Buy The ZTE Nubia Z17 Lite And Nubia X Smartphones At Considerably Lowered Prices On GeekBuying [Coupons Inside]

Get Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 4G Phablet at $509.99, Coupon Code XXY20190108A

-

Jan 8, 2019

Known for offering the best bang for your buck, GearBest is now doling out noteworthy discounts on a couple of well-received 4G phablets including the Mi Mix 3 and the Elephone A5.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 4G Phablet

Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 became an instant hit among those who fancy watching their favorite videos on a big screen mobile device after hitting the store shelves last year in November. It sports an extra large 6.39 inches Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display with 1080 x 2340 pixels resolution and comes with Corning Gorilla Glass on top for added protection.

The Mi Mix 3 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 Octa Core 2.8GHz processor and it packs an Adreno 630 710MHz GPU, under the hood. This Xiaomi-branded phablet ships with 6GB of RAM and offers 128GB of onboard storage capacity for you to save your favorite content.
It runs MIUI10 based on Android 9.0 Pie OS and is backed by a 3200mAh battery. On the optics front, the phablet houses a 24.0MP+2.0MP dual-camera setup on the back and 12.0MP+12.0MP front shooters for self-portraits and video chatting. Aside from a fingerprint sensor, the device features an accelerometer, e-compass, ambient light sensor, gravity sensor, gyroscope, distance sensor, and an ultrasonic wave sensor.

While you’d normally expect a top-branded phablet offering comparable features to cost you a bomb, the global version of the Mi Mix 3 can now be yours for a dropped price of just $549.99 on GearBest. This is a 13 percent drop in the device’s original asking price of $630.75.

You can head straight to this link to grab this discount, which will be valid for the remaining 141 pieces of the phablet’s black color version. Alternatively, you can go for the blue-tinted Mi Mix 3 4G phablet, which normally sells for $630.75, but has now gone up for sale carrying a dropped price tag of just $599.99. Now you can get Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 at $509.99 with the coupon code XXY20190108A

Elephone A5 4G Phablet

The Elephone A5 was made available to the public last year in November. Thanks to its exceptional features and top-end specs, the A5 garnered huge popularity among tech buffs and Elephone fans.

As a phablet, the Elephone A5 features a 6.18-inches IPS, FHD+ multi-touch display with a screen resolution of 1080 x 2246 pixels and an aspect ratio of 19:9. The device is housed in a metal, glass body in order to give it a gorgeous outward aspect and durability at the same time.

The phablet packs an MT6771 Octa Core 2.0GHz processor and uses a competent ARM Mali G72 MP3 800MHz, 3-Cores GPU for an immersive experience. Elephone provides 4GB of RAM to go with the phablet’s powerful processor and 64GB of expandable (up to 512GB) internal storage capacity to ensure you never run out of storage space for saving your favorite content.
This dual-SIM phablet features a 12.0MP+5.0MP+0.3MP triple camera module on the back and 20MP+2MP cameras for selfies and face-to-face video chatting. Furthermore, the A5 runs Android 8.1 Oreo operating system and draws its juices from a robust 4000mAh battery.

There are two versions of the Elephone A5 4G phablet — one which is compatible specifically with the European Union region, while the other is designed to work in other areas. The variant that works outside the European Union region normally sells for $265.55, but you can now buy it for only $239.99 on GearBest.

This is a 10 percent drop in the device’s original asking price. The European Union variant, on the other hand, will normally set you back $265.67, but you can now get your hands on it if you are willing to spend just $199.99. Regrettably, this 25 percent discount will be valid only for the remaining 85 pieces for six days. You can visit this link to get the discount.

Get 10% Off On Elephone A5 4G Phablet

Buy Blackview BV9600 PRO Smartphone For Only € 299.99 On eFox [Coupon Inside]

By

Get 26% Off On Blackview BV9600 PRO Smartphone

-

Jan 8, 2019

If you are an adventure junky looking for a rugged outdoor smartphone that would help you stay connected to your friends and family even during your adventurous activities, the BV9600 PRO might just fill the bill.

Touted as ‘the world’s top indestructible rugged phone of 2018,’ the BV9600 Pro was launched by Blackview last year in October. Before we delve further into the details about the phone awe-inspiring features and specs, it might interest you to know that it has now gone up for sale carrying a dropped price of just € 309.99 (about $354) on eFox.

This is a significant 26 percent reduction in the device’s original asking price of € 419.99, which roughly converts to about $480. But if you are living on a tight budget an aren’t willing to spend that kind of money on a rugged smartphone, all you need to do is to use coupon code BV9P10 and get an extra € 10 off at the time of checking out.

