Kospet wants to conquer the smartwatch market with the new Kospet Prime coming next week

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Oct 10, 2019

There are 4 categories of smartwatches out there that are separated according to the OS they come with. There are Apple Watches with iOS, Android Wear watches, proprietary OS watches, and watches that come with full Android OS. Kospet rules the 4th category and they are ready to release their new flagship, Kospet Prime, a water and drop-proof watch that fits both formal and casual occasions and will go on presale over at Gearbest on October 14th. Pre-order is available and earlier birds could enjoy a 30% discount!

Judging from the press photos it is obvious that Kospet Prime is a really beautiful watch. And besides that, it comes with a huge, 1260mAh battery that is the absolute top in the smartwatch market right now and promises up to 3 days of active use or up to 7 days in standby mode. If that sounds little, don’t be fooled by other watches with proprietary OS. This one is a full Android device.

The watch is equipped with two 8MP cameras and the front panel is occupied by the large 1.6″ AMOLED-display with a resolution of 400 × 400 pixels resulting in 285ppi and IPS-matrix, which accurately displays any picture.

To power the watch, Kospet chose the 4-core MTK6739 @1.25GHz SoC that is both powerful enough and battery-friendly, coupled with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. So, no lagging Android smartwatches anymore.

The Prime comes with Android 7.1.1 preinstalled and if that sounds a bit dated, remember that we are talking about a smartwatch and this version is super-capable. At the same time, the OS together with the built-in 4G antenna and the nano-SIM card slot allows you to get the maximum use of the clock’s functionality and you can also synchronize it with any Android smartphone via Bluetooth.

The watch is made in a stylish ceramic case and comes with a convenient and durable silicone strap, however, especially for conservatives, the model can be equipped with a 24mm leather strap. It weighs just 70g and it is very comfortable to wear. What’s more, it can withstand all environmental challenges, such as heavy rain, dust storm, or even immersion in water, however, developers do not recommend pressing the buttons in underwater mode.

According to some experts, Kospet Prime is currently one of the most attractive smart-watch models out there, although design is always subjective. If you’ve been looking for a powerful smartwatch with full OS and great price, get it now for 30% off.

Samsung plans to shift focus to Quantum Dot display technology with $11 billion investment

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Oct 10, 2019

We can’t help but love Chinese companies and their technological exploits. They can replicate the latest technological products and deliver to us at far cheaper prices. If not for Chinese manufacturers, OLED panels may still be out of reach since Samsung and LG basically dominate that aspect. But Chinese manufacturers like BOE technology and Tianma are rapidly closing in on the Koreans.

In order to remain ahead of the pack, Samsung Display has hinted that it will invest 13.1 trillion won ($11 billion) by 2025 to produce and further develop quantum dot display panels. This is in a bid to stay ahead of Chinese rivals who have already caught up in earlier display technologies.

QLED or Quantum Dot OLED panel is Samsung’s recent invention and is used on the company’s latest 8K TV. Apart from Samsung, TCL also uses QLED technology on its recent 8K TV but we doubt if it was supplied by Samsung.

Samsung disclosed on Thursday that it will use the investment to shift its production of large format panels away from cheaper liquid crystal displays to the more advanced Quantum Dot technology, which is based on the organic light-emitting diode, or OLED, technology. The company also disclosed that the new 8.5-generation QD lines will produce 30,000 panels per month from 2021, which will be used for making super-large QD displays of 65 inches or more. To accelerate this project, the company will gradually transform its 8th-generation LCD lines into QD lines.

The announcement comes as LCD prices have plunged in recent years due to Chinese makers, backed by generous state subsidies, aggressively expanding production capacity. The prices were also affected by sluggish demand for large TV sets amid a global economic slowdown coupled with the U.S.-China trade war.

South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said Samsung will invest 10 trillion won in Quantum Dot facilities, while the remaining 3.1 trillion won will be used for developing the technology.

Two U.S. tech companies are moving their manufacturing units out of China to avoid Tariffs

By

Joel Joseph

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Oct 10, 2019

This week, U.S. and China officials are meeting to discuss the ongoing trade war. But two U.S. companies aren’t waiting around to see if these two superpowers make amends. Fitbit, as well as Tile (maker of the Bluetooth-enabled location tracker), have confirmed that they will be moving their manufacturing units out of China.

By January 2020, all of Fitbit’s manufacturing operations will be outside of China. The main reason for this shift is to avoid the heavy tariffs being subjected to the goods originating from China. This announcement comes well before the next round of tariffs that goes live from December 15 affecting an additional $300 billion worth of Chinese imports.

