Xiaomi and TCL enter strategic cooperation for smart products

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Jan 7, 2019

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.

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.

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]

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Get 17% Off On Ticwatch PRO Smartwatch

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Jan 7, 2019

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!

Get 38% Off On Huawei Honor Band 4 Smart Bracelet

Check Out GeekBuying CES 2019 Sale

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

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jan 7, 2019

In the previous week, Honor had confirmed that it will be launching the Honor 8A on Jan. 8 in China. The Chinese manufacturer has already made the smartphone by listing the smartphone with all its specifications on Vmallv. The smartphone is equipped with a waterdrop notch. After the Xiaomi Mi Play smartphone that was announced in December 2018, the Honor 8A is the second smartphone to be fueled by MediaTek Helio P35 chipset.

Honor 8A Specifications and Features

The Honor 8A measures 156.28 x 73.5 x 8mm and it weighs 150 grams. The smartphone sports polycarbonate body along with a metal frame. The entry-level smartphone from Honor houses a 6.09-inch waterdrop notch screen which supports HD+ resolution of 720 x 1560 pixels.

The 12nm Helio P35 chipset works at 2.3 GHz and it is assisted by 3 GB of RAM. The handset can be availed in 32 GB and 64 GB storage models. It is equipped with a microSD card slot for additional storage. There is a 3,020mAh battery. The smartphone carries support for 5V/1A charging.

The backside of the Honor 8A is fitted with an f/1.8 aperture 13-megapixel rear camera. It comes with features like LED flash and autofocus. Sitting at the front is a fixed focus 8-megapixel camera with f/2.0 aperture. Other connectivity features that are included on the Honor 8A are dual-SIM support, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, microUSB 2.0 and 3.5mm audio jack. The predecessor Honor 7A smartphone came with dual rear cameras and a fingerprint scanner. These features are not available on the Honor 8A phone.

Honor 8A Price and Release Date

The 32 GB and 64 GB storage editions of the Honor 8A are respectively priced at 799 Yuan. The price tag of the 64 GB variant is yet to revealed. The handset can be bought in colors like Magic Night Black, Aurora Blue and Platinum Gold. The shipments of the Honor 8A will begin on Jan. 8.

Lithium-ion based Flexible batteries from Jenax should allow for Compact Wearables

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Jan 7, 2019

South Korea-based technology company Jenax has announced J.Flex — a flexible battery, which the company claims is first of its kind in the segment. The battery, which will be showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2019, appears to be a step forward in changing the way that wearable medical devices are designed and used.

The J.Flex battery was first debuted at CES 2015 which created a buzz around its ability to power consumer wearable technology. The idea was that the flexible battery could be built into the lining of clothes and backpacks without ending up with a bulky solid battery pack getting in the way. The batteries can be twisted or folded without affecting its functionality.

During CES 2019, on 9th January, the company will be showcasing its J.Fled system at the Digital Health Summit. It is a first-generation of the company’s solution that has been specifically designed for medical devices. However, it’s also suitable for consumer electronics such as smartwatches.

Like most other cutting-edge technologies, there’s a catch with this one as well. Currently, the capacity of the J.Flex battery is the biggest drawback, with each unit having a capacity of just around 30mAh, which is roughly 20 percent of a standard button cell.

Read More: OPPO’s 10x hybrid optical zoom camera technology could be displayed at MWC 2019

The company’s presence at CES 2019 will also involve showcasing speakers from Philips, Abbott, and Johnson & Johnson, all of whom are presently investing significant resources in the digital health space. However, there are no guarantees that those companies will be embracing the J.Flex on a significant scale moving forward.

For more CES 2019 coverage, check out this link.

Get 60% Off On Action Cameras And Other YI-Branded Products; Get Big Coupons And Discounts On AliExpress

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Get Yi Branded Products At Incredible Prices

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Jan 7, 2019

An action camera is a great choice for an adventure junky who fancies reliving his/her adventurous outdoor activities and other unforgettable moments.

While there’s no dearth of feature-laden action cameras offering full-HD to 4K output in the market today, these gadgets aren’t always easy on the pocketbook. Moreover, choosing the right action camera can prove to be a tricky task.

In a bid to simplify and expedite this arduous chore of selecting the right action camera, AliExpress has teamed-up with YI, the Chinese company known for offering unparalleled, intelligent video, imaging as well as computer vision technologies. Moreover, there will be a whopping 60 percent off available on all Yi-branded action cameras as part of AliExpress’ Featured Brands promotion sale, which kicks off shortly.

