Leaked Huawei Mate 30 Pro image shows off waterfall display

Gionee Smart ‘Life’ Watch officially launched

By

Airyl Jaszly

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Sep 13, 2019

Gionee has launched its new Smart ‘Life’ Watch in the GBuddy portfolio of wearables and accessories in India. The trendy smartwatch targeted towards millennials and Gen Z only comes at Rs 2,999 ($42) on Flipkart. It is touted to offer many activity-based features that include 24 hours real-time monitoring of heart rate, calorie meter, fitness, health and multi-sport activity tracking.

The company claims it to be the first Smartwatch in its segment to sport stainless steel (Grade 316L) dial case with a trendy and stylish design. The watch combines a 3.3 cm (1.3) IPS Full Touch Colour Display with 2.5 D Corning Gorilla Glass and is waterproof with 5 ATM that is up-to 50 meters depth.

Editor’s Pick: Gionee is back: announces Gionee M11 and Gionee M11s smartphones

The Smart Life Watch comes with many activity-based features that include 24 hours real-time monitoring of heart rate, calorie meter, fitness, health and multi-sport activity tracking. The Watch supports fitness and workout regimes that track walking, running, cycling, trekking, playing indoor or outdoor sports.

The wearable enables you to add and track your fitness schedule and daily regime on a real time basis using the G Buddy Application. G Buddy App allows user data to be synchronized to other third party Apps like Google Fit and Strava. Some other features of the smartwatch include sedentary alert, memory full alert, alarm clock, goal completion alert, low battery alert, women health features, power saving mode, music control and flashlight.

The G Buddy application runs on both iOS 8.0 or above and Android 4.4 or above and is supported by a powerful 210mAh battery that gives it up-to 15 days battery life, and a standby time of 30 days.

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Realme XT with 64MP quad rear cameras, SD712 SoC, 8GB RAM goes official in India

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Banggood 13th Anniversary Sale – Brands New Releases Deals at Just $9.99

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Sep 13, 2019

Xiaomi-backed Redmi recently launched the Redmi Note 8 series smartphones, which includes Redmi Note 8 Pro having a 64MP primary camera sensor. Today, after weeks of teasing, Realme has finally launched the Realme XT smartphone in India, making it the first 64MP smartphone in the Indian market.

The Realme XT features a 6.4-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with 2340 x 1080 pixels screen resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection on top. The device also comes with an in-display fingerprint sensor. Under the hood, the device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 AIE octa-core processor manufactured using 10nm process.

It comes in three variants based on the memory configuration — 4GB RAM with 64GB onboard storage, 6GB RAM with 64GB internal storage, and 8GB RAM with 128GB internal storage. There’s also a microSD card slot allowing users to further expand the storage capacity up to 256GB.

The highlight of the smartphone is the camera department. On the back side, the phone features a quad-camera setup having a 64-megapixel Samsung ISOCELL Bright GW1 primary sensor with 0.8μm pixel size and f/1.8 aperture. The primary lens is accompanied by an 8-megapixel 119 degree ultra-wide-angle lens with f/2.25 aperture and 1.12μm pixel size, a 2-megapixel depth sensor with f/2.4 aperture, 1.75μm pixel size, and lastly a 2-megapixel macro sensor with f/2.4 aperture and 1.75μm pixel size.

On the front side, the smartphone features a 16-megapixel Sony IMX471 sensor with f/2.0 aperture for taking selfies and video calling. It also comes with support for Dolby Atmos audio along with Super Linear Speaker and Super Power Amplifier.

The smartphone is running Android 9 Pie operating system out-of-the-box with a customised version of ColorOS 6 that now comes with features like Dark Mode, Font Customisation, Digital Wellbeing, App Clone, among a few others.

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Connectivity options on the device include Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5, GPS + GLONASS, and USB Type-C port. The device is powered by a 4,000mAh battery which comes with 20W fast charging support.

The Realme XT smartphone is being offered in two color options in India — Pearl White and Pearl Blue. The 4GB + 64GB model is priced at ₹15,999 (~$225) and the 6GB + 64GB model costs ₹16,999 (~$239). The top-end model of 8GB + 128GB is priced at ₹18,999 (~$268). The device will be available for purchase in India from 16th September via Flipkart and soon be available through offline stores across the country.

