Sony unveils a new Noise-cancelling wireless headphone and portable smart speaker

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Aug 30, 2018

Sony today held its IFA 2018 keynote event where it unveiled a couple of products including the flagship Xperia XZ3. The Japanese company also showcased a new speaker as well as wireless headphone among others. The Sony XB501G speaker is a miniaturised version of Sony’s powerful Extra Bass speakers which are big speakers dotted with lots of LED lights and flashing strobes. The Sony XB501G speaker brings the same level of beauty but with a smaller size as it is roughly the size of a soccer ball, thus allowing for easy carriage. The speaker isn’t just a device for lighting up your party with good music but is also a smart speaker. It also comes with Google Assistant built inside and thus, is a Google Home with better sound quality and some attractive strobe lights. In addition, the smart speaker features an option to sync up for paired mono audio.

The Sony XB501G speaker is indeed built for outdoors as it is splash and dust proof, with an IP65 rating. There is also a built-in handle which makes it easy to carry around. The speaker offers 16 hours of battery life, plus the signature colourful lights and strobes. There’s even a USB-C port for charging the speaker! As for the price, the Sony XB501G adopts a $299.99 price tag and will be available in October.

Sony WH-1000XM3 Noise Cancelling Headphone

Sony also took the wraps off a new and improved edition of its premium 1000X series noise-cancelling headphones. The new Sony WH-1000XM3 headphone is the third in the series and it brings significant improvements in the aspect of sound and comfort. Surprisingly, the headphone still retains the $349 price tag of its predecessor. However, the price of the WH-1000XM2 has since been reduced.

The new headphone has at its heart, a new “HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1” which is responsible for the improvements in the audio output. Sony touts the new processor to be four times more powerful than its predecessor, which allows it to better cancel out difficult sounds like street noise and human voices. The QN1 processor also helps sound quality, as Sony says it is capable of processing sounds at 32 bits and separate power between the DAC and amplifier.

In terms of design, the headphone cans are a little slimmer and thus, lighter. The ear and handband cushions aren’t affected instead, they are thicker. Sony also ditched the Micro USB port for a better USB-C port which brings fast charging. A 10-minute charge will give you 5 hours of wireless playback. The noise-cancelling headphone also comes with a 3.5mm audio jack in addition to Bluetooth connectivity. The battery can last up to 30 hours when using noise cancelling and Bluetooth but it can still be used via the 3.5mm cable in a situation where the battery runs out. The headphone also comes with direct access to Google Assistant. The details of its availability are not known presently.

Xiaomi’s President posts image of the Mi MIX 3, launching in October

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Aug 30, 2018

Today, Honor partially revealed the Magic 2 at IFA Berlin and it has a completely bezel-less design like the Vivo NEX and the OPPO Find X. Xiaomi isn’t at IFA but its President, Lin Bin, decided to take away focus from the Honor Magic 2 by posting a picture of the upcoming Mi MIX 3.

The Mi MIX 3 has shown in the image has a full-screen display with no notch and chin. This means the front-facing camera, sensors, and speaker have a new home. You guessed it right – behind the display!

Xiaomi has decided to join OPPO and Honor on the “slider train” for its upcoming flagship. However, its own design is a bit different. Unlike the Find X that only has a small section of the back half sliding out, the whole of the back half of the Mi MIX 3 slides upwards. This means the Mi MIX 3 has two longitudinal halves.

With this sort of design, the slide mechanism isn’t motorized but manual. It also means the Mi MIX 3 will likely not be waterproof, though it may be splash-proof as long as it isn’t opened.

Launching in October. #Xiaomi pic.twitter.com/itIRI6CzEN

— Donovan Sung (@donovansung) August 30, 2018

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BlackBerry KEY2 LE: A cheaper and less powerful KEY2, starts at $399

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Aug 30, 2018

The BlackBerry KEY2 is a nice phone with its upper mid-range specs and physical keyboard but it sells for the price of a flagship. So TCL decided to release a cheaper version with less powerful specs and named it the BlackBerry KEY2 LE. It unveiled it at IFA today.

BlackBerry KEY2 LE Design

The Blackberry KEY2 LE comes with the same 4.5-inch screen as the KEY2 and even retains the 1620 x 1080 resolution. So if you compare both devices, sharpness and overall screen quality should be the same.

Below the screen is a full QWERTY keyboard with a space bar that doubles as a fingerprint scanner. Do note that the KEY2 LE’s keyboard doesn’t function as a trackpad. It has a textured back but the pattern is different. However, it has a polycarbonate frame instead of a metal frame like the KEY2. Early reviews say even with the polycarbonate build, the KEY 2 LE feels well-made.

BlackBerry KEY2 LE Specs

The KEY2 LE has a Snapdragon 636 processor which is actually a great mid-range processor. There is 4GB of RAM and 32GB or 64GB of storage. It comes with dual rear cameras but it is a 13MP+5MP combo and not 12MP + 12MP like the KEY2. The front-facing camera has not been changed, so you get an 8MP selfie snapper.

