Xiaomi Redmi 7 with 6.26-inch display, 4,000mAh battery and dual cameras launched for Rs. 7,999 (~$114)

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Apr 24, 2019

Apart from launching the Redmi Y3 smartphone, Xiaomi India also took off covers from the Redmi 7 budget-friendly smartphone. It offers attractive features like a tall aspect ratio display, a large-sized battery, dual rear cameras and more at an affordable price tag of only Rs. 7,999 (~$114).

Xiaomi Redmi 7 Specifications and Features

The Redmi 7 handset features a polycarbonate chassis and it comes in attractive gradient color options. For splash resistance, the smartphone comes with a P2i nano-coating. It is fitted with a 6.26-inch IPS LCD screen with waterdrop notch that produces HD+ resolution of 1520 x 720 pixels. It’s a TUV Rheinland certified handset that can protect the eyes of the users from harmful blue rays emitted from the display. The Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protects the big display of Redmi 7. The handset measures 158.65 x 76.43 x 8.47mm and it weighs 180 grams.

The Snapdragon 632 SoC that fuels the Redmi Y3 smartphone is also present under the hood of the Redmi 7. The SoC of the phone is supported by up to 3 GB of RAM and it features a native storage of 32 GB. The smartphone features a dedicated slot for adding a microSD card. The smartphone boots to MIUI 10 flavored Android 9 Pie OS.

The Redmi 7 has a dual camera setup on its rear. It includes a 12-megapixel primary lens and 2-megapixel depth sensor. The dual rear cameras are coupled with features like dual-tone LED flash, AI portrait mode, AI scene detection and full HD video shooting at 60 fps.Placed on the front is a selfie snapper of 8-megapixel that comes with features such as auto HDR, AI driven features like beauty mode, portrait mode and face unlock.

The rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and face unlock are the two security features of the Redmi 7. For connectivity, the handset offers dual-SIM support, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, microUSB 2.0 and 3.5mm headphone jack.

Read More: Xiaomi Redmi Y3 with 32MP selfie camera, 4,000mAh battery and Rs. 9,999 (~$143) launched in India

Xiaomi Redmi 7 Price and Release Date

There are two variants of the Redmi 7 for India such as 2 GB RAM + 32 GB storage and 3 GB RAM + 32 GB storage. Both models are respectively priced at Rs. 7,999 (~$114) and Rs. 8,999 (~$129). The smartphone can be bought in colors like Lunar Red, Comet Blue and Eclipse Black.

The sales of the Xiaomi Redmi 7 smartphone will kick off from April 29 at 12 PM through Amazon India, Mi.com and Mi Store. Redmi 7 buyers can benefit from double data benefits for up to four years along with Rs. 2,400 cashback through Jio.

What’s your opinion on the specifications and pricing of the Redmi 7 smartphone? Share us your thoughts by posting your comments below.

Xiaomi Redmi Y3 with 32MP selfie camera, 4,000mAh battery and Rs. 9,999 (~$143) launched in India

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Apr 24, 2019

Xiaomi has today introduced the Redmi Y3 selfie-centric smartphone in India alongside the Redmi 7 budget-friendly phone. The major selling points of the Redmi Y3 include the AI powered 32-megapixel camera and its 4,000mAh long-lasting battery. The handset has arrived in India with an enticing starting price of Rs. 9,999 (~$143).

Xiaomi Redmi Y3 Specifications and Features

The Redmi Y3 comes with a gradient colored polycarbonate chassis with P2i nano-coating for splash resistance. The smartphone is fitted with a 6.26-inch display with waterdrop notch. The IPS LCD panel supports an aspect ratio of 19.5:9 and HD+ resolution of 720 x 1520 pixels. The display of the phone is protected by Gorilla Glass 5. The TUV Rheinland certification ensures that the display of Redmi Y3 can effectively filter harmful blue light.The Snapdragon 632 SoC that includes 1.8 GHz octa-core processor is present under the hood of the device. The SoC is supported by up to 4 GB of RAM. The maximum storage available on the Redmi Y3 is of 64 GB. There is a hybrid SIM slot on the device for additional storage. The MIUI 10 based Android 9 Pie OS comes preloaded on the phone.

The front notch is fitted with a 32-megapixel selfie camera with f/2.0 aperture. With 4-in-1 Super Pixel technology onboard, the handset can capture brighter selfie shots in dim light conditions. The AI Beauty 4.0 assists in improving the facial features while shooting selfies. The front camera is assisted by some other features like AI Portrait Selfie, 80-degree group selfies, auto HDR, shake-free selfies with palm shutter, EIS enabled 1080p video shooting and screen flash. The predecessor Redmi Y2 had featured a dedicated LED flash for its front-facing camera. This feature is not available on the Redmi Y3.

The rear side of the smartphone features a dual camera setup that includes a primary sensor of 12-megapixel and a depth sensor of 2-megaipxel. The dual rear cameras are equipped with photography features like dual-LED flash, AI portrait mode scene recognition, Google Lens support and EIS assisted 1080p video recording at 60 fps.

The Xiaomi Redmi Y3 is packed with a big battery of 4,000mAh capacity, but it lacks support for fast charging. The connectivity features that are available on the device are dual-SIM support, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, microUSB 2.0, IR blaster and 3.5mm audio jack. Fingerprint scanner and 360-degree AI face unlock are the security features available on the Redmi Y3 selfie phone.