In other words, you can bring the already lowered original asking price of the BV9600 Pro smartphone further down to just € 299.99 (about $343). As if that weren’t enough, you can even choose between two appealing color versions including black and silver.
An absolute bargain at this price, the BV9600 PRO is housed in a sturdy body and its USP is its robust battery. It is a great choice for public safety workers and builders as it carries the IP68 and IP69K certificates, which indicate this super rugged phone is waterproof, shockproof and dustproof.

The phone sports an extra large 6.21-inch AMOLED FHD+ display with 2248 x 1080 pixels resolution. It packs a powerful Helio P60 MTK6771 2.0GHz Octa Core processor along with a Mali-G72 MP3 800MHz GPU, under the hood.

Moreover, the BV9600 PRO ships with 6GB of RAM and offers a hearty 128GB of onboard storage capacity that can be expanded up to 128GB so that you have enough space for saving your favorite content. On the optics front, the phone houses a 16.0MP+8.0MP dual-camera setup on the back and a SONY IMX134 8.0MP front shooter for selfies and video chatting.

You can head straight to this link in order to check out the full specifications and take advantage of the discount before the promo comes to an end. Note that the aforesaid coupon is also likely to expire soon.

Mi LED TV 4X Pro and Mi Soundbar revealed as products Xiaomi will launch in India on January 10

By

-

Jan 8, 2019

Xiaomi India is scheduled to launch a new TV on Thursday, January 10. The manufacturer has been dropping teasers on social media along with the hast tag #TheBiggerPicture which we think hints at the TV being its biggest TV yet.

The folks at Smartprix have gotten their hands on new info that reveals two products that Xiaomi will announce at the event. According to them, they were able to get their hands on the official presentation document for the event.

The first is the Mi LED TV 4X Pro and it is a 55-inch TV with a 4K resolution and HDR support. The TV is said to use a 10-bit panel which has better color reproduction compared to other TVs that use an 8-bit reproduction panel.

The Mi LED TV 4X Pro runs Android TV and also has Xiaomi’s Patchwall system. Owners will be able to switch to Android TV and run apps from the Play Store. For audio, the TV has 20W speakers. More details should surface at the event.

We think this is just one of the multiple TVs Xiaomi will announce at the event. Xiaomi already has a 55-inch TV, so if its teasers hint at a TV with a bigger screen, then the Mi LED TV 4X Pro is definitely not the main model to be unveiled.

The second product Xiaomi will launch that day is the Mi Soundbar. The Mi Soundbar is already sold China but it is great to see it is heading to other countries.

The Mi Soundbar has 8 drivers – 2 x 20mm dome speakers for high frequencies, 2 x 2.5” woofers and 4 x passive radiators for better bass. The Smartbar has Bluetooth 4.2, S/PDIF, an optical port, line-in, and a 3.5mm audio jack for connectivity and Xiaomi says setup takes just about 30 seconds.

The Xiaomi Mi Note 3 And Mi A2 Lite Smartphones Go Up For Sale Carrying Slashed Prices On Banggood [Coupons Inside]

By

Get 42% Off On Xiaomi Mi Note 3 Smartphone

-

Jan 8, 2019

Xiaomi is known for making smartphones that boast an impressive array of features and top-end specifications.
In a bid to make its well-received smartphones available to the big fan base of the brand at lowered prices, the Chinese electronics giant is now offering big discounts on the original asking prices of the Note 3 and the Mi A2 Lite smartphones. Moreover, we will show how you can save extra money at checkout.

Xiaomi Mi Note 3 (6GB RAM+128GB ROM)

Xiaomi launched the Mi Note 3 back in September 2017. Nevertheless, the phone continues to garner huge popularity among Xiaomi aficionados. Taking this demand into consideration, Xiaomi is now offering the Mi Note 3 at a lowered price of just $279.99 on Banggood.
This is a significant 42 percent drop in the phone’s original asking price of $479.99. On top of that, you can use coupon code 1BGNote3 to reduce the device’s already lowered the retail price further down to just $209.99.

In other words, you can get an extra $70 off simply by applying the aforesaid coupon before placing your order. You can head straight to this link to avail the discount, which will be valid for the black color version of the Mi Note 3 smartphone.

Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite (4GB RAM+64GB ROM)

Xiaomi took the wraps off the Mi A2 Lite smartphone last year in July. As expected, the phone became an instant hit among Xiaomi fans. If you have restlessly been waiting to get your hands on the Mi A2 Lite without spending a lot of money, we got good news for you.

