Motorola One Action likely to debut on August 23 in India

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Aug 12, 2019

The latest rugged smartphone from Ulefone, the Armor X3, is placed in the entry-level category and comes with a low price and good overall features. Of course, an Armor Series member cannot be anything less than durable as hell, even if it belongs in the entry-level segment. To prove that, Ulefone conducted a drop test to determine and showcase exactly how durable the phone is. Let’s check it out.

Thanks to the convex design on four corners and the slant design on the back, the Armor X3 can effectively withstand drops. In the video, the device is subjected to various drop tests pushing the limits of its certifications to the maximum. You can see that it survives and can work normally after falling down from stairs, hitting solid floor or rocks from more than 1 meter high, being thrown into a puddle, etc.

Besides its durability, it also can perform well in casual use. It comes with an 8MP/2MP dual rear waterproof camera for vivid and crisp photos even underwater and the selfie shooter hosts a 5MP sensor that can also be used for face unlocking. What’s more, it comes with 2 more creative features: Gloves Pattern and Easy Key for a better experience. The Glove Pattern helps you control your phone when wearing gloves and the Easy Key is a dedicated button to which you can assign a specific task when pressed. It is powered by the MT6580A SoC backed by 2GB/32GB memory configuration, there is a large, 5000mAh battery, and runs the latest Android 9 Pie. Of course, IP68, IP69K, and MIL-STD-810G certifications are a standard in the Armor Series.

The special sale of Armor X3 is coming to an end on August 13th, so you better hurry and visit Ulefone’s official AliExpress store to get it at just $79.99 along with a tempered glass as a gift. For more information, visit the company’s website.

Xiaomi registers significant YoY growth in the Chinese Tablet Market in Q2 2019: IDC

By

Joel Joseph

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Aug 12, 2019

With smartphones increasing in size every year, tablets aren’t really as popular as before. And with the advent of foldables, things could look even worse for the tablet market. But in Q2 2019, it did fairly well in China. IDC reports that the tablet market grew by 2.3% YoY in China in Q2 2019.

The growth was driven by the consumer tablet market, registering an 8% increase YoY in the second quarter. The commercial tablet market didn’t fare so well, registering a decline of 15.2% YoY.

IDC CHinese tablet market Q2 2019 — 1. Apple 2. Huawei 3. Xiaomi 4. Lenovo 5. Microsoft | Chinese Tablet Market Q2 2019 Source: IDC

Apple takes the lead in the Chinese tablet market with the iPad Air being really popular among customers. In fact, IDC notes that the Air is even more popular than the iPad Mini. The Cupertino giant shipped 2.33 million units in Q2 2019, up by 0.7% YoY and taking a huge 41.4% market share in the same period.

In second place is Huawei shipping 1.54 million units and thereby continuing its impressive growth in the region. The Chinese telecommunications giant grabbed a share of 27.4% of the market, registering a solid 17.1% YoY growth, driven by its flagship MediPad M6 lineup. IDC notes that Huawei’s dual-brand strategy is particularly successful in the low-tier cities in China, which is helping it grow steadily.

In third place is Xiaomi, bouncing back in terms of shipments in Q2 2019. The smartphone maker shipped 340,000 units in this period, which was an astounding 430.6% YoY growth. It’s not surprising given that Xiaomi’s Mi Pad 4 lineup was announced by the end of Q2 2019 and does not really reflect in the shipments accounted for in the same period. The Mi Pad 4 seems to be doing really well, helping the brand jump up to the third place.

Editor’s Pick: India’s core telcos to leave Huawei out of their core 5G contracts

Lenovo occupies the fourth place, slipping down by one position in the table as compared to last year. Its tablet shipments in China also registered a 33% decline YoY. Finally, in the fifth position is Microsoft. The Windows OS maker did really well this quarter shipping around 200K units which is a 68% increase from last year. IDC adds that its partnership with JD and other promotions helped the company increase its shipments in the last quarter.

Finally, IDC reports that 10 to 11-inch screen size and 4GB + 64GB configuration are becoming standard among consumer tablets in the second quarter of 2019. The commercial tablet market is on the decline, but there is hope after 5G becomes mainstream and tablets become an integral part of medical, government, education, and security industries.

