Get 18% Off On The European Union And Non-European Union Versions Of The Armor 6 Smartphone On CooliCool [$10 Off Coupon]

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Jan 10, 2019

UPDATE: Another image of “The Waterdrop” phone has been released by Ice Universe. The corners look extremely smooth and refined. Reminds us of the Honor Magic phone.

Vivo Mystery Concept Waterdrop phone featured — Vivo Waterdrop Phone – Render 2 by Ice Universe

The year 2018 was fabulous for Vivo as it began with the launch of the X20 Plus UD as the world’s first smartphone with in-display fingerprint scanner. In June, it unveiled the Vivo NEX flagship which came with innovative features like notch-less display and pop-up selfie camera. At the end of the year, the Chinese manufacturer released the Vivo NEX Dual Display with front and rear facing screens. It appears that the company is now gearing up to start the year 2019 with a bang by launching a remarkable smartphone. Popular tipster Ice Universe has claimed that Vivo is working a smartphone that is codenamed as “The Waterdrop” and has claimed that it will be sporting a very unique design that has been never seen on any other smartphone before. He has also shared a leaked image that shows off a corner of the smartphone.

At the beginning of 2018, Vivo had teased the Vivo APEX concept phone with an unexpected design. The smartphone was later on made available in the market as Vivo NEX. It seems that the company is going to apply the same strategy by teasing a new smartphone with remarkable design.

The leakster has claimed that “The Waterdrop” smartphone is inspired from the cosmic detector in the “The Three-Body Problem.” The below shown leaked image suggests that the upcoming Vivo phone will be sporting a durable and smooth metal or glass body.

Crazy phone have begun to leak, it is said that this is vivo a mysterious smartphone code-named "The Waterdrop", this phone will subvert people's past perception of smartphones, this is the back of the phone design, play your imagination.
Coming soon！ #CES2019 pic.twitter.com/TNN1ht5NVZ

— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) January 10, 2019

There is a possibility that “The Waterdrop” smartphone may not feature any hardware buttons or holes for ports. The rear shell of the phone curves towards its middle frame. It could be sporting a very narrow middle frame. The tipster has claimed that it will be first ever device in the history of mobile phones to sport the new design.

Vivo The Waterdrop Phone_ — Vivo Waterdrop Phone Render 1 – by Ice Universe

Read More: Vivo NEX Dual Display teardown shows how hard it is to disassemble and repair

Last year, Vivo had showcased the Vivo APEX concept model at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 tech trade show in February. The tipster hasn’t shared any information on the specifications of the mysterious “The Waterdrop” Vivo phone. The Chinese manufacturer may unleash it at the MWC 2019 event in the coming month.

Check out the Xiaomi MC Store at Aliexpress

Giveaway – Win a Xiaomi Amazfit Smart Watch

By

Cheky Zhu

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Jan 10, 2019

Gizmochina along with MC Mart is conducting 1 unit Xiaomi Amazfit Smart Watch as giveaway gift to a lucky reader. Like always, you just have to follow the steps mentioned on the Gleam widget to get a chance to win this amazing gift.

The winner will be picked only from people who Like the Facebook Page of Muchen Company.

MC Mart is the largest overseas official online reseller of Xiaomi and Mijia products. It is also the top-rated stores on Aliexpress. When you’re shopping at MC Mart, you’re either directly buying from an authorized reseller.

Xiaomi Amazfit Smart Watch comes with 1.34-inch capacitive Corning Gorilla touch screen, having the resolution of 320 x 300 pixels. With built-in GPS, Amazfit can 35hr non-stop tracking. Paring the smartphone with Amazfit through Bluetooth, the data which record by Amazfit will be shown on the phone. You may fall in love with sport after using this smart watch, because it has the professional multisport tracking. Through the watch screen, you can get the information directly that the Amazfit record and sync precise sports data like distance, speed and pace. What’s more, the amazed watch has smart notification which is convenient and quick.

Like the MC Mart Page on Facebook and Follow It

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

Like the MC Mart Page on Facebook and follow it.
Share this giveaway contest on Facebook, Twitter and Reddit;

Terms & Conditions:

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

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

Once again, good luck.

Giveaway – Win a Xiaomi Amazfit Smart Watch

Samsung Galaxy S10 E could be S10 Lite’s real name

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Jan 10, 2019

Rumors have it that the entry-level model in the Samsung Galaxy S10 series will be called Galaxy S10 Lite. Based on the information received from China-based supplier, a U.K. based case maker has claimed that that the S10 Lite will be hitting the market as Galaxy S10 E.

