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Galaxy A80 gets a BLΛƆKPIИK edition, Galaxy Earbuds and Watch Active too

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

Special or limited edition smartphones have become a trend among smartphone manufacturers. A limited edition smartphone may be tied to a superhero, a movie franchise, or in some cases, pop-music groups just like the new Galaxy A80 BLΛƆKPIИK Edition.

Galaxy A80 BLΛƆKPIИK

BLΛƆKPIИK is a Korean-pop girl group and they are also Samsung’s brand ambassadors for the Galaxy A series. The Galaxy A80 BLΛƆKPIИK Editon not only comes in a custom retail box along with custom and special accessories, but the phone itself also has a special paint job.

Just like the name of the group, the phone is a mix of black and pink, mostly black with pink highlights, and the group’s name printed on the rear. The camera has a pink accent and the frame and buttons are also pink. There is also a BLΛƆKPIИK custom theme on the phone.

 

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Inside the box is a custom case with a strap, a 15W custom charging dock, and a set of BLΛƆKPIИK photocards.

Galaxy A80 BlackPink

In some countries, like Thailand, you don’t get a customized phone but the official page says when you pre-order between now and July 14, you either get a free pair of AKG Y500 headphones or the BLΛƆKPIИK accessories. There is no way to choose which you want but when we tried it, it automatically selected a standard edition with the headphones as the free gift. The custom edition will also be available in Vietnam.

Editor’s Pick: Samsung demands Apple pay penalty for poor OLED orders

We have also seen a custom BLΛƆKPIИK Galaxy Buds and BLΛƆKPIИK Galaxy Watch Active. These are also reported to be available in some markets.

The Samsung Galaxy A80 has a 6.7-inch FHD+ display with no notch or punch hole. The screen covers nearly the entire front and is surrounded by really slim bezels. It doesn’t even have a traditional earpiece but uses sound-on-display technology. It also has an in-display fingerprint scanner. There is a Snapdragon 730 processor under the hood with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of non-expandable storage.

The highlight of the phone is its triple rear cameras (48MP + 8MP + ToF camera) that slide upwards and then rotates to double as the front-facing cameras. The Galaxy A80 has a 3700mAh battery, supports 25W fast charge, has NFC and Bluetooth 5.0 but ditches the audio jack.

(Source)

 

UP NEXT: Throwback Tech Thursday: We Revisit Samsung’s Crazy 10X Optical Zoom Smartphone

Specs and photos of Nokia TA-1198 surfaces: sports circular camera housing

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

HMD Global may soon announce a new Nokia smartphone. Live photos, as well as specs of the phone which has model number TA-1198, surfaced on the web this week. While you may not be pleased with the choice of the processor inside the phone; the design, particularly the rear, is quite different.

The Nokia TA-1198 has a waterdrop notch, not a first for HMD Global, but slightly different from that of the Nokia 4.2. Even with the notch design, the phone’s bezels are a bit thick. The specs put it in the mid-range category, so HMD isn’t gunning for appearance per se.

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The rear is where the excitement is. The Nokia TA-1198 has triple rear cameras. However, rather than stack them up vertically like on the Nokia X71, they are arranged in a circular housing similar to that of the Moto Z series. The three sensors share the housing with the LED flash. Below the setup is a fingerprint scanner.

Coming to the specs, the Nokia TA-1198 runs Android 9 Pie as seen in one of the photos and has June’s security patch installed. A system info app, DevCheck, running on the phone reveals there is a Snapdragon 660 processor under the hood. When the phone launches, it will be HMD Global’s third Snapdragon 660 smartphone after the Nokia 7 Plus and Nokia X71.

[envira-gallery id=”262752″]

The app reveals the phone has a 2340 x 1080 resolution and 410 ppi. It also packs a 3500mAh battery. In another photo, we see the phone can take 48MP photos which means one of the triple rear cameras is a 48MP sensor. The phone has its power button and SIM tray on the right side. There is no photo of the left but that’s definitely where the volume rocker is.

If we were to take a guess regarding the official name of this phone, it will be the Nokia 6.2. The Nokia 6.1 (Nokia 6 2018) has a Snapdragon 630 processor while the Nokia 6.1 Plus (Nokia X6) is powered by a Snapdragon 636 chipset. It won’t be unusual if the next-gen model gets the Snapdragon 660 processor.

The Nokia TA-1198 will most likely launch first in China before making its way to other markets. However, whenever that will be, remains unknown.

(Sources: 1, 2 | Via)

 

UP NEXT: Nokia 9 PureView India launch nears; Official teaser says it’s coming soon

Lenovo Smart mouse with voice input and language translation support launched

By
Jed John Ikoba
-

Innovative Chinese tech giant Lenovo has announced a new product which is actually a smart mouse with voice control feature. The smart mouse supports voice input, real-time translation, as well as voice control. The mouse is priced at 299 yuan ($43).Lenovo smart mouse

The Lenovo smart mouse uses speech recognition technology from Chinese startup Keda Xunfei. The feature can help you achieve voice input, English translation, voice control and other functions. The voice input supports Chinese (Mandarin, Sichuan dialect, Henan dialect, Cantonese) and English. For translation, the device supports English translation, Chinese to English, French, Japanese, German and other 26 languages.

