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Asus 2nd generation ROG gaming smartphone tipped for launch in Q3 2019

By
Simranpal Singh
-

Asus unveiled the new gaming smartphone series last year with its maiden ROG phone. It was launched with an expensive price tag of $900 in the US, whereas the 512GB storage variant was priced at $1100. To counter the increasing competition, Asus planning to launch a sequel later this year.

According to a DigiTimes report, the second generation ROG phone will surface in Q3, 2019. Tencent will be the official advertising partner for the new Asus gaming smartphone. Asus is focusing on garnering profits from the growing Chinese smartphone gaming market.

ASUS ROG Phone China

The company further eyes to rejuvenate its devices with the continuation of its partnership with Tencent in the future.

The new ASUS ROG phone will be the first device after the company’s reworked strategy to focus on gaming and premium segment phones. In December 2018, Asus worked its way to reduce losses by eliminating the entry-level and mid-level devices from its brochure.

The ASUS ROG phone launched last year carries 8GB RAM, 128GB internal storage, 6.0-inch Full HD+ display and a 4000 mAh battery with fast charging technology. The device also features a dual rear camera consisting a 12 MP + 8 MP sensors, and an 8 MP single lens on the front side. Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC is present with GameCool system to resist high temperatures while gaming.

(source | via)

Huawei Mate X gets listed on official website, will be available from June

By
Jeet
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Earlier this year, during Mobile World Congress 2019, Huawei unveiled the Huawei Mate X, which not only the company’s first foldable smartphone but also the Chinese tech giant’s first commercial 5G compatible smartphone.

While the phone has been announced, it is not yet available for purchase. At the time of the unveiling, Huawei had said that the Mate X will be available from mid-2019. Now, the Huawei Mate X has been listed on the company’s official online store, which reveals that the phone will be available for purchase from June 2019.

The pricing of the Mate X has not been revealed but as per the reports, the phone is expected to start at €2,299 (approximately $2,580). In comparison, the Samsung Galaxy Fold starts at $1,980 and goes on sale later this month.

Huawei Mate X featured

The smartphone comes with what the company calls is “Falcon Wing Design”. Unlike the Samsung Galaxy Fold, it folds completely flat with no visible gap. Huawei says the hinge system used in the phone is patented and has over 100 components.

The Huawei Mate X features a large 8-inch screen with a 2480 x 2200 pixels screen resolution and an 8:7.1 aspect ratio when unfolded with pretty thin bezels. When folded, it transforms into a dual display phone – one side is a 6.6-inch (2480 x 1148 pixels) 19.5:9 display while the other is a 6.38-inch (2480 x 892 pixels) 25:9 display.

The phone is powered by the company’s own Kirin 980 chipset, paired with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. It has dual SIM support (nano only) but only SIM 1 supports 5G. You can also swap out the second SIM card for Huawei’s NM card (256GB max.). It comes with the 7nm Balong 5000 modem which brings 5G support to the device.

It features three cameras on the back, which also double as the selfie cameras. The cameras were co-developed with Leica and are made up of a 40MP wide-angle lens, a 16MP ultra-wide angle lens, and an 8MP telephoto lens.

The phone runs the EMUI 9.1.1 custom interface, which is based on Android 9 Pie operating system out-of-the-box. As for the connectivity options, the device supports NFC, dual-frequency GPS, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, and USB Type-C port.

Read More: Huawei’s 40W SuperCharge supported Power Bank sales to commence next week

The Huawei Mate X  has two built-in batteries, which offers a total capacity of 4,500mAh. Huawei has also debuted its new SupercCharge fast charging technology which supports up to 55W. The company claims that the new SuperCharge allows users to charge the device from empty to 85% in just 30 minutes!

Get High-End Laptops, Tablets And Other Accessories At Lowered Prices On Gearbest

By
Vinay Patel
-

If you have restlessly been waiting for laptop and tablet prices to drop, we got good news for you.

As part of its latest ‘Laptop & Tablet Deals,’ Gearbest is offering its loyal users an unmissable chance to buy feature-laden laptops from leading manufacturers like Chuwi and Teclast. Moreover, the Chinese online store is also doling out big discounts on tablets and various accessories.

In addition to offering laptops, tablets, and other accessories at lowered prices, Gearbest is giving its users a chance to save $5 off if their cart value exceeds $200. In order to simplify and expedite the search process, the promotion page has been split into multiple categories.

The laptops and tablets have been added to the Best Sellers, Save $5 Over $200, Accessories, Chuwi, and Teclast sections so that users can find what they’re looking for without breaking a sweat.

You can avail great discounts on the Teclast F15 Notebook, Teclast F6 Pro, CHUWI hero book Notebook and other well-received laptops under the ‘Best Seller’ section.


Likewise, the ‘Save $5 over $200’ category features the Chuwi Lapbook SE, Teclast F6 and other popular laptops carrying heavily discounted prices.

The ‘Accessories’ category, on the other hand, includes a slew of useful items like the Micro USB to USB 2.0 Female OTG Adapter Cable, USB Charging Data Cable for Samsung Galaxy Tab 2, Air Slim Protective Cover for CHUWI Hi9, etc.

Chuwi fans can head straight to the next section called ‘Chuwi.’ You can get your tech greedy hands on the Hi9 Air phablet, Hi9 Plus, Hi9 Pro CWI548, phablet and a myriad of other Chuwi branded products at lowered prices, under this section.

The promotion page features a special category dubbed ‘Teclast’ for those looking for cost-effective tablets, and laptops. Here you can buy the Teclast M20 4G Phablet, Teclast F6 Laptop, Teclast P80 Pro Tablet, and other items without burning a hole in your pocket.

You can click here to visit the promotion page and grab the discounts without wasting time. Note that the promo is slated to end soon.

Check Out Laptop & Tablet Deals on Gearbest

Honor 20, 20 Pro specifications, pricing and release date leaked

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
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In the previous week, Honor 20 and Honor 20 Pro smartphones were approved by the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) body. Fresh leaks that have surfaced on Weibo have revealed the specifications, pricing and release date of the Honor 20 series.

The YAL-L21 and YAL-L41 models were approved by EEC are expected to hit the European markets as Honor 20 and Honor 20 Pro. Leaked information that has appeared on Weibo has revealed that the Honor 20 will be featuring a 6.1-inch OLED with waterdrop-style notch that will be equipped with sixth generation in-display fingerprint reader.