The aforesaid promo features the YI 4K Plus, YI 4K. YI MI mirrorless digital camera, YI mirror dash camera, YI 1080p dome camera along with a wide selection of well-received action cameras that you can buy at incredible prices. For instance, the YI 4K Plus action camera usually sells for $399.98, but you can now buy it for just $159.99 on AliExpress.
In addition to that, you can save a considerable amount of extra money simply by using specific coupons at checkout. You can get an extra $3 off if your order value exceeds $3.01 and you can save $10 more provided your grand total is $229 or more.

As if that weren’t enough, AliExpress is offering its users a chance to get a $20 off coupon if they are willing to shell out just $1. However, the aforesaid coupon will only be valid for users whose order value is of $199 or more. This coupon will only be valid for the first 500 pieces and will expire on January 6th. There’s more for you to cheer about.

The Chinese online retail service is also giving buyers a chance to get 10% off on any two items shown under the ‘Buy 2 get 10% OFF’ section of the promo. The category features the well-received international edition of the YI 4K action camera along with YI Lite action camera, the Dome Camera YI and the Dome Camera YI 1080.

Aside from that, you can get noteworthy discounts on the YI 360 VR camera, YI smart dash camera, YI Discovery action camera, YI Lite action, YI outdoor camera, and YI Dome camera 720p. The promo is slated to end soon and the coupons will also be associated with expiry dates so it is imperative that you can head straight to this link to use them without wasting time.

Xiaomi’s Poco F1 gets two new skins in India — Matte Yellow and Matrix Black

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Jan 7, 2019

Last year, Xiaomi launched a new brand named Pocophone (aka Poco in India) and the first smartphone under that brand — Poco F1 aiming to take on the ‘premium affordable’ segment in emerging markets.

Now, the company has launched two new skins for the same smartphone which comes in Matte Yellow and Matrix Black colors. Both skins are available for purchase for Rs. 299 through online marketplace Flipkart and Mi.com.

Prior to the launch of these two new skins, the company was already selling four skins for Poco F1 in India — Ebony Wood, Black Sandstone, Dark Camo, and Black Leather.

Additionally, the company has revealed in its forum that it is still working on offering Widevine L1 support. Previously, the company had faced criticism due to the lack of Widevine L1 support which prevents users from streaming HD content on the phone.

While Xiaomi has said that it’s still working on solving that issue, it has not provided any specific timeline for this fix. Previously, the Chinese company had promised to offer the Widevine L1 support by the end of 2018.

The Poco F1 features a 6.18-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD display which is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass. The phone is powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 845 processor and comes with LiquidCool technology.

It has 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 AI 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 MIUI based on Android 8.1 Oreo and is powered by a 4,000mAh battery that supports Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging.

(Source)

Buy DOOGEE-Branded Smartphones And Other Useful Items For Unbeatable Prices On DX

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Check Out
DOOGEE Phone Carnival

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Jan 7, 2019

If you have explored the mobile phone market looking for a cost-effective handset that boasts an impressive array of features, DOOGEE might sound like a familiar name.

As part of its recently kicked-off promotion, DX (dealextreme.com) has teamed-up with DOOGEE to offer a wide selection of smartphone from the popular Spanish brand for as low as $59.99. Dubbed as ‘DOOGEE Phone Carnival,’ the promo has been split into multiple categories in a bid to expedite the search process.

Aside from a slew of other heavily discounted smartphones, the ‘DOOGEE Top Sellers’ category features the well-received DOOGEE X50, which was launched last year in March. The phone ships with 1GB of RAM and offers 8GB of internal storage capacity for you to save your favorite content.

Much to the delight of cost-conscious buyers who usually refrain from spending a fortune on a top-branded smartphone, the X50 can be yours for an unbeatable price of just $59.99. As if that weren’t enough, you can choose from black, blue and gold color versions.
A slew of recently launched smartphones from DOOGEE has been added to the next section called, ‘DOOGEE New Arrivals.’ Here you can find the S80, S80 Lite, S70, S70 Lite and various other smartphones carrying affordable price tags.

For example, the 4GB RAM, 64GB ROM model of the DOOGEE S80 Lite can now be yours if you are willing to shell out just $279.99 on DX. It is worth noting that a top-branded smartphone offering comparable memory capacity would normally cost you a bomb.

