The Best Year-End And Christmas Sales That You Don’t Want To Miss!

Buy Huawei FreeBuds 2 Pro

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Dec 17, 2018

If you have restlessly been looking for cost-effective handsfree earphones, look no further.

Following the launch of the AirPods, a slew of similar products have flooded the market, but none capable of outshining Apple’s well-received Bluetooth headset. In a bid to offer music lovers a budget-friendly alternative of the steeply priced Airpods, Huawei recently launched the FreeBuds 2 Pro.

Equipped with 13mm drivers, the FreeBuds 2 Pro supports wireless charging and boasts an impressive array of other features that we usually associate with top-branded Bluetooth earphones. The Huawei-branded wireless earphones bear a striking resemblance to the AirPods and support Bluetooth 5.0.

You receive a charging case with the earphones. The case uses a USB-C port to charge the earphone, but you can charge them wirelessly too. The earbuds draw the juices from a 420mAh battery that according to Huawei’s sub-brand Honor should last 2.5 hours on a single charge and about 15 hours with the charging case.
These earphones have gone through tough reliability tests with the headphones suitable for 10,000 plugs and unplug in the case and the function key ideal for a whopping 10,000 presses. One of the biggest USPs of the FreeBuds 2 Pro is that it adopts bone conductivity to determine the sound pattern of the wearer.

This technology allows the FreeBuds 2 Pro to correctly recognize the person speaking to them. The feature also let the wearer use his/her voice for biometric authentication to process a payment on popular platforms like WeChat Pay and Alipay.

Moreover, the Huawei FreeBuds 2 Pro is rated IP54. In other words, it can effectively resist dust and accidental splashes as well so you can even wear them in rain.

You can head straight to this link to check out more details and buy the black color version of the feature-laden handsfree earphone for $179.99 on Giztop.

Xiaomi teases a new fun product release tomorrow, most likely the Mi Play launch

By

Jeet

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Dec 17, 2018

Xiaomi has today announced on the Chinese social media platform Weibo that the company will be launching a new fun category tomorrow at 10:00 AM. On its own website, the company teased the new launch saying “I unilaterally announced that this should be my most wanted Christmas gift. See [you] at 10 o’clock tomorrow.”

Going by the teaser, it seems that the company is teasing the launch of Mi Play since this is a new category for the company and the world “Play” resembles fun that the company is teasing.

Rumors suggest that the Mi Play smartphone is the rebranded version of Pocophone F1 for the Chinese market. Earlier, we reported that Xiaomi could hold a launch event for the Mi Pay between December 17 and December 26.

Xiaomi had first launched the Poco F1 in the Indian market in August and was later launched in other markets as Pocophone F1. Recently, the company revealed that it has sold over 700,000 units of the Poco F1 in the past three months.

As for the specifications, the Poco F1 sports a 6.18-inch IPS LCD notched display that produces Full HD+ resolution and a layer of Gorilla Glass for protection from minor scratches. Under the hood, the device is powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 845 flagship processor and comes with LiquidCool technology.

As for the photography, the device comes with a 12-megapixel Sony IMX363 primary sensor, coupled with a 5-megapixel secondary sensor on the back panel. On the front side, there’s a 20-megapixel selfie camera powered with artificial intelligence for capturing enhanced selfie shots.

The phone comes with 6GB/8GB of RAM and 64GB/128GB/256GB of internal storage, depending on the variant. It runs on the company’s MIUI with Poco Launcher, based on Android 8.1 Oreo operating system and is powered by a 4,000mAh battery that supports Quick Charge 4.0 fast charging technology.

To know for sure what’s up the company’s sleeves, we’ll have to wait till tomorrow when Xiaomi officially revealed its ‘fun’ product.

Huawei Nova 4 hits Geekbench AnTuTu benchmark with Kirin 970 + 8GB RAM

By

Simranpal Singh

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Dec 17, 2018

Huawei is preparing to launch the Nova 4 high-end device today just a few hours from now. It has already appeared on both major benchmarking platforms like Geekbench and AnTuTu Benchmark. Previously, various rumors and reports have been leaked suggesting us the spec details and other information. Today, once again its specs and performance details have been surfaced by the means of different benchmarking apps.

As per the new leak, Huawei Nova 4 has appeared at AnTuTu as model VCE-AL00 with detailed specs and scored 215981 points. Similarly, at Geekbench, it scored 1997 points in the single core test, while multi-core test allowed it to make 6605 pts with its Kirin 970 processor.

Although, it is expected to carry 6.4-inch full-screen display with a resolution of 2310*1080 pixels having an aspect ratio of 19.25:9. It will be equipped with Kirin 970 which carries improved CPU and NPUs for better AI handling and 5G support. It will be coupled with 8GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage.

