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Samsung Galaxy A70s Geekbench listing appears; May sport a 64MP lens

Samsung is reportedly working on the launch of the new Galaxy A-series phones. These smartphones are speculated to arrive as enhanced versions of the Galaxy A phones that were released in the first half of the year. A Geekbench listing of a new Samsung phone that has a model number of SM-A707F has appeared. Since the original Galaxy A70 phone had a model number of SM-A705, it is speculated that the SM-A707F is the enhanced Galaxy A70s. A recent report has claimed that it could be the first Samsung phone to sport a 64-megapixel camera.

The Geekbench listing of the purported Samsung Galaxy A70s reveals that it is powered by the Snapdragon 675 chipset. It also reveals that the smartphone is equipped with 6 GB of RAM and it runs on Android 9 Pie OS. In the single-core and multi-core tests of Geekbench, the SM-A707F smartphone has respectively scored 2365 and 6372 points. The Galaxy A70 smartphone that was announced earlier this year is also fueled by Snapdragon 675 chipset and 6 GB of RAM.

Samsung Galaxy A70s SM-A707FGeekbench

In related news, reliable leakster Ice Universe has claimed that Samsung is working on a Galaxy A series phone with 64-megapixel camera. He added that the South Korean company is aiming to launch the phone in September or October. It is speculated that the Galaxy A70s could be the first Samsung to feature its own 64-megpaixel GW1 sensor.

Samsung Galaxy A70 Specifications

The Samsung Galaxy A70 houses a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with Infinity-V notch. It supports full HD+ resolution and it is embedded with an in-screen fingerprint scanner. The One UI based Android 9 Pie OS runs on the device. The Snapdragon 675 powered phone comes in 6 GB and 8 GB RAM options and it has a native storage of 128 GB. It features a dedicated slot for adding a microSD card.

Galaxy A70 featured

For capturing selfies, the Galaxy A70 houses a front-facing camera of 32-megapixel. The rear shell of the phone features a triple camera unit. It includes a 32-megapixel primary lens, an ultrawide 8-megapixel sensor and a depth sensor of 5-megapixel. The handset is backed by a 4,500mAh battery that supports 25W fast charging through USB-C. It comes in colors like Coral, Blue, Black and White.

(source 1, 2|via 1)

UP NEXT: Check out Samsung’s official Galaxy Note 10 Hands on videos

Snapdragon 865 Geekbench listing seems to have appeared

In December, Qualcomm had launched the Snapdragon 855 mobile platform as the first 7nm chipset for mobile devices. The 2.84GHz SD855’s enhanced version dubbed as Snapdragon 855+ with 2.96GHz clocking speed was announced in the previous month. It is speculated that the Snapdragon 865 will be announced by the end of the year. It appears that the SD865 is being tested since a couple of listing of a testing device powered the same processor has appeared on Geekbench.

On Geekbench, a testing device labelled as ‘Qualcomm Kona’ has appeared. Its single-core and multi-core benchmarking scores are better than that of Snapdragon 855. The SD855 usually scores around 3.5k in the single-core test of Geekbench. In its multi-core test, the SD855 has scored around 11k. The codename of the chipset is ‘msmnile.’ Interestingly, the Qualcomm Kona device is also powered by ‘msmnile’ processor, but its benchmarking scores are better than SD855.

In the single-core test, the testing device has recorded a benchmarking score of 4149. The multi-core score of the device is 12915. The device is running on Android 10 OS which is nothing but the upcoming Android Q OS. The SoC of the device is coupled with 6 GB of RAM. In the Geekbench listings of SD855 powered phones, the base frequency is usually mentioned as 1.78GHz. However, the multiple listings of Qualcomm Kona show that its processor has a different base frequency of 1.8GHz.

Snapdragon 865 Geekbench

Hence, it appears that the device shown in the newly spotted Geekbench listings could be powered by the upcoming Snapdragon 865 SoC. Popular tipster Roland Quandt had revealed in June that Qualcomm may announce two editions of the chipset. One will come packed with 4G LTE modem and the other one will be integrated with a 5G modem. Previous leaks have revealed that Huracan and Kona are the names of the two variants of the Snapdragon 865. As it can be seen, the newly spotted Geekbench listing has ‘Kona’ moniker in its name.

The Snapdragon 865 is expected to carry support for LPDDR5X RAM, UFS 3.0 storage and HDR10+ standard. It could be the second-generation 7nm chipset from Qualcomm after the Snapdragon 855. Samsung has reportedly bagged the orders for manufacturing the SD865 SoC. The US based chipset maker may hold an unveil event in December this year to unleash the Snapdragon 865 SoC.

(source)

UP NEXT: Huawei’s growth is affecting Qualcomm’s sales

Honor 9X Pro now available for purchase in China

On July 23, Honor had launched the Honor 9X and Honor 9X Pro smartphones in China. As promised, the sales of the Honor 9X began on July 30. At the unveil event, the Chinese firm had also stated the Honor 9X Pro will be available for buying in China from Aug. 9. The day has arrived, and the first sale of the phone have started in the home market.

Honor 9X Pro Price

The Honor 9X Pro comes in two models such as 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage. Both models are respectively priced at 2,199 Yuan (~$312) and 2,399 Yuan (~$340). The smartphone can be availed in two color options such as Magic Night Black and Phantom Purple. Compared to it, the Honor 9X that includes slightly weaker specs is a cheaper phone that is priced between 1,399 Yuan (~$195) and 1,899 Yuan (~$269).

Honor 9X Pro Specifications

The Honor 9X Pro that comes with a metal and glass combination chassis measures 163.1 x 77.2 x 8.8mm and it weighs 206 grams. The smartphone is fitted with an LTPS IPS LCD display of 6.59 inches. The notch-less display offers full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels and an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. The EMUI 9.1 based Android 9 Pie OS comes preloaded on the device.

