One of the most popular new year resolutions is to get fit. If you are one of those who plan to take your health and general fitness seriously this year, then Huami has some nice deals on its watches. Just a few days after announcing a price cut for the Amazfit GTR, it has announced a price cut for the Amazfit Health Watch.
The Azmazfit Health Watch was announced in June 2018 and became available for purchase in August. It has a similar design to the Amazfit Bip and is erroneously referred to as the Amazfit Bip 2 by some. When it launched, it sold for ¥699 (~$100), starting today, you will be able to purchase the watch for just Amazfit Health Watch.
The Health Watch, unlike Amazfit’s other products, measures not only the heart rate but also detects if the wearer has an irregular heartbeat thanks to its built-in ECG measurement feature. It also has fall detection and will automatically contact a pre-configured number if there is an emergency.
The Amazfit Health Watch is powered by the Huangshan No.1, an AI wearable chipset made by Huami. It can store up to 60 ECG data (2 ECG per day) for up to 30 days. You can also choose to upload the data to the cloud using the app and proceed to share the data with relatives, friends, and health professionals.
The watch has a 1.28-inch reflective screen with a 176 x 176 resolution. It uses 20mm quick-release straps that are easily replaceable. The watch also has an eSIM for connecting to NB-IoT networks, so it can sync data to the cloud or notify contacts of an emergency. There is a 200mAh battery that can last up to 7 days on a single charge.
The watch also has a step counter, a sedentary reminder, a calorie counter, and a sleep tracker. It will alert you when there is a notification on your phone and also has a reminder.
Amazfit has also discounted practically all its other watches too. If you are looking for something inexpensive, you may want to check out the Amazfit Bip Lite which is currently down to ¥199 (~$29) for a limited time. This has all the features of the standard Bip save for GPS.
The Realme 5i will be debuting in Vietnam on Jan. 6. Almost everything has been revealed about this phone through its appearance on a Vietnamese retailer site. The smartphone seems to be aimed towards Southeast Asian markets at the moment as it is expected to launch in markets like Vietnam and Singapore. Ahead of the launch, the Realme 5i that has a model number of RMX2030 has surfaced on Geekbench to reveal some of its key details and performance.
On Geekbench, the Realme 5i has scored 1543 in the single-core test and 5602 in the multi-core test. The smartphone scored 313 in the single-core test of Geekbench 5 and 1389 in its multi-core test. The smartphone is loaded with Android 9 Pie and it is fueled by a Qualcomm chipset that has a codename of trinket. It is the Snapdragon 665 mobile platform. The SoC is couple with 4 GB of RAM.
Past reports have revealed that there are only few differences between the Realme 5i that is coming to Vietnam and the Realme 5 that was made official in India few months. The first difference is that the Realme 5i does not feature a diamond-cut design like the Realme 5. And the second one is that the Realme 5 has a front-facing camera of 13-megapixel whereas the Realme 5i has a downgraded selfie snapper of 8-megapixel.
The Realme 5i has a 6.52-inch IPS LCD HD+ display with waterdrop notch. It will be preloaded with ColorOS 6.1 UI based Android 9 Pie OS. The phone will draw power from a 5,000mAh battery. The device will only support 10W charging. The rear side of the device is fitted with a quad camera setup that includes a main lens of 12-megapixel, an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor, a 2-megapixel depth sensor and a 2-megapixel macro lens.
The Realme 5i is expected to arrive in two models such as 3 GB RAM + 32 GB storage and 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage. The latter could be priced around (~$185) in Vietnam. It is expected to come in two colors like Blue and Green.
In the last few years, access to weather information has eased. Our reliability on newspapers and TV oriented weather bulletin has decreased to minimal levels. Thanks to the smartphone world, we now have 24*7 access to weather forecasts with the help of several weather apps, services, and APIs. Nowadays, your smartphone acts as a portable weather studio with detail of every metric. The user can see different satellite images of clouds, temperature, precipitation, and wind patterns to understand the forecast in a better way. We have concluded a list of best weather apps for Android and iOS ecosystems.
There are several benefits of using the weather apps, rather than relying on the regular news broadcasts. It makes information available 24*7 in a few taps. Since the advent of smartphones, several weather broadcasting apps have sprawled up in recent times. There are plenty of weather apps available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
The smartphone in our pockets can bring weather information on fingertips. Let’s see the list of best weather apps for Android and iOS.
List of Best Weather Apps
Accuweather
Price: Free / $2.99
Accuweather is a prominently used weather app for both the Android and iOS devices. The app is home to extended forecasts, hourly forecasts, and basic weather information. It even alerts the users in case of any storm and other weather emergencies. It’s an all-weather companion for the users to get real-time notifications.
Apart from alerts, it brings detailed cards for today’s weather forecast with the help of RealFeel Temperature technology. It uses the location permission to predict the weather information dynamically, wherever you travel. The App offers 15 days of the weather forecast in advance. The MinuteCast option brings minute by minute weather information for users.
Enjoy the accurate weather predictions by downloading it from the respective links mentioned below. The app supports widgets. However, the users on macOS, Windows, and Linux can access the Accuweather forecast details either by visiting their website or using third-party software over APIs. The premium features come with a price tag of $2.99.
A simple yet beautiful weather app for iOS and Android. It helps to track weather forecasts and current conditions in real-time. Users can keep a tab on the weather of several locations. It gives detail reports, including temperature, precipitation forecast, Doppler radar, and much more.
1Weather supports severe weather alerts in the US by directly retrieving from National Weather Service (NWS). It offers hourly, detailed for 1.5 days and extended for ten days forecasts. 1Weather also brings an exclusive 12 Weel weather forecast from renowned meteorologist Gary Lezak. It is quite a useful tool and aids in planning for vacations, planning, reunions, parties, and other outdoor activities.
