Mi Box S launched: new design, new remote, cheaper price tag but old internals

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Oct 9, 2018

The Xiaomi Mi Box is one of the few Android TV boxes running Android TV and not a custom version of Android for mobile phones. Announced two years ago, the TV box now has a successor (if you want to call it that) called the Mi Box S. Is it worth buying? Read on to find out.

The Mi Box S has the same design as the Mi Box 4 sold in China but it comes in black and not white like its Chinese version. Obviously, it runs Android TV and not Xiaomi’s version of Android for TVs.

The design of the box is not the only new thing. The Mi Box S also comes with a new remote. The power button is now in the middle but still at the top and right below it is a Google Assistant microphone button. There is also a dedicated Netflix button, a Live TV button, and apps button. It runs Android 8.1 out of the box.

The Mi Box S supports 4K output and playback (4K at 60fps). With built-in Chromecast, you can also cast what is on your phone, tablet or PC screen to the TV. Thanks to Google Assistant, the Mi Box S will also control your supported smart home devices such as the thermostat and lights. You can also use the assistant to find a movie/show, ask it to play a song, or even ask it the weather.

The Mi Box S has the same internals as the Mi Box. It is powered by a Cortex-A53 quad-core chipset with a Mali-450 GPU and has 2GB of RAM and 8GB of storage. The Mi Box S has dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2 for connectivity. It has an HDMI 2.0 port, a single USB 2.0 port, an audio output port, and a power input port. Just like the Mi Box, you can also connect a supported gamepad and play games on the big screen.

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The Pixel Stand is Google’s wireless charger for the Pixel 3 Duo but it does more than charge

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Oct 9, 2018

The new Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL support wireless charging, a first for the Pixel phones. While there are a bunch of wireless chargers on the market already, it is no surprise that Google announced its own charger named the Pixel Stand. However, the Pixel Stand does more than charge your phone.

Just like the name says, the phone is propped up when you place it on the charger. There are a bunch of “standing” wireless chargers but Google has a reason for choosing this design.

When you place your Pixel 3 (or Pixel 3 XL) on the charger, a new UI comes up on the phone’s display. This UI shows important information like your schedule, traffic info, and the latest news. It also has an ambient lighting that mimics sunrise before your alarm rings. At night, it automatically activates Do Not Disturb mode, so that you can disconnect and get ready for bed.

The phone will also begin a slideshow of your favorite pictures from Google Photos as you charge. Also, if there is a knock at the door and you use a Nest Hello video doorbell, the Pixel 3 will show who’s at the door when charging on the Pixel Stand.

All the features mentioned above works well only if the device is propped up which explains the reason for the adoption of the standing design.

https://youtu.be/Mek1EfLFOHQ

The Pixel Stand provides up to 10W fast charging for your Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. You can place the phone in landscape mode too and it will charge. Google says it will also charge Qi-compatible devices.

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Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL launched: Bigger Display, Wireless Charging & Better Cameras

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Oct 9, 2018

The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL were officially unveiled at an event today in the US. The launch confirmed what we already knew about both phones based on the leaks and also reveal some new details.

Design

Depending on how you look at it, you can say the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL have not really changed in terms of overall design but there are actually some big changes.

On the front side, both phones have bigger displays – the Pixel 3 now has an 18:9 screen but maintains a similar size to its predecessor while the XL grows its display by 0.3-inches and includes a notch. There are also stereo front-facing speakers and an extra front-facing camera on both devices.

On the rear, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL is covered entirely in glass. However, the frosted design of the part that is metal on the Pixel 2 duo fools you into thinking it isn’t glass. The switch to glass has led Google to include support for wireless charging.

Lastly, both phones get a new color called Not Pink. Honestly, that is the name and you shouldn’t be surprised since the other two colors are Just Black and Clearly White.

Specs

The Pixel 3 has a 5.5-inch 18:9 screen with a 1080 x 2160 resolution. The Pixel 3 XL, on the other hand, rocks a 6.3-inch 1440 x 2960 display with a notch. Its own aspect ratio is 18.5:9. There is support for HDR and a Boosted Mode which adds 10% more colors to sRGB. Always On also makes a comeback. The front and rear of the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are protected by Gorilla Glass 5.

There is a Snapdragon 845 chipset under the hood of both phones but the cores are clocked at 2.5GHz and not 2.7GHz or even 2.96GHz as we have seen on other phones with the same chipset. Google says this is so as to save battery power.

The Pixel 3 and its big brother also have a dedicated security chip – the Titan M, which keeps the OS and your passwords secure.

The RAM remains 4GB, a reaffirmation from Google that you don’t need more than that to run Android (Pure Android). You get to choose from either 64GB or 128GB of storage with no support for storage expansion.