The Kirin 980 SoC is expected to power the Honor 20 and 20 Pro smartphones. It could be packed with a 3,650mAh battery that offers 22.5W fast charging. The notch of the phone will be housing a 32-megapixel front-facing camera. On it rear will be a triple camera module with a 48-megpaixel primary sensor, a 20-megapixel super wide-angle lens and an 8-megapixel telephoto lens. The Honor 20 is expected to carry support for 3x optical zoom. It will come preinstalled with Android 9 Pie OS with the latest version of EMUI.

Honor 10

The Honor 20 Pro is expected to arrive with four rear-mounted cameras featuring the Sony IMX600 from the Huawei P30 Pro as the primary sensor. There Is no information available on the other specs of the Honor 20 Pro. The leak also reveals that the Honor 20 series will be available with a price tag of 2,999 Yuan (~$446) for the 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage base model. The Honor 20 series may get announced on April 25.

It seems like the Honor 20 and Honor 20 Pro smartphones will be arriving as cheaper versions of recently unveiled Huawei P30 and Huawei P30 Pro flagship smartphones. The P30 series were unveiled at the end of the previous month in Europe and it will be unveiled through a dedicated launch event in China on April 11. OnePlus is expected to soon unleash the OnePlus 7 flagship phone. Probably, it may go official by the coming month or early June. The upcoming Honor 20 series will be one of the major rivals of the OnePlus 7 smartphone.

(via)

HiSense U30 announced in China; packs SD675 SoC and 4,500mAh battery

By
Jeet
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Hisense, a brand which has a strong presence in consumer electronics products and best known for its TVs, also has launched several impressive smartphones. Recently, the company announced three smartphones HiSense U30, King Kong 5, and King Kong 5 Pro.

Among those three devices, the highlight of the HiSense U30 smartphone is that it comes with a big battery capacity of 4,500mAh, offering better standby time compared to other devices in the market.

HiSense U30

In terms of design, the smartphone comes with minimal bezels surrounding the display. The company has adopted the COF packaging technology and says that the phone offers a 91.66 percent screen-to-body ratio.

According to the TENAA listing, the smartphone comes with a 6.3-inch Full HD+ display and is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 675 chipset. When the phone was first announced, it became the world’s first device powered by this processor.

Coming to the camera department, the smartphone features an AI-powered dual rear camera, which consists of a 48-megapixel primary sensor and a 5-megapixel secondary camera sensor. On the front side, housed inside a notch is a 20-megapixel snapper for taking selfies and video calling.

Read More: Nokia X71 powered by Snapdragon 660 SoC and 6GB RAM launched in China, price starts at 2,199 Yuan ($327)

The phone’s 4,500mAh battery comes with support for Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 4 fast charging technology, which is claimed to charge 80 percent battery life in around an hour. The smartphone is expected to be priced around 2,700 Yuan (approximately $402) and will soon be available in China, Russia, and Europe.

Buy MECOOL KM3 Android 9.0 TV Box For Only $64.99 On GeekBuying [Coupon]

By
Vinay Patel
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If you’re in the market for a cost-effective TV box that doesn’t disappoint in terms of performance, you might want to give the MECOOL KM3 a test drive.

The MECOOL KM3 is a Google certified 4K TV box that runs Android 9.0 Pie OS and works with the official Google TV framework, YouTube 4K, Netflix 4K, and Google Cast. It ships with 4GB of DDR4 RAM that delivers a superior gaming experience.

It offers a hearty 64GB of onboard storage capacity for you to download and run popular games and other content without experiencing any sort of lag.

Moreover, it packs a powerful Amlogic S905X2, Quad Core processor along with a highly competent Mali G31 MP2 GPU, under the hood. The MECOOL KM3 boasts an impressive array of other features including Google Cast, Google Home, USB 3.0, voice remote, and a smart breathing light.
While a top-branded TV box offering comparable features would normally set you back a pretty penny, the MECOOL KM3 is currently available for a lowered price of only $69.99 on GeekBuying. Aside from getting this 38 percent discount, you can get an extra $21 off by using coupon code MURPDSPG at checkout.

In other words, you can bring the already reduced selling price of the MECOOL KM3 TV box further down to only $64.99 before placing your order. You can visit this link to avail the discount and use the coupon before it expires. Note that the promo will end in just two days.

Get 38% Off On MECOOL KM3 TV Box Check out the Mecool TV Box Sale on GeekBuying

Giveaway – Win a Xiaomi Redmi 7 Global Version (3GB+32GB)

By
Cheky Zhu
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Gizmochina along with Giztop is conducting 1 unit Xiaomi Redmi 7 3GB+32GB Global Version as giveaway gift to a lucky reader. Like always, you just have to follow the steps mentioned on the Gleam widget to get a chance to win this amazing gift.

If you want to win the free Xiaomi Redmi 7 smartphone, the most important thing for you is to leave a comment of your thought about the GizmoChina website revision.

Redmi 7 is a great budget phone from Xiaomi, powered by Snapdragon 632 processor with 1.8GHz and Adreno 506 GPU with 725MHz. Xiaomi Redmi 7 looks incredible because of the sleek curved back cover and stylish gradient design. The handset comes with 6.26-inch HD display having the resolution of 1520×720 pixels. It hosts 19:9 aspect ratio featuring the dot drop notch. There are 12MP+2MP dual rear AI camera with f/2.2 aperture. In the front side, it carries the 8MP camera, and you can use it to take vlogs. The Redmi 7 is fueled by 4000mAh build-in battery which is totally enough for daily use. What’s more, the great handset ships with dual Nano-Sim card slot and a micro SD expandable card slot.

You can get more information about the Redmi 7 Global version on Giztop.

Get Xiaomi Redmi 7 Global Version on Giztop

How to entry this giveaway? Just follow these steps via Gleam widget:

  1. Leave a comment of your thought about the GizmoChina website revision;
  2. Visit Xiaomi Redmi 7 smartphone on Giztop‘s website;
  3. Share this giveaway contest on Facebook, Twitter and Reddit.

Terms & Conditions:

1. The giveaway is an international giveaway.
2. We are not responsible for lost shipments.
3. We are not responsible for any duties, import taxes that you may incur.
4. We reserve all rights to make any changes to this giveaway.
5. The prize will be shipped in a month when the giveaway end.

Just follow the steps mentioned in the Gleam widget to participate in the giveaway.

Once again, good luck.

Giveaway – Win a Xiaomi Redmi 7 Global Version (3GB+32GB)

Lenovo Z6 Pro with Snapdragon 855 is coming soon

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
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Since February, Lenovo has been teasing on the features of the upcoming Lenovo Z6 Pro smartphone. The company is yet to confirm on its launch date, but through a new teaser it has hinted that its arrival may not be far away. The new teaser confirms that it will be fueled by the Snapdragon 855 mobile platform.

