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Samsung Galaxy A8s price tag of 2,999 Yuan (~$435) confirmed for China

Samsung Galaxy A8s is the company’s phone to feature the all new Infinity-O display. On Dec. 10, the day when the smartphone was announced in China, the South Korean company had also begun its reservations. However, the pricing of the phone was kept under the wraps. Starting from today, Chinese retailer Jingdong Mall is receiving the pre-orders of the Galaxy A8s. The handset is listed with a competitive price of 2,999 Yuan on the retailer site. The shipments of the smartphone are scheduled to kick off from Dec. 31.

The Samsung Galaxy A8s is listed in three color option such as Elf Blue, Aurora Black and Allen Silver on JD.com. The 2,299 Yuan price tag belongs to the base variant that has 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. The pricing of the higher model featuring 8 GB RAM and 128 GB storage is not available yet.

The Galaxy A8s features a 6.4-inch IPS LCD screen. The Infinity-O display design on the smartphone allows the smartphone to deliver a high screen-to-body ratio since it features a small hole for the 24-megapixel front-facing camera at the top-left corner.

The Snapdragon 710 mobile platform drives the smartphone. It comes preinstalled with Android 9 Pie OS. The other salient feature of the Galaxy A8s is that it features a triple camera unit on its rear. It includes 24-megapixel, 10-megapixel and 5-megapixel camera sensors. It houses a 3,400mAh battery. The back panel of the phone features a fingerprint reader. For more storage, it is equipped with a microSD card slot.

Galaxy A8s all colors

Read More: Huawei Nova 4 vs Samsung Galaxy A8s: Specs Comparison

One of the major rivals of the Galaxy A8s is the Huawei Nova 4 that was unveiled a week after the Samsung phone. It also features the same display design and comes in two models. The standard version that is priced at 3099 Yuan (~$450) has 16-megapixel + 20-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera system while the higher model that carries a price tag of 3,399 Yuan (~$494) features 16-megapixel + 48-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera unit. Both models have 8 GB of RAM, Kirin 970 chipset and 3,750mAh battery. The Galaxy A8s and Nova 4 are expected to release in the intentional markets in the coming months.

(source)

Pre-Order The Zeblaze Thor 4 Dual Smart Watch And Get A Chance To Win Free Gifts On Banggood

If you have restlessly been waiting to get your tech greedy hands on a top-branded smartwatch that won’t burn a hole in your pocket, you have come to the right place.

As part of its recently kicked-off promo, Banggood has teamed up with Zeblaze to offer a wide selection of well-received smartwatches for unbeatable prices. Aside from that, the Chinese online store that guarantees the best bang for your buck is also giving its users a chance to win a free order.

The event has been split into three stages. The first stage kicked off on December 20th and it comprises an unmissable deal wherein those who buy newly released smartwatch on the promo page can get one free gift.

The next stage is slated to start on December 24th and it features a $0.1 snap-up. The third and last stage that begins on December 28th and it will offer buyers an opportunity to win free orders on the first fifty pieces.
The ‘$0.1 Snap-Up’ section features the well-received Thor 4 Dual smartwatch. The first four lucky buyers will be eligible to get the feature-rich Arch Plus smartwatch as a free gift with their order. Note that the Thor 4 usually sells for $129.99, but you can get it for just $0.10 once the snap-up deal kicks off.

The ‘Surprise Countdown’ category comprises the Zeblaze Thor 4, the world’s first 4G watch phone to house a dual-camera setup. Aside from taking advantage of the 54% discount currently available on the watch retail price, you can use coupon code 4dual10 to save a considerable amount of extra money at checkout.

As if that weren’t enough, you can win the Zeblaze Arch Plus smartwatch. On the downside, this Buy 1 Get 1 Free offer will be valid only for the first 200 pieces. To get your free order, you need to enter your order number. You will be eligible to get 50 pieces of free order once you complete an order between December 20th to December 27th (UTC+8).

The lucky draw is slated to open on December 28th (UTC+8). You can click here to visit the promotion page and grab your chance to win the free order without wasting time.

Avail The Unmissable Santa’s Deal And Get Up To 50% Off On Various Items On GearBest

With Christmas just around the corner, GearBest is doling out up to a noteworthy 50% off on a wide selection of items.


Moreover, the Chinese online electronics store is offering the unmissable Santa’s Deal that allows you to buy any three items for an unbeatable price of just $9.99. The heavily discounted items have been divided into multiple categories so that buyers can easily find what they are looking for.

The ‘Santa’s Must Buy List’ section comprises a slew of well-received smartphones from popular brands like Xiaomi, Nokia, UMIDIGI, and OUKITEL. More importantly, the mobile phones included in the aforesaid section have now gone up for sale carrying lowered price tags.

