Sony CES 2019 January 7 event confirmed; Xperia XA3 and Xperia XA3 Ultra could be launching

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Jan 2, 2019

Huawei is gearing up to launch its Huawei P30 series smartphones. The P30 and P30 Pro both have leaked a few times and based on those leaks, Youtuber Waqar Khan developed the concept render of the Huawei P30 Pro.

As said, the concept render is in line with the previous leaks and showcases what to expect in terms of the phone’s design. The smartphone is expected to come with narrow bezels on the sides and a thin chin at the bottom.

On top of the display, it features a waterdrop notch and the screen is curved on the sides, thus it will offer higher screen-to-body ratio. Further, the phone is also said to come with an in-display fingerprint sensor. The power button and the volume rocker keys are placed on the right side.

Coming to the back panel, the phone is equipped with four camera sensors stacked vertically. The sensors are accompanied by dual-tone LED flash. The camera module is placed in the top-left corner while in the bottom-left corner, there’s Huawei branding.

The previous report indicated that only three of the four cameras on the Huawei P30 Pro can be used for taking pictures. The fourth is a ToF (Time of Flight) camera that will be used for 3D face scanning and modeling. However, one of the Huawei P30 Pro’s sensors is a telephoto lens with support for 10x optical zoom.

Early rumors claimed that the 38-megapixel Sony IMX607 sensor that supports topnotch low-light performance could be the phone’s primary camera sensor. Under the hood, the device is likely to be powered by Kirin 980 octa-core 7nm chipset. In terms of software, the phone will run Android Pie-based EMUI 9.0 out-of-the-box.

The phone is expected to come in gradient color along with solid colors. While the company has not yet revealed the launch date of the Huawei P30 series, we are expecting the phones to get launched in March this year.

(Source)

Samsung China Android 9 Pie update roadmap released

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jan 2, 2019

The popularity of local brands from China such as Huawei, OPPO, Vivo, OnePlus and Xiaomi have surpassed Samsung in the past few years. The South Korean company is now working on covering the lost ground in China. In the recent past, the company has worked on launching phones that are customized for the Chinese markets and now its gearing up to release Android 9 Pie update for its devices. Today, Samsung China has released the Android 9 Pie update roadmap for its smartphones and tablets.

Samsung Galaxy S9 (SM-G9600 / G9608) and Galaxy S9+ (SM-G9650) models along with Galaxy Note 9 (SM-N9600) will be treated with Android 9 Pie update in February in China. In March, the Pie upgrade will be available for Galaxy A9 Star (SM-G8850).

The Galaxy A9 Star Lite (SM-A6050), Galaxy A9 2019 (SM-A9200), Galaxy A9 Star (SM-G8858), Galaxy S8 (SM-G9500 / G9508), Galaxy S8+ (SM-G9550) and Galaxy Note 8 (SM-N9500 / N9508) are scheduled to receive Android 9 Pie update in April In China. In May, the Galaxy A9 Start Lite (SM-A6068) smartphone and Galaxy Tab S4 (SM-T830 / T835C) tablet will be provided with Android 9 Pie OS update.

Read more: Samsung Galaxy A50 key specs appear; Likely to debut after Galaxy S10, S10 Plus

Samsung will be releasing Android 9 Pie update to W2019 flagship clamshell phone in August. In September, the latest Android version will be coming to Samsung Phoenix aka Galaxy A6s (SM-G6200), Galaxy S (SM-G8750), Galaxy Tab S3 tablet (SM-T820 / T825C) and W2018 clamshell phone (SM-W2018) will be upgraded to Android 9 Pie update. The Galaxy J8 (SM-J3300 / J3308) and 10.5-inch Galaxy Tab A 2018 tablet (SM-T590 / T595C) are scheduled to receive Android 9 Pie upgrade in October.

Samsung users will be receiving One UI along with Android 9 Pie OS update. Even though the South Korean company has released the aforementioned, the arrival of the update for some devices may vary if it is not ready for release.

(via)

Huawei Mate 20 Pro spotted in two new colors — Comet Blue and Fragrant Red

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Jan 2, 2019

After announcing the Mate 20 Pro smartphone at a launch event in London in October, the company started selling the smartphone in its home market. Last week, the company revealed that its smartphone shipments for the year 2018 exceeded 200 million units, which includes 5 million units of Mate 20 series which was launched a couple of months ago.

Currently, the smartphone is available for purchase in China but all the color options and variants are listed as ‘Sold Out.’ It is currently available in Bright Black, Sapphire Blue, Cherry Pink, Emerald Green, and Auror colors.

Now, two upcoming color variants of the Huawei Mate 20 Pro for the Chinese market has been leaked online. As per the reports, the phone will also be offered in Fragrant Red and Comet Blue color variants. However, the company has not officially revealed the launch date yet.

