Google confirms that it is working on foldable smartphone prototypes

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May 8, 2019

Samsung and Huawei have announced their foldable smartphones and Samsung’s phone was about to go on sale but the launch was delayed because of issues related to the phone’s display. However, this is not stopping from other brands to jump on the foldable smartphones bandwagon.

Ahead of its Google I/O 2019 developers conference where the company launched the Google Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL smartphone, Mario Quieroz, Pixel division head said in an interview to CNET that the company has been working with foldable smartphone prototypes from quite some time.

Samsung Galaxy Fold Three-App Multitasking — Samsung Galaxy Fold foldable smartphone

He said, “We’re definitely prototyping the technology. We’ve been doing it for a long time.” However, he also added that “I don’t think there’s a clear use case yet.” Google hinted that it is considering this technology when it announced that Android would natively support foldable smartphones.

Currenltly, there’s no information available about how far Google has gone into prototyping this foldable smartphone and how the phone operates the opening and closing mechanism. Apart from the fact the Google is working on a prototype, nothing is known about this smartphone at this time.

But don’t expect to see a Pixel series foldable smartphone anytime soon. Mario Quieroz said that “We’re prototyping foldable displays and many other new hardware technologies, and have no related product announcements to make at this time.”

Also, it makes sense for Google to wait and see if anyone makes a working foldable smartphone and if it’s popular enough for the company to invest for the commercial production. Currently, foldable smartphones aren’t cheap, with starting price of $2,000, so it remains to be seen how the market reacts to this new form factor of smartphones.

According to a report from Gartner published last month, foldable smartphone sales will reach 30 million units, accounting for 5 percent of the high-end phone market by 2023. It also adds that they will likely be considered a luxury item for years.

(Source)

Lenovo to launch a new phone on May 22; Could it be Lenovo Z6 or K6 Note (2019)?

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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May 8, 2019

In December 2018, Lenovo had launched the Lenovo Z5 Pro GT as the world’s first Snapdragon 855 SoC powered phone. In April, it had debuted the Lenovo Z6 Pro as its second phone fueled by the same chipset. Today, Lenovo Group VP Chang Cheng has confirmed that the company will be holding a launch event on May 22 to announce a new smartphone. There is a possibility that it may unveil the Lenovo Z6 or K6 Note (2019) smartphone.

Cheng’s latest Weibo post reads “See you on May 22” which suggests that Lenovo will be holding a launch event on the said date. In the comments section of the same post, Cheng has confirmed multiple times that the company will be unleashing a new phone. Also, it appears that it will be a non-gaming phone.

Now that Lenovo has already launch a flagship phone, it could be gearing up to announce budget-friendly smartphones. Recent reports have revealed information about two Lenovo smartphones. The first one is L38111 Lenovo phone that has been approved by TENAA. Its TENAA listing carries its full specifications along with its images. It is speculated that this phone could be arriving in the market as Lenovo K6 Note (2019).

The other phone that is expected to go official on May 22 is Lenovo 78121 that was recently spotted on 3C certification site. The 3C listing only confirmed that it will be arriving with support for 18W rapid charging. Lenovo’s Z-series phones from last year have model numbers starting with “L78.” Hence, it is believed that the L78121 could be an upcoming Z-series phone with mid-range specs. Probably, it could be Lenovo Z6 smartphone. It will be arriving as a successor for the Snapdragon 636 powered Lenovo Z5 from 2018 that is equipped with 15W fast charging.

The purported Lenovo K6 Note (2019) will be arriving with a 6.3-inch IPS LCD panel with waterdrop notch. It will offer full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels. The smartphone will be fueled by 2.2 GHz octa-core processor and it will be running on the latest Android 9 Pie OS. A 3,930mAh (minimum capacity) battery is present the smartphone.

Read More: Lenovo Z6 Pro supports just 18W fast charging but comes with 27W charger

For photography, the L38111 phone features 16-megapixel dual camera and a front-facing snapper of 8-megapixel. The other features of the smartphone include up to 6 GB of RAM, maximum native storage of 128 GB, microSD card slot and rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.

Lenovo is known for announcing multiple phones through its launch event. Hence, there is a possibility that both phones may go official through the May 22 event.

(source)

Get Great Discounts on Xiaomi-Branded Earphones on GearVita [Coupons]

By

Vinay Patel

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May 8, 2019

If you’ve restlessly been waiting to get your hands on Xiaomi-branded earphones without breaking the bank, we got good news for you.

GearVita is currently doling out noteworthy discounts on a slew of well-received earphones from the Chinese electronics giant. We will shed light on the aforesaid discounts and show how you can save more money at checkout.

Xiaomi Redmi AirDots TWS Bluetooth 5.0 Earphones

Touted as true wireless earphones, the Redmi AirDots eliminates the need for connection between the left and right headphones without degrading your overall listening experience. Equipped with three earplug models, the headset weighs in at just 4.1 gram.