Honor 9X Pro

The Honor 9X Pro receives power to perform from the 7nm Kirin 810 chipset that includes 2.27GHzz octa-core processor. The smartphone comes with up to 8 GB of RAM and a native storage of up to 256 GB. A microSD card slot is available on the device for expanding its storage.

The rear shell of the phone that features a marvelous ‘X’ pattern has a triple camera unit. It includes an f/1.8 aperture 48-megapixel primary lens, an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens with f/2.4 aperture, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor with f/2.4 aperture. It also features a pop-up selfie camera of 16-megapixel. The front camera is optimized to capture impressive selfie shots in low-light conditions.

The Honor 9X Pro houses a 4,000mAh battery with 10W charging. The connectivity features of the smartphone include dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, USB-C and 3.5mm audio jack. It is also equipped with a side-mounted fingerprint reader.

UP NEXT: Honor Band 5 launched in India with AMOLED screen, Even before the Mi Band 4

Purported OnePlus 7T Pro live shots leak front and rear design

Earlier this week, live shots of the purported OnePlus 7T Pro handset had appeared on Weibo. The exact design of the phone was not visible in those photos since the handset was placed inside a case. Fresh set of photos of the rumored OnePlus 7T Pro have surfaced again. Again, the device has appeared in a protective case to hide its design. However, one of the images showcases the rear appeal of the phone.

The front images of the alleged OnePlus 7T Pro smartphone reveals that it features a notch-less display. The edges of the phone are curved, and its bottom bezels appears very thin. The speaker placed on the slim-sized top bezel of the phone appears more prominent than the OnePlus 7 Pro handset. The notch-less design suggests that the smartphone will be equipped with a pop-up selfie snapper.

The blue colored rear shell of the purported OnePlus 7T Pro is visible through the gaps on the protective case. There is a vertical triple camera unit in the upper half of the rear shell. The first two camera sensors are placed together and there is a small gap between the second and third sensor. An LED flash can be also below the triple camera unit. There is no rear-mounted fingerprint scanner since it seems to be under the display of the phone. The rear design of the alleged OnePlus 7T Pro is identical to the two months old OnePlus 7 Pro smartphone.

There is no concrete evidence to confirm that the above shown handset is indeed the OnePlus 7T Pro smartphone. The phone seen in the leaked photos is almost identical to the Nebula green version of the OnePlus 7 Pro smartphone. The only major difference in design between the two smartphones is that that the alleged OnePlus 7T Pro features a wider speaker.

The ‘T’ edition phones from OnePlus usually carries improved specs. However, their design remains identical to the original model. Hence, there is a possibility that the OnePlus 7T Pro may look like the OnePlus 7 Pro smartphone, but it may carry enhanced specs. Rumors have it that the OnePlus 7T Pro could be fueled by the new 2.96GHz Snapdragon 855+ and it may feature improved cameras. There is a possibility that it may come in new color options.

There is no official confirmation on the existence of the OnePlus 7T Pro. However, based on the release patterns of the company, the OnePlus 7T Pro is expected to go official in November. Probably, the company may release a 5G edition of the smartphone.

Do you think that the above images are fake or real? Share us your views by posting your comments below.

(source 1, 2)

UP NEXT: OnePlus TV listed on Bluetooth SIG website revealing the screen sizes and other details

Lenovo Z6 Pro makes its debut in Europe for 999 Lev ($571)

Lenovo Z6 Pro has gone on sale in Europe in a surprise twist, with the sale starting in Bulgaria where it is priced for 999 Lev ($571). The Z6 Pro was first released in China back in April, Th listing in the company’s official store in Bulgaria is the first time the Chinese giant is offering its phones outside China in a long while. Lenovo Z6 Pro

Lenovo Z6 Pro is a flagship model packing a Snapdragon 855 chipset. It sports a 6.3-inch AMOLED display with Full HD+ screen resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels, waterdrop notch, and an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. The screen also comes integrated with a sixth-generation in-display fingerprint reader. It is available in three memory variants; 6/8/12 GB RAM and 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB internal storage versions. There’s a Coldfront liquid cooling technology that regulates the internal temperature of the device.Lenovo z6 pro

It features 48 MP + 16 MP + 8 MP + 2 MP camera sensors on the back with AI Hyper Video feature. On the front side, the smartphone comes with a 32 MP snapper. The ZUI 11 based Android 9 Pie OS comes pre-loaded on the device and for the optimized gaming experience, the handset features Game Turbo game acceleration feature. It is fueled by a 4,000mAh battery that carries support for 18W fast charging.

The Z6 Pro has a 5G version and it is possible Lenovo will also launch that model.

UP NEXT: Honor Band 5 launched in India with AMOLED screen, Even before the Mi Band 4

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Alldocube iPlay10 Pro Review: A Great Entertainment Tablet

With the development of smartphone size, most of users have no more need of tablets. But for me, tablet is an important device. Alldocube is well-known for its affordable tablets in the market, and I got the Alldocube iPlay10 Pro Tablet several days ago. Let’s check it out.

Design:

In terms of the appearance design, the ALLDOCUBE iPlay10 Pro is good but not surprising enough. Look at its front side. The edge of the tablet is wider than Xiaomi Mi Pad 4. But actually, I do appreciate at the wider edges more, as it can prevent mistakenly touching. The iPlay10 Pro comes with a 10.1-inch IPS full screen having the resolution of 1920×1200 pixels, while the ppi is only 225. Although the color effect and the image quality are not bad, the visual effect is not so good.