Both phones now have an IP68 rating and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. There is a USB-C port for charging and there is still no audio jack. However, Google will ship each phone with a pair of Pixel Buds USB-C earphones which supports real-time translation, Google Assistant integration, and can even read out messages and compose replies. There is also a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter that consumes less power.

The Pixel 3 has a 2915mAh battery and the Pixel 3 XL has a 3450mAh battery.

Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL Cameras

The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL were the best camera phones until the Huawei P20 Pro took the crown from them this year. Now the Pixel 3 and the Pixel 3 XL are here to claim the title.

There is still a single rear camera on both phones. Yes, not only is Google sticking to the same number of sensors as last year’s models but they are sticking to the tradition of providing the same camera performance on each model.

The rear camera is a 12.2MP sensor with a f/1.8 aperture and a 1.4um pixel size. Google says the Pixel Visual Core chipset that handles imaging is back but we are not sure if this is the same or an upgraded one.

The front cameras are dual 8MP sensors. One is a 97° wide-angle f/2.2 sensor and the other is a standard f/1.8 sensor. You will be able to switch cameras to take wide-angle selfies.

There are a bunch of new camera features such as Top Shot – an AI system that takes multiple pictures and selects the one where everyone is at their best (eyes open, smiling etc.). There is also Super Res Zoom which lets you zoom in on objects without losing details. Night Sight lets you take fantastic night photos without the need for flash. It will be available later as an update.

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Google Pixel Slate with refined Chrome OS, detachable keyboard and stylus announced

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Oct 9, 2018

As the rumor mill had revealed, Google today unveiled the all new Pixel Slate laptop-tablet hybrid. It is the first table from the search engine to run on Chrome OS. It comes with a detachable keyboard and a stylus.

The Google Pixel Slate 2-in-1 device features a 12.3-inch LTPS LCD display that produces 3000 x 2000 pixels resolution. The display offers an aspect ratio of 3:2. The anodized aluminum chassis of the Pixel Slate measures 7mm in thickness and it weighs 1.6 pounds. The edges of the device are slightly curved which makes it comfortable to hold for longer hours.

The Pixel Slate features dual front-facing speakers. A fingerprint scanner is embedded under the power button of the Slate. Google did not confirm on the exact size of the battery present inside the Pixel Slate. However, what is known about it is that it can last for about 12 hours on a single charge. The device is equipped with a USB-C port. There is a wide-angle 8-megapixel front-facing camera on the Pixel Slate. An 8-megapixel camera is also available on the backside of the device.

The Google Pixel Slate runs on a customized version of Chrome OS that is designed to offer more desktop-like experience. Depending on how the device is held, the Pixel Slate can automatically switch between tablet and laptop modes. As expected, the device includes the G Suite and it also features a user-friendly split-screen mode.

The Chrome OS is also deeply integrated with Google Assistant. The search engine has also added a virus protection and a Titan security chip in the device for complete security.

The Google Pixel Slate comes in four variants. The base model has Intel Celeron processor that is coupled with 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of SSD storage. It carries a price tag of $599. There are other variants include Intel Core m3, Core i5 and Core i7. The highest configuration variant is priced at $1,599 and it includes Core i7, 16 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD storage. The Pixel Slate comes in a single color option of Midnight Blue.

Read More: Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL launching in India on October 22

The above pricing does not include the detachable backlit keyboard that features circular-shaped keys and a large-sized trackpad. To purchase it, users will have to shell out an extra $199. The detachable keyboard functions as a folio cover and it can be connected to the Pixel Slate through its magnet connector. The keyboard draws power from the battery of the Pixel Slate. The Pixelbook Pen is also compatible with the new 2-in-1 device from Google. Buyers of the Google Pixel Slate will get YouTube TV’s free subscription for three months.

Nokia 6.1 Plus gets Android 9 beta

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Oct 9, 2018

At the Nokia 7.1 launch event last week, HMD Global promised that the Nokia 6.1 Plus and Nokia 6.1 will get updated to Android 9 pie this month. In keeping to its promised timeline, the manufacturer has released a beta version of Android Pie for the Nokia 6.1 Plus.

The announcement was made today by Juho Sarvikas, the chief product officer at HMD Global.

Hungry for pie? 🥧 If you're a Nokia 6.1 Plus user, you'll be happy to know that Android 9 is now available to test in #Nokiamobilebetalabs. https://t.co/siaoX5xEmR #Nokiamobile #Android9 pic.twitter.com/0oiLr0NI09

— Juho Sarvikas (@sarvikas) October 9, 2018

The update brings the new system navigation, settings menu, adaptive battery, and also October’s security patch. If you are interested in joining the beta program, head to the Nokia beta labs page here and sign up.

