple camera system that includes an OIS ready 48-megapixel main camera, a 13-megapixel telephoto lens and a 120-degree 12-megapixel dedicated ultrawide video camera.
Aside from the ban placed on Huawei, the US government has continued to mount pressure on its allies to boycott Huawei’s 5G gears. The US’ effort has been yielding results as some countries like the UK are already contemplating making a U-turn. On the other hand, France may not be planning an outright ban at the moment but the European country won’t be encouraging telecommunication companies to use Huawei’s 5G gears.
BANGKOK, THAILAND – 2019/01/16: The Huawei logo seen displayed on an Android smartphone. (Photo by Guillaume Payen/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Reuters credits the head of the French cybersecurity agency ANSSI to have stated that there would not be a total ban on using equipment from Huawei in the rollout of the French 5G telecoms network, but that it was pushing French telcos to avoid switching to the Chinese company.
“What I can say is that there won’t be a total ban. (But) for operators that are not currently using Huawei, we are inciting them not to go for it,” Guillaume Poupard told Les Echos newspaper in an interview.
Reuters attributes sources to have disclosed in March that France would not ban Huawei but just like the UK and other countries, would seek to keep the Chinetech giant out of the core mobile network. The core mobile network carries higher surveillance risks because it processes sensitive information such as customers’ personal data.
The U.S. government has repeatedly claimed that Huawei’s5G gears could be used by China to spy on the West, hence the sustained pressure on allies to use alternatives instead of the Chinese company. The US has even offered to provide funding for countries to buy 5G gears from Huawei’s rivals.
Huawei has severally denied that its 5G gears pose any security risk from China.
Ulefone is a popular rugged smartphone maker, and the Armor series is a well-known smartphone series offering value-for-money and other high-end rugged smartphones. The latest addition, Ulefone Armor 9 has recently arrived on the Kickstarter crowdfunding website at a starting price of $429. However, the company is evolving new use-cases of the Armor 9 using Endoscopic Tool.
A new video is uploaded on the company’s official YouTube channel depicting the extensive use of the smartphone using an Endoscopic semi-rigid waterproof cable. It helps to see the household corners, automotive cylinders, narrow pipe to check blockage, and helps to peep into other confined places. Several other accessories like reflecting mirror, hook, and magnet for different scenarios.
In the video, we can see that Uelfone Armor 9 is helping to see any blockage in the washbasin, auto exhaust pipe and even in the air conditioner vent. It can be a troubleshooter for the majority of the blockage issues. It is a perfect tool for inspecting hard-to-reach, and narrow places easily.
Additionally, Ulefone Armor 9 features an Helio P90 AI processor coupled with 8GB RAM + 128GB internal storage. A 6.3-inch FHD+waterdrop display, 6600 mAh massive battery, face unlock and fingerprint ID. It also supports NFC for wireless payments via Google Pay. Ulefone Armor 9 is a 5G dual VoLTE device with support for global frequency bands.
It is IP68/IP69K and MIL-STD-810 certified device featuring a dustproof, waterproof and drop-proof body. In connectivity, you will get a GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo quadruple navigation system, and fingerprint ID, NFC, and 4G VoLTE support.
Ulefone Armor 9 is available via crowdfunding website Kickstarter with early bird discount till July 14th. You can know more about the device by heading to the crowd-funding website or Ulefone Official website.
You do not need a flagship anymore to get a perfect phone. Differences between flagships and upper-midrange phones have thinned in the last year and with the price hikes of the most advanced models, the upper-midrange devices became the main choice. Among the best high-end devices sold at modest prices this year we got the Motorola Edge, the Oppo Find X2 Neo, and the POCO F2 Pro. All offer the power of 5G and advanced hardware, but with a few differences. The first twos come with upper-midrange hardware, while the third is an affordable flagship. Which one should you go for? We will try to give you an answer through this specs comparison.
Motorola Edge vs Oppo Find X2 Neo vs Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro
Motorola Edge
Oppo Find X2 Neo
Xiaomi Poco F2 Pro
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT
161.6 x 71.1 x 9.3 mm, 188 g
159.4 x 72.4 x 7.7 mm, 171 g
163.3 x 75.4 x 8.9 mm, 219 g
DISPLAY
6.7 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), OLED
6.5 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), AMOLED
6.67 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), Super AMOLED
Motorola Edge looks undoubtedly impressive because it has the highest screen-to-body ratio, but my favorite design in this trio is the Oppo Find X2 Neo. It is more compact, thinner, and lighter than the Motorola Edge: with a thickness of just 7.7 mm, it is one of the thinnest 5G phones ever. And despite packing a battery with a capacity above 4000 mAh, it weighs just 171 grams: that is definitely an engineering miracle. With the absence of a curved screen and a big camera module, as well as less care for details, POCO F2 Pro looks less attractive than its opponents.
Display
Motorola Edge and Oppo Find X2 Neo are actually equipped with better displays than POCO F2 Pro. They feature a higher 90 Hz refresh rate, while POCO F2 Pro lacks it and it offers just 60 Hz. The AMOLED panel of the Motorola Edge looks really great with its Full HD+ resolution and the HDR10 certification: it is very hard to distinguish it from a top-tier flagship. Note that Motorola Edge and Oppo Find X2 Neo have curved punch-hole displays, while POCO F2 Pro has a flat full-screen display and a pop-up selfie camera. It does not have a 90 Hz refresh rate, but it is still a great panel with HDR10+.