The front camera is set at the middle of Landscape display, which position is different from most of the tablet camera set at the Portrait display middle position.

From the back side of the Alldocube iPlay10 Pro, it ships with premium aluminum material, which is textured and solid, and the silver gray color looks beautiful. On the top of the rear side, there is a camera with a flash light. The ALLDOCUBE logo is printed on the middle of back side.

The power button and the volume button are placed on the right sidebar. And a Micro USB 2.0 Port supporting OTG, network sharing and charing, a 3.5mm DC Port supporting charging and a 3.5mm headphone jack are set on the top of the side. The Alldocube iPlay10 Pro also ships with dual stereo speakers on the bottom side, which provide pleasant sound experience.

Display:

Nowadays, we usually use the tablet to watch videos and play games for entertainment. But for me, I use the tablet to watch videos rather than play games because of the large screen size, which is not easy to hold it for a long time.

The display shows details clearly and reproduces colors well whatever the brightness. During the test time, I used it to replace my phone to watch video, and I play games with my phone at the same time. It’s a great device for relaxing.

Performance:

Alldocube iPlay10 Pro comes with Mediatek MT8163 processor, which is one of the most popular processor used in tablets. The Alldocube tablet arrives with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, and it also supports Micro SD card up to 128GB.

Thanks to the MT8163 processor, it’s easy for the tablet to run the applications smoothly. Most of the time, you will have smooth and fluent feel and experience. However, because of the 3GB of RAM, the iPlay10 Pro would have a few glitches when turning on multiple applications. If you just think of it as an entertainment device, the glitch is not a matter.

Camera:

The Alldocube iPlay10 Pro is equipped with 5MP rear camera supporting auto focus and flash, and 2MP front camera. The image quality is mediocre, which blurry problem and details lacking are obvious.

[envira-gallery id=”269178″]

Although the camera setups are not so good, most of you would use smartphones to take photos rather than tablets. Therefore, I think these cameras are enough for a tablet.

Battery:

Alldocube iPlay10 Pro is fueled by 6600mAh battery, which is definitely enough for daily use.

Alldocube iPlay10 Pro — 79% to 41% — Watch video for an hour

Alldocube iPlay10 Pro — 40% to 72% — Charge for an hour

I can use it for five days, which is between Monday to Friday, with one fully charge. However, I should charge it every day on the weekend because of the different usage time.

Conclusion:

The Alldocube iPlay10 Pro tablet has its set of issues. The smooth experience of tablet is limited. The camera is not so good and charging the battery takes a long time.

However, the tablet comes with solid material, premium design, a large battery, and good display quality. There’s a lot of good points about the Alldocube iPlay10 Pro, which is only priced at $109.99. As an entertainment device, it is good enough for most of users.

Xiaomi begins Android Q internal test for Mi 9 models running MIUI Developer version

Xiaomi has officially announced that it has commenced Android Q internal testing for the Mi 9 models running MIUI Developer Version. The tech giant had last month pushed the Android Q Beta Priority experience version for the same device. But it was available for a selected few only. This developer version means the Android Q would be available to all users of the Mi 9 soon.Xiaomi Mi 9

Xiaomi had earlier in June confirmed the list of smartphones that are scheduled to receive Android Q beta in the last quarter (Q4) of the year. The models5f include Xiaomi Mi 9 SEXiaomi Mi 8Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer EditionXiaomi Mi 8 Screen Fingerprint EditionXiaomi Mi MIX 2SXiaomi Mi MIX 3Redmi K20 and Redmi K20 Pro. The Redmi Note 7 and Redmi Note 7 Pro will be getting the Android Q beta in Q1 2020.

EDITOR’S PICK: Honor Band 5 launched in India with AMOLED screen, Even before the Mi Band 4

The Mi 9 is one of Xiaomi’s best smartphones going by the design. The phone was released earlier this year running Android Pie-based MIUI 10. Android Q brings several new features but the major focus is on enhancing the privacy features for users. Users with Android Q phones will have the power to decided whether an app can access the location while it is running in the background. When an app starts accessing location data, a microphone or a camera, Android Q will show a corresponding icon in the notification bar to tell the user which app is using the permission. Android Q comes with native support for Dark Mode. This feature is currently integrated with MIUI 10.

As a reminder, the Mi 9 features a 6.39-inch Samsung AMOLED screen. The phone is powered by a Snapdragon 855 chipset. It equally comes with a 20MP selfie camera and at the rear, there is a 48MP wide-angle + 12MP + 16MP triple cameras. The device gets its juice from a 3300mAh.

 

UP NEXT: Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ vs Huawei P30 Pro vs OnePlus 7 Pro: Specs Comparison

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Check out Samsung’s official Galaxy Note 10 Hands on videos

Samsung unveiled what is definitely the company’s best smartphone yet yesterday, talking about the Galaxy Note 10 series. In case you haven’t seen enough of the smartphones, Samsung has got you covered. The Korean tech giant has released a slew of promo videos of the Galaxy Note 10 models which they called hands-on videos.Galaxy Note 10 Series featured

Each of the videos focuses on a specific aspect of the new handsets, throwing more likes on the positive features on the devices. Sure, the videos can’t be unbiased as no mention is made of the removal of the headphone jack.

Samsung describes the design of the Galaxy Note 10 as “groundbreaking”. The massive display is dubbed “virtually bezel-less Cinematic Infinity Displays”. The promo video also touched on the amazing and improved S Pen. The S Pen is “even smarter” now, but is still sleek and slim. Trust Samsung to flaunt the Air Actions of the S Pen.

The Galaxy Note 10 cameras are identical to those in the S10 and S10+ but Samsung touts them to be “pro-grade”. That might be because of improvements in the software. The phone equally comes with a built-in video editor that lets you create “shareworthy” stuff.