The Nokia 6.1 Plus was launched a few months ago, first as the Nokia X6 in China before heading to India as the Nokia 6.1 Plus. It has a 5.8-inch 1080 x 2280 display, a Snapdragon 636 processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.

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Huawei Mate 20 Pro real life pictures leaked, showcasing the entire front and rear designs

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Oct 9, 2018

Huawei is expected to announce the Mate 20 series models on October 16 in London. Just like last year’s models, the Mate 20 Pro will be the main highlight of the launch and already we have seen the leaked renders and pictures of the device. Once again, the design of the Mate 20 Pro is in the spotlight as two leaked pictures showing the front and rear design have appeared on China’s Weibo. These are obviously the best pictures of the model that have been outed so far.

The design is not in anyway different from what we have seen previously, both at the front and rear. The Mate 20 Pro takes full-screen to the edge, packing a wide notch at the top which ensures the bezels at the top is tiny. The notch is quite wide but we can only spot the front-facing camera and earpiece. There is likely to be a number of sensors housed on the notch area. The Mate 20 Pro is expected to feature a 6.9-inch OLED screen with an aspect ratio of 19.5:9 and Quad HD+ resolution. The screen is also curved at the two edges which amplifies the beauty of the front view.

The rear design is highlight by the square-shaped rear camera comprising three camera sensors and an LED flash. The exact configuration of the rear cameras is not available yet. The rear panel has the Leica badge stamped at the top of the camera setup which means the Chinese phone maker continues its co-engineering partnership with German camera maker – Leica. There is no rear fingerprint sensor which basically confirms speculations that the device will come with an in-display fingerprint sensor. The rear panel which is likely made of glass is also curved at the two side edges. This is the Black variant but the Mate 20 pro will be available in Blue and Twilight colour gradient.

Kingston’s HyperX unveils the Cloud MIX wired+Bluetooth gaming headset

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Oct 9, 2018

Kingston‘s gaming division Hyper X has unveiled its latest gaming gear and it is a headset. Dubbed Cloud Mix, the headset is a hybrid gaming headset that can transmit by a wired no-delay mode and also via Bluetooth wireless mode. The Bluetooth wireless mode can prolong the usage to nearly 20 hours.

The HyperX Cloud MIX comes with a design similar to the regular gaming headset with a pair of comfortable ear cups. The headset has the HyperX logo crested on the outside part of the ear cups. The device also houses a USB port, power button, and volume controls all sit on the right earcup. While a 3.5mm audio jack for a wired connection is at the left. That means the wire can be detached and attached as desired. There is also another 3.5mm port for attaching the microphone.

The juice lies in the sound output of the headset. The Cloud MIX features HyperX’s dual-sound cavity technology and 40mm unit for rich and accurate sound performance. It is designed for high-demand host and PC players with wired audio design and portable Bluetooth wireless for entertainment content. It is compatible with several popular gadgets such as PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, VR etc. Cloud Mix is certified with Hi-Res audio and can play audio up to 40kHz at wired rates.

There is no word yet on the pricing and availability.

Sharp Aquos Zero vs Xiaomi Mi 8 vs Asus Zenfone 5z: Specs Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

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Oct 9, 2018

When an advanced user needs top-end performance but he does not want to spend a lot of money on the most powerful flagships, he can opt for an affordable flagship without any loss of performance. Affordable flagships slowly became even more popular than the most expensive ones as they are able to offer even higher speeds and smoothness for a much lower price. If we exclude affordable flagships with low-end or mid-end aesthetics such as Xiaomi Pocophone F1 and Honor Play, Xiaomi Mi 8 and Asus Zenfone 5z are the cheapest flagships out there. A few days ago, another potentially affordable flagship was made official: Sharp Aquos Zero. Despite there is still no price tag, judging from the company, we believe that even this handset will carry an affordable price tag compared with the most famous flagships. So, let’s compare the two most affordable flagships with it in order to see which is the most impressive.

Sharp Aquos Zero vs Xiaomi Mi 8 vs Asus Zenfone 5z

	Sharp Aquos Zero	Xiaomi Mi 8	Asus Zenfone 5z
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	154 x 73 x 8.8 mm, 146 grams	154.9 x 74.8 x 7.6 mm, 175 grams	153 x 75.7 x 7.9 mm, 155 grams
DISPLAY	6.2 inches, 1440 x 2992p (Quad HD+), 536 ppi, OLED	6.21 inches, 1080 x 2248p (Full HD+), 402 ppi, 19:9 ratio, Super AMOLED	6.2 inches, 1080 x 2246 pixels, 402 ppi, 18.7:9 ratio, IPS LCD
PROCESSOR	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, octa-core 2.8 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, octa-core 2.8 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, octa-core 2.8 GHz
MEMORY	6 GB RAM, 128 GB – micro SD slot	6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 6 GB RAM, 256 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB	4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB – micro SD slot
SOFTWARE	Android 9 Pie	Android 8.1 Oreo, MIUI	Android 8.1 Oreo, Zen UI
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
CAMERA	22.6 MP 8 MP front camera	Dual 12 + 12 MP f/1.8 and f/2.4 20 MP f/2.0 front camera	Dual 12 + 8 MP f/1.8 and f/2.0 8 MP f/2.0 front camera
BATTERY	3130 mAh	3400 mAh, Fast Charging with Quick Charge 4.0	3300 mAh, Fast Charging with 9V / 2A
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Hybrid Dual SIM slot	Dual SIM slot	Hybrid Dual SIM slot

