Xiaomi, which is one of the leading smartphone brands, seems to have blatantly stolen and combined three pieces of art from a 3D artist Peter Tarka in order to promote the company’s products in Spain.
The Chinese company took the art piece and placed its products in the image to promote them. The images appear on the company’s Spanish website. Peter Tarka said that he created it in May 2018 as part of his Installations collection.
From the images, it looks like Xiaomi’s artists barely changed a thing — simply swapping out the ramps and balls for renders of the company’s products. The company also used two of his other works, which he was commissioned by Korean electronics giant LG, one of Xiaomi’s competitors.
Peter Tarka says that no one from Xiaomi ever reached out about licensing or commissioning his art. He told The Verge “I’m 100 percent sure they’ve used my pieces cause everything matches perfectly, they only changed the saturation and retouched [a] few elements to not make it so obvious.”
Using someone’s work without giving them proper credit is not acceptable and certainly not from such as a big company. So far, the Chinese technology company as not addressed this issue and it remains to be seen how this one plays out.
Currently, the company is gearing up to launch its Redmi K20 and Redmi K20 Pro smartphones outside China. It recently launched the Mi 9T, the re-branded model of the Redmi K20, in Europe and is all set to launch the same in Malaysia. Next month, it will be launching the Redmi K20 and Redmi K20 Pro “Flagship Killer 2.0” in India, to take on the likes of OnePlus 7 and Asus 6Z.
Vivo India is building the hype around the Vivo Z1 Pro smartphone. The Chinese firm hasn’t revealed the launch date of the phone yet, but it has been consistently more information on the phone through its official micro site. Recently, the smartphone was spotted in a leaked hands-on video. Now, an Indian tabloid has shared a first look video of the phone through its YouTube account. The video not only reveals the Vivo Z1 Pro in real, but also confirms some of its key specs and variants.
The video reveals that the Vivo Z1 Pro will be arriving with a 6.53-inch IPS LCD panel that will produce full HD+ resolution. What’s interesting about the display of the phone is that it features a punch-hole at its top-left corner for the selfie camera. The Snapdragon 712 mobile platform will be present under the hood of the device. As expected, the phone will be arriving with FunTouch OS 9 UI based Android 9 Pie OS. Vivo has already confirmed through the micro site of the phone that it will feature Multi Turbo technology that will assist in improving its performance while playing games.
The Vivo Z1 Pro smartphone will come equipped with a 5,000mAh battery that will support 18W dual engine fast charging. There is no USB-C port on the device. A view of the bottom edge of the phone reveals that it features an external speaker, a microUSB port, a microphone and a 3.5mm audio jack.
The rear shell of the phone has a vertical triple camera unit and an LED flash. It includes a 16-megapixel primary sensor, a secondary of 8-megapixel and another lens of 2-megapixel. A fingerprint scanner is also available on the backside of the phone. Positioned on the front is a selfie camera of 32-megapixel. The smartphone seems to be fitted with a polycarbonate rear with glossy finish.
The video also reveals that the Vivo Z1 Pro will be releasing in three variants in India such as 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage, 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage and 6 GB RAM 128 GB storage. There is no information available on the pricing of these models. The Vivo Z1 Pro resembles a lot with the Vivo Z5x smartphone that was recently launched in China. Both phones have the same display, same triple rear cameras and same-sized battery. However, the Vivo Z5x is inferior to Vivo Z1 Pro since it is equipped with Snapdragon 710 chipset and 16-megapixel front camera.
Most of us must have a favorite accessory brand, for me, I have some of Ugreen products, such as cables, chargers and adapter. The product of UGREEN has good quality, I think that they must have a strict product quality control system. About a week ago, I get an UGREEN USB-C Multifunction Adapter which looks good. Let’s check it out!
Unboxing:
The UGREEN USB C Hub, USB Type C 3.1 Adapter ships with manual.
Design:
Ugreen USB-C Multifunction Adapter comes with the quality material which is solid and textured. It’s made from black plastic for the cable. The adapter body comes grey color, and it looks simple and sleek. The Ugreen USB-C Multifunction Adapter has small size and lightweight, which is easy to take it out.
There is one HDMI port, one USB-C power port with PD protocol and three USB-A ports. Most of us still use flash drive with USB-A port, so the adapter is a great solution for MacBook series that has only USB-C port. The HDMI output port supports the resolutions up to 4Kx2K/30Hz, and the USB-A ports compliant with USB 3.0 specification with transfer rates up to 5Gbps, which are also compatible with USB 2.0/1.1.
