Huawei Nova 5i variants and key details through multiple certifications

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May 30, 2019

Huami has unveiled a new smartwatch in China. The name of the device translates to Amazfit smartwatch Youth Edition but we believe this is the Amazfit Verge Lite considering the similarity in design with premium Amazfit Verge. The features are also basically similar to those of the Verge except that this version offers longer battery life.

The Amazfit Verge Lite comes with a cheaper price tag of 499 yuan ($72) and is presently on presale in China. The smartwatch comes with same hardware lineup as the Verge. It packs a 1.3-inch circular display with a diameter of 43mm. The Verge Lite is also equipped with an AMOLED display with a resolution of 360x360pixels as well as Gorilla Glass 3 on top. Huami says there is a coating on top of the screen which prevents fingerprint smudges from accumulating on the screen during use. The smartwatch is equipped with a silicone strap that can be removed in the same manner as those of the Amazfit Pace and Stratos.

The Verge Lite is lightweight, weighing just 46 grams as it is tailor-made for lightweight sports and daily use. It has real-time motion tracking, heart rate monitoring, long battery life and offline payment, and other functions. In terms of functions, the AMAZFIT Verge Lite supports automatic heart rate monitoring throughout the day. Users can pay attention to their heart rate interval data in the app at any time, and intuitively control their heart rate changes in different time periods and different sports conditions. When the heart rate exceeds the warning value, the watch will vibrate immediately. It also records nighttime sleep data, analyzes sleep quality, and there is a built-in sedentary reminder.

Editor’s Pick: Amazfit Bip gets a massive price cut on Amazon – Is a successor coming soon?

You also get the variety of sports mode as the device comes with support for 11 different sports mode including Golfing, Riding, Running, hiking, Gym training, Soccer and Boat riding. It also has GPS+GLONASS support.

The Verge Lite also has low-power sensor design which ensures it can deliver up to 20 days of battery use in daily usage. However, if the GPS is turned on, the battery can only do 40 hours. There is also support for AliPay offline payment function which can still work without a phone. This suggests the global version may get support for Google Pay or something similar but there’s no indication if it has NFC. Apart from having several Watchfaces, the Verge Lite supports more personalized settings whereby users can customize the dial background and dial display information according to personal preferences. No mention is made of XiaoAI or ALEXA voice assistant support.

At 499 Yuan ($72), the Amazfit Verge Lite is a tad cheaper than the 799 yuan (~$116) price tag which the Verge was launched with.

UP NEXT: Throwback Tech Thursday: Nokia N9’s Weird Selfie Camera Revisited

Redmi K20 vs Samsung Galaxy A80 vs Oppo Reno: Specs Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

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May 30, 2019

For 2019, Xiaomi, Samsung, and Oppo completely revolutionized their midrange line-ups in order to face the concurrency in the best way. Redmi is not just a series of Xiaomi phones anymore: now it is an independent brand and it even includes a high-end line-up in which you can find the Redmi K20. Oppo launched a brand new series called Reno, which is also the same name of the first device from the series. Samsung renewed the A series with a new name scheme and innovative phones with a higher value for money, such as the Samsung Galaxy A80. Here is a comparison between Redmi K20, Samsung Galaxy A80, and Oppo Reno that you should definitely check if you are looking for the best upper-midrange handset.

Xiaomi Redmi K20 vs Samsung Galaxy A80 vs Oppo Reno

	Xiaomi Redmi K20	Oppo Reno	Samsung Galaxy A80
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	156.7 x 74.3 x 8.8 mm, 191 grams	156.6 x 74.3 x 9 mm, 185 grams	165.2 x 76.5 x 9.3 mm
DISPLAY	6.39 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 403 ppi, AMOLED	6.4 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 402 ppi, AMOLED	6.7 inches, 1080 x 2400p (Full HD+), 393 ppi, Super AMOLED
PROCESSOR	Qualcomm Snapdragon 730, octa-core 2.2 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 710, octa-core 2.2 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 730, octa-core 2.2 GHz
MEMORY	6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB	6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 6 GB RAM, 256 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB	8 GB RAM, 128 GB
SOFTWARE	Android 9 Pie, MIUI	Android 9 Pie, Color OS	Android 9 Pie, One UI
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 48 + 13 + 8 MP f/1.8 and f/2.4 and f/2.4 20 MP f/2.2 front camera	Dual 48 + 5 MP f/1.7 and f/2.4 16 MP f/2.0 front camera	Triple 48 + 8 MP + TOF f/2.0 and f/2.2
BATTERY	4000 mAh, fast charging 18W	3765 mAh, fast charging with VOOC 3.0	3700 mAh, fast charging 25W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Dual SIM slot	Dual SIM slot	Dual SIM slot

Design

Goodbye notches, finally. None of these devices comes with a display interruption: they are all full-screen phones, but they rely on different solutions to get rid of bezels. Redmi K20 has a classic pop-up camera, Oppo Reno has a shark fin pop-up camera and Samsung Galaxy A80 comes with the most innovative solution: a rotating rear camera which can be used as selfie camera as well. In my opinion, it is not the high screen-to-body ratio (neither the pop-up cameras) to make the difference. The rear side of the Redmi K20 with its “liquid” finish is simply amazing, so the Redmi K20 is my favorite one aesthetically.

