Xiaomi Poco F1 finally gets official TWRP support

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Jan 3, 2019

Earlier today, we reported that Xiaomi has announced to make ‘Redmi’ an independent brand. The new brand has already scheduled a launch event on 10th January in China where it will launch its first smartphone with a 48-megapixel camera sensor.

While the company announced that the Redmi brand will go independent, it did not reveal the reason behind taking such a step. Why did Xiaomi decide to make Redmi an independent brand when it was the most popular smartphone series of the company? Well, we now have answers. Xiaomi’s CEO Lei Jun has explained this in response to a user on Weibo.

Lei Jun explains that the primary reason behind separating both Mi and Redmi brands is the focus. While the Redmi brand focuses on value-for-money budget smartphones, the Mi brand is focused on high-end devices. Also, the Redmi devices are primarily sold through e-commerce platforms while Mi devices are not e-commerce focused.

Additionally, the separation of the Redmi brand will also be beneficial to Mi brand given that the company will be able to focus more on it. With this, the company now has three smartphone brands, each catering to a particular segment — Mi for premium phones, Redmi for budget phones, and Poco for ‘affordable premium’ phones.

The strategy being adopted by Xiaomi is similar to the one adopted by Huawei. While Huawei is focusing on high-end phones, its sub-brand Honor is focused on making 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.

As said, Xiaomi is holding a launch event in Beijing, China on 10th January at 2:00 PM (local time) to launch the first under the newly independent brand. While the teaser image suggests a 48MP primary camera sensor, no more details about the upcoming smartphone are known yet.

Get Vacuum Cleaners From Top Brands For Considerably Lowered Prices On GearBest

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Check Out GearBest’s 2018 New Year Lighting Flash Sale

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Jan 3, 2019

Uber hygienic people who prefer keeping their surrounding clean and tidy all the time usually end up spending a lot of money of appliances that claim to keep their homes free from dust and other impurities.
However, if you are in the market for a highly effective vacuum cleaner that doesn’t cost a bomb, we got good news for you. Deemed as one of China’s best online electronics stores, GearBest is now doling out noteworthy discounts on select vacuum cleaners that usually carry steep price tags.

Alfawise HC – 1D03 Rechargeable Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaner

This cordless ultralight vacuum cleaner from Alfawise is designed to facilitate quick and effortless tidying ups for your home. The device effectively cleans hard-to-reach areas like wall edges, under the bed etc. It is capable of meeting various needs thanks to the large 0.65L capacity dust bucket it features and different accessories that it includes.

While the market is brimming with steeply priced handheld vacuum cleaners that might not even meet your expectations, the feature-laden Alfawise HC – 1D03 can now be yours for a dropped price of just $79.99 on GearBest. This is a significant 36 percent drop in the device’s retail price of $124.65.

In order to grab this discount which will be valid for the chili pepper color version of the vacuum cleaner, all you need to do is to follow this link. With only 95 pieces of left, this promo is slated to end in five days.

ALBOHES Z5 Robotic Window Cleaner Automatic Glass Cleaning Robot

Still cleaning windows using your hands and a sponge? You might want to take a gander at the ALBOHES Z5 robotic window cleaner. The device adopts AI technology and uses a built-in smart window cleaning system to detect obstructions and identify windows.

This highly useful Z5 window cleaner is backed by a non-removable 600mAh 14.8V battery and it features two wheels that enable free movement on the window or wall surface. The market is brimming with similar devices, but they don’t come cheap.

The Z5, on the other hand, has now gone up for sale bearing an unbeatable price tag of $125.99. This is a 22 percent drop in the device’s original asking price of $161.15. Note that this discount will specifically be valid for the remaining 100 white-tinted pieces of the robotic window cleaner. You can visit this link to grab the discount before the promo comes to an end in twelve days.

Alfawise FJ166A Cordless Handheld Stick Vacuum Cleaner

The FJ166A is an elegantly designed cordless handheld stick vacuum cleaner that lets you clean every corner of your house without the inconvenience of tangling cords. Moreover, it comes with accessories that come in handy for specific cleaning tasks.

For the sake of an instance, it features a 2-in-1 wide brush which is ideal for curtain, furniture and sofa and a 2-in-1 crevice tube that is perfect for car, corners and other hard-to-reach places. The FJ166A would normally set you back $129.99, but Alfawise teamed up with GearBest to offer the handheld vacuum cleaner for a dropped price of just $109.99.
On the downside, this promo offering a 15 percent discount on the white color version of the vacuum cleaner is slated to end in twelve days. It is also worth noting that there were only 87 pieces remaining for this promo at the time of writing. You can visit this link to avail the discount before the promotion sale ends.

Check Out GearBest’s Exclusive Brand Sale

Huawei will focus on Cyber Security and Privacy Protection in 2019: Founder

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Jan 3, 2019

At a time when most countries are concerned about security aspect related to Huawei’s products, the company’s founder Ren Zhengfei has sent a letter to all its employees talking about security and credibility and focusing on cyber-security and privacy protection.

The letter is titled “To Improve Software Engineering Capabilities and Practices, and Create Credible High-Quality Products.” In the letter, he says that the company is at a new starting point when it comes to cloud computing, AI, Software definition and other development trends.