If you fancy accessorizing your handset without emptying your pocket, you can head straight to the ‘Top Phone Accessories’ section. This category is brimming with all sorts of useful, yet low-priced gadgets that can help you boost your phone’s performance or simply enhance its overall appearance.

In addition to DOOGEE-branded smartphones, the promo features a myriad of other products that have been placed under different categories like Top Consumer Electronics, Top Home & Office, Top Electrical & Tools, Top Automobiles & Motorcycles and Top Hobbies & Toys.

You can click here to visit the promotion page and check out all the reasonably-priced products available in the aforesaid categories. Moreover, you can sort the items on the basis of their popularity and other criteria like free shipping.

Get Big Discounts On Top Brands, Cool Coupons And Unmissable Deals On GearBest

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Check Out CES 2019 Consumer Electronic Show Innovation and Technology 2019 Deals

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Jan 7, 2019

Showcasing over 4,500 exhibiting companies, this year’s CES kicked off on Sunday, January 6th. Keeping in line with that, GearBest has launched its latest promotion called ‘CES 2019 Consumer Electronic Show Innovation and Technology 2019 Deals.’

Top brands like Alfawise, Utorch, Excelva, and Inlife are gracing the promotion. Aside from that, the Chinese online electronics store will be offering big coupons in the ‘Cool Coupons’ sections and another unmissable deal in the ‘S Days Arrival’ category.

The ‘Alfawise’ section features the Alfawise U20 Large Scale 2.8 inch Touch Screen DIY 3D Printer, Alfawise S60 Window Cleaner Cleaning Robot and the Y1 696 Bluetooth Sports Smartwatch along with a slew of other products from the popular household solutions provider.

More importantly, all items included under the aforesaid section are up for grabs bearing dropped price tags. For instance, the Alfawise Y1 696 smartwatch would normally set you back a pretty penny, but you can now buy it for just $12.89 on GearBest. This is a 1 percent drop in the device’s original asking price of $12.99.

All items included in the ‘Gocomma’ section carry heavily discounted price tags. This section features the 168 in 1 Nostalgic handheld game console, the Gocomma Wireless Smart WiFi IP Camera and various other products that you can now buy without emptying your pocket.

Likewise, GearBest will be doling out noteworthy discounts on the original selling prices of well-received products from the rest of the brands that include Excelvan, Floureon, Diggro, Fenther, Langria, iHaper, Inlife, and Suaoki. The ‘5 Days Arrival’ section is where you can find the EKEN Alfawise V50 Pro action camera, Utorch 96 LEDs LED Solar Waterproof Flickering Flame and a myriad of other items from the above-mentioned brands.

If you fancy saving a considerable amount of extra money on your favorite brand without breaking a sweat, you can head straight to the ‘Cool Coupons’ section. Each item added to this section not only carry considerably reduced price tags but are also associated with specific coupons that you can use to get extra discounts.

For example, the Utorch S08 6 LEDs night light is currently available for a dropped price of $3.49, under this category. You can extend this 23 percent reduction in the device’s retail price of $4.51 simply by applying coupon code QY1JQ986298F8 at the time of checking out to reduce the retail price to just $1.99.

On the downside, the coupons are slated to expire in a short time. You can click here to visit the promotion page and take full advantage of the discounts and avail these great deals without wasting time.

Check Out GearBest’s CES 2019 Promotion

First render of the iPhone XI shows Apple will join the triple camera bandwagon this year

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Jan 6, 2019

The 2018 iPhones are still fresh and won’t get successors until about 9 months from now. However, that doesn’t mean work (at least the design stage) hasn’t already started on the successors. If you are eager to know what the next iPhone or the iPhone XI may look like, then this new leak should interest you.

OnLeaks has shared a render that gives us our very first look at Apple‘s next smartphone – the iPhone XI 2019. The image shows only the rear of the device but it is a big reveal nonetheless.

Back from September 2019, I bring you the very 1st and very early glimpse at which I guess #Apple will unveil as #iPhoneXI!!! Yes, time has already come to meet the new #iPhone through gorgeous 5K renders made on behalf of new coming Partner @digitindia -> https://t.co/b6SxFUS2tx pic.twitter.com/97jrlTHQ5G

— Steve H.McFly (@OnLeaks) January 6, 2019

Based on the image, we see the iPhone XI 2019 will come with three rear cameras. The cameras and LED flash are arranged in a squircle positioned in the top left corner of the phone. The arrangement of the cameras and the LED flash is a bit odd thanks to the microphone which has also been squeezed into the setup.