For instance, the Vivo NEX phablet usually sells for $893.71, but you can now buy it for a dropped price of just $559.99 on the promotion page. This 37 percent discount will be valid for the remaining 92 pieces of the phone’s well-received black color version for five days.

Dubbed as ‘$9.99 for any 3 items,’ the following section is crammed with miscellaneous items that you can buy without emptying your pocket. You can choose three items of your choice and get them for under $10 on the promo page.

The ‘5 Days Arrival’ category features the Alfawise HC – 1D03 Rechargeable Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaner, Xiaomi AMAZFIT Cor IPS Smartband, Xiaomi Aqara Window Door Sensor and a slew of other electronic items that are available for heavily discounted prices. The ‘Top Brands’ section features products from popular brands like Teclast, Dibea, UMIDIGI and lots more.

Each of the aforesaid brands offers one of their products for a lowered price under this section. For example, the Teclast brand includes the well-received Teclast A10H Tablet PC that normally sells for $106.78 but is currently up for grabs for a reduced price of just $81.99.

Likewise, the ‘Christmas Clearance’ category is crammed with all sorts of items that have gone up for sale carrying slashed prices for a limited period of time. You can click here to visit the promotion page to check out the rest of the products and avail the discounts without wasting time.


Aside from that, GearBest is offering up to 40% off on smartwatches, cameras, headphones and a slew of other smart devices as part of its recently kicked-off ‘Smart Life Electronics Flash Sale’ event. You can visit this link to check out the promotion.


Much to the delight of smartphone lovers who are living on a tight budget, GearBest is offering 50% off on top-branded smartphones that would normally set you back a pretty penny. You can click here to visit the ‘2018 Best Android Mobile Phone Flash Sale’ promotion page.

 

Pre-Order The Huawei Nova 4 Smartphone For Only $599.99 On GeekBuying [Coupon Inside]

Huawei is expected to make the Nova 4 smartphone available to the public in January next year. Meanwhile, the long-rumored phone has gone up for pre-order carrying a considerably lowered price tag on GeekBuying.
Before we shed more light on the aforesaid discount, let us take a gander at the awe-inspiring features and top-end specifications that make the Nova 4 an irresistible smartphone.

First off, the impending phone from Huawei sports an eye-catching 6.4-inch screen infinity-O display with a screen resolution of 2310 x 1080 pixels and 19.5:9 aspect ratio. This extra large display is designed to comfortably fit in your hand.

Furthermore, the Nova 4 packs a powerful Kirin 970 processor along with a highly competent Mali G72 MP12 GPU, under the hood. This model offers 8GB of RAM and a hearty 128GB of non-expandable onboard storage capacity for you to save your favorite content.
On the photography front, the Nova 4 houses a triple camera module comprising 48MP+16MP+2MP sensors on the back. Up front, there’s a 25MP hole-punch display selfie camera for self-portraits. Aside from a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, the phone features a gravity sensor, light sensor, distance sensor, Hall switch, and gyroscope.

While these features completely justify the steep $730.99 price tag the Nova 4 smartphone carries, you can now buy it for a dropped price of just $630.99 on GeekBuying. On top of that, you can use coupon code GIZ_JJODQDIM to get an extra $31 off at checkout.

In other words, you can bring the already lowered retail price of the Nova 4 smartphone further down to just $599.99 simply by applying the above-mentioned coupon before placing your order.

You can visit this link to take full advantage of the discount before the promo comes to an end. Note that the coupon is also likely to expire soon.

Get Your Hands On Top Huawei-Branded Smartphones For Lowered Prices On AliExpress

Looks like Huawei fans that have restlessly been waiting to get their hands on a high-end smartphone from the Chinese handset maker without spending a lot of money are in for a treat.


Huawei has teamed up with AliExpress in order to make some of its well-received smartphones available to cost-conscious buyers. Dubbed as ‘Time For A New Phone,’ the promo has been split into multiple categories in a bid to expedite the search process.

The promotion page features a slew of well-received handsets from Huawei’s popular sub-brand Honor. You can get your hands on the Honor 8X, Honor 10, Honor 20X, Honor 8C and 8X Max at unbeatable prices.

Aside from that, AliExpress is giving its users a chance to save a considerable amount of extra money if their order value exceeds specified amounts. Keeping in line with that, you can use a $3 off coupon if your order value is $199.99 or more. Likewise, you can apply a $5 off coupon if you spend $399.99 or more.
Honor 7A Midnight BlackMoreover, the promotion features the Honor 7A, 7C and Maimang 7 smartphones that have gone up for sale bearing heavily discounted price tags on AliExpress. In addition to that, you can grab big discounts on the Honor 9 Lite, Honor Note 10 and Nova 3e smartphones as well.

