OPPO F11 6GB RAM edition tipped to debut with Rs. 19,990 (~$290) price

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Jul 1, 2019

A couple of days ago, we reported that Xiaomi will be releasing a new version of Xiaomi Mimoji with the upcoming Mi CC9 smartphone. After the news broke out, many Chinese bloggers started accusing Xiaomi of plagiarism as Apple had also launched Memoji, which are customizable humanoid Animoji characters that you can design to look just like you.

Now, Xiaomi issued a statement clarifying that it has not copied it from Apple. It also threatened to take legal action against those who keep spreading such inaccurate information, whom the company is calling rumor-mongers.

Editor’s Pick: Apple is reportedly working on a special version of iPhone for China to bring down the cost

Xiaomi Group’s General Manager of Public Relations Xu Jieyun issued another statement on the matter that when the company first launched this feature in May 2018, it’s English name was Mimoji, as well as the APK package name, is also Mimoji. Xu Jieyun also said that Apple changed its name to Memoji on 5th June 2018 and that the functional logic of the two products is very different. Further, the statement clarifies that the etymology comes from ‘Emoji’.

Xu Jieyun also said that the statement is coming one day after the incident because the company took the required time to do internal self-examination. It is also mentioned that all notarization of evidence has been completed prior to the issuance of the statement.

The statement from the company also asks the accusers to provide proof to back their claim and if they keep continuing spreading such information without properly backing it up with proof, the company will take the next stage of action. By the next stage of action, it seems that Xiaomi is talking about legal actions.

Up Next: Xiaomi Mi CC9, CC9 Meitu Custom Edition pricing leaked on Chinese e-commerce app ahead of its launch

Xiaomi Redmi 7A is all set to launch in India on July 4

By

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Jul 1, 2019

Xiaomi has been planning to launch the entry-level Redmi 7A smartphone in the Indian market. The company recently teased the arrival of the phone in India and asked its fans to guess the launch date.

Today, online marketplace Flipkart published a microsite of the Xiaomi Redmi 7A smartphone, which confirms that the device will be launched in India on 4th July. However, the phone will come with a few changes compared to the Chinese variant.

The Redmi 7A smartphone comes with a polycarbonate chassis with P2i nano-coating for splash-resistance. It features a 5.45-inch IPS LCD display with 18:9 aspect ratio and carries support for HD+ screen resolution of 720 x 1440 pixels.

The display is bright enough for outdoor usage and there is an eye protection mode onboard for filtering the detrimental blue rays that are emitted from the screen. The display is surrounded by thick bezels and its chin carries the brand name of the company.

Under the hood, the device is powered by 1.95GHz Snapdragon 439 octa-core processor. It comes in two models — 2GB RAM + 16GB internal storage and 2GB RAM + 32GB internal storage. It also comes with a dedicated microSD card slot allowing users to further expand the phone’s storage capacity. It remains to be seen which variants makes it to India.

Editor’s Pick: Apple is reportedly working on a special version of iPhone for the Chinese market

In the camera department, it features a 13MP rear camera with LED flash. It is assisted by some AI features such as PDAF fast focus, AI beauty and AI background blur. It features a selfie camera of 5MP. The front camera doubles up for AI face unlock feature.

Connectivity features available on the Redmi 7A are dual-SIM support, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, micro USB, and 3.5mm headphone jack. The phone runs Android 9 Pie customized with MIUI 10 skin and is fuelled by a 4,000mAh battery that comes with support for 10W charging.

Later this month, the company is also going to launch the Redmi K20 and Redmi K20 Pro smartphones. While Xiaomi has already confirmed this, the company has not yet revealed the launch date.

Up Next: Xiaomi Mi CC9, CC9 Meitu Custom Edition pricing leaked on Chinese e-commerce app

Xiaomi Mi CC9, CC9 Meitu Custom Edition pricing leaked on Chinese e-commerce app

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jul 1, 2019

Xiaomi will be launching the Mi CC9, CC9e and CC9 Meitu Custom Edition smartphones in China tomorrow. The entire specifications of the Mi CC series have leaked in the recent weeks. A day ahead of the debut, the pricing information on the Mi CC9 and CC9 Custom Edition was found mentioned on a Chinese e-commerce platform (ontheroadstore.com) in China. The pricing details are no longer available on the app, but its screenshots are doing rounds on Chinese publications.

