At the beginning of this month, Realme had slashed the price of the Realme U1 smartphone. Now, the company has reduced the price of the Realme 2 Pro phone too in the country. All the variants of the Realme 2 Pro are now available with a reduction of Rs. 1,000.
The Realme 2 Pro was introduced in three variants such as 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage, 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage and 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage. These models were introduced with respective price tags of Rs. 13,990 (~$196), Rs. 15,990 (~$224) and Rs. 17,990 (~$252). With a discount of Rs. 1,000, these variants are now respectively selling for Rs. 12,990 (~$182), Rs. 14,990 (~$210) and Rs. 16,990 (~$238).
The 4 GB and 6 GB RAM editions of the Realme 2 Pro are available for purchase through Flipkart. The 8 GB RAM variant is showing as out of stock on the retailer site as well as on the official online store of Realme.
In terms of specs, the Realme 2 Pro is the most powerful smartphone from the company so far. It features a 6.3-inch IPS LCD waterdrop notch screen that produces full HD+ resolution. It is fueled by the Snapdragon 660 chipset. For photography, it is equipped with 16-megapixel + 2-megapixel dual camera setup and a front-facing shooter of 16-megapixel. It receives power from a 3,500mAh battery.
The Realme 2 Pro has recently received Android 8.1 Oreo OS based ColorOS 5.2 update. It is expected to be soon treated with Android 9 Pie OS. The handset comes in three color choices such as Ice Lake Blue, Blue Ocean and Black Sea.
Realme is expected to soon announce new phones in India. It is speculated that the Realme A1 and Realme 3 may get announced within the first quarter of this year.
Xiaomi is all set to launch its flagship smartphone — Xiaomi Mi 9 in the coming days and before the company officially unveils the device, Xiaomi and its executives have been confirming features of the phone to build up the hype.
In the latest move, Xiaomi President Lin Bin revealed that the Mi 9 will come with an in-display fingerprint sensor which will be the fastest yet available in any smartphone. He further added that the company has opted for the fifth generation of the in-display fingerprint sensor.
While shedding light of the benefits of this next-generation in-display fingerprint sensor, Lin Bin said that it will be 25 percent faster than the current-generation fingerprint sensors offered in other devices. Further, he also revealed that it is optimized for special use-cases such as dry fingers and low temperature, which in turn increases the unlocking rate significantly compared to the previous generation solution.
Also, it comes with a night mode, in which the brightness of the fingerprint recognition area gets automatically adjusted depending on the environment. The company has also opted to increase the unlock area compared to the previous generation and the placement position has also been altered. This is done to blend the experience to that of the traditional fingerprint sensor.
Recently, Lei Jun, founder and CEO of Xiaomi, revealed that the Mi 9 will have 40 percent smaller chin compared to its predecessor and the waterdrop notch display of the smartphone will offer 90.7 percent screen-to-body ratio.
Xiaomi is using a 6.4-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display which is supplied by Samsung. It also has 103.8 percent NTSC super wide color gamut and up to 600 nits of brightness. There are also a bunch of optimizations for different usage scenarios such as night mode and game mode. It also features a second-generation “sun-screen” that has better color reproduction and brightness under strong light.
Reports indicate that the Mi 9’s display is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 6 and also comes with an eye-protection certification from the German Institute of Electrical Engineers. It will pack Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, triple rear cameras, and a 3500mAh battery with 27W fast charging support.
The base variant of the Xiaomi Mi 9 is speculated to be around 3,000 Yuan while the top-end variant is likely to exceed the 4,000 Yuan mark. To know for sure how the company prices its flagship handset as well as its availability information, we’ll have to wait for the official launch next week.
There has been a flow of details about the Xiaomi Mi 9 in the last couple of days from official sources and it appears that will continue until the phone is unveiled on Wednesday, February 20. Today, there are more details and images but this time they are about the phone’s display.
The CEO of Xiaomi, Lei Jun, has shared more details and renders of the Mi 9’s screen and the design of the front on Weibo. The renders focus on eight key features of the display.
[envira-gallery id=”236821″]
The biggest change with respect to design, when compared to the Mi 8, is the switch to a waterdrop notch. The phone also has a slimmer lower bezel – 40% thinner than its predecessor. Combine these two and the result is a 90.7% screen-to-body ratio for the Mi 9.
The Mi 9 doesn’t stop there. The screen is a 1080p FHD+ AMOLED display that is supplied by Samsung. Xiaomi says it has a 103.8% NTSC super wide color gamut and up to 600 nits of brightness. There are also a bunch of optimizations for different usage scenarios such as night mode and game mode.
Xiaomi says the Mi 9 also features a second-generation “sun-screen” that has better color reproduction and brightness under strong light. There is also a third-gen ultrasonic proximity sensor that is highly sensitive under the display. The Mi 9 is covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 6 for protection and also has an eye-protection certification from the German Institute of Electrical Engineers.
Many tech enthusiasts are looking for Oppo’s announcements at the upcoming MWC 2019 event in Barcelona next week. Already, there are plenty of rumors regarding the innovations that Oppo is set to uncover at the event. Oppo’s top brass is already revealing many new things at their new official Weibo handles. Recently, we came to know that Oppo is revealing 10x optical zoom tech at MWC 2019. Today, Oppo Vice President, Shen Yiren took to Weibo and announced that the 10X Lossless zoom camera tech would be mass produced in the first half of 2019.
In further details via replies, it is revealed that Oppo will continue to innovate new technologies to bring real value to the users. The new 10X optical zoom camera tech will be mass produced in H1 of 2019 and will continue till the end of this year. It would help the Oppo’s new tech to be in stock through the year.
Moreover, Oppo is working pretty hard to bring first ever 10X optical lossless zoom tech to cameras. It can be used through telephoto, super-wide-angle, and ultra-clear camera sensors to achieve 15.9mm-159mm of focal length. It is a breakthrough in smartphone camera technology and is inherited from already available 5X lossless zoom technology.
Earlier, Shen has revealed that Oppo is not revealing R19 anytime soon this year. He even talked about the constraints of foldable devices. Indeed they are working on different new technologies to improve their overall smartphones’ quality. They are soon coming with F11 Pro smartphone which is set to feature a pop-up selfie camera.