For more details, hit the source link down below.

UP NEXT: Realme 5 Pro specs leaked, powered by Snapdragon 712

UMIDIGI X’s optical in-screen fingerprint scanner beats the ultrasonic one of Galaxy Note 10

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Aug 12, 2019

The new trend in the smartphone industry is the placement of the fingerprint sensor under the display, allowing for a cleaner design smaller overall dimensions. UMIDIGI X is the first phone from the company that comes with such a sensor and the most affordable to date, as it costs around $200. It uses the best optical sensor from Goodix, the same that brands like Huawei, Xiaomi, and OnePlus use. There is another implementation though, that uses ultrasonic waves to scan the fingertip and this is what Samsung uses in its latest flagship, Galaxy Note 10. According to tests, the optical sensor is better than the ultrasonic one. Let’s check out the video below.

Except for Samsung’s flagships Galaxy S10 and Note 10, all new phones of the companies mentioned use the optical fingerprint sensor built by the same company Goodix. In theory, an ultrasonic scanner is more secure, because it uses soundwaves to map a 3D print of the user’s unique epidermis, whereas optical scanners rely on light information to capture a 2D photo of the fingerprint. There has been no evidence supporting that an ultrasonic solution is more secure than an optical solution and on top of that, real-world tests from many reviewers confirm that an optical in-screen fingerprint sensor is faster than the ultrasonic one.

Compared to the previous-gen, the latest optical in-screen fingerprint sensor offered by Goodix has a 100% larger optical sensing area, an upgraded recognition algorithm, 35% faster screen unlock, and 30% better performance in extreme situations according to UMIDIGI. We will be able to check the performance in real-life soon and decide if the $200 budget phone offers better in-screen fingerprint unlock experience than Samsung’s $1000 flagship.

Open global sale of the UMIDIGI X together with new truly wireless earbuds Upods will kick off on August 26 on Aliexpress. The sale price has not been released yet but we expect it would be about $200. The first 1000 units will also come with Upods for free, so you’d better add the phone to your cart now in case you miss the deal. You can add the Upods as well. Lastly, UMIDIGI is running a big giveaway to recruit 20 trial users for UMIDIGI X and Upods, and the winners will get both. You can check out all the details about the two new devices and join the giveaway on their official website.

Embrace the future of gaming with GameSir G6s Touchroller (video)

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Aug 12, 2019

Since much attention of the gaming industry is shifting towards mobile gaming, gaming accessories manufacturers are shifting too by releasing gaming gadgets for smartphones. A well-known brand, GameSir, that is committed to designing and manufacturing high-quality products for gamers, released a brand-new controller on August 5th, on the Indiegogo crowdfunding platform: the GameSir G6s mobile gaming touchroller!

It is not another gamepad and it is safe to say that it is kind of revolutionary. “Touchroller” is a new term created by the company and describes the combination of a gamepad and a touchscreen controller for perfect in-game control and experience. The design is inspired by hybrid hypercars and GameSir designers and engineers put forward the design concept to achieve next-generation gaming equipment.

Analog buttons combined with touch controls both aim at boosting the gaming and control experience. You can control the analog buttons with your left hand while the touch-enabled controls with your right hand. In addition, the GameSir G6s has the most buttons in its class. The 10-button configurable layout and the ultra-thin 3D joystick are enough to tear off any solid defending.

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What’s also important is that you can safely play FPS or MOBA games downloaded from the App Store without worrying about being banned. As the “Touchroller” features micro-switches and dual-motor vibration, the gaming experience is enhanced, allowing you to enjoy interactive in-game effects.

You can customize the intensity and duration of the vibration with the GameSir G-Crux app. And if you are afraid that your iPhone could be incompatible, don’t worry. The GameSir G6s is equipped with a two-stage retractable structure that fits even the large iPhone X Max.

As the saying goes, to do a good job, an artisan needs the best tools. With this vision, there is no doubt that GameSir G6s mobile gaming touchroller can become your favorite gamepad.