In Use:
The Ugreen USB-C Multifunction Adapter has been tested on my colleague’s MacBook, which performs well and looks good. The cable of the hub is short, but it is enough for using and placing on the table.
The hub is always connected to a flash drive, a mobile hard disk drive and a wireless mouse in our test. The wireless mouse use smoothly, and the data of the flash drive and the mobile hard disk is read rapidly.
The USB-C power port can be only used for power supply, and the PD fast charging of this USB-C port is only for laptops but not for phones. But for me, that’s not a big problem. I hardly use the laptop’s USB ports or adapter’s USB ports to charge my phone.
Conclusion:
With the compact size, UGREEN USB-C hub is easy to carry when you have a trip. I deem that three USB-A ports are enough for daily use. What’s more, you can enjoy 4K video using the HDMI port to output.
Samsung is expected to announce the Galaxy Note 10 in August since it has been launching Note series of smartphones in the same month since the past few years. A recent report had claimed that the Note 10 may debut on Aug. 10. Fresh information shared CNeT reveals that the South Korean tech giant will be announcing the Note 10 on Aug. 7 in New York.
Citing people familiar with Samsung’s plans, the publication has reported that the Galaxy Note 10 Unpacked event will be held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Aug. 7. Last year, Samsung had used the same venue to announce the Galaxy Note 9. Since the launch event is two months away, the firm may unveil it on another date.
Rumors surrounding the Galaxy Note 10 series have revealed that there will be a regular version of the Note 10 and a Pro edition. The Note 10 is expected to feature a 6.28-inch AMOLED display that curves towards its left and right edges. The Galaxy Note 10 Pro could be featuring a curved 6.75-inch AMOLED display. Both phones are rumored to come with top-center positioned punch-hole for the selfie camera. The Note 10 and Note 10 Pro are expected to carry support for quad HD+ resolution. Like the Galaxy S10 series, the Note 10 models are likely to feature ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner.
The Snapdragon 855 chipset may power the Galaxy Note 10 series in certain markets like the U.S, LATAM and China. The rest of the world may receive the Exynos 9825 chipset edition of the Note 10 series. The Note 10 may come with a triple camera setup on its rear whereas the Pro model may sport a quad camera on its back. Recent reports have suggested that the Galaxy Note 10 series won’t come with a dedicated button for Bixby AI. Also, they are unlikely to feature a 3.5mm a headphone.
The Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Pro will be available in LTE as well as 5G versions. Now that the Note 10 series is tipped to go official on Aug. 7, it may hit the market in the fourth week of the same month.
Global awareness of the importance of exercise and fitness to the general wellbeing is at an impressive level. Exercise and other fitness routine have become part of most people’s lives. Unfortunately, some don’t realise that excessive exercise could easily cause great harm to the body. In order to effectively monitor our fitness level, Xiaomi has crowdfunded a smart fitness sportswear.
The product goes by the name Zenph Smart Fitness Sportswear and it comes with a 199 yuan ($28) price tag. The sportswear performs a similar function as a wearable fitness tracker but it solves the discomfort associated with wearing a wrist band. It also removes other drawbacks such as data accuracy. It monitors physiological changes in real time, but also provides massive professional sports counselling courses via mobile app.
At the centre of the front aspect of the smart sportswear is an Intexar smart sensor made of DuPont Graphite Technology. The fabric is elastic and so compresses the skin slightly to provide the sensor contact with the skin for ease of monitoring the physiological information of the user’s heart rate and respiratory rate in real time. The manufacturer claims the accuracy of the smart sportswear reaches medical level.
The smart sportswear chip is equipped with Bluetooth through which the user’s body data is instantaneously transmitted to the mobile app. Also, an analytic report is generated showing the aerobic, anaerobic exercise time, and calorie consumption value, compared with the roughly estimated level of most exercise time on the market. Calculating the displayed data based on physical performance is more accurate and instructive.
There is also a voice alert feature which indicates that during exercise, the state of the body and heart rate can be broadcast in real time. When the value enters the dangerous range, the mobile phone will emit a voice prompt to avoid sports injury.
On the fabric, the smart sportswear adopts the German patent SensElast3D printing technology, it solves the problem of discomfort caused by traditional fabric splicing and poor durability of the rubber strip. The high-elastic fabric used in the sportswear has good air permeability and is subjected to quick-drying treatment in the later stage. It does not feel sticky when there is profuse sweating during exercise and can be washed repeatedly without any damage to the fabric.