The DeX also gets its own hands-on video even though it is not a new add-on. The Note10 models can be connected with a monitor or TV to bring it to life on the big screen, all thanks to DeX.

 

Samsung even promotes the Galaxy Note 10 as a good one for gaming.

 

UP NEXT: Xiaomi launches the Youdao Memobird G4 pocket printer priced at 299 yuan($42)

(source)

Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ vs Huawei P30 Pro vs OnePlus 7 Pro: Specs Comparison

After Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Note 10+, a lot of people remained without words. Some of them due to the amazing specifications and features of the new flagship, some for its very high price tag. Whatever you may think, the Galaxy Note 10+ is undoubtedly one of the best phones released this year, besides being one of the most expensive ones. It is time to compare it with the biggest players in the smartphones market: we decided to start with the Huawei P30 Pro and OnePlus 7 Pro as they are two of the few real top-tier flagships which attracted most of the people in 2019. In this comparison, we will explain the difference and we will tell you if it is worth spending more for the Galaxy Note 10+ or not.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ vs Huawei P30 Pro vs OnePlus 7 Pro

Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ Huawei P30 Pro OnePlus 7 Pro
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 162.3 x 77.2 x 7.9 mm, 196 g 158 x 73.4 x 8.4 mm, 192 g 162.6 x 75.9 x 8.8 mm, 206 g
DISPLAY  6.8 inches, 1440 x 3040p (Quad HD+), Dynamic AMOLED 6.47 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), OLED 6.67 inches, 1440 x 3120p (Quad HD+), Fluid AMOLED
PROCESSOR Samsung Exynos 9825, octa-core 2.73 GHz Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 980, octa-core 2.6 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, octa-core 2.8 GHz
MEMORY  12 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 512 GB – micro SD slot 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – 8 GB RAM, 512 GB – nano memory card slot 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – 12 GB RAM, 256 GB
SOFTWARE  Android 9 Pie, One UI Android 9 Pie, EMUI Android 9 Pie, Oxygen OS
CONNECTIVITY  Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS  Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
CAMERA  Quad 12 + 12 + 16 MP, f/1.5-1.8-2.4 + f/2.1 + f/2.2
10 MP f/2.2 front camera
Quad 40 + 20 + 8 MP + TOF, f/1.6 + f/2.2 + f/3.4
32 MP f/2.0 front camera
Triple 48 + 16 + 8 MP, f/1.6 + f/2.2 + f/2.4
16 MP f/2.0 front camera
BATTERY  4300 mAh, fast charging 45W, Fast wireless charging 20W 4200 mAh, fast charging 40W, wireless charging 15W 4000 mAh, fast charging 30W with Warp Charge
ADDITIONAL FEATURES Hybrid Dual SIM slot Hybrid Dual SIM slot, waterproof (IP68), reverse wireless charging Dual SIM slot

Design

When it comes to the aesthetics, Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ is not a device for everyone. Due to its huge display, it is all but a compact handset. But its look is amazing, just like the OnePlus 7 Pro. I personally prefer to have a hole in-display and the S Pen rather than a pop-up camera, but that is just my tastes. Further, note that Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ is fully waterproof, unlike the OP7 Pro. On the other hand, despite it has a classic waterdrop display, Huawei P30 Pro is way more compact. Which one would you pick?

 

Display

Here it is a hard fight between Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ and OnePlus 7 Pro as the Huawei P30 Pro loses the comparison due to an inferior display. The Galaxy Note 10+ should offer a better color reproduction, it has a bigger display size and even the support to S Pen which can now be used as a motion controller thanks to Bluetooth connectivity, a gyroscope and an accelerometer (you can still use it for handwriting and drawing). On the other hand, OnePlus 7 Pro should have a worse color reproduction but a higher refresh ratio, that is better for gaming as it provides more smoothness.

 

Hardware/Software

Given that OnePlus 7 Pro has a more lightweight software department (almost stock Android) as well as a very optimized hardware department including Snapdragon 855 and up to 12 GB of RAM, it should be the fastest smartphone of this trio. But we can not tell it for sure, at least until we test the Galaxy Note 10+ which is equipped with the brand new Exynos 9825 built at 7 nm. Note that the phablet only comes in 12 GB RAM configurations, while only the most expensive variant of the Oneplus 7 Pro has 12 GB of RAM.

 

Camera

As a camera phone, OnePlus 7 Pro is not as valid as to its two rivals. It will be hard to pick a winner between Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ and Huawei P30 Pro and we have to test the former thoroughly to give a definitive verdict. At a first glance, it seems that Huawei P30 Pro will do better in low light conditions due to its RYYB paradigma, but Galaxy Note 10+ may result better in all the rest, including selfies due to its amazing 10 MP front camera able to record 4K videos.

 

Battery

There is a very small difference between the battery capacities of these devices. We believe that Huawei P30 Pro has more chances to last longer on a single charge due to its smaller and more efficient display. Further, it features reverse wireless charging while OnePlus 7 Pro does not offer any kind of wireless charging technology.

 

Price

Huawei P30 starts from €760/$850, OnePlus 7 Pro from €700/$780 and Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ from €1050/$1175. While the Galaxy Note 10+ is the best phone of the trio at the end of the day, Huawei P30 Pro currently offers the highest value for money thanks to online street prices.