Duties on gadgets like smartwatches and Bluetooth trackers with low margins will seriously affect their competitiveness in the U.S. market. And considering how the relationship between the U.S. and China has been deteriorating recently, it makes sense why these companies would want to mitigate their risks.

Fitbit recently unveiled the Versa 2 smartwatch in the U.S. featuring an OLED display, NFC, Spotify, and Alexa for $199.

(Source)

DxOMARK begins reviewing smartphones’ audio quality, Huawei Mate 20X tops list

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Oct 10, 2019

DxOMARK is known for its smartphone camera reviews and while there are folks who take their reviews with a pinch of salt, manufacturers (read Chinese manufacturers) still brag about the scores of their smartphones. A few months ago, DxOMARK began scoring the selfie cameras for smartphones too and just last month, it announced that it would add night camera and ultrawide-angle scores to its camera test protocol since both have become popular features present in phones.

Today, DxOMARK has introduced a new test protocol for smartphones called the DxOMARL Audio Test Protocol. This tests a phone’s audio recording and output quality and is only based on the playback performance of the phone’s internal speakers not when paired to headphones or external speakers.

The overall score is split into playback and recording just the way a phone’s camera score is split into photo and video. The test is carried out by audio engineers and experts in special labs and can take up to a week for a single device. DxOMARK says during testing, they recreate multiple usage scenarios such as a busy street. They also compare phones together during testing to make sure that their test scores are impartial.

At the moment, DxOMARK has tested seven devices they are the iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone XS Max, Galaxy Note10+, Galaxy S10+, Huawei Mate 20 X and Sony Xperia 1. Based on their test results, the Mate 20 X is at the top of the list and this is partly due to its stereo microphones which gives it a high score for recording.

The iPhone XS Max comes in second with a score of 74 points (Playback: 75, Recording: 69), pushing its successor the iPhone 11 Pro Max to third place with a score of 71 ((Playback: 72, Recording: 68). The Galaxy Note10+ and Galaxy S10+ score 66 and 65 points respectively, while the Honor 20 Pro and Xperia 1 close the list with a score of 53 points and 45 points respectively. The Honor 20 Pro and Xperia 1 not only score lowest but are the only two phones with a wide margin between their playback and recording scores.

DxOMARK says they will keep reviewing more devices and will keep updating the list, so if your favorite device isn’t on the list, it may be added in the future.

(Source)

A device with 6.5″ display will join the Elephone U Series soon

By

Dimitris Economou

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Oct 10, 2019

The U-Series from Elephone has been very successful for the company. After all, it is the series that hosts the flagship devices of the Chinese manufacturer and besides Elephone U, Upro and U2, they are going to launch another device very soon. Below, you can see the official photos of the device as well as some limited information about it.

The new device is going to sport a 6.4″ FHD display and it will be glass-free 3D capable. According to the information, it will come with 2 48MP cameras focusing on 3DS image shooting. As you can see in the images provided, it will have a notch-free design using a hole-punch front camera, a rear dual camera, and a fingerprint reader placed on the back cover.

In the meantime, the giveaway activity for the pop-up camera phone Elephone PX is still ongoing and you can still participate. For more information, you can visit Elelphone’s Facebook page and their official website.

Buy OPPO Reno Ace Smartphone from Giztop

By

Vinay Patel

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Oct 10, 2019

OPPO announced the Reno Ace flagship smartphone, alongside the equally-anticipated OPPO K5 in a recently concluded launch event in China. The Reno Ace has been floating around the rumor mill, making numerous appearances online in the form of leaks.

Multiple storage and color options of the OPPO Reno Ace smartphone are currently available for pre-order through Giztop. Available in blue and purple hues, the Reno Ace features 8GB/12GB of LPDDR4X RAM and offers 128GB/256GB UFS 3.0 storage capacities.

The 8GB RAM+128GB ROM model will set you back $549, and it comes in blue, as well as purple color options. The slightly larger model with 256GB of internal storage space, which also comes in blue and purple color options, is available for $599.

If you fancy having more power, and storage space on your phone, you might want to check out the next variant that ships with a larger 12GB of RAM and offers a hearty 256GB of onboard storage space. The aforesaid model carries a $659 price tag.

The eye-catching Reno Ace sports a 6.5-inch AMOLED 90Hz FHD+ display with a high screen resolution of 2340×1080 pixels. It comes with an in-display fingerprint scanner for added protection of your personal data stored inside the phone.

Under the hood, the Reno Ace packs a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus Octa-core 2.96GHZ processor, along with a highly competent Adreno 640 GPU for enhanced performance. Keeping the varied needs of mobile photographers, and selfie addicts in mind, OPPO has outfitted the Reno Ace with a 48MP+8MP+13MP+2MP Quad rear cameras and a 16MP front AI selfie camera.