The screenshots of the Chinese e-commerce app revealed that the Xiaomi Mi CC9 carries a price tag of 2,499 Yuan (~$365) and the CC9 Meitu Custom Edition costs 2,999 Yuan (~$438). There is no official confirmation on the pricing of the CC9 series of smartphones from the company yet. The Xiaomi’s CC series include trendy phones for young audience across the world. These phones are fitted with impressive cameras for capturing topnotch selfies and regular shots. It is positioned against OPPO’s R series, Vivo’s X series and Huawei’s Nova series.

Editor’s Pick: Xiaomi CC9 will come with a new version of Mimoji

Xiaomi CC9 Series Specifications (Rumored)

The CC9 phones appears like a redesigned Xiaomi Mi 9for the youth. It borrows many of its specs from the Mi 9 phone. The CC9e is a lighter version of the CC9. The CC9 Meitu Custom Edition is powered with Meitu’s imaging algorithms for photography.

The Mi CC9 features a waterdrop-style notch enabled AMOLED screen of 6.39 inches with in-screen fingerprint scanning technology. It is expected to be powered by Snapdragon 730 chipset and up to 8 GB of RAM. The handset could feature up to 256 GB of storage. It may house a 4,000mAh battery with 27W fast charging.

The Mi CC9e is expected to feature a smaller 6-inch AMOLED display with waterdrop-type notch and in-screen fingerprint reader The Snapdragon 710/712 may power the phone with up to 8 GB of RAM. It could be equipped with up to 128 GB of storage. It may come with a 3,500mAh battery with 18W rapid charging. The CC9 and CC9e are expected to feature 48-megapixel triple rear cameras and 32-megapixel front-facing cameras.

The CC9 Meitu Custom Edition is likely to borrow most of its specs from the Mi CC9. It will come with 8 GB of RAM and an inbuilt storage of 256 GB storage. The handset will be arriving in a special color and a different package.

(via)

Honor 20 Pro Moschino Edition announced; goes on sale in China from July 2

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Jul 1, 2019

Last month, Huawei’s sub-brand Honor announced its flagship smartphone Honor 20 Pro at a launch event in London and about a week later, the phone was launched in China, the company’s home market.

Today, the company has announced a new special edition of the smartphone — Honor 20 Pro Moschino, which as the name itself suggests is launched under a partnership with Italian luxurious brand Moschino.

The Honor 20 Pro Moschino Edition seems to be limited to the Chinese market only and is all set to go on sale from tomorrow, i.e. 2nd July at 10:08 AM local time. From the images, it seems that the phone comes in Black color with a Golden colored logo on the back.

This special edition phone is expected to have the same specifications as the standard model. It features a 6.26-inch All-View Full HD+ display with the punch-hole housing a 32-megapixel selfie camera.

Under the hood, the smartphone is powered by the company’s own Hisilicon Kirin 980 octa-core flagship chipset. At this time, we are not sure about the memory variant of this Moschino Edition of the phone but it could have 8GB RAM + 256GB storage.

Editor’s Pick: Honor 20, 20 Pro and 20i goes official in India; Specifications, features, and pricing

In the camera department, the Honor 20 Pro packs a quad-camera setup comprising a 16MP f/2.2 super-wide angle camera, a 48MP main Sony IMX586 camera with an f/1.4 aperture, an 8MP f/2.4 telephoto camera, and a 2MP f/2.4 Macro camera. It also comes with support for up to 30x digital zoom.

The smartphone doesn’t come with an audio jack but has support for 9.1 surround sound feature that is said to work with most headphones and earphones. It runs on Android 9 Pie with Magic UI out-of-the-box and is powered by a 4,000 mAh battery with 22.5W fast charging support that can charge the phone up to 50 percent in 30 minutes.

Up Next: Honor 20 Pro Google Play certified; International release in some markets may carry Nova 5T Pro moniker

Huawei Mate 30 5G smartphone is expected to launch in December

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Jul 1, 2019

Even though Huawei is facing several difficulties to keep its operations going because of the U.S. government’s decision to blacklist the Chinese telecommunications giant, the company continues to launch smartphones.

The Huawei Mate 30 series is in the pipeline and as per the reports, the company is all set to launch the Huawei Mate 30 5G smartphone by the end of this year, but it’s likely to go official in December 2019.

Editor’s Pick: Apple is reportedly working on a special version of iPhone for China

As per the reports, Huawei shared some information about the upcoming smartphones from the company at a 5G conference in Russia. It reportedly showed a slide which mentioned that the Mate 30 5G is all set to launch in December this year.

