Vivo V11 Pro successor with pop-up front camera tipped to debut in February

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Jan 24, 2019

A recent report had revealed that Vivo India is working on the launch of the successor edition of the Vivo V11 Pro that was unveiled in September last year. The exact name of the V11 Pro’s successor is not known yet, but the smartphone is tipped to debut in February. Citing information acquired from people who are familiar with the news surrounding the V11 Pro’s successor, BGR India has revealed that the Vivo V11 Pro will be arriving with a pop-up selfie camera feature like the Vivo NEX flagship phone.

Probably, the successor phone could be called Vivo V13 Pro or Vivo V15 Pro. Sibling brand OPPO had skipped the R13 moniker and had directly launched R15 series after the R11 phones. Hence, there is a possibility that Vivo too may skip the 13 number is considered unlucky in some countries. Hence, there is a possibility that the Vivo 11 Pro’s successor may break cover as Vivo 15 Pro.

Coming back to the main story, the inclusion of the pop-up selfie camera on the alleged V15 Pro suggests that the smartphone will also feature a notch-less display like the Vivo NEX smartphone. Since the V11 Pro handset comes with in-display fingerprint scanner, Vivo will make the same feature available on its successor edition.

There is no information available on the specifications of the alleged Vivo V15 Pro. As far as pricing is concerned, the handset is expected to cost higher than Rs. 25,990 which was the launch price of the V11 Pro.

Read More: Vivo APEX 2019 official render leaks ahead of tomorrow’s launch

The Vivo V11 Pro features a 6.4-inch HaloView S-AMOLED screen that produces full HD+ resolution. It is fueled by the Snapdragon 670 chipset and 6 GB of RAM. It receives power from a 3,400mAh battery which carries support for 18W fast charging. The V11 Pro comes with an inbuilt storage of 64 GB and a microSD card slot is also available on the device for more storage. For photography, there is 12-megapixel + 5-megapiel dual camera setup on the rear and a frontal shooter of 25-megapixel.

(source)

The Teclast X22 Air PC Has Gone Up For Sale Carrying A $358.53 Price Tag On GearBest

By

Vinay Patel

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Jan 24, 2019

There’s no dearth of all-in-one PCs in the market today; however, they don’t come cheap.
Those who aren’t willing to shell out a lot of money on a top-branded all-in-one PC desktop, usually end up compromising on quality.

If you have restlessly been waiting to get your tech greedy hands on a feature rich all-in-one PC desktop that doesn’t cost a bomb, you might want to take a gander at the Teclast X22 Air.

Given that the device is manufactured by one of China’s most renowned brand, it is hardly surprising that it boasts an impressive of features and top-end specifications.

Sporting a premium design, the Teclast X22 Air is housed in a compact body and features a slim display.

Aside from offering a superior movie watching experience, the device enables you to effortlessly edit photos, view documents and perform a slew of other strenuous tasks without breaking a sweat.

This multifunctional device sports a mammoth 21.5-inch FHD LED display and packs a powerful Intel Celeron J3160 Quad Core 1.6GHz, up to 2.24GHz processor and Integrated Graphics with Intel HD Graphics 400, under the hood.

Furthermore, the Teclast X22 Air ships with 4GB of DDR3L RAM for a high-impact gaming experience, seamless operation and enhanced internet speed.

It also offers a hearty 128GB SSD hard disk memory, making it an ideal all-in-one PC desktop for both study and play.

As far as connectivity is concerned, the Teclast X22 features a supports an HDMI output, allowing the user to connect it to a high-definition monitor or projector.

Much to the delight of cost-conscious buyers, the white-tinted Teclast X22 has now gone up for sale bearing an affordable $358 price tag on GearBest.

You can visit this link to check out the full specifications of the Teclast X22 Air all-in-one PC desktop and buy it from GearBest.

Buy Teclast X22 Air All-in-one PC Desktop

GeekBuying Is Offering Two Variants Of The Redmi Note 7 At Dropped Prices [Coupons Inside]

By

Vinay Patel

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Jan 24, 2019

Xiaomi fans can now get their tech greedy hands on a couple of variants of the Redmi Note 7 at lowered prices on GeekBuying.
Aside from taking advantage of the aforesaid discount, GeekBuying users can save a considerable amount of extra money at checkout with the help of specific coupon codes. So without wasting more time, let us check out the details.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Phablet (6GB RAM+64GB ROM)

The Redmi Note 7 variant that we’ll take a gander at first is the one that ships with 6GB of RAM and offers 64GB of internal storage capacity.

