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

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Jul 5, 2019

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.

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

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

By

Michele Ingelido

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Jul 5, 2019

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.

Read More: Nubia Red Magic Mars goes official with 10 GB RAM and trigger buttons for gaming

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

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Jul 5, 2019

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.

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.

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.

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

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Jul 5, 2019

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) 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.

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

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

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Jul 5, 2019

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.

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.

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

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

By

Dimitris Economou

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Jul 5, 2019

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 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.

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

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Jul 5, 2019

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.

The 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.

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

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Jul 5, 2019

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.

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.

Someone I know just got saved from fatality. @OnePlus_IN @oneplus how do you explain your phone exploding out of the blue???! Kids use your phone as it’s attractively priced. Where is the responsibility to fix this? pic.twitter.com/CRgmF6RTBB

— Chaiti Narula (@Chaiti) July 3, 2019

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

Samsung Under Fire For Misleading Ads In Australia

By

Joel Joseph

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Jul 5, 2019

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.

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.

Editors Pick: US government asks judge to dismiss lawsuit filed by Huawei

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 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

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Jul 5, 2019

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.

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

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

By

Jeet

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Jul 5, 2019

According to a report published by Sensor Tower, the total amount spent on smartphone applications in the first of this year, i.e. H1 2019 comes down to almost $40 billion. The spending figure combines the spending on both the platforms, Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

Compared to the spending figures for the last year, it represents a 15 percent increase for the same time period. This hints that we could witness a new record in terms of app spendings once the report of H2 2019 also gets published.

Further, the report reveals that the users on iOS spent almost $25.5 billion on the App Store in the first half of 2019 while the Android users spent around $14.2 billion across Google Play Store. The spending on the Google Play Store shows a growth of around 20 percent compared to the last year.

The gaming category applications account for the highest-earning apps, bringing in around $29.6 billion. Arena of Valor (aka Honor of Kings) from Chinese giant Tencent Games comes at the top top of list raking in $728 million across iOS and Android. The second position was grabbed by Fate/Grand Order with $628 million in revenue. This was followed by Monster Strike which managed to earn $566 million.

Editor’s Pick: Huawei Developer Conference To Be Held On August 9 this year, Could We See A Glimpse Of HongMeng OS?

If the non-gaming categories are considered, then dating app Tinder tops the list with around $497 million revenue, which was followed by Netflix with $399 million for the second spot. Tencent Video, another app from the Chinese giant came in third with revenues of $278 million.

During the period of H1 2019, total app downloads witnessed an increase of 11 percent despite a slowdown in iOS installs. In this period, around 56.7 billion apps were downloaded in which Android installs accounted for around 42 billion and Apple‘s iOS installs accounted for 14.2 billion.

In terms of most downloaded applications across both the platforms continue to be led by WhatsApp, Messenger, and Facebook, grabbing the first, second, and third spot respectively. In the fourth and fifth position were taken by TikTok and Instagram.

(Source)

Up Next: Asus ROG Phone 2 gaming smartphone confirmed to go official in China on July 23rd

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

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Jul 5, 2019

Huawei Mate 20 X 5G will be debuting in July in China. At the end of the previous month, Huawei had claimed that the handset had obtained China’s first 5G terminal telecom equipment network access license. It had also confirmed that it supports SA and NSA 5G networks. The images of the Mate 20 X 5G have appeared on TENAA which indicates that the release date of the smartphone is close at hand.

The Huawei Mate 20 X 5G has already gone official in UAE through which its entire specifications have been revealed. Compared to the 4G LTE version of the Huawei Mate 20 X, there are some changes on its 5G variant. For 5G connectivity, the Mate 20 X 5G comes with Balong 5000 5G modem.

In order to make space for the numerous 5G antennas, Huawei has axed the 3.5mm audio jack and reduced the size of the battery to 4,200mAh on the Mate 20 X 5G. The phone also lacks a secondary speaker that is available on the Mate 20 X which features a 3.5mm headphone jack and comes with 5,000mAh battery with 22.5W fast charging support. The Mate 20 X 5G carries support for 40W SuperCharge rapid charging technology. As it can be seen in the images of the Mate 20 X 5G, its appearance is identical with its 4G LTE model. The smartphone sports a new Emerald Green color and it features a 5G logo.

