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

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.CES 2019

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).

Read Also:  Huawei Mate 20 Review After 1 Month – Great Flagship Smartphone!

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

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.

Xiaomi MIUI camera Customizable 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.

Xiaomi MIUI camera 48MP dual cameras

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.

Xiaomi Ultra Wide Angle

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.

Xiaomi Live Shot

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.

MIUI Camera 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.

MIUI camera Adjustable Bokeh

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.

MIUI Camera Beauty Mode for Bodies

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.

READ MORE: Xiaomi and TCL enter strategic cooperation for smart products

Samsung Galaxy M10, M20 likely to debut with Rs. 9,500 (~$136) price by January end

Recent reports have revealed that Samsung is now gearing up to introduce its new Galaxy M series of smartphones. Fresh information reveals that the Galaxy M10 and Galaxy M20 smartphones will be made official by the end of this month. The Galaxy M10 is expected to debut with a starting price of Rs. 9,500 (~$136).

The Galaxy M10 and Galaxy M20 are likely to go official by January end in India. Samsung is rumored to hold a global launch for these phones and then make them available in wider markets in the coming months. The Galaxy M20 may cost around Rs. 15,000 ($215). Both smartphones are expected to debut as the first Samsung phones with Infinity-V display.

The Galaxy M series will be replacing Galaxy J, Galaxy On and Galaxy C series of smartphones that came with AMOLED screens. The upcoming Galaxy M phones will be featuring 6-inch LCD panels. The Galaxy M10 and M20 phones are rumored to arrive with dual rear cameras. The dual camera setups on both phones are expected to feature a wide-angle lens.

The Galaxy M10 smartphone could be fueled by the Exynos 7870 chipset and 3 GB of RAM. It may feature an inbuilt storage of 32 GB. On the other side, the Galaxy M20 is speculated to be powered by the new Exynos 7904 chipset and 4 GB of RAM. It may come with a higher storage capacity of 64 GB. The M20 could be the first Samsung phone to come with 5,000mAh battery.

samsung galaxy m20 renderss

There is no confirmation on whether the Galaxy M10 and M20 phones will feature Android Oreo or the latest Android Pie OS. Samsung is expected to refine the software experience on the M10 and M20 smartphones by cutting down on the bloatware. As far as the Galaxy M30 phone is concerned, a recent report has already leaked its vital information. It is expected to go official in February.

(via)

Xiaomi Mi A2 gets a permanent price cut in India

Xiaomi has slashed the price of the Mi A2 in India. The price slash should cement the phone’s position as a recommended device under the INR 20,000 (~$280) category.

Starting today, the Xiaomi Mi A2 Android One smartphone will be sold for less irrespective of the variant you settle for. The 4GB RAM version with 64GB of internal storage is now priced at INR 13,999 (~$200). When it launched its price tag was INR 16,999 (~$243), though it did get a price cut of INR 1,000 (~$15) in November.

Mi A2 price slash

If you want more storage and more RAM, then you can grab the 6GB + 128GB version which is now priced at INR. 15,999 (~$229), down from its launch price of INR. 19,999 (~$286).

The Mi A2 packs a 5.99-inch FHD+ display and is powered by a Snapdragon 660 processor. It has dual 12MP + 20MP cameras on its back and a 20MP selfie camera. There is also a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and a 3,000mAh battery with support for Quick Charge 4.0. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have an audio jack nor a MicroSD card slot.

The phone ran Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box when it was announced but it has now received an update to Android Pie and should get updated to Android Q too.

READ MOREXiaomi announces Mi Power bank 3 Pro with 45W dual fast charging

Samsung files patent application for a phone with dual detachable displays

A Samsung patent application filed in June 2018 has been unmasked showing what the Korean smartphone giant might have in store for its fans in the near future. The patent application is for a dual screen phone but this time around, instead of just being foldable, the two screens can be detached and used independently. Samsung detachable display phone

Samsung is still expected to be the first OEM to release a true foldable phone even though the Flexpai has been unveiled but is not yet on sale. So, Samsung can beat it to become the first commercial foldable flagship. However, while we wait for that, the company has apparently been tinkering with the idea of another innovation in dual display phones. The patent application bears the title,  “Electronic device with two display devices and method of operating” and was filed before the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) last June. The application also shows that a similar patent application had been filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office a year earlier, precisely on June 28, 2017.Samsung detachable display phone

The device is composed of two distinct smartphones, each with their own processor and fuselage. The perk here is that both phones can be attached and used as one single big phone but can also be used independently. Both screens are attached using magnets. Each of the two phones houses three magnets that allow the two phones to be attached in several different orientations. The application comes with sketches which give users an idea of how the detachable folding phone can be applied. It allows users to run two different apps at the same time just like split-screen but in this case, none of the apps will be paused. You can as well use the phone as one big screen for streaming movies. There are other configurations for snapping selfies, as well as for typing emails and texts with a virtual QWERTY keyboard.

