Meizu 16 low-light camera sample surfaces, 1 million reservations reached

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Aug 7, 2018

Chinese rugged smartphone manufacturer AGM has officially announced that it will hold a global product launch conference on August 29 in Shenzhen. The event which is scheduled to commence at 2 pm will herald the official unveiling of the company’s latest rugged flagship model dubbed AGM X3.

The AGM X3 flagship has featured in several teasers and promotional articles. The most spectacular aspect about the device is the Snapdragon 845 chipset it will pack. The model takes over the rein from similar models like the AGM X1 and X2. Thus, it is the third-gen model.

Although the design is yet to be fully revealed, the device should have little difference from the X2 and the looks will be that of a premium but a rugged smartphone with waterproof features. The entire specifications of the device had also appeared online previously. From the leaked specs, we know the AGM X3 will sport a 5.99-inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. AGM will offer two versions of the device: one equipped with 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage, another outfitted with 8 GB of LPDDR4X and 128 GB of NAND flash.

On the camera end, the X3 will pack a dual rear camera featuring 24MP + 12MP sensors as well as a front camera featuring a 20MP sensor. As for security features, the smartphone will support a fingerprint reader and a facial recognition technology. Connectivity features on the phone will include the integrated X20 LTE modem in the SoC, 2×2 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, and USB Type-C. The rugged flagship will also come with an IP68 waterproof and dustproof rating.

Asus Zenfone 5Z is now available in the United States for $499

By

Jeet

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Aug 7, 2018

Asus Zenfone 5Z, the flagship smartphone from the Taiwanese company, which was first introduced in the Mobile World Congress earlier this year, is now officially available for purchase in the United States.

Starting today, it is now available through B&H Photo, Asus USA as well as Amazon. However, the phone’s listing on the Asus website and B&H shows “out of stock” status and Amazon has limited quantities available with “more on the way.”

The smartphone is already available in Europe as well as in India, where the pricing is lower than the OnePlus 6, aiming to take on the affordable flagship market. In the US, the phone is priced at $499, which is lower than the starting price of OnePlus 6.

Zenfone 5Z features a 6.2-inch Full-HD+ LCD notched display with screen resolution of 2246 x 1080 pixels and 19:9 aspect ratio, along with having DCI-P3 color space and 550nits brightness. The display has a Gorilla Glass on top, protecting it from minor scratches.

It is powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 845 processor, the same chipset that powers most of the flagship smartphones launched this year. It is coupled with Adreno 630 graphics processor, ensuring the smooth experience with gameplay and graphics.

The phone comes in three variants — 4GB RAM, 6GB RAM, and 8GB RAM. The 6GB RAM model comes with 64GB internal storage while the 8GB RAM model packs 128GB onboard storage. All models feature a microSD card slot, which enables users to further expand the phone’s storage capacity. Currently, the 6GB RAM model is available in the US.

In terms of optics, the smartphone features a dual camera setup on the back. It has a 12-megapixel primary camera with Sony IMX363 sensor, 4-axis OIS, 3-axis EIS, f/1.8 aperture and phase detection autofocus, and an 8-megapixel secondary sensor with f/2.2 aperture, OV8856 sensor, and 120-degree wide-angle lens.

There’s an 8-megapixel snapper with support for Face Unlock feature. It also has a fingerprint sensor placed on the back side, which according to Asus, can unlock the device in 0.3 seconds. It packs dual speakers with five-magnets and NXP Smart amplifier, and DTS Headphone: X for 7.1-channel surround sound.

Connectivity options on the device include Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth 5, GPS + GLONASS, and USB Type-C. The company has also retained the 3.5mm headphone jack. The smartphone runs on Android Oreo operating system with custom interface ZenUI. It is powered by a 3300mAh battery that supports ASUS BoostMaster fast charging and AI charging.