The case maker has also claimed that the Galaxy S10 E won’t be featuring an in-screen fingerprint scanner. Previous leaks have also claimed that the S10 Lite won’t be equipped with it. Rumors have it that the Galaxy S10 E will be fitted with side-mounted fingerprint scanner like the Galaxy A7 (2018) smartphone that had released in the previous year.

Previous reports have revealed that the Galaxy S10 E will be sporting a 5.8-inch flat AMOLED display that will carry support for 18.5:9 aspect ratio and full HD+ resolution. The Snapdragon 855 chipset is expected to power the phone along with 6 GB or 4 GB of RAM. It will come preloaded with Android 9 Pie OS and Samsung’s new One UI.

The smartphone is expected to release in variants such as 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage, 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage and 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage. It could be fueled by a 3,100mAh battery. It will be equipped with dual rear cameras and a single front-facing camera.

Read More: Renders of upcoming Samsung Galaxy Watch codenamed Pulse leaked

In comparison to the Galaxy S10 E, the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ are rumored to respectively feature 6.1-inch and 6.4-inch displays. Both models are speculated to come equipped with ultrasonic in-display fingerprint reader.

In the U.K, the Samsung Galaxy S10 E is expected to be priced around 699 pounds (~$892)v and in the U.S, it may cost between $650 and $750. The handset may arrive in colors like yellow, white, black, green and blue. The Galaxy S10 E, S10 and S10+ are rumored to go official on Feb. 20 just had of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) that is scheduled to take place between Feb. 25 and Feb. 28.

(source|via)

ZTE 5G phone releasing in first half of 2019

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Jan 10, 2019

ZTE’s sub-brand Nubia was active in launching smartphones in 2018. However, since ZTE was banned in the U.S. for illicitly selling equipment to Iran and North Korea and it was on the verge of bankruptcy, it could not launch many phones last year. Hopefully, the year 2019 will be different for the company as it confirmed yesterday it will be releasing the first 5G phone in the first half of the year. Moreover, it has also revealed that it will be launching new Axon and Blade series of smartphones.

ZTE did not disclose any information on the specifications of its upcoming 5G phone. However, the company has confirmed that it will be using the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2019 tech expo platform in Ferburay to reveal more details on its 5G plans.

At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2018, ZTE had claimed that it will be launching its first 5G phone in early 2019. However, in November it pushed the launch of its first 5G phone to the first half of 2019. New information shared by the company yesterday suggests that the company is on track on its 5G plans and it is gearing up to launch its first 5G phone in the next few months.

In April 2018, ZTE carried out its first 5G testing based on the 3GPP R15 standard. Later in October, it tested its first 5G call and in November, it conducted other tests on calls, internet connectivity and WeChat.

Read More: US reportedly considering a clear trade ban on Chinese telecom equipment targeting Huawei and ZTE

There is no information available on the Axon and Blade models that will be unleashed in this year. There is a possibility that the company may debut new Blade phones at the MWC 2019 in the coming month and launch Axon smartphones in the second half of the year at the IFA 2019 event.

Multiple smartphone manufacturers are gearing up to launch 5G smartphones this year. At the CES 2019 keynote in Las Vegas, Qualcomm claimed that it is expecting more than 30 5G-enabled devices to launch this year and most of them will be smartphones. Samsung, Huawei, LG, Sony, Motorola, OnePlus, OPPO, Vivo and Xiaomi are some of the companies that are going to announce 5G phones this year.

Get 17% Off On Beatsx by Dre Beats X In-Ear Wireless Headphones

Buy Wireless Headphones And Bluetooth Headset From Beats For Lowered Prices On GearBest [Coupon]

By

Vinay Patel

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Jan 10, 2019

The market is brimming with all sorts of wireless headsets that you can use for multiple purposes including in-game or private voice chat, audio for video chat and even for in-game voice recognition.

Superior quality and stylish wireless headset would normally set you back a pretty penny whether you buy it in an online or an offline store. If you are living on a tight budget and aren’t willing to spend a lot of money on a wireless headphone, GearBest’s got your back.

Deemed as one of China’s best online stores for electronic items, GearBest is now offering a couple of top-branded wireless headphones at unbeatable prices. On the downside, the discounts will only be valid for a limited unit and for a short period of time.