Read Also: FlexPai, World’s First Foldable Smartphone, Will be the First to Ship With Snapdragon 855

We can’t say for sure when this patent design will become a reality but we’re quite certain it is not going to be any time soon.

(source)Samsung detachable display phoneSamsung detachable display phone
Samsung detachable display phone

Android Q will come with a system-wide dark mode says Googler

Dark mode is a feature we have always wanted on Android for a while. Some custom versions such as OnePlus’s OxygenOS already offer it but Android by default doesn’t. It appears Android Q might be the one to come with the feature.

Android Q Dark Mode

A post by a Googler, Lukas Zbylut, spotted on the Chromium bug tracker has revealed that Android Q will come with a dark mode. The post says Dark Mode is an approved Android Q feature. It also said “The Q team wants to ensure that all preloaded apps support dark mode natively. In order to ship dark mode successfully, we need all UI elements to be ideally themed dark by May 2019.”

If the deadline for all UI elements to have a dark theme is May 2019, we may get to see the feature when Android Q is first announced at Google I/O 2019.

Android Q Dark Mode Chromium bug tracker

Lukas also adds that a master setting for Dark Mode will be found under Settings > Display > Dark Mode and in another part, he said it will be found under Display > Nightmode.

According to Android Police who first reported the news, Google has changed the permissions for the thread on the Chromium bug tracker, so it is no longer accessible. However, a lot of links show that Dark Mode is a focus for Android Q.

While the possibility of Android Q coming with a native dark mode is high, things might still change. The above Chromium info was posted back in October and one can’t say if all the apps will be able to meet the deadline before May 2019. What we are saying is, Google might change things, so don’t get too excited.

READ MORE: Google’s upcoming Fuchsia OS confirmed to support Android apps

Huawei Mate 20 series Red variant hitting the market on January 10 (UPDATED)

UPDATE: Both the Red and Comet Blue colors are going on sale on January 11 on Huawei’s VMALL. For now, these colors seem to be limited to the Mate 20 Pro model only. 

 

 

Red is one attractive colour closely associated with love and February 14 which is Valentine or Lover’s day is just by the corner. Thus, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the innovative Chinese tech firm Huawei is planning to throw in a red variant into the mix for the Mate 20 series. A poster released today via the company’s mobile phone official Weibo page announced that the Mate 20 series will get a “big move” on January 10. The poster didn’t leave us in doubt as to what the big move could be as it also contains a silhouette of the mobile phone surrounded by a pack of rose.Huawei Mate 20 Red

Before now, there have been speculations that the Mate 20 series will get a new color scheme and now we know the colour is red. This new variant will obviously be more appealing to the female folks which are a good thing, considering that most phone makers focus on configuration rather than attractive feminine color which is more appealing to women than benchmark capabilities. The Huawei P20 series had this at the fore and was a success with the female folks with its Aurora gradient. Huawei’s official data shows that the P20 series shipped more than 16 million units globally and nearly 8 million of those units were bought by females. This is perhaps, the reason for this addition to the Mate 20 series.Huawei mate 20 series Red variant

Read Also: Huawei Mate 20 Review After 1 Month – Great Flagship Smartphone!

This isn’t the first time Huawei will be adding a red colour variant to its flagship’s colour variant, though. As a matter of fact, it all started with the delectable Huawei P9 which later got an Agate Red variant and after that, the Mate 9 series got the same treatment. At present, the Huawei Mate 20 series has five color variants namely, Emerald Green, Sapphire Blue, Twilight, Pink Gold and Bright Black.

(source)

Redmi’s 48-megapixel camera phone appears in official video and press poster

Xiaomi has recently established its Redmi sub-brand as an independent entity. Redmi is now gearing up to launch its first smartphone. To grab the attention of the new brand, it will be releasing first phone with 48-megapixel camera. The Chinese brand has released a new Weibo post which confirms that the handset is codenamed as “Little King Kong” and the embedded video reveals that it will be arriving with a highly durable glass body.

Alleged Redmi Note 7 front and rear

All the Redmi phones that have launched so far have featured metallic chassis. However, the official video shown below reveals that it would be arriving with a glass rear. In the video, Xiaomi employees can be seen stamping on the phone. It successfully passes the torture test without any damage.

The video reveals that the smartphone is equipped with a waterdrop notch display. The back panel of the phone has a dual camera setup and a fingerprint. It seems to be the very same phone that has recently received approval from TENAA certification authority in China. Speaking of design, a leaked poster of the smartphone is now doing rounds on Weibo. The image has revealed the front and rear design of the phone.