Buy Cubot P20 4G Phablet For Just $129.99 on GearBest

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Aug 7, 2018

If you’re looking for a cost-effective phablet, but aren’t willing to compromise on performance, you might want to take a gander at the feature-laden Cubot P20, which was launched earlier this year. The phablet boasts an array of exceptional features but more importantly, it is now up for grabs at a heavily discounted price.

As part of its Global First Launch, the P20 phablet is currently available at a lowered price of just $129.99 on GearBest. For a limited period of time, the Chinese online store will be doling out a noteworthy 38% reduction in the device’s steep retail price.

Equipped with a fingerprint sensor, the P20 is an irresistible phablet. It sports a mammoth 6.18 inches screen with a 2246 x 1080 pixels resolution. It is housed in an aluminum and polycarbonate mix body, which is further augmented with an eye-catching IPS, LCD, FHD+ display.

The phablet packs a powerful MTK6750T Octa Core 1.5GHz processor along with ARM Mali-T860 MP2 GPU, under the hood. It offers 4GB RAM and a hearty 64GB of onboard storage so that you never run out of space to store your favorite content.

On the photography front, it houses a 20.0MP + 2.0MP dual-camera setup on the back and a 13.0MP front camera for selfies. The phablet runs on Android 8.0 Oreo OS and is backed by a robust 4000mAH battery.

You can follow this link to take advantage of the Global First Launch discount, which kicked off on August 6th. With just 241 pieces remaining for the Flash Sale price, the promo is slated to end in 6 days.

Get 38% Off On Cubot P20 Phablet

Nokia Android 9 Pie release time officially confirmed

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Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Aug 7, 2018

Google officially announced the arrival of Android 9 Pie and the company is already making it available to Pixel devices. After the Pixel devices, the search engine giant is expected to make the Android 9 Pie to devices that are listed under Android One program. Since HMD Global had confirmed at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 that all Nokia smartphones above Nokia 2 will join the Android One program, many Nokia phones are expected to receive Android 9 Pie update earlier than other smartphones from other companies. Today, through an official blog post, Google has confirmed that all the Android One devices and other phones that have joined the Android P Beta program will be treated with Android 9 Pie by the end of the fall.

All the Nokia Android One phones that are slated to receive the Android 9 Pie update Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7 Plus, Nokia 6 (2018), Nokia 6.1 Plus (Nokia X6), Nokia 5.1 Plus (Nokia X5), Nokia 5.1, Nokia 3.1 and Nokia 2.1. Among these, the Nokia 7 Plus is expected to get the final Android P update by the end of this month since it is one of the smartphones that have been enrolled in the Android P beta program.

Apart from Android One phones by HMD Global, other Nokia phones are also confirmed to receive Android P update. Around two months ago, Neil Broadley who is the global market manager of HMD Global had said that the Android P will be made available to entire Nokia portfolio. These means that other older Nokia phone such as Nokia 8, Nokia 7, Nokia 6, Nokia 5, Nokia 3, Nokia 2 and Nokia 1 will be also treated with Android 9 Pie. However, as mentioned above, Nokia Android One phones will be the first ones to be blessed with Android Pie.

(source|via)

Check Out The Latest Flash Deals On AliExpress

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Aug 7, 2018

AliExpress is doling out unmissable Flash Deals and discounts on a broad range of currently available and upcoming products. So without further ado, let’s check out the details.

The limited-time-only promotion has been split into multiple categories including Picked for You, Consumer Electronics, Health & Beauty, and Home & Garden, just to name a few. Each category has further been separated into two sections – Now and Upcoming.

The ‘Now’ section of the Picked for You category is crammed with all sorts of items that you can buy without worrying about burning a hole in your pocket. It features bracelets and bangles, ice cream molds, casual shoes, vacuum cleaners and lots more.

For the sake of an instance, you can buy the Lerbyee C1S smart bracelet at a lowered price of just $12.59 in this section. This waterproof fitness tracker would normally set you back $44.98 on online stores, but thanks to a 72% discount offered by AliExpress, you can save $32.39 on the smart watch’s steep retail price.
Just like the rest of the discounted products featured in this promo, the discount on the Lerbyee C1S is also linked to an expiry date, which was just a few hours away at the time of writing. On the bright side, you can choose from various color options including black, green, red, blue, purple and orange.