As for the specifications, the Mate 20 Pro features a notched 6.39-inch QHD+ AMOLED display with 3120 x 1440 pixels screen resolution. Under the hood, the device is powered by the company’s own Kirin 980 chipset, which is manufactured using the 7nm FinFET technology. It comes with 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage with support for expandable storage up to 256GB.

For photography, it comes with Leica co-engineered triple camera resides on the backside of the phone. It includes a f/1.8 aperture 40-megapixel angles, a f/2.2 aperture 20-megapixel ultra wide-angle lens and a f/2.4 aperture and OIS enabled 8-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom.

On the front side, the handset features a 24-megapixel RGB selfie camera with f/2.0 aperture. Housed inside the larger notch on top of the display, the camera sensors are paired with other sensors that are responsible for 3D face unlock feature.

The company says that the phone’s back is made using a Hyper Optical Pattern which prevents fingerprints. Further, the phone comes with an IP68 rating, making it water and dust resistant. As for the fingerprint sensor, Huawei has adopted the latest technology and is offering in-display fingerprint scanner.

Connectivity options include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, dual-band Bluetooth v5.0, Bluetooth v5.0 LE with aptX, GPS/ A-GPS, GLONASS, and a USB Type-C port. It also comes with a dual speaker configuration, offering an immersive sound experience. It runs Android 9 Pie-based EMUI 9.0 and is powered by a 4,200mAh battery with 40W SuperCharge fast charging technology.

Recently, Huawei launched the Commemorative Editions of Huawei Mate 20 Pro and Huawei Nova 4 in order to celebrate the achievement of its new milestone of shipping over 200 million smartphones in the year 2018.

Check out our review of the Huawei Mate 20 Pro here.

Banggood Kicks Off 2019 With Mega Discounts, New Year Gifts And Lots More!

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Get Big Discounts On Flagships And Win New Year Gifts

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Jan 2, 2019

Banggood is kicking off 2019 with great discounts, big coupons and other unmissable deals on a wide selection of items.

As part of its latest promo, the Chinese online store known for offering the best bang for your buck is giving its users a chance to buy newest items starting from as low as just $1.99, and it will also be doling out a $90 off on latest flagships. This recently kicked off promo has been split into multiple sections in order to expedite the search process.

The ‘Brand Flagship New’ category is crammed with latest top-branded items that have gone up for sale bearing considerably lowered prices on Banggood. For the sake of an instance, the Blitzwolf BW-FYE5 Mini True Wireless earbuds would normally set you back $36.99, but under this category, you can get it for only $35.99.

On top of that, you can use coupon code 10fye5 and get an extra $2 off. In other words, you can bring the earbuds’ already reduced selling price further down to just $33.99 simply by applying the aforesaid coupon before proceeding to checkout.

In order to join Banggood’s official New Year Facebook Giveaway all you need to do is to select a product, you are likely to use in the near future on the site’s promotion page and share the product, like and comment on the post. Banggood will randomly pick one winner from the comments section. This promo will be valid from January 2nd to January 10th.

Aside from that, top ten users who place their orders at 10 am on January 2nd, 10 am on January 3rd will be eligible to win free gifts. While top 3 users will get the HG P407 4WD RC car, first 4-10 users will receive the MUSTOOL MT66 True RMS digital multimeter.
The ‘New Release Today’ category features five new products per day. More importantly, the products included in this section carry significantly lowered prices. For example, the Bakeey M3C Plus usually sells for $20.99, but thanks to a 62% discount, you can now buy this feature-rich smartwatch for a dropped price of only $7.99 on Banggood.

Likewise, the rest of the categories including ‘Hottest This Week,’ ‘Monthly Popular’ and ‘Brand Collection Show’ are brimming with high-end products that usually carry steep price tags but have now gone up for sale carrying heavily discounted price tags for a limited period of time.

You can click here to visit the promotion page and take full advantage of the discounts before the promo comes to an end!

Android Pie internal beta for Nokia 5 leaks online

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Jan 2, 2019

HMD Global has been quick in releasing the latest Android Pie update for its smartphones and the latest device to get the Android 9 update is the Nokia 5. However, it’s not an official update. An early version of the internal beta build has been leaked online.

Leaked on XDA-Developers Forum, the original poster of the leaked update also posted a hands-on video which shows the Android Pie build. Another user has also posted the installation guide and hands-on video.

While the build was tested on the TA-1024 model, they say that it should also work on the TA-1053 model. If the bootloader is unlocked, the Android Pie beta can also be rooted. If you are interested in trying this out, you’ll get the download link for the update in the source link.

The Nokia 5 has already received Android 8.1 Oreo update. So, when the company officially rolls out the Android 9 Pie update, it’ll be the second major update for the smartphone. It’s not yet known if the company will continue providing major updates after that.

