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HTC 2Q741 gets benchmarked, powered by Helio P35

It appears HTC has a new mid-range phone in development. The marketing name is unknown but the phone’s model number is 2Q741. It was spotted on Geekbench yesterday and its benchmark result reveals some key specs.

The HTC 2Q741 runs Android 9 Pie and has 6GB of RAM. There is a MediaTek MT6765 chipset a.k.a. Helio P35 processor under the hood. This is the same chipset that powers the Mi Play and the Honor 8A Pro. The advantage the HTC has over these two phones is its RAM. It’s twice that of the Honor and 2GB more than the Mi Play’s.

HTC 2Q741 Geekbench

READ MORE: Mysterious HTC phone with Snapdragon 710 and 6 GB RAM visits Geekbench

OnePlus 7 Pro India pricing leaked, starts at INR 49,999 (~$720)

There are practically no hidden details about the OnePlus 7 Pro anymore save for the price. If you reside in India and have been itching to know how much the next OnePlus flagship will cost, then you are in luck. Ishan Agarwal (@ishanagarwal) has revealed the prices for all the variants of the device.

The OnePlus 7 Pro will come in three configurations – 6GB RAM + 128GB, 8GB RAM + 256GB, and 12GB RAM + 256GB. With respect to the prices, the 6GB RAM version will sell for INR 49,999 which roughly converts to $720. The 8GB RAM version with double the storage will have a retail price of INR52,999 (~$766), while the 12GB version will sell for INR 57,999 (~$838)!

Those prices are on the high side which is expected since the OnePlus 7 Pro is taking on phones like the Galaxy S10 and Huawei P30 Pro. Notwithstanding, it remains to see if the OnePlus 7 Pro can win over buyers with its incredible display, triple cameras with 3x zoom, pop-up selfie camera, and speed. Ishan does say the “pricing may change before launch under some circumstances” but we don’t expect a big deviation from what is above.

The standard OnePlus 7 will have a less-expensive price tag but it too should be more expensive than the OnePlus 6T. However, those who settle for it will have to forego the 90Hz display and triple rear cameras though you do get a slightly bigger battery capacity.

READ MORE: OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2 and Warp Charge 30 Car Charger leaked

Oppo Reno 5G vs Huawei Mate 20 X 5G vs Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G: Specs Comparison

On May 2 and 3, the first three 5G smartphones which hitten the European market were launched in Switzerland, that is also the first European country to get a national 5G network. The very first one was the Oppo Reno 5G which started being available on May 2 thanks to the local carrier Sunrise, while Huawei Mate 20 X 5G and Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G made their debut in the country the day after. If you are wondering which one is currently the best and most interesting 5G smartphone in Europe, this comparison between their specifications will clear your ideas.

Oppo Reno 5G vs Huawei Mate 20 X 5G vs Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G

Oppo Reno 5G Huawei Mate 20 X 5G Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 162 x 77.2 x 9.3 mm, 215 g 174.6 x 85.4 x 8.2 mm, 232 g 157.9 x 74.7 x 9.4 mm
DISPLAY  6.6 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), Super AMOLED 7.2 inches, 1080 x 2244p (Full HD+),  OLED 6.39 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), Super AMOLED
PROCESSOR Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, octa-core 2.84 GHz Huawei Hisilicon Kirin 980, octa-core 2.6 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, octa-core 2.84 GHz
MEMORY  8 GB RAM, 256 GB – micro SD slot  6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – nano memory card slot 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 6 GB RAM, 64 GB
SOFTWARE  Android 9 Pie, Color OS Android 9 Pie, EMUI Android 9 Pie, MIUI
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, f/1.7, f/3.0 and f/2.2
16 MP f/2.0 front camera
Triple 40 + 20 + 8 MP, f/1.8, f/2.2 and f/2.4
24 MP f/2.0 front camera
Dual 12 + 12 MP, f/1.8
Dual 24 + 2 MP front camera
BATTERY  4065 mAh, fast charging with VOOC Flash Charge 20W 5000 mAh, fast charging 22.5W 3800 mAh, fast charging with Quick Charge 4+, wireless charging
ADDITIONAL FEATURES  Hybrid Dual SIM slot, 5G Hybrid Dual SIM slot, 5G, splash resistant IP53 Dual SIM slot, 5G, slider design

Design

For these three smartphones, manufacturers opted for three different ways in order to get rid of bezels around the display. Oppo Reno 5G comes with a pop-up front camera embedded in a shark fin-shaped motorized slider. The Huawei Mate 20 X has a classic waterdrop notch with a selfie snapper inside, while Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G uses a manual pop-up slider which contains selfie cameras. While Huawei Mate 20 X is nothing surprising, Oppo Reno 5G and Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G come with very innovative and stunning aesthetics. Whether you should go for the Oppo Reno 5G with its incredible motorized slider or the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G with its ceramic body is up to your tastes.