Leaked purchase page reveals Meizu 16s Pro specs and price

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Aug 12, 2019

The first time we heard of the Meizu 16s Pro was in early July when a listing was spotted on Taobao. The attached image showed the phone will have triple rear cameras and an in-display fingerprint scanner. Now, a photo of the purchase page from the official Meizu website has surfaced online, revealing more details.

Starting with the design of the phone, the design is similar to that of the Meizu 16s. The bezels seem to be of the same thickness. The slit for the earpiece is shorter and the hole for the front-facing camera looks smaller but it might just be as a result of the perspective the image was taken.

On the back, there are three rear cameras arranged vertically in a single housing while the ring-styled LED flash sits below the setup. The color variant in the image is called Pearl White, unlike the Taobao listing which shows a blue variant. The page doesn’t have any other variant but we doubt Meizu will release only one color variant.

The photo reveals the Meizu 16s Pro has a 48MP AI triple rear cameras and packs a 4010mAh battery, an increase of 410mAh over that of the Meizu 16s’ battery capacity. We don’t know what type of the lens the third camera sensor is but seeing as ultrawide angle cameras are the trend among triple camera phones, this will most likely be the one Meizu goes with.

The phone will also come with OneMind 3.0 and run Flyme 8 out of the box which should be based on Android 9 Pie.

The selected version of the Meizu 16s Pro has 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage with a price tag of ¥3699 (~$524). There is also a 12GB RAM + 256GB version but the price is unknown.

We don’t know the processor under the hood but it is either the Snapdragon 855 or the Snapdragon 855 Plus processor.

Meizu has an announcement tomorrow. There are speculations it is for the Flyme 8, the latest version of its custom UI for its phones. However, we haven’t seen any post teasing the launch of a new phone, so the possibility that tomorrow’s event is for the Meizu 16s Pro is slim.

(Source, Via)

UP NEXT: Two new Meizu 4G smartphones with model numbers M928Q and M973Q get certified in China

Samsung Galaxy A10s launched packing a 4,000 mAh battery, fingerprint reader and more

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Aug 12, 2019

Tech giant Samsung has officially launched a new A-series smartphone. The Samsung Galaxy A10s is an upgraded version of the Galaxy A10, housing some key improvements. The company has been teasing the launch of the phone for quite a while now without any specific date set for the launch. The wait is finally over and the device isn’t in any way a disappointing one.

The Galaxy A10s comes with a larger battery and also features a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, something that was missing on the Galaxy A10. The phone features a 6.2-inch IPS Infinity-V screen with a resolution of 720 x 1520pixels. The device is powered by an unnamed octa-core CPU paired up with 2GB of RAM. There is 32GB of storage which can be expanded via microSD.

On the camera setup, the Galaxy A10s packs a 13MP main camera with an aperture of f/1.8 and a 2MP depth sensor at the rear. For selfies, there is an 8MP camera with f/2.0 aperture housed inside the water drop notch. The selfie camera supports face unlock.

For power, the device is powered by a generous 4,000 mAh battery, a 600 mAh bump from the standard A10. The device runs on Android 9.0 Pie with One UI on top. The Galaxy A10s comes in four different colours – Blue, Green, Red, Black.

UP NEXT: Realme 5 Pro specs leaked, powered by Snapdragon 712

Cubot X20 Pro is the company’s next flagship with AI SoC and triple camera

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Aug 12, 2019

The X Series from Cubot is the one hosting the flagship devices of the Chinese manufacturer and it is about to welcome another member as the company will soon release the Cubot X20 Pro. It will be the flagship for the 2nd half of 2019 and its killer feature will be the rear triple camera.

Featuring 2.5D glass both on the front and the back, the X20 Pro will come with a 6.3″ 19.5:9 waterdrop notch display and FHD+ resolution. According to Cubot, the screen/body ratio reaches 92.8% while the overall dimensions remain compact at 157.1 x 74.6 x 8.1mm despite the large, 4000mAh battery it hosts under the hood.

