Chinese smartphone manufacturer Realme announced its first flagship-grade handset dubbed the Realme X2 Pro on October 15th in China and made it available to the public earlier this month.
After floating around the rumor mill for a long time and making multiple appearances online in the form of leaks, the Realme X2 Pro has finally gone up for sale through Giztop. The Chinese online store is offering two eye-catching colors and storage options.
Available in blue and Pearl White color options, the 6GB RAM+64GB ROM variant of the Realme X2 Pro would set you back $459. Those who fancy using a more power-packed model and don’t mind spending a little extra for it can go for the larger variant that ships with 8GB of RAM and offers 128GB of internal storage capacity.
This larger model comes in Pear White, as well as blue color options bearing a steeper $509 price tag on Giztop. In other words, the larger model will cost you $50 more. Cost-conscious buyers who aren’t willing to spend that kind of money can use coupon code RMX2P20 for $20 off.
As a result, the original asking price of the 6GB RAM+64GB ROM Realme X2 Pro variant reduces to just $439, while the retail price of the 8GB RAM+128GB ROM model comes down to only $489 even before you place your order.
If you aren’t sure if the recently launched Realme X2 Pro is worth your money, you might want to check out the awe-inspiring features it offers. First off, the Realme X2 Pro sports a mammoth 6.5-inch Super AMOLED full HD+ with 90Hz refresh rate support.
Featuring up to 1000nits brightness, the display supports DCI-P3 color gamut. Under the hood, the phone packs Snapdragon 855 Plus 2.96GHz Octa-core processor, along with Adreno 640 graphics processing unit.
Much to the delight of mobile photographers, the Realme X2 Pro houses a Samsung GW1 64MP+13MP+8MP+2MP Quad rear camera setup at the back. Upfront, there’s a 16MP selfie camera, which can be used for video calling as well.
The X2 Pro runs ColorOS 6.1 Realme Edition based on the Android 9.0 Pie operating system and supports support dual-frequency GPS and NFC. Furthermore, the Realme-branded phone draws its juices from a 4000mAh battery that supports 50W SuperVOOC flash charge, USB-PD and 18W rapid charging technology.
To know more about the Realme X2 Pro, and place your order, all you need to do is to follow this link without wasting time.
It’s that time of year that online shoppers wait with bated breath. China and the rest of the world’s biggest online shopping event is slated to take place on November 11th. Dubbed as the 11.11 (or double 11), this global shopping festival is just around the corner and online retailers have started to roll out unmissable deals in a bid to lure consumers.
Living up to its long-established reputation for offering the best bang for your buck, Banggood has launched the Double 11 Global Shopping Festival. There are no prizes for guessing that the promo, which kicked-off today, October 30th, offers a myriad of exciting brand deals, great discounts and a lot more for you to cheer about.
Banggood Double 11 Global Shopping Festival
Cashing in on the imminent event, the Chinese online store is giving its loyal users a chance to discover its premium brands that include Eachine, FrSky, Xiaomi, iMars, BlitzWolf, and others. The activity page is crammed with awe-inspiring products that needed to be split into specific categories so that consumers can find exactly what they’re looking for without breaking much a sweat.
The first section on the promotion page is called Selected Brand Deals and it brings great discounts, coupled with instant savings. You can get your tech greedy hands on a slew of amazing products from Xiaomi, FIMI, iMars and other popular brands without emptying your pocket.
For instance, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 smartphone would normally set you back a pretty penny, but you can now buy it for just $271.08. This is a noteworthy reduction in the device’s original asking price of $279.99.
Moreover, the phone has been assigned coupon code BGN8G4G that can be used to bring its already lowered asking price further down to only $179.99 at the time of checking out.
To grab the 11.11 bottom price, you need to reserve the phone first. You also get a BlitzWolf BW-TC14 3A USB Type-C Charging Data Cable free with your order. On top of that, there’s free shipping for those spending over $19.99.
The next section dubbed ‘Recommendations’ features products that will be available for lowered prices in two different time slots including October 30th – November 5th 16:00 (UTC+8), and November 5th – November 10th 16:00 (UTC+8). All products available under the aforesaid category carry considerably reduced price tags.
If you are a brand-conscious buyer, you might want to check out the Star Flagship Store category, which features official online stores of popular brands such as Xiaomi, Eachine, BlitzWolf, DIGOO, GEEKCREIT, and Drillpro. The official store of each brand offers a wide range of products that you can buy without burning a hole in your pocket.
For example, the Xiaomi official store offers a 13% OFF Coupon, while Eachine is its consumers a chance to get 18 percent off on its products with the help of a dedicated coupon. Likewise, each online store has been offered a dedicated that consumers can use at the time of checking to save money.
Considering that almost everyone likes gifts, the Shop & Win category is offering a gift to the first hundred customers to place an order. Note that the Free Gift Campaign will come to an end on November 10th at 16:00. Gifts will be selected based on the time the order payment was completed.
Each draw will begin at the start of the day. It is worth noting that those who place their orders closer to mid-night are more likely to win. It is also worth noting that a winning order can neither be canceled nor modified. Only verified Banggood users can participate.
