Honor Play 3 Aurora Blue edition goes on sale in China

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Sep 26, 2019

Honor had launched the Honor Play 3 smartphone in China on Sept. 4. At the time, the company had introduced the phone in color editions like Black, Flame Red and Aurora Blue. Except for Aurora Blue, the other two variants have been available for purchase in the home market. Starting from today, the company has also started selling the Honor Play 3 Aurora Blue edition.

The Aurora Blue has an attractive appeal as it is color gradient edition that offers a mix of turquoise and blue. However, the USP of the smartphone is that offers a punch-hole display experience at an attractive starting price of 999 Yuan (~$140) for the 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage variant. The 4 GB RAM + 128 GB storage model is priced at 1,299 Yuan (~$162) and its 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage model also carries the same price tag.

Editor’s Pick: Huawei recruiting EMUI 10 Internal Beta testers for Mate 20 Pro, Honor 20 and others

Honor Play 3 Specifications and Features

The Honor Play 3 has a 6.39-inch display that offers HD= resolution of 720 x 1560 pixels. The punch-hole display of the phone allows it to offer users with 90 percent screen space. The Kirin 710F chipset powers the smartphone. It is loaded with EMUI 9.1 based Android 9 Pie OS. The GPU Turbo 2.0 tech is available on the device for accelerated GPU performance while playing games on the device. It features a microSD card slot for additional storage.

The rear shell of the phone features a triple camera system. It consists a primary lens of 48-megapixel, a wide-angle lens of 8-megapixel and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. It has a front-facing camera of 8-mgeapixel. The 4,000mAh battery of the phone supports 10W charging. The handset lacks a fingerprint reader. Hence, the sole biometric recognition feature available on the smartphone is face recognition. Apart from the Honor Play 3, the Chinese manufacturer is also selling the more affordable Honor Play 3e smartphone in China.

Huawei P30 Pro starts getting EMUI 10 beta update in India

By

Jeet

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Sep 26, 2019

Huawei has today announced the rollout of EMUI 10 beta version for the users of Huawei P30 Pro smartphone in the Indian market. The company says that the update rollout has already begun and should be available to every user within a week.

EMUI 10 is the latest version of the its custom Android skin that was introduced at HDC 2019 last month in China. As per Huawei’s claim, EMUI is being used by more than 500 million daily active users present in 216 countries worldwide, and in 77 languages.

Huawei P30 PRo featured — Huawei P30 Pro gets EMUI 10 beta update

The company says that the new EMUI 10 provides premium user experience and boasts of best-in-class features. It also added that there’s a significant contribution of Huawei centre in Bengaluru in the research and development of EMUI 10.

The EMUI 10 comes with a refreshed new look and feel which is designed to be more aesthetically pleasing and more functional operationally. It comes with a more muted or subtle color tone in elements where the color palette in inspired by famous Italian painter George Morandi.

The new user interface comes with several new feature additions, such as Dark Mode, which gives the entire interface a darker overhaul, making it more comfortable to the eye, especially during the night time. Further, the UI comes with more fluid and natural animations for better user experience.

The Huawei P30 Pro flagship phone sports a premium design with glass panels on both side and a metallic frame in between. It features a 6.47-inch curved OLED Full HD+ display, has in-screen fingerprint reader, and can emit sound through the display of the phone.

It is powered by 7nm Kirin 980 SoC coupled with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage. The phone features a 40-megapixel main sensor along with 20-megapixel ultra wide-angle lens and an 8-megapixel tertiary sensor.

On the front side, there’s a 32-megapixel selfie shooter. It runs Android 9 Pie OS out-of-the-box and is powered by a 4,200mAh battery and comes with 40W SuperCharge fast charging support.

Amazon announces new Echo Studio and Echo Show 8

By

Jeet

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Sep 26, 2019

Along with the launch of Echo Buds, all-new Echo, and Echo Dot with clock, Amazon also launched a couple of more devices in its Echo lineup, including the new Echo Studio and an updated Echo Show 8.

Echo Studio

The new Amazon Echo Studio aims to offer an immersive sound and compete against the likes of Google Home Max and Apple HomePod. It comes with 1″ tweeter, three 2″ mid-range speakers, and a 5.25″ woofer. This set produces powerful bass, dynamic midrange, and crisp highs. With 33W of peak power, it offers deep and rich bass by using the bass port at the bottom.

It comes with Dolby Atmos technology, making it the best sounding Echo lineup device so far. It has 24-bit DAC and a power amplifier with 100KHz of bandwidth for high-res, lossless music playback.

The company says that a couple of Echo Studio devices can be paired with the Fire TV Stick 4K for audio playback with multi-channel sound and support for Dolby Atmos, Dolby Audio 5.1, and stereo audio. It automatically senses the acoustics of your space and fine-tunes playback to deliver optimal sound.

You can also use voice commands to control music as well as smart home devices. With support for Alexa skills, the company says that the Echo Studio is built with users’ privacy protection in mind. The Amazon Echo Studio costs $199 (₹22,999 in India) and is now up for pre-orders, with shipping scheduled to start from November 7.

Echo Show 8

Months after the launch of Echo Show 5, Amazon has today launched the new Echo Show 8, which is an 8-inch version of the Amazon Echo Show. The company says that the user will be able to watch Food Network TV shows on the device and there’s a new feature that enables users to ask Alexa to save a recipe.

You’ll also be able to ask Alexa about any ingredients that might show up in a recipe. The Show 8 will also include the new Drop-in On All feature, which lets users create a large group chat with family and friends.