He says that the company’s credibility will be an important factor for customers when they decide to buy and accept Huawei products and trust the brand. He added that credibility is not only a high-quality result of the external performance of the product but also a high-quality process inherent in the product.

Apart from that, he also talks about improving software engineering capabilities and practices in order to create credible and high-quality products. For this, Ren Zhengfei says that the company’s board has decided carried out the improvements in a revolutionary manner.

Huawei’s chairman Xu Zhijun has promised an initial investment of around $2 billion, which the company will be using over the course of five years in the field of ICT Infrastructure. As it is clear, the company is aiming to build credible and high-quality products. It says that Huawei’s mission is to bring the digital world to everyone, every family and every organization. To read the full letter, go to the source link.

In the year 2018, Huawei has seen both — growth as well as resistance. While the company surpassed $100 billion in revenue for the first time and crossed its goal of 200 million smartphone shipments, it is also facing strong criticism and legal hurdles in the west.

Last week, it was reported that the USA is considering to ban American wireless carriers from procuring equipment from the Chinese companies, a big blow to both Huawei and ZTE, which are the two largest producers of Telecom equipment. Huawei is also among the leading players when it comes to 5G technology.

(Source)

Huawei and Honor tops JD’s new year sales, Apple leads in terms of average price

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Jan 3, 2019

JD.com, a China-based online retailer, has released the data related to the New Year’s Day sale. It reveals that during the sale period, Huawei and Honor emerged as the leading smartphone brands.

While Huawei and Honor got the first and second place respectively in terms of smartphone sales, Apple comes at the third position. However, Apple stands first when it comes to the average selling price of the smartphones.

In terms of smartphone sales, Xiaomi, Vivo, and Meizu grabbed the fourth, fifth, and sixth position respectively. Following them is Oppo, Philips, Samsung, and Yijia. Philips is in the list mainly due to two products — E108 and E171L.

Comparing the average highest selling price, after Apple, the second and third position were given to Honor and Huawei. Xiaomi and Vivo have also made it into the top five list in terms of average selling price.

Coming to the smartphones, Honor 9i was the bestselling model, followed by Honor 7A, Huawei Mate 20 Pro, Apple iPhone XR, and Honor 8A. While Meizu Note 8 also made it to the top ten list, Xiaomi was surprisingly absent from the list.

While the Huawei Mate 20 Pro was the leading smartphone when it comes to devices priced over 4,000 Yuan ($582), the Huawei P20 was leading in devices priced between 3,000 Yuan to 3,999 Yuan ($436-$582). In the price range of 2,000 Yuan ($291) to 2,999 Yuan ($436), Honor V10 was the leading device while Vivo Z3 grabbed the top spot in 1,500 Yuan ($218) to 1,999 Yuan ($291) range.

Buy HOMTOM architects Z11 Mobile Phone For Only $169.99 On AliExpress

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Get 32% Off On HOMTOM architects Z11 Mobile Phone

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Jan 3, 2019

HOMTOM fans have been waiting with bated breath to get their hands on the long-awaited architects Z11 mobile phone.

This rugged handset boasts an impressive array of features that make it simply irresistible, especially to adventure junkies who fancy staying in touch with friends and family during their adventurous outdoor activities. The device sports an appealing 5.99-inch in-cell display with 1440×720 pixels resolution.

Under the hood, it packs a powerful MTK6750T Octa-core 1.5GHZ processor along with an ARM Mali T860 MP2@650MHz GPU for an immersive overall experience. The phone ships with 4GB of RAM and offers 64GB of built-in storage capacity, giving you ample space for saving your favorite multimedia content.

On the optics front, the ZOJI Z11 houses a 16MP+2MP dual-camera setup on the back and a 13MP front shooter for selfies and video chatting. The phone boasts an international standard rating of IP68, which makes it resistant to dust, dirt and sand, and even capable of withstanding submersion up to a maximum depth of 1.5m underwater for a duration of up to thirty minutes.
Furthermore, the ZOJI Z11 Android 8.1 Oreo OS and draws its juices from a robust 10000mAh battery that supports 9V/2.7A Quick Charge. Aside from a fingerprint sensor, the device features a slew of other useful sensors including compass, gyro, G-sensor, L-sensor, P-sensor, acceleration sensor, and a magnetic sensor.

While you’d expect a top-branded smartphone offering comparable features to carry a steep price tag, the HOMTOM architects Z11 can now be yours if you are willing to shell out only $169.99 on AliExpress. This is a noteworthy 32 percent reduction in the device’s original asking price of $249.99.

If you are interested in checking out more details about the ZOJI Z11 mobile phone and getting this $30 off on the phone’s retail price, all you need to do is to follow this link without wasting time. It is worth noting that the promo that features the green, as well as orange color versions of the handset is slated to end on January 10th.

Xiaomi Poco F2 concept render promises higher screen space, improved rear design

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Jan 3, 2019

Xiaomi’s Redmi series of mid-range phones are quite famous in India. However, its flagship phones haven’t generated good revenue for the company in the country. This could be the probable reason behind launching the Poco sub-brand and releasing the Poco F1 as the cheapest Snapdragon 845 chipset powered smartphone. The Poco F1 has received good reception from critics and users since it offers flagship specs with pricing as low as Rs. 19,999 (~$285). The smartphone was made official in August and now the rumor mill has already started speculating on the Poco F2 successor. Popular tipster and design, Benjamin Geskin has sharedv a concept render of the Poco F2. The handset can be seen sporting a waterdrop notch enabled display like the Xiaomi Mi Play.