Additionally, a new Oppo smartphone is making rounds on the web via different leaks. As according to leaks a device named “Poseidon” was leaked last month. As per the Geekbench benchmarks, it carries Snapdragon 855 chipset along with the 10x hybrid optical zoom technology. The upcoming Oppo flagship device is coming soon at the MWC 2019. We expect it to launch in the market by the end of this month.
Moreover, Oppo is expected to launch Oppo F11, F11 Pro and Oppo R17 Neo in India very soon.
Let’s wait for its official launch which is expected at the MWC 2019.
Huami came into the spotlight as the maker of Xiaomi’s Mi Band wearable. It went public last year (even before Xiaomi), and has a number of really cool wearables under its own Amazfit lineup. I was using its Amazfit Pace (Chinese version) for the past one year and recently shifted to its newer brother, the Amazfit Verge. Despite its basic appearance, the Verge clearly is an updated model in the lineup, coming in a refined design with better features. I have spent a considerable amount of time with the review unit (maybe a bit more than what I had imagined before writing its review), so I have a thorough understanding of how it performs in your daily use case scenarios.
Amazfit Verge Review: Design
Amazfit Verge may not be the best looking circular smartwatch around, but it sure is a good looking option. If you are in the search for a watch that’s smart, compact, well built, and feature-rich, the Verge won’t disappoint.
The watch has a very snug fit and the compact size ensures that it stays in place throughout the day. The watch case is made out of reinforced plastic, so nothing fancy like the ceramic body on the Amazfit Pace. However, the plastic is of good quality and in more than a month, I haven’t got any major scratches or wear and tear marks on the device. Personally, the design highlight for me is the way the straps connect to the main body of the watch. While the straps are standard and swappable via a spring mechanism, they connect to the watch seamlessly. On first glance, you’d easily mistake that it’s a one piece design. The silicone staps does not feel cheap and in fact, I find it of better quality than the ones I have on the Pace.
What I have got with me is the black model. It comes with a dual tone finish (Black+ Light Grey) and looks pretty premium. The orange accents on the top and the orange power button (there’s just one button like the Pace) make the watch’s design pretty unique. However, Huami has ensured that the overall design is subtle and nothing flashy. So, the watch should blend well with all your attires.
There’s a 1.3-inch OLED (43mm) display on the front. Note that this is a full circular display with a pretty high 360 x 360 resolution, so no black bars at the bottom. I’ll talk about the display in detail in the next section.
There’s a speaker on the left and power button and microphone on the right. After reading this, I’m sure you won’t be surprised to hear that the Amazfit Verge can make and receive phone calls via the connected smartphone. The bottom features pins for charging and the heart rate sensor.
The watch is IP68 certified, so it’s water and dust proof, however, note that you can’t take the watch out for swimming or even shower. In my personal experience, Amazfit watches are built to last. So, any kind of accidental exposure to such an environment doesn’t really break the device. However, it’s best to be safe than sorry.
I have seen that a lot of people don’t like the compact design on the Verge. They call it plasticky and basic. I had my doubts as well, especially after seeing the initial pictures of the device. However, the design has grown on to me. I like that it’s non-intrusive and compact. It’s just 46 grams so I really don’t feel weighed down by the watch. At the same time, it feels premium, has all the bells and whistles of a premium smartwatch and has a unique look.
I can wear it for an entire day without noticing it in my hand and I feel that’s how fitness-centric smartwatches should be. Watches like the Stratos and Galaxy Watch are the ones you show off. And the Verge is the one that stays with you all day long, keeping a close eye on your fitness and health.
Amazfit Verge Review: Display
I’m dedicating a separate section for the display of the watch because that’s the biggest part of any smartwatch. One thing is certain, the Amazfit Verge has got the best display in the entire Amazfit range. The OLED display is really beautiful with rich colors and stellar touch response.
Considering how the Pace, BIP, and Stratos come with transreflective displays, the colors on this watch are refreshing to look at. However, outdoor visibility takes a hit. You’ll make out time and maybe a few other details under direct sunlight, but it can’t compete with the displays on its older siblings. Personally, I’m not someone who spends a lot of my time outdoors, directly under the sun, so I’m pretty satisfied with the display on the Verge.
Having an OLED display has a lot of advantages. Apart from the rich colors, you also have a low power Always on Display. I hate seeing a lot of smartwatches that are rendered useless in the display off mode. This is where the AOD comes into the picture. The Amazfit Verge has an option where you can enable always on display. This will keep time on the screen all the time. It changes according to the watch face, which is pretty neat. Despite the slightly increased battery usage, it’s definitely useful in your day to day life.
Apart from the power button to switch on the display, you can also double tap the screen to light it up. Or just lift your wrist to reveal the watch face. The overall experience is smooth and flawless.
Amazfit Verge Review: Usage
I’ll take you through the Verge’s UI before I start talking about the watch’s features in details.
If you have used an Amazfit Watch before, you’ll be familiar with the Verge’s UI as well. You can double tap the screen to wake and there are nearly 10 watch faces pre-installed. Among them, there are three to four watch faces which are really cool and I personally have been using these special watch faces throughout my review period. There are some funky options as well, so if you are feeling particularly bold one day, you can try out these watch faces which have unique animations and colors.
Note that, the watch comes with default AOD turned off. You have to manually go in the settings to turn it on.
A simple click of the power button or double tap on the screen turns on the display. You are greeted with the watch face up front.
Swipe from left to right on the screen and you’ll meet the XiaoAI assistant. For a non-Chinese user, it’s of practically no use. Also, you need your phone paired to use this feature. In the assistant menu, there’s your calendar too. Swiping from right to left from the watch face takes you to the assigned menus.
I have personally set my pedometer counter to come up with a single right swipe. After the assigned menus, you’ll meet the app drawer. Given that this is the Chinese version of the app, it took me a while to get used to the app icons. But looking at the icons, you get a fair idea of what’s inside.
You can always use Google translate (camera mode) to get an idea about the apps inside the drawer. To make your life easier, this is the order of the apps.