The coveted Mi A2 Lite from Xiaomi has now gone up for sale bearing a heavily discounted price tag of $199.99 on Banggood. This 23 percent discount on the phone’s original asking price of $259.99 can be extended with the help of coupon code 1BGA2L642.

The above-mentioned coupon helps you bring the phone’s already dropped selling price further down to only $163.99 without breaking a sweat. You can head straight to this link to avail this discount, which will be valid for the black color version of the handset.

Alternatively, you can grab a 23 percent off on the blue-tinted Mi A2 Lite smartphone, which is now available for just $209.99 on Banggood. This color version of the smartphone would normally set you back $269.99 on both online as well as offline stores.

Get 23% Off On Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite Smartphone

Matrix PowerWatch 2, a smartwatch that charges via body heat and solar energy, unveiled

By

-

Jan 8, 2019

One major challenge manufacturers haven’t been able to tackle is the use of Lithium-ion battery in gadgets. Until an alternative is discovered, we will have to deal with the challenge of having to charge our smartphone and other gadgets always. Although smartwatches usually present with longer battery life due to the low power consumption capacity but at some point, you’ll still need to keep the smartwatch charged. Well, except that smartwatch is the latest Matrix PowerWatch 2 manufactured by Matrix industries.

The PowerWatch 2 has been unveiled at CES 2019 as a follow-up to last year’s wearable that was powered entirely by the body heat emitted from your wrist. This second-gen model comes with even more features which include an upgrade of the display from a black-and-white screen to a 1.2-inch color display. The new model also supports thermometric charging which is the use of body heat while strapped on the wrist and solar charging. Thus, you’ll never need to charge the smartwatch.

The smartwatch has a bulky 42mm frame made from aluminium while the straps are manufactured from rubber. This gives it a durable outlook. The PowerBall 2 features an LCD display that is configured by default to stay on always but this can be manually turned off. The watch’s bezel houses the solar cell ring which is reputed to be able to store power either from the indoor or outdoor lighting. However, the wearable is specifically targeted at those that are always outdoors, on the move, such that they won’t need to keep it charged to continue tracking their fitness.

Further, the Matrix PowerWatch 2 comes with a scratch resistant screen, water resistance of up to 200 meters. other features include GPS and fitness tracking functions such as heart rate monitoring, pace, and even cadence tracking. The watch also has a compass function. These functions are available on most smartwatches but another standout feature of the PowerWatch 2 is that it conserves its power. When the user removes the watch from his or her wrist, it saves your data and goes into a sleep mode.

The smartwatch is presently available on crowdfunding via Indiegogo for just $199. The final retail price will peak at $499 when the device starts shipping, scheduled for June 2019.

(source)

Get 40% Off On Feature-Laden Smart Watches From Bakeey And Other Top Brands On Banggood

By

Check Out Banggood’s New Year, New Watch $1 Snap Up

-

Jan 8, 2019

Planning to buy a new smartwatch that doesn’t cost a bomb? We got good news for you.

As part of its New Year, New Watch $1 Snap-Up, Banggood is doling out 40 percent discount on a wide selection of smartwatches that normally carry steep price tags. In a bid to expedite the search process, these smartwatches have been divided into various categories.

If you are looking to kick off 2019 by getting a recently launched smartwatch at a lowered price, you can head straight to the first section dubbed, ‘New Arrivals of 2019.’ This section features three Bakeey-branded smartwatches including the L18, P1C and the Bakeey F6 watch bracelet.

More importantly, the aforesaid smartwatches have gone up for sale carrying big discounts. For instance, the Bakeey L18 usually sells for $59.99, but you can now buy it for only $29.99. Likewise, the Bakeey P1C would normally set you back $99.99 but it is currently available for just $51.99, while the F6 smartwatch bracelet that usually carries a $38.99 price tag can now be yours for just $12.99.
Last year saw the launch of some of the most amazing smartwatches that regrettably didn’t come cheap. Much to the delight of those living on a tight budget, these previously launched smartwatches are now up for grabs for lowered prices under the ‘Top Sellers of 2018’ category.

The aforesaid category includes the Bakeey A6, the Zeblaze THOR 4 Pro, and the Bakeey M16 smartwatches. While you’d normally end up spending a lot of money on these devices, you can now buy them without breaking the bank.

Keeping in line with that, you can get a whopping 74 percent off on the Bakeey A6, 59 percent off on the Zeblaze THOR 4 Pro, and a 60 percent discount on the Bakeey M16 smartwatch. Aside from that, you can take full advantage of the $1 Snap-Up, which starts at 10:00 am (UTC+8) every day.