The phone runs Color OS 6.1 based on Android 10 OS and is backed by a robust 4000mAh battery that supports 65W SuperVOOC rapid charging technology. The dual-SIM (nano+nano) device can also be used as a mobile hotspot, allowing you to share the 4G data connection with your friends and family.

You can follow this link to place your pre-order from Giztop. Note that the estimated delivery of the OPPO Reno Ace is set for the end of this month.

OPPO Reno Ace

Xiaomi set to launch an air-cooled refrigerator soon

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Oct 10, 2019

Xiaomi has long hinted that the MIJIA ecosystem products are an important part of the company which is postured as an internet company. The MIJIA brand is home to smart home products and in recent times we saw a deviation from IoT gadgets like smart door lock, smart switch, smoke alarm etc, to big home/kitchen gadgets like the MIJIA washing machine, air-conditioners and even refrigerator. Xiaomi has now announced that it is set to unveil a new refrigerator.

The product was teased recently on Weibo and the teaser contains a render of the supposed product. The picture suggests the MIJIA refrigerator will come with either a two-door double cabin or two-door single cabin design. If it is a two-door fridge, then the size promises to be massive. Explicit details of the product weren’t revealed but it may equally have a display on the outside just like high-end fridges from LG and Samsung. Of course, the fridge may come with smart connectivity features as is common with Xiaomi products but we are not sure about that.

An air-cooled refrigeration system is typically located outdoors and is subject to its surrounding ambient temperatures but can be kept indoor. It is cooled by heat transfer into the air and so must be kept in well ventilated area.

This product is one of four major household appliances. The other three include the Smart TV, air-conditioner and washing machine. Xiaomi first released the Mi TV series in 2013 and presently, the brand is the no. 1 highest-selling TV in China. The MIJIA Air Conditioner is equally a top-selling product with up to 1 million units sold annually. The washing and drying machine released recently is still a hot-selling one.

ZMI launches zPower 30W Dual-USB Charger for ¥59 (~$8)

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Oct 10, 2019

ZMI doesn’t stop impressing us with its products. The 65W USB-C Power Delivery charger which costs less than $30 is a marvel. There is also the gorgeous PowerPack 20K Pro power bank which also supports 65W fast charging. Now, they are back with the zPower 30W dual-USB charger that costs less than $10.

The charger has a similar design to its 65W USB-C charger – a two-tone matte and gloss finish. It is also pretty small too; 28% smaller than Apple’s own 30W charger.

The ports are on the top – a USB Type-C port and a full-sized USB port. The USB-C port has a maximum power output of 30W while the USB-A port has a maximum power output of 27W. If you use both ports at the same time, you get a maximum power output of 24W combined.

ZMI says the zPower 30W dual-USB charger has an intelligent chip that will automatically determine the best charging voltage of any device connected to it. There are a bunch of safety measures too such as high voltage, low voltage, high current, and low current protections. It supports Android devices as well as the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone Xr, iPhone Xs, and iPhone 11 Pro among others.

The zPower 30W dual-USB charger is priced at ¥59 (~$8) and is already available for purchase on Tmall.

The ZMI zPower 65W charger is available on Giztop for $29.99.

Pre-Order Xiaomi Redmi 8 Smartphone for Just 7,999 INR from Flipkart

By

Vinay Patel

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Oct 10, 2019

The Redmi 8 was unveiled earlier in October 2019, and Xiaomi is reportedly gearing up to launch the phone later this month.

Before Xiaomi’s recently announced smartphone hit the store shelves, it has gone up for pre-order in India through Flipkart. Much to the delight of the brand’s huge fanbase in the country, the Indian e-commerce company is doling out a noteworthy discount on the handset’s original asking price.

Available in Onyx Black, Ruby Red, and Saphire Blue color option, the Redmi 8 is an irresistible smartphone that ships with 4GB of RAM and offers ample 64GB of onboard storage space for you to save your favorite multimedia content. The Redmi 8 is a perfect travel companion for travel bloggers, avid gamers, entertainment seekers and those who fancy using a high-end personal device.

Aside from meeting the varied needs of mobile phone users, the Redmi 8 adopts an eye-catching design that will turn heads everywhere you go. It sports 6.22-inches Dot Notch Display with 1520 x 720 pixels resolution with Gorilla Glass 5 on top for a superior viewing experience.