Aside from the display size change, no much information on the distinctions between the 10-inch and 8-inch models were shared. Priced at $129, the Amazon Echo Show 8 is now up for pre-order and will start shipping ahead of the holidays.

Get Great Discounts on ASUS Zenfone 6, ROG 2 Gaming Phone and OnePlus 7 Phablet on Gearbest [Coupons]

By

Vinay Patel

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Sep 26, 2019

Gearbest continues living up to its reputation for offering China’s best electronic items at unbeatable prices. The Chinese online store uses its international e-commerce platform for providing high-quality products and services.

Working closely with more than 5,000 popular brands like OnePlus, ASUS and more, Gearbest comes up with amazing promotions from time to time. Let us check out some top-notch smartphones that you can buy from Gearbest at lowered prices, and see how you can save more money before placing your order.

OnePlus 7 4G Phablet

Deemed as one OnePlus’ best phablets, the OnePlus 7 boasts an impressive array of features and top-end specs. The international version with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage space usually retails for $573.64, but Gearbest is giving you a chance to get it for only $459.99.

Moreover, you can extend this 20 percent discount with the help of coupon code GBOP7G654321. The coupon helps you save $53 more by reducing the original asking price of the phablet to just $408.99 at the time of checking out.

You can visit this link to avail the discount and place your order. With only 5 pieces remaining, this promo is slated to end in 11 days.

OnePlus 7 Phablet [8GB RAM+256GB ROM]

ASUS Zenfone 6 Smartphone[6GB RAM+ 128GB ROM]

Launched in May this year, the ASUS Zenfone 6 is an irresistible smartphone that sports a mammoth 6.40-inch touchscreen display with a high screen resolution of 1080×2340 pixels. Much to the delight of cost-conscious buyers, Gearbest is doling out a 20 percent off on the 6GB RAM+128GB ROM variant of the phone, which normally sells for $784.29.

Thanks to the aforesaid discount, you can now buy the aforesaid model for a reduced price of just $629.99. On top of that, you can grab an extra $48 off by applying coupon code GBMPOUZF6 at the time of checking out.

In other words, you can bring the already lowered asking price of the phone further down to just $581.99 simply by applying the above-mentioned coupon. The discount will be valid for the silver, as well as the black color versions of the phone.

You can follow this link to grab the discount and use the coupon before it expires.

ASUS Zenfone 6 Smartphone[6GB RAM+ 128GB ROM]

ASUS ROG 2 Gaming Phone 4G Phablet [8GB RAM+128GB ROM]

Much to the delight of mobile phone gamers, ASUS launched its long-awaited gaming-centric flagship smartphone dubbed the ROG 2 in July this year. While you’d normally expect a top-branded gaming phone to cost a bomb, the ROG 2 gaming phone is now available bearing a lowered price on Gearbest.

Equipped with a large 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage space, the ASUS ROG 2 Gaming Phone usually retails for $730.25. This international version of the gaming phone is now up for grabs for a lowered price of only $599.99 on Gearbest.

To extend this 18 percent discount, all you need to do is to apply coupon code GBMPROG2 at checkout. You end saving $54 more as the original selling price of the gaming phone comes down to only $545.99 after applying the coupon.

With nearly 200 pieces already sold at the time of writing, this promo will come to an end in thirteen days. You can head straight to this link to avail the discount and take advantage of the coupon, which is likely to expire soon.

ASUS ROG 2 Gaming Phone 4G Phablet [8GB RAM+128GB ROM]

Samsung could be reportedly working on cheaper Galaxy Note 10

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Sep 26, 2019

Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10+ 5G are available in the U.S. with respective price tags of $949 and $1,099. Fresh report that has appeared on SamMobile reads that the South Korean tech giant could be working on a cheaper Galaxy Note smartphone. In 2014, the South Korean company had sold a cheaper edition of Note 3 called Galaxy Note 3 Neo. There is a possibility that the newly spotted Samsung SM-N770F could be the affordable version of the Galaxy Note 10.

The model numbers of Galaxy Note models begin with letter N. All the Note series of smartphones that have launched so far have SM-N9XX model numbers. The Galaxy Note 10’s model number is SM-N970 and the older Galaxy Note 3 Neo had Sm-N750 model number. Hence, it is being speculated that the SM-N770F may arrive as a stripped-down version of the Note 10. It remains to be seen whether it will be launching as Note 10 Neo.

The other reason why SM-N770F seems to be a non-flagship Note smartphone is that Samsung has been reportedly working on SM-F700F as an affordable version of the Galaxy Fold foldable phone. The flagship edition Galaxy Fold has a model number of SM-F900F. Hence, the SM-F700F seems to be its cheaper variant.

Editor’s Pick: Samsung’s ISOCELL Slim GH1 sensor brings an end to camera bumps

The alleged Galaxy Note 10 Neo could be in works to provide users with Note experience along with S Pen stylus at an affordable price. With Note 10 priced at $949, the purported Note 10 Neo could be costing around $700. Since all this is just speculation, it is advisable to wait for further reports to know more on the SM-N770F handset.

In related news, a report from the previous week had claimed Samsung may consider killing the Galaxy Note series in 2020. The reason behind it is that the size of Galaxy S series has been consistently increasing and gaining characteristics that are available on Note series. The report had claimed that that the Galaxy Note series could be replaced by Galaxy Fold lineups.

Would you be interested in buying in an affordable version of Galaxy Note 10? Share us your thoughts by adding your comments below.

(source)

Banggood’s Latest Promotion Offers Up to 33% Off on Huawei Phone Series

By

Vinay Patel

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Sep 26, 2019

Huawei provides telecommunications equipment along with a wide range of consumer electronics including smartphones, which are popular across the globe.