The $1 Snap-Up features three pieces of the LYNWO M8 and the LYNWO M6 smart bracelets that usually sells for $12.99 and $19.99, respectively. It is also worth noting that this chance to win this Banggood snap up will only be valid until January 14th.

Alternatively, you can avail considerable discounts on your favorite brand of smartwatches, under the ‘Brands Deal’ section. This section is brimming smartwatches and fitness bands from popular brands like Bakeey, zeblaze, newwear, and LEMFO. Each brand offers select smartwatches that you can now buy at lowered prices on Banggood.

Finally, the ‘Leisure Life’ category boasts an impressive array of eye-catching smartwatches that have gone up for sale carrying dropped prices. Here you get your hands on the SMAEL 1545 sports watch, SKMEI 1335 Fashion Chronograph Stainless Steel Digital Watch and other select state-of-the-art smartwatches at unbeatable prices.

You can click here to visit the promotion page and check out the rest of the smartwatches that are currently up for grabs at lowered prices on Banggood.

Official renders of Xiaomi’s Mi Freedom Buds Pro (AirDots Pro) leaked ahead of release

By

-

Jan 7, 2019

Xiaomi launched its first truly wireless earbuds last year. The device which is called the AirDots Lite a.k.a Mi Freedom Buds connects via Bluetooth 5.0 and offers up to 4 hours of playback. It is set to get a pro version called the Mi Freedom Buds Pro/AirDots Pro and official renders have now surfaced online.

This isn’t the first time we are seeing the Mi Freedom Buds Pro. About a month ago, it was seen at the FCC and the listing included images of the earbuds along with its case.

Unlike the FCC images which show only the white variant, these renders include a black variant which appears to have a matte finish and not gloss like the white.

[envira-gallery id=”231126″]

The Mi Freedom Buds Pro has a different design from its Lite variant. It has a stem which means it will stick out of your ears. The buds also sit vertically in the rechargeable case.

The Bluetooth certification page reveals its model number as TWSEJ03LM and it also connects via Bluetooth 5.0. The buds’ case will charge via USB-C and it will come with extra silicone tips and a USB type-C cable.

Elephone A5 on a photo session tour of Dubai with popular Moroccan singer Leila Gouchi

By

-

Jan 7, 2019

Just a couple of months back, specifically on October 27, Elephone opened its first physical store in Africa, precisely in Rabat, Morocco. The store also happens to be the company largest ever brick and mortar store but that isn’t the story here. The Chinese phone maker also unveiled a brand ambassador in the person of Leila Gouchi, a famous local artiste whose popularity extends beyond the shores. The singer is already at work promoting the company’s products and the Elephone A5 gets the honour of a tour with the popular singer.

The new and popular premium budget model, Elephone A5 has now been taken on a tour to Dubai by the brand ambassador. The purpose of the tour is for some photoshoot sessions with the A5’s camera. As a reminder, the device packs a triple rear camera configuration which includes a 12.0MP + 5.0MP + 0.3MP combo. The main sensor comes with an f1.8 aperture for unrivalled low-light and night performance while the secondary and tertiary sensors are used to bring stunning visual effects to your photos instantly. The dual selfie camera setup at the front comprised of a 20.0MP + 2.0MP combo looks even more interesting as it sure would capture stunning selfies. The camera’s samples captured by the singer is yet t be shared by the company. We are positive the samples won’t be disappointing hence this teaser.

The Elephone A5 features a 6.18-inch FHD+ notch screen with a resolution of 2246 x 1080pixels. It is powered by a MediaTek Helio P60 mid-range chipset paired with 4GB of RAM and there is 64GB of internal storage onboard. The device gets its juice from a massive 4000mAh battery which will surely offer an extended battery life. Other perks include a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and Lumia gradient back colour. The sleek smartphone is currently available on AliExpress and GearBest. You can also get more details of the A5 from Elephone’s official website.

Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 lands in Spain and Italy for €549

By

-

Jan 7, 2019

Xiaomi‘s slider phone, the Mi MIX 3 is now available in Europe. Spain and Italy are the first countries to get it and Xiaomi’s official Twitter accounts in both countries have confirmed the arrival of the flagship.

https://twitter.com/XiaomiEspana/status/1081883078136680449

In Spain, the phone will go on sale tomorrow and will be available on Mi.com, AliExpress Spain, and Mi Home stores. The 6GB RAM + 128GB Mi MIX 3 is the version that will be sold in the country and it is priced at €499.

In Italy, the Mi MIX 3 will be available for purchase on Wednesday, January 9, on Mi.com and at Mi Home stores. The price is €549 but there will be a flash sale on the first day that will allow lucky buyers to purchase at €499. The phone will be available in Sapphire Blue and Black Onyx.