HR (Heart Rate)
Activities (Outdoor running, Outdoor walking, Outdoor cycling, Treadmill running, Indoor cycling, Elliptical, Hiking, Wild running, Skiing, Tennis, Football). Note that each mode is customized to its specific activity. For example, in football mode, there are options like first half, second half and so on. The same applies to each sports activity mode in the app.
Sleep
Activity Stats
Phone / Call
Alipay
Bus Card
MIJIA (Smart Home)
Music
Weather
Alarm Clock
Timer
Stopwatch (can run in background)
Schedule / Calender
Compass
Himalaya App (Podcast Player)
Maps
Mi TV
Settings
I had an issue syncing my Himalaya Podcast app on the phone with the watch. I am hoping a future update will fix the issue.
From home/watch face, you can swipe down to access your notifications. App notifications from apps like Twitter, Slack, Whatsapp show in detail. However, you can’t reply to notifications. Something like a quick reply feature seen on Fitbit Versa would have been handy, but unfortunately, you’ll have to access your phone if you want to revert back to the text.
You can drag any notification to the right to dismiss it. Or just drag to the left to silence that app. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a dismiss all option for the notification menu and if you have twitter or WhatsApp notifications turned on, you’ll often find the place filled with a lot of notifications.
Now, let’s take a look at some of the watch’s features in detail.
I have started jogging and the Amazfit Verge has been my daily companion. The pedometer on the device seems pretty accurate and it’s smart enough not to easily register false step counts.
In the outdoor running mode, the watch comes with a rich interface which shows you all the necessary information like distance traveled, average speed, total time elapsed, heart rate, and so on. In this particular mode, you can further swipe right to get more details like heart rate pattern throughout your jogging period, and even a rough map of your track.
Once you end the outdoor jogging mode (swipe left and there’s one ‘Pause’ and a ‘Finish button’ with a flag icon), you get a summary of the job with a lot of details. Since it’s all in Chinese, you’ll have a hard time figuring out the exact information, but you do get an idea of all the important details at one glance.
As for sleep tracking, it may not be the best out there but I feel it does a pretty decent job. Unlike the cheap Mi Band 3 which for some reason always thought my deep sleep wasn’t more than an hour every day, the Amazfit Watch is a bit more forgiving. Personally, I feel the watch gives you a pretty fair idea about your overall sleep, like the total time in bed, deep sleep timing, light sleep timing, time of sleep, and getting up time. It’s light and compact enough not to weigh your down in your sleep, so you actually won’t mind wearing it in bed.
The heart rate sensor on this device is one of its biggest highlights. The Verge occasionally checks your heart rate to ensure that everything is fine. In fact, if you keep your phone on the side, you’d often notice that the heart rate sensor’s green light flickers at regular intervals. This means that the watch is checking your heart rate between set intervals. As Huami explained at the time of launch, the Verge can detect unusual heart rate patterns automatically and these occasional checks are a part of that process. As for the accuracy of the heart rate shown on the watch, it’s pretty good. There have been one or two cases where I was jogging and the heart rate was under 80 (which was pretty surprising). However, I realized that the watch had a loose fit and that could be the reason why the HR was inaccurate. Once I re-strapped my watch firmly on to my wrist, the HR monitor was back to normal.
Coming to the phone call experience, it’s pretty neat. As I mentioned above, the watch has its own loudspeaker and microphone, so you can make calls using the paired smartphone. The phone app has options like call logs, contacts, and even a dial pad. Once you make or receive a call, you have the option to mute, increase/ decrease volume, end it, or even transfer it to the smartphone. The loudspeaker is decent and you can hear the other person if you are in a quiet environment. However, the microphone isn’t that great and unless you are loud, the person on the other side is going to have a hard time understanding what’s being said. But this feature does come in handy when you are driving or want to quickly take a call without accessing your smartphone.
Rest of the features work well. I like the fact that the stopwatch runs in the background and you don’t have to keep it turned on at all times. The alarm clock works as it should and the speaker on the device is decent enough to wake you up every day.
Overall, the features of the Amazfit Watch work as described.
Amazfit Verge Review: Battery Life
I wasn’t expecting anything exceptional with the watch’s battery life given that it features an OLED display. I have turned on the AOD since I hate seeing a blank black screen on my watch at any moment. Plus, the brightness is set to automatic as it does a pretty decent job adjusting the backlight by itself.
With daily runs for like an hour, always connected smartphone with a lot of notifications, limited use of its music controls, and occasional sleep tracking, the Amazfit Verge survived for 3 days on average. I didn’t find it necessary to squeeze more out of the watch since I hate to keep features turned off just to save on the battery. It defeats the very purpose of getting the watch.
I feel 3 days is pretty decent for this watch as what comes next is its fast charging capability. You can easily get the watch charged from 4% to 100% in just one hour! In fact, if you just keep it plugged in for 15 minutes, the watch charges up to 30-35%! That’s good enough to get me through the entire day with all the features running.
So despite the average battery life, the fast charging on the Amazfit Verge definitely makes it an easy to use everyday smartwatch.
Amazfit Verge Review: Conclusion
When I decided to get the watch for review, I was a bit skeptical. The basic design in the pictures made it look like a cheap kid’s watch, and the features were what you’d usually get on any other smartwatch. Further, the watch was in Chinese, which was going to be a hindrance in everyday use.
However, the Verge has definitely grown on to me over the course of time. I love the compact and lightweight design and in real life, the black version looks pretty neat and premium. There’s nothing cheap about this device and it goes with practically any attire. Despite the less than impressive outdoor viewing experience, the OLED display on the watch is beautiful on most occasions. The colors are rich and the text is crisp. The UI on board is smooth and responsive. The features work as described and even the connection with my smartwatch is lag free which means I get all of my notifications in real time.
What I miss is Wear OS, which would have made this watch perfect with additional app support. Also, the XiaoAi assitant is useless for me. I would be much better off with Google Assistant on board.
It’s definitely an upgrade over the Amazfit BIP and rivals the Ticwatch E which comes with WearOS on board. If you are looking for a TicWatch alternative, this is definitely worth checking out.