Interactive weather Maps with fullscreen zoom including different layers like Radar, Clouds and severe weather. It supports dynamic photo backgrounds, and the user can set custom backgrounds. It supports several languages, including English, Espanol, Franais, Italiano, Traditional Chinese, and Japanese.
Google’s search card for weather is another excellent source to get weather information. Google has added the weather forecast information in Discover Home Feed, Google News App, and Google Assistant. The user can now ask about the weather information using voice commands over Google Nest and other Assistant-powered devices.
It is a good option to check the present weather condition for your location quickly. Apart from the accessibility, Google weather offers detailed information about the present and the next ten days weather forecast. The feature does not need any specific app on Android devices. However, the iOS users need to install Google App to get access to the Google Weather.
The intuitive graphics of the weather card depicts vast information in a precise and compact manner. However, the user needs to turn on the location data to automatically detect the location. Otherwise, the location can be added manually.
It’s a new kind of weather app with a different approach. The app is dynamic as it offers different Live wallpapers that depict the weather in current conditions. Different live wallpapers work dynamically according to the present location weather. The sun on your wallpaper will set according to the real world, and the same is the scenario with the moon.
The app offers real-time weather stats and forecasts for up to 14 days. Awesome Weather by YoWindow also shows Water temperature, “Feels” like temperature, the chance of rain, and UV Index.
It also has the option to showcase temperature on the status bar or in the notification area. Apart from that, there’s also an option to mention the animated weather using the Live Wallpaper on YoWindow. Full-fledged weather information is also available via the Weather widgets.
The engaging User Interface of the Dark Sky app was first made available for the iOS users. Later, it arrived on Android with its famous “hyper-local” forecasts. The app offers down-to-minute weather forecasts with details like the exact time to stop the rain. The popularity of the app can be judged by the fact that it has been featured on dailies like the New York Times, Wal Street Journal, Fast Company, Wired, and others.
The free version of Dark Sky is limited to specific features like a full 24-hour weather forecast, detailed 7-day forecast, current conditions, historical data, and beautiful weather apps. However, you will get access to down-to-the-minute forecasts, rain notification, and alerts, the temperature in the status bar feature by the premium version for $2.99.
Dark Sky also has inbuilt widgets support for weather on your homescreen. Surprsingly, the Dark Sky supports Wear OS with weather information including current conditions, and forecasts for the next 24 hours. Unfortunately, the app availability is limited to the US, UK, and Puerto Rico.
Are you looking for detailed Weather reports? Then The Weather Channel is the ultimate choice as it offers in-depth weather forecasts. It can provide you the current weather forecast details for free. It offers 15-days for weather forecasts with an update time of upto 15 minutes. Apart from the standard weather information, the Weather Channel offers information about health risks, allergy advisories, oncoming storms, and safety alerts.
Dail updated local weather maps with different overlays are also part of the app. The App also tracks for any flu spread upto 15 days in advance. Live Weather Videos helps the user track the real-time situation. It is a boon for the US users as it supports NOAA weather alerts.
The runners can also precisely use the app with Running Index to keep updated about the right running conditions. There’s also a premium version that offers the forecast for the next 96 hours and eliminates ads.
It’s an old school app with the ‘world’s most accurate and reliable hyper-local weather forecasts.’ Along with the usual weather information, it offers doppler weather radar, satellite maps, and severe weather alerts. The app has over 250K weather stations that are crowd-sourced to generate accurate weather information.
Weather Underground offers real-time weather information, including temperature, feels like wind speed, direction, humidity, dew point, and visibility. There’s also a plan for 10-day daily & hourly weather forecasts. In addition to the weather, the app also provides data like air quality, UV index, sunrise/sunset, and moonrise and moonset.
The users can even determine the weather by using interactive maps using different weather overlays. The app is ad-supported, but the user can also upgrade to premium to get rid of advertisements.
These are some best weather apps for Android and iOS. The apps are different on features like Live Weather feature, Weather Maps, Advertisements, Support for Wearables, and Interactive User Interface. You can choose any app based on the best-suited features for you. Also, if you have any recommendations, then let us know via the comments below.
The year 2019 did not see the successor for the Snapdragon 845 powered OPPO Find X flagship phone that was unveiled in July 2018. It was an impressive featuring a pop-up camera assembly and a notch-less screen. After Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon 865 mobile platform at the beginning of December, OPPO had confirmed that it will be launching the OPPO Find X2 flagship phone in the first quarter of this year. Earlier today, OPPO Vice-President and President of Global Marketing, Brian Shen took to Weibo to tease the arrival of the OPPO Find X2.
Also, OPPO founder and CEO Chen Mingyong said an interview today that the company will be debuting the Find X2 in Q1 2020. He added that the Snapdragon 865 chipset powered phone will bring an extraordinary 5G experience. Neither Mingyong nor Shen shared any details on the specifications of the Find X2.
The OPPO Reno Ace that had gone official in October had arrived as the world’s first phone with the fast charging capabilities of 65W. This was made possible through the company’s SuperVOOC 2.0 Flash Charge technology. OPPO’s core developer for VOOC Flash Charge, Tian Chen had recently claimed that only OPPO can defeat its own fast charging technology. It remains to be seen whether the Find X2 come with faster or an improved version of 65W SuperVOOC 2.0.