Read More: Xiaomi Redmi 7 with 6.26-inch display, 4,000mAh battery and dual cameras launched for Rs. 7,999 (~$114)

Xiaomi Redmi Y3 Price and Release

The Redmi Y3 comes in two options in India such as 3 GB RAM + 32 GB storage and 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage. These models are respectively priced at Rs. 9,999 (~$143) and Rs. 11,999 (~$172). The handset can be purchased in gradient color choices such as Elegant Blue, Bold Red and Prime Black.

Amazon India will be carrying out the exclusive sales of the Redmi Y3 smartphone from April 30 at 12 PM in India. The handset will be through Mi.com and Mi Home. Later, it will be also available through offline stores. Airtel users who purchase the Redmi Y3 will be provided with 4G data benefits of 1120 GB along with unlimited calling.

What’s your opinion on the selfie-focused Redmi Y3 smartphone? Share us your views by posting your comments below.

iFixit offers some explanation on why the Galaxy Fold displays were breaking

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Apr 24, 2019

The media was agog recently with reports that the flexible displays on some of the review units of Samsung’s new Galaxy Fold were breaking quite easily. These incidences even prompted Samsung to postpone the release of the Fold globally. The Galaxy Fold botched debut left some wondering what went wrong with the Fold that was billed to be the world’s first commercial foldable phone especially considering the almost $2000 price tag.

The guys at popular teardown website iFixit have offered us some reasons, albeit informed guesses, as to why the Galaxy Fold wasn’t holding up. In a new blog post, Kevin Purdy and other members of the iFixit team examine the known issues that plagued reviewers who did get a chance to use the Samsung Galaxy Fold. The team makes some informed guesses based on more than a decade of examining the internals of devices using similar flexible AMOLED panels.

Summarily, the post hints at the OLED display as being at the heart of the Galaxy Fold’s troubles especially as it doesn’t have a protective layer like a Gorilla Glass on top. OLED displays are said to be very fragile such that even the smallest dust particles can cause problems. The Fold is said to have plenty of areas where dust can easily enter sensitive areas.

In a few cases, the protective film on the OLED was peeled off with the expectation that it was similar to the thin, removable waterproof film that ships with most phones. That damaged the OLED display and it highlights that tough pressure on a relatively unprotected OLED panel is dangerous.

Before the Galaxy Fold release, Samsung had released a highly-publicised mechanical stress test for the Fold where robot folders subjected the folding mechanism to several folds. iFixit is of the opinion that the tests were too mechanical and didn’t properly take into consideration the fact that human use varies. The lack of a dedicated crease line down the middle of the foldable display prevents even folding on a consistent basis, putting even more stress on the OLED panel. That perhaps, explains why in one instance, the OLED had a slight bulge at the area where the crease line was supposed to run. You can read more from the source link below.

(source)

Huawei starts a new campaign that offers smartphone repair service at cheaper price

By

Jeet

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Apr 24, 2019

If you are a user of Huawei’s smartphones, then here are some good news for you. The company has announced a new campaign under which Huawei is offering official screen replacement and motherboard repair service at a cheaper price.

When repairing the smartphones, screen and the motherboard are among the most expensive components. But, if you are damaged any of these two, you can get the phone repaired for cheaper pricing.

Huawei revealed that depending on the smartphone model, the screen replacement will cost 249/299/349/399/499 Yuan while the motherboard repair will cost 399/499/799 Yuan. It seems that the offer is limited to the Chinese market only and will last till 10th June.

In total, about 60 smartphone models are part of this campaign. The image below shows the list of smartphones and pricing for the screen replacement.

The image shown below has a list of smartphone models that fall under the campaign for motherboard repair. Pricing for the same is also mentioned in the image.

The company says that getting the smartphone repaired through the official channels ensures that the parts provided are genuine and users get a team of professionals working on the repair task. Further, the company says that all the units that need to get repaired under this campaign will be sent to the senior team.

Also, the company says that if the repair time is longer than usual, then the company will also provide spare smartphone, ensuring that the user isn’t left hanging. It will also be offering an extra 90-day warranty on the parts replaced.

(Via)

Xiaomi Floor Standing AC with cylindrical design launched in China for 3,499 Yuan ($521)

By

Jeet

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Apr 24, 2019

At a launch event in China, Xiaomi launched six new products, including Xiaomi TV and Xiaomi Mural TV, Mi Weighing Scale, Mi Walking Machine, etc. Along with all these, the company also launched an air conditioner — Xiaomi Floor Standing AC.

As the name itself suggests, the Mi Floor Standing AC comes with a cylindrical design, totally different from the typical split ac that we’ve seen. The company says that it has two cooling capacity, 1100m3/h circulating air volume and is suitable for a room of about 20-32 square meter.

It also supports the swinging motion in all four directions — up and down as well as left and right. The company adds that the AC comes with three-dimensional air supply so that the air can reach the room very quickly at every corner.

The China-based company also says that the ducts and blades in the AC are specially optimized to offer a super quiet experience. It comes with 5100W cooling capacity and 5650W heating capacity. It is rated to offer air supply up to 8 meters long and 2100W ceramic PTC electric auxiliary heat.

Thanks to the built-in IoT chip, the Xiaomi Floor Standing AC also support controlling through the company’s Mi App. Its functions can be automated based on room temperature and humidity.

It comes with a new remote control that is divided into certain sections — screen area, main function area, and auxiliary function area. Different buttons on the remote come with different concave or convex design, making it easier to operate for a blind person.

The Xiaomi Floor Standing AC is priced at 3,499 Yuan in China, which roughly converts to $521. However, for the first sale, the product will be available for 2,999 Yuan, which is roughly about $446. It will be available for reservations from today itself.