Design

Sharp opted for a very singular choice in regards to the Aquos Zero’s design. The company realized it with a body made of aramidic fiber (also known as Kevlar). You may like this design or not, but it is very original and attractive. Even the rounded shape and the display curved at the side is able to make this device very impressive. That is why I personally prefer its design instead of Xiaomi Mi 8 and Asus Zenfone 5z. But even these two handsets have stunning aesthetics with their glass backs, one with a reflective light waves effect and another with a brushed metal effect. So, whatever you choose, you will make a very good choice.

Display

Sharp Aquos Zero has the most incredible panel of the trio. It is the first OLED display made by Sharp for a smartphone and it features a high Quad HD+ resolution, so a higher level of detail. This display also has 100 percent DCI-P3 wide color gamut, as well as the HDR technology. So besides having a huge level of detail, it has brilliant and realistic colors. Xiaomi Mi 8 takes the second place with its Super AMOLED Samsung panel which is HDR10-compliant as well, but it features just a Full HD+ resolution.

Specs & Software

With exactly the same hardware side, each of these devices achieves flagship-level performance. All of them boast the most powerful SoC in the Android market: the Snapdragon 845 by Qualcomm running at a max frequency of 2.8 GHz. But there are two things to note: Xiaomi Mi 8 does not have a micro SD slot, while Sharp Aquos Zero has no variants with 8 GB of RAM. So, at least in the most expensive variant. Asus Zenfone 5z wins the comparison on the paper with up to 8 GB RAM, up to 256 GB of internal storage and micro SD slot.

Camera

Xiaomi Mi 8 has the best camera department, there is definitely no doubt. The rear dual camera is composed of two 12 MP sensor: the main sensor with f/1.8 aperture and OIS and a secondary telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom supported. The detail it can capture is stunning, as well as photos in every light condition. Even the rear camera is very cool with a 20 MP resolution and f/2.0 aperture.

Battery

Xiaomi Mi 8 is the affordable flagship with the biggest battery among these ones, and it is also the one with the longest battery life. It can always reach the end of the day with a moderate/intensive use, but this is not a battery phone so do not expect anything surprising.

Price

While we still do not know the listing price of the Sharp Aquos Zero, we can tell you that currently, you can get both Xiaomi Mi 8 and Asus Zenfone 5z for less than €400/$460. While is easy to find the base version of the Mi 8 for about €350-380/$400-430, you need a bit of luck to find the Zenfone 5z for €390 thanks to online street prices. With the actual situation, I would pick Xiaomi Mi 8 due to its impressive camera.

Read More: Sharp Aquos Zero launched as Sharp’s first OLED display flagship

Sharp Aquos Zero vs Xiaomi Mi 8 vs Asus Zenfone 5z: PROs and CONS

Sharp Aquos Zero

PROs

Best display
Great hardware
Original aesthetics
Android Pie

CONS

Limited availability

Xiaomi Mi 8

PROs

Flagship hardware
Good display
Affordable price
Nice cameras

CONS

No micro SD

Asus Zenfone 5z

PROs

Great hardware
Affordable price
Stereo speakers
Wide-angle camera and OIS

CONS

Average display

TCL launches the Alcatel 3T 8-inch tablet running Android Oreo

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Oct 9, 2018

Since the beginning of this year, TCL-owned Alcatel has come out with a number of mid-range and budget models including the Alcatel 3V, 5V, Alcatel 3L, Alcatel 1X and Alcatel 1 which is priced less than $100. The company has come out with an affordable tablet which adopts the moniker Alcatel 3T.

The slate isn’t in anyway more spectacular than the budget tablets we have around. It features an 8-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1280 x 800pixels with Asahi protective glass on top of the display screen. On the driver’s seat is a MediaTek MT8765A quad-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz. The processor teams up with 2GB of RAM while there is 16GB of storage onboard. The storage can be expanded up to 128GB using a microSD card.

