Yesterday, Xiaomi officially confirmed that it would release a new smartwatch alongside the Mi CC9 Pro at the November 5 event. Today, Xiaomi’s CEO, Lei Jun has revealed a render of the upcoming Xiaomi Smartwatch and we can’t deny that it takes HEAVY inspiration from the Apple Watch.
The Xiaomi smartwatch will come in two band colors, elegant black, and silver. It features a curved rectangular screen very similar to the Apple Watch series. What’s more, the placement of the crown is also exactly the same as the Apple Watch. Even the power button is placed just as the Apple wearable. There’s no denying that this Xiaomi smartwatch design lacks originality. We would really be disappointed if Xiaomi is marketing its new watch as an Apple Watch clone at a cheaper price tag.
Xiaomi had revealed a couple of days back that its new watch will be a true smartwatch and not just another band. Today, the company revealed more details about its internals and it’s clear that the smartwatch will be loaded with features. The Xiaomi smartwatch will feature a high-performance CPU along with independent GPS, NFC, Wi-Fi / Bluetooth modules. There will be an independent linear motor as well as speakers inside. Further, it is said that the battery will be pretty large as well. Finally, the Mi Smartwatch will come with eSIM support, just like the Apple Watch.
So even if the upcoming Xiaomi Mi Smartwatch lacks an original design, it will probably make it up with interesting features. With eSIM support and speakers, the watch should be able to make phone calls and other functions, just like a smartphone.
On Nov. 5, Xiaomi will be unleashing the Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro smartphone with 108-megapixel penta-lens camera system. The full specifications of the smartphone have already appeared on its TENAA listing. The launch poster of the phone that the company had released yesterday that the penta-lens system of the phone will support 5x optical zoom. Today, it has shared more details on the cameras of the Mi CC9 Pro.
It appears that Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro will be the first phone from the company to arrive with a periscope lens. The first lens in the five camera setup will be a periscope sensor that will allow the phone to support 5x optical zoom, 10x hybrid zoom and 50x digital zoom.
The second lens is a 50mm portrait lens of 12-megapixel with a large pixel size of 1.4micron. It supports dual PD autofocus and has an aperture rating of f/2.0 aperture. The third lens is a Samsung-made 108-megapixel lens. It is a 1/1.33-inch sensor with an aperture rating of f/1.7. The fourth one is a 20-megapixel superwide lens with 117-degree field-of-view. The last one is a super macro lens with a focal length of 1.5cm.
Xiaomi has revealed that the 108-megapixel lens and the periscope are both equipped with support for optical image stabilization (OIS). As it can be seen, the five cameras are assisted by a pair of dual-LED flash units. The cost of the phone’s cameras is five times more than that of the Xiaomi Mi CC9.
The Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro has a 6.47-inch full HD+ OLED display with 19.5:9 aspect ratio and in-display fingerprint reader. The Snapdragon 730G powers the phone with up to 8 GB of RAM. The highest model of the phone may have 256 GB of native storage. The Android 9 Pie OS on the device could be customized with MIUI 11. There is no support for microSD card on the device.
The frontside of the Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro features a 32-megapixel selfie shooter. It has backed by a minimum rated battery of 5,170mAh capacity. The smartphone weighs 208 grams and its thickness is 9.67mm. Past reports have claimed that its base model may cost. Outside of China, the handset could be called Mi Note 10 or Note 10 Pro.
UPDATE: The images of Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro have appeared on TENAA. The display of the phone has a waterdrop notch. The screen appears to be curved towards its right and left edges. The back panel flaunts the marvelous penta-lens setup of the phone.
Original story follows…
Last week, a Xiaomi phone with model number M1910F4E was spotted on 3C’s website. It is believed that it could be the upcoming Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro that features a 108-megapixel penta-lens camera system on its rear. The handset is slated to go official on Nov. 5. Ahead of the launch, the M1910F4E has popped up on TENAA’s database. There are no images of the phone in the listing, but it carries its entire specifications.
Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro Specifications
The Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro measures 157.8 x 74.2. The thickness of the device is 9.67mm and it weighs 208 grams. The reason behind its thickness and weight is because of the presence of a large-sized battery. TENAA reveals that the phone is equipped with a minimum capacity battery of 5,170mAh capacity. It has been found through 3C appearance that it may come with a charger that supports up to 30W rapid charging.
The smartphone is fitted with a 6.47-inch OLED display. It offers full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels and a tall aspect ratio of 19.5:9. The display is integrated with an in-screen fingerprint sensor.
The Mi CC9 Pro is powered by 2.2GHz octa-core processor. Rumors surrounding the smartphone have claimed that it is powered by 8nm Snapdragon 730G. There is no official confirmation on it from the company. The handset was spotted yesterday on Geekbench benchmarking platform with 6 GB of RAM and a processor with a base frequency of 1.8GHz. The SD730G features 2 x 2.2GHz Kryo 470 Gold CPU cores and 6 x 1.8GHz Kryo 470 Silver CPU cores.