(Source)

Get Great Discounts on Ulefone-Branded Phones on Gearbest and Banggood

By

Vinay Patel

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Apr 24, 2019

Manufacturer of top-end smartphones including the Armor 6, which is touted as ‘The World’s Top Indestructible Rugged Phone,’ Ulefone has now teamed-up with Gearbest and Banggood. Thanks to this collaboration, Ulefone fans can grab noteworthy discounts on a slew of mobile devices and accessories.

Ulefone Brand Sale on Gearbest

Gearbest has launched The Ulefone Brand Sale, wherein the Chinese online store is offering up to $100 off on some of the brand’s well-received handsets including the Ulefone X phablet, which normally sells for $213.43.

As part of the promo, Gearbest users can get their hands on the feature-laden phablet for a lowered price of just $149.99. Aside from taking advantage of this noteworthy discount, you can use coupon code GB$MPULEX and reduce the device’s original asking price to just $89.99.

Likewise, you can get a noteworthy $100 off on the Armor 6, which normally carries a $399.99 price tag. Thanks to the aforesaid discount, you can now buy it for a dropped price of just $299.99. Moreover, you can buy Armor 5, Armor 3 and other Ulefone-branded mobile devices at lowered prices.

If you’re looking for cost-effective mobile phone accessories, you can head straight to the ‘Essential Accessories’ section. The category is brimming with all sorts of useful items such as charger cable, automatic lock phone bracket, power banks, etc. You can click here to visit the promotion page to avail of these great discounts.

Get Up To $100 Off on Ulefone Brand Cellphone

Ulefone Brand Week on Banggood

Ulefone’s well-received Armor series comprises top-end handsets like the Armor 6, Armor 5, Armor 3 and more. If you’ve been waiting with bated breath to get their hands on the Ulefone Armor series phones at lowered prices, we got good news for you.

Known for offering the best bang for your buck, Banggood has launched the ‘Ulefone Brand Week,’ giving its loyal users a chance to grab big discounts on a slew of high-end smartphones. Keeping in line with that, you get a $100 off on the Armor 6, which usually sells for $399.99.

In other words, you can buy the feature-rich Armor 6 for a lowered price of just $299.99. On top of that, 100 lucky users can get a free wireless charger with their orders.

Alternatively, you can get a $70 off on the Armor 5, which would normally set you back $249.99 on both online as well as offline stores. Thanks to the aforesaid discount, the device can now be yours if you’re willing to shell out just $179.99. You also get a free gift with your order. Aside from mobile devices, you can get noteworthy discounts on a myriad of mobile phone accessories that have been assigned specific coupons for discounts. For example, the BlitzWolf BW-S6 USB Charger usually retails for $17.53, but you can use coupon code s6wcbw to reduce its retail price to just $8.79.

You can follow this link to check out the promotion page and grab the discounts without wasting time.

Get Up To $100 Off on Ulefone Armor Series

Xiaomi files patent for a phone bearing a weird-looking inverted notch

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Apr 24, 2019

Smartphone notch gained wild popularity in 2017 after the release of the iPhone X. Since then, we have seen various phone display designs with the notch adopting various dimensions, the most common being the waterdrop design. But nothing prepared us for the notch design Xiaomi has just reportedly patented, a smartphone with an awkward inverted notch design.

The sketch released shows the notch is designed in such a way that it extends upwards from the phone just like a centrally placed dual pop-up camera or better still, like an inverted notch. The inverted notch houses the in-ear speaker and dual front camera setup. We can’t fathom exactly why Xiaomi would want to design such a phone but it could be an easy way of trimming the bezels around the display. However, the design doesn’t look like one that will catch on like wildfire more especially as it alters the symmetrical design phones have always maintained. But then, you never know. We may likely not find it anytime soon, though, as patent applications don’t really indicate what a company is planning on the short term.

Xiaomi also filed a patent for a slider design with triple selfie camera sensors. The design looks exactly like that of the Mi Mix 3 except for the triple cameras.

(via)

Honor lost a prototype smartphone and is offering $5600 to whoever returns it

By

Jeet

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Apr 24, 2019

Before a smartphone gets officially announced for the general public, the device typically goes through a series of testing. At one stage, the company lends the pre-production unit of the smartphone to its employees for testing.

Honor, a sub-brand of Chinese giant Huawei, has been doing the same for its upcoming Honor 20 lineup. Now, as per the reports, a testing unit or prototype lent to one of its employees has gone missing in Germany.

The company’s employee in the marketing department, Moritz Scheidl was traveling to Dusseldorf to visit his family over the Easter Holidays. The phone, as per the claims from Scheidl, was tucked away inside his backpack throughout the journey. But as he arrived back home and went to pull out the device to charge it, he realized it was gone.

So, it’s unclear if the smartphone simply fell off or was stolen. Whatever it is, the company is offering a €5000 ($5,611) reward to whoever retrieves the phone. According to the company, the smartphone was covered with a gray protective case that obscures the cameras and the rear design.

As the company announced this development and the rewards, some of the users of social media have started accusing the company of getting involved in cheap publicity stunts ahead of the phone’s launch. However, the company claims that it’s not a publicity stunt.

Honor has already announced that it will be launching its Honor 20 smartphone series on 21st May at a launch event in London. The company is expected to launch three phones — Honor 20, 20 Pro, and Honor 20 Lite. It has already launched the Honor 20i smartphone in the Chinese market.