4GB RAM + 64GB storage: ₹15,999 (~$225)
6GB RAM + 64GB storage: ₹16,999 (~$239)
8GB RAM + 128GB storage: ₹18,999 (~$268)

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Banggood is Offering Great Discounts on Top-Branded Products, 1/2 Price Flash Sale and Brands New Releases Deals at Just $9.99

By

Vinay Patel

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Sep 13, 2019

It looks like brand-conscious buyers are in for a treat. While a top-branded electronic product would normally set you back a pretty penny, Banggood is bent on changing that.

As part of its 13th-anniversary sale, Banggood has come up with brands new releases deals, offering a wide range of amazing products from popular for lowered prices. Dubbed as Brands New Arrival Launch, the promo features 1/2 price flash sale and a slew of heavily-discounted items.

The products have carefully been added to specific categories to expedite the search process. The first section called Daily Brands Recommend includes the Roborock S50 robot vacuum cleaner, Xiaomi Mi9T smartphone, the recently unveiled Mi Band 4, and FrSky ACCST Taranis Q X7 Transmitter.

More importantly, you can get your tech greedy hands on these products without emptying your pockets. For instance, the Mi Band 4 normally retails for $99.99, but you can now buy it for only $63.99 from the promo page.

Moreover, you can extend this 36 percent discount with the help of coupon code BGM428. The coupon helps you bring the retail price of the smartwatch to just $32.49 even before you place your order.

As if that weren’t enough, you get the Bakeey Replacement Silicone Sports Soft Wrist Strap Bracelet Wristband for XIAOMI Mi Band 3/4 worth $12.99 free with your order. You also get free shipping on orders over $19.99.

The following category called New Arrival includes the Eachine EV800DM Varifocal 5.8G 40CH Diversity FPV Goggles, 2019 Newest Mustool G1200 Digital Microscope, and with various other equally well-received products from popular brands like BlitzWolf, and DIGOO.

Tech buffs might want to check out the next section called Brands Champion Product, wherein you can buy Top 6 products for considerably reduced prices. Moreover, each item under the aforesaid section has been assigned a coupon code that you can use to save more money at checkout.

The rest of the activity page has been split into dedicated sections for products from BlitzWolf, Eachine, Xiaomi, Danie, and Geekcreit. You can grab great discounts on your favorite brands, and even get a chance to save more money on select products using dedicated coupon codes.

For the sake of an instance, the BlitzWolf section offers a whopping 76 percent off on a myriad of music accessories, and other devices. Likewise, you can avail 68 percent off on select Eachine-branded product under the next category.

There’s 72 percent off on Xiaomi products, 73 percent off on Daniu products, and 69 percent discount on various items from Geekcreit.

The concluding section on the promo page is called Maybe U Like and it includes popular products such as the Xiaomi RedmiBook laptop, Xiaomi Mibox S, etc. You can check them all out and take advantage of the discounts available on them by following this link before the activity ends.

Alleged Apple AirPods 3 prototype image surface online showing smaller case

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Sep 13, 2019

At an event on 10th September, Apple launched iPhone 11 series, a new iPad (2019) and announced a couple of services. While many were expecting the Cupertino-giant to announce a refresh for the AirPods 2, that didn’t happen.

Given that the Apple AirPods 2 were launched in March this year, it makes sense for the company to not launch its successor this early. But, it seems that the company has started working on the AirPods 3 as a prototype of the same has surfaced online.

The leaked prototype of the Apple AirPods 3 shows an even smaller charging case for the earphones. However, take this with a pinch of salt as we haven’t independently confirmed that what we see in the picture is actually the prototype of the upcoming AirPods.

There are reports out there which suggests that Apple could launch two variants of the next-generation AirPods. Given that the new AirPods were not announced during the iPhone 11 launch event, they could go official next year. Do note that the company has not confirmed or said anything related to AirPods 3.

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Current generation AirPods, i.e. Apple AirPods 2, comes with an updated H1 chip, replacing the Q1 chip to offer improved connectivity. It now connects more quickly to your devices and switching between devices while listening to music is now two times faster.

There’s also hands-free “Hey Siri” functionality, allowing you to control volume and swap songs through voice commands. Thus, you no longer need to tap on the AirPods with a finger to activate Siri.

Apple is also offering an optional Wireless Charging Case that enables Qi-based wireless charging. The Apple AirPods 2 without the charging case is priced at $159, while it costs $199 with the Charging Case.

(Via)

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Vivo NEX 3 real images appear ahead of September 16 launch

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Sep 13, 2019

Vivo will be announcing the Vivo NEX 3 flagship phone along with its 5G edition on Sept. 16. The most striking feature of the phone is its marvelously curved notch-less display. Vivo NEX Product Manager Li Xiang has confirmed that the phone will be boasting a pathbreaking screen-to-body ratio of 99.6 percent. Leaked hands-on photos of the phone has surfaced today on Weibo. It showcases the phone form all angles.