The RAM variants of the Mi CC9 Pro are 6 GB, 8 GB and 12 GB. It is expected to arrive in storage editions such as 64 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB. There is no support for external storage on the device. It will come loaded with Android 9 Pie and may probably feature the latest MIUI 11 UI.
For capturing selfies, the Mi CC9 Pro has a 32-megapixel selfie snapper. Xiaomi has already revealed that the handset has five cameras on the back. TENAA only reveals the main lens of the phone as 108-megapixel and it has no information on the other four sensors.
It appears that the Mi CC9 Pro may arrive outside of China with a different moniker. The NBTC listing of similar appearing model numbers like M1910F4S and M1910F4G have revealed that these phones will be respectively debuting in Thailand as Mi Note 10 Pro and Mi Note 10.
When talking about gimbals, especially phone gimbals, my biggest concern is the size of it. For me, I would definitely sacrifice some functions to make sure that when I am in need of a gimbal, I can get access to it and actually start using it within 1 minute. Luckily, I find this little guy, the Feiyu VlogPocket. From beginners to pros, this gimbal deserves a seat on your baggage list.
Start with the body design, which is the biggest selling point of it. This is the smallest gimbal I have ever used. It is as tall as your phone and it only weighs 272g, which is not much heavier than your cell phone. So, it is super portable and can be easily fit in your pocket. Apparently Feiyu is not joking or exaggerating about naming the device.
It can be perfectly fit in the side pocket of your backpack or most of the big pockets on your shorts or even jeans. I really like the notch design of the phone clip. It will prevent pressing the lock or volume buttons.
The shell of the gimbal is made of plastic but covered by a layer of skin-like coating. So, the touch of the handle is great and a little bit small. When operating the device, it is slightly tricky especially for those who have a big hand. Sometimes you will miss tap the buttons. So, you may need some time to get used to it.
We have two color editions, black and pink. I have to say the pink version is really a clever move because at least in China, more and more girls start their business with a gimbal no matter doing a live show or making a vlog.
Two-color Editions: Black and Pink.
The current price of VlogPocket is 450 yuan, which is around 64 USD. For this price, you can get a gimbal, a mini tripod, and a carrying bag.
Practical Use
Form my own experience, the VlogPocket is doing a great job of recording some moments of your interesting life or adventurer trip. However, if you are thinking about business use or a relatively professional shot, I don’t think the VlogPocket is a good choice because due to its small body, it usually takes more effort to get a rather smooth and stable shot. Also, if you are using a big phone whose screen is bigger than 6.5inch, like my Oneplus 7 Pro, you might give it a second thought because there is not enough room for the phones to freely switch orientations. It might be stuck with the axis and even cause damages to your phone.
Talking about the orientations, I really like it because you don’t have to turn the whole thing off to accomplish the switch. All you need to do is double-tap the function button. Most importantly, you can directly use the camera of your phone via Bluetooth. No need to download a third-party camera app. You can even change from landscape mode to portrait mode without touching.
Sadly, in this model, I find no joystick. Although VlogPocket claims that you can achieve tilting the gimbal by holding the trigger button on the back. But according to my experience, it is not so convenient comparing using the joystick directly and the tilting angles are a little bit narrow.
Stability
The stability of the VlogPocket is above the average, but not as good as the DJI Osmo Mobile 3. It becomes more obvious when I start running. I am not saying that you cannot use it while intensive movement but if you prefer a more delicate shot, you have to switch to a bigger gimbal. And I also notice that if you are using the Feiyu ON, which is a camera app designed by Feiyu, the shaking is more violent. Maybe some algorithm update is needed to make more efficient use of the built-in stabilizer.
All in all, the small size is both the pros and cons of the Feiyu VlogPocket. It sacrifices some stability and comfort to make sure that the little smart guy can be easily fit in your pocket. Practical or convenient, which one do you prefer?
Huami recently introduced a new edition of its well-received AMAZFIT smartwatches dubbed the AMAZFIT GTR. Unlike its predecessor that sported square-shaped displays, crafted for those on a tight budget, the AMAZFIT GTR is slated for a more premium trend with a round dial.
The Chinese smart wearables maker’s newfangled smartwatch adopts highly appealing aesthetic, along with top-notch specifications to meet the varied needs of the wearer, while turning heads at the same time. The feature-rich new smartwatch is well-placed in a premium category.
As part of the AMAZFIT GTR Global Launch on Gearbest, AMAZFIT is doling out a noteworthy discount on the newly introduced smartwatch. So without wasting more time, let us check out the details.
AMAZFIT GTR 42mm Smart Watch Glitter Edition Zirconia from Swarovski
Featuring a classic look of the traditional watch, the AMAZFIT GTR 42mm Smart Watch is a great choice for sports, as well as fitness enthusiasts. Its USPs include ultra-long battery life. It can last up to twelve days of normal use. Furthermore, it comes with twelve sports modes that monitor your health.
The AMAZFIT GTR 42mm Smart Watch would normally set you back a pretty penny, but Gearbest is giving you a chance to buy it for just $169.99. This is a noteworthy 24 percent reduction in the device’s original asking price of $224.94.