A 25-megapixel camera will power Huawei Nova 4 on the front side with AI features. Although there are going to be two different variants of the device, one will carry triple camera sensor of 48 megapixels+ 16 megapixels + 20 megapixel while another one will carry 20 +16+ 2 megapixels triple camera set. Further, there will be a built-in 3750 mAh battery with 9V 2A super fast charging. It even supports dual standby dual 4G VoLTE connection.

It’s ultra-thin design, and the high-end processor is coupled with GPU Turbo technology. It will help the device to improve its graphics performance with an increment of 60% in the efficiency. It will be powered by EMUI operating system, which also carries several AI based features. The new features on EMUI help the device to perform more efficiently and effectively.

Read More: Huawei Nova 4 press renders leaked to reveal front and rear design, color variants

However, it is now clear that Huawei is launching it today along with Huawei Enjoy 9. How many of you are already waiting for it?

(Via 1, 2)

Buy The OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition Smartphone For $899 On Giztop

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Check Buy OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition Smartphone

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Dec 17, 2018

OnePlus announced the OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition during a recently concluded launch event that took place in the UK.

The OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition not only met everyone’s expectation but exceeded it by packing 10GB of RAM and the company’s newfangled fast charging method 30W Warp Charge. OnePlus claims this new technology is capable of charging the phone up to 50 percent in only 20 minutes.

Moreover, the phone sports an extra large 5.41-inch AMOLED screen with 1080×2340 pixels resolution and an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. The eye-catching display supports sRGB (100.63 percent) and DCI-P3 color gamuts and is covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 6.

The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor to ensure it never slows down while multitasking or playing popular games. On the photography front, it houses a 20MP+16MP dual camera module on the back and a 16.0MP selfie shooter placed on the front.
The device runs Oxygen OS 9.0.5 based Android 9.0 Pie OS and draws its juices from a robust 3700mAh battery. It is equipped with an in-display fingerprint reader to enable the world’s fastest screen unlock function.

If the OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition has stirred your interest, you can head straight to this link in order to check out its full specification and buy it for $899 on Giztop. Along with large memory, this recently launched phone offers a hearty 256GB of onboard storage capacity.

GeekBuying’s Latest Promo Features Best Xmas Gift Ideas For Everyone [Coupons Inside]

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Check Out GeekBuying’s Xmas Gift Ideas Promo

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Dec 17, 2018

While the internet is brimming with all sorts of Christmas presents and gift ideas that are likely to burn a hole in your pocket, GeekBuying has compiled cost-effective gift ideas for kids, friends, family, and co-workers as part of its recently kicked-off ‘Xmas Gift Ideas’ promotion.

The aforesaid promo has been split into multiple categories so that you can find exactly what you are looking for without breaking a sweat.

For instance, the ‘Best Sellers’ section features the Nubia z17 lite, QCY T1C Dual Bluetooth 5.0 TWS Earphones, Xiaomi Mijia Roborock S50 and a slew of other electronic items that you can buy for considerably lowered prices.

Do you love surprises? If yes, then you might want to head straight to the next section called ‘XMAS Lucky Bags.’ Alternatively, you might want to check out the ‘Gifts for Him,’ ‘Gifts for Her’ and ‘Gifts for Kids’ segments as well for other amazing Christmas gift ideas.

Huawei Honor Magic Smart Watch

The uber cool Honor Magic Smart Watch that was launched recently is now up for grabs bearing a lowered price tag of only $127.99 on GeekBuying. This is a 47% drop in the device’s original asking price of $239.99.

Aside from taking advantage of the aforesaid discount, you can use coupon code GIZ_EIZAJSCR and get an extra $54.89 off during the checkout process. As a result, the coveted smartwatch would set you back just $117.10.

You can visit this link to grab the discount before the promo wraps up in 1 day.

T95X2 Amlogic S905X2 Android 8.1 TV Box (4GB RAM+32GB ROM)

Deemed as one the first Android 8.1 Oreo OS equipped TV boxes to hit the store shelves recently, the T95X2 packs a powerful Amlogic S905X2 processor to support premium 4K UHD video. While you’d normally associate a steep price tag with a top-branded TV box that offers comparable features, the T95X2 can now be yours for a lowered price of just $69.99 on GeekBuying.
In addition to taking advantage of this 26% drop in the device’s retail price of $94.77, you can use coupon code GIZ_YRLMDEAL and save $20 before proceeding to checkout. In other words, you can bring the device’s already lowered retail price further down to only $49.99 with the help of the aforesaid coupon.

You can follow this link to get the discount before the promo comes to an end.

RASSE YB-ED-022 Off Road Electric Skateboard

Skateboarding has a long way thanks to technology. The RASSE YB-ED-022 comes with a remote control that lets you adjust the speed. The electric skateboard draws its juices from a robust 4AH battery and is backed by a powerful motor that enables it to achieve a max speed of about 25km/h and run about 25-30km.