The Xiaomi Mi Play handset that had debuted before the end of 2018 is the first smartphone from the company to feature a waterdrop notch screen. A Russian YouTuber had recently leaked that the upcoming Redmi 7 Prow will be also sporting a waterdrop notch display. hence, it appears that Xiaomi will release more phones with such a display design this year. One of the phones that is speculated to feature it is the Poco F2.

The Xiaomi Poco F1 features a wide notch which houses the 20-megapixel selfie camera, IR sensor and some other sensors. The concept render of the Poco F2 will be sporting a reduced notch which indicates that it will be offering a higher screen space than the predecessor model. The notch houses the front-facing camera

The Poco F1 has the vertical dual camera at the center of the upper half of its rear shell whereas the Poco F2 concept model has the dual rear cameras placed at the top-left corner. Like the predecessor model, the Poco F2 also features a rear-mounted fingerprint reader.

Xiaomi Poco F2 Concept by Benjamin Geskin

Read More: Xiaomi’s Redmi goes independent; 48MP camera smartphone to debut on January 10

Recently, a listing of the Poco F2 had surfaced on Geekbench benchmarking platform with specs like Snapdragon 845, 6 GB of RAM and Android 9 Pie OS. It was later found that it was actually a listing of Poco F1 Geekbench with modified name. There is no official confirmation on the existence of the Poco F2.

Since the Poco F1 went official as the most affordable Snapdragon 845 mobile platform driven smartphone, it is likely the Poco F2 could be the cheapest Snapdragon 855 fueled phone. However, the first Snapdragon 855 powered phones are yet to go official. Probably, the Poco F2 phone with SD855 onboard may get announced by August this year.

Honor 8A with HD+ display and octa-core SoC scheduled to launch in China on January 8

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Jan 3, 2019

Honor is all set to launch its first smartphone of the year — Honor 8A, which is the successor of Honor 7A launched in April last year. The company has announced through microblogging platform Weibo that the phone launch will take place on 8th January.

While the company has not revealed any information related to the smartphone, the phone’s teaser poster shared by the company hints at what to expect from the Honor 8A.

The smartphone will come with a 6.09-inch display having a waterdrop notch, ensuring higher screen-to-body ratio. It is said to come with an octa-core processor, which is likely going to be the company’s own Kirin 710 chipset.

It will pack 64GB of internal storage and the poster also hints that the phone will come with dual speakers for an immersive sound experience.

The Honor 8A was recently spotted on TENAA, which revealed some of the phone’s specifications. The smartphone will come with 6.09-inch HD+ display with 1560 x 720 pixels screen resolution and will be powered by an octa-core processor clocked at 2.3GHz.

The phone will pack 3GB of RAM and will be available in two internal storage options — 32GB and 64GB. Both models will come with a microSD card slot, allowing users to further expand the storage capacity. As for the camera, it will feature a 13-megapixel camera on the back and an 8-megapixel front-facing snapper.

It is expected to be running Android 9 Pie operating system out-of-the-box with the company’s EMUI 9 custom interface on top. The phone will be powered by a 2,920mAh battery. As per the reports, it will be available in Black, Blue, Gold, and Red colors.

Vivo Android 9 Pie open beta begins for Vivo NEX S, NEX A, X21 UD and X21 in China

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Jan 3, 2019

At the end of 2018, Vivo had released Android 9 Pie closed beta for few of it smartphones such as Vivo NEX S, NEX A, X21 UD and X21 in China. Since it was a closed beta update, it was made available for limited number of 5,000 users in the home market. With the beginning of year 2019, the Chinese manufacturer has now proclaimed the arrival of open beta update for aforementioned smartphones in the home country.

In order to receive the Android 9 Pie open beta, one needs to enroll for it. Users in China are required to download the official recruitment app from the company and install the latest edition of the FunTouch OS. Owners of Vivo NEX S, NEX A, X21 UD and X21 in China can enroll until Jan. 6. There is no limit on the number of recruits since it is an open beta update. The update will be pushed to the user from Jan. 8.

The size of the Android 9 Pie beta is 2.71 GB. It not only includes the latest version of Android, but also other goodies such as Jovi Smart Scene, Jovi Smart Voice Assistant, Jovi Wisdom Map, improved UI, game box, camera optimizations, and more. Apart from the ones mentioned above, Vivo is yet to confirm on the names of the other phones that will be treated with Android 9.0 Pie update.

Read More: Huawei, Xiaomi, OPPO and Vivo to maintain lead in China in 2019

Vivo had released around 30 smartphones in 2018. Among them, there are many low-budget phones. The Chinese manufacturer is likely to prioritize on the releasing the Android 9 Pie update first for its high-end phones from 2018. The Vivo NEX Dual Display smartphone that was unveiled in December 2018 is the first phone from the company to come preloaded with Android 9 Pie. In India, the Vivo V11 Pro has been one of the most search smartphones in 2018. Hopefully, the Android 9 Pie will be also available for it later this year.

