Buy The Tronsmart Encore Spunky TWS Buds And I7S TWS Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds At Reduced Prices On GeekBuying [Coupons Inside]

Get 26% Off On OnePlus 6 Smartphone

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Jan 17, 2019

Banggood continues to uphold its reputation for offering the best bang for your buck by doling out noteworthy discounts on a wide selection of electronic items from time to time.
Keeping in line with that, the Chinese online store is now offering two feature-laden smartphones including the OnePlus and the Huawei Honor 8X smartphones at unbeatable prices. We’ll shed light on the aforesaid discounts and even show how you can save more money during the checkout process.

OnePlus 6 (6GB RAM+64G ROM)

Even about a year after hitting the store shelves, the OnePlus 6 hasn’t stopped garnering popularity among smartphone lovers. That’s hardly surprising given that it boasts an impressive array of features and high-end specifications.

On the downside, the phone doesn’t come cheap. In fact, it will normally set you back $609.99 on both online as well as offline stores, but that’s about to change.
In a bid to make the OnePlus 6 available to cost-conscious buyers, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer is now offering this well-received smartphone at a lowered price of just $452.86 on Banggood. This is a 26 percent reduction in the device’s original asking price.

On top of that, you can use coupon code 1BGOP61 and get an extra $60.87 off. In other words, you can bring the already lowered retail price of the OnePlus 6 smartphone further down to only $391.99 simply by applying the aforesaid coupon before placing your order.

You can visit this link to avail the discount, which will be valid for the black color version of the smartphone for a limited period of time.

Huawei Honor 8X (4GB RAM+128GB ROM)

Huawei took the wraps off its Honor 8X smartphone in September last year. While the phone is expected to sweep Huawei fans off their feet with its top-notch specs and performance, it has now gone up for pre-order on Banggood.

You can now pre-order the blue or black color versions of the Huawei Honor 8X smartphone if you are willing to shell out $259.99. Huawei fans who have restlessly been waiting to get their hands on this feature-rich handset without spending a lot of money don’t need to get disappointed.

You can save $15 simply by applying coupon code 1BG8XG4 before you proceed to check out. Banggood users can reduce the original asking price of the global version of the Honor 8X reduces to only $244.99 with the help of the aforesaid coupon.

The Honor 8X is an irresistible smartphone that comes with an extra large 6.5 inch TFT LCD (IPS) display with a screen resolution of 2340×1080 pixels. The phone packs a powerful HUAWEI Kirin 710 Octa-core processor, under the hood.

You can visit this link to check out the rest of the specifications and grab the discount before the coupon code expires.

Pre-Order Huawei Honor 8X Smartphone

MediaTek denies report that suggested that it had terminated partnership with Xiaomi

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Jeet

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Jan 17, 2019

MediaTek, the Taiwan-based chipset manufacturer, has today officially released a statement saying that the rumors related to the company terminating its partnership with Xiaomi are not true.

The development comes after reports emerging online which suggested that MediaTek has terminated its partnership with Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi and will no longer provide its mobile chipsets. Debunking that, MediaTek said that their relationship is good and the partnership is going on smoothly as usual and there’s no suspension of supply.

Currently, there are two Xiaomi smartphones that are powered by MediaTek’s chipsets — Xiaomi Redmi 6 and Xiaomi Redmi 6A. While the Redmi 6 is powered by Helio P22 chipset manufactured using a 12nm process, the Redmi 6A is powered by Helio A22 processor.

MediaTek’s chipsets are mostly used to power low-end and mid-range smartphones and the company has not yet launched a high-end chipset that could power flagship smartphones. In December 2018, the company reported consolidated revenue of 21.387 billion Taiwan dollars, representing an increase of 14.66 percent.

The company’s consolidated revenue in the four quarter of 2018 was 60.891 billion Taiwan dollars, which represents a decline of 9.2 percent. According to data released by China Science and Technology Institute, China’s smartphone shipments fell by 15.5 percent, and annual shipments fell to 390 million units.

Like many other technology companies, MediaTek is also involved in patent litigation. AMD has reportedly filed a lawsuit against MediaTek among others and alleged two patent infringements related to GPU/APU technology and is looking for cash compensation.

Pre-Order Ulefone Armor 6 Smartphone For Just $359.99 On GeekBuying And Win A Free Gift!

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Get A Big Discount On Ulefone Armor 6 Smartphone

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Jan 17, 2019

Designed for adventure junkies who fancy staying in touch with friends and family even during their adventurous outdoor activities, the Ulefone Armor 6 is deemed as the world’s top indestructible rugged smartphone.

