Xiaomi Mi A2 now supports recording of 1080p videos at 60fps

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Aug 15, 2018

The Mi A2 is one of two Android One phones Xiaomi released this year. It can also be referred to as the global version of the Mi 6X. A new update has started to roll-out to the smartphone and it brings new and important camera features and more.

With the new update, Mi A2 owners will now be able to record full HD videos at 60 frames per second (1080p@60fps). There is also support for Electronic Image Stabilization. The Mi A2 could only record videos in 720p at 120fps, 1080p at 30fps and 2160p videos at 30fps but the new update adds 60fps support for 1080p videos.

Apart from the new camera features, the update also comes along with August’s security patch.

The Mi A2 is a 5.99-inch device powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 660 processor. It has 4GB/6GB of RAM and 64GB/128GB of storage. It has a 12MP + 20MP dual camera setup on its rear and a 20MP front-facing camera.

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Samsung announces the world’s first 5G modem with up to 6Gbps speeds

By

Michele Ingelido

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Aug 15, 2018

Samsung had showcased 5g tech at CES 2018, but it still was not ready. Now the time has finally come: the Korean giant has beaten Qualcomm by officially announcing the world first 5G modem. This small chip built on a 10 nm production process brings the connectivity on mobile devices at a new level, with complete support to 5G networks and compliance to the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) Release 15 standards and complete frequencies. The modem has been called Samsung Exynos 5100 and it supports all the 5G frequencies, but it is also compatible with all the previous technologies such as 2G GSM/CDMA, 3G WCDMA, TD-SCDMA, HSPA and 4G LTE.

Thanks to 5G networks, the new modem can reach a downlink speed of up to 2 Gbps for frequencies under 6 GHz, and a downlink speed of up to 6 Gbps for the mmWave spectrum. These blazing speeds make this modem up to 5x times faster than 4G ones. Further, the 4G connectivity with the new Samsung Exynos 5100 has been improved as well, and now it can reach a download speed of up to 6 Gbps. At the moment, it is definitely the most impressive modem for mobile devices ever launched.

The modem will be officially released in the market starting from the end of this year, so we should see the first devices sporting it in the first months of 2019. Besides smartphones, there will be many other devices with this modem inside, such as IoT devices, holograms, self-driving cars and more. Unfortunately, according to DJ Koh (CEO of Samsung Electronics), Samsung Galaxy S10 will not boast the Exynos 5100 modem under the hood as it will not be a 5G smartphone. But if some rumors are to be believed, it may debut on the mysterious foldable device which might be launched alongside the S10 series or a few months later.

(via)

New Samsung & Haman Kardon soundbars released with 7.1.4 Dolby Panoramic Sound

By

Michele Ingelido

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Aug 15, 2018

In order to dominate the technology market, Samsung recently acquired several brands in the audio sector. One of the most important deals was Harman Kardon, which it acquired back in March 2017 for $8 billion. After that, there was the acquisition of other important names such as JBL and AKG. Now, the Korean giant has released the first products in cooperation with Harman Kardon: they are two soundbars for people who are seeking the best audio experience.

The two models are identified by the model numbers HW-N950 and HW-N850. Both feature DTS:X and Dolby Atmos technology, with the first one providing 7.1.4 Dolby audio experience. It is equipped with a main soundbar, four secondary speakers, and two wireless surround speakers. But what does 7.1.4 means? Well, 7 stands for the number of traditional surround speakers, so front, center and surround, 1 is the number of subwoofers which can be connected to the receiver and 4 represents the Dolby Atmos settings.

The second soundbar by Samsung and Harman Kardon instead provides a 5.1.2 audio experience. The soundbars alongside their connected speakers will be officially launched in the market starting from August 20, but we still do not know how much they will cost.

The new Xiaomi Mi Pad 4 Plus goes on its first sale tomorrow at 10 AM

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Aug 15, 2018

Xiaomi recently unveiled the Mi Pad 4 with some vital upgrade over the Pad 3, including Snapdragon 660 chip, 6000mAh battery and an LTE version. Despite these features, some fans were not impressed with the Pad 4. Perhaps, Xiaomi saved the best for the last as the Chinese giant sprung up a surprise by launching the Mi Pad 4 Plus a couple of days back. The tablet is scheduled to go on its first sale in China tomorrow at 10 AM, Xiaomi has revealed.