Display

It is really hard to pick a winner among these displays as you will not easily notice the difference in everyday use. If you are a multimedia lover, you may like the Redmi K20 more because it is HDR-compliant, so it enhances the colors in a brilliant way. On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy A80 comes with a wider display and a taller 20:9 aspect ratio which is very interesting as well. Last but not least, Oppo Reno has good DCI-P3 coverage, so good colors too. All of them come with an under-display fingerprint scanner. Given the marginal differences, we do not suggest you focus on the display quality.

Specs & Software

Given that Oppo Reno is powered by a less powerful Snapdragon 710 chipset, it loses the hardware comparison. The main battle is between the Redmi K20 and the Samsung Galaxy A80 which come with the same SoC and the same amount of RAM in the most expensive memory configuration. However, Redmi K20’s high-end variant wins the comparison because it is equipped with more internal storage (256 GB). None of these devices supports a micro SD expansion slot, while all of them come with Android 9 Pie out of the box, as well as a custom user interface.

Camera

When it comes to the rear cameras, Redmi K20 has the most impressive setup on the paper. It is composed of a main 48 MP sensor with a bright f/1.8 aperture, a secondary ultrawide lens with a 13 MP resolution and a telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom. On the other hand, when it comes to selfies, Samsung Galaxy A80 wins as it allows to use the rear camera as a selfie camera thanks to its rotating mechanism.

Battery

In each case, you get an above-average battery, but Redmi K20 is the real winner as it simply comes with a bigger 4000 mAh unit. Samsung Galaxy A80 has the fastest charging technology but also the smallest battery. We are satisfied with Redmi K20’s battery life, it lasts one full day with moderate use.

Price

Samsung Galaxy A80 carries a price tag of €650/$723, Oppo Reno starts from €500/$555, Redmi K20 costs just €260/$290. Given the higher value for money and the bigger battery, Redmi K20 wins this comparison.

Read More: Galaxy A80 powered by Snapdragon 730, scores over 200K points on AnTuTu

Xiaomi Redmi K20 Samsung Galaxy A80 vs Oppo Reno: PROs and CONS

Xiaomi Redmi K20

PROs

Amazing cameras
More affordable
Bigger battery
3.5 mm jack
HDR display

CONS

No micro SD

Samsung Galaxy A80

PROs

Innovative design
Great cameras
Faster charging technology
Bigger display

CONS

Higher price
No micro SD

Oppo Reno

PROs

Innovative design
Nice cameras
3.5 mm jack
More memory options

CONS

No micro SD
Lower-end hardware

Throwback Tech Thursday: Nokia N9’s Weird Selfie Camera Revisited

By

Joel Joseph

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May 30, 2019

It was the year 2011 and Nokia was still the largest phone maker in the world. Android was just getting some traction but the Finnish giant was still sticking to its own Symbian OS. With its market share dwindling, Nokia decided to try out a new OS called Meego. This gave birth to the one and only Nokia N9 – the first and the last commercially available Meego smartphone from the company, all thanks to its newfound relationship with Microsoft’s Windows Phone OS.

While many know the N9 as a failed but beautiful phone running Meego, there was one feature that we all might have missed. On this day, we take a look at the weird secondary camera of the Nokia N9. It could have been one of the first smartphones to actually feature a bottom right corner front-facing camera. Definitely, the inspiration for Xiaomi’s first premium full-screen smartphone, the Xiaomi Mi MIX.

Back in 2011, when selfies were not exactly invented (I mean popularized), it was simply a secondary VGA camera with very little purpose. In fact, if you read a GSMArena post about the Nokia N9, you would see that many didn’t even know what it was at first.

I mean, you can’t blame folks back in 2011. Selfie cameras were not mainstream back then, and the placement was the weirdest of all. Without leaksters like Evan Blass or Roland Quandt or Steve Hmmerstoffer (OnLeaks) in the industry, very little was known about a phone before it was launched. In fact, even after a phone was announced, there would still be a few details that were left unrevealed. So you usually had to wait for a review to know exactly what’s what!

Another highlight of the N9 was, of course, its Meego OS. While the operating system didn’t really catch on, it was definitely way ahead of its time. Everything in the OS was gesture based (what we call swipes today), very similar to what we see in Android and iOS smartphones. It’s really a shame that the OS didn’t catch on, probably because it didn’t have any strong backers. Well, Intel did back it for a while, but Intel wasn’t into making smartphones. Nokia ditched Meego after the N9’s release and switched to Windows Phone.