As part of the promo, you can get $5 off on orders over $100. The smartwatch comes in Light Khaki, as well as White color options. With more than a hundred pieces of each color option sold at the time of writing, this promotion is slated to end in thirteen days so follow this link now to avail the discount.
The AMAZFIT GTR 42mm Smart Watch usually carries a $179.11 price tag, but Gearbest is giving you an unmissable chance to buy it for a lowered price of just $139.99. As if this 22 percent discount wasn’t enough, the online store is giving an extra $5 off to consumers who spend over $100 on their website.
Crafted for sports, as well as fitness enthusiasts, the Amazfit GTR smartwatch gives you the freedom from the hassle of frequent charging as its battery lasts for about 12 days of normal use before requiring charging. Moreover, it comes with a wide range of built-in watch faces for different occasions ranging from sporty ones to classy and traditional ones.
To know about the AMAZFIT GTR 42mm Smart Watch and to place your order, all you need to do is to follow this link without wasting time. The smartwatch comes in red, black, and white color options.
With more than a whopping hundred watch faces that suit your fancy, the AMAZFIT GTR 47mm Smart Watch Titanium Edition adopts an elegant design. It features a 1.39 inch AMOLED display with a high pixel density of (retina level) of 326PPI and a resolution of 454 x 454 pixels.
This 5 ATM water-resistance understandably carries a steep $359.39 price tag. Much to the relief of cost-conscious buyers that have restlessly been waiting to get their hands on the Titanium Edition of the AMAZFIT GTR 47mm without spending a lot of money, Gearbest is offering the eye-catching smartwatch for a lowered price of $199.99.
In addition to getting this significant 44 percent discount, Gearbest users can get $5 off if their total exceeds $100. The smartwatch is available in Light Khaki and White color options. More than a hundred units were sold out at the time of writing. The promo is slated to end in just thirteen days. You can click here to visit the promotion page.
Touted as one of China’s best online stores for electronic items, Gearbest is offering the AMAZFIT GTR 47mm Smart Watch for a considerably reduced price of just $149.99. It is worth mentioning here that the watch usually retails for $181.86.
In addition to the aforesaid 18 percent discount, Gearbest users who end up spending more than $100 on the site will be eligible for an extra $5 off. An absolute bargain at this price, the AMAZFIT GTR 47mm smartwatch does not require frequent charging so that you can focus on more important activities.
Furthermore, it packs a Sony GPS chip, which consumes 1/3 power as compared to other similar chips. It uses self-developed DualHeaTeck technology to monitor the heart rate of the wearer throughout the day without consuming a lot of power.
You can head straight to this link to check out more details about the AMAZFIT GTR 47mm and get this discount before the promo comes to an end.
It is more important than ever for online retailers to come up with amazing promotion sales to retain its existing users and attract new consumers. Keeping in line with that, leading online stores such as GeekBuying launch exciting new promotions from time to time.
The latest promo from the Chinese online store is called ‘Best Sellers’ and it is teeming with all sorts of products across various categories. More importantly, you can get great discounts on these items and save more money using dedicated coupon codes during the checkout process.
As part of its recently, kicked-off promo, GeekBuying is doling out a noteworthy discount on the Mifo O2, and the Mifo O5 TWS Earphones. We will not only shed light on these discounts but also show how you can save a considerable amount of more money at the time of checking out.
Equipped with the latest Bluetooth 5.0 technology, the Mifo O2 supports 20 of seamless distance transmission. It utilizes 35 percent less power but delivers radically enhanced sound quality. Overall, the Mifo O2 provides a stable connection, coupled with fluent audio.
The Mifo O2 would normally set you back $73.99, but you can buy it for just $39.99 from GeekBuying. Furthermore, you can even extend this 46 percent discount by applying coupon code 3XRF4PQN at the time of checking out.
The coupon helps you grab an extra $11 off by reducing the retail price of the Mifo O2 to just $37.99. You can follow this link to avail of the discount. There’s a 2% New User Off Coupon for those placing their first order with GeekBuying, but the promo will end in just one day.
Mifo O5 Bluetooth 5.0 Balanced Armature TWS Earbuds
The Mifo O5 would normally set you back a pretty penny, but GeekBuying is giving you a chance to get your hands on it for a lowered price of just $59.99. This is a noteworthy 35 percent drop in the device’s original asking price of $91.99.
On top of that, you can save $2 more by applying coupon code GKB02PP during the checkout process. The coupon enables you to bring the already lowered asking price of the Mifo O5 further down to just $57.99 even before placing your order.
An absolute steal at this price, the Mifo O5 TWS Earbuds combines the best sound with a beautiful aluminum form factor and the Bluetooth 5 technology. Moreover, it offers a long battery life along with intuitive pairing software.
Launched in 2019, the O5 comes with an upgraded charging case and is backed by a robust 2600 mAh battery that lasts up to 100 hours of use time before requiring charging. It comes in metallic grey and rose gold.
You can visit this link to check out more details about the Mifo O5 and take advantage of the discount, which will be valid for six days. New users can get 2% extra off by applying the New User Coupon at checkout. Don’t miss these time-limited offers!