The Android 9.0 Pie, which was available in beta phase since March last year, comes with a number of improvements, including new personalization features, battery-saving optimizations, and tools that help tracking time users spend on the phone.

It also addresses the latest trends in smartphone designs with revamped navigational controls. It introduces a new gesture-based navigation system. There are also a number of other gesture-based shortcuts. It is also said to be the most personalized version of Android yet.

To remind you, the Nokia 5 was launched in February 2017. It features a 5.2-inch HD display. Under the hood, the device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor, coupled with 2GB/3GB of RAM and 16GB of inbuilt storage. The phone is backed by a 3,000mAh battery.

(Source)

Pre-Order The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 Smartphone For Just $499.99 On Banggood [Coupon Inside]

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Grab The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 Debut Discount

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Jan 2, 2019

Xiaomi unveiled its long-awaited Mi Mix 3 smartphone in November last year. The phone is expected to become an instant hit not only among Xiaomi fans but is also likely to garner huge popularity among those who fancy using big-screen mobile devices for superior video watching and gaming experience.

Taking the skyrocketing hype surrounding the hotly-anticipated smartphone, the Chinese tech giant is giving Banggood users an opportunity to pre-order it for a considerably lowered price. Aside from that, a few lucky users will qualify to get a free gift.

The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 smartphone would normally set you back a pretty penny on both online as well as offline stores, but if you are living on a tight budget and wondering if there’s a way to get the phone without breaking the bank, Banggood’s got your back. As part of its latest promo, the Chinese online store is offering a ‘debut discount’ of $100 on the phone’s original asking price.

The black-tinted Mi Mix 3 smartphone is slated to go up for pre-order bearing a $599.99 price tag, but you can use coupon code BGMIX3G and bring the phone’s retail price down to only $499.99 before proceeding to checkout.
Alternatively, you can go for the blue color version of the smartphone that carries a $619.99 price sticker. After applying the aforesaid coupon, you can reduce this version’s original asking price to just $519.99. Regrettably, the coupon will only be valid for the first 100 pieces of Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 smartphone.

An absolute bargain at this price, the Mi Mix 3 smartphone boasts an impressive array of features that are likely to sweep Xiaomi aficionados off their feet. It features an extra large 6.39 inches AMOLED, Full HD+, HDR display with 2340×1080 pixels resolution and an aspect ratio of 19.5:9.

Under the hood, the Mi Mix 3 packs a Snapdragon 845, Octa core, 2.8GHz processor along with a highly competent Adreno 630 graphics processing unit. The phone will ship with 6GB of RAM and offer 128GB of (non-expandable) internal storage capacity for you to save your favorite multimedia content including photos, videos etc.

On the optics front, the Mi Mix 3 accommodates a 212.0MP (Sony IMX363) + 12.0MP (Samsung S5k3M3) dual camera setup on the back. Up front, there are 24.0MP (Sony IMX576) and 2.0MP AI cameras for self-portraits and video chatting. The phone runs MIUI 10-based Android 9 Pie OS and draws its juices from a 3200mAh battery with Quick Charge 4+ and 10W wireless charging support.

You can head straight to this link to avail the discount and pre-order the Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 smartphone for an unbeatable price. Note that the coupon code is slated to expire on January 7th (UTC+8).

Avail Up To 40% Off On CUBOT-Branded Smartphones And Other Unmissable Deals On GearBest

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Check Out GearBest’s Epic CUBOT Brand Sale

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Jan 2, 2019

If you have restlessly been waiting to get your hands on a top-branded smartphone without spending a lot of money, GearBest’s got your back!

Known as one of China’s best online electronic stores, GearBest has teamed up with CUBOT to offer up to a whopping 40 percent off on a wide selection of well-received smartphones from the popular Chinese Android smartphone brand. Dubbed as ‘2019 Best CUBOT Mobile Phone Flash Sale,’ the promo has been split into multiple categories including ‘Most Cost-Effective, More CUBOT Deals, Top Accessories, And More Deals.

Much to the delight of CUBOT fans, the first section features some of the well-received handsets that they can now buy without emptying their pockets. Here you can find the CUBOT P20, King Kong 3, X18 Plus, CUBOT Power, Note Plus and a slew of other CUBOT-branded smartphones bearing considerably reduced price tags.

For the sake of an instance, the CUBOT P20 4G phablet would normally set you back $206.80, but it is currently up for grabs for only $139.99 under the aforesaid category. On the downside, this 32 percent discount will be valid only for the remaining pieces of the phablet’s black, denim dark blue and twilight black color versions for two days.
The ‘More Cubot Deals’ category comprises the Cubot X18, CUBOT King Kong, CUBOT J3 Pro, and CUBOT J3 smartphones. More importantly, these mobile devices have gone up for sale carrying heavily discounted price tags, but only for a limited period of time.