 

Display

Coming to the display, if you love multimedia or you are productivity users, go for the Huawei Mate 20 X without thinking twice. At least if you do not mind about having a big phablet. With a diagonal of 7.2 inches, Huawei Mate 20 X has one of the biggest displays ever seen on a phone. Further, it provides a very high color accuracy with its high DCI-P3 coverage, and it is HDR10-compliant. Unfortunately, the OLED panel does not have an in-display fingerprint reader, but this does not affect the quality. On the other hand, it comes with stereo speakers which enhance the multimedia experience.

 

Hardware/Software

If having the best performances is your main concern, then Oppo Reno 5G is the right choice for you. It is powered by the most powerful Qualcomm’s chipset of 2019: the Snapdragon 855. Even the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G comes with the same chipset, but Oppo Reno 5G has 8 GB of RAM instead of 6 GB, as well as a higher amount of internal storage: 256 GB. And you even get a micro SD slot to expand the internal storage which is not present on the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G. Huawei Mate 20 X has a lower-end Kirin 980 chipset, but it can provide a better 5G connectivity thanks to the Balong 5000 modem that reaches speeds up to 6.5 Gbps with mmWave.

 

Camera

Huawei Mate 20 X 5G and Oppo Reno 5G have undoubtedly the most stunning camera departments. They are equipped with similar setups as they both come with rear triple cameras including an ultrawide lens and a sensor with 5x optical zoom. I personally prefer the Huawei Mate 20 X 5G due to its stunning photos with low light conditions, but Oppo Reno 5G performs very well in a lot of scenarios and it is not so distant. Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G is more interesting when it comes to front cameras: it is equipped with a dual selfie camera including a depth sensor, and it even comes with a front-facing LED flash.

 

Battery

Given its way bigger 5000 mAh capacity, Huawei Mate 20 X wins the battery life comparison. And it also supports a faster charging technology with a 22.5W power.

 

Price

Oppo Reno 5G and Huawei Mate 20 X carry a listing price tag of about 999 and 997 Swiss francs respectively (€880), while Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G costs 847 Swiss francs (€740). I personally prefer the Huawei Mate 20 X for its bigger battery, a faster 5G connectivity, its huge displays and awesome cameras. But it is not a phablet for everyone, and if it is your case, then you should go for the Oppo Reno 5G.

 

 

 

Oppo Reno 5G vs Huawei Mate 20 X 5G vs Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G: PRO and CONS

Oppo Reno 5G

PROS

  • Amazing design
  • Big battery
  • 10x zoom
  • Good hardware

CONS

  • Price

Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G

PROS

  • Revolutionary slider design
  • Front-facing LED flash
  • Smaller
  • More affordable price

CONS

  • No micro SD

 

Huawei Mate 20 X 5G

PROS

  • Bigger display
  • Great cameras
  • Big battery
  • Splashproof
  • Faster charging technology

CONS

  • Bigger dimensions

Buy Top-End Smartwatches at Reduced Prices [Coupons]

Looking for a smartwatch that’s worth your money? You have come to the right place.

While these newfangled timepieces usually carry steep price tags, here are the top-branded smartwatches that you can buy without emptying your pocket. We’ll show how you can get your tech greedy hands on these devices and save a considerable amount of money at checkout.

Huawei Band 3 Pro Smart Bluetooth Wristband

The Band 3 Pro is a waterproof smart band from the Chinese consumer electronics manufacturer.  The device is not only water resistant up to 50 meters, but it also features a slew of useful sensors including the heart rate sensor and sleep tracker.

The Huawei Band 3 Pro is currently up for grabs bearing a $65.99 price tag on GearVita. If you aren’t willing to spend that kind of money, all you need to do is to use coupon code GVHB3Pro during the check out process. The aforesaid coupon helps you save $18 without breaking a sweat. In other words, you can reduce the original asking price of the Band 3 Pro Smart Bluetooth Wristband to just $47.99 simply by applying the aforesaid coupon.

You can follow this link to avail the discount, which will be valid for both black and blue color versions of the smartwatch.

 

Huami Amazfit Bip Smartwatch

The Amazfit Bip carries an IP68 water resistance rating, making it a fully waterproof smartwatch. You can wear it during rain or even while swimming as it can efficiently resist up to 30m underwater. It sports an easily readable color LCD display with 176 x 176 pixels resolution.