In addition, smart sportswear provides a large number of sports enthusiasts with a wide range of sports tutorials, allowing users to exercise more scientifically and effectively, as if equipped with a sports coach, giving professional data evaluation and guidance.
This smart fitness sportswear is available in five sizes, S, M, L, XL, and XXL, for both male and female folks. Shipping is expected to commence on July 20.
Gaming smartphones have no doubt come to stay and their popularity continue to soar. ASUS joined the market last year with the ROG gaming phone which was launched around June last year. The company is expected to release a second-gen model dubbed ROG 2 this year. There have been speculations as to the date the device will be launched but that seems to have been put to rest as a rumour from Taiwan says the ROG 2 will be launched on July 23 in China. The device will be ASUS’ first gaming phone since the company signed a strategic agreement with Tencent.
The gaming flagship phone will be launched at an event in Beijing but ASUS is yet to disclose official details of the launch itinerary. After the launch, ASUS will reportedly showcase the phone at ChinaJoy 2019 expo holding from August 1 in Shanghai and which is expected to have in attendance 400,000 eSports players.
Details of the ROG 2 phone are still evasive but the phone is expected to have a Snapdragon 855 chipset at its heart. Perhaps, the most interesting detail about the phone yet is the news that the ROG 2 display will have a 120Hz refresh rate. This is way higher than the 90Hz refresh rate which the ASUS ROG display has. In addition, the ASUS ROG 2 will reportedly come in two variants, with the base model carrying a price tag of 4,399 yuan (around $635). We also expect the design to include a cooling system and a glowing Asus logo, like its predecessor.
Back in April, renders and a 360° video of a Motorola phone with four rear cameras were posted online by the reputable leaker @OnLeaks. Press renders of the phone which is said to be called the Motorola One Pro have now surfaced.
The source of the leak is Cashkaro.com, the same blog that partnered with OnLeaks for the CAD renders. According to them, this device was supposed to launch as the Motorola Z4 but will now launch under Motorola’s Android One series as the Motorola One Pro,
The Motorola One Pro will have a 6.2-inch display with a waterdrop notch. Its dimensions are given as 158.7 x 75 x 9.8mm. It has its power and volume control buttons on the right side while the bottom is home to a 3.5mm audio jack and a USB Type-C port. The SIM tray is said to be positioned at the top.
[envira-gallery id=”259796″]
There are still a lot of unknowns regarding the phone’s specifications – from the cameras to the processor to the battery capacity. Nevertheless, we believe more details will surface soon since it is expected to launch in the not too distant future.
With growing concerns about security and privacy, phone manufacturers are being pressured to keep their users’ data safe. Today, HMD Global announced that it will be moving its data centers to its home country of Finland in a bid to improve security and increase transparency.
A few months ago, there was a report that the Nokia 7 Plus was sending user data to China. HMD Global released an official statement to clarify that it wasn’t sharing user data with third parties but that the data being sent to China was device activation data.
They did say that shouldn’t have happened in the first place as Nokia devices sold outside China have their device activation data sent to servers in a different location (Singapore). However, a certain batch of the Nokia 7 Plus was mistakenly pre-installed with the device activation client for China which led to the user data going to the Chinese servers in the first place.
Now, HMD Global is transferring the servers from Singapore to Hamina, Finland. It is partnering with CGI, a consultancy firm with expertise in cloud and data science, and Google Cloud (data analytics and machine learning technologies) to move and store the phone activation and performance data to the Google Cloud Region in Hamina.
HMD Global, in its official press statement, said the new Nokia 4.2, Nokia 3.2, and the Nokia 2.2 will be the first set of devices to begin storing their data at the new center. Older devices that are eligible to be upgraded to Android Q will have their data migrated to the new center after the Android Q update which begins later this year and ends in 2020.
This change aims to further reinforce our promise to our fans for a pure, secure and up to date Android, with an emphasis on security and privacy through our data servers in Finland – Juho Sarvikas, Chief product officer at HMD Global.
The move is also expected to allow HMD Global better analyze phone usage and user satisfaction to further improve how its phones are made and how to provide better experiences for its users.
The Nokia 9 PureView still holds the record for the smartphone with the highest number of rear cameras but that may change soon as Sony is said to be working on a phone with six rear cameras.