The aforesaid model would normally set you back $346 on both online and offline stores, but you can now buy it at a dropped price of only $299.99 on GeekBuying.

You can extend this 14 percent discount by apply coupon code GIZ_MFJRORQY during the checkout process.

The coupon helps you save $10 more by reducing the retail price of the Redmi Note 7 6GB RAM+64GB ROM model to just $289.99.

You can follow this link to avail the discount, which will be valid specifically for the black color version of the Redmi Note 7 phablet.

Get 14% Off On Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Smartphone With 6GB RAM And 64GB ROM

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Phablet (4GB RAM+64GB ROM)

The aforesaid variant of the Redmi Note 7 can now be yours if you are willing to shell out only $265.99.

This is a significant 16 percent drop in the original asking price of $314.99 of the variant that comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage capacity.

On top of that, you can use coupon code GIZ_XYJTKATQ to get an extra $26 off.

In other words, you can bring the already lowered selling price of this Redmi Note 7 variant further down to only $239.99 simply by applying the above-mentioned coupon.

You can visit this link if you are interested in taking advantage of the discount before the promo comes to an end.
An absolute steal at this price, the Redmi Note 7 sports a mammoth 6.3 inches IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display with a screen resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels. It has Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on top for added protection.

The phone packs a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 AIE, Octa core, 2.2GHz processor and a competent Adreno 512 graphics processing unit, under the hood.

Both variants include enough RAM to ensure seamless advanced multitasking and offer enough space for you to save your favorite photos, videos, and other multimedia content.

On the photography front, the Redmi Note 7 houses a 48.0MP+5.0MP dual-camera module on the back and a 13.0MP front shooter for superior self-portraits and video chatting experience.

The phablet runs MIUI 10 based on Android 9 Pie OS and draws its juices from a 4000mAh battery.

Aside from a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, the Redmi Note 7 features a slew of other useful sensors including an accelerometer, gyro, proximity, and compass.

Get 16% Off On Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Smartphone With 4GB RAM And 64GB ROM

Check Out GeekBuying’s 2019 Valentine’s Day

Buy Myinnov MKJI9x And I7S TWS Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds At Lowered Prices On GeekBuying [Coupons Inside]

By

Vinay Patel

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Jan 24, 2019

valentine’s Day is just around the corner and if you are looking for awe-inspiring gift ideas for a music lover or a tech buff, GeekBuying’s got your back!

All products featured in GeekBuying’s ‘2019 Valentine’s Day’ promo have been added to various categories such as For Him, For Her, Smartphones & Laptops, TV Boxes & Gadgets, Outdoor & Toys and lots more.

Select items will be tagged with a “Rose.” Those buying these items will qualify to receive a surprise gift.

If you are looking for Valentine’s Day gift ideas for a music lover that won’t empty your pocket, we got good news for you.

Deemed as one of China’s best online stores for electronic items, GeekBuying is now doling out noteworthy discounts on the Myinnov MKJI9x and the I7S TWS Bluetooth earbuds.

Aside from shedding light on the aforesaid discount, we’ll show how you can save a considerable amount of extra money at checkout.

Myinnov MKJI9x TWS Dual Bluetooth 5.0 Earbuds

The Myinnov MKJI9x uses Bluetooth v5.0 technology to generate twice higher sound transmission speed. Aside from a stable connection, this improves the anti-interference performance.

Moreover, the Myinnov MKJI9x effectively avoid sound delays to ensure each call as well as game-playing is in real time. The earbuds adopt an ergonomically design that comfortably fits the contours of the ears.
The Myinnov MKJI9x would normally set you back a pretty penny, but you can now get your hands on it for only $19.99 on GeekBuying. This is a 33 percent reduction in the earbuds’ original asking price of $29.99.

Moreover, you can apply coupon code GIZ_CYMKDAQV to get an extra $4 off before placing your order. The aforesaid coupon helps you reduce the retail price of the Myinnov MKJI9x to only $15.99.

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

Get 33% Off On Myinnov MKJI9x TWS Dual Bluetooth 5.0 Earbuds

I7S TWS Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds

Thanks to the true wireless technology that the I7S adopts, you can now listen to your favorite music while enjoying your sports. Its ergonomic design protects the earphone from dropping even when you are exercising hard.

The I7S sports a compact and lightweight design for a comfortable wearing experience for a longer duration.

Furthermore, the 17S comes with an intelligent charging box that enables fast charge. You and your friend can listen to the same song without worrying about tangling wires.
While you’d expect top-branded headphones offering comparable features to cost a bomb, the I7S TWS wireless Bluetooth earbuds can now be yours if you are willing to shell out just $8.99 on GeekBuying.