The smart mouse is said to also have the function of automatically retrieving the latest network hot words and corresponding events through the Al cloud service platform, and constantly update the thesaurus. The device also uses deep learning during use to continuously improve the recognition accuracy, application field and control functions.

EDITOR’S PICK: Vivo iQOO Neo vs Xiaomi Black Shark Helo vs Nubia Red Magic Mars: Specs Comparison

This mouse uses blue light positioning technology, which has better tracking and positioning effect than traditional photoelectric and laser technology. It can be used on wood, glass, cloth and other surfaces, and supports 600/1200/2400/4000 with 4 DPI adjustable.

The size of the mouse is 110x61x32mm. The outer casing is made of ABS material with metal texture and skin-friendly coating. It has a warm touch and a metal roller.

 

UP NEXT: LG turns to China’s BOE for smartphone OLED displays as it falls behind Samsung

(source)

Ren Zhengfei claims HongMeng OS is faster than Android and MacOS

By
Airyl Jaszly
-

Although last weekend Donald Trump announced that Huawei could continue doing business with North American companies and that Google would most likely allow Huawei to use Android and certify their phones, the Chinese company will not ignore the development of HongMeng OS. The statement comes directly from CEO and founder, Ren Zhengfei.

We’ve heard so much news about HongMeng OS, that it’s ludicrous how we’ve yet to see any clear leaks of it. In an interview from the French magazine Le Point, the 75-year-old executive said that the in-house operating system would work on network switches, routers, data centers, as well as smartphones. In that sense, it’s quite similar to Google’s Fuchsia OS.

Editor’s Pick: Huawei Mate 30 Pro rear camera and display design revealed in leaked images

Speed wise, Ren claims that the operating system Ren also said that the OS is possibly faster than Google’s Android OS. He also makes the same statement regarding MacOS, which makes sense considering HongMeng will also appear on laptops and computers. According to Ren, HongMeng OS has a processing delay of fewer than five milliseconds.

Of course, none of this is really anything too new. We’ve already heard that HongMeng OS is plenty fast, and we also already knew that it would be on many different types of devices. What we really want to know is when we’re going to see it. We expect some sort of announcement to be made at Huawei’s Developer Conference, but we’ll have to wait and see.

UP NEXT: Samsung expects sharp profit falloff, Huawei situation to blame?

Honor CEO teases Honor Band 5 on Weibo

By
Airyl Jaszly
-

Honor‘s been hard at work making the latest version of their Mi Band competitor, the Honor Band 5. Company CEO Zhao Ming has even gone to Weibo to show off the new wearable, giving us a pretty good look at its design. He even mentions a bunch of the new features coming on the little gadget. So, let’s take a closer look at the Honor Band 5.

First off, let’s take a look at what’s new in the Honor Band 5’s design. Well, we’d like too, but it’s a very simple design, and there’s not too much different here next to the old Honor Band 4. We’ve still got the same circle button here too. Overall, it seems to be very similar to the old Honor Band 4, though the features are where all the new stuff is.

Editor’s Pick: Huawei Mate 30 Pro rear camera and display design revealed in leaked images

Zhao Ming teases a whole slew of new features for the Honor Band 5. According to him, the wearable can monitor your blood oxygen levels, detect fatigue and listlessness, record poor sleep and even detect hypoxemia dizziness. Along with that, we’ve also got all the standard health band features like heart rate monitoring and the like.

The company launched the Honor Band 4 last year along with the Honor 8X. There was even a Honor Band 4 Running Edition, which was exactly the same device, just with more fitness band features. Considering how we’re expecting the Honor 9X pretty soon, we can also probably expect to see the Honor Band 5 launch alongside it just like before.

UP NEXT: Honor 10 falls from the fifth floor and still works, even a year after

(Source)

Swiftkey Puppet offers AR-powered emojis to all its Android users

By
Jeet
-

SwiftKey, a keyboard app which is now owned by Microsoft, has introduced a new animated emoji feature directly into its mobile keyboard app that uses the artificial intelligence (AI) technology to replicate a person’s detailed facial expressions inside a 3D animal character.

The feature is called Swiftkey Puppet and is similar to Animoji on iOS or Samsung‘s AR Emoji. Users can record themselves as a dinosaur, cat, owl, dog, or panda and have their phone’s camera track their face so the app can animate their facial movements.

Swiftkey Puppets

In order to create this feature, SwiftKey says that it tapped thousands of images and videos from volunteers to train a deep neural network capable of identifying each person’s expressions and movements in real time.

Since the Swiftkey Puppet is embedded in the keyboard app itself, it works with just about any app, though the ease of use varies. For instance, sending a video through Slack, Facebook Messenger, and Telegram requires you to select the recipient again even if you’re already in a message thread with them.

Editor’s Pick: Vivo iQOO Neo vs Xiaomi Black Shark Helo vs Nubia Red Magic Mars: Gaming Smartphone Specs Comparison

As per some user reports, the Puppets feature is still very rough as it doesn’t track mouth movements very well and sometimes it seems out of sync. Currently, the feature is in beta, so this will likely improve over time.