The Chinese text on the new teaser suggests that the Lenovo Z6 Pro will not only come with powerful specs, but also it will be an aesthetically pleasing device. The Lenovo Z5 Pro GT that was announced in December last year is the world’s first Snapdragon 855 mobile platform powered smartphone. The Lenovo Z6 Pro will be the company’s second phone to feature it. Probably, it could be featuring an overclocked version of the SoC.

Lenovo Z6 Pro Snapdragon 855

One of the recent teasers of the Lenovo Z6 Pro had hinted that the phone’s camera will be able to capture 100-megapixel shots. There is a possibility that the company could be relying on some sort of software trick for shooting 100-megapixel images through the smartphone. This could be HyperVision camera feature that the company has been teasing since February. Through another teaser, the Chinese firm also confirmed that the Z6 Pro supports Hyper Video that can be transferred at higher rates than existing videos. Till now, it is yet to reveal the details of the HyperVision Camera and Hyper Video features.

The other thing that is known about the Z6 Pro is that it will be a 5G phone. The camera related features that are expected to be available on the device include super macro, super anti-shake, ultra-wide-angle lens, super night mode and super slow-motion video shooting. Its other specifications are currently under the wraps. It is not known whether the phone will sport a slider phone design like the Z5 Pro GT or will be arriving with a different appeal.

Lenovo-Z5-Pro-GT-featured

The Lenovo Z5 Pro GT was introduced with a starting price of 2,698 Yuan (~$401). It is currently lowest priced Snapdragon 855 SoC powered phone in China. Probably, the starting variant of the Lenovo Z6 Pro could be priced under 3,000 Yuan (~$446). The Z5 Pro GT is equipped with a 6.4-inch AMOLED display with in-screen fingerprint reader, up to 12 GB of RAM, up to 256 GB of native storage, 16-megapixel + 24-megapixel dual camera, 16-megapixel + 8-megapixel dual selfie shooters and 3,350mAh capacity battery.

Buy Top Xiaomi-Branded Items At Lowered Prices From Popular Online Stores

By
Vinay Patel
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The Chinese company’s popular sub-brand Mijia is known for offering some of the most coveted smart gadgets available in the market today. Here are five Mijia-branded products that you can buy at lowered prices from leading online stores.

Xiaomi Mijia Garden Electric Household Mosquito Dispeller on Banggood

This household mosquito dispeller from Xiaomi’s Mijia brand is a great choice for those who aren’t satisfied with other methods of keeping the human disease-causing insects at bay.

The Xiaomi Mijia Mosquito Dispeller would normally set you back $25.5, but you can now buy it for only $23.60 on Banggood. This is a noteworthy 8 percent discount, which will be valid for a limited period of time.

You can follow this link to get your hands on the Xiaomi Mijia Mosquito Dispeller at a slashed price before the promo comes to an end.

Get 8% Off On Garden Electric Household Mosquito Dispeller

Xiaomi Mijia SXJ02ZM 1080P FHD Smart IP Camera on Gearbest

The Mijia SXJ02ZM mini camera delivers an impressive 1080P full-HD video capture along with a frame rate of up to 20fps for superior picture quality. It enables you to remotely view images from any corner of the home using your mobile phone.


The white color version of the Mijia SXJ02ZM has gone up for sale carrying a $36.58 price tag on Gearbest. You can visit this link and check out more details and order the Xiaomi-branded smart IP camera at a reasonable price.

Buy Xiaomi Mijia SXJ02ZM 1080P FHD Smart IP Camera

Xiaomi Mijia Bedside Lamp 2 on GeekBuying

The Mijia Bedside Lamp 2 is can be controlled with Siri, Apple Homekit and APP remote control with just a tap, voice or automated settings. The bedside lamp adopts a hot runner design and is made using a high-difficult inverted mold.

You’d normally end up shelling out $81.99 on the Xiaomi Mijia Bedside Lamp 2, but GeekBuying is offering it to its loyal users for just $44.99. This is a significant 45 percent drop in the device’s original asking price.

You can head straight to this link in order to avail the discount. Note that the promo was on the verge of wrapping up at the time of writing.

Get 45% Off On Xiaomi Mijia Bedside Lamp 2

Xiaomi Mijia Thermostat Accuracy Temperature Humidity Monitor on GearVita

Designed to work with other Mi equipment through intelligent linkage, the Xiaomi Mijia Thermostat can open and adjust the air-conditioning, humidifier, fan, and various other types of equipment. With this thermostat, you do not have to worry about cold mornings or hot afternoons.

The Mijia Thermostat Accuracy Temperature Humidity Monitor has gone up for sale bearing an $11.19 price tag on GearVita. You can follow this link to get your hands on this highly advantageous device at a reasonable price.

Buy Xiaomi Mijia Thermostat Accuracy Temperature Humidity Monitor

Xiaomi Mijia Water Ion Hair Dryer on CooliCool

The Xiaomi Mijia Hair Dryer usually retails for $59.99, but you can now buy it for only $42.99 on CooliCool. This is a significant 28 percent drop in the device’s original asking price.

Moreover, you can win an XRT C28 foldable pocket fan worth $5.99 as a gift with your order. This promo will come to an end on May 31st. You can follow this link to check out more details and get the discount, which will be valid for the white color version of the hairdryer.

Get 28% On Mijia Water Ion Hair Dryer

Nokia X71 powered by SD660 SoC and 6GB RAM launched in China

By
Jeet
-

As expected, Finland-based HMD Global has announced its all-new Nokia X71 smartphone in the Chinese market. The phone was first unveiled earlier this week in Taiwan, along with the company’s flagship smartphone Nokia 9 PureView.

In China, the Nokia X71 is now available for pre-order in Space Black color. The phone is offered in two variants — one with 6GB RAM and 64GB internal storage and another with 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. The 64GB model costs 2,199 Yuan (approximately $327) while the 128GB model is priced at 2,699 Yuan (approximately $402).

Nokia X71

The Nokia X71 comes with a 6.39-inch PureView Display that offers full HD+ resolution and 19.3:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone boasts an impressive screen-to-body ratio of 93 percent. The other display features of the Nokia X71 include support for 500nits of brightness and 1:1400 contrast ratio.

The device is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 660 SoC under its hood. The 14nm SoC is coupled with 6GB of RAM with 64GB or 128GB internal storage. It also comes equipped with a microSD card slot for expanding the storage capacity.