Alleged configuration for the cameras have surfaced and they are from phone designer Max J. (@Samsung_News_). In his tweet, he did say the specs might change on the final device but these details are what his source as provided. He has also made renders of what he imagines the phone will look like.
The unknown Sony smartphone will have a 48MP sensor with a variable aperture of f/1.2 and f/2.4. We want to believe this is the primary camera. It will also have a 12MP camera with the same variable aperture. Both will be paired with a 20MP camera, a 16MP camera, and an 8MP camera all three with an f/2.4 aperture. The sixth camera is said to be a 0.5MP ToF sensor.
[envira-gallery id=”259779″]
There is no mention of the type of lens the main five cameras will have but we can assume there is a telephoto lens and an ultra-wide angle lens and maybe even a monochrome lens too.
The phone will also have dual front-facing cameras – a 10MP sensor and a 0.3MP ToF sensor.
The renders show the phone will have a 21:9 aspect ratio and a rectangular housing for the six cameras. There is no fingerprint scanner on the rear which means it is probably on the side or Sony may surprise us an put it under the display.
The phone should come with a 4K display, a Snapdragon 855 processor and hopefully, a big battery.
Xiaomi always stuns its users with new smartphones and other smart products. The company is always known for its smart take on the daily use products. Along with China, it is quite popular in India and some other countries in terms of the total smartphone market share.
Xiaomi recently announced its new flagship device – Xiaomi Mi 9 with some high-end specifications. It carries a 6.39-inch HD+ display with an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset coupled with a 6 GB RAM. There’s a triple rear camera module with a 48-megapixel primary camera, a 12-megapixel secondary camera, and another 16-megapixel camera. On the front, there’s a 20-megapixel camera for selfies. It runs on the Android 9.0 Pie atop MIUI 10. The device is available with 128GB internal storage variant. The connectivity includes a Bluetooth 5.0, Wifi, USB Type-C, 3G and4G support.
Amid huge popularity, Xiaomi unveiled its Kernel source code. It facilitates third-party developers to tinker its code and develop various new custom ROMs and MODs. To use the new modifications, users need to root Xiaomi Mi 9 after unlocking its bootloader. Follow the guide carefully to successfully root Mi 9 without any issue.
Note: This guide is only for Mi 9 device bearing codename Cepheus. Tinkering the firmware of your device is not permitted by any manufacturer, it will void the warranty. GizmoChina.com is not responsible for any damage to your device and data. You’re are performing this modification on your own.
Merits of rooting Xiaomi Mi 9
It allows modifying the firmware as per the need.
Users can overclock the processor to attain maximum performance.
It can also improve battery life
The major problem of bloatware on Xiaomi devices is another major reason to root it.
Customize every setting using the Xposed framework.
Pre-Requisites:
Backup important data on the cloud or on other physical media.
Follow every step carefully to successfully attain root access on the device.
Install required Xiaomi USB drivers on the PC.
Extract the ADB and fastboot utility on the PC and open the command prompt or terminal by pressing shift + right-click anywhere in the extracted window. Also, move the downloaded TWRP.img into the same folder.
Enable USB Debugging Mode by going to settings -> Open developer option -> Enable USB Debugging.
Connect the Mi 9 to the PC using the USB cable.
Reboot the Mi 9 into bootloader mode by pressing and holding the volume keys + Power key for about 10 seconds or by typing the below command:
adb reboot bootloader
Tap OK, when your device will ask for permission to “Allow USB debugging“.
To flash the TWRP on the device, type the following command. (Note: replace the recovery.img with the actual name of twrp recovery.img file.)
fastboot flash recovery recovery.img
Now, wait for the flashing process to complete. Once done, reboot the device by executing the following command:
fastboot reboot
While the phone is booting, press and holds power + volume up to reboot into TWRP Recovery. (Note: This step is performed to disable force encryption before booting the device.
Once in the TWRP, disable the encryption by flashing the Disable Force Encryption zip.
Now reboot the phone and enjoy!
You have successfully installed the TWRP on Xiaomi Mi 9. Now, to attain the root priveleges we need to flash SuperSu zip via TWRP recovery.
Steps to root Xiaomi Mi 9 using SuperSu
It is always a cumbersome process to root any Android device. We have to install third-party recovery to run SuperSu or Magisk to get root privileges. Follow the steps below to root the Xiaomi Mi 9:
Download the SuperSu zip and no verity encrypt zip from the Pre-Requisites section above and copy them to the Phone’s internal storage.