Beatsx by Dre Beats X In-Ear Wireless Headphones

Marketed as the perfect wireless companion, Beatsx is designed to change the way you listen to your favorite music. BeatsX adopts Apple’s WI technology and incorporates WI chip in a bid to offer seamless setup and switching for Apple-branded devices.

It is backed by a robust battery that delivers 2 hours of playback with 5-minute Fast Fuel charging. Moreover, you can take calls or play music using an on-cable mic with Siri-compatible RemoteTalk. The headsets feature highly flexible Flex Foam cable so that you can wear for a longer duration without experiencing any sort of discomfort.
While you’d normally expect top-branded in-ear wireless headphones to cost a bomb, the BeatsX can now be yours for a reduced price of just $124.99 on GearBest. This is a significant 17 percent reduction in the device’s original asking price of $150.04, and that’s not all.

You can apply coupon code GBBeatsX to get an extra $15 off at the time of checking out. In other words, you can bring the already reduced retail price of the wireless headphones further down to only $109.99 simply by applying the aforesaid coupon.

You can head straight to this link to grab this discount, which will be valid for the black color version of the wireless headphones. With only 100 pieces remaining, this promo is slated to end in six days.

Beats powerbeats 3 wireless Bluetooth headset

The powerbeats 3 is a great choice for your biggest moments. These wireless earphones will breathe new life into your regular workouts with its powerful and dynamic sound. Moreover, it is powered by the Apple W1 chip and offers up to an impressive 12 hours of battery life.

Sporting an optimized design, the powerbeats 3 offers better comfort, coupled with immersive sound experience. On top of that, the wireless Bluetooth headset can withstand sweat and water, making it highly durable and ideal for workouts and any weather.
The powerbeats 3 usually carry a $119.66 price tag, but much to the delight of cost-conscious buyers, the feature-rich wireless headsets has now gone up for sale carrying a lowered price tag of just $99.99 on GearBest. This is a significant 16 percent drop in the device’s original asking price.

Regrettably, the aforesaid discount will be limited to the first 100 pieces only. It is also worth noting that this promo will end in six days. You can follow this link without wasting time to avail the discount.

Get 16% Off On Beats powerbeats 3 wireless Bluetooth headset

Xolo Era 5X with 5.7-inch HD+ display, 3GB RAM, 13MP front camera launched in India

By

Jeet

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Jan 10, 2019

Xolo has launched a new budget smartphone in the Indian market — Xolo Era 5X. Alongside this, the company has also announced that it has started selling Xolo Era 4X smartphone, which was launched last week.

The company is describing the Xolo Era 5X as the budget selfie smartphone. It features a 13-megapixel front-facing snapper with an LED flash and AI Studio Mode which supports various studio lightings similar to the iPhone. On the back side, the device features a 13-megapixel snapper.

The Xolo Era 5X comes with a 5.7-inch HD+ display having 1520 x 720 pixels screen resolution with 18:9 aspect ratio and 2.5D curved glass. Additionally, the display is protected from minor scratches by a layer of Gorilla Glass 3 on top.

Under the hood, the device is powered by MediaTek Helio A22 12nm processor clocked at 2GHz along with IMG PowerVR GE-class GPU. The phone packs 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage along with support for memory expansion up to 256GB using microSD card.

Connectivity options on the device include Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, and GPS + GLONASS. For added security, the phone also comes with a fingerprint sensor placed on the back panel. Users can also use the “Face ID” face unlock feature to unlock the phone. It runs Android 8.1 Oreo operating system out-of-the-box and is powered by a 3,000mAh battery.

While the company has announced the Xolo Era 5X smartphone, it has not yet revealed the availability details nor the pricing details. Xolo just said that the phone will be available soon but no specific date was revealed.

Redmi Note 7 bags Bluetooth certification before launch

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Jan 10, 2019

Newer reports are suggesting that Redmi will be announcing the Redmi Note 7 smartphone today through its unveil event in China. Just a day ahead of its launch, the Redmi Note 7 moniker has been spotted with different model numbers on the Bluetooth SIG certification which suggests that the company will be indeed announcing it today.

As it can be seen in the below screenshot, the M1901F7G and M1901F7H model numbers that belong to Redmi Note 7 has been approved by Bluetooth SIG body. Apart from presence of MIUI 10 UI and support for Bluetooth 5.0, nothing else has been revealed on the specs of the phone through its Bluetooth SIG certification.