Microsoft had acquired SwiftKey for around $250 million more than three years ago, and since then, the company has brought a number of new features to the app, including in-keyboard web search. The keyboard is notable for its extensibility, with users able to customize and add features — including GIFs, new theme options, translations, and a clipboard — to the keyboard’s top menu bar.

(Source)

Up Next: Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (2019) goes official with an 8-inch display and 5,100 mAh battery

Buy OnePlus 7 4G Phablet for Just $569.99 from Gearbest

By
Vinay Patel
-

The long-awaited OnePlus 7 was finally made available to the public in May this year. The phablet lived up to the hype, offering an impressive array of features and top-end specs that match the ones available on the iPhone.

If you’ve restlessly been waiting to get your tech greedy hands on the OnePlus 7 without spending a lot of money, we got good news for you. Touted as one of China’s best online stores for electronic items, Gearbest is now offering the international version of the phablet for a dropped price of just $569.99.

This is a noteworthy 20 percent reduction in the device’s original asking price of $713.50. An absolute steal at this price, the OnePlus 7 4G phablet sports a massive 6.41-inch display with an FHD+ resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels.

The OnePlus 7 packs a powerful Snapdragon 855 Octa Core, 7nm, up to 2.84GHz processor with Qualcomm AI Engine and uses a highly competent Adreno 640 graphics processing unit for superior user experience. The device ships with 12GB of RAM and offers a hearty 256GB of internal storage capacity.

On the optics front, the OnePlus 7 houses 48.0MP +5.0MP dual camera set up at the back and a 16.0MP front shooter for selfies and video calling. The dual-SIM phablet runs Oxygen OS and is backed by a robust 3700mAh Li-ion battery.

You can follow this link to check out the full specification and grab the discount, which will be valid for the gray color version of the phablet. With 6 units already sold, the promo is slated to end in three days.

Get 20%
Off on OnePlus 7 4G Phablet

Buy Xiaomi CC9 and CC9 Meitu Custom Edition Smartphones from Giztop

By
Vinay Patel
-

After floating around the rumor mill and making several appearances online in the form of leaks, Xiaomi’s Mi CC series smartphones including the Mi CC9, CC9e, and CC9 Meitu Custom Edition were finally launched in China earlier this month.

Top variants of the Mi CC9 and CC9 Meitu Custom Edition have gone up for sale on Giztop. Aside from checking out these models, we will talk about the top-end specs and awe-inspiring features that make these phones simply irresistible.

Xiaomi CC9

The Xiaomi CC9 is available in three variants including the 6GB RAM+64GB ROM, 6GB RAM+128GB ROM, and 8GB RAM+256GB ROM. The 6GB RAM+64GB ROM model comes in black and dark blue color versions bearing a $309 price tag.xiaomi mi cc9

The slightly larger 6GB RAM+128GB ROM model, on the other hand, will set you back $349 for the black and dark blue color options. If you are willing to shell out $309, you can go for the white color option of this model.

The pink-tinted 8GB RAM+256GB ROM model carries a $459 price tag. The Xiaomi CC9 offers the following features:

  • 39-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with 2340x 1080 pixels resolution
  • A 7th-generation in-display fingerprint sensor
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 Octa-core processor
  • Adreno 616 GPU
  • 48MP+8MP+2MP Triple cameras at the back
  • 32MP AI front camera
  • MIUI 10 based on Android 9.0 (Pie) OS.
  • 4030mAh battery with 18W fast charging and QC 4 quick charge

You can follow this link to check out the full specification and place your order.

 

Buy Xiaomi CC9

 

 

Xiaomi CC9 Meitu Custom Edition

Available in 8GB RAM+256GB ROM variant, the Xiaomi CC9 Meitu Custom Edition has gone up for pre-order carrying a $459 price sticker on Giztop. An absolute steal at this price, the phone boasts the following features:

  • 39-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with 2340x 1080 pixels resolution
  • A 7th-generation in-display fingerprint sensor
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 Octa-core processor
  • Adreno 616 GPU
  • 48MP+8MP+2MP Triple rear cameras
  • 32MP AI front camera
  • 4030mAh battery with fast charging and QC 4 quick charge
  • MIUI 10 based on Android 9.0 (Pie) OS

You can head straight to this link to pre-order the Xiaomi CC9 Meitu Custom Edition from Giztop. Note that the phone will be shipped within 5-7 days.

Pre-Order Xiaomi CC9 Meitu Custom Edition

Buy Tronsmart Force SoundPulse and Tronsmart T6 Plus Bluetooth Speakers at Lowered Prices from GeekBuying [Coupons]

By
Vinay Patel
-

Touted as one of China’s best online stores for electronic items, GeekBuying has launched the Smart Gadgets 5 Day Flash Sale. As part of the recently kicked-off event, the Chinese online store will be offering great discounts on top-end products from Xiaomi, Tronsmart Beelink, and QCY.

In a bid to simplify and expedite the search process, the event page has been split into three main categories including Flash Sale, Top Brands, and More Saving. We will check out the noteworthy discounts available on the Tronsmart Force SoundPulse and the Tronsmart Element T6 Plus Bluetooth speakers, and show how you can save more money at checkout.