In short, I would definitely recommend the Amazfit Verge if you are getting it for somewhere around $150.
Now that the English version is out, I don’t find a lot of competitors that are going to be better than the Verge in its price segment.
Xiaomi still hasn’t really got any smartwatch to its name but Xiaomi’s partner Huami has got quite a number of them, including the Amazfit Pace, Watch 2, Watch 2, Amazfit Verge and a host of many others. The Chinese giant has now shared a picture teaser which suggests that a new smartwatch is in the works and will soon be released.
The teaser poster points to a February 19 launch date and the watch will be launched under its crowdfunding platform. The poster wasn’t so generous with the specs detail of the model but a few of them were teased. The first is that the smartwatch is going to be a smartwatch. Secondly, the watch will come with GPS function.
There is no indication on the poster if this will be a new Amazfit sports watch. Although the Amazfit Verge was released last year, it wasn’t really a sports-centric smartwatch. Thus, the last sports-focused smartwatch Huami released was the Amazfit Watch 2S models. So, it is possible this is a new model. It could also be a new product entirely from one of Xiaomi’s eco-chain partners, hence te crowdfunding initiative.
BBK subsidiary Vivo was the first OEM to launch a commercial smartphone, the Vivo NEX with a pop-up selfie camera design last year. OPPO was soon to follow with the Find X packing an even better sliding design. The pop-up camera hasn’t really caught up as just a few other phone makers have attempted to replicate the design style. Instead, we have seen more OEMs go for the notch design in which the selfie shooter is housed inside the notch. However, the last definitely hasn’t been heard of the pop-up design. First, Vivo is working on the V15 Pro mid-range model with a pop-up and then Xiaomi. Yes, Xiaomi may bring us a smartphone with a pop-up camera.
Xiaomi’s product director Wang Teng Thomas has disclosed in his interaction with netizens that the Chinese smartphone maker may launch such a mobile phone. The response from the exec in Chinese translates that the design is a trade-off, everyone needs it and Xiaomi will also have it. However, he added that it will depend on the need for the design. We should point out that the Mi Mix 3 released last year was Xiaomi’s first smartphone with a slider design. Also, Xiaomi is said to have applied for a patent for pop-up camera design as far back as 2015.
A Xiaomi pop-up camera may not be released anytime soon, though. The design still isn’t a popular one yet, even among phone users. Until it gets caught up like wildfire, we don’t see Xiaomi joining the bandwagon anytime soon.
The Snapdragon 855 is set to appear in a number of Xiaomi phones this year. It will power the Mi 9 and Mi 9 Explorer Edition and is also expected to power the next Black Shark gaming phone, the Mi MIX 4, and the successor to the POCOPHONE F1. Xiaomi’s VP and head of the Redmi division confirmed today that it will also appear in a Redmi phone.
Earlier this year, Lu Weibing was appointed the head of Redmi when Xiaomi decided to make it an independent brand. The Redmi Note 7 is its first phone and it is expected to announce the Redmi Note 7 Pro soon. In a Weibo post, he confirmed that a Redmi phone will also come with Qualcomm’s top of the range Snapdragon 855 processor.
This completely changes how the Redmi series will be viewed henceforth as phones launched under the Redmi brand are known to fall under the entry-level to mid-range categories. Now, the brand will also make phones powered by the same chipsets found in flagship phones but at a more affordable price.
Huawei Mate 20 Pro, iPhone Xs Max and Samsung Galaxy Note 9 are the best flagship phones released by Huawei, Apple, and Samsung in 2018. Most of the experts who need the best overall experience should opt for one of these devices. And I personally think that they are the best smartphones in the actual market. We usually compare Chinese smartphones with Android, but we made an exception for these devices due to their importance and some relevant unique features such as the S Pen on the Galaxy Note 9. Here is a specs comparison that will make you understand which of these three beasts is the most suitable for you.
Huawei Mate 20 Pro vs Apple iPhone Xs Max vs Samsung Galaxy Note 9
Huawei Mate 20 Pro
Apple iPhone Xs Max
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT
157.8 x 72.3 x 8.6 mm, 189 g
157.5 x 77.4 x 7.7 mm, 208 g
161.9 x 76.4 x 8.8 mm, 201 g
DISPLAY
6.39 inches, 1440 x 3120p (Quad HD+), AMOLED
6.5 inches, 1242 x 2688p (Quad HD+), 19.5:9 ratio, Super AMOLED
Triple 40 + 20 + 8 MP, f/1.8 + f/2.2 + f/2.4, OIS, Laser AF
24 MP f/2.0 front camera
Dual 12 + 12 MP, f/1.8 + f/2.4
7 MP, f/2.2 front camera
Dual 12 + 12 MP, f/1.5-f/2.4 and f/2.4
8 MP f/1.7 front camera
BATTERY
4200 mAh, fast charging 40W, wireless charging 15W
3174 mAh, fast charging 15W
4000 mAh, fast charging 18W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
Dual SIM slot, waterproof (IP68), 3D facial recognition
Qi wireless charging, IP68 certification, Face ID, 3D Touch
Hybrid Dual SIM slot, IP68 certification, S Pen, iris scanner
Design
Despite not having the highest screen-to-body ratio, Apple iPhone Xs Max is undoubtedly the phone with the most beautiful design and the best build quality. It is equally borderless on all sides and, besides having a tri-borderless display, it does not have a thicker chin unlike all of the Android devices. Further, it comes with a stainless steel frame instead of the simple aluminum. And it is way sleeker than both its rivals from Samsung and Huawei. Last but not least, it has a cleaner and more elegant back.
Display
iPhone Xs Max is also equipped with the best display in the whole smartphone market until now, despite its Super AMOLED panel was manufactured by Samsung. It supports the Dolby Vision technology, it comes with a stunning color gamut and it has a 120 Hz refresh rate that is wonderful for gaming. It is even HDR10-compliant, it supports 3D Touch, True Tone, and it has a high 2K resolution. Right after, there is obviously the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 that comes with an important added value: the support of the S Pen. Thanks to it, you can use your phone for writing and hand drawing. The S Pen also comes with Bluetooth support so that you can remote control your phone.