While it could be that the timeline for the Mate 30 5G launch in December is for the Russian market but this confirms that the phone will go official this year. We expect the 4G variant as well as other Mate 30 series phones to get launched a bit earlier, somewhere around October or November.

Once launch, it could be the Chinese tech giant’s third 5G smartphone to get launched this year. Earlier this year, the company launched Huawei Mate X, which is its first 5G as well as first foldable smartphone and is set to go on sale in September. Later, the company launched Huawei Mate 20 X 5G, its first non-foldable smartphone with 5G support.

Up Next: Huawei’s smartphone sales go down significantly in Taiwan due to the ban by the United States

Apple is reportedly working on a special version of iPhone for China

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Jul 1, 2019

Apple has been one of the leading smartphone brands in China when it comes to premium segment but it has been losing users in China from quite some time. Now, as per the reports, the company is working on a special version of the iPhone for the Chinese market.

This seems to be an effort from the company to stop existing users from switching to other devices and also to get users back who are opting for the Chinese domestic brands such as Huawei, Oppo, and Vivo among others.

When the iPhone XS was launched, it was an attractive offering for the market as it featured a big display, support for dual SIM, as well as better cameras, but the price range of 6,000 Yuan to 10,000 Yuan discouraged users from buying it.

Now, in an effort to lower the pricing of iPhone in the Chinese market, the company is reportedly planning to remove some additional features from the iPhone. For instance, most users in China do not use Face ID and thus, the company could get rid of it in the Chinese market and could include the traditional fingerprint sensor, aka Touch ID.

Editor’s Pick: Samsung to splash $40,000 on winners of this year’s Samsung Mobile Design Competition

It is not yet known when the US-based tech giant is planning to launch this new iPhone but it will be interesting to see if the company indeed comes up with a new version of iPhone especially for the Chinese market.

According to the report from China Xintong Institute, the average price of smartphones in the Chinese market rose 16.8 percent to 2,523 Yuan in the year 2018. On the other hand, the pricing for the segment priced above 4,000 Yuan, the pricing rose only 13 percent in which Chinese brands accounted for over 30 percent.

It seems that Apple does have a chance to grab a significant amount of market share in the Chinese market with a custom Chinese version of the iPhone. However, that depends if the customers in China are willing to spend more amount of money for a device that may possibly come without premium features.

Up Next: Alleged Huawei Mate 30 Pro smartphone’s back panel reveals circular camera design

Redmi K20 series sales crossed 1 million units in first month

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jul 1, 2019

On May 28, Redmi had launched the Redmi K20 and Redmi K20 Pro smartphones in China. These phones came with topnotch specs, impeccable design and affordable pricing. A month after the debut of Redmi K20 series, the Chinese company has confirmed that it has sold 1 million units of the Redmi K20 and K20 Pro phones.

Xiaomi Global Spokesperson and Director of Product Management, Donovan Sung has confirmed through a tweet that the company achieved 1 million sales of Redmi K20 series in its first month. The Redmi K20 Pro is the cheapest Snapdragon 855 SoC powered smartphone in the market. Currently, the Redmi K20 series is currently only available in China. In some markets like Europe and some Asian countries, the Redmi K20 phone has launched as Xiaomi Mi 9T. The Chinese firm is yet to release the Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro smartphone.

Xiaomi fans in India are eagerly waiting for the company to launch the Redmi K20 series of smartphones since it has been teasing on its arrival since last month. Some reports have claimed that the company may launch it the 3^rd week of this month. With its enticing pricing, the Redmi K20 series are expected to break many sales records in India.

Editor’s Pick: Xiaomi Redmi A series sales have surpassed 23.6 million units in India!

Redmi K20 Series Pricing and Specifications

The Redmi K20 variants like 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage, 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage are respectively priced at 1,999 Yuan (~$292) and 2,099 Yuan (~$307) in China. The Redmi K20 Pro models such as 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage, 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage, 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage are respectively priced at 2,499 Yuan (~$365), 2,599 Yuan (~$380), 2,799 Yuan (~$409) and 2,999 Yuan (~$439).

The Redmi K20 series of smartphones feature notch-less 6.39-inch OLED panels that support full HD+ resolution. The Redmi K20 and K20 Pro are both equipped with 20-megapixel pop-up selfie cameras. The K20 Pro features a 48-megapixel Sony IMX586 sensor, a 13-megapixel lens and an 8-megapixel telephoto lens in its triple camera module whereas the Redmi K20 has 48-megapixel Sony IMX582 lens in its triple camera unit.