The Redmi Note 7 was recently spotted on Geekbench with 6 GB RAM and Snapdragon 660 mobile platform which carries support for Bluetooth 5.0. The Geekbench listing of the phone had also revealed that it is running on Android 9 Pie OS.

The TENAA certification body from China had approved M1901F7C, M1901F7E and M1901F7T models of the Redmi Note 7. Hence, the M1901F7G and M1901F7H could be some other country variants of the Redmi Note 7. Through the TENNA appearance of the phone it has been revealed that the handset will be featuring a 6.3-inch full HD+ resolution supporting screen and 4,000mAh battery. It could be the first Redmi phone to carry support for USB-C port.

Read More: Redmi Note 7 rumor roundup: Specifications, features and pricing

The handset will be sporting a dual camera setup on its rear which will include a 48-megapixel primary sensor. It will be hitting in the Chinese market in colors like Black, Violet-Blue and Purple-Red. The Redmi Note 7 will be the first Redmi phone to come equipped with glass body. Xiaomi will be also announcing another product alongside the Redmi Note 7. It remains to be seen whether a second Redmi device will be announced today.

Get 15% Off On UMIDIGI F1 Smartphone

The UMIDIGI F1 Smartphone Goes Up For Pre-Order Carrying A Lowered Price Tag On Banggood [Coupon Inside]

By

Vinay Patel

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Jan 10, 2019

Banggood is known for offering toys, mobile phones, 3d printers, TV boxes, and a wide selection of other electronic gadgets at unbeatable prices.

Staying true to its reputation, the Chinese online store is now doling out a noteworthy discount on the UMIDIGI F1 smartphone. Aside from divulging more details about the aforesaid discount and the phone, we will show how you can save more money at checkout.

The F1 is UMIDIGI’s latest smartphone that is expected to take the Chinese market by storm with its top-end specs. The UMIDIGI F1 recently kicked off its presale bearing a considerably lowered price tag on Banggood.

While the F1 would normally set you back $259.99, you can now buy at an unbeatable price of just $219.99. Aside from this significant 15 percent drop in the phone’s original asking price, there’s more for you to cheer about.

Before you proceed to checkout, you can apply coupon code 1BGUMIFI in order to get an extra $20 off. In other words, you can bring the already lowered retail price of the UMIDIGI F1 smartphone further down to just $199.99 simply by using the aforesaid coupon at the time of checking out.
An absolute bargain at this price, the UMIDIGI F1 is designed to offer maximum power and speed. Keeping in line with that, the phone packs a powerful MTK, Helio P60 (4xCortex-A73, 2.0GHz, and 4xCortex-A53, 2.0GHz) processor along with a highly competent ARM Mali G72 MP3 700MHz GPU, under the hood.

This European Union variant of the F1 will ship with 4GB of RAM and offer 128GB of expandable onboard storage capacity (up to 256GB via MicroSD card). Furthermore, it sports an appealing 6.3 Inch FHD+ Waterdrop In-cell, LTPS display with a screen resolution of 2340×1080 pixels at a pixel density of 409PPI (pixels per inch).

On the optics front, the UMIDIGI F1 houses a 16MP+8MP dual-camera set up with a 6-element lens, dual LED flash, face recognition and other features on the back. Up front, there’s a 16.0MP camera with 5-element lens, face recognition and selfie countdown for high-quality self-portraits and superior video calling experience.

The phone runs Android 9.0 Pie OS and draws its juices from a mammoth 5150mAHh battery that comes with 18W fast charging. Moreover, the F1 is loaded with a slew of useful sensors like the P-sensor, L-sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, and a geomagnetic sensor.

If you are in the European Union region, you can choose from a slew of appealing color versions that comprise red, black, and gold. Those living outside the European Union can go for the red, black and gold color versions as well. You can follow this link to grab this discount before the promo come to an end.

Nokia 8 Sirocco receives Android Pie stable update

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Jan 9, 2019

HMD Global has begun rolling out the Android Pie update to the Nokia 8 Sirocco. The company’s chief product officer, Juho Sarvikas took to Twitter to confirm the update is now rolling out although some users already reported receiving the update hours earlier.