Mi MIX3 Disponibile dal 9 Gennaio a partire da 549,9€ in tutti i Mi Store Italia e su https://t.co/AIZANK7Anj, nelle colorazioni Sapphire Blue e Onyx Black.
Solo per la giornata del 9 sarà possibile acquistarlo in FLASH SALE a 499,9€ su https://t.co/AIZANK7Anj! pic.twitter.com/zbUJY99NSf

— Xiaomi Italia (@ItaliaXiaomi) January 7, 2019

If you do not mind waiting, Xiaomi says a 5G version of the phone with a Snapdragon 855 processor will launch in Europe later this quarter. You not only get a 5G phone but a more powerful version of the Mi MIX 3. As expected, you will also be shelling out more money.

The Mi MIX 3 has a 6.39-inch 1080 x 2340 display with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. It has a slider design, so the front cameras are hidden when the phone is closed. The phone is powered by a Snapdragon 845 processor and also comes in 8GB RAM and 10GB RAM variants with 128GB or 256GB of storage. The front-facing cameras are a 24MP + 2MP sensor and on the rear is a 12MP wide-angle lens paired with another 12MP telephoto lens.

The rugged Ulefone Armor 6 stays underwater for entire performance test (Video)

By

-

Jan 7, 2019

Chinese phone maker Ulefone recently announced its latest rugged phone, the Armor 6. Rugged phones are known for their strength and performance under extreme conditions and to prove that the Armor 6 may well be the reigning king of rugged phones this year, the company has shared a video of the performance test carried out on the phone. After going through the video, we are pretty certain the Ulefone Armor 6 will not only be a phone with a rugged build but also outputs an impressive performance rating on various benchmark apps.

An interesting observation is that the test was carried out mostly inside a rctangular glass vessel filled with water. The phone was then subjected to the AnTuTu 3D benchmark test and placed underwater with no effect on its performance. The device scores 135654 points on AnTuTu which is consistent with those of other Helio P60-powered models. The Armor 6 equally packs 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage which also plays their roles in the smooth running of the phone even under heavy games such as PUGB.

Other performance tests which the Armor 6 passed in impressive pace includes the AndroBench 5 test which tested the speed of reading and writing. The reading speed is up to 289.56MB/S and the writing speed is up to 190.99MB/S. Yet another test is PC Mark for testing surfing speed and documentation writing speed. The running score of Work 2.0 is around 7425. It is quite smooth and fluent. In addition, the guys at Ulefone also played PUBG and MOBA games underwater, and the phone performed impressively, without any lag. One aspect which we are still not sure of is if the display will work seamlessly when operated with wet hands. We didn’t seem to see the operator scrolling through the phone with wet hands.

Here’s a reminder of the Ulefone Armor 6 specifications. You get a 6.2-inch notch display with FHD+ resolution. The device comes with the IP69K/IP68 water and dustproof certification as well as the MIL-STD-810G protection grade. On the camera end, it packs a 21MP+13MP dual rear camera setup and a 13MP selfie shooter up front. The device also packs a big 5000mAh battery under its hood with wireless charge support. Other features include a rear fingerprint ID, face unlock, support for global frequency bands, NFC, Google Pay, and a function which lets users test UV in outdoors. The device runs Android 8.1 Oreo OS. The Ulefone Armor 6 will go on global presale starting from January 14. You can get more details about the device from here.

CES 2019: A Quick Look at what we can Expect from the Big Players this year!

By

Michele Ingelido

-

Jan 7, 2019

CES 2019 (Consumer Electronics Show), the biggest tech-related trade show of the year, is just around the corner. It will start tomorrow January 8 in Las Vegas and it will last until January 11. At the event, several important hi-tech companies will make big announcements of new hi-tech products. Just like every year, we will cover the major announcements from CES 2019 here on Gizmochina, with a special focus on mobile and Chinese companies. Here is what to expect from the most important companies in the mobile sector starting from tomorrow.

Alcatel and BlackBerry

As you probably know if you follow Chinese hi-tech companies, Alcatel and BlackBerry are both owned by TCL. And both will attend CES 2019. That is what we expect from them.

New Alcatel phones, but we likely won’t see any BlackBerry-branded device at the event.
Tablet and smartwatches: Alcatel is launching new phones, along with a new smartphone display tech.
New automotive-based software called BlackBerry QNX.