The Snapdragon 730 chipset powers the Redmi K20 smartphone. It features a 4,000mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging. The Redmi K20 Pro has Snapdragon 855 chipset and a 4,000mAh battery that is equipped with 27W rapid charging technology. The MIUI 10 based Android 9 Pie OS comes preloaded on the Redmi K20 series.

Get 7% Off
on Xiaomi Mijia MJJGTYDS02FM DLP Projector

UP NEXT: India’s Redmi 7A will likely come with a USB-C port

Buy Xiaomi Mijia MJJGTYDS02FM and Xiaomi TYY01ZM DLP Projectors at Lowered Prices from Gearbest [Coupon]

By

Vinay Patel

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Jul 1, 2019

Xiaomi continues to live up to its reputation for offering top-end mobile phones that boast an impressive array of features. Aside from that, the Chinese electronics giant manufactures a slew of equally high-end products such as projectors.

Projectors are quite popular among cinephiles who like watching their favorite movies in the comfort of their homes. In a bid to make these steeply priced projectors available to cost-conscious buyers, Xiaomi has now teamed-up with Gearbest.

Touted as one of China’s best online stores for electronic items, Gearbest is now offering the Xiaomi Mijia MJJGTYDS02FM DLP Projector and the Xiaomi TYY01ZM DLP 3500 Lumens Quad-core Projector at lowered prices.

On top of that, the Xiaomi TYY01ZM DLP 3500 Lumens Quad-core projectors have been assigned a specific coupon that you can apply for an extra discount. So without further ado, let’s delve straight into the details.

Xiaomi Mijia MJJGTYDS02FM DLP Projector

Equipped with a powerful Amlogic T968-H CPU, the Mijia MJJGTYDS02FM DLP Projector features 2GB of DDR3 RAM and offers a hearty 8GB of eMMC high-speed flash storage for you to store your favorite content. It runs MIUI TV operating system and supports HDR 10 video decoding.

Its Chinese Plug (2-pin) model usually retails for $497.04, but much to the relief of those living on a tight budget, it is now available for a reduced price of just $459.99 on Gearbest. This is a noteworthy 7 percent reduction in the projector’s original asking price.

You can follow this link to avail the discount, which is currently valid for the white-tinted Chinese Plug (2-pin) model.

Xiaomi TYY01ZM DLP 3500 Lumens Quad-core Projector

The ready-to-use and highly appealing TYY01ZM DLP projector from Xiaomi is designed to offer a brand new projection experience. It has over 2.07 million 5.4um mirrors on the chip, enabling each lens to work as a small mirror.

Moreover, it creates a 120-inch mammoth screen for a theater-like experience inside your room. The Xiaomi TYY01ZM DLP projector delivers a 40-120 inch big picture, allowing you to see 1080P as well as 4K resolution HD videos for a visual effect that your regular TV cannot deliver.

The Xiaomi TYY01ZM would normally set you back $699.99, but if you aren’t willing to shell out that kind of money on a projector, all you need to do is to apply coupon code QY1XU50L34 and get $80 off. In other words, you can reduce the retail price of the projector to just $619.99 simply by applying the above-mentioned coupon.

You can follow this link to take advantage of the coupon which is likely to expire soon. With 24 units already sold, the promo is slated to end shortly.

Buy Xiaomi TYY01ZM DLP 3500
Lumens Quad-core Projector, Coupon Code QY1XU50L34

Buy Xiaomi Mooyee Intelligent Macaron Massager and Xiaomi Mijia Electrical Massage Machine at Lowered Prices from GeekBuying

By

Vinay Patel

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Jul 1, 2019

The market is teeming with all sorts of electric massagers that usually cost a bomb. If you are looking for inexpensive, yet efficient massagers, GeekBuying’s got your back!

In collaboration with Xiaomi, the Chinese online store is now offering the Xiaomi Mooyee Intelligent Macaron Massager and the Xiaomi Mijia Electrical Massage Machine at lowered prices. We will not only shed light on the aforesaid discounts but also reveal why these devices are absolute bargains at these prices.

Xiaomi Mooyee Intelligent Macaron Massager

Housed in a compact body, the Mooyee Intelligent Macaron Massager comes with built-in 18 kinds of massage techniques, paired with 15 intensities. Despite its small body, the massager delivers enough power to meet the needs of various body parts.