(Source)

OnePlus 7 Pro price hinted; May cost around 5,000 Yuan (~$745)

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Apr 24, 2019

OnePlus will be holding OnePlus 7 series launch event on May 14 in multiple locations like China, India, the U.K and the U.S. The OnePlus 7 series is speculated to include three smartphones namely, OnePlus 7, OnePlus 7 Pro and OnePlus 7 Pro 5G. Recent reports have revealed that the OnePlus 7 Pro will be the most advanced smartphone from the company. Hence, it is speculated to arrive with a costlier price tag. OnePlus co-founder and CEO Pete Lau has hinted that it could be priced around 5,000 Yuan (~$745).

On Weibo, a user asked whether 5,000 Yuan would be enough to buy the OnePlus 7 Pro. In reply (shown in second image), Lau responded by saying that it would be just enough.

In a recent interview, Pete Lau had shared some vital information on the OnePlus 7 Pro smartphone. He had claimed that it will be arriving with a significant display upgrade and it will be also available in 5G version. He said that compared to predecessor models, OnePlus has made threefold investments on the display this year.

The OnePlus 7 Pro is rumored to house a 6.7-inch S-AMOLED display that is curved towards the left and right edges. It will support quad HD+ resolution of 1440 x 3120 pixels along with a refresh rate of 90 Hz. The major upgrade in the display department suggests that the handset will be introduced in the market with an expensive price tag. Hence, there is a possibility that the OnePlus 7 Pro could be priced around 5,000 Yuan (~$745).

OnePlus 7 Pro Specifications (Rumored)

The Snapdragon 855 mobile platform will be fueling the OnePlus 7 Pro smartphone. It is rumored to release in the market in three variants such as 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage, 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage and 12 GB RAM + 256 GB storage.

Read More: Olixar case renders provide our best look at the OnePlus 7 Pro

The OnePlus 7 Pro is expected to arrive with pop-up selfie camera of 16-megapixel with f/2.0 aperture. The triple camera setup of the smartphone is expected to include a 48-megapixel primary sensor with f/1.6 aperture, OIS and EIS; a telephoto lens of 8-megapixel with f/2.4 aperture that will offer 3x optical zoom and a 117-degree 16-megapixel ultra wide-angle lens. It is likely to feature a 4,000mAh battery that will be equipped with support for 30W Warp Charge fast charging technology. The smartphone also features an in-display fingerprint reader.

(via)

Buy Teclast-Branded Tablets, Laptops and Accessories at Lowered Prices

By

Vinay Patel

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Apr 24, 2019

Touted as one of China’s oldest manufacturers of tablets, Teclast has collaborated with the country’s leading online stores including Gearbest, Banggood, and GeekBuying to launch unmissable sales.

Teclast Fan Festival on Gearbest

Loaded with special offers and fun games, this ‘Teclast Fan Festival’ promotion offers an unmissable chance to buy top-end products from Teclast at lowered prices. For the sake of an instance, the Teclast F15 Notebook that usually retails for $565.07, can now be yours for a reduced price of just $397.99.

The rest of the products including Teclast T10 Tablet PC, Teclast A10S Tablet PC, and more have been added to the rest of the categories i.e. Top Sellers. Tablet PCs, Cellphone Accessories, and Tablet PCs Accessories. You can click here to visit the promotion page and avail the discounts.

Check Out the Teclast Fan Festival on Gearbest

Teclast Fan Festival on Banggood

As part of the ‘Teclast Fan Festival’ promotion, Banggood is giving its loyal users a chance to get their hands on top-end tablets, laptops and a slew of other Teclast-branded items without emptying their pockets.

In a bid to simplify and expedite the search process, the promotion page has been split into multiple categories including Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, Hot Tablets, Top Laptops, and Teclast Style. Each of the aforesaid sections features well-received products carrying lowered prices.

For example, the ‘Hot Tablet’ section includes the Teclast M20 Tablet that would normally set you back 17,593.76 INR but is currently available for an unbeatable price of just 15,461.24 INR. This is a noteworthy 12 percent drop in the device’s original asking price.

Moreover, the promotion page features coupons that can be used to get significant discounts. Aside from that, you can avail a 10 percent discount if you place your order using the Banggood app. You can click here to check out the promotion page and take advantage of the discounts.

Get Over 70% Off, Free Gifts in Banggood Teclast Fan Festival

2019 Teclast Fan Festival on GeekBuying

GeekBuying has launched the ‘2019 Teclast Fan Festival,’ doling out great discounts on new and trendy products from Teclast. All products have been separated into two categories — Trending Items, and Accessories so that users can find exactly what they’re looking for without breaking a sweat.

The ‘Trending Items’ section features the Teclast F15 Laptop, Teclast F6 Pro Notebook, Teclast F6 Laptop and a slew of other items that usually carry steep price tags. Much to the relief of cost-conscious buyers, products included under the aforesaid sections are now available at reduced prices.

For example, the Teclast F6 Pro Notebook usually retails for $680.69 but is currently up for grabs bearing a reduced price of just $419.99. This significant 38 percent discount will be valid for the silver color version of the laptop for a limited period of time.

Similarly, all items added to the ‘Accessories’ category carry noteworthy discounts. You can buy Teclast TL-P10C Type-C USB Cable Charging Data Cable, Tempered Glass Protective Film For Teclast T8 8.4 Inch Tablet PC, Teclast NLU 16GB Mini USB Flash Drive Pen Drive For PC and other useful items without breaking the bank.

You can visit this link to check out the rest of the products available at lowered prices and to place your order before the promotion sale comes to an end.