Huawei and Honor

Despite smartphones being its most important business, Huawei will most likely not launch any phone at CES 2019. Instead, it is expected to focus on:

Tablets: we may see new devices from the MediaPad line-up and interesting prices in Las Vegas
Laptops: the company may showcase new notebooks from the Matebook series.
Honor View 20: it is the global version of the Honor V20 and it will launch in the international market on January 22 in Paris. The company may decide to showcase it at CES 2019 but considering the tension with the US, the tech giant might decide to keep this low key this year.

HTC

Even though it has been seeing a strong decline for about seven years, HTC will attend CES 2019. But its press conference will probably not be dedicated to phones. The company is expected to showcase new HTC Vive products, both hardware, and software. According to unconfirmed rumors, it might showcase:

New standalone VR headset.
New VR game demos, accessories and other kinds of VR-related hardware.

Lenovo

Lenovo often takes advantage of important trade shows to mainly launch new laptops and probably this year will be the same. Lenovo may unveil:

New Legion laptops for gamers with Nvidia GTX dedicated GPUs.
A new VR headset or VR-related accessories
New smart home products such as a new smart display.
A Special edition Lenovo Z5 Pro GT (SD855) will be showcased at the event.

LG

Until a few months ago, LG was expected to unveil its first foldable smartphone at CES 2019, but according to the latest news, this will not happen before the third quarter of 2019. Instead, LG should unveil:

World’s first rollable TV for consumers with a flexible OLED display
Three soundbars with support to Google Assistant and Dolby Atmos
New 8K OLED and LCD TVs with various dimensions as well as portable displays
Smart home products for the kitchen with Google Assistant and Alexa installed

Samsung

Samsung never launches its flagships at CES, so it is unlikely that Sammy will showcase the Galaxy S10 at the 2019 edition. Instead, it should come up with:

The launch of Samsung Galaxy Home, the new smart speaker with Bixby on board which was unveiled a few months ago alongside the Galaxy Note 9.
Samsung Notebook 9 Pen: a laptop with S Pen and Windows 10 for productivity with additional pen-related features.
Innovative and high-end televisions, including 8K and QLED TVs.

Google

We do not know if Big G planned the launch of new hi-tech products at CES 2019, even though some rumors hinted at an imminent launch of the first affordable Pixel devices: the Pixel 3 Lite and Pixel 3 XL Lite. Instead, we believe the company will focus on Google Assistant for CES 2019. Even without any hardware products at the event, the company would likely enjoy a strong presence throughout the event with its Google Assistant and other features.

Sony

Sony usually holds the most interesting press conference of the whole trade show, if we consider mobile devices. But this year it may not be the case, according to the latest rumors. However, according to previous info, the Japanese company is set to announce:

Sony Xperia XA3 and variants: the new midrange smartphones line-up which is expected to be composed of three variants: Xperia XA3, XA3 Ultra and XA3 Plus.
Sony Xperia L3: a new entry-level device (compared to the rest of its line-up) focused on the price.
New TVs, including 8K ones.
New smart home products and accessories.

Over the past few years, CES has become the event for consumer electronics apart from smartphones. Smartphone companies like to focus on MWC for their big launches and recently, even the Barcelona event is being skipped by big companies in favor of standalone launch events. That said, CES 2019 still should hold enough innovation to deserve our attention. Expect a lot of ‘Smart’ + ‘AI’ products showcased throughout the event. It is worth adding that the number of Chinese tech companies attending the event this year has dropped to nearly 20%, all thanks to the US-China trade war tensions. Still, we’ll be sure to pick the best products of the lot and bring it to you in the next few days. So stay tuned!

Note that all of our CES 2019 Coverage can be found from this link.

Lenovo and Nubia confirm they will be at CES 2019 to showcase their latest phones

By

-

Jan 7, 2019

CES 2019 officially begins tomorrow and Lenovo Mobile and Nubia just confirmed they will be at the event. Both manufacturers will be bringing their latest smartphones.

Lenovo confirmed it will be at the show which holds in Las Vegas and they will be bringing along the Lenovo Z5s. The Lenovo Z5s was released last month as Lenovo’s first phone with triple rear cameras.

The Z5s sports a 6.3-inch 1080 x 2340 display with a water-drop notch. It is powered by the Snapdragon 710 processor with 4GB/6GB of RAM and 64GB/128GB of storage. The triple rear cameras are a 16MP f/1.8 wide angle sensor, an 8MP telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom, and a 5MP depth sensor. You also get a 16MP selfie camera, a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, a 3,300mAh battery and ZUI 10 based on Android Pie.

Although Lenovo says it is taking the phone to the US, the possibility of it getting a North American launch is low or even non-existent. The Motorola brand is what Lenovo pushes in the US and there is no inclination that will change soon.