The Huami Amazfit Bip Smartwatch is available in black, gray, green and orange color versions. The device can be yours if you are willing to shell out $73.99 on GearVita. Cost-conscious buyers can apply coupon code GVHAFITG and get $20 off. The coupon reduces the retail price of the feature-laden smartwatch to just $53.99 even before you place your order. You can follow this link to place your order and grab the discount before the coupon expires.

 

Huawei Honor Dream Smart Watch

Sporting a 1.2 Inch AMOLED high-resolution display, the Honor Dream smartwatch offers a more vivid and beautiful content. Despite its bigger screen, the devices fit the width of your wrist, offering a pleasant wearing experience for a longer period of time.

The Huawei Honor Dream smartwatch would normally set you back $219.99, but you can now buy it for just $137.99. Moreover, you can extend this 37 percent discount by using coupon code ROWZDYKA at the time of checking out.

The coupon helps you save $35 by reducing the original asking price of the smartwatch to just $134.99. You can head straight to this link to grab the discount and use the coupon before it lapses. Note that the promo will come to an end in just two days.

 

Huami Amazfit Verge 3 Smart Watch

The Amazfit Verge 3 is an irresistible smartwatch that comes with an Amazon Alexa built-in, allowing you to ask questions and more. It sports a 1.3 Inch AMOLED high-resolution display that breathes new life into the content. The screen shows various information when you raise the wrist.

While the aforesaid features completely justify the $239.99 price tag the Huami AMAZFIT Verge 3 smartwatch usually carries, you can now buy it for a lowered price of only $134.99 on GeekBuying. This is a noteworthy 44 percent drop in the device’s original selling price. If that doesn’t impress you much, you can use coupon code RBDUPCLP and get an extra $5 off. The already lowered retail price of the smartwatch reduces to just $129.99 after applying the aforesaid coupon. You can follow this link to grab the discount before the promo ends.

 

 

Realme X makes appearance in YouTube video

The Realme X may be arriving sooner than later. The phone which was spotted on TENAA last week has made an appearance in a YouTube video review, prompting us to believe that the phone is ready for launch.

Realme X

The video is a review for Chuwi‘s Aerobook on the YouTube channel Ben’s Gadget Reviews. In several scenes in the video, we see a phone with a gradient blue-black design on the left of the computer. Zoom in and you can see the Realme branding on the device. We know it is the Realme X because there is no other Realme phone with the camera design of the device in the video.

Realme X

The Realme X’s rear cameras are designed in such a way as to look like triple camera sensors from afar but they are actually dual cameras with an LED flash sharing the same housing. There is no fingerprint scanner on the rear but it is presumed it is positioned under the display.

READ MORE: Realme 3 Pro’s first update brings 960fps Super slow-motion recording

Buy KF607 Wifi FPV Altitude Hold Drone with 1080P Camera and 4K Camera at Lowered Prices from Gearbest

The state-of-the-art KF607 Wifi FPV Altitude Hold Drone offer drone lovers a lot to cheer about. Striking a perfect balance between exquisite workmanship and awe-inspiring features, the KF607 is designed to capture breathtaking images from the sky.

While you can choose between multiple options in terms of camera setup on Gearbest, we’d be talking about two well-received versions of the KF607 Wifi FPV Altitude Hold Drone including one that houses the 4K camera and the other that comes with a 1080P camera.

KF607 Quadcopter Optical Flow Pressure Altitude Hold – Black 1080P Camera

This feature-laden Quadcopter offers a slew of highly advantageous features such as dual-screen switching, palm manipulation, gesture video, vibrato sharing, HD cameras, dual cameras, and App manipulation. Moreover, it is backed by an easy-to-exchange modular battery that delivers a long battery life.The black-tinted model equipped with a 1080p camera has gone up for sale bearing a $64.90 price tag on Gearbest. You can visit this link to check out more details about KF607 Wifi FPV Altitude Hold Drone 1080P Camera model and place your order.

 

 

KF607 Quadcopter Optical Flow Pressure Altitude Hold – Black 4K Camera

Featuring a 4K camera, this model delivers improved performance, coupled with an enhanced overall experience. Moreover, it allows you to capture pictures by taking specific actions in front of the camera. Aside from that, you can switch the upper and lower cameras independently.The KF607 Wifi FPV Altitude Hold Drone 4K camera version is currently available for $72.90 on Gearbest. This model is available in the black color version. You can visit this link to check out the full specifications and place your order.

Pre-Order Umidigi Power Smartphone for Just $139.99 on Banggood

On April 29, Banggood launched a new promotion called the Umi Power Phone, wherein the Chinese online store is offering the Umidigi’s recently unveiled handset for a lowered price. Umidigi took the wraps off its Umidigi Power smartphone in April this year. The European Union, as well as the Non-European Union versions of the smartphone, has now gone up for pre-order bearing lowered prices on Banggood.