The smartphone can be sporting a teardrop notch enabled display. The chin of the device is not visible because of the Chinese text overlaid on it. Apart from Black, the handset will be arriving in two color gradient options of blue-violet and purple-pink. Below the vertical dual camera setup, there is an LED flash and “48MP AI dual camera” text. The 48-megapixel rear camera of the phone will offer 4 times pixels than conventional smartphones. Through its TENAA listing it has been revealed that it is equipped with a 6.3-inch full HD+ display and it is packed with a 3,900mAh battery.

Alleged Redmi Note 7 Poster

Rumors have it may debut as the first Snapdragon 675 mobile platform powered smartphone. Could it be the Redmi Note 7 phone? The Redmi Note 7 has appeared few hours ago on Geekbench with Snapdragon 660 chipset. The SD660 supports up to 25-megapixels camera while the Snapdragon 675 can support 48-megapixel photography. Hence, the phone that has surfaced in the video and Redmi Note 7 could be different handsets. Other rumors have claimed that the 48-megapixel Redmi phone may debut as Redmi Pro 2. The mystery will be revealed on Jan. 10 when it will be officially announced.

(source 1, 2)

HP and Acer launch AMD Chromebooks at CES 2019

Existing Chromebooks are mainly powered by Intel chips. There are some ARM-based Chromebooks too in the market. Today, through the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2019 tech trade event, HP and Acer announced the world’s first AMD powered Chromebooks.

HP Chromebook 14 Specifications and Price

The HP Chromebook 14 features a 14-inch IPS display. HP will be releasing AMD A4 processor edition of the Chromebook in this month and later AMD A6 variant will be also available. Performance-wise, AMD A4 and A6 are similar to the Pentium and Celeron series from Intel. This indicates that the HP Chromebook 14 is a low-end device.

HP Chromebook 14

The HP Chromebook comes with 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of eMMC storage. It offers a battery life of nine hours and fifteen minutes. Other features of the laptop include 2 USB-C ports, 2 USB-A ports, 3.5mm audio jack, Wi-Fi 802.11ac with 2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth 4.2, TrueVision HD webcam with dual array microphones and a pair of Bang & Olufsen speakers.

The AMD Radeon 4 model has Radeon R4 graphics and the AMD A6 edition will come equipped with Radeon R5. It features a 14-inch screen with 1366 x 768 pixels resolution The AMD A4 model carries a price tag of $269 whereas the A6 variant is priced at $299. It will be available in colors like white, blue and gray. it houses the same-sized display but supports a higher resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.

AMD Chromebook 315 Specifications and Price

The AMD Chromebook 315 is fitted with a bigger 15.6-inch display. There will be three display variants such as a regular 1080p display, a touchscreen 1080p display and a HD (1366 x 769 pixels) display. The Chromebook 315 comes in AMD A4 model with Radeon R4 graphics and AMD A6 with Radeon R5. The laptop promises a battery life of 10 hours. The other features of the Acer Chromebook 315 are big-sized speakers, a USB-C port, two USB 3.0 ports, microSD card slot, 3.5mm audio jack, HD webcam, Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.2.

Acer Chromebook 315

 

The Acer Chromebook 315 will be available with 4 GB or 8 GB of RAM and 32 GB or 64 GB of eMMC storage. It will be available for purchase in North America in February with a price tag of $279. In April, it will be coming to EMEA markets with a pricing of 349 euros (~$398).

For more CES 2019 coverage, checkout this link

Withings Move ECG debuts at CES 2019 as the World’s smartest cardio monitor

The Consumer Electronics Show CES 2019 is upon us and the announcements have started rolling in. One of the early announcements was from Withings, the famed digital health products manufacturer that was briefly owned by Nokia and renamed as Nokia Health. However, Nokia divested its interest in the company after it failed to revive the brand even under the Nokia brand. Withings has now announced what is perhaps its flagship product for the year and it is dubbed Withings Move ECG. Withings Move ECG

The Withings Move ECG is claimed to be the world’s smartest cardiovascular monitor and along with it comes the Withings Move. However, the Move is just a range of conventional smartwatches, while the MoveECG  packs most of the juice. It not only feature an analog timepiece but also has support for medical-grade electrocardiogram readings.

The Withings Move ECG, as the name implies, features an electrocardiogram which is becoming an increasingly popular feature of wearables. The ECG utilizes three electrodes for consistent accuracy and takes under 30 seconds to get a reading. Additionally, the Move ECG also offers day-long activity tracking and ha s the capability of automatically recognizing various workouts for maximum convenience. The device comes with a 12-month battery and has a waterproof build that allows it to survive being submerged up to 50 meters underwater. Other supported features include sleep pattern tracking and a “Smart Wake-Up” function that aids users to get out of bed in a comfortable way. Further, the Move ECG wearable utilises the GPS connectivity of a paired smartphone in order to provide geographical context to your activity data.Withings Move ECG

Read Also: Nokia plans to enter smart products market with Withings Purchase for $191 million

The Withings Move and Move ECG will both be available in white and black colours but they both will have a wide array of bands which users can choose from. They won’t be available until the second quarter of 2019 as the Move ECG is in the process of getting FDA and CE approvals so as to provide consumers with written guarantees of their medical effectiveness. Whn they become available, the Move will retail for $69.95 while the Move ECG will adopt a $129.95 price tag.