This is a 10 percent drop in the device’s retail price of $9.99.

In order to extend this discount, all you need to do is to apply coupon code GIZ_LNFTQGGK before you hit the ‘Place Your Order’ button.

The coupon helps you save an extra $1 by bringing the already lowered retail price of the 17S earbuds further down to only $7.99.

You can follow this link to grab the discount, which will be valid for the black color version of the earbuds.

Alternatively, you can get a 20 percent off on the black-tinted I7S Bluetooth earbuds that usually sell for $9.99.

Thanks to the aforesaid discount, you can now buy this eye-catching color version of the I7S TWS wireless Bluetooth earbuds at a dropped price of just $7.99 on GeekBuying.

Get 20% Off On I7S TWS Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds

Check Out GeekBuying’s 2019 Valentine’s Day

Banggood’s Home Appliances Festival Launched Featuring An Unmissable Snap Up Deal, Big Discounts, Coupons And A Free Gift!

By

Vinay Patel

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Jan 24, 2019

The market is brimming with all sorts of steeply-priced home appliances that come in handy in day to day life.

As part of its new promotion, Banggood is now offering a wide selection of top-branded home appliances at considerably lowered prices for a limited period of time.

Dubbed as the ‘Home Appliances Festival,’ the recently kicked-off promo is split into five categories including Brand Goods Flash Deal, The Best Selling Area, New Arrive & Free Gift, Exclusive Coupon and Featured Brands.

We’ll take a gander at the aforesaid sections and check out some of the products the Chinese online store is currently selling at discount.

The ‘Brand Goods Flash Deal’ category features three Digoo-branded items including the DG-FR200 smart alarm clock, DG-YS22 3 electric toothbrush, DG-FCR-1 Garden Porch Patio LED Lamp along with PUPPYOO WP511 vacuum cleaner.

More importantly, the aforesaid items have gone up for sale carrying heavily discounted price tags on Banggood. For the sake of an instance, the PUPPYOO WP511 usually retails for $183.59, but you can now get it at a dropped price of just $74.99.
You can even win a DIGOO DG-FR200 snap-up that gives you a chance to get this LED digital display alarm clock at an unbelievably lowered price of just $0.01. It is worth noting that the device would normally set you back $15.99.

‘The Best Selling Area’ section comprises a slew of top-branded items that you can buy without emptying your pocket. Among other products, you can get 30 percent off on the Xiaomi Circle Joy CJ – EKPQ02 USB Charging Automatic Electric Bottle.

The product has gone up for pre-order carrying a dropped price of $19.99. Note that the Circle Joy CJ – EKPQ02 usually sells for $28.66 without the aforesaid discount.

‘The Best Selling Area’ category also features the BlitzWolf BW-AS2 wireless speaker and the Xiaomi Sothing Mini Heater. Both items have been assigned specific coupon codes that can be used at checkout to receive additional discounts.

Those who buy products from the ‘New Arrive & Free Gift’ section before January 31st will qualify to get a $10.99 Digoo fan for free. If you buy a single item in this area, you’d receive one fan and if you buy two items, you’d get two fans.

Likewise, in the section dubbed ‘Exclusive Coupon,’ you can use a $10 off coupon if you spend $50 or more. Those who end up spending $100 or more will be able to use a bigger coupon to get an extra $20 during the check out process.

The ‘Featured Brands’ category, on the other hand, is brimming with top-end products from popular manufacturers like Xiaomi, BlitzWolf, JIMMY, and Dibea. These brands have teamed up with Banggood to offer their select products at lowered prices.

You can click here to visit the promotion page and check out all the products and take full advantage of this 7-days only promotion before it wraps up!

Check Out Banggood’s Home Appliances Festival

Buy Alfawise V8S Robot Vacuum Cleaner For $189.25 On GearBest

By

Vinay Patel

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Jan 24, 2019

Those who fancy keeping their surrounding clean and tidy all the time usually end up spending a lot of money on smart home cleaning devices.

While the list of cleaning tools that every home must have is endless, vacuum cleaners are the most popular gadgets used at home. On the downside, top-branded vacuum cleaners are usually not easy on the pocketbook.

GearBest has teamed up with Alfawise in order to make the V8S Robot available to those who are looking for a cost-effective vacuum cleaner that doesn’t compromise on quality.

Touted as ‘your reliable partner for a cleaner home,’ the Alfawise V8S comes with a built-in gyroscope and can move around the entire area in a zigzag pattern without bumping into an object.