Now, reboot Xiaomi Mi 9 into the TWRP recovery.
Take a backup from the TWRP recovery if you want of your current ROM. Tap backup> Select Partitions > data, system, boot > and swipe to take backup.
Now, tap install and select the SuperSu zip file from the phone storage. You need to “Swipe to confirm” flash.
Once done, flash the no variety encrypt zip file in a similar way.
Reboot system.
Hurray!! Your device is rooted.
We hope you have successfully rooted Xiaomi Mi 9 using our guide. If you have any problem or error, just let us know via comments below.
Huawei is rolling out a new update for Huawei P30 Pro with several new features and improvements. It also debuts much awaited DC dimming feature which prevents AMOLED screen flickering at low brightness. The update also brings ultra-low latency Bluetooth technology to improve the sound-quality without any audio and video lag.
The update also incorporates several camera fixes to improve the overall photo quality. A new fix is aimed to make photos more natural and authentic. It even cures the abnormal display of videos recorded by the front camera. The on-screen fingerprint sensor is also optimized with the latest update. The EMUI 9.1.0.178 firmware update makes the experience more stable. Here’s the list of other changes in the official changelog:
Adds the option to enroll a second face.
Optimizes fingerprint authentication. Re-enroll your fingerprints for an improved user experience
Fixes the issue where the display colors are abnormal in certain scenarios.
Allows for messages and notifications to display on a locked screen with live wallpaper.
Fixes the issue where the screen does not turn off automatically in certain scenarios. Optimizes system stability, for smoother overall performance.
DC dimming has become an essential feature for the new devices featuring AMOLED displays. It eliminates the AMOLED pulsation at low brightness, relieving eyes from strain in low light.
It is a significant update enhancing the overall performance of the device. It makes the operations on the device more stable and smoother. Huawei is rolling out the update in a staged manner on the Huawei P30 Pro units globally. It may take a few days to reach every unit.
ZTE is rolling out a new update for ZTE Axon 10 Pro featuring a significant camera improvement. According to the ZTE’s customer support officer, the latest update brings 20X hybrid zoom support for the device’s rear camera. The company also published sample photos taken from the ZTE Axon 10 Pro’s 20-megapixel rear wide angle lens in normal shooting mode.
The ZTE didn’t reveal any detail on how they achieved the new zoom levels. However, the digital zoom appears to be stretched for attaining the 20X zoom levels on the ZTE Axon 10 Pro.
Normal Zoom
1X Zoom
3X Zoom
10X Zoom
20X Zoom
Initially, the device was released with 5x optical zoom and 10x digital zoom. It carries a triple rear camera module featuring a 48-megapixel primary sensor, a 20 MP wide-angle lens and another 8-megapixel telephoto lens. On the front, there’s a 20-megapixel camera for beautiful selfies and video calling. There’s a 6.47-inch curved full-HD+ display having the resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels. ZTE Axon 10 pro is powered with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC coupled with 6/8 GB RAM and 128/256 GB internal storage. There’s also a top end variant featuring 12 GB RAM and 256 GB inbuilt storage.
It is retailing in China at the starting price of 3199 Yuan (~$463) for the 6GB+128GB variant whereas the top model with 12GB+256GB storage goes for 4199 Yuan(~$608) from JD.com and some other retailers both offline and online.
Affordable flagship had so much success that now, in 2019, every respected smartphone manufacturer releases at least one device of this kind per year: even Apple. And there is more: in terms of sales, iPhone XR had even more success than iPhone Xs and Xs Max which are the top-tier Apple flagships of this year. For the first time in a long time, even Samsung released a more affordable variant of the S line-up: Galaxy S10e. Huawei which detains the second place in the global smartphones market has its own sub-brand which recently launched a new affordable flagship: the Honor 20 Pro. Given that you can currently find these three affordable flagships from the three best brands in similar price ranges, we decided to compare their specifications as there is a lot of confusion around them. You can let us know if we did well by using the comment box below the article.