After the Nokia Lumia 800’s release – its first Windows Phone-powered smartphone, the end of Meego was nigh. Google was supporting Android while Microsoft was backing its own Windows Phone platform. With these two giants focused on their own operating systems, hardly anyone else could have survived. And today, we are left with Google’s Android dominating a major chunk of the smartphone space followed by Apple’s iOS.

So, in this episode of Throwback Tech Thursday, let’s remember the Nokia N9, not just as the first and last Nokia phone with Meego, but also as the inspiration behind the legendary Xiaomi Mi MIX series’ camera placement!

Despite its tragic fate, the Nokia N9 was definitely ahead of its time! What are your thoughts?

UP NEXT: Xiaomi’s New AutoFull Gaming Chair Is Inspired By A Basketball Court!

Xiaomi Mi 9T (Redmi K20) listed early on online store, starts at €359

By

Habeeb Onawole

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May 30, 2019

Xiaomi is yet to officially unveil the new member of the Mi 9 series it teased yesterday. The name has already been confirmed to be Mi 9T, and now, an early listing has revealed the price of the phone in Italy.

The listing, which was first reported by Smartprix, is on an Italian e-commerce store called GrossoShop. The listing says the Mi 9T will be available in three color variants – Carbon Black, Glacier Blue, and Flame Red.

The Mi 9T will also come in three configurations – 6GB RAM + 64GB, 6GB RAM + 128GB, and 8GB RAM + 256GB. In China, the Redmi K20 was only announced in the first two configurations but the listing on the official site includes the third variant.

The listing states the Mi 9T supports LTE Band 20 and a conversation between Smartprix and the store’s customer support confirmed the phone does support the aforementioned band. The customer support also said the phone will be in stock in a few days which means that a launch date is close.

Below is the price for the three variants:

6GB RAM + 64GB = €359.99
6GB RAM + 128GB = €379.99
8GB RAM + 256GB = €499.99

Grossoshop is already taking pre-orders for the phone. Interested buyers will be required to pay up a deposit of €25. However, they will also get a €50 coupon for use at checkout. This means those who pre-order will get the Mi 9T for €25 less.

The Mi 9T has a 6.39-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a fingerprint scanner under the screen. It is powered by the Snapdragon 730 processor, has 48MP + 8MP + 13MP triple rear cameras, and a 20MP pop-up selfie camera. It also has a 4000mAh battery with 18W fast charging and runs MIUI based on Android 9 Pie.

(Sources: 1, 2)

UP NEXT: Redmi K20 series may launch as the POCO F2 and POCO F2 Pro in India

Redmi K20 Pro Hands On Pictures: Redmi’s first flagship phone is a cost-effective beauty

By

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May 30, 2019

On May 28, Xiaomi’s Redmi brand launched the Redmi K20 Pro and Redmi K20 as its first flagship phones powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 855 chipset. Before now, the Redmi brand is known for budget and premium mid-range phones with affordable pricing. All that has changed with the Redmi K20 and K20 Pro, well, except for the cost-effective price they adopt. Pricing for the K20 Pro starts at 2,499 Yuan (~$362) for the 6GB+64GB variant. Here we bring you the Redmi K20 Pro hands-on pictures as a captured by Chinese tech blog MyDrivers.

The Redmi K20 Pro is no doubt the top-end variant among the two and a look at the design features affirm that. The phone adopts a notch-less design and Xiaomi was able to achieve this using a pop-up selfie camera. The camera is located in the top left corner of the display and houses a 20MP sensor. The camera is said to pop up in just 0.8 seconds and has a sapphire lens cover. The device comes with a USB-C port at the bottom edge and also has the SIM card slot at the bottom edge instead of on the side. This is due to the pop-up camera on the area the slot is supposed to be located. The phone has dual SIM slots and sadly, there is no microSD slot if there is need to expand the memory.

At the rear, the phone packs a triple camera setup aligned vertically at the centre. The glass back panel means there is no rear fingerprint sensor. Instead, you get an in-display fingerprint sensor onboard the K20 Pro. The Redmi logo is crest at the bottom with the inscription “Designed by Xiaomi”. The glass panel is curved at the edges, adding to the aesthetics of the device.

Editor’s Pick: Redmi 20-inch Suitcase launched for 299 Yuan ($43) as Redmi’s product offerings expand

As a reminder, the phone packs a 6.39-inch AMOLED display with 91.9% screen ratio. The phone comes with hardware DC dimming feature. At the helm is a Snapdragon 855 chipset paired with 6GB/8GB of RAM. There are 64GB, 128GB and 256GB storage options. The device gets its power from a 4000mAh battery with support for 27W fast charge. It is available in flame red, glacial blue, and carbon fibre black colours. Check out more pictures of the Carbon fibre black variant from below. For more details on the models, read our launch article.