During the Future Technology Conference 2019 that was held at OPPO’s Shenzhen HQ in December, the company had showcased a prototype smartphone with an under display camera technology. Since the performance of the front camera was found to be greatly improved, it appeared that the company could be gearing to mass produce the technology. The prototype device did not feature any physical ports. It remains to be seen whether the OPPO Find X2 arrives with a portless design and an in-screen camera. To talk about its display in specific, the Find X2 will offer deliver higher resolution, wider dynamic range, better refresh rate and color reproduction.
The smartphone is also expected to excel in the photography department as the company has already confirmed that it will be equipped with Sony’s newest image sensor that comes with 2 x 2 On-Chip Lens (OCL) solution that promises quicker and accurate autofocus and better focusing experience in dim-light conditions.
The Find X2 appears to be packed with some futuristic specs like the predecessor Find X. Last year, OPPO was present at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2019 tech trade show to showcase its 10x optical zoom technology. It remains to be seen whether the company will unleash the Find X2 at the MWC 2020 tech exhibition next month.
Last September, Xiaomi took off covers from the Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro 5G and Mi MIX Alpha concept phone. The company has been selling the Mi 9 Pro 5G, but the Mi MIX Alpha that features a marvelous wraparound display is yet to arrive in the market. Recently, the Mi MIX Alpha was found listed on third-party retailer sites like Taobao and Tmall. A fresh report on Abacus News suggests that the release date of the Mi MIX Alpha could be nearing.
According to the publication, it has learnt from Xiaomi that it hasn’t fixed a released date for the Mi MIX Alpha yet but will be sharing it as soon as possible. Even though it was listed on the aforementioned third-party resellers, it wasn’t available for purchase.
Priced at 19,999 Yuan (~$2,280), Xiaomi MI MIX Alpha concept phone is the most expensive flagship from the company. It is likely to be available in limited stock as the company had claimed at the launch of the device that it won’t be mass producing it. The concept phone was expected to release in December, but its arrival has been seemingly delayed due to technical difficulty related to its unique design.
The Xiaomi Mi MIX Alpha is a 5G smartphone powered by Snapdragon 855+ mobile platform and 12 GB of RAM. It has an internal storage of 512 GB UFS 3.0. There is no microSD card slot on the device. The MIUI 11 based Android 10 OS comes preloaded on the device. The Mi MIX Alpha receives power from a 4,050mAh that carries support for 40W charging.
The Mi MIX Alpha is fitted with a 7.92-inch flexible S-AMOLED display that wraps the device. It supports a resolution of 2088 x 2250 pixels. The device is blessed with a dual-LED flash enabled camera setup that includes a 108-megapixel main lens, a 12-megapixel telephoto lens with laser autofocus and 2x optical zoom and a 20-megapixel ultrawide lens with laser autofocus. There is no selfie camera on the device, and it lacks a 3.5mm audio jack. The connectivity features that are available on the Mi MIX Alpha include Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, NFC and USB-C. It also features an in-screen fingerprint reader.
The standard-sized Kospet Prime was well-received by fitness, as well as sports enthusiasts, thanks to a slew of exciting features and long battery life it offered. Kospet recently released an affordable version of the smartwatch dubbed the Kospet Prime SE.
The most notable difference between the Kospet Prime and the Kospet Prime SE is in the hardware department. We will talk about the awe-inspiring features the Prime SE boasts in just a bit, but before that, it might interest you to know that the recently released smartwatch has gone on sale for a lowered price through Gearbest.
Available in black color option, the KOSPET Prime SE would normally set you back $149.99 but as part of its latest flash sale, the Chinese online store is currently offering the feature-laden smartwatch for a lowered price of just $99.99, which converts to a significant $50 off.
An absolute steal at this price, the KOSPET Prime SE isn’t a typical smartwatch as it offers 4G Nano SIM card support, which means you can make calls, send/receive SMS even without using your phone. Furthermore, it sports an easy-to-read 1.6 inch IPS touch screen with a high resolution of 400 x 400 pixels.
Aside from that, the KOSPET Prime SE is backed by a robust 1260mAh polymer battery that delivers up to 72 hours of daily using time. On top of that, Prime SE is the first smartwatch in the world to adopt face recognition technology, which facilitates an ultra-quick unlocking in just 0.1 seconds.
On the optics front, it has a 2-megapixel camera at the front so that you can capture self-portraits or video call family and friends even when your phone is not around. Furthermore, it runs Android 7.1.1 OS and supports all Google apps.
The KOSPET Prime SE ships with 1GB of RAM and offers 16GB of internal storage space. It has eight sport modes that help you achieve your daily fitness goals. To know more about this amazing smartwatch and place your order, simply visit this link.
With over 200 pieces sold at the time of writing, the flash sale is slated to end in just four days.
OPPO is reportedly working a budget-friendly smartphone called OPPO A31 that has a model number of CPH2015. Earlier in December, the CPH2015 OPPO phone was spotted as the database of Singapore’s IMDA and an Indonesian certification platform. IMDA revealed that the CPH2015 phone will be arriving in Singapore as OPPO A31. At the end of December, the CPH2015 bagged certification from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the U.S. The FCC listing has revealed the images of the pre-production unit of the OPPO A31. Moreover, it has also revealed the key specs of the phone.
OPPO A31 Images
The images of the pre-production unit of the OPPO A31 smartphone has revealed that is equipped with a waterdrop notch display. The left side of the device is flanked with volume buttons and the power button is available on the right edge. The bottom side of the phone has a 3.5mm audio jack, a microUSB 2.0 port and an external speaker.
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Some schematics found in the FCC documents reveal that the OPPO A31 has a vertically arranged triple camera system on its back. A fingerprint sensor is also available on the rear shell of the device.