Cubot focuses on camera performance this time and information say that the results are impressive. To achieve that, the company set up a dedicated camera department and hired top algorithm experts of the industry. The triple camera setup consists of a 12MP main sensor, a 20MP depth-of-field sub-sensor, and an 8MP 125° ultra-wide-angle sensor.

In terms of hardware configuration, the Cubot X20 Pro is equipped with the Helio P60 octa-core AI SoC backed by 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage while it comes with Android 9 Pie pre-installed. Check out the main specs below.

Cubot X20 Pro main specs

Helio P60 AI SoC
6GB RAM plus 128GB storage
2.5D Double-sided Curved Glass
AI Triple Rear Camera 12MP 20MP 8MP
Main Camera: SONY IMX486 12MP PDAF
Depth Camera: SONY IMX350 20MP
125° Ultra Wide Camera 8MP
Front Camera: SONY IMX214 13MP
6.3″ 19.5:9 FHD+ display
Android 9 Pie OS
4000mAh high-density battery

Besides the Pro version, there will be a lower configuration model, Cubot X20, that will be released together. Below, you can see the differences between the two. As for the release date and pricing, all that is sure right now is that they will be available in September at a very competitive price. You can follow their official website for more updates.

Realme 5 Pro specs leaked, powered by Snapdragon 712

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Aug 12, 2019

It has been confirmed that the successor to the Realme 3 series will be called the Realme 5 and it will launch on August 20. Now, specs of the Realme 5 Pro have surfaced.

Realme Quad Camera Lineup — Realme 5 Pro (middle) alongside the previous Realme Pro phones

According to a tweet by Sudhanshu Ambhore, the Realme 5 Pro will have a Snapdragon 712 processor. It is a slight upgrade in performance when compared to the Snapdragon 710 that powers the Realme 3 Pro.

The phone will also have a 48MP Sony IMX586 primary camera, a worthy upgrade to the Realme 3 Pro’s 16MP primary camera. The phone will have quad rear cameras, so alongside the 48MP sensor, it will also have an ultrawide angle camera and a macro lens. We don’t know what type of lens is the fourth camera.

Realme 5 Pro-
Snapdragon 712
48MP Sony IMX586 Primary sensor📷
AMOLED display with Waterdrop Notch
In-display fingerprint scanner#realme #realme5Pro #realme5series #Quad5quad

— Sudhanshu Ambhore (@Sudhanshu1414) August 12, 2019

The Realme 5 Pro will have an AMOLED display with a waterdrop notch. With the switch to AMOLED, color reproduction should be better. The phone will also have an in-display fingerprint scanner.

The rest of the phone’s specs such as the battery capacity and its screen size are not mentioned but a full spec sheet should surface in the coming weeks.

The phone will launch alongside the Realme 5 on August 20, four months after the Realme 3 and Realme 3 Pro. Both phones will launch with quad rear cameras.

UP NEXT: Realme ships 10 million smartphones worldwide in just 14 months!

Meizu teases new announcement tomorrow, Flyme 8 coming soon?

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Aug 12, 2019

Meizu may be struggling, but the company certainly isn’t letting it show if it is. They’ve gone to Weibo with a teaser for a new announcement taking place tomorrow, though there’s no mention of what they plan to launch. Along with that, they’ve posted a poster to go along with the teaser, asking people to essentially gear up for the announcement.

While we may not know what the announcement is for, we’ve got a pretty good idea for what it’ll be. Flyme, the custom user interface for the Android operating system from good old Meizu, is getting a new update, and a few months ago they teased the launch date of the new Flyme 8 as the 13th of August, which is tomorrow.

Editor’s Pick: Alleged render of Meizu 16S Pro surfaces online with curved display and triple rear cameras

What we’re not sure about is whether Flyme 8 is the only big announcement they have for tomorrow. We’ve seen multiple leaks for several different Meizu devices as of late, and it’s fully possible that we’ll see at least one of these devices launch alongside the new UI. We don’t expect to see the new flagship Meizu 16S Pro, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see a new mid-range device come out of this.

We’re very eager to see what exactly Meizu has in store for us tomorrow. While we’d love to see the company announce something big, it’s more than likely they’ll just have a small announcement for Flyme 8. I hope that they manage come out of their situation relatively fine though, I’ve been an avid fan of the company and would hate to see them disappear.