The Consumer Electronics category features a slew of high-end electronic items that you can buy at a heavily discounted price. From Shinecon Casque VR Box Virtual Reality Glasses 3 D 3d Goggles to LEMFO LT02 Smart Bluetooth Fitness Bracelet, this category features several electronic products.

Much to the delight of health-conscious buyers, AliExpress is offering huge reductions on Health & Beauty products as well. The Now section of this category is rife with items that come in handy on a daily basis.

Gardening tools and other appliances that you can use to keep your surroundings clean and tidy, don’t come cheap. Thankfully, AliExpress is giving buyers an opportunity to save a considerable amount of money on these products’ steep retail price.

Keeping in line with that, the site is offering a 78% off on the power-packed PUPPYOO Low Noise Portable Household Vacuum Cleaner, which usually sells for $185. For the next 2 days, the device will be up for grabs at a reduced price of just $40.70.

AliExpress is giving people who accessories something to cheer about in the form massive discounts on a slew of awe-inspiring accessories. The category features 17KM Fashion Cubic Zirconia Tennis Bracelet & Bangle, Jewelry Gifts For Women’s Luxury Gold Steel Quartz Watch, LUOTEEMI Grace Refinement Fashion Vogue Gold Color Clear Stud Earrings and lots more.

You can follow this link if you’re interested in checking out the rest of the products and taking the discount before the promo comes to an end.

Buy Various Products At Discounted Price On AliExpress

Huawei Nova 3i to go sale in India today for the first time at Rs. 20,990 ($305)

By

Jeet

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Aug 7, 2018

Last month, Huawei launched two new smartphones in the Indian market — Huawei Nova 3 and Nova 3i. Now, the phone will be available for purchase in India today, exclusively through online marketplace Amazon India. The pre-bookings for the Huawei Nova 3i had started just a day after it’s launch in India.

The phone is priced at Rs. 20,990, which roughly converts to $305. It will be available in two color options — Iris Purple and Black. For those who pre-booked the device, the company is offering Rs. 1,000, roughly $15, along with a few other offers related to phone exchange, no-cost EMI and mobile data.

The Huawei Nova 3i features a 6.3-inch Full HD+ display with 2340 x 1080 pixels screen resolution, 19.5:9 aspect ratio, and 2.5D curved display. It is powered by Kirin 710 octa-core processor along with 4GB RAM and 128GB internal storage with microSD card support up to 256GB.

There’s a dual-camera setup at back with 16-megapixel primary sensor and a 2-megapixel secondary sensor. On the front side, there’s a 24-megapixel primary sensor and a 2-megapixel secondary sensor. Connectivity options on the device include Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz / 5GHz) 2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth 4.2 LE, and GPS + GLONASS.

Just like the Nova 3, this phone also comes with GPU Turbo feature for an immersive gaming experience. It also has a fingerprint sensor on the back for added security. The phone runs on Android Oreo operating system with the company’s own custom interface EMUI 8.2 on top. The device is powered by a 3,340mAh battery.

After launching the devices in China and India, the Chinese manufacturer is now all set to launch the Nova 3-series phones in Taiwan on 23rd August.

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 Smartphone To Go Up For Sale On Flipkart

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Buy Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 Smartphone On Flipkart Download Flipkart Shopping App

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Aug 7, 2018

The Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 will now be up for grabs round-the-clock, exclusively on Flipkart. Touted as their first-ever “Made in India” smartphone, Asus India introduced the 5000mAh battery-backed phone earlier this year.

The ZenFone Max Pro M1 is garnering skyrocketing popularity in the Indian smartphone domain and it is all set to go toe-to-toe with the equally well-received the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro. The ZenFone Max Pro M1 flash sales models were sold out in each sale in a jiffy.