While the RASSE YB-ED-022 would normally set you back a pretty penny, you can now buy it for just $479.99 on GeekBuying. This is a noteworthy 31% drop in the device’s original asking price of $699.99. There’s more for you to cheer about.

You can apply coupon code GIZ_UDTENWHX at the time of checking out in order to save $50 more. In other words, you can bring the electric skateboard’s already lowered retail price further down to just $429.99 simply by applying the above-mentioned coupon.

Regrettably, the promo is slated to end in a little while. You can choose between black and blue color versions of the RASSE YB-ED-022 electric skateboard and grab the discount by heading straight to this link.

Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro (8GB RAM+128GB ROM)

Xiaomi made the long-awaited Mi 8 Pro available to the public earlier this year and as expected, the smartphone garnered huge popularity among those who fancy watching their favorite videos on a big screen mobile device. The phone sports an extra large 6.21-inch display and boasts an impressive array of other features.

On the downside, the Mi 8 Pro came bearing a steep $827.99 price tag, which has now been reduced to just $569.99 by the Chinese handset maker in collaboration with GeekBuying. You can also use coupon code GIZ_IHVDVUTP and save $139 more before checking out.
The aforesaid coupon helps you to reduce the phone’s reduced price to only $525.99. You can visit this link in order to check out more details about the Mi 8 Pro and get the big discount, which is valid for the transparent color version of the handset for five days.

Huawei Mate 20 X (6GB RAM+128GB ROM)

The recently launched Mate 20 X smartphone has gone up for sale carrying an unbeatable price tag of $843.99 on GeekBuying. Equipped with a powerful Hisilicon Kirin 980 processor under the hood, the Mate 20 X usually sells for $943.99.

But if this 11% discount doesn’t impress you much, you can use coupon code GIZ_GYDGMEBT to bring your grand total further down to only $783.99. By applying the above-mentioned coupon, you can save an extra $60 before you click on the ‘Place Your Order’ button.
You can click here to visit the discount page and buy the steeply priced Mate 20 X for a heavily discounted price on GeekBuying. The phone comes in midnight blue and phantom silver color versions.

GeekBuying’s 1212 Year End Sale Launches With Great Discounts, Big Coupons And Unmissable Flash Deals!

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Check Out GeekBuying’s 1212 Year End Sale

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Dec 17, 2018

As part of its latest ‘1212 Year End Sale,’ GeekBuying is doling out noteworthy discounts on a wide selection of products that have been split into multiple categories in a bid to simplify the search process.

In addition to featuring heavily discounted products, the promo includes big coupons that you can apply during the checkout process to save a considerable amount of extra money. You can get $3 off using a sitewide coupon if your order value exceeds $30. The coupon will be valid for 200 pieces daily until December 20th.

Likewise, you can get an extra $5 off on select items if you spend $30 simply by using another coupon that will be valid until December 20th. If the product you choose to purchase belongs to EU Stocks, you are eligible to get a 5% off on the original asking price of the product until December 20th.

The rest of the products have been divided into other categories like Flash Deals, Top Sellers etc. Here are a few items that you can now buy on GeekBuying without emptying your pocket. We’ll even show how you can get extra discounts on each item’s already lowered original selling price.

Xiaomi NOLO CV1 VR Kit Console Controllers Motion Tracking

The NOLO CV1 works with PC VR helmet, VR machine, mobile VR helmet, and PS VR helmet. It allows you to delve into your own virtual reality space for an unmatched VR world experience. While this smart VR interactive kit usually sells for $256.99, you can now buy it for just $232.99 on GeekBuying.

You can extend this 9% discount by using coupon code GIZ_OYFESYDH. The coupon helps you save an extra $33 by reducing your grand total down to just $199.99 before you proceed to check out. You can visit this link to grab the discount.

Xiaomi Mi Notebook Pro GTX Edition

Looking for a high-end notebook with fingerprints identification without spending a fortune? GeekBuying’s got your back. The Chinese online store is offering Xiaomi’s well-received Mi Notebook Pro GTX Edition for a considerably lowered price of $1099.99.

This is a significant 16% reduction in the device’s original asking price of $1306.99. Aside from grabbing this discount, you can get an extra $45 off simply by using coupon code GIZ_SRAVQAWD during the checkout process.
In other words, you can bring your already lowered grand total further down to $1074.99 with the help of the coupon, which is likely to expire soon. Note that the discount is valid for the variant that comes with 8GB DDR4 RAM and offers 256GB of onboard storage.

Since the promo is slated to end in 1 day, it is imperative for you to follow this link without wasting time.

Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air

If you’re in the market for a cost-effective notebook that offers an impressive array of features and top-end specs, it might interest you to know that the feature-laden Mi Note Air has gone up for sale carrying a heavily discounted price of $899.99 on GeekBuying.