While the market is brimming with steeply priced Bluetooth earphones that offer comparable features, the Xiaomi Redmi AirDots has gone up for sale bearing a dropped price tag of just $28.99 on GearVita. Note that it usually retails for $45.99.

You can extend this 37 percent discount simply by applying coupon code RSaITRD at the time of checking out. The coupon helps you save $6 more by reducing the retail price of the Redmi AirDots to just $22.99. You can follow this link to grab this discount and use the coupon.

Buy Xiaomi Redmi AirDots TWS Bluetooth 5.0 Earphones, Coupon Code RSaITRD

Xiaomi AirDots Bluetooth Headset

The AirDots boasts an impressive array of features that makes it an irresistible Bluetooth headset. It delivers superior sound output, coupled with unparalleled user experience. It automatically boots and pairs with devices that were previously connected when taken out of the charging box.

In order to and disconnect and switch it off automatically, all you need to do is to place it back charging box. The earphones feature touch panels on both sides so that you can effortlessly answer or reject calls, pause playing, etc.

The feature-laden Xiaomi AirDots surprisingly sets you back $57.99 on GearVita. If you aren’t willing to shell out that kind of money on a Bluetooth headset, you can apply coupon code RAXMairdots and get an extra $28.20 off before placing your order.

In other words, you can bring the original asking price of the Xiaomi AirDots down to just $29.79 simply by applying the aforesaid coupon. You can follow this link to check out more details about the Bluetooth headset and use the coupon for a significant discount.

Buy Xiaomi AirDots Bluetooth Headset, Coupon Code RAXMairdots

Xiaomi Mi Airdots Pro TWS Bluetooth Wireless Earphones

The Mi Airdots Pro employs the left and right split true wireless design that gives you freedom from hassles of wire. It uses acoustic cool tech including a 7mm neodymium iron boron magnetic, titanium plated diaphragm dynamic ring speaker unit and tri-band balance.

The Xiaomi Mi Airdots Pro usually retails for $91.99 on both online as well as offline stores, but you can buy it for a lowered price on GearVita. You can use coupon code GVAIRPro to grab $37 off during the checkout process and reduce your grand total to just $54.99.

You can visit this link to check out more details about the Xiaomi Mi Airdots Pro TWS Bluetooth Wireless Earphones and apply the coupon, which is likely to lapse soon.

Buy Xiaomi Mi Airdots Pro TWS Bluetooth Wireless Earphones, Coupon Code GVAIRPro

Xiaomi Hybrid Dual Drivers Earphones (QTEJ03JY)

The Xiaomi Hybrid Dual Drivers Earphones uses hybrid technology that combines dynamic driver and balanced-armature driver. While the balanced-armature manages the high-frequency audio, the dynamic driver handles low-frequency audio for a superior 3D surround effect.While the Xiaomi Hybrid Dual Drivers Earphones usually carries a $20.99 price sticker, you can get your hands on it for a reduced price from GearVita. In order to save $5, you can apply coupon code ROHybrid2 at the time of checking out. The aforesaid coupon reduces the original selling price of the earphones to only $15.99.

You can visit this link to take advantage of the coupon before it expires.

Buy Xiaomi Hybrid Dual Drivers Earphones(QTEJ03JY), Coupon Code ROHybrid2

Redmi Snapdragon 855 flagship phone coming with in-screen fingerprint reader and amazing battery life

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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May 8, 2019

Redmi will be soon announcing its flagship phone. However, it is yet to declare its launch date. Redmi General Manager Lu Weibing has refuted rumors that the company’s flagship phone won’t be called Redmi X and it will be arriving with a better name. Since then, the rumor mill has claimed that it could be called Redmi K20 Pro or P20 Pro or X20 Pro. While the real moniker is still under the wraps, Lu Weibing is busy teasing on its features. Today, he released a new screenshot of the Redmi flagship phone to confirm that it will be arriving with an in-screen fingerprint reader.

The Weibo post that carries the following image reads that Weibing is satisfied by the battery life of the Redmi flagship phone. He added that the battery performance of the smartphone has exceeded his expectations. The screenshot also reveals that the handset will be arriving with an in-display fingerprint scanner.

Recent leaks have revealed that the Redmi flagship phone that will be fueled by Snapdragon 855 mobile platform will be featuring a 6.39-inch AMOLED display. The smartphone could be packed with a 4,000mAh battery that may carry support for 27W rapid charging.

The Redmi flagship phone could be featuring a notch-less display phone with a pop-up selfie camera. It may come with a front camera of 20-megapixel. Its rear panel may house a triple camera setup that may include a Sony IMX586 48-megapixel primary lens and a super-wide angle lens. The other rumored features of the smartphone include 256 GB of native storage, NFC and 3.5mm audio jack.