Get Up To 60% Off On Newly Arrived Electronics And Lots More On GeekBuying [Coupons Inside]

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Check Out GeekBuying’s 2019 New Year Sale

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Jan 3, 2019

GeekBuying has welcomed the New Year with a bang! The Chinese online store that’s known for offering China’s best electronic items recently kicked off its latest promo dubbed ‘2019 New Year Sale.’

As part of its latest promotion, GeekBuying is giving its users an opportunity to get up to a whopping 60 percent off on a wide selection of items, but that’s not all. Users can avail an extra $5 by applying site-wide coupon code 2019NEW5 if their order value exceeds $100.

Those who end up spending more than $50 can use coupon code 2019NEW3 and get an extra $3 during the checkout process. Likewise, if your grand total is more than $10, you can use coupon code 2019NEW1 and get an extra $1 off. It is worth noting that the aforesaid coupons will be valid for select products and are slated to expire on January 14th.

Let us take a gander at the smartphones and other electronic items that have gone up for sale carrying lowered price tags on GeekBuying. Aside from shedding light on the discounts, we will show how you can save a considerable amount of extra money during the checkout process.

Nubia X Smartphone (6GB RAM+64GB ROM)

The irresistible Nubia X smartphone does not come cheap. In fact, the phone would normally set you back $$ 765.99 on both online and offline stores. Much to the delight of cost-conscious buyers, the steeply priced Nubia X is now up for grabs for a lowered price of just $536.99 on GeekBuying.

But if this 30 percent discount doesn’t impress you much, you can use coupon code GIZ_EVCHLUPN and get an extra $136 off during the checkout process. In other words, you can bring the phone’s already reduced selling price further down to just $529.99 with the help of the aforesaid coupon.
You can follow this link without wasting time to avail the discount. Note that the promo was on the verge of wrapping up at the time of writing. There’s a 31% off on the slightly larger variant of the smartphone that offers 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage capacity.

DOOGEE S70 Smartphone (6GB RAM+64GB ROM)

Designed keeping mobile gamers who like playing popular games during their adventurous outdoor activities in mind, the DOOGEE S70 usually sells for $388.99. In a bid to make the phone available to cost-conscious buyers, DOOGEE is now offering the S70 for a reduced price of just $336.99 on GeekBuying.

You can extend this 13 percent discount with the help of coupon code GIZ_EPNKOTYH. The coupon reduces the device’s already slashed selling price to only $269.99. In other words, you can get an extra $67 off simply by applying the aforesaid coupon before proceeding to checkout.
You can visit this link to avail the discount, which will be valid for the black color version of the DOOGEE S70 smartphone for a limited period of time.

Tronsmart Element Mega 40W Bluetooth Speaker

The Element Mega is quite popular among music lovers that fancy listening to their music outdoors. The 40W Bluetooth speaker usually carries a price tag of $75.99, but you can now buy it for just $43.99 on GeekBuying.
This is a significant 42 percent reduction in the device’s original asking price. On top of that, you can use coupon code GIZ_FSRVODVH during the checkout process and save $12 more without breaking a sweat. The discount will be valid for the gray color version of the speaker. You can visit this link to grab the discount before the promo comes to an end in 1 day.

Waveshare 7 Inch HDMI LCD Waveshare 7 Inch HDMI LCD (H) 1024×600 IPS Screen

Sporting an eye-catching 7-inch IPS screen with a hardware resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels, the device is configurable by software up to 1920 x 1080 pixels. It uses a toughened glass capacitive touch panel with 6H hardness to ensure durability.

The device is not only compatible with a wide range of mini PCs including Banana Pi, BB Black, Raspberry Pi but it also works with standard desktop computers. While this Waveshare-branded HDMI LCD IPS screen usually sells for $72.99, you can now get it for only $66.99 on GeekBuying.
This is an 8 percent reduction in the device’s original asking price, but if that doesn’t impress you much you can use coupon code GIZ_VSDVVOST to get an extra $7 off. After applying the aforesaid coupon, the device’s retail price drops further down to only $59.99.

You can follow this link if you are interested in grabbing this discount before the promo wraps up!

Xiaomi’s Redmi goes independent; 48MP camera smartphone to debut on January 10

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Jan 3, 2019

In December 2018, Xiaomi President Lin Bin had confirmed that the company will be releasing a new smartphone with 48-megapixel camera in January 2019. The rumor mill has been speculating that it won’t be a Mi-series phone, but a new flagship phone under the Redmi brand name. Yesterday, through the Xiaomi Company Weibo account, the Chinese manufacturer confirmed that it will be announcing something new today. Today at 10 AM, the company confirmed that it will be holding a media event on Jan. 10 to announce a new Redmi phone. Also, with the launch of the new phone, Redmi will become an independent brand.

The shadow below the large-sized Redmi word clearly hints that the company will be unleashing a 48-megapixel camera enabled Redmi smartphone on Jan. 10. The event will be held at 2 PM (local time) on the said date in Beijing, China. The teaser image has no other details on the specifications of the upcoming 48-megapixel Redmi camera phone.