It packs a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 439 processor, along with a highly efficient Adreno 505 GPU at 650 MHz. On the optics front, the Redmi 8 houses a 12 MP + 2 MP AI Dual cameras at the back and an 8MP front AI Selfie camera, with f/2.0 aperture, Portrait, and Beauty Mode.

The dual-SIM smartphone runs the latest Android Pie 9 Pie operating system with MIUI 10 on top. The phone draws its juices from a 5000 mAh Li-polymer battery.

While you’d normally expect a feature-laden smartphone to carry a steep price tag, the Xiaomi Redmi 8 has gone up for pre-order for just 7,999 INR on Flipkart. This is a 27 percent reduction in the phone’s original selling price of 10,999 INR. Note that the Redmi 8 will go on sale starting October 12th.

You can follow this link to save 3,000 on Redmi 8 through Flipkart before the promo comes to an end.

Xiaomi Redmi 8

Xiaomi MIUI 11 to be announced in India on 16th Oct alongside Redmi Note 8 Pro

By

Sahil

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Oct 10, 2019

Last month, Xiaomi announced the latest version of its custom ROM for Android in China which is called MIUI 11. While the company is already seeding MIUI 11 update package to devices in China, users from other regions are still waiting to receive the update. Cheerfully, Indian consumers won’t have to wait for long as a Tweet shared from the company’s official account declared that MIUI 11 will be announced in the country on the 16th of October.

16.10.2019 #MIUI11

RT if you are excited for this! pic.twitter.com/61hqUBvF3P

— MIUI India for #MiFans (@MIUI_India) October 10, 2019

Readers who are unaware, this is the same date when Xiaomi will also launch the highly anticipated Redmi Note 8 Pro and Redmi Note 8 in India. Therefore, it is highly like that these handsets could launch in the country with the latest MIUI 11 which is disparate to their Chinese launch where the devices debuted with MIUI 10(preceding version of MIUI 11).

It seems Xiaomi is in full swing to lure in customers ahead of the upcoming Diwali shopping spree. If the rumour mill is to be believed, the company could also launch the Poco F2 which is the long-awaited successor of the Poco F1 that was launched last year. However, in order to verify this claim, we will have wait until the Xiaomi event which will take place on the 16th of October.

Coming back to MIUI 11, let’s talk about the features that the latest Android skin from Xiaomi brings to the table.

New Icons and smoother animations: With the latest MIUI 11, Xiaomi has tweaked the look of the icons found in the UI and they now have a minimalist yet appealing look. The company has also tweaked the animations which are slower in comparison to MIUI 10 but they now provide for a rich and immersive experience.
Ultra Power Saving Mode: As the name suggests, this mode is meant for prolonging battery life when running out of charge. According to the company, while in this mode, a device can provide a battery backup of upto 24 hours with just 5% of battery. When this mode is turned on, the device turns off the Wi-Fi module, hides non-essential apps, turns the display colour to black/white whilst restricting background processes.
Kids Mode: This mode is meant for parents who want to create a safe digital environment for their kids. While in kids mode, the device will only be able to run applications that are whitelisted by their parent or guardian. Besides, it also has an education space which Xiaomi claims is an intuitive manner to teach young kids.
Casting to external display: This feature will allow smartphones running on MIUI 11 to wirelessly cast onscreen content which includes games, videos, documents and other applications to TV, given the TV also supports this functionality. Xiaomi has thoughtfully designed this feature so users can even hide personal items to keep all sensitive things private. Moreover, the device can continue to cast even when its display has been turned off.
Digital Wellbeing: With this feature, device owners will be able to check how much time they spend on each application and if needed they can cut down the usage time in order to maintain a healthy mental and physical well-being.
Earthquake alerts: With the help of data provided by regional offices, devices running MIUI 11 can notify its owner in case of an ongoing earthquake or after one takes place. Moreover, it will also provide additional details like nearby relief centres and places to avail medical service in case of a mishap.
Android 10: While it is not necessary for every device running MIUI 11 to run on the latest Android 10, as the same skin could even be built on older versions of Android like Oreo or Pie. Having said that, devices launched in recent past will get MIUI 11 based on Android 10.

Well these are just a handful of features introduced with MIUI 11, if you want to read more about it, you can do so by clicking these links (1, 2)

Xiaomi is yet to provide a list of India specific devices that are bound to receive the latest MIUI 11, however, it will be comparable to the Chinese list. Nonetheless, latest handsets including the MI 9 lineup, Redmi K20 duo, Note 7 series, Note 8 series and Poco F1 (from 2018) are already to confirmed to receive the update.