UP NEXT: OPPO Reno Z with Helio P90, Waterdrop notch launched for 2499 Yuan ($362)

[envira-gallery id=”256252″]

ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5G launched in Finland as the first 5G phone available in Northern Europe

By

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May 30, 2019

Chinese telecommunications equipment giant ZTE has teamed up with Finnish telecom service provider Elisa to launch the Axon 10 Pro 5G in Finland. The launch of the 5G phone makes the device the first 5G flagship smartphone to become available in Northern Europe. It also signals the start of the release of the Axon 10 Pro 5G in Europe just as scheduled.

A press release by the Chinese tech giant indicates that the device will be sold on Elisa’s online and offline stores from May 28. This means the flagship is already on sale in Finland. The company disclosed that the Axon 10 Pro 5G has also been released in Dubai in partnership with Du. Further, the press release stated that “ZTE has deployed 5G device field tests with mainstream carriers in 8 countries around the world, including Austria, Australia, China, Finland, Spain, and Italy.” Thus, we may see the phone gets released in other countries in Europe soon. The 4G version of the phone is already available in China, Germany, Sweden and Finland.

Editor’s Pick: Oppo Reno 5G vs ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5G vs Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G: Specs Comparison

The Axon 10 Pro 5G is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 processor with the X50 5G modem and so offers 5G connectivity for super fast internet. The phone comes with an in-display fingerprint sensor. On the camera end, it has a 48MP f/1.7 primary camera, a 20MP f/2.2 ultra-wide angle lens with a 125° FOV, and an 8MP f/2.4 telephoto lens in a triple camera arrangement. The Axon 10 Pro 5G also comes with 3x optical zoom, 5X hybrid zoom, and 10x digital zoom. There is also a 20MP front camera for selfies.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi’s official teaser confirms the Mi 9T moniker and its imminent launch

Moto Z4 comes to Verizon for $499, 5G Moto Mod available

By

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May 30, 2019

Motorola Z-series phones have always felt premium, with rigid aluminum frames and dramatic flat backs to attach their mods, such as add-ons like a projector, an external battery, or a 5G modem. That last one is especially important, seeing as it comes straight from Verizon themselves. That’s right, the Moto Z4 is coming to Verizon, with a 5G Moto Mod in tow.

The Moto Z4’s Geekbench listing shows that it runs a Snapdragon 675 SoC. This will be paired with 4GB of RAM. We can expect to see other RAM configurations later, as well as Android 9.0 P straight out of the box. It’ll also have a 6.4-inch OLED FullVision display with a resolution of 1080 x 2340 and a 19:9 aspect ratio. The display is embedded with an in-screen fingerprint sensor.

Editor’s Pick: OPPO Reno 10x Zoom Edition vs Huawei P30 Pro: Which One Is Better

The selfie notch of the Moto Z4 features a 25-megapixel sensor. The rear side of the phone is fitted with a single camera of 48-megapixel. The buyer of Moto Z4 phone has shared some of the images that were snapped using its rear camera. The device is powered by a 3,500mAh battery that carries support for 15W TurboPower through USB-C. It also comes equipped with wireless charging support.

The Moto Z4 may have already been purchased and received by one lucky customer, but it’s not officially for sale yet. That changes soon. Verizon has announced that the Moto Z4 will go on sale starting June 13th for $499.99. Customers who purchase a 5G Moto Mod will even get free 5G Ultra Wideband service thrown in.

UP NEXT: Moto One Action appears on Geekbench

Nokia announces it has an event on June 6

By

Habeeb Onawole

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May 30, 2019

HMD Global will be having two separate launches on June 6. It is set to launch the Nokia 9 PureView in India on that day. Now the phone maker has announced it will also have a launch event in Milan, Italy.

See things in a new light on 06 June 2019. 😎 Stay tuned to #GetAhead in life. pic.twitter.com/Jy01t9Zyp5

— Nokia Mobile (@NokiaMobile) May 30, 2019

Invites have already been sent out to guests and the official Twitter account has released a teaser for the launch. The teaser doesn’t reveal any hint about the device(s) that will be announced though it does seem as if the camera will be a selling point.

There are speculations that HMD Global will announce the Nokia 6.2 and Nokia 5.2. The former is already overdue for a successor. The Nokia 6.2 is expected to come with a punch hole display just like the China-exclusive Nokia X71. It should also have dual rear cameras and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.

However, rather than the Snapdragon 660, the Nokia 6.2 is said to be powered by the Snapdragon 632 processor found in the Moto G7 and Redmi 7.

There is still a week to the launch and we expect more details will surface before then.

(Sources: 1, 2)

UP NEXT: Redmi K20 Pro joins Android Q beta program

Meizu reveals list of devices getting Flyme 7.3

By

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May 30, 2019

Meizu’s Flyme OS 7.3 was revealed earlier this month, and we’ve been waiting for an update list. Well, Meizu just released the list to the public to peruse. There doesn’t seem to be any important devices missing, and it’s a decent list. We also learn that Flyme 7.3 will be the final version of Flyme 7, with Flyme 8 coming up very soon.