One important thing that can be deduced from the launch poster is the “new independent brand” text which suggests that Xiaomi is splitting the Redmi brand to make it independent like Huawei’s Honor and OPPO’s Realme. The following Weibo post also confirms that Xiaomi is indeed going to establish it as a separate brand.

Read More: Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 Sapphire Blue edition released in China for 3,599 Yuan (~$525)

Could it be the Redmi 7 Pro or Redmi Pro 2 handset?

In the previous month, a Russian YouTuber had released a video to reveal the alleged Redmi 7 Pro in real. The video did not show the rear side of the phone, but the frontal view revealed that it will be arriving with a waterdrop notch screen. Unfortunately, no details are available on the specifications of the smartphone.

Xiaomi Redmi Pro from 2016 is the first Redmi phone to come with dual rear cameras. It was a better specced phone compared to the other Redmi phones that were released in the same year. Speculations are rife that the Redmi phone that is scheduled to go official on Jan. 10 could be the Redmi Pro 2 smartphone. The rumored handset is expected to succeed the original Redmi Pro phone. Leaked posters that have surfaced in the recent past have suggested that the Redmi Pro 2 smartphone will be fueled by 11nm Snapdragon 675 chipset.

Last month, the 3C authority of China had approved three Xiaomi smartphone units with model numbers M1901F7E, M1901F7T and M1901F7C. These could be the different variants of the forthcoming Redmi phone with 48-megapixel camera. With a week remaining for the Jan. 10 launch event, Xiaomi is very likely to release more teasers to reveal its other features.

(source 1, 2)

Buy Xiaomi-Branded Smartphones For Heavily Discounted Prices On Banggood [Coupons Inside]

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Jan 3, 2019

Looking for a Xiaomi branded smartphone that doesn’t cost a bomb? You have come to the right place.

The Chinese tech giant has teamed up with Banggood to make some of its popular mobile phones available to cost-conscious buyers for unbeatable prices. On top of that, we will show how you can get extra discounts at checkout.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5

If you fancy using a smartphone offering a full-screen display for a larger visual experience, the Redmi Note 5 might just fill the bill. Equipped with a 5.99-inch (15.2cm) FHD+ display, the phone uses an aspect ratio of 18:9 to offer a wider field-of-view.

The phone packs a powerful Snapdragon 636 Octa-core processor along with a competent Adreno 506 GPU, under the hood. It ships with 4GB of RAM and offers an expandable 64GB of onboard storage capacity (up to 128GB) so that you have ample space for saving your favorite content.
While the Redmi Note 5 would normally set you back a pretty penny, you can now get your hands on the coveted smartphone for a dropped price of just $204.98 on Banggood. This a 33 percent reduction in the phone’s original asking price of $289.99.

You can use coupon code 1BGN5CL and get an extra $65 during the checkout process. As a result, the phone’s already lowered selling price reduces to just $139.98. You can visit this link to grab the discount, which will be valid for the black, rose gold and red color version of the smartphone for a limited period of time.

Xiaomi Redmi 6A

Xiaomi made the long-awaited Redmi 6A available to the public in June last year. The smartphone features a 5.45-inch display with 1440×720 pixels resolution at a pixel density of 295PPI. The Redmi 6A is powered by an MTK Helio A22 MTK6762M Quad core, up to 2.0GHz, 12nm processor, which is paired with 2GB of RAM.

The Redmi 6A offers 16GB of internal storage capacity that can be extended up to 256GB. While you’d normally expect a handset offering comparable features to carry a steep price tag, the global version of the Xiaomi Redmi 6A smartphone can now be yours for a lowered price of just $105.49 on Banggood.
This is a 19 percent drop in the original selling price of the phone’s black as well as gold color versions. Without the aforesaid discount, you’d need to shell out $129.99 to get your hands on this feature-rich smartphone. On top of that, you can use coupon code 1BG6AGCL in order to reduce the phone’s retail price further down to just $86.50 while checking out.

You can visit this link to take full advantage of the discount and use the above-mentioned coupon to get an extra $18.99 off before the promo comes to an end.

Xiaomi Mi A2

Xiaomi unveiled the Mi A2 smartphone last year in July. As expected, it garnered huge popularity among smartphone lovers who like watching their favorite videos on a big-screen mobile device. The Mi A2 features a 5.99-inch FHD+ display with a screen resolution of 2160×1080 pixels.

The Mi A2 is powered by a Snapdragon 660 Octa-core, max to 2.2Ghz processor and it uses an Adreno 512 650MHz graphics processing unit for an uninterrupted viewing and gaming experience. Moreover, the phone ships with 4GB of LPDDR4X RAM and offers a hearty 64GB of non-expandable onboard storage capacity.
The Mi A2 usually sells for $299.99, but thanks to a 19 percent discount that is currently available on the phone’s gold, black, blue and red color versions, and you can now buy it for just $243.69 on Banggood. Aside from that, you can use the coupon code 1BGA264 and bring the phone’s already lowered selling price further down to just $184.99.

You can follow this link to avail the discount and use the coupon before it expires.

Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro

The Mi 8 Pro became an instant hit among Xiaomi fans after hitting the store shelves in September last year. The phone sports an extra large 6.21 Inch AMOLED display with 2248×1080 pixels resolution for an immersive viewing experience. Moreover, it packs Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor along with an Adreno 630 GPU.