Some mobile phone accessories carry steep price tags, making it hard for those living on a tight budget to buy them, but that’s about to change. Under the promotion’s ‘Top Accessories’ category, you can buy a myriad of phone accessories like the Gocomma Nylon Braided Type-C Data 3A Quick Charge Cable, Xiaomi Selfie Stick Bluetooth Remote Shutter Tripod etc. for heavily discounted prices.

You can click here to visit the promotion page and take full advantage of the discounts before the promo wraps up!

Banggood’s Latest Promo Kicks Off With Unmissable Deals, Big Discounts And An 8% Off Site-Wide Coupon!

By

Check Out Banggood’s Latest Flash Deals For New Year

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Jan 2, 2019

Banggood has a reputation for offering the best bang for your buck and the Chinese online store stays true to it by doling out big discounts on a wide selection of items as a matter of usual practice.

Keeping in line with that, Banggood is kicking off 2019 with a bang by bringing the latest trend to cost-conscious buyers and offering a lot more for them to cheer about in the form of a recently launched promotion. The aforesaid ‘New Year, New Trend’ promo is crammed with all sorts of items that you can get big discounts on.

In a bid to simplify the search process, Banggood has split the heavily discounted items into multiple categories. But before we take a gander at some of these sections, it might interest you to know that Banggood is also offering buyers a chance to get an 8% off on nearly all items you can find on the site in the form of a coupon code.

This 8% off site-wide coupon can bring the price tags of new products as low as $1.99. It is worth noting that the coupon will be valid for all items except for 3D printers & supplies, home audio & video, home appliances, electric bikes, and other specific items.

Aside from that, you can take advantage of a 10% off app exclusive coupon which will be valid starting from January 7th. Note that this coupon can be used specifically on app terminal only.

The ‘2019 New Trend Potential Deals’ category includes a myriad of electronic items that you can now buy for lowered prices. For the sake of an instance, the Blitzwolf BW-FYE2 True Wireless Bluetooth 5.0 headphone that usually sells for $29.99 can now be yours for a reduced price of just $34.99.

Likewise, the ‘Review 2018 Top-Sellers’ section is brimming with numerous items that usually carry steep price tags. Here you can get considerable discounts on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 smartphone, the XANES MI3 smartwatch and lots more.

There’s another section wherein you can get one item free with one item you buy. There are no prizes for guessing that the category is called ‘Buy One Get One Free.’ It is also worth noting that all items like the Kospet Hope smartwatch are available for significantly reduced prices in this section.

For the sake of an instance, the Kospet Hope would normally set you back $239.99, but you can now buy it for just $159.99 in the above-mentioned category. Aside from grabbing the discount, you can use the 8% off site-wide coupon code 19new8 and get an extra $12.80 off.

In other words, you can bring the already reduced selling price of the feature-laden smartwatch further down to only $147.19 simply by applying the aforesaid coupon before proceeding to checkout. Note that the coupon is not valid for limited offer products.

The next section dubbed, ‘Exclusive Coupon Zone’ features various items that have been associated with specific coupons that you can use to buy them for lowered prices. For example, the Xiaomi Pocophone F1 usually sells for $339.99 on Banggood, but you can use coupon code 12F1BG2 to reduce the phone’s retail price.

There’s another section called ‘Lower Prices Deals’ wherein you can items starting from $1.99, $5.99, $9.99 and $19.99. The promo also offers top-branded RC toys for lowered prices under the ‘RC Toys & Hobbies’ segment.

You can click here to visit the promotion page and check out the rest of the items included in the ‘Smart Devices,’ ‘Outdoor Gears’ and ‘Automobiles & Motorcycles’ categories and take full advantage of the discounts available on all items before the promo wraps up.

Buy Top-Branded Electric Scooters For Considerably Lowered Prices On GearBest [Coupon Inside]

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Jan 2, 2019

There’s no dearth of electric scooters in the market today, but these newfangled electric vehicles that usually have two wheels do not come cheap.Much to the delight of those restlessly waiting to get their hands on an e-bike that doesn’t cost a bomb, leading manufacturers like Alfwise, Xiaomi and Ninebot have teamed up with GearBest in a bid to make high-end electric scooters more pocket-friendly. So without wasting more time, let’s check out the details.

Alfawise M1 Folding Electric Scooter

Marketed as an ideal electric vehicle for traveling short distances, the M1 is also a perfect gift for your kids. The e-bike is equipped with a double brake system that warrants utmost safety of your child.

The front wheel of the M1 adopts E-ABS anti-lock braking system while the rear-mounted wheels feature a mechanical disc brake that enables a short braking distance of 4m. While a top-branded e-bike offering comparable features would normally carry a steep price tag, the Alfawise M1 can now be yours for a dropped price of just $339.99 on GearBest.
This is a noteworthy 37 percent reduction in the scooter’s original asking price of $539.18, and there’s more for you to cheer about. Those spending over $50 and people shopping using the GearBest app will be eligible to get an extra $5 off coupon.