In a bid to take advantage of the situation, Asus has reportedly raised the production and supply of the 3GB RAM + 32GB storage and 4GB RAM + 64GB storage variants and has now offered them for purchase 24/7. The flash sale model of The 6GB RAM + 64GB storage variant will still be available.
The Asus ZenFone Max Pro M1 is ideal for those who are looking to get their hands on a competitive, value smartphone. The phone is crammed with top-notch specifications that match the strongest competition.

Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor, the ZenFone Max Pro M1 delivers an uninterrupted responsive performance for an unparalleled mobile user experience. Moreover, it packs an Adreno 509 GPU, under the hood.

The phone sports a mammoth 5.99-inch Full HD+ display with a screen resolution of 2160 x 1080. It runs the latest Android 8.0 Oreo OS and houses a 16MP + 5MP dual-camera setup on the back. Up front, there’s a 16MP camera for selfies.

You can check out more details by heading straight to this link. You can even activate the “Notify Me” button if you’re interested in buying the ZenFone Max Pro M1 smartphone at best price on Flipkart.

OPPO R17 images appear on TENAA; New OPPO PAGM00 / PAGT00 phones spotted

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Aug 7, 2018

Two OPPO devices with model numbers PBEM00 and PBET00 were recently granted 3C certification in China. Today, the same smartphones have appeared on TENAA with images along with some specs. The images that that have surfaced through TENAA certification matches with the leaked photos of OPPO R17 that have leaked in the recent weeks.

The images reveal that the front side of the PBEM00 / PBET00 feature a very small just like the waterdrop notch on the upcoming OPPO F9 smartphone. The backside of the phone features a vertical dual camera setup. Since the fingerprint scanner is not present on the backside of the phone and there is no space available for it on the front, it is speculated that the handset could be equipped with in-screen fingerprint scanner.

The TENAA listings of PBEM00 and PBET00 are yet to be populated with full specs. However, their listings do contain few information on their dimensions, display and battery. Both the smartphones measure 157.5 x 74.9 x 7.5mm and they feature 6.4-inch displays. They are powered by 3,415mAh batteries.

A Chinese leakster has claimed that PBEM00 / PBET00 that has been approved by OPPO R17 smartphone. He has claimed that the OPPO R17 Pro has not appeared on TENAA yet. According to the tipster, both the smartphones will be powered by Snapdragon 710 and they will also feature in-screen fingerprint scanner. He has added that the OPPO R17 could be an advanced smartphone featuring 8 GB or 10 GB of RAM and it will be also equipped with TOF 3D sensing technology for 3D facial recognition. The 3C certifications of PBEM00 / PBET00 have revealed that they carry support for 20W fast charging.

Rumors are rife that the Chinese manufacturer may announce the R17 and R17 Pro smartphones by the end of this month. These could be the first phones to feature Gorilla Glass 6 protection. It is speculated that the R17 may feature 128 GB of storage and 6 GB of RAM and it could be priced at 2,999 Yuan (~$437). The advanced R17 Pro with 128 GB of storage and 8 GB of RAM may cost 3,299 Yuan (~$481).

Another OPPO PAGM00 / PAGT00 smartphone with rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and waterdrop notch has been spotted on TENAA. The above images show that the design of PAGM00 / PAGT00 OPPO phones are exactly same as PBEM00 / PBET00 and the only difference is the presence of a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.

The OPPO PAGM00 / PAGT00 could be a stripped-down version of PBEM00 / PBET00 and may arrive in the market as A series smartphone. At present, there is no information available on the specifications of the PAGM00 / PAGT00 smartphone.

(source 1, 2|via)

Honor Play gaming-centric smartphone to launch in Pakistan this month

By

Jeet

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Aug 7, 2018

After launching Honor Play gaming-centric smartphone in India for the starting price of Rs. 19,999, the company is now planning to launch the phone in Pakistan by the end of this month.