Leaked Galaxy M30 specs reveal it will come with three rear cameras

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Jan 6, 2019

The Galaxy M30 is one of the three new Galaxy M-series smartphones set for release soon. Some of the specs of the device have surfaced online and it includes some key details.

The Galaxy M30 will come with a 6.38-inch display with a 2220 x 1080 resolution and according to rumors, it will rock an Infinity-U display which is Samsung‘s version of the water-drop notch.

The notch of the Galaxy M30 will house a 16MP for selfies while three cameras will grace its back. The primary rear camera is a 16MP sensor and it is paired with two 5MP sensors.

The source says the phone will have a massive 5,000mAh battery. A large battery capacity should help this device sell in the markets it is headed to. The phone will measure 159 x 75.1 mm and have a thickness of 8.4mm thanks to the big battery.

The phone already appeared on Geekbench a few weeks ago and we know it will be powered by the Exynos 7885 paired with 4GB of RAM. It will also run Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box.

Honor Play 8A vs Huawei Y7 Pro (2019) vs Xiaomi Mi Play: Specs Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

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Jan 6, 2019

Affordable smartphones are slowly letting Chinese companies dominate the smartphones market. Among these companies, Xiaomi and Huawei are definitely the ones which had the biggest success thanks to their devices in the affordable segment. The latest ones are, in order of release, the Honor Play 8A, the Huawei Y7 Pro 2019 and the Xiaomi Mi Play. Each of these devices carries a price tag under €200, but which one is the best buy of the moment? With this comparison, we will try to clear your ideas.

Honor Play 8A vs Huawei Y7 Pro (2019) vs Xiaomi Mi Play

	Honor Play 8A	Huawei Y7 Pro 2019	Xiaomi Mi Play
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	156.28 x 73.5 x 8 mm, 150 grams	158.92 x 76.91 x 8.1 mm, 168 grams	147.76 x 71.89 x 7.8 mm, 150 grams
DISPLAY	6.09 inches, 720 x 1560p (HD+), 290 ppi, IPS LCD	6.26 inches, 720 x 1520p (HD+), 269 ppi, IPS LCD	5.84 inches, 1080 x 2280p (HD+), 432 ppi, IPS LCD
PROCESSOR	MediaTek Helio P35, octa-core 2.3 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 450, octa-core 1.8 GHz	MediaTek Helio P35, octa-core 2.3 GHz
MEMORY	3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 3 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD slot	3 GB RAM, 32 GB – micro SD slot	4 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD slot
SOFTWARE	Android 9 Pie, EMUI	Android 9 Pie, EMUI	Android 8.1 Oreo, MIUI
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS
CAMERA	13 MP f/1.8 8 MP f/2.0 front camera	Dual 13 + 2 MP f/2.2 16 MP front camera	Dual 12 +2 MP 8 MP front camera
BATTERY	3000 mAh	4000 mAh	3000 mAh
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Hybrid Dual SIM slot	Hybrid Dual SIM slot	Hybrid Dual SIM slot

Design

Thanks to its waterdrop notch, its glass back and the gradient color variants you can choose, Xiaomi Mi Play looks like the most attractive device when it comes to aesthetics. Despite they look like glass phones, Honor Play 8A and Huawei Y7 Pro 2019 have a plastic back as the company decided to cut costs by using cheaper materials. But Honor Play 8A has a metal frame which makes its build quality more solid. However, thanks to the glass back Xiaomi Mi Play is definitely more beautiful, and it is not even the most expensive device.

Display

Besides having great aesthetics, Xiaomi Mi Play also offers the best display. What makes it better than the competition is the Full HD+ resolution as both Honor Play 8A and Huawei Y7 Pro 2019 come with a lower HD+ resolution. This allows the battery to last more, but the level of detail of the displays is disappointing. However, note that Xiaomi Mi Play has the smallest display with a diagonal of just 5.84 inches and the 19:9 aspect ratio, while Huawei Y7 Pro has the biggest one with 6.26 inches. The smaller display also makes Xiaomi Mi Play more compact and pocket-friendly.