TCL Plex goes on sale in Malaysia

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Oct 10, 2019

The TCL Plex might be the first smartphone to emerge from the Chinese multinational corporation, but they are by no means new to the business. With brands like Alcatel, Blackberry and more recently Palm under their belt, TCL has been a major player for a long time. The Plex is the first of many new smartphones to be designed and built under the TCL moniker. Although the TCL Plex is currently on sale in Malaysia, a European launch is likely towards the end of the year.

TCL Plex Specifications and Price

The TCL Plex flaunts a 6.53-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels with a punch-hole on the left for the front camera. The device is powered by the Snapdragon 675 SoC and 6GB of RAM. It comes with 128GB of internal storage.

Editor’s Pick: OPPO K5 with Snapdragon 730G, 64MP quad cameras and 30W VOOC 4.0 charging launched for 1,899 Yuan (~$267)

The Plex boasts of a triple camera setup at the rear. The primary unit comprises of a 48-megapixel lens from Sony that is paired with a 16-megapixel ultrawide lens and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. It is equipped with a frontal shooter of 24-megapixel. The Plex draws power from a 3,820 mAh battery with 18W QUick Charge 3.0 support. It runs on a custom UI based on Android 9.0 Pie.

The Plex is priced at MYR 1,099 (~$262) in Malaysia. It is sold in a bundle with the TCL MTRO wireless headphone. The smartphone is available in two color options, namely Obsidian Black and Opal White. It features a dual-glass design with a 3D holographic finish on the rear panel.

(source|via)

LG V50S ThinQ goes on sale in South Korea on October 11

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Oct 10, 2019

LG Electronics will launch the V50S ThinQ in South Korea on Friday. The device is a rebadged version of the LG G8X ThinQ that the company has included in their 5G V-series portfolio for the domestic market. It is the first smartphone from LG to flaunt its Dual Screen technology.

LG V50S ThinQ Specifications and Features

The LG V50S ThinQ features a 6.4-inch display with a resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels and an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. Its dual screen attachment also features a 6.4-inch full HD+ display. The smartphone draws power from an octa-core Snapdragon 855 SoC with 8GB of RAM and up to 256 GB of built-in storage. The V50S ThinQ features a dual camera setup at the rear. The primary lens is a 12-megapixel unit with an aperture rating of f/1.8, which is mated to a 13-megapixel lens with an aperture rating of f/2.4. The selfie camera is a 32-megapixel unit with an aperture rating of f/1.9.

The LG V50S ThinQ draws power from a 4,000 mAh battery that supports 21W Quick Charge 3.0 and runs on Android 9.0 Pie. Connectivity options include dual SIM 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth v5.0, GPS and USB Type-C. The device features a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and is available in Aurora Black. It measures 159.3 x 75.8 x 8.4 mm and weighs 192 grams. It is IP68 certified for water and dust protection.

Editor’s Pick: LG’s new partnership sees its huge transparent OLED displays mounted on Harrods’ windows

LG V50S Price and Availability

The LG V50S ThinQ is priced at 1.2 million Won (~$1,004) in South Korea. It is rumored to sport a sub $1000 price tag in the global markets. The smartphone will be available with three carriers in South Korea, namely LG Uplus, KT and SK Telecom. The device goes on sale tomorrow in the home market. LG has organized an event where V50S owners can sign up for LG Pay and win an LG Homebrew, a capsule for brewing beer at home!

In related news, LG expects a slight increase in profits for the third quarter of 2019 as compared to the same period last year. The company hopes to generate operating profits of 781 billion Won (~$653 million) and total revenue of 15.7 trillion Won (~$13 billion). An increase of 4.3% and 1.8% respectively since last year. LG is hoping to cut losses in their mobile business with the restructuring efforts. Despite having recorded a loss of 313 billion Won (~$261 million) in the second quarter of 2019, the company hopes to reduce the figure by half in the third quarter.

Huawei Nova 5T arrives in Germany with Google services pre-installed

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Oct 10, 2019

The Huawei Nova 5T is actually a rebranded Honor 20 with a new name and EMUI instead of Magic UI. Announced in August, the phone has now made its way to Germany and the good news is that there is Google Mobile Services pre-installed.

Apparently, Google already certified the Nova 5T before the US ban took effect according to Huawei, which is why the phone comes with Google services.

The Nova 5T has a 6.26-inch LCD screen with a punch-hole for the selfie camera and a 2340 x 1080 resolution. It is powered by the Kirin 980 which is paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. You can’t add more storage as the phone doesn’t have a MicroSD card slot.

The Huawei Nova 5T has quad rear cameras – a 48MP f/1.8 sensor, a 16MP f/2.2 ultrawide angle camera, a 2MP macro camera, and a 2MP depth sensor. A 32MP f/2.0 camera sits in front for selfies and video calls.