(source)

7 Most Revolutionary Chinese Smartphones of 2018

 

2018 was an interesting year for smartphones. In the pursuit of slimming down the bezels around the display, manufacturers came up with a number of different ideas. Last year, a number of manufacturers became bolder in releasing experimental products and consumers were more accepting in trying out first generation models. As a result, we saw some revolutionary smartphones make it to the market, many of them from Chinese manufacturers.

 

Here’s what we think were the 7 Most Revolutionary Chinese Smartphones of 2018

 

1. Huawei P20 Pro

Huawei P20 Pro Aurora Featured 3

You can’t really start this list without the Huawei P20 Pro. The phone was the first triple camera smartphone in the world and justified the existence of three lenses at the back with its amazing camera performance. It’s no surprise that the phone turned out to be one of the best camera smartphones of 2018 (our review here)! Even today, it’s the best-ranked flagship in the DxOMark rating for smartphone cameras.

That’s not it though! The phone also kicked off the trend for gradient back design. The Morpho Aurora P20 Pro (our hands on reivew here!) was a refreshing smartphone design and soon, it caught on among other manufacturers as well!

 

 

2. Vivo Nex S / OPPO Find X

oppo-find-x-featured image

Vivo was relentless in the pursuit of getting maximum real estate on its smartphones. This led to the birth of the Vivo APEX concept and eventually, the Vivo Nex S model for the commercial market. Featuring a motorized camera setup for selfies, the phone took the full-screen design to the next level.

Vivo was soon joined by OPPO with its Find X model launch in June (they had their reasons to not call it the Find 9). The Find series always had a special place among smartphone enthusiasts and seeing the lineup come back to life in the form the Find X was a sight to behold. Featuring SuperVOOC (limited to Lamborghini edition), a full-screen design, a motorized slider, and an impressive body design, the Find X was a glimpse of smartphone’s future. Definitely revolutionary!

 

 

3. POCO F1

POCO F1-featured

Ever since OnePlus smartphones started to climb up the pricing ladder, they no longer deserved the ‘Flagship Killer’ title. But in 2018, we found something that did deserve this tagline — the POCO F1. Featuring the flagship Snapdragon 845 chipset at a price under $300, this particular model is as close as any phone can get to this title.

Not just that, you didn’t have to wait for an invite code or try out your luck in 10 flash sales to get hold of a unit. In fact, the POCO F1 was truly an international model which went on sale in over 50 markets worldwide.

 

 

4. Lenovo Z5 Pro GT

Lenovo-Z5-Pro-GT-featured

Lenovo was the last company we would have thought that would get the bragging rights to the first mass-produced Snapdragon 855 smartphone. But with the Lenovo Z5 Pro GT, it deserves much more than that. The phone is also the first one to feature up to 12GB of RAM on board! It’s definitely overkill considering our current entertainment and gaming needs, but still impressive. The phone starts at an affordable $391 and will be up for pre-orders in China from January 15. The first sale is slated for January 24.

 

 

5. Huawei Mate 20 X

Huawei Mate 20 X featured

The Mate 20 X with its humongous 7.2-inch display borders near the tablet category. But for all purposes, it’s a smartphone and acts like one despite its huge display. Our reviewers loved this phone for its huge display, powerful internals, and an amazing camera. You should definitely check out our review from here!

If you think a 7.2-inch display is an overkill, think again. People who consume a lot of videos and games on their smartphones would love such a large screen in their hands. What makes the phone revolutionary is the fact that it’s smaller in size as compared to other phablets like the Xiaomi Mi Max 3 (176.2 x 87.4 x 8 mm) or older ones like Lenovo Phab2 Pro (179.8 x 88.6 x 10.7 mm) or Zenfone 3 Ultra (186.4 x 93.9 x 6.8 mm)! Basically, you get more screen in a form factor that’s considered manageable in the phablet segment.

 

 

6. Nubia X

Nubia-X-featured

Nubia is a driven company and we’ve been impressed with their Z series models featuring bezel-less design. However, in the pursuit of a higher screen to body ratio, the company decided to go for a second screen at the back. While we have seen smartphone companies try out a secondary screen (like the LG V20) on their regular models, this one’s a full-fledged 5.1-inch OLED display at the back. This second screen basically eliminates the need for a selfie camera, allowing the company to use a clean front design. Ingenious or stupid, that’s for you to decide. But it’s definitely an innovative way to get rid of the bezel on top of the display without having to resort for ugly notches or moving parts like a slider. It’s no surprise that Vivo decided to release its own dual screen flagship a couple of months later called the Vivo Nex Dual.