It is the company’s first smartphone to have a triple rear camera setup. It comes with an f/1.8 aperture ZEISS 48-megapixel primary sensor, a 5-megapixel depth sensor with f/2.4 aperture and a 120-degree field of view 8-megapixel ultra wide-angle lens. On the front side, there’s a 16-megapixel snapper with f/2.0 aperture.

The smartphone is fitted with a rear-mounted fingerprint reader. The power button with breathing light can glow for alerts such as missed calls and new messages. The other features that have been included in the Nokia X71 are dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, 3.5mm headphone jack and OZO 360-degree surround sound technology.

Read More: Nokia 8.1 Plus upcoming smartphone’s images and features leaked through TENAA and user manual

Being a part of the Android One program, the Nokia X71 runs the latest Android 9 Pie operating system out-of-the-box. The handset is powered by a 3,500mAh battery with 18W fast charging support. It measures 157.19 x 76.45 x 7.98 and weighs 180 grams.

OnePlus 7 coming soon? OnePlus 6T price slashed by 400 Yuan (~$60) in China

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
-

The OnePlus 6T was announced in the last quarter of 2018 in multiple regions including China. The base model of the smartphone was introduced with a price tag of 3,399 Yuan (~$506) in the home market. Today, the Chinese manufacturer has a permanent price cut of 400 Yuan (~$60) on all the variants of the smartphone. It is being speculated that the company could be clearing the existing stocks of the OnePlus 6T to make way for the upcoming OnePlus 7 smartphone.

With the new price cut, the 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage edition that was previously available for 3,399 Yuan (~$506) is now selling for 2,299 Yuan (~$342). The 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage that was sold for 3,599 Yuan (~$538) is now listed for 3,199 Yuan (~$476). The highest configuration variant with 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage that was previously available for 3,999 Yuan (~$595) is now selling for 3,599 Yuan (~$538).

OnePlus 6T price discount in China

OnePlus 6T comes with a 6.41-inch Optic AMOLED display with waterdrop notch. It offers full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels and 19.5:9 aspect ratio. Its screen is shielded by Gorilla Glass 6. The Snapdragon 845 SoC is present under the hood of the device. It runs on OxygenOS 9.0.5 based Android 9 Pie OS.

The 16-megapixel + 20-megapixel dual camera module is present on the backside of the phone. Placed on the front is a 16-megapixel selfie camera. The handset lacks support for microSD card and 3.5mm audio jack. It is packed with a 3,700mAh battery that supports 20W fast charging.

OnePlus had announced the OnePlus 6 smartphone in May 2018. Hence, it is speculated that the company may launch the OnePlus 7 by next month or early June. The specifications of the smartphone are currently under the wraps. However, it is known that the Snapdragon 855 mobile platform will be driving the smartphone.

OnePlus 7 case renders

The leaked case renders of the OnePlus 7 have revealed that it will be the company’s first phone to sport triple rear cameras. Also, the smartphone will be equipped with a notch-less AMOLED display with in-screen fingerprint reader. A pop-up selfie snapper will be available on the device for snapping selfies. It is expected to arrive in three gradient color options such as Black Yellow, Black Purple and Cyan Grey.

These ASUS 5G concept phones with dual sliders are pretty cool!

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

Remember the Nokia N95 with its dual slider design? When you slide it down it would reveal the media playback buttons at the top and when you slide it up you get access to the keypad. That seems to be the inspiration behind these ASUS 5G slider concept phones.

ASUS 5G Dual Slider Phone Concept

Shared on Twitter by Evan Blass (@evleaks) but made by a former designer that worked on the Zenfone 5, the images show two different concept phones with a dual slider design and near bezel-less displays.

[envira-gallery id=”245424″]

The first concept phone slides downwards to reveal dual front-facing cameras which are flanked by a long strip of LED flash on each side for brighter selfies. Slide the phone upwards and you are greeted by a long grille housing Harman Kardon speaker(s).

On the rear, the first concept phone is shown to have dual cameras positioned close to the top and arranged horizontally. The cameras are flanked on the left by an LED flash. There is no fingerprint scanner on the back which means there is probably one under the display.

The phone has its power button and volume rocker on the right while the left is home to the SIM tray. There are two variants – black and another with a white back and a black front half.

[envira-gallery id=”245419″]

The second set of concept renders switches up the design a bit. You still have dual front-facing cameras but they are now separated and each has its own LED flash.

Slide the phone up and gone is the speaker from the first one but what appears to be a smaller touch display. The screen shows additional controls depending on the app in use. In the image, you can see there are additional editing controls for the image editing app in use.

The smaller display hidden behind the main screen seems to be inspired by the ASUS ZenBook Pro 15 which has a touch-screen display as its trackpad.

ASUS 5G prototype

The back of the second concept ASUS 5G dual slider phone is also home to dual cameras. The sensors are positioned in the middle and arranged horizontally. Unlike the first one, this has a fingerprint scanner on the back. It also has its volume rocker and power button on the right.

READ MORE: Purported ASUS ZenFone 6Z AnTuTu listing reveals 363K+ score and keys specifications

Apart from the concept renders, Evan Blass has also shared a photo collage that shows prototypes of both phones.  We think both concepts are really good and it will be nice to see ASUS adopt one or both of these designs for its future phones.

(Source: 1, 2, 3)

Honor partners with Vivienne Tam for a special edition Honor Magic 2

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

The name Vivienne Tam might not ring a bell if you are not a fashion aficionado. Vivienne Tam is a popular New York-based fashion designer born in Guangzhou, China. Honor has partnered with her on a special edition Honor Magic 2 phone.

Honor Magic 2 + Vivienne Tam featured

The special edition Magic 2 doesn’t have any custom engraving or custom theme as some other limited edition phones. There is a custom case though and a T-shirt with a similar design to the one on the case.

We are not sure yet if there is a special bundle but based on the images shared on Weibo by the official Honor account, it appears interested folks may be able to buy the custom case, T-shirts, and other branded products separately without having to purchase the phone. However, there is no info on pricing and availability yet.

[envira-gallery id=”245406″]

READ MORE: Kirin 980-powered Honor V20 6GB+128GB version gets a price cut

Continue

Nokia X71 vs Moto G7 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy A70: Specs Comparison

By
Michele Ingelido
-

For the first time in 2019, HMD Global renewed its upper-midrange line-up with a new smartphone launched in the Asian market: the Nokia X71. A few days later, Motorola launched two new variants of the Moto G7 Plus with 4 and 6 GB of RAM, as well as 128 GB of internal storage. Alongside the recently-announced Samsung Galaxy A70, these handsets represent some of the most interesting alternatives when it comes to quality-price ratio. This comparison will tell you which one should have a higher value for money and which is the best device of the trio in case you do not care about the price at all.