Here's to the latest member of the Android 9 Pie family. Welcome, Nokia 8 Sirocco! pic.twitter.com/AqnjbM7LgI

— Juho Sarvikas (@sarvikas) January 9, 2019

Some members of the Nokia community who have received the update have shared screenshots. The update is about 1.4GB in size and brings the usual Android Pie features and December’s security patch. Below is the complete changelog:

Notification

Software upgrade – Android 9.0 Pie (V4.120)

What’s New

New system navigation, settings menu, and notifications
Adaptive battery power prioritization for users’ most commonly used apps/services
Adaptive and optimized brightness levels
Predictive Applications Actions
Google Security Patch 2018-12

The Nokia 8 Sirocco has a 5.5-inch 2560 x 1440 P-OLED screen with Gorilla Glass 5 protection. It is powered by the Snapdragon 835 processor paired with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of non-expandable storage.

Honor Play 8A vs Realme C1 vs Vivo Y93: Specs Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

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Jan 9, 2019

Nowadays, you can get a more than sufficient smartphone even in the entry-level segment. Honor Play 8A is a perfect example of it as it offers a smooth user experience and a well-balanced specs sheet even though its price is inferior to $200. Two other great devices in its price range are the recently-unveiled Realme C1 and Vivo Y93. They are awesome devices when it comes to quality-price ratio, for both performance and battery life. Here is a specs comparison between three of the best value for money of the moment.

Huawei Honor Play 8A vs Oppo Realme C1 vs Vivo Y93

	Huawei Honor Play 8A	Oppo Realme C1	Xiaomi Mi Play
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	156.28 x 73.5 x 8 mm, 150 grams	156.2 x 75.6 x 8.2 mm, 168 grams	155.1 x 75.1 x 8.3 mm, 163 grams
DISPLAY	6.09 inches, 720 x 1560p (HD+), 290 ppi, IPS LCD	6.2 inches, 720 x 1520p (HD+), 271 ppi, IPS LCD	6.22 inches, 720 x 1520p (HD+), 270 ppi, IPS LCD
PROCESSOR	MediaTek Helio P35, octa-core 2.3 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 450, octa-core 1.8 GHz	MediaTek Helio P22, octa-core 2 GHz
MEMORY	3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 3 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD slot	2 GB RAM, 16 GB – micro SD dedicated slot	4 GB RAM, 32 GB – micro SD slot
SOFTWARE	Android 9 Pie, EMUI	Android 8.1 Oreo, Color OS	Android 8.1 Oreo, Funtouch OS
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
CAMERA	13 MP f/1.8 8 MP f/2.0 front camera	Dual 13 + 2 MP f/2.2 and f/2.4 5 MP f/2.2 front camera	Dual 13 +2 MP f/2.2 and f/2.4 8 MP f/2.0 front camera
BATTERY	3000 mAh	4230 mAh	4030 mAh
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Hybrid Dual SIM slot	Dual SIM slot	Hybrid Dual SIM slot

Design

Huawei Honor Play 8A is the device that you should consider if you want a sleek and compact design allowing your phone to fit better in a pocket, easy to use with one hand. But if we exclude the comfortable size, the best design is the one of the Vivo Y93. It is the only to sport a back cover available in gradient colors and it also has a very high screen-to-body ratio with a waterdrop notch and a narrow chin. Realme C1 is less attractive due to its bigger notch and its anonymous plastic body, while Honor Play 8A has a waterdrop notch as well, so it is definitely better.

Display

All the displays of these devices are below-average. They do not provide a very high level of detail due to their HD+ resolution, but this benefits the battery life as HD+ displays have a lower energy consumption. Oppo Realme C1 and Vivo Y93 come with a bigger size, so they are more comfortable for advanced users. Further, the Realme C1 is protected by Gorilla Glass 3, so it has a more resistant display. I would personally choose the Realme C1 for this reason, because each of these devices has a similar viewing quality to each other.

Specs & Software

Are you looking for the fastest and smoothest device which can handle heavy apps in a better way? Then you should go for the Honor Play 8A. After Xiaomi Mi Play, it is the first device equipped with the new octa-core Helio P35 SoC by MediaTek. It is a chipset that should be on par with the Snapdragon 632 and it should be the most powerful of the trio in almost every scenario. If for some reason you do not like it, Vivo Y93 is another phone with great performances due to its high quantity of RAM (4 GB). Despite its very interesting price tag, Realme U1 is the most disappointing as it only comes in a 2/16 GB configuration.