The recently unveiled Mate 20 series that includes the Mate 20X, Mate 20 and the Mate 20 is available for considerably lowered prices. Apart from smartphones, the promo offers noteworthy discounts on other Huawei-branded items including the Huawei Watch 2, the B26 B19 tracker, Honor Flypods, FreeBuds 2 Pro and Honor AM115 Earphone.

You can click here to check out the promotion page and grab these unmissable deals before the sale comes to an end.

Get DJI Mavic Air RC Drone And Mavic Pro Platinum RC Quadcopter For Great Deals On GearBest [Coupons Inside]

DJI has teamed up with GearBest to offer big discounts on some of its well-received drones, and there’s more for you to cheer about. We will show how you can save a considerable amount of extra money at checkout.


DJI Mavic Air RC Drone

The Mavic Air adopts state-of-the-art technology and combines it with finely detailed craftsmanship for a deeply engaging experience. The compact Mavic Air sports a 3D fold design and come with a 3-axis gimbal that you can use to shoot 4K super HD videos securely.

The DJI Mavic Air RC drone would normally set you back a pretty penny, but you can now buy it for only $999 on GearBest. This is a noteworthy 25 percent reduction in the device’s original asking price of $1338.25.
DJI Mavic AirMoreover, you can use coupon code GB$THRCAir to get an extra $70 off at the time of checking out. As a result, you can reduce the drone’s already lowered retail price to just $961.81. You can visit this link to grab the discount, which will be valid for the black and white color versions of the Mavic Air RC drone.

 

DJI Mavic Pro Platinum Foldable RC Quadcopter

Touted as an enhanced version of the Mavic Pro, the DJI Mavic Pro Platinum boasts an impressive array of improved features. It features the newfangled 8331 quick-release folding propeller along with FOC sinusoidal driver ESC that makes it more aerodynamic and power efficient at the same time.

While you’d normally associate a steep price tag with a high-end RC quadcopter offering comparable features, the DJI Mavic Pro Platinum can now be yours if you are willing to shell out $1399 on GearBest. This is a 22 percent drop in the device’s original selling price of $1786.69.


On top of that, you can apply coupon code GB-TH02MD and get an extra $14.24 off during the checkout process. In other words, you can bring the feature-laden drone’s steep retail price further down to just $1120.97 with the help of the aforesaid coupon, which is likely to expire soon.

You can visit this link to avail the discount before the promo comes to an end.

 

In addition to offering high-end DJI branded drones for unbeatable prices, the Chinese online electronics store is offering unmissable deals, free shipping, and up to 50% off on various items as part of the ‘GearBest Exclusive Brand’ promo. You can click here to visit the promotion page.


GearBest is giving cost-conscious buyers a lot to cheer about this festive season. The site is offering up to 50% off on a wide selection of best selling items and newly arrived products. Dubbed as ‘Light & Christmas Day,’ this promo also features hot coupons and other top categories.

You can follow this link to check out the promotion page and grab the discounts.

 

Get Up To 60% Off On Scooters, E-Bikes And Other Christmas Gift Ideas On Banggood [Coupons Inside]

Looking for Christmas gift ideas that you won’t set you back a pretty penny? You have come to the right place.


As part of its latest promotion, Banggood is doling out up to 60% off on a wide selection of items that have been split into multiple categories. Aside from that, the Chinese online store is offering its users a chance to get an extra 17% off coupon.

The ‘Hot Gift Recommendation’ section is brimming with cost-effective gift ideas that you can get your hands on this festive season. You can get noteworthy discounts on top-branded electric scooters, cycling equipment like helmets, headlamps etc.

You can check out the ‘Scooters & Electric Bikes’ section that features a slew of heavily discounted e-bikes and scooters from popular brands like DYU, Ideawalk, and Xiaomi. On the Christmas Gift promotion page, you can apply coupon code 935bc1 to get an extra 17% off. Note that the aforesaid coupon will not be valid for scooters and electric bikes.

Likewise, you can avail an extra 18% off on outdoor sports cameras simply by using coupon code socamera at checkout. While the 17% off coupon will be valid until 00:00:00, December 29th, the 18% off coupon is slated to expire at 23:52:00 on December 31st.

The promo page features a ‘Smart Riding Equipment’ section that includes highly useful riding accessories. More importantly, all items included in the aforesaid section are up for grabs bearing considerably lowered price tags.

You can get big discounts on a myriad of other riding equipment like bicycle lights in the following categories. The above-mentioned 17% off coupon 935bc1 can be used to save a considerable amount of extra money in the ‘Fashionable & Wearable Camera’ category.

You can click here to visit the promotion page in order to grab these great discounts.

