Smartisan’s Infinite Screen feature could be the future of navigation

By

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Aug 21, 2018

At the launch event of the Smartisan Nut Pro 2S smartphone, Smartisan also announced the new Smartisan OS 6.6.5 update which comes with 41 new features. The newly unveiled Nut Pro 2S runs on the new Smartisan OS 6.6.5 which comes with three major Infinite such as Infinite Screen, TNT Workstation and Bullet SMS.

Infinite Screen

Infinite Screen brings a new kind of VR driven gesture-based navigation on Nut Pro 2S in which all the pages appear as if they are tiled in the space and users are just required to move the Smartisan phone in appropriate direction to switch to that page. Here is a video that showcases the experience of navigating through the world of unlimited screens.

In the above video, it can be seen that Infinite Screen offers an unlimited space of maps on which the users are required to move their phones to browse through them to carry out certain functions. Few seconds in the video, a girl can be seen snapping a selfie by simply lifting up the phone and accessing the camera app without using her fingers. After shooting a selfie, she moves the phone to the right to access the messaging app in order to send the snapped photo to her contact without even touching on the screen once.

Smartisan has partnered with a number of manufactures to develop Infinite Screen. For example, Face++ provides technical support for human eye tracking and Gaudi Maps has customized map functions for its depth.

The whole idea behind introducing Infinite Screen is to minimize the movement of the fingers on the phone. Since the function requires OS optimization along with the usage of backend hardware to load all the nearby tiles/pages in real-time, it remains to be seen how it will work in reality. Moreover, since users must move along with the phone in the so-called “infinite” world while using Infinite Screen, there is a risk of accidentally hitting people that are standing near.

TNT Workstation

TNT Workstation feature was first announced at the launch of Nut R1 flagship phone few months ago. Smartisan CEO Lao Luo did not demonstrate the TNT workstation feature that allow users to take advantage of full-fledged desktop experience by connecting the phone to a larger display. He only confirmed that apart from Smartisan Nut R1, the Nut Pro 2S will support TNT Workstation.

Bullet SMS

Bullet SMS is a fast and convenient chat software that supports voices and text messages. Since it is available through global fall function, it can be accessed through any screen without entering the app. It brings three kinds of messaging options such as voice + text, pure voice and plain text. When voice + text is selected, it will be able to recognize and convert voice into text. Smartisan claims that the voice recognition rate is as high as 97 percent.

(source)

Top 4 Robot Vacuum Cleaners Go Up For Sale At Lowered Price On GeekBuying [Coupon Codes]

By

Vinay Patel

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Aug 21, 2018

The market is crammed with steeply priced vacuum cleaners but if you’re on a tight budget and aren’t willing to spend a fortune to keep your surrounding clean, we got good news for you. We’ll be shedding light on GeekBuying latest promotion wherein you can buy high-end robot vacuum cleaners without emptying your pocket.

Aside from featuring the top 4 robot vacuum cleaners available in the market today, the promotion includes a broad range of other smart home appliances that are available at the discounted price on GeekBuying. We’ll even show how you can save a considerable amount of extra money on the aforesaid vacuum cleaners.

Xiaomi Xiaowa Plus E35

Backed by a robust 5200mAh battery, the Xiaowa Plus E35 vacuum cleaner would normally set you back $614.99 on online stores. Thankfully, GeekBuying is currently offering a 43% off, bringing the device’s retail price down to just $349.99.

You can use coupon code MKRBOBUZ to bring this already discounted grand total further down to just $339.99. In other words, you can get an extra $160 off with the help of the coupon. Click here to avail the discount.

Xiaomi Xiaowa E20

The powerful Xiaowa E20 comes with Z-shape automatic cleaning and boasts sweeping as well as moping function. This feature-laden vacuum cleaner usually carries a price tag of $454.83, but GeekBuying is selling it at a reduced price of just $289.99.

This noteworthy 36% discount will be valid for 10 days and during this period, you can use coupon code LEMZRMDW to get an additional discount. You can save an extra $110 by using the above-mentioned coupon and reduce your grand total to just $259.99.

You can follow this link to avail the discount and use the coupon before it expires.

Xiaomi Viomi Robot Vacuum Cleaner

Featuring powerful 1200Pa suction, 11 built-in sensors and a slew of other awe-inspiring features, the Viomi Robot cleaner is currently available at a discounted price of just $239.99 on GeekBuying. This is a 48% reduction in the device’s original selling price of $462.94.

Buyers will be able to grab this discount for 10 days. On top of that, they can apply coupon code OUTDEEYZ to save an extra $160 while placing their orders. This will help reduce the grand total to just $239.99, but the promo is slated to end in 10 days so follow this link before it ends.

360 S6 Automatic Robotic Vacuum Cleaner

Equipped with the intelligent path planning cleaning technology, the 360 S6 Automatic Robotic Vacuum Cleaner adopts LDS lidar scanning, coupled with SLAM algorithm to draw exact maps of your house and come up with the best cleaning route. The device has several intelligent sensors that help it avoid barriers like furniture and stairs.