Camera

Honor Play 8A sports a surprising camera department for a device of its price range. It has a great 13 MP rear sensor with an f/1.8 aperture as well as a nice 8 MP selfie camera which does its job. It surprises especially for the level of detail in the photos, but only if light conditions are good. Vivo Y93 takes the second place with a sufficient dual camera including a depth sensor on its back, and an 8 MP selfie snapper. Realme U1 is more or less the same when it comes to rear cameras, but the selfie camera is inferior.

Battery

The weak point of the Honor Play 8A compared to its opponents is the battery life. It comes with just 3000 mAh of battery, while Realme U1 and Vivo Y93 have batteries with a capacity superior to 4000 mAh. Due to the high capacities and the very efficient components, Realme C1 and Vivo Y93 can last more than two days on a single charge, making them two of the most outstanding battery phone in the entry-level segment. Honor Play 8A remains more than sufficient but way inferior to its rivals.

Price

You can grab a unit of the Honor Play 8A or Oppo Realme C1 for just €100 at the actual change, while Vivo Y93 costs about €160. Excluding the battery, Honor Play 8A is the device I prefer because of its better performance and good camera performance.

Read More: Honor 8A is official with waterdrop notch screen, Helio P35 and 799 Yuan (~$116) price

Huawei Honor Play 8A vs Oppo Realme C1 vs Vivo Y93: PROs and CONS

Oppo Realme C1

PROs

Bigger battery
Micro SD dedicated slot
Good build quality
Affordable

CONS

Lower-end cameras

Vivo Y93

PROs

Big battery
Good design
Affordable price
High screen-to-body ratio

CONS

Average hardware

Huawei Honor Play 8A

PROs

Very affordable
Good cameras
Nice hardware
Android Pie

CONS

Smaller battery

Nokia 8.1 Plus renders reveal it will come with a punch hole display

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Jan 9, 2019

The Nokia 8.1 is still relatively new but it appears it might be getting a sibling soon. Renders of a device said to be the Nokia 8.1 Plus has surfaced and it shows Nokia will also adopt the punch hole display trend this year.

The renders are from OnLeaks in collaboration with 91Mobiles. The Nokia 8.1 Plus as shown in the images and video has slimmer bezels than the upcoming Nokia 9 flagship thanks to its punch hole display design which means the top bezel can be made as slim as possible. The punch hole display is on the left of the screen just like that of the Samsung Galaxy A8s but it appears to be much smaller.

[envira-gallery id=”231574″]

The phone is said to pack a 6.22-inch display and measures ~156.9 x 76.2 x 7.9 mm. The chin is pretty small but there is still a Nokia logo there. It appears HMD Global wants its phone to be easily recognizable since a lot of manufacturers will be using a similar design.

On the back, the Nokia 8.1 Plus has dual cameras arranged vertically. They are Carl Zeiss lens and there is an LED flash below the sensors. There is also a fingerprint scanner, a Nokia logo, and the Android One branding on the glass-covered back.

The phone has an audio jack at the top and a USB-C port at the bottom flanked by a speaker grille on the left and a microphone on the right. The volume and power buttons are on the right side of the frame.

OPPO joins Xiaomi to make a push for the UK market; maiden launch set for January 29

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 9, 2019

In the face of a highly saturated domestic market, Chinese phone manufacturers have turned their attention to markets overseas in order to sell their smartphones. India has seen an influx of Chinese OEMs in recent time with companies such as Huawei, OPPO, Vivo, Xiaomi and other now dominating the domestic market. The push for more market shares recently shifted to Europe in the face of the difficult economic terrain in the US, the world’s largest market. Attention is now shifting to the UK as OPPO has announced that it will officially launch its smartphones in the UK on January 29.

Finally! UK🇬🇧, we have landed! 😀 https://t.co/bRJVZ9u8tT

— OPPO Mobile UK (@OPPOMobileUK) January 9, 2019

The company made the announcement via its new official Twitter handle which has just been created. The company has also created a new OPPO UK website which we believe will go live on the launch day. Presently, the website only has the text “Coming soon” displayed on the landing page. We don’t know the smartphones the coming will launch during its maiden voyage but there are speculations that the OPPO Find X will be one of them as well as the RX17 Pro.

