Realme X2 with 64MP camera to launch in China on September 24

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Sep 17, 2019

UPDATE: The company’s CMO Francis Wang has confirmed that the Realme X2 is indeed the rebranded model of the Realme XT for the Chinese market.

Realme has announced that it will be hosting a launch event in China on 24th September where the company will launch the Realme X2 smartphone. The company has also confirmed that the phone will feature a 64-megapixel quad-camera setup.

Looking at the teaser poster shared by the company and the 64MP quad-camera setup features, the upcoming Realme X2 seems like a re-branded version of the Realme XT smartphone that was launched in India a few days ago.

When Realme entered the Chinese market a few months ago, the company had launched Realme X Lite, which was a re-branded version of the Realme 3 Pro smartphone in the Indian market.

However, there’s a possibility that the Realme X2 could be the Realme XT 730G that the company’s CEO Madhav Sheth teased during the Realme XT launch and revealed that it will be launched in India in December.

If the Realme X2 is the re-branded Realme XT, then we know what to expect from it since it has already been launched in India. It features a 6.4-inch S-AMOLED display with waterdrop notch, Full HD+ screen resolution, and 19.5:9 aspect ratio.

Editor’s Pick: OPPO’s new 65W SuperVOOC charging technology can charge OPPO Reno Ace in just 25 minutes

It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 AIE octa-core processor, with up to 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. The quad camera system on the phone comes with 64-megapixel Samsung GW1 main lens, 8-megapixel ultrawide lens, 2-megapixel dedicated macro camera and 2-megapixel depth sensor. There’s also a 16-megapixel front-facing snapper for taking selfies and video calling.

Running on Android 9 Pie-based ColorOS 6.0.1, the smartphone is powered by a 4,000mAh battery and VOOC 3.0 fast charging support. The Realme XT 730G is expected to have the same configuration, except for the chipset which will be Snapdragon 730G.

(Source)

Up Next: Huawei’s new video teaser hints at side controls for the upcoming Mate 30 Pro’s waterfall screen

OPPO 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 charges Reno Ace in just 25 minutes

By

Jeet

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Sep 17, 2019

OPPO has already confirmed that the company’s upcoming flagship smartphone — OPPO Reno Ace, will go official in its home country China on 10th October. Further, the company has also revealed that it will come with 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 fast charging support.

Today, the company has taken to Weibo to reveal more details about its 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 fast charging technology. In the teaser video, OPPO claims that this new fast charging technology can fully charge the upcoming Reno Ace smartphone in just around 25 minutes.

The 65W fast charging support for the Reno Ace is much higher than what the competition is currently offering. Vivo recently launched the NEX 3 series smartphones that have support for 44W fast charging. Huawei is currently offering 40W fast charging support for its premium flagship smartphones. While Vivo and Xiaomi have already developed 120W fast charging technology, they have not yet started mass production of the same and are yet to include it in their smartphones.

Apart from having support for the blazing fast charging technology, the OPPO Reno Ace is also expected to house a display that offers 90Hz refresh rate. Under the hood, the device is likely to be powered by the Snapdragon 855 Plus mobile platform. The other details about the phone’s specs are currently under the wraps.

Editor’s Pick: 11 Features of the newly launched Vivo NEX 3 5G flagship smartphone that makes it unique!

OPPO recently launched the Reno2 smartphone series in India and a few days ago, the same lineup went official in China. The OPPO Reno2 is now available in China, carrying a price tag of 2,999 Yuan (~$424).

The smartphone, which is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G chipset, fetaures a 6.5-inch AMOLED display with notch-less appeal. It offers 20:9 aspect ratio and Full HD+ screen resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels. There’s a quad-camera setup that includes 48-megapixel + 13-megapixel + 2-megapixel + 2-megapixel sensors.

It comes with a shark-fin shaped pop-up camera module housing a 16-megapixel lens with LED flash. The phone is powered by a 4,000mAh battery that is equipped with support for VOOC 3.0 Flash Charge technology. The Reno2 comes in three color options — Luminous Black, Ocean Blue, and Sunset Pink.

(Source)

Up Next: Huawei’s new video teaser hints at side controls for the Mate 30 Pro’s waterfall screen

Huawei’s new teaser hints at side controls for the Mate 30 Pro’s waterfall screen

By

Jeet

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Sep 17, 2019

In a couple of days, Chinese tech giant Huawei will be launching its next-generation Mate series premium flagship smartphones. Ahead of the launch, the company is teasing some of the features of the devices.

Huawei has shared a new video teaser on Weibo in which two players are playing table tennis on the side edge of the tablet. This is probably hinting at the side controls on the Mate 30 Pro, thanks to the waterfall screen design.

As for the specifications, the Huawei Mate M30 Pro is expected to come powered by the company’s own Kirin 990 chipset and an AMOLED display with 90Hz refresh rate display. Reports indicate that the phone will come powered by a 4,500mAh battery with 40W fast charging support and 27W SuperWireless charging support.