 

Nokia X71 vs Motorola Moto G7 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy A70

Nokia X71 Motorola Moto G7 Plus Xiaomi Mi 9 SE
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 157.2 x 76.5 x 8 mm, 180 grams 157 x 75.3 x 8.3 mm, 176 grams 164.3 x 76.7 x 7.9 mm
DISPLAY 6.39 inches, 1080 x 2316p (Full HD+), 400 ppi, IPS LCD 6.2 inches, 1080 x 2270p (Full HD+), 405 ppi, LTPS IPS LCD  6.7 inches, 1080 x 2400 pixels, 393 ppi, 20:9 ratio, Super AMOLED
PROCESSOR Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, octa-core 2.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, octa-core 1.8 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 670, octa-core 2 GHz
MEMORY 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD slot 4 GB RAM, 64 GB  – 4 GB RAM, 128 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD dedicated slot 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD dedicated slot
SOFTWARE Android 9 Pie Android 9 Pie  Android 9 Pie, One UI
CONNECTIVITY Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS  Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
CAMERA Triple 48 + 8 + 5 MP f/1.8 and f/2.4
16 MP f/2.0 front camera		 Dual 16 + 5 MP f/1.7 and f/2.2
12 MP front camera		 Triple 32 + 8 + 5 MP f/1.7, f/2.2 and f/2.2
32 MP f/2.0 front camera
BATTERY 3500 mAh, fast charging 18W 3000 mAh, fast charging 27W  4500 mAh, Fast Charging 25W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES Hybrid Dual SIM slot Dual SIM slot Dual SIM slot

Design

If you are seeking for the best and most futuristic look you should undoubtedly go for the Nokia X71. It is the first phone by HMD Global to feature a punch-hole display that reaches a screen-to-body ratio close to 100 percent without the need of a notch. Further, it comes with a premium body with a glass back and an aluminum frame. My second place goes to the Moto G7 Plus for having an outstanding build quality. It comes with a glass back protected by Gorilla Glass 3, an aluminum frame and splash resistance. But if you only care about the look, then you may need to know that Samsung Galaxy A70 looks more gorgeous with its gradient colors and a very high screen-to-body ratio. Which one do you prefer?

 

Display

When it comes to displays, Samsung is most of the times a step forward compared to other manufacturers, as it is one of the most important display manufacturers. Its midrange phones usually come with AMOLED display which boasts a better color reproduction with more brilliant color and deeper blacks. That is exactly the case of the Samsung Galaxy A70 which also comes with an ultra-tall 20:9 aspect ratio and a huge 6.7-inch diagonal. For all these reasons, it easily wins this display comparison. The second place goes to the Moto G7 Plus as it comes with good brightness and nice color reproduction, but it has only marginal differences compared to the Nokia X71.

 

Specs & Software

Despite Motorola held a separate event to launch a higher-end memory configuration of the Moto G7 Plus, Samsung Galaxy A70 wins the hardware comparison for being equipped with a more powerful chipset and a higher amount of RAM. It sports a wonderful Snapdragon 670 which is paired with up to 8 GB of RAM and up to 128 GB of internal storage. Moto G7 Plus has an older and less powerful Snapdragon 636, so it gets beaten even by the Nokia X71 which comes with the Snapdragon 660 boasting a higher clock frequency and better graphics performances. Note that Samsung Galaxy A70 has a customized user interface, while Moto G7 Plus and Nokia X71 come with stock Android (X71 is part of the Android One program with faster and more constant updates as well as direct support by Google).

 

Camera

Overall, the best camera department belongs to the Samsung Galaxy A70. It comes with a triple rear camera composed of a 32 MP main sensor, an 8 MP ultrawide secondary lens and a depth sensor, while on the front it has a stunning 32 MP snapper. But if we only consider the rear sensors, Nokia X71 is more or less at the same level with its Carl Zeiss and its 48 MP triple camera. However, we have to test the Nokia X71 thoroughly to give a definitive opinion, and we still did not have the chance to click some photos with it. Unlike its rivals with triple cameras, Moto G7 Plus lacks the ultrawide lens, but it still provides a stunning photo quality thanks to OIS for the primary sensor and a very bright focal aperture.

 

Battery

Samsung Galaxy A70 is equipped with a monster battery and it lasts a lot more on a single charge. It can even pass two days with a stressed usage pattern, that is amazing. Motorola Moto G7 Plus has the smallest battery and it can not compete with its opponents, but it has also a faster-charging technology, so it is able to fully charge in less time. Nokia X71 sits in the middle with a 3500 mAh unit.

 

Price

Motorola Moto G7 Plus debuted with a price tag of €300/$335 for the base variant with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage, while Nokia X71 starts from about €350/$393. Samsung still did not reveal the pricing of the Galaxy A70. With the actual info, the Galaxy A70 wins the comparison with better performance, amazing cameras, and a huge battery, but if it will cost more than $450, then its value for money might not be so high.

 

Nokia X71 vs Motorola Moto G7 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy A70: PROs and CONS

Nokia X71

PROs

  • Great design
  • Good battery
  • Nice build quality
  • Nice cameras

CONS

  • Costlier

 

Motorola Moto G7 Plus

PROs

  • Good price
  • Compact
  • Splash resistant
  • Stereo speakers

CONS

  • Lower-end hardware

 

Samsung Galaxy A70

PROs

  • High performance
  • Better display
  • Great cameras
  • Huge battery

CONS

  • Nothing particular

 

Nokia X71 to launch in China tomorrow, April 8

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

The Nokia X71 launched last week in Taiwan as the first Nokia phone with a punch hole display. HMD Global Oy is now set to launch the phone in Mainland China tomorrow.

Nokia X71

 

The phone which shares some similarities with the Nokia 7 Plus (black + copper color variant, Snapdragon 660 processor) is also the first Nokia phone with triple rear cameras. The official Nokia Mobile China account has been dropping teasers of the phone in the past couple of days before confirming today the phone will be unveiled in China on April 8.

The Nokia X71 has a 6.39-inch PureView display with an FHD+ resolution and a 19.3:9 aspect ratio. HMD Global says it has a screen-to-body ratio of 93% but didn’t state the diameter of the punch hole. The hole in the display is on the left just like that of the Honor View 20.

Nokia X71 China launch

 

The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 660 and it is paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage with support for storage expansion. The rear is home to a 48MP primary camera, an 8MP wide-angle camera, and a 5MP camera for depth of field. The front-facing camera is a 16MP f/2.0 sensor. There is a fingerprint scanner on the back of the phone.