Check Out 2019 Teclast Fan Festival on GeekBuying

Redmi Snapdragon 855 / 730 Phone with notch-less display spotted with Lu Weibing

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Apr 24, 2019

The Snapdragon 855 SoC powered Meizu 16s smartphone was announced yesterday with a starting price of 3,198 Yuan (~$475). Soon after the launch of the Meizu 16s, Xiaomi Group VP and Redmi General Manager Lu Weibing took to Weibo to say that the Redmi’s Snapdragon 855 powered smartphone is worth waiting for. Also, he was recently spotted with a mysterious Redmi phone that features a notch-less display. It is being speculated that it could be the upcoming Redmi SD855 phone. There is a possibility that it could very well be the Redmi SD730 phone that had recently appeared in leaked images.

A Weibo user had snapped a photo of Lu Weibing at a cinema hall. As it can be seen in the image above, Weibing can be seen holding a mysterious Redmi phone with notch-less display. The smartphone undoubtedly offers higher screen-to-body ratio than the Redmi Note 7 Pro that features a waterdrop-style notched display. This phone seems to be equipped with a pop-up selfie camera.

While the rumor mill is speculating that it could be the Redmi SD855 smartphone, there are chances that it could be the rumored Redmi SD730 phone. The leaked information that had surfaced last week had revealed that the Redmi SD730 smartphone features a notch-less display, a pop-up selfie camera, a 3.5mm audio jack, a 4,000mAh battery and 48-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 13-megapixel triple camera unit. It is advisable to wait for further reports to confirm the identity of the notch-less display phone from Redmi.

Coming back to Redmi SD855 smartphone, Weibing has claimed through Weibo that it will deliver stronger performance, longer battery life, better camera experience and high screen-to-body ratio. Also, he has added that the Redmi SD855 phone will be arriving with a shocking price tag. The base model of the Meizu 16s costs 3,198 Yuan (~$475). The Lenovo Z5 Pro GT is currently the cheapest SD855 phone since it carries a staring price of 2,698 Yuan (~$401).

Read More: Redmi needs to learn a lot from Huawei says Lu Weibing

It is likely that the Redmi SD855 phone could shock smartphone enthusiasts by arriving with a staring price of around 2,000 Yuan (~$297). Rumors have it that the same phone may hit the international markets as Poco F2.

(source 1, 2)

OPPO A9 official images leaked; Arriving with 48MP dual camera and 4,020mAh battery

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Apr 24, 2019

OPPO is reportedly planning to introduce a new A-series smartphone with 48-megapixel dual camera in China. The handset is rumored to hit the Chinese markets with OPPO A9 moniker. Some of the key specs of the phone have surfaced along with its three color variants.

OPPO A9 Leaked Renders

The renders of the OPPO A9 reveal that it will be sporting a rear design that is quite similar to the recently announce OPPO Reno and Reno 10x Zoom smartphones. The rear shell of the phone features a vertical dual camera setup and a fingerprint scanner. On the front is a waterdrop-style notched display. The smartphone is expected to land in China in colors like Ice Jade White, Mica Green and Fluorite Purple.

The dual camera setup of the smartphone is expected to house a 48-megapixel primary sensor. The handset will be packed with a decent battery of 4,020mAh capacity. There is no confirmation on whether the device will be equipped with rapid charging technology.

There is no information available on the processor that will be fueling the OPPO A9. It is speculated that the smartphone will be available in a single version that includes 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of native storage. The ColorOS 6.0 based Android 9 Pie OS will come preloaded on the device. The other specs of the phone are currently under the wraps.

OPPO A9 Could be Rebranded Version of OPPO F11

The Oppo A9 could be a rebranded version of OPPO F11 for the Chinese market. If it is true, the OPPO A9 could be equipped with a 6.53-inch IPS LCD display that produces 1080p resolution and 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The MediaTek Helio P70 SoC will be powering the handset. The other sensor in its dual camera setup could be of 5-megapixel. It may feature a selfie camera of 16-megapixel. The F11 carries support for 20W VOOC 3.0 flash charging. It remains to be seen whether the upcoming A9 phone also carries support for it.

Read More: Oppo Reno, Reno 10X Zoom Edition launching in India by June End

The OPPO A9 may go official in China on April 30. As far as pricing is concerned, the handset may cost around 1,699 Yuan (~$252).

Meizu launches POP 2 earbuds, EP63 Noise Cancelling Headphones and more

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Apr 23, 2019

It has become a tradition for manufacturers to announce a slate of accessories when they unveil a new flagship. Meizu is no different. Alongside the Meizu 16s, it also announced the Meizu POP 2 wireless earbuds, the Meizu EP63 Noise Canceling Headphones, a Hi-Fi DAC, Meizu Urban Backpack, and the J-belt.

Meizu POP 2

The Meizu POP launched on April 22 last year. A year later, Meizu has followed it up with a second-generation model. We reviewed the original, and other than the limited battery life and occasional lags, there were no other issues.

The Meizu POP 2 keeps the design of the original. It comes in white and has a blue halo ring of light on the outside. The case also seems to have remained unchanged. However, Meizu has made some changes on the inside.

The Meizu POP 2 earbuds weigh less at 5.4 grams each. They also have smaller batteries 55mAh as against the original’s 85mAh but even though the battery capacity has been reduced, the battery life has more than doubled. The POP 2 lasts up to 8 hours on a single charge, up from its predecessor’s 3 hours! The POP 2 is able to have a better battery life even with a smaller battery capacity as a result of the switch to Bluetooth 5.0 LE which requires less power than Bluetooth 4.2. One of the advantages of Bluetooth 5.0 is that audio devices also make use of Low Energy.

You don’t only get more battery life from the earbuds but also from the case whose battery capacity has also been cut down by half to 350mAh from 700mAh. Meizu says users will get an additional 16 hours with the case. The case charges via a USB Type-C port but there is no mention of wireless charging support.