Specs & Software

Even though it has a higher price tag, Huawei decided to equip the Y7 Pro 2019 with a lower-end processor: the Snapdragon 450 by Qualcomm. Xiaomi Mi Play and Honor Play 8A come with a better Helio P35 by MediaTek which can be compared to the Snapdragon 632 by Qualcomm. Between Xiaomi Mi Play and Honor Play 8A I would choose the former because it has 4 GB of RAM making the difference in multi-tasking, while Honor Play 8A offers max 3 GB. While Huawei Y7 Pro 2019 has Android Oreo out of the box, the others come with Android Pie pre-installed.

Camera

Huawei Y7 Pro 2019 is evidently inferior if we talk about performance, but it is the best camera phone of the trio. It is equipped with a rear dual camera offering a 13 MP resolution, a bright f/1.8 aperture which allows capturing a good amount of light in every scenario and a second depth sensor. Further, it has a 16 MP front camera that is excellent if we consider that we are talking about devices with entry-level prices. Honor Play 8A has just a single camera, but on the paper, it seems better than Xiaomi Mi Play. And it is the same for the front camera offering a higher resolution. However, we can not assume it until we personally tested all the cameras.

Battery

Besides the price, Huawei Y7 Pro 2019 has an important added value which makes many users buy midrange phones instead of the most powerful flagships. We are talking about its huge battery: 4000 mAh powering a device with a very efficient HD+ display and a Snapdragon 450 chipset are the paradise. This device is able to last up to two days with intensive uses on a single charge. At the second place, there is Honor Play 8A: even if it has just 20 mAh more than Xiaomi Mi Play, it should last a lot more because of its more efficient display.

Price

With its $119-129/€104-113 price tag in China, Honor Play 8A is a real value for money device, but it is not the winner of this comparison. I would personally choose Huawei Y7 Pro 2019, even though it costs €180/$205, because of its bigger battery and very nice cameras for the price. Xiaomi Mi Play is available at about €170/$193 in China and it is a good compromise if you prefer a good design and display, as well as the highest performance.

Read More: Xiaomi Mi Play goes on sale in China today, priced at 1,099 Yuan ($160)

Honor Play 8A vs Huawei Y7 Pro 2019 vs Xiaomi Mi Play: PROs and CONS

Huawei Y7 Pro 2019

PROs

Bigger battery
Beautiful design
Better cameras
Affordable

CONS

Lower-end hardware

Xiaomi Mi Play

PROs

Compact and lightweight
Good design
Android Pie
Better hardware

CONS

Average cameras

Honor Play 8A

PROs

Very affordable
Good cameras
Nice hardware
Android Pie
Fast charging

CONS

Nothing particular

TCL to announce a new Alcatel phone and new display technologies at CES 2019

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Jan 6, 2019

China’s TCL has revealed that we will get to see a new Alcatel-branded smartphone get unveiled at CES 2019. The manufacturer also revealed we will see some new display technologies at the event.

The phone’s name wasn’t revealed and TCL also kept a tight lip on its specs but it did say it will have a Full View Display. Alcatel hasn’t released a phone with the trending water-drop notch, so there is a chance the phone may come with that.

Apart from a new phone, TCL also revealed we will see some new smartphone display technologies one of which is its edge-to-edge dot displays.

The displays will be designed and manufactured by China Star Optoelectronics Technology (CSOT) a TCL-owned company best known for manufacturing TCL-branded TVs which are quite popular. Samsung Display also has a stake in the company.

Honor View 20 India launch scheduled on 29th January, will be sold exclusively on Amazon

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Jan 6, 2019

Honor has been teasing the launch of its Honor View 20 smartphone in India since the past few weeks. Now, the company has confirmed that the phone will be launched in India on 29th January and has sent out ‘Save The Date’ invites. The smartphone has already been confirmed to be sold exclusively through Amazon.

The Honor View 20 is the international variant of the Honor V20 launched in China last month. The global launch of Honor View 20 is scheduled to take place on 22nd January at an event in Paris, France and just a week after that, the phone will go official in India.

Since the Honor View 20 is just a rebranded model of the Honor V20, it will come with the same specifications. It features a 6.4-inch IPS LCD screen that supports 2310 x 1080 pixels Full HD+ screen resolution. It offers 91.82 percent screen-to-body ratio and 382ppi pixel density.

Under the hood, the device is powered by 7nm Kirin 980 octa-core chipset, along with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB internal storage. It comes with a unique horizontal arrangement for its dual camera setup which includes Sony IMX586 48-megapixel primary sensor and a 3D ToF (Time of Flight) stereo lens. At the front, there’s an AI-powered 25-megapixel snapper.