UMIDIGI unveils its official online store for Christmas sales with gifts on offer

UMIDIGI has unveiled its official online store which gives the brand direct access to its customers. Chinese smartphone brand UMIDIGI, which has made a name for itself with stunning budget phones with impressive hardware. The official UMIDIGI online store is already loaded with lots of goods for Christmas sales and gifts. The company offers up to 50% off their phones and accessories. Umidigi

A dedicated official online store going live is a milestone for the brand. To celebrate this as well as the upcoming new year, UMIDIGI is offering special giveaway until 1st January 2019. During this period, they will randomly choose 5 lucky customers who order UMIDIGI One Max to give them a full refund. Meanwhile, they will choose 2 orders every day by chance to give Uwatch or the UMIDIGI Q1 wireless charger as a gift.

Umidigi

The main attraction is no doubt the UMIDIGI One Max, the new member with a 6.3-inch waterdrop full screen in its big hit One series. The device is available to pre-order for $179.99. Apart from the One Max, other UMIDIGI One series models are on offer for as low as $135.99. Further, the flagship Z2 series are available for as low as $185.99, while the entry-level A3 series for just $79.99.

Furthermore, UMIDIGI is globally giving away 10 units of the superfast  UMIDIGI F1. Winners will get the device for free. You can check out all the details about its official online store and join the giveaway on their official website from here.

Leaked Moto g7 series press renders reveal colors, cameras and design

The Moto G7 series may launch earlier than usual going by the number of leaks in the past few weeks. Today brings yet another leak and it is a set of press renders for the whole lineup.

The Moto G7 series will include the Moto G7 itself, the Moto G7 Plus, the Moto G7 Play, and the Moto G7 Power. These press renders show all four phones in various colors and also reveal other details about their design and specs.

Moto g7 official render

Moto G7

The Moto G7 is shown in white. The back is curved and like its predecessor, it is covered in glass. The biggest change in terms of design is the switch to a notched display and in this case, the water-drop style. There is still a bit of bezel at the bottom that is thick enough to accommodate the manufacturer’s name. Housed within the notch is a single camera.

There is also a change in the rear camera design. It retains the circular housing that isn’t flushed with the rest of the back but the change is in the design of the sensors’ housing. Both cameras share a single housing instead of separate ones like the Moto G6. The area around the cameras is coated black and there is a LED flash underneath.

The Motorola batwing logo which doubles as a fingerprint scanner sits below the cameras. The render also shows us that the bottom of the phone is home to a 3.5mm audio jack, a USB type-c port, and a speaker grille.

Moto g7 Plus official render

Moto G7 Plus

The Moto G7 Plus wears a wine-colored coat and has the same curved glass back as the Moto G7. It also has a notched display design though reports say the screen is bigger in size. The back is also the same design as that of the Moto G7. It also has dual rear cameras and a fingerprint scanner under the batwing logo.

The Moto G7 Plus will differ from the Moto G7 in terms of specs and size as is the tradition with the series.

Moto g7 Play official render

Moto G7 Play

The Moto G7 Play picks up the popular Champagne Gold hue.  It has a wide rectangular notch at the top that is home to a camera, a speaker, and an LED flash. It also has a thicker bottom and side bezels compared to the Moto G7 and Moto G7 Plus.

The back of the phone seems like metal but we won’t be surprised if it is plastic although a switch to metal will be appreciated. The camera house has been slightly redesigned but it still has just a single sensor and an LED flash. It also has a fingerprint scanner.

There is a port at the bottom which is likely MicroUSB. There is no audio jack visible at the bottom but we are pretty sure it is at the top just like its predecessor’s.

Moto g7 Power official render

 

Moto G7 Power

The Moto G7 is getting a Power-variant this year and the name should already tell you that the selling point of the phone will be its large battery capacity.

The Moto G7 Power has a smaller notch that just houses the front-facing camera and speaker. Its bezels are also thick like that of the Play variant. It also has a similar rear design and appears to be made from the same material – polycarbonate. Its deep blue finish looks good and should be a favorite among those who purchase a unit. There is also a MicroUSB port at the bottom and very likely, a 3.5mm audio jack at the top.

READ MORE: Latest Moto Camera update brings new features to all Motorola phones

GIONEE may have sunk into bankruptcy due to founder’s gambling habits

A recent report by Chinese blog iFeng has revealed that judicial proceedings towards obtaining bankruptcy protection for Chinese smartphone maker Gionee are moving forward due to a ruling from Shenzen intermediate people’s court. Sources familiar with the case hint that the proceedings will lead to a complete overhaul of the company.Gionee S11 Lite and Gionee F205 launch

Gionee’s financial woes is traced to huge debt incurred as a result of the gambling and extravagant spending problems of the company’s founder and chairman Liu Lirong. The present case at the court is as a result of the filed bankruptcy liquidation application by Huaxing bank against the company. The case also extends from the financial problems the company had in year 2017. The company’s chairman recently admitted to having gambling aaddiction.Company executives later disclosed details of the  founder’s gambling activities stating that as much as $143.8 million of the total $2.45 billion in the company’s debt was as a result of his gambling. This is the money owed to an approximate 648 creditors. Mr. Liu Lirong extravagant spending may parallel to an amount closer to $1 billion according to a region report. While the chairman refuted the assertion, it has led to further hypothesis that gambling is not the only reason behind the missing money.