Moreover, the V8S is the first robotic cleaner to use PSD (position sensitive detector). The device uses PSD to determine the distance and position to generate real-time mapping and dividing a room into multiple areas and then cleaning them one at a time.
It is powered by a high-performance brushless DC motor that generates a powerful suction without making noise. Its 880-1300 PA powerful vacuuming ensures that all impurities are sucked directly into the dustbin, leaving your home clean and tidy.

Aside from that, controlling the Alfawise V8S is a cakewalk. The device comes with a convenient remote control that lets you choose between three modes of Edge, Spot, and Planning to suit your need.

The Edge mode is ideal for wall side, the Auto mode comprises Planning, Edge switch. You can use the Spot mode for cleaning dirty areas, while the Planning mode involves L-shape cleaning for the regular place.

Unlike a wide selection of steeply-priced vacuum cleaners available in the market today, the black-tinted Alfawise V8S robot vacuum cleaner will set you back on $189.25 on GearBest.

You can follow this link to check out more details about the Alfawise V8S robot vacuum cleaner and buy it on GearBest without emptying your pocket.

Buy Alfawise V8S Robot Vacuum Cleaner

Image of Sony Xperia XZ4 home screen surfaces showing a rare 21:9 aspect ratio

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 23, 2019

Japanese tech giant Sony is expected to launch the Xperia XZ4 as its flagship for this year. Although the company is yet to officially reveal when the model will be launched, the rumour mill has been buzzing with renders and leaks about the flagship. The device was even rumoured to launch the device under a new moniker but that is not certain as well. The latest leak is a new image of the Sony Xperia XZ4’s home screen.

The most spectacular aspect is the unusual 21:9 aspect ratio which the model adopts. It also comes with Android 9.0 Pie’s gestures navigation. The render shows a while line on the side of the screen which is suspected to be Sony’s Side Sense. The Side Sense was first featured on the Xperia XZ3 and it allows you to double tap the side of the phone to bring out a list of AI-curated app shortcuts.

The renders also show the design of the Xperia XZ4 with a triple rear camera setup. Sony has been slow in trimming off the bezels around its displays but the XZ4 may come with a different design bearing a reduced bezel at the top and bottom. Sony will unveil the Xperia XZ4 at MWC next month alongside the XZ4 Compact. The company already has a an event scheduled for February 25.

(source)

Vivo APEX 2019 official render leaks ahead of tomorrow’s launch

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jan 23, 2019

The Vivo APEX 2019 will be unveiled tomorrow at an event in China. Vivo itself released teaser images of the phone but they only showed parts of the phone. Just a few hours to the launch, an official render has surfaced online that shows the device in full.

The Vivo APEX 2019 has a mirror-like silver finish. The back is highly reflective and is home to dual cameras stacked on top of each other. What appears to be an LED flash sits underneath.

The front of the phone is nearly all screen but there is still some bezels around with the chin being the thickest. Since the top bezel is gone, there is no front-facing camera or earpiece which means Vivo is sticking to a pop-up camera and a piezoelectric speaker.

Continue

Motorola rolls out Android Pie update to Moto Z3, brings support for 5G Moto Mod too

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jan 23, 2019

Motorola isn’t the fastest when it comes to updating its devices. Quite a number of its phones haven’t gotten the Android Pie update yet save for its Android One phones – the Motorola One and Motorola One Power. The update is now rolling out to the Moto Z3 and it brings more than just a slice of pie.

The update brings all the goodness of Android Pie which includes a redesigned navigation, new volume controls, new emojis, a redesigned settings menu, Adaptive Brightness, Adaptive Battery, temporary screen rotation, and a new way to manage your notifications.

It also brings January’s security update and support for Motorola’s 5G Mod which will work with Verizon’s 5G network. The Moto 5G Mod isn’t yet available for purchase yet but its good to know that you won’t need to wait for an update from Motorola for it to work when you eventually get your hands on a unit.

The notification for the update should hit your device but if you haven’t gotten it, you can go to System Updates under phone settings to check for it.

Continue

Meizu Zero vs Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 vs Oppo Find X: Specs Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

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Jan 23, 2019

2018 was the year of aesthetic innovations in the smartphones world and the trend is continuing even in 2019. Minimalism in the design became one of the most important priorities of smartphones manufacturers and the new Meizu Zero is a perfect example of it. The Chinese company announced a phone without ports, without speakers, and without physical keys in order to guarantee a totally clean design. Here, we will compare the new flagships with two other phones having an innovative design released in the last year: Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 and Oppo Find X.