Running on Android Pie-based Magic UI 2.0, the phone features GPU Turbo technology for accelerated performance. The Chinese manufacturer claims that the GPU performance is 20 times better than other mainstream smartphones.

For accurate GPU positioning, it packs dual-band GPS technology. There’s also the Link Turbo technology that aggregates LTE and Wi-Fi connections offering uninterrupted internet connectivity. Other connectivity options include dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC and USB-C. The 4,000mAh battery in the smartphone comes equipped with support for 4.5V/5A rapid charging.

In China, the smartphone is available in Magic Night Black, Charm Blue Sear, and Charm Red colors. As for the pricing, the 6GB RAM model is priced at 2,999 Yuan (approximately $435) while the 8GB RAM model costs 3,499 Yuan, roughly $505.

As for the phone’s availability in the Indian market, it is expected to go on sale soon after its official announcement through Amazon.in. The Honor View 20 is expected to be priced under Rs. 40,000 (approx. $575) and will compete against the likes of OnePlus 6T.

Honor 10 Lite to reportedly launch in India later this month

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Jan 6, 2019

A couple of months ago, in November, Huawei’s sub-brand Honor launched its Honor 10 Lite smartphone as a watered-down variant of the Honor 10 launched earlier last year and successor to the Honor 9 Lite. Now, the phone is all set to make its debut in India.

According to the reports, the Honor 10 Lite will be launched in the Indian market later this month. While the launch date is not yet known, it is speculated to launch in mid-January.

In China, the Honor 10 Lite is priced at 1,399 Yuan (~$202) for the base model with 4GB RAM + 64GB storage while the 6GB RAM + 64GB storage model costs 1,699 Yuan (~$245). The top-end model of the phone which packs 6GB RAM + 128GB storage is available is priced at 1,899 Yuan (approximately $274).

While the Indian pricing is not yet known, we expect it to be similar to that of the Chinese pricing. Also, it’s not known if the company plans to bring all variants to the Indian market. Currently, the smartphone comes in five color options — Gradient Blue, Gradient Red, Lily Valley White, and Magic Night Black.

The Honor 10 Lite features a 6.21-inch IPS LCD Full HD+ display with screen resolution of 2280 x 1080 pixels and 19:9 aspect ratio and about 90 percent screen-to-body ratio. Under the hood, the device is powered by the company’s own Kirin 710 chipset.

It comes in either 4GB or 6GB RAM, along with 64GB or 128GB internal storage. There’s also a microSD card slot which enables you to further expand the phone’s storage capacity. It also features a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor for added protection.

For photography, the device comes equipped with a dual camera setup on the back, featuring a 13-megapixel primary sensor and a 2-megapixel secondary sensor stacked vertically. There’s also a 24-megapixel front camera with artificial intelligence technology.

Connectivity options on the device include Dual SIM, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, Bluetooth v5.0 LE, and micro-USB 2.0 port. The phone runs Android 9 Pie operating system out of the box with the company’s own custom interface EMUI 9 on top.

Additionally, it also comes with GPU Turbo technology that enhances GPU performance significantly by increasing graphics processing efficiency up to 60 percent. The device is powered by a 3,400mAh battery which should be enough to last a whole day on a single charge.

OnePlus 3 & OnePlus 3T spotted running Android Pie on Geekbench

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Updated Jan 6, 2019

When OnePlus announced that it would update the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T to Android Pie, it came as a big surprise. Both phones launched with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, got an update to Android Nougat and then Android Oreo. Most Android manufacturers only stop at two major OS updates which explains why the OnePlus 3/3T getting Pie is a big deal.

The Android Pie update may be hitting both devices soon as models running the latest version of Android have been spotted on Geekbench. The OnePlus 3 was benchmarked a few days ago (January 3) but the Android Pie-running OnePlus 3T was benchmarked on December 27.

At the moment, the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T run OxygenOS 5.0.8 which is based on Android 8.0 Oreo. OnePlus canceled the update to Android 8.1 Oreo in favor of the update to Pie. The update to Pie should also bring a new security patch when it begins to roll out.