Some unsubstantiated claims have indicated that the money was deliberately ‘lost at the casino’ so as to channel the money outside China for Mr. Liu Lirong’s personal use. Allegations from this claims could result to further problems for both the founder and the
company, if there is any proof to confirm them. To avoid liquidation in reference to the case in court, Gionee has recently employed some restructuring expert. The chairman has given some hope that there will be resolution in the
next few years. However, if there is any claims for more recent accusations against Mr. Liu Lirong then there is
every tendency Gionee will be liquidated in order to pay back debtors. It’s more likely that the chairman will be forced to resign, since reorganization of the company seems to be the likely outcome.

(source)

Lenovo S5 Pro GT vs Asus Zenfone Max Pro (M2) vs Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite: Specs Comparison

If we had to choose the best value for money smartphone by Lenovo which hitten the shelves in 2018, we would definitely say Lenovo S5 Pro. A few days ago, the Chinese giant launched a new variant of the handset: the Lenovo S5 Pro GT, which distinguishes from the original one for having a better chipset. For this reason, this device may become one of the Chinese best-sellers in 2019. But it has some rivals which will not make it easy, such as the new Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 and Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite. Check out the following specs comparison if you want to learn more about them.

Lenovo S5 Pro GT vs Asus Zenfone Max Pro (M2) vs Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite

Lenovo S5 Pro GT Asus Zenfone Max Pro (M2) Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 154.5 x 75.5 x 7.7 mm, 170 grams 157.9 x 75.5 x 8.5 mm, 175 grams 156.4 x 75.8 x 7.5 mm
DISPLAY 6.2 inches, 1080 x 2246 pixels, 402 ppi, LTPS IPS LCD 6.26 inches, 1080 x 2280p (Full HD+), 403 ppi, IPS LCD  6.26 inches, 1080 x 2280 pixels, 403 ppi, 19:9 ratio, IPS LCD
PROCESSOR Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, octa-core 2.2 GHz  Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, octa-core 2.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, octa-core 2.2 GHz
MEMORY 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM , 128 GB – micro SD slot 3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – – micro SD dedicated slot  4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 4 GB RAM, 128 GB – 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD slot
SOFTWARE Android 8.1 Oreo, ZUI 10 Android 8.1 Oreo  Android 8.1 Oreo, MIUI
CONNECTIVITY Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS  Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
CAMERA Dual 12 + 20 MP  f/1.8 an f/2.6
Dual 20 + 8 MP f/2.0 front camera
Dual 12 + 5 MP f/1.8 and f/2.4
13 MP f/2.0 front camera
Dual 12 + 5 MP f/1.9 and f/2.0
24 MP front camera
BATTERY 3500 mAh, Fast Charging 18W 5000 mAh  3350 mAh, Fast Charging with Quick Charge 3.0
ADDITIONAL FEATURES Hybrid Dual SIM slot Dual SIM slot  Hybrid Dual SIM slot

Design

In our opinion, Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite has an overall better look. It comes with a glass back and an aluminum frame, as well as a very high screen-to-body ratio thanks to the small notch. And it is also the thinnest device. The second spot in the ranking goes to Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 and its reflective glass back available in two hues. Lenovo S5 Pro GT is a full metal unibody phone, so it has a lower-end design and it is not as attractive as its concurrence. Further, its notch is bigger, but there is to say that it includes an IR face recognition system and it is hard to find such a sensor on mid-rangers.

 

Display

On the multimedia side, Lenovo S5 Pro GT is a slightly more valid device. It comes with an above-average display as well as stereo speakers, so watching videos and movies is a more catchy experience with this phone. Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 and Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite have the classic displays that you can find on most of mid-rangers.

 

Specs & Performance

The only thing for which these devices are not different is the hardware side. They all come with the Snapdragon 660 SoC by Qualcomm and up to 6 GB of RAM. Excluding Asus Zenfone Max Pro (M2) which sports 64 GB, each of these devices has up to 128 GB of internal storage, but the M2 comes with a micro SD dedicated slot which allows using both dual SIM and micro SD slot at the same time.