If you’ve restlessly been waiting to get your hands on the 360 S6 robot vacuum cleaner without emptying your pocket, head straight to this link to avail a 25% off on the device’s original selling price of $461.82. Thanks to the discount, the 360 S6 can now be yours at a dropped price of $345.99.

You can save an extra $60 by applying coupon code NSIBQUAK while placing your order. This will bring your already lowered grand total to just $339.99.

Get Big Discounts On High-End Robot Vacuum Cleaners

Banggood Is Offering Hot Deals And Big Discounts To Its VIP Members!

By

Vinay Patel

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Aug 21, 2018

Banggood’s impending 12th anniversary is expected to be a real red-letter day for cost-conscious buyers. While the 2-days annual celebration kicks off on September 5th, the site has already prepared nearly a month of festivity.

Keeping in line with that, Banggood will be putting unbelievably low price tags on some of its best gears. Marking the 12th anniversary in advance, the Chinese online store is giving VIP member a lot to cheer about in the form of unmissable deals.

The VIP promo has been divided into multiple categories including VIP Priority, VIP Special Edition, VIP Points Snap Up and VIP Exclusive Deals. This not only simplifies the search process but also helps consumers find what they’re looking for without breaking much of a sweat.

The first section is where you can find the MUSTOOL MT525 Electromagnetic Radiation Tester, HSS M35 Cobalt Twist Drill Bit and a slew of other miscellaneous items. More importantly, the products featured in this section are currently up for grabs at a heavily discounted price.
Likewise, the items included in the next section dubbed, VIP Special Edition are available at the lowered price. For instance, the 12th Anniversary VIP Special Edition Xiaomi VH 2 In 1 Portable Handheld Mini USB Powered Desk Small Fan that usually sells for $19.99 is now available at a dropped price of just $15.99. This is a noteworthy 20% reduction in the device’s original asking price.

The VIP Points Snap Up section has further been divided into 3 sub-categories featuring a broad range of discounted items, but the discount will be limited to a specific number of units. In other words, you can get your hands on them only if you’re fast enough.

The last category is crammed with unmissable deals for Banggood VIP members. The category has been separated into Hot Picks, Best Sellers, Top Recommended, Electronics, Consumer Electronics and Fashion sections.

You can follow this link to check out more details and avail the deals before the VIP promo comes to an end. It is imperative for you to upgrade your membership if you’re interested in taking advantage of VIP price.

Check Out Banggood’s VIP Promo

Smartisan is developing a new OS to take on Android, coming in six months!

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Aug 20, 2018

Smartisan took the wraps off the Nut Pro 2s in a ceremony held in China on Monday. The company also announced a number of other products which include a TNT Workstation, an Infinite screen as well as Bullet SMS. A new Smartisan OS 6.6.5 which has a new lock screen, frosted glass feature for privacy and a game acceleration mode was also announced. The Nut Pro 2s runs on the new OS.

Towards the end of the conference, Smartisan’s CEO Lao Luo released a blockbuster news that the company will be launching its next-generation OS development plan in the next six months. What makes the news interesting is the disclosure that the new operating system is not developed based on Android. Also, the OS compatibility will extend beyond mobile phones. The TNT workstation which was first announced during the Nut R1 launch and then during the Nut Pro 2S launch is an example of the multi-platform seamless operation experience which the new OS will offer. The Smartisan TNT Workstation reminds us of the Microsoft Surface Studio but doesn’t run on Window. However, it can be used as an interface to display the Smartisan R1 and Nut Pro 2s on the large display. Already, the Workstation comes with custom office programs (TNT Word, TNT PPT, and TNT Excel) with live animation preview, voice input, and command support, text drag and drop, and text style modification.

Apparently, Smartisan is now trying to unify the OS to create seamless operation across multiple platforms (smartphones and desktop PC). This is a lofty ambition which may likely not fly. At present, only Apple has been able to achieve its own software and hardware integration for PC and phones without reliance on other operating systems. All other OEMs in the smartphone industry rely squarely on Android OS. Samsung had attempted to take on Android with the Tizen OS but that project seems to have been abandoned, with Tizen currently being used only on Samsung smartwatches, smart TV and other smart home gadgets. Samsung phones are powered by Android OS while the budget Tizen-powered Z-series seems to have been rested. The major issue was the large app database available on Android. Well, Smartisan is postured as an innovative and ambitious company and so, it could actually have something up its sleeves that’ll rock the boat.

(source)

Oppo F9 Pro Specs, Price Rumour Roundup: Everything you need to know before launch!

By

Michele Ingelido

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Aug 20, 2018

Oppo F9 Pro will be officially launched in India on August 21 (tomorrow), but you do not need to wait for the event to know what the new mid-ranger will look like or its key specs. Several reliable leaks and official teasers from the Chinese company have already revealed most of the details about the upcoming smartphone. In this article, you will find all the details revealed by rumors, leaks and official info in a complete OPPO F9 Pro specs rumor roundup.