On the back of the phone will be two 40 MP camera sensors, an 8 MP telephoto lens, and a 3D ToF sensor. The smartphone is also expected to come packed with 8GB and 12GB RAM along with up to 512GB onboard storage.

It will come with IP68 ratings for water and dust resistance. The smartphone is also expected to come powered by EMUI 10 custom user interface based on the latest Android 10 operating system.

Editor’s Pick: Google’s CameraX API allows 3rd party applications to get access to OPPO’s camera features

Recently leaked renders of the Mate 30 Pro showcased the waterfall screen that has its edges curved from the sides, similar to what we’ve seen on Samsung‘s smartphones. Further, the render shows the smartphone having a wide rectangular notch on top of the display for housing the front-facing snapper.

On the back side, it features a circular camera module in the top-middle position, which is being referred by many as “Oreo” design. There are four camera sensors inside the housing while the LED flash is placed in the top-left corner, outside the housing.

Huawei’s Mate 30 series smartphones are all set to get unveiled at an event in Munich, Germany on September 19. Along with the Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro, the company is also set to launch the Mate 30 RS Porsche Design as well.

(Source)

Up Next: Vivo TWS Earphone with a cool design, flagship Qualcomm QCC5126 wireless chip goes official

Google sends out invite for October 15 event; Pixel 4 coming

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 17, 2019

Google has begun sending out invites for an event on October 15. Although it doesn’t specifically say what will be announced, the date confirms earlier rumors that the Pixel 4 will be unveiled on the 15th of October.

The event will hold in New York City and begin at 10 AM ET but the venue is still unknown. However, it will be live-streamed on YouTube. We expect more details to surface soon.

Alongside the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL, Google should announce a couple of other hardware products and also some software announcements. For example, the Google Home Mini is expected to get a successor which may launch as the Nest Mini.

The Pixel 4 series is one of the most anticipated devices in the second half of the year most especially because of its camera performance. The new Pixels will come with a 12.2MP f/1.73 primary rear camera and a telephoto lens.

The phones will have 90Hz AMOLED displays, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of UFS storage. They will be powered by the Snapdragon 855 chipset which will draw power from a 3700mAh battery in the Pixel 4 XL and a 2800mAh battery in the Pixel 4.

Both phones will have an advanced face unlock system similar to Apple’s Face ID, a Soli-radar chip for hands-free gesture control, and run Android 10 out of the box. So far we know the phones will be available in black, white and coral/orange.

(Via)

UP NEXT: Google Play Pass is coming soon

Google’s CameraX API allows 3rd party apps to get access to OPPO’s camera features

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 16, 2019

At Googe I/O this year, Google announced CameraX API, a sort of simpler version of Camera2 API which only requires a few lines of code to add camera capabilities to an app.

The two main benefits of CameraX API are – the fact that developers don’t have to include device-specific code in their codebase. So there are no issues of device compatibility (it is backward-compatible to Android 5.0).

The second (and bigger) benefit is the ability to get the same camera experience and features of a device’s pre-installed camera app with as little as two lines of code. So you can get features like portrait, HDR, Night mode, and beauty mode within your app.

Italian tech blog, Dr. Commodore reported that today, at the ongoing Google Developer Days in China, OPPO announced that it will make its phone’s camera features available to developers using CameraX API.

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This means developers will be able to use the beauty and HDR mode in OPPO’s camera app. At the moment, CameraX API will be supported by the Reno 10x Zoom and the Reno 2. OPPO also shared sample photos with and without CameraX through CameraX Basic, so attendees can see the increase in quality when CameraX is enabled

Other manufacturers that have also embraced CameraX API include Samsung, LG, and Motorola.

(Sources: 1, 2 | Via)

UP NEXT: OPPO A5 2020 also brings Snapdragon 665, 5000mAh battery and quad cameras

Xcentz 48W 5-Port USB Charging Station Review

By

Linus

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Sep 16, 2019

There are plenty of charging solutions out there. If you have one device e.g. a phone, you probably use a charger it shipped with.

However, if you want to charge multiple devices, you need a charging solution that has multiple ports. I’ve been using a lot of different charging hubs both for the office and home use and for traveling. The one I’ve been using lately is made by Xcentz and I love it for quite a few reasons.

I just love the shape and size of this mini charging station. It’s made of high-quality plastic and it’s really sturdy. The top of the device has a nice frosted plastic finish and the rest of the outer shell has glossy plastic material.

Further, I like how compact this device is. It does not take much space on the table and most importantly, it fits comfortably in my travel backpack. The bottom has nice silicone padding that prevents the charger from sliding on the table or other surfaces.

We have 3 regular USB ports that each provide 2.4A of power output, 1 quick-charge 3.0 compatible port and 1 USB-C port that can provide up to 3A of power output.