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Nokia 2V specs seen online; is a rebranded Nokia 2.1 for Verizon

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Jan 5, 2019

Verizon Wireless may soon announce a “new” Nokia phone for its prepaid customers. The phone is the Nokia 2V but it is actually a rebranded Nokia 2.1 for the US carrier. The specs of the phone have surfaced online ahead of its official release.

The Nokia 2V has a 5.5-inch 1280 x 720 display. It is powered by the Snapdragon 425 processor and paired with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of expandable storage. Don’t fret, the Nokia 2V, just like the Nokia 2.1, is an Android Go phone. It runs Android 8.1 Oreo (Go Edition) which is designed to work with low specs.

There is a single 8MP camera on the rear of the phone and a 5MP sensor in front for selfies. There is no fingerprint scanner or Face Unlock, so you will have to make do with a pattern, password or PIN for security. The Nokia 2V packs a 4,000mAh battery, a MicroUSB port with OTG support, Bluetooth 4.2, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

There is no info on when it will launch but that shouldn’t be far off seeing as its specs have appeared online.

(As suspected, this will indeed be sold prepaid, as the Nokia 2V.)

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) October 16, 2018

Get Xiaomi Mi Play on GearBest

Xiaomi Mi Play vs Redmi Note 6 Pro vs Mi A2 Lite: Specs Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

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Updated Jan 7, 2019

A lot of people consider Xiaomi the best budget phones manufacturer. The company mainly focuses on budget devices and they made it enter the top 5 world’s best smartphones brands alongside Samsung, Apple, and Huawei. The Chinese company released a lot of handsets with a very affordable price tag which became best-sellers in their segment. In this comparison, we will focus on the latest ones launched with prices under €200: Xiaomi Mi Play, Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro and Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite. They offer similar specs and performance, but each of them has different pro and cons. With this comparison, we will help you find out which is the best for you.

Xiaomi Mi Play vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro vs Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite

	Xiaomi Mi Play	Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro	Xiaomi Mi A2
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	147.8 x 71.9 x 7.8 mm, 150 grams	157.9 x 76.4 x 8.3 mm, 182 grams	149.3 x 71.7 x 8.8 mm, 178 grams
DISPLAY	5.84 inches, 1080 x 2280p (Full HD+), 19:9 ratio, 432 ppi, IPS LCD	6.26 inches, 1080 x 2280p (Full HD+), 403 ppi, 19:9 ratio, IPS LCD	5.84 inches, 1080 x 2280 pixels, 432 ppi, 19:9 ratio, IPS LCD
PROCESSOR	MediaTek Helio P35, octa-core 2.3 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, octa-core 1.8 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, octa-core 2 GHz
MEMORY	4 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD slot	3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 64 GB, micro SD slot	3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD dedicated slot
SOFTWARE	Android 9 Pie, MIUI	Android 8.1 Oreo, MIUI	Android 8.1 Oreo, Android One
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS
CAMERA	Dual 12 MP + depth sensor f/2.2 8 MP front camera	Dual 12 + 5 MP f/1.9 and f/2.2 Dual 20 and 2 MP f/2.0 and f/2.2 front camera	Dual 12 + 5 MP f/2.2 and f/2.2 5 MP f/2.0 front camera
BATTERY	3000 mAh	4000 mAh	4000 mAh
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Hybrid Dual SIM slot	Hybrid Dual SIM slot	Dual SIM slot

Design

The design is one of the key elements of Xiaomi Mi Play. It is very hard to find a device in its price range which is as beautiful as this one. It comes with a stunning glass back and it is also the first Xiaomi phone to come with a waterdrop notch. Further, it is a compact phone and it is also very lightweight with just 150 grams. It has even a thin body with just 7.8 mm thickness. Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro and Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite are classic devices with a full metal unibody design, with the latter being more compact. You can find a lot of devices with similar aesthetics and their price tags, so Xiaomi Mi Play wins the comparison.

Display

Classic IPS panels with marginal differences, so, in terms of viewing quality, we consider it a draw. The real aspect that you should consider is the size of these displays: if you want a phablet suitable for productivity and multimedia, then you should go for the Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro and its 6.26-inch screen. But if you prefer compact devices that fit in a pocket and are easy to use with one hand, then the other twos are better. Xiaomi Mi Play has a smaller notch, so I would prefer it to the Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite.