The Mi Pad 4 Plus comes with an expansive 10.1-inch display with a similar 16:9 aspect ratio as the Mi Pad 4 and a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels. It is also powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 AIE chipset but in this case, the memory configuration is only 4GB RAM + 64GB storage combo as well as 4GB RAM+128GB storage. Another spectacular upgrade is in the battery capacity. Xiaomi notched the battery size to an 8,620mAh capacity which can withstand up to 16 hours of video playback. It equally packs a 13Mp rear shooter and a 5MP front sensor with support for AI face recognition. It comes with both WiFi and LTE connectivity.

As for the price, the 64GB variant is available for 1,899 yuan (~$275) while the 128GB version is priced at 2099 yuan (~$305). The tablet comes in gold and black colours. It is expected to be available across several retail channels including Mi Home. We expect nothing short of a quick exhaustion of all available stock.

(source)

Motorola Z3 and E5 Plus launched in China: Specifications, features and pricing

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Aug 15, 2018

Apart from launching the Motorola P30, the Lenovo owned company has also announced Motorola Z3 smartphone and the budget-friendly E5 Plus handset. The major selling point of the Motorola Z3 is the first 5G upgradeable as it comes with 5G Moto Mod accessory. The low-priced E5 Plus is packed with 5,000mAh battery that can last for up to two days and also it comes with an affordable price tag.

Motorola Z3 Specifications, Features and Pricing

The Motorola Z3 features a very thin splash-resistant chassis that measures only 6.75mm in thickness. It features Gorilla Glass 3 panels on its front and rear sides. It houses a 6.01-inch Super AMOLED screen that produces Full HD+ resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels. The Snapdragon 835 SoC fuels the phone with 6 GB of RAM. It has an internal storage of 128 GB and comes with a microSD card slot.

For photography, the Motorola Z3 is equipped with dual 12-megapixel camera hat comes with features like laser autofocus, PDAF, depth focus and dual-tone LED flash. The front-facing of the Z3 is of 8-megapixel. A 3,000mAh battery is present inside the Z3. The Android 8.1 Oreo OS customized with ZUI 4.0 comes preinstalled on the phone. A fingerprint scanner is fitted on its rear side.

The bottom portion of the back panel of the Motorola Z3 features 16-pin pogo connector for attaching different kinds of Moto Mods accessories. Some of the Moto Mods that are available for the Motorola Z3 include a 5G Moto Mod that will be available by early 2019, an Eye-Hasselblad camera with 10x zoom, a battery pack enabled with Turbo charging, a JBL stereo speaker and insta-share projector.

The Motorola Z3 costs 3,399 Yuan (~$578) and its sales will begin in China from Aug. 16. It will be available in a single color option of black.

Motorola E5 Plus Specifications, Features and Pricing

The Motorola E5 Plus feature a 6-inch IPS LCD screen that supports HD+ resolution of 720 x 1440 pixels. The Snapdragon 430 that includes an octa-core processor that clocks at 1.4 GHz powers the phone. The 32 GB and 64 GB storage variants of the phone include 3 GB and 4 GB of RAM. It is equipped with a microSD card slot.

For photography, the Motorola E5 Plus features a 12-megapixel rear camera with laser focus, PDAF, Electronic Image Stabilizer and dual-tone LED flash. For snapping selfies, it is equipped with an LED enabled front-facing camera of 5-megapixel. The behemoth 5,000mAh battery of the phone carries support for 18W fast charging. It also features a rear-mounted fingerprint reader.

The 32 GB storage + 3 GB RAM edition of the Motorola E5 Plus carries a price tag of 1,299 Yuan (~$187). It can be bought in colors like Monet Gray and Van Gogh Gold. Its 64 GB storage + 4 GB RAM variant has a pricing of 1,699 Yuan (~$245) and its color options are Monet Gray and Van Gogh Gold. The sales of the Motorola E5 will begin in China on Aug. 16.

The Chinese market is lead by brands OPPO, Huawei, Vivo and Xiaomi. With today’s launch event that specifically held to announce Motorola phones, it is quite evident that Lenovo is applying dual-brand strategy to gain popularity in the Chinese market. It is interesting to see that Motorola Z3, P30 and E5 Plus that were unveiled today do not carry “Moto” branding.

Honor ARE-AL00 seen at TENAA with valley-like notch and dual cameras

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Aug 15, 2018

A new Honor smartphone has been spotted at TENAA. The phone’s model number is ARE-AL00 and there are rumors it may be the Honor 8X or the Honor 8S. Seeing as the Honor 7S was just released three months ago, we don’t think a successor is already in development so chances are this is the Honor 8X or even a totally different phone.