Meizu Zero vs Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 vs Oppo Find X

	Meizu Zero	Xiaomi Mi Mix 3	Oppo Find X
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	N/D	157.9 x 74.7 x 8.5 mm, 218 g	156.7 x 74.2 x 9.6 mm, 186 g
DISPLAY	5.99 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), AMOLED	6.39 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), Super AMOLED	6.42 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 19.5:9 ratio, AMOLED
PROCESSOR	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, octa-core 2.8 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, octa-core 2.8 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, octa-core 2.8 GHz
MEMORY	4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 4 GB RAM, 128 GB – 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB	6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – 10 GB RAM, 512 GB	8 GB RAM, 256 GB
SOFTWARE	Android 9 Pie	Android 9 Pie, MIUI 10	Android 8.1 Oreo, ColorOS 5.1
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	Dual 12 + 20 MP, f/1.8 20 MP front camera	Dual 12 + 12 MP, f/1.8 OIS Dual 24 + 2 MP front camera	Dual 16 + 20 MP, f/2.0 + f/2.2, OIS 25 MP, f/2.0 front camera
BATTERY	Fast charging 18W	3200 mAh, fast charging with Quick Charge 4.0+, wireless charging	3730 mAh, fast charging (VOOC Flash Charge) 5V / 4A
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	eSIM, no ports/speakers/keys, IP68 certification	Dual SIM slot, pop up cameras	Dual SIM slot, pop up cameras

Design

In my opinion, Meizu Zero is the most innovative and beautiful phone when it comes to aesthetics because it has the cleanest design without needing a slider design nor a notch. It does not have any port and it gets charged via Qi wireless charging, while data transfer happens through WiFi or data networks. It does not have physical keys which are replaced by touch controls at the side, and it does not even have a speaker thanks to the piezoelectric transductor in the display delivering the audio. It does not even have a SIM slot as it supports the eSIM. Further, it has the best build quality and it is fully waterproof and dustproof thanks to the IP68 certification.

Display

Unfortunately, we still have no chance to test the display of the Meizu Zero because it is still not in the market, but on the paper, the display of Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 seems better because of the HDR technology making colors look more realistic. It is also protected by Gorilla Glass 5. On the other hand, Oppo Find X has slimmer bezels around the display and this may result better for people who care a lot about the front design. Meizu Zero has thicker bezels, but unlike the Oppo Find X, it does not need a motorized slider housing the sensors and the front camera.

Hardware/Software

All these phones come with the same chipset, so you should not expect a significative difference in their performances. Whatever you choose, you will get a very fast and smooth phone in every scenario, including gaming and the most-demanding multi-tasking. Note that Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 comes with up to 10 GB of RAM, while Oppo Find X does not and we still do not know the configurations in which Meizu Zero will be available as the company did not reveal all the specs of the handset. So Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 may effectively be the most suitable handset for heavy usage patterns.

Camera

Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 has the most convincing rear camera, at least on the paper. It is a dual sensor with a 12 MP resolution and an f/1.8 aperture, and it supports both OIS and dual pixel autofocus. Even the front cameras seem to be better: they consist of two sensors with 24 and 2 MP (the secondary one is a depth sensor, while in the rear camera it is a telephoto lens), paired with a front-facing LED flash.

Battery

Unfortunately, Meizu did not reveal the battery capacity of the new Zero. Given the absence of ports, there may be more space for the battery, but we have no idea whether or not it will be big. Meanwhile, Oppo Find X has a long-lasting 3730 mAh, while Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 has an average 3200 mAh unit that is not able to last as long as its opponent. Note that Meizu Zero cannot be charged via a USB port, so the charging process is slower.

Price

Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 is an affordable flagship carrying a €560 price tag in the global market, Oppo Find X was launched with a starting price of €770, while we still do not know when Meizu Zero will hit the shelves, neither its price. Personally, I believe that Meizu Zero is a very innovative phone but it is still not so suitable for daily use. 18W wireless charging is still too slow for modern standards and piezoelectric speakers are still too poor in terms of audio experience, so I would not be so comfortable with a phone like that. Unless it comes with an affordable price. But it is still a great experiment and we appreciate it a lot, hoping that Meizu and other Chinese brands will keep innovating like that. The winner of the comparison is the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 due to its more affordable price tag, amazing camera performance, and great display, but some may like the Oppo Find X more due to its bigger battery, thinner bezels and its more innovative motorized slider.