Before we divulge more details about the Armor 6, it might interest you to know that this hotly-anticipated rugged smartphone has gone up for pre-order carrying a heavily discounted price tag on GeekBuying. On top of that, the handset comes with a free gift.

While you’d normally associate a steep price tag with a top-branded, brawny smartphone, the Ulefone Armor 6 can now be yours for a dropped price of only $359.99 on GeekBuying. Aside from this noteworthy reduction in the phone’s original asking price of $487.99, there’s more for you to cheer about.

You can get an Ulefone UF002 wireless charger absolutely free with the package B black version of the Armor 6. Alternatively, you can go just for the black, red or package C red options of the smartphone. It is worth noting that the free wireless charger is only available with the package B black and package C red options.

An absolute bargain at this price, the Armor 6 sports a mammoth 6.2-inch FHD+ display with 2246×1080 pixels resolution. The phone packs a powerful Helio P60 Octa Core 2.0GHz processor, and an ARM Mali-G72-MP3 700MHz GPU, under the hood.

It ships with 6GB of RAM and offers 128GB of expandable onboard storage capacity for you to save your favorite content. On the photography front, the Armor 6 houses a 16.0MP(SW21.0MP) + 8.0MP(SW13.0MP) dual camera module on the back and an 8.0MP(SW13.0MP) front shooter for selfies and video chatting.

This dual-SIM smartphone runs System: Android 8.1 Oreo OS and draws its juices from a 5000mAh Li-ion battery that delivers about 2-3 days of standby time. Moreover, it features multiple sensors including the G-sensor, P-sensor, L-sensor, E-compass, gyroscope, fingerprint sensor, NFC, UV sensor, and baroceptor.

You can follow this link to avail the aforesaid discount and check out more details about the Ulefone Armor 6 smartphone. Note that the phone will start shipping in four days.

Check Out GeekBuying’s Ulefone Armor 6 Flash Sale

LG G8 ThinQ may offer 7-inch screen space with second display attachment

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Jan 17, 2019

LG is expected to announce the LG G8 ThinQ flagship phone at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) tech expo in the coming month. Fresh information coming from CNet and South Korean publication Naver reveals that the G8 ThinQ may carry support for attachment of secondary display.

The LG G8 ThinQ is now expected to adorn a look like the ZTE Axon M smartphone which came with dual displays. The G8 won’t be featuring dual displays, but it will offer an option to add a second screen through a special case. It won’t be a foldable device, but it will just provide an option to provide more display space by adding a second screen.

The LG G8 ThinQ as well as the secondary screen will be equipped with slim side bezels which will ensure there is minimal gap between the two displays when they are attached. With both screens attached, it is expected to appear like a single device with a large 7-inch display. Moreover, the handset will be featuring support for “touchless” input that will make it possible to operate it with hand gestures.

Read More: LG V40 ThinQ India launch set on 20th January, will be available exclusively via Amazon

One should be aware of the fact that even though the phone with support for second display is being dubbed as LG G8 ThinQ, there is no official confirmation on the moniker yet. The South Korean company was rumored to launch a foldable phone at the upcoming MWC 2019 tech trade show. However, it appears that the alleged LG G8 ThinQ could be the phone that may have been confused for LG’s foldable phone. It is advisable to wait for further reports to confirm on the exact moniker of the LG phone with support for secondary screen.

CNet has also claimed that LG will be using the MWC 2019 platform to announce multiple phones. LG has been using the MWC tech expo to announce its G-series flagship. Hence, it is likely that the LG G8 ThinQ could be also unleashed at the upcoming tech trade show.

(source 1, 2)

Get Top-End Home Appliances At Considerably Lowered Prices On Banggood

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Check Out Banggood’s Home Appliance Festival

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Jan 17, 2019

Daily household chores can prove to be backbreaking once in a while. There’s no dearth of devices that can take care of these daunting tasks, but they aren’t easy on the pocketbook.

In a bid to make top-branded home appliances that come in handy in day to day life, Banggood is now doling out big discounts on highly useful items. The promo dubbed, ‘Home Appliance Festival’ features Derma DX700 vacuum cleaner, Xiaomi Sothing Mini Warmbaby portable warmer, Xiaomi Huohou multi-functional knife, Blitzwolf BW SDB0 Bluetooth soundbar for desktop and laptop PC and Xiaomi Mijia DFB01CM rice cooker.

The Deerma DX700 is an irresistible handheld vacuum cleaner that normally sells for $119.99, but thanks to a 42 percent reduction in its original asking price, you can now buy it for just $69.99 on Banggood. This promo will end on January 22nd.