The specs are not yet available on TENAA but a bunch of images gives us a look at the design.

[envira-gallery id=”206251″]

The Honor ARE-AL00 has a notch but it is different from that of the Honor Play, Honor 10 and Honor 9N/9i. The notch is shaped like a small valley or water droplet and is home to the front-facing camera. It looks like the Waterdrop screen of the OPPO F9/F9 Pro but is slightly bigger and has steeper “sides”. The phone also has a bit of bezel below the display which has the manufacturer’s name engraved on it.

On its back, the Honor ARE-AL00 has vertically arranged dual cameras positioned at the far left. There is “Dual Lens” engraved below the LED flash and a fingerprint scanner sits in the middle of the device. The back looks glossy and appears to be made of glass which is not a material Honor uses for the affordable X-series. The phone has its power button and volume rocker on the right while the left is home to the SIM tray.

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2018 iPhones specs and prices detailed by Analysts

By

Michele Ingelido

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Aug 15, 2018

In September, Apple will unveil its new line-up of iPhones which will consist of three models. Meanwhile, the known market research firm TrendForce has published a new report in which reveals some of the main specs of the upcoming handsets as well as their possible prices. According to the market analysts, the most affordable version will be equipped with an LCD display having a size of 6.1 inches (6.06 to be accurate). This variant will be the only one in the trio to boast 3 GB of RAM, while it will have 64 GB or 256 GB of internal storage depending on the configuration that you will choose to buy.

According to TrendForce, the starting price of the low-end 2018 iPhone will range from $699 to $749 for the configuration with 64 GB of internal storage. Despite its low price, it will be available with a dual SIM slot and support for Face ID. Besides this version, there will be a mid-range variant with powerful specs but with a smaller display. The screen will have a size of 5.8 inches and it will be an AMOLED panel. It will retain the Face ID technology, while the quantity of RAM will be 4 GB.

The storage sizes will be 64 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB, however the price has not been confirmed by TrendForce. The market research firm thinks that it will start from either $899 or $949. The 5.8-inch model is expected to be dubbed as the iPhone XS Plus. At last, there will also be the biggest and most expensive variant with a 6.5-inch AMOLED display. In this variant, there will be 4 GB of RAM and 64, 256 or 512 GB of internal storage, as well as 3D facial recognition. Its starting price should be $999. All of these devices will sport a notch like their predecessor in order to minimize the bezels.

(via)

Motorola P30 launched in China with notched display and Snapdragon 636

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Aug 15, 2018

Today, Motorola announced a new smartphone called Motorola P30 through a launch event in China. It is the first notched display smartphone from the Lenovo-owned company. The mid-range phone is packed with decent innards and carries an attractive design. Here is all the information available on the Motorola P30.

Motorola P30 Specifications and Features

The Motorola P30 features 2.5D glass on its front and rear sides with a metallic frame in between. The glass is made out of high-purity polysilicon powder in high temperature by vacuum. The marvelous rear glass has been built through 30+ processes. The handset comes in color options like Ice Jade White, Bright Black and color gradient Aurora. The device measures 155.5 x 75.95 x 7.69mm and it weighs 170 grams.

The P30 houses a 6.2-inch IPS LCD display that supports Full HD+ resolution of 2246 x 1080 pixels and an aspect ratio of 19:9. The Snapdragon 636 SoC is present under the hood of the smartphone along with 6 GB of RAM. It comes in storage option such as 64 GB and 128 GB. The Android 8.1 Oreo flavored with ZUI 4.0 is preloaded on the phone. Users can add a microSD card through the hybrid SIM slot on the phone. The 3,000mAh battery of the phone carries support for 18W fast charging. P30’s fast charging is a patented technology by Motorola that promises 8 hours of battery life by charging it for only 15 minutes.

The back panel of the Motorola P30 features a vertical dual camera system that includes f/1.8 aperture OV16B 16-megapixel primary sensor and f/2.2 aperture OV5675 5-megpaixel secondary sensor. The dual camera is equipped with features like dual-tone LED flash, background blur, HDR, professional mode, panorama photo and portrait mode. At the front is an f/2.0 aperture 12-megapixel selfie snapper with a pixel size of 1.25. The AI driven front-facing camera can capture photos with bokeh effect. Other features of the frontal snapper include AR camera and wide-angle selfie.

The Motorola “M” logo on the back panel of the P30 is integrated with a fingerprint scanner. Moreover, the phone is also equipped with facial recognition feature. The Motorola P30 is equipped with other features such as Dolby sound output, game mode, hybrid SIM slot, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, GPS and 3.5mm audio jack.