It is a free combination of two machines that work together to give you a feel of the hands of a masseur. Featuring a Universal Micro-USB interface, t4his highly portable massager adopts a fresh Macaroon design for a delicate and smooth feel.

This easy-to-use massager from Xiaomi usually retails for $89.99, but you can now buy it for just $49.99 from GeekBuying. This is a 44 percent reduction in the device’s original asking price.

You can visit this link in order to check out more details about the Xiaomi Mooyee Intelligent Macaron Massager and grab the discount, which is available on the gray, blue, purple and pink color options. Note that the promo is slated to end soon.

Get 44% Off on Xiaomi Mooyee Intelligent Macaron Massager

Xiaomi Mijia Electrical Massage Machine

Alternatively, you can grab a 57 percent off on the Xiaomi Mijia Electrical Massage Machine, which would normally set you back $51.35. Thanks to the discount, you can now get your hands on the feature-rich massage machine for a reduced price of just $21.99.

Available in white, black, grey and camouflage green color options, the Mijia Electrical Massage Machine can be easily carried in your pocket, allowing you to relax your body anytime and anywhere. It uses Advanced TENS pulse massage technology to minimize muscle unease and fatigue, relieves the nerves and instantly restores the body vitality.

It comes with 10-grade intensity in 5 modes in a bid to meet different massage needs and employs an easy-to-use one-touch operation. The machine can be charged for 2.5-3 hours via its USB charge port for seven days massage i.e. 15 minutes of massage every day.

You can visit this link and buy the Xiaomi Mijia Electrical Massage Machine at a reduced price before the promo comes to an end.

Get 45% Off on Xiaomi Mijia Electrical Massage Machine

Check Out GeekBuying’s 7th Anniversary Sale

Giveaway – Win a Tronsmart Element Force Bluetooth Speaker

By

Cheky Zhu

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Jul 1, 2019

Gizmochina along with GeekBuying is conducting 1 unit Tronsmart Element Force Bluetooth Speaker as giveaway gift to a lucky reader. Like always, you just have to follow the steps mentioned on the Gleam widget to get a chance to win this amazing gift.

If you want to win the free ronsmart Element Force Bluetooth Speaker, the most important thing for you is to Follow and Like the GeekBuying and Tronsmart Facebook page.

The winner will be post at the Gizmochina’s twitter and GizmochinaDeals’s Facebook, so follow the pages.

Tronsmart Element Force Bluetooth Speaker comes with dual passive radiators that provide up to 40W of output with extremely powerful bass filling all the corners of your room. The speaker has three audio modes which can be changed to suit any music genre that are 3D stereo, Extra bass and Standard. The Tronsmart speaker pairs two speakers for the ultimate 3D stereo sound to enhance the audio experience. Supporting Bluetooth 4.2, the speaker provides a stable connection up to 66ft away for skip-free music. What’s more, the Tronsmart Force supports NFC technology. Tronsmart Force is fueled by 3300mAh battery, which can play for up to 15 hours on a single charge.

You can click here to get more information about the Tronsmart Element Force Bluetooth Speaker.

Visit the Tronsmart Element Force Bluetooth Speaker Page on GeekBuying

Here is the on-going giveaway on Gizmochina:

Giveaway – Win a Ulefone ARMOR 6E Smartphone

How to entry this giveaway? Just follow these steps via Gleam widget:

Follow and like the GeekBuying and Tronsmart Facebook page;
Subcribe the GeekBuying Youtube Channel;
Join GeekBuying on Telegram;
Share this giveaway contest on Facebook, Twitter and Reddit.

Terms & Conditions:

1. The giveaway is an international giveaway.
2. We are not responsible for lost shipments.
3. We are not responsible for any duties, import taxes that you may incur.
4. We reserve all rights to make any changes to this giveaway.
5. The prize will be shipped in a month when the giveaway end.

Just follow the steps mentioned in the Gleam widget to participate in the giveaway.

Once again, good luck.

Giveaway – Win a Tronsmart Element Force Bluetooth Speaker

Buy ZTE Nubia Red Magic 3 4G Smartphone for Just $485.99 from GearVita [Coupon]

By

Vinay Patel

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Jul 1, 2019

Launched in May 2019, the ZTE Nubia Red Magic 3 is an irresistible 4G smartphone that boasts an impressive array of features and top-end specs.

It comes with an extra large 6.65-inch touchscreen display with 1080×2340 pixels resolution and an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. Under the hood, the Nubia Red Magic 3 packs a powerful octa-core Snapdragon 855 processor, paired with 8GB of RAM for advanced multitasking.