The following category called Hot Trend List is a great place for you to check out trendy fashionable clothing and stand a chance of winning 600 gifts. In addition to other products, this category features the Blitzwolf BW-FYE5 Mini True Wireless Earbuds, which normally retails for $49.99, but can now be yours for just $45.13.
Aside from this 10 percent off, Banggood users also get a BlitzWolf BW-ST1 Portable Cable Organizer Headphone Storage Organizer Bag for Cable Headphone Power Bank Selfie Sticks worth $4.15 free with this purchase. There’s free shipping on orders over $19.99 as well.
The concluding category on the promotion page is called New Branded Products. Under this section, Banggood users can get their hands on amazing products such as the Digoo 12 in 1 Hair Clipper Grooming Trimmer Kit Cordless, LyRay Wireless Bluetooth 4.2 Portable Speaker Double Alarm Clock, etc at lowered prices since most of these products have been assigned coupon codes that can be applied at checkout for discount.
To visit the activity page and to take full advantage of the discounts, simply follow this link.
Banggood Double 11 Global Shopping Festival Shopping Guide
The Crazy November Shopping Guide sheds light on all the ongoing, as well as the upcoming events that Banggood users might not want to miss. Starting from October 30th at 10:00, the sales and promotions slated to launch include the Banggood Double 11 Global Shopping Festival, and the Black Friday Sale, which offers up to a whopping 75% off on products across various categories.
As part of the 11.11 Global Shopping Festival, Banggood will be giving its loyal users a chance to win a whopping $100000 Gifts. The Warming-Up period starts today at 10:00 and will come to an end on November 10th at 16:00.
Featuring a 50% OFF Coupon, the Brands Fest promo will include heavily-discounted new season trending fashion, and will allow consumers to win 600 gifts.
Those who reserve select products during the Warm-Up period will stand a chance of getting the product at rock bottom price. In addition to that, there will $18 OFF on all categories for new users. Other unmissable deals that are slated to launch next month includes a $0.01 Snatch, a chance to get bonus points daily with 100 points converting to $1.
The shopping guide features a Must Buy at Double 11.11 category, which is teeming with products that you might want to purchase for a lowered price before the promo wraps up. Aside from that, there’s another section called ‘Exclusive Coupon,’ which features amazing products that have been assigned dedicated coupons for discounts.
Other equally-anticipated promotion sales include the Black Friday Sale and Cyber Monday Week. You can follow this link to check out the shopping guide.
OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro are the next flagship phones from OnePlus. Well ahead of the launch, renders showcasing the design of the OnePlus 8 duo have appeared earlier this month. A known tipster has suggested that the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro phones will be made official in the second quarter of 2020.
The OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro smartphones were announced in May this year. Hence, it has always appeared that the OnePlus 8 series will be debut by the same month in 2020. It is good to see a reliable tipster to reveal the arrival timeframe of the OnePlus 8 lineup. However, he did not any information on the specs of the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro phones.
Based on the information that surfaced along with the renders of the OnePlus 8 series, it can be said that the OnePlus 8 measures 160.2 x 72.9 x 8.1mm whereas the OnePlus 8 Pro’s dimensions are 165.3 x 74.4 x 8.8mm. The OnePlus 8 is expected to arrive with a 6.5-inch display whereas the Pro variant could be featuring a slightly bigger 6.65-inch display.
As OnePlus has confirmed, the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro phones will be equipped with 90Hz refresh rate displays. Both phones are expected to sport AMOLED displays with punch-hole at their top-left corner and in-screen fingerprint reader. The OnePlus 8 may support full HD+ resolution whereas the Pro sibling may come with quad HD+ resolution. The rear side of the OnePlus 8 has a vertical triple camera system. The OnePlus 8 Pro renders have revealed that it also features a vertical triple camera setup along with an additional fourth camera sensor.
OnePlus 8 Pro renders
The OnePlus 8 duo will be fueled by Snapdragon 865 mobile platform that is expected to go official in December this year. The series may come with up to 12 GB of RAM and native storage of up to 256 GB. The Android 10 OS flavored OxygenOS 10 will come preinstalled on OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro phones. In some markets, OnePlus 8 series may come with 5G connectivity. Some rumors have claimed that OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro could be first OnePlus phones to come with support for wireless charging.
The race for 5G is still on and the big players behind the infrastructure are Nokia, Huawei, and Ericsson. Just recently, it was reported that the UK is set to grant Huawei access to its 5G network. This move will surely affect its competitors. Now reports have surfaced that Nokia has been on a hiring spree to develop its 5G technology.
The Finnish company has hired up to 350 members of staff this year in its home country. A Nokia spokeswoman disclosed in an email that over 200 of these staff have been employed for its mobile networks while several others are assigned to work on developing SoCs for its 5G equipment.
The info about the recruitment was also confirmed by Tommi Uitto, the president of Nokia’s mobile networks who took the helm of the division a year ago.
Nokia’s shares took a 21% dive last week following the posting of its third-quarter earnings. This year, its shares have dropped by 30%. The company is cutting down on its expectations. They are expecting losses as two of its largest customers, T-Mobile US and Sprint are set to merge. Since both network operators are set to merge, their spendings have slowed due in part to court challenges.