Honor Pakistan has even uploaded a video of Honor Play on its YouTube channel, indicating the intentions of the company to launch the device in Pakistan. However, the exact launch date of the phone is not yet known.

Reports suggest that the phone will be made available in two colors — Midnight Black and Aurora Blue and will carry a price tag of PKR 43,000 (approximately $350), which is way higher than the Indian pricing and slightly higher than the Chinese MSRP at launch.

Being a gaming-centric smartphone, the device comes with a few gaming-related features, including the company’s recently launched GPU Turbo technology that increases graphics processing efficiency to 60% with a 30% reduction in power consumption.

The phone features a 6.3-inch FHD+ display with 2340 x 1080 pixels screen resolution with a notch on top that can be hidden. It is powered by a Kirin 970 octa-core processor — the same one that powers the Huawei Mate 10 flagship smartphone.

It comes in two memory configuration — 4GB RAM with 64GB internal storage and 6GB RAM with 64GB onboard storage. For the photography, there’s a dual rear camera with 16-megapixel primary sensor and a 2-megapixel secondary sensor along with AI for object recognition. On the front side, there’s a 16-megapixel selfies snapper.

Running on Android 8.1 Oreo operating system out of the box with the company’s own EMUI 8.2 custom interface. The device is fuelled by a 3,750mAh battery with support for fast charging.

(Via)

OPPO F9 full specifications leaked; Could be releasing as OPPO F9 Pro in India

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Aug 7, 2018

OPPO has been teasing the upcoming OPPO F9 smartphone in multiple Asian markets. The company has already confirmed that the F9 will go official on Aug. 15 in Vietnam. It is speculated that the same phone may get official as OPPO F9 Pro in India. The entire specifications of the OPPO F9 smartphone have surfaced ahead of its launch date.

The OPPO F9 will be arriving in three colors such as Sunrise Red, Twilight Blue and Starry Purple. It measures 156.7 x 74 x 7.99 and weighs 168 grams. The device houses a 6.3-inch display that supports Full HD+ resolution of 2280 x 1080 pixels. The company has already advertising the screen of the phone as waterdrop display as it features a drop-like notch.

MediaTek’s 12nm Helio P60 SoC that features an octa-core processor that clocks at 2.0 GHz is present under the hood of the OPPO F9. It is the very same SoC that OPPO has used to power its recent phones such as Realme 1 and OPPO F7. The smartphone will be arriving in two models such as 64 GB storage + 4 GB RAM and 64 GB storage + 6 GB RAM. The leak does not confirm on the presence of a microSD card slot.

The OPPO F9 will arrive pre-installed with Color OS 5.2 based Android 8.1 Oreo. The back panel of the phone will be fitted with f/1.85 aperture 16-megapixel + 2-megapixel dual camera setup. For shooting selfies, it will be arriving with an f/2.0 aperture 25-megapixel front camera. The rear and front cameras of the smartphone are expected to carry AI capabilities for better photography experience.

The handset will include the usual connectivity features such as 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, microUSB, USB OTG, GPS and 3.5mm audio jack. The F9 will be drawing power from 3,500mAh battery that will be enabled with support for VOOC fast charging that will allow the phone to last for two hours by charging it for only for 5 minutes.

The social media channels of OPPO India seems to be teasing the very same smartphone as OPPO F9 Pro. It is speculated that the F9 Pro may sell in India with a price tag of Rs. 25,000 (~$362).

(via)

Avail Unmissable Discounts On The Honor 9N Smartphone On Flipkart

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Avail Big Discounts On Huawei Honor 9N Smartphone

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Aug 7, 2018

Huawei took the wraps off its hotly-anticipated Honor 9N smartphone earlier this year. The phone became an instant hit among smartphone lovers as it boasts an impressive array of features that you’d expect in a flagship.

There’s been a lot of extensive publicity about the Honor 9N smartphone and Flipkart is cashing in on the hype. The Indian electronic commerce company is currently doling out big discounts on different variants of the Huawei-branded smartphone in its impending sale, which is slated to kick off 12 noon IST today, August 7th.