You can visit this link to grab the discount, which will be valid for the remaining 97 pieces of the M1 scooter’s black color version. Note that the promo is slated to end in five days.

Xiaomi M365 Folding Electric Scooter

This M365 electric scooter is a full-fledged personal electric vehicle featuring a highly portable folding design. The scooter is housed in a robust frame that’s made using aviation grade aluminum but still weighs in at just 12.5kg, making it an easily portable electric vehicle.

While you’d normally end up shelling out a fortune on a portable e-bike, Xiaomi is offering the M365 folding electric scooter for a considerably lowered price of just $369.99 on GearBest. This is a significant 36 percent drop in the e-bike’s original selling price of $575.72.

Aside from taking full advantage of the aforesaid discount, you can use a $5 off coupon if your order value exceeds $50. Note the coupon will only be valid until January 17th. On the downside, there were only 319 pieces of the scooter’s black and 456 pieces of the white color versions remaining for the promo.

You can follow this link to avail the discount. Note that the promo will come to an end in 29 days.

Ninebot Segway ES2 Folding Electric Scooter from Xiaomi Mijia

The Segway ES2 is an ideal folding electric scooter for a slew of activities like commuting, shopping, entertainment, and even leisure. It uses a powerful 700W motor to achieve max 25km/h speed and max 10-degree gradient.

Moreover, the e-bike draws its juices from a robust 5.2Ah Li-ion battery that delivers an impressive mileage of 25km. This easy-to-fold electric scooter uses solid rubber tire so that you can ride it on different grounds without any sort of inconvenience.

The Ninebot Segway ES2 folding electric scooter would normally set you back a pretty penny on online as well as offline stores, but you can now buy it for a dropped price of just $589 on GearBest. Aside from that, you can use a $5 off coupon if your grand total exceeds $50.

If this discount did not grab your attention, it might interest you to know that you can get an extra $229.01 off simply by applying coupon code QY2DVA1Z79656 during the check out process. In other words, you can bring the already lowered retail price of the Segway ES2 folding electric scooter further down to just $359.99 simply by applying the above-mentioned coupon.

It is worth noting that the discount will be valid for the remaining 110 black-tinted pieces of the Segway ES2 electric scooter for 29 days. You can head straight to this link to grab the discount before the promo wraps up!

Xiaomi Mi Play vs Huawei Y7 (2019) vs Realme U1: Specs Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

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Jan 1, 2019

Affordable midrange phones are slowly becoming the most wanted devices, even more than flagships. This happens because now even low-end chipsets are able to provide excellent performances. Further, manufacturers are managing to release devices with stunning aesthetics, decent cameras, and long-lasting batteries even in the low-end segment. Today we are comparing the new Xiaomi Mi Play, the new Huawei Y7 (2019) and the Realme U1 because we believe they are among the most amazing affordable alternatives to high-end smartphones. If you are trying to save money while still getting an excellent handset, you should go ahead and check this specs comparison.

Xiaomi Mi Play vs Huawei Y7 (2019) vs Oppo Realme U1

	Xiaomi Mi Play	Huawei Y7 2019	Oppo Realme U1
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	147.76 x 71.89 x 7.8 mm, 150 grams	158.92 x 76.91 x 8.1 mm, 168 grams	157 x 74 x 8 mm, 168 grams
DISPLAY	5.84 inches, 1080 x 2280p (HD+), 432 ppi, IPS LCD	6.26 inches, 720 x 1520p (HD+), 269 ppi, IPS LCD	6.3 inches, 1080 x 2340p (HD+), 409 ppi, LTPS IPS LCD
PROCESSOR	MediaTek Helio P35, octa-core 2.3 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 450, octa-core 1.8 GHz	MediaTek Helio P70, octa-core 2.1 GHz
MEMORY	4 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD slot	3 GB RAM, 32 GB – micro SD slot	3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD dedicated slot
SOFTWARE	Android 8.1 Oreo, MIUI	Android 9 Pie, EMUI	Android 8.1 Oreo, Color OS
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS
CAMERA	Dual 12 +2 MP 8 MP front camera	Dual 13 + 2 MP f/2.2 16 MP front camera	Dual 13 +2 MP f/2.2 and f/2.4 25 MP f/2.0 front camera
BATTERY	3000 mAh	4000 mAh	3500 mAh
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Hybrid Dual SIM slot	Hybrid Dual SIM slot	Dual SIM slot

Design

Whatever you choose, you will get a very attractive and elegant design. The one I like more is the Xiaomi Mi Play because it features a glass back with gradient colors and a thinner profile as well as a more compact and lightweight body. It is the first Xiaomi phone with a waterdrop notch but it does not matter so much as even its opponents have a waterdrop notch.