The newly leaked images belong to the 4G-only version of the Vivo NEX 3 that has a model number of V1923A. The front view of the Vivo NEX 3 shows that the upper and below are symmetrical. The black-colored glass rear of the smartphone has a round-shaped camera module with three shooters placed inside it. An LED flash is placed below the camera module.

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The NEX 3 is equipped with an in-display fingerprint reader. The About Phone page of the device shows that the phone is fueled by 2.96GHz Snapdragon 855+ mobile platform and it is loaded with Android 9 Pie OS. The side view of the phone shows that it does not feature physical buttons. Reports have revealed that it will be offering pressure-sensitive virtual buttons for power and volume. One of the images also shows the dual pop-up camera module of the phone in action. Previous reports have revealed that the Vivo NEX 3 has an additional power button on its top edge and it is also equipped with a 3.5mm audio jack.

Vivo NEX 3 Specifications and Features

The Vivo NEX 3 has a 6.89-inch AMOLED display and it is expected to arrive with 512 GB of native storage. It may release in 8 GB and 12 GB RAM editions. For photography, it will flaunt a 16-megapixel pop-up dual camera system and a 64-megapixel + 13-megapixel + 13-megapixel triple camera system. The 4,500mAh battery of the NEX 3 can be powered with 44W fast charging technology.

The Vivo NEX 3 measures 167.44 x 76.14 x 9.4mm and it weighs 218.5 grams. The handset is expected to release in two color editions as shown in the image above. There is no information available on the pricing of the NEX 3 and NEX 3 5G phones.

UP NEXT: Vivo NEX 3 rumor roundup: Specs, design & Everything else you need to know

Oppo trademarks 13 smartphones under its new Oppo Z series

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Sep 13, 2019

Earlier this year, during the launch of the Oppo Reno series, the Chinese smartphone maker confirmed that it is discontinuing its Oppo R lineup for the flagship devices and will now continue with the Oppo Reno and Oppo Find series. The company has also filed a patent for Oppo Find Y, which is rumoured to come with under-display camera.

Now, the company seems to be working on the Oppo Z-series and the latest report reveals that Chinese smartphone manufacturer has trademarked 13 new smartphones which will get released under this new Z lineup.

The 13 smartphone names trademarked by Oppo includes 2Z, 3Z, 4Z, 5Z, 6Z, 7Z, 8Z, 9Z, 10Z, 20Z, 30Z, 40Z, and 50Z. All the trademarks are under Category 9, which is described as “mobile phones; smartphones; smartphone software; headsets; battery chargers.”

The company has not yet launched Oppo Z-series smartphones in the market. Although there’s the recently announced Oppo Reno2 Z, it’s a part of Reno lineup and not the new Z-series. It remains to be seen when the company plans to launch this new lineup for smartphone and how it is positioned in the market.

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Meanwhile, the company has confirmed that it will be launching the Oppo Reno Ace smartphone in China next month, which will come with 90Hz refresh rate display. Along with that, it’s also confirmed by Oppo Vice President Brian Shen that the device will come with support for 65W Super Flash charging.

Being a flagship phone, we expect the Oppo Reno Ace to come powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ mobile platform. Oppo PCKM70 appeared on TENAA which lists 6.6-inch Full HD+ notch-less display, 4,000mAh battery with fast charging support, Snapdragon 855+ processor, 12GB of RAM, 256GB of internal storage.

It is also revealed to come with a 16-megapixel selfie camera and a quad camera setup on the back consisting of a 48-megapixel primary lens. The handset is equipped with support for 5G connectivity. There’s a possibility that this phone could be the Oppo Reno Ace but we’ll have to wait for the official announcement to know for sure.

(Via)

Up Next: Mysterious Huawei NLE-AL00 smartphone powered by Kirin 990 chipset and Android 10 spotted on Geekbench

Gentle Monster Huawei Smart Glasses now on sale in China; price starts at 1,999 Yuan ($282)

By

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Sep 13, 2019

While unveiling the Huawei P30 and P30 Pro flagship smartphones in China earlier this year, tech giant Huawei had announced its first smart glasses in collaboration with well-known South Korean eyewear firm Gentle Monster.

At that time, the company had only revealed the features of the smart glasses and were expected to be available for purchase in June or July. A bit later than expected, the Gentle Monster Huawei Smart Glasses are now available for purchase in China.