There is no audio jack but there is Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC. The phone also has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner built into the power button. It runs Android 9 Pie with EMUI 9.1 and packs a 3750mAh battery with support for 22.5W fast charging technology.

The price has not yet been announced but there are speculations it will be priced at €430 just like the Honor 20 when it goes on sale on October 29. It will be available in Midsummer Purple, Black, and Blue.

LG’s new partnership sees its huge transparent OLED displays mounted on Harrods’ windows

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Oct 10, 2019

Samsung is undoubtedly the leading name when it comes to OLED displays. Whatever success Samsung might have attained in terms of OLED panels, rival Korean brand LG has got in similar measures. Well, except for the punch-hole design and that may be because LG continues to focus on smart TV and other bigger display panels. The Korean giant has teamed up with Department stores, Harrods to showcase its huge transparent OLED displays in the famous department store’s shop windows from October 7 to October 28.

The partnership which was announced on Wednesday, is said to be part of Harrods’ Tech Month to educate the public about the potential of OLED and to establish itself as a leader of the market in the years to come.

LG is the only brand manufacturing large-size transparent OLED displays in the world right now. The tech giant will deploy a55-inch Full HD transparent OLED display with 38 percent transparency and a show window OLED display made up of two 55-inch vertically-combined transparent OLED displays to showcase interactive content for customers throughout the period.

LG Display says OLED isn’t limited by the need for a backlight unit so, is the best display tech to craft a transparent TV out of. That is because the pixels in an OLED display emit light by themselves making it a perfect material for LG’s transparent screen. The transparency of the screen makes it ideal for commercial use as customers can read info about specific products while directly looking at the products on the other side of the glass.

According to LG Display VP and Head of Global OLED Promotion KJ Kim; “LG Display will provide more chances for the public to experience the innovation of OLED by collaborating once again with world-renowned department store Harrods which showed its willingness to embrace OLED as an unmatched next-generation technology”. He also hinted that as the pioneer of OLED displays, the company is committed to leading the future of OLED, thereby enhancing people’s lives with this cutting-edge technology”.

Nubia Red Magic 3s pricing confirmed for global markets ahead of October 16 launch

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Oct 10, 2019

After launching the Red Magic 3 back in May this year, Nubia unveiled the Red Magic 3S in China in September. The smartphone is awaiting a global release next week. Ahead of the global launch, the Chinese brand has confirmed the pricing and availability of the Red Magic 3s for multiple markets.

Nubia Red Magic 3S Price and Availability

Nubia launched the Red Magic 3S in China at a base price of CNY 2,999 (~$419). The Chinese firm has confirmed that the global edition of 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage Red Magic 3s will carry a starting price of $479 / £419 / €479. It will come in Eclipse Black and Mecha Silver color.

The 12 GB RAM + 256 GB storage model that comes in Cyber Shade gradient color that appears red to a combination of blue and purple is priced at $599 / £529 / €599. Starting Oct. 16, the Red Magic 3S will be available on the company’s website across global markets. The list includes the United States of America, Canada, United Kingdom, the European Union, Israel, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, Macau and Australia.

Nubia has also announced early bird discounts in the seven days leading up to the launch (October 9 – 16). The company is offering Reward Cards worth $100 / £100 / €100 to the first 100 buyers along with freebies during the event. To avail the offer, you need to purchase a 3S Reward Card first. It is like making a downpayment towards the smartphone, and can be redeemed at the time of purchase. Follow this link to learn more.

Editor’s Pick: OPPO Reno Ace with 90Hz display, SD855+ and 65W charging debuts for 3,199 Yuan (~$449)

Nubia Red Magic 3S Specifications and Features

The Red Magic 3S features a powerful octa-core Snapdragon 855+ SoC and is available with 8GB of RAM + 128GB of built-in storage. The smartphone flaunts a 6.65-inch AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels. The primary camera is a 48-megapixel unit while the front camera uses a 16-megapixel lens. The smartphone draws power from a 5,000 mAh battery that supports 18W Quick Charge+.

The Red Magic 3S features a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and connectivity options include Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth v5.0, A-GPS, GLONASS, USB Type-C and a 3.5mm AUX port. The smartphone is available either with a fan or with liquid cooling.

OnePlus 6T gets latest HydrogenOS based on Android 10 beta

By

Sahil

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Oct 10, 2019

When it comes to providing latest Android updates, Chinese smartphone maker, OnePlus is usually one of the first ones to seed both beta and finalised version to its devices. Falling in line with the same stratergy, the company has pushed the latest version of HydrogenOS based on Android 10 beta for device owners of OnePlus 6T in China.