Motorola P30 Pricing and Availability

The Motorola P30 that comes with 64 GB of storage and 6 GB of RAM is priced at 2,099 Yuan (~$303). It can be bought in colors like Ice Jade Whit and Bright Black. The higher model features 128 GB of storage and 6 GB of RAM. This variant carries a price tag of 2,499 Yuan (~$361) and its color variants are Ice Jade White and Aurora color gradient.

Motorola has already started the reservations for the P30 smartphone in China. The release date of handset for China is Sept. 15. There is no confirmation on the other markets that will be receiving the P30 handset.

What’s your opinion on the design, specifications and pricing of the Motorola P30? Let us know your thoughts by posting your comments below.

New BlackBerry KEY2 LE render shows all its sides

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Aug 15, 2018

The BlackBerry KEY2 LE is a less-powerful version of the KEY 2 released a few months ago. We want to believe TCL is releasing this model as a way to woo those who can’t afford the KEY 2. A new render of the KEY2 LE has been leaked online and it shows all the sides of the device.

The BlackBerry KEY2 LE has the same form factor as its more powerful sibling. There is a full QWERTY keyboard below the screen and there are dual cameras on the rear. The phone has the fingerprint scanner baked into the space key and also has the new Speed Key from the BlackBerry KEY 2.

The top of the phone is home to a 3.5mm audio jack and a secondary microphone while the bottom houses a USB-C port flanked by grilles which hide the speaker and the primary microphone.

Just like the KEY 2, there is a convenience key and it sits below the volume rocker and the textured power button. The SIM tray is on the left of the phone. The textured back of the phone has a different design but nevertheless, it should prevent the phone from sliding off smooth surfaces and provide a comfortable grip when holding it.

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Xiaomi discounts phones, TVs & more for 816 sales promo

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Aug 15, 2018

Xiaomi is running a special sales promotion tomorrow 16th of August. The sales promo will be on its official online store Mi.com and will see phones, TVs, computers and lots more get up to ¥400 (~$58) off. Below are some of the products that will be on sale.

The 6GB + 64GB Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S which sells for ¥3299 (~$478) will be sold for ¥2899 (~$420) while the 6GB + 128GB version priced at ¥3599 (~$520) will sell for ¥3199 (~$463). Both phones are already available for purchase at the new price, so you can go right ahead to order.

The older Mi MIX 2 has also gotten a price slash. The special edition with a full ceramic body with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage is available for ¥2799 (~$405). Its original launch price was ¥4699 (~$680). It is obvious Xiaomi is clearing its stock.

The Redmi Note 5 will also be discounted by up to ¥200 (~$29) depending on the variant you purchase. The Mi Max 3 has not received a price slash but all purchases will be shipped along with a Mi Band 2. The Mi Max 2 is still available for purchase as the 4GB + 64GB version is on sale for ¥1199 (~$174).

If you are on the search for a new laptop, the 12.5” Mi Notebook Air with 4GB of RAM and 128GB/256GB of storage is down to ¥3499 and ¥3899 respectively. That’s a ¥100 (~$15) discount. For a more significant discount, you may want to look at the 13.3” Mi Notebook Air which has a Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM + 256GB storage, and an MX150 graphics card. Its new price is ¥4999 (~$723) down from ¥5399 (~$782).

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Huawei Mate 20 Lite color variants revealed in new leak

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Aug 15, 2018

The arrival of the Huawei Mate 20 Lite seems to be close at hand. It is pegged to get announced ahead of the Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro flagship that are likely to go official in October. Earlier this week, popular tipster Roland Quandt had shared renders of the black and gold variants of the Mate 20 Lite. Evan Blass too has shared a fresh that shows all the three color variants of the Mate 20 Lite.

As it can be seen in the below tweet, the Huawei Mate 20 Lite will be arriving in colors like black, gold and blue. Last year, Huawei had launched the Mate 10 Lite with two selfie snappers and dual rear cameras. The upcoming Mate 20 Lite also features quad cameras. As far as the front appearance of the phone is concerned, it sports a notched display design. This indicates that Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro which belongs to the same series will be also arriving with the same design.

Both the sides of the display of Mate 20 Lite are flanked with slim bezels whereas the bezel present on the bottom of the screen is slightly thick. The company is yet to confirm on the launch date of Mate 20 Lite. However, there is a possibility that the handset may debut on Sept. 15 which is mentioned on the display in the above render. The front side of the phone is similar to the Huawei P20 series, but its rear design is quite different. The back panel of the Mate 20 Lite features a vertical dual camera and a fingerprint scanner.