The phone has Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, a USB Type-C port and an audio jack for connectivity. It has a smaller 3,000mAh battery that TCL claims should last up to 22 hours on a single charge. It also runs Android 8.1 Oreo and will get updated to Android Pie but there is no timeframe yet.

The KEY2 LE may come with less-powerful specs but it doesn’t skimp on any of BlackBerry’s apps and security features such as the DTEK security manager, Privacy Shade tool, redactor Blackberry Hub, BBM, and BlackBerry Locker etc.

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Honor takes on the OPPO Find X with the Magic 2

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Aug 30, 2018

The Honor Magic was released by Huawei’s sub-brand back in 2016. News of a successor has been making rounds for more than a year but nothing concrete has surfaced until today. The Honor Magic 2 is indeed coming and Honor confirmed it at its IFA event today. What’s more exciting is, we even got to see a prototype and learn some of its specs.

The Honor Magic 2 will come with a FullView display. This display sports no notches and reduced bezels. It’s just screen and nothing more which gives it a design similar to that of the OPPO Find X and the Vivo NEX. So where is the front camera? It slides out just like the Find X’.

Yes, the Magic 2 will also have a slide-out camera(s) (we are not sure if the rear cameras also slide out as there is no image of the back of the device). However, the Magic 2 doesn’t have a motorized slider like the Find X. The prototype Honor’s CEO was holding during the event was manually operated.

While the specs are still kept a secret, Honor did confirm the Magic 2 will come with the yet-to-be-announced Kirin 980 chipset. This is good news as the Honor Magic launched with a Kirin 950 even though the Kirin 960 was already available.

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Apart from sporting Huawei’s latest chipset, the Magic 2 will also support 40W fast charge which Honor has dubbed Magic Charge. Magic Charge is said to be safe as it has 15-layers of safety protection.

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Skagen Falster 2 is a sleek smartwatch with Wear OS, NFC, GPS, and heart rate monitor

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Aug 30, 2018

Danish watchmaker Skagen on Wednesday introduced its latest smartwatch which is known as the Falster 2. The new smartwatch is coming barely six months after the Danish-inspired, hyper-minimalist watch brand unveiled the first Falster smartwatch at CES 2018.

The Skagen Falster 2 comes with some improvements over its predecessor, mainly in its build and some new features. It still uses a minimalistic design and has a magnetic steel mesh strap. The gadget also comes with two programmable plungers which give access to the most used apps as well as Wear OS button. The device now features a swim-proof body and on the software end, swim tracking has been included among the host of fitness tracking the smartwatch offers. The Falster 2 also has a built-in GPS which makes it capable of tracking walks, runs and bike ride better. The smartwatch also packs a heart rate monitor on board to be used with the latest Google Fit.

In addition, the Falster 2 comes with NFC, something that is missing from the previous model. With this, the smartwatch supports Google Pay for contactless payment while on the go. It runs on the Snapdragon Wear 2100 chipset and may likely pack the same 300mAh battery.

The Skagen Falster 2 will have a $275 price tags and will be available on September 12 in different colors and configurations including a silicone strap, a leather one, and a new magnetic mesh strap that seems much more convenient than the buckle type.

ZTE Axon 9 Pro launched: packs a Water resistant body, Snapdragon 845 and 4000mAh battery

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Aug 30, 2018

Still fresh out of the turbulence caused by the U.S sanctions barring the company from getting key components from U.S companies, ZTE has rebounded well on the smartphone scene to unveil a new flagship smartphone. Dubbed Axon 9 Pro, the new model comes with a powerful specs lineup as well as a top of the art design. We take a look at the specifications and design of the flagship model.

ZTE Axon 9 Pro Specifications

The Axon 9 Pro ticks most of the boxes for the perfect smartphone design, well, except you are not a fan of the notch design. The device packs an expansive display with a notch similar to that of the iPhone X which we have to thank for this seemingly ravaging virus. It may have been preferable if the company had gone with the water drop notch as seen on the OPPO R17 but that isn’t the case. The notch on the Axon 9 Pro is as wide as the iPhone X’s and it houses some key components of the smartphone. The device packs a 6.21-inch FullHD+ AMOLED display sporting a resolution of 2,248 x 1,080 display. The display also comes with a feature which ZTE calls “Axon Vision” and this is basically a compendium of different features for the FHD+ display. The Axon 9 Pro also packs a glass back and the body is IP 68 level water and dust resistant. As a result of the water-resistant build, there is no 3.5mm audio jack onboard.

The Axon 9 Pro is powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 845 processor paired with 6GB of RAM while there is 128GB of storage on the device. Sadly, the storage isn’t expandable so, you have to make do with cloud storage or use a PC if the storage is running low. The device also comes with a new feature which is called “motion video optimization” capable of boosting video content to 60fps by inserting extra frames into content with a lower frame rate. In addition, there is HDR10 support and an RGB sensor for automatically adjusting the colour temperature based on the environment.