The Sothing Mini Warmbaby portable warmer would normally set you back $46.89, but Xiaomi is now offering it at a dropped price of just $34.99 on Banggood for a limited period of time. You can extend this 25 percent discount by apply coupon code b0a761.
The aforesaid coupon helps you get an extra $11.66 off at checkout. In other words, you can bring the already lowered selling price of the item further down to just $23.33 simply by applying the coupon.

The Xiaomi Huohou multi-functional knife usually carries a $62.88 price tag, but it has now gone up for sale bearing a lowered price of just $35.88 on Banggood. Aside from grabbing this 43 percent discount, you can stand a chance to win KCASA KC-F14 ELPLORER New Waterproof Double Arc Lighter as a free gift along with this order.
The BW-SDB0 smart soundbar’s original selling price is $42.99, but much to the delight of those living on a tight budget, Blitzwolf is now offering this feature-rich mini soundbar at a considerably reduced price of $31.44 on Banggood.

On the downside, this 27 percent discount will only be valid for the first 200 pieces.

Likewise, you can grab a 10 percent discount on the Mijia DFB201CM small rice cooker, which normally sells for $68.88. Thanks to the above-mentioned discount, you can now buy it for only $62.33 on Bangood.

In addition to the aforesaid items, this promo features a slew of other equally useful items that you can buy without breaking the bank for a limited period of time. Note that a slew of new products is slated to go up for sale carrying reduced prices on January 17th.

You can click here to visit the promotion page and check out the rest of the products.

Lenovo A5s specifications and render leaked

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Jan 17, 2019

In June, Lenovo had launched the Lenovo A5 smartphone in China and in October it was made available in India. It was low budget phone that came with a starting price of 599 Yuan (~$88). Fresh information shared by 91Mobiles reveals that the Chinese manufacturer is working on a smartphone called Lenovo A5s. The leaked specs of the unannounced phone suggest that it will be an upgraded version of the Lenovo A5.

The Lenovo A5s was recently certified by Indonesia’s TKDN body and Bluetooth SIG authority. These certifications had confirmed the existence of the Lenovo A5s. The publication has shared new details on the specifications of the smartphone.

It claims that the Lenovo A5s will be arriving with a display that will offer an aspect ratio of 18:9 with thick bezels at the top and bottom. The exact size of the display of the Lenovo A5s is not known, but it is known that it will carry support for HD+ resolution of 720 x 1440 pixels.

Read More: Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 vs Lenovo Z5s vs Asus Zenfone Max Pro (M2): Specs Comparison

The leak further reveals that the Lenovo A5s will be powered by MediaTek MT6761 which is nothing but the Helio A22 SoC. It will be assisted by 2 GB of RAM. The handset will come preinstalled with Android 9 Pie OS. There is no information available on the other specs of the Lenovo A5s.

The inclusion of the Helio A22 indicates that the Lenovo A5s will indeed arrive as a higher version of the Lenovo A5. The leaked image shown above reveals that the Lenovo A5s suggests that its front design will be almost same as the A5 smartphone.

The Lenovo A5 with 3 GB of RAM along with 16 GB and 32 GB storage choices. Hence, there could be a 3 GB RAM edition of the upcoming Lenovo A5s. It could be one of the first Lenovo phones to go official this year. More details of the smartphone are expected to surface through forthcoming leaks.

Buy AIWO 737A2 And Deffpad L955AT Laptops At Unbeatable Prices On GearBest [Coupons Inside]

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Get 28% Off On AIWO 737A2 Laptop

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Jan 17, 2019

As part of its recently kicked-off promotion, GearBest is offering 20% off on a wide selection of electronics, PC and office items.

Dubbed as ‘Computer Gear Summer Sale,’ the promo also offers unmissable $0.99 deals and an opportunity to win free gifts. In a bid to simplify and expedite the search process, all items have been split into Best Sellers, Computer & Office, Consumer Electronics, and Automobiles & Motorcycle categories.

If you are looking for high-end laptops that do not cost a bomb, you can head straight to the ‘Best Sellers’ section, where you can get the AIWO 737A2 and the Deffpad L955AT laptops at heavily discounted prices. Aside from taking advantage of the discounts, we’ll show how you can save extra money at checkout.

AIWO 737A2 Laptop

Sporting a 13.3-inch FHD TFT-LED display, the AIWO 737A2 delivers true-to-life images and videos. It runs Microsoft Windows 10 OS that retains the Start Menu from Windows 7 while introducing a slew of new features such as the Edge Web browser.

Under the hood, it packs a powerful Intel Cherry Trail Z8350 Quad Core 1.1GHz, up to 2.2GHz processor along with Intel HD Graphics GPU for an immersive overall experience. Furthermore, it comes with 4GB of DDR3L RAM and offers 128GB of eMMC ROM storage capacity for you to save your favorite content.
On optics front, the AIWO 737A2 houses a 0.3MP front camera for video calling. The laptop draws its juices from an 8000mAh large capacity battery that lasts longer, giving you the best experience throughout the day.