It’s worth mentioning that the Xcentz charging hub has all the bells and whistles when it comes to charging safety: it’s got overcharging, overcurrent and other latest security chips inside, so you can rest assured your device’s battery will be charged safely.

All in all, the Xcentz has become my favorite charging hub for traveling because of its size, versatility, and reliability.

I’ve been using it for a couple of months now both in the office and while travelling. So far I didn’t notice any shortcomings or flaws about this device. It costs about $30 and I think it’s well worth the price.

Buy Xcentz 48W 5-Port USB Charging Station

11 Features of the Vivo NEX 3 5G that makes it unique!

By

Michele Ingelido

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Sep 16, 2019

Another year and another groundbreaking smartphone released by Vivo. After the first NEX line-up and its pop-up cameras, the Chinese giant owned by BBK Electronics just came up with an innovative smartphone once again: the NEX 3 5G. It is not just a flagship smartphone powered by a flagship chipset like the Chinese handsets focused on the quality-price ratio but has a lot of unique features that aim to revolutionize the smartphone industry.

Here, you will find the top 10 innovative features of Vivo NEX 3 5G that sets it apart from its competitors

1Vivo NEX 3 5G has a Waterfall display with special effects

Vivo NEX 3 5G is the world’s first smartphone to feature a Waterfall display. In case you have never heard about it, it is an extremely curved display on both the sides and curves close to an angle of 90 degrees. According to the company, this display reaches a screen-to-body ratio of 99.6 percent. The company invested 200 million in R&D to bring it to reality and bundles the screen with a special screen protector making it durable as well. The curved part of the display can also be used for special effects (like the sides can light up while playing music).

2No physical keys

The Waterfall display replaces physical keys with Touch Sense technology. There is also a pressure sensor array composed of 7 sensors aided by a pressure algorithm and a feature called X-Axis Haptic which provides a crisp and comfortable vibration for a lot of activities, including Touch Sense keys.

3Better vibration feedback

The X-Axis Haptic feature found on the Vivo NEX 3 5G is also able to guarantee better vibration feedback than other smartphones. So it gives a premium immersive user experience during gaming sessions and advanced feedback while typing.

464MP flagship with best-in-class hardware

Vivo NEX 3 5G is the world’s first flagship to feature a camera with a 64 MP resolution. It features the recently-announced Samsung ISOCELL Bright GW1 sensor which debuted on the Realme XT and the Redmi Note 8 Pro by Xiaomi. The sensor is supported by a secondary 13 MP ultrawide lens and another 13 MP telephoto sensor.

⇒ RELATED: Redmi Note 8 Pro 64MP camera vs. Realme 5 Pro vs. Huawei P30 Pro: Ultimate Camera Comparison

5Innovative Portrait feature for amazing selfies

Vivo NEX 3 5G is not just a great camera phone, but also a selfie master. Thanks to an awesome 16 MP pop-up camera which comes out through a motorized mechanism and Hyper HDR feature, it is able to maximize the dynamic range of selfies by optimizing the subject depending on the photo background.

6Front-facing LED flash

Vivo NEX 3 5G is one of the few flagships to be equipped with a front-facing LED flash. It allows shooting clear selfies even in low light conditions, although LED flash may not be the ideal way to get the best shot from its front shooter. Both the front camera and the LED flash are included in the pop-up mechanism.

⇒ Read More: Vivo NEX 3 5G scores close to 500K on AnTuTu benchmark

7Big battery with a very fast charging technology

One of the elements which make Vivo NEX 3 5G a complete flagship is its huge 4500 mAh which will guarantee a lot of hours of intensive usage on a single charge. The amazing battery can be recharged through a very fast charging technology boasting 45W power, the same one from the Vivo iQOO Pro.

8Hi-Fi DAC

If you choose the Vivo NEX 3 5G, you will also get an immersive audio experience thanks to the integrated Hi-Fi DAC (AK4377AECB).

95G support

As the name suggests, Vivo NEX 3 5G supports 5G connectivity thanks to the Snapdragon X50 modem integrated inside the Snapdragon 855+ chipset. It is still a single-mode modem, unlike the Huawei Mate 30 series which will be launched later this week. But it is still able to take advantage of 5G speeds giving an edge over other 4G models.

103.5 mm headphone jack

Despite boasting all the amazing features mentioned above and a pretty interesting price tag for the Chinese market, the Vivo NEX 3 5G still retains a 3.5 mm audio jack. So you can connect traditional headphones without needing an additional adapter and without resorting to the USB-C port.

11Supports Call Screening by Assistant

The Vivo NEX 3 5G also comes with a call screening feature very similar to the Google assistant. It can screen calls for you in the background, attend phone calls, and make a conversation, all on its own. The assistant is smart and designed to mimic gestures like pauses and laughs to make it sound human-like.