The product comes in five models — Smart East Moon 01, Smart Jack Blue 01, Smart South Side 01, Smart Alio 01, and Smart Alio C1. While the South Side 01 model is priced at 1,999 Yuan, roughly $282, the other four models are priced at 2,499 Yuan which roughly converts to $353.

The company says that the Gentle Monster Huawei Smart Glasses are designed with the concept of minimal design and there are no physical buttons. The antenna, charging module, dual microphone, chipset, speaker and battery are integrated in the temple, and the frame and lens can be replaced by the user.

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It features stereo speakers that are positioned above the ears and tapping on the temple activates the voice assistant. To answer a phone call, users need to simply tap on the temple of the eyewear. For improved call quality, the eyewear has built-in AI Bluetooth noise reduction technology.

The smart glasses comes with an IP67 certified dust-proof and water-resistant body. The eyewear can be charged through its USB-C port and can also be charged wirelessly by placing the glasses inside its leather case. With 2,200mAh battery, the company is promising 20 hours of stand-by time.

Up Next: Vivo NEX 3 will be offering 99.6 percent screen-to-body, claims NEX product manager

Vivo NEX 3 to offer 99.6% screen-to-body, says NEX product manager

By

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Sep 13, 2019

The Vivo NEX 3 is scheduled to break cover on Sept. 16. The Chinese manufacturer has been consistently teasing on the features of the phone. The USP of the smartphone is that it will be coming a display that will be equipped with extremely curved edges. Past reports have claimed that the NEX 3 will offer a screen space of 99.6 percent. Now the official confirmation has come from Vivo NEX product manager Li Xiang. He has confirmed that the NEX 3 will offer a screen-to-body ratio of 99.6 percent.

According to Li Xiang, the 99.6 percent screen-to-body ratio of the Vivo NEX 3 has been determined using the industry standard calculation method. He added the NEX 3 will offer highest screen space even with different methods. Xiang also stated no other phone will be able to offer such a high screen space in the next six months.

The Vivo NEX 3 images have revealed that the left and right edges of its display have extreme curvature. The side bezels of the phone are not visible in the newly shared image of the phone. The upper and lower bezels of the phone are also quite thin. Such a marvelous design allows the NEX 3 to offer huge screen space.

Vivo NEX 3 Specifications and Features

The Vivo NEX 3 will be debuting in 4G-only and 5G-ready models in China. The smartphone has a massive 6.89-inch AMOLED display that produces full HD+ resolution. The screen ins integrated with an in-display fingerprint sensor. The 2.96GHz Snapdragon 855+ mobile platform is present under the hood of the Vivo NEX 3. The smartphone is expected to release in 8 GB RAM and 12 GB RAM versions in China.

The NEX 3 has a 4,500mAh battery that is equipped with 44W rapid charging. The Android 9 Pie OS coupled with the latest version of FunTouch OS will be available on the device. The top edge of the phone houses a 16-megapixel dual pop-up camera system and its rear is fitted with 64-megapixel + 13-megapixel + 13-megapixel triple cameras housed inside a round-shaped module. There is no information available on the pricing of the smartphone. Vivo will be also announcing the TWS earphones alongside the Vivo NEX 3.

UP NEXT: Vivo NEX 3 rumor roundup: Specs, design & Everything else you need to know

Huawei considers licensing its 5G business to American companies

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Sep 13, 2019

Amid the US-China trade war, Huawei is the company that’s caught in the middle. While both the countries and trying out to work a deal, Huawei’s Chief Security Officer recently said that the United States needs to talk to Huawei for the China trade deal.

Now, Zhengfei Ren, CEO and founder of Huawei has offered an olive branch to the Trump administration to resolve the issue between Washington and Huawei. In an interview with New York Times, he said that the company is open to license its 5G technology to American companies. The proposed offer would essentially allow the U.S. to finally get in the race for 5G supremacy.

Zhengfei Ren, Huawei founder and CEO — Zhengfei Ren, founder and CEO of Huawei

Ren said: “Huawei is open to sharing our 5G technologies and techniques with U.S. companies, so that they can build up their own 5G industry. That would create a balanced situation between China, the U.S. and Europe.”

He also added that the U.S. companies would be allowed to modify the software code used to run any of Huawei’s 5G equipment or even change it and use their own as they see fit. With such deal, the American licensees will be able to sell their 5G equipment based on Huawei’s intellectual property anywhere in the world, except in China, said Ren.

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The 5G market is currently being dominated by four companies — Huawei and ZTE from China, Ericsson of Sweden, and Nokia from Finland. Currently, the use of Huawei equipment is banned from U.S. networks over concerns that it could be used by the Chinese government as a method to spy or disrupt telecom systems. At present, there’s no American 5G equipment maker.