Display

Huawei Y7 (2019) loses the display comparison because of a lower level of detail, while the winner is the Realme U1 by Oppo with its Full HD+ LTPS IPS panel which also features a larger diagonal which results in a more comfortable use for multimedia and productivity. Xiaomi Mi Play has a good display too, but it is not at the same level as the Oppo Realme U1. On the other hand, it is more suitable for one-handed use because of its smaller dimensions, so it still has its advantages.

Specs & Software

Do you need the fastest and smoothest device perfect for gaming and multi-tasking? Then go for the Oppo Realme U1 without even hesitating. It comes with the new Helio P70 SoC which is the most powerful last-gen chipset by MediaTek and it runs with a max frequency of 2.1 GHz. Further, it features a dual SIM slot and a separated micro SD slot so you can use both SIMs and microSD card simultaneously. Between Xiaomi Mi Play and Huawei Y7 2019, the former wins because it has the new Helio P35 chipset which is even better than Snapdragon 625. And if you know Qualcomm’s processors, you should have already understood that Helio P35 is much more powerful than the Snapdragon 450 found on the Huawei Y7 (2019). Note that for now, Huawei Y7 (2019) does not come in a 4/64 GB configuration and it is only available with 3 GB of RAM, while Oppo Realme U1 and Xiaomi Mi Play have that higher-end memory configuration. While Xiaomi Mi Play and Huawei Y7 2019 have Android Pie installed out of the box, Oppo Realme U1 is still based on Oreo.

Camera

The most impressive camera setup for an affordable phone belongs to the Oppo Realme U1. Its key point is the front camera, one of the best ever seen. It comes with a 25 MP resolution and useful AI-backed features improving selfies and it even comes with a pretty nice dual camera on the rear. But the rear camera is more or less on par with the ones of its opponents. Xiaomi Mi Play provides very detailed shots when light conditions are good, while Huawei Y7 (2019) has sufficient performance with the rear cameras and a great 16 MP selfie camera. I would choose the Realme U2 due to its surprising selfie cameras, but differences between these camera departments are just marginal.

Battery

The battery is the strongest point of the Huawei Y7 2019 which is able to reach almost two days of battery life on a single charge, even if you use it continuously. This happens thanks to the huge 4000 mAh battery but also thanks to the HD+ display which does not consume a lot of energy, and thanks to the efficient Snapdragon 450 chipset. At the second place, there is Oppo Realme U1 with its 3500 mAh battery which still provides an above-average battery life, while Xiaomi Mi Play has just 3000 mAh but it is able to charge faster due to its smaller capacity. However, none of these handsets features a fast charging technology.

Price

You should not mind a lot about the prices of these devices because they are just slightly different. You can actually find the Xiaomi Mi Play in China for about €170/$200, Oppo Realme U1 is available in the Indian market for about €180/$210 and Huawei Y7 2019 costs about €200/$230. The global debut of these smartphones is still not scheduled and probably only Xiaomi Mi Play and Huawei Y7 2019 will land in Europe, while Realme U1 will remain in Asia. Overall, I prefer the Oppo Realme U1 because of its better hardware department, good cameras, a pretty nice display, and a good battery.

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

Xiaomi Mi Play vs Huawei Y7 (2019) vs Oppo Realme U1: PROs and CONS

Huawei Y7 2019

PROs

Great battery life
Beautiful design
Android Pie

CONS

HD display

Xiaomi Mi Play

PROs

Compact and lightweight
Good design
Android Pie
Good display

CONS

Smaller battery

Oppo Realme U1

PROs

Micro SD dedicated slot
Great performance
Nice display
Big battery
Good cameras

CONS

Limited availability

Snapdragon 710-powered 360 N7 Pro discounted to just ¥999 (~$145)

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Jan 1, 2019

The Snapdragon 710 is the most powerful mid-range chipset in the market. If you are in the market for a new phone powered by the processor, then you may want to grab the 360 N7 Pro.

JD.com has discounted a number of its phones in what can be termed a new year sales promotion and the 360 N7 Pro has gotten a price slash too. The 360 N7 Pro sells for ¥1399 but you can now purchase it for just ¥999 (~$145) making it the cheapest Snapdragon 710-powered phone.

That price gets you a phone with a 5.99-inch FHD+ display covered with glass on both sides. There is 4GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage. It also comes in 6GB + 64GB/128GB variants but they are not discounted.

The 360 N7 Pro has 12MP + 16MP dual rear cameras and 16MP + 2MP dual front-facing cameras. Both have lots of AI features to make your photos better. The phone packs a 4,000mAh battery in a 7.7mm body. It also has support for 18W fast charging via a USB-C port. Its thin body doesn’t mean it skipped the audio jack, so don’t worry about going wireless or using a dongle.

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

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Jan 1, 2019

OPPO has begun rolling out the ColorOS 5.2.1 update to the OPPO R15 and OPPO R15 Dream Mirror Edition. The update brings a ton of new features including Hyper Boost and some AI features.