OnePlus is known for its fast premium smartphones, along with the top-notch support. The Chinese smartphone manufacturer facilitates third-party development as it does not void warranty even if the user roots the OnePlus smartphone. However, any internal damage due to rooting is not covered under warranty. Thanks to such support for external development that is allowing the old OnePlus devices to enjoy the Android 10 experience via custom ROMs.
Android 10 upgrade is underway for several new and old Android smartphones. OnePlus 5/5T are also on the boat to receive the Android 10 update by Q2 2020. Such a long wait time is making users switch to Android 10 custom ROMs on OnePlus 5 and 5T. These phones were launched in 2017 with Android Nougat and were later upgraded to Android Oreo and then Android Pie. Since both the devices have become old and already received three significant upgrades, now the users have to wait a bit longer before the new Android update hits their devices.
Android 10 Features
Google officially rolled out the Android 10 last month with several upgrades and enhancements. A lot of refinement has taken place in the Android 10 over its predecessor. The new features include polished system UI, new gesture navigations, location control, improved privacy, and lot more. The support for several new technologies such as 5G, foldable tech, and AR are also built in the latest version. Many new APIs are part of the Android 10 package. A long-awaited dark theme is also a part of the latest and the greatest Android version.
Key features
Security Features – Android 10 comes with new security features, which enhances the overall security of the device.
Smart Reply – In Android 9, a feature to reply from the notification bar was added. Whereas, in Android 10 the functionality is extended with auto-responses or action in the Facebook Messenger.
New Gesture Navigation – The system is now smoother and faster with the new gesture navigation.
Dark Theme – Much awaited system-wide dark theme is part of the new Android version. It is aimed to reduce eye strain during low-light environments.
Privacy controls – To enhance the privacy of the overall system, Android 10 allows users to choose the data that will be shared.
5G Support – In 2020, many carriers across different countries will rollout 5G support. So the Google has already rolled out support for it in the Android 10.
Foldable Display – In the future, many foldable devices are making its way to the market. Google has rolled foldable display support to make those devices fully compatible with the Android 10
There are many changes that the OnePlus 5/5T users will like on Android 10 custom ROM.
OnePlus 5 and 5T specifications
Both the smartphones were launched back in 2017 with Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 onboard paired with 6/8GB LPDDR4X RAM. OnePlus 5 embeds a 5.5-inch full-HD display with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels and a 401 PPI pixel density. However, a 6.01 full HD Optic AMOLED display having 1080 x 2160 pixels resolution with an 18:9 aspect ratio is available on the OnePlus 5T. Both the devices are protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection.
Both devices carry a dual rear camera and a single front camera. Specifically, the OnPlus 5T sports a 16-megapixel Sony IMX398 sensor having an aperture of f/1.7 and another 20-megapixel sensor. On the other sie, OnePlsu 5 hosts a dual rear camera with a 16-megapixel primary sensor and another 20-megapixel Sony IMX350 sensor. A 3300 mAh non-removable battery is seen on both the devices with Dash charge fast charging technology. OnePlus 5 and 5T are currently running on Android 9.1 Pie and is slated to receive the Android 10 update by Q2 2020.
There are several custom ROMs that are currently in testing mode. We will keep adding more custom ROMs once the development starts. Let’s check the best Android 10 based custom ROMs for OnePlus 5 and 5T.
List of Android 10 custom ROMs for OnePlus 5/5T
crDroid Android
It is an Android 10 based custom ROM that is in the beta stage with a few bugs. The features such as WiFi, GPS, Camera, HW Encryption, Sound, LTE, and others are working fine without any issue. However, there’s a voice issue over calls, but you can quickly fix it by disabling the microphone permission for the Google app. All other major issues were fixed in the latest 28th September build.
The users can easily customize battery styles, live volume steps, and others. It is recommended to flash Gapps to get Google services on your device. It needs TWRP custom recovery, and the device should be on OxygenOS 9.0.9 firmware version. In the upcoming few months, the ROM is expected to become stable for both the OnePlus 5 and 5T. You can download the crDroid from the download below.
As the name suggests, the Pixel Experience ROM grabs most of its features from Pixel devices. It is AOSP based ROM with some goodies from Pixel devices such as the launcher, wallpapers, icons, fonts, and boot animations. The developer’s aim is to provide a stable and secure environment for non-pixel devices.
The Pixel Experience ROM for OnePlus 5T is based on Android 10 with specific bugs. The features like WiFi, RIL, GPS, Camera, Camcorder, Bluetooth, NFC, Lights, Fingerprint Reader, and RIL are working precisely. Some people have issues with SIM card detection, Bluetooth, and Alert Slider. The user needs not to flash the Gapps additionally. The Pixel Experience ROM carries Septemeber 2019 security patch.
It is the most supported custom ROM available for Android devices. It is based on the Android Open Source Project with some extra contributions from third-party developers. The LenageOS 17.0 runs on Android 10 and supports different frameworks and mods such as supersu, magisk, Xposed, custom kernels, etc.
The interested users can download the LineageOS 17.0 for OnePlus 5T from the link below.