Editor’s Pick: US government asks judge to dismiss lawsuit filed by Huawei

According to PhoneArena, the Huawei Mate 20 X 5G achieved an amazing download speed of 694Mps and an impressive upload speed of 37.2Mps in Vodafone’s 5G network in Spain. On 4G LTE, the download speed ranges between 30 and 35 Mbps and the upload speed clocks between 10 and 15 Mbps in the U.S. The Huawei Mate 20 X was introduced as a gaming-centric phone in October 2018. With 5G connectivity, its users will be able to take advantage of cloud gaming seamlessly.

The Huawei Mate 20 X 5G has a full HD+ 7.2-inch OLED display with waterdrop notch. The 5G variant in UAE comes with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. The EMUI 9.1 based Android 9 Pie OS runs on the device. It features a front-facing camera of 24-meapixel. The rear-facing triple camera system has a 40-megapixle main sensor, a 20-megapixe ultrawide lens and an 8-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom support.

UP NEXT: Huawei Developer Conference To Be Held On August 9 this year, Could We See A Glimpse Of HongMeng OS?

Asus ROG Phone 2 confirmed to go official in China on July 23

By

Jeet

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Jul 5, 2019

Since the past couple of years, a new category of smartphones is gaining popularity — gaming smartphones. Asus, the Taiwan-based technology company was among the first ones to launch a gaming smartphone under its ROG brand, dubbed as Asus ROG Phone.

Now, the company has been working on its next-generation gaming smartphone, which is named Asus ROG Phone 2. After speculations, the company has confirmed that the ROG Phone 2 will be launched on 23rd July in China, as we had earlier reported. Asus has also started sending out media invites for the launch event.

The poster shared by the company for the announcement of the launch date of ROG Phone 2 also confirms the continued partnership of Asus’ Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand and Chinese giant Tencent Games, the company behind hugely popular PUBG game.

While the company has not revealed any details about the upcoming gaming smartphone, Asus ROG Phone 2 is rumored to come with an improved display as well as a powerful processor. It could have a Super AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, similar to its predecessor, ROG Phone.

The phone is said to be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 octa-core 7nm flagship processor, which is currently the most popular chipset from the company. It powers most of the flagship phones launched this year so far.

Editor’s Pick: ASUS Zenfone 6 teardown reveals the flip camera design from the inside

It has also been revealed that the device will come with a horizontally placed dual-camera setup on the rear. The phone will come with either 18W charger or a 30W charger, depending on the variant (I001DA and I001DB). We expect the phone to have at least with a top-end variant having 12GB of RAM.

The ASUS ROG Phone launched last year comes with a 6-inch AMOLED display with 18:9 aspect ratio and is powered by a Snapdragon 845 chipset coupled with 8GB of RAM and 128/512 GB of internal storage. It features a 12 MP + 8 MP dual camera setup and a selfie camera of 8 MP. It houses a 4,000mAh battery that supported 30W fast charging.

Up Next: Huawei Developer Conference To Be Held On August 9 this year, Could We See A Glimpse Of HongMeng OS?

OPPO K3 teased on Amazon India; Launch seems imminent

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Jul 5, 2019

OPPO has just teased the launch of the K3 smartphone in India, nearly three months after launching the device in China. News of the launch went viral, soon after a teaser page went live on Amazon India. The OPPO K3 is the successor to last year’s OPPO K1. It features a powerful Snapdragon SoC along with a pop-up camera and notch-less display.

According to the teaser, the OPPO K3 gets a Fullscreen AMOLED display, with Eye Protection mode, and Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The screen-to-body ratio on the smartphone is a whopping 91.9%. The other teaser image available on the retailer site has “Coming Soon” message.

OPPO K3 Specifications and Features

The OPPO K3 features a 6.5-inch AMOLED display with a 1080 x 2340-pixel resolution and an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. The display is slightly bigger than the 6.4-inch unit on the K1. The K3 gets Gorilla Glass 5 certification for additional safety.

The smartphone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 chipset which is also seen on the Realme 3 Pro. The OPPO K3 available in China is offered with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of built-in storage. The official RAM and storage figures for India are yet to be announced.