First off, Flipkart is giving a noteworthy 12% off on the 4GB RAM + 64GB ROM version of the Honor 9N smartphone. This variant would normally set you back 15,999 INR but thanks to the discount, you can now get your hands on it at a lowered price of just 13,999 INR.

You can choose between the sapphire blue and midnight black color versions. Despite the lowered price, you get a phone that sports a mammoth 5.84 inches IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display with 1080 x 2280 pixels resolution.
Flipkart is also doling out a 14% off on the 3GB RAM + 32GB ROM version of the Honor 9N smartphone. While it normally sells for 13,999 INR on the site, it will soon be up for grabs at a discounted price of just 11,999 INR.

Aside from that, Flipkart will also offer a 10% off on the bigger 4GB RAM + 128GB ROM version of the Honor 9N smartphone which packs a powerful Kirin 659 Octa-Core processor along with a Mali-T830 MP2 GPU, under the hood.

This version which would normally sell for 19,999 INR will be available at a reduced price of just 17,999 INR as part of Flipkart’s upcoming promotion sale. Moreover, you can choose between 2 color options including the midnight black and sapphire blue.

You can follow this link to check out more details about the looming Flipkart Honor 9N promotion sale and avail the discounts.

Download Flipkart App For Secure Shopping

Buy Smart Watches Starting At Just $9.99 On Banggood

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Aug 7, 2018

If you’re a smartwatch enthusiast looking to get your hands on a low-priced, yet feature-laden smartwatch, look no further. Banggood’s recently kicked off promo features a broad range of smartwatches that carry price tags starting at just $9.99.

Keeping in line with this, Banggood is giving buyers an opportunity to avail 37% off on LYNWO DT18 smartwatch phone, which normally sells for $29.99 on the site. Thanks to the discount, the smartwatch can now be yours at a dropped price of just $15.99.

First 15 buyers will be able to buy the LYNWO DT18 at a Snap Up price of just $9.99. Regrettably, The aforesaid discount is slated to end in 6 days.
Likewise, there’s a noteworthy 44% off on the LYNWO M11 Sport heart rate monitor smartwatch, which would set you back $42.99 without the discount. Cost-conscious buyers who aren’t willing to spend a lot of money on a smartwatch can now buy it at a reduced price of just $23.99 on Banggood.

While you can choose from green, gray and red color versions of the LYNWO M11 Sport smartwatch, it is worth noting that the discount will only be valid for 300 pieces. The remaining pieces of the smartwatch will come bearing a slightly steep $39.99 price tag.

The Newwear Q3 smartwatch boasts an array of valuable features including the abilities to track your steps, calories, heart rate. Aside from that, the device includes sleep monitoring blood pressure monitoring and has a sports mode as well.

You can now preorder the Q3 smartwatch at a lowered price of just $23.99 on Banggood. The discount will be valid for various color versions of the device including gold, silver, steel black, orange, black and gray.
The rest of the smartwatches including the Bakeey Y6 Plus Colorful Round Display Blood Pressure Heart Rate Stopwatch, LYNWO M9 Sport 0.96″ HD Color Screen Blood Pressure Oxygen Heart and the M26 Smart Bluetooth Watch For Android have been added in the category dubbed, More to Love.

You can head straight to this link to check out all the smartwatches that you can buy at the discounted price on Banggood. It is imperative for you to bear in mind that the smartwatches will go back to their retail price as soon as the promotion comes to an end.

Get Big Discounts On Smart Watches On Banggood

Xiaomi announces $200 million investment by parts supplier Holitech in India

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Aug 7, 2018

India has proven to be one of Xiaomi‘s key markets outside China. The company’s sojourn in India has been a success story all the way since its debut in 2014. the successful run saw the company emerge as the number 1 smartphone vendor in India, edging out Samsung from that spot. In a bid to consolidate on its progress, the Chinese company has revealed that one of its key components supplier Holitech will set up shop in India.