Hardware/Software
Thanks to the wonderful iOS optimization, iPhone Xs Max is the world’s fastest and most stable smartphone, and it is superior to every Android device released until now. The second place goes to the Huawei Mate 20 Pro which rocks the world’s first 7 nm chipset: Kirin 980, and a very well-optimized EMUI. Samsung Galaxy Note 9 has an SoC from the previous generation and it still comes with Oreo out of the box (upgradable to Pie), but it comes with more internal storage than Huawei Mate 20 Pro in its most expensive version (512 GB).
Camera
Finally, a side on which Huawei Mate 20 Pro wins easily: cameras. It boasts a triple camera setup on its back with a 40 MP primary sensor, a 20 MP ultrawide lens and an 8 MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. This phone currently has no rivals from the concurrency. But iPhone Xs Max and Samsung Galaxy Note 9 are still among the best camera phones ever. The latter even comes with a better selfie camera than Huawei Mate 20 Pro, boasting a brighter aperture and higher performance with low light.
Battery
Huawei Mate 20 Pro is equipped with the biggest battery, but Samsung managed to optimize the Galaxy Note 9 even better. So, despite coming with a smaller battery, Samsung Galaxy Note 9 has a longer battery life in most of the scenarios. iPhone Xs Max has just average battery life, so it loses the challenge.
Price
iPhone Xs Max has a listing price starting from €1249, while Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and Huawei Mate 20 Pro can currently be found at about €800/$900. There is not a clear winner of this comparison, the choice depends on the user’s needs. If you want the best camera, go for the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, if you are looking for the best design, display, and performance, choose the iPhone Xs Max. I would personally choose the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 because of the S Pen that is very comfortable for productivity.
LG will announce at least two new phones at MWC 2019. There is the LG G8 ThinQ which already leaked a few weeks ago and there is the LG V50 ThinQ which will be its first 5G smartphone. A leaked render has revealed what the V50 ThinQ looks like.
The render was shared on Twitter by Evan Blass (@evleaks) early this morning. The LG V50 ThinQ appears to have a much bigger and wider display than the G8 ThinQ. However, it also has a notch although the wallpaper does a good job at hiding it. We can make out two front-facing cameras and what appears to be a face unlock module.
The wallpaper also does a good job of hiding the thickness of the chin. There is no visible slit for the speaker, so we presume the V50 ThinQ will also come with the G8 ThinQ’s Crystal Sound OLED technology which uses the display to pump out audio.
On the rear, the LG V50 ThinQ has a triple camera setup. We think it is three but we won’t be surprised if there is a fourth sensor as the front of the phone overlaps over the rear. That covered space seems large enough to fit another camera. The sensors are arranged horizontally along with the LED flash. There is a fingerprint sensor below the cameras and the phone’s name a few mm below. LG’s logo in silver sits at the bottom of the phone and a yellow 5G logo is positioned at the top.
The phone has its power button on the right while the volume rocker and Google Assistant button sit on the left. We can’t see the bottom of the phone but it most likely houses the USB type-C port, speaker, and 3.5mm audio jack.
The press render does more than show us what the phone looks like. It also reveals the launch date of the phone. The time says 9:00 AM and the date is Sunday, February 24, which is next weekend. Although MWC doesn’t officially start until the 25th, a couple of manufacturers will announce their new phones a day before. HMD Global is one of the manufacturers that have scheduled a launch event for February 24. The Finnish company will announce the Nokia 9 PureView flagship on that day and we think LG will unveil the G8 ThinQ and V50 ThinQ on the same day too.
The Korean giant is mending new ways to increase the overall earnings via different means. After running for mid-range and low-end devices in developing countries, now Samsung is interested in providing network gear. Samsung is working on to provide a network apparatus for testing upcoming 5G technology in various countries. Replacing Huawei, which is facing troubles in getting orders due to allegations of closeness with the Chinese government, Samsung is set to supply the network gear to required parties.
Samsung Electronics is working to consolidate its position in the telecom equipment business. Many potential customers are taking notice of Samsung’s efforts in building the 5G networks. The Korean giant is in a bid to capitalize on the security fears against the Huawei. Samsung is making efforts to bridge the gap between demand of 5G apparatus. They are reshuffling various employees and managers to assist them in building their network division more powerful.
The company is working to compete against big players like Ericcson, Huawei, and Nokia. Talking to Reuters, a company representative told that many industry insiders and potential customers are overwhelmed with the pace that the company is investing in developing 5G networks. A French carrier Orange’s chief technology officer, Mari-Noëlle Jégo-Laveissière, visited the premises to see the development and was quite happy and surprised to see the advancements.
From the past sometimes, Orange is working with Huawei in 27 markets as their most important partner in providing the network equipment. Now, Orange has joined hands with Samsung to test 5G across different locations. Even though, the South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon made a visit to Samsung’s network division last month. It is believed the Samsung officials asked the minister to coordinate with the Korean giant in recruiting high-level engineers. “We need more software engineers and want to work with the government to find that talent,” Lee was quoted as saying by government officials at his meeting with the prime minister.
It is quite good news for the countries which were looking for alternates to test 5G networks after US allegations on Huawei. It will allow them to test 5G networks without any constraint with the help of Samsung. Well, the company has not detailed any figures which would enable us to estimate the loss and growth of the business. But as a total, Samsung is keen on investing $22 billion in bolstering the 5G mobile technology in the upcoming three years. “We’re bolstering our network business to seize market opportunities arising at a time when Huawei is the subject of warnings about security,” said one of the Samsung sources.
Mainly talking about India, Samsung sources claimed that they are in talks with Reliance Jio, India’s largest 4G telecom operator to upgrade its network to 5G. Samsung official claimed that 5G is not quite a far way in India.
Moreover, in the US, Samsung already has Verizon Communications, AT&T Inc and Sprint Corp in their wardrobe for supplying network equipment.
Overall, Samsung is going to profit a lot if they make the correct moves in the upcoming few years. Samsung’s network business had already made the company earn around 870 billion won ($775 million) last year. Further, Nokia and Ericsson have made $1.4 billion and $2.1 billion last year.