The Mi 8 Pro comes with 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM and offers a hearty 128GB of onboard storage capacity so that you have enough space for saving your favorite multimedia content. While the above-mentioned features justify the steep $816.31 price tag, the Mi 8 Pro usually carry, you can now buy it for just $528.99 on Banggood.
You can extend this 35 percent discount by applying coupon code 1BG8P at the time of checking out. The coupon helps you get an extra $49 off by reducing the phone’s retail price to just $479.99 before you place your order.

You can follow this link to avail the discount, which will be valid for the transparent black color version of the phone.

Huawei Y5 Lite Android Go phone launched; Specs, features and price

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Jan 3, 2019

Huawei has introduced the all new Huawei Y5 Lite smartphone. Since it is an Android Go device, the handset is packed with entry-level specifications. The Y5 Lite has gone official in Pakistan. In the near future, the handset is expected to be made available in wider markets.

Huawei Y5 Lite Specifications and Features

The Huawei Y5 Lite measures 146.5 x 70.9 x 8.3mm and it weighs 142 grams. It is fitted with a 5.45-inch IPS LCD FullView display. The notch-less screen offers an aspect ratio of 18:9 and HD+ resolution of 720 x 1440 pixels.

The MediaTek MT6739 chipset powers the smartphone along with 1 GB of RAM. The native storage of the smartphone is 16 GB. For extra storage, there is a dedicated microSD card slot on the device. The handset draws power from 3,020mAh battery.

The Huawei Y5 Lite runs on Android Go edition of Android 8.1 Oreo OS. The handset can automatically adjust the phone call volume so that users can have clear listening experience even in noisy environments.

The Huawei Y5 Lite has a rear camera of 8-megapixel with f/2.0 aperture. The rear snapper carries support for autofocus and LED flash. Sitting at the front is a 5-megapixel selfie shooter with f/2.2 aperture. There is a single-tone LED flash on the front that assists the front-facing camera to capture brighter shots.

The other features that are available on the Huawei Y5 Lite include dual-SIM support, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, microUSB 2.0 and 3.5mm audio jack. In terms of specs, the handset resembles the Huawei Y5 Prime 2018 that has dual rear cameras and 2 GB of RAM as the only major differing features.

Read More: Huawei join Samsung, Alphabet in top 5 R&D investors for 2018

Huawei Y5 Lite Price and Availability

The Huawei Y5 Lite has arrived in Pakistan with a price tag of PKR 16,500 (~$117). It can be purchased in Blue or Black colors. There is no confirmation on the other markets that will be receiving the Huawei Y5 Lite.

(via)

Moto Z4 Play 360° video render shows Moto Mods aren’t dead yet

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Habeeb Onawole

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Jan 3, 2019

For the past three years, the Moto Z series has largely maintained the same design thanks to the modularity feature that lets users add extra features to the phone(s).

Initially, we thought Motorola would switch to an entirely new design this year which will mean the end of the Moto Mods but it appears that won’t be the case. A video render of the Moto Z4 Play has surfaced online that shows us the Moto Mods are here to stay, at least for another year.

The Moto Z4 Play render is from OnLeaks who has a trustworthy record when it comes to revealing early looks of a phone. For this video render he has collaborated with Indian tech blog, CompareRaja.

The Moto Z4 Play will come with a water-drop notch and have slimmer bezels compared to the Moto Z3 Play. The slimmer chin of the phone means the usual “Motorola” branding will no longer be there.

On the rear of the device, the Moto Z4 Play still has a circular camera housing with a bump so that it flushes when a Mod is attached. However, what is surprising is that the Moto Z4 Play will come with a single rear camera and not two sensors like the Moto Z3 Play. Below the sensor is a triple LED flash.

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The Moto Z3 Play has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner but that’s not the case with the Moto Z4 Play. Since it can’t be on the rear due to the Moto Mod, the only plausible place it can be is under the display.

The phone has the usual 16 connector pins for the Mods at the bottom. There is a 3.5mm audio jack and a USB type-c port at the bottom while the speaker grille is at the top alongside the SIM tray. The right side of the phone is home to the power button and volume rocker.

The specs of the phone are unknown but the display is said to be 6.2-inches in size and its dimensions are given as 158 x 75 x 7.25 mm.

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Oxygen OS 9.0.1 hits OnePlus 5/5T just a week after receiving Android Pie

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jan 2, 2019

If you haven’t received the update that brings Android Pie to the OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T, it will interest you to know that there is another update rolling out to both devices again.

OnePlus is rolling out OxygenOS 9.0.1 to the 2017 flagships. The update comes a week after Android Pie was released for both phones and fixes the bugs the last update brought. The full changelog is below:

System

Improved stability for Wi-Fi connection
Optimized sRGB display mode
Optimized Reading mode
Fixed issue with 4G VoLTE toggle missing
Fixed random reboots when Screen Casting

A screenshot shared by one of those who has already received the update shows it is 1748MB in size.

OnePlus 5T OxygenOS 9.0.1 update — Image source: OnePlus Forums (adv.ambatkar)

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OxygenOS 9.0.3 update brings improvements to the OnePlus 6

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jan 2, 2019

OnePlus began rolling out a new update to the OnePlus 6 a few days ago. The update brings improvements to the phone along with December’s security patch.