UP NEXT: Meizu again lays off employees; closes down several stores in China

Xiaomi Mi A3 Android One could be launching in India on August 23

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Aug 12, 2019

From the beginning of this month, Xiaomi India started teasing the arrival of a new smartphone. A new tweet from Manu Kumar Jain, Xiaomi’s Global VP and Managing Director for India reveals that a new Android One phone will launch soon. Last week, citing an undisclosed source Smartprix had claimed Xiaomi will be launching the Xiaomi Mi A3 smartphone on Aug. 23. However, there is no official confirmation on that yet. The Xiaomi Mi A3 is the next Android One-powered smartphone from the Chinese technology conglomerate to launch in India. It will be arriving as the successor to the Xiaomi Mi A2 which launched in India back in 2018.

Played a game with @Google Assistant on this upcoming #AndroidOne phone.

Google answered it right. Can you? Watch out for the question in this video.

RT this tweet + Tell me the answer with hashtag #XiaomiAndroidOne (do tag me). I will give away 1 to a lucky #MiFan.#Xiaomi ❤️ pic.twitter.com/aXzRNtLFIm

— #MiFan Manu Kumar Jain (@manukumarjain) August 12, 2019

The tweet from Jain features a minute and a half-long video. He has asked the fans to guess the launch date of the ‘new device’, while announcing a giveaway. He revealed that one lucky Mi fan will receive a “brand-new stunning looking device”, without naming the smartphone. The handset shown in the video is a clear give away that it could be the Xiaomi Mi A3 phone. Readers need to guess a probable launch date and share it using the hashtag #XiaomiAndroidOne and tag Manu in the post.

Xiaomi Mi A3 Specifications and Features

The Xiaomi Mi A3 packs a 6-inch HD+ AMOLED display with a resolution of 1520 x 720 pixels. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 SoC with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB and 128GB of native storage. The primary camera is a 48-megapixel sensor with an 8-megapixel wide-angle sensor and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The front camera is a 32-megapixel unit that is housed inside the waterdrop notch. The Mi A3 draws power from a 4,030 mAh battery.

The key highlights of the Mi A3 are the software, which is designed for smoothness, a better user experience and quick upgrades. The design deserves a special mention, as the smooth gradient finish lends a premium feel to the device. The smartphone is available in Europe in three funky colors, including blue, white and black. The same phone is selling as Xiaomi Mi CC9e in the Chinese market.

Xiaomi Mi A3 Price

The Xiaomi Mi A3 was introduced in Europe at a starting price of 249 euros (~$278) for the 4GB + 64GB variant. The higher-spec 4GB + 128GB variant is priced at 279 euros(~$312). The smartphones are expected to be priced at Rs. 19,000 (~$267) and Rs. 21,000 (~$295) respectively when they arrive in India.

Realme X new variant 8GB + 256GB sale begins on August 18 in China

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Aug 12, 2019

Realme X is currently the most powerful smartphone from the company. The highest edition of the phone has 8 GB of RAM and it is equipped with 128 GB of internal storage. Today, the Chinese manufacturer has introduced a new edition of the smartphone that features 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. The official sales of the smartphone will begin on Aug. 18.

Ahead of Aug. 18, the Chinese firm has made the Realme X smartphone available on reservations through its offline online store in China and other retailer sites like Jingdong Mall, Suning and Tmall. The handset is priced at 2,099 Yuan. However, during the reservations period that lasts until Aug. 18 starting from today, the handset can be reserved with a discounted price tag of 1,999 Yuan.

The Realme X models such as 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage , 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage, 8 GB RAM + 128 GB store were introduced in May in the home market with respective price tags of 1,499 Yuan (~$212), 1599 Yuan (~$226) and 1,799 Yuan (~$254). Currently, the 128 GB storage variant is available with a discounted price tag of 1,539 Yuan (~$217). The 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage model carries a discount pricing of 1,399 Yuan (~$197) between Aug. 10 and Aug. 13. The 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage model is also selling for 1,399 Yuan (~$197). The Realme X can be availed in color editions such as Punk Blue and Steam White.