Read More: Xiaomi sends the Redmi Note 7 in space to Capture the Earth

Redmi has at least two major phones waiting in pipeline to go official. Apart from launching the Redmi SD855 flagship phone, the Chinese firm is also rumored to be working on a Snapdragon 730 SoC powered smartphone. It is speculated that it could be a less powerful edition of the Redmi SD855 smartphone. Realme will be debuting the Realme X phone with notch-less display and pop-up selfie shooter on May 15. It is speculated to be powered by the SD730 SoC and it is expected to rival with Redmi’s SD730 smartphone. Some reports have claimed that Redmi may hold a launch event on May 13 or May 20 to announce its flagship smartphone.

(source)

Alleged Moto E6 renders leak showing the front and rear designs

By

Jed John Ikoba

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May 8, 2019

The Moto E6 series is expected to be launched as a successor to the Moto E5 from last year. The Moto E series is filled with budget models and the Moto E6 isn’t going to be an exception. The renders of the Moto E6 has now been shared by 91 Mobiles which claimed to have had an exclusive look at the renders.

The render shows the next-gen E series phone won’t have the camera hump that has been a regular on previous models over the past few years. The device is also shown to pack a single rear camera placed at the top-right corner, with LED flash placed just below. Although the device is expected to have an 18:9 aspect ratio display, the renders show the device will have thick bezels around the display. The bezels even appear to be thicker than those of the Moto E5.

The device misses out on the fingerprint sensor and even appears to come with a removable plastic back. Since there is no SIM tray cutout, the SIM card and MicroSD cards will likely be loaded through the back panel and as such, the battery will also be removable. The device packs its volume rockers and power buttons on the right side of the display while there is a 3.5mm headphone jack at the top edge.

The Moto E6 is expected to be powered by a Snapdragon 430 SoC. The chipset may be paired with 2GB of RAM while there will be 16GB and 32GB storage options, both expandable. The device will also sport a 5.45-inch HD+ display, a 13MP f/2.0 SK53L6 rear camera and a 5MP f/2.0 S5K5E9 selfie camera. It will also launch with Android 9 Pie. There’s no word yet on when the E6 will be launched.

(source)

Pilot Era: World’s first all-in-one 8K 360 Camera now on Indiegogo offering huge discounts

By

Jed John Ikoba

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May 7, 2019

Pi-Soft Tech, a start-up founded in 2012 by some alumni of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology has taken the wraps off its latest product dubbed Pilot Era. The product, which is described as the “world’s first true all-in-one 360º VR camera”, is presently hosted on Indiegogo for only $1799. This price only applies to the first 50 units within the next 24 hours and then the price will berth at $1999. In addition, early signup earns you a chance to get up to $800 super early bird discount from the MSRP!

The Pilot Era camera showcases a number of “world’s first” breakthroughs that promise to change the world of VR and content creation, bringing it closer to the mainstream. The gadget is a professional 8K 360° VR camera like a smartphone with four cameras. The design also includes a high-definition touch screen, user-friendly Android-based operating system and powerful 8K video in-camera stitching. The company promises to push regular OTA updates and improvements to the Camera software.

Talking of the camera software, there is a supporting Pilot Go mobile App which brings ease to the use of the camera. It can even get better as you can use the Pilot Era as an all-in-one standalone device without your phone or computer, including performing tasks such as stitching, previewing, publishing, and adjusting settings. The photos stitch themselves automatically as they are captured.

Pilot Era uses top-class hardware and carefully optimized in-camera stitching algorithms, the four F2.28 fisheye lenses with V122° H185° D185° and Sony sensors can capture every detail. Other settings such as HDR, ISO, EV, WB and others meet all the needs for professionals. The camera weighs just 690 g and packs 512GB storage which can take over 6.5 hours of 8K videos or 26,000 panoramic photos. You also get a removable 7200mAh battery on the device which can shoot up to 8 hours of 8K video. This is the biggest battery life we have seen in any professional and camera capability.

The device is presently on sale on Indiegogo. You can check out the product page from the source link below.

(source)

Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL brings the Pixel 3’s camera game at a cheaper price

By

Habeeb Onawole

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May 7, 2019

After months of leaks, the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL are now official. Both devices are less-powerful versions of the Pixel 3 but their selling point is their incredible camera, which is the same as that of their more powerful siblings.

We have already run through the specs in the past few weeks, so we will just rush through some key ones. Both phones have OLED displays with Asahi’s Dragontrail glass protection, Snapdragon 670 processors, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Nope, no 128GB version. The 3a has a 3000mAh battery while the 3a XL has a 3700mAh. There is support for 18W fast charging and USB Power Delivery 2.0.

The Pixel 3a duo both have a 12.2MP Sony IMX363 primary rear camera and an 8MP f/2.0 selfie camera. All the camera features you love on the Pixel 3 such as Night Sight, Top Shot, HDR+, and Super Res Zoom are present on both devices. There is unlimited photo backup to Google Photos but in high quality and not original quality.