Huawei Honor 20 Pro vs Apple iPhone XR vs Samsung Galaxy S10e
Honor 20 Pro
Apple iPhone XR
Samsung Galaxy S10e
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT
154.6 x 74 x 8.4 mm, 182 g
150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3 mm, 194 g
142.2 x 69.9 x 7.9 mm , 150 g
DISPLAY
6.26 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), IPS LCD
6.1 inches, 828 x 1792p (HD+), IPS LCD
5.8 inches, 1080 x 2280p (Full HD+), Dynamic AMOLED
It is very hard to establish which of these devices has the best aesthetics as they are all made with great materials and they sport an amazing form factor and nice color variants. I personally prefer the Samsung Galaxy S10e because it is a more compact design. Further, the Canary Yellow color variant makes me crazy. It is also a waterproof device, meaning you can put it underwater for up to 30 minutes at 1.5 meters deep. Even iPhone XR is a water resistant device, but unlike the Galaxy S10e, it does not have the IP68 certification but it is only IP67.
Display
While Honor 20 Pro has a classic midrange-class IPS panel, both Samsung Galaxy S10e and iPhone XR come with a high-end display. The former has a Dynamic AMOLED panel with the HDR10+ standard and very rich colors. The latter sports an IPS panel, but IPS panels do not always mean a lower-end display. Indeed, the iPhone XR is one of the few smartphones to sport a 120 Hz refresh ratio as well as a very wide color gamut and the True Tone technology. So which one to choose depends on whether you like to have more brilliant colors or a higher refresh ratio. What is your preference?
Hardware/Software
On the paper, Samsung Galaxy S10e is equipped with a more powerful hardware department, but the iPhone XR has a more advanced software optimization thanks to iOS 12, so it is a more stable handset. On the other hand, Samsung Galaxy S10e remains a very fast and smooth device, and it features expandable internal storage, unlike the iPhone XR. Note that with the Galaxy S10e you get a different chipset depending on the market in which you buy it (Samsung Exynos 9820 or Qualcomm Snapdragon 855).
Camera
Samsung Galaxy S10e undoubtedly shots better photos. It is equipped with a dual camera sporting a variable aperture which adapts better to dark light conditions, as well as a useful ultrawide secondary sensor. Samsung Galaxy S10e is amazing even when it comes to selfies and videos with the front camera, as it comes with a 10 MP snapper able to record videos up to 4K resolution. However, iPhone XR is all but a bad camera phone. Honor 20 Pro has the most versatile camera, but we still have to test it in order to give a definitive verdict.
Battery
Both iPhone XR and Samsung Galaxy S10e have a small battery, but it is greatly optimized in both cases. We noticed that Samsung Galaxy S10e is able to last a bit more with more usage patterns. Further, unlike the iPhone XR, it supports reverse wireless charging and it can be used as a power bank. But Honor 10 Pro wins the comparison thanks to its much bigger 4000 mAh battery.
Price
The starting price of the Honor 20 Pro is €600/$670, iPhone XR starts from €850 and Samsung Galaxy S10e costs €560/$625 in its base variant. At the end of the day, I would choose the Samsung Galaxy S10e for its great performances, amazing display, and reverse wireless charging. But it lacks a big battery and it has a compact display, so it is not for everyone.
As a global tech media, Gizmochina always works hard to introduce tech products that serve ourselves and our global audiences beyond borders. Yes, indeed. We should not be limited by borders. That’s where the KIMIFI comes in, a mobile WIFI hotspot to transcend borders and help you connect to the world, no matter where you are. Well, it was with me for a few weeks. Now, I think it’s time to share my thoughts about the hotspot with you.
The hardware is pretty simple and intuitive. It looks like a power-bank but it’s not very heavy. It’s a bit smaller than most smartphones, but still got a 3500-mAh battery, which can stay connected for over 14 hours with a full charge. In daily use, it generally can last for two days. Removing the cover, a QR code and WIFI information can be found for your device activation. A SIM-Card can be available here but my suggestion is rather to use its Cloud SIM-Card. We will talk about it later.
We used to have mobile hotspots that need us to switch the SIM card every time we leave for another country, or incur expensive roaming charges from our local carriers. No matter which solution we choose, it always means that we need to plan well ahead which carrier’s SIM-Card and which package to use before we start traveling. Well, with KIMIFI, you can leave those annoying preparations aside and just enjoy your trip, because besides switching SIM-Card, it has Cloud-SIM-card technology that we just mentioned. All you need to do is to carry it on and choose a data package in the KIMIFI app.
One important detail is the KIMIFI app. With the app, we can have a view of our current package information including our usage and fees. For me, at least I don’t need to spend much time figuring out language traps from different carriers. About its powerful connection, 5 devices can be connected simultaneously to one KIMIFI. So, if you are traveling with friends or families, it could also solve internet problems by sharing WIFI.