This is a significant 35% drop in the device’s original asking price of $1392.99. On top of that, you can apply coupon code GIZ_IWLVXIEW and save $367 more before placing your order. Thanks to the coupon, your order value reduces to only $872.99.
You can head straight to this link if you are interested in grabbing this discount. It is worth noting that the discount will be valid for the 8GB RAM+256GB ROM model for just one day.

360 S6 Automatic Robotic Vacuum Cleaner

Designed to keep your house clean and tidy all the time, the 360 S6 is an irresistible robotic vacuum cleaner that you can now buy for just $319.99 on GeekBuying. This is a significant 31% decrease in the device’s original asking price of $461.82.
You can follow this link to check out more details about the 360 S6 and avail the discount, which will be valid for the white color version of the automatic robotic vacuum cleaner.

New Lenovo Z5s official posters reveal color variants

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Dec 16, 2018

The launch of the Lenovo Z5s is just two days away and ahead of the launch, Lenovo has released new teaser posters that show off the colors the phone will be available in.

The Lenovo Z5s will come in three color variants – Coral Orange, which is a gradient orange shade and Pantone’s color of the year for 2019; Quite Blue, which reflects the colors of a rainbow when rays of light hit it at certain angles; and Starry Night which is just classic black.

[envira-gallery id=”227972″]

The images also confirm that the phone will have three rear cameras and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. Lenovo is still not ready to confirm the front design of the phone but early leaks already showed that the phone has a punch hole camera in the upper middle part of the screen.

Lenovo Z5s Ferrari SuperFast Edition specs leaked: packs Snapdragon 845 processor and 12GB of RAM

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Dec 16, 2018

A new leak has revealed that Lenovo will soon join the league of Chinese smartphone makers that have a partnership with car manufacturers. The leak is a photo that shows the “About Phone” section of a phone revealed to be the Lenovo Z5s Ferrari SuperFast. It also discloses some key specs of the device.

The Lenovo Z5s Ferrari SuperFast will launch as a special edition model of the Lenovo Z5s but Ferrari’s name isn’t the only thing to be excited about.

The photo shows the phone has model number L78071. It is powered by a Snapdragon 845 processor and packs a whopping 12GB of RAM!!!

Lenovo is practically setting a new record with this device. At the moment, the highest amount of RAM on a device is 10GB and there are only a handful of phones with that amount of RAM. The Lenovo Z5s Ferrari SuperFast will also have 128GB of storage and run ZUI 10 out of the box.

The regular variant of the phone is expected to come with a Snapdragon 710 processor as there is still no confirmation that there is a processor called Snapdragon 678.

This year alone, we have seen two Chinese manufacturers partner with automobile companies. OPPO partnered with Lamborghini to launch a special edition of the Find X called the OPPO Find X Automobili Lamborghini Edition.

OnePlus 6T McLaren vs Vivo NEX Dual Display vs HTC Exodus 1: Specs Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

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Dec 16, 2018

In a smartphone market in which even midrange phones can provide excellent performance, people are often looking for innovation and exclusive features when it comes to flagships. Today we are comparing three unique phones: the special edition of the OnePlus 6T dedicated to McLaren, the Dual Display Edition of the full borderless phone Vivo NEX and the HTC Exodus 1, a phone based on the blockchain which can be used as a crypto wallet thanks to its hardware-backed security. Do these devices surprise you enough? If so, let’s go ahead with a specs comparison.

OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition vs Vivo NEX Dual Display Edition vs HTC Exodus 1

	OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition	Vivo NEX Dual Display Edition	HTC Exodus 1
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	157.5 x 74.8 x 8.2 mm, 185 g	157.2 x 75.3 x 8.1 mm, 199 g	156.6 x 73.9 x 8.7 mm
DISPLAY	6.41 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), Super AMOLED	6.39 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), Super AMOLED	6 inches, 1440 x 2880p (Quad HD+), Super LCD6
PROCESSOR	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, octa-core 2.8 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, octa-core 2.8 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, octa-core 2.8 GHz
MEMORY	10 GB RAM, 256 GB	10 GB RAM, 128 GB	6 GB RAM, 128 GB
SOFTWARE	Android 9 Pie, Oxygen OS	Android 9 Pie, Funtouch OS	Android 8.1 Oreo
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 16 + 20 MP camera, f/1.7 and f/1.7	Triple 12 + 2 MP + TOF camera, f/1.8 + f/1.8 + f/1.3	Dual 12 + 16 MP, f/1.8 and f/2.6 Dual 8 + 8 MP, f/2.0 and f/2.0 front camera
BATTERY	3700 mAh, fast charging with Warp Charge	3500 mAh, fast charging 22.5W	3500 mAh, fast charging with Quick Charge 3.0
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Dual SIM slot	Dual SIM slot, dual display	Dual SIM slot, blockchain-based

Design

If I had to choose by basing on the look, I would definitely pick Vivo NEX Dual Display because of its innovative aesthetics. It comes with the highest screen-to-body ratio without even needing a notch, and most of its surface is occupied by displays. On the other hand, HTC Exodus 1 is a unique phone as well because it has a transparent back which makes you see the internal components. Further, it is waterproof with the IP68 certification. OnePlus 6T is the best one for McLaren fans for obvious reasons, and it is the only to feature the strong Gorilla Glass 6 protection.