Editor’s Pick: Realme is India’s 4th largest smartphone brand for the 3rd consecutive quarter

Realme X Specifications and Features

The Realme X has a 6.53-inch AMOLED display. The notch-less display offers full HD+ resolution and 19.5:9 aspect ratio. It is fueled by Snapdragon 710 chipset and is equipped with a 3,765mAh battery that carries support for 20W VOOC 3.0 Flash Charge technology.

The backside of the phone feature a dual camera setup that includes Sony IMX586 48-megapixel primary lens and a 5-megapixel depth sensor. It is fitted with a pop-up selfie snapper of 16-megapixel. The ColorOS based Android 9 Pie OS comes preinstalled on the device.

UP NEXT: Realme 5 series to debut on August 20 in India

India’s core telcos to leave Huawei out of their core 5G contracts

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Aug 12, 2019

Chinese telecom company Huawei may not find a place in ‘core’ elements of Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea and Reliance Jio’s 5G networks as the Indian telecom industry tries to hedge any risks against any future ban on Chinese equipment manufacturers in India, if these new reports are to be believed.

The report comes from ET, which quoted at least two unidentified senior telecom executives as saying that the decision is meant to be a safeguard against a possible ban on Huawei equipment in the future. According to one of them: “Given how there are global security concerns regarding Huawei’s equipment, nobody wants to get caught in the crossfire. It’s better to be safe and deploy Huawei in the non-core part of the 5G network”.

Editor’s Pick: 10 Things You Should Know About Huawei’s HarmonyOS

Another senior executive at a second carrier also seemingly aired similar views, saying it would be too much of a risk to use Huawei equipment in ‘core’ sectors. “We don’t want to be caught in a situation where we have deployed Huawei and then a ban comes. It would be such a big gamble to do so and already, given the stress in the sector, looks like nobody is going to take that risk”, they said.

The executive added that eliminating Huawei and ZTE from a major part of the 5G contract by Airtel and Vodafone Idea could lead to the rise of the cost of deployment because their options would then be European vendors Nokia and Ericsson. “We are working with all our strategic network partners,” an Airtel spokesperson said in response to ET’s detailed queries. The telco didn’t elaborate on its 5G deployment plans.

UP NEXT: Huawei Mate 30 Lite could be the first HongMeng OS powered smartphone

OnePlus TV is rumored to launch on September 26

By

Joel Joseph

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Aug 12, 2019

OnePlus is slowly but steadily increasing its portfolio of products in the market. Starting off as a flagship smartphone maker, focusing on just one phone in a year, today OnePlus makes a number of products like wireless headphones, backpacks, and powerbanks. In the past few years, the company has started to release two flagship smartphones in a year and now, it is all set to expand its product portfolio further with a set of brand new TVs. The new TV models had passed through Bluetooth SIG certification last week and now a new report states that OnePlus TV could be announced somewhere between 25-30 September this year.

It’ll be exactly a year in September since OnePlus first revealed its plans for a TV. The company had announced in 2018 that it aimed to provide a more connected experience to its users with its new OnePlus TV, with a special focus on integrating it with smartphones and smart home devices. If the launch is really on September 26 (the report did mention an exact date), then we are just days away from hearing more about it from the company.

What’s more, mysmartprice’s report adds that there’s a very good possibility that one of the OnePlus TV models come with an OLED panel. The Bluetooth certification revealed at least four models of the upcoming TV: 43-inch, 55-inch, 65-inch, and 75-inch. These are standard sizes for a smart TV but each region could get just a couple of variants at launch. The certification further revealed that the OnePlus TV will likely be launched in China, India, and the US.

Editor’s Pick: Purported OnePlus 7T Pro live shots leak front and rear design

As for features, the OnePlus TV is expected to be like other Android-powered smart TVs but with better connectivity features. The TV should have the latest features such as 4K HDR, voice-based assistant like Alexa or Google Assistant, and maybe even a camera like the Honor Vision Smart Screen TV.