Currently, these are the only ROMs for OnePlus 5 and 5T, which are based on Android 10. We update the article when more ROMs arrive. If you have any recommendations, then do let us know via the comments below. Until then, stay connected with us for more!
Honor has confirmed that it will launch a new smartwatch before the end of 2019. This watch is going to be an update to the Honor Watch Magic model which was announced last year in China and earlier this year in India and Europe. The company has also shared a teaser which gives us a glimpse of the watch’s design outline.
Honor told DigitalTrends that the upcoming smartwatch will soon be teased across its social media channels using a Halloween theme. The teaser that you see above is a part of this marketing push. The image also confirms that the Honor Watch Magic 2 (the name is yet to be revealed) will retain a similar design as its predecessor, featuring two crowns on the side for controls. We can also expect it to run on the company’s own LiteOS. The same OS powers Huawei’s smartwatches like the Huawei Watch GT 2 and the Honor Watch Magic as well.
There’s no more information on the upcoming Honor smartwatch but it could retain some of the key features of the original model, like a 1.2-inch compact 390 x 390 AMOLED display, a week-long battery life, and a relatively affordable price tag (probably around $200).
Expect more information on the smartwatch in the coming days.
India is the second most sleep-deprived country after Japan, revealed a recent Fitbit report. It found that Indians get an average night sleep of just 7 hours and 1 minute. The Japanese sleep for an even lesser period, with an average of only 6 hours and 47 minutes.
Fitbit’s report is based on aggregated and anonymized data from 18 countries across the world including India, Japan, the U.S., the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Spain, Hong Kong, Argentina, Australia, Mexico, and Singapore, among others.
The report highlighted that Indians got an average Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep of just 77 minutes, which is the same as the Japanese. This is the lowest figure in the world, which is a worrying sign. REM sleep is very important for an individual’s health and helps regulate multiple processes in the body.
India is also the least active country according to the report. It revealed that Indians walked just 6533 steps on an average, which was less than all the 18 other countries mentioned in the report.
Ireland got the best amount of sleep at night, with an average of 7 hours and 57 minutes. Hong Kong was the most active country, clocking 10133 steps daily, on an average.
The insights were aggregated from anonymized Fitbit users between August 1, 2018, and July 31, 2019. The company didn’t reveal the sample size of the study but it could be pretty large since Fitbit has over 27 million active users worldwide. However, Fitbit clarified that not all active users were part of this sample.
Google officially released the new Pixel 4 and shipped the first units in a cereal box. We had the chance to realize that it is not just a classic smartphone, but it is a device meant to take advantage of all the most advanced AI features. But despite it, it remains the affordable variant of the Pixel 4 series, so its price is not excessive. That is why we decided to compare it with other vanilla versions of flagship line-ups from other smartphone manufacturers. In this comparison, the Google Pixel 4 challenges the new OnePlus 7T and the Huawei Mate 30, even though the latter will remain an Asian exclusive and it won’t hit the global market.
Google Pixel 4 vs OnePlus 7T vs Huawei Mate 30
Google Pixel 4
OnePlus 7T
Huawei Mate 30
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT
147.1 x 68.8 x 8.2 mm, 162 g
160.9 x 74.4 x 8.1 mm, 190 grams
160.8 x 76.1 x 8.4 mm, 196 g
DISPLAY
5.7 inches, 1080 x 2280p (Full HD+), P-OLED
6.55 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), Fluid AMOLED
6.62 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), OLED
PROCESSOR
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, octa-core 2.84 GHz
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+, octa-core 2.96 GHz
Huawei Hisilicon Kirin 990, octa-core 2.86 GHz
MEMORY
6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB
8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB
6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB
SOFTWARE
Android 10
Android 10, Oxygen OS
Android 10, EMUI
CONNECTIVITY
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
CAMERA
Dual 12.2 + 16 MP, f/1.7 and f/2.4
Triple 48 + 12 + 16 MP, f/1.6, f/2.2 and f/2.2
16 MP f/2.0 front camera
Triple 40 + 8 + 16 MP, f/1.8, f/2.4, and f/2.2
24 MP f/2.0 front camera
BATTERY
2800 mAh, fast charging 18W
3800 mAh, fast charging 30W
4200 mAh, fast charging 40W and fast wireless charging 27W
The design is not the most innovative nor astonishing feature of these smartphones. They do not come with notch-less displays, either with extremely narrow bezels. Google Pixel 4 is more compact than its two rivals, but it sports a thick bezel on the upper part of the front side as well as a square camera module on the back like the iPhone 11. Huawei Mate 30 has a notched display, but it is not even a waterdrop notch. The only device which looks better on the front panel is the OnePlus 7T thanks to its smaller notch, and I even like its more minimalistic glass back. But with Pixel 4, you get a fully waterproof design with the IP68 certification which is not present on Huawei Mate 30 (which is just splashproof) and OnePlus 7T (no water resistance at all).
Display
With the OnePlus 7T, you get a definitely better display. It is the only to support the HDR10+ standard which provides richer image quality, especially with multimedia content. And just like the Google Pixel 4, it supports the 90 Hz refresh rate which makes the user experience smoother, especially for gamers. Note that Google Pixel 4 has an interesting radar for air gesture control, as well as 3D facial recognition. Even the Huawei Mate 30 supports 3D facial recognition (that is the meaning of that bigger notch), while OnePlus 7T does not.