Overall, with top-end specs, 5G, extremely high screen to body ratio, and smart features like call screening, the Vivo NEX 3 5G takes smartphones to a whole new level.

What is your favorite feature of the device?

Gionee GBuddy Power Banks and headphones coming soon

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 16, 2019

Gionee’s return to business last week brought not only a new phone but its first smartwatch, the Smart “Life” Watch which launched under its GBuddy line. Gionee has revealed it has more products coming under its GBuddy line.

The official Gionee India website says Gionee power banks are coming soon as well as wired and wireless headphones.

One of the Gionee GBuddy power banks shown on the site has a thick body, hinting at the use of 18650 Li-ion batteries. It has a textured design at the top and bottom for a strong grip when holding.

The power bank has two full-sized USB output ports with one having a power rating of 5W 1A and the other with a power output of 5V 2.4A. There is also a USB Type-C port that doubles as an input and an output port and has a power rating of 5V 3A. The last port is a MicroUSB input port with a 5V 2A power rating. There are four LED’s above the MicroUSB port to indicate battery level while a power button sits on the far left.

The second power bank has a much slimmer design. It has a white body with a glossy silver top that is home to two full-sized USB output ports and a MicroUSB input port. It also appears to have a LED torch.

The accessories page also teases a pair of wireless over-ear headphones with a 3.5mm audio jack just in case, a pair of wireless behind-neck in-ear headphones, and a pair of wired in-ear headphones.

Gionee says all the above-mentioned products are coming soon. So keep an eye out for them.

(Source)

UP NEXT: Realme Power Bank and Realme Buds Wireless launched in India

Vivo TWS Earphone with a cool design, flagship Qualcomm QCC5126 wireless chip goes official

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Sep 16, 2019

Vivo today launched the NEX 3 series including a 5G version. The company equally took the wraps off a new true wireless headset dubbed Vivo TWS earphone. The gadget comes with a surprise 999 yuan ($141) price tag but is crammed with amazing sound technology.

According to the BBK subsidiary, the Vivo TWS earphone is the first true wireless high-definition sound quality smart headset. The product has been in development for more than 2 years and packs a number of advanced and industry-first technology.

The Vivo TWS Earphone comes with an ultra-lightweight and portable build. It weighs just 4.4g. The earphone won’t pose any wearing difficulty as the design was adjusted severally to optimise the ergonomics as it underwent six rounds of testing by thousands of users before the final design was adopted.

In terms of the configuration, the Vivo TWS Earphone has a built-in 14.2mm large sound unit which supports apt X and AAC high-definition audio decoding technology. The earphone is also the first to utilise the flagship Qualcomm QCC5126 wireless chip with a dual-core CPU architecture. The chip brings up to a 100% increase in performance while the memory performance also increased by 300% relative to the previous generation. The headset also comes with a 30% improvement in power consumption and improved transmission.

In terms of control, the Vivo TWS Earphone comes with the industry’s first dual-capacitance in-ear sensing technology which is more accurate and more power-efficient. It also features sliding adjustment volume and customizable touch operation. Combined with the voice-sounding function of the bone conduction detection algorithm, it can directly wake up Jovi with voice and realize advanced functions such as fast payment, WeChat broadcast, and real-time translation.

In terms of battery life, the earphone’s battery can last for just 4 hours but the casing doubles as a battery pack, providing up to 24 hours battery support.

As mentioned earlier, the Vivo TWS earphone adopts a 999 yuan ($141) price tag. It will officially go on sale in China at 10 AM on September 28. There is no word yet on the global rollout but we believe the headset will be unveiled whenever the Vivo NEX 3 is released for the global market.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite Global Version is now available to buy on Giztop

CUBOT X20 Pro with AI Triple Camera launched globally on Gearbest at just $149.99!

By

Dimitris Economou

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Sep 16, 2019

We’ve talked about the new flagship from Cubot and we were eagerly waiting for it to hit the market. Well, today is the day as the Cubot X20 Pro launched globally on Gearbest with an incredible pre-sale price! The device comes with a 6.3″ FHD+ IPS display and a total of 4 cameras. There is plenty of RAM and storage for smooth multitasking and a big enough battery to take you through the day easily. Overall, it is a very well equipped phone at a super price.

Cubot X20 Pro main features

● Triple Rear Camera: 12MP/20MP/8MP
● 15 AI Scenes: Quickly recognizing the shooting mode
● Android 9 OS: Pure OS with no annoying ads during use
● Helio P60 Octa Core: Fast and power-conservative
● 6GB RAM/128GB storage: Large memory for smooth multitasking
● 4000mAh Battery: Say goodbye to frequent charging
● 6.3″ Waterdrop Screen: Ultra-clear images and video
● 13MP Selfie Camera: Support beauty, FaceCute, portrait blurring, gender age recognition
● Sensors: Accelerometer, Proximity Sensor, Gravity Sensor, Face ID, Gyroscope, Geomagnetic Sensor, Ambient Light Sensor

As said before, the launch price is incredible. It costs just $149.99 (40% off) and in order to grab yours at that price you should hurry because this is a limited time and stock offer! You can buy it here and learn more information about it here.