If you have been waiting with bated breath for prices to drop on your favorite Huawei branded smartphones, we got good news for you. The Shenzhen-based multinational technology company has now teamed up with Banggood to offer noteworthy discounts on some of its well-received series of smartphones.

Banggood’s recently kicked-off Huawei Phone Series Promotion offers up to a noteworthy 33 percent off on products featured on the activity page. Huawei unveiled the Mate 30 series comprising the Mate 30, and Mate 30 Pro recently.

As part of the promo, Huawei is giving Banggood users an unmissable chance to buy the 8GB RAM+256GB ROM Huawei Mate 30 Pro variant for a considerably lowered price of $1199.99. This model would normally set you back $1,463.99. Moreover, you can get free shipping on orders over $19.99.

Likewise, you can save a considerable amount of money on Huawei’s equally popular Honor P series smartphones including the P30 Lite and the P20 Pro.

The 6GB RAM+128GB ROM P30 Lite variant usually retails for $414.79, but you can buy it for just $289.99 from the promotion page. Similarly, the 6GB RAM, 64GB ROM equipped P20 Pro carries a $699.99 price tag but you can buy it for a lowered price of only $658.79. Aside from this 6 percent discount, you can get free shipping if your cart value exceeds $19.99.

Representing the Honor 20 series, the Honor 20, and the Honor 20 Pro smartphones have also gone up for sale carrying reduced prices.

The Honor 20 Pro featuring 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage capacity usually sells for $847.68, but you can buy it for just $719.79 from the activity page. This is a 15 percent reduction in the phone’s original asking price.

The Honor 20 offering the same 8GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage space will set you back $643.32 on both online, as well as offline stores. Thanks to a 5 percent off, you can buy the aforesaid model for a lowered price of only $609.99 from the activity page.

The Honor X series comprises a line of mid-range smartphones including the Honor 9X, Honor 8X, and Honor 8X Max. As part of the recently launched promo, Huawei is doling out great discounts on the aforesaid smartphones for a limited period.

For example, the Honor 9X smartphone featuring 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage space usually retails for $341.59 but is now up for grabs bearing a reduced price of only $249.99.

You can head straight to this link to avail these discounts before the promo comes to an end.

Huawei Phone Series Promotion

Amazon introduces new Echo and Echo Dot with clock; shipment starts next month

By

Jeet

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Sep 26, 2019

At an event in the United States, along with the all-new Echo Buds, Amazon has also introduces its new Echo smart speaker, a new Echo Dot with a clock and Echo Studio for an immersive studio quality sound.

All-new Echo (3rd Gen)

It comes with a new fabric design and offers an improved sound quality along with all-in-one access to Alexa. The company has included a new premium speakers with 2.5″ woofer and 0.6″ tweeter powered by Dolby. Thus, it can play 360-degree audio with crisp vocals and dynamic bass response.

Thanks to Alexa, you can also control music and can stream it from Amazon Prime Music, Apple Music, JioSaavn, etc. You can also use your voice to adjust equalizer settings. It can also be used to call or message family and friends having an Echo device or the Alexa app and use Alexa to make Skype calls.

The voice control can also be used to control smart home devices, including lights, plugs and more with compatible connected devices. The new Echo has built with multiple layers of privacy protections and controls, including a microphone off button that electronically disconnects the microphones.

The all-new Echo comes in a new Blue color as well as Black, Grey, and White for a price of $99 or ₹9,999. It is now available for pre-orders and will start shipping from 16th October.

Echo Dot with clock

The Amazon Echo Dot now comes with an LED display that shows time, outdoor temperature or timers, whatever you choose. For audio output, there’s a 1.6″ speaker and you can operate it through voice commands.

The light sensor in the device can automatically adjust the display’s brightness during the daytime and night. Along with operating via voice commands, it can also control music the same way. It comes with support for Alexa skills and the company says that it is also designed to protect privacy.

As for the pricing, the new Echo Dot is priced $10 more than the standard model — $59. It is now available for pre-order and will start shipment from 16th October. In India, this Echo Dot with clock is priced at ₹5,499.

Amazon Echo Buds come with support for Alexa and ANC for $129.99

By

Jeet

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Sep 26, 2019

At its hardware launch event, online retail giant Amazon announced a slew of products under its Echo lineup. Alexa, the smart voice assistant which powers Echo devices, is mostly limited to home devices as of now.

In a bid to change that and have Alexa power more type of devices, Amazon has launched its first true-wireless earphones — Amazon Echo Buds. It comes with Alexa built-in for voice commands and is claimed to offer five hours of battery life.

Charging the earphones for 15 minutes can provide 2 hours of playback time. Further, Amazon says that the charging case offers 20 hours of music playback. The company has also adopted a noise cancellation technology from Bose.

Amazon has confirmed that the Echo Buds are rated IPX4, making them waterproof and dust proof. The earphones come with Knowles dual balanced armature drivers along with Realtek RTL8763B Bluetooth SoC, Intel S1000 Digital Signal Processor, and Analog ADAU1777 Audio Codec.

It also comes with Bluetooth 5.0 Hands-Free Profile (HFP) support and uses Wi-Fi or mobile data connection for connectivity. It also has Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) support for audio streaming. The earbud weighs 7.6 grams while the case weighs 70 grams, as per the company.

The Amazon Echo Buds are priced at $129.99 and are currently up for pre-orders in the United States while the shipping is slated to start from 30th October. As an introductory offer, users will get 3 months of free trial to Audible.