Read More: Meizu Zero holeless phone with 18W wireless charging announced with key specifications

Meizu Zero vs Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 vs Oppo Find X: PRO and CONS

Meizu Zero

PROS

Portless, speakerless, keyless
Great ceramic design
Wireless charging
Nice hardware
Waterproof

CONS

eSIM

Xiaomi Mi Mix 3

PROS

Full borderless design
Outstanding hardware
Awesome camera
Affordable price

CONS

Smaller battery

Oppo Find X

PROS

Motorized slider design
High screen-to-body ratio
Amazing hardware
Bigger battery

CONS

Pricey

Galaxy S10 series will come with a feature of the Huawei Mate 20 Pro

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Jan 23, 2019

The Huawei Mate 20 Pro launched as the first phone with support for reverse wireless charging. You could place another phone or device that supports wireless charging on the back of the phone and the Mate 20 Pro will share some of the juice from its 4,200mAh battery to the device. A new report says the Samsung Galaxy S10 series will also come with the feature.

The feature will be officially known as PowerShare and it will be available on all the Galaxy S10 models according to the source, though we are not sure if it includes the Galaxy S10E.

Evidence of the feature is a photo that was taken at what seems to be a demo booth. The photo shows a controller with different buttons that play videos of different features of the Galaxy S10.

The first button plays a video ad of the phone, followed by a button that plays a video talking about the display. The third and fourth buttons are for videos showing off the phone’s in-display fingerprint scanner and triple rear cameras respectively while the last one is for the PowerShare reverse wireless charging feature.

Continue

Xiaomi’s foldable smartphone still has several hurdles to cross before commercial availability

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jan 23, 2019

Today marked the second time we saw Xiaomi’s foldable smartphone. The first time was a few weeks ago. It was a short video of the phone in use and it was shared by Evan Blass. Today we had another look at the phone but this time, it came from Xiaomi itself.

There is still no official name for the phone yet as it is still a prototype but that is the least of Xiaomi’s problems at the moment. Xiaomi’s head of product development Wang Teng Thomas took to Weibo to reveal they are still sorting out issues related to the device.

Xiaomi’s foldable phone folds outwards twice – a fold on each side. This way, when folded into a phone, the device is practically all screen. Thomas said making a foldable phone that folds outwards is more difficult than one that folds inward. The Xiaomi phone folds outwards twice which means double the complications.

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Get Ready to see more 10GB+ RAM Smartphones in 2019: Digitimes

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 23, 2019

Over the past couple of years, we have seen the RAM sizes available on smartphones increase from 2GB, 3GB, right up to 6GB. Recently, 8GB RAM sizes got into the fray and this year, we have seen a few smartphones launched with 10GB of RAM. Some had posited back then that 8GB of RAM on flagship phones is more like overkill but DigiTimes reports that we may likely see more smartphones roll out this year with 10GB or more RAM.

The tech blog cites industry sources who also hinted that new Android smartphones will also get some other core components to upgrade this year as it is a major strategy for smartphone companies this year. Some of the additional upgrades include artificial intelligence (AI), multiple lenses. The report also hinted at the strong possibility that 10GB RAM will be the mainstream spec for flagship smartphones released by Android OEMs this year as several of them are already promoting their flagship models with more than 10GB of RAM. Already, we have seen Chinese OEMs Xiaomi, ZTE and Vivo launched new models with 10GB RAM while Lenovo recently unveiled the industry’s first 12GB RAM phone, the Z5 Pro GT.

This upgrade isn’t likely to affect the demand for mobile DRAM substantially until the second half of 2020, the sources said. It will also not likely affect the demand for smartphone replacement as that is expected to remain sluggish until 5G phones go fully commercialized.

(source)

Chinese 5G phones to cost as much as $80 more than non-5G models

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Jan 23, 2019

This year is said to be the year of 5G. Network operators are planning to roll out coverage to more cities and a number of manufacturers all have 5G phones in their lineup for the year. These 5G smartphones are expected to sell for more and it has been reported that Chinese manufacturers may set a price range for them.

DigiTimes reports that sources in Taiwan’s supply chain have said that Chinese phone makers may adopt a “5G+500” formula. This means 5G phones will cost about ¥500 more (~$74). The breakdown for the increase is given as about $50 for 5G modem and application processors and about $30 for new antennas, circuit boards, and other related materials.

Consumers should be able to afford the new pricing and manufacturers should still be able to make profits while still recording an increase in growth.

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Huawei clarifies misleading report of its phones deleting images from Twitter

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 23, 2019

The spotlight shone on Huawei recently when a report emerged from China that the company’s phones delete images saved from Twitter by users. Just like when the US thought it had discovered the weapons of Mass Destruction Saddam Hussein had purportedly stockpiled in Iraq. Some respondents were almost certain that Huawei had included a backdoor on their phone’s operating system. The discovery was first reported on Reddit and the post could even mislead some to believe it was indeed a backdoor that could give such access. Well, until Huawei officially responded to the report.