The specifications of the Huawei Mate 20 Lite have been already revealed through its TENAA listing. The handset will be launching first in China as Maimang 7. In 2017 too, Huawei had launched the Mate 10 Lite as Maimang 6. Probably, the Maimang 7 may debut in China later this month and it may hit markets like Europe and Asia as Mate 20 Lite in the next month.

The TENAA listing of the Mate 20 Lite reveals that it features 19:9 display of 6.3 inches, Kirin 710 SoC, 6 GB of RAM and 3,650mAh battery. Other features of the handset include 64 GB of native storage, 20-megapixel + 2-megapixel dual rear-mounted camera, 24-megapixel + 2-megapixel dual front-facing shooter and EMUI 8.2 based Android 8.1 Oreo.

(source)

OPPO F9 is official with 6.3-inch waterdrop display, VOOC flash charging and AI 25MP selfie camera

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Aug 15, 2018

The OPPO F9 smartphone is now official in Philippines, Taiwan. Very soon it will be hitting other Southeast Asian market such as Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. India is expected to receive the smartphone as OPPO F9 Pro. The OPPO F9 has arrived as a successor for the OPPO F7 notched display smartphone that was unveiled earlier. The F9 features a smaller drop-like notch. Hence, the company has dubbed the new design as waterdrop display. Other exciting features of the smartphone include color changing appearance, VOOC flash charging and AI driven selfie camera.

OPPO F9 Specifications and Features

The OPPO F9 has arrived in color gradient options such as Starry Purple, Twilight Blue and Sunrise Red. All these color variants feature diamond-like pattern on their rear. The amazing pattern becomes visible when the handset is viewed from certain angles. The handset measures 156.7 x 74 x 7.99mm and it weighs 169 grams.

The 6.3-inch LTPS IPS LCD screen of the OPPO F9 produces Full HD+ resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels. It offers an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. According to OPPO, the waterdrop screen of the F9 produces a screen-to-body ratio of 90.8 percent.

The Helio P60 that powered the OPPO F7 is the same chipset that powers the OPPO F9. The 2.0 GHz octa-core SoC by MediaTek features a dedicated AI unit for handling AI tasks. The SoC is coupled with 4 GB of RAM. Some markets will be receiving both 4 GB and 6 GB RAM variants of the smartphone.

The handset is packed with 3,500mAh battery that carries support for VOOC flash charging through microUSB. The company claims that the phone can last for 2 hours by charging it for only 5 minutes. Compared to traditional high current protection, VOOC brings five 5 levels of protection from adapter to the charging por and internals of the F9 to prevent it from overheating while charging.

The backside of the OPPO F9 features a horizontally arranged f/1.85 aperture 16-megapixel + f/1.85 aperture 2-megapixel dual camera setup that provides impressive depth of field effects. The smartphone supports recognition of 16 scenes and object such as sunset, grass, indoor, food, snow, night, dog, scenery and so on for shooting better photos.

The OPPO F9 is equipped with f/2.0 aperture 25-megapixel AI selfie camera that is assisted by sensor HDR hardware for capturing naturally beautiful in bright and dim-light conditions.

The internal storage of OPPO F9 is 64 GB. For more storage, it features a microSD card slot. The handset is loaded with ColorOS 5.2 based Android 8.1 Oreo. connectivity features on the handset include dual-SIM support, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2, microUSB, USB OTG and 3.5mm audio jack. The handset lacks support for NFC.A fingerprint scanner is placed on the rear shell of the phone.

OPPO F9 Pricing and Availability

OPPO Thailand has confirmed that the OPPO F9 is priced at THB10,990 (~$329). Vietnam has received the 4 GB RAM variant of the phone with a price tag of VND 7,990,000 (~$340). The pre-orders of the F9 will begin today in Vietnam followed by its market release on Aug. 24.

OPPO R17, R17 Pro launch event will be held on August 23

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Aug 15, 2018

The OPPO R17 was made official earlier this week. The company has already confirmed many of its features and its pre-orders are slated to begin on Aug. 23. OPPO has recently confirmed that the R17 Pro will be coming with variable aperture for its rear cameras. However, the smartphone is yet to go official. Today, OPPO has confirmed through its Weibo account that it will be organizing an unveil event for OPPO R17 and R17 Pro on Aug. 23 in Shanghai.