The Mi Note 10 is an upcoming smartphone from Xiaomi. It recently got certified alongside a Pro version in Thailand, hence confirming it will be available outside China. Now, Xiaomi has revealed the first official teaser for the phone and it looks pretty familiar.
The teaser which was posted on Twitter by the official account not only confirms the Mi Note 10 is coming but it reveals it will be the world’s first 108MP penta camera phone. Does that sound familiar? Of course, it does.
The Mi CC9 Pro which Xiaomi also teased today and is scheduled to launch on November 5 also has a 108MP penta camera. Based on this similarity, the Mi Note 10 might be the international version of the Mi CC9 Pro.
However, Mukul Sharma (@stufflistings) tweeted that the Mi Note 10 and the Mi CC9 Pro will share a lot of features but will differ with respect to processor. Leaks say the Mi CC9 Pro will have a Snapdragon 730G processor which is currently the most powerful mid-range processor.
If the Mi Note 10 will have a different processor, it will either have a less-powerful chipset than the Snapdragon 730G or a more powerful one (Snapdragon 855). This is just speculations though and the outcome may be different.
The Mi Note 10’s release date has not yet been announced but it should also be in November.
Oukitel has a tradition in making big battery phones and its K Series is one of the best out there to offer super long battery performance. After the release of the K12 that comes with a 10000mAh battery, the Chinese manufacturer is ready to unveil the next-gen model in the Series, Oukitel K13 Pro with 11000mAh battery.
Design
Oukitel designed the K13 Pro from scratch in order to make it unique and distinguishable from the rest of the Series’ devices. It comes with a 6.41″ HD+ O-notch display covered by Asahi glass that is 2.5D curved and prismatic cut. Thanks to the O-notch design, the bezels on the 3 sides are ultra-narrow and the screen/body ratio reaches 90.3%.
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The earpiece was crafted though CNC and double oxygenation and has a distinctive red color. The same red decoration is also found around the volume and power buttons, rear cameras, LED flash, fingerprint reader, and Oukitel logo. The back panel comes in 2 patterns: Genuine leather and Kevlar.
11000mAh Battery
Of course, the killer feature is the huge battery. According to researches, there are about 3.3 billion smartphone users around the world and users generally spend an average of 3.5 to 4 hours on their phones every day, each week up to 28 hours. Using a smartphone so many hours means that a big battery is essential since finding a power outlet when on the go is a no-go. According to the company, the K13 Pro can offer 41 hours of phone calls, 54 hours of music playback, 14.5 of video playback or 11 hours of gaming. In real-life scenarios, this means about 3 to 4 days of heavy use on a single charge. With a more conservative use, you can achieve a whole week.
5V/6A Quick Charge
Having a massive battery means that fast charging is the most important thing since it can take hours to recharge. The 5V/6A fast charge will recharge the K13 Pro in just 2 hours and 20 minutes. It gains about 1% per minute from 0% to 60% so even if you forget to charge it during the night, you can give it a quick 30-60 minutes charge and you are good to go for the whole day.
Hardware
As for the rest of the hardware, it comes with MediaTek’s Helio P22 8-core SoC manufactured @12nm, backed by 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, expandable up to 128GB more via the microSD slot. In addition, there is a dual rear camera with 16MP/2MP sensors as we as an 8MP selfie shooter. It supports both fingerprint and face unlock and you can use the NFC to make mobile payments.
The device will hit the market in early November with a retail price of $189.99. during the 11.11 Global Shopping Festival on Aliexpress, it will be available for just $179.99. To learn more details about it, visit the product page.
Elephone PX debuted about 2 weeks ago with a promotional price of $129.99 and it made it to the top of the most affordable pop-up camera smartphones. Since the promotion was over, the price went up to its official price of $159.99 but that was until today. In cooperation with Gearbest, Elephone is offering another discount for those who missed the initial promotion so now you can get it for just $139.99 until November 4th.
Featuring a 6.53″ FHD+ display and the 16MP pop-up selfie camera, the phone sports a fashionable design and notch-less display. The rear camera is a dual setup with 16MP/2MP sensors and right below it lies the fingerprint sensor. The phone is powered by Helio P23 SoC backed by 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage upgradeable up to 256GB more via the microSD slot. Also, there is a 3300mAh battery inside. You can find out more about it on the official product page.
We knew that Armor 7 would be the company’s next rugged flagship and today it officially hit the market and started presale on Banggood for just $369.99. The phone comes with a 48MP triple camera as well as Helio P90 SoC. Before we go into further details, let’s watch the official Armor 7 video down below.
The triple camera consists of a 48MP main sensor, a 16MP night photography camera, and an 8MP telephoto camera. With improved AI algorithms and f/1.7 aperture, photos are more detailed and vivid. In addition, the 16MP night photography camera comes with an f/2.0 aperture and -according to the company- takes the night mode experience to another level compared to the previous model. Lastly, the 8MP telephoto camera helps you zoom in an object to bring it closer to you without compromising on the image quality.