Get Cubot X20 Pro on GearBest

Vivo NEX 3 5G scores close to 500K on AnTuTu benchmark

By

Joel Joseph

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Sep 16, 2019

Vivo took the wraps off the Vivo NEX 3 5G a couple of hours ago in China. It is the first phone in the world to feature a waterfall display featuring a curved display on the sides and no buttons on its body. Apart from its next-gen design, the phone also comes with high-end specifications including the new Snapdragon 855+ processor with up to 12GB of RAM. So, it’s not surprising that the NEX 3 managed to score really well on the AnTuTu benchmark.

The Vivo NEX 3 5G scored 493,787 points on the AnTuTu benchmark v8.0.9, which is pretty high for an Android device. The model in question had 8GB of RAM onboard with 256GB storage, which is the base variant of the 5G model. But we can expect the 12GB RAM model of the NEX 3 to score even higher on AnTuTu. This is because AnTuTu’s new version also considers the memory configuration of a phone while calculating the final score. Higher storage and RAM configurations get higher scores and vice versa. In fact, in the recent top 10 Android flagships on AnTuTu for August list, the storage configurations of each device were specifically mentioned for the first time.

The Vivo NEX 3 comes in two versions: 4G and 5G. The 4G model is priced at ¥4498 (~$636) while the 5G model starts with 8GB RAM for ¥5698 (~$806) and offers up to 12GB RAM for ¥6198 (~$877). You can read all about the Vivo NEX 3 5G from our launch coverage here.

UP NEXT: It’s official! OnePlus 7T Series will be launched in Europe on October 10

OnePlus confirms that all future OnePlus devices will have 90hz displays

By

Airyl Jaszly

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Sep 16, 2019

The OnePlus 7 Pro is a beloved device among many Android users, and one of the main reasons for this is the wonderfully buttery 90hz display. The extra smoothness has managed to sway many people to the device, and it’s not hard to see why. Hence, it’s reassuring to see OnePlus confirm that all their future devices will have 90hz displays.

The company clearly knows that they’ve got a winner of a feature on their hands. They’ve been marketing it heavily in the advertising for their upcoming OnePlus 7T and 7T Pro. Even the invites for the launch have the feature front and center. Most people absolutely expected this to be the case, but it’s still very nice to hear it officially from the company.

Editor’s Pick: It’s official! OnePlus 7T Series will be launched in Europe on October 10

If the leaks are on the mark, the OnePlus 7T series will be a subtle evolution of what you saw in the 7 Pro and standard 7. The basic design template for the device will remain. The big change is that you’ll get a faster Snapdragon 855 Plus chip, a 16-megapixel wide-angle rear camera and new photography tricks that could include a special macro mode.

The new series of phones will be revealed on September 26th in both India and North America, the company announced today. The series is expected to consist of two devices, the OnePlus 7T and 7T Pro, which will act as follow-ups to the two phones the company released earlier this year. Following that, OnePlus says it will hold a third event in London on October 10th, where it says there’s “much more to come.”

UP NEXT: OnePlus 7T Pro may not launch in the U.S.

(Source)

It’s official! OnePlus 7T Series will be launched in Europe on October 10

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Sep 16, 2019

OnePlus will launch the OnePlus 7T starting from September 26. The Chinese tech giant released the launch itinerary today via a poster on its social media handles vis-a-vis Twitter and Instagram. The poster details the launch date and time for OnePlus 7T in India, North America and Europe.

The OP 7T will be launched in North America on September 26 at 10.30 AM EDT. On the same day, the device will be unveiled in India at 7 PM IST. Thereafter, the phone will be showcased for the European market on October 10 at 4 PM BST.

EDITOR’S PICK: Throwback Tech Thursday: T-Mobile Pulse and Pulse Mini – A Huawei Affair?

Do take note of the different caption of the events holding in the three regions as they hold clues to the products the company will be unveiling on that day. For India, it is captioned as “India OnePlus Launch Event”. That is likely because the company will be unveiling the OnePlus TV alongside the OP7. The North America launch caption seems to reaffirm earlier rumours that the OP 7 Pro may be launched in the US. We say so because it is only captioned “North America OnePlus 7T Reveal”. Whereas, the listing for Europe has the caption “Europe OnePlus 7T Series Launch Event. This could be an indication that the OnePlus 7T Pro will be launched first in Europe alongside the OnePlus 7T. The India launch maybe for the OnePlus TV and OnePlus 7T only. This is the first time the T series is getting a Pro variant and so the company may not want the OnePlus TV release to overshadow the launch but we’re not so sure.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite Global Version is now available to buy on Giztop

(source)

Resellers in Hong Kong are selling the Galaxy Fold for astronomical prices in the Grey Market

By

Joel Joseph

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Sep 16, 2019

The Samsung Galaxy Fold is the world’s first true commercial foldable flagship. This makes it an exceptional device, despite the drama that the phone went through before its release. South Korea was the first country to get the Galaxy Fold officially, and a limited global release is due on September 18. However, it looks like the craze for the world’s first commercial foldable is sky-high in Hong Kong. Resellers are reportedly selling the device for astronomical prices in the grey market.