UK, OPPO mobile has landed!
We combine cutting edge #Technology, #Innovation and #Creativity into every smartphone, so you can light up the New Year in #Style. pic.twitter.com/YlR06dKdZG

— OPPO Mobile UK (@OPPOMobileUK) January 8, 2019

The entry of OPPO, one of BBK’s subsidiary, into U is coming on the heels of Xiaomi’s recent debut in the UK market in the fourth quarter of last year. Huawei also recently made an entry into the UK market after an unsuccessful attempt to launch the Mate 10 Pro in the US, a move that was scuttled by the US government citing security concerns. The UK and Europe still remains a fertile ground and soon we may see more Chinese OEMs heading there.

Sony LSPX-S2 Glass Sound Speaker is a decidedly classy speaker for the home

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 9, 2019

After unveiling the GTK-PG10 party speakers which had a powerful output, big battery with up to 13 hours playback, cup holders and lots more features, Sony again took the centre stage at CES 2019 to announce a sleek, cool wireless speaker with a unique design. The new speaker is dubbed LSPX-S2 Glass Sound Speaker and obviously is more classy even though it looks more like a little lamp than a speaker. This model is a successor to the LSPX-S1 Glass Sound Speaker which was first unveiled in 2016.

In actual fact, the smart speaker doubles as a lamp and speaker. At the centre of a glass tube is a tiny LED light with 32levels of brightness and that can also be set to candlelight mode, which introduces candle-like flickering. Just below the LED light, hidden from view, are three actuators, spaced equally around the inside of the glass. These actuators vibrate the glass to create sound, in much the same way that the actuators on the back of the company’s OLED TVs produce sound by vibrating the panel. At the base is encased a woofer to add bass and lower mid-range, balancing up the higher frequencies produced by the actuators.

According to Sony, the idea behind the Glass Sound Speaker is that the audio travels up the glass tube and out of the bottom of the speaker and spreads evenly into the room in 360 degrees. In other words, there’s no sweet spot – the speaker should sound the same no matter where you’re standing in relation to it. Apart from its beauty, the Sony smart speaker is portable and has an impressive battery that can withstand 8 hours of playback. The device can also receive audio files sent to it using Bluetooth or wi-fi. In addition, it supports Spotify Connect and hi-res audio.

Sony LSPX-S2 Glass Sound Speaker won’t come cheap as it is said to carry a price tag of £550. The gadget will be available to buy in May which is about four months times from now.

Honor announces its own ¥99 (~$15) battery replacement program for 22 models

By

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Jan 9, 2019

Last year Huawei announced a battery replacement program for its phones. Meizu also did the same and now Honor has announced its own. It is a bit surprising that Honor is announcing its own since Huawei‘s replacement program does include some Honor devices.

The Honor battery replacement program costs ¥99 (~$15) and supports 22 models. Interested buyers will have to pay for the service on the official Huawei online mall and can choose to have the battery delivered to them at home, have a technician sent over, or select to have it replaced at the closest service center.

If you register for the battery replacement program and don’t use it within a 30-day period, your money will be automatically refunded to you and your order canceled. Your phone’s serial number will be requested at the point of purchase. The serial number can be gotten by dialing *#06# on your phone. It is also written on the phone’s retail box and also under the “About Phone” section under the settings menu.

The supported models are the Honor 10, Honor Play, Honor 8X, Honor 6X, Honor 5A, Honor Play 5C, Honor 5X, Honor 7A, Honor V10, Honor 9, Honor V9, Honor 7, Honor 7X, Honor V9 Play, Honor 9 Lite, Honor 9i, Honor Play 8C, Honor 6A, Honor 8, Honor 8 Lite, Honor Play 6, and Honor 6.

Bose QuietComfort Road Noise Control keeps the noise out while driving

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Jan 9, 2019

Bose is known for its headphones which boast impressive noise cancellation but not a lot of people know that it also offers noise cancellation solutions for cars. The manufacturer has announced a new noise cancellation solution called QuietComfort Road Noise Control (RNC) as part of its active sound management technology.

Bose QuietComfort RNC uses a plethora of devices that includes accelerometers, microphones, a proprietary signal-processing software, and the audio system of your car to control noise inside the car’s cabin generated from roads.

The accelerometers are installed around the car and using an algorithm created by Bose they measure vibrations that create noise. These vibrations can be caused by the different types of roads a car drives on. The info generated is used to create an “acoustically opposite signal”, pumped out through your car’s audio system, that reduces the noise.

The microphones are installed in the car and they monitor the residual noise level for future optimizations. The whole process of noise identification and cancellation is continuous and adjusts the older a car gets.