OnePlus 6, 6T, 5 and 5T Android 10 rollout schedule for China officially confirmed

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Sep 26, 2019

OnePlus 7T and OnePlus 7T Pro that will be unveiled later today will be the first OnePlus phones to arrive with Android 10 preinstalled. The Chinese manufacturer is working on making the latest version of Android available to other OnePlus phones. Today, OnePlus co-founder and CEO Pete Lau confirmed on the rollout schedule of Android 10 for OnePlus 6 series and OnePlus 5 series of smartphones in China.

Android 10 has been already made available to OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro smartphones in some regions like India. The update was based on OxygenOS custom ROM by OnePlus. For users of OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro in China, the company rolled out the public beta of HydrogenOS based Android 10 on Sept. 13. The stable version will be rolled out in mid-November in the country.

Users of older OnePlus phones have been eagerly waiting to know when their devices will be treated with the latest edition of Android 10. Lau has revealed that the Android 10 public beta for OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 6T users in China will be made available in late October. The official version will be arriving to the OnePlus 6 series in late November.

Editor’s Pick: How to watch the OnePlus 7T launch event Livestream

The official version of Android 10 will be arriving to OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T users by second quarter of 2020 in China. OxygenOS builds are known for arriving shortly after the release of HydrogenOS builds. However, there is no official confirmation yet on the OxygenOS based Android 10 updates for OnePlus 6, OnePlus 6T, OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T phones.

The HydrogenOS builds do not feature Google Play services. On the other side, OxygenOS editions that are made available outside of China are equipped with Google apps. By launching the OnePlus 7T and 7T Pro phones today, OnePlus will become the first OEM to release a phone with Android 10 OS along with Google apps. The recently unveiled Huawei Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro are also preloaded with Android 10, but they do not feature Google apps mainly because of the trade ban imposed by the U.S.

Xiaomi Mi MIX Alpha confirmed to have an official smartphone case

By

Jeet

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Sep 26, 2019

Xiaomi recently unveiled its Mi MIX Alpha concept smartphone that offers a massive 180.6 percent screen-to-body ratio, highest among any mobile phone launched in the market so far, thanks to the wraparound display.

Now, Xiao Zhiyuan, Director of Marketing for Xiaomi’s mobile phones has confirmed through a post on Weibo that the Mi MIX Alpha smartphone will be getting an official mobile case for the protection.

Xiaomi Mi Mix Alpha featured — Xiaomi Mi Mix Alpha is like a permanently folded phone

However, he has not revealed more details about this. It also remains to be seen how the case will work, given that majority of the smartphone is a display except for bar-like module on the back that houses the camera sensors.

Coming to the smartphone, the Mi MIX Alpha is the world’s first smartphone with a curved display that wraps around almost the entire device. Except for the tiny vertical strip that houses the camera at the back, the display surrounds the entire smartphone, including the sides and the back.

This is a single display panel of 7.92-inch that wraps around the entire body bringing the screen to body ratio to a staggering 180.6%! This is made possible also because of the extremely narrow 2.15mm bezels on the top and the bottom.

The device is confirmed to be powered by the Snapdragon 855+ processor with 5G dual SIM support. There will be at least one version with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of UFS 3.0 storage. The battery isn’t very large at 4,050mAh but it does support 40W fast charging just like the Mi 9 Pro 5G.

It is also the world’s first smartphone to feature a 100MP+ resolution camera sensor. This is made possible by using the Samsung ISOCELL Bright HMX 108MP camera sensor at the back of the device. The sensor was developed in close collaboration with Xiaomi, hence it’s no surprise that we are seeing it first on the Mi Mix Alpha 5G.

The 108MP primary sensor on the Mi Mix Alpha is ultra-large with a 1/1.33″ sensor which is capable of outputting 12032 x 9024-pixel resolution images. It is coupled with a 12MP telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom and a 20MP ultra-wide-angle camera lens.

The Xiaomi Mi Mix Alpha will be produced on a very small scale on a trial basis at first. The company has priced it at a staggering 19,999 Yuan (~$2814), which is even more than Samsung’s new foldable smartphone.

(Source)

OPPO K5 with 64MP quad cameras to launch on October 10

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Sep 26, 2019

At the launch of OPPO Reno2 in China, OPPO had confirmed that it will be launching in October. Few days later, the company confirmed that Reno Ace will be made official on Oct. 10. Recent reports have suggested that the company may launch multiple phones on the said date. Today, the Chinese manufacturer has revealed that the OPPO K5 will be also announced on Oct. 10.

OPPO K5 poster shared by the company reveals that the smartphone will be available in three colors such as Cyber Metal (blue), Forest Fantasy (green) and Polar sunshine (white). The handset will be arriving with 64-megapixel quad camera setup that will include an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens. The poster further reveals that the phone will offer photography features like black and white, retro and portrait. The smartphone is now available for reservations in China through Jingdong Mall.

Editor’s Pick: Huawei, OPPO, OnePlus and Realme to soon rollout unified push notifications

OPPO K5 Specifications (Rumored)

It appears that the PCNM00 OPPO phone that was recently approved by TENAA could be the upcoming OPPO K5 phone. The handset has a full HD+ 6.4-inch AMOLED display that is embedded with an in-display fingerprint reader. The Android 9 Pie OS runs on the device. Rumors are rife it could be powered by the Snapdragon 730G mobile platform. The SoC could be coupled with 8 GB of RAM. The handset offers an internal storage of 128 GB.