Display

If you want the highest definition, HTC Exodus 1 has the display for your needs thanks to its Quad HD+ resolution. OnePlus 6T has a more stunning color reproduction thanks to the AMOLED technology and its DCI-P3 coverage. But Vivo NEX Dual Display Edition has two displays, one on the front and one on the back which is more suitable for one-handed use and to save battery. Further, it does not include any notch, neither thick bezels on the front side.

Hardware/Software

Speed and performance are the real strong point of all these handsets since they are equipped with flagship-class hardware. Their SoC is the most powerful you can expect on a non-Huawei phone with Android in 2018. OnePlus 6T McLaren is the one with the most incredible performance and with the biggest internal storage. It comes with whopping 10 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. Further, it has Android Pie out of the box, just like Vivo NEX Dual Display. HTC Exodus 1 comes with just 6 GB of RAM and Android 8.1 Oreo, so it is less impressive, but it is based on the blockchain and it can be used as a crypto wallet. Indeed, it features an advanced hardware-based security system and it is one of the safest Android phones out there.

Camera

With the same camera department as the HTC U12 Plus, the HTC Exodus 1 is the phone which can deliver the most impressive photo and video quality. It is the only which sports OIS, laser autofocus and 2x optical zoom in the same dual camera setup, and it is able to record 4K videos at 60 fps with stereo sound. It even has a dual front camera with impressive performances which captures depth info in a very advanced and accurate way. Vivo NEX Dual Display Edition lacks a front camera, but it has an outstanding triple camera on the rear side which can be used as a selfie camera thanks to the secondary display on the back. At last OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition is an awesome camera phone as well, so even if it is not the best, there is not an abyssal difference in photo quality.

Battery

With a capacity of 3700 mAh, OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition has the biggest battery and it should be able to last a bit more than its opponents on a single charge. However, we can not confirm it until we test the Vivo NEX Dual Display Edition. Also note that using the second display on the Vivo NEX Dual Display Edition allows saving a lot of energy thanks to its smaller size; so, thanks to the second display, Vivo NEX Dual Display Edition could be able to last more even with a smaller 3500 mAh unit. OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition has the fastest charging technology: the new Warp Charge 30 which is also able to minimize heating while the phone is charging.

Price

OnePlus 6T McLaren debuted globally with a price tag of €700/$700, Vivo NEX Dual Display Edition is actually available only in China with a price of about $729/€645, while HTC Exodus 1 can only be purchased (globally) with cryptocurrencies and it actually ranges from $450/€400 to $565/€500. Personally, I would award Vivo NEX Dual Display’s innovation and choose it because of its dual-display and a screen-to-body ratio close to 100%. But HTC Exodus 1 has a definitely higher value for money.

Read More: OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition debuts in China priced cheaper at 4599 yuan ($666)

OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition vs Vivo NEX Dual Display Edition vs HTC Exodus 1: PRO and CONS

OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition

PROS

Gorilla Glass 6
Bigger battery
Very fast charging
10 GB RAM
In-display fingerprint reader

CONS

No notification LED

Vivo NEX Dual Display Edition

PROS

Dual display
10 GB RAM
Good cameras
In-display fingerprint reader

CONS

Limited availability

HTC Exodus 1

PROS

Hardware-backed security
Affordable
Stereo speakers
Waterproof

CONS

Oreo out of the box

Google camera with Night Sight gets ported to a bunch of LG phones

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Dec 16, 2018

Every year, since it launched the first Pixel phone, Google has shown us what it can do with a very good camera software and a single sensor. Thanks to developers, you don’t have to own a Pixel phone to be able to experience how good Google’s camera app is as the APK can be ported and modified to work on other devices. Some devices already have the ported version of the Pixel 3’s camera but a new one has been released that works on a number of LG phones.

The ported version brings the camera performance of the Pixel 3 including the popular Night Sight feature to a bunch of LG phones including the LG V20 thanks to XDA Senior member, cstark27. The APK works on the LG V20, LG V30, LG V35, and the LG G6. if you own the LG G7 ThinQ and the LG V40 ThinQ, you can also try it but it is said to be unstable. However, there is a chance a newer version that works well with the two phones will be released in the near future.

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If you want to know how well the camera performs compared to the stock camera app, an XDA member has provided camera samples that compare the LG V30’s stock camera to the ported one. Photos taken with the stock camera are on the left while those taken with the Google camera port are on the right.