Specs & Software

Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro is the device which can provide the best performances because it is equipped with a more powerful chipset: the Snapdragon 636 by Qualcomm running at a max frequency of 1.8 GHz. Further, it is the only to come with up to 6 GB of RAM in the most expensive variant. The second place goes to Xiaomi Mi Play: the first smartphone to pack the new Helio P35 SoC by MediaTek, which is on par with the Snapdragon 632. Further, it is the only to come with Android Pie out of the box, but Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite has Android One, the stock version of the operating system which will be constantly supported by Google.

Camera

Besides being the fastest phone, Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro is also the best camera phone for both rear and front cameras. On the rear, it features a bright aperture and it can adapt better to every light condition, while on the front it has a dual selfie camera with a high resolution and a useful depth sensor. Xiaomi Mi Play comes right after with its sufficient rear cameras and a better front camera than Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite, but the differences between the Mi Play and Mi A2 Lite in terms of photo quality are minimal.

Battery

Xiaomi Mi Play has an average 3000 mAh battery, so it is excluded from the battery comparison because it cannot compete with its internal concurrence. Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro and Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite both have a huge 4000 mAh battery and they are among the best battery phones out there. Even though the battery capacity is the same, Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite is able to provide a longer battery life because it has a smaller display paired with a very efficient SoC: the Snapdragon 625 which has a very low energy consumption. And it has a stock operative system with no bloatware or customizations that could impact on battery life.

Read More: Xiaomi Mi Play goes on sale in China today, priced at 1,099 Yuan ($160)

Price

Even though they are three devices from the same company, you can find these smartphones at similar prices. Xiaomi Mi Play just debuted in China with a $160 price tag, while Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro is already available in the global market with a price tag ranging from €180 to €200. At last, Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite with Android One can be found at about €160 thanks to online street prices. This handset is known as the Redmi 6 Pro in China, but in this country it comes with the MIUI instead of Android One.

Xiaomi Mi Play vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro vs Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite: PROs and CONS

Xiaomi Mi Play

PROs

Better design
Affordable price
Compact
Android Pie out of the box

CONS

Smaller battery

Xiaomi Redmi Note 6 Pro

PROs

Wide display
Big battery
Better cameras
Higher performance

CONS

Worse design

Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite

PROs

Android One
Big battery
Micro SD dedicated slot
Compact design

CONS

Lower-end chipset

Get Redmi Note 6 Pro on GearBest

Get Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite on GearBest

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

By

Michele Ingelido

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Jan 5, 2019

If you got a recent Meizu device and want to try the very latest version of its operating system, you will be glad to know that the company has just launched the beta version of the Flyme 7.2. The download will soon be available to users who enrolled in the beta testing phase, but it is not the best version for everyday use. Meizu also confirmed the set of devices which will be soon updated to the new firmware.

The beta will be officially available starting from January 8 for the latest flagships Meizu 16 and 16 Plus as well as the affordable variant 16X. The Pro 6s and the X8 will instead get the update starting from January 15. In order to receive the update, users can adhere to the beta testing phase from January 4 to January 8. Currently, Flyme 7.2 is being internally tested by the development team and it contains several improvements for the phones which will get it.

Read More: Get Meizu 16 And 16 Plus Smartphones For Unbeatable Prices On Giztop

There will be a new screen to quickly wake up the AI-backed virtual assistant as well as a new driving mode in order to avoid distraction while driving. Voice Assistant has been improved as well. At last, there are important optimizations in performance and power consumption.

Huawei P30 360° renders show the phone will have three rear cameras and a dewdrop notch

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Jan 5, 2019

Huawei’s Pro devices usually get take the shine away from the non-pro models but that isn’t too say the non-pro models aren’t great. Renders of the Huawei P30 have been posted online and it reveals the Huawei P20‘s successor will be coming with a number of key new features.

The renders are courtesy of OnLeaks and include a video that shows the phone from all angles.

The Huawei P30 has a bigger display said to be about 6.0 inches in size. It still has a notch but it is a dewdrop notch like that of the Mate 20. The resolution is put at FHD+. The P30 Pro doesn’t have a front-mounted fingerprint scanner like the P20. There also isn’t one on the back which means it will come with an in-display fingerprint scanner.

The rear of the phone is covered in glass with a gradient color design. Arranged vertically is a triple camera setup with a dual LED flash below the sensors. The camera housing is raised and there is Huawei’s branding at the bottom.

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The Huawei P30 has a type-C port flanked on the left by a 3.5mm audio jack and on the right by a speaker grille. It also has the volume rocker and a bright red power button on the right side of the frame.