After smartphones, TV is the next big market for innovation. With companies like OnePlus and Huawei entering this industry, things will get really interesting in the coming months.

UP NEXT: ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5G comes with 100GB of FREE 4G/5G data per month till September in China

Foxconn’s Indian iPhone production line to only produce one million units annually

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Aug 12, 2019

Foxconn‘s iPhone production line in India was officially launched in August. Unfortunately, due to Apple facing some problematic export tariffs in India, Foxconn‘s Indian iPhone production line will only cater for the local Indian market. To this end, Foxconn will limit production at their Indian facility to an annual production capacity of only 1 million units.

Originally, Apple hoped that Foxconn‘s Indian iPhone production line could take into account both the export markets and India’s domestic market demand. To achieve this, Foxconn actively negotiated export preferential tariffs with the Indian government. Now, nearly half a year later, the Indian government still hasn’t given what Apple considers satisfactory rates.

Editor’s Pick: Apple AirDrop vulnerability reveals phone number and passwords to third parties

According to the company, the export tariffs were favorable, but reinvigorated trade war between China and the US has unfortunately caused issues.Thus, Apple and Foxconn have decided go ahead with production in India, but only to supply the domestic market first. Until then, Apple will need to continue negotiating for more favorable rates. Until then, the company is limiting production to 1 million units annually.

Industry sources pointed out that Foxconn’s current smartphone production line in India is mainly based on Android, with their main focus being on Xiaomi devices. It’s been estimated that production of these devices can reach upwards of 3 million units, far more than Apple’s annual amount. Some insiders claim this is because iPhones require higher precision for their assembly, resulting in longer production times.

UP NEXT: Analyst says Apple won’t raise prices in the US in response to Trump’s new 10% tariff on Chinese goods

Tencent’s “Game for Peace” is the world’s highest grossing mobile battle royale game

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Aug 12, 2019

Two months have passed since Tencent rebranded China’s version of PUBG Mobile as “Game for Peace,” and the mobile battle royale game has swiftly become the highest-grossing title in the genre, bringing in $860 million as of July, according to a report from analytics firm Sensor Tower.

Game for Peace has brought in a total of $241 million in player spending in the last 60 days, accounting for more than one-quarter of total revenue since it launched in February 2018. The figures do not include spending from third-party Chinese Android stores. In the US market, “PUBG Mobile” also posted a 565% year-over-year surge in revenue last month to $32 million.

Editor’s Pick: Samsung announces World’s First 108MP Mobile Camera Sensor in collaboration with Xiaomi

This is especially impressive considering the competition. Epic Games’ Fortnite and NetEase’s Knives Out have grossed $725 million and $771 million since launch, respectively. The strong performance has helped Tencent become the top-grossing publisher as of July, raking in more than $679 million from in-app purchases, 39% higher year-on-year.

Tencent had been unable to monetize “PUBG Mobile” in China for more than a year due to a freeze on approvals from China’s game regulator, the State Administration of Press and Publication (SAPP). To this end, the company relaunched the game as “Game for Peace” in May, preserving the core gameplay but adding a more patriotic flavor. It then grossed more than $14 million in its first 72 hours on Apple’s China App Store.

UP NEXT: Huawei Mate 30, Mate 30 Pro likely to launch on September 19

ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5G comes with 100GB of FREE 4G/5G data per month till September in China

By

Joel Joseph

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Aug 12, 2019

ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5G is the first 5G smartphone on sale in China. The phone is already available in the stores of China Telecom and will soon be on sale via China Mobile and China Unicom stores as well. In order to speed up the adoption of 5G in the market, ZTE, in partnership with the three carriers in China is offering an amazing deal to Axon 10 Pro 5G customers. Anyone who purchases the phone will get 100GB of 4G /5G data per month for free.

The promotional offer is only applicable for the months of August and September. You 100GB/month to burn which is a significant amount of data, even for a 5G network. The offer is applicable on China Telecom, China Mobile, and China Unicom networks. ZTE also adds that you don’t have to change cards or numbers to avail this offer. Axon 10 Pro 5G users in China can simply contact their network provider to get this offer.