The major change in design on the OPPO K3 is the front-facing pop-up camera that is missing on the K1. The selfie camera is a 16-megapixel unit with an f/2.0 sensor with HDR support. This camera is capable of filming videos in full-HD resolution. The primary camera is also a 16-megapixel unit with an f/1.7 aperture rating with PDAF support. The secondary sensor is a 2-megapixel unit with an aperture rating of f/2.4 for depth effect.

The OPPO K3 runs on the latest version of ColorOS 6, which is based on Android 9.0 Pie. It features software enhancements such as Game Boost, Touch Boost and Frame Touch. All of which are aimed at improving gaming performance. The device also supports Link Boost 2.0, which optimizes network performance on the device.

Editor’s Pick: OPPO K3 Review: Budget Phone With Pop-up Camera And Full Screen

The OPPO K3 draws power from a 3,765 mAh battery, which is not that impressive in the segment. The Realme 3 Pro runs a much larger 4,045 mAh unit, for comparison. The OPPO K3 support VOOC 3.0 Fast Charging.

Connectivity options include dual-SIM 4G LTE support, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS/A-GPS and USB Type-C. The K3 is priced at 1,599 Yuan (~$230) for the base variant in China. There is no official word on the pricing in India.

OPPO K1 Selling at Discounted Price

The OPPO K1 was revealed in India in February for Rs. 16,990 (~$248). Last month, its price was slashed to Rs. 14,990 (~$219). The recent price cut is also another indication that OPPO is gearing up for the arrival of successor model.

UP NEXT: OPPO trademarks “Enco”, reported to be a line of smartphones

Redmi K20, K20 Pro launch date for India is July 17

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Jul 5, 2019

Redmi had launched the Redmi K20 and Redmi K20 Pro on May 28 in China. Xiaomi India has been teasing the arrival of Redmi K20 in India since the past few weeks. Finally, an official confirmation that has been released today reveals that the Redmi K20 and K20 Pro killer flagship phones will go official in India on July 17.

Mi fans, are you ready to take on the K? The #RedmiK20 & #RedmiK20Pro are all set to launch on 17th July 2019. Stay tuned to have your minds blown by the Flagship Killer 2.0 🥊 🥊 #BelieveTheHype
RT if you're excited! pic.twitter.com/yD5xCkelZT

— Redmi India (@RedmiIndia) July 5, 2019

Redmi has recently launched the Redmi 7A entry-level phone in India with a starting price of Rs. 5,999 and now its all set to announce the Redmi K20 series on July 17. The company has timed the launch two days after the Realme X launch which is scheduled to take place on July 15. The Redmi K20 and K20 Pro are currently only available in China. Redmi had recently confirmed that it has sold 1 million units of the Redmi K20 series in the home market. Since Redmi phones are highly popular in India, the K20 and K20 Pro are expected to break sales record in the country.

Xiaomi Redmi K20 and K20 Pro Specifications

The Redmi K20 and Redmi K20 Pro have notch-less full HD+ AMOLED displays of 6.39 inches that are integrated in-screen fingerprint sensor. The rear side of these phones feature 3D curved glass. Both phones have 20-megapixel pop-up selfie cameras. They are equipped with 48-megapixel + 13-megapixel + 8-megapixel triple camera setup. The Redmi K20 has Sony IMX582 primary lens whereas as the Redmi K20 Pro features Sony IMX586.

The Redmi K20 and K20 Pro are both powered by 4,000mAh batteries. The K20 supports 18W rapid charging whereas the Pro model supports 27W fast charging. The K20 handset is fueled by Snapdragon 730 while the Snapdragon 855 is present under the hood of the K20 Pro handset.

The Redmi K20 Pro pricing in China is as follows: 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage – 2,499 Yuan (~$363), 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage – 2,599 Yuan (~$378), 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage – 2,799 Yuan (~$407) and 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage – 2,999 Yuan (~$436). The Redmi K20 comes in three models such as 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage – 1,999 Yuan (~$290), 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage – 2,099 Yuan (~$305) and 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage – 2,599 Yuan (~$378).

Realme will be launching the Realme X as well as its special Spiderman edition on July 15. Redmi has recently launched Redmi K20 Pro Marvel Hero Limited Edition in China. It remains to be seen whether the limited edition K20 Pro model will be also made available in India.

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