Tronsmart Force SoundPulse 40W Bluetooth 5.0 Speaker

If you fancy listening to your favorite music on-the-go, you might want to give the Tronsmart Force SoundPulse speaker a test drive. With a water resistance rating of IPX7, the easy-to-carry, and durable Bluetooth speaker can be carried to the pool or the beach as it is capable of withstanding submersion in water and splashes.

Regrettably, the Tronsmart Force SoundPulse speaker doesn’t come cheap. In fact, it will set you back $72.99 on both online as well as offline stores. In other to make the coveted speaker available to cost-conscious buyers, Tronsmart is now offering it for a reduced price of just $55.99.

 

You can even extend this 23 percent discount with the help of coupon code 3CQTEOMK. The coupon helps you save $6 more by reducing the original asking price of the Bluetooth speaker to just $49.99 before you place your order.

You can visit this link to get the discount and use the coupon before it expires. Note that the promo will come to an end in just two days.

 

Buy Tronsmart Force SoundPulse<br /> 40W Bluetooth 5.0 Speaker, Coupon Code 3CQTEOMK Buy Tronsmart Force SoundPulse
40W Bluetooth 5.0 Speaker, Coupon Code 3CQTEOMK

 

 

Tronsmart Element T6 Plus Portable Bluetooth 5.0 Speaker

The Element T6 Plus is touted as a new generation of Portable Bluetooth Speakers and it is capable of delivering a max output of 40W for an extra kick of bass. It employs the SoundPulse technology to enable a 40W max output and has dual passive radiators with two 20W full-range stereo loudspeakers that provide low-end tunes and deep bass sound.

Sporting an IPX6 waterproof design, the Tronsmart Element T6 Plus normally retails for $83.99. Much to the relief of those living on a tight budget, it is now up for grabs bearing a heavily discounted price tag of just $79.99 on GeekBuying.

Aside from taking advantage of this 5 percent discount, you get an extra $10 off by applying coupon code T6PLUS during the checkout process. In other words, you can bring the already reduced asking price of the Tronsmart Element T6 Plus speaker further down to only $69.99 simply by applying the above-mentioned coupon.

As if that weren’t enough, you get a Tronsmart Durable Protective Carrying Case Hard Travel Bag Cover for Element Force/Force+/T6 Plus Bluetooth Speakers worth $19.99 as a free gift. You can follow this link in order to get the discount and use the coupon.

Buy
Tronsmart Element T6 Plus Portable Bluetooth 5.0 Speaker, Coupon
Code T6PLUS

 

Check Out
the Smart Gadgets 5 Day Flash Sale on GeekBuying

Banggood Launches its 2019 Summer Mobile Sale with Great Discounts, Big Coupons and More

By
Vinay Patel
-

In a bid to offer the best bang for your buck, Banggood comes up with amazing promotions from time to time. Keeping in line with that, the Chinese online store has launched the Banggood 2019 Summer Mobile Sale.

During the event, Banggood users will be able to take advantage of brands and categories coupon, buy More, Save More, and select buyers who spend $100 will be eligible for a free $100 worth product. From July 2nd to July 9th, Banggood will randomly select 14 orders i.e. two orders daily, to win big gifts worth $100.

It is worth noting that winners will be selected based on the amount they spend. In other words, the higher the amount you spend, the greater the chance of winning the big gift. Note that Banggood reserves all rights.

The promotion page has been split into multiple categories including Today’s New Arrival, Hot Sale, Brand Deals, etc in order to simplify and expedite the search process. Each section is teeming with top-branded items that you can buy at lowered prices for a limited period of time.

For the sake of an instance, the Xiaomi Amazfit Verge Lite wristband that usually sells for $199.99 but is currently available for a reduced price of just $99.99, under the Today’s New Arrival section. You can use coupon code BGVL to extend this 50 percent discount and grab an extra $10 off.

Aside from that, you can avail noteworthy discounts on a slew of other equally well-received electronic items such as the BlitzWolf BW-FYE3S earphone, Xiaomi Mi 9T smartphone, the Teclast F5R notebook and more. Note that the discount will be available for limited pieces only.

The next section dubbed Hot Sale has been divided into two subcategories including Phone and Tablet. The phone category is teeming with well-received handsets like the Xiaomi Mi 9, Redmi 7, Sharp Aquos S3, and more.

While each phone carries considerably lowered prices, some of the handsets have been assigned specific coupons that can be used to save money at checkout. For example, the Xiaomi Mi9 Mi 9 Global Version would normally set you back $621.85, but you can reduce its retail price by applying coupon code BGM9GG at checkout.

Similarly, the Tablet section is also brimming with heavily discounted laptops and tablets that you can now buy at lowered prices. The Brand Deals section features 8% off coupon BGss6%xm, which can be used for Xiaomi Branded items.

If you have restlessly been waiting to get your hands on mobile phone and other accessories for your tablet or PC without emptying your pocket, you can head straight to the Handpicked Accessories section. You can use coupon code BG3CSUM to get 10 percent off on accessories included in the aforesaid section.