For photography, the Axon 9 Pro utilises dual cameras at the rear which comprise a 12MP f/1.75 main camera sensor with 1.4-micron individual pixel size and optical image stabilization and a 20MP secondary sensor. The secondary sensor isn’t a telephoto lens but a super wide-angle (130 degrees) lens. At the front, the model packs a 20MP sensor for selfies and which can be used to unlock the smartphone (Face Unlock). The cameras are said to bring AI photo and video enhancements with features such as facial recognition. Keeping the lights on is a generous 4,000mAh battery which ZTE claims can deliver up to 24 hours battery power in just 1 hour. The Axon 9 Pro gets its interface from the Android 8.1 Oreo OS with an overlay of ZTE’s own custom skin. the company hinted that Android Pie is in the works.

Axon 9 Pro Pricing and Availability

ZTE Axon 9 Pro comes with a rather steep price tag of 649 euros (~$757) and will launch in Germany by the end of September. The device will also be launched in China and Russia at later dates before anywhere else.

(source)

Xiaomi brings MIUI-Inspired Poco Launcher on Play Store for all Android devices

By

Michele Ingelido

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Aug 30, 2018

The new gaming-centric affordable flagship Xiaomi Poco F1 was launched about a week ago as the cheapest device with the Snapdragon 845 chipset. Unlike other Xiaomi phones this handset, which is also the first one from the new Xiaomi’s sub-brand is equipped with a customized version of the MIUI promising fast performance and interesting features to improve usability. Now, after the huge success achieved by the handset in just a few days, the Chinese giant has decided to make Poco Launcher available for every Android device by launching it on the Play Store.

The app is still not official and it is currently in a phase of limited availability, so do not be surprised if you can not download it from Google Play. But in case it is not available for you, then you can get it through APK file by downloading it on third-party platforms such as APK Mirror. Given that it is not a definitive version, you may encounter bugs or issues related to the stability of the app. For the rest, you will get exactly the same user interface as the new Xiaomi Poco F1, as well as its additional features.

Thanks to Poco Launcher, you can group app by colors, set it in alphabetical order, change the icons thanks to the support for Android icon packs or even hide app icons. The new Poco Launcher promises fast and smooth performance, with fast UI animation and a cleaner look. Among the features, there are also some MIUI-exclusive features such as the quick app drawer. If you want to make your device similar to Xiaomi phones, this is the best official Xiaomi app for you. If you want to check all the other features and customizations of Poco Launcher, click on the source link below to view the app on Google Play.

(source, via)

Honor Play affordable gaming smartphone launched for the global markets, priced at €329

By

Jeet

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Aug 30, 2018

A few months ago, Huawei’s sub-brand Honor had launched its gaming-centric smartphone Honor Play. Later, the phone was launched in a few countries in Asia. Today, at IFA 2018 in Berlin, the company launched the Honor Play for the global markets.

The Honor Play comes with a 6.3-inch Full HD+ display featuring a notch and 2340 x 1080 pixels screen resolution. The display has a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 85 percent NTSC color gamut and offers 89 percent screen-to-body ratio.

Under the hood, it is powered by the company’s own Kirin 970 octa-core processor which comes with a dedicated NPU for artificial intelligence and Mali-G72 MP12 graphics processor.

The phone comes in two variants — one with 4GB RAM while the other packs 6GB RAM. However, the company has only launched the 4GB RAM model globally, which packs 64GB internal storage. There’s also a microSD card slot, enabling users to further expand the storage capacity up to 256GB.

Coming to the optics, on the back panel, there’s a dual-camera setup for photography, consisting of a 16-megapixel f/2.2 primary sensor paired with a 2-megapixel f/2.4 secondary depth sensor with support for AI shooting and AR gestures. On the front side, the device comes equipped with a 16-megapixel f/2.0 sensor for taking selfies and video calling.

There’s a fingerprint sensor on the back panel. The Face Unlock feature on the phone uses 3D facial recognition with artificial intelligence that the company claims helps in adapting to different lightings and minute facial changes for accuracy.

Being a gaming-centric smartphone, it comes with the company’s GPU Turbo technology enhances GPU performance significantly by increasing graphics processing efficiency by up to 60 percent and decreases power consumption by 30 percent. The device comes with 4D gaming experience, powered by the same GPU Turbo technology. It can detect a number of gaming scenes including shots, explosions, and quakes.

It also comes with a game suite mode that locks the navigation keys. The phone also reportedly features a special film on its screen to reduce reflection and improve gaming experience under the light. It runs on Android Oreo operating system out-of-the-box with the company’s own EMUI 8.2 custom interface on top.