Additionally, Huawei is battling the allegations made by the United States which could enable Chinese agencies to spy. The US has also barred its allies from using the Huawei apparatus in testing the next-gen 5G technologies. In response, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, and a few other countries have pulled off talks with Huawei in bringing 5G technology. Well, some good news is also present for Huawei, countries such as Thailand, Canada and India are working together with Huawei in testing 5G networks.
By the time the Mi 9 launches, there will be little we won’t know about the 2019 flagship already. Xiaomi is super excited about the new phone and keeps sharing details of the device.
The company’s CEO, Lei Jun, has revealed on his Weibo page a few more details about the flagship’s design. This time around, he talks about the phone’s chin which he says is 40% smaller than that of the Mi 8. He also claims there is no phone priced under the ¥3999 (~$600) category that has a chin as thin as the Mi 9.
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To back up his claims, the CEO shared an image that compares the thickness of the chin of a number of phones such as the OPPO R17, the Honor V20, the Huawei Nova 4, and the Vivo X23 against that of the Mi 9 which has the thinnest chin at 3.6 mm. It is followed by the Vivo X23 whose chin measures 3.8 mm.
In other news, Xiaomi’s president, Lin Bin, also shared an official render of the Deep Space Gray variant of the Mi 9 and a picture of the phone’s retail box. This is the first time we are seeing the gray variant, which looks classy by the way, and now we know the phone will be available in three color variants including purple and blue.
The retail box is actually bland. It is off-white and has a “9” written on top. There is no image of the phone itself and the famous Mi logo is missing.
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Lei Jun also shared photos of a special edition Alita: Battle Angel grip case. The case is similar to the Wang Roy TFBoys case but comes in black with the film’s name written on the back of the phone. Xiaomi will also sell a red version of the case which has “Xiaomi” written in white text.
Oppo is coming with many new announcements at Mobile World Congress (MWC 2019). They have already sent invites for Oppo 2019 Innovation event on Febrarury 23rd in Barcelona. As per the leaks and rumors in the past, Oppo is working to showcase 10x optical zoom feature at the event. Despite yesterday’s Oppo’s Vice President comments on foldable devices, the leaks about new Oppo foldable device keeps sprawling.
Today, new patent details have surfaced which is revealing a new design of Oppo foldable devices. There are already plenty of foldable device patents that the Chinese company has registered. We have already seen a lot of foldable device patents, and there’s one another patent that has surfaced today.
As per the new patent published on World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) website, the camera module is present on one side and earpiece on the other side. It carries a single large display and can be folded like a book. It can act as a smartphone and tablet on being folded and unfolded.
The new drawings reveal that the device will have a proper casing for the camera module when folded. The groove on one side of the device helps to cover the bump of the camera. It ensures an overall smooth appearance for the foldable device. Other details about the patent are yet unknown, but we expect to see a foldable device very soon from Oppo.
Additionally, Oppo is coming with a new F11 Pro device which carries a pop-up selfie camera. As like of Oppo R17 last year, the new Oppo F11 Pro also carries various other innovations. It is set to feature advanced camera modules along with Snapdragon 855 chipset on board. It will feature a 48 megapixel + 5-megapixel main camera with a motorized 32 MP pop-up camera on the front side.
In connectivity, it is expected to feature Bluetooth 5.0, WiFi, GPS, USB Type-C. It is touted to feature a 4500 mAh battery with fast 18 W fast charging.
The Korean giant has seen rough days in the past some years due to increasing competition. They have lost almost its mid-level market to Chinese brands such as Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo. Now, Samsung seems to tackle the rising competition with the newly launched Galaxy M series and Galaxy A series of devices. As per new reports, Samsung is planning to garner sales of worth $4 billion from its A series by the end of 2019.
Already, Samsung Galaxy M series has received a lot of praise for its M series entry-level devices in India. Similarly, Samsung will launch various other mid-level devices ranging from Rs 10,000-Rs. 50000 this year. In order to further boost the sales, Samsung will make them available across offline channels also. While talking about the Samsung’s Plan, Rajiv Singh, senior vice president of mobile marketing at Samsung India said, “2019 started off extremely well for products at Samsung with the M series. We are now creating a whole portfolio for the A series, which we will be launching this from March. Till June, we will launch phones every month.”
In order to make most out of the mid-range market, Samsung will also announce many new Galaxy A series of devices. Further, Rajiv Singh talked about the plans to increase Samsung’s revenue in India. He quoted, “The impact will have on the revenue of Samsung as a single brand is going to be unprecedented. It is going to make a record for the India market. Our mission is to make a $4 billion brand for a single series this year in India.”
They are betting hard on the new Galaxy A series of devices. Samsung is working day and night to compete against the Chinese brands. The Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo have impacted the growth of Samsung in the past some years. Samsung India’s net profit has fallen below 11% to Rs 3712 crore in the financial year 2018. Overall, the growth has increased by 10% to Rs 61065 crores.
Despite continued growth, Samsung slipped from the first position to Xiaomi in terms of total shipments. Although, the Korean giant has managed to remain on the top in revenue generation in the Indian smartphone market.
Further, Rajiv Singh added that “The series will add to the overall top line and market share… the volume that goes through and the value that gets generated that’s our ambition for our A series. It will serve the entire portfolio and will become India’s biggest brand of a single name series in 2019. That’s our ambition.”
The move by Samsung India is quite overwhelming as it will increase the positive competition in India.
NFC which stands for Near Field Communication is quite useful technology among smartphones. It helps to perform various contactless functions such as connecting accessories like headphones with Bluetooth and much more. It helps to share files via Android beam and users can even use programmable NFC chips to perform various features. Amid these useful features, various manufacturers in Asia is resisting to power their devices with NFC.
As per a Mobile Overview report by ScientiaMobile, manufacturers like Xiaomi, LG, Alcatel, and Oppo are not using the NFC in their devices. Mainly, they have reduced the addition of NFC chips in the devices designed for the Asian region. As per the official data, LG had reduced the usage of NFC chips from 69% in 2015 to 55% in 2018. Similarly, Xiaomi’s share of NFC enabled devices have decreased from 11.9% to 8.85% this year.