Hardware/Software
The OnePlus 7T has fewer additional features and sensors, but it boasts way better performances thanks to its Snapdragon 855+ chipset running at a max frequency of 2.96 GHz and offering 15 percent higher graphics performance compared to the Snapdragon 855 found on the Google Pixel 4. The Huawei Mate 30 is equipped with a Kirin 990 chipset which sits in the middle between Snapdragon 855+ and Snapdragon 855, but it has an important added value: it supports 5G. Indeed, there is a 5G variant of the Huawei Mate 30 in commerce. Even the Snapdragon 855+ has 5G support, but there is no 5G variant for the OnePlus 7T. All the phones run Android 10 out of the box, but the Pixel 4 usually gets updated faster since it is a Google phone.
Camera
The camera found on the Huawei Mate 30 is undoubtedly able to achieve a better photo quality than both Huawei Mate 30 and Google Pixel 4. The Huawei Mate 30 sports a 40 MP main sensor with laser autofocus, a telephoto lens with OIS and 3x optical zoom, and even a 16 MP ultrawide sensor. The OnePlus 7T is not so distant with its bright focal aperture and OIS. Even the Google Pixel 4 is one of the best camera phones, but it lacks an ultrawide sensor.
Battery
The presence of a much bigger 4200 mAh battery makes the Huawei Mate 30 the longest-lasting battery phone of this trio. It even has the fastest charging technology and supports reverse wireless charging, unlike Google Pixel 4 and OnePlus 7T.
Price
Huawei Mate 30 starts from about $588/€529 in the Asian market, OnePlus 7T from about €599/$666 globally, and Google Pixel 4 costs €759/$799. In terms of overall specifications, Huawei Mate 30 is the most advanced one due to a better camera, longer-lasting battery, and an optional 5G variant. That is why it is my favorite one. But OnePlus 7T has higher performance and a better display, do not forget it.
Vivo has discreetly launched the Vivo Y3 Standard Edition phone by listing it on the official Vivo China website. The Vivo Y3 Standard Edition carries a pricing of 999 Yuan (~$141). The handset has debuted as a lower version of the Vivo Y3 phone that was announced in May.
Vivo Y3 Standard Edition Pricing and Specifications
The Vivo Y3 Standard Edition that has 3 GB of RAM and 64 GB of native storage is priced at 999 Yuan (~$141). It can be availed in Ink Blue and Jade Red color variants.
There are two major differences between the Vivo Y3 and Vivo Y3 Standard Edition. The former features MediaTek Helio P35 chipset and has a triple camera system with a 13-megapixel main lens, an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. On the other side, the Vivo Y3 Standard Edition is powered by Snapdragon 439 mobile platform and is equipped with 13-megapixel + 2-megapixel dual camera setup on its back. The rest of both phones are identical.
At launch, the Vivo Y3 was made available in variants like 4 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage. Currently, these models are ‘out of stock’ on the official online store of Vivo China. Instead, it is selling the recently introduced 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage edition model that is available for 1,098 Yuan (~$155).
Coming back to the specs of the Vivo Y3 Standard Edition, it features a 6.35-inch IPS LCD display with waterdrop notch that offers HD+ resolution of 720 x 1544 pixels. The FunTouch OS 9.1 flavored Android 9 Pie OS is preinstalled on the device. A dedicated microSD card slot is available on the Vivo Y3 Standard Edition. The power button of the phone can be used to trigger Jovi AI voice assistant. For gamers, it comes with Game Magic Box feature.
The Vivo Y3 Standard Edition has a big-sized 5,000mAh battery that supports 10W charging. The front notch of the phone has an 8-megapixel camera with f/1.8 aperture. A fingerprint reader resides on its back and it carries support for face unlock. The usual connectivity features such as Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS, microUSB and 3.5mm audio jack.
OnePlus has a very strong track record of sending out updates in time. The OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro models have already received an Android 10 stable update based on OxygenOS 10. While we would have assumed that the OnePlus 7 Pro 5G would also have been updated to the latest Android 10 version by now, it turns out, users will have to wait for a while before they get the update.
OnePlus’ latest flagship is refined and supports the high-speed 5G network
OnePlus Global Community Manager, David Y., just confirmed on the OnePlus Forums earlier this week that the OnePlus 7 Pro 5G Android 10 update will roll out in Q1 2020. Naturally, the news didn’t do well with users, especially because all the recent OnePlus smartphones are running the new Android version. Also, since the 4G OnePlus 7 Pro received the update a few weeks ago, it’s surprising that 5G variant users have to wait for at least a few months more to receive the update.
Well, the additional certification for carriers could be the reason for this delay. David specifically mentioned that the OnePlus 7 Pro 5G EE model will receive the update in the first quarter of next year.
Anyway, given that the OnePlus 7 Pro 5G is one of the premium models from the company, it’s really a shame that users have to wait this long to get Android 10. What makes things worse is the fact that David didn’t mention a specific release schedule. Q1 2019 is a pretty broad period and the update could be rolled out anytime between January 2020 to March 2020.