READ MORE: Nokia 8.1 price slashed by Rs. 2,000 in India

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Alleged Realme 3 Pro specs leaked: will have Snapdragon 710 SoC, VOOC 3.0

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

The Realme 3 Pro is an anticipated device from Realme set to take on the Redmi Note 7 Pro. The phone is scheduled to launch this month though the exact date is still unknown. Alleged specs of the phone have leaked and it seems there will soon be a new mid-range king in the Indian smartphone market.

Realme 3 Pro teaser

The leak was first reported by Indiashopps and they say the info comes from unnamed sources and analysts.

First, the Realme 3 Pro will come with the Snapdragon 710 processor which powers phones like the Mi 8 SE and the Nokia 8.1. When compared to the Snapdragon 675 which powers the Redmi Note 7 Pro, the Snapdragon 710 trumps it only in graphics performance. The SDM710 is also more power efficient since it is built on a smaller node.

The Realme 3 Pro will come in three variants – 4GB RAM + 32GB, 4GB RAM + 64GB, and 6GB RAM + 64GB. All three models should support storage expansion. There will also be three color variants but they weren’t revealed.

Coming to cameras, the Realme 3 Pro will not join the Sony IMX586 train but use the Sony IMX519, the same primary sensor in the OnePlus 6T.

There is no info on battery capacity but the Realme 3 Pro will support VOOC 3.0 according to the source. The OPPO Reno is also said to feature this new fast-charging technology. It is entirely different from SuperVOOC which the Find X uses. Nevertheless, VOOC 3.0 is said to be 23.8% faster than VOOC 2.0.

READ MORE: Realme Android 9 Pie ColorOS 6.0 update will be released in June

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OPPO Reno rumor roundup: Specifications, variants, launch event and livestream details

By
Anvinraj Valiyathara
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On April 10, OPPO will be announcing the much hyped Oppo Reno series of smartphones. It is speculated that the Chinese manufacturer a Snapdragon 710 and a Snapdragon 855 version of the Oppo Reno smartphone. The 8D866 model is expected to arrive in 4G only and 5G-ready versions. Here is everything that is known about the upcoming Oppo Reno series:

Oppo Reno Launch Event

The OPPO Reno launch event will be held in Shanghai at Mercedes-Benz Arena on April 10 between 2 PM and 4 PM. The Chinese manufacturer will be also an international event for the OPPO Reno series on April 24 in Zurich, Switzerland for global audience.

Oppo Reno Lite

OPPO Reno variants and specifications

In the previous month, OPPO had trademarked five Reno monikers with European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and Intellectual Property Office (IPO) such as Oppo Reno Pro, Reno Plus, Reno Zoom, Reno Lite and Reno Youth.

The Oppo Reno 10x Zoom edition could be fueled by the Snapdragon 855 SoC. It is expected to arrive with a 6.65-inch notch-less OLED display with full HD+ resolution and in-display fingerprint reader. It will offer a screen-to-body ratio 91.3 percent. The SoC will be supported by 8 GB of RAM and it will include 256 GB of native storage. The ColorOS 6.0 UI based Android 9 Pie OS will come loaded on the device

oppo reno

Its triple camera setup will include OIS enabled Sony IMX586 48-megapixel primary sensor, an 8-megapixel 120-degree super wide-angle lens and a 13-megapixel periscope telephoto lens as third camera sensor. Readers can visit this post to see the camera samples of the smartphone. A “shark fin” shaped pop-up selfie camera module with an LED flash and 16-megapixel lens is also available on the device.

OPPO Reno triple camera

OPPO Reno case render

The smartphone will also carry support for dual-band GPS technology and it will come equipped with copper tube liquid cooling for internal heat dissipation. The 4,065mAh battery of the phone will support VOOC fast charging technology. The handset was Bluetooth certified in the previous month through which it was revealed that the company will be also announcing a 5G version of the phone. The SD855 variant is expected to be priced around $605 and $605 in Vietnam.

Apart from the SD855 model, two smartphones of the Oppo Reno series with model numbers PCAM00 / PCAT00, PCGM00 / PCGT00 and PCAM10 / PCAT10. The last model appears like a low-end model that could probably end up as Oppo Reno Youth or Lite. It features a 6.5-inch IPS LCD waterdrop-style notched display with full HD+ resolution, 2.1 GHz octa-core processor (could be Helio P70), up to 6 GB of RAM, up to 128 GB of storage, Android 9 Pie OS, 16-megapixel + 2-megapixel dual camera, 16-megapixel selfie camera, around 4,000mAh battery and a rear-facing fingerprint reader.

OPPO Reno Snapdragon 710 EditionThe PCAM00 / PCAT00 and PCGM00 / PCGT00 seems to feature identical specs and only the noticeable different between are the rear camera configurations. The PCAM00 / PCAT00 model has 6.4-inch full HD+ AMOLED notch-less display with in-screen fingerprint sensor. It is powered by 2.2 GHz octa-core processor and up to 8 GB of RAM. It features up to 256 GB of native storage. For photography, it features 48-megapixel + 5-megapixel dual camera on its rear and an LED assisted 16-megapixel selfie camera placed in a pop-up camera module. Its packed with a 3,680mAh battery with support for rapid charging technology.

The OPPO PCGM00 / PCGM00 features a slightly bigger 6.5-inch AMOLED notch-less display and 16-megapixel + 2-megapixel dual camera, but rest of the specs are identical with PCAM00 / PCAT00 model. Hence, at least one or both PCAM00 / PCAT00 and PCGM00 / PCGT00 could be both powered by Snapdragon 710 SoC. This model is expected to colors like Extreme Night Black, Mist Pink, Fog Sea Green and Nebula Purple. The smartphone is now up for reservations in China through its official online shop.

The recent reports have confusing information on the OPPO Reno series. Hopefully, leaked details surfaced in the next few days may reveal clearer information on the Oppo Reno variants.

OPPO A5 gets new 64GB variant in India

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

The OPPO A5 is a mid-range phone with a notch and dual rear cameras. It launched in India last year in a single variant with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. OPPO has now released a new variant with double the storage.

OPPO A5 featured

The new variant retains all the specs of the 32GB version but has 64GB of built-in storage. As expected, it also costs more – ₹12,990 (~$188). To be honest we see no reason why you will want to buy this as the Realme U1 (4+64GB) offers much more (save for a smaller battery) and costs less – ₹11,999 (~$175).