Connectivity options on the device include 4G VoLTE, GPS, Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 3.5 mm headphone jack, and USB Type-C. There’s also in-game network optimization which promises a seamless shift from Wi-Fi to mobile data for uninterrupted gameplay. The phone is fuelled by a 3,750mAh battery with fast charging support.

The Honor Play comes in Midnight Black, Navy Blue, and Ultra Violet colors for 329 Euros (roughly $380). The company has also launched Player Edition Black and Player Edition Red, priced at 349 Euros. It will be available for purchase in Europe from 30th August but the company has not revealed its availability in the US.

Check out our review of Honor Play here.

Asus ZenBook S packs the latest 8th-gen Intel Core chips and offers up to 20 hours usage

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Aug 30, 2018

ASUS has launched its latest Zenbook S model at the ongoing IFA 2018 tech exhibition in Berlin, Germany. The new ASUS Zenbook S comes with the model number UX391UA and it comes with several upgrades over the previous models. The new Zenbook S 2018 will be available in two variants, both packing the latest eighth generation of Intel “Whiskey Lake” processors that was unveiled earlier this week. Another aspect where the new ZenBook S dazzles is in the battery aspect. The model promises up to 20 hours of use on a single charge.

The new Zenbook S comes with an all-metal unibody with a Deep Dive Blue colour finish and diamond-cut Rose Gold highlight on the edges. There is also a Burgundy Red colour variant as well. The Notebook PC is ultra-thin and lightweight, weighing just 2.31 pounds and 0.50 inches thick. It’s based on an all-metal unibody finished with a Deep Dive Blue color and diamond-cut Rose Gold edge highlights (Asus has a Burgundy Red version too). The company says this two-tone finish is based on a two-phase anodizing process “normally reserved for jewellery or luxury timepieces.”

The new Zenbook S models feature a 13.3-inch touchscreen display screen with a resolution of 3,840 x 2,160 pixels on the higher model and a 1,920 x 1,080 pixels resolution on the lower model. The version with 1080p resolution also come in an anti-glare non-touch display version. According to ASUS, “For outstanding ergonomics, ZenBook S incorporates the new ErgoLift hinge mechanism, an innovative design that raises and tilts the keyboard by 5.5 degrees — the optimum angle for comfortable typing.” The hinge has a maximum opening angle of 145 degrees which is wider than most laptops too, so users have more freedom to choose the best screen angle. The ErgoLift mechanism doesn’t affect the sleek profile of the Zenbook S as it is completely hidden when the laptop is closed.

The higher variant of the Zenfone S is powered by Intel’s new Core i7-8565U chip which replaces the Core i7-8550U released in August 2017. The chip is a Quad-core chip with a base speed of 1.8GHz, a maximum speed of 4.5GHz, and a power draw of 15 watts. On the other hand, the lower Zenbook variant packs a Core i5-8265U which replaces the Core i5-8250U that was also released last year. The chip is also a Quad-core chip with a base speed of 1.6GHz, a maximum speed of 3.9GHz, and a power draw of 15 watts. They’re all backed by Intel’s integrated graphics and either 8GB or 16GB of LPDDR3 system memory clocked at 2,133MHz. In terms of the storage, the new ZenBook S is available in 512GB or 1TB on a PCI Express 3.0 x4 SSD, or 256GB on a PCI Express 3.0 x2 SSD. In addition, the laptop comes with two Thunderbolt 3 ports, one USB-C port at 5Gbps, and one audio combo jack. For wireless connectivity, there is Bluetooth 5.0 and Wireless AC onboard.

Despite its sleek, thin body, the Zenbook S is built to be tough as it meets the MIL-STD 810G standard for toughness. The laptop is also touted to feature an “uprated” cooling design which ensures it can run at 41 degrees cooler than the previous ZenBook S generation. Details of its pricing and release date are yet to be disclosed.

Yu Ace entry-level smartphone launched in India, pricing starts at Rs. 5,990 ($85)

By

Jeet

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Aug 30, 2018

As it promised, Yu Televentures, the sub-brand of India’s smartphone manufacturer Micromax, has launched its latest smartphone — Yu Ace. The entry-level smartphone, which starts at a price of Rs. 5,999 (approximately $85), will be available for purchase from 6th September, exclusively via Flipkart.

The Yu Ace features a 5.45-inch HD+ display with 1440 x 720 pixels screen resolution, 18: 9 aspect ratio, and 2.5D curved glass. Under the hood, the device is powered by MediaTek‘s MTK6739 quad-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz, coupled with 2GB/3GB RAM.

There’s 16GB of onboard storage which can be expanded with a microSD card. For the photography, there’s a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera that too has an LED flash. The phone also offers a software-based face unlock feature, in addition to the rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.

Connectivity options on the device include Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2 LE, and GPS. Running on the older Android 8.0 Oreo operating system out-of-the-box, the phone is powered by a big 4,000mAh battery which should easily last through the whole day.