The ColorOS 5.2 update is a staged rollout so it might take a few days before it hits your device. The changelog is pretty long but we will list some of the new features the update brings below:

AI Assistant

Wake voice assistant by holding the power button for 0.5s.
Use the AI assistant to scan words, translate images, scan documents, answer questions etc.
Smart Car mode – automatically detects when you are driving and blocks notifications and reminders.

System

Hyper Boost
Smart Sidebar – add frequently-used apps to the smart sidebar which can be accessed by swiping from the side of the screen.
New restart feature – long press power button and swipe up to reboot in the shutdown interface.
Application Quick Freeze – Freeze idle apps to free system resource and reduce power consumption.

Video

New video editing tool allows you to adjust video speeds, add themes and effects to your videos.

Safety

Added SOS emergency feature – press the power button 5 times and it automatically calls the preset emergency number and also sends your location and photo to the number.

Smartmi Car Air Purifier announced, priced at ¥349 (~$51)

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Jan 1, 2019

If you are in search of an air purifier for your car, you just got one more option to choose from. One of Xiaomi‘s partner companies, Zhumi/Smartmi, announced a new car air purifier yesterday. The Smartmi Car Air Purifier may as well be the cheapest announced by Xiaomi or any of its partner companies.

The Smartmi Car Air Purifier has a cylindrical shape and comes in white. Like other air purifiers we have covered, it attaches to the headrest of the car seat. It has a 360° air inlet design and an EPA12 filter that can filter particulate matter up to 0.3μ in size. The purifier itself has a CADR value of up to 70m³/h.

The air purifier is powered by a high-quality DC brushless motor with a dual-fan design that is efficient and quiet. It is powered by a 4.5m long cigarette lighter plug. The plug has a USB port on top, so you can plug in your devices in case you want to charge.

Counterpoint: Huawei joins list of contributors to 2018’s high-end smartphone market growth

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Jan 1, 2019

The high-end segment is the money spinner for phone manufacturers as that is where the most profit is made. It is no surprise Apple is the top performer in this category. However, according to Counterpoint’s stats for Q3 2018, Chinese smartphone companies are cashing in in this segment with Huawei leading the pack.

Counterpoint says the high-end smartphone segment witnessed its fastest growth in the third quarter of 2018. While the overall smartphone market declined by 5%, the premium segment grew by 19% that quarter

The market research firm has split the premium smartphone segment into three tiers – the $400 – $600 category, the $600 – $800 category, and the $800 and up category.

For the first category, Samsung is king here with 25% of the market share and is followed closely by Apple with 21%. Huawei comes next with a market share of 17%. Vivo and OPPO claim the 4th and 5th spots with 10% and 7% respectively and Xiaomi is 6th with a 6% market share.

In the $600 to $800 tier, Apple leads with a market share of 61%, three times more than Samsung that is at second place with a market share of 21%. Apple also leads the $800+ tier with a 79% market share. Counterpoint says Huawei also made its mark in the second tier with its Huawei P20 Pro flagship but it isn’t shown on the charts.

Sony Xperia L3 passes through FCC; packs 5.7-inch display and 3GB RAM

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Jan 1, 2019

Sony, the Japan-based company which has been struggling in the smartphone market, seems to be working towards launching a new smartphone soon. An upcoming smartphone of the company, Sony Xperia L3, recently passed through the FCC certification process.

The mid-range smartphone is the successor of the Xperia L2 launched last month. Given that the phone has already been through the certification processor, there’s a possibility that the company could launch the device at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2019 in Las Vegas.

The FCC listing of the smartphone reveals that it will come with a 5.7-inch display having 18:9 aspect ratio. Under the hood, it will be powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 660 octa-core chipset along with 3GB RAM.

The phone will be featuring a dual camera setup on the back, consisting of a 13-megapixel primary sensor and a 5-megapixel secondary sensor. The device will also come with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for added security. On the front side, it will feature an 8-megapixel snapper for taking selfies and video calling.

Sony will be ditching the micro-USB port and will offer USB Type-C port. As for the battery, the device will be powered by a 3,400mAh battery, which should be enough to last through the whole day on a single charge.

Currently, there’s no more information available related to the smartphone. However, as we said, the phone could be announced during the CES 2019 later this month or at MWC 2019 in February this year.

(Source)

Blue-Gold Nubia X goes on sale today for ¥4299 (~$625)

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Jan 1, 2019

The Nubia X is a dual-screen phone that launched last year. Including a second screen is Nubia‘s way of achieving an edge-to-edge design as the main display nearly covers the whole of the front with just slivers of bezels at the top and bottom while the second albeit a smaller screen is surrounded by bezels that house the phone’s triple cameras.