The official price tag of the Galaxy Fold is 2.4 million won (~$2,011) in South Korea, the only market where the device is officially sold right now. But resellers in Hong Kong have already managed to pick up a handful of units in the initial batch. Given how only 1000-2000 units were reportedly shipped in this first batch, getting a Samsung Galaxy Fold internationally through conventional channels, especially in Hong Kong, is next to impossible. That’s why Hong Kong resellers are asking nearly HK$38,000 (~ $4,856) for the Galaxy Fold in the grey market. That’s 2.5 times the original price tag of the device!

⇒ Editor’s Pick: Samsung is quietly working on a foldable phone that folds into a square: Bloomberg

But will anyone buy the Galaxy Fold at such astronomical prices?

Yes. There might be a few interested buyers for the device, even at this price. The Galaxy Fold is exceptionally unique in its market segment with zero competitors as of today. And getting a unit will not be easy anytime soon, especially in a market like Hong Kong where Samsung is yet to announce an official launch date. So the resellers in the grey market are the quickest way to get hold of the device in the region.

On a related note, the Galaxy Fold is up for pre-registration in China.

UP NEXT: Vivo NEX 3 5G arrives with massive waterfall screen, triple rear cameras and more

(Source)

Vivo NEX 3 5G arrives with massive waterfall screen, triple rear cameras and more

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Sep 16, 2019

The Vivo NEX 3 5G was unveiled at an event in Shanghai today. The phone has a unique 6-antenna design for 5G, a massive “waterfall” display, and triple rear cameras. There is also a 4G version of the device.

Design

The highlight of the phone’s design is its Waterfall Display which curves right into the area where you will usually find the power and volume control buttons. As a replacement for the removal of the buttons, Vivo has included a pressure-sensitive sensor and X-axis motor in the side of the phone. The pressure sensor doubles as the buttons and the motor provides vibrational feedback that mimics a hardware button press.

The Vivo NEX 3 has triple rear cameras that are housed in a circle on the back. The sensors are arranged in the same fashion as the holes in a fidget spinner. What we believe is a laser focus module sits in the middle and outside the cameras’ housing sits an LED flash.

For the 5G model, Vivo says it uses a special 6-antenna design that is distributed along the sides of the phone to ensure that 5G signal is stable.

Specs

The phone packs a 6.89-inch Super AMOLED screen with a 2256 x 1080 resolution and a 93.6% screen-to-body ratio. There is no notch and neither is there a punch hole. Instead, there is a pop-up selfie camera with its own LED flash that slides out from the middle part of the top side of the frame.

The 4G and 5G models are powered by the Snapdragon 855 Plus processor. The 4G variant has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage while the 5G version comes in 8GB and 12GB RAM models with 256GB of storage. Both versions of the phone use UFS 3.0 storage.

It has a 16MP f/2.09 front-facing camera while the rear is home to a 64MP f/1.8 camera paired with a 13MP f/2.2 ultrawide angle camera and a 13MP f/2.48 telephoto camera. The phone boasts camera features such as HDR and Hyper-HDR.

Vivo NEX 3 hidden sensors + X-motor — The Vivo NEX 3 uses a combination of hidden sensors and a motor as a replacement for power and volume control hardware buttons.

There is NFC, Dual-SIM, Dual-VoLTE, Bluetooth 5.0, 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 5.8GHz WiFi. It also has an audio jack at the top, an AK4377 HiFi audio chip, liquid cooling, and 4D game shock.

The NEX 3 packs a 4500mAh battery with support for 44W Superfast Flash Charge via USB Type-C. There is no support for wireless charging which is disappointing considering its price. The phone runs FunTouch OS 9.1 based on Android 9 Pie and comes in black and a gradient color similar to the Huawei P30 Pro’s Breathing Crystal color variant.

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Price and Availability

The Vivo NEX 3 is priced at ¥4498 (~$636). The NEX 3 5G with 8GB RAM has a ¥5698 (~$806) price tag while the 12GB version will sell for ¥6198 (~$877). It is available for pre-order on the Vivo online shop.