Likewise, you can check out the rest of the categories including Buy More Save More, Back to School Deals and Move to Love for great discounts. You can visit the activity page simply by following this link without wasting time.

Check Out Banggood’s 2019 Summer Mobile Phone Sale

LG turns to China’s BOE for smartphone OLED displays as it falls behind Samsung

By
Jed John Ikoba
-

LG Display is one of the major manufacturers when it comes to LCD and OLED displays. But in recent times the company has fallen way behind Samsung in terms of OLED displays for smartphones. Apparently, there is no chance that LG Display will make any progress in the development of OLED panels for phones any time soon. The company is reportedly turning to Chinese display maker BOE for OLEDs for its phones. Already, Huawei has shifted to BOE for OLED supplies and now LG.

LG Display now apple secondary supplier

The move is said to be part of the cost reduction strategy introduced by the new mobile department head which may see the production of LG’s handsets moved to Vietnam, where Samsung is as well. The orders to LG Display for OLED panels have been getting progressively smaller, as the company seeks to keep the inventory low. BOE, just like other Chinese OLED makers can produce OLED panels in larger quantities and at a cheaper cost. This may account for LG’s decision to shift to BOE.

This seems to put to rest expectations of flexible OLED panels from LG for the time being. The company was expected to start production of flexible panels this year. That isn’t likely to happen. However, when it comes to large OLEDs for smart TVs, LG is still king. The company recently showcased a Signature OLED TV R with a roll-up display at CES 2019.

 

UP NEXT: Qihoo 360’s Mobile Business ‘Not Suspended, Just Slowed Down’ Says Company

(source)

Vivo iQOO Neo vs Xiaomi Black Shark Helo vs Nubia Red Magic Mars: Specs Comparison

By
Michele Ingelido
-

The gaming phones segment is currently so wide that it even includes affordable gaming-centric devices besides expensive flagships. We are talking about old-gen devices about Nubia Red Magic Mars and Xiaomi Black Shark Helo, but also about the newly-announced Vivo iQOO Neo which comes as an affordable variant of the vanilla iQOO. After its release, Nubia slashed the price of the Red Magic Mars in order to better compete with its Chinese rival and several people are wondering which one to buy. That is why we think now it is the perfect moment to make a comparison between affordable gaming phones. Enjoy.

Vivo iQOO Neo vs Xiaomi Black Shark Helo vs Nubia Red Magic Mars

Vivo iQOO Neo Xiaomi Black Shark Helo Nubia Red Magic Mars
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 159.5 x 75.2 x 8.1 mm, 198.5 grams 160 x 75.2 x 8.7 mm, 190 grams 158.2 x 75 x 9.9 mm, 193 grams
DISPLAY 6.38 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 404 ppi, Super AMOLED 6.01 inches, 1080 x 2160p (Full HD+), 402 ppi, AMOLED 6.0 inches, 1080 x 2160p (Full HD+), 402 ppi, LTPS IPS LCD
PROCESSOR Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, octa-core 2.8 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, octa-core 2.8 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, octa-core 2.8 GHz
MEMORY 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 64 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 10 GB RAM, 256 GB 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 10 GB RAM, 256 GB
SOFTWARE Android 9 Pie, Funtouch OS Android 8 Oreo Android 9 Pie, Nubia Red Magic 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 Triple 12 + 8 + 2 MP f/1.8, f/2.2 and f/2.4
12 MP f/2.0 front camera		 Dual 12 + 20 f/1.8 and f/1.8
20 MP f/2.2 front camera		 16 MP f/1.8
8 MP f/2.0 front camera
BATTERY 4500 mAh, Fast Charging 22.5W 4000 mAh, Fast Charging with Quick Charge 3.0 3800 mAh, Fast Charging 16W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES Dual SIM slot Dual SIM slot, LED logo and strips Dual SIM slot, LED strips and rear phyisical keys

Design

While both Nubia Red Magic Mars and Xiaomi Black Shark Helo boast a gaming-centric design (they even got gorgeous RGB strips), the Vivo iQOO Neo looks like a normal smartphone. So if you do not want everyone to know you got a gaming phone or you still desire an elegant handset, go for the Vivo iQOO Neo. But if you are a real advanced gamer who wants all the comforts, then you should choose the Nubia Red Magic Mars because of its physical rear keys which are very helpful in a lot of games.

 

 

Display

Do not expect a flagship class display from these gaming phones, but not even a disappointing panel. Xiaomi Black Shark Helo comes with the highest DCI-P3 coverage and it has very brilliant colors: it is definitely the most suitable display for a gamer with its AMOLED technology and the absence of a notch. Vivo iQOO Neo offers an important advantage: it is the only with an in-display fingerprint reader, but it is not a so relevant thing for gamers.

 

Specs & Software

Despite they are gaming-centric phones, these devices do not feature the most powerful SoC of 2019, but they have an old-gen Snapdragon 845. It is still an amazing SoC and it is more than sufficient for every kind of game, especially when it comes to Nubia Red Magic Mars and Xiaomi Black Shark which boast up to 10 GB of RAM and a very advanced cooling system. These two handsets win the hardware comparison because of these reasons, but I personally prefer the Nubia Red Magic Mars as, unlike the Black Shark Helo, it has Android 9 Pie out of the box.