The OPPO R17 will be the first ever phone to feature Snapdragon 670. Also, it is the company’s first smartphone to feature in-display fingerprint scanner. The handset will be delivering an impressive screen-to-body ratio of 91.5 percent as it features a display with a drop-sized notch.

The OPPO R17 features 6.4-inch display that produces Full HD+ resolution. The all new SD670 is assisted by 8 GB of RAM. It is equipped with an inbuilt storage of 128 GB. A 3,500mAh battery will be powering the smartphone. The 16-megapixel + 5-megapixel AI dual camera will be present on its rear whereas its frontside is fitted with 25-megapixel AI selfie camera. The handset is expected to support VOOC fast charging through USB-C. It is preinstalled with ColorOS 5.2 flavored Android 8.1 Oreo. The color variants of the OPPO R17 include Stream Blue and Neon Purple.

So, what could be the difference between the R17 and R17 Pro handsets? There is a possibility that the OPPO R17 Pro may feature the same specs as R17 but may arrive with advanced photography features. Through a recent Weibo post, OPPO had revealed that R17 Pro features variable aperture that allow users to switch between f/1.5 and f/2.4 for capturing better photos in dark.

Today, the company has confirmed another camera of the R17 Pro. As it can be seen above, the R17 Pro will carry support for Optical Image Stabilization. Rumors have it that the R17 Pro could be equipped with triple camera setup. However, there is no concrete evidence to confirm it.

(source 1, 2)

US law that bans the use of Huawei and ZTE devices by government officials now in force

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Aug 15, 2018

This has been a long time coming, U.S President Donald Trump has signed the Defense Authorization Act into law. As expected, the bill effectively bans the use of telecoms equipment or devices manufactured by ZTE or Huawei as well as a couple of Chinese OEMs.

Fair enough, the act isn’t particularly targeted at Huawei or ZTE as it contains several other provisions bothering on the conduct of U.S Defence affairs. It “authorizes FY2019 appropriations and sets forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It does not provide budget authority, which is provided in subsequent appropriations legislation”. However, a section of the bill covers anything that is a “substantial or essential component of any system,” as well as tech that is used to route or view user data.

Thus, even though it doesn’t mandate an outright ban on Huawei and ZTE products, it still means many US government workers or contractors, or companies that want to do business with the US government, will have to do away with much of their current technology. The act also directs U.S. agencies to allocate funding to companies that need to replace equipment as a result of the new law that will be in operation for the next two years. Apart from Huawei and ZTE, the act prohibits the use of using video surveillance and telecommunications hardware by Hytera Communications, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company, and Dahua Technology Company, all of them based in China.

This new law is coming on the heels of the deal between ZTE and the Commerce Department of the US. That deal is not in any way affected as ZTE can still use technology by U.S companies.

(source)

Buy Xiaomi QICYCLE EF1 Smart Bicycle For Just $659.99 On GeekBuying [Coupon Code]

By

Vinay Patel

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Aug 15, 2018

Equipped with the three-mode derailleur, the QICYCLE EF1 is an irresistible smart bicycle foldable electric bike. A part of Mi Ecosystem, the QiCYCLE EF1 boasts an innovative, longitudinal folding design and is made of sturdy aluminum.

With a total capacity of 208.8Wh, the Xiaomi-branded bike draws its juices from a 18650 lithium-ion battery. In other words, the cycling distance can be up to 45km at the condition of 100pct electric power.

You can keep a track of various useful data including power, speed and mileage without using a smartphone since the QiCYCLE EF1 smart folding bike feature a trip computer. Moreover, it offers ample onboard storage space that can accumulate 30 days exportable riding data.

Now that the QiCYCLE EF1 has your attention, we’ll shed light not only on where you can buy it at a discounted price, but also show how you can save a considerable amount of more money on the bikes already discounted price. Let’s delve straight into the details.

While the QICYCLE EF1 would normally set you back a pretty penny, GeekBuying is offering a noteworthy 21% off on the smart folding bike’s original asking price of $675.99. As a result, you can now buy the feature-laden electric bike at a dropped price of just $859.99.

On top of that, you can apply coupon code YXKGYZOA to save an extra $60 while placing your order. This helps you bring your grand total down to just $659.99 without breaking much of a sweat.

On the downside, the aforesaid GeekBuying-offered discount is slated to end in just 2 days. Aside from that, it is imperative for you to bear in mind that the coupon is likely to expire soon as well. If you’re interested in availing the discount, just follow this link before the promo comes to an end.