In a statement released recently, Xiaomi revealed the parts manufacturing factory will be sited at Tirupati in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. Holitech will manufacture components such as camera modules, thin film transistor and fingerprint sensor. The move which is in line with the India government’s vision could pump in an investment of $2.5 billion and create as many as 50,000 jobs in India.

It would be recalled that New Dehli slammed a 10% tax on all importation of key smartphone components, including populated printed circuit boards. So apart from creating jobs and boosting the economy, the move could crash the prices of Xiaomi smartphones since they’ll now pay less tax. Holitech is expected to commence production at the factory by the first quarter of 2019 with an aim to generate 6,000 jobs in three years.

(via)

Xiaomi activates anti-rollback feature for Redmi 6 Pro and Mi 6X latest MIUI 10 versions

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Aug 6, 2018

It was reported recently that Xiaomi had introduced the anti-rollback feature to Redmi 6 Pro models running MIUI 10 China Development ROM version 8.7.30 as well as models running the Stable ROM version 9.6.16 and above. Xiaomi has now announced the anti-rollback feature will now apply to Mi 6X models running MIUI 10 China Development ROM version 8.8.6 as well as models running the Stable ROM version 9.6.4.0 and above. The anti-rollback feature means users will no longer be able to downgrade their MIUI versions to older versions after the update.

According to the press release by Xiaomi on the MIUI Community forum, the new feature is to maintain system stability and ensure the security of the models. It is important to note if you own any of the two models that you will no longer be able to downgrade to earlier versions after the update as this could brick the device and render it useless.

However, if your model hasn’t been updated to any of the versions listed, then you can still use the rollback feature.

(source)

Xiaomi’s POCOPHONE F1 specs and price leak online

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Aug 6, 2018

There is a possibility Xiaomi’s POCOPHONE F1 may launch this month. The device has already gotten its Bluetooth certification and has been certified at the FCC and EEC. Today, the phone’s full specs and pricing have been spotted on an online store.

The phone was spotted on a Romanian store called PC Garage. According to the listing, the phone has a 5.99-inch display with a 1080 x 2246 resolution and a pixel density of 416ppi. It is powered by the Snapdragon 845 which has its Kryo 385 Gold cores clocked at 2.7GHz and has a liquid cooled CPU.

The POCOPHONE F1 has 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. It also has a MicroSD card slot which doubles as the second SIM slot for an extra 128GB of storage.

The listing says the phone has a 12MP + 5MP dual camera system on its rear and a 20MP front-facing camera. This is the same configuration revealed by the Bluetooth certification site. The store also says the phone packs a 4000mAh battery with support for Quick Charge 3.0. For connectivity, there is a 3.5mm audio jack, a USB-C port, Bluetooth 5.0 and dual-band Wi-Fi.

ASUS ROG Phone costs over $900 according to Finnish carrier

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Aug 6, 2018

The ASUS ROG Phone is the most powerful gaming smartphone ever made. Announced more than two months ago, availability and pricing have been unknown. However, a new listing has revealed the price of the device in Finland.

The source is Finland’s carrier Telia and they are already taking pre-orders for the ROG Phone. The price on Telia is €999 (~$1154) or €27.75(~$32.07) per month. There is no doubt the price is high but Telia will ship all pre-orders along with a free ROG Delta Headphones that is worth €199 (~$230).

The ROG Phone has a 6.0-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate and 1ms. It is powered by the Snapdragon 845 processor but is overclocked to 2.96GHz. RAM is 8GB and storage is 128GB. There is a 512GB version too but there is no info on its price.

On the back of the phone are 12MP + 8MP dual cameras, a fingerprint scanner, and a customizable RGB light. There is also an 8MP selfie camera above the display. It has three USB-C ports and a 3.5mm audio jack. It also has a 4000mAh battery with support for Quick Charge 4.0 and ASUS’s own HyperCharge Quick Charge.