The AIWO 737A2 laptop would normally set you back a pretty penny, but you can now buy it for just $229.99 on GearBest. This is a noteworthy 28 percent reduction in the device’s retail price of $320.92.

Moreover, you can use coupon code IL1229w5 and bring the already lowered selling price of the laptop further down to only $185.99. In other words, you can get an extra $44 off simply by applying the aforesaid coupon before placing your order.

It is worth noting that the discount will be valid specifically for the gray color version of the laptop. The coupon will available for select countries including Israel, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Algeria, Tunisia, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, and United Arab Emirates.

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

Deffpad L955AT Laptop

The Deffpad L955AT features an eye-catching 15.6-inch FHD screen display that bears a high screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, making it a great choice for watching your favorite videos or playing popular games. It is powered by Intel Core i7-3687U Quad Core 1.9GHz processor and has an Intel HD Graphics 4000 Integrated Graphics GPU that makes it ideal for business as well as casual use.

The Deffpad L955AT ships with 8GB of RAM, which is enough for advanced multitasking, and it comes with 128GB of onboard storage capacity, allowing you to save your favorite videos, photos and other multimedia content without worrying about running out of storage space.

Furthermore, the Deffpad L955AT features a 0.3MP front shooter so that you can capture memorable moments and chat with friends and family. The laptop runs Microsoft Windows 7 OS and is backed by a robust 3500mAh battery.

The denim dark blue color version of the Deffpad L955AT laptop usually sells for $488.22. But much to the delight of those living on a tight budget, this appealing variant of the laptop has now gone up for sale carrying a dropped price of only $449.99 on GearBest.

You can even extend this 8 percent discount by applying coupon code GBNBDFI7. The coupon helps you get an extra $20 off by reducing the laptop’s original asking price to $429.99.

Alternatively, you can go for the black color version of the laptop that usually sells for $581.29 but is now available for a lowered price of just $449.99 on GearBest. Regrettably, there were only 19 pieces of these color versions remaining at the time of writing.

You can follow this link to avail the discount. Note that the promotion sale is slated to end in five days.

Get 8% Off On Deffpad L955AT Laptop

Check Out GearBest’s Computer Gear Summer Sale

Xiaomi confirms MWC 2019 February 24 event; Likely to announce Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 5G

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Jan 17, 2019

A leaked invitation poster by Xiaomi for the Feb. 24 event was shared by popular design and leakster Benjamin Geskin through his Twitter account. The tweet was quickly deleting after posting. However, by then it was already shared on Reddit by some users. Xiaomi has now confirmed to Pocket-lint publication that it will be indeed hosting a press event on Feb. 24.

Various smartphone makers are expected to showcase their 5G-ready products at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2019 tech expo that will be held between Feb. 25 and Feb. 29. Even though Xiaomi has confirmed that it will be holding an event on the eve of MWC 2019, there is no confirmation yet on what devices it will be announcing. Rumors are rife that like other companies, Xiaomi may also announce the 5G version of the Mi MIX 3 smartphone.

Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 5G was displayed at Qualcomm booth at the recently held Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2019 tech trade show. Even 5G prototypes from Samsung, OPPO and Vivo were present at CES 2019.

Read More: Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 7 has a significant camera bulge, no thanks to the 48MP sensor

At the launch of the Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 smartphone in October last year, Xiaomi had confirmed that it will be introducing 5G edition of Mi MIX 3 in Q1 2019. Hence, it is being speculated that the Chinese firm may announce the Mi MIX 3 5G at MWC 2019.

The Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S that was unveiled in March 2018 was an upgraded version of the Mi MIX 2 from September 2017. The Mi MIX 2S came with improved internals but sported more or less the same design as the Mi MIX 2. Hence, it is likely that the Mi MIX 3 5G edition may not appear very different Mi MIX 3. Instead of Snapdragon 845 that powers Mi MIX 3, the 5G edition will be fueled by Snapdragon 855 with X50 LTE modem for 5G connectivity. The handset may also come equipped with 10 GB of RAM.

Pre-Order The 20000mAh Xiaomi Power Bank 3 For Just $45.99 On Banggood

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Pre-Order 20000mAh Xiaomi Power Bank 3

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Jan 17, 2019

Xiaomi is gearing up to launch the third generation of its well-received Mi Power Banks in 10,000mAh and 20,000mAh capacities.
The 20000mAh Mi Power Bank 3 has already gone up for pre-orders bearing a considerably lowered price tag on Banggood. Before we delve further into the details about the discount, let us take a gander at the power bank awe-inspiring features.