 

Camera

If we consider the whole camera departments of these handsets, Lenovo S5 Pro GT is the most complete one. It comes with an above-average dual setup on the back and a dual camera even on the front side. While on the back there is a secondary telephoto lens with optical zoom, the front has a secondary depth sensor. Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 and Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite are more or less at the same level, with their advantages and disadvantages. I would pick the Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite because I liked more its photos with good light conditions, while Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 is better with low light.

 

Battery

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 is the champion of battery life and one of the longest lasting phones in the whole Android market, thanks to its 5000 mAh battery. Lenovo S5 Pro GT is great as well, but it has only 3500 mAh and it does not reach Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 in any scenario. Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite is the worst one with a 3350 mAh battery, but it supports Quick Charge 3.0 so it is able to charge very fastly.

 

Price

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 recently hitten the Indian market with a starting price of $270, Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite costs about €200 in Europe and Lenovo S5 Pro GT debuted with a €200 price tag. I would personally choose Lenovo S5 Pro GT because of its great cameras, stereo speakers, IR face recognition and some other strong points I did not see in other handsets.

 

Lenovo S5 Pro GT vs Asus Zenfone Max Pro (M2) vs Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite: PROs and CONS

Lenovo S5 Pro GT

PROs

  • Affordable price
  • IR facial recognition
  • Great cameras
  • Stereo speakers

CONS

  • Anonymous design

 

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2

PROs

  • Good design
  • Front-facing flash
  • Dedicated micro SD slot
  • Gorilla Glass 6
  • Huge battery

CONS

  • Average camera

 

Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite

PROs

  • Great design
  • Good camera department
  • Affordable price
  • Sleek body

CONS

  • Smaller battery

 

OnePlus 6T DxOMark revealed, praised for its great dynamic range

DxOMark, the website known for its performance ratings of the cameras of smartphones and other devices has released its result and a full review for the OnePlus 6T. The 6T may have the same camera configuration as the OnePlus 6 but DxOMark says software changes have resulted in improvements over its predecessor.

OnePlus 6T Purple

The OnePlus 6T has dual rear cameras – a 16MP 1/2.55″ sensor with a f/1.7 aperture and a 20MP 1/2.8″ sensor with a f/1.7 aperture. The main sensor has OIS but the secondary sensor doesn’t have any stabilization.

DxOMark praised the OnePlus 6T for its wide dynamic range and its preservation of colors in almost all conditions. However, the device didn’t perform well in zoom shots. In terms of video performance, the OnePlus 6T did better than its predecessor as it scored a total of 91 points as against the OP6’s 87. DxOMark says its overall score should be higher but it doesn’t handle noise well, not even as good as the OnePlus 6.

OnePlus 6T DxOMark low-light

The OnePlus 6T’s photo score is 101. It captures detail well in both light and dark areas and DxOMark says its capturing of background details is on the same level as that of the iPhone XS and better than that of the Samsung Galaxy Note9. It also captures better images in extreme low-light (1 lux) than both phones.

OnePlus 6T DxOMark zoom

Where the OnePlus 6T scores low when compared to both phones is in its zoom shots. Its lack of a telephoto lens greatly affects detail level as can be seen in the image above.

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

Xiao Qiao SmartRun smart treadmill available for crowdfunding for ¥999 (~$145)

The latest product available for crowdfunding on Xiaomi’s MIJIA platform is a smart treadmill. The Xiao Qiao SmartRun is the third treadmill announced on the platform this year. Last month, the Xiaojin Smart Foldable treadmill was crowdfunded on the platform for ¥1899 (~$274) and early this year, there was the WalkingPad Mini smart treadmill.

Xiao Qiao SmartRun Smart Treadmill featured b

The Xiao Qiao SmartRun is powered by a Fuji electric motor. It has a minimalist design and comes in a grey and white finish. One of the unique features of the treadmill is its patented Silkworm technology which is a shock absorption system to prevent you from hurting your knees from rebound injuries. The shock absorption system has also been designed to dampen the sound made when running, so you can be sure of a silent run.

The Xiao Qiao SmartRun has a photoelectric heart rate monitor on the left side of the handlebar. The readings from the heart rate monitor are displayed on the screen.

The treadmill has a one button lever that folds the device when pressed. When folded, it can be raised and stored vertically so as to save space.

The Xiao Qiao SmartRun has a dedicated app and connects via Wi-Fi. It weighs 39.5kg and supports a maximum weight of 100kg. It has a power rating of 0.75 horsepower and its rated voltage is 220 volts. The treadmill can reach speeds of up to 12km/h.

[envira-gallery id=”228728″]

READ MORE: Xiaomi’s new Rice cooker rakes in over 1 million yuan in crowdfunding in just 1 hour 40 minutes!

HMD Global announces Nokia X7 will get Android Pie starting tomorrow

The Nokia X7 launched a few months ago in China and when it did it ran Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box. Its global version called the Nokia 8.1 and which is an Android One phone launched with Android Pie. The official Weibo page has now announced that the Nokia X7 will get the update to Pie tomorrow.