The Yu Ace will be available in three color options — Charcoal Grey, Elektric Blue, and Rose Gold. The 2GB RAM variant is priced at Rs. 5,999 (approximately $85), while the 3GB RAM model costs Rs. 6,999, which roughly converts to $99. As said, it’ll go on sale in India exclusively through Flipkart from 6th September but the 3GB RAM model will be available by the end of September.

HMD Global trademarks “Face Unlock”, may appear in next flasghip

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Aug 30, 2018

It was reported this week that HMD Global has gained ownership of the PureView trademark formerly owned by Microsoft. It has also trademarked PureDisplay. Now the Nokia-brand licensee has applied to trademark the phrase “Face Unlock”!

Yes, HMD Global has applied for a trademark for Face Unlock. It’s a no-brainer that this is related to the face unlock feature already available on scores of smartphones. However, there is no info as to what Nokia’s face unlock technology will be like.

A few of the Nokia phones being sold now support face unlock. The feature rolled out to these phones such as the Nokia 6.1 and Nokia 7 Plus via an update. However, it is not as secure as that found on the iPhone X or the Find X.

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Asus ups the game with the near bezel-less Zenbook 2018 lineup

By

Joel Joseph

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Aug 30, 2018

Asus Zenbooks are known for its portability and power and this year at IFA 2018 Berlin, the company decided to release an updated Zenbook lineup that really embraces trending bezel-less design. The company is calling it the “frameless nanoedge” which allows for a 94% screen to body ratio. Apart from the beautiful display that comes in three sizes, the new notebooks pack the powerful Whiskey Lake Intel eight generation processors starting from the i5 series to the i7 series on the top end model.

The Zenbook 2018 lineup consists of three models, each varying in screen size and configuration. There’s a 13.3-inch, 14-inch, and a 15.6-inch model. But the update is not only in the specs department as the new models shave off a considerable portion of the bezels around the screen thereby making the size much more compact than the previous generations. In fact, if you look the old and the new models side by side, there’s a very noticeable difference in their overall sizes.

The Zenfone 13 and 14 models have a 1080p display while the 15-inch model comes in two variants, one with 1080p and the other with 4K display. You can choose between Intel eight gen. Core i5 and Core i7 models. Despite the inbuilt graphics, all three models have discrete GPUs, with the 13 and 14 inchers featuring GeForce Mx150, while the 15-inch version coming with the powerful GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q. You can choose between 6 to 8GB of RAM but note that only the 15-incher has DD4 RAM inside. Other features include 256 to 1TB storage option, 2 x USB-A, 1 x USB-C, 1 x HDMI, 1 x MicroSD, and 1 x Audio jack.

The new Asus Zenbook models come with a backlit keyboard. Since the smaller variants don’t have a full sizes keyboard with a number pad, the company says that you can use the touchpad as the number pad. As soon as you press the NumberPad button on the top right corner, the touchpad converts into a full-sized LED-illuminated number pad. This is pretty cool especially when you are working with spreadsheets and have to insert a lot of figures. In case you are wondering, the touch pad would still function even when you are using this particular feature.

The new models also come with an infrared camera on top of the display with support for Windows Hello in Windows 10 Home or Pro versions. Asus is yet to reveal a shipping date or a price list for the three models. All we know is that they go on sale next month and will start at $899.

HTC U12 Life goes official with 18:9 Display, Snapdragon 636 and 3,600mAh battery

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Aug 30, 2018

HTC U12 Life, the latest mid-range smartphone from HTC has been unveiled at the IFA 2018 expo. The U12 Life is packed with some specs from the HTC U12+ flagship phone and it borrows its two-tone design from Google Pixel phones.

HTC U12 Life Specifications and Features

The HTC U12 Life is a large-sized handset as it measures 158.5 x 75.4 x 8.3mm. The handset offers comfortable grip because of its tall aspect ratio design. HTC has described the dual-tone design of the phone as “soft, subtle stripes on an acrylic glass unibody with a metal-like design.” Compared to the predecessor HTC U11 Life from last, the U12 Life lacks IP rating.

It is equipped with a notch-less 6-inch LTPS LCD display that supports FHD+ resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels and 18:9 aspect ratio. The Snapdragon 636 SoC powers the smartphone along with 4 GB. It has a native storage of 64 GB and there is a microSD card slot for additional storage. Taiwan will be the only country that will be receiving the 128 GB edition of the U12 Life. The device is preloaded with Android 8.1 Oreo that is customized with company’s Sense interface. The smartphone is fueled by 3,600mAh battery.

The U12 Life has a dual camera setup with 16-megapixel primary sensor with f/2.0 aperture and a 5-megapixel depth sensor. For snapping selfies, it is fitted with an LED enabled frontal shooter of 13-megapixel. The front camera supports beauty mode for capturing enhanced selfies. It also supports facial recognition.