As said, Ulefone equipped Armor 7 with the latest and most powerful P-Series SoC from MediaTek, Helio P90 which comes with 4.6 times more performance than Helio P60 & P70 so that you can breeze through any task while maintaining power efficiency. Coupled with 8GB RAM performance and multitasking is flagship-level.
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As for the rest of the specs, there is a 6.3″ FHD+ display with waterdrop notch and very hard glass protecting it, although Ulefone hasn’t revealed if the phone comes with Gorilla Glass or another type of protection. The internal storage is 128GB and there’s also a heart rate sensor, face unlock support via the 16MP front camera, a 5500mAh battery with 10W wireless charging, and NFC with Google Pay. Of course, there is a quadruple navigation system (GPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo), wide network band support including T-Mobile’s Band 71, and Android 9 Pie.
The presale period started today on Banggood and during the presale period, you will be able to enjoy the special discounted price of $369.99 and get an extra free gift bag including a tempered glass and a sling. You can see all the details about Armor 7 and other Ulefone devices here.
We already know that the next model from UMIDIGI will be Power 3 featuring a big battery and a quad-camera setup, and today the company revealed the price and the global sale start date. So, Power 3 will go on global sale on November 11th and its promotional price will be only $149.99 for just 1 day, until November 12th! The Power 3 is a big upgrade to its predecessor and the debut during the Aliexpress 11.11 Global Shopping Festival is a buyer’s delight.
Besides the big battery, the key feature of the device is the multi-function quad camera. The recently launched Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 also sports a similar camera setup but which is better overall? Let’s check out the specs and price comparison.
Display
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Doing away with the notch is the challenge for most smartphone manufacturers and rumors say that next year’s flagships Redmi K30 and OnePlus 8 would feature the hole-punch display. UMIDIGI Power 3 has that already placed on the top-left of the 6.53″ FHD+ display, while the Redmi Note 8 comes with a 6.3″ panel with a waterdrop notch.
Camera
The main camera is the sector where there are not that many differences. The Power 3 has a better 13MP ultra-wide camera while the Redmi Note 8’s one is 8MP. As for the front camera, the Power 3 boasts a 16MP sensor while the Note 8 has a 13MP one.
Battery and Charging
Here’s where the Power 3 really stands out as it hosts a big, 6150mAh battery with 18W fast charging support while the Note 8 comes with a smaller, 4000mAh battery and just 10W fast charging. What’s more, the new UMIDIGI phone supports 10W fast OTG reverse charging while its opponent supports just 2.5W OTG reverse charging.
Performance
The two companies use different SoC providers but their performance is similar. Power 3 is powered by MediaTek’s Helio P60 and the Redmi Note 8 comes with Snapdragon 665. Both score about 140k in Antutu v7. Also, the Power 3 features NFC with Google Pay and Note 8 doesn’t.
Operating System
Until now, there are only a few devices that come with or have been upgraded to Android 10, the latest version of Google’s OS. Power 3 is one of them as it comes with Android 10 out-of-the-box. It comes with the stock version of Android while the Redmi Note 8 features MIUI 10 based on Android 9.0.
Price
As said before, the UMIDIGI Power 3 will hit the market at just $149.99 and the price will go up to $169.99. Still, that’s almost $20 less than the Note 8 that costs about $190 for the same 4GB/64GB memory configuration. It’s easy to say that the Power 3 is a better VFM that its competitor. You can add it to your cart now so that you don’t miss the deal when it hits the market. Also, you can participate in the Giveaway activity to win one for free.
Back when the Huawei Mate 30 Pro was officially announced in the market, it made the headlines for one big feature: 7680 fps ultra slow-motion video shooting. The phone brought in a kind of slo-mo video capability never before seen in a smartphone camera and we were all very impressed with its results.
We have already reviewed the Mate 30 Pro and its camera in detail but we thought it would be a good idea to take a deeper dive into Huawei’s 7680 fps slo-mo video technology. There’s a lot more to this technology than you can imagine and it wouldn’t have been possible even with our current generation smartphone’s hardware capability. This unreal feature is made possible with the help of powerful software as well and we talk about them in our video below.
Rather than saying that the Mate30pro has better cameras, it’s better to admire Huawei’s advanced AI frame insertion technology. Video frame insertion is a common technique used in slow-motion videos. The general principle of frame insertion algorithm is to perform motion estimation (ME) first and then motion compensation (MC). Simply put, the software finds the difference between the two frames, such as the trajectory of the object, and then, in turn, fills that gap between the frame, to improve the video frame rate.
So, there were a number of technical challenges that had to be overcome to make this possible. The entire camera system needs to have an extremely high data cache transmission and processing capability. The algorithms and system computing capacity should also be powerful enough to render the final outcome of the 7680 fps video shooting.
Since everyone is in awe of this ultra slo-mo technology, we hope you guys will enjoy our dedicated video on this subject.
The smartwatch market began as a revolution in mobile devices but things slowed down after the first wave since they initially were just used for receiving notifications. Nowadays, both software and hardware have evolved so much that smartwatches are really worth a try. According to the latest statistics, Apple Watch is the dominant model holding around 35% of the market share with Samsung coming in second place.