The OPPO A31 smartphone has 164 x 75.5mm dimensions. The diagonal measurement of the phone is 173mm which suggests that it may feature a display of around 6.5 inches. The smartphone is loaded with ColorOS 6.1.2 UI. It is not known whether the phone will ship with Android 10 or Android 9 Pie OS. The device is backed by a 4,100mAh battery that can be fueled by a 5V/2A charger. Other details of the phone are currently under the wraps.
There is no word on the launch date of the OPPO A31 smartphone. Probably, it could be one of the first OPPO phones to break cover this year.
In related news, as mentioned in the first para, the CPH2015 was also certified by an Indonesian certification body. The listing revealed that CPH2015 has OPPO Reno S moniker. It could be an error since the Reno S has been speculated to arrive as a high-end phone powered by Snapdragon 855+ mobile platform and it is also rumored to be equipped with 64-megapixel quad rear cameras and 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 Flash Charge technology.
Realme will be announcing the Realme X50 5G smartphone and Realme Buds Air in China on Jan. 7. Ahead of the launch, the company has already revealed the rear design of the Realme X50 5G. Today, the company released a new poster through its Weibo post. The new image showcases the front design of the smartphone. It appears that apart from launching the Realme X50 5G phone, the company may also unveil the Realme X50 Lite (Youth Edition) smartphone alongside it.
The poster shows that the Realme X50 5G is equipped with an elliptical cutout on the upper-left corner of its display. The cutout is the home for its two frontal snappers. The bottom bezel of the device is slight thick compared to the other bezels. The Redmi K30 5G has a similar display design as it features the cutout for its dual selfie cameras at the top-right corner of its screen.
A microphone can be seen on the top side of the Realme X50 5G. The buttons for volume up and down are on the left edge. The bottom edge of the device is not visible. The power button the right side of the Realme X50 5G is embedded with a fingerprint reader. The official renders of the phone that were released last month had revealed that it is fitted with a vertically stacked quad camera setup.
So far, the Chinese manufacturer has confirmed that the Realme X50 5G will be powered by Snapdragon 765G mobile platform and it will arrive with support for enhanced 30W VOOC 4.0 Flash Charge technology. The Realme X50 5G that has a model number of RMX2051 was recently spotted on Geekbench with 8 GB of RAM and Android 10 OS. The phone is expected to arrive with the latest version of ColorOS 7.
Last year, Realme had launched the Realme X as its first phone for China in May. Alongside it, the company had also unleashed Realme X Lite with inferior specs. A new Realme phone that has a model number of RMX2052 has bagged approval from China’s CMIIT. The CMIIT listing only confirms that it is a 5G-ready phone.
As it turns out, there is a RMX2052 now. The first theory suggests Realme X50 to be RMX2051, while the other one suggests it to be RMX2001. In any case, the Realme X50 Youth is around the corner too.#Realme#RealmeX50#RealmeX50Youthpic.twitter.com/nzXlO4R5g6
Realme China Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Xu Qi seems to be using the Realme X Youth smartphone for adding posts on Weibo. This is yet another hint on the existence of the Realme X50 Lite phone. As of this writing, there is no information on the specs of the smartphone.
The Vivo iQOO Pro 5G smartphone that was made official in August last year is the first 5G-ready gaming-centric handset. Smartphone OEMs are expected to announce 5G ready gaming phones this year. While Xiaomi is rumored to be working on its next iteration of Black Shark gaming phone, Nubia has already jumped the gun to confirm the arrival of its 5G-ready gaming phone. Today, it took to Weibo to reveal that the next Red Magic phone will carry support for 5G connectivity.
As the poster reveals, the forthcoming Red Magic smartphone will be fueled by Snapdragon 865 mobile platform that will tag along X55 5G modem for 5G connectivity. Thus, the next Red Magic phone will arrive with support Non-Standalone (NSA) and Standalone (SA) 5G networks in the home market. Apart from these details, nothing is known about the upcoming Red Magic phone. It is likely to come preloaded with the latest Android 10 OS. The iQOO Pro 5G didn’t carry support for dual-mode 5G, but the next Red Magic phone will feature it.
The name of the device is also currently under the wraps. Could be called Red Magic 4? Well, Chinese manufacturers are known for skipping number 4 on the names of their products as it is looked upon as a bad omen. Probably, the successor of the Red Magic 3 and Red Magic 3s will break cover as Red Magic 5.
At the start of December, Qualcomm had unleashed the Snapdragon 865 mobile platform. After its announcement, some smartphone manufacturers including Nubia confirmed to launch SD865 fueled flagship phones in 2020. The Chinese firm had claimed that the 5G enabled Red Magic phone with SD865 will be made official as soon as early 2020. The Red Magic 3 was announced in April last year. Since Nubia has teased its next gaming phone on the very first day of year 2020, it appears that it may get an early debut this year.
India will be amongst the first markets to receive the new Red Magic phone. Since it is not a 5G-ready country yet, it may receive only the 4G LTE version of the phone. In the coming days, the Chinese firm will hopefully release more teasers of the next Red Magic 5G phone to confirm on its specs and features.
Nokia 4.2 budget smartphone was officially launched in India in May 2019 and just a month after that, the Nokia 3.2 and Nokia 4.2 both received a price cut. Now, the Nokia 4.2 has received a price cut yet again in the Indian market.
When the phone was launched, it was priced at ₹10,990 but was made available for ₹10,490 just a month after its launch. Later, the phone got another price cut in September, bringing down the cost to ₹9,499.
Now, the Nokia 4.2 smartphone has received yet another price cut in India and the phone is available for purchase at a price of ₹6,999 (approximately $98). While Amazon India has this new pricing list, the revised pricing is expected to be reflected soon on Flipkart and Nokia India eStore as well.