ASUS confirms ZenFone line will not be cancelled

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Dec 16, 2018

A few days ago, the CEO of ASUS, Jerry Shen stepped down from his position after 11 years at the helm of affairs. The company also announced that it would shift its smartphone strategy, focusing on gaming smartphones like its ASUS ROG Phone. This announcement generated news that ASUS will shut down the ZenFone line. The Taiwanese company released a statement to clarify the issue.

In a statement released to Gadgets 360, ASUS said it will continue to release phones under the ZenFone line while also expanding the gaming market by developing better phones for gamers and power users.

“With regard to doubts raised by some on the continuation of the ZenFone brand, we confirm that we will continue to develop the ZenFone series, while also aiming to expand the gaming smartphone market. We will focus on perfecting solutions for gamers and power users.”

It has also been reported that ASUS will increase its investments in AI, IoT, and more commercial areas in a bid to diversify its portfolio which is currently focused on consumer devices.

In terms of leadership, ASUS will now be run by two CEO’s – Sy Shu who currently heads the PC division and Samsun Hu who heads the global customer services department. Both will serve as co-CEOs.

Honor smartwatch rocking MediaTek SoC gets Bluetooth SIG certification

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Dec 15, 2018

Just like its parent company Huawei, Honor has really been working so much these last few months. Since the shift of focus from flagship models, the brand has made several strides in the mid-range and budget segment. The inexpensive Honor 8C and Honor 8X are already making great pace in India. During the various shopping holiday activities, the company’s products sold in droves. Even the high-end models like the Honor Magic 2 and the eagerly-awaited Honor View 20 are beginning to carve out a high prestige for the brand in the higher market and likewise in the innovation segments.

Away from the smartphone segment, the Honor brand also has its tentacles spread to the smart wearable market. Honor only newly released its Watch Magic – a more or less slightly downgraded twin to the Huawei Watch GT. Now, a new Honor watch is already on the horizon, as shown by a Bluetooth SIG certification.

Unfortunately, a lot of hardware details was not given by the public document on the mystery gadget which goes by the model number “ELF-G10”. The document does, however, specifically refer to it as a “smartwatch”, as opposed to the various style of wearable, like the Honor Band 4. Still, the smart bit is obviously present, hence the Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy standard support the document is meant to certify.

Another interesting bit of information about the watch is that it will obviously be based on a MediaTek platform. While definitely not unheard of, it will be a far less common option of the chipset as compared to Qualcomm’s wearable solutions, which presently have a greater share of the market. However, Huawei and consequently Honor have begun experimenting on both hardware and software fronts with their recent wearables. The Watch GT, for example, makes use of an innovative dual-chipset design, with a custom ultra-low-power chip running most of the basic functions of the watch and a more stronger package only setting in when needed. On the software side, the two companies now possess their own LiteOS operating system for watches. Perhaps Honor is devising means to optimise battery even further with different experimental platform design in this recent wearable.

(source)

T-Mobile and Sprint merger deal approval reportedly hinged on ditching Huawei’s technology

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Dec 15, 2018

The long-awaited proposed merger between U.S. carriers T-Mobile and Sprint may finally obtain regulatory authorization as early as the coming week. The government regulatory bodies involved with authorizing the merger, agree that it can move forward, this is according to a new report from Reuters. However, the approval might hinge on an unexpected requirement: that Deutsche Telekom AG (T-Mobile’s parent company) and SoftBank Group Corp (Sprint’s parent company) fail to use Huawei equipment in their respective worldwide networks.

According to Reuters, both parent companies reported that they are “considering” complying to the requirement to get the deal to go through. At the moment, neither Sprint or T-Mobile use Huawei network equipment in the United States. Nevertheless, both SoftBank and Deutsche Telekom use Huawei equipment for their networks respectively everywhere in the world. The approval of the T-Mobile-Sprint merger would make both companies to slowly phase out Huawei equipment currently in use and refuse to buy Huawei equipment going forward.

The source for this Reuters report says that Deutsche Telekom has been pressured by U.S. government officials in particular, to stop using Huawei equipment, mentioning security concerns related to Huawei’s alleged ties to the Chinese government. Huawei has repeatedly stated that these security concerns are invalid. However, several countries — including the U.S., Australia, and Japan has refused to use Huawei equipment for all or some of its networking purposes. If the T-Mobile-Sprint merger approval becomes successful, it would cut the “Big Four” carriers down to the “Big Three,” with the other remaining U.S. carriers being AT&T and Verizon. The combined T-Mobile-Sprint company would simply be called T-Mobile.

(source)

Huawei P30 Pro renders with notched curved screen, quad cameras leak design

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Dec 15, 2018

Recent reports have claimed that the Huawei P30 Pro arriving in Q1 2019 next year will be equipped with quad cameras. Some rumors have claimed that Huawei may come with an in-screen camera hole design. However, new information shared by reliable tipster Ice Universe has claimed that the P30 Pro will be equipped with a wide or a drop notch.