A few weeks ago, Chinese luxury smartphone manufacturer, 8848, announced its upcoming 5G luxury smartphone, the Titanium M6. The Titanium M6 won’t be available until next year when the Snapdragon 865 will already be shipping to manufacturers. While we wait, 8848 has announced that they will unveil a new phone called the Titanium M5+ on November 11.
The 8848 Titanium M5+ is an upgraded version of the Titanium M5 with some changes in the design and the internals but it doesn’t deviate from the manufacturer’s design language.
The teaser poster shows the phone has a blue leather-covered back, gold frame, and what appears to be titanium around the circular secondary display. The housing for the camera and LED flash has also been redesigned.
8848 Titanium M5
Unconfirmed reports say the phone will keep the 5.65-inch display of the Titanium M5 and even its Snapdragon 835 processor. However, it will come with 8GB of RAM, 2GB more than that of its predecessor. The storage should remain 256GB.
Another big upgrade is in the camera department. 8848 is swapping the 12MP sensor for a 48MP sensor. This should result in better pictures when it comes to taking photos in low light using the Titanium M5+.
The rest of the specs are unknown but 8848 has revealed the price before the launch and as expected it is not cheap. The Titanium M5+ will cost ¥13,999 (~$1984) when it launches. The M5 is currently priced at ¥12,999 (~$1842).
Multiple reports have revealed that Xiaomi may announce a new Redmi phone called Redmi Note 8T. Just as the Redmi Note 7S with better cameras was made official as a replacement for the Redmi Note 7 that had gone official at the beginning of the year in India. It is speculated that the Chinese manufacturer may replace the existing Redmi Note 8 with Note 8T phone. Last week, the Redmi Note 8T was found listed on Giztop with a price tag of $179. The smartphone is now available on Powerplanetonline.com Spanish retailer site.
Redmi Note 8T Pricing
The Spanish retailer site is selling the global variant of the Redmi Note 8T phone. The handset is only available in 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage version with a price tag of 199.94 euros. The Gray color edition is available for purchase whereas users can register with their email address to know on the arrival of the Blue variant of the phone.
The Redmi Note 8T has a 6.3-inch display that supports full HD+ resolution. The waterdrop notch enabled screen offers 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The Snapdragon 665 mobile platform powers the smartphone.
The rear side of the phone has 48-mgeapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel + 2-megapixel quad camera system. The description text of the device states that it has a 20-megapixel selfie camera which seems incorrect as other reports have claimed it has a 13-megapixel front camera like the Redmi Note 8. The handset is equipped with a 4,000mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging. The MIUI 10 based Android 9 Pie comes preinstalled on the device.
Xiaomi is yet to officially unveil the Redmi Note 8T smartphone. Now that the phone is being spotted on multiple retailer sites, it is likely to go official in the next few days. Tipster Sudhanshu has shared the live shot of “Starscape Blue” edition of the phone. He has claimed that the Note 8T will be in markets like Europe and South Asia.
Xiaomi is rolling out a major update to the Mi TV 4A Pro 49 in India. The update brings Android TV 9 to the smart TV as well as some much-anticipated features.
With the new update, owners of the Mi TV 4A Pro 49 will also get Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video. This means you can now stream your favorite TV shows from the two platforms.
The update also brings Data Saver, a feature announced by Google in September, so you can spend less data when streaming. With Data Saver, data usage should reduce by up to three times. You should also be able to set data alerts to monitor how much data you have used.
Here's an exciting news for all the Mi TV 4A Pro 49 users.
The Android TV 9 update for the Mi TV 4A Pro 49 is 812.3MB in size and it includes October’s security patch, Vivid Picture Engine, and an optimization for wireless connectivity.
The Mi TV 4A Pro 49 is currently priced at INR 29.999 on Mi.com. It has a 49-inch FHD screen with a 178° viewing angle. It comes with two 10W speakers, 3 HDMI ports including one with support for HDMI ARC, 1 AV input port, 1 ethernet port, and an S/PDIF port. The TV is powered by Amlogic’s 64-bit quad-core processor along with 2GB of RAM and 8GB of storage. It has Xiaomi’s PatchWall system on top of Android TV and ships with a Bluetooth remote with support for voice search using the Google Assistant.
In a surprise announcement, Apple released the Pro version of its extremely popular AirPods this week. The new AirPods Pro features Active Noise Cancellation and a new design. Naturally, we were curious to see if they were any good. Today, we got a pair for review and here’s our AirPods Pro unboxing and first impressions.
The Pro version comes with a handful of new features that differentiate it from the previous AirPods. The new model gets a redesign and everything is different now. This includes its price, as the AirPods Pro will cost you $249.
The case is slightly wider and shorter than the previous AirPods case. And it still supports wireless charging but this time Apple is not offering a non-wireless charging option. It makes sense given its ‘Pro’ branding.
Surprisingly it still equipped a lightning port and, in the box, Apple includes a lighting to USB-C cable. So, if you are currently using iOS, make sure you have a USB-C charger, otherwise, you’ll be forced to rely only on wireless charging.