Unlike the Pixel 3 duo, the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL have an audio jack. They also support USB-C audio. There is a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, stereo speakers, and Active Edge.

Continue

[Updated] Google announces Android Q; Realme 3 Pro, Mi 9 among devices getting beta 3

By

Habeeb Onawole

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May 7, 2019

[Update: OnePlus 6 and OnePlus 7 series added. Essential has released an app to allow users to easily get the Android Q beta via OTA]

Google I/O 2019 kicked off today. There were lots of announcements regarding new projects Google has been working on but one of the highlights of the event was the official announcement of Android Q. Google listed some of the new features coming to the 10th version of Android and also announced partner devices that will be able to run a beta version before the stable version is released.

First, let us run through some of the features Android Q will bring to Android devices:

Dark Theme

This a feature Android users have wanted for ages. Google has confirmed that Android Q will bring a dark mode to Android phones. The feature, when activated, should be easy on the eyes and also help conserve battery, especially on phones with AMOLED screens. Google says users will also be able to configure it to turn on at dusk and also turn on when battery saver mode is activated.

Hello Dark Theme, our new friend. Launching in #AndroidQ, lighting up less pixels means saving more battery life. #io19 pic.twitter.com/2hPQEz5twG

— Google (@Google) May 7, 2019

Focus Mode

Last year, Google introduced Digital Wellbeing to help us use our phones less. This year, it will bring Focus Mode. This new feature will allow you to select which apps should be active while the rest are disabled. This should allow you to focus on what you want to do. When you are done, you can resume all other apps. Focus mode will be available on Android Pie and Android Q devices this fall under the Digital Wellbeing app.

Time for a time out? With Focus Mode, you can get things done distraction free by selecting the apps you want to stay active and pausing everything else you don't. #io19 pic.twitter.com/Pq74lnsUU3

— Google (@Google) May 7, 2019

Family Link (Parental Controls)

Android Q will let parents have more control over their children’s phones. You will be able to review apps, monitor app usage, and set a time limit for specific apps. Kids will also be able to ask their guardians for extensions when using their phone which can be granted or denied.

Starting with #AndroidQ, we're bringing Family Link to every @android device so that parents can set app-specific time limits, helping kids and families find a better balance with technology → https://t.co/L8M4fQYGMY #io19 pic.twitter.com/PNwlupu3I8

— Google (@Google) May 7, 2019

Security

Google says Android security updates will arrive faster now. The plan is to update important parts of the OS in the background a way similar to how they update apps. Users will be able to update these important parts of the OS (12 for now) via the Play Store. Called Project Mainline, phone owners will not need to wait for their manufacturers to roll out security updates anymore. Main OS updates will still be handled by the manufacturer.

Improved security for low-end devices

Entry level devices running Android Q will now support encryption, providing more security for them.

These are just a few of the new features coming to Android Q. You can read Google’s blog post which explains all the exciting features the new version of Android is bringing.

Android Q Beta 3 devices

This year, Google is partnering with more OEMs to run a beta version of Android Q. Below is the list of devices (excluding the Pixels) getting Android Q Beta 3:

Continue

What does the Honor 20 Pro actually look like? These alleged promo images makes it more confusing

By

Habeeb Onawole

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May 7, 2019

Following today’s Honor 20 Pro camera leak, things got confusing with respect to the phone’s design. Compared to the leaked renders from the past few weeks, the design of the phone in today’s camera leak is quite different. Now a bunch of alleged promotional images have surfaced online and they too show a different design. Which leads us to ask “What does the Honor 20 Pro really look like?”.

The short answer is we won’t know until the launch on May 21. Or if we are lucky, a hands-on video might surface before the launch. Nevertheless, while we debate which design is genuine, let’s take a look at these promotional images.

Starting with the front of the phone which two of the renders show, the Honor 20 Pro doesn’t have a notch or punch hole for the front-facing camera. It is practically all screen save for the slightly thicker lower bezel. What this means is that the Honor 20 Pro has a pop-up selfie camera, one that isn’t shown in any of these promotional images.

Coming to the rear which is the part that differs from the other images we have seen, the Honor 20 Pro is shown with a quad camera setup. There is no square-shaped periscope zoom lens as seen in the leaked renders. However, only three of the sensors are housed together. The fourth doesn’t flank the camera housing on the right but sits right underneath just like the Lenovo Z6 Pro. What actually flanks the sensors is the LED flash and laser focus module.

[envira-gallery id=”251985″]

The promo images show the device in red, pale purple, ice blue, gradient neon pink, and acid green. Some of these colors are pretty unusual which makes us doubt the authenticity of these images. Not only that, the LED flash on the renders take on the color of the phone which is not only unusual but doesn’t make any sense.