Design

As you can see in the below official video published by the BBK-owned company, Oppo F9 Pro will share the same design with the already announced F9 for the Vietnamese market. Indeed, it is speculated that it will just be a re-branded version of the F9 launched in Vietnam, for the Indian market, more or less like the famous Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro which is called Redmi Note 5 in the Chinese market (while the standard version of the Redmi Note 5 in India is actually the device known as Redmi 5 Plus in China and the global market).

It will have a stunning waterdrop display with a minimal notch just like the recently unveiled Oppo R17 housing the front camera only. There will be incredibly thin bezels on the sides, an almost nonexistent upper bezel with the earpiece, and a very narrow chin. The back side will be made of glass with a prismatic effect and gradient hues color options available. The color variants which will be launched in India will be Sunrise Red, Twilight Blue, and Starry Purple.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?=33&v=SpZexLcIwSA

Oppo F9 Pro Specs and Features

One of the most impressive features of the Oppo F9 Pro will be VOOC flash charge, an outstanding fast-charging technology which will be able to provide about two hours of talk time with just five minutes of charging. The handset will also pack an above-average 3500 mAh battery (with AI-backed battery management to make it last more) which should be able to reach the end of the day with decent amount of charge remaining. The presence of its big battery will also be possible thanks to the wide 6.3-inch display. It will show images at a Full HD+ 1080 x 2280 pixels resolution and 19:9 aspect ratio.

Under the hood, there will be an upper-midrange hardware side composed of an octa-core Helio P60 SoC by MediaTek running at a max frequency of 2 GHz, up to 6 GB of RAM (there will also be a cheaper 4 GB RAM version) and 64 GB of internal storage expandable with a micro SD up to 256 GB. On the rear side, there will be a dual camera setup with resolutions of 16 and 2 MP and with a f/1.8 aperture. The front camera will have a 25 MP resolution, f/2.0 aperture and it will be AI-backed. It will obviously come with Android 8.1 Oreo out of the box, customized with Color OS 5.2 user interface. In the software, there will be Google Lens, an advanced video editing tool, and even an emergency SOS feature

Launch event date, time and price

In the invites sent by Oppo for the official launch of the new Oppo F9 Pro, it is clearly mentioned that the launch event will take place in India on August 21. The location of the event will be in Mumbai according to the invites, and the event will start at 12 pm Indian time. The price has still not been confirmed, but recent reports hint that it will be initially offered with a price tag of Rs. 25,000 in India, which roughly translates into €313 or $358. Note that the F9 is already on sale in Vietnam (where it was launched a few days ago) with a price tag equivalent to about Rs. 23,000 (translating into about $329).

OPPO F9 official posters confirm dual cameras and rear-mounted fingerprint scanner

Huawei Mate 20 to come with water-drop notch, triple rear cameras and more

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Aug 20, 2018

The Huawei Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro are both impressive devices but their successors will be much better and we can’t wait for them to launch. Huawei is expected to announce them in the last quarter judging from the release date of their predecessors. Ahead of that date, renders and specs of the Mate 20 have surfaced which reveal a great deal about the upcoming phone.

The massive and well-detailed reveal comes from the guys at XDA-Developers who obtained firmware files of the Mate 20 a.k.a “Hima” as well as real-life photographs of the device which the renders are based on.

The Huawei Mate 20 will come with a 6.3-inch AMOLED screen, much bigger than that of the Mate 10 Pro. According to the renders, the display will have a water-drop notch and not the bathtub-like type of the Huawei P20. According to the firmware files, it has a 2244 x 1080 screen and by finding the notch’s overlay, they were able to confirm the notch’s design.

The Mate 20 will come with stereo speakers. There is a speaker above the notch which also doubles as the speaker for calls and another at the bottom of the phone. It will also have a 3.5mm audio jack. Apart from the speaker at the bottom, there is also a USB-C port. We believe the phone should also support HDMI out just like the Mate 10 does.

Huawei will equip the Mate 20 with triple rear cameras just like that of the P20 Pro but they will have an interesting and unique arrangement. Rather than be arranged vertically and positioned at the far left, the three cameras and LED flash will be arranged to form a square and positioned in the middle of the device. I guess manufacturers are getting inspiration from Tetris.

There is no image showing the fingerprint scanner or position of logos. XDA says this is because the sample the renders are based on had its back protected, so they are not sure of the shape and size of the fingerprint scanner. They are also not sure of the dimensions of the phone, so there is a possibility that the size and position of the buttons, ports, and cameras in the renders may not be the same as that of the device itself.

The Huawei Mate 20 will run Android 9.0 Pie, be powered by the Kirin 980, and have 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. There will most definitely be other configurations too. The phone will pack a 4200mAh battery and support wireless charging.