 

Camera

Unfortunately, we still did not test the Vivo iQOO Neo, but we can tell you that on the paper Xiaomi Black Shark Helo looks like the best camera phone of this trio. It has a dual rear camera including 2x optical zoom, as well as a pretty nice 20 MP front camera. Vivo iQOO Neo has a triple rear camera with an ultrawide lens, but it comes with lower resolutions for both rear cameras and the selfie camera. Stay away from the Nubia Red Magic Mars if you need the best camera phone.

 

Battery

The battery is the strongest point of the Vivo iQOO Neo: it is equipped with a huge 4500 mAh and it can last up to two days on a single charge even with intensive usage. Vivo iQOO Neo even comes with a faster charging technology than both Xiaomi Black Shark Helo and ZTE Nubia Red Magic Mars. The second place goes to the Xiaomi Black Shark Helo and its 4000 mAh battery.

 

Price

Vivo iQOO Neo hitten the market with a $260/€290 price tag, while you can find both Nubia Red Magic and Xiaomi Black Shark Helo for more than $270/€300. Overall, on the paper, if we only consider the specifications, Vivo iQOO Neo looks better. But for real gamers, maybe Nubia Red Magic Mars is a better choice because of its physical keys on the back, more RAM, and a better cooling system.

 

Vivo iQOO Neo vs Xiaomi Black Shark Helo vs Nubia Red Magic Mars: PROs and CONS

Nubia Red Magic Mars

PROs

  • Physical keys on the back
  • Great hardware and cooling system
  • Affordable price
  • Wide availability

CONS

  • Smaller battery

 

Xiaomi Black Shark Helo

PROs

  • Good display
  • Affordable price
  • Big battery
  • Stereo speakers

CONS

  • Uglier design (tastes)

 

Vivo iQOO Neo

PROs

  • Best (but not so gaming-centric) design
  • In-display fingerprint reader
  • Bigger battery and very fast charging
  • Very affordable price

CONS

  • Notched display

Second half of 2019 will be exciting with 3 new XIDU laptops coming

By
Dimitris Economou
-

From the beginning of its establishment, the Shenzhen-based tech group XIDU, aimed at offering elegant design together with powerful features in its products. The 2nd half of this year will be the most exciting to date for the company as later this month, they will be launching three new products: XIDU Tour Pro, PhilBookY13, and PhilBook Pro.

PhilBook Y13
PhilBook Y13

One of the three upcoming laptops is the Tour Pro, the 12.5″ laptop that we managed to get our hands on. The device looks stunning and it comes with Intel’s 8th Gen CPU coupled with 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and up to a 520GB of external memory. It is really one of the slickest machines we got to use the last few years.

PhilBook Pro
PhilBook Pro

The Tour Pro features a stylish metal cover which makes it strong and durable. Apart from the rest of the specs, the laptop also boasts a thin profile of 16.6mm and weighs just 2.2lb, making a perfect choice for travelers and out-of-office work. A great addition is the ergonomic backlit keyboard which is perfect for working in the dark.

XIDU Tour Pro
XIDU Tour Pro

The next sector that XIDU took really good care of is the display quality in all of its models. The Tour Pro also comes with a unique 12.5″ multi-touch screen so that users can enjoy unlimited interaction with the screen. In addition, there are ultra thin bezels around the display that results in an immersive viewing experience. The screen/body ratio reaches 80%, perfect for watching movies or playing games on the 2K display. What’s more, there is a 180° hinge that allows you to share the screen with your colleague or friend.

XIDU might not be as famous as Apple or Samsung but they put themselves in competition with these giants and it seems that the Tour Pro 12.5″ can become a hit. If you are interested, you can check out these discount coupons.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (2019) goes official with an 8-inch display and 5,100 mAh battery

By
Jed John Ikoba
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Samsung still updates its tablet lineup despite a decline in the market. The company has just launched the Galaxy Tab A (2019). The new Galaxy tablet is coming quite early as it takes over from the Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (2018) which was released in September 2018.Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (2019)

Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (2019) is an entry-level tablet so we don’t expect the device to come with a spectacular design or powerful hardware. The device features an 8-inch display with a resolution of 1280×800-pixel. The display uses the traditional 16:10 aspect ratio and the screen is surrounded by large chunks of bezels on all four sides. The top bezel houses a 2MP selfie camera as well as a light sensor. Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (2019)

The rear design includes a camera positioned at the top left corner. The back seems to be made of metal on the middle and plastic at the edge as a result of the antenna band. The tablet comes in Black and Silver colour variants. The black variant has black-coloured bezels around the screen as well as black rear panel. The Silver variant has a grey shell while the bezels are coloured white.

EDITOR’S PICK: Redmi K20, K20 Pro launch date for India is July 17

Specs-wise, the Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (2019) is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 429 SoC paired with 2GB RAM. There is 32GB of storage inside but that can be expanded with the inclusion of a microSD slot that allows for expansion up to 512GB. The phone runs Android Pie out of the box. It equally features stereo speakers and comes with an 8MP rear and a 2MP front camera.