The Mi Power Bank 3 will come with USB-C 45W two-way fast charge with a big capacity of 2000mAh and three outputs. The device’s USB-C interface can act as both input as well as output, delivering power of bidirectional 45W MAX.

The USB Type-A single port delivers 5V/2.4A, 9V/2A, 12V/1.5A fast charge, but it provides a 5V/3A output when two charging ports are active simultaneously. In terms of safety, the 20000mAh Mi Power Bank 3 features surge protection, short circuit prevention and a slew of other advanced safety features.

Aside from charging the mobile phone, it can charge the USB-C interface of Xiaomi’s notebook, Macbook as well as Switch. The 20000mAh Mi Power Bank 3 is designed according to the GB/T 35590-2017 standard has gone through the inspection items of appearance identification.

Xiaomi claims that the Mi Power Bank 3 Pro Edition gets fully charged in 11 hours when charged with a standard 10W charger; however, by using the 45W-supported power brick, the charging time can be lowered to just four and a half hours.

The 20000mAh capacity variant of the Mi Power Bank 3 would normally set you back a pretty penny, but you can pre-order it for a dropped price of just $45.99 on Banggood. This 8 percent discount will specifically be valid for the first 100 pieces.

The next 300 pieces will sell for $47.99, while the remaining 1000 pieces will go back to its original asking price of $49.99. In order to avail the discount, all you need to do is to follow this link without wasting time.

Redmi Note 7 Teardown video: Here’s what you can find inside the flagship killer

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Jan 16, 2019

The newly launched Redmi Note 7 by Xiaomi has gotten the teardown treatment, giving us our first look at what lies inside the flagship-killer. The teardown is contained in a short video that was published on Chinese video sharing platform QQ. However, the video has been re-uploaded on YouTube for ease.

From the video, we can understand that the Redmi Note 7 is not very much different from other smartphones in terms of the arrangement of its internals. The device features a glass body and so, to disassemble, the rear glass panel has to be removed. Other parts are held in place by a few screws. One spectacular thing about the device is that the USB Type-C port is on a secondary board and so, shouldn’t be too hard to replace if it gets faulty. There are two ribbon cables connecting the main board to the secondary board and other lower components like the loudspeaker, microphones, haptic motor, and the secondary board which houses the USB-C port.

https://youtu.be/telKzIbFbBQ

A recent post of ours had dwelt on the camera protrusion of the Redmi Note 7 as a result of the 48MP sensor. This, we observed. could make the glass covering the lens glass to shatter easily if the phone falls down. The teardown shows the lens cover on the dual camera setup is a single part, which makes it easy to replace if the glass cover on the camera has broken. Further, the teardown video also highlights the 48MP Samsung ISOCELL camera sensor as well as the Snapdragon 66 AIE chipset.

(source, via)

Android Pie-based EMUI 9.0 to be rolled out to 150 million users by 2019

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Jan 16, 2019

Huawei‘s terminal mobile phone product line, He Gang, has disclosed that the company will continue its massive upgrade of its models to EMUI 9.0 based on Android Pie this year. Last year, the company was able to push EMUI 9.0 update to 23 Huawei models with an estimated 6 million users getting the upgrade. Now, He Gang is saying that the upgrade will continue this year, and will benefit a total of 150 million users.

This disclosure has shown that the company is yet to even push EMUI 9.0 to up to 10% of the users of its smartphones and we’re sure most of the updates were pushed to users in China. The 150 million targeted users are expected to extend beyond China to the rest of the world. However, the timeline for the update wasn’t disclosed but we hope all models will get updated quite early. That may not happen anyway as some models might still be getting EMUI 9 updates when EMUI 10 would have been unveiled.

To recall, EMUI 9.0 comes with some changes in the UI which Huawei says makes it “Simple, Enjoyable and Consistent.” The changes include new gesture controls which aid users to quickly navigate, multitask and open the AI assistant. There is also a new password manager capable of auto-filling passwords using ID verification from the fingerprint scanner or via facial recognition. The settings menu wasn’t spared as the items there have been trimmed down. EMUI 9 also comes with GPU Turbo 2.0 which reduces the touch response of the phone by 36% and adds a new app assistant. This new GPU 2.0 feature will support four more games: Vainglory, Arena of Valor, Rules of Survival, and NBA 2K18. These are in addition to PUBG and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang which also carries support for the second generation version of GPU Turbo.

Motorola RAZR to be revived as a $1500 foldable phone

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Habeeb Onawole

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Jan 16, 2019

The Motorola RAZR was really popular back in its days. Its aluminum shell and flip-design stood out from the plethora of phones being sold then. Now Motorola (technically Lenovo) is bringing back the RaAZR but in a different way.