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Redmi Note 6 Pro gets stable Android Pie update

By

Habeeb Onawole

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May 7, 2019

The Redmi Note 6 Pro might as well be one of the least popular devices in the Redmi series. While it launched with a new design (notched display) and upgraded cameras (an extra selfie camera, larger apertures), the fact that it retained the processor of its predecessor – the Redmi Note 5 Pro, made it uninteresting to a lot of fans of the series. A new update is rolling out to the phone now and it brings Android Pie.

The phone, which launched in November 2018, ran Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box with a planned upgrade to Android Pie in the future. The new MIUI 10.3.2 update rolling out brings the latest version of Android to the phone.

The update for the Redmi Note 6 Pro is 1.7GB in size. The changelog doesn’t actually say it brings Android Pie but the Android version changes after the update. What the changelog says are that the system performance has been optimized and system security and stability have been improved. You can wait for the update to arrive on your phone or you can manually download it from here.

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ZTE Axon 10 Pro vs Xiaomi Mi 9 vs Honor V20: Specs Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

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May 7, 2019

A few months after the official announced, ZTE finally launched the Axon 10 Pro in the Chinese market alongside its 5G variant which represents its first 5G-enabled device. But for people who do not mind about having the latest connectivity standards, the vanilla ZTE’s flagship is a very nice way to save a lot of money while getting a true flagship. That is why we define it as mandatory to compare it with the other affordable flagships of the moment. So we decided to bring the main flagships from Xiaomi and Huawei’s sub-brand focused on affordable phones: the Mi 9 and the Honor V20, also known in Europe as Honor View 20.

ZTE Axon 10 Pro vs Xiaomi Mi 9 vs Huawei Honor V20

	ZTE Axon 10 Pro	Huawei Honor V20	Xiaomi Mi 9
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	159.2 x 73.4 x 7.9 mm	156.9 x 75.4 x 8.1 mm, 180 g	157.5 x 74.7 x 7.6 mm, 173 g
DISPLAY	6.47 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), AMOLED	6.4 inches, 1080 x 2310p (Full HD+), IPS LCD	6.39 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), Super AMOLED
PROCESSOR	Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, octa-core 2.8 GHz	Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 980, octa-core 2.6 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, octa-core 2.8 GHz
MEMORY	6 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD slot	6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB	6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 8 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB
SOFTWARE	Android 9 Pie	Android 9 Pie, Magic UI	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/ax, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
CAMERA	Triple 48 + 20 + 8 MP, f/1.8 20 MP front camera	Dual 48 MP + TOF 3D Camera 25 MP f/2.0 front camera	Triple 48 + 16 + 12 MP f/1.8 and f/2.2 and f/2.2 20 MP f/2.0 front camera
BATTERY	4000 mAh, fast charging with Quick Charge 4+, wireless charging	4000 mAh, fast charging 22.5W	3300 mAh, fast charging 27W, wireless charging
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Hybrid Dual SIM slot	Dual SIM slot	Dual SIM slot

Design

Despite being a sub-brand focused on affordable alternatives to Huawei devices, Honor launched the V20 with a very innovative and futuristic design. It is the first device from the company to sport a punch-hole display, and not even the P30 series adopts such a solution in order to get rid of bezels! Further, the back side comes with a stunning reflective back which creates different V-shaped light waves depending on the viewing angle. So the Honor V20 deserves the design award. But on the other hand, ZTE Axon 10 Pro has a waterproof body, so its build quality is definitely more interesting.

Display

While Honor V20 is the most attractive device if we talk about aesthetics, it is definitely not the best choice when it comes to displays. Indeed, even though it sports Huawei’s first punch-hole display, it is equipped with a classic midrange IPS panel. Both the ZTE Axon 10 Pro and the Xiaomi Mi 9 come with high-end AMOLED displays and with an in-display fingerprint reader. And they provide a similar quality with outstanding color reproduction and a Full HD+ technology. ZTE advertises the Axon 10 Pro as the smartphone with the world’s thinnest chin (lower bezel), and it has a slightly wider panel than Mi 9.

Hardware/Software

Given that the Honor V20 is powered by a lower-end Kirin 980 chipset, ZTE Axon 10 Pro and Xiaomi Mi 9 are slightly superior in the hardware & performance department, as they are equipped with a Snapdragon 855. While ZTE’s flagship comes with max 6 GB of RAM, Xiaomi Mi 9 has a variant with 8 GB of RAM, so it can provide better multitasking performances. On the other hand, ZTE Axon 10 Pro features expandable storage, while Xiaomi Mi 9 does not. ZTE Axon 10 Pro provides a stock Android experience, while Xiaomi Mi 9 and Honor View 20 have highly customized UIs.

Camera

Honor View 20 loses the challenge even when it comes to cameras. ZTE Axon 10 Pro and Xiaomi Mi 9 offer more options to shoot impressive photos thanks to their triple cameras including an ultrawide lens. We still had no chance to test ZTE Axon 10 Pro’s cameras thoroughly, but on the paper, I prefer them to the Mi 9 because they feature optical stabilization. However, this does not mean that ZTE Axon 10 Pro will click better photos.