The Chinese tech giant has released a statement that explains the cause of the glitch. The company hinted that it had investigated the issue and discovered that whenever users of certain devices download an image using versions 7.78.0 and 7.77.0 of the Twitter app, a folder is automatically created by the app bearing the same name as the image. The app then immediately deletes the image in the background. Huawei phones come with built-in image protection feature which immediately alerts the user via a pop-up message. The thing is, the image isn’t deleted rather, it can be found at the following location: File Manager/picture/Twitter.

Apparently, there is a glitch on the Twitter app for Huawei phones and this should be fixed in no distant time.

(source)

Samsung files trademark application for “Neuro Game Booster”, is this its version of GPU Turbo?

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jan 23, 2019

Last year, Honor announced a graphics processing acceleration technology called GPU Turbo. It improved the efficiency of the GPU and also reduced power consumption. Phones that have gotten the feature now handle mobile games better. Now it seems Samsung will also launch its own version as it has trademarked the name “Neuro Game Booster”.

Samsung applied for a trademark for the name on Monday, January 21 at the European Union Intellectual Property office. The description says it is an electronic game software for mobile phones. It also says it is an AI software.

Samsung’s Neuro Game Booster should bring improved performance in mobile gaming just like Honor’s GPU Turbo. However, we can’t say yet if it will be available only to phones powered by Samsung’s Exynos processors or it will also be available to those powered by Snapdragon processors.

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All Nokia models will get Android Pie before Q2 2019

By

Simranpal Singh

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Jan 23, 2019

HMD Global run Nokia is working pretty hard to provide the latest Android 9.0 Pie to all the models before Q2 2019. Already, they have rolled out the latest and the greatest Android 9.0 Pie to various Nokia models. Now, they are working on the update for Nokia 5 and Nokia 3.1 Plus slating for rollout “in the next few days”. HMD Global’s Juho Sarvikas has confirmed that company is putting every effort to cater the latest alteration of Android on all major and minor Nokia devices in the first half of 2019.

Particularly, Nokia 5 and Nokia 3.1 Plus will start receiving the update by the end of the week. It may take some more time to roll out the update in all regions. Well, whatever the reason is, your Nokia devices will be updated to the latest Android version within the next couple of weeks.

Nokia 6 2017 version is also on the list of getting the Android Pie update in a week or two. As per the Judo Sarvikas, the development team is just finalizing the phone’s Dolby Atmos audio features for Android Pie. All other work has been done and the development is in its final stages before hitting the floor.

The low-end Nokia 1 and Nokia 3 devices will see the update before the starting of Q3 2019. All other minor and major devices will also get the Android 9.0 Pie update in the first half of 2019.

Read More: Nokia 3.1 Plus receives January 2019 security patch; gets Rs. 1,500 ($21) price cut in India

Nokia is working tirelessly in providing the latest updates to its devices. Particularly, this time Nokia stood first in rolling out the Android 9.0 Pie update to its devices. HMD Global powered Nokia is committed to providing all major Android updates for a couple of years and three years of security updates to its devices.

Well, how many of you have received the Android Pie update on your Nokia devices?

(Source)

Meizu Zero holeless phone with 18W wireless charging announced with key specifications

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jan 23, 2019

At 2 PM CST (local time), Meizu Senior VP Li Nan has introduced the Meizu Zero smartphone with holeless design through a live broadcast from China. The world’s first non-porous smartphone features a 3D unibody ceramic build with no physical buttons or ports on its edges. It is equipped with Super mCharge wireless charging technology which makes it possible to charge the device wirelessly with a charging rate of 18W. Here is all the information on the newly announce Meizu Zero futuristic smartphone.

The mSound 2.0 screen sound technology which is closely attached to the display of the Meizu Zero allows it to produce sound through the display of the phone. Hence, there is no earpiece on the device. Li Nan said that advantage of screen sound technology is that users can listen to phone call even when the device is held upside down. The Meizu Zero is fitted with a curved 5.99-inch OLED screen which is embedded with an optical fingerprint sensor. The handset sports a thin and light profile.

The exact size of the battery of the Meizu Zero is not known. Li Nan claimed that after working on for 2 years along with 75 related patents, the Super mCharge 18W wireless charging which is equivalent to 18W wired fast charging has been introduced on the Meizu Zero smartphone.