Moreover, Oppo had reduced the share to at least 3% from 28% in 2018. Well, the decrease is significant in Asian markets due to some reasons. As per the report, the reduction is seen in these brands because they ship their most of devices to east Asian markets. These markets are not mature enough for the high-end devices, the mid-range and entry-level devices rule here. The removal of NFC from devices reduces the cost of the device by a few dollars.
Even though, countries like India and China use QR codes more often rather than the NFC chips. Many payment services like WeChat Pay, PayTM, UPI and Alipay are prominent in these countries for payments. These companies decline in NFC usage is due to their penetration into the developing markets.
On the other hand, manufacturers like Huawei, Motorola, HTC, Sony and Apple tremendously improved the NFC availability across their devices.
Overall, the trend of NFC usage is quite prominent in the Western world rather than the East Asian countries. Due to various constraints, the NFC usage is quite limited in developing countries. So, the overall decline in mobile phones with NFC has considerably reduced over time.
Chuwi’s long-awaited LapBook SE was finally made available to the public in August last year.
Loaded with an array of awe-inspiring features, the recently launched laptop understandably carries a steep price tag.
In order to ensure cost-conscious buyers can get their tech greedy hands on the LapBook SE, Chuwi is now doling out a 28 percent discount on the coveted laptop’s original asking price in collaboration with AliExpress.
The LapBook SE comes in various color options and offers numerous choices in terms of internal storage capacity and RAM.
You can choose between 4GB RAM, 160GB ROM variant, a 4GB RAM, 160GB ROM (128GB SSD) variant, a 4GB RAM, 64GB ROM model is also available bearing a lowered price tag. Alternatively, you can go for another variant that ships with 4GB of RAM along with offers 64GB of onboard storage capacity and comes with a handbag.
You’d end up shelling out between $268.79 – $297.59 based on the variant you select. It is worth noting that these variants usually retail for $373.32 – $413.32.
Aside from taking advantage of the aforesaid discount, new users can use a $3 off and save more money before proceeding to checkout.
The Chuwi Lapbook SE is quite an irresistible laptop that sports a 13.3-inch display with a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and an aspect ratio of 16:9.
It is powered by Intel Gemini-Lake, N4100 14nm processor and a highly competent Intel UHD Graphics 600 Gen9 12EU, 700MHz graphics processing unit, under the hood.
Weighing in at just 1.8kg, the Chuwi Lapbook SE is housed in a metal body and its dimensions are 317 X 215 X 15.9 (H) mm.
The device runs Microsoft Windows 10 operating system and draws its juices from a 5000mAh battery.
You can visit this link in order to avail the discount. It is worth noting that the promo is slated to end in only two days.
If you are looking for a cost-effective laptop, notebook or a big-screen mobile device that doesn’t cost a bomb or compromise on quality, you have come to the right place. The Chinese brand known for manufacturing feature rich tablet PCs, smart bands, power banks, USB flash etc., has a reputation for offering top-end laptops at unbeatable prices.
Keeping in line with that, Teclast has teamed-up with GearBest to offer the Teclast F7 Plus Notebook and the T20 phablet at considerably lowered prices. Let’s delve into more details without wasting time.
Teclast F7 Plus Notebook
The F7 Plus is an ultra-slim, lightweight and a new generation laptop that delivers a powerful performance.
While you’d normally expect a power packed laptop to carry a steep price tag, the Teclast F7 Plus will set you back just $359.99 on GearBest.
This is a significant 29 percent reduction in the device’s original asking price of $503.59.
An absolute steal at this price, the F7 Plus Notebook is designed to meet your daily use needs. It sports a 14.0-inch IPS display with 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution.
Moreover, the F7 Plus ships with 8GB of RAM and offers 128GB SSD storage capacity.
The device packs a powerful Intel Gemini Lake N4100 Quad Core 1.1GHz, up to 2.4GHz processor along with an Intel UHD Graphics 600 GPU, under the hood.
You can follow this link to avail the discount, which will be valid for the platinum color version of the F7 Plus Notebook.
With only 278 pieces available at the time of writing, this promo is slated to end in just two days.
Designed for daily use, the Teclast T20 phablet was launched in August last year. The device will grab your attention with its extra large 10.1-inch 10-point touch display that offers 2560 x 1600 pixels resolution for an immersive viewing experience.
The Teclast T20 packs a powerful MT6797X ( X27 ) Deca Core up to 2.6GHz processor along with an ARM Mali-T880 MP4 graphics processing unit, under the hood to take your video watching and casual gaming experience to the next level.
The Teclast-branded phablet ships with 4GB of DDR3L RAM and offers 64GB of expandable (up to 128GB) internal storage capacity for you to save your favorite content. While these features completely justify the $281.55 price tag the Teclast T20 usually carries, Teclast is offering the coveted phablet for a heavily discounted price of just $235.99 on GearBest.
Moreover, you can extend this 16 percent discount by applying coupon code GBNBSFPM05 at the time of checking out.
The aforesaid coupon helps you get an extra $3 off by reducing the device’s retail price to just $232.99. On the downside, there were only 72 pieces remaining at the time of writing.
You can follow this link to grab the discount, which will be valid for the silver color version of phablet for two days.
We have just a few days to the launch of the Xiaomi Mi 9 and more details keep pouring in. This time, it is the phone’s camera specs which we are sure a lot of our readers are eager to know.
The Mi 9 will launch as Xaiomi’s first triple camera smartphone and it only makes sense that it packs a punch or three. Just like a lot of the new details we have seen in the past few days, the phone’s camera specs have been shared by the company’s own CEO, Lei Jun.
According to the Weibo post by the top executive, the Snapdragon 855-powered flagship will have a four-lens function even though it has just three cameras. The phone will be able to shoot macro, super-wide angle, portrait, and standard photos.
The primary camera is a 48MP Sony IMX586 wide-angle sensor with an f/1.75 aperture and 6P lens. This main sensor will have a large 1/2-inch photosensitive area. This sensor will be able to take high-resolution photos.