In addition to supporting the super-fast 5G network, the Axon 10 Pro 5G features top of the line specifications including Snapdragon 855 processor, a 48MP + 20MP + 8MP triple camera setup, a beautiful 6.47-inch 1080p FHD+ display with HDR10 support, and a large 4000mAh battery. Until the Mate 20 X 5G makes it to the Chinese market (later this month), the Axon 10 Pro 5G is a capable smartphone for your entry into the 5G world, especially coupled with the free 100GB 4G/5G data that you are getting every month!

UP NEXT: Realme 5 series to debut on August 20

Realme 5 series to debut on August 20

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Aug 12, 2019

Last week, Realme had recently teased it will be soon launching new Realme 5 series and Realme X series smartphones in the near future. Indian retailer site Flipkart has a dedicated page for Realme 5 series. The microsite shows that the Realme 5 series will be equipped with four rear-mounted cameras. It also confirms that the company will be holding an unveil event on Aug. 20 to announce the Realme 5 series.

The microsite for Realme 5 series on Flipkart reveals that it will be announced at 12:30PM on Aug. 20. The quad camera of the Realme 5 series will include a primary lens, an ultrawide lens, super macro lens and a portrait lens.

The primary lens of the Realme 5 series features a large aperture and a larger pixel size. The ultrawide lens of the phone offers 119-degree field-of-view. The third one is a macro lens with 4cm focal length. The portrait lens will ad sharpness and clarity to portrait shots. The microsite has no other information on the specifications of the Realme 5 and Realme 5 Pro smartphones. On YouTube, Flipkart has shared a video that showcases the quad camera setup of the Realme 5 phone.

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Realme has recently confirmed that it will be launching a quad camera Realme phone with 64-megapixel primary lens. The Realme 5 that is expected to be priced under Rs. 10,000 is unlikely to feature the 64-megapixel lens. The Realme 5 Pro may come with a better quad camera setup than the Realme 5. There is a possibility that the rumored Realme X Pro being an advanced phone will be equipped with a 64-megapixel lens in its quad camera setup.

Realme had recently held Camera Innovation Event in New Delhi, India to show off the photography prowess of a mysterious Realme phone with 64-meapixel Samsung ISOCELL Bright GW1 sensor. The handset was packed in special cases to conceal the design. The quad camera setup of the device features a 64-megapixel GW1 sensor that can shoot 16-megapixel shots in low-light conditions by relying on Tetracell technology, an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens with 119-degree field-of-view and f/2.2 aperture, a super macro lens with 4cm focal length, 1.75micron pixel size and f/2.4 aperture and a portrait lens. Well, this phone seems to be Realme X Pro. However, it is advisable to wait for further reports to confirm on it.

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LG files another patent application for a foldable phone

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Aug 12, 2019

Recently, LG announced that their dual-screen smartphone will be ready for release next month. Yesterday, their patent for a specially designed foldable phone was approved. The device bears resemblance to the Samsung Galaxy Fold, but with a Z-Fold folding system.

LG’s patent shows a Z-fold device, and as one of the images here shows, the third screen is a stand-alone unit and appears to fold back onto the front surface of the smartphone. The design would give a full front screen that looks pretty much like all the smartphones we are used to seeing today that can unfold into a device that has a screen three times as wide when needed.

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The design patent was filed in China on 6th March 2019, and included 18 sketches of a rectangular-shaped folding device with two displays; one of which is a flexible screen. The smartphone unfolds according to the Z-Fold principle, which is also used in brochures for the retail trade. After you unfold the phone, you’ll see a flexible screen which is twice the length of a regular screen and folds open in width like a tablet.These images omit any ports, USB included, where one might expect to find them. There is a series of symmetrical small holes along one edge that could be for speakers, but that is it. Therefore, it appears that LG intends to go fully wireless for this potential foldable phone – a risky strategy that has worked out poorly for other OEMs in the past.

Seeing something even remotely similar to the Z-FOLD in actual physical form from LG is pretty unlikely in the near future. Still, there are plenty of great ideas to improve on contemporary foldable display smartphones worth exploring here, and we look forward to seeing LG progress this idea further.

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