A feature of KIMIFI that surprises me the most is its support at a global scale. It covers 135 countries’ 4G networks and has the top 3 carriers for each country. And the KIMIFI team told us that they are still working on adding more countries to the list. Now they having a funding project on IndieGoGo, if you are interested, just go to the website and check whether your destination is in the list (see below).
Top carriers supporting
Countries supporting
About the prices of its traffic packages, I can only show a very small part here. If you want more information please check the link of the IndieGoGo project.
Check out the KIMIFI project on indiegogo from here.
We expect the smartphone industry to continue to be driven by innovation fueled by stiff competition among manufacturers. Recently, a Youtuber recalled how he loathed the phablet size phones when they first made an entry. Fast-forward to the present, he says each time he stares at his iPhone 4, it looks like it is made for kids. We also have innovativeness to thank for the full-screen bezel-less design, sleek premium build, multiple camera setup with quality output and several others. Samsung could be gearing up to take us on another journey with the recent trademark filing made by the company.
A trademark filing in South Korea by Samsung for a Digital Bezel was spotted recently. The application was filed late last week with the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO). Details of the what it entails wasn’t revealed but this could be the company’s innovative key-less design.
Samsung was reportedly testing key-less design for its upcoming Galaxy Note 10. In March this year, a rumour first appeared of a next-generation Note device that no longer has physical hardware keys. A recent leak about the Note 10’s render counters that expectation with renders showing the Galaxy Note 10 with traditional physical keys. The renders could as well be fake. However, we believe the trademark is an indication that Samsung is working on a device that won’t have a physical button but will have digital buttons on the bezels. Of course, we have gone past the era of large bezels on the screen borders. So whatever design Samsung is adopting, it has to be on a trimmed down bezel.
Xiaomi has consistently adjusted its business model since the company first opened shop in 2014. From an online-only sales model, offline stores were incorporated. The smart home products division is yet another model that generates considerable revenue for the company. Since the company went public last year, the adjustment has become vigorous as the company strives to generate profit for investors. In May this year, the company announced some organizational restructuring and personnel appointments. The appointments include Lei Jun, the chairman and CEO of the group, assuming further responsibilities as president of Xiaomi Group with the full responsibility for business development and team management in China.
About a month after that announcement, Lei Jun and Xiaomi China team held a closed-door cadre mobilization meeting. At the meeting, Lei Jun proposed a slogan for the team which is “Xiaomi Iron Army, three years of victory!” A video of Lei Jun giving a speech in Chinese during the meeting was shared. In the video, the CEO did set a goal of three years for the company to capture the Chinese market. He hinted that the brand’s goal is to attack on the Xiaomi and Redmi brands and in the AIoT products. The company is also looking at emerging opportunities in 5G to win over most of the Chinese market.
In January this year, Xiaomi had announced its dual engine strategy with a focus on mobile phones and AIoT. AIoT is a reference term for the incorporation of artificial intelligence into the Internet of Things in order to create a smart ecosystem of connected devices. We have seen the firm implement this system of combining its XiaoAI smart assistant with its smart home (IoT) devices lately.
Last week, Xiaomi announced the restructuring of the China region and the establishment of an offline business committee for China. Zhang Jianhui, vice president of China was appointed as the chairman of the offline business committee and will report directly to Lei Jun, the president of China. All these are efforts aimed at capturing the local market. However, Xiaomi has several hurdles to cross in order to topple Huawei which has the largest market share in China.
ZTE’s Axon 10 Pro comes in two variants. There is a 4G version and a 5G version. An official press release by ZTE has disclosed that the latter has received its 5G CE Certificate.
The CE Certification is given to devices that meet the health, safety, and environmental protection standards for products sold within the European Economic Area (EEA). The 5G CE Certification means that the Axon 10 Pro 5G is compliant with the requirements for entering European markets.
The 5G certification tests for electrical safety, electromagnetic radiation, electromagnetic compatibility, radio frequency performance, etc.. ZTE also revealed that the phone has also received technical approval of Du and Etisalat.
The Axon 10 Pro already launched in Finland as the first commercial 5G smartphone in Northern Europe and is also available in Dubai as the first 5G device in the Middle East. It is also expected to be one of the first commercially available 5G smartphones in China.
The Axon 10 Pro 5G is powered by the Snapdragon 855 processor and uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X50 5G modem. It has a curved AMOLED display with a waterdrop notch, 48MP triple rear cameras with 3x optical zoom and 5x hybrid zoom, and a 20MP selfie camera. The phone also has an in-display fingerprint scanner, IP68 rating, stereo speakers, and packs a 4000mAh battery with support for wireless charging and Quick Charge 4+.