New reports say Lenovo will bring back the Motorola RAZR as a foldable phone with a flexible display. A foldable phone still has a sort of clamshell design, right?

The news of the foldable Motorola RAZR was first reported by The Wall Street Journal and they say it will be pretty expensive as it will be priced at $1500! WSJ also says Lenovo is partnering with Verizon to offer the device exclusively in the US. It also plans to manufacture over 200,000 units of the phone.

Not only is the upcoming Motorola RAZR going to be expensive, but it will likely also be available as early as next month in the United States.

Samsung’s foldable phone which is currently referred to as the Galaxy F is scheduled to launch on February 20, so it is no coincidence that Lenovo is also targetting a February release date for its own foldable phone. However, there is a probability the release date of the Motorola RAZR changes as it hasn’t yet been finalized.

Continue

Realme 2 Pro now allows Bootloader unlocking

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Habeeb Onawole

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Jan 16, 2019

Bootloader unlocking is a popular phrase among the mobile community. A phone with an unlocked bootloader can be rooted and gets support for custom ROMs and kernels. If you own a Realme 2 Pro, you will be excited to know there is now a way for you to unlock the bootloader of your phone.

Realme has released a tutorial on how owners of the Realme 2 Pro can unlock their bootloader though they have named it “In-depth Test”.

Unlocking the bootloader includes several steps, one of which is submitting an application that may take up to seven days to be reviewed. Once approved, an OTA will be sent to your phone. After installing the OTA you can then proceed with the rest of the steps.

Unlocking the bootloader will result in a complete data wipe, so ensure you back up your data before beginning. There may also be issues with certain features of your phone after you are done and you will also not be able to receive new versions of OPPO’s ColorOS when available.

Continue

Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 7 has a significant camera bulge, no thanks to the 48MP sensor

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Jan 16, 2019

The newly launched Redmi Note 7 continues to dominate the headlines in the tech space. The reason is not far from the solid build comprising a rock solid Gorilla Glass 5 and a powerful 48MP sensor, coupled with the amazing 999 yuan price tag. The first flash sale was over in just a little over 8 minutes, underscoring the popularity of the product. In terms of the design, it turns out Xiaomi had to sacrifice a small camera protrusion for the big 48MP dual camera setup at the rear. A fan who recently picked up the device complained about the significantly high camera bump at the back. This elicited a response from Lei Jun who acknowledged the camera bump but stated that the height should be acceptable, mainly for the quality of the 48MP camera.

The Redmi Note 7 packs a 48MP sensor as the main camera which is a Samsung ISOCELL GM1 Ultra Clear sensor with a 1/2 inch size. The sensor is in the same category as the Sony IMX586 sensor used on the Nova 4. The sensor adopts Quad Bayer pixel arrangement which can combine four 0.8μm pixels into one by four-in-one pixel technology (Pixel binning). A large pixel of 1.6 μm (the output photo becomes 12MP) increases the amount of light entering the camera. This arrangement means the camera can capture better images at night. Xiaomi recently hinted that the Note 7 will get the Mi Mix 3’s night scene mode update soon and that means even better camera output.

The only snag about the camera protrusion may be the risk of getting damaged if the phone falls which is rare but possible. Since it is protruded, it may likely hit the floor first and take some impact that might shatter the screen. We’re not sure the glass covering camera lenses is Gorilla Glass 5 but it just might be. Unfortunately, Zack Jerry may likely not be getting his hands on this model for a durability test since it isn’t a flagship.

Vivo Y91 vs Realme C1 vs Honor Play 8A: Specs Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

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Jan 16, 2019

The entry-level segment of the smartphones market is expanding every day more and now even more people are preferring affordable devices to flagships compared to the past years. Vivo, Oppo, and Huawei are the most important manufacturers of affordable smartphones alongside Xiaomi. Vivo Y91 just hitten Indian shelves with a very interesting price tag and it seems to be a unique entry-level device judging from its specifications. Here, we will compare it with other interesting low-end devices launched recently which raised a consistent amount of hype in the last period: Realme C1 from the new Oppo’s sub-brand and the new Honor Play 8A.