The update comes as OxygenOS 9.0.3 and is rolling out gradually to users. Those who have received the update say battery life has improved slightly. There are also camera improvements for Nightscape mode and slow-motion recording. Below is the full changelog:

System

Improved Wi-Fi stability for better connectivity
Improved Bluetooth stability for better connectivity
Updated Android security patch to 2018.12
General bug fixes and improvements

Camera

Improved Nightscape performance
Improved slow-motion performance
Optimized image processing

Earphone

Audio tuner for Bluetooth earphones

Communication

Support VoLTE for Bouygues FR

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After online success, Realme goes offline; reveals it has sold over 4 million smartphones so far

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 2, 2019

In the face of a saturated smartphone market, OEMs are deploying all the strategies in their arsenal to outwit the competition. BBK subsidiary OPPO used the Realme brand as its take on the entry-level smartphone market. The brand was announced in May this year and came out as sort of a surprise. The Realme 1 was the first phone released under the brand but since then, Realme has released four more devices.

Interestingly, the brand has been a huge success as the brand recently announced via its official Twitter account that it has sold 4 million phones in 7 months globally. This is a culmination of the successful outings the brand has enjoyed in various markets outside India. It was first launched in India but recently made its entry in China where it outsold Samsung and Xiaomi during Singles’ Day. The Realme brand also posted an amazing feat in Indonesia on popular online retailer Lazada. The low pricing of the models, as well as the promotional sales events, helped the brand reach the 4 million mark.

Your favorite #Realme smartphone is now just one step away from your place! 😍
Buy them from one of our REAL Partner stores offline.
Check out the cities we are opening this month and tell us which city do you want us to come next. 😉 pic.twitter.com/UUpOmpzwn2

— realme (@realmemobiles) January 2, 2019

In addition, the Realme brand has also announced that it is now taking its phone sales from online sales only to incorporating offline sales. This is going to be happening in India where the models will be available in physical stores in a number of cities across India. The first set includes Mumbai, Banglore, Rajkot, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Jaipur, Guwahati, Pun, Dehli, Noida, and Lucknow. Te brand equally disclosed that 50 cities will be added every quarter while it has set its target to make the Realme phones available in up to 20,000 retail stores in India this year.

(source 1, 2)

Sony to introduce 3D laser face recognition with better precision than Face ID for phones late 2019

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 2, 2019

Apple‘s Face ID has been a major success considering the level of adoption it has cornered among smartphones. Unfortunately, those on Android phones, including flagships such as Huawei Mate 20 Pro are not as accurate as Apple’s. In this regard, there is usually a disclaimer that Face ID doesn’t offer adequate security and shouldn’t be deployed for financial transactions. However, that should change soon as Sony is reportedly working on a new generation of face recognition technology which should be available on its phones in late 2019.

This disclosure was made last week by Sony sensor division chief Satoshi Yoshihara. He hinted that the company has developed a new 3D sensors for both front and rear cameras and they are trying to increase production. Several phone makers have reportedly shown interest in the technology hence the need to shore up production. The Sony exec stated among other things, “Cameras revolutionized phones and based on what I’ve seen, I have the same expectation for 3D. The pace will vary by field, but we’re definitely going to see adoption of 3D. I’m certain of it”.

The 3D cameras will likely perform different functions but enabling face recognition should be the most outstanding. Sony’s 3D face recognition promises to be even more accurate and reliable than the 3D scans that Apple introduced with Face ID and which phone makers like Huawei and Xiaomi have replicated. The mechanism of action of this 3D face recognition will be markedly different from that of Face ID which revolves around projecting dots of invisible light onto a user’s face and measuring the deformations in that grid. Sony’s new 3D cameras use pulsating laser signals and measure how long it takes for a pulse to bounce back. This is comparable to the way bats use echolocation in nature.

According to Sony, this new method creates a more detailed model of a user’s face and can work from as far as 16 feet (5 meters). The company has already hosted a dedicated Depth-sensing website where visitors can explore the possibilities of the new technology and its wide range of applications ranging from autonomous cars, drones, to robots and more. MAss production of the 3D camera sensors is billed to commence in late summer 2019 and it could be available in flagships that will be released in late 2019 and the following year. Could this be the technology that would make us forget in-display fingerprint? We’ll have to wait to see how this pans out.

(source)

Honor V20 vs OnePlus 6T vs Vivo NEX Dual Display: Specs Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

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Jan 2, 2019

Pop-up cameras, slider designs, artificial intelligence… 2018 was the year of innovation and 2019 is going to be the year in which this innovation will become mainstream. The latest aesthetic innovation has been brought by Huawei Nova 4, Samsung Galaxy A8s and Honor V20, the first smartphones with an in-display hole for the front camera. After comparing the first two ones, here we are comparing the Honor V20 with two other important flagships released recently: OnePlus 6T which is one of the actual best-sellers and the even-more-innovative Vivo NEX Dual Display.