Continue

Vivo V11 Pro with Halo FullView Display to launch in India on September 6

By

Jeet

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Aug 20, 2018

Recently, Vivo sent out media invites for the September 6 launch event in India. Now, the company has revealed that it’ll be launching the Vivo V11 Pro smartphone in the Indian market. It is the successor of the Vivo V9 launched earlier this year in March.

The teaser image suggests that the phone will come with a notched display, which the company is calling Halo FullView Display. Further, the phone will pack an in-display fingerprint sensor, similar to what we’ve seen on Vivo Nex and Mi 8.

The phone was recently leaked online, showing live images and revealing key specifications. The device will feature a 6.41-inch Super AMOLED Full HD+ display with 2340 x 1080 pixels screen resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio and a small notch on top of the display for the camera sensor.

The device is said to be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 660 AIE processor that powers upper mid-range devices such as Vivo X21, Xiaomi Mi A2, and Nokia 7 Plus, among others. It’ll be coupled with 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage with support for storage expansion using a microSD card.

In the camera department, there’ll be a dual-camera setup on the back, consisting of a 12-megapixel primary sensor and a 5-megapixel secondary sensor. On the front side, the V11 Pro will come equipped with a 25-megapixel shooter for taking selfies and video calling.

The device is expected to be running Android Oreo operating system out-of-the-box with the company’s own ColorOS on top. The phone and will be fuelled by a 3,400mAh battery but we don’t know if it’ll come with fast charging support.

Leaked images of the Vivo V11 Pro showcase gradient color, which has become a trend for Chinese manufacturers. To know more about the smartphone, including it’s pricing and availability details, we’ll have to wait until the official launch event on 6th September.

Xiaomi Poco F1 with 8GB of RAM spotted on GeekBench

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Aug 20, 2018

With just two days left before Xiaomi will officially launch its new Poco F1 smartphone on August 22 in India, the model has just been benchmarked. The Poco F1 was spotted on GeekBench with a large 8GB RAM. This isn’t the first time the Pocophone F1 is appearing on Geekbench database but the previous model only appeared with 6GB of RAM as against 8GB RAM on this new device.

That clearly is an indication that the device will have a 6GB RAM and 8GB RAM version. Surprisingly, the CPU performance of this 8GB RAM version on the single core and multi-core tests are slightly different. The 8GB RAM version scored 2451 points on the single-threaded test while it manages a multi-core test score of 8998 points. The single and multi-core scores of the 8GB RAM model are on similar levels with other Snapdragon 845-powered phones like the OnePlus 6, Xiaomi Mi 8, HTC U12+ etc. On the other hand, the Poco F1 with 6GB RAM had scored 9081 points in multi-core performance, over classing flagships such as OnePlus 6, Xiaomi Mi 8 and Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus, while it scored 2467 points in single-core performance in which the only better device is the Samsung Galaxy S9+.

On the specs angle, the Poco F1 is expected to pack a 5.99-inch IPS LCD display with Xiaomi’s Face scanning tech inside the notch on the front. The device packs a vertically aligned, dual rear camera setup placed in the middle. The rear camera is a 12MP + 5MP combo while the selfie shooter is a 20MP sensor. The body is said to be made of plastic despite packing an SD 845 chipset and 6GB / 8GB of RAM. The F1 will also have a 4,000mAh battery.

(source)

Ahead of launch, Realme 2 teased with a notched display and dual rear cameras

By

Jeet

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Aug 20, 2018

Realme, a sub-brand of Oppo which recently separated from Oppo to operate as an independent brand, is now gearing up to launch its new smartphone — Realme 2.

The upcoming Realme 2 is the successor of the Oppo Realme 1 which was launched in May earlier this year. Ahead of the official launch of Realme 2, the company has teased the phone on Twitter, revealing that it’ll feature a notched display and a dual-camera setup on the back.

Recently, the phone’s retail box, as well as render, was leaked online, which had revealed both the features that the company teased. The leaked render also confirms that there’ll be a fingerprint sensor on the back panel, unlike the Realme 1.

At this point, no more information is available regarding the phone. However, it is being speculated that the phone will carry a 6.23-inch Full HD+ display and pack MediaTek MT6771 Helio P60 processor — the same one that powers the Realme 1. There’ll be a couple of variants of the phone, based on the memory configuration, which is believed to go up to 6GB.

While there’s no information about the phone’s pricing, we are confident that it’ll definitely be priced under Rs. 20,000 (approximately $285) to take on the likes of recently launched Xiaomi Mi A2. However, to know the phone’s specifications, pricing, and availability details, we’ll have to wait for the company to officially unveil the device, which doesn’t seem far away.

Last month, Realme announced its separation from Oppo to become a distinct entity, which will be headed by Sky Li, former senior executive of Oppo and head of Oppo India. At that time, it said that the brand would focus on providing mobile phones that offer strong performance and stylish designs at an affordable price.