Vivo Y91 vs Oppo Realme C1 vs Huawei Honor Play 8A

	Vivo Y91	Oppo Realme C1	Honor Play 8A
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	155.1 x 75.1 x 8.3 mm, 163 grams	156.2 x 75.6 x 8.2 mm, 168 grams	156.28 x 73.5 x 8 mm, 150 grams
DISPLAY	6.22 inches, 720 x 1520p (HD+), 270 ppi, IPS LCD	6.2 inches, 720 x 1520p (HD+), 271 ppi, IPS LCD	6.09 inches, 720 x 1560p (HD+), 290 ppi, IPS LCD
PROCESSOR	Qualcomm Snapdragon 439, octa-core 1.95 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 450, octa-core 1.8 GHz	MediaTek Helio P35, octa-core 2.3 GHz
MEMORY	3 GB RAM, 32 GB – micro SD slot	2 GB RAM, 16 GB – micro SD dedicated slot	3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 3 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD slot
SOFTWARE	Android 8.1 Oreo, Funtouch OS	Android 8.1 Oreo, Color OS	Android 9 Pie, EMUI
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 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS
CAMERA	Dual 13 + 2 MP f/2.2 and f/2.4 8 MP f/1.8 front camera	Dual 13 + 2 MP f/2.2 and f/2.4 5 MP f/2.2 front camera	13 MP f/1.8 8 MP f/2.0 front camera
BATTERY	4030 mAh	4230 mAh	3000 mAh
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Hybrid Dual SIM slot	Dual SIM slot	Hybrid Dual SIM slot

Design

It is very rare that a Vivo handset comes with an ugly design: in the last years, the company managed to release incredibly beautiful and innovative devices. Vivo Y91 wins the design comparison with its very high screen-to-body ratio, its waterdrop notch and its gradient colors that you can see on the back cover. It is also the only device of this trio to feature a fingerprint reader, that is placed on the back side of the phone. But some may like the Honor Play 8A more due to its cleaner design and an even smaller notch, but it comes with slightly thicker bezels. Realme C1 is nothing so exciting with its plastic body and its pretty big notch, but it seems to have better build quality.

Display

Oppo Realme C1, Vivo Y91, and Honor Play 8A are all equipped with low-end HD displays, so do not expect a huge image quality. You will not see a noticeable difference in both level of detail and color reproduction, so you can choose by basing on your tastes. Note that Honor Play 8A has a slightly smaller screen that is more comfortable to use with one hand, while Realme C1 has the Gorilla Glass 3 protection that should make it more sturdy.

Specs & Software

Even though it is more affordable than Vivo Y91, the Honor Play 8A is equipped with the most powerful chipset, so it is the handset that will provide the best performance. It comes with the new Helio P35 by Mediatek which can be compared with the Snapdragon 632 by Qualcomm, 3 GB of RAM and up to 64 GB of internal storage that you can furtherly expand with a micro SD. Vivo Y91 and Realme C1 come with low-end Snapdragon 400 series chipsets that can not compete with the Helio P35.

Camera

Despite not being a dual camera setup, I liked a lot the rear camera of the Honor Play 8A because of the high detail captured and decent performance in low light, that is the weakest point of mobile phones, especially entry-level ones. But Vivo Y91 has a better selfie camera and it is also better at capturing depth info thanks to its secondary sensor. Realme C1 has a rear module with similar performances to Vivo Y91, but the front camera is inferior.

Battery

If you want the longest battery life, you should go either for the Vivo Y91 or the Realme C1. The former as a slightly smaller battery but a more efficient chipset, while the latter has a bigger one but an older 14 nm chipset that has a higher consumption. But more or less, they have similar battery life and it is incredibly long given that they have HD+ displays and low-end specs. Honor Play 8A has a much smaller battery so it is not able to compete with these devices and it can last about one day with slightly above-average battery life in every scenario.

Price

In our opinion, Vivo Y91 is slightly better than Honor Play 8A and Realme C1 due to its big battery, good cameras, the fingerprint reader and a slightly more attractive design. But its price is a lot higher: it costs about €200/$227, while its rivals can be found at just €100/$115 more or less. That is why we think Honor Play 8A has the best value for money with its better performance and good cameras.

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

Vivo Y91 vs Oppo Realme C1 vs Huawei Honor Play 8A: PROs and CONS

Oppo Realme C1

PROs

Bigger battery
Micro SD dedicated slot
Good build quality
Affordable

CONS

Lower-end cameras

Vivo Y91

PROs

Big battery
Good design
Great front camera
Fingerprint reader

CONS

Price

Huawei Honor Play 8A

PROs

Very affordable
Good rear camera
Nice hardware
Android Pie
Micro SD dedicated slot

CONS

Smaller battery

Redmi Note 7 Pro could be the first Snapdragon 675 phone

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Jan 16, 2019

After launching the Redmi Note 7 smartphone on Jan. 10, Redmi had confirmed that the company will be launching the Redmi Note 7 Pro smartphone in the coming month after the Spring Festival in China. The company had revealed that the Note 7 Pro will be arriving with improved main camera. Rumors are rife that the smartphone may feature a different processor. Probably, it could be equipped with the all new Snapdragon 675 SoC.