Some of you might be confused and wondering, “wasn’t the OnePlus’ custom skin called OxygenOS?”. Let me tell you that you are right but only partially. OnePlus smartphones shipped outside of its home country are skinned with OxygenOS that has a very stock Android-like experience. In contrast, the units sold in China run on HydrogenOS. It is similar to OxygenOS but offers a deeper level of customization which is developed while keeping the usage habits and demand of local customers.

Coming back to the Android 10 beta update, the latest version of HydgrogenOS brings a wide variety of changes to the OnePlus 6T which are listed below:

System

Update to Android 10 version
New UI design, light and smooth operation experience, more details, etc.
Added location management permissions to support only when using the app
New personalized settings experience, support for icon shape changes applied to shortcut settings

Full screen gesture

Added bottom bar to support left and right slide bar switching app experience

Game space

A new game space that automatically brings together your favorite games for a smooth game acceleration experience

Information display

Supports displaying weather, schedule, music and other information based on the scene display screen (Setting – Display – Information Display – Scene Information)

SMS

Add SMS keyword blocking to help you avoid harassing SMS interruptions (information – interception record – harassment interception settings – SMS keyword interception)

Update Method

Installing the latest HydrogenOS based the OnePlus 6T can be done via two methods which are listed below:

OTA update: This option can only be availed by users whose OnePlus 6T is currently running on the beta version of Android Pie. In order to update to the latest beta firmware, navigate to settings and search for updates. The device will prompt with the “install” option once the package has been downloaded from OnePlus servers. This is a fairly simple process and any data stored on the phone will not be erased.
Manual Update: If you are not running the beta version which most users do not, the process is little more complex but it can be done by following the steps below[Note: Before installing the update make sure to extract any important files such as documents or videos. As the update package will wipe the phone memory resulting in loss of all the data packets.]

Download the update package here. (size: 2.28 GB)
Copy the ROM upgrade package to the root directory of the phone.
Navigate to Settings -> System Upgrade -> Top right icon -> Local upgrade -> Click on update package you just downloaded -> Upgrade now -> System upgrade is complete.
Select restart

(source)

Samsung throws a bumper case on the Galaxy Tab 8.0, calls it Galaxy Tab A Kids Edition (2019)

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Oct 10, 2019

Shortly after the launch of the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Edition and Amazon Kindle Kids Edition, Samsung has announced its own tablet for kids too. Called the Galaxy Tab A Kids Edition (2019), Samsung’s own has the same price as the standard version unlike Amazon whose Kids Edition tablets cost more.

The Galaxy Tab A Kids Edition (2019) is actually the Galaxy Tab A 8.0 which launched back in July with a bumper case slapped on and a free trial of Samsung Kids – Samsung’s library of fun and educational games, videos, and books for kids aged 3 to 12. It is just a 30-day free trial with subscription priced at $8/month or $60/year. Of course, you already know which subscription plan makes more sense.

Samsung Kids has games from Sesame Street, Dreamworks, PBS Kids, and National Geographic. There are tools for parents to set daily limits, monitor, and customize content for individual kids too.

Samsung has put a price tag of $150 on it, the same price as the regular version, and will begin shipping it on October 15.

You get a device with an 8-inch 1280 x 800 display, a Snapdragon 429 processor, 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage which can be expanded via a MicroSD card slot.

It also has an 8MP rear camera and a 2MP front-facing camera for video calls. There are stereo speakers, an audio jack, and a 5100mAh battery that charges via a MicroUSB port and said to provide up to 13 hours of battery life. The Galaxy Tab A Kids Edition (2019) runs Android 9 Pie out of the box and is only available in silver. Also, while there are four different colors available for the bumper case, Samsung doesn’t allow you to choose the one you want at checkout.

OnePlus 7T and 7T Pro McLaren Edition prices leaked for Europe before launch

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Oct 10, 2019

OnePlus will be announcing the OnePlus 7T Pro and OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition smartphones globally today. Ahead of the launch, reliable tipster Ishan Agarwal has leaked the pricing of the McLaren Edition phone for European markets. The leak reveals that it will be the most expensive OnePlus phone ever.

The tipster has revealed that the OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren edition will come with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. It will be priced between 849 euros (~$936) and 859 euros (~$947). He also revealed the European pricing o the OnePlus 7T handset that was introduced in China with a starting price of Rs. 37,999 (~$535). According to the tipster, the 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage variant of the OnePlus 7T will be costing between 589 euros (~$649) and 599 euros (~$660).