The phone comes in multiple variants that Nubia has been releasing in batches. Today, the variant to go on sale is the Blue-Gold version which has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It is priced at ¥4299 (~$625) and is available for purchase on JD.com.

The Nubia X has a 6.26-inch 2280 x 1080 LCD primary display and a 5.1-inch HD+ OLED display. It is powered by a Snapdragon 845 processor paired with 6GB/8GB of RAM and a 128GB/256GB/512GB of non-expandable storage.

The design of the Nubia X means it doesn’t have a front-facing camera, so you have to use the main cameras on the back for taking selfies which is where the second display comes in as it serves as the viewfinder when taking selfies. There are two cameras on the rear – a 16MP f/1.8 sensor and a 24MP f/1.7 sensor.

The secondary display not only works as a viewfinder when taking selfies, but it can also serve as additional touch controls when playing a game on the main screen. And since it is an OLED display, it has an always-on-display feature which is customizable and can be configured to display animations, custom messages, or even used to monitor a virtual pet that comes with the phone.

Xiaomi Mi LED TV models get price cut in India

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Jan 1, 2019

In recent months, a few of Xiaomi’s products have seen price fluctuations in the Indian market. Due to the depreciation of the Indian rupee, the company had increased the pricing of Mi LED TV in November last year. Recently, the company announced a price drop on a couple of smartphone models.

Now, the China-based company has announced price drop on three of its Mi LED TV models in the Indian market. The company says that the price cut comes following the decision by Government of India wherein Goods and Service Tax (GST) on television sets have been reduced from 28 percent to 18 percent on TVs up to 32-inches.

Xiaomi also adds that the company is following its philosophy of ensuring that whenever the company makes more than 5 percent profit margin on any hardware products, it tries to give it back to the customers, which the company calls ‘Mi Fans.’

The Xiaomi Mi LED Smart TV 4A 32-inch model has received a price cut of Rs. 1,500 (~$22) and is now available for Rs. 12,499, roughly $179. The Mi LED TV 4C PRO 32-inch model, on the other hand, has received Rs. 2,000 ($29) price cut, bringing the price down to Rs. 13,999, which converts to around $201.

Apart from the 32-inch models, the Mi LED TV 4A PRO 49-inch model has also received a price drop of Rs. 1,000 (approximately $14), making Rs. 30,999 ($445) as the new effective price. The company says that the price cut on this 49-inch model is due to recent dollar moderation.

A few months ago, the International market research firm, IDC released its report for India’s smart home market for Q2 2018. The report reveals that Xiaomi, a new player in the smart TV market, became the leading brand in just six months. The company was able to triple its shipments in Q2-2018 to become the market leader in the smart TV category. According to Xiaomi, they have sold half a million TVs since their entry into India.

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 now available on open sale in India, starts at Rs. 12,999 ($180)

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Jan 1, 2019

Last month, Asus launched its Zenfone Max Pro M2 smartphone, which is the successor of the company’s popular budget device Zenfone Max Pro M1.

The phone went on sale in India last month itself but was available for purchase through a flash sale model. However, after conducting just one flash sale, the company has now announced that the Zenfone Max Pro M2 will now be available on open sale through Flipkart.

It comes in two color options — Blue and Titanium. The 3GB RAM model is priced at Rs. 12,999 (approximately $180), 4GB RAM model costs Rs. 14,999 ($209) while the 6GB RAM model is priced at Rs. 16,999 (approx. $237).

The Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2 comes with a curved 3D glass rear and a metallic frame, measuring 157.8 x 75.5 x 8.5mm. It features a 6.26-inch IPS LCD display with Full HD+ screen resolution of 2280 x 1080 pixels and 19:9 aspect ratio. The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 6 on top.

Under the hood, the device is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 660 octa-core chipset. It comes in three variants — 3GB/4GB/6GB RAM and 32GB/64GB internal storage along with a microSD card slot for storage expansion. There’s also a rear-facing fingerprint sensor for added protection.

As for the camera, the device comes with a vertically-stacked dual camera setup, featuring a primary sensor of 12-megapixel Sony IMX486 with f/1.8 aperture. It is accompanied by 5-megapixel depth sensor with f/2.4 aperture. On the front side, there’s a 13-megapixel selfie camera with an LED flash that supports Face Unlock.

Connectivity options on the device include Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, micro-USB 2.0, and 3.5mm audio jack. It runs stock Android 8.1 Oreo out-of-the-box and is powered by a 5,000mAh battery which unfortunately lacks support for fast charging.

The Zenfone Max Pro M2 recently received a firmware update that comes with better camera effect optimization along with updated audio performance, and an upgraded fingerprint sensor performance that makes it more accurate and fast. It also has improved the display edge and updated the Google security patch from October to November.

Buy Top-Branded Bluetooth Speakers For Considerably Lowered Prices On GeekBuying [Coupons Inside]

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