Different leaksters are now claiming on Weibo that the Snapdragon 675 chipset will be powering the Redmi Note 7 Pro. The SoC was unveiled in October last year and Xiaomi had claimed that it would be debuting the first smartphone with Snapdragon 675. Recent reports have revealed that following smartphones such as Motorola P40, HiSense U30 and Meizu Note 9 will be driven by the Snapdragon 675. However, if the new rumors are true, the Redmi Note 7 Pro could end up as the first SD675 phone.

The Snapdragon 660 does not carry support for 48-megapixel camera. Hence, it is very likely that the Note 7 Pro may come equipped with a different chipset. The 11nm Snapdragon 675 features a more powerful CPU than the one present inside Snapdragon 710. However, the SD675 includes a slower GPU and inferior ISP than SD710.

Read More: Leaked launch invite tips Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G to launch on February 24

Apart from different processor, the Redmi Note 7 Pro will be equipped with a Sony IMX586 48-megapixel sensor instead of the Samsung ISOCELL GM1 sensor available on the Note 7. There is no information available on the pricing of the Note 7 Pro. The highest configuration variant of the Note 7 that features 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage carries a price tag of 1,399 Yuan (~$207). The presence of Sony IMX586 sensor and the alleged inclusion of Snapdragon 675 on the Note 7 Pro suggests may cost around 1,699 Yuan (~$250) or above.

(source 1, 2)

Samsung Galaxy A40 appears on Geekbench powered by Exynos 7885

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jan 16, 2019

Earlier this week we reported that Samsung was planning to release three Galaxy A-series phones with in-display fingerprint sensors. The three phones are the Galaxy A90, Galaxy A70, and the Galaxy A50. Now a fourth model in the series, the Galaxy A40, has shown up on Geekbench along with some specs.

The device was benchmarked earlier today as the “samsung SM-A405FN”. It runs Android 9, has 4GB of RAM and is powered by the Exynos 7885 processor. This is the same chipset that will power the Galaxy M20 scheduled to launch on January 28.

Since the A-series is technically higher than the Galaxy M-series, the Galaxy A40 should come with some features that will make it a better buy than the Galaxy M20. So probably higher quality materials, a bigger battery and better cameras are the features we expect it to have.

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Xiaomi crowdfunds the Machine Island AI Reading Pen priced at 299 yuan ($44)

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Jan 16, 2019

Xiaomi has launched a new product under the Youpin (formerly MIJIA) crowdfunding platform and it is the 304th crowdfunded product from the tech giant. The product is listed as Machine Island AI Point Pen but instead of being used for writing, the pen is used for reading among other functions. The product is a third-party one, manufactured by Nanjing Machine Island Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd and is priced at 299 yuan ($44)

The Machine Island AI reading pen isn’t a writing pen but works like braille in that it reads out the words as the pen is swiped across the book. Perhaps, the most spectacular feature is the integration XiaoAI smart assistant. The device also functions as a story machine, a learning machine and a translator as it can provide Chinese-English translations. The pen supports smart pronunciation evaluation, intelligent learning report. The pen can also be synchronised with the MIJIA app in order to see useful data such as the child’s learning interest and process at a glance. It comes with WiFi 802.711 b/g/n which provides unlimited download capability, automatic content updating. The WiFi also allows the pen to automatically read the voice resources for dedicated pictures-only storybooks.

The pen is designed to assist the development of the kid in five core competencies of self-care, social, psychological, cognitive and logical thinking. The database contains 20 sub-themes, over 1200 knowledge points, and over 2000 Chinese and Engish vocabulary. Since it is developed for kids, the design is just cool and attractive in line with children’s aesthetics. The body is made from silicone with smooth finishing and also comfortable to hold. The gadget is said to have got the certification of the US FDA.

As for the design, the pen is shaped like a regular pen but with a robust build and design like a small teddy bear putting on a bow tie. The butt assumes the shape of a head with two antenna lights that looks like ears. There is an aperture for a microphone at the top half just under the bow tie. Just under the mic is a smart intercom key. The volume control buttons are at the side of the intercom key while at the other side is the power button and USB charging port. The device has some grills at the back housing the speaker. The design is done to make the gadget usable like a walkie talkie. Finally, the tip is actually the reading recognition area and cannot produce any ink for writing. The pen will be available in blue and pink colours.

The AI pen is expected to start shipping on February 28 but is still on crowdfunding. The crowdfunding has been a tremendous success with up to 700,000 yuan raised so far when the company only needed 10,000 yuan.