The second camera is a 12MP f/2.2 sensor with 2x optical zoom and a 6P lens. This camera will provide background blur effect for your portrait images. The third camera is a 16MP super-wide angle sensor with an f/2.2 aperture and a 117° viewing angle. Xiaomi’s CEO says this sensor also allows you to take macro shots.
The front camera which is housed within the waterdrop notch is a 20MP sensor with support for Xiaomi’s AI beauty mode. The beauty mode packs a handful of features so that your selfies and portrait selfies can look as good as they can be. We won’t be surprised if some of these new features are a result of Xiaomi’s access to Meitu‘s camera technology.
Along with the camera specs, Mr. Lei Jun also provided more camera samples for us to feast our eyes on.
If you have restlessly been waiting to get your hands on a Xiaomi branded smartphone without spending a lot of money, we got good news for you. In collaboration with GeekBuying, Xiaomi is offering two of its well-received smartphones at lowered prices.
The Chinese electronics giant known for manufacturing top-end mobile devices is doling out noteworthy discounts on the Redmi Go and Mi Play smartphones.
Not only can GeekBuying users avail the aforesaid discounts, but they can also use specific coupons to save more money at checkout. So without further ado, let us delve into the details.
Xiaomi Redmi Go (1GB RAM+8GB ROM)
Xiaomi’s own Android One phone dubbed the Redmi Go has been subject to a slew of speculations and leaks.
This recently launched phone lived up to the hype, garnering huge popularity among smartphone lovers.
The global version of the Redmi Go smartphone would normally set you back $141.99, but you can now buy it for a reduced price of just $105.99 on GeekBuying. As if that weren’t enough, you can extend this 25 percent discount by applying coupon code GIZ_LZCNYDIV.
The coupon helps you save $10 by reducing the retail price of the Redmi Go smartphone to just $95.99.
You can visit this link to avail the discount, which will be valid for the black color version of the Redmi Go smartphone.
Alternatively, you can get a 3 percent off on the blue color version of the phone that usually sells for $109.01.
Xiaomi made its long-awaited Mi Play smartphone available to the public in December last year. As expected, the phone became an instant hit among Xiaomi aficionados.
Taking the phone’s unceasing demand into consideration and in a bid to make it available to the cost-conscious buyers, Xiaomi is now offering the Mi Play smartphone for a lowered price on GeekBuying.
While you’d normally end up shelling out $279.99 in order to get your hands on the global version of the Mi Play, you can now buy it for just $227.99 on the Chinese online store. Aside from taking advantage of this 19 percent discount, you can use coupon code GIZ_UHPJJNYH and get an extra $28 off before placing your order.
In other words, you can bring the already reduced asking price of the Xiaomi Mi Play smartphone further down to just $199.99 simply by applying the above-mentioned coupon.
In order to avail the discount, you need to follow this link before the promotion comes to an end.
Looking for an electric scooter that can add excitement even to an ordinary commute without emptying your pocket? You’ve come to the right place.
ESWING and KUGOO recently teamed-up with GeekBuying to offer their feature-laden electric scooters at unbeatable prices.
Aside from doling out noteworthy discounts on the e-bikes, the leading brands are also giving GeekBuying’s loyal users a chance to save more money at checkout. So without further ado, let’s delve straight into the details.
ESWING ES6+ Self-Balancing Scooter
Sporting a design that grabs everyone’s attention, the ESWING ES6+ boasts an impressive array of functions that ensure a smooth commute.
This self-balancing scooter can be efficiently controlled using a smart App.
You can lock the vehicle, change a parameter, switch mode and perform a slew of other other function using just the App, making the ESWING ES6+ a great choice for tours and hotels. This feature-laden electric scooter would normally set you back a pretty penny, but you can now buy it for $1799.99 on GeekBuying.
This is a noteworthy 31 percent reduction in the vehicle’s original asking price of $2599.99. But there’s more for you to cheer about.
Aside from taking advantage of the aforesaid discount, you can use coupon code GIZ_GKB045S and get an extra $50 off.
As a result, the already reduced original asking price of the ESWING ES6+ comes further down to just $1749.99 even before you place your order.
You can visit this link to avail this offer, which will be valid for the gray color version of the two-wheel self-balancing scooter for a limited period of time.
Touted as an ideal vehicle for a short predictable commute, the KUGOO S1 is quieter and more efficient compared to regular motorbikes. On the downside, e-bikes aren’t easy on the pocketbook.
While most electric scooters carry steep price tags, the feature-laden folding electric scooter dubbed the S1 from KUGOO is now available bearing a heavily discounted price on GeekBuying.
As if that weren’t enough, we’ll show how you can save a considerable amount of more money during the checkout process.
The black-tinted S1 folding electric scooter usually retails for $699.99, but you can now get your hands on it for a reduced price of just $339.99 on GeekBuying.
This noteworthy 51 percent discount will also be valid for the blue color version of the S1. The white color version of the electric scooter, on the other hand, carries a 52 percent discount.
On top of that, you can use coupon code GIZ_GKB038S and save $160 more before proceeding to checkout. The coupon helps you reduce the retail price of the KUGOO S1 to just $329.99.
Regrettably, this promo will come to an end in just five days. If you are interested in availing the discount before the promo wraps up, all you need to do is to follow this link without wasting time.
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Alternatively, you can go for another variant that ships with 4GB of RAM along with offers 64GB of onboard storage capacity and comes with a handbag.
The Chinese brand known for manufacturing feature rich tablet PCs, smart bands, power banks, USB flash etc., has a reputation for offering top-end laptops at unbeatable prices.
While these features completely justify the $281.55 price tag the Teclast T20 usually carries, Teclast is offering the coveted phablet for a heavily discounted price of just $235.99 on GearBest.
In collaboration with GeekBuying, Xiaomi is offering two of its well-received smartphones at lowered prices.
As if that weren’t enough, you can extend this 25 percent discount by applying coupon code GIZ_LZCNYDIV.
Aside from taking advantage of this 19 percent discount, you can use coupon code GIZ_UHPJJNYH and get an extra $28 off before placing your order.
This feature-laden electric scooter would normally set you back a pretty penny, but you can now buy it for $1799.99 on GeekBuying.