Both, the European Union as well as the Non-European Union models would normally set you back $199.99, but as part of its latest promo, Banggood is offering them for considerably reduced prices of $169.99. This is a significant 15 percent drop in the original asking prices of both versions.

An absolute steal at this price, the Umidigi Power smartphone boasts an impressive array of features. It sports an eye-catching 6.3 Inch FHD+ waterdrop display with a high screen resolution of 2340×1080 pixels.

The Umidigi Power smartphone packs a powerful MTK, Helio P35, 8xCortex-A53, up to 2.3GHz processor along with a highly competent IMG PowerVR GE8320, up to 680MHz GPU, under the hood. Moreover, it ships with 4GB of RAM and offers 64GB of internal storage capacity, which can be expanded up to 256GB using a microSD card.

On the optics front, the Umidigi Power phone houses a 16MP + 5MP dual camera setup with f/1.8+f/2.2 apertures at the back. Up front, there’s a 16MP selfie camera with f/2.0 aperture, Face Recognition and Selfie Countdown.

The phone runs Android 9.0 Pie OS and is backed by a built-in 5150mAh battery with 18W Fast Charging. Aside from a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, the Umidigi Power comes with a slew other sensors including P-Sensor, L-Sensor, Accelerometer and more.

You can head straight to the promotion page by clicking here and take full advantage of the discount, which will be valid for the black and gold color versions of the phone.

Regrettably, the discount will only be valid for a limited number of pieces. It is also worth noting that the promotion is slated to end on May 5.

Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 also has a pop-up selfie camera and triple rear cameras

The Huawei P Smart Z is Huawei’s first phone with a pop-up selfie camera but it won’t be the last. A new leak has revealed the Chinese giant’s upcoming Huawei Y9 Prime will also have a pop-up selfie camera…..and three rear cameras. The leak includes a poster taken at a store, as well as hands-on images of the phone. It also reveals its specs.

Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 poster

The front of the Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 shares a similar design to that of the P Smart Z. Save for the extra camera on the back of the former, both devices can pass for the same even though they have different names which actually isn’t unusual for certain Huawei devices.

According to the source of the hands-on photos, the Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 has nearly the same specs as the P Smart Z. The photos also show it has a similar two-tone finish on the back.

Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 hands-on image

So you get a 6.59-inch display with an FHD+ resolution and a 91.006% screen-to-body ratio. There is a Kirin 710F under the hood paired with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The selfie camera is a 16MP f/2.2 sensor while the triple rear cameras include a 16MP f/1.8 sensor, an 8MP f/2.4 sensor with an ultra-wide angle lens, and a 2MP f/2.4 depth sensor. The cameras are arranged vertically on the left with two sensors sharing the same housing while the third is housed separately.

Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 vs OPPO F11 Pro vs Vivo V15 Pro
Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 vs OPPO F11 Pro vs Vivo V15 Pro

There is also a 4,000mAh battery that charges via USB Type-C and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. The rumored price is said to be under $300 which is cheaper than the retail price of the P Smart Z (€279/~$313). We don’t know how that will work out for Huawei unless it doesn’t plan to sell the Y9 Prime 2019 in the same markets it will sell the P Smart Z.

READ MORE: Huawei P30 Pro users will get special VIP Customer Service in India

OnePlus 7 Pro won’t have an IP rating but you can dunk it in water (but don’t)

Fans have clamored for a device with an IP-rating but OnePlus has always refused to release a device with one. In a new teaser video, OnePlus has revealed that the upcoming OnePlus 7 Pro won’t have an IP rating too………but it will be water resistant.

The 30-second teaser video OnePlus says “Water resistant ratings for phones cost you money”. This is true because the cost of getting an IP-rating is transferred to the cost of the phone which will make it more expensive. So rather than get an IP-rating, OnePlus says it bought something less expensive – a bucket.

In the video, the OnePlus 7 Pro is shown dropped into the bucket which is filled with water to prove it is water resistant. There is a part in the video that says warranty doesn’t cover water damage. This is actually not unusual as manufacturers who offer phones with an actual IP-rating won’t fix your device damaged by liquids even if it is still under warranty.

OnePlus 7 Pro IP rating

The teaser video is followed up with an official post on the OnePlus Forum by Carl Pei explaining the video and addressing the bunch of questions that it has brought up. OnePlus says their aim is to do the right things based on what its users need and not the industry. While they agree that an actual IP-rating is the easiest way to prove to users about the phone’s capability, they do not believe that the certification “helps [us] communicate our focus on your real experience”, so they made a video instead.

this is not a bucket challenge

In the article, OnePlus says “this is not a bucket challenge” and do not want people dropping their OP7 Pro phones into a bucket of water. If you do so and it gets damaged, it won’t be repaired for free even if the device is still under warranty. Carl Pei ends the post by saying it doesn’t mean they won’t consider IP-ratings for future devices.