Bose already offers sound management solutions for cars. There is Engine Harmonic Cancellation (EHC) that reduces noise from the car engine and there is Engine Harmonic Enhancement (EHE) which uses the sound system of the car to enhance select engine sounds.

QuietComfort Road Noise Control will begin appearing in cars starting from 2021 and will work with cars that don’t even have Bose’s own audio system. The company will work with car manufacturers during the car’s development to customize the solution for the vehicle.

(Source)

Ticwatch E2 and Ticwatch S2 announced: run WearOS and powered by SDW2100

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Jan 9, 2019

About four months ago, Mobvoi put up a teaser on their website for the Ticwatch E2 smartwatch. We thought it would launch soon afterward but it didn’t, instead, we got the Ticwatch C2. Now, the smartwatch maker has announced the Ticwatch E2 at CES 2019 and it brings along another watch, the Ticwatch S2.

The Ticwatch E2 and Ticwatch S2 were both unveiled at CES 2019 and are much more similar than they are different. They have the same 1.39-inch AMOLED display with a 400 x 400 resolution. They are also powered by the Snapdragon Wear 2100.

Both watches also have the same 415mAh battery and come with GPS and a heart rate sensor. So battery life, put at 1 to 2 days by Mobvoi, should be the same for both watches.

So where do they differ? In their design. The Ticwatch E2 has a simple design though not like the Ticwatch C2. It has a polycarbonate body (the S2 does too) and a circular button on the right side. The Ticwatch S2, on the other hand, has a sporty look. There are minute markings on the dial and the button is rectangular.

Although they both have different straps that further differentiate them, you can actually swap them for each other as they both use 22mm bands. Mobvoi says the S2 can also withstand extreme conditions and environments.

The two smartwatches are water resistant (5 ATM) and can track swimming activities. If you don’t swim, they can also track a bunch of other activities. They run WearOS, so you get the usual apps, Google Assistant and downloadable watch faces.

Xiaomi confirms an additional mysterious product launch for tomorrow

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Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 9, 2019

The media has been awash with rumours of Xiaomi phones both from the newly unbundled flagship Mi brand and the Redmi brand. The company is even expected to announce a new Redmi phone tomorrow and several teasers have been released in that regard. One of the teasers released today called the unknown device “Little King Kong”. The teaser post was reposted by the Mi phone Weibo account and the post seems to suggest that more than one product tomorrow. The post wasn’t specific about the other product(s) that would be launched alongside the Redmi phone which is likely the Redmi Note 7. We can’t even say for sure if it is a smartphone or other smart devices. However, a leaked video of a foldable phone said to be from Xiaomi appeared online recently. The phone’s icons are similar to those of Xiaomi’s MIUI but that can’t be authenticated. Thus, it is difficult to say if the foldable phone is among the products that Xiaomi will show off on January 10. There are rumours that the device will be showcased as well on January 10 but that’s nothing but a rumour.

It is also possible that the Chinese tech giant will be unveiling several of its latest smart gadgets during the event. We’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out what the other products are.

$650 DJI Smart Controller announced for DJI drones with OcuSync 2.0

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Jan 9, 2019

DJI has announced a new controller for its drones at CES 2019. The DJI Smart Controller costs $650 but it has its own screen, so you can view what your drone sees in real time instead of using your smartphone.

The DJI Smart Controller has a 5.5-inch 1080p ultra-bright display. DJI says it has a brightness of 1000 cd/m² which is approximately twice that of your average smartphone/tablet.

The controller has OcuSync 2.0 and is only compatible with DJI drones which support it such as the Mavic 2 Zoom, Mavic 2 Pro, and Mavic 2 Enterprise. At the moment, the controller will only work with Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic 2 Zoom. Support for other drones will come in the future.

With OcuSync, video transmission automatically switches between 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz to reduce interference and also ensure long-range transmission is reliable.

The smart controller connects to your drone once it is powered on. It runs a customized version of Android with apps for sharing and editing. The new DJI Go Share app bundled with it makes it easy to share images and videos from the controller to your phone. You can also install third-party apps if you wish.

The controller has a microphone and a speaker in case you want to do a livestream. There is also an HDMI port for playback on a larger display at 4K 60fps. Built-in storage is just 16GB, so a MicroSD card (128GB max./UHS-1 Speed Grade 3) is necessary.