The Huawei Nova 4 debuting on Dec. 17 and the Honor V20 flagship that is scheduled to go official on Dec. 26 are arriving with in-screen camera hole display design. According to the leakster, the P30 Pro will be featuring a curved display made either by China’s BOE display maker or LG from South Korea. The tipster has added that Samsung is the only OLED maker that manufactures in-screen hole designed displays that are officially known as Infinity-O. The images of the screen protectors of the alleged Huawei P30 Pro has also revealed that the handset will be equipped with a waterdrop notch screen.

Popular designer and tipster Benjamin Geskin has created fresh renders based on the rumors surrounding the Huawei P30 Pro. The following render shows the waterdrop notch styled screen of the P30 Pro. The rear side of the phone has a Leica engineered quad camera setup which includes three camera sensors clustered together and a separated fourth camera sensor. Alongside it is the dual-LED flash. The two small-sized holes above the LED flash could be for the laser autofocus. The handset sports Aurora Blue gradient color.

Read More: OnePlus 6T McLaren vs Huawei Mate 20 RS Porsche Design vs Oppo Find X Lamborghini: Specs Comparison

Early rumors have claimed that the 38-megapixel Sony IMX607 sensor that supports topnotch low-light performance. The Kirin 980 chipset is likely to be fueled by Kirin 980 chipset and up to 12 GB of RAM whereas the P30 Is expected to feature 8-megapixel camera and triple camera module. Rumors have it that Huawei may also arrive in a 5G version.

(source 1, 2)

OnePlus 6T McLaren vs Huawei Mate 20 RS Porsche Design vs Oppo Find X Lamborghini: Specs Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

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Dec 15, 2018

Another special edition dedicated to a car company is official: it is OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition, and it joins a niche of premium devices which is attracting consumers every day more. In this article, we will compare it with two other special editions: Huawei Mate 20 RS Porsche Design Edition and Oppo Find X Lamborghini Edition. Are they worth the money asked and which one should you choose? Here we will try to give you the answer.

OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition vs Huawei Mate 20 Porsche Design Edition vs Oppo Find X Lamborghini Edition

	OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition	Huawei Mate 20 Porsche Design Edition	Oppo Find X Lamborghini Edition
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	157.5 x 74.8 x 8.2 mm, 185 g	157.8 x 72.3 x 9.7 mm, 187 g	156.7 x 74.2 x 9.4 mm, 186 g
DISPLAY	6.41 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), Super AMOLED	6.39 inches, 1440 x 3120p (Quad HD+), AMOLED	6.42 inches, 1080 x 2340p (Full HD+), 19.5:9 ratio, AMOLED
PROCESSOR	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, octa-core 2.8 GHz	Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 980, octa-core 2.6 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, octa-core 2.8 GHz
MEMORY	10 GB RAM, 256 GB	8 GB RAM, 256 GB – 8 GB RAM, 512 GB – Nano Memory slot	8 GB RAM, 512 GB
SOFTWARE	Android 9 Pie, Oxygen OS	Android 9 Pie, EMUI 9.0	Android 9 Pie, Color 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 16 + 20 MP camera, f/1.7 and f/1.7	Triple 40 + 20 + 8 MP, f/1.8 + f/2.2 + f/2.4, OIS, Laser AF 24 MP f/2.0 front camera	Dual 16 + 20 MP, f/2.0 25 MP, f/2.0 front camera
BATTERY	3700 mAh, fast charging with Warp Charge	4200 mAh, fast charging 40W, wireless charging 15W	3400 mAh, fast charging with Super VOOC Flash Charge
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Dual SIM slot	Dual SIM slot, waterproof (IP68), reverse wireless charging	Dual SIM slot, slider design

Design

If we exclude the companies’ customizations for the special editions and we only consider the original design, Oppo Find X is undoubtedly the most beautiful and innovative device. Indeed, it is the first phone with a motorized slider and a screen-to-body ratio close to 100 percent without the need of a notch. When it comes to customizations, the one of Huawei Mate 20 RS Porsche Design Edition intrigues me more because of its back made of genuine leather and glass.

Display

The display with the highest quality is the AMOLED panel found on the Huawei Mate 20, with a higher resolution than its opponents and a more accurate color reproduction. It has a bigger notch, but it boasts a 3D facial recognition system. Oppo Find X Lamborghini Edition and OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition feature a similar display quality, but, even though OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition is the only with a notch, I define it better because of its Gorilla Glass 6 protection for the front glass and good DCI-P3 coverage.