As far as photography goes, the device packs a 5MP camera apiece at the front and rear aspects. The Alcatel 3T also gets its juice from a 4,080mAh battery, while the Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box. The tablet comes with a metallic black finish with the Alcatel logo stamped at the back.

Alcatel 3T tablet will be sold exclusively on T-Mobile in the U.S. and will be in store shelves and available online from October 12. The tablet will be available for around $150 with monthly payment plans spreading it for 24 months.

Huawei teases Mate 20X with gaming features

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Oct 9, 2018

The Mate 20 series is scheduled for an October 16 launch in London. At the event, Huawei is expected to announce the Mate 20, the Mate 20 Pro, and the Mate 20 Porsche Design. However, a new teaser on the manufacturer’s Twitter account is hinting at another phone called the Mate 20X.

In the heat of battle, stay cool with #HUAWEIMate20X. 16.10.18 #HigherIntelligence #UltimatePerformance pic.twitter.com/bZeRKhnOC3

— Huawei Mobile (@HuaweiMobile) October 8, 2018

The Mate 20X teaser is a 10-second video of a block of ice shaped like a phone. There are snippets of some mobile games and the words “cooler” and “longer gaming”. The video also reveals the phone will launch on October 16.

From the teaser, it is plain to see that the Mate 20X is targeted at gamers. We also want to believe that it will have a cooling system and a large battery hence the “cooler” and “longer gaming” hints.

pic.twitter.com/stYegiwgYM

— Teme (@RODENT950) October 8, 2018

So does this mean we are getting four Mate 20 phones? We are not so sure. A leaked spec sheet has surfaced online and it only mentions three Mate 20 phones. There is the Mate 20 itself, the Mate 20 Pro, and the Mate 20X. The expected Mate 20 Porsche Design is missing.

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Honor executive confirms 40W Super-fast Charging and more for the Magic 2

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Oct 9, 2018

The Honor Magic 2 has been confirmed to launch on October 31, the same day as the launch of the Nubia X. The Magic 2 will come with a bunch of interesting features including a slide design. Honor‘s president took to Weibo to confirm some of these features.

According to Mr. Zhao George, the Honor Magic 2 flagship will have a Kirin 980 processor at its heart, nearly 100% screen-to-body ratio, and 40W super-fast charging technology. The Weibo post also asks what new technology we think it will have. To answer his question, there are rumors the Honor Magic 2 will make use of graphene in one way or the other.

There are speculations the phone’s battery contains graphene which allows it to function properly at high temperatures and also increases the battery life by 100% compared to Li-ion batteries. Yet others have said the Honor Magic 2 will have a graphene heat-pipe for cooling instead of copper or carbon fiber as seen in some other phones. Nevertheless, we will have to wait a few more weeks to find out which of these claims is true.

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Vivo V11 gets Rs. 2,000 ($27) price drop in India just weeks after its launch

By

Jeet

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Oct 9, 2018

After launching the Vivo V11 Pro in the Indian market last month, the Chinese manufacturer recently launched the Vivo V11, the toned-down variant of the Pro edition, in India for Rs. 22,990 (approximately $310).

Now, just a couple of weeks after its launch, the phone has reportedly received a price cut of Rs. 2,000 (~$27). With the price cut, the phone’s new pricing in the Indian market comes down to Rs. 20,990, which roughly converts to $283.

The Vivo V11 features glass panels on its front and rear with a metallic frame sandwiched in between. It comes with a 6.3-inch In-cell LTPS Full HD+ display with a screen resolution of 2280 x 1080 pixels and 19:9 aspect ratio. It is powered by MediaTek Helio P60 chipset which is accompanied by 6GB of RAM. There’s 64GB of internal storage, which can be further extended using a microSD card.

Coming to the camera, it has a dual camera setup on the back, stacked vertically, comprising a 16-megapixel primary sensor and a 5-megapixel secondary lens. For snapping selfies, it comes equipped with a 25-megapixel camera, housed inside the notch. Both cameras are equipped with AI driven features, which includes AI scene recognition, AI face beauty, AI face shaping, backlight HDR, bokeh, low-light photography, Ultra HD video shooting and more.

Read More: Unreleased Vivo Z3i leaks revealing complete specifications, unboxing video, as well as its pricing

Other features of the Vivo V11 include microUSB, 3.5mm headphone jack, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, dual-SIM support and 4G VoLTE. The handset is running Android 8.1 Oreo-based FunTouch OS 4.1 custom interface, and is fuelled by a 3,315mAh battery.

(Source)

Bizzare! iPhone user reports her charger controls the phone and even booked a presidential suite

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Oct 9, 2018

Apple iPhones are regarded as some of the most secure electronic gadgets around today. iPhones are rarely at risk of viral infection except the device has been jailbroken. In what could be termed a bizarre situation, an iPhone user in China reports that her smartphone develops a mind of its own when it is plugged into the charger.