The earbuds use a graphene diaphragm for better audio. They can also be used to receive calls and also call up the voice assistant.

The best part of the POP 2 is its price as its launch price is lesser than the original. The POP 2 is priced at ¥399 (~$59), ¥100 (~$15) lesser than the original. It is already available for purchase on the official website, on Tmall, and on JD.com. Those who purchase the Meizu 16s alongside the POP 2 will get ¥50 ($7) off the price of the earbuds.

Meizu EP63NC Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones

The EP63NC is Meizu’s first wireless active noise canceling headphones. It has a neckband design and has a built-in AMS intelligent noise reduction chip. Meizu says it also supports aptX-HD.

The EP63NC has a battery capacity of 175mAh and a playback time of 11 hours. A 15-minute charge will provide up to 3 hours of listening time. The headphones connect via Bluetooth 5.0 and like the POP 2, has an IPX5 rating. It also works with the voice assistant.

The EP63NC Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones comes in black and has a retail price of ¥499 (~$74). It will be available for purchase on May 1 on Meizu’s official website, JD.com, Suning, and Tmall.

Meizu Hi-Fi DAC Headphone Adapter

If you still love wired headphones, Meizu has got something for you too. The Meizu Hi-Fi DAC Headphone Adapter connects to the USB Type-C port of your device and allows you to listen to Hi-Fi audio using your current wired headphones. It has a built-in Cirrus Logic CS43131 DAC for 32bit/384KHz audio. The DAC also has an impedance of up to 600Ω. It weighs just 4 grams and works with Android, Windows, and MacOS.

The Hi-Fi DAC has a price tag of ¥169 (~$25) and will be available on April 28 on the online website and on Tmall. Those who purchase it alongside the Meizu 16s will be able to purchase it for ¥99 (~$15).

Meizu Urban Backpack

Xiaomi makes backpacks, OnePlus makes backpacks, even Honor makes backpacks. Meizu also joined the backpack train back in 2016 and now it is back with a new model.

The new Meizu Urban Backpack has a 650D Oxford fabric on the outside with a water-resistant coating. It comes in gray and black variants with a design that hides all the seams. The interior is made from 100% polyester fiber. There are multiple compartments including dedicated ones for your computer (15.6”) and tablet. There is also a compartment on the outside for your phone or a snack that is hidden from passersby.

The backpack has an ergonomic design with a weight distribution system that removes strain on your spine, spleen, and waist. The shoulders have a mesh design for ventilation and a thickness of 10mm.

The Meizu Urban Backpack weighs 986 grams and measures 43.5 x 32 x 15 centimeters. It is priced at ¥169 (~$25).

J-Belt

The J-belt is the most expensive product after the Meizu 16s itself that Meizu launched today and probably the most ridiculous. It is a knitted belt (mKnit process) inspired/designed by Meizu founder, J. Wong. It is woven from 100% cotton and has a hand-polished stainless steel buckle.

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Samsung might be working on two more foldable smartphones

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Apr 23, 2019

Samsung earlier expressed delight at the level of interest the latest Galaxy Fold is courting, despite a few snags with the display. The response is likely to spur the tech giant to continue to work on new foldable phone designs. According to reports from South Korea, as covered by The Bell, Samsung is working on two more foldable smartphones. The models are code-named “Type G” and “Type S,” and they are reported to be two larger variants of the delayed Galaxy Fold.

The details include that the Type G will reportedly feature an 8-inch display when unfolded and two sides that fold in to form the letter “G.” The Type S reportedly features a larger 13-inch display when unfolded and is somewhat shaped like the letter “S.” The Type S sketch was first spotted back in November 2018 when Samsung filed a patent for it. So we have an idea of what the design will look like as shown in the image above. That of the Type G is unknown.

The report didn’t disclose when the Type G and S will be released but we don’t expect them anytime soon. Samsung may likely not release any other model this year since the Fold is yet to even hit the market. Moreso, with the issues encountered with the Fold, Samsung wouldn’t be in a hurry to push out more foldable phones.

(source)

New Lenovo Gaming laptops with 9th-gen Intel Core i9 processors unveiled

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Apr 23, 2019

Lenovo today held an event in China where it unveiled the flagship Z6 Pro. The company also announced three new gaming laptop models. Lenovo’s PC business has been the aspect sustaining the brand and so, it is no surprise the lineup is getting refreshed. The new Lenovo Legion Y9000K, Y7000P, and Y7000 were all announced and it must be stated that the models were first unveiled at CES 2019but with Core i7 SoC.

Perhaps the most spectacular feature is the latest 9th-gen Intel Core i9 processor they all pack. The 15-inch laptops are also equipped with the new generation of NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards and buyers get to chose between the RTX and GTX. Zhang Hua, vice president of Lenovo Group and general manager of consumer business in Lenovo China disclosed that the Lenovo Legion notebook has three unique features namely; Dual-Direct GFX dual-mode enhanced display, TSI frost blade cooling system, and Fn+Q one-button beast mode. The TSI frost blade cooling system has a heat pipe with a diameter of up to 8mm. This has led to an increase in the heat transfer area by 78% and a reduction in the irregular fan cover noise by 10%.

The Beast mode is activated using the Fn+Q button. The Beast mode, when activated let the fan spin at full-speed in order to quickly dissipate heat from the system. This leads to stabilization of the hardware temperature, ensuring the stability of the game operation. Beast mode also turns off power consumption limits, increases CPU power and clock speed, gains more computing performance, and increases game speed. Furthermore, the laptops feature a full-size keyboard with a white backlight.