Battery

ZTE Axon 10 Pro and Honor View 20 come with a huge 4000 mAh battery that is a very satisfying thing for a flagship. Xiaomi Mi 9 has a standard 3300 mAh battery that is just sufficient for 2019. Between ZTE Axon 10 Pro and Honor View 20, the former should be able to last a bit more due to its more efficient components. And it even supports wireless charging which is not supported on Honor V20.

Price

ZTE Axon 10 Pro’s price starts from $473/€422 on the Chinese market, Honor V20 has a listing price of about €570/$637 globally but you can currently get it for less than €500 thanks to online street prices, while Xiaomi Mi 9 starts from just €450/$503 globally. At the end of the day, despite ZTE is currently not among the best-selling smartphone manufacturers, the Axon 10 Pro is a much more interesting device thanks to its waterproof certification, big battery, awesome cameras, and expandable storage.

Read More: ZTE Axon 10 Pro features a 6.4-inch FHD+ flexible AMOLED display

ZTE Axon 10 Pro vs Xiaomi Mi 9 vs Huawei Honor V20: PRO and CONS

Huawei Honor V20

PROS

More internal storage
Very fast charging
Better design
Good selfie camera

CONS

No micro SD

ZTE Axon 10 Pro

PROS

Wireless charging
Stereo speakers
Big battery
Waterproof
Good cameras

CONS

Price

Xiaomi Mi 9

PROS

Amazing cameras
Wireless charging
Very fast charging
Good display
Affordable price

CONS

Smaller battery
No micro SD

Realme executive shares live photo of the Realme X

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

May 7, 2019

Yesterday, it was officially announced that the Realme X (and Realme X Youth Edition) will launch on May 15 in China. While we wait, the company’s CMO, Xu Qi Chase has shared a live photo of the device. The image highlights the phone’s full-screen display.

The Realme X won’t have a notch or thick bezels like any of its predecessors. The bezels have been slimmed down for a bezel-less appearance, save for the chin which is just a little bit thicker than the rest. Since the top bezel is too thin to house a camera, the Realme X has adopted the pop-up selfie camera design. Sadly, the image doesn’t show the camera.

One thing the photo does show is a confirmation of the launch date. The date on the phone is May 15, the same as the release date. It also confirms the time which is 1500hrs.

The Realme X uses an OLED display with curved corners. It is not the sharpest out there but it isn’t bad either. Based on TENAA images, we know it doesn’t have a fingerprint scanner on the back which means there is a sensor buried under the display. Realme says the phone has a screen-to-body ratio of 91.2%.

The phone has its power button on the right while the volume buttons are on the left. The picture doesn’t show the bottom so we can’t see the ports and speakers.

Continue

Nokia 4.2 now officially on sale in India for INR10,990 ($158)

By

Jed John Ikoba

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May 7, 2019

Nokia has officially commenced the sales of the new Nokia 4.2 on its website in India. The Nokia 4.2 hits India with 3GB+32GB clutching a price tag of INR10,990 ($158). The 2GB+16GB variant is yet to go on sale, possibly not to affect the sales of the Nokia 3.2 which has 2GB+16GB as its main memory option. This is coming just days after the device was launched for the US market.

Apart from Nokia’s official India website, the device will also be available via a couple of other retail outlets such as Croma, Reliance, Sangeetha, Poorvika, Big C, and MyG from May 14, and through major outlets across the country from May 21.

As a reminder, the Nokia 4.2 packs a 5.71-inch IPS LCD display with a water drop notch and HD+ resolution. The display also appears in the 19:9 aspect ratio. The Nokia 4.2 is powered by a Snapdragon 439 chipset and as stated, will be available in 3GB+32GB memory variants in India, although there is a 2GB+16GB variant. The phone is fuelled by a 3,000mAh battery while there is equally a dedicated Google Assistant button. The budget model comes with top features such as NFC with Google pay support and Bluetooth 4.2. It is available in Pink Sand and Black.

(source)

Chinese AI firm deployed AI that helped police catch a criminal on the run for 20 years

By

Jed John Ikoba

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May 7, 2019

Artificial intelligence is getting deployed in several spheres and the use keep expanding. Facial recognition is one aspect that is gaining wide prospective applications in China. Tencent last year disclosed it will use facial recognition to detect underage gamers in order to curb China’s growing gaming addiction. Baidu also recently showcased a cat shelter that uses facial recognition to admit stray cats in. Chinese company DeepGlint Technology has also unveiled an AI-based facial recognition technology which could aid the police in detecting criminal and potential crime scenes.

With a population of around 1.4 billion persons, China’s law enforcement is indeed a daunting task. Beijing-based DeepGlint is out to help the police carry out their duties of arresting criminals easily. With facial recognition, the tech start-up was able to assist the police track down a criminal who had been dodging arrest for up to 20 years.