In addition, keeping the lights on is a big 5100mAH battery which charges through a microSD port. The Galaxy Tab comes in WiFi and LET versions. It also comes bundled with a 2-month free YouTube Premium and 3-month free Spotify Premium subscriptions.

Samsung is yet to disclose the release itinerary and price of the Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (2019) but we believe that will be done soon.

UP NEXT: Five-year-old OnePlus One catches fire in India, OnePlus already investigating

(source)

Qihoo 360’s Mobile Business ‘Not Suspended, Just Slowed Down’ Says Company

By
Jed John Ikoba
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Recently, there were rumours that 360 had suspended the 360 Mobile phone business. The company has come out to clarify that the mobile phone business has not been completely suspended but that it only slowed down, apparently referring to products cycle. The company also hinted that the mobile phones team is still struggling to find 5G opportunities. The Chinese software giant is also shifting focus to its IoT business as part of the 360 Group’s big security strategy. This is done with the expectation that in the 5G era, mobile phones and the Internet of Things will once again get the opportunity to grow.

360 N4S

Earlier on, a report carried by a Chinese blog cites 360 Group’s employees to have hinted that the mobile phone business has been suspended. The report also revealed that the 360 mobile phone president Li Kaixin is currently leading the team to secretly develop 360 smartwatches in Shenzhen.

EDITOR’S PICK: Five-year-old OnePlus One catches fire in India, OnePlus already investigating

Last year, 360 Mobiles was reported in talks with Smartisan technology for a merger but the deal did not go through.360 N4S

360Mobile phones were first launched in 2014 by the Qihoo Internet technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. The company released a flagship and midrange phone in August 2015 and also launched the 360 OS. One spectacular thing about 360 smartphones is their build quality and affordability. In May 2016, the 360 N4 smartphone was launched equipped with 4GB RAM and a starting price of 899 yuan. This made the N4 the first phone with 4GB RAM at the sub-1000 yuan category.

 

UP NEXT: Samsung Under Fire For Misleading Ads In Australia

(source)

Two more days left to get the chance to win Elephone U2 for free

By
Dimitris Economou
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Elephone U2 is still selling like hotcakes and to reward its fans, the Chinese manufacturer has decided to extend the promotion on Aliexpress until July 7th. The promotion gives you the chance to get the pop-up camera mid-range flagship for just $199.99 for the 4GB/64GB version and $239.99 for the 6GB/128GB version. At the same time, the ongoing Giveaway event is also ending on July 7th so you should act fast if you want to participate.

Elephone U2

Elephone U2 comes with a 103% Wide-Gamut, 500nit Brightness 6.26″ FHD+ full display with a 93,1% screen/body ratio thanks to the pop-up front camera and ultra-narrow bezels. The pop-up camera hosts 2 sensors with 16MP/2MP configuration while the rear camera is a triple setup with 16MP/5MP/2MP sensors and f/1.6 aperture with Super Night mode.

Elephone U2

Also, it is powered by Helio P70 SoC backed by 4GB/64GB or 6GB/128GB memory configuration. The battery capacity is 3250mAh and supports fast charging while there are face & side fingerprint sensors and comes with Android 9.0 Pie. Visit the official product page to learn more about the device.

UGREEN releases new exciting products and celebrates with 30% off on Amazon Prime Day! (coupons)

By
Dimitris Economou
-

The smartphone accessory market is practically endless as thousand of Chinese manufacturers are producing accessories of all types. Some of them are rubbish but among the companies that stand out is UGREEN that offers great quality at great prices. And these prices are going to get even better as the company is celebrating new products and is taking part in Amazon’s Prime Day promotions. Also, there is a Giveaway event running that will reward participants with $100 and a free gift from UGREEN! You can find out all the details on the company’s official Facebook Page.

The products on offer are three for the time being and using the following coupons will get you a 30% discount. To start, there is a USB Type-C to Lightning cable that in conjuinction with a Type-C PD charger will give you the fast charging you miss. It is compatible with iPhone 8 and newer as well as iPad Pro 12.9″, iPad Air 3, and iPad Pro 10.5″. To get the discount, just use coupon UGREENSM1 during checkout here.

UGREEN cableThe second product on offer is a PD fast charger that offers up to 18W output and supports 2 Fast Charging protocols: PD 2.0 and QC 3.0. In addition, it is compatible with Nintendo Switch. You can get it 30% off here using coupon UGREENSM2.

UGREEN USB-C Multifunction Adapter

Lastly, the company’s USB Type-C Hub is also on offer and it can add 6 more ports to your device. These include 3 x USB 3.0 ports, 1 x HDMI port with 4K support, and 1 x SD/TF Card Reader. This is also 30% off here using coupon UGREENSM3.