According to the owner identified as Ms. Yang, the unnamed iPhone model was placed on the table to charge and automatically opened the Ctrip app (Asia’s leading online travel agent). The iPhone also navigated through the app to the hotel rooms section and booked a presidential suite of a hotel in Shanghai which costs 10,880 yuan. The iPhone even opened the WeChat app n order to pay for the booking. However, the owner unplugged the charger before payment was concluded and the process stopped abruptly on the payment page. In addition, the phone switched automatically from 4G to 2G network. The user also claimed to have turned on the screen recording feature on her phone but it was turned off by the phone. The lady repeated the process again and after plugging the charger for a while, the phone proceeded to book a train ticket on WeChat.

The owner also disclosed that the phone has not been jailbroken. However, the charging cable and adapter in question weren’t the original charging gadgets that came with the phone but a third-party one. We can’t actually say for sure what could have caused this but it should be the famous “ghost touch” issue that several iPhone users have reported as can be seen from this 2014 Apple community thread here. In most cases, the issue pops up when the phone is being charged and most of the complainants owned the iPhone. This has also been traced to using a third-party charger just as in this case. There is also the suspicion that it could be malware. A research by the Georgia Institute of Technology had discovered that it was possible to load malware onto the iPhone charger and in turn compromise the security of the iOS device, regardless of whether or not the phone was jailbroken or if the user even took any action on the phone. Although this is a 2013 research finding and since then no major incidence has been reported, we can’t rule out the possibility of it happening now. However, “ghost touch” is the most likely diagnosis and it is something using an original charging adapter and cable should fix.

(source)

Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 3C certified; Launch seems imminent

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Oct 9, 2018

Since Xiaomi President Lin Bin had confirmed in the previous month that the Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 smartphone will be debuting in October, Mi fans are eagerly waiting for the company to confirm on its launch date. Recent reports have claimed that the Chinese firm will also launch the Mi Note 4 smartphone alongside the Mi MIX 3. Today, multiple variants of the Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 have appeared on the website of China’s 3C authority. Now that the Mi MIX 3 has been 3C certified, it seems that its launch may not be far away.

The 3C body has certified Mi MIX 3 variants such as M1810E5A, M1810E5E, M1810E5T and M1810E5EC. The 3C certification of these models have not revealed any information on their specs. The device carries support for 12V / 1.5A charging. Now that the Mi MIX 3 has been approved by 3C, it may soon appear on TENAA with full specs and images.

The Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 is rumored to be fueled by Snapdragon 845 chipset. Compared to the predecessor models, the Mi MIX 3 is expected to offer higher screen-to-body ratio thanks to its manual slider design. The slider of the phone of the phone is expected to house a selfie camera, an earpiece and 3D structured light module for 3D face unlock. The handset is also rumored to feature an in-display fingerprint scanner. It is also speculated to arrive with a dedicated hardware button for accessing the Xiao AI voice assistant.

Read More: Xiaomi Mi 8 gets 200 yuan ($29) price cut in China

Some rumors have claimed that Xiaomi may launch the Mi MIX 3 on Oct. 15. However, the company is yet to confirm on the launch date for the smartphone.

OnePlus has recently confirmed that it will be debuting the OnePlus 6T smartphone on Oct. 30. The Nubia X dual display smartphone is set to go official on Oct. 31. Honor has also confirmed that it will be unleashing the Honor Magic 2 flagship phone with manual slider design on Oct. 31. There is a possibility that the company may announce the Mi MIX 3 by the end of this month. If it comes true, it will be rivaling with aforementioned flagship phones that are arriving at the end of this month.

OPPO K1 with in-display fingerprint scanner confirmed to launch on October 10

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Oct 9, 2018

OPPO had recently confirmed that it will be holding a launch event on Oct. 10. However, it hadn’t confirmed on the name of the device that will be announced later this week. Today, the Chinese manufacturer has officially confirmed that it will be debuting the OPPO K1 smartphone on Oct. 10. The launch posters have confirmed some of the features and price range of the smartphone.

The launch posters of the OPPO K1 reveal that it will be featuring a waterdrop notch display. The bottom portion of the display will be embedded with an in-display fingerprint scanner. The second poster reveals that the handset will be priced between 1,000 Yuan (~$145) and 1,999 Yuan (~$289). The launch event will begin at 10 AM on the said date in China. The entire specifications of the OPPO K1 have surfaced through TENAA certification earlier this month.

According to TENAA, the handset will be equipped with a 6.4-inch AMOLED display. The display will offer Full HD+ resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels. A leaked image of the phone had surfaced yesterday to reveal its front design.