 

 

Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ vs Huawei P30 Pro vs OnePlus 7 Pro: PRO and CONS

Huawei P30 Pro

PROS

  • Amazing cameras
  • Reverse wireless charging
  • More compact
  • Waterproof

CONS

  • Lower-end hardware

 

OnePlus 7 Pro

PROS

  • High performance
  • Awesome display
  • Amazing design
  • More affordable listing price

CONS

  • No expansion slot

 

Samsung Galaxy Note 10+

PROS

  • Amazing and big display
  • Bigger battery
  • S Pen
  • Waterproof
  • Great cameras
  • Wireless charging

CONS

  • Costlier

Honor Band 5 launched in India with AMOLED screen, Even before the Mi Band 4

Honor announced its new Honor Band 5 fitness tracker a few weeks back in China. Now the same band is available for purchase in India as well for a price tag of Rs. 2599. It is interesting to note that the new band comes even before Xiaomi has announced the Mi Band 4 in India.

Honor Band 5 02

The Honor Band 5 offers incredible value for this price tag. It features a color AMOLED display which is capable of showing texts, call, and other notifications on its screen. It even features a SpO2 oxygen sensor that displays the level of oxygen in your blood. There’s a regular heart rate sensor too.

Other features are standard like sleep monitoring with the ability to detect six different types of sleeping problems, and 10 different sports modes that include indoor and outdoor running, cycling, swimming, and a few other cardio activities. The Honor band is waterproof up to 50 meters, so you can wear it while swimming too!

The Honor Band 5 is available in three colors: Midnight Navy, Coral Pink, and Meteorite Black. It is currently listed on Flipkart but is out of stock in most places.

UP NEXT: Honor Band 5 vs Mi Band 4: Full Specs Comparison

(via)

Throwback Tech Thursday: We Revisit Nokia 9210 Communicator, the phone that could send & receive FAX

Another Thursday, another throwback article. Today, we are going to take a look at Nokia’s business phone from the 2000s, the Nokia 9210 Communicator. It was one hell of a phone and anyone who carried one back in its day showed that he meant serious business. And why wouldn’t he? After all, the Communicator was one of the few mobile phones that could send and receive a fax. In an era where the internet wasn’t widespread, this was a really big deal. Talking about big, the phone was also pretty large. In fact, it was large enough to replace a brick. But it did have its share of powerful features to justify its bulky form factor.

Nokia_9210 communicator
source: wikipedia

The Nokia 9210 Communicator is from the age when even mobile phone boxes were huge. And I was just pleasantly reminded (check the video at the end) that the phone came with a number of huge booklets that were supposed to be read before using it. Of course, nobody would have bothered to go through them, after all, it would have probably taken a few hours to read them all.

Moving on to the phone itself, I wasn’t kidding when I said it resembled a brick. The phone measured 27mm in thickness and weighed 244 grams. It was like Nokia slapped a phone on top of a mini-laptop. I mean it looked the part. The Nokia 9210 Communicator looked like a cordless phone upfront, but when you opened it, the phone resembled a mini-laptop. You got a full set of QWERTY keys and even extra functional buttons on top, making for one hell of a business phone. It was also the first Nokia phone to feature a color display. It was Nokia’s first Symbian OS phone too!

I actually decided to cover the Communicator today in the Throwback series because it came with two displays. I was reminded of this model when I was covering the launch of the Nubia Z20 which also had two displays and was rich in features.

Nokia 9210 (L) vs Nokia 9110 (R)
Nokia 9210 (L) vs Nokia 9110 (R) source: wikipedia

The Nokia 9210 Communicator featured a small 80 x 48 pixel screen upfront with the secondary color display inside being the real gem. Measuring 4.5-inches with a 640 x 200 pixel resolution, it was one of the better displays in the mobile phone market back in its time. Not to mention, the phone also came with a card slot to expand its minuscule 16MB memory. But it had a decent 1400mAh battery, which was pretty large for its time.

You could access the calendar, internet, and other typical PDA features through the bigger screen and keyboard inside. It even had an infrared port and a video player.

Nokia_9210 laptop
source: wikipedia

Nokia’s communicator clearly meant serious business and it had some serious features to back its reputation too. It’s no surprise that Nokia managed to overtake competitors such as Palm as well as Compaq in 2001, thanks to the Nokia 9210 Communicator.

Any ex-Nokia Communicator users here?

Meanwhile, check out this amazing video down below! It’s a trip down the memory lane.

 

Interested in more throwback articles? Read below!

Shanling MTW100 truly wireless earbuds presale kicks off

Shanling is not a company you’ve been hearing of too often in the tech news. And yet, the Chinese manufacturer is producing some very interesting and high-end audio devices and accessories. Their latest earphone addition is the first pair of truly wireless earbuds, Shanling MTW100 that will go on presale on August 12th and will start shipping 3 days later. The headset comes in three colors -White, Black, and Red- and the price for the White is $69 while the rest cost $89 and offer some hours of extra battery life and better sound reproduction.

Shanling MTW100

The price might seem a bit steep but the specs justify it to the last cent. First off, the white version offers 6 hours of battery that extends to 21 hours with the help of the charging box. The other 2 colors’ numbers are 7 hours and 24 hours with the charging box. The 2nd difference is that the white version features graphene micro-dynamic-drivers offering wide-open soundstage and rich sound quality while the red and black versions come with Knowles Balanced Armature driver with high sensitivity and high resolution.

Both versions sport Bluetooth 5.0 with support for AAC/SBC codec, higher speed, lower latency, and lower power consumption. Also, there is a surrounding awareness mode that allows some environmental sounds to pass through while listening. The headset has a touch interface through which you can play/pause music, change tracks, change volume, answer/end calls, and call up the digital assistant.

Shanling MTW100

What’s more, it comes with an intelligent DSP noise-cancellation system that supports high definition sound and voice (Wideband speech) by boosting the frequency range of the captured audio combined with dual-mic noise cancellation and echo cancellation for crystal clear calls. Also, you can pair it with your phone using NFC and charge it through the USB Type-C port. Lastly, the headset is IPX7 waterproof preventing it from getting damaged from splashing water and rain. Check out all the company’s products on their official website.