(Sources – 1, 2)

Check out the Snapdragon 710-powered Smartisan Nut Pro 2S in pictures

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Aug 20, 2018

Smartisan officially announced the premium-midrange model dubbed Nut pro 2S today which is August 20. The Smartisan Nut Pro 2S is an upgraded version of the Smartisan Nut Pro 2 which was launched last year. The Nut Pro 2 was legendary for its spectacular, premium build as well as outstanding price tag. The Nut Pro 2s seems to continue from where its predecessor left off in terms of design as can be seen from the official pictures of the device shared by Smartisan.

The pictures show the Nut Pro 2S basically retains the design of the Nut Pro 2 without any visible changes. The device will be available in White, Red, Black and Blue colours. The difference in both models apparently lies in the Snapdragon 710 chipset which powers the new Nut Pro 2S.

Read Also: AnTuTu’s top 10 best performance phones for July is led by Black Shark with nearly 300,000 score

In terms of specification, the Smartisan Nut Pro 2S is expected to feature a 5.99-inch notch-less display with the 18:9 aspect ratio. The device retains the camera configuration of the Nut Pro 2 which is a single 16MP front shooter as well as a 12MP+5MP dual camera setup at the rear. The phone will run on Android 8.1 Oreo with a touch of Smartisan’s own custom skin. Other expected specs include 6GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage as well as support for 18W fast charging. More pictures to follow below.

Smartisan Nut Pro 2S hands on pictures are also added below:

[envira-gallery id=”207068″]

(Gallery source: Weibo)

Smartisan unveils the Nut Pro 2S: Snapdragon 710, impressive dual rear cams, and stunning new colors

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Aug 20, 2018

Chinese smartphone maker, Smartisan, has taken the wraps off its latest phone, the Nut Pro 2S. The new device succeeds last year’s Nut Pro 2 which has a Snapdragon 660 processor.

Smartisan Nut Pro 2S Design

If you are one of those who doesn’t like the notch wave that is sweeping through the mobile phone industry, then you’d sure like the Nut Pro 2S as Smartisan has avoided that trend with its latest smartphone. The absence of a notch means the bezels are thicker but the overall appearance still looks great.

Certain design elements haven’t changed such as the circular buttons and the position of the fingerprint scanner which also houses the Smartisan logo. There is glass on both sides of the phone and even though there is a 3600mAh battery underneath, the Nut Pro 2S is just 7.5mm thick.

Apart from the usual Carbon Black (with red line) and Pure White color variants, the Nut Pro 2S also comes in two new colors – Glare Blue and Glare Red.

Smartisan Nut Pro 2S Specs

The phone comes with a 6.01-inch AMOLED display with a 2160 x 1080 resolution. It is powered by the Snapdragon 710 which has 8x Kryo 260 cores clocked at 2.2GHz and an Adreno 616 GPU. The Nut Pro 2S comes in three memory + storage configurations and four colors. Below are the variants and the respective colors they are available in:

Carbon Black (Thin Red Line Edition) – 4GB RAM + 64GB, 6GB RAM + 64GB, 6GB RAM + 128GB
Pure White – 6GB RAM + 128GB
Glare Blue – 6GB RAM + 64GB, 6GB RAM + 128GB
Glare Red – 6GB RAM + 64GB, 6GB RAM + 128GB

The Nut Pro 2S comes with dual rear cameras in a 12MP + 5MP configuration. The 12MP sensor is a Sony IMX363 sensor with a 1.4um pixel size and a f/1.8 aperture while the 5MP secondary sensor is a Samsung S5K4E8 sensor. The It has PDAF, Arcsoft real-time bokeh, HDR, and AI scene detection. Smartisan says the Nut Pro 2S scored 95 points in DxO Mark’s evaluation, second only to the iPhone 8 Plus.

The front camera is a 16MP sensor with a f/2.2 aperture Arcsoft AIand Arcsoft Bokeh. The front camera can record 1080p videos at 60fps while the primary rear camera can record 4K videos at 30fps.

[envira-gallery id=”207045″]

The Smartisan Nut Pro 2S packs a 3600mAh battery with support for Quick Charge 3.0. It has a USB-C port flanked on the left by a speaker grille and on the left by a microphone grille. The phone also supports TV-out via which lets you connect it to a TV via a USB-C to HDMI cable, allowing you enjoy your mobile games on a much larger display. It runs Smartisan OS 6.6.5 which has a new lock screen, frosted glass feature for privacy, and a game acceleration mode.

READ MORE: Check out the Snapdragon 710-powered Smartisan Nut Pro 2S in pictures

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ASUS ROG Gaming Phone could launch in China soon as it gets TENAA certification

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Aug 20, 2018

Taiwanese electronics manufacturer ASUSTEK had announced its first gaming smartphone at COMPUTEX show held in Taiwan in June this year. Since then, it has been all rumours about the release of the ROG phone in the U.S, India and Europe but the pricing and availability are yet to materialize. The gaming smartphone has now gotten certified by China’s Telecoms Regulatory Agency (TENAA). This is an indication that the ASUS phone will soon be released in China which is the world’s largest smartphone market and a terrain where gaming phones like the Black Shark gaming phone are already gaining some popularity.