The OPPO K5 has a selfie snapper of 32-megapixel. The rear shell of the phone has a vertical quad camera setup that includes Samsung’s GW1 64-megapixel primary lens, an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens and a pair of 2-megapixel sensors. The smartphone houses a 4,000mAh battery. Past reports have revealed that it will be debuting as the first OPPO phone that will come equipped with 30W VOOC 3.0 fast charging technology. The specs of the OPPO K5 suggests that it could be an offline edition of the recently unveiled Realme X2 phone. As of this writing, there is no information on the pricing of the OPPO K5.

The OPPO Reno2 F is also listed on TENAA with its entire specifications. Hence, it is speculated that the company may also launch the Reno2 F alongside the OPPO Reno Ace and K5 on Oct. 10.

Red Magic 3S to get global launch on October 16

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 25, 2019

The Red Magic 3S launched early this month in China. The gaming smartphone from Nubia isn’t so different from the Red Magic 3 save for the slightly more powerful Snapdragon 855 Plus inside. It has been reported that the phone will be getting a global release next month.

According to the official Red Magic global website, the Red Magic 3S will be unveiled for global markets on October 16.

Red Magic is currently running a competition with the Red Magic 3S as the top prize. The competition began yesterday and will run until October 16. The challenge is a racing game and participants are required to set up an account before they can play. Participants acquire points every day and one player from the top 50 will be randomly selected to win the phone. The top 50 will also win prizes and 20 of them will be selected at random for a Mystery Prize Crate filled with Red Magic accessories. We advise you to read the requirements before you enter for the challenge here.

The Red Magic 3S has a 6.65-inch AMOLED display with moderate bezels at the top and bottom. The Snapdragon 855+ processor under its hood is paired with 8GB or 12GB of RAM and 128GB/256GB of storage. It has a 48MP rear camera and a 16MP front-facing camera. There is also a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, stereo speakers, an audio jack, and a 5000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging and Quick Charge 4+.

Meet the Red Magic 3S: Cyber Shade (12GB+256GB).

Not only powerful but also stylish. pic.twitter.com/PBjIUU9wR7

— Red Magic (@redmagicgaming) September 24, 2019

The phone will be available with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage in a color variant called Cyber Shade. I will also come in Eclipse Black and Mecha Silver.

XDA-Developers adds that the Red Magic 3S will be available in Australia, Canada, EU, Hong Kong, Israel, Indonesia, Japan, Macao, Singapore, Taiwan, and the UK.

Android 10 (Go Edition) arrives with new features and new encryption

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 25, 2019

In 2017, Google announced Android Go, a lightweight version of Android for devices with 1GB RAM or less. While Android Go is still a lite version of Android, there is now an Android Go device with 2GB of RAM. Today, Google has announced Android 10 (Go Edition) and it brings Android 10‘s exciting features and more.

Android Go phones will get Dark Mode, new gestures, and some other features of the full version. Google also says app load times are now 10% faster compared to Android Pie (Go Edition).

One major new feature is support for Adiantum Encryption. This is specially made for phones with low resources. It doesn’t require special hardware but keeps Android Go devices secure just like other more powerful Android phones. The encryption process is said to not negatively affect system performance.

Android Go is also smaller than previous versions. Its Go apps (Google Go, Gallery Go, Files Go) are said to also be smaller in size now, allowing for more space to be available to the user.

We do not know when current devices running Android Pie (Go Edition) or older will get the update as that wasn’t mentioned. However, we will ask you not to raise your hopes. The Redmi Go, which is one of the more popular Android Go smartphones is still running Android Oreo (Go Edition) even though it launched after Android Pie (Go Edition) was released.

At the moment, HMD Global seems like the only manufacturer that will update its existing Android Go phone such as the Nokia 1 Plus to Android 10 (Go Edition). Other manufacturers will probably release new models running it out of the box.

Android Go is available in over 180 countries and on more than 1600+ models with different prices. More devices running the latest version are expected to be announced next year.

Redmi 8A vs Honor 8A vs Realme C2: Specs Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

-

Sep 25, 2019

Xiaomi just came up with a new entry-level smartphone belonging to the most affordable price segment: the one under €100/$100. We are talking about the Redmi 8A which is clearly one of the best smartphones ever released in its price range. A lot of people are already thinking it is the best device you can get with the lowest budget, but is it really true? In order to understand it, we compared it with the other popular entry-level smartphones from the best Chinese brands. We chose Honor 8A (or Honor Play 8A) and Realme C2 for this comparison as we believe they are among the phones with the highest value for money in the entry-level sector.

Xiaomi Redmi 8A vs Huawei Honor 8A vs Oppo Realme C2

	Xiaomi Redmi 8A	Huawei Honor Play 8A	Oppo Realme C2
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	156.5 x 75.4 x 9.4 mm, 188 grams	156.28 x 73.5 x 8 mm, 150 grams	154.3 x 73.7 x 8.5 mm, 166 grams
DISPLAY	6.2 inches, 720 x 1520p (HD+), 271 ppi, IPS LCD	6.09 inches, 720 x 1560p (HD+), 290 ppi, IPS LCD	6.1 inches, 720 x 1560p (HD+), 282 ppi, IPS LCD
PROCESSOR	Qualcomm Snapdragon 439, octa-core 1.95 GHz	MediaTek Helio P35, octa-core 2.3 GHz	MediaTek Helio P22, octa-core 2 GHz
MEMORY	2 GB RAM, 32 GB – 3 GB RAM, 32 GB – micro SD dedicated slot	3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 3 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD slot	2 GB RAM, 16 GB – 3 GB RAM, 32 GB – micro SD dedicated slot
SOFTWARE	Android 9 Pie, MIUI	Android 9 Pie, EMUI	Android 9 Pie, Color OS
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS
CAMERA	12 MP f/1.8 8 MP f/2.0 front camera	13 MP f/1.8 8 MP f/2.0 front camera	Dual 13 + 2 MP f/2.2 and f/2.4 5 MP f/2.0 front camera
BATTERY	5000 mAh	3000 mAh	4000 mAh
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Dual SIM slot	Hybrid Dual SIM slot	Dual SIM slot

Design

Xiaomi renewed the design of the whole Redmi line-up this year, including the Redmi 8A. But, at least according to my tastes, the Redmi 8A is not the best option when it comes to aesthetics. Besides sporting an original back with a “prismatic pattern”, the Realme C2 is also a more compact phone than the Redmi 8A, that is why it is my favorite one. On the other hand, even if Redmi 8A is a slightly bigger phone, it has a higher screen-to-body ratio, and that is why some may like it more than its rivals. But note that in each case, you get a device with a plastic body.