Next-gen Realme X, Realme Pro and Realme series with quad cameras to launch before Diwali

At today’s Realme Camera Innovation Event, the brand confirmed that its next-generation smartphones will have quad-rear cameras. These next-gen smartphones will also arrive before Diwali 2019.

The Realme series that will get quad rear cameras include the successors to the Realme 3, the Realme 3 Pro, and the Realme X. Yes, the Realme X will get a successor this year.

Realme Quad Camera Lineup

Realme shared a photo of the rear of the upcoming phones along with their predecessors. All three upcoming phones share the same camera design – stacked vertically on the left side.

The image reveals more than just the camera design. As you can see, none of the phones have a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner which means they will most likely feature in-display fingerprint scanners and OLED displays.

We also know the Realme 3’s successor which should launch as the Realme 5 will be available in Dark Blue, while the Realme 5 Pro will come in a Purple gradient finish. The successor to the Realme X will have a Red gradient finish.

The Realme X’s successor is most definitely the one getting the 64MP sensor. It will use Samsung’s ISOCELL Bright GW1 sensor. Realme says they will be the first smartphone brand with a 64MP camera phone in India.

Realme also revealed that the phones will come with camera features such as Ultra Resolution, Super Wide Angle, Ultra Macro, Telephoto Lens, Portrait Mode, Expert Mode, Panorama Mode, Ultra Nightscape Mode, and Chroma Boost.

Realme says these phones will launch before this year’s Diwali Festival. The date for the festival is based on the lunar calendar and is believed to fall on October 27 this year. That is more than two months away.

We can’t say if all three phones will launch the same day or Realme will spread the announcements between now and October 27.

(Sources: 1, 2,3)

 

UP NEXT: Redmi phone with 64MP camera to launch this month

Lenovo Invalid with Snapdragon 8cx and 16GB RAM appears on GeekBench

A new Lenovo laptop has been spotted on GeekBench database. The device is listed with the name Lenovo Invalid which is obviously a codename. The most spectacular feature of the device is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx SoC which it packs. The new chipset was announced by Qualcomm for laptops in December last year. The chipset is touted to bring twice the performance of its previous chip, the Snapdragon 850. It also comes with 60% better battery life and a number of new features such as H.265 and dual 4K monitor support.Lenovo invalid

The Lenovo Invalid is also listed to have a massive 16GB of RAM onboard. On the single core test, the device scores 3154 points while on the multi-core, it reaches 10533 points.Lenovo Invalid GeekBench

While we can’t say for sure which device this is, it looks like Lenovo’s first 5G Always Connected PC dubbed “Project Limitless”Project Limitless”. The laptop is the product of a partnership between Qualcomm and the world’s largest laptop manufacturer. It is said to run on a 45 watt-hour battery and will have a 5G modem alongside the Qualcomm 8cx SoC.

 

UP NEXT:Huami’s Amazfit Health Watch goes on sale for 699 yuan ($99)

(sourcevia)

Samsung provides reasons for ditching the audio jack in the Galaxy Note10

The Galaxy Note10 series is the first in the Note line to not have an audio jack but it is not the first Samsung phone to not have one. That back in 2017 with the Samsung W2018 flip phone. More Samsung phones have also ditched the audio jack including the Galaxy A80.

Samsung Galaxy Note10

While Samsung technically didn’t provide a reason for the removal of the audio jack in its other phones, it has provided reasons for doing so with the Galaxy Note10. Probably because it is a flagship and because its size should mean that there should be no compromises.

The Verge reports that a Samsung rep informed them that the removal of the audio jack allowed them to increase the battery size by about 100mAh. It is also reported that the removal of the audio jack should improve haptic feedback since there is no hollow chamber inside the phone.

You are not the only one that thinks these excuses do not hold water as Samsung itself proved over and over again that the headphone jack could stay on a phone without the sacrificing other features. And it also made videos mocking the removal of the audio jack from the iPhones. It would have been better if it didn’t provide any reason at all and we would accept that it is a decision that was sort of inevitable.

Samsung does include a pair of USB-C wired earphones in the box if you still prefer wired earphones over wireless.

While the removal of the audio jack from the Note series is definitely heartbreaking for lovers of the line, Samsung’s decision to not provide a MicroSD card slot for the Galaxy Note10 drives the blade deeper into the heart. Samsung decided to use this as a difference between the Galaxy Note10 and the Galaxy Note10+ which we think is really unfair.

Now that the Galaxy Note series has finally bid farewell to the 3.5mm audio jack, will the Galaxy S series be next? We sincerely hope Samsung can keep it for at least one more year.

(Source)

 

UP NEXT: Exynos 9825 arrives as Samsung’s first 7nm EUV mobile processor

Nubia Z20 Officially Launched with 2 Curved displays, 2 Fingerprint Sensors, & 3 Cameras

Different manufacturers have different philosophies and strategies to get rid of the notch from smartphones. Over the years, Nubia has become a brand known for its beautiful symmetrical design and thin bezels. So the company has ensured that its latest model, the Nubia Z20 lives up to the brand’s reputation by adopting a dual-display design to get rid of the notch. This means no boring waterdrop or even waterfall notches, no cut-out front cameras or even no pop-up selfie shooters. Basically, the phone doesn’t have a front camera at all, and that’s a good thing.

Let’s take a close look at what it has to offer.

nubia z20 featured

Nubia Z20’s design language is clearly inspired by its older sibling, the Nubia X. The phone was the first model from the brand to experiment with a dual-display design and that seems to have turned out successful for them. So the new Z20 features two curved displays, a primary 6.42-inch 2340 x 1080p AMOLED screen on the front, and one secondary 5.1-inch 1520 x 720p AMOLED screen at the back. This design allows the rear camera setup to act as the selfie shooter as well, offering the best camera experience on both the ends. What’s even more interesting is that the phone continues to feature two fingerprint sensors on each side, just like the Nubia X. Clearly, the company has thought about the user experience, even when the secondary display is being used.