Editor’s Pick: Xiaomi turned 9 This Year: We Document Its Journey & Major Milestones!

The list of devices getting Flyme 7.3 is as follows:-

The new update integrates Meizu Pay app with the Flyme system for touchless payments experience using the bank, bus and other access cards. The company has integrated the whole system with NFC. Furthermore, users can now set the default payment option by going into the settings menu. One-touch Android Beam is also a part of the new system.

After the update, Meizu 16s users can toggle between DC dimming and PWM dimming. DC dimming significantly reduces the eye strain while using the AMOLED displays at lower brightness. Meizu also added enhanced gaming experience, a new battery UI, NFC toggle, Android Beam and smoother experience.

Moreover, Meizu introduced One Mind 3.0 based on Android Pie and Flyme 7.3 version. Meizu’s internal apps like Shutdown Wake 3.0, Smart Free 3.0, Resource Manager 2.0, Memory compression 2.0, etc have also been optimized for better performance. The update solved various bugs like black screen not responding, icon switch toggle error, etc.

UP NEXT: Flyme 8 leaks, is launch imminent?

OPPO Reno Z with Helio P90, Waterdrop notch launched for 2499 Yuan ($362)

By

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May 30, 2019

OPPO has quietly released a new model under the Reno series dubbed OPPO Reno Z. The device is presently up for reservations on OPPO’s official online store in China as well as Jingdong (JD.com). The Reno Z comes as the fourth member of the Reno series and it comes with trimmed down specs and that also translates to a more affordable price tag.

Specs wise, the OPPO Reno Z sports a 6.4-inch AMOLED screen with FHD+ resolution. The display design also includes a waterdrop notch at the top which houses a big 32MP selfie camera. In addition, the display comes with HDR 10 support and equally packs an under-display fingerprint scanner. The rear design is similar to the Reno as the Reno Z packs a dual camera setup comprising a 48MP Sony IMX586 main sensor and a 5MP depth sensor. OPPO went for a Mediatek Helio P90 chipset for the Reno Z. The device comes in 6GB RAM + 256 GB storage as well as 8GB RAM + 128GB storage variants.

Editor’s Pick: OPPO Reno 10x Zoom Edition vs Huawei P30 Pro: Which One Is Better

For software, the smartphone runs Android 9.0 Pie-flavoured ColorOS 6. Keeping the lights on is an impressive 4035mAh battery with OPPO’s 20W VOOC 3.0 fast charging support. The Reno Z also comes with NFC and Dolby Atmos support for optimum sound quality.

As for the price, the OPPO Reno Z comes with a price of 2,499 Yuan ($362). The phone comes in Night Black, Star Purple, Bead White and Coral Orange colours. It will officially go on sale in China on June 6.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi crowdfunds the Duka LS-P Laser Range finder priced at 99 yuan (~$14)

Xiaomi’s official teaser confirms the Mi 9T moniker and its imminent launch

By

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May 30, 2019

Xiaomi has finally confirmed the Mi 9T name via a teaser on Twitter. The Mi 9T has been a regular in the rumour mills lately and the teaser finally confirms its existence. The confirmation comes on the heels of speculations that the device will be launched soon. Xiaomi had even released a teaser earlier on which sought the option of fans on what the letters among the trio of K, I, or T best suit the latest member of the Mi 9 family. This new teaser is a response to that question.

Here's the answer! Mi 9T is coming soon! Guess what T stands for? pic.twitter.com/0mY2N7lnSx

— Xiaomi #5GIsHere (@Xiaomi) May 30, 2019

The teaser didn’t reveal any detail of the Mi 9T but rumour has it that the device will be released alongside the Mi 9T Pro. It is also said that both models will arrive as rebranded Redmi K20 and K20 Pro models. This rumour was first carried a Polish blog which claimed that these Redmi flagships will be launching as Xiaomi Mi 9T and Mi 9T Pro in Poland. A Russian tech blog also rumoured that the Redmi K20 and K20 Pro will be arriving as Mi 9T and Mi 9T Pro in Russia in the coming month. The blog even tipped that the Mi 9T and Mi 9T Pro will be respectively priced around RUB 25,000 (~$387) and RUB 35,000 (~$540).

Editor’s Pick: Xiaomi Mijia Bicycle Pump Review: The First Portable Pump

The Mi 9T was also recently certified in Thailand as well as Taiwan, Singapore and by the Eurasian Economic Commission. While the specifications are still not revealed, the spread of the certification shows the model will likely be sold globally when it launches. Further, Xiaomi had teased a render of the Mi 9T yesterday showing a triple rear camera setup, pop-up selfie camera, curved-edge display and the rear panel with a gradient finish. That’s basically the design of the Redmi K20 Pro. So we may see the Mi 9T coming with the Redmi K20 series design but with some slight modifications. Another thing we could pick up from the official tweet is that the phone may come with a 5G version. Xiaomi is yet to reveal a date but the launch is likely imminent.