READ MORE: As the OnePlus 7 launch nears, the OnePlus 6T is going out of stock

Samsung confirms the development of under display camera technology for ‘perfect full-screen’ devices

Most of the smartphone manufacturers are looking for innovating ways to improve the viewing experience. To achieve a better screen-to-body ratio, OEMs are adjusting the position of front camera. In recent times we have seen manufacturers opting for pop-up selfie modules, punch-hole design, water-drop notch, sliding technology or other ways to house the front camera module. Still, there’s no such technology or method through which users can have a perfect full-screen experience.

However, Korean media reports that Samsung is on its way of achieving a ‘perfect full-screen’ display technology. Samsung’s vice president of the display R&D group, Yang Byung-duk intimated about the possibility of a ‘perfect full-screen’ display, a few weeks ago.

The new display technology aims to achieve a ‘perfect full-screen’ without any punch-hole or notch. All the sensors will be embedded into the display without hindering the viewing experience. It would help Samsung to achieve 100% display without any openings.

The new technology won’t affect the display and camera functionality, either of things will work flawlessly. The front camera and display will be kept intact with each other – like when the front camera is not in use the hole will become invisible. It poses a few similarities with the present on-screen fingerprint technology.

Although, this is not for the first time Samsung soft-spoken about the upcoming technology. On numerous occasions, the Korean giant unleashed important details about technologies under development.

Only minimal detail about the new ‘perfect full-screen’ is present. We expect additional information to surface via leaks and rumors in the coming few days.

(via)

 

Samsung patents a phone with Wraparound Display

In the past few years, we have seen dual displays, foldable screens and, according to a new patent, soon we could even see wraparound displays. Samsung filed a patent at USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) which showcases the first smartphone with a wraparound display. The patent discovered by Dutch publication Letsgodigital highlights a flexible panel that extends over the smartphone’s edge and continues on the rear side of the handset.

Such a display may be useful for several usage patterns, especially for photography. First of all, it would allow people to use the main cameras as front cameras too in order to shoot awesome selfies. According to the attached images, the dual-sided wraparound display can even be used for live translation. And thanks to the dual side the user could be able to interact with different applications on each side, such as writing messages while having the call screen open on the other side.

 

 

The patent is titled Electronic Device Having Plurality and Method for Controlling the Same. It seems to feature three surfaces pointing to different directions. While we already talked about two of these three surfaces, the third one seems to be the small part on which the display flexes, and it may be used as a third mini-display showing the most important notifications such as incoming messages. For now, the Samsung device is still a patent, so it’s not clear whether such a design will ever become a reality.

However, from the schematics filed at the USPTO, it looks like a very interesting concept. It would not be the first phone with two displays released by Samsung in the past few years: we are obviously talking about the Galaxy Fold which comes with a 4.6-inch external display and the so-loved foldable screen internally. Not to mention the Samsung W2019 flip phone which featured two displays.

(Via)

Meizu gets new life from Zhuhai Municipal Fund, Jack Wong retains ownership

Earlier today, there were multiple reports which said that Meizu was undergoing management changes after a new round of funding. Now, the Chinese smartphone maker has officially confirmed to us that it has indeed received new funding from the Zhuhai Municipal Fund. However, it adds that there hasn’t been any significant changes in the company’s management.

Meizu store

Jack Wong, founder, and CEO of Meizu will remain the largest shareholder and controller of the company. Zhuhai Fund will get a seat on the company’s board after this investment. Unfortunately, Meizu hasn’t revealed the exact amount invested by the Municipality. But earlier reports gave a figure of more than 100 million yuan, which comes to around US$14.5 million.

It’s no surprise that Meizu is getting this new funding from Zhuhai municipality. The company is based out of Zhuhai and the city has been quite supportive of its technology industry. According to earlier reports, Zhuhai plans to invest around 70 million yuan annually for the next three years in order to expand and strengthen existing as well as emerging industries such as AI, 5G, information security and so on.

Smartisan smartphones are often called innovative, but they are still struggling in this highly competitive market

Also, this isn’t the first case of a municipal fund bailing out a smartphone company. Back in 2017, the Chengdu Municipal Fund invested around US$135 million in the ailing smartphone company, Smartisan. While that did help the company to keep its operations, it’s still struggling. Most of its smartphones were listed as out of stock on various retailers in China in the past few months.