However, the Chinese government would have to approve the deal to make this happen. It remains to be seen if the Chinese government is on-board to see the most valuable assets of its most valuable tech company land in hands of the United States.

Up Next: Mysterious Huawei NLE-AL00 phone with Kirin 990 and Android 10 spotted on Geekbench

Mysterious Huawei NLE-AL00 phone with Kirin 990 and Android 10 spotted on Geekbench

By

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Sep 13, 2019

A mysterious Huawei phone with NLE-AL00 model number has been benchmarked on Geekbench. While the benchmarking platform does not mention it clearly, it appears to be fueled by Kirin 990 chipset that was recently announced by Huawei at the IFA 2019 tech trade show.

The Huawei NLE-AL00 is powered by a HiSilicon processor that has a base frequency of 1.96 GHz. At IFA 2019, Huawei had announced Kirin 990 and Kirin 990 5G chipsets. The 5G edition has two Cortex-A76 cores that work at 2.86GHz, two Cortex-A76 cores at 2.36GHz and four Cortex-A55 cores at 1.95GHz. On the other side, the regular version of the Kirin 990 has two Cortex-A76 cores that clock at 2.86GHz, two Cortex-A76 cores at 2.09GHz and four Cortex-A55 cores at 1.86GHz. Hence, it is being speculated that the Huawei NLE-AL00 could be fueled by the non-5G version of the Kirin 990.

The Huawei NLE-AL00 could be an upcoming flagship phone since it is running on the recently announced Android 10 OS. The purported Kirin 990 chipset is assisted by 8 GB of RAM. In the single-core of Geekbench, the NLE-AL00 has scored 3842 points and it has recorded 11644 points in the multi-core test. It is yet to be determined whether the NLE-AL00 is a Huawei or Honor branded smartphone.

A reliable tipster from China has claimed that NLE-AL00 is not the model number of the Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro smartphones that are scheduled to go official on Sept. 19. Last year, Mate 20 X gaming-centric phone had debuted as one of the first phones with Kirin 980 chipset. So, there is a possibility that the NLE-AL00 could be Mate 30 X or the Honor Vera30 flagship phone. The Honor Vera30 is expected to go official towards the end of the year.

The Kirin 990 is a second generation 7nm chipset and the successor of 7nm Kirin 980 chipset from last year. Built with 7nm+ EUV process, the regular version of the Kirin 990 5G has dual Big Core and a Tiny Core NPU unit whereas the non-5G edition has single Big Core and a Tiny Core NPU unit. Both come with 16-core Mali-G76 GPU, UFS 3.0 and UFS 2.1.

(source|via)

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OPPO Reno Ace 65W SuperVOOC fast charging confirmed

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Sep 13, 2019

OPPO announced the OPPO Reno2 through a dedicated launch event in China on Monday. The smartphone is now available for purchase in China. At the unveil event of the Reno2, the Chinese manufacturer had confirmed that it will be debuting a flagship phone called OPPO Reno Ace in October. The smartphone is expected to premium flagship features powered with blazing fast charging capabilities. Today, OPPO Vice President Brian Shen confirmed that the Reno Ace will be sporting 65W SuperVOOC fast charging technology.

The latest Weibo post by Shen reads that the company will be mass producing the world’s fastest 65W SuperVOOC fast charging technology for the upcoming OPPO Reno Ace phone in October. This technology is faster than 50W SuperVOOC fast charging technology that was made available on the OPPO R17 Pro smartphone last year. It allowed the phone to gain to 40 percent power by charging for only 10 minutes.

The OPPO Reno Ace smartphone is rumored to be equipped with a 90Hz refresh rate display. Probably, the Reno Ace could be the mysterious phone with extremely curved edges that was teased in July this year.

The images that were shared by Shen at that time had revealed that the phone has ultra slim upper and lower bezels and the sides bezels are almost non-existent. This allows the phone to offer nearly 100 percent screen space. It remains to be seen whether the notch-less display of the phone is coupled with an under-screen camera technology or it will feature a pop-up camera module.

No other details of the OPPO Reno Ace smartphone are available yet. Being a flagship phone, it could be featuring the Snapdragon 855+ mobile platform. Probably, Shen will be spilling more information on the specs of the smartphone in the coming days. The exact launch date of the phone is currently under the wraps.