UP NEXT: Samsung Galaxy A10e pops up on Geekbench with surprising specs

Motorola One Action appears on Geekbench

By

Habeeb Onawole

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May 30, 2019

A few weeks ago, Motorola announced the Motorola One Vision in Brazil. The device is its first smartphone with a punch hole display and is powered by an Exynos 9609 processor. It has been reported that there will also be a Motorola One Action and a Motorola One Pro. The former has now been spotted on Geekbench and it shares a few key specs with the One Action.

The Motorola One Action was benchmarked earlier today. It runs Android 9 Pie and has 4GB of RAM just like its sibling but the similarities don’t end there. Geekbench says the device is powered by the “erd9610”.

This is the same chipset shown in the Geekbench listing for the Motorola One Vision. When the phone launched, we found out it is actually powered by Samsung’s Exynos 9609 processor. This means the Motorola One Action will also come with the same processor.

With the RAM and processor the same, we believe Motorola will find ways to distinguish the two phones. The Motorola Action may have a different design, camera configuration, and maybe even a different battery capacity.

Nevertheless, it will also be an Android One phone with guaranteed updates to Android Q and Android R.

UP NEXT: Huawei wants US courts to declare Trump’s ban unconstitutional

Amazon Echo Show 5 launched as a compact and cheaper version of the Echo Show for $89.99

By

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May 30, 2019

Amazon first launched the Alexa-packing Echo Show with a touchscreen display in May 2017. The Echo Show (2nd Gen) was a redesigned version with a bigger 10-inch display launched last year clutching a $229 price tag. The US giant has now launched the Echo Show 5, a trimmed down version of the Show. The new version equally comes with a much cheaper $89.99 price tag.

As the name suggests, the Echo Show 5 features a 5.5-inch display which has a resolution of 960×480 pixels. The widescreen aspect ratio affords users the leverage to watch Amazon Prime Video content, as well as content from other service providers. The device also has a single but impressive 4W speaker on the back.

Editor’s Pick: Amazon launches the $29.99 Echo Wall Clock that can pair with the Echo smart speaker

The device also packs a 1MP front camera for video calling other Amazon Echo users. You don’t have to bother about privacy issues as the camera has a shutter that physically blocks the camera when it’s not in use.

The Echo Show 5 has similar features with the Echo Show, aside these listed trimmed down hardware. As a reminder, the device features Alexa smart assistant and can also be used for browsing as it comes preinstalled with Amazon’s Silk browser You can use voice to access your services as well as smart home devices around your house. However, the Zigbee hub for easily connecting to smart home devices that use the Zigbee protocol is absent on this version.

The Echo Show 5 comes in Charcoal and Sandstone colours and is priced at $89.99.

UP NEXT: Amazon reportedly working on a wearable device that recognizes human emotions

Samsung Galaxy A10e pops up on Geekbench with surprising specs

By

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May 30, 2019

Samsung revamped the Galaxy A-series of smartphones earlier this year, with the Galaxy A10 being one of its more affordable offerings. Now, we’ve found a variant of that device pop up on Geekbench, carrying some pretty peculiar specs. The Samsung Galaxy A10e (model number SM-A102U) will come with Android 9.0 Pie out-of-the-box.

Before we go on, it’s important to note that Samsung generally uses the -e suffix to show that a device is cheaper and less powerful next to the normal version. We’ve seen it with the S10e and A20e, and now we’re seeing it once again with the A10e. What’s surprisng however is that the A10e really doesn’t seem to be lacking in much next to the A10.

Editor’s Pick: How OnePlus 3 & 3T Became the Only Phones to Get Three Major Android Updates!

The Galaxy A10e here is listed to be running on the Exynos 7885 SoC, though the clockspeed indicates it’s actually the weaker Exynos 7884. This means the Galaxy A10e has the exact same SoC as the Galaxy A10. On top of that, it also gets an identical 2GB of RAM as the Galaxy A10. We’ve no idea about the storage, but we really doubt that’s enough to truly be worthy of an entirely new variant.

We also know that the Galaxy A10e will support dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n (2.4GHz, 5GHz) and LTE capabilities. It will also have all five key Wi-Fi certificates a/b/g/n/ac. The device will run on the latest Android 9.0 Pie operating system based One UI. The Bluetooth listing confirmed support for the Bluetooth 5.0 Low Energy standard.

UP NEXT: Samsung’s super fast 100w charging solution

Oppo Reno gets two new colour variants

By

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May 30, 2019

The Oppo Reno has been making waves since it launched earlier this year. People seem to really love its blend of design and specs, enough to make Oppo release two new colour variants of the thing. We’ve got a Coral variant which is pretty much a fancier orange, and then we’ve got the infinitely more interesting Inspiration Edition in a dark navy blue shade with a bunch of interesting spaceman looking illustrations on the back.