There are three colors available, Black, Blue, & an Orange shade (teased earlier) inspired by Pantone’ Living Coral color.

 

Nubia Z20’s Second Screen Is Useful

Overall, the Nubia Z20 looks like an extension of the Nubia X rather than being a completely new product. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The secondary display still supports DIY AOD customizations. That means you can tweak the screen to customize the phone to make it more personal. Given that the rear screen stays flush with the body, you can really get creative to add a personal touch to your smartphone’s design.

Nubia Z20 dual AOD feature

Plus, the phone supports Dual screen AOD. This means you can customize the phone to feature two different AOD screens, one on the front, and another one on the back. This could bring out some really creative combinations among users, which will definitely be fun to watch in the coming days. Another way to make the second screen personal is by configuring it to feature custom patterns, or cool lights to make it stand out from other phones.

Nubia Z20 multitasking

And of course, two screens equal two simultaneous apps. So, you can multi-task pretty easily on the phone. For example, you can simply bring up a QR code on the second screen while you are watching a series on the primary screen. Or you could reply to a text by switching over to the second screen while reading an article. Nubia’s UI ensures that the second screen has quick access to important apps like payments and public transportation for a seamless user experience.

The second screen is also an additional touch input. For example, the second screen can act as a virtual button without the need for any other accessories or trigger buttons (like this cool accessory we reviewed for Android phones).

Finally, the secondary display is also how you take selfies. The powerful triple rear cameras are at your disposal for selfies, ensuring high-quality portraits and videos.

 

Nubia Z20 Focuses On Its Camera

nubia z20 camera

Nubia has given extra attention to the Z20’s camera this time. The phone features a triple camera setup at the back featuring a Sony IMX 586 48MP primary sensor with OIS, a 16MP wide-angle 122.2-degree lens, and an 8MP telephoto lens. The setup is aided by not one, but two dual-tone flashes on each side. The camera is capable of 3x optical zoom, 30x digital zoom, 2.5cm super macro image shooting, and a powerful handheld night mode. Like teased earlier, the Z20 also supports 8K video recording.

As for the other specs, the phone comes with the new Snapdragon 855 Plus processor clocked at 2.96GHz, Adreno 640 GPU, 6+128GB / 8+128/ 256GB memory variants, and a large 4000mAh battery with 27W charging.

 

Nubia Z20 Pricing & Availability

Nubia Z20 dual screens

Nubia Z20 starts at 3499 Yuan ($497) for its 6GB + 128GB model with the 8GB + 128GB retailing at 3699 Yuan ($525), and the highest configuration of 8GB + 512GB available at 4199 Yuan ($596). The phone goes on sale on August 16 in China.

 

Huami’s Amazfit Health Watch goes on sale for 699 yuan ($99)

Huami Technology has officially launched the Amazfit Health Watch for sale in China today. The Amazfit Health Watch was first announced in China back in June but the price and availability details were left out. The device is now available on Tmall , Jingdong, Xiaomi , and Huami Mall. It comes in at 699 yuan ($99).Amazfit health watch

When the Amazfit Health Watch was released earlier this year, Huami touted it as the industry’s first smart watch with health monitoring as its core. It’s a fully functional health oriented smartwatch and the design is quite nice as well. The wearable is equipped with NB-IoT independent communication. It can report emergency health events in real time without Bluetooth connection. It can transmit important contents such as low heart rate, PPG monitoring, atrial fibrillation and fall detection. In addition, this watch can store up to 60 minutes of ECG data locally and last up to 7 days. The watch maker also offers users some cloud health services for users. You can directly log all your health data and get online consultation on your health, and there’s even a feature that issues an emergency SMS in case your heart acts up.

Amazfit Health Watch brown
Amazfit Health Watch brown

EDITOR’S PICK: Samsung Galaxy Book S with Snapdragon 8cx and Windows 10 Announced

Amazfit Health Watch runs on the Huangshan No.1 chipset (MHS001), the world’s first wearable processor that comes integrated with AI neural network. The chipset features four core artificial intelligence engines — cardiac biometrics engine, ECG, ECG Pro, and Hearth Rhythm Abnormality Monitoring Engine. The watch comes in a bunch of different colours. They all come with silicone bands, with the exception of the brown variant that comes with a genuine leather strap.

 

UP NEXT: Huawei Mate 30 Pro real image appears again

(source)

Huawei offers 7-figure salaries to woo top talents

Huawei Technologies plans to lure gifted new recruits with “top-notch” salaries, as the world’s largest telecommunication equipment supplier moves to reinforce its army of researchers amid its struggles with a US trade ban. Shenzhen-based Huawei will hire 20 to 30 top talents from around the world this year in a bid to build up its “combat capabilities”, according to a widely-circulated email signed by company founder and chief executive Ren Zhengfei.

“If you are the best of the best and you want to push the boundaries of science: we want you,” read a recruitment advertisement posted on its official WeChat account. Huawei is looking for people “who have made extraordinary achievements in mathematics, computer science, physics, materials science, chips, smart manufacturing, or chemistry – and who are hungry to become leaders in their fields.”

“Innovation is the core necessity to win future wars of technology and business, and talent is the key driver of technological innovation and business innovation. We will attract top talents with top challenges and top salaries,” said the corporate document.