Nokia X7 Android Pie

The Weibo post says the update will not only bring Android Pie but some other features too. The update will be a phased roll-out at first. Nokia says users should check their phones between 10 AM and 4 PM to see if they are among those who will receive the update.

In the last week or thereabouts, Nokia has been announcing Android Pie updates for its devices. The Nokia 8 (2017) received the Android Pie update yesterday. Last week, it was the turn of the Nokia 7 and a few days before that, the Nokia 6 (2018) got the update.

READ MORE: Nostalgia worked! HMD Global reveals it has sold 70 million Nokia phones in two years

UMIDIGI S3 Pro with a 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor to slug it out with the Nova 4

Chinese phone manufacturer UMIDIGI has fired a massive volley in the mid-range smartphone market, with its affordable flagships like UMIDIGI F1. Now UMIDIGI is going to stun the industry with its new flagship UMIDIGI S3 Pro, which has a massive 5150mAh battery. The device is also coming with Sony’s most advanced 48MP IMX586 sensor which is the same sensor in Huawei’s latest Nova 4 and the upcoming Honor View 20.UMIDIGI S3 Pro

The Sony IMX586 sensor features 48 effective megapixels, the industry’s highest pixel counts. The sensor measures 1/2 inch, physically larger than most competitors. It supports four-pixel integration (0.8μm synthesis 1.6μm). For comparison, market-leading phones like the Pixel 3 and iPhone XS have 12-megapixel sensors with 1.4µm pixels. The advanced sensor can help UMIDIGI S3 Pro users to capture photos without noise even in dim light conditions.

UMIDIGI S3 Pro Design
The leaked render of the UMIDIGI S3 Pro indicates that it will sport a full-screen design with a waterdrop notch as well as a narrow chin. At the rear, the device packs well-chamfered edges and is curved at the sides. The device is tipped to aalso retain the 3.5mm audio jack.

UMIDIGI S3 Pro Key Specs
The leaked renders also carry some information on the key specs. The UMIDIGI S3 Pro is expected to offer a 6.3-inch FHD+ waterdrop full screen paired with in-cell LTPS technology. Apart from the 48MP primary camera, the S3 Pro will come with a 12MP telephoto camera, and the smartphone will come with a 20MP high-resolution selfie camera. The UMIDIGI S3 Pro will equally feature a 5150mAh big battery and it’ll sure keep it on for a long time. Under the hood, the smartphone beholds the AI SoC MediaTek Helio P70 with 6GB LPDDR4X RAM and 128 GB internal storage. It will run on Android 9 Pie OS.

We expect more details of the device like the price to get revealed soon. We’ll keep you abreast with the latest details as they appear.

Honor V20 posters confirm it will have 960fps slow-motion recording, 4000mAh battery and more

Honor will officially take the wraps off the Honor V20 on December 26. Ahead of the launch next week, Honor has released a bunch of posters that confirm the specs of the phone. Although some of the specs are already public knowledge, the 960fps slow-motion recording is a new feature.

Honor V20 960fps slow-motion

The Huawei P20 Pro which launched back in March was the first Huawei phone to come with support for 960fps slow-motion recording. An update brought the feature to the Mate 10 Pro and it came with the Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro right out of the box. The Honor V20 will be the first Honor device to have the feature.

Other officially confirmed features of the Honor V20 include a 4,000mAh battery, a 25MP camera that sits inside a hole in the top left corner of the display and AI dual-frequency GPS. The Honor V20 will also have a 48MP sensor on its back and a feature called Link Turbo that automatically switches between 4G and Wi-Fi and can even combine both for the best connectivity.

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READ MORE: Honor YOYO Smart Speaker scheduled to launch in China on December 26

OnePlus TV likely to launch in 2020

After gaining popularity across the world by selling flagship killer phones with affordable price tags, OnePlus is gearing up to launch a smart TV. In an interview with Business Insider in September, OnePlus founder and CEO Pete Lau that the company hopes to release its first OnePlus TV in 2019. Now that the year 2018 is coming to an end soon, OnePlus fans are eagerly waiting to know more on the arrival of the OnePlus TV. Chinese publication TechWeb that claims to have received fresh information from the company has revealed that it has not set a specific release timeframe for its first TV. Hence, the company may take it easy and launch it in 2020.

Lau had said that there is no clear timeline for launching the OnePlus TV. He added that he has instructed the TV team that they do not have the pressure as to when to finish working on it and when to release it in public. If the TV is ready soon, it will be released in 2019. If the company finishes developing it in 2020, it will be released in 2020.