Nubia, on the other hand, will likely be taking its latest gaming phone, the Red Magic Mars, to CES 2019. It has been counting down to the event on its official Twitter and the posters say “Next-gen Mobile Gaming”.

The Red Magic Mars has a 6-inch 1080 x 2160 display, a Snapdragon 845 processor, 6GB/8GB/10GB of RAM and 64GB/128GB/256GB of storage. A single 16MP camera sits on its back and there is an 8MP camera for selfies.

The phone has a customizable LED strip on the back right below the fingerprint sensor. It also has a 3,800mAh battery, runs Android Pie, DTS surround audio, stereo speakers, 4D Shock haptic feedback, and two touch-sensitive buttons on the side that act as shoulder buttons.

Nubia’s Red Magic starts offering doorstep service in India

By

Jeet

-

Jan 7, 2019

Nubia, which is the sub-brand of Chinese manufacturer ZTE, announced its first gaming smartphone — Red Magic in India last month. Just a month after its launch, the company has now announced that it will offer doorstep service to its customers in India.

Using this newly introduced service, the customers of Red Magic can now get their smartphones picked up from home and serviced for an uninterrupted gaming experience, said the company in a statement. Currently, the service is being introduced in a pilot phase.

To avail the service, the customers will need to just visit the service section of Red Magic official website and fill a form. With this, the process of getting the device collected from the customer’s doorstep beings and then it is delivered to the nearest service center.

According to the company, once the device is collected, it is repaired within 24-48 hours and is shipped back. Initially, the service will be available in Delhi, Indore, Haryana, Faridabad, Jaipur, Noida, Patna, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and Thane.

To recall, the Nubia Red Magic gaming smartphone was launched in India last month and is being sold exclusively through Amazon for a price of Rs. 29,999, which roughly converts to $430. It features a 5.99-inch Full HD+ display with an edge-to-edge 2.5D NEG T2X-1 screen, 18:9 aspect ratio and 1500:1 contrast ratio.

Under the hood, the smartphone is powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 835 processor, coupled with Adreno 540 GPU. It packs along with 8GB RAM and 128GB dual-channel flash memory. The Nubia Red Magic comes with a GameBoost mode, which frees up memory-intensive resources and delivers higher frame rates.

For photography, there’s a 24-megapixel Samsung 5K2X7SX rear camera sensor with 0.9μm pixel size, f/1.7 aperture and supports 4K video recording at 30fps and slow-motion 720p video recording at 120fps. On the front side, there’s an 8-megapixel SK Hynix HI-846 sensor with 1.12μm pixel size and f/2.0 aperture.

It comes with DTS Technology and Smart Amplifier system for an immersive sound experience. The smartphone runs on Android 8.1 Oreo operating system out-of-the-box and is powered by a 3,800mAh battery which can provide up to 7 hours of gameplay on a single charge.

The number of Chinese companies attending CES 2019 drops, amidst US-China trade war

By

-

Jan 7, 2019

China is home to some of the most innovative companies and in previous years, Chinese companies have formed a substantial part of the over 4000 exhibitors that have always participated in the tech how. CES 2019 may see a drop in the number of Chinese companies attending the tech show.

According to the South China Morning Post, the attendance by Chinese merchants will reduce by up to 20%. The event which is reputed as the largest tech exhibition globally with up to 175,000 persons attending, will no doubt be affected by the present US-CHina trade dispute that started when the US imposed a higher tariff regime on some specific products from China. The two world’s largest economies are also at loggerheads with each other over leadership in a range of cutting-edge technologies and innovations, most prominent are 5G technology and artificial intelligence (AI).

Details provided by the organisers of the event, Consumer Technology Association (CTA) in the CES exhibitor directory as of January 4, indicate that a total of 1,211 Chinese companies have registered to be part of the trade show for this year. This is 20% lower than the1,551 Chinese companies that attended last year. The number is also lower than the 1,751 US companies that have registered as at January 4. In a statement released on Sunday, CTA disclosed that the actual floor area taken up by Chinese exhibitors this year was roughly equal to 2018 due to slightly more space offered to bigger exhibitors and slightly less to smaller merchants. However, the reduction is a pointer to the effect the tumultuous US-China relation is having on an event which has jokingly been referred to as the Chinese Electronics Show in recent years. The event has often attracted big names such as Huawei Technologies and fleets of component suppliers who flock Las Vegas to show off their latest wares. Shaun Rein, managing director of Shanghai-based China Market Research Group summed it up this way; “Chinese companies are concerned about tariffs from the trade war. Attending a show like CES is expensive, and with [US President] Trump’s rhetoric towards Chinese technology, companies in China are rethinking their strategy of investing in the US.”