The TENAA database has OPPO PCKM70 smartphone waiting to go official. It has 6.6-inch full HD+ notch-less display, 3,930mAh minimum capacity battery with fast charging support, Snapdragon 855+ processor, 12 GB of RAM, 256 GB of storage, 16-megapixel selfie camera and a quad camera setup with a 48-megapixel lens, 13-megapixel lens and an 8-megapixel sensor. The handset is equipped with support for 5G connectivity.

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Vivo Z1X first sale in India today; Specifications and price

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Sep 13, 2019

On Sept. 6, Vivo India had launched the Vivo Z1X smartphone. The Chinese firm will be carrying out its first sales in the country today at 12 PM. There are couple of offers available for the buyers of the Vivo Z1X smartphone.

Vivo Z1X Price and Launch Offers

Customers will be able to avail the Vivo Z1X in two models such as 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage for Rs. 16,990 (~$239) and 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage for Rs. 18,990 (~$267). Fusion Blue and Phantom Purple are the two color variants of the smartphone. The first sale of the phone will begin at 12 PM through Vivo India’s online store and Flipkart today.

The Vivo Z1X can be availed through no-cost EMI plans for up to 12 months. HDFC bank card users with EMI transactions can get Rs. 1,250 discount. Flipkart Axis Bank credit card and Axis Bank Buzz credit card users can take advantage of 5 percent cashback. Lastly, Jio users can get up to Rs. 6,000 benefits.

Vivo Z1X Specifications and Features

The Vivo Z1X has a 6.38-inch Super AMOLED display with waterdrop notch. It produces full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels. The display of the phone is embedded with a fingerpint sensor. The Snapdragon 712 mobile platform powers the smartphone with 6 GB of RAM. It has up to 128 GB of native storage. The Android 9 Pie OS on the device is skinned with FunTouch OS 9.

The front notch of the Vivo Z1X is the home for its f/2.0 aperture 32-megapixel selfie camera. The rear side of the phone is fitted with a triple camera setup that has a 48-megapixel main lens with f/1.79 aperture, a 120-degree 8-megapixel wide-angle lens and an f/2.4 aperture 2-megapixel portrait sensor. The 4,500mAh battery of the Vivo Z1X supports 22.5W fast charging through USB-C.

The Vivo Z1X will be selling alongside the other Z-series named Vivo Z1 Pro that was made official in July. The 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage, 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage and 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage of the Z1 Pro are respectively priced at Rs. 14,990 (~$211), Rs. 16,990 (~$239) and Rs. 17,990 (~$253). Mirror Black, Sonic Blue and Sonic Black are the three color options of the Z1 Pro. It features a 6.53-inch IPS LCD full HD+ display, Snapdragon 712 chipset, 32-megapixel selfie camera, 16-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera and a 5,000mAh battery with 18W dual-engine fast charging.

UP NEXT: Vivo V17 Pro pre-orders and release date details leaked

Vivo V17 Pro pre-orders and release date details leaked

By

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Sep 13, 2019

Vivo India has recently confirmed that it will be launching the Vivo V17 Pro smartphone in India on Sept. 20. The smartphone will be debuting as the first phone in India with dual pop-up selfie camera system. The pre-orders of the phone will begin on Sept. 19 followed by a market release on Sept. 28.

In select states of India, Vivo is expected to run Super Day sale on Sept. 27. It will be also carrying out Scratch and Win offer in the country and customers will have to purchase a new Vivo device at the retail outlets to participate in it. Customers will stand a chance to win up to Rs. 5,000 in cashback. The ‘Bumper Offer’ will let winners receive Vivo Y90 or Vivo V17 Pro smartphone.

There is no information on the pricing of the Vivo V17 Pro. However, it is speculated to be priced around Rs. 30,000. The handset is expected to release in two color editions as shown in the below image.

Vivo V17 Pro Specifications and Features

Rumors surrounding the Vivo V17 Pro has revealed that it will be sporting a 6.59-inch notch-less Super AMOLED display that will produce 1080 x 2440 pixels resolution. The FunTouch OS flavored Android 9 Pie OS will run on the device. The dual selfie camera setup of Vivo V17 Pro will include a 32-megapixel primary lens and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The rear shell of the phone will be fitted with a vertical quad camera system that will comprise of a 48-megapixel main lens, an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens and a pair of 2-megapixel sensors.

The Snapdragon 675 mobile platform is expected to fuel the phone with 6 GB and 8 GB of RAM. The handset will have an internal storage of 128 GB. The smartphone will be backed by a 4,100mAh that will probably come with support for fast charging. It will be also equipped with an in-screen fingerprint reader. Apart from India, the Vivo V17 Pro is also expected to break cover in markets such as Europe, Indonesia and Thailand.