 

 

7. Huawei Nova 4 / Honor View 20.

Honor View 20 featured2

Punch hole cameras are the next big experiment in smartphone display design and Huawei has kicked off this trend with its Nova 4 and Honor V20 smartphones. Samsung also joins the party with its Galaxy A8S model, but overall, with two mainstream models in the market so early, the Chinese tech giant seems to be all in for this particular design.

Another highlight of the Honor View 20 is its unique back design. Huawei and Honor have consistently managed to churn out unique designs for its smartphones and the trend continues with the new model as well.

 

 

 

To sum up, 2018 was an exciting year for Chinese smartphone enthusiasts! But this year is going to be even better with foldables hitting the market. So we are definitely looking forward to seeing what they have in store for us! 

 

Do you think we missed out on any other revolutionary Chinese phones in this list from 2018?  Let us know in the comments below!

 

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 with Snapdragon 660, 6 GB RAM spotted on Geekbench

Xiaomi will be debuting a new Redmi smartphone with 48-megapixel camera on Jan. 10. Since Xiaomi is yet to confirm on the name of the phone that will be announced in this week, the rumor mill is speculating it could be announcing the Redmi 7 or Redmi 7 Pro or Redmi Pro 2. The Chinese manufacturer also seems to be working on another Redmi device – the Redmi Note 7. The handset has surfaced on Geekbench with Snapdragon 660 chipset on the benchmarking platform

The Redmi Note 5 Pro that was unveiled at the beginning of 2018 was powered by Snapdragon 636. In the second half of 2018, Xiaomi introduced the Redmi Note 6 Pro as an incremental update since it was fueled by the same SoC. The newly spotted Geekbench listing of the Redmi Note 7 reveals that the Chinese manufacturer will power it with a better chipset. Through Geekbench listing it has been revealed that the Snapdragon 660 SoC and 6 GB RAM will be driving the Note 7. The handset will be preinstalled with Android 9 Pie OS.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Geekbench

In the single-core test of Geekbench, the Redmi Note 7 has scored 1462. In the multi-core, the smartphone has recorded 4556 score. The Xiaomi Mi Note 3, Mi A2 (Mi 6x) and Mi 8 Lite are the Snapdragon 660 chipset powered smartphone from the company. And now, the company could be prepping up the Redmi Note 7 as its next Snapdragon 660 chipset powered phone.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro that was released in India was made available as Redmi Note 5 in China. Xiaomi did not launch the Redmi Note 6 Pro smartphone. Now that the Geekbench listing of the Redmi Note 7 has appeared, it seems that the company may skip the Note 6 handset. The Redmi Note 7 may land outside of China as Redmi Note 7 Pro. Unfortunately, there are no other details available on the specifications of the smartphone. However, there is a possibility that the company may cut down on the size of the display of the smartphone by including a waterdrop notch enabled screen on it. Xiaomi hasn’t teased any features of the Redmi Note 7 yet which suggests that the handset may not be announced at the Jan. 10 event.

Irked by Google’s after-sales service, Pixel user puts up anti-Google posters in Delhi

Google’s Pixel smartphone has received mostly positive reviews, especially in the camera department which is arguably the main reason for choosing a Pixel smartphone over other flagship smartphones. However, the Pixel lineup is also infamous for being riddled with bugs and issues.

Users facing issues have no other option to get a solution than to visit a service center. While the company might be trying to offer solutions to the issues faced by Pixel users, it is not easy to offer the same customer service experience to everyone that too in a country like India.

A similar situation happened in Haryana, India. Manu Aggarwal, irked by the company’s after-sales service, found a unique new way to let Google know about it. He went around popular public hotspots in New Delhi and put up anti-Google banners and billboards criticizing the company of not providing quality customer support.

Anti-Google Posters by Pixel User

According to the reports, Manu Aggarwal bought his Google Pixel smartphone in early 2017 and almost a year after purchase, the device started exhibiting problems. He says that he reached out to the company for repairs and his device went through “several rounds of repairs” but came back without any fix for the problems.

He even took to Twitter to express his displeasure. He shows how he had hours-long conversations with the customer care representatives and even called this experience ‘mental harassment’. When nothing worked, he decided to put up anti-Google banners.

The banners explained the problems and even asked users “to reduce their dependency on Google as a service.” He has also added QR codes of his tweets on the poster and has also made a YouTube video about the issue.

 

Read More: Google’s first foldable smartphone is reportedly in development under the company’s Pixel line-up

 

While it’s not yet known if Manu Aggarwal’s issues have been sorted out but this incident highlights the problem with after-sales service of companies selling premium phones. When the company is charging a massive amount for its devices, customers expect that the company will be actively trying to solve their issues, which sadly doesn’t seem to the priority.