UP NEXT: Vivo U10 confirmed to launch on September 24; hands-on image leaks online

Main specs of the upcoming Ulefone Armor 7 leaked

By

Dimitris Economou

-

Sep 16, 2019

Rumors about the new member of the Armor Series of Ulefone are circling tech news for several months saying that the high-end rugged flagship would come with MediaTek’s latest Helio P90 AI SoC in conjunction with a 48MP triple camera. Well, there’s no need for rumors any more since the main specs of the phone surfaced recently.

So, the Armor 7 will come with a 6.3″ FHD+ display with 19.5:9 aspect ratio and a waterdrop notch at the top. The presence of Helio P90 is confirmed and it will be backed by 8GM of RAM as well as 128GB of internal storage. Besides the high raw CPU performance, the P90 comes with APU 2.0, a leading fusion AI architecture which can deliver a new level of AI experience. The triple rear camera will sport a 48MP AI camera, a 16MP night shot camera, and an 8MP telephoto lens, which supports 10x zoom and AI scene recognition. It is placed vertically on the left top side of the back panel while the selfie shooter is a 16MP one and supports face unlock.

It’s worth mentioning that Armor 7 will support global frequency bands including the Band 71 of T-Mobile which is be able to broadcast signals that travel farther, cover more area especially in the rural areas, works far better in the city, and maintains good data speeds. What’s more, it is said that the new device will run a custom OS based on Android 9 Pie.

The phone is expected to officially hit the market next month but we still have no further news about the launching price. Follow the company’s official site for instant updates on new devices and offers.

Chuwi UBook Pro full specs released, is it the most versatile laptop of 2019?

By

Dimitris Economou

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Sep 16, 2019

Chuwi recently launched the warmup campaign for its new crowdfunded 2in1 tablet – UBook Pro- the most powerful and versatile 2-in-1 tablet CHUWI ever built. Its predecessor was widely praised and many users have been waiting for the successor of this series. And Chuwi didn’t disappoint them.

Classic U shaped kickstand, lightweight and portable 2-in-1 tablet

We already know that the device sports a very slim body at just 9mm and its weight reaches just 780g (~1.72lbs) making it very easy to carry around. Also, it supports a magnetic keyboard dock like the previous model.

Contrary to Surface Pro’s metal plate kickstand, the UBook Pro features a more light-weighted u-shaped kickstand which is more agile and convenient. Moreover, this technique left free space for a bigger battery and a better cooling system. The speakers are hidden on each side of the device offering better volume and sound quality than normal tablets’ speakers.

The u-shaped kickstand has a maximum opening angle of 145° and can transform the tablet into a laptop, workstation or tablet, offering flexibility to its user in every situation.

The 12.3″ FHD IPS display with 3:2 aspect ratio brings larger workspace

Of course, the company’s best device to date should come with the corresponding display and Chuwi chose a fully-laminated 12.3″ FHD IPS panel with 3:2 aspect ratio that offers a vivid and vibrant experience to the user whether he’s working with pictures or watching videos.

The 3:2 aspect ratio is vigorously promoted by Microsoft for the Windows 10 OS as it is the golden ratio for productivity when typing, web browsing, coding, etc. What’s more, the touch panel supports 2048 pressure-sensitive stylus.

Intel’s 8th Gen Core™ m3-8100Y

Besides the looks and build quality, the UBook Pro comes with the powerful Intel Core M3-8100Y processor that has an overall performance improvement of more than 50% over the previous gen. The processor is built with Intel’s advanced 14nm+ manufacturing process, it’s a dual-core/four threads chip and the highest frequency reaches up to 3.4 GHz.

Also, with the Intel UHD Graphics 615, hardware decoding of 4K video is supported and it also provides a good experience in video editing and even some heavy games

Full-featured ports to meet all kinds of needs

As seen in the provided photos, UBook Pro is equipped with many I/O ports that include 2 x USB-A, 1 x USB-C (is said to be full-featured and support PD fast charging), 1 x Micro HDMI, 1 x 3.5 mm headphone jack, and also a DC power supply jack, Docking contactor at the bottom, and a TF card reader. The total of these ports can meet daily needs and also offer external display, high-speed data transmission, a portable Docking keyboard, etc. Definitely a generous set of ports that when compared with devices from giants like Apple and Microsoft seems way superior. Maybe these companies have something to learn from smaller manufacturers.

The promotion on Chuwi UBook Pro has already begun on the company’s official website where you can subscribe and get 25% off the official price. The expected price is around $600 and when compared with competitors with similar devices like the Surface Pro 6 and iPad Pro, it is absolutely competitive. Visit the promotion page to subscribe and learn more information about the upcoming device.

Chuwi UBook main specs

CPU: Intel®Core™m3-8100Y，3.4 GHz，2C4T
GPU：UHD Graphics 615,900MHz
Display: 12.3’’IPS full-laminated，1920 * 1280，multi-touch screen
RAM: 8GB RAM，128GB/256G SSD
Battery: 37Wh
I/O Ports: Full-featured USB-C，USB-A 3.0 * 2，Micro-HDMI，3.5mm audio jack
OS: Windows 10 Home
Expected Price: Around $600

OnePlus releases teaser, confirms OnePlus 7T series coming on Sept. 26

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 16, 2019

Today, OnePlus has confirmed that the OnePlus 7T series is coming. The announcement was made on Twitter and it packs a lot of details including a video of one of the phones.