The OPPO A5 has a 6.2-inch HD+ 19:9 display with a wide notch at the top for the selfie camera and speaker. It is powered by the Snapdragon 450 processor and there is support for storage expansion.

The back of the phone is home to dual cameras – a 13MP f/2.2 primary sensor and a 2MP f/2.4 depth sensor. The front-facing camera is an 8MP f/2.0 sensor with support for Face Unlock and AI Beauty 2.0. It also has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.

The A5 runs ColorOS 5.1 based on Android 8.1 Oreo and packs a 4230mAh battery. It has a pretty nice feature called Music Party which allows your friends to connect to your hotspot and play the same song your phone is playing.

READ MORE: Oppo reveals the camera specifications of the Oppo Reno smartphone

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Sony resumes Xperia XA2 Android Pie update

By
Habeeb Onawole
-

Sony began rolling out the Android Pie update to the mid-range Xperia XA2 back in February. However, it had to suspend the update as it was bricking the Russian version of the phone. Sony has now resumed the update for the phone.

Sony Xperia XA2

The old update’s which has version number 50.2.A.0.342 would cause phones to restart and then display black and white stripes on the screen afterward, rendering the phone unusable. The new update has resolved the issue and is now safe for installation.

The new update’s version number is 50.2.A.0.352 and it brings March 2019’s security patch too. It is also said to be rolling out in other regions too. So check your phone for the update.

The Xperia XA2 was released over a year ago. It has a 5.2-inch FHD display with thick bezels at the top and bottom of the screen and covered with Gorilla Glass 4. There is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 630 under the hood and it is paired with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. The SIM 2 slot also doubles as a MicroSD card slot (256GB max.).

READ MORE: Sony merges mobile, TV, audio, and camera divisions into one

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Xiaomi is 9 Years Old: We Document Its Journey & Major Milestones!

By
Joel Joseph
-

Nine years ago, eight people came together in Beijing with one purpose: To create something cool! And it took them just a bowl of millet porridge to know what they wanted to call the company. Thus, Xiaomi was created.

Little did they know they were creating one of the biggest smartphone companies in the world.

Today, Xiaomi is not just a smartphone maker. It’s a way of living. Its products can replace nearly all of your essential electronics at home, ranging from tiny smart bulbs to heavy duty washing machines and water purifiers. The Xiaomi fever is spreading ever quickly and they seem unstoppable right now. Despite its solid footing in the smartphone industry, Xiaomi had its fair share of struggles and downfalls. And the company has shown us that it’s here to stay by surviving all those tough times. In fact, the company’s turnaround story is so good that people often refer to it as the ‘Chinese Pheonix’!

From making smartphones that borrowed its design from competitors to leading the industry in multiple facets, Xiaomi has carved out a niche of its own in this highly competitive market. To be honest, the smartphone industry wouldn’t have been the same without Xiaomi.

So, it’s only fitting to see some of the biggest milestones by the company on its ninth birthday. So, hop on to this Xiaomi story where you’ll get some interesting facts and figures of the company.

 

 

1How It All Began!

xiaomi cofounders
Xiaomi’s initial team members having millet porridge Source: Donovan Sung Twitter

Xiaomi is headquartered in Beijing, China and started its journey with eight co-founders and fourteen employees on April 6, 2010.

Xiaomi’s logo is abbreviated as Mi and stands for ‘Mobile Internet’. Mi has other meanings as well, which include ‘Mission Impossible’ which represents the various challenges the company had to overcome in its initial years.

The Chinese word for Xiaomi is ‘小米’ which means ‘Millet’. When one of the co-founder’s father cooked millet porridge for the entire team, the company decided to go with this name since it represents affordability and nutrition.

Fun Fact: Xiaomi’s founder, Lei Jun adds “When I went to the trademark registration, someone asked me whether we are an innovative agricultural technology company,”.

Lei Jun and Lin Bin, the two founders of Xiaomi were already good friends before starting off their new idea. Lin Bin met Lei Jun around early 2009 when Google decided to partner with UC Browser. Back then, Lin Bin was at Google heading the company’s mobile products and business developments in China. Lei Jun was the Chairman of UC Web, and it was only natural that they became good friends.

2Xiaomi Founders

xiaomi 8 cofounders
Xiaomi cofounders Source: blog.mi.com

Xiaomi started its operations with eight co-founders. They were all in their 30s or 40s, which was above the average age for startup co-founders in China at that time. Nevertheless, they brought in years of rich experience to the company.

  • Lei Jun (ex-Kingsoft) [Nick: Lei Zong] — Currently the CEO of Xiaomi
  • Lin bin (ex-Googler) [Nick: Bin Zong] — Currently the President of Xiaomi, heads Mobile department
  • Li Wanqiang (ex-Kingsoft) [Nick: Alee] — Heads Xiaomi’s e-commerce teams
  • Kong-Kat Wong (ex-Microsoft) [Nick: KK] — Leads Mi Wi-Fi and Mi Cloud teams
  • Wang Chuan [Nick: Chuan Sir] — Currently President of Xiaomi China, headed Xiaomi’s Smart TV business
  • Hong Feng (ex-Googler) — Heads Xiaomi’s MIUI division
  • Guangping Zhou (ex-Motorola) — Heads Xiaomi’s Hardware and BSP teams
  • Liu De [Nick: Brother De] — Heads Xiaomi’s Industrial Design and Ecosystem Development Teams

 

3Xiaomi Employees

Xiaomi Store Spain
Xiaomi’s New Store in Madrid, Spain

Xiaomi started off with just 14 employees.

Right now, the company has over 18,000 employees spread throughout China, India, and other countries.

While Lei Jun and Lin Bin retain over 40% of shares in Xiaomi, there are 7000+ employees in the company with its shares or options. This was because Xiaomi’s executives offered share options to its employees right from the start. In fact, at the time of Xiaomi’s IPO, it was said that around 56 early employees of the company were all set to become millionaires.

When word spread back in 2010 that Lei Jun and his co-founders were racking up their own money for a venture financing round, there were employees like Li Weixing and others who wanted to join them. Lei Jun had hinted in an interview conducted in March that they had to let everyone in since they can’t let only Weixing invest. The investments from the rank-and-file were capped at about 300,000 yuan each to limit risk and stop employees from taking out loans to invest. The employee who even took out her dowry of around 100,000 to 200,000 yuan ($16,000 to $31,000) was simply identified as employee No. 14, a receptionist now working in Xiaomi’s human resources office.

Today, many of them are millionaires.