But, although it comes in 1st place, the Apple Watch isn’t all that perfect. It is addressed only to iPhone users and thanks to the strong ecosystem of the company, it achieves high sales numbers, so, it’s a no-go for Android users. In addition, the cheaper models come with an aluminum case that isn’t the most durable material out there. Also, its battery life is a day or less and you need to charge it every night.
Custom OS smartwatches
Besides Samsung that has its own wearables ecosystem (Tizen OS) and has successfully managed to populate it with many popular apps, Huawei and its sub-brand Honor are also selling very noteworthy watches. Huawei Watch GT2 is the latest model and it sells around $249 while the Honor Watch Magic sells at around $129. Both feature a custom OS that constrains their capabilities.
Both are adequately equipped featuring a built-in GPS and up to 50m deep waterproofing. Also, the Honor Watch Magic has a week-long battery life, NFC, etc. Its affordable price makes it popular among youngsters. Still, it is inferior to the Huawei Watch GT
that sports 2 weeks of battery life, a larger display, and better design.
Up next, is Huami that is specialized in smartwatches and grabs a big chunk of the market pie. The flagship model is the Huami Amazfit GTR watch which is available in two sizes – 42 mm and 47 mm. The bigger of the two is more striking and has a longer battery life (24 days vs. 12 days use) and costs just $20 more than the small one. Generally speaking, it is recommended that men choose the bigger one, and ladies choose the smaller one but that’s a matter of personal taste.
It comes with the company’s custom OS and features 12 sports modes while being waterproof up to 50m underwater. What’s more, it comes with an AMOLED high-resolution display that looks great and takes care of keeping battery consumption at a low level since when displaying black colors means zero consumption.
Full OS smartwatches
Apart from the above-mentioned models that come with their own OS and other models that come with Google’s Wear OS platform, there are manufacturers that choose to adopt a full OS. This is the case with KOSPET and its latest flagship model, Prime. The KOSPET Prime is literally a smartphone on your wrist, supporting most of the Android apps found on Play Store. Also, it supports 4G connectivity and you can make phone calls right from your wrist without the need of your smartphone.
Of course, adopting a full OS has its drawbacks like increased power consumption so the Prime comes with a 1260mAh battery, nearly 40% higher than the second in place. This results in a 168h standby time that is the best among Android watches. In addition, it sports a 1.6″ HD display and it is a full-round one as most watches come with a kind of notch that cuts the circle at the bottom. The big display solves many issues as in the past, displays were too small for third-party applications.
As said, it is a smartphone on your wrist and that requires enough power and memory so that it is fast. Prime comes with 3GB/32GB memory combo and that’s the top configuration found at the price tag of KOSPET Prime. Lastly, it is the first smartwatch to come with a dual-camera setup that supports Face ID. Lifting your hand towards your face will instantly unlock the watch thanks to the full Android OS running on the device.
As you can see, the smartwatch market isn’t as simple as the smartphone one due to the OS fragmentation. The high-end luxury category belongs to Apple and Samsung while the mid-range category is where most other manufacturers like Huawei, Honor, and Huami and even small-time manufacturers like Kospet are placed.
There aren’t many full OS smartwatches in the market that look good. But the KOSPET Prime offers pretty good features based on the Android platform. You can check it out from here.
The much-awaited Apple AirPods Pro has been announced. The new wireless earbuds bring a new design as well as Active Noise Cancellation.
Priced at $249/¥1999/₹24,900/£249/€279, the AirPods Pro has been redesigned. It has a shorter stem than the original AirPods and the part that goes into your ears now has silicon earbuds to keep the noise out. That is for passive noise cancelation.
For Active Noise Cancelation, the headphones have an outward-facing microphone that detects external sound which is then canceled out with “equal anti-noise”. There is also a microphone that faces inwards and listens for unwanted sounds which are also canceled out with anti-noise. Apple says noise cancellation is continuously adjusted at 200 times per second for truly immersive sound.
AirPods Pro Force Sensor
And in cases where you want to hear the sounds around you, all you have to do is press and hold the force sensor ( hidden in the groove) on the stem to and activate Transparency Mode.
The AirPods Pro have what is called Adaptive EQ which auto-tunes music and sounds to the shape of your ear.
AirPods Pro are the only in-ear headphones with Active Noise Cancellation that continuously adapts to the geometry of your ear and the fit of the ear tips — blocking out the world so you can focus on what you’re listening to.
-Apple
The AirPods Pro is powered by the H1 SiP Chip which has 10 audio cores. The headphones are sweat and water-resistant and combined with the case which charges wirelessly (Qi compatible), offer more than 24 hours of battery life. They can last up to 4.5 hours on a single charge and 5 minutes of charging will provide up to 1 hour of listening time. There is support for “Hey Siri” as expected and pairing is super easy.
Apple says the AirPods Pro will be available for purchase on October 30. There is free engraving if you wish to personalize it.