The handset includes all the required connectivity features such as dual-SIM support, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, NFC and GPS. The U11 Life did not a 3.5mm audio jack. The feature has been brought back on the U12 Life. The smartphone also features stereo speakers and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.

HTC U12 Life Pricing and Availability

By late September or early October, the HTC U12 Life will be released in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Twilight Purple and Moonlight Blue are the two color variants of the U12 Life. The handset will be available in the U.K. with a price tag of £300 (~$335).

Xiaomi to launch Redmi 6 series on September 5 in India

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Aug 30, 2018

The Redmi 6 series launched in China back in June but come next month, they will be heading to India.

The Redmi 6 series includes the Redmi 6A, the Redmi 6, and the Redmi 6 Pro. All three phones are set for a September 5 launch based on the invite sent out. Xiaomi has already sent out invites for the launch.

Redmi 6A

The Redmi 6A is the least powerful of all three. It has a 5.45” HD+ display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. It is powered by MediaTek’s Helio A22 processor, a 12nm quad-core chipset clocked at 2.0GHz. The chipset is paired with 2GB/3GB/4GB of RAM and 16GB/32GB/64GB of expandable storage.

The Redmi 6A has a single 13MP sensor on the back and a 5MP front-facing camera. It doesn’t have a fingerprint scanner and also lacks an IR blaster but has a 3.5mm audio jack. There is a 3,000mAh battery under the hood that charges via a MicroUSB port.

Redmi 6

The Redmi 6 has the same screen as the 6A but swaps the Helio A22 for the 12nm Helio P22 – a 2.0GHz octa-core chipset with a PowerVR GPU. It has 3GB or 4GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB of storage.

There are 12MP + 5MP dual cameras on the back and a 5MP selfie camera above the display. It has a fingerprint scanner and audio jack but also lacks an IR blaster. Its battery capacity is also 3,000mAh and like the Redmi 6A, it runs Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box.

Redmi 6 Pro

The Redmi 6 Pro launched globally as the Mi A2 Lite but it isn’t sold in India which explains why it is heading there. It has a 5.84” 1080 x 2280 display with a notch at the top.

It is powered by the Snapdragon 625 processor with up to 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. There are dual 12MP + 5MP sensors on the back of the phone and a 5MP front-facing camera that resides within the notch. It has a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, an IR blaster, and a 4,000mAh battery.

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Samsung Q900R 8K QLED TV lineup announced, goes on sale next month

By

Jeet

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Aug 30, 2018

After giving us a glimpse at its Q9S 8K AI-based concept TV at the CES earlier this year in January, Samsung has today announced Samsung Q900R 8K QLED TV lineup during its presentation at IFA 2018 in Berlin.

This new Samsung Q900R 8K QLED TVs will be available in four different screen sizes — 85-inch, 82-inch, 75-inch, and 65-inch. According to the company, it produces real 8K resolution and the display panel is capable of peak brightness of 4,000 nits. The company has also confirmed that Q900R’s color range encompasses 100% of the DCI-P3 digital cinema spectrum.

It allows TV to produce four times more pixels than a 4K UHD TV and 16 times more pixels than a Full HD TV. It also supports the newer HDR10+ format backed by Samsung and Amazon. The technology can upscale content from streaming service, set-top box, HDMI, USB or even mobile mirroring. It comes with Samsung’s proprietary 8K AI Upscaling technology, which is based on artificial intelligence and uses Quantum Processor 8K, it recognizes and upscales the content to appear in 8K quality.

The company has retained several features of its current QLED screen, including the ability to automatically recognize connected devices; One Invisible Connection, which a single optical cable that handles power and video inputs; and an ambient mode. It also comes with smart enhancements, such as the Universal Guide that provides personalized recommendations to find content.

The South Korean giant has announced that the Q900R series will be available for purchase in September. As usual, the company has announced the pricing details, which will be revealed when the TV goes on sale.

DD4 4th Anniversary Promotion: Get Up To 80% Off, $100 Coupon, Free Gifts And Lots More!

By

Vinay Patel

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Aug 30, 2018

DD4 is celebrating its 4th Anniversary by doling out unmissable deals and coupons. The Chinese electronics online store is also offering big discounts on a wide selection of products in a bid to commemorate the red-letter day.

The 4th Anniversary Carnival features $100 coupons and up to 80% discount on various products. As if that weren’t enough, buyers can use store coupon DD4save6X to get an extra 6% off before placing their order.

Moreover, buyers can unlock the lowest price for a slew of products simply by inviting friends. In order to get a price cut, all you need to do is to choose a product, click ‘Help Price Cut’ and get a noteworthy discount. Note that it is imperative for you to be logged in to avail the offer.

Alternatively, logged in buyers can redeem their points to get 5% off, 8% off and other coupons. For the sake of an instance, you can redeem 1200 points to get a $10 discount. Note that you need to have enough D points to redeem these discounts.

You can follow this link in order to check out more details.