The tech company which is funded by Sequoia specialises in the field of computer vision, which involves the automatic extraction, investigation and comprehension of valuable data from a solitary image or succession of images. The organization says its framework – enlivened by the structure of the human eye – can catch pictures of, and distinguish, people and vehicles as far away as 50 meters, cautioning the security forces if there is suspicious movement. According to the tech company, tts 3D image analysis and pattern recognition technology have prompted the capture of 100 suspects.

DeepGlint joins a large group of other facial recognition tech organizations, for example, SenseTime Group, Yitu Technology and Megvii, all striving to to help authorities fight crime, maintain public order and improve health through scans and AI diagnostics.

There are reports, though, of cases where facial recognnition is utilised to clampdown on certain individuals in the excess of a million especially Uygur Muslims who have been placed in mass detention camps to forestall what it calls fear based oppressor exercises.

(source)

Vivo Old User Memory Expansion Program doubles your Existing Storage at a Discounted Price!

By

Simranpal Singh

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May 7, 2019

The smartphone industry is evolving every day with the invent of new technologies. The pace of change is incomparable, and smartphones are getting outdated within a few months after the launch. However, increased dependence on smartphones has even increased the minimum internal storage limit. It has left the users with old devices within the only option of microSD card for storage expansion. Now with the Vivo Old User Expansion program, users can double internal storage of their Vivo smartphones.

According to Vivo customer service officer, users can get their storage increased from any Vivo service centre in China. Under the new Vivo User Expansion program, owners of the Vivo smartphones – Vivo X6D and Vivo X6A can replace the 32GB internal storage modules with 64GB for the price of 299 Yuan (~$44). Whereas, the Vivo X6S A, X7 Plus, X9 can be upgraded from 4GB+64GB to 4GB+128GB internal storage for 499 Yuan (~$73).

Unlike the other third-party expansion services, Vivo’s program is almost risk-free. Make sure to back up important data on your device as Vivo will replace the whole motherboard during the process. Moreover, Vivo will charge an additional amount to cure any other issues on your old device. The offer is limited for a month from May 6th to June 5th 2019.

Read More: Here’s Probably Why Xiaomi struggles with Supply, while Vivo does Really Well!

It is an extra advantage for users who are looking to increase the internal storage of their Vivo devices. The offer is currently limited to China, and there’s no additional information about its availability in other countries.

(via)

Xiaomi launches the Ninestars Smart trash can priced at 129 yuan ($19).

By

Jed John Ikoba

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May 7, 2019

Xiaomi has launched the Ninestars Smart sensor trash can packing a smart induction technology and one-button smart control, adjustable distance, silent opening and closing and lasting battery life. The device comes with a price tag of 129 yuan ($19).

The trash can has a barrel design with a capacity of 10L. The body is made from ABS material with anti-odour sealing structure. It also integrates a new silent motor with air damping technology for the trash can cover enabling it to slowly open and close. The cover also comes with smart chip control using near-field infrared induction such that when a human hand is detected above the trash can, it opens and when the hand is removed, it closes. This design ensures you won’t have to open the trash can with your bare hands which could expose you to bacterial infection.

The Ninestars Smart sensor trash can also feature a button to keep the lid open. There is also a second button to adjust the sensing distance between 6cm-30cm. There is also a button to switch on the power supply. For power, the trash can uses two 5th batteries and can be used for about 6 months for carbon batteries and about 17 months for alkaline batteries.

Furthermore, the smart sensor trash can uses a fixed pressure ring to hide the garbage bag. Unlike the earlier model that was released last year, it does not support automatic packaging and bag changing.

(source)

ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5G will be available in Europe within the first Half of 2019

By

Joel Joseph

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May 7, 2019

ZTE unveiled its long-anticipated Axon 10 Pro 5G variant in China yesterday. The phone was announced alongside its 4G variant, which by the way, went on sale earlier today. However, ZTE failed to give out an official release date for its 5G variant at the time of its launch. Now, we have some more details on its availability.

ZTE has confirmed to us that the Axon 10 Pro 5G will be available in Europe in the first half of 2019. As we are almost halfway into the year, this timeline puts its release sometime within the next two months. A Europe launch for its 5G model makes sense since the new-gen wireless standard will roll out in a number of countries in the EU in 2019. Switzerland was first in Europe to roll out a commercial 5G network and will most likely be followed by countries like Finland, Austra, UK, Spain, and Italy. Taking advantage of the early Swiss 5G rollout, OPPO, Xiaomi, and others launched their 5G models in this market last week.

RELATED: ZTE is eyeing $178 million first-half profit after boosting R&D spending for 5G development

The Axon 10 Pro 5G is a solid flagship on paper. The phone 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. It comes with 3x optical zoom, 5X hybrid zoom, and 10x digital zoom. There is also a 20MP front camera for selfies. it’s powered by the Snapdragon 855 processor with X50 5G modem and comes with an in-display fingerprint sensor. You can read more about the Axon 10 Pro 5G in our launch coverage here.