Huawei Honor V20 vs OnePlus 6T vs Vivo NEX Dual Display Edition

	Huawei Honor V20	OnePlus 6T	Vivo NEX Dual Display Edition
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	156.9 x 75.4 x 8.1 mm, 180 g	157.5 x 74.8 x 8.2 mm, 185 g	157.2 x 75.3 x 8.1 mm, 199 grams
DISPLAY	6.4 inches, 1080 x 2310p (Full HD+), IPS LCD	6.41 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), Super AMOLED	6.39 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), Super AMOLED Secondary display: 5.49 inches 1080 x 1920 pixels (Full HD), Super AMOLED
PROCESSOR	Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 980, octa-core 2.6 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, octa-core 2.8 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, octa-core 2.8 GHz
MEMORY	6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – micro SD dedicated slot	6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB	10 GB RAM, 128 GB
SOFTWARE	Android 9 Pie, EMUI	Android 9 Pie, Oxygen OS	Android 9 Pie, Funtouch OS
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
CAMERA	Dual 48 MP + TOF 3D Camera, f/1.8 25 MP f/2.0 front camera	Dual 16 + 20 MP, f/1.7 16 MP f/2.0 front camera	Triple 12 + 2 MP + TOF Camera f/1.8
BATTERY	4000 mAh, fast charging 22.5W	3700 mAh, fast charging with Dash Charge	3500 mAh, Fast Charging 22.5W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Dual SIM slot, in-display camera	Dual SIM slot	Dual SIM slot, dual display

Design

Most of the recent smartphones have a design similar to OnePlus 6T, so it offers nothing special or innovative to the market. Honor V20 is definitely better with its punch hole display: it has an in-display hole to maximize the screen-to-body ratio and it even has a stunning back with unique light effects. But in my opinion, the most incredible is the Vivo NEX Dual Display as it features two displays: one of the front side with a screen-to-body ratio close to 100 percent and one on the back allowing to use the rear camera setup as front cameras.

Display

As it features two wonderful AMOLED displays, Vivo NEX Dual Display wins the display comparison. Thanks to the secondary display, you can save energy and use the main cameras as selfie cameras, besides opting for a more comfortable one-handed use. OnePlus 6T has its advantages as well, with its AMOLED panel featuring the strong Gorilla Glass 6 protection and DCI-P3 coverage for accurate color reproduction. Honor V20 has a standard IPS LCD display which represents its weakest point, but it is still a sufficient panel.

Hardware/Software

The most advanced hardware side belongs to the Honor V20, with the new Kirin 980 chipset by Huawei providing faster performances and way higher benchmark scores. But OnePlus 6T and Vivo NEX Dual Display Edition are still among the best smartphones for speed and multi-tasking. A big disadvantage of the OnePlus 6T and Vivo NEX Dual Display Edition is the absence of a micro SD slot, while Huawei Honor V20 has a dedicated micro SD slot allowing to use the dual SIM slot even when the user inserts an external card slot inside it.

Camera

On the paper, the new Huawei Honor V20 has the most amazing camera. It comes with a dual camera setup that includes the new 48 MP sensor by Sony. It captures a huge detail and delivers a great lossless zoom. After Honor V20, the best camera phone of the trio is the OnePlus 6T with a bright f/1.7 aperture and good performance in every light condition. Vivo NEX Dual Display is an excellent camera phone too, but it lacks a front camera.

Battery

Huawei Honor V20 has the biggest battery with a capacity of 4000 mAh and it should be able to last more than all of its opponents. But note that you can get a lot more battery life by using the secondary display on the Vivo NEX Dual Display. Further, OnePlus 6T provides a full day battery life too, so no one of these devices is disappointing when it comes to battery life. OnePlus 6T has the fastest charging technology: Dash Charge. And this phone is also available in a special McLaren Edition with an even faster charging technology: the new Warp Charge which brings it to 50 percent in just 20 minutes (it reaches 30W).

Price

Huawei Honor V20 recently debuted in the Chinese market with a price tag of about €460 and it is the most affordable device of the trio. OnePlus 6T starts from €569/$569 in its base variant which comes with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage (not expandable), while Vivo NEX Dual Display Edition is available in China at about €700. Given the price, I would definitely choose Huawei Honor V20 because of its higher value for money. For just €460, you get a better camera department, potentially better performances, and even bigger battery life. Further, it is the only which sports a micro SD slot (that is also a dedicated one) to expand the internal storage. The only component which disappoints is the display, which can be considered a midrange-class panel. I would not choose the OnePlus 6T because it lacks the notification LED. Regarding Vivo NEX Dual Display, you mostly pay for the innovation. Which one would you pick? Would you award Vivo’s innovation with its dual display or opt for money saving by choosing Honor V20 or OnePlus 6T?

Read More: The Huawei Honor V20 Goes Up For Pre-Order On Giztop!

Huawei Honor V20 vs OnePlus 6T vs Vivo NEX Dual Display Edition: PRO and CONS

Vivo NEX Dual Display Edition

PROS

Dual display
Good hardware
High screen-to-body ratio
Innovative design

CONS

Limited availability

Huawei Honor V20

PROS

Micro SD dedicated slot
Unique design
Great hardware
Bigger battery

CONS

Worse display

OnePlus 6T

PROS

Great performance
Big battery
Global availability
Good display

CONS

No notification LED

AnTuTu’s top 10 Android phones with best performance for December 2018 released

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