There is no word yet on the pricing and availability of the Lenovo Legion Y7000 gaming laptops.

(source)

Meizu 16s arrives with slimmer bezels, better cameras, and a bigger battery

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Apr 23, 2019

The Meizu 16s was unveiled at an event in China today. This is Meizu’s first flagship phone for the year. While it might look like a slight upgrade in terms of design over the Meizu 16th from last year, don’t be deceived. The Meizu 16s is bigger, better and more powerful.

Meizu 16s Design

The 16s was designed by Meizu‘s founder, Jack Wong. The phone has been crafted to fit snugly into your palm as a result of its arc design which curves at an angle of 0.5°. Its ultra-slim body also makes it more comfortable to hold.

The bezels are thinner now with the chin measuring 4.2mm. The 6.2-inch Super AMOLED display which uses a COF bonding technique and has curved corners allows for a screen-to-body ratio of 91.53%. The display has a VDE Blue-light certified protection which blocks up to 33% of harmful blue light. The display also supports DC dimming.

Just like the Meizu 16th, the 16s has an in-display fingerprint scanner supplied by Goodix. Meizu says the fingerprint scanner underwent debugging over 45,000 times and is now 100% faster. It also works better with wet hands and supports AliPay, WeChat Pay, and Google Pay.

Meizu 16s Specs

The Meizu 16s comes with a Snapdragon 855 processor and pairs it with 6GB or 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of UFS 2.1 storage. The 256GB version will be exclusive to China and all variants do not support storage expansion.

The phone has dual rear cameras which occupy a new position on the back. The primary sensor is a 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor with an f/1.7 aperture and 4-axis OIS. As a result of the sensor’s Quad Bayer array, the Meizu 16s can take impressive low-light images. The secondary camera is a 20MP Sony IMX350 sensor with an f/2.6 aperture. There are a bunch of camera features such as Dual Super Night Scene, Portrait Bokeh Mode, and AI scene recognition.

The front camera has also been improved. The 20MP Samsung 3T2 selfie camera which launched this year features the world’s smallest front-facing lens. The Meizu 16s is actually the first phone in the world to use the sensor. It has front-facing HDR+ thanks to Meizu’s multi-frame composition algorithm. It also has Meizu’s ArcSoft algorithm for clean and sharp selfie photos. There is support for face unlock which is pretty fast, unlocking in just 0.2s.

The Snapdragon 855’s Adreno 640 GPU works with Meizu’s Hyper Gaming technology for smooth and lag-free mobile gaming. There is also mEngine 3.0 which provides an immersive gaming experience when playing games like BuildTopia.

Another key upgrade of the Meizu 16s is its bigger battery capacity. The battery capacity has been raised from 3010mAh in the Meizu 16th to 3600mAh. That increase in battery capacity results in a slight increase in the phone’s thickness from 7.3mm to 7.6mm. Even at that, the Meizu 16s is still thinner than the Galaxy S10 and the Xiaomi Mi 9 which pack smaller batteries.

The Meizu 16s has NFC with payment support. It also has stereo speakers for surround sound audio.

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The Meizu 16s comes in three colors. You can choose the classy Carbon Black variant which has a carbon fiber texture under its nano-scale coating, or the Pearl White variant that has a plasma polish finish. There is also the Phantom Blue variant which is inspired by the Strait of Mozambique.

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Confirmed: OnePlus 7 Pro will officially launch on May 14

By

Joel Joseph

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Apr 23, 2019

After a couple of days of teasers, OnePlus has officially confirmed that its new flagship model, the OnePlus 7 Pro will meet us on May 14. The company has already started to send out media invites for the event to be held in London, New York, Bangalore, and Beijing. It’s interesting to note that the first three cities have events running almost simultaneously, with the Bangalore event getting a 15-minute head start. However, Chinese users will have to wait for a couple of days more, as the Beijing event is on May 16.

The schedule of events is as follows:

London, United Kingdom
Time: 4 PM BST, May 14
New York, United States
Time: 11 AM EDT, May 14
Bengaluru, India
Time: 8:15 PM IST, May 14
Beijing, China
Time: 2 PM CST, May 16

As usual, OnePlus will be selling tickets to the launch events worldwide. Sales for the Early Bird tickets in Europe is already underway (£16), while for the New York City Launch Event, the Early Bird ticket sales ($20) kick off on April 25. We have seen these tickets sell off within hours, so if you are interested, make sure to hurry up with your purchase. After the Early Bird tickets are sold out, you will have to choose between a Standard and Plus One ticket. As for the India OnePlus event, the company is yet to reveal when the ticket sales kick off. Pricing is mentioned as Rs. 999 on the official website.

RELATED: OnePlus 7, 7 Pro massive leak reveals variants and display, camera, battery details

OnePlus notes that attendees of the event will be among the first to experience their latest devices and a range of interactive activities and demo areas. Not to mention the usual goodies that they give out to everyone at the event.

The launch event will be live streamed via YouTube and its social media channels.

This year OnePlus is expected to announce at least two different models in the OnePlus 7 series. There’s a Pro version with a Quad HD+ display and 90Hz refresh rate, a pop-up camera, and advanced internals to take on the big players in the market like the Huawei P30 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus.

OnePlus has been edging close to breaking the affordability barrier in the past few years. It’s clear that the ‘Pro’ version will be way more expensive than any OnePlus model released in the market. For those looking for something more affordable, there should be the OnePlus 7 standard edition with slightly inferior internals.

Expect more details in the coming weeks.