We couldn’t immediately lay our hands on the listing page on TENAA’s website but the pictures are clearly those of the ROG phone. However, we don’t expect the specs to differ from those announced in Taiwan. The device is expected to still pack a Snapdragon 845 chipset with its CPU clocked at 2.96GHz which is a higher clocking frequency than other SD845 phones clocked at 2.8GHz max.

In addition, the ASUS ROG gaming phone is expected to sport a 6.0-inch AMOLED screen with an 18:9 aspect ratio and 90Hz refresh rate. The processor is paired with 8GB of RAM while there are 128GB / 512GB storage versions available. The device has the ROG logo on the back which lights up while the display is on. Apart from the logo, the back design adopts a rather scientific approach, giving the device a truly gaming gadget outlook. There is a dual camera setup at the back arranged in a horizontal manner. On the camera end, the device comes with the same configuration as the Zenfone 5. There is an 8MP camera at the front and a 12MP+8MP dual camera combo. The ASUS ROG Phone has a 4,000mAh battery with support for ASUS HyperCharge fast charging technology. In order to reduce the amount of heat being dissipated by the smartphone, ASUS moved the charging chip from the phone to the power adapter.

(via)

Honor 8X officially confirmed, Mi Max 3 has got a true rival

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Aug 20, 2018

Last week, an unknown Honor phone with the model number ARE-AL00 was seen at TENAA. There were rumors the phone is the upcoming Honor 8X, a successor to last year’s Honor 7X.

We didn’t want to go with that narrative seeing as the Honor 7X was released back in December which means its successor is arriving much earlier. Also, the Honor ARE-AL00 packs a massive 7.12” screen, a big upgrade from the 5.93” screen of the Honor 7X which means the series would be entering into the phablet category.

It appears those who guessed the Honor ARE-AL00 is the Honor 8X are correct seeing as Honor itself has released an official teaser poster for the Honor 8X today, less than a week since the TENAA listing. The teaser poster doesn’t say anything about the features of the phone but does say something about “breaking the limit”.

According to the TENAA listing, the Honor 8X will have a 7.12-inch screen with a 2244 x 1080 resolution and a water-drop notch at the top. It will have an octa-core processor clocked at 1.8GHz. Surprisingly, it won’t come with a Kirin 710 processor but a Snapdragon 636.

This combination of a large screen and a Snapdragon 636 processor means Honor is targetting the 8X as a direct competitor to Xiaomi’s Mi Max 3 which has a slightly smaller 6.9-inch screen but the same processor.

READ MORE: Honor 10 and Nokia 7 Plus joins Huawei P20 Pro as EISA 2018 award recipients

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Nubia Z18 makes brief appearance in a video alongside possible first camera sample too

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Aug 20, 2018

The upcoming Nubia Z18 has been seen in a video ahead of its official release. The flagship phone has been in development for months and may be close to getting an official release.

The phone makes an appearance in a Guinness World Records video of the world’s largest light drawing. One of the main recipients of the world record, Roy Wang, is shown holding the phone in the video. Sadly, it only shows the upper front half of the phone which lets us confirm the Nubia Z18 indeed has a waterdrop/Essential PH-1-like notch.

We believe it is the Nubia Z18 because of his Weibo post announcing the world record is made by the Nubia Z18 and also because the official Nubia Weibo account reposts on the video. There is also a picture of him holding the award which we also believe was taken with the Nubia Z18 phone.

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Poco F1 pricing, color variants and storage models leaked

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Aug 20, 2018

Poco F1 will be debuting on Aug. 22 as the first smartphone under Poco brand by Xiaomi. Multiple leaks have revealed the images and specifications of the smartphone. A reliable leakster has recently leaked the different storage and color variants of the Poco F1.

The new leak reveals that the base model of the Poco F1 will be equipped with an internal storage of 64 GB and 6 GB of RAM. It is expected to arrive in colors like Red, Grey, Blue and Gradient.

There could be another 6 GB RAM variant of the Poco F1 that may feature an inbuilt storage of 128 GB. It is also rumored to arrive in colors like Red, Grey, Blue and Gradient. It is speculated that the 128 GB Poco F1 will be carrying a price tag of around ~Rs. 25,000.

The highest configuration variant of the Poco F1 is expected to feature an internal storage of 256 GB and 8 GB of RAM. It could be available in colors like Grey, Blue, Gradient and Kevlar. There is no information available on the pricing of this model. However, it can be used that it could be priced around ~Rs. 29,000.

Xiaomi’s Mi MIX 2 and Mi series flagship phones haven’t received good reception in India. Hence, it seems that the company has decided to launch affordably priced flagship phones under the Poco brand name. The specifications of the Poco F1 suggests that it is a cheaper version of the Xiaomi Mi 8 that was announced in China in May.