The ZTE Nubia Red Magic 3 employs an Adreno 640 GPU for superior user experience. The phone is available in two eye-catching color options including black and red.

The phone offers a hearty 128GB of internal storage capacity for you to save your favorite music, videos, and other multimedia content. On the photography front, it houses a 48.0MP camera (Sony IMX586) with an f/1.7 aperture and a 16.0MP front shooter with an f/2.0 aperture.

The dual-SIM (nano) smartphone runs Redmagic OS 2.0 based on Android 9.0 Pie OS and draws its juices from a robust 5000mAh built-in polymer battery that supports 27W PD Quick Charge. Moreover, it features a slew of highly useful sensors including Light Distance Sensor, Compass, Gyroscope, Fingerprint Sensor, Sensor-HUB, and G-sensor.

While you’d normally expect a smartphone offering comparable features to cost a bomb, the Nubia Red Magic 3 is currently available bearing a $629.99 price tag on GearVita. If you aren’t willing to spend that kind of money on a smartphone, all you need to do is to apply coupon code RONubia128 at checkout to get $144 off.

In other words, the aforesaid coupon helps you bring the original asking price of the ZTE Nubia Red Magic 3 smartphone to just $485.99 even before you place your order. You can follow this link to take advantage of the coupon before it expires.

Buy ZTE Nubia Red Magic 3 4G Smartphone, Coupon Code RONubia128

Alleged Huawei Mate 30 Pro back panel reveals circular camera design

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jul 1, 2019

The Huawei Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro might be the devices to popularize the square-shaped camera housing but it is actually the 2016 LG X cam (below) that first launched with that design. Apple and Google will be adopting the same design for the iPhone XI series and Pixel 4 respectively this year but Huawei might be ditching it.

A glass back panel said to be that of the Mate 30 Pro has surfaced on the web and it shows the phone will swap the square-shaped camera housing for a circular one, not unlike that of the Moto Z3.

A tech blog decided to photoshop the Mate 20 and made a fake render of the Mate 30 (below) to give us an idea of what the phone may look like with the new circular camera housing.

We are not sure how many camera sensors the circle will hold but we believe there should be at least three. The glass panel is shown to have Leica’s branding which means Huawei and the German company will once again continue their partnership with the development of the cameras.

Editor’s Pick: Trump says US companies can do business with Huawei

The Huawei Mate 30 Pro should come with an AMOLED display. There are rumors the screen will have a 90Hz refresh rate just like the OnePlus 7 Pro. The phone should also have an in-display fingerprint scanner and a battery capacity over 4000mAh with support for fast charging and wireless charging. It should also arrive with a new version of EMUI, EMUI 10 to be precise.

We also expect it to launch with a brand new 7nm processor – the Kirin 985. This new chipset should come with an in-house NPU just like the new Kirin 810 chipset.

What do you think about the switch to a circular camera housing, yay or nay?

(Sources: 1, 2 | Via: 1, 2)

UP NEXT: Huawei Spain releases list of phones getting Android Q

Huawei’s smartphone sales go down significantly in Taiwan

By

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Jun 30, 2019

US president, Donald Trump’s recent statement that US companies can do business with Huawei may be a glimmer of much-needed hope for the company. The US ban, though suspended for 90 days, was already having some ripple effects on the company’s shipments globally. In Taiwan, shipping estimates show that Huawei’s smartphone sales have started to decline after the announcement by Google and other US companies who are key players in the smartphone industry that their services are no longer available to Huawei.

Sources at local retail channels disclosed that Huawei was able to ship an estimated 50,000 smartphones in the tiny island in May. This accounts for an 8.6% share in terms of unit shipments and enables Huawei to retain its fourth spot in the domestic market. Huawei ranks behind Apple (24.8%) in the first position, Samsung in second (23.7%) and Oppo at the third spot (10.8%).

Editor’s Pick: Xiaomi Redmi A series sales have surpassed 23.6 million units in India!

However, Huawei’s shipment value dropped to fourth from third with a 6% share, trailing Apple (52.7%), Samsung (19.7%) and Oppo (6.4%). The sources speculate that Huawei’s smartphone sales are likely to drop by 60-80% on month in June, with its ranking in unit shipments to tumble by 4-5 notches. With Trump’s latest announcement, it is left to be seen how the market will react. We expect sales of Huawei’s phones to rebound but there may still be some uncertainty whether Trump may decide to wield the big stick again.