Five-year-old OnePlus One catches fire in India, OnePlus already investigating

By
Jed John Ikoba
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OnePlus burst into the smartphone industry about five years ago with the launch of the OnePlus One. Considering the smartphone product cycle, we really don’t expect the OnePlus One to still b in the hands of too many persons presently. Apparently, some folks still cherish the sleek treasure. Unfortunately, one of such OnePlus One owners in India had an ignoble experience when his mobile phone went up in flames.OnePlus One

According to the story, the dude had switched off the smartphone and kept it close by when he went to bed. Around 3:15 am in the morning, he was jolted out of his sleep by “suffocating and nauseating” fumes. The victim also claimed the phone was not plugged to charge when the incident happened. Thankfully, he was able to douse the flame with water before it could escalate or even result in an explosion.

EDITOR’S PICK: Throwback Tech Thursday: We Revisit Samsung’s Crazy 10X Optical Zoom Smartphone

This incident isn’t enough to question the build quality of OnePlus’ phones, in our opinion, but it is a serious incident. OnePlus India recognises this as well and so, have released a statement indicating that an investigation is ongoing. “We take such incidents seriously. Our team has already reached out to the user and is investigating this further,” a statement released by OnePlus read.

Although the incident is relatively isolated, it is the third time a OnePlus One model was reported to have gone up in flames. However, this is in no way similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 debacle that was clearly a battery defect. Isolated cases of smartphones from different OEMs going up in flames or exploding. From Xiaomi to Samsung, to even the almighty Apple iPhones. There are several reasons why a phone could go up in flames and some of them are user related. In this case, only a thorough investigation can unravel the facts. However, four a 5-year-old phone, we doubt if there are too many persons that are eager to find out what happened.

UP NEXT: Worldwide app spending reaches almost $40 billion in the first half of 2019

(source)

Samsung Under Fire For Misleading Ads In Australia

By
Joel Joseph
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Earlier today, we reported that Samsung was likely to post disappointing Q2 2019 results. Now, it is being revealed that the South Korean giant was recently sued by an Australian consumer watchdog over misleading advertisements. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) filed a lawsuit stating that Samsung misled consumers by showing ads that put its phones at the bottom of the pool and in the ocean.

Source: ACCC Press Release

Samsung’s higher-end models are IP68 certified which means its water and dustproof. In order to market this feature, the company often resorted to ads which show the phone being used inside pools and beaches. ACCC claims that these ads mislead customers because Samsung’s IP68 phones are only tested for waterproofing in freshwater sources. So, it states that the company hasn’t sufficiently tested the effects of pool or saltwater exposure on its phones.

“The ACCC alleges Samsung’s advertisements falsely and misleadingly represented Galaxy phones would be suitable for use in, or for exposure to, all types of water, including in ocean water and swimming pools, and would not be affected by such exposure to water for the life of the phone, when this was not the case,” ACCC Chair Rod Sims said.

Those who are familiar with IP68 rating might already know the waterproof smartphones in the market today from Huawei to Apple to Samsung are tested in freshwater sources only. In fact, Samsung mentions this on its website. However, ACCC claims that Samsung did little to explain this fact in its advertisements.

ACCC lawsuit concerns all waterproof smartphones released by Samsung since 2016 including Galaxy S series flagships, Note series, and a handful of waterproof A series models.

Samsung galaxy S10e
Samsung galaxy S10e is also IP68 certified

Samsung responded to Reuters by saying that its advertisements complied with Australian laws and that it would defend the case.

 

UP NEXT: Huawei Mate 20 X 5G TENAA certified; 5G tests reveal incredible download and upload speeds

(Source, Via)

 

OPPO A9x 8 GB RAM appears on TENAA

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
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OPPO had launched the OPPO A9x mid-range phone in China in May. It had arrived as a higher version of the OPPO A9 smartphone. The A9x had arrived with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. The listing of the smartphone on the database of China’s TENAA telecom authority has been updated with a new 8 GB of RAM variant. Hence, there is a possibility that OPPO may soon debut an 8 GB RAM edition of the OPPO A9x smartphone.

The above screenshot shows that new 8 GB RAM edition of the OPPO A9x will feature 128 GB of native storage. The rest of its specifications will be same as its 6 GB RAM edition.OPPO A9x 8 GB RAM on TENAA

Editor’s Pick: Oppo claims to have over 300 million monthly active users for ColorOS

OPPO A9x Specifications

The OPPO A9x has a full HD+ 6.53-inch IPS LCD display with waterdrop notch. The Helio P70 chipset is present under the hood of the device. The Color OS 6.0 based Android 9 Pie OS runs on the device.

The rear side of the phone has 48-megapixel + 5-megapixel dual camera setup. For catching selfies, it has a front-facing camera of 16-megapixel. It is backed by a 4,020mAh battery that carries support for 20W VOOC fast charging. The smartphone features a rear-mounted fingerprint reader. The smartphone is available in two colors like Meteorite Black and Ice Jade White and it is priced at 1,999 Yuan (~$290).

Compared to the OPPO A9x, the OPPO A9 smartphone that was made official in April this year came with a 16-megapixel + 5-megapixel dual camera setup. It featured\ 4 GB / 6 GB of RAM.  Also, the handset lacked support for fast charging. The other specs of the A9 are identical with A9x.

(source 1, 2|via)3

UP NEXT: OPPO K3 teased on Amazon India; Launch seems imminent

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