Likewise, you can get up to a whopping 80% off on a slew of electronics and other items by heading straight to this link. Dubbed as ‘Clearance,’ the promo has been divided into multiple categories to aid the search process.

The ‘Top Picks for You’ category has been separated into Bestsellers, Highly Recommended and New Discovery sub-categories. Each segment comprises products that you can buy at the discounted price.

The products include Chuwi LapBook Notebook, Xiaomi Xiaowa Youth Edition Vacuum Home Cleaner Robot, DJI Mavic Air Drone and lots more. Regrettably, the discount will only be valid for a limited number of pieces.

The promotion has a dedicated category called ‘Tech Space’ for tech buffs who are on a tight budget. This section is crammed with high-end IP cameras, vacuum cleaners, and RC toys.

The next category is where you can find heavily discounted consumer electronics such as TV boxes, wearable technology, and A/V equipment. The ‘Home Essential’ category, on the other hand, features a myriad of products that come in handy in day to day life.

You can find power strips, tools and other smart home appliance in the section called ‘Housekeeping & Organization.’ The ‘Outdoor Fun’ category offers adventure junkies something to cheer about in the form of low-priced car accessories, toys, outdoor and sports-related items. Aside from that, top 30 buyers will be eligible to win free gifts.

Check Out DD4 4TH Anniversary Promotion Check Out DD4 4TH Anniversary Promotion – Clearance Sale

Xiaomi Mi Pay is coming soon to India

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Aug 30, 2018

India has many mobile payment solutions such as Paytm, Google Pay (previous known as Tez), Amazon Pay and so on. Xiaomi, the current leader of the smartphone market in India is also planning to introduce its UPI (Universal Payments Interface) based Xiaomi Mi Pay service to India. The Chinese manufacturer has readied its payment service for India and it is now awaiting approval from Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to take it available commercially.

Xiaomi had introduced Mi Pay in China in 2016. India will be receiving the toned version of the payment solution. In the home country, the Mi Pay supports NFC-based contactless payments. However, since Mi Pay for India is based on UPI, any Mi phone will support the service regardless of the fact it features NFC or not.

Samsung offers two kinds of payment solutions in India. The Samsung Pay service is aimed towards its NFC enabled high-end phones for contactless payments. For non-NFC low-end phones, the South Korean company provides a service named Samsung Pay Mini. Since Xiaomi does not have many high-end phones with NFC support in India, it will be offering only UPI-based Mi Pay in the country.

In May, Xiaomi had introduced a money lending service called Mi Credit service in India. By partnering with loan provider named KreditBee, the Mi Credit service provides MIUI users with loans between Rs. 1,000 and Rs. 1 lakh in less than 10 minutes. The Mi Pay service is also expected to be available on devices running on MIUI. To use the service, MIUI users only need to fill a simple KYC form.

It is too early to speculate on the arrival of Xiaomi Mi Pay in India as it all depends on RBI approval.

(source)

Buy Bakeey L55S Smart Bracelet For Only $23.99 On Banggood

By

Vinay Patel

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Aug 30, 2018

While the market is brimming with all sorts of fitness activity trackers that monitor your health while keeping an eye on various activities, these gadgets don’t come cheap. Fitness conscious people who aren’t willing to spend a lot of money on a smartwatch might want to take a gander at Bakeey’s modestly-priced L55S smart bracelet.

Carrying a reasonable $35.99 price tag, the feature-laden L55S smart bracelet is highly unlikely to burn a hole in your pocket. But if you’re on a tight budget and would like to avail of a big discount on the device’s retail price, we got good news for you.

Bakeey is currently offering its L55S fitness tracker at a dropped price of just $23.99 on Banggood, the Chinese online store that guarantees the best bang for your buck. Thanks to the aforesaid discount, you can now preorder the Bakeey-branded smart bracelet at a reduced price of just $23.99.
This lowered price will be valid for both, the black and blue color versions of the smart bracelet. On the downside, this presale price will be limited to only 20 pieces, while the next 300 pieces will sell for $25.99 and the remaining pieces will carry a marginally higher $29.99 price tag.

If you’re interested in checking out more details about the Bakeey L55S fitness tracker and avail the discount, head straight to this link without wasting time.

Get 33% Off On Bakeey L55S Smart Bracelet

Meizu 16X TENAA listing leaks its front and rear design

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Aug 30, 2018

A new Meizu phone with a model number of M872Q has appeared on TENAA. Since model numbers M882Q and M892Q respectively belong to the Meizu 16th and Meizu 16th Plus, it is very likely that the newly spotted M872Q could be the Meizu 16X that is slated to go official in September.

Jack Wong, the CEO of Meizu has already confirmed that the Meizu 16X will be powered by Snapdragon 710 and it will be also equipped with in-display fingerprint scanner. The M872Q handset has appeared with its front and rear images on TENAA. The listing is expected to be updated with its specifications very soon.