Xiaomi is presently promoting the premium mid-range Mi 9T that was released last week in Europe. The device is basically a rebranded Redmi K20 but in its usual manner, the hype they are building around the device is leaving us confused. Particularly the latest series of video ads which promotes the device. The ads target the notch screen. Apparently, Xiaomi thinks notch on the display screen is no good.
You can easily guess why the promo videos centre on the notch. It is because the Mi 9T uses a notch-less design with a pop-up selfie shooter. Despite that, you may find it hard understanding the message that Xiaomi tries to pass across with the video ads. The first video was of a distracted hairdresser, the next a dentist and the third a make-up artist. The videos seem to be themed around the idea that the notch is a distraction which denies the user and immersive viewing experience on the smartphone.
We are certain Xiaomi didn’t forget that it launched a couple of phones with the notch design. Right in front of me is a Redmi Note 6 Pro with a wide notch housing the front speaker, two selfie cameras and an LED notification light. The Redmi Note 7 and even the flagship Mi 9 has a water drop notch. There are a couple of other Xiaomi models with notch designs. No doubt, the company is just interested in marketing the pop-up camera-sporting Mi 9T and nothing more. This could also mean that the company is done with the notch design on its phones. If not, we don’t see how the company will market a notch-screen phone to us in the future.
Huawei‘s June 21 event is going to be a big one with at least three new smartphones and a new tablet confirmed to arrive but there is another big announcement on that day. A top Huawei executive has just confirmed that the Chinese giant will also unveil its second 7nm chipset on that day.
He Gang, the president of Huawei’s consumer mobile business unit took to Weibo to announce that Huawei will be the first mobile phone company with two 7nm SoC chips. He confirmed that the new SoC will be unveiled in Wuhan on June 21.
While he didn’t reveal the name of the processor, previous leaks have said it is the HiSilicon Kirin 810 processor. The Kirin 810 is the successor to the 12nm Kirin 710 and will appear first in the Nova 5. There isn’t much info about the SoC yet but it is said to be built on TSMC’s 7nm node. It has also been reported to feature Huawei’s own in-house NPU and that the difference in performance between it and the flagship Kirin 980 won’t be too big.
Huawei’s Kirin 810 chipset is set to take on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 700 series. The most powerful Snapdragon 700 series processor at the moment is the Snapdragon 730G and it is an 8nm chipset. The Kirin 810 already has the edge when it comes to power efficiency since it has a smaller node size.
Apart from the Nova 5, the Kirin 810 has also been reported to be the chipset inside the upcoming Honor 9X Pro.
The Honor 9X Pro that has been recently approved by the Eurasian Economic Commission is expected to replace the Honor 8X Max smartphone from 2018. Yesterday, a tipster had revealed most of the specs of the smartphone. Earlier this week, a leakster from China (ichangezone) had shared the different variants and pricing of the Honor 9X Pro phone along with its key specs.
The new leak states that the Honor 9X Pro will be arriving in China in three variants. The base model with 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage will be priced at 1,899 Yuan (~$274). The second variant featuring 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage will cost 2,199 Yuan (~$317) The highest model with 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage will carry a price tag of 2,499 Yuan (~$360).
The tipster who is known for accurately leaking information on Huawei phones has claimed that the handset will be powered by the forthcoming Kirin 810 chipset. It will be equipped with a quad camera system on its rear featuring the 48-megapixel Sony IMX582 as primary lens. It also includes 8-megapixdel superwide angles, a 2-megapixel sensor for adding depth effects and a 2-megapixel macro lens. For capturing selfies, it will be sporting a front-facing camera of 25-megapixel. The 4,000mAh battery of the phone will carry support for 20W fast charging. The 3D rear glass of the phone could be equipped with a fingerprint sensor.
Other rumors surrounding it has revealed that the Honor 9X Pro could be sporting a 6.5-inch or 6.7-inch LCD display. It is speculated to sport a punch-hole display design. Honor is not yet talking about the Honor 9X and Honor 9X Pro smartphones since it has recently launched the Honor 20 series of flagship phones. There is a possibility that the company start teasing on the Honor 9X series by the end of the month and launch it in July.
Readers are advised to digest the report with a grain of salt and wait for further reports to confirm on its specs, variants and price.
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