Display

The displays of these smartphones are just acceptable. They all come with a standard HD+ resolution, definitely nothing special, but not disappointing. On the paper, Realme C2 and Redmi 8A offer slightly better panels. But not any of them has what we can call an above-average display. So you’d better go ahead and pay attention to other specifications.

Specs & Software

In terms of performance, the Snapdragon 439 chipset looks slightly better than the Helio P35 found on the Honor 8A. But it is just a marginal difference. What you should consider more is the amount of internal storage: the Honor 8A comes with up of 64 GB of storage, while Redmi 8A stops at 32 GB. The Realme C2 loses this comparison because it is equipped with a lower-end Helio P22 chipset. All come with Android 9 Pie out of the box and we already know that Redmi 8A will be soon updated to MIUI 11.

Camera

The 12 MP Sony sensor on board of the Redmi 8A makes it the best camera phone of the trio with a bright focal aperture and very detailed photos, even when light conditions are not the best. The phone also features a pretty nice front camera. Realme C2 has a dual camera and, while its main sensor is not at the same level as the Redmi 8A, the secondary sensor allows capturing depth info better. Even Honor 8A is an interesting camera phone in its price range, but I personally prefer the main sensor of the Redmi 8A.

Battery

The presence of a 5000 mAh battery on the Redmi 8A will make it last three days on a single charge even with pretty intensive usage. It wins the battery comparison and it will probably be one of the longest-lasting phones of this year. Redmi 8A is also the only phone here to support fast charging. The silver medal goes to the Realme C2 which is not the best battery monster of this trio but still features a huge 4000 mAh battery, that is a lot for a phone with an entry-level chipset and an HD display.

Price

As you already know, the price is the strongest point of these handsets. You need just €77/$84 to grab a unit of the Realme C2. Redmi 8A starts from just $91/€83, while Honor 8A costs about €100/$110 globally. At the end of the day, there is no challenge: Redmi 8A is definitely a better device due to its bigger battery, amazing SoC (for the price range) and great cameras. Realme C2 takes the second place.

Read More: Honor 8A is official with waterdrop notch screen, Helio P35 and 799 Yuan (~$116) price

Xiaomi Redmi 8A vs Huawei Honor 8A vs Oppo Realme C2: PROs and CONS

Oppo Realme C2

PROs

Compact dimensions
Micro SD dedicated slot
Big battery
Depth sensor

CONS

Worse chipset

Honor Play 8A

PROs

Good performance
Good cameras
Micro SD Dedicated slot

CONS

Smaller battery

Xiaomi Redmi 8A

PROs

Micro SD dedicated slot
Huge battery
Good cameras
Slightly bigger display
Fast charging

CONS

Nothing particular

Google Pixel 3a and 3a XL prices to be slashed by Rs. 10,000 during upcoming Flipkart sale

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Sep 25, 2019

Google India has announced a massive discount on the Pixel 3a and the Pixel 3a XL ahead of the Flipkart Big Billion Days Sale that starts on Sept. 29. Between Sept. 30 and Oct. 4, the Pixel 3a will be available for Rs. 29,999 (~$422) instead of Rs. 39,999 (~$563). One can also pick up a Pixel 3a XL during the upcoming sale for Rs. 34,999 (~$492) instead of the regular Rs. 44,999 (~$634).

ICICI Bank and Axis Bank credit card users are entitled to an additional 10% instant discount on the purchase of the Google Pixel 3a series during the upcoming sale on Flipkart. The e-commerce site has also announced multiple exchange offers and no-cost EMI plans. Users of Flipkart Plus can take advantage of four-hour early access starting 8pm on Sept.29.

Google Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL Specifications and Features

The Google Pixel 3a features a 5.6-inch OLED Full-HD+ display with a resolution of 1080 x 2220 pixels. It is powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 670 chipset with 4GB of RAM and it comes with 64GB of native storage. The primary camera uses a 12.2-megapixel Sony IMX363 sensor. While the front camera houses an 8-megapixel unit. The Pixel 3a draws power from a 3,000 mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging. The device gets a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.

Editor’s Pick: Google Pixel 4 XL’s new hands-on shots gives the best look at the upcoming flagship

The Google Pixel 3a XL features a 6-inch OLED Full-HD display with a resolution of 1080 x 2160 pixels. The smartphone is also powered by a 2GHz octa-core Snapdragon 670 SoC with 4GB of RAM and it offers users with 64GB of storage. The primary camera is the same 12.2-megapixel Sony IMX363 sensor found on the Pixel 3a, along with an 8-megapixel selfie sensor. The smartphone draws power from a slightly bigger 3,700 mAh battery that supports fast charging. It is also equipped with a rear-facing fingerprint reader.