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The Oppo Reno variant that will get the new colors is the regular unit with two cameras on the back. It is powered by a Snapdragon 710 chipset and comes with 6 GB RAM and 256 GB storage. The phone also comes with VOOC 3.0 fast charging and latest ColorOS 6, based on Android Pie. Nothing really new in terms of the specs on these two devices.

The Coral Orange Oppo Reno will come in a standard white box, seeing as it’s just a simple colour change. The Inspiration Edition on the other hand comes in a new, awesome looking box that resembles the phone itself. It’s even got a whole bunch of cool looking knick knacks in the box that follow the same design theme, like a phone case and some stickers.

So, what about pricing? The Coral variant of the Oppo Reno comes in at 3299 yuan ($480), which pretty much the standard price. What’s more surprising is the Inspiration Edition coming in at the exact same price, despite all the extras in the box. Pre-orders for both colour variants begin on June 6, which is exactly a week from now.

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Meizu 16XS Is A Super Light 4000mAh Mid-Ranger With Snapdragon 675

By

Joel Joseph

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May 30, 2019

Meizu has officially launched the Meizu 16XS mid-ranger in China today. The phone will be an affordable option for people who are looking for a similar design and form factor as the flagship Meizu 16S. In fact, it is one of the lightest smartphones with a 4000mAh battery!

Meizu 16XS Design

The Meizu 16XS carries the same design language as its elder siblings. So, the new mid-ranger has a symmetric design with super thin bezels on the sides. The company continues to defy the notch trend by incorporating the front camera on the thin top bezel.

The back features a similar design as the 16S, however, there’s an additional third wide-angle camera on board. This makes it the first Meizu smartphone with three cameras at the back! There are four official color options available, Jade White, Black, and two special colors, Coral Orange, inspired by the Living Coral color, which was selected as Pantone’s Color of the Year 2019, and Atlantis Blue.

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Meizu 16XS Hardware

Coming to the hardware, the Meizu 16XS comes with the mid-range Snapdragon 675 processor clocked at 2.0GHz. There will be 6GB of LPDDR4X RAM on board with 64GB / 128GB storage options, just like last year’s Meizu 16X. The screen is a custom 6.2-inch Super AMOLED display which was reportedly developed with an investment of $3 million. it features 103% NTSC color gamut, 90.29% screen to body ratio, German VDE certified hardware level blue light filter, and ultra-narrow bezels on all the four sides. The phone also comes with Meizu’s mTouch screen fingerprint with 0.2 seconds unlock and support for fingerprint enabled payments for WeChat and Alipay.

Meizu has also updated its OneMind AI 3.0. The company claims that the phone won’t lag even with 669 apps installed and can host up to 20 apps in the background without having to kill it. There’s a HyperGaming mode as well to ensure you have distraction-free gaming experience. The 16XS also gets the new FlyMe 7.3 based on Android Pie, which will be the last major version in the 7 series. Meizu will reveal more details about the new FlyMe 8 in the coming months.

One of the highlights of the device is its large 4000mAh battery, supported by 18W fast mCharge. It’s also one of the lightest 4000mAh smartphones around, weighing just 165 grams and measuring 8.3mm in thickness. This could be a really good selling point for the phone.

Meizu 16XS Camera

Coming to the Meizu 16XS camera, it’s made up of three sensors, a first for the company. The primary lens is a 48MP Samsung GM1 MOD sensor with f/1.7 aperture. The secondary sensor is a 5MP f/1.9 lens, while the third one is a wide-angle 118.8-degree lens. You get standard features such as PDAF, portrait mode, Super night mode, HDR, and super wide-angle mode. Up front, you get a 16MP sensor for selfies with HDR+, AI beautify mode, and portrait mode. The front sensor also supports fast face unlock.

Meizu 16XS Price & Availability

The Meizu 16XS is priced competitively. It starts at just 1698 Yuan ($246) for the 6+64GB variant while the one with 6GB+128GB memory will retail for 1998 Yuan ($290).

The phone will be up for reservations from 4 PM today.

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Xiaomi’s new AutoFull gaming chair is inspired by a Basketball

By

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May 30, 2019

Xiaomi‘s AutoFull line of gaming chairs are an interesting breed. We haven’t seen a lot of them, but so far it seems people like them fine enough. Their latest gaming chair is a tribute to basketball player Gordon Hayward. Gordon is an NBA All Star player, and he also happens to really enjoy e-sports. Thus, here we are with the brand new gaming chair.

The chair is predominantly black, with some pleasant hints of red and blue around the design. It features a similarly ergonomic design to the previous AutoFull gaming chairs as well. The main difference being the basketball with a silhouette of Gordon Hayward on it, as well as his initials. Under that, we’ve got a nice little design that resembles half of a basketball court.