Get 21% Off On Xiaomi QICYCLE EF1 Smart Bicycle

Mysterious Lenovo device with Snapdragon 850 records promising benchmark scores

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Aug 15, 2018

Most of the 2018 Android flagship phones feature the Snapdragon 845 mobile platform. It will be succeeded by the 7nm Snapdragon 855 SoC that is rumored to be debut by the end of this year. Qualcomm has another chipset called Snapdragon 850 that offers slightly better performance than SD845 since it has been designed for Always-Connected PCs. The U.S. based chip maker had unveiled it the Computex 2018 tech event in June. A mysterious Lenovo device with Snapdragon 850 has been spotted on Geekbench benchmarking site. It reveals that Snapdragon 850 powered laptops and 2-in-1 devices will deliver better performance than devices powered by Snapdragon 835.

The Lenovo 81JL device that is powered by Snapdragon 850 is running on Windows 10. In single-core test, the Lenovo device has scored 2263 points and in multi-core test, it has recorded a score of 6947 points. In comparison, the ASUS NovaGo TP370QL that is driven by Snapdragon 835 had respectively scored 1802 and 6475 points on Geekbench. This shows the Snapdragon 850 offers improved single-core performance and its multi-core performance is not very different from Snapdragon 835.

To say again, the Snapdragon 850 offers around 25 percent improvement in single-core performance and, but the multi-core performance has increased by 7.3 percent against the SD835 chipset. However, it is advisable to take the benchmark scores of the new Lenovo device with a pinch of salt as it could be a prototype device. The final benchmarking scores of the actual device could be different.

According to Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 850 SoC can deliver 30 percent better performance than SD835. Since the above benchmarks suggests that the SD850 will offer improved single-core performance, it means that users will notice better performance on such devices as most of the apps normally make use of single-core processor. In fact, the Snapdragon 850 is similar to the Snapdragon 845 SoC that powers flagship phones running on Android OS. The main difference between them is that the former produces higher clocking speeds of 2.95 GHz instead of 2.7 GHz.

The Lenovo 81JL seems to be one of the forthcoming Snapdragon 850 powered Always-Connected PCs. Other manufacturers such as ASUS, HP and Samsung are also working on SD850 devices. Rumors have it that the first devices fueled by Snapdragon 850 may hit the market by the end of this year.

Buy Huawei Honor Note 10 Smartphone For $489 On Giztop

By

Vinay Patel

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Aug 15, 2018

Huawei’s sub-brand Honor made its long-awaited Note 10 smartphone available to the public in July this year. The dual-SIM phone boasts an array of awe-inspiring features that we expect in high-end Android phones.

Housed in a sturdy aluminum frame, the Honor Note 10 smartphone sports a mammoth 6.95 inches AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display with a screen resolution of 1080 x 2220 pixels. The phone’s dimensions are 177 x 85 x 7.7 mm (6.97 x 3.35 x 0.30 in) and it weighs in at just 230 g (8.11 oz).

The Honor Note 10 packs a powerful Kirin 970 Octa-core processor along with a Mali G72 MP12 GPU, under the hood. It offers 6/8GB of RAM and 64GB/128GB of ample onboard storage so you can store your favorite content without worrying about running out of space.
On the photography front, the Honor Note 10 smartphone houses a 24MP+16MP dual camera set up in the back. Up front, there’s a 13MP camera for self-portraits and video. Aside from a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, the phone features a slew of useful sensors including the accelerometer, gyro, proximity, and compass.

The phone runs EMUI 8.2-based Android 8.1 Oreo OS and is backed by a robust 4900mAh battery with 5V/4.5A quick charge.

This feature-laden Honor Note 10 smartphone has gone up for sale bearing a price tag of $489 on Giztop. If you’re interested in checking the full specification and buying the coveted phone, just follow this link.

Buy The Huawei Honor Note 10 Smartphone On Giztop

Buy VKWorld T2 Plus Smartphone For Only $109.99 On CooliCool

By

Vinay Patel

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Aug 15, 2018

After floating around the rumor mill for a long time, the VKWorld T2 Plus was finally launched in September last year. Much to the delight of the fast-growing Chinese mobile brand, the phone continues to garner popularity among smartphone lovers even about a year after hitting the store shelves.

Taking the phone’s immense popularity into consideration, CooliCool is currently doling out a noteworthy discount on the phone’s retail price. While the T2 Plus would normally burn a hole in your pocket, you can now purchase it at a dropped price of just $109.99 on CooliCool.