Honor 20 and Honor 20 Pro quad camera configuration leaks, has 3x optical zoom

By

Habeeb Onawole

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May 7, 2019

There is still about two weeks of waiting before the Honor 20 series is launched. Following the announcement of the release date last month, details about the phone have been surfacing on the web. Today is no different as the camera configuration of the Honor 20 and Honor 20 Pro have been leaked.

Honor 20

Contrary to what we earlier reported, the Honor 20 will actually have a quad camera setup too. Three of the cameras will share the same housing while the fourth sensor will flank the setup on the right.

The first of the Honor 20’s sensor is a 16MP Super Wide Angle camera with an f/2.2 aperture and a 117° field of view. It is followed by the main camera which is a 48MP 1.6µm Sony IMX586 sensor with a 1/2” sensor size and an f/1.8 aperture. The primary camera uses 4-in-1 Light Fusion, shooting originally in 12MP and combining images into 48MP.

The third sensor is a 2MP f/2.4 1.6µm depth assist camera for portrait images. Below this camera is the LED flash. The final sensor is a 2MP Macro 1.75µm f/2.4 sensor.

Honor 20 Pro

The Honor 20 Pro has a near identical camera design but is loaded with more features. The first sensor is the same 16MP Super Wide Angle camera as that of the non-pro model. It also uses the same 48MP Sony IMX 586 sensor but with a much larger f/1.4 aperture and with 4-axis OIS.

It ditches the 2MP depth sensor for an 8MP telephoto lens with an f/2.4 aperture. The telephoto camera provides 3X optical zoom and also has 4-axis OIS. Rather than the LED flash under the third sensor, what you have is a laser autofocus module for “faster and more accurate autofocus”.

On the right of the first camera housing is another one for a 2MP 1.75µm f/2.4 Macro lens and the LED flash.

The cameras in this new leak are quite different from previous reports in terms of design and configuration. Leaked renders (above) shows the phone has a square-shaped periscope zoom lens but this new leak doesn’t have that. Also, all four sensors share the same housing and the LED flash is different in the render.

[envira-gallery id=”251914″]

The Honor 20 Pro is obviously the one with the better camera. The lack of image stabilization on the Honor 20 means it won’t be great for video recording. The Honor 20 Pro is surely the device Honor is pitting against the OnePlus 7 Pro, and we can’t wait to see which phone has the better camera performance.

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Huawei P30 Pro Limited Edition to go on sale in China from May 10

By

Jeet

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May 7, 2019

Last month, China-based smartphone manufacturer and telecom equipment giant Huawei launched its flagship smartphones — the Huawei P30 series. When it first went on sale, the series crossed the sales worth 200 million yuan in just 10 minutes.

Now, the company has announced a new limited edition variant of the P30 Pro, which is called Huawei P30 Pro Limited Edition. The phone is avaialable for pre-booking through Huawei Mall in China and is set to go on sale from 10th May.

This Huawei P30 Pro Limited Edition users Swarovski elements for design and comes in a silver-colored gift box with classic primary color velvet lining. It also comes with a diamond protective case in the box along with other accessories.

As for the pricing, the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage model is priced at 5,888 yuan (approximately $871) while the 8GB RAM + 256GB storage model costs 6,388 yuan (approximately $945). The top-end variant with 8GB RAM + 512GB storage costs 7,188 yuan, roughly $1,063.

Apart from the design, the specifications of the Huawei P30 Pro Limited Edition and the P30 Pro standard edition is the same. It features a 6.47-inch display with a waterdrop notch and is powered by the company’s own Kirin 980 processor.

The smartphone comes with four camera sensors – a 20MP f/2.2 ultra wide angle lens, a 40MP f/1.6 wide-angle lens, an 8MP f/3.4 5X telephoto, and a ToF depth-sensing camera. For taking selfies and video calling, it comes with a 32MP sensor with AI HDR+.

It runs EMUI 9.1 which is based on Android 9 Pie operating system out-of-the-box. The phone is powered by a 4,200mAh battery with support for 40W fast-charging and support for 15W wireless fast charging.

Meizu upgrades Flyme 7 with OneMind 3.0 and various other optimizations

By

Simranpal Singh

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May 7, 2019

Meizu is rolling out an upgrade for Flyme 7 with various new features and improvements. The update brings One Mind 3.0 with refined ways to analyze user behaviours for efficiently optimizing the services. Further, Meizu added enhanced gaming experience, a new battery UI, NFC toggle, Android Beam and smoother experience.

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.

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 ਸੋਲੋੁਾੀ 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.

Read More: Meizu releases Flyme 7.2 for beta testers: here are the improvements

The new update is available for Meizu 16th, Meizu 16th Plus, Meizu 15 Plus, Meizu 15, M15, PRO 7 Plus, PRO 7 High Edition, PRO 7 Standard Edition, and Charm Blue.

(via)