Coming back to Meizu, Alibaba is also an investor in this Zhuhai based company. The Chinese e-commerce giant invested US$590 million in Meizu back in 2015.

 

 

Samsung plans to expand its production in India with $360 million investment

Samsung is said to have got plans in the works to expand its production capacity in India with amn investment of ₹2,500 crore (~$360 million). The Korean giant has plans to set up two new NV.  plants for local manufacturing of cell phone displays and batteries. This new round of speculation comes after the organization introduced the world’s largest mobile factory in India a year ago.Samsung M-series

One of the assembly factories Samsung Display Co will be located in Noida and Samsung is said to have signed an agreement with the state government. The plant will gulp ₹1,500-crore (~$217 million) and is expected to become operational by April next year. Samsung SDI , on its part, will invest about ₹900-1,000 crore (~$130-144 million) in India to set up an assembling factory for production of lithium-ion batteries. Samsung SDI India has likewise finished its administrative filings with the Registrar of Companies (RoC) and expect to conclude the process before India’s general elections.

The products from the two new plants will be provided to both Samsung India as well as other smartphone makers who presently source parts from Samsung.

(source)

Nokia 9 PureView goes on sale in Taiwan, cheaper than in China

HMD Global recently announced the Nokia 9 PureView for the Taiwanese market alongside its upper-midrange sibling, Nokia X71. However, the company didn’t reveal its price tag at its launch last month. Now, the flagship finally went on sale in Taiwan today and starting 2 p.m. local time it is up for grabs on the Taiwanese Nokia official store. So, we finally know its price tag: NT$20,990, that is equivalent to about 4500 Yuan at the actual exchange rate. So, the handset is way more affordable than in Chinese stores, as its listing price in China is 5499 Yuan ($827).

Nokia 9 Pureview

In case you are not from these two countries, 4500 Yuan translates into about €600/$670, while 5499 Yuan is equal to about €732/$816. In each case, Nokia 9 PureView is cheaper than the most powerful Samsung and Huawei phones, but is it worth choosing it instead of other Chinese affordable flagships?

Well, it boils down to your needs. If you want an amazing camera setup that can potentially replace a professional one, then the Nokia 9 Pureview is the right choice for you. The phone is equipped with an impressive penta-camera setup on its rear side, which includes 2x 12 MP RGB sensors and 3x 12 MP B/W sensors, including a TOF camera and Carl Zeiss lens.

The handset shoots photos from each sensor simultaneously and it merges them in order to obtain one final outstanding shot. The setup also enables amazing low-light photography.

Nokia-9-PureView-press-image_

But, if you need the best performance, there are definitely better devices around the same price tag. Indeed, Nokia 9 PureView is equipped with an old-gen Snapdragon 845 chipset, while there are already several Snapdragon 855 and Kirin 980-powered devices for less than €600.

 

 

The display on the phone is impressive with its QHD+ resolution. Some might not like the thick bezels around the screen but it doesn’t have a notch and features 18:9 aspect ratio. The operating system installed is Android One based on Android Pie, while the battery comes with a standard 3340 mAh capacity. For more info, you can check our official launch article.

(Source)

Early Amazon listing confirms Huawei P Smart Z specs, priced at €279

The Huawei P Smart Z is Huawei‘s first phone with a pop-up selfie camera. It is yet to be officially announced but it was listed briefly on Amazon Italy and then taken down later. Thanks to those who saw it, we now have a confirmation of the phone’s specs as well as its retail price.

Huawei P Smart Z Renders by Evleaks

The P Smart Z will have a 6.59-inch display with an FHD+ (2340 x 1080) resolution. The display has curved corners, an aspect ratio of 19.5:9, and a ppi of 391 but there is no mention of Gorilla Glass protection. The phone, which comes in Black, Blue and Green, has pretty thin bezels save for the chin which is a bit thicker.

There is a Kirin 710 processor under the hood and it is paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. It also has a MicroSD card slot that allows you to expand the storage capacity. The mechanical pop-up selfie camera which is the USP of the phone is a 16MP f/2.0 sensor with support for Face Unlock. There is another 16MP f/1.8 sensor on the back and it is paired with a 2MP f/2.4 depth sensor.

Huawei P Smart Z Amazon Price

The Huawei P Smart Z runs Android Pie, has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, and packs a 4,000mAh battery that charges via USB Type-C. It also has an audio jack.