UP NEXT: Samsung to splash $40,000 on winners of this year’s Samsung Mobile Design Competition

New Black Shark phone gets 3C certification, supports 27W fast charge

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Jun 30, 2019

While some phone companies closed shop last year, there were also some few new players. One of the latter is Black Shark, a phone company that specializes in making smartphones for gamers. Since its launch a year ago, the Xiaomi-backed company already has three phones under its belt with the latest being the Black Shark 2. However, we may be getting a fourth very soon.

A new Black Shark device with model number DLT-A0 has recently been certified by China’s communication agency.

The certificate didn’t reveal much but it did say the phone supports 27W (9V 3A, 12V 2.25A, 20V 1.35A) fast charging. The Black Shark 2 also supports 27W fast charging just like the Xiaomi Mi 9.

While there is still a lot we do not know about this new Black Shark phone, we believe it will probably be a refresh to the Black Shark 2 just as the Black Shark Helo is to the original Black Shark phone.

The Black Shark 2 has a 6.39-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen, a Snapdragon 855 processor, up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It has 48MP +12MP dual rear cameras, a 20MP selfie camera, and packs a 4000mAh battery.

The new Black Shark phone may come with triple rear cameras as we have seen in some patents filed by the manufacturer. It may also have a notch (water-drop or wide) as the same patents have shown. Black Shark said its future phones will bring back the audio jack that was last seen on the original Black Shark gaming smartphone, so this new phone should have one too.

(Via)

UP NEXT: ASUS ROG 2 Gaming smartphone launching on July 23

Xiaomi Redmi A series sales have surpassed 23.6 million units in India!

By

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Jun 30, 2019

Xiaomi will launch the Redmi 7A any moment from now in India. The company’s India arm is already teasing the launch of the smartphone. Xiaomi India head Manu Kuma Jain has been sharing several promotional tweets of the Redmi 7A India debut and the promo materials contain several key data about the Redmi A series that we are just getting to know for the first time.

Editor’s Pick: Google patents for smartphone design with several page-like displays

The Redmi A series began with the Redmi 4A which was first launched in China in November 2016. Xiaomi then announced the budget device for the Indian market in March 2017. Since then, the Redmi 5A and 6A have been launched and according to IDC, the series have gross over 23.6 million units in sales as at April 2019. As a comparison, Xiaomi drew our attention to the fact that the figure is the same as Australia’s population based on the country’s 2014 census.

Mr Jain also cited IDC’s monthly smartphone tracker for April 2019 to press home the point that the Redmi A series has been a very popular one. The report revealed that the Redmi 5A and Redmi 6A both control a 48% market share in the $75 to $100 price segment. That is almost half of the market share in that price segment.

Now the Redmi 7A is also on its way, we expect the device to perform even better than its predecessors. The Redmi 7A doesn’t even look like a budget phone and Xiaomi has hinted that the India version will even have a new feature.

UP NEXT: ASUS 6Z 6GB+128GB and 8GB+256GB variants to go on sale July 1 in India

(source 1, 2)

Samsung to splash $40,000 on winners of this year’s Samsung Mobile Design Competition

By

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Jun 30, 2019

Samsung has teamed up with leading design magazine, Deezen to launch the Samsung Mobile Design Competition. The competition entails contestants submitting designs for new accessories for Galaxy smartphones and tablets. A total of $40,000 will be won by the top contestants in each category.

This is the second edition of this competition. The first one was held two years ago with designers required to submit designs for new QLED TV stands. This year’s edition is in two categories focusing on hardware and software. The two categories are labelled Next Mobile + and Next Mobile Wallpaper.

The Next Mobile + category demands that interested contestants submit accessory designs for Galaxy smartphones, tablets and wearables. The accessories aren’t restricted to any gadget. It could be smartphone cases, tablet covers, watch straps or cases for earbuds. The major thing is that the designs should enhance the device and also provide value for the user. Contestants are free to design any kind of accessory that they want for Galaxy devices. Samsung will be particularly interested in those that interact digitally with its devices to provide enhanced functionality.

The Samsung Next Mobile Wallpaper Paradigm, on the other hand, focuses on the design of wallpapers. The specification is that the wallpapers should be interactive and contextually aware so that they can provide useful information as well.