Instead of physical SIM card, the Meizu Zero is equipped with eSIM card. The smartphone is equipped with linear motor on the sides which replaces the physical buttons for volume and power. The Meizu Zero holeless phone is an IP68 rated device that can remain submerged in water for up 2 hours and 30 minutes. Since the Meizu Zero supports Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, users can make use of Bluetooth enabled earphones to listen to the songs wirelessly.

Read More:Meizu Note 9 tipped to release with Snapdragon 675 next month

The Meizu Zero is fueled by the Snapdragon 845 chipset. For photography, its features the very same Sony IMX380 12-megapixel + Sony IMX350 20-megapixel dual camera setup which is available on the Meizu 16th smartphone. There is a ring flash placed below the dual camera setup. The frontside of the phone features a 20-megapixel selfie snapper. The other features of the phone include Flyme 7 UI based Android 9 Pie OS and One Mind AI Engine.

The Chinese manufacturer did not disclose the release date and pricing of the Meizu Zero smartphone. The handset will be available in Black and White color options. The Chinese manufacturer did not disclose the release date and pricing of the Meizu Zero smartphone.

What’s your opinion on the Meizu Zero phone? Yay or Nay? Share us your views by posting your comments below.

Smartisan’s XiaoPeng joins Realme as design director

By

Simranpal Singh

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Jan 23, 2019

In order to survive, Smartisan has sold some of the tech-related patent rights to Bytedance, a Chinese internet technology company working in the field of AI. While addressing the media at the launch event of a new social app, Chat Bao, Smartisan’s founder revealed that the financial condition of the company is not too bad but to survive a back-up is a must. In another revelation, according to Yicai, Smartisan’s No. 2 employee XiaoPeng has resigned from the company and has joined Oppo’s subsidiary, Realme as a design director.

smartisan luo — Smartisan founder Luo YongHao

XiaoPeng joined the Realme last year in the month of December. Oppo announced its new sub-brand, Realme in May 2018. The motive of the Realme is to compete against Redmi devices in India. Realme is purely made in India device, as it is manufactured in India using Oppo’s production line. Their first device Realme 1 gained a good number of sales.

In-depth, Smartisan employees have been asked to re-sign the contracts with Bytedance for the six-month probation period. As per new terms, employees have to surrender the equity of Smartisan and sign a new contract to sustain in the company.

There are many confusions in the new Bytedance acquisition of tech-related patents from Smartisan. Many departments and resources have been re-aligned to different works within the company. Now, Smartisan’s Bullet Messenger resources have been aligned to the Bytedance’s K-12 education, an education-related product. Bytedance is popularly known for their work in the AI field. Moreover, they have launched plenty of education-related products for students last year. Even, they have launched an app which offers a content related to culture, audio books, wealth management, etc.

Read More: Smartisan reported to be facing crises, CEO denies it

Earlier, Luo approached many big giants in China such as Baidu, Ali and others for a possible merger, but due to lack of interest things didn’t work for Smartisan.

Now we hope this new shift in Smartisan would help them to recover from the financial crisis.

(Source)

Huawei teases 5G Wi-Fi Router launch on 24th January in China

By

Jeet

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Jan 23, 2019

5G technology is going mainstream this year and to be the first-movers into the 5G space, Huawei is all set to launch products compatible with the new technology. Before the company officially launches its first 5G smartphone, it is all set to launch a 5G router.

Huawei has today teased a 5G Wi-Fi router launch by shared a poster on Weibo. The text on the poster reads — “5+6=3.X? is the taste of new products! January 24, 2019, for you!”, confirming that it will be launching a new product on 24th January in China.

The poster doesn’t clearly state that the 5G Wi-Fi router will be launched. But looking closely at the “5+6=3.X” text in the poster, we can see that it says 5G, clearly hinting at the 5G technology. The ‘6’ could be representing Wi-Fi 6 which is the abbreviation for the Wi-Fi 802.11 ax.

The Wi-Fi 802.11 ax standard promises higher data transfer rate and larger capacity along with higher energy efficiency. Further, it’s being reported that the Wi-Fi 6 can reach the speed of up to 11Gbit/s. It is expected to be widely used in smart home devices or IoT-based devices.

This year will witness the 5G technology go mainstream and Huawei wants to be the one leading the game. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Huawei’s chairman Hu Houkun (aka Ken Hu) announced that the company has deployed 5G networks in 10 countries and will soon deploy in 20 more countries.

Huawei’s chairman Hu Houkun has also confirmed that the company will be launching its 5G smartphone in June this year. Apart from Huawei, Samsung, OnePlus, Xiaomi, and Oppo among others are all set to launch their 5G smartphones later this year.