READ MORE: Huawei spent $15.3 billion on R&D last year, comes in top 5

Buy Xiaomi JIMMY JV51 and Xiaomi Roidmi F8 Smart Cordless Vacuum Cleaners at Lowered Prices from GeekBuying [Coupons]

There’s no dearth of smart home devices that not only can handle daunting chores like cleaning, but also enhance your overall lifestyle. On the downside, these devices aren’t necessarily easy on the pocketbook. In a bid to make smart home devices available to those living on a tight budget, GeekBuying has launched a new promotion called ‘New Smart Home Tech.’  As part of this recently kicked-off promo, the Chinese online store will be offering noteworthy discounts on a wide range of smart home devices.


We’ll be checking out the discounts GeekBuying is offering on the Xiaomi JIMMY JV51 Lightweight Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner and Xiaomi Roidmi F8 Smart Cordless Vacuum Cleaner. Aside from that, we’ll even show how you can get additional discounts at the time of checking out.

Xiaomi JIMMY JV51 Lightweight Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner

Powered by the third generation of 100,000-rpm brushless digital motors, the JIMMY JV51 delivers an impressive power of 400W, paired with 115AW suction and motor efficiency of up to 55 percent.

The Xiaomi JIMMY JV51 is designed to eliminate mites and clean up dust effectively without emptying your pocket. It usually retails for $382.21, but you can now buy it for a lowered price of only $184.99 on GeekBuying. You can extend this 52 percent discount by using coupon code DBYWBNRV. The aforesaid coupon helps you save $140 more. In other words, you can reduce the original asking price of the JIMMY JV51 Lightweight Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner to just $179.99 simply by applying the aforesaid coupon before placing your order.

You can visit this link to grab the discount, and use the coupon which will be valid for all EU warehouses. The promo was on the verge of wrapping up at the time of writing.

 

Xiaomi Roidmi F8 Smart Cordless Vacuum Cleaner

The Roidmi F8 features a powerful cyclone dust system. It is backed by a 100,000-rpm digital motor that rotates at a high speed of 1,100 liters per minute in a bid to generate 18,500 Pa suction. As a result, the cordless vacuum cleaner effectively removes dust and other impurities attached to the ground.

While you’d normally end up shelling out $451.99 on the Xiaomi Roidmi F8, GeekBuying is offering its CN version for a reduced price of only $269.99. If this 40 percent discount doesn’t impress you much, all you need to do is to apply coupon code DLLMYKEY at checkout.

The coupon reduces the original asking price of the Roidmi F8 Smart Cordless Vacuum Cleaner to just $251.99 during the check out process. It is worth mentioning here that the coupon will be valid for all EU warehouses and the promo is slated to end shortly. You can click here to grab the discount.

 

Not just sluggish iPhone sales behind Apple’s decline in China

Apple’s smartphone market share in China witnessed steepest decline this year. Apple CEO Tim Cook blamed the weak Chinese economy behind sluggish iPhone sales. Whereas, he missed on some other reasons including the intense competition from domestic brands, longer replacement cycles, and some strategy failures. A new report today unfurls another major reason behind Apple’s decline in China.

According to an iPhone user in China, Apple lacks country-specific content for services like iTunes. He only used App Store, and relied on popular Chinese apps – WeChat for messaging and payments, IQ for video streaming and listens to Music on NetEast Cloud Music. He is still using iPhone 7 because he feels new iPhone models are too expensive in comparison with the features they offer.

apple china services

These are the significant problems faced by every Chinese user. The user prefers a device which can offer localized content with ease. Apple needs to reinvent the whole strategy to conquer markets like China.

Rather than being the “iPhone company”, Apple is now shifting focus on services for lucrative profits. It has become a vital part of Apple’s revenue generation. A refocused approach is today’s need to lure Chinese customers back into the fold. It will not be an easy task for Apple to make services a major revenue stream. Whereas, Ryan Reith, Vice President of IDC “don’t see them ever getting the service advantage that they see certainly in Western markets, ever in China.”

The company needs to invest a lot more time, effort and capital to conquer China’s market. As like of the hardware business, they need to tackle the increasing competition from local services like Wechat, IQ, etc. Ryan Reith said: “The one market in the world where Apple doesn’t have its full ecosystem advantage is China, and that’s because WeChat has basically been able to encompass everything from pay to games to communication to all these different things. It makes the ecosystem advantage that they have in basically every other market… extremely lower on the value chain.”

It’s entirely difficult for the Cupertino giant’s service business to excel in China. The companies like Google, Amazon and Facebook have already failed in the country.

According to a recent IDC report, Apple sales significantly dropped in China on a YoY basis. The company shipments reduced to 36.4 million units in Q1 2019 from 52.2 million units in Q1 2019, a change of over -30.2%.

The Chinese hardware manufacturers like Huawei, Xiaomi and others are already squeezing Apple’s growth. Whereas, its services are also not as par with the expectations of the Chinese users. Various government regulations are increasing Apple’s difficulties to operate at full potential.