The #OnePlus7TSeries is coming.

— OnePlus (@oneplus) September 16, 2019

The OnePlus 7T series will be unveiled on September 26 at 10:30 AM EDT. The event will be live-streamed on YouTube. The launch will also take place in India on the same day but at 7 PM IST. The event will hold at Indira Gandhi Arena in New Delhi. Ticket sales will be available for purchase on September 20 at 10 AM on OnePlus.in.

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The OnePlus 7T series will also be announced in London on October 10 at 16:00 BST at the Magazine London Theater. OnePlus is running a competition where the winner gets to win a trip to London for the event. The winner also gets to have lunch with Pete Lau, OnePlus. Details about the competition are provided here.

The teaser video shows the OnePlus 7T in blue confirming the phone will be coming in a new color variant not available for its predecessor. We also see the display is flat and the right side is home to the power button and alert slider.

This marks a big leap in our journey to share the best technology together with our community. Are you ready for #ANewEra? pic.twitter.com/H0ywOkodLS

— OnePlus India (@OnePlus_IN) September 16, 2019

The OnePlus 7T series will be unveiled alongside the OnePlus TV on the same day according to a separate tweet by OnePlus India. The tweet reveals the launch will also be televised as an Amazon Specials program.

(Sources:1, 2, 3)

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How to install Google Apps on Redmi Note 7 Pro China

By

Simranpal Singh

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Sep 16, 2019

MIUI China, unlike its global version, doesn’t come with Google apps which are popularly known as Google Mobile Services. In fact, no Android device sold in China comes bundled with Google apps, you very well know the reason. As such the popular Redmi Note 7 Pro Chinese variant is devoid of Google apps.

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Fortunately, Google apps are not completely shut on MIUI devices. Here, we’ll go through the steps on how to install Google apps on Redmi Note 7 Pro with MIUI China

Before we begin, a quick overview of GMS for the unversed. The GMS is Google’s proprietary app bundle which includes the premium apps such as YouTube, Gmail and so on. Most notably, GMS is not a part of the Android Open Source Project, which means an Android manufacturer needs to obtain a license from Google in order to legally install GMS on an Android device.

Steps to enjoy Google Apps on Redmi Note 7 Pro

Go to the Mi App Store
Input Google on the search bar.
Click on the Baidu icon which will appear on the results after few down scrolls.
You’ll see an app about 168 KB size with Google Play Store logo, install it.
Open the app and click on the blue round icon below. It will start downloading the Google Service Framework(Install it manually just by clicking install).Note: You’ll need to enable Unknown sources from Privacy setting.
Install all the forthcoming Google service apps manually one by one.
At last, it will download the Google Play Store and prompt you to install it. Install it without hesitation.
After the successful installation of the Google Play Store, log in to the Play Store using your Google Account and enjoy Google Play Store.

With the Google Play Store now installed you can install other GMS apps such as YouTube, Gmail as well on your Redmi Note 7 Pro.

Simple isn’t it? Still, if you encounter any trouble, don’t hesitate to drop down in the comments. We’d love to help you out if any error persists.

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Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite Global Version is now available to buy on Giztop

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Sep 16, 2019

Xiaomi took the wraps off the Mi 9 Lite today in Spain. The Mi 9 Lite was already available to buy via online retail store Giztop, even before it goes on sale in Europe The device listed as the global version but in actual sense, the Mi 9 Lite is the global version of the Mi CC9 that was launched a couple of months back in China.

The device is on offer for $289 and this is for the 6GB+64GB version which is available in dark grey colour only. There is also a 6GB RAM + 128GB storage version available for $309. This variant comes in dark grey and blue colour options.

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The Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite adopts a waterdrop notch screen design and packs a 6.39-inch AMOLED FHD+ display with a resolution of 2340 x 1080pixels. The mobile phone will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 chipset paired with 6GB/8GB of RAM while there are 64GB/128GB storage options. For photography, there is a triple camera setup at the rear aligned vertically. The main sensor is a 48MP sensor teaming up with a 13MP wide-angle lens and a 2MP Depth Sensor. There is a 32MP selfie camera housed inside the waterdrop notch.

The Mi 9 Lite packs an impressive 4030mAh battery with an 18W fast charger inside the box. The device runs MIUI 10 based on Android 9.0 but we expect it to get updated to Android 10 pretty soon. In addition, the device utilises an on-screen fingerprint sensor and has NFC and IR blaster on board.

To snap up the phone or check out the product page, follow the source link below.

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(source)