To remind you of the phone’s specifications, the Nokia 4.2 flaunts a 5.71-inch IPS LCD display with a water drop notch and an HD+ screen resolution of 1520 x 720 pixels and 19:9 aspect ratio.
The device is powered by the Snapdragon 439 chipset and comes in 3GB RAM + 32GB storage model in India. The company has not launched the 2GB RAM variant in India. It comes with a 13-megapixel rear camera along with a 2-megapixel secondary camera for portrait shots and an 8-megapixel camera sensor on the front.
The phone comes with a dedicated Google Assistant button and runs stock version of Android operating system. The device is fuelled by a 3,000mAh battery and is available in two color options — Pink Sand and Black.
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) tech exhibition will be held in the coming week in Las Vegas, US. Samsung is expected to unleash couple of new phones at the event. It is also likely to launch the rumored Galaxy S10 Lite and Galaxy Note 10 Lite smartphones. The specifications of both smartphones had appeared in the previous month which indicated that are likely to go official in January. TechTalk TV has shared some real-life images of the Galaxy Note 10 Lite smartphone. The new images showcase the front and rear design of the Note 10 Lite.
Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite images
The Galaxy Note 10 Lite images reveal that it borrows the Infinity-O top-center punch-hole display design from the Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ smartphones. The display Note 10 Lite is flat and it is integrated with a fingerprint reader. One of the images showcases Bluetooth ready S Pen of the smartphone.
Moving on to the backside of the Galaxy Note 10 Lite reveals its square-shaped camera module that includes three lenses and an LED flash. The back panel of the phone is made out of glass which curves towards the edges. The right side of the phone features a volume rocker and a power button. The SIM / microSD card tray is available on the left spine of the device. The upper and lower edges are not seen in the images. However, past reports have revealed that the phone will feature a 3.5mm audio jack and a USB-C.
The Galaxy Note 10 Lite (SM-N770F model number) has a 6.7-inch S-AMOLED display that supports full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels. Its punch-hole features a 32-megapixel selfie camera. The triple camera system of the Note 10 Lite has three 12-megapixel sensors. One of them is ultrawide lens and another is a telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom.
The only low point of the Note 10 Lite is that it features an older Exynos 9810 chipset that powered 2018 flagship phones such as Galaxy S9 series and Galaxy Note 9. The SoC is coupled with 6 GB of RAM and the device features an internal storage of 128 GB. The One UI 2.0 based Android 10 OS will come preloaded on the device.
The Galaxy Note 10 Lite draws power from a 4,500mAh battery. It will arrive with support for 25W fast charging. The handset is expected to be available in colors like Aura Black, Aura Red and Aura Glowpress (gradient). The device could be priced at 609 euros (~$680) in Europe.
In September last year, Chinese smartphone maker Oppo launched the Oppo A5 2020 smartphone in India and later introduced the 6GB RAM model of the same device. Now, just days after the 6GB RAM model launched in India, the company has slashed the pricing of other variants.
With the new permanent price cut, the 3GB RAM model of the Oppo A5 2020 is now available for ₹11,490 instead of ₹11,990 while the 4GB RAM variant is available for ₹12,990 instead of its earlier pricing of ₹11,990.
Notably, this is the second price cut for the latest A-series handset from the brand since its launch. It has been confirmed that this new pricing will be applicable to retail stores across the country from January 1st.
OPPO A5 2020 Specifications and Features
The OPPO A5 2020 comes with a 6.5-inch display with an HD+ screen resolution of 1600 x 720 pixels and an aspect ratio of 19:9 and the smartphone delivers a screen-to-body ratio of 89 percent. It features a waterdrop notch housing the front camera.
Under the hood, the device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 octa-core processor that includes Adreno 610 GPU, and is available in three variants based on the memory configuration, having 3GB, 4GB, and 6GB RAM. The storage on all three devices is further expandable through a microSD card.
Coming to the camera section, the device has a quad-camera setup on the back that consists of a 12-megapixel primary sensor coupled with an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens with a 119-degree field of view, and two 2-megapixel cameras for depth sensing and macro photography. On the front side, the device comes with an 8-megapixel selfie camera having an aperture ratio of f/2.0.
The phone features a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, and sports dual Dolby Atmos speakers for an immersive audio experience. Connectivity options include dual SIM 4G VoLTE, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, USB-C, GPS and 3.5mm audio jack. Running on Android 9 Pie operating system with ColorOS 6.1 on top, the smartphone drives power from a 5,000mAh battery. The OPPO A5 2020 comes in two colour options – Dazzling White and Mirror Black.
Chinese tech giant Lenovo recently introduced its budget smartwatch, the Carme HW25P, on Amazon India. The device was initially available only on Croma and Flipkart. The Carme blends the perfect balance between ergonomic design and cutting-edge technology. It is ideal for fitness enthusiasts with its slew of lifestyle and health-related features. The smartwatch is available for Rs. 3,499 (~$49).
Lenovo Carme LW25P Specifications and Features
The Lenovo Carme flaunts a 1.3-inch IPS LCD display with a one-touch sensor, and IP68 dust and water-resistant certification. Users can confidently wear the LW25P on rainy days or take a dip in the swimming pool without worrying about warranties. The 2.5D glass curvature ensures there are no blind angles while viewing, and enables users to read notifications even under direct sunlight. The device is equipped with Bluetooth 4.2 and is compatible with both iOS and Android devices.