AirPods Pro (L) vs AirPods (R)
What’s new on the earbuds? As you can see here, the AirPods Pro are little bit smaller and they have a shorter stem. Honestly, I don’t think they look as bad as the images on Apple’s website. After you put them on, they just look like a shorter and smaller version of AirPods.
The reason why they look weird is probably the rubber tips. Just as Apple mentioned at the launch, there are 3 different kinds of tip sizes. For those who have a slightly bigger auricle, this is definitely good news and ensures your AirPods Pro have a tight fit, without having to worry about dropping them. And you can’t really afford to drop them after paying so much!
And thanks to the rubber tip design, put them on, and you will notice that in addition to the tight fit, AirPods Pro is actually using microphones to offer Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). The cancellation is quite impressive, and it is hard to believe the kind of noise isolation created by the new earbuds. You can immediately feel the difference as compared to its predecessor and you will definitely love it.
Activating the noise cancellation slightly reduces the playback time. You get five hours of battery life on a single charge, but it goes down to 4.5 hours with noise canceling. Fast charging is available this time around, so you will get one hour of talk time or music playback from just five minutes of charging.
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AirPods Pro
AirPods Pro vs AirPods
In the meantime, Apple AirPods Pro also has a transparency mode which allows you to hear surrounding sounds even with the earbuds placed in your ears. This is made possible because of the large vent on the sides, where the air can pass through.
Another difference is that now you don’t have to tap the stem, now you just squeeze them. There is a pressure-sensitive flat area where you can squeeze it to change songs or pause a song. But sadly, we still can’t adjust the volume using these squeeze controls. So you still have to control it via your iPhone.
With the H1 chip inside, the AirPods Pro will pair with your iPhone if it comes near the phone. In the control center of the device, you can further adjust the volume and switch between the noise canceling and transparency modes.
Our first impressions reveal that although everyone has his own interpretation of how things sound, AirPods Pro may not satisfy all your demands. But at least they sound better than the older AirPods.
So, if you are considering to replace your old device, AirPods Pro is going to be a good choice. New features like noise cancellation and IPX4 are impressive. For those who aren’t fans of in-ear earbuds, this is probably not worth getting but for everyone else, AirPods Pro seems to a decent Bluetooth earphone with noise cancellation, that is, if you are ready to pay its expensive $249 price tag.
We will post a complete review of the AirPods pro very soon. So stay tuned.
The past month in India has been filled with festival sales across several online stores. From Flipkart’s Big Billion Days Sale to Amazon’s Great Indian Festival and to Xiaomi’s own Diwali With Mi festival which ends tomorrow, millions of products have been sold in total. Xiaomi’s Data Center has revealed that within this period (September 28 to October 29), it has sold 12 million devices of which 8.5 million are smartphones.
A breakdown of the smartphone sales reveals the Redmi Note 7 series recorded the most sales. The Chinese manufacturer also sold over 600,000 (6 lakh+) MiTVs, and over 3 million Mi Ecosystem products. The MiTV was the No.1 selling smart TV on Flipkart and Amazon India during the period, while 9 of its smartphones were on Amazon India’s top 10 best-selling smartphones.
Compared to last year’s figure, Xiaomi recorded a growth of 40% in sales. Its smartphone sales figure of 8.5 million units is reported to be the biggest of any brand in India and is an increase of 37% compared to last year’s figure. It also recorded a 47% year-on-year growth for its mi TVs and a 42% year-on-year growth for its Ecosystem products.
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Just yesterday, Counterpoint Research announced that Xiaomi shipped the most smartphones in India in the 3rd quarter of 2019. The brand currently has a market share of 26% and is followed by Samsung and Vivo with 20% and 17% market share respectively.
Two weeks ahead of the Chinese single’s day sale which will take place on the 11th of November, Xiaomi has announced that several of its offerings will be sold at discounted prices on this day. The Chinese single’s day aka Double 11 is the biggest online and offline shopping festival in the country and it is comparable to the Black Friday sale in the U.S.
During the sale, Xiaomi will be offering a total of 6 smartphone models at special discounted price which includes the following:
Mi CC9e 4GB + 128GB: Yuan 1,199 ($ 170)
Mi CC9 6GB + 64GB: Yuan 1,499 ($ 210)
Mi CC9 6GB + 128GB: Yuan 1,699 ($ 240)
Mi CC9 Custom Mito Edition: Yuan 2,199 ($ 310)
Mi 9 8GB + 256 GB: Yuan 2,699 ($ 380)
Redmi 8A 4GB + 64 GB: Yuan 699 ($ 99)
Redmi 8 3GB + 32 GB: Yuan 749 ($ 106)
Redmi 7A 3GB + 32 GB: Yuan 549 ($ 78)
All the smartphones listed above will be available for purchase via Xiaomi’s online store, Tmall, JD.com and Suning Tesco official flagship store.
To recall, in the year 2018, Xiaomi managed to rack up over $500 million of sales on the Single’s day and this year it is presumed to surpass these figures. These numbers were constituted via the sales gathered at different e-retailers such as Alibaba, Aliexpress, Gearbest and company’s online store. As per one report, the Chinese electronics maker made over 4 billion yuan in sales ($575 million).