Fairphone 3 becomes the second phone ever to get a 10/10 repairability score on iFixit

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Sep 12, 2019

Fairphone 2 was unveiled last year and it became the only smartphone to achieve a 10-out-of-10 score on gadget repair website iFixit. This is as a result of the ease of repairability as a result of the modular design it adopts. The company followed up with the Fairphone 3 which was announced recently. The phone has now been scored by iFixit, bearing the same 10/10 repairability score. This makes it the second phone after the first iteration to get a 10/10 iFixit score.

The Fairphone 3 adopts the same modular design as its predecessor, packing several modules that can easily be swapped out. The device also features a removable battery that can be swapped out by the user.

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iFixit adduced several reasons for the 10/10 score given to the Fairphone 3. The reasons include that key components like the battery and screen can be accessed either without tools or with a standard Phillips screwdriver or a Torx screwdriver. The parts can then be replaced very easily once there is access. The panel also has pictorial guides to recognise several of the modules and components. However, some of the components are soldered and may not be easy to replace.

In case you are just meeting the phone for the first time, the Fairphone 3 sports a 5.7-inch full HD+ LCD screen. It is powered by a Snapdragon 632 processor paired with 4GB of RAM, and there is 64GB of expandable storage. The phone packs a 12MP rear camera while at the front there is an 8MP selfie camera. It gets its juice from a 3,000mAh battery. The Fairphone 3 adopts a 450 euros retail price which isn’t cheap considering the hardware lineup but then, there may still be a market for it.

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Huawei P30 Lite to get Breathing Crystal color variant soon

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Sep 12, 2019

Huawei announced new color options for its P30 Pro flagship at IFA 2019. It is now set to extend the color refresh to the Huawei P30 Lite.

Roland Quandt of Winfuture.de has revealed that the more affordable P30 phone will soon be available in Breathing Crystal, one of the original color variants of the Huawei P30 and P30 Pro. He also included renders of the device along with the tweet.

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There is no news on the availability of the new color variant yet.

The Huawei P30 Lite was announced in March. It has a 6.15-inch display with a 1020 x 2312 resolution and a waterdrop notch at the top of the screen. It is powered by the Kirin 710 processor with 4GB or 6GB of RAM and 128GB of expandable storage.

It has a 24MP f/1.8 primary rear camera which is paired with an 8MP ultrawide angle camera and a 2MP f/2.4 depth sensor. The selfie camera is a 32MP sensor. There is a fingerprint scanner on the back of the phone and a 3340mAh battery under the hood. It also has support for 18W fast charging.

The P30 Lite has an audio jack, a USB Type-C port, Bluetooth 4.2, and an FM radio and NFC in certain markets. It runs EMUI 9.1 Pie based on Android Pie and is scheduled to get an update to EMUI 10 based on Android 10 in March 2020. When it launched early this year, it was available in Peacock Blue, Midnight Black, and Pearl White.

UP NEXT: Huawei may come with a solution for adding Google apps on Mate 30 series

Throwback Tech Thursday: T-Mobile Pulse and Pulse Mini – A Huawei Affair?

By

Joel Joseph

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Sep 12, 2019

Early last year, Huawei was all set to make a big announcement at CES. For the first time ever in the U.S., the telecommunications giant was going to launch its smartphone through a carrier. Just when things were looking good for the Chinese smartphone maker, the U.S. carrier that was supposed to launch its phone, backed out. The relationship between Huawei and U.S. companies has deteriorated ever since with the latest blow being the inability to even use Google apps on its new smartphones.

But outside of the U.S., T-Mobile still sells Huawei smartphones. And their relationship is actually pretty old, with the carrier selling Huawei rebranded Android phones as far back as 2009! And when did it all begin? With Huawei’s first Android smartphone!

It was the year 2009, and Huawei was still young in the smartphone market. But the company was determined to make its mark in the industry. It was one of the first smartphone makers to jump on the Android bandwagon. After the world’s first Android smartphone, the HTC Dream aka T-Mobile G1 was released in February 2009, T-Mobile launched another Android model, this time made by Huawei, in October 2009.

Back when the T-Mobile Pulse (also known as the Huawei U8220) was launched in the market, it was one of the cheapest Android phones available. Another highlight of the phone was its large 3.5-inch display. In comparison, the HTC Dream featured a slightly smaller 3.2-inch panel. And with a responsive touch screen display and HVGA 480 x 320-pixel resolution, the phone offered pretty good features for its starting £185 price in the UK. T-Mobile UK also offered a £19.99 + £10 top up on PAYG (Pay As You Go) plan, making it extremely cheap for first time Android adopters. In case you noticed, the Pulse was launched in the UK and some other markets in Europe, and not in the U.S.