The handset was recently spotted on Geekbench with Snapdragon 660. The 4 GB RAM variant of the smartphone may feature 128 GB of storage whereas its 6 GB RAM edition may include 64 GB of storage.

Read More:OPPO Hyper Boost Technology to be announced on October 11

The waterdrop notch of the OPPO K1 is expected to house a 25-megapixel selfie camera. The rear shell of the phone may feature 16-megapixel + 2-megapixel dual camera setup. The handset is expected to arrive with Android 8.1 Oreo OS. It may receive power from 3,500mAh battery. The handset is expected to arrive in color gradient variants such red-blue, silver-green and blue-black. The images of the phone that have surfaced through its TENAA listing have suggested that it may sport a glass rear. The thickness of the OPPO K1 is only 7.4mm and it weighs 156 grams.

Buy Official Xiaomi 10W Qi Wireless Charger For Only $13.99 On Giztop

By

Vinay Patel

-

Oct 9, 2018

Tired of charging your phone using annoyingly short charging cables? We got good news for you. Xiaomi has launched the 10W fast charging equipped Mi Wireless Charger in China.

Capable of charging the Xiaomi’s own MIX 2S, Samsung’s Galaxy S9, Apple’s iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X and a slew of other Qi-enabled devices, the Xiaomi 10W Qi Wireless Fast Charger has gone up for sale bearing a dropped price on Giztop. Let’s check out the details.

In order to get your hands on a top-branded wireless charger, you’d normally end up spending a lot of money, but you can buy the Xiaomi 10W Qi Wireless Charger at a reduced price of just $13.99 on Giztop, the official online store for GizmoChina. This is a noteworthy reduction in the device’s original asking price of $16.99.
The 10W Qi Wireless Fast Charger from Xiaomi is loaded with awe-inspiring features that make it quite a bargain at this dropped price. This Xiaomi-branded wireless charger supports 5V / 9V high-speed fast charging modes along with 5W / 10W high power outputs for speeding up the charging speed.

Moreover, the device packs an intelligent identification chip which produces a brisk and sensitive reaction. As if that weren’t enough, it can automatically activate fast wireless charging mode after identifying the device.

The Xiaomi 10W Qi Wireless Charger has a low wireless charging frequency. In other words, its internal addition of the magnetic isolation sheet ensures it does not inflict any sort of harm to human health.

Aside from that, it features fast charging mode and high voltage input to provide protection against short circuit, over current, discharge protection and overcharges. If the Xiaomi 10W Qi Wireless Charger has stirred your interest, you can follow this link to check out its full specification and avail the discount before the promo comes to an end.

Buy Official Xiaomi 10W Qi Wireless Charger At Dropped Price

Honor Magic 2 to launch in China on October 31

By

Jeet

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Oct 9, 2018

In August, during IFA 2018 in Berlin, Honor talked about its upcoming Honor Magic 2 smartphone, which will come with a bezel-less display and a mechanical slider.

Now, the Chinese company has announced a launch event in Beijing, China, on 31st October where it will officially launch the Honor Magic 2.

The company has already revealed that the phone will come with a mechanical sliding mechanism, which will house the front-facing camera and other sensors. This enables the company to offer a display without a notch, having a higher screen-to-body ratio.

Reports indicate that the Honor Magic 2 will come with a 6-inch AMOLED display having a screen resolution of 2880 x 1440 pixels. The device will be powered by the company’s own HiSilicon Kirin 980 octa-core processor, which is manufactured using the 7nm process.

It will pack 6GB of RAM and we are expecting a couple of storage options to choose from. The phone is also expected to come with an in-display fingerprint sensor instead of the traditional one. As said, the front-facing camera will be placed on a motorised slider. The phone will be running on Android OS-based EMUI 8.2 with a few AI-based features.

Read More: Honor 8C images, specifications appear on VMall; Arriving as First Phone with Snapdragon 632 chipset

Recently, there were reports suggesting that the Honor Magic 2 will come with a graphene-based battery which is expected to have much better battery retention rate. Further, the phone is confirmed to come with a 40W Magic Charger.

Giveaway – Win a Oukitel C12 Pro Smartphone

By

Cheky Zhu

-

Oct 9, 2018

Gizmochina along with Banggood is conducting 1 unit Oukitel C12 Pro Smartphone as giveaway gift to a lucky reader. Like always, you just have to follow the steps mentioned on the Gleam widget to get a chance to win this amazing gift.

Oukitel C12 Pro comes with 6.18-inch display with 19:9 u-notch design. Assisted by 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage, Oukitel C12 Pro also supports an external TF card up to 64GB. The handset ships with Mediatek MT6739, ARM Cortex-A53, which brings outstanding performance for running applications.

The Oukitel C12 Pro is equipped with 8MP+2MP back camera with flash light that can be used to take wonderful photos in both bright and low light conditions. The front camera with 5MP has flash light, face beauty and face detection, which can take beautiful selfie.