According to Liu Chenglin, instructor of Zhong and deputy director of the Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, it’s normal to see these students getting high salaries as artificial intelligence is a hot field in recent years that sees higher demand for quality talents. However, he is still amazed by what Huawei has offered, saying that it was rare to see fresh graduates gaining annual salary exceeding 1 million yuan.

“Priority will be given to people whose research has produced tangible and impactful results, research papers, or patents; people from top-notch labs or honors programs; and winners of top international competitions in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) disciplines,” according to Huawei.

Huawei has been going through a critical phase in recent months since, in the major American market, the Trump administration has imposed tough sanctions on it and stepped up efforts to bar the firm from the 5G race. Amid growing American pressure, the company insists on collaboration on a broader scale and prioritizing acquisition of top talent, which is expected to promote its long-term growth, according to Huawei’s founder Ren Zhengfei.

Huawei’s Ren said in June that they will have to continue their lead in setting up technological standards and trying to attract more talents worldwide. Huawei at present has over 700 mathematicians, 800 physicists and 120 chemists, with a total of 15,000 researchers.

UP NEXT: US congressman claims China is strong-arming India into using Huawei 5G

(Source)

Get is a smart bracelet lets you use your index finger as a phone

Now here at Gizmochina, we hear about a lot of bizarre devices and gadgets. Between the many Xiaomi crowdfunders and the plethora of niche items, it’s almost hard to avoid all of them, but today’s gadget takes the cake when it comes to uniqueness. Say hello to Get, a smart bracelet lets you use your index finger as a phone.

Get comes straight from Italian company Deed and their co-founder Emiliano Parini. The Get bracelet, which costs £200 ($250) connects to your smartphone and translates the sound from your device into vibrations, conducted into the fingers. Users just have to stick a finger in their ear to speak on the phone, and make outgoing calls by using the bracelet’s voice recognition technology.

The tech involved here is what truly makes the Get so interesting. Interaction with Get through voice and movement means no tapping, no scrolling and no buttons at all,’ Mr Parini said. ‘The vibrations travel from your wrist all the way to your finger through, so you are able to hear sound without any need for a speaker.’ This reminds us a lot of the Mi MIX’s piezoelectronic speaker, but with a lot more tech jargon behind it.

On top of this, Get also supports most of the usual healthband features. This means there’s your typical fitness tracker features, as well as the ability to make NFC payments through the band. It also allows you to use a voice assistant through it, which could be nifty. Really, outside of the finger phone calls, it’s a relatively regular smart bracelet.

Because the device uses vibration only, instead of sound, conversations can’t be overheard by people nearby. Get has no buttons, and no screen, but uses your voice and gestures to control its features, according to its Italian inventors. We absolutely no qualms with the design of the device, it looks really cool.

If you’re interested in supporting the project, Deed is raising production funds on Kickstarter. Pledges begin at €115 (US$128) for one Get in a choice of sizes and colours, plus the wireless charge base, with shipping starting at €25 ($28). Parini and his team estimate that delivery will to start in March 2020.

UP NEXT: Coolpad says it is ready to launch its first 5G smartphone in India

(Source)

A Chinese Smartphone Maker will reportedly Use Samsung Exynos Chip for its 5G Phone

Samsung has been making competitive Exynos chipsets for the past few years. However, the South Korean giant’s chip solutions have been fairly limited to in-house smartphones so far. That’s likely going to change soon as smartphone manufacturers in China scramble to release 5G smartphones in their home market.

Exynos

Digitimes report that one of the top-four smartphone brands in China has decided to use Samsung’s Exynos chipset with Exynos 5100 5G modem inside its upcoming 5G smartphone. The processor is said to be the 5G capable Exynos 9630, which was recently rumored to be tested inside devices like the Galaxy A51 and the Galaxy A71 slated for release next year. Given its naming, the chipset is likely aimed at the mid-range to upper mid-range segment and will succeed Exynos 9610.

Digitimes adds that Exynos 9630 could be more competitive than similar 5G solutions from MediaTek and Qualcomm. So far, Chinese companies have more or less stuck with these two chipmakers for their chipset needs. But with Samsung’s market share falling down in the Chinese market, it looks like other manufacturers are opening up to use Exynos chipset inside their devices.

Editor’s Pick: Huawei Mate 20 X 5G update adds 30x zoom support and keeps 5G off by default

 

Manufacturers Want Quicker 5G Adoption

5G is going to be the next killer feature on smartphones. And China is going to be at its forefront. China already has the Axon 10 Pro 5G and the Mate 20 X 5G (goes on sale later this month) along with a slew of 5G flagships incoming in the next few months. However, the real challenge will be to offer 5G smartphones at a competitive price in the mid-range segment. The Exynos 9630 could have made that possible which is probably why one of the top Chinese manufacturers has decided to use it.

Unfortunately, Digitimes didn’t reveal the name of the handset maker. But an educated guess would be either OPPO or Vivo. Huawei doesn’t need Exynos chipsets and Xiaomi likely wouldn’t experiment with Samsung made chipsets at this stage. This leaves either OPPO or Vivo as the potential customer. Not to mention an earlier Digitimes report had said that these two manufacturers were testing sample Exynos 5G chipsets.

Motorola One Vision
Moto One Vision comes with Exynos 9609 inside

To recall, Exynos chipsets have been used in a few Chinese phones from brands like Meizu and Lenovo (remember the Moto Vision One with Exynos 9609?). But Samsung’s push for wider adoption of the Exynos chipsets seems to be paying off finally. The South Korean giant could further have benefitted from the recent trade war. Chinese companies would naturally want to decrease its reliance on US-based suppliers and if Samsung is offering a competitive solution, a lot of vendors might be open to using it now than ever before.

UP NEXT: Coolpad says it is ready to launch its first 5G smartphone in India

(Source)