Rumors have it that the instead of AMOLED notched screen available on the Mi 8, the Poco F1 will be equipped with a notched LCD panel. Also, instead of the glass rear on Mi 8, the Poco F1 will be arriving with a polycarbonate back panel. The F1 is expected to support Full HD+ resolution of 2246 x 1080 pixels. The Snapdragon 845 SoC will be powering the phone. Xiaomi has reportedly added liquid cooling feature on the Poco F1 to regulate its internal temperature.

For photography, it will be arriving with 12-megapixel + 5-megapixel dual camera setup and a front-facing selfie camera of 20-megapixel. The handset will include 4,000mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0. The handset is expected to be exclusively through Flipkart.

(source|via)

ZTE Axon 9 confirmed to launch on August 30, could be 5G-enabled

By

Jeet

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Aug 20, 2018

ZTE Axon 7 turned out to be a really good premium affordable offering from the Chinese company and was well-received by the users globally. Now, the company is all set to launch its successor as it has managed to get the ban lifted which barred it from doing business with US-based companies.

Earlier, the company had sent out media invites for the IFA 2018 in Berlin from August 31 to 5th September. Now, the company has sent out official invites for the Axon 9 launch event on August 30 and has also shared the invite of the launch through Weibo. The invite has a big ‘9’ written on it, clearly hinting at the Axon 9.

The image also mentions 5G, hinting that the phone could be a 5G-enabled device. The phone is also expected to come with the trendy full-screen display having 18:9 aspect ratio. There’s also dual-camera setup on the back, for improved imaging capabilities.

Based on the previous reports, the Axon 9 is expected to come with a 6-inch QHD+ display and will be powered by Qualcomm‘s flagship Snapdragon 845 processor. It could come in two variants, one with 4GB RAM and another with 6GB RAM.

As for the internal storage, it’ll start with 64GB onboard storage and will max out at 256GB. The device, which is expected to be 5G-enabled, will be running Android Oreo operating system out-of-the-box. Currently, no more details are available regarding the phone.

Apart from the Axon 9, the company is also expected to launch a new Blade series smartphone at the IFA 2018. To know more about the devices getting launched by ZTE at IFA, we’ll have to wait for the official announcement.

(Source)

Buy Xiaomi Mi 8 SE 4G Phablet For Just $329.99 On GearBest

By

Vinay Patel

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Aug 20, 2018

The Xiaomi Mi 8 SE sports an eye-catching design that is augmented with an equally appealing 5.88 inches Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen with 1080 x 2244 pixels resolution. Aside from that, the Mi 8 SE boasts an array of other awe-inspiring features that make it an irresistible phablet.

If you’ve been looking to get your hands on a high-end phablet that doesn’t empty your pocket, look no further. The powerful Mi 8 SE phablet is now available at a discounted price on GearBest. Let’s delve straight into the details.

While the Mi 8 SE would normally set you back a pretty penny on online stores, GearBest will be selling it at a lowered price of just $329.99. This is a noteworthy 19% reduction in the feature-laden phablet’s original asking price.

The Mi 8 SE is quite an irresistible phablet at this dropped price, given that it packs a powerful Qualcomm SDM710 Snapdragon 710 processor along with an equally compelling Adreno 616 GPU, under the hood. The device offers 6GB of RAM and a hearty 64GB of onboard storage.

On the photography front, the phablet houses a 12.0MP + 5.0MP dual camera setup on the back, and a 20.0MP front shooter for selfies and face-to-face video chatting. Aside from that, the Mi 8 SE comes with GPS, Glonass, Beidou, AGPS, and Galieo global navigation satellite system.

The phablet runs on Android 8.1 Oreo operating system and is backed by a built-in 3120mAh battery. On top of that, the phablet is crammed with several useful sensors including Ambient Light Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Gyroscope, Accelerometer, E-compass, Hall Sensor, and Infrared.

You can visit this link to check out the rest of the specification and avail the discount. Note that the Flash Sale price will only be valid for the remaining 86 pieces and the promo is slated to end in just 1 day.

Get 19% Off On Xiaomi Mi 8 SE 4G Phablet

Meizu 16 sold out within seconds in its first sale in China, bookings still open

By

Jeet

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Aug 20, 2018

Today, Meizu‘s flagship smartphone of the year — Meizu 16 went on sale in China. However, within seconds, all the units of the smartphone went out of stock.

Now, the company has announced that it’ll keep the bookings open for the smartphone and expects to ship them in 4-8 weeks. On its forum, the company also said that it’s actively working to prepare stock for the Meizu 16.

The phone was also available for purchase in offline stores where users lined-up to purchase this flagship device from Meizu. Interestingly, just after the phone went out of stock, Xiaomi announced a price cut of 100 Yuan on its Mi 8 6GB + 64GB model, making it the cheaper than the Meizu 16.