The Pixel 3a series were introduced with Android 9 Pie OS. The handsets have already been treated with Android 10 update. The Pixel 3a duo are also equipped with 3.5mm audio jacks. Both the Pixel 3a and 3a XL are available only in black and white color options.

How to watch the OnePlus 7T launch event Livestream

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Sep 25, 2019

Chinese tech giant OnePlus is all set to unveil the OnePlus 7T in India tomorrow. It is our expectation that the company will also launch the OnePlus 7T Pro. The launch event will go live at 19:00 IST (GMT+5:30). You can stream the event live from anywhere around the world from OnePlus YouTube channel.

The OnePlus 7T is expected to come with a fluid AMOLED display which has been confirmed to enable an impressive 90GHz refresh rate and have 2K resolution. The flagship will also pride itself among the smartphones that drop running Google’s latest Android 10 of course with OnePlus’ custom Oxygen OS out of the box. OnePlus CEO Carl Pei recently shared what is said to be the new retail box for the OP 7T and it is a “red affair”. At the heart of the device will be a Snapdragon 855 Plus chipset which will likely be paired with 8GB of RAM on both models. However, while the OnePlus 7T model will reportedly ship with 128GB, the OP 7T Pro may have a base storage of 256GB. The OP 7T is also been revealed to come with a spectacular circular camera module at the back. You can keep yourself up to speed with already outed details of the OnePlus 7T Pro from our rumour round-up.

OnePlus is also said to be planning to take the wraps off the OnePlus TV during the launch event. We have seen a whole lot of leaked teasers detailing some of the features of the smart TV. We just can’t wait to meet with the device.

Meanwhile, here’s a summary of the time of the launch event for different regions. The Livestream link is embedded below.

OnePlus 7T launch event in India ———– 19:00 IST (GMT+5:30)

Europe —————————————– 4:30 pm CEST

U.S./Canada ———————————– 10:30 am ET / 7:30 am PT

London —————————————– 15:30 pam GMT +1

Yet another Huawei laptop lineup joins the Linux club!

By

Joel Joseph

-

Sep 25, 2019

The ongoing trade war between China and the U.S. has left Huawei scrambling for alternative suppliers for its products. The recently announced Mate 30 series comes without Google Apps despite running on the new Android 10 iteration. Similarly, Huawei and Honor’s notebook lineup is being relaunched with Linux on board. Today, another one of Honor’s MagicBook 2019 lineup joins this Linux club.

After the Honor MagicBook Pro, the Honor MagicBook 2019 Ryzen lineup is also getting a Linux version. This particular version naturally starts at a much cheaper price tag than the Windows model. While the Windows 10 powered Ryzen 5 model with 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD is priced at 3999 yuan ($561), the Linux version is 300 yuan ($42) cheaper for the exact same configuration.

Honor MagicBook 2019 Ryzen windows Edition

Honor MagicBook 2019 Ryzen Linux Edition

The Honor MagicBook 2019 Ryzen edition running on the Linux platform was first made available for sale earlier today. All the units were picked up quickly and at the time of publishing this article, the model was out of stock. Unfortunately, Honor hasn’t revealed how many units were put up for sale today.

Huawei has tied up with Deepin, a Chinese software brand with a beautiful and polished desktop Linux distribution. The company already has a bunch of laptops like the Huawei Matebook X Pro, Matebook 13 and Matebook 14 running on this Linux distribution. Just like this MagicBook 2019 Ryzen Linux edition, the other Linux based Matebook laptops are priced 300 yuan (~$42) less than the Windows 10-running models.

While we may see a future where Huawei’s HarmonyOS makes it to laptops, for now, this Linux based distribution seems like a decent alternative to Microsoft’s Windows 10 OS.

OnePlus 7T leaks reveal Glacier Blue and Frosted Silver colours

By

Airyl Jaszly

-

Sep 25, 2019

The OnePlus 7T Series is all set to be announced tomorrow, but thanks to a recent leak, we now know what colors the two devices will be coming in. The leaks come from two sources, Roland from Winfuture.de and Ishan Agarwal, a popular leaker on Twitter. Both have had excellent track records when it comes to leaks, so we don’t doubt these leaks for a second.

According to the leaks, the OnePlus 7T is going to come in Glacier Blue and Frosted Silver. Meanwhile the OnePlus 7T Pro is going to come in just Glacier Blue. This is a change from the OnePlus 7 Pro which came in a Nebula Blue instead, though there doesn’t seem to be much of a difference outside of Glacier Blue looking a bit more washed out.

It’s still a blue gradient, which looks really nice. Going from a lighter blue at the bottom to a darker blue at the top. Now, the colour itself isn’t really anything all that new seeing as we’ve already seen other leaks of the OnePlus 7T last week in all its blue glory. What is new however are the official names for both colour options.

The Frosted Silver on the other hand is essentially just the default black, but slightly more interesting. For those that want a more subtle colored smartphone, that’s the one to get. Like the Glacier Blue, it is also sporting a gradient, going from a dark gray at the bottom to a bright silver at the top.

Over on the front, it’s interesting to see that the OnePlus 7T is still going to have a notch. The Pro variant sticks to the pop-up camera we liked from the OnePlus 7 Pro, so it’s a conscious decision by OnePlus here to add value to the Pro model. We’ve also learned that the Pro will feature a QHD+ display, while the standard variant will keep a FHD+ display.

OnePlus is going to be announcing the OnePlus 7T Series and the brand new OnePlus TV tomorrow. September 26. The event kicks off at 10:30AM EST, so we’ll know everything there is to know by then. Before then, you can check out our rumor roundup to get a general summary of all the leaks thus far.