However, Apple needs to tailor its services to succeed in the Chinese market.

(source)

Expensive apology: Apple to pay Qualcomm at least $4.5 billion as part of its patent settlement

Just when we had thought the legal battle between Apple and Qualcomm will linger for ages, both companies suddenly announced a settlement has been reached. In its Q2 earnings projection, Qualcomm revealed that it will receive at least $4.5 billion from Apple as part of the settlement agreement between the companies. That’s sort of an apology from Apple and it is one expensive apology.Apple

The Apple/Qualcomm settlement was a surprising move that came right off the boat in the dispute between the two tech giants. As indicated by a report from Bloomberg, Apple had concluded that Intel’s modems (which Apple had been solely utilizing in recent times because of its battle with Qualcomm) wouldn’t be prepared in time for a 5G iPhone, driving Apple to agree to release the sum, total of which lies between $4.5 to $4.7 billion to make up with Qualcomm. This sum is for the settlement alone as Apple will still be required to pay royalties for the use of Qualcomm modem in any of its gadgets, going forward.

Concerning Apple, its billions have purchased the organization a six-year worldwide patent agreement with Qualcomm, with a choice to extend it for an additional two years from that point forward. This effectively seals the legal battles with the chipmaker. That is paramount for Apple, given that with Intel’s withdrawal from the 5G modem market for telephones, Qualcomm is basically the only available option until or except if Apple starts producing its own. This seems to be the reason why Apple opted for an out of court settlement as it definitely has the resources to see the case through to its end.

Read Also: Four Qualcomm infringement suits against Apple dismissed by German court

The sum Apple is doling out as settlement will definitely do nothing to hurt the company considering that Apple is reported to have approximately $225.4 billion of cash available, minus its other assets.

(source)

Apple Watch retains position as number one smartwatch as Q1 2019 shipments grew almost 50% YoY

Apple isn’t in the habit of sharing key metrics about the performance of its products in the market, including the Watch series. However, Counterpoint has shared its evaluations on worldwide smartwatch deals for last quarter. The report indicates Apple Watch saw increasingly noteworthy development, 49% YoY for the March quarter which again made it the main smartwatch by a huge margin.

During the company’s earnings call earlier this week, Apple CEO Tim Cook highlighted some broad features about Apple Watch sales. He hinted that the second quarter of 2019 imprints the best non-holiday quarter ever for Apple Watch. Altogether, Apple’s wearables, home, and accessories class set another March quarter record with $5.1 billion in income. That is up from $3.94 billion in the year-prior quarter.

Counterpoint didn’t share explicit shipment numbers, yet its evaluations show Apple Watch with 49% development YoY for Q1 2019 (Apple’s financial Q2). That helped the organization somewhat increment its driving piece of the overall industry of worldwide smartwatches to 35.8%.

Samsung snatched the second spot in terms of market shares with 11.1% for the quarter. Imoo and Fitbit came in at the third and fourth spots with 9.2% and 5.5% market shares separately.

Read Also: iTeknic BH002 Active Noise Cancelling Headphones Review: A solid and dependable headset

Huami’s Amazfit smartwatch brand completed the top 5 with a 3.9% share of the market, ahead of Huawei, Fossil, Garmin and others.

(source)

Xiaomi launches Empty Valley Automatic Umbrella for 49 Yuan (~$7.28)

Xiaomi launched its Automatic Foldable Umbrella in 2017. Later multiple Umbrellas from Xiaomi chain companies followed with improved features and advancements. Now, the Empty Valley automatic umbrella has been announced. It carries a price tag of 49 Yuan (~$7.28) with the ability to withstand strong winds.

umbrella xiaomi

The new waterproof Umbrella carries three-fold automatic foldable design. It facilitates users with a single-hand – smooth open and close operation. Two people can comfortably accommodate under the Umbrella having 58.5 cm radius, and measuring 62cm in height. It’s easy to carry as it shrinks to just 32 cm in length and 5.8 cm of breadth. It weighs 412 grams and is crafted out of high-density material. The new Umbrella’s durable cloth material keeps the rain at bay and protects from the ultraviolet rays of the sun.

Unlike most umbrellas, the new Event Valley Automatic Umbrella replaces steel with aluminum alloy and high-strength glass fiber. It is specially designed with the eight-bone structure to resist strong winds. A single-click button easily opens the umbrella without any force, whereas users need to exert some pressure while binding it.

umbrella xiaomi

The Event Vallent Automatic Umbrella comes in only black color. Interested users can buy it for ¥49 (~$7.28) from the source link below.

(source )