 

(Source)

Buy Ramsta S800 480GB And Netac N600S 720GB SSDs At Heavily Discounted Prices On GeekBuying [Coupons Inside]

Looking for a solid state drive at an unbeatable price? You have come to the right place.
Known for offering China’s best electronic items at unbeatable prices, GeekBuying is now doling out big discounts on two top-branded solid state drives that usually carry steep price tags. Aside from that, we will show how you can save a considerable amount of extra money during the checkout process.

Ramsta S800 480GB SATA3 High-Speed SSD

Surpassing its well-received predecessor in more than just one way, the Ramsta S800 480GB SSD can be called as a perfect follow-up act. The device delivers faster speed along with improved endurance at reasonable prices.

The Ramsta S800 480GB SSD usually sells for $96.99, but much to the delight of those living on a tight budget, you can now buy it for just $56.99 on GeekBuying. You can extend this 41 percent discount by applying coupon code GIZ_EUZDAOXC at checkout.
The aforesaid coupon helps you get an extra $36 off by bringing the already lowered selling price of the Ramsta S800 480GB SSD further down to only $53.99 before you place your order. In order to avail this discount and use the coupon for saving more money, all you need to do is to follow this link.

 

 

Netac N600S 720GB SSD

Touted as one of the most reliable brands as far as solid-state drives are concerned, Netac is known for designing SSDs like the N600S that are perfect for professional use. The Netac N600S comes with NANDXtend Error Correction that boosts the data read and write performance.

Furthermore, the Netac adopts the wear leveling algorithm in a bid to expand the life circle of Netac N600S SSD. This 720GB model of the N600S usually carries a $119.99 price sticker on online as well as offline stores, but you can now buy it for just $69.99 on GeekBuying.
In addition to taking full advantage of this 42 percent discount, you can use coupon code GIZ_LVUFJBMN and save $31 more before you click the ‘Place Your Order’ button. In other words, you can bring the already reduced selling price of the Netac N600S 720GB SSD further down to just $66.99 simply by applying the aforesaid coupon.

Regrettably, the promo is slated to end in just four days. It is also worth noting that the coupon is likely to expire soon. You can follow this link to grab this discount before the promotion sale wraps up!

 

Meizu Note 9 confirmed to feature new ‘Snapdragon 6150’ chipset and 48MP camera

Meizu is reportedly working on its upcoming flagship smartphone — Meizu Note 9. Now, the latest information related to the smartphone coming from Meizu Community Forum confirms that the device will be powered by a new “Snapdragon 6150” chipset from Qualcomm.

Further, it also reveals that the smartphone will come equipped with a 48-megapixel primary rear camera sensor. This is the same camera sensor that’s present in Honor V20 (aka Honor View 20) as well as Redmi’s upcoming smartphone scheduled to launch on 10th January.

Meizu Note 9 Leak

The Snapdragon 6150 is not a commercial name of the chipset but it is being speculated that the processor could be Snapdragon 680 or 685 — the successor of SD670 or SD675. Reports indicate that the Snapdragon 6150 will be made using the 11nm process and could be manufactured by Samsung.

Going by the Snapdragon 600-series chipsets, it will be an octa-core processor with Adreno 600-series GPU and support for Full HD+ screen resolution. It is speculated to have support for Bluetooth 5, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, USB 3.1 and NFC, among others.

A couple of months ago, we reported that Qualcomm is working on SM6150 and SM7150 mid-range processors. Both are octa-core processors but with likely different GPU, CPU cores and or clock speeds.

As the name itself suggests, the Meizu Note 9 will be a successor to the Meizu Note 8 that was launched a couple of months ago in China, starting at 999 Yuan ($145). It’s a premium budget smartphone featuring a 6.15-inch Full HD+ display with 18:9 aspect ratio.

 

Read More: Meizu releases Flyme 7.2 for beta testers: here are the improvements

 

The phone is powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 632 chipset, along with 4GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB of internal storage. There’s a 12MP+5MP dual camera setup on the back and an 8MP front-facing snapper. It runs Android Oreo out-of-the-box and is powered by a 3,600mAh battery.

Get Xiaomi-Branded Mouse Pad And Mouse At Slashed Prices On Banggood [Coupon Inside]

The market is brimming with all sorts of computer accessories like webcams, gaming, and portable storage devices, mics, mouse /mouse pads etc. that not only enhance the performance of your device but also enhances its overall appearance.
On the downside, choosing the right accessory for your computer or other devices can be a tricky task, especially with so many brands, and designs available today. When it comes to computer accessories, Xiaomi comes forth as a reliable brand.

Aside from dependability, Xiaomi-branded accessories are easy on the pocketbook as well. Much to the delight of cost-conscious buyers the popular Chinese tech company have teamed-up with Banggood to make a slew of their reasonably priced computers accessories available to cost-conscious buyers.