(Source 1, Source 2)

Huami Amazfit GTR 42mm debuts for Rs. 9,999 (~$141) in India

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Sep 25, 2019

Huami introduced the Amazfit GTR 42mm smartwatch in India today. The GTR 42mm is the second product in the lineup after the GTR 47mm, which released in India earlier this month with a price tag of Rs. 10,999 (~$154). Starting Sept. 29, customers can purchase the 42mm edition through Flipkart at Rs. 9,999 (~$141). The retailer site will be carrying out its Big Billion Days sale from the same date. Huami Corporation has partnered with PR innovations, a leading Indian technology importer to market the Amazfit GTR in the subcontinent.

Huami Amazfit GTR 42mm Specifications and Features

Featuring a 1.2-inch AMOLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection with anti-fingerprint coating, the Amazfit GTR 42mm is available in color variants such as Starry Black, Moonlight White, Cherry Blossom Pink, Coral Red. These color variants come with silicon strap. Its Glitter Edition features a leather strap. Huami claims that the device is sprinkled with a dash of elegance and urbane fashion sense, and represents excellent craftsmanship. Its dimensions are 42.6 x 42.6 x 9.2mm and it weighs 25.5 grams.

Editor’s Pick: Huami’s Amazfit GTS and Amazfit Stratos 3 get global launch at IFA

The smartwatch features a BioTracker, PPG optical heart-rate sensor, 3-axis geomagnetic sensor, 6-axis acceleration sensor, ambient light sensor and pressure sensor. It is water-resistant up to 50-meters and displays incoming calls and other notifications. It can be paired with iOS 10 or above and Android 5.0 or higher devices through Bluetooth 5.0 LE.

The GTR 42mm features 12 distinct sport modes including a few variations of running, cycling, mountaineering, swimming, trail running and workout. Once the training session is over, the smartwatch displays all relevant data collected during the session such as BPM range, pace, distance, number of laps, lap time, etc. Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy the GPS + GLONASS double positioning feature, using which they can access highly accurate route information. The Huami Amazfit GTR 42mm features a 195 mAh battery, which the company claims lasts up to 12 days on a single charge.

The Mate 30 series’ official cases are cool, but these 3rd party ones are hilarious!

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Sep 25, 2019

The Mate 30 series already launched in Europe last week but they will be available for purchase first in China after the launch tomorrow. The Huawei official China website already has the phones listed in addition to some official cases which we haven’t seen before.

Huawei has made a variety of cases for the Mate 30 series and they are available in multiple colors to suit your style and mood. Below are the various cases available for the phones:

Silicon Case

The silicon case is made using a new liquid silicon process. It is skin-friendly and soft and has a microfiber lining inside. There is extra protection at the four corners of the case. Huawei says it is even washable. The silicone case is available in seven colors: black, dark blue, smoky blue, grapefruit red, coral orange and lemon yellow.

Wallet Flip Case

The wallet case is made from environmentally-friendly PU material which Huawei claims is wear-resistant and scratch-resistant. It also provides protection at the four corners. The case has two sleeve pockets for debit/credit cards or bus cards. It is available in Khaki and Black.

Transparent Protective Case

The transparent protective case is for those who do not want to hide the design of their phone. The transparent case is light and slim and Huawei says it is made from a special material that doesn’t change color easily.

Leather Case

The Mate 30 series will also have a leather (non-flip) case. One appears to be made of linen while the other imitates the design of carbon fiber. Huawei says both provide a comfortable grip.

Travel Theme Case

The travel theme case is made from a PU material with a 3D textured design. It is available in two variants – Munich and Beijing. This case will also work with the Mate 30 5G and Mate 30 Pro 5G.

Smart Window Case

The Smart Window Case is made from a mix of PU material and a transparent scratch-resistant plastic. The smart window case allows you to see notifications and alerts at a glance. You also do not need to open the case to answer a call; all you have to do is swipe across the transparent part and the call will be accepted or rejected. The case also a smart wake-up feature – open to wake the device and close to put it in sleep mode. It is available in black, khaki, and purple.

Fashion Textured Case

The fashion textured case is also made from a PU material with a 3D embossing. Huawei says it was designed in collaboration with a French Designer. Like the travel case, this will also be compatible with the Mate 30 5G and Mate 30 Pro 5G. It is available in Orange and Green.

Huawei hasn’t revealed the price for any of the cases. Once they do, we will update the post

[envira-gallery id=”278717″]

While the official cases are actually cool and stylish, its the third-party cases (above) that we are most excited about as they find innovative and funny ways to use the Mate 30 series’ halo ring camera design. Photos of these third-party cases have surfaced on Weibo and we absolutely adore them.

Do tell us which one of these cases (official and third-party) is your favorite in the comment box.

(3rd-party cases: via)

Editor’s Pick: Huawei recruiting EMUI 10 Internal Beta testers for Mate 20 Pro, Honor 20 and others

Honor Play 3 Specifications and Features

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Echo Studio

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Echo Show 8

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OnePlus 7 4G Phablet

ASUS Zenfone 6 Smartphone[6GB RAM+ 128GB ROM]

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All-new Echo (3rd Gen)

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Echo Dot with clock

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OPPO K5 Specifications (Rumored)

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Xiaomi Redmi 8A vs Huawei Honor 8A vs Oppo Realme C2

Design

Display

Specs & Software

Camera

Battery

Price

Xiaomi Redmi 8A vs Huawei Honor 8A vs Oppo Realme C2: PROs and CONS

Google Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL Specifications and Features

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Huami Amazfit GTR 42mm Specifications and Features

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UP NEXT: Huami finally releases the Amazfit GTR 47mm Titanium variant for 1399 yuan ($196)

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