Google officially unveiled the Android 10 last month with improved features and enhancements. The new iteration includes features such as dark mode, new system UI, new gesture navigation, improved privacy, and location control. The foldable display support and enhanced security are also part of the Android 10. There are a lot more improvements that are forcing users to switch to the Android 10 as soon as possible.
The official support for Android 10 on OnePlus 3/3T was limited to Android 9.0 Pie, and now users are dependent on third-party development. Being a device from the pro-development manufacturer, there would be ample support for Android 10 based custom ROMs for OnePlus 3/3T. It’s been just a month since the launch of the Android 10 source code, and the developers have minted several Android 10 based custom ROMs for OnePlus 3 and 3T.
OnePlus 3/3T Specs
As far as the specs are concerned, the OnePlus 3 comes packed with a 5.5-inch Optic AMOLED capacitive touchscreen with 16 million colors. The display supports a 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution along with the Corning Gorilla Glass 4. It is powered with Snapdragon 820 chipset coupled with a quad-core chipset and Adreno 530 GPU. The device is available in different storage variants of 64GB internal and 6GB storage.
In optics, the device comes with a single 16MP primary sensor with LED flash, HDR and panorama features. There’s an 8MP selfie camera on the front for video calling and selfies. In sensors, the company dwelled a fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, gyro, proximity sensor, and compass. The phone hosts a 3000 mAh battery with fast Dash charging technology.
On the other hand, OnePlus 3T differs in terms of chipset, camera, and battery configuration. It features Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 instead of Snapdragon 820 and a 16 MP camera on the rear side. However, there’s a 16 MP camera on the front side for selfies. A 3400 mAh battery powers the device to sustain a whole day.
Let’s see which are the best custom ROMs are available for OnePlus 3 and 3T.
Best Android 10 Custom ROMs for OnePlus 3 and 3T
Lineage OS 17.0
It is the world-famous Android firmware distribution available widely for Android devices. The Lineage OS 17.0 is based on the latest Android 10 AOSP code and with extra contributions from many people. It is designed to improve the performance and reliability over the stock Android device. LineageOS is always known for its continued support and bug-free experience.
However, LineageOS 17.0 is currently in the Alpha stage and carries bugs and issues. As of now, LineageOS 17.0 is missing features such as WiFi display, SELinux permissive, and backup tools. It will work as expected if installed on the stock kernel. The user needs to flash the GApps package to get access to Google services. You can flash the LineageOS 17.0 by visiting the link below. Make sure to follow all the steps carefully. Otherwise, your device may get bricked.
It is the most fully stable ROM based on Android 10 for OnePlus 3 and 3T. The MSM Xtended carries all the features blended from different ROMs for a better user experience. It features all the OnePlus based features such as Awesome Slider, OnePlus gestures, DIsplay Calibration, Panel Modes, and high brightness mode. Apart from these essential features, the ROM packs status bar tweaks, animation, button customizations, gestures, lock screen settings, navigation tweaks, Power menu, Quick Settings, and many other options.
It is based on the Android 10 AOSP code and is fully stable with all features working. It also needs separate Gapps installation after the ROM installation to let Google services work. Grab the MSM Extended for OnePlus 3 and 3T by hitting the link below.
Nitrogen OS Beta is bundled with amazing features along with the native Android 10 support. It features a stock Android-like experience, which makes it fast and stable. It is also available for OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T. Nitrogen OS is currently in testing and may carry some bugs.
The features such as Screen on Time without secure start-up and Selinux is not working. It is based on AOSP, CM, Pure, DM, and OmniROM. TWRP is needed to flash the NitrogenOS Beta on OnePlus 3 and 3T. It even carries the optimal kernel’s configuration for performance and battery saving. You can install this feature-rich custom ROM by heading to the link below.
These are the only Android 10 custom ROMs for OnePlus 3 and 3T. We hope you may have found the correct version of the ROM for your device. If you have any recommendations to add to the list, please do let us know by commenting below.
UPDATE: It looks like the first batch of the MIUI 11 Global Stable update for POCO F1 is rolling out to Mi Pilot MIUI users. It is still a stable release but it might take a few days more for everyone else to get the update. If you are not a part of Mi Pilot testing but have received the update for POCO F1, do let us know in the comments below.
Xiaomi is finally rolling out MIUI 11 Stable release for POCO F1 users across the world. Users on Reddit have reported that their smartphones are being updated to the new MIUI version via OTA. Notably, this new MIUI 11 stable build is still based on the Android 9 Pie version.
Apart from the new MIUI 11 features (complete list here), the update also brings the latest October 2019 security patch to the POCO F1. We have reports of at least one user in Italy getting this stable build but users across the globe should eventually get this update in the next few days.
Source: TheMariacho (Reddit)
The update is likely going to be rolled out in stages. So you might have to wait a while before you receive the OTA update notification. And if you don’t want to wait around, download and flash the stable ROM from here. Note that it is a large file (over 1.8GB in size), so it is recommended that you download and install it over a Wi-Fi connection.
While this is based on Android 9 Pie, POCO F1 is confirmed to receive an Android 10 update, eventually. There’s no word on an exact schedule for its release, but users could probably get it by the end of this year. Note that Redmi Note 7 Pro and Redmi 7 users have already received the stable MIUI 11 update a few days ago.