We’ll shed light on a couple of items from Xiaomi that have gone up for sale on Banggood and show how you can buy them without breaking the bank. So without further ado, let’s delve straight into the details.

Xiaomi MI Metal Aluminum Alloy Slim Mouse Pad

This surface of this mouse pad from Xiaomi is made using aluminum alloy material that does not get rusty quickly. It adopts a soft surface design for comfortable user experience. Moreover, it comes with anti-skid silicone paste that stops it from slipping.
The Xiaomi metal mouse pad is currently up for grabs bearing a $25.99 price tag, but if you aren’t willing to spend that kind of money on a mouse pad, you can use coupon code cffbd2 to get an extra discount. The aforesaid coupon helps you get an extra $5.20 off by reducing the mouse pad’s original selling price down to just $20.79.

You can visit this link to use the above-mentioned coupon before it expires. You can choose between two mouse sizes 300x240x3mm and 240x180x3mm.

 

Original XiaoMi 2.4G Wireless Mouse 1200dpi Portable Mouse

Marketed as the best partner in the office, the Xiaomi WXSB01MW is an irresistible wireless mouse that comes with 1200DPI. It features a thin design that ensures a superior touch experience. The mouse’s dimensions are 102x58x34mm and it weighs in at just about 70g.

The WXSB01MW is compatible with PCs and laptops running Microsoft Windows 7 (and above) and mac os 10.8 (and above) operating systems. This XiaoMi 2.4G wireless mouse usually sells for $16.99, but in a bid to make this feature-laden mouse available to cost-conscious buyers, Xiaomi is now offering it for a dropped price of just $12.99 on Banggood.
You can extend this 24 percent discount, which will be valid for the black as well as white color versions of the mouse by using coupon code cffbd2 at the time of checking out. By applying the coupon, you can get an extra $2.60 off and end up paying just $10.39 for the Xiaomi-branded mouse.

You can visit this link in order to grab this discount before the promo comes to an end.

Xiaomi’s Redmi announces strategic partnership with TikTok to launch new products

Xiaomi has today officially announced through Weibo that the company is entering into a strategic partnership with TikTok (known as Douyin or Vibrato in China). As a part of this partnership, both the companies will join hands to launch a new product on 10th January.

The company’s partnership with TikTok (Vibrato) indicates that the Chinese smartphone manufacturer could be exploring the online content market.

For those who are unaware, Xiaomi recently split its Redmi brand into an independent entity and has scheduled a launch event on 10th January in China to launch the newly formed brand’s first smartphone.

Xiaomi Redmi TikTok Partnership

Huawei has been using similar strategy — Huawei for high-end phones and sub-brand Honor for budget phones. Oppo also started a new brand Realme last year, but within a couple of months, the brand split from its parent company to operate independently.

While not much information is available regarding the upcoming Redmi smartphone from the company, the launch teaser poster revealed that the phone will feature a 48-megapixel primary camera sensor. Also, Lei Jun hinted that it could also come with USB Type-C port instead of a micro-USB port.

Recent TENAA certifications reveal a few features about the phone, including its glass back gradient design. It features a 6.3-inch display with waterdrop notch and is powered by a 3,900mAh battery. You can read more about it here.

 

Read More: Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun explains why the company decided to make Redmi brand independent

 

The development comes just days after Xiaomi entered into a new strategic cooperation with TCL Group for developing smart products and electronic devices. Last week, Xiaomi also invested 65.2 million shares (0.48 percent stake) in TCL.

As mentioned, Xiaomi is holding a launch event in Beijing, China on 10th January at 2:00 PM (local time) to launch the first smartphone under the newly independent brand.

Xiaomi and TCL enter strategic cooperation for smart products

Xiaomi Corp. entered a new strategic cooperation with TCL Group for developing smart products and electronic devices. On Jan. 4 Xiaomi’s invested 65.2 million shares (0.48 percent stake) in TCL. The two companies that had previously signed a pact on Dec. 29 hope to deepen the cooperation through the new partnership.

The two companies will strongly complement each other’s business. In 2018, Xiaomi gained popularity in the home appliance segment. The Chinese is not only known for smart TVs, but also other home electronics devices such as air conditioner, washing machine and so on. Through the new partnership, Xiaomi will reportedly focus on research, development and designing of forthcoming home appliances while TCL will use its rich expertise from supply chain and production to concentrate in departments like semiconductor display, material and other emerging businesses.

Xiaomi TCL deal

Xiaomi became the number one smart TV brand in China in the previous year. Also, according to IDC survey for Q3 2019, the Chinese firm dethroned Samsung to the become the number uno smart TV brand in India. The year-on-year global sales of the company has increased by 350 percent.