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The competition is open to professional designers and design students. Entries close on August 5 after which selection of the top five in each category will be done. The top five finalists will be flown to London to present their ideas in front of a jury which will include Samsung executives and Dezeen editor-in-chief Marcus Fairs. The jury will then choose the top three winners in each category who will get $10,000, $5000, and $3,000 respectively. The fourth and fifth-placed entrants in both categories will get $1,000 each. The top three winners will be hosted at the Samsung Developer Conference where the prizes will be presented.

If you think you’ve got what it takes to enter this competition, you can enter via the source link below.

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ASUS 6Z 6GB+128GB and 8GB+256GB variants to go on sale July 1 in India

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Jun 30, 2019

Taiwanese tech giant ASUS took the path of launching the flip camera-packing Zenfone 6Z as ASUS 6Z in India. This was as a result of a court ruling that barred the company from launching any phone in India with the “Zenfone” moniker. Thus, the device was eventually announced in India on June 26 even though the launch was initially scheduled for June 19.

The ASUS 6Z came in three regular models; 6GB+64GB, 6GB+128GB, 8GB+256GB versions. The base variant has been on sale exclusively on Flipkart with a price tag of INR 31,999 ($460). The higher variants are now set to go on sale in India from July 1. As for the pricing, the 6GB+128GB variant is priced at INR 34,999 ($505) while the 8GB+256GB variant will retail for INR 39,999 ($580).

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Considering the sleek design and powerful specs lineup which the 6Z brings to the table, these prices are just fair. As a remider the ASUS 6Z features a 6.4-inch IPS LCD notch-less display that carries support for full HD+ screen resolution and is protected by Gorilla Glass 6 on top. Under the hood, the device is powered by the Snapdragon 855 octa-core chipset. Despite the robust storage options available, the Zenfone 6/ASUS 6Z also has a microSD card slot allowing users to further expand the phone’s storage capacity up to 256GB.

Perhaps, the most spectacular feature is the flip camera design which the phone adopts. With the design, the dual rear cameras also double as the selfie shooters. Specs wise, the main camera is a 48MP Sony IMX586 primary sensor with f/1.79 aperture, teaming up with a 13MP ultra-wide angle sensor with a 125-degree field of view. The camera module also includes laser autofocus and dual-LED flash. The phone also packs a massive 5,000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging as well as 10W reverse charging.

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Pictures of unannounced Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 leak

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Jun 30, 2019

Samsung was recently tipped to be working on a new Galaxy Watch 2 model codenamed Renaissance. The tech giant was also rumoured to be working on the Galaxy Watch Active 2 and pictures of the wearable device have leaked by SamMobile.

The Galaxy Watch Active was launched in February this year and barely four months later, a second-gen model is already in the works. From the leaked pictures, the Galaxy Watch Active 2 will have a similar design with the Galaxy Watch Active.

There will be a few differences, though. One such change in design is that the home/power button is round while the back button has a rectangular shape. The home/power button also has a red circular assent which may just be a design element. The rear aspect of the smartwatch also has a fresh new look, with a circular rim around the heart rate sensor.

In addition, the Watch Active 2 has a microphone hole between the home and back keys while there are speaker grills on the other side. The watch will also have an LTE variant as well as a Wi-Fi variant. The LTE version will feature a 340mAh battery inside while the Wi-Fi model will have a smaller 237mAh battery. The software should also get some refresh as it will arrive with a newer One UI. The current version is the 1.0 but the Watch Active 2 will come with version 1.5.

We have no idea when Samsung

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OnePlus 7 gets June security patch and improvements in latest update

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jun 30, 2019

The OnePlus 7 is getting a new update. The update began rolling out to devices on Friday and it brings the latest security patch and some optimizations.

The update is OxygenOS 9.5.6 and like a lot of updates, it is rolling out in stages. A wider roll-out should begin anytime soon. Below is the change-log for the update:

System

Updated Android security patch to 2019.6.
Optimized the sensitivity of automatic brightness.
General bug fixes and improvements.

Phone

Improved audio quality.

Camera

Optimized photo quality.

This is the second update OnePlus has released for the phone this month. The first came with May’s security patch and significant camera improvements.

In other news, OnePlus is recruiting for Closed Beta Testers for the OnePlus 7. Those selected will get access to features and builds weeks or months before public release. OnePlus says it is recruiting 250 people for the program. Below are the requirements to join the program:

Use a OnePlus 7 series device.
Be an active OnePlus Community member.
Be willing to constantly communicate and provide feedback to the OnePlus team on Slack.

If you meet the requirements, you can apply and see if you will be selected.