The Meizu 16 comes with a 6-inch Full HD+ display with an impressive 91.18 percent screen-to-body ratio, 2160 x 1080 pixels screen resolution. For the first time in its flagship devices lineup, the company has opted to use Qualcomm‘s chipset.

The device is powered by Snapdragon 845 SoC, similar to most of the flagship phones launched this year. It comes with 6GB/8GB RAM with up to 256GB internal storage in the top-end variant. It comes with a 12MP Sony IMX380 sensor paired with a 20MP IMX350 sensor.

On the front side, there’s a 20MP snapper for taking selfies and video calling. Connectivity options on the device include dual-band Wi-Fi 2×2 MIMO and LTE 4×4 MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0, Qualcomm aptX support and Sony LDAC for immersive wireless music experience.

The phone comes with the latest Flyme 7 UI based on Android Oreo operating system out-of-the-box. As for the iconic mBack, it comes with the improved Super mBack 2.0 The device is powered by a 3,010mAh battery, which should last for a day on moderate usage.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 launching in India on August 22

By

Michele Ingelido

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Aug 20, 2018

If you are from India and are seeking the best productivity phone or the best Samsung phone out there, you can finally be excited. Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will be officially available to purchase in the peninsula starting from August 22 (from 12:00 pm local time, according to the official teaser image). The news has been confirmed by the company and there will also be an official event in India to announce the Indian launch of the handset. At the moment, the phablet is up for pre-orders since the date of the official announcement.

The new flagship will be available in two memory configuration: the cheaper one will sport 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage, while the most expensive one will have 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB ROM. The price for the first configuration will be INR 67,900, which roughly translates into $967/€850, while the 8/512 GB version will cost INR 84,900 that is about $1210/€1063 at the actual change. While the 6/128 GB configuration will be available in Metallic Copper, Midnight Black and Ocean Blue, the 8/512 GB will only be offered in Midnight Black and Ocean Blue.

RELATED: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 pre-orders get lukewarm response in China

The users of Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will benefit from an improved S Pen with Bluetooth connectivity which can also be used to control the phone remotely (besides handwriting and drawing with 4096 pressure levels). It doesn’t feature a revamped design with a glass back and an aluminum frame, but the fingerprint reader has been placed in a better position, that is under the rear dual camera. The rear cameras have a resolution of 12 MP and a variable aperture which goes from f/1.5 to f/2.4, while the single front snapper has an 8 MP resolution with a f/1.7 aperture. Samsung Galaxy Note 9 has a wider (than Note 8) 6.4-inch display with a Quad HD+ resolution and the Super AMOLED technology, as well as a bigger 4000 mAh battery (finally).

Xiaomi Mi 8 Indian launch could be nearing

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Aug 20, 2018

Xiaomi is prepping up to launch Poco F1 tomorrow. The handset will be arriving as the first phone in the newly announced Pocophone series. Reports have claimed that India will be receiving the Poco F1 smartphone instead of the Xiaomi Mi 8 that was made official in China at the end of May. However, according to a latest report by 91 Mobiles, India will be also receiving Mi 8 soon after the launch of Poco F1. The publication has also claimed the Indian arrival of the Mi 8 has been confirmed by three separate retailers in India.

The publication has further stated that the Indian launch date of Mi 8 is not known yet. It is likely to be priced under Rs. 30,000. In China, Xiaomi had launched the Mi 8 with in multiple variants featuring up to 8 GB of RAM and up to 256 GB of native storage. There is no confirmation on whether all the variants of the Mi 8 will be arriving in India.

Recent rumors have claimed that the 128 GB variant of the Poco F1 could be priced at Rs. 25,000. There is a possibility that the Mi 8 could be aimed towards the offline markets whereas the upcoming Poco F1 could be only available online.

The Xiaomi Mi 8 and Poco F1 have similar specs and design. The Poco F1 has a dual camera unit followed by a fingerprint on the top-half of its rear shell. Since it is arriving as an affordable flagship, it features a polycarbonate rear. On the other side, the Mi 8 is blessed with a premium appeal as it features a glass rear with an iPhone X-like vertical dual camera on its top left. It also features a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. The Poco F1 has an LCD screen with a wide notch whereas the Mi 8 has an AMOLED display with similar sized notch.

The Poco F1 features 5.99-inch IPS LCD notched display, Snapdragon 845 with liquid cooling, 6 GB / 8 GB of RAM, up to 256 GB of storage, microSD card slot, IR-based facial recognition, 12-megapixel + 5-megapixel dual camera, 20-megapixel, 4,000mAh battery and 3.5mm audio jack.

On the other side, the Mi 8 features a 6.28-inch S-AMOLED display, Snapdragon 845 SoC, up to 8 GB of RAM, up to 256 GB of storage, dual 12-megapixel rear cameras, 20-megapixel front-facing camera and 3,400mAh battery. It lacks microSD card slot and 3.5mm audio jack.

(source)