The Lenovo Carme sports quite a few key features, including a heart-rate sensor capable of monitoring your heartbeat round the clock, sleep monitor, step counter, weather forecast, alarm reminder, smart notification, stopwatch, Find My Phone, and Pedometer. Lenovo claims a battery life of up to 7 days on a single charge depending on usage. The smartwatch has 8 sport modes for walking, running, swimming, cycling, skipping, football, and basketball. Carme is available in two color options, namely black and green.
Apple Inc. is on the verge of ordering OLED displays for the iPhone 12 from Chinese supplier BOE. The Cupertino company is expected to purchase close to 45 million panels in time for the 2021 iPhone. It remains to be seen whether the initial batch will be used for test purposes or will make it to final production.
According to the South Korean media, this order will make BOE Apple’s second-largest OLED panel distributor. Samsung continues to be the largest distributor while LG drops to third place. The recent claims are yet to be officially confirmed. However, it corroborates with BOE’s recent ambitions of becoming an OLED supplier for iPhones.
Supplying OLED panels for Apple is not BOE’s first major break per se, as the company currently manufactures OLED panels for Huawei. Apple, on the other hand, is looking to move beyond depending on a single supplier, and in turn, reduce prices by introducing competition. Apple began working with LG Electronics back in 2018 with a similar vision.
Apple also invested heavily in Japan Display Inc. ramping up efforts to develop OLED panels. JDI was a leading manufacturer of LCD displays but fell short in the race to OLED supremacy. In related news, Apple is believed to use its latest A14 chipset in the iPhone 12. The processor is rumored to commence trial production starting 2020, and proceed to mass production by Q2 2020.
Xiaomi made a disruptive move in 2018 when it chose to execute ads in MIUI. Truth be told, rival brand Realme even ridiculed Xiaomi for making this decision. Now, Realme has apparently bitten the bullet and declared that it will offer advertisements on its mobile phones as well. The smartphone brand made the declaration on its forum, saying that models with ColorOS 6 or higher will offer ads.
The tech giant affirmed that advertisements will show up in the Phone Manager and on the Security Check page subsequent to putting in new applications. However, imagine a scenario where you would prefer not to get advertisements on your Realme mobile phone. The brand offers a basic method to incapacitate them:
Tap settings > additional settings > get recommendations
It’s fascinating to take note of that the get recommendations toggle likewise alludes to the Download Management page as one scene for advertisements. It’s hazy whether this is a third area where ads will be placed.
While this is one of the several turn arounds we have witnessed in the industry. We recall how Samsung and Google mocked Apple for dumping the headphone jack and then inevitably did likewise. Google likewise opined that a second rear camera was pointless before adding one to the Pixel 4. Realme’s decision is quite understandable considering that their smartphones are super cheap, likely just above the profit margin. Thus, the company has to think out of the box of ways to generate income in order to maintain low pricing. Placing ads on the UI is one way.
The keyboard retains the 87-key design and the 299 yuan price tag. It utilises an aluminium alloy body but the 87 keycaps present with a dual-colour design made from both TTC red shaft and ABS materials.
It retains the dimensions at 358mm x 128mm x 31.6mm and weighs 940g. The keyboard has a 6-layer design and the body is made of an H32 aluminium alloy steel with an excellent finish and offers more wear resistance.
It also comes with 4 different levels of LED backlight. The keyboard has a built-in 32-bit ARM main control chip, 1000Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time and support for up to 11 key presses without contradictions.
The second generation of Yuemi mechanical keyboard adopts a USB Type-C interface connection and works by the simple plug and play pattern.
The mechanical keyboard is presently available to buy on Xiaomi Youpin.
Years ago Chinese technology used to be despised. Not that it has completely changed now but a whole lot more people have warmed up to it. Quite a number of Chinese companies have also been pioneers of new technologies, some of which their western counterparts are yet to achieve, talk less of surpass. However, not all products or technology of Chinese origin have been a success. This post takes a look at 10 of those products and technologies that flopped or failed and are now buried in the tech graveyard.
1. HotKnot
HotKnot was announced back in 2013 by Goodix but most people associate it with MediaTek because it was available only on devices powered by MTK processors. It worked like NFC but required less hardware (no need for antennas and RF receivers).
With HotKnot users could transfer files between phones by touching the capacitive screens of the two devices together. Unfortunately, HotKnot was pretty slow with respect to transfer speeds and unreliable at times.
Now, there is hardly any phone that has HotKnot. Bluetooth is now much faster when it comes to file transfer and there are apps that allow you to share files over WiFi at incredible speeds.
2. MediaTek Pump Express
MediaTek’s Pump Express was the Taiwanese manufacturer’s answer to Qualcomm’s Quick Charge technology. Just like HotKnot, it was also a feature found mainly on devices with a MediaTek processor.
The last version of the fast charging technology was called Pump Express 4.0 and it launched in 2018. However, there are very few phones that support the fast charging standard, which is no surprise as most of the top manufacturers such as Huawei, Xiaomi, OPPO, Vivo, and OnePlus have developed their own fast charging technology while other manufacturers use Qualcomm’s Quick Charge technology.
3. Xiaomi Mi 5c
The Mi 5c was the first Xiaomi smartphone powered by an in-house processor – the Surge S1. The phone packed mid-range specs and a price tag of under $250. However, it wasn’t a success as Xiaomi didn’t release a successor neither did it release the long-awaited Surge S2 processor. It didn’t even get an update to Android Oreo and was only updated to MIUI 9. Based on Xiaomi’s decision to not support it further after just one year, it is safe to say the Mi 5c was a flop.