 

4Xiaomi’s Smartphone Journey: A Solid Start

xiaomi-mi 1S
Mi 1S

2010

  • The first version of the company’s Android UI called MIUI was announced in China

2011

  • Xiaomi’s first smartphone, Mi 1 announced on August 16. The phone was the first phone with a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and went on sale in October in an online-only sales model. The price tag was just 1999 Yuan ($300).

 

2012

  • Xiaomi announces the Mi 2 featuring Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064. The phone is quite popular in China.
  • This helps Xiaomi sell over 7.19 million smartphones in the year.

2013

  • Xiaomi announces the Xiaomi Mi 3 in two versions, one with SD800 and another one with NVIDIA’s Tegra 4. This phone becomes the company’s flagship model in the international markets next year.
  • In the same year, Xiaomi announces its first phone under a new lineup, Redmi, focused on the budget segment. The first model in the lineup is the Redmi 1. It was announced in July 2013 and came with MediaTek’s MT6589T processor and 1GB of RAM. It’s a hit among budget users.
  • The surge in Xiaomi fanbase helps the company sell over 18.3 million smartphones in the year, which was more than 50% YoY growth.

2014

  • This was the year when Xiaomi decided to let loose and reach out to other markets outside of China.
  • The first international stop was Singapore, followed by countries like Malaysia and the Philippines.
  • The same year, Xiaomi started its operations in India with the Xiaomi Mi 3 flagship.
  • In light of its international expansion, the company decided to give its online operations a global reach by purchasing the Mi.com domain for a staggering $3.6 million. This was the most expensive domain purchase in China in its time.
  • In the same year, the Redmi 1 model got a larger sibling, called the Redmi Note.
  • In terms of smartphone shipments, Xiaomi came into the big league, shipping over 61.12 million units in 2014.

 

5Xiaomi’s Smartphone Journey: Trying Times

mi 4i xiaomi
Xiaomi Mi 4i

2015

  • Xiaomi’s international expansion continued and it entered new markets like Brazil.
  • The company decides to prioritize its operations in India. In this regard, Xiaomi announced Xiaomi Mi 4i, its first smartphone tailored for the Indian market. The phone first launched in India before any other country including China.
  • The company continues its aggressive online-only model. However, it fails to achieve its 100M smartphone target and accepts that it grew too quickly. Xiaomi didn’t reveal an exact sales figure at that time, but it was said to be only around 70 million units, falling way short of its initial target for the year.

2016

  • The struggle continues, with Xiaomi ceasing its operations in Brazil.
  • However, there were a bunch of new announcements like the Xiaomi Mi Max series and the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 model. The latter would turn out to be one of the best selling smartphones in India.
  • Xiaomi targets the EU market bagging its first official distributor, ABC Data.
  • In November that year, Xiaomi announced a smartphone that changed the way we perceive the brand. The Mi Mix series was announced with a revolutionary tri-bezel-less design and a very high screen to body ratio. The company managed to beat the big players to release something unique and beautiful in the industry. In some sense, we can say that the Mi Mix series paved the design for the smartphones that we see today!
  • But overall, 2016 was a bad year for Xiaomi. Company’s online-only sales model was no longer effective and competitors like OPPO and Vivo, driven by its solid offline sales strategy, was eating up Xiaomi’s sales. By the end of the year, Xiaomi could only sell around 53 million units. A huge decline over last year and definitely falling short of the company’s big goals.

 

6Xiaomi’s Smartphone Journey: China’s Pheonix!

xiaomi mi store
Xiaomi started focusing on offline sales

2017

  • This year defined Xiaomi. After two years of declining sales, some people started to write off Xiaomi as any other startup that shows promise but fails to deliver in the long run.
  • However, the company turned things around drastically! And the way they did it forced people to take notice. By the end of 2017, Xiaomi has shipped over 92 million smartphones, which was an unprecedented growth figure in the industry!
  • Xiaomi first revamped its offline policy. CEO Lei Jun announced the company’s newfound love for retail and vowed to open 200 Mi stores in China by the end of the year.
  • Despite struggling in its home country, Xiaomi was exceptionally successful in India in the previous two years. It managed to overtake Samsung to become the number one smartphone company in India in 2017.
  • It opened its first Mi Store in Bengaluru, India in the same year. At the same time, Xiaomi renews its focus in India with a target of opening 100 Mi Stores throughout the country in the next two years.
  • In the same year, Xiaomi offers something unique to its Mi fans. The first Android One smartphone, the Mi A1 is announced. It runs on stock Android instead of the company’s MIUI platform.

2018

  • Xiaomi strengthens its hold in Europe with Three partnership. This opens up its entry into the UK.
  • The company also announces the Mi Mix 2S flagship. This is the first ever Xiaomi smartphone to have a really good camera, changing the perception that the company couldn’t excel in the camera department. With a DxOMark score of 97, Xiaomi had finally entered the big leagues of flagship camera performers.
  • Xiaomi announces it will forever limit its net profit margin after tax for the entire hardware business to 5%.
  • In the same year, Xiaomi gets listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange at HK$17, thereby raising $4.2 billion. With that pricing, the company is valued at $54 billion.
  • Xiaomi’s turnaround strategy further fuels its growth in 2018. It shipped over 100 million smartphones by November 2018. By the end of the year, the total shipments figure reach 122 million!

2019

 

7Xiaomi’s 9 Year Journey In Figures

mi iot users

  • Xiaomi has over 242.1 million MIUI users
  • Xiaomi has over 151 million IoT devices with over 2.3 million users with more than 5 Xiaomi branded IoT devices.
  • Xiaomi is the No.1 Smart TV Brand in Mainland China.
  • The company sells its products in over 70 countries. It one of the top 5 smartphone makers in 16 markets.
  • There will be over 2000 Mi Home stores worldwide by 2019.
  • The company has applied for over 24,000 patents worldwide. Out of them, 5920 patents have been granted yet.
Xiaomi logo
Xiaomi logo in front of the headquarter

As compared to some of the big players out there, Xiaomi’s journey is quite short. However, what the company has managed to do in these short 9 years says a lot about the way it works.

For example, Xiaomi exceeded its revenue goal of RMB 100 billion in just over 7 years! For the same target, Apple took 20 years, Facebook 12 years, Google nine years, Alibaba 17 years, Tencent 17 years, and Huawei 21 years!

 

After its Hong Kong IPO, the company is going strong with its strategy of product diversification. Hence, it isn’t really surprising to see that the company released over 44 non-smartphone products since January 2019!

So, on its 9th birthday, we wish Xiaomi all the success in the coming years. We hope it continues to offer great products and features at an affordable price tag, leading the way for all other companies out there!

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