You can click here to get more information about Oukitel C12 Pro and other Oukitel Smartphones.

Buy Oukitel C12 Pro Smartphone at deals price on Banggood limited 200 units

How to entry this giveaway? Just follow these steps via Gleam widget:

Visit Oukitel C12 Pro Smartphone on Banggood’s website(you also can buy Oukitel C12 Pro Smartphone on Banggood’s APP: https://bit.ly/2tBvb9P).
Share this giveaway contest on Facebook, Twitter and Reddit;

Terms & Conditions:

1. The giveaway is an international giveaway.
2. We are not responsible for lost shipments.
3. We are not responsible for any duties, import taxes that you may incur.
4. We reserve all rights to make any changes to this giveaway.
5. The prize will be shipped in a month when the giveaway end.

Just follow the steps mentioned in the Gleam widget to participate in the giveaway.

Once again, good luck.

Giveaway – Win a Oukitel C12 Pro Smartphone

Get The Coveted OnePlus 6 Smartphone At A Dropped Price Of $448 On Banggood [Coupon]

By

Vinay Patel

-

Oct 9, 2018

The OnePlus 6 smartphone garnered huge popularity among smartphone lovers after hitting the store shelves earlier this year. Regrettably, the phone’s steep retail price stopped it from becoming an instant hit among cost-conscious buyers.

In a bid to make the smartphone available to those who are on a tight budget, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer is currently offering the OnePlus 6 at a considerably dropped price on Banggood. So without further ado, let’s head straight to the details.

You can now buy the OnePlus 6 smartphone at a discounted price of just $533.33 on the Chinese online store that warrants the best bang for your buck. This is a noteworthy 14% reduction in the phone’s steep retail price of $619.99.

But if that doesn’t impress you much, you can apply coupon code 10BGOP64 to get an extra $85.33 off at the time of checking out. In other words, you can reduce your already lowered grand total further down to just $448 with the help of the aforesaid coupon.

Despite bearing a dropped price tag, the OnePlus 6 is quite an irresistible smartphone that sports a big6.28 inches Optic AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display with a screen resolution of 1080 x 2280 pixels. The device is housed in a sturdy aluminum frame and it comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for added protection.

The OnePlus 6 is powered by a Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 processor and it packs an Adreno 630 GPU, under the hood. The phone offers 6GB of RAM and a hearty 64GB of non-expandable onboard storage so that you have ample space for storing your favorite content.

Moreover, it houses a 16.0MP+20.0MP dual camera setup on the back and a 16.0MP front shooter for selfies and face-to-face video chatting. The phone runs on H2OS-based Android 8.1 Oreo OS and is backed by a built-in 3300mAh battery.

You can head straight to this link to check out the full specification and avail the discount, which will be valid only for the black color version of the OnePlus 6 smartphone.

Get 14% Off On OnePlus 6 Smartphone

Xiaomi Mi 8 gets 200 yuan ($29) price cut in China

By

Jeet

-

Oct 9, 2018

Xiaomi today announced that it’s flagship smartphone series — Xiaomi Mi 8 series, has crossed the sales mark of 6 million units. The devices in the Mi 8 series include Xiaomi Mi 8, Mi 8 Explorer Edition, Mi 8 SE, and the recently launched Mi 8 Lite.

Along with that, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer has also announced that it’s slashing the prices of all four models of the Mi 8 flagship phone by 200 Yuan, which roughly converts to $29.

With the new price cut, the 6GB RAM and 64GB storage model of the Mi 8 will cost 2,499 Yuan while the 6GB RAM and 128GB storage model will be available for 2,799 Yuan. The 6GB RAM with 256GB storage model and the 8GB RAM with 128GB storage model costs 3,099 Yuan.

The Xiaomi Mi 8 features 6.21-inch notched AMOLED screen that supports 18.7:9 aspect ratio and Full HD+ resolution. The notch of the phone features a 20-megapixel selfie camera and necessary components for infrared-backed face unlock feature.

Under the hood, the device is powered by Qualcomm‘s flagship Snapdragon 845 octa-core processor, coupled with either 6GB or 8GB of RAM. There are three internal storage options to choose from — 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB. For photography, the phone comes equipped with two 12-megapixel rear camera sensors.

Read More: Xiaomi Mi Band 3 heart rate sensor’s credibility in the spotlight, gets a reading for tissue paper (UPDATED: Proof)

It is the first phone to come with dual-band GPS technology for accurate location tracking. It features a rear-mounted fingerprint reader for added security. It runs on Android Oreo operating system-based MIUI custom interface. The handset is packed with a 3,400mAh battery that supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 4+ fast charging technology.