4. LeEco
LeEco might as well be one of the biggest Chinese fails of the decade. The smartphone company went under due to unpaid debts owed by its founder, Jia Yueting. LeEco’s problems started with its rapid expansion and its big dreams of conquering the overseas markets with smart TVs, a smart car, and an Android-powered smart bicycle. Part of the company’s woes includes its failed attempt to acquire the American TV maker, Vizio, and which has resulted in a 60 million USD lawsuit.
5. OnePlus 2
Following the success of the OnePlus One, fans of the new brand were eagerly awaiting the successor to the flagship killer, however, the OnePlus 2 was a disappointment.
The phone launched without NFC, a feature its predecessor had but was removed. OnePlus’s reason for its removal was that it was underutilized. The phone also had a buggy fingerprint scanner/home button, was powered by the ill-fated Snapdragon 810 known for its heating problems, and then OnePlus refused to update it to Android Nougat.
OnePlus did make up for its blunders the following year with the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T; with the latter touted as one of its best phones ever.
6. Meizu PRO 5 Ubuntu Edition
Between 2015 and 2016, there were a handful of phones and tablets running Ubuntu Touch, and the Meizu PRO 5 was one of them. There was the Meizu UX4 Ubuntu Edition before it, making the PRO 5 its second Ubuntu Touch device. The PRO 5 was also the highest-configured Ubuntu phone.
Sadly, the phone was considered a failure due to its lack of apps and its slow performance caused by the OS even though it packed flagship specs.
7. Helio X30
Another MediaTek product appears on the list again. This time it is their 2017 flagship processor, the Helio X30. We had high hopes for the Helio X30 which was its first 10nm processor.
The processor eventually appeared in the Meizu PRO 7 series in 2017 as well as the Vernee Apollo 2 but no other manufacturer announced an Helio X30-powered phone other than these two.
Dual-screen phones have been in existence for a while now in various designs. There are those that have a second screen for improved productivity allowing you to use the phone as a large tablet and there are those that actually have a display on each side. For the sake of this post, we are talking about the latter category.
This dual-display trend began with the 2017 Meizu PRO 7 series with its 2-inch AMOLED secondary display on the back. The following year, Nubia and Vivo joined the train with the Nubia X and Vivo NEX Dual Display respectively. Both of these phones have secondary displays that are more than double the size of the Meizu Pro 7 series’ secondary display.
Reviews of the Meizu Pro 7 said the secondary display didn’t add much in functional value and could be done without. For the Nubia X and Vivo NEX Dual Display, the design was one of the methods Chinese manufacturers adopted for a full-screen design. This means you had one display practically covering the whole stretch of one side for an all-screen appearance while the second and smaller display had bezels around it for the cameras and logo.
Thankfully, there are now better ways to achieve an all-screen design such as with the pop-up selfie camera design and the punch-hole display.
Lenovo Z5 Pro
9. Slider Phones
Slider phones were a thing last year and were a delight as they brought a breath of fresh air to the way mobile phones look. The OPPO Find X, Mi MIX 3, Lenovo Z5 Pro, Lenovo Z5 Pro GT and the Honor Magic 2 were the slider phones of 2018 and they were actually one of the methods adopted to achieve a full-screen design.
However, no new slider phones were launched this year which means manufacturers have abandoned the design.
10. Meizu Zero
Earlier this year, Meizu showcased a smartphone called the Meizu Zero with no ports or “holes” and was called the world’s first holeless phone. The phone has an eSIM, so there is no need for a physical SIM tray; it supports only wireless charging; it has linear motors on the side rather than physical buttons, and it uses screen sound technology rather than a traditional speaker.
True Wireless headsets have trended the most in the hearable segment, thanks to improved sound output and battery life with Apple’s AirPod at the forefront. We’ve lost count of the number of truly wireless earbuds that have been released this year and more keep coming. Smartisan has unveiled the Nuts True Wireless Bluetooth headset.
The Bluetooth headset features support for smart touch and is equipped with a dynamic sound unit. it utilises a half-in-ear design while the storage box is shaped like a square with well-chamfered curved edges. In terms of battery life, the headset alone has a battery life of 4.5 hours and when combined with the storage/charging box, the battery life is up to 18 hours. It supports fast charging and the charging box uses a Type-C interface.
The Nuts True Wireless Bluetooth Headset uses a Bluetooth 5.0 chip and a loop ceramic antenna and supports touch audio control. In terms of acoustic parameters, it is equipped with a 13mm moving coil, an impedance of 32Ω, a frequency response range of 20Hz-20000Hz, and a sensitivity of 103dB.
The Nuts TWS headset will open for appointment on Jingdong from January and will go on sale on January 5. It is priced at 199 yuan ($28).
BBK subsidiaries OPPO and Vivo released new smartphones powered by some of the most impressive chipsets you’ll find around. The Vivo X30 Pro 5G came with a Samsung Exynos 980 processor which is a relatively unpopular SoC. On the other hand, OPPO Reno3 Pro uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, a new generation 5G sub-flagship SoC. Here is a comparison of the AnTuTu score of the two chipsets to determine which one is more powerful.
Overall, the Exynos 980-powered Vivo X30 Pro had a total score of 333160 points while the OPPO Reno3 powered by a Snapdragon 765G SoC scored 323534 points. The Exynos 980 shines in the CPU test with a total score of 118621 points as against 103359 points for the Reno3. But the Snapdragon 765G had a better GPU score of 93,086 while Exynos 980 scored 88987 points.
The Reno3 had a better 69447 points mem test score whereas the Exynos 980 had a 62,105 points score. Finally, in terms of the user interface (UX), the Vivo X30 Pro scored 63447 points while the OPPO Reno3 had a score of 57642 points.