⇒ Editor’s Pick: Huawei may come with a solution for adding Google apps on Mate 30 series

T-Mobile Pulse offered an excellent Android experience at an Affordable Price

The Pulse came with a 3.5-inch HVGA display which was pretty good for its time. The phone, made out of plastic, was slightly curved at the back. There was a unique carbon fiber pattern on the back of the phone which looked cool. What made it even cooler was that the phone’s theme had a similar Carbon fiber pattern.

Along with touchscreen input, you could use its trackball and home and back buttons to navigate through the Android OS. It ran Android 1.5 Cupcake with Google Apps installed. You could update it up to Android 2.1 Eclair, with custom ROMs further bringing v2.2 to the device. There were two more buttons on either side of the trackball, a call button on the left and an end button on the right. There were also volume buttons as well as a dedicated camera shutter button. The phone supported MicroSD cards, with a 2GB card coming right inside the box.

Interestingly, Huawei decided to use a 2.5mm headphone jack on the device, instead of the traditional 3.5mm jack. But it was generous enough to provide a 2.5mm to 3.5mm adapter so that you could listen to music with your everyday headphones. There was a decent 1500mAh battery on board, which wasn’t great but did the job of keeping the phone running for a day. The 3.2MP camera was nothing to boast about. There was a low-resolution front camera as well for video calls.

A highlight of the T-Mobile Pulse was its 3G support. For its low price, it brought HSPA speeds along with other connectivity features such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and even A-GPS.

T-Mobile Pulse had a ‘Mini’ Version Too!

The original Pulse seems to have done well to warrant a release of a T-Mobile Pulse ‘Mini’ version. This mini model was released in May 2010 with a tiny 2.5-inch display with lower resolution but still supporting HSPA 3G speeds. The phone came with the Snapdragon S1 processor with a 3.15MP rear camera, a dedicated 3.5mm headphone jack, A-GPS, and Android 2.1 Eclair out of the box. Oh, there was no selfie camera on this model, unlike the larger ‘Pulse’ sibling.

Huawei entered the Android market with these low-end models that many of us don’t even remember. But the company has used the same Android platform to grow into the world’s second-largest smartphone maker, leaving behind big names such as Apple and Nokia.

It is enlightening to see how Huawei started its journey in the Android ecosystem with a carrier partnership from T-Mobile. But now, it might have to drop the very thing that pushed it to the top of the smartphone market. And it took just ten years for this to happen.

Huawei could be forced to switch from Android to its own HarmonyOS in the coming months. And if things get worse, jumping off the Android bandwagon could be its only option.

UP NEXT: Huawei P40 could come running HarmonyOS out-of-the-box, hints CEO Richard Yu

Check out some of our previous Throwback Tech Thursday articles below!

Xiaomi releases kernel sources for the MediaTek G90T powered Redmi Note 8 Pro

By

Airyl Jaszly

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Sep 12, 2019

Xiaomi’s recently launched Redmi Note 8 Pro is different than its predecessors in one major department. The company decided to use a MediaTek processor instead of the tried and tested Qualcomm processor. Now, Snapdragon SoCs have historically been preferred over MediaTek SoCs due to a lack of proper kernel sources being released.

Now however, Redmi is looking to change the perspective on MediaTek SoCs, and this latest bit of news is directly aimed at the modding community. Xiaomi has officially released kernel sources for the Android Pie build of the Redmi Note 8 Pro (with the MediaTek Helio G90T SoC inside), effectively remedying a huge part of the problem plaguing MediaTek SoCs in the past.

Editor’s Pick: Xiaomi files trademark application for MIX ALPHA and Xiaomi Watch COLOR

With the release of these kernel sources, we can expect work to take off on custom kernels and recoveries for the Redmi Note 8 Pro. I personally love the ability to install a custom ROM on my device, so this is a huge advantage for this device. Perhaps more importantly, it will also allow more devices to take advantage of the MediaTek G90T SoC in the future.

There is a problem though. The currently available kernel sources aren’t complete, as they’re missing firmware for the touchscreen. Xiaomi has not officially announced that these kernel sources have been released, so it is possible that they are still in the process of uploading complete sources. Until them, stay tuned on Gizmochina for any updates.

UP NEXT: Redmi Note 8 Pro will change the perception of MediaTek: India MD