Xiaomi’s MIUI team has been busy for the past few weeks, sending out important MIUI 11 updates to its new and old devices. A number of Xiaomi smartphones including the Mi Mix 3S, Mi Mix 2S, and the Mi 8 SE have already received the new MIUI 11 update based on Android 10. And latest smartphone to be updated to Android 10 is the Xiaomi Mi 8.
Xiaomi has started rolling out MIUI 11 based on Android 10 to Mi 8 users on the beta ROM. The update will bring a host of new MIUI 11 based features to the device and includes the latest October security patch. Given that this MIUI 11 9.10.24 build upgrades the Android version to v10.0, it’s a pretty big file with a size of over 2.1GB. Also, it is recommended to backup your data before upgrading your smartphone.
Note that this is still a beta ROM and is likely to have a few bugs. So, if you use your Mi 8 as your daily driver, it is recommended to wait for the stable release. No word on its rollout but expect it sometime in the next couple of months.
Note that there are only a handful of Xiaomi devices running a stable release of Android 10 right now. So, it will take some time for older devices like the Mi 8 to get Android 10 on the stable release. Also, there’s no word on the Android 10 beta update for devices outside of China.
If you want a case for your new OnePlus 7T, the choices you have from OnePlus’s own site are the Red Silicone Bumper case, Bumper Case Karbon, and the Protective Case which is available in Sandstone and Karbon. Not a lot of choices compared to what we see other big-name brands offer for their flagships. Also, other than the silicon bumper case which is available in red, the other cases are sort of bland too. Thankfully, we will be getting a new official OnePlus case thanks to a new leak.
Called the Cushion Bumper Case, a photo of the case was leaked by Ishan Agarwal (@IshanAgarwal24) in partnership with DroidShout.com.
The case has vertical grooves that run from the top to the bottom. It will be available in gray and blue, each matching the two colors (Frosted Silver and Glacier Blue) the OnePlus 7T is available in.
The OnePlus 7T Cushion Bumper Case will be available in India for INR 1290, €30 in Europe, £28 in the UK, and $30 in the US. That is not too expensive for an official accessory but there probably will be knock-offs available in more colors and at a cheaper price.
There is no info on the release date for the case but we expect it to be around the corner.
High refresh rate displays are the new craze in the Android market. Companies like OnePlus, ASUS, OPPO, and even Realme have all released at least one high-refresh-rate smartphone in the market. In fact, the ASUS ROG II phone takes the refresh rate all the way up to 120Hz instead of the more common 90Hz. Now, it is being said that Apple will join the high-refresh rate party as well, in 2020.
OnePlus 7T has a beautiful 90Hz display
According to a DigiTimes report, 2020 iPhones could feature 120Hz screens, joining Apple’s existing iPad Pro lineup with the same high-refresh rate. However, next year’s iPhones will likely have a 120Hz refresh rate on an OLED panel unlike the LCD ones found inside the ProMotion iPads.
But it’s not just the new iPhone models. The same DigiTimes report states that smartphones, in general, will come with higher refresh rates in 2020. And unlike this year where we have a number of 90Hz panel smartphones, companies could upgrade the refresh rate to 120Hz or more next year.
Currently, only a handful of smartphones feature a 120Hz display, like the ROG II, Razer Phone 2, and the Sharp Aquos R3. But if this report is to be believed, by 2020, this figure will increase quite significantly. Such high refresh rates would especially benefit gaming-centric smartphones and this niche market has grown a lot this year.
However, with a high refresh rate comes the issue of battery life. Using a dynamic refresh rate will help in optimizing for the best battery performance but it will still be lower than that of a 60Hz screen. As a result, we could see smartphones with larger batteries and faster-charging technologies next year. This speculation isn’t unfounded given that the ROG II with a 120Hz comes with a HUGE 6000mAh battery on board!
The source of the info is a blogger on Weibo that goes by @it科技站 (IT Station). The Vivo X30 5G should be the successor to the Vivo X27 that launched in March 2019. There is no info on a Pro model but we won’t rule out the possibility of that launching later.
The Vivo X30 5G should be an upper mid-range 5G device with a price tag lower than Vivo’s NEX 3 5G flagship. The NEX 3 5G has a starting price of ¥5698 (~$806).
The leak reveals some promotional images of the device and they show the phone has a screen devoid of a notch and punch hole. So we should get a pop-up selfie camera just like the X27. The screen of the phone also appears to be a waterfall display judging by the curves.
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Another of the image shows the device will have three rear cameras arranged vertically and housed together. There is no fingerprint scanner on the back and Vivo is not one to use a side-mounted fingerprint scanner which leaves us with an in-display fingerprint scanner.
Other details of the Vivo X30 5G should surface in the weeks leading up to its announcement.
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An absolute steal at this price, the Mifo O5 TWS Earbuds combines the best sound with a beautiful aluminum form factor and the Bluetooth 5 technology. Moreover, it offers a long battery life along with intuitive pairing software.