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The seat cover is made from high-quality top layer cowhide, which is not sultry if used for a long time. The same layer of cowhide is used on the back. The chair is filled with 45D high-density cotton which ensures a comfortable and soft sitting feel. The high-density cotton also ensures that the hip pressure is scientifically dispersed. The bottom is made of high-strength nylon with five claws and the load capacity is up to 1136Kg.

Overall, it seems like a pretty good quality chair. The pricing is usually the problem with AutoFull’s products, as the last gaming chair came in at deal breaking 2799 yuan ($415). This time, it’s even MORE ludicrous. There’s a 1628 yuan ($236) deposit, which will then need be followed up with 1508 yuan ($219), bringing it to a total of 3136 yuan ($454). Once again, it seems like AutoFull products evade me by sheer price alone.

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Check Out Lenovo & KingWear Smartwatch Brand Sale on Banggood

Banggood Launched Lenovo & KingWear Smartwatch Brand Sale With Great Discounts and Big Coupons

By

Vinay Patel

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May 30, 2019

Primarily designed for fitness enthusiasts who fancy keeping track of their health and monitoring various activities, smartwatches are getting more and more popular.

Taking the undying demand of smartwatches into consideration and to make these modern timepieces available to cost-conscious buyers, Banggood has launched the ‘Lenovo & KingWear Smartwatch Brand Sale.’ As part of the promotion, Banggood will be doling out significant discounts on a wide selection of smartwatches.

As Banggood users, you can take advantage of an extra 10 percent off coupon and avail a $0.01 snap up as well. In order to expedite the search process, Banggood has split all smartwatches into specific categories including Strongly Recommend, Snap Up From $0.01, Hot Sale Zone, and More To Explore.

The ‘Strongly Recommend’ category comprises a myriad of well-received smartwatches from both Lenovo as well as KingWear brands. More importantly, each item added to this section carries heavily discounted prices.

For example, the Lenovo HX03W smartwatch usually sells for $39.99, but you can buy it for just $17.99, under the aforesaid category. This significant 55 discount will be valid for the first hundred pieces only until June 3.

Likewise, you can avail noteworthy discounts on the Lenovo Watch 9, KingWear KW88 Pro, KingWear KC05, and a slew of other equally coveted smartwatches from the ‘Strongly Recommend’ section.

The ‘Snap Up From $0.01’ section features the Lenovo HX03 smart bracelet which you can snap up for just $0.01. It is worth mentioning here that the HX03 smart bracelet normally sells for $30.71. Note that there are only three pieces available for this snap up.

The ‘Hot Sale Zone’ section features 10 percent off coupons for Lenovo and KingWear branded smartwatches. For the sake of an instance, the Lenovo HW01 smartwatch band usually retails for $40.99, but you can now buy it for just $39.67.

You can extend this considerable discount simply by applying coupon code 10lenovo. The coupon helps you save $3.97 by reducing the original asking price of Lenovo HW01 fitness tracker to just $35.70 before you proceed to checkout.

Similarly, you can coupon code bgkingwear to avail an extra 10 percent off on all KingWear branded smartwatches including the KingWear KW88, KingWear KR02, and more. The concluding section called ‘More To Explore’ includes links to the official online stores for Lenovo and KingWear on Banggood.

You can follow this link to visit the promotion page and take full advantage of discounts and use the coupons for extra discounts before they expire.

Bose Active Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 takes on the Sony MDR-1000XM3 with improved features

By

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May 30, 2019

Bose is known for its range of comfy and powerful headsets. The company has now unveiled its latest headphone models. Top of the line is the Bose Active Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 which comes in at a steep $399 price tag. The price is slightly higher than that of the $350-Bose QuietComfort 35 II.

The Bose Active Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 comes with some improvements over the QC35 II which justifies the higher price tag. First off, the design is a refreshed new design with a modern headband and stylish new earcups. The new headphones are also equipped with touch controls that let you swipe or double tap on the ear cups to adjust the volume and playback. This is similar to the Sony MDR-1000XM3, the new Bose headphones are meant to take on.

In addition, the new Bose ANC Headphones 700 feature improved noise cancellation, better than what you’ll find on the QC 35 II. This model allows for multi-level noise cancellation. Also, you can temporarily disable it to hear your surroundings better, just like on the Sony headphones.

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The 700 also comes with better voice isolation for clearer calls due to the use of four microphones. There is also a button on the side which can be used to get access to Google Assistant or Alexa. In addition, Bose 700 also has a new “Bose AR” feature which relays information about your surroundings as you want around. This it does by using motion sensors on the headphones and your location details.

Other products announced by the company include the Bose Earbuds 500, which will be launched in late 2019. There is also a new Bose Noise Cancelling Earbuds 700, which look like the 500 with noise cancelling but this model will be released in 2020.

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