(source)

MIUI Camera APK teardown reveals custom watermarks, new portrait mode, ultra wide angle as upcoming features; a second 48MP camera phone too

By

-

Jan 7, 2019

APKs are known to contain information about new features and even upcoming devices which is why teardowns are very important. A version of Xiaomi‘s MIUI camera app has gotten a teardown that reveals a lot of new features that Xiaomi has been working on.

The teardown was done by the folks at XDA Developers and a member by the name franztesca, was able to develop a tool that let them activate a number of these features. Below are the new features and details found in the teardown:

Custom Watermarks

Watermarks have become very popular since dual camera phones became mainstream but it is also available on phones with single or more than two cameras. The watermark is usually a “Shot on X device” but as at now, the feature isn’t customizable. That may change with a future update which will let you customize what appears as the watermark.

The custom watermark will support 15 characters (English and Chinese) for the second line.

48MP Ultra Pixel Photography, second 48MP smartphone

Xiaomi has a 48MP camera smartphone coming soon and it is a Redmi phone. The camera app reveals Xiaomi has named the 48MP feature of the phone Ultra Pixel Photography. It also reveals the phone will have dual cameras with AI features as there is a string that says “48M DUAL CAMERA” and another that says “AI DUAL CAMERA”. TENAA images already showed us an upcoming Redmi phone with dual rear cameras, so this might be the smartphone.

The Redmi phone won’t be the only one with a 48MP camera. Apparently, there are at least two according to a discovery made by franztesca. One is codenamed “cepheus” and the other is codenamed “davinci”.

The former not only has a 48MP sensor but also a fingerprint scanner under its display and an Always on Display feature. These are flagship features, so it is definitely not the Redmi phone. Xiaomi Mi 9 specs leaked a few days ago and it mentioned a 48MP triple camera setup and an in-display fingerprint scanner, so there is a possibility the Mi 9 is the device codenamed “cepheus”.

Ultra Wide Angle

Most phones with dual cameras have a secondary camera that only captures the depth of field but there are manufacturers like LG that settle for an ultra wide angle camera as the secondary sensor. This is a very useful addition as it enables you to fit in more into your photo. Ultra wide angle cameras are great for taking pictures of buildings, landscapes and even the occasional selfie with lots of friends.

The MIUI camera mentions an ultra wide mode which means a future Xiaomi phone will have an ultra wide angle camera. The Mi 9 is said to be coming with three rear cameras, it would be nice if one of the sensors is an ultra wide angle sensor.

A string mentions that there will be a feature to correct “picture distortion” and another confirms there will be an option to take a portrait photo in the ultra wide angle mode.

Live Shot/Dynamic Photos

Another new feature in the camera app is Live Shot or Dynamic Photos. There isn’t much info but going by the name, it should be similar to Apple’s Live Photo which is available on iPhones or Google’s Motion Photos. However, it may be something different entirely as there is another code related to Motion Photos present in the app too.

Live Music

Xiaomi announced it has signed a partnership with TikTok, a platform for creating and sharing short videos with tons of music to choose from. Both platforms are to announce a new product in a few days and it seems that the product is called Live Music.

We presume Live Music will let you create short music videos right from the camera app that can be shared to the platform. More details on this should surface when the launch takes place on January 10.

New Portrait Mode Effects and Adjustable Bokeh

Portrait mode is about to get more interesting as there are four new effects found in the camera app. The effects are Tea, Lilt, Sephia, and Dusk.

Another new feature is adjustable bokeh which will let you change the intensity of the background blur effect by adjusting the f-stop number.

New Color Effects for Video

You may soon get new color effects when recording a video. New color filters listed in the app that are not yet available are Orchid, Xpro, Black and White, Pale, Bauhinia, Sly Blue, and Sephia.

Beauty Mode for Bodies

Before the end of 2018, Xiaomi and Meitu announced an agreement that would see Xiaomi manufacture products with the Meitu brand name. The devices will be designed, manufactured, marketed and sold by Xiaomi while Meitu will provide its widely-acclaimed imaging technology.

That imaging technology may be making its way to Xiaomi’s own phones as there will now be a beauty mode for bodies. Currently, Meitu phones have a feature that adjusts your body proportions. Think of beauty mode extending beyond your face and now including the whole body.

Motion Photos

Motion photos is another feature which appears to be different from Live Shot/Dynamic photos. Motion Photos should let you add a few seconds of video and audio to your photo.