We knew Sony’s smartphone division was having a hard time but we never thought it was this bad. The Japanese tech giant has just revealed that it managed to sell only 600,000 smartphones in Q3 2019. That’s an extremely low figure for a company as big as Sony. In fact, it’s even less than half of what it sold last year (1.6M) in the same period.
Sony’s performance is lower than its own estimates. The company initially expected to sell 5 million units in the fiscal year starting April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020. However, in Q2 2019, it decided to revise this estimate to just 4 million units. And after seeing the weak sales performance in the previous quarter, it has now revised this figure to just 3.5 million units. To be honest, this is still an optimistic estimate. In the previous two quarters starting April 1, 2019, Sony has sold just 1.5 million units in total. So, it will have to sell a lot of smartphones in 2019’s holiday period to take the total up to 3.5 million by the end of March 2020.
Sony’s smartphone portfolio remains limited this year. Its most recent releases include the Sony Xperia 5 and the special Xperia 1 Professional Edition. So, it is relying on the older Xperia 10 lineup and the Xperia 5 series to push its sales in the current quarter.
Earlier today, Gizmochina reported that Xiaomi has introduced the Mijia Induction Cooker S1 in its home country, China. In addition, it has also launched a dashcam and smart mirror hybrid which is called the 70Mai Mijia Smart Rearview 1S Youth-edition.
The Mijia Smart RearView 1S Youth-edition is equipped with a 6.86-inch landscape display that has an HD resolution of 1280 x 480 px. The display panel supports 16.7 million colours which are comparable with modern-day smartphones.
The device looks similar to a conventional rearview mirror that is seen in most cars, however, as previously mentioned, it features a 1080p video camera mounted on the rear that can manually be adjusted to change its frame. Its main purpose is to record traffic in front of owners vehicle which can come in handy in case of a road accident.
The Mijia Smart RearView 1S Youth-edition does not have in-built storage but it features a card slot which can be used to insert a MicroSD card. Apart from being a conventional dashcam, its display can be used to play audio or video that is stored in the memory card. Besides, it can also be used to display maps for navigation or display weather details.
The key highlighting feature of the Mijia Smart Rearview 1S is handsfree voice-guided operation can be activated by saying “Hello Little Mai”. The clear advantage of having this feature is that the user can control most of the features without requiring to lift their hands from the steering wheel.
After the vehicle is turned off, the rearview mirror automatically enters the parking monitoring mode and the acceleration sensor will continuously monitor the vehicle state. When an abnormality occurs, the recording is automatically uploaded to the cloud and the owner of the vehicle receives a push notification on their smartphone. Readers who are wondering, it has a built-in battery and supports 4G SIM which allows parking mode to function.
While the device does not ship with a reverse camera, users have the option to buy one install by themselves. Following which the Mijia Smart Rearview 1S will also double up as a rearview display to aid parking. Moreover, the video output of this camera can be stored on the memory card as well.
With the help of Mijia App, the Smart Rearview 1S can be used to remotely operate smart home products like bedroom lights, sweeping robot, air purifier and smart wall socket. The car accessory carries a price tag of Yuan 799 ($ 115) and is available for purchase via Xiaomi’s e-store in China.
Xiaomi will launch its new generation Mi TV 5 series on November 5. Ahead of its release, the company has officially given us a glimpse of the side of the TV. The image reveals that the Mi TV 5 will be thin with narrow bezels, translating into a very high screen-to-body ratio.
The teaser image gives us a glimpse of the right side of the Mi TV 5, wherein we can see the ‘Designed by Xiaomi’ text. I don’t remember seeing this text on the older Mi TV 4 series models, so this could be a new addition. Apart from its slim form factor, there isn’t much we can pick up from this image.
Xiaomi has already revealed that the Mi TV 5 will come equipped with a 4K QLED (Quantum dot) panel with a very wide 108% NTSC color gamut. Along with this, the TV is confirmed to feature MEMC motion compensation technology. This isn’t exactly a new feature as Mi TVs in the past, like the Mi TV 4X 65-inch have come with MEMC. The technology helps remove latency and will offer a smoother viewing experience to the users, especially when playing fast-motion videos. Like the Mi TV 4X, you should be able to manually turn on or off this feature according to your convenience.
Smartphone companies like to release new color options for its older devices to keep it fresh in the market. Today, Honor revealed that it will release an Orange color shade for the Honor 20 series on November 1. But this color is likely going to be different from other options in the market.
Traditionally, Honor 20 models have come with fancy color options like Phantom Blue, Phantom Red, and Icelandic white, which are a mix of different colors. However, this particular orange shade is expected to be unlike any other color option available in the market.
earlier leaked orange render of the Honor 20S
According to a leaked render of the Honor 20S in the new Orange shade, the phone will have a peel-like leather texture at the back in a single shade of orange. So there’ll be no fancy gradients or color mixing. While the company is yet to confirm this, it would be really interesting to see such an option across all Honor 20 models.
Personally, I’m not a big fan of this color and texture, but I’m sure there’ll be a segment of our readers who like this real peel-like texture at the back in a fresh orange shade.
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