OPPO Reno3 Pro
The difference between the total AnTuTu benchmark score of the two mobile phones is 10,000 points, which is less than 3%. This slight difference in score can’t be felt by everyday users of phones with both SoCs. So even though we are comparing the Samsung Exynos 980 and Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G AnTuTu benchmarks, the differences in running points have no practical significance because it does not affect anything noticeable at all.
The year 2019 is at its end and it is just fitting that we look back at the products released by our fan-favourite brand Xiaomi. Here’s is an inventory of all the Xiaomi phones released in 2019, including Redmi models.
According to records, Xiaomi (including Redmi) released a total of 22 models in 2019, covering budget, mid-range and flagship models.
Xiaomi Mi 9
Xiaomi Mi 9 was released in February 2019 making it the first Xiaomi phone to go official this year. It also emerged as the first Snapdragon 855 model. The device also comes with a holographic magic color, 48MP AI triple cameras, 20W wireless fast charging and other impressive selling points. The sales were marred by a lack of stock in the early stages and later on, better-equipped models made it difficult to sell. The device has been removed from Xiaomi’s official website.
Mi 9 Explorer
Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer Edition
Xiaomi Mi 9 Explorer Edition, as the name suggests, is transparent on the back. The design is more unique than the Mi 9’s. The specification is also more powerful and the price is affordable.
The Mi 9 Explorer Edition is a limited edition and is also equipped with a Snapdragon 855 SoC paired with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. The phone is equipped with a 48MP ultra wide-angle macro rear cameras and supports 20W wireless charging.
Mi 9 SE
Xiaomi Mi 9 SE
Xiaomi Mi 9 SE is a trimmed down version of the Mi 9. It presents with a smaller 5.97-inch waterdrop screen with a screen ratio of 90.47%. It also comes with an on-screen fingerprint scanner. The device is powered by a Snapdragon 712 SoC, a 3070 mAh battery, triple rear cameras and 18W fast charging. It also comes with NFC and infrared remote control.
Mi CC9
Xiaomi Mi CC9
Xiaomi’s CC series is known as a trendy camera phone for young people around the world. Among them, CC stands for Camera + Camera, which refers to strong photography prowess from the front and rear cameras. The new series was launched in July this year.
Xiaomi CC9 has a 6.39-inch waterdrop screen and is powered by a Snapdragon 710 AIE chipset. For photography, it packs a 32MP selfie camera while at the rear, there is a 48MP main camera + 8MP super wide-angle + 2MP depth of field sensors. It packs a built-in 4030mAh battery with standard 18W charger. It also supports full functions NFC and infrared remote control.
Xiaomi Mi CC9e
Xiaomi CC9e is a trimmed down version of CC9 with a 6.08-inch waterdrop screen. It gets its juice from a Snapdragon 665. There is also a triple camera setup and 32MP selfie shooter. Under the hood is a 4030mAh battery but it ships with a 10W fast charger.
Xiaomi CC9 Meitu customized version is similar to the Mi CC9 except that the camera is 100% developed by Meitu, and the “XIAOMI” LOGO logo on the back of the fuselage has been replaced with the customized version of the “MEITU” logo.
Xiaomi Mi 9 Pro
Xiaomi 9 Pro 5G was released in September this year and is the second 5G phone under Xiaomi. The device is equipped with a 6.39-inch waterdrop screen and powered by a Snapdragon 855 Plus chipset with a Snapdragon X50 baseband. Thus, it comes with 5G support.
Xiaomi CC9 Pro
Xiaomi CC9 Pro is the world’s first 100-megapixel mobile phone and has a DXOMark score of 121. TheMi CC9 Pro is equipped with a 6.47-inch hyperboloid screen and is powered by a Snapdragon 730G chipset. It packs a huge 5260mAh battery which supports 30W flash charge and is compatible with the PD protocol.
Xiaomi MIX Alpha
Xiaomi MIX Alpha is the most spectacular smartphone announced by Xiaomi this year. It is also Xiaomi’s first mobile phone with a listing price of over 10,000 yuan. It is priced at 19,999 yuan but is yet to go on sale.
The phone presents with a 7.92-inch OLED surround screen, Snapdragon 855 Plus, 12GB + 512GB UFS 3.0 storage, a 100-megapixel main camera, and a 4050mAh battery.
REDMI MODELS
These are the only 8 Xiaomi models released this year in China. Do note that there are other Mi models launched in other markets outside China like the stock Android-packing Mi A3, Mi 9T, Mi 9T Pro, MiNote 10 and Mi Note 10 Pro (these models are similar to the Mi CC9 Pro and Mi CC9 Pro Premium Edition) and the Mi Mix 3 5G. All others are from the Redmi lineup which unveiled a total of 14 models. They include the Redmi Note 7 powered by Snapdragon 660, Redmi Note 7 Pro powered by a Snapdragon 675 SoC, the entry-level Redmi 7. The Redmi K20 was also launched as the first Redmi flagship ever. It is powered by a Snapdragon 730 chipset. The Redmi K20 Pro was also unveiled with a Snapdragon 855 SoC and the Redmi K20 Pro Exclusive Edition with the more powerful Snapdragon 855 Plus chipset.
Redmi also launched the Redmi 7A in 2019, the Redmi Note 8, Redmi Note 8 Pro and
Redmi 8. In a surprise twist, the Redmi 8A was also launched in the same year with the Redmi 7A.
Further, the Redmi K30 4G was launched as Xiaomi’s first punch-hole packing model. It utilises a dual punch-hole design. The most amazing Redmi model for 2019 is no doubt the Redmi K30 5G which is offered in 4G and 5G versions.
Here you have it, these are all the Xiaomi models launched in 2019. Tell us which of them is your favourite in the comments section.
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