Hardware/Software

There are no consistent differences in performances when it comes to these three devices, but Huawei Mate 20 RS Porsche Design Edition has a slightly better SoC: the new Kirin 980 realized with a 7 nm production process which is able to provide a very high speed and higher scores on benchmarks. OnePlus 6T McLaren comes with 10 GB of RAM, but a better chipset is definitely more important. At last, Huawei Mate 20 RS Porsche Design Edition is the only to feature an expandable storage. So I would choose it for its hardware. The software is very nice in each case: Android Pie out of the box with very efficient customizations.

Camera

Huawei Mate 20 RS Porsche Design Edition has the best camera department of 2018. It is the same as Huawei P20 Pro with a rear triple camera and a 40 MP resolution for the main sensor. Until now, no device has been able to compete with the outstanding photo quality provided by this triple camera in every scenario. At the second place, we can definitely put the OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition with its f/1.7 aperture for both the sensors of its dual camera, but it is a lot inferior to Huawei’s flagship.

Battery

Huawei Mate 20 RS Porsche Design Edition comes with the biggest battery as well as the longest battery life. OnePlus 6T McLaren is at the second place with its one-day battery life (even more in some scenarios), while Oppo Find X Lamborghini Edition has the smallest battery but it charges faster than each of its opponents: it is able to reach 100 percent of charge in just 30 minutes. I would personally pick Huawei Mate 20 RS Porsche Design because for me battery life is more important than fast charging, plus, Huawei’s flagship is the only smartphone in the market to support wireless charging and reverse wireless charging.

Price

Given that these are special editions, these devices are way costlier than their standard versions. When it comes to specifications, Huawei Mate 20 RS Porsche Design Edition is the best device of the trio and it costs €1600/$1800, Oppo Find X Lamborghini Edition is the less attractive for me (unless you are Lamborghini fans or innovative designs lovers) with a price tag of €1700/$1920, a worse camera and a shorter battery life, while OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition is the one with the best value for money as it costs just €700/$700.

Read More: Huawei unveils Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro: Kirin 980, triple rear cameras and more

Vivo NEX Dual Display Edition vs Huawei Mate 20 Porsche Design vs Oppo Find X Lamborghini: PRO and CONS

OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition

PROS

More affordable
Outstanding hardware
Very fast charging
10 GB RAM

CONS

No notification LED

Huawei Mate 20 RS Porsche Design Edition

PROS

Better screen
Expandable storage
Bigger battery
Awesome hardware
Best camera

CONS

Expensive

Oppo Find X Lamborghini Edition

PROS

Borderless design with slider
Amazing hardware
Very fast charging
Good build quality

CONS

Expensive

Realme reveals update schedule, confirms Android Pie-based ColorOS 6 coming next year

By

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Dec 15, 2018

Having an effective communication channel with your customers is a great step towards success and Realme seems to have embraced that culture. Yesterday, the manufacturer released a post detailing its update schedule, mainly for the month of December but also for what is to come in 2019.

Below are the devices getting updates this month along with the changelog and when they will get them:

Device	Changelog	Time
Realme 1	AI Beauty + Vivid Mode together Photographer Watermark *Security Patch	End of December
Realme 2 and Realme C1	*ColorOS 5.2	End of December
Realme 2 Pro	Fix for notification blinking issue with developer mode. Slow motion. *Security Patch	End of December
Realme U1	Fix for notification blinking issue with developer mode. Security Patch.	January

I am sure Realme 2 and Realme C1 owners are pretty excited to know ColorOS 5.2 is coming this month. The update already arrived on the Realme 1 a few weeks ago.

Realme says the exact dates for the updates have not been determined. There is also a chance that the OTA update won’t arrive on some devices until January since it will be a gradual roll-out.

OnePlus explains Warp Charge 30, will work with your old OnePlus cable

By

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Dec 15, 2018

One of the top features of the OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition is its Warp Charge 30 fast-charging technology. While OnePlus hasn’t officially said it yet, this is definitely the successor to Fast Charge, formerly known as Dash Charge. OnePlus released a post on its forums explaining how Warp Charge 30 works and some other important details.

The name, Warp Charge is formed from a combination of its power rating (30 Watts) and the word “Warp” which is used to describe an insanely fast speed in sci-fi space movies. Warp Charge is OnePlus’s fastest charging-technology so far as it can provide up to a day’s power by charging for just 20 minutes.

Like Fast Charge, the phone (OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition) doesn’t heat up when you charge the phone using Warp Charge. This is because a large part of the power management that heats up is transferred to the wall adapter itself instead of the phone. Also, charging while gaming is equally fast too. Below are charts that show Warp Charge 30 in comparison against Adaptive Fast Charge of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and USB PD of the Google Pixel 3 XL.

[envira-gallery id=”227892″]

If you are wondering why the regular OnePlus 6T doesn’t support Warp Charge, OnePlus says it is because they had to alter the safety mechanisms of the battery assembly in the McLaren Edition to support the additional increase in power. They also had to upgrade the components of the battery’s protection structure and added an 8-layer protection board to the battery to provide more efficient cooling.