Editor’s Pick: OPPO Reno Ace with 90Hz display, SD855+ and 65W charging debuts for 3,199 Yuan (~$449)

OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition Specifications (Rumored)

The OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition is expected to borrow most of its specs from the OnePlus 7T Pro handset. It is expected to come with a 6.65-inch Fluid AMOLED curved display with support for Quad HD+ resolution, HDR10+ and 90Hz refresh rate. The Snapdragon 855+ chipset will be fueling the smartphone.

The rear shell of the smartphone is expected to feature a triple camera setup with Sony IMX586 48-megapixel main lens, a 16-megapixel ultrawide lens and an 8-megapixel telephoto lens. It could be equipped with a pop-up selfie camera of 16-megapixel. The handset will boot to Android 10 OS.

The OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition could be featuring a 4,085mAh. It could be coupled with 65W Warp Charge technology. It will also be featuring an in-display fingerprint reader. As far as the design is concerned, the McLaren Edition may come with a textured carbon fiber rear along with orange accents and McLaren logo. It could be featuring a customized version of OxygenOS UI. The special edition smartphone could be available only in select markets.

(source)

U.S. Companies could soon get the green-light to sell to Huawei

By

Joel Joseph

-

Oct 10, 2019

As the US-China trade talks resume, Huawei reportedly has a ray of hope. According to the latest report, the Trump administration is ready to approve some licenses that allow U.S. companies to sell goods and services to Huawei. This should come as a respite to the Chinese telecommunications giant whose products like the Huawei Mate 30 Pro haven’t had a proper international release.

Huawei Mate 30 Pro featured 01 — Huawei Mate 30 Pro is one of the best smartphones in the market today but does not come with Google apps

NYTimes reports that these approved licenses will allow a ‘select few American companies’ to resume selling their products to Huawei. It is worth adding that back in August, the U.S. government had received over 130 license requests for the same. But it’s possible only a select few of these requests will be approved.

Without Google apps, the Huawei Mate 30 series is practically DOA in the international market. So the company needs to get Google back on board. Also, its position in the global smartphone market is at risk, with Apple predicted to overtake Huawei by the end of this year. Even Samsung’s smartphone department posted better than expected results last quarter, at Huawei’s expense.

Huawei’s global flagship store in Shenzhen

However, Huawei’s fate will ride on how the trade negotiations go between these two countries this week. And the atmosphere is quite tensed right now after China slammed U.S. companies for supporting Hong Kong. In fact, recently, Chinese companies like Vivo, Tencent, and CCTV suspended ties with the American NBA association after a Houston Rockets executive tweeted supporting Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protesters.

(Source)

Realme X2 Pro spotted on Geekbench ahead of official launch, Pack 12 GB RAM & SD 855+

By

Sahil

-

Oct 10, 2019

With each passing day, more and more leaks corresponding to the highly anticipated Realme X2 Pro surface online. While the company had previously confirmed the flagship grade handset will be offered in 12 GB + 256 GB storage option, a listing of the same has also been discovered on the popular benchmarking website, Geekbench.

According to the Geekbench listing, the Realme X2 Pro scores a single core score of 3562 points and a multi core score of 10,428 points. The smartphone is equipped with the “msmnile” chipset which is the codename for Snadragon 855 mobile platform. Both the multi-core and single-core of the Realme smartphone are comparable to handsets like OnePlus 7T and the Xiaomi Black Shark 2 Pro which feature the same chipset.

As previously mentioned, the Realme X2 Pro in the Geekbench listing has 12 GB of RAM which will be the top of the line variant. While the benchmarking website does not reveal its other important aspects like display size and camera resolution, they can be obtained via prior leaks and reports.

Accordingly, the Realme X2 Pro will have a 6.5 inch Full HD+ AMOLED display that has a waterdrop notch up top. Its display panel wil have a refresh rate of 90 Hz which we feel is a praiseworthy feature. Another highlighting aspect of the handset will be its Quad camera setup which will be comprised of 64 MP + 13 + 8 MP + 2 MP resolution sensors.

The Realme X2 Pro will also have a 16 MP selfie camera which will be housed in the notch above the display. In terms of dimesinons, it measures 161.0×75.7×8.7 mm and tips the scale at 199 grams. The upcoming handset will be powered by a 4,000 mAh battery, which pleasingly will be capable of fast charging with 50W of power.

All in all, the upcoming flaghsip from Realme seems like an impressive handset and if company manages to price it as aggressively as its previous launches, it will manage to turn a lot of heads. The handset will launch in China on the 15th of October which will be soon followed by its launch in India.

(source)

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Update Method

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