TCL is already a known brand in China when it comes to TV business. In terms of sales, TCL’s Huaxing Optoelectronic TV ranked fifth place in the first three quarters of the previous year. Hence, the partnership with TCL will certainly help Xiaomi not only in the smart TV business, but also in other home appliances.

(source)

Oppo R17 Pro King Custom Edition officially launched in China for 4,299 Yuan ($626)

As we previously reported, Oppo has today officially launched a new variant of its Oppo R17 Pro flagship smartphone — Oppo R17 Pro King Custom Edition. The phone comes with 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage and is now available for purchase in China for a price of 4,299 Yuan, roughly $626.

This new Oppo R17 Pro King Custom Edition comes in a green colored hue and has a “King of Glory” branding towards the bottom area on the back panel. Additionally, there’s also a custom “King of Glory” icon placed on top of the camera module in the top-center position.

Oppo R17 Pro King Custom Edition

In terms of specifications, this new variant of the Oppo R17 Pro is similar to the standard edition. It flaunts a 6.4-inch AMOLED waterdrop notched Full HD+ display with 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 91.5 percent screen-t0-body ratio, and a protective layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 6 on top.

The phone also comes with an in-display fingerprint sensor. Under the hood, the device is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 710 chipset along with 8GB of RAM. The handset features internal storage of 128GB and has a microSD card slot for expanding the phone’s storage capacity.

Coming to the camera department, it features a dual camera setup. The phone’s vertical dual camera module includes a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens and a 20-megapixel sensor with f/1.5 to f/2.5 variable aperture. There’s also a third 3D TOF depth sensor that can’t be used on its own. On the front side, the phone features a 25-megapixel selfie shooter, which is placed inside the notch on top of the display.

The device runs Android 8.1 Oreo operating system out-of-the-box with the company’s own ColorOS 5.2 on top. The phone is powered by a 3,700mAh battery which comes with support for 50W SuperVOOC flash charging technology.

 

Read More: ColorOS 5.2.1 update rolls out to OPPO R15 series, brings Hyper Boost and AI features

 

Last month, the company had also launched Oppo R17 and R17 Pro New Year’s Edition, which featured warm red color gradient effect, carrying a price tag of 2,799 Yuan (~$409) and 4,299 Yuan (~$624) respectively.

Buy The Ticwatch PRO And Huawei Band 4 Plus Smart Watches At Unbelievably Low Prices On GeekBuying [Coupons Inside]

The 2019 International CES began on Sunday, January 6th with leading companies coming under one roof for business meetings, launching and exhibiting their new products, and a slew of other activities.


Cashing in on this recently kicked-off event, GeekBuying has launched its latest promotion dubbed, ‘CES 2019 Sale.’ The new promo offers up to 60% off on a wide selection of items that have been split into various categories to enable users to efficiently find what they are looking for.

These heavily discounted products have been divided into four main categories including Hot Tech, New Trends, CES Code and Category Deals. Aside from shedding light on a couple of products that you can buy at considerably lowered prices, we’ll show how you can get extra discounts on the aforesaid items at checkout.

Ticwatch PRO Smartwatch

Placed under the ‘Hot Tech’ section, the Ticwatch PRO would normally set you back a pretty penny on both online as well as offline stores. But much to the delight of cost-conscious buyers who aren’t willing to spend a fortune on a smartwatch, the Ticwatch PRO has gone up for sale carrying a dropped price tag of just $249.99 on GeekBuying.

You can extend this 17 percent reduction in the device’s original asking price of $299.99 by using coupon code GIZ_BTFNENCX. The aforesaid coupon helps you to get an extra $73 off by reducing the device’s retail price to only $199.99.
Equipped with a high-resolution AMOLED screen as well as a power saving FSTN LCD screen, the Ticwatch PRO is an irresistible smartwatch at this price. It features Smart Mode and Essential Mode that ensures longer battery life and meets the varied needs of the user.

You can visit this link to avail the discount. Note that the promo is slated to end in just four days.

Huawei Honor Band 4 Smart Bracelet

The Honor Band 4 sports 0.95 inches AMOLED true color screen that shows easily readable 45 characters. Moreover, it boasts an impressive array of other features like scientific sleep monitoring, 24-hour real-time heart rate monitoring along with seven exercise modes like outdoor running, indoor running, outdoor walking etc.

While you’d usually expect a smart bracelet offering comparable features to carry a steep price tag, the Honor Band 4 can now be yours for a dropped price of just $49.99 on GeekBuying. This is a noteworthy 38 percent drop in the device’s original asking price of $79.99, but that’s not all.
In addition to taking full advantage of the aforesaid discount, you can apply coupon code GIZ_RJABWPLP and get an extra $5 off before proceeding to checkout. As a result, the device’s already lowered selling price drops further down to only $44.99.

In order to avail this discount and use the coupon, which will be valid for all EU stock, all you need to do is to follow this link before the promo wraps up!