As it can be seen in the below image, the Meizu 16X features a dual camera setup on its rear with a ring flash below. Wong has already confirmed that the handset will be featuring the same 12-megapixel Sony IMX380 + 20-megapixel Sony IMX350 dual camera setup that is available on the Meizu 16th.

The Meizu 16X will be featuring a notch-less Super AMOLED screen of around 6 inches. It will carry support for Full HD+ resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels and 18:9 aspect ratio.

The Meizu 16X is expected to arrive as a rival for the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE smartphone. The Meizu 16X has already appeared on AnTuTu to confirm that its SD710 chipset will be accompanied by 6 GB of RAM. There is a possibility that it may also arrive in 4 GB RAM variant.

The Meizu 16X handset will be running on Android 8.1 Oreo. On AnTuTu, the 16X smartphone has scored an average benchmarking score of 164726. The Meizu 16th features a 3,010mAh battery. Wong has recently confirmed that the Meizu 16X will be packed with a larger battery than Meizu 16th. It is expected to be priced between 2,000 Yuan (~$293) and 2,500 Yuan (~$365).

(source)

Here’s Where You Can Buy Xiaomi Pocophone F1 Smartphone At Best Price

By

Vinay Patel

-

Aug 30, 2018

Xiaomi’s recently announced Pocophone F1 smartphone is expected to sweep tech buffs off their feet. It boasts an impressive array of features that are likely to propel it straight to popularity among smartphone enthusiasts.

While Xiaomi fans continue to wait with bated breath to get their hands on the Pocophone F1 smartphone despite its steep price tag, we’ll shed light on online stores where cost-conscious buyers can get their hands on the well-received smartphone at best price.

Giztop

Giztop has been doling out noteworthy discounts on a slew of well-received smartphones. Keeping in line with that, the official store of GizmoChina is now offering the Poco F1 smartphone at a dropped price of just $349.

Note that the phone would normally set you back $399 without the discount. You can follow this link to take advantage of the discount and check out the rest of the details.

Banggood

You can buy 3 versions of the Pocophone F1 smartphone on Banggood. First off, you can go for the 6GB RAM+64GB ROM version of the smartphone, which bears a price tag of $399.99.

You can choose from the black, red and blue color versions. Click here to activate the ‘Alert Me On Arrival’ notification.

If you’re interested in buying a slightly larger 6GB RAM+128GB ROM version of the Pocophone F1 smartphone, you’d need to follow this link and click on ‘Alert Me On Arrival’ button. The red, blue and the black color version will set you back $449.99.

If you don’t mind shelling out $549.99 for the 8GB RAM+256GB ROM version of the POCO F1 smartphone, all you need to do is follow this link and click on ‘Alert Me On Arrival’ button. There are black, blue and red color versions available for the aforesaid variant.

Flipkart

The Indian electronic commerce giant is offering considerable discounts on the steel blue and graphite black color versions of Xiaomi Pocophone F1 smartphones. The 6GB RAM+64GB ROM, steel blue version of the phone usually sells for 21,999 INR but for a limited period of time, you can buy it for just 20.999 INR.

Similarly, the graphite black color version with 6GB RAM+64B ROM storage capacity sells for 21,999 INR but you can now buy it at a dropped price of just 20,999 INR. The 6GB RAM+128GB ROM version of the graphite black and steel blue color versions now carries a discounted price tag of just 23,999 INR.

You can head straight to this link to check out more details.

GeekBuying

The popular Chinese online store, GeekBuying is also giving its buyers an opportunity to pre-order the Poco F1 smartphone at a slashed price of $369.99. Note that the phone usually sells for $472.99 without the discount.

You can click here to pre-order the 6GB RAM+64GB ROM version before the promo ends in 15 days. Get the Pocophone F1 at $369.99 with the coupon code: SKHRVHKY.

Alternatively, you can follow this link to buy the 6GB RAM+ 128GB ROM version of the Poco F1 smartphone on GeekBuying. The variant’s original asking price of $514.99 has now been reduced to just $385.99 with the coupon code: NOIDLTLR, limited 20 units.

You can visit this link to pre-order the above-mentioned version. Note that the promo is slated to end in 15 days.

CooliCool

Deemed as one of China’s leading online electronics store, CooliCool is now offering the 6GB RAM+64GB ROM version of the Pocophone F1 smartphone at a reduced price of just $359.99. This is a noteworthy 22% reduction in the phone’s original asking price.

You can visit this link to avail the discount before the promotion ends.

The 6GB RAM+128GB ROM version of the Pocophone F1 will set you back only $409.99 on CooliCool. This is a noteworthy 18% reduction in the phone’s steep retail price of $499.99. Click here to avail the discount.

You can go for the bigger 8GB RAM+256GB ROM version of the phone if you’re willing to spend $499.99. It is worth noting that the version usually sells for $579.99 without the discount.

You can follow this link to avail this 14% off on the black, blue and red color version of the smartphone.