The company won’t be rushing to release the product. Only when the company is satisfied with it, it will be hitting the market. Lau is of the view that the company needs to work a lot in order to achieve the desired goal of launching the TV.

During a recent interview with Indian publication Economic Times on Dec. 12, Lau shared that since the company has not set any deadline for introducing TVs, OnePlus fans can expect it to release in 2020 in India. He also revealed that it will be exclusively available through Amazon India. As far as the pricing of the OnePlus smart TV is concerned, Lau revealed that it will also be a flagship killer and will carry competitive pricing. Rumors surrounding it that it will be a premium product featuring 4K LED panel. The smart TV from OnePlus may also function as a smart home controller.

Meizu India CEO says they will adopt a different strategy to win in India

A few weeks ago Meizu launched the Meizu 16th, the Meizu M6T, and Meizu C9 in India. It was its first major launch in the country after taking a break and it marked its re-entry into the Indian market. In an interview, the country head explained how its strategy will differ this time around.

Meizu 16

CEO of Meizu India, Ramashish Ray, speaking to India’s Economic Times, revealed that it plans to focus on the design of their phones as well as partnerships. In terms of partnerships, Meizu is talking about sales and production. The Meizu C9, for example, is made in India by Noida and sold by Amazon. He revealed that more of the products in their portfolio will also follow this pattern.

Meizu’s CEO also disclosed that in terms of sale, it will focus on online and offline. Amazon will be its exclusive online partner and for offline, Meizu is considering partnering with Reliance Jio. Meizu’s CEO did praise other brands such as Xiaomi and OnePlus who have worked very hard to establish themselves in India. However, they are not afraid of taking them on.

READ MORE: Meizu releases Flyme 7 Experience for Meizu 16th series

Asus Zenfone 5 is now finally receiving Android 9 Pie update

Earlier this year, Asus launched three smartphones in its Zenfone 5 series, including Asus Zenfone 5, Zenfone 5Z, and Zenfone 5 Lite.

Now, the company has uploaded the Android 9 Pie update for its Zenfone 5 and the package is now available for download on the company’s official website. The FOTA update is just around 1.1GB and the process of installation is pretty straightforward.

Android Pie

Just download the package from the source link below and then copy the downloaded file to the microSD card. Once done, go to the recovery mode, choose “apply updates from microSD”, select the downloaded package, confirm and you are all set. The process will take up to 30 minutes to complete. If you don’t want to do this manually, wait for a couple of days to get OTA update.

While the Zenfone 5 has now received the Android Pie update, the Zenfone 5Z is scheduled to receive Android Pie update by the end of January 2019. Currently, there’s no information available for the update of Zenfone 5.

Asus Zenfone 5

The Android Pie update changelog mentions the addition of some new features including a volume pop-up bar and a new ‘Magnifier’ feature that makes the copy-pasting task easier. It is also expected to offer better performance and extended battery life, thanks to the core optimizations in Android Pie.

To remind you of the phone’s specifications, it features a 6.2-inch FHD display with 2040 x 1080 pixels screen resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on top for added protection. Under the hood, it is powered is by Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 octa-core processor clocked at 1.8GHz and Adreno 509 GPU.

 

Read More: Asus mobile strategy revamp will focus on gamers and power users; could end the Zenfone lineup

 

The device packs 4GB RAM and 64GB storage with microSD card slot for expandable storage. The phone houses a dual rear camera setup, consisting of a 12-megapixel and an 8-megapixel sensor while on the front side, it comes equipped with an 8-megapixel snapper for taking selfies. It comes with Android 8.0 Oreo out-of-the-box and is backed by 3,300mAh battery.

(Source, Via)

OPPO and Huawei emerge as fastest-growing smartphone brands in Australia

In the face of a saturated domestic market, Chinese manufacturers are looking to diversify into new markets abroad. Several of he top Chinese brands are already making tremendous progress in this regard. OPPO and Huawei mobile smartphones are beginning to gain more grounds as their growth is increasing on-the-go in the Australian market. Roy Morgan gave a static of the figures of Australian users of the Huawei mobile phone to be growing from 87% to 471,000 between the year 2017 and 2018.

huawei

On its part, OPPO came into the Australian market in late 2014 but has shown a tremendous impact to emerge as Australia’s seventh most widely used mobile phone with 368,000 Australian users. Though there is remarkable growth for both the OPPO and Huawei mobile phone brands compared to other smartphone producers, they still remain behind Apple and Samsung which are the market leaders both in the global and Australian markets.Huawei

Read Also: Honor YOYO Smart Speaker scheduled to launch in China on December 26

Apple iPhone has been the most widely used mobile phone by over 8.6million Australians with an increase of up to 16% in two years.
While Samsung has over 5.6million users in Australia in 2018 with no definite changes in two years.

(source)