Leak confirms Nubia Red Magic 3 will have a 90Hz display and a built-in fan

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Apr 23, 2019

The Red Magic 3 is an upcoming gaming smartphone from Nubia. The phone will take on the Black Shark 2 gaming phone and a new leak confirms a feature that puts it ahead of the Black Shark 2.

There have been reports the Red Magic 3 will have a display with a high refresh rate. A leak has revealed that Nubia’s upcoming gaming phone has a 90Hz display. Most phones have a refresh rate of 60Hz, so this is a big deal.

Roland Quandt took to Twitter to share a screenshot from the phone which shows a dialog box that allows you to set the screen’s refresh rate. There are three options – auto, 60FPS, and 90FPS. This is proof that the phone will have a 90Hz display.

Here's a screenshot from the (Nubia) Red Magic "3".
Two things to note:
1) 90Hz screen.
2) There really is a real rotating fan _inside_ the device, which you can hear once turned on.

Will indeed launch on April 28 in China, available worldwide some time in May, I hear. pic.twitter.com/j0MHwnRPxM

— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) April 23, 2019

The good thing is that you will be able to set it to 60FPS, 90FPS or auto which means the phone will automatically switch between 60FPS and 90FPS depending on the app in use. However, that isn’t the only thing the screenshot actually reveals.

If you look at the backdrop for the dialog box, you can see the menu options for the Game Center. The screen refresh rate settings is under the “Basic” menu but before it, is another menu that says “Fan”.

Back in March, a Nubia patent was published and it revealed the manufacturer had designed a phone with a built-in fan. Nubia’s CEO also revealed towards the end of March that the Red Magic 3 will have a hybrid cooling system that combines liquid and air cooling.

Seeing as the image above shows there is a menu for a fan, it means the Red Magic 3 will indeed feature a built-in cooling fan just like a computer. Roland Quandt adds in his tweet that the fan of the Red Magic 3 can be heard spinning when turned on.

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Oppo Reno, Reno 10X Zoom Edition launching in India by June End

By

Simranpal Singh

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Apr 23, 2019

After launching the new Oppo Reno series in China, now the company is aiming to expand its availability across other countries. According to a report from 91mobiles, Oppo Reno and Oppo Reno 10X Zoom Edition are surfacing in India by June end.

The pricing and exact launch details of both the device in India are still missing. Reno is Oppo’s sub-brand as like of Redmi to Xiaomi. Both the Oppo Reno and Reno 10X Zoom edition are the maiden devices of Reno brand, and currently retailing in China for the starting price of 2999 Yuan (~$447). However, they will be launching Oppo Reno in Europe on April 24 for the expected starting price of EUR 499 and EUR 779 for 10X Zoom Edition.

The Oppo Renox Zoom Edition features a 6.6 inch OLED notch-less full HD+ display. The device is powered by Snapdragon 855 SoC and is available in different storage variants: 6GB RAM + 128GB storage, 6GB RAM + 256GB storage and 8GB RAM + 256GB. There’s an in-screen fingerprint sensor, 4065 mAh battery with VOOC fast charging and runs on Android 9.0 Pie.

A triple camera module featuring a 48 megapixel, 13 megapixel and an 8-megapixel camera is present on teh rear side with 10x hybrid zoom. On the front, a 16-megapixel sensor is present for selfies.

On the other hand, Oppo Reno is powered by Snapdragon 710 processor, 6.4-inch display, a dual camera with 48-megapixel + 5-megapixel sensors and 3764 mAh battery.

(via)

The Best Home Appliances You Can Buy at Lowered Prices

By

Vinay Patel

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Apr 23, 2019

It is imperative to ensure a safe, clean and tidy environment, especially where are kids in the house. While the market is rife with all sorts of smart home appliances that can handle this daunting task, these devices aren’t easy on the pocketbook.

If you’ve restlessly been waiting for smart home devices prices to drop, now’s the time. In collaboration with JIMMY and Xiaoda, Chinese online store Gearbest is offering the VW302 – 1 Cordless Window Glass Vacuum Cleaner and Household Induction Water Economizer at reduced prices.

JIMMY VW302 – 1 Cordless Window Glass Vacuum Cleaner

Made using a high-quality plastic material, the JIMMY VW302-1 is a powerful, yet lightweight vacuum cleaner that can be used to clean windows thoroughly. It is backed by a robust 2000mAh battery that delivers over 20 minutes of battery life after a full charge.

The feature-rich JIMMY VW302 – 1 would normally set you back $60.32, but Gearbest users can now buy it for a dropped price of just $53.99. This 10 percent discount will be valid for 100 white-tinted pieces before the promo ends in ten days.

You can follow this link to avail the discount and check out more details about the JIMMY VW302 – 1 Cordless Window Glass Vacuum Cleaner.

Get 10% Off on JIMMY VW302 – 1 Cordless Window Glass Vacuum Cleaner

Xiaoda Household Induction Water Economizer

When you wash dishes, vegetables or fruits, it is hard to avoid bacteria or greasiness and that’s exactly where the Xiaoda Household Induction Water Economizer comes into the picture. The device employs infrared sensors in a bid to avoid cross-infection and the need to turn the faucet on and off manually.

The Xiaoda Household Induction Water Economizer usually retails for $23.69, but you can now buy this highly advantageous product for a reduced price of just $21.99 on Gearbest. This is a noteworthy 7 percent reduction in the device’s original asking price.

With just 200 pieces remaining, this promo is slated to end in just two days. Note that the discount is specifically valid for the white color version of the Xiaoda Household Induction Water Economizer. You can follow this link to grab the discount.

Get 7% Off on Xiaoda Household Induction Water Economizer