The Chinese online electronics store is giving a 45% off on the T2 Plus phone’s original asking price of $199.99 for a limited period of time. This discount will be valid for the well-received black color version of the smartphone.

At this heavily reduced price, the VKWorld T2 Plus is an irresistible smartphone that sports an extremely low-key and steady design. The device is housed in a robust metal and fabric body which is further augmented with an eye-catching 4.2 Inch IPS dual Blackberry display, with a screen resolution of 768 x 1280 pixels.

The phone packs a powerful MTK6737 1.25GHz Quad Core processor along with an equally competent graphics processing unit. It offers 3GB RAM of RAM and 32GB of expandable onboard storage so that you never run out of space for storing your favorite content.

On the photography front, the VKWorld T2 Plus houses an 8MP camera on the back and a 2MP selfie shooter. The phone runs Android 7.0 Nougat operating system and is backed by a 2000mAh high-density battery.

You can follow this link to check out the full specification and avail the discount before the promo comes to an end.

Get 45% Off On VKWorld T2 Plus Smartphone

HMD Global confirms Android 9.0 Pie update for all Nokia smartphones

By

Jeet

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Aug 15, 2018

Google recently released the new Android 9.0 Pie version of its mobile operating system and also rolled out the update to its Pixel-series smartphones. Along with Google, Essential also rolled out the update for its Essential Phone.

Other smartphone manufacturers have announced the list of devices that will be updated to the latest version of the Android operating system, including HMD Global. Now, the Finnish company has confirmed that all Nokia smartphones will receive Android Pie update.

While the company has not yet provided a timeline for the update, it has said that no matter what Nokia phone, it’ll eventually receive the Android 9.0 update. The smartphones from HMD Global which will receive the update includes Nokia 1 (Android Go), Nokia 2, Nokia 2.1 (Android Go), Nokia 3, Nokia 3.1, Nokia 5, Nokia 5.1, Nokia 6, Nokia 6.1, 6.1 Plus, Nokia 7 (China-exclusive), 7 Plus, Nokia 8, 8 Sirocco, Nokia X6, and Nokia X5.

Among all these devices, the 7 Plus is expected to be the first smartphone from HMD Global to receive the Android Pie update given that it’s the only device from the Finnish company in the Developer Preview program. Later, the update could roll out to Nokia 8 and 8 Sirocco.

All the recently launched smartphones from the company are part of Google‘s Android One programme and we expected the Android One devices to receive the update before it rolls out to other mid-range or budget devices from HMD Global. The company has revealed that the update will be rolled out in phases as usual in order to secure quality delivery.

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

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

Buy High-End UMIDIGI Branded Smartphones At Dropped Price On CooliCool

By

Vinay Patel

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Aug 15, 2018

UMIDIGI is known for designing smartphones that are crammed with awe-inspiring features despite being modestly priced. If you’re a UMIDIGI fan or a smartphone fanatic looking to get your hands on a high-end phone that doesn’t cost a fortune, you’ve come to the right place.

We’ll be divulging more details about the recently kicked-off CooliCool promotion sale which features a broad range of heavily discounted smartphones from UMIDIGI. First off, you can avail a 17% off on the UMI Z2 smartphone, which normally sells for $299.99.

As part of the aforesaid promo, CooliCool will be selling it at a dropped price of just $249.99. While the discount will be valid for the twilight and twilight black color versions of the phone, this time-limited offer is slated to end on August 20th.

Likewise, there are noteworthy discounts on the UMI One and the UMI One Pro smartphones as well. Keeping in line with that, you can preorder the UMI One smartphone at a reduced price of just $139.99 although it normally sells for $199.99 on the Chinese online electronics store.

The UMI One smartphone’s bigger sibling dubbed, the UMI One Pro can now be yours if you’re willing to shell out just $169.99. This is a noteworthy reduction in the phone’s original selling price of $249.99. Both phones, the UMI One and the UMI One Pro will be available in twilight color version.

The UMIDIGI UMI A1 Pro became an instant hit among smartphone lovers after hitting the store shelves earlier this year. While it would normally set you back a pretty penny, this steeply priced smartphone is now up for grabs at a slashed price of just $99.99 on CooliCool.
The site is offering a significant 29% off the phone’s retail price. Moreover, the discount will be valid on 3 color versions including black, silver and blue. You can head straight to this link to check out more details so that you don’t end up missing this opportunity to buy high-end UMIDIGI phones at the discounted price.

Get Big Discounts On UMIDIGI Smartphones