Hardware/Software
The hardware is the department in which POCO F2 Pro takes the gold medal and it is the main advantage of the phone. It is fueled by the flagship-class Snapdragon 865 mobile platform paired with up to 8 GB of RAM and up to 256 GB of fast UFS 3.1 storage. Motorola Edge and Oppo Find X2 Neo are powered by the mid-range Snapdragon 765G: you would not notice the difference in daily use and most of the apps, but only in the most advanced scenarios such as gaming and video rendering. Motorola Edge loses against the Oppo Find X2 Neo because it sports just a half of its RAM (6 GB vs 12 GB). In each case, you get Android 10 out of the box, naturally.
Camera
The best cameras are built on the Oppo Find X2 Neo: it is the only one with OIS, so it offers superior stabilization. It also packs an amazing telephoto sensor with a 2x optical zoom and an ultrawide lens. Right after we got the Motorola Edge with a 64 MP main sensor, a telephoto lens, a TOF 3D sensor, and an ultrawide sensor, but no OIS. POCO F2 Pro is not the best camera phone out there, but unlike its rivals, it is able to record 8K videos.
Battery
POCO F2 Pro wins the battery life comparison because it has a bigger 4700 mAh battery and also because its display has a standard refresh rate. The silver medal goes to the Motorola Edge (but it comes with slower 18W charging), while Oppo Find X2 Neo wins the charging speeds comparison thanks to a 30W fast charging technology and a smaller 4025 mAh battery.
Price
In the global market, Motorola Edge is actually priced €600/$700. Oppo Find X2 Neo costs €700/$792, and POCO F2 Pro starts from just €500/$566. While it surely provides the highest value for money and the highest performance, at the end of the day, POCO F2 Pro is not the most complete phone. Oppo Find X2 Neo looks more complete as it offers a real high-end camera, stereo speakers, a sleek design, and all you can expect from a 2020 high-end phone. On the other hand, Motorola Edge has a longer battery life than Find X2 Neo, but lower-end hardware and cameras, as well as a thicker and heavier design. Note that, unfortunately, Find X2 Neo is mono SIM. Which one would you pick?
A new detail about the OnePlus Nord has been revealed. According to a tweet by Ishan Agarwal, the phone will have optical image stabilization. The tweet was retweeted by OnePlus Co-founder, Carl Pei with the comment “Flagship camera incoming”.
Optical Image Stabilization or OIS for short is a feature commonly found in flagship phones. There are even a few flagship phones that have been released in the past that do not have the feature, so it is no surprise that OnePlus is bragging about its availability on its mid-range device.
OIS allows users to take shake-free photos. If you don’t have steady hands or you are taking a photo while moving, you will definitely find it very useful.
Other than the confirmation of the new feature, the retail box of the phone has also been revealed.
The OnePlus Nord will come in a black box, a first for the company whose previous phones ship in white or red (orange in the case of the McLaren edition phones) retail boxes. The top part of the box has the OnePlus logo at the corner while the word “Nord” is written multiple times in a much larger font. On the side of the box is written “OnePlus“.
The retail box is designed in such a way that you can see the teal/cyan color of the inside of the box. This is the same color OnePlus is using for the OnePlus logo for the Nord line but we are surprised the logo on the box doesn’t have that color.
In one of the images posted, OnePlus demonstrates the sturdiness of the box by having two people stand on top of it. This particular picture has gotten mixed reception with some defending it and others saying they really do not care how strong the box is since it is going to get discarded once the phone is out of it.
The OnePlus Nord launches on July 21 and the event will be the world’s first AR smartphone launch.
Oukitel WP5 Pro is finally made available today after its announcement last week. The rugged smartphone offers excellent specifications at a compelling price. It is an affordable device offering tripel camera sensor, 8000 mAh battery and 5.5-inch HD+ display for $129. You can grab the Oukitel WP5 Pro from the official Oukitel store at a limited-time introductory discount as its actual price is $199. The company has enough stock to meet the demand.
The beautifully designed device houses a triple camera module on the rear side featuring a 13-megapixel primary camera, 2-megapixel and another 2-megapixel sensor. A set of four LED flashlights sits just below the camera module for better lighting. The camera module is quite different from the other rugged smartphones.
A massive 8000 mAh battery can provide backup for up to several days upon a single full charge. It can be your perfect companion on an extreme outdoor adventure or while working in extreme conditions. It works perfectly in outdoors without the need for charging and can remain on 480 hours of standby.
Other prominent features include a 5.5-inch HD+ In-Cell display, and corning Gorilla Glass 5, and runs Android 10 Go OS. It is powered with MediaTek Helio A25 SoC featuring an octa-core processor coupled with IMG VR GE8320-class GPU. The smartphone is available in 4GB RAM and 64GB Internal Storage.
An improved Helio SoC, better RAM, and presence of Android 10 Go makes the Oukitel WP5 Pro a better device than its predecessor Oukitel WP5. The device even houses an App locker application to safeguard your data.
It is a beautiful, rugged and powerful device available for the exceptional price of $129. You can buy it from Aliexpress. TO know more features, head over to the Oukitel official website.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
The publication has shared some design renders of how the 