Android 9.0 Pie is official, already available on the Essential PH-1

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Aug 6, 2018

After months of beta testing, Android P is official. And no it is not called Android Pistachio Ice Cream as revealed by this Huawei employee but Android Pie! That’s not all. If you are a proud owner of the Essential Phone, the update should hit your device today.

Android 9.0 Pie comes with a ton of new features. One of the biggest changes is the navigation system. With Android Pie, navigation is now gesture-based. There is also a new feature called Adaptive Battery which uses machine learning to improve power management.

There are tons of other features which we will cover in a separate article or we just might update this one.

Android 9.0 Pie is already rolling out to the Essential Phone making it the first non-Pixel phone to receive the update. It is 1047.2MB in size. Below is the full changelog for the Essential Phone:

Gesture-based navigation
Adaptive Battery
Adaptive brightness
Refreshed Notifications
Rotation suggestion

We’re proud to bring Android 9 Pie to Essential Phone the same day it’s released! Check your phone now for the update. 🥧 pic.twitter.com/pniUDl9yr8

— Essential (@essential) August 6, 2018

Xiaomi’s Pocophone F1 spotted on AnTutu with a lofty score surpassing OnePlus 6!

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Aug 6, 2018

Xiaomi is expected to take the wraps off a new model which is said to go by the name Pocophone F1. No date has been set for the launch but we believe it is almost before us. Ahead of that, the device has allegedly appeared on AnTuTu benchmark showing the benchmark score. According to the screenshot which appeared online recently, the Pocophone F1 (listed as Poco F1), scored a lofty 285,302 points on AnTuTu benchmark.

While the score is not officially listed on AnTuTu’s website or official Weibo page, the screenshot is clearly that of the AnTuTu benchmark app interface. Apart from the over 285k score, the Pocophone F1 performed better than many of the flagship phones that have run through the benchmark in recent times.

From AnTuTu’s ranking of the top 10 best performing smartphones in July, only the Xiaomi Black Shark Gaming phone and OPPO Find X had a higher score as can be seen in the chart above. It ranks better than the Vivo NEX and OnePlus 6. Make no mistake, the Pocophone F1 isn’t powered by any other chipset than the Snapdragon 845 chip which has been featured on a number of flagships around. So, we can’t easily explain why it performed better. However, it may be related to the liquid cooling system and other optimization the device is expected to feature. Xiaomi Pocophone F1 is said to be targeted at the European market and so a higher benchmark score than the OnePlus 6 offers some prospects. But Xiaomi has got to offer much more to sway OnePlus’ teeming fans in Europe and other markets outside China.

(source)

BlackBerry releases video teaser for its first wireless charger

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Aug 6, 2018

The BlackBerry Evolve X which was announced last week is the second Blackberry phone to support wireless charging. The 2015 BlackBerry Priv (US model) is the first.

At the launch of the Evolve X, Optiemus, the Indian licensee behind the phone didn’t announce a wireless charger. Since there was no wireless charger for the Priv, we thought there wouldn’t be one for the Evolve X too and it’s not like there is a shortage of wireless chargers on the market.

However, it turns out that BlackBerry is actually making a wireless charger but we guess it isn’t ready yet that is why we didn’t see it at the launch last week. The official BlackBerry India YouTube channel has released a video showing off the wireless charger. The 20-second video shows the charger which is shaped like a shield much like the one BlackBerry uses for its Secure logo.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGUMkyg0Dmg[/embedyt]

On the top is the BlackBerry logo and on the sides are two blue LED lights. There are also anti-slip pads underneath to keep it from sliding off whatever surface you place it on.

Apparently this is a (brand compliant!) accessory for BlackBerry by Optiemus, though its functionality is unclear. Any ideas? pic.twitter.com/ajqhNgOtWn

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) April 10, 2018

The charger actually has the same design as sketches for an accessory leaked by Evan Blass back in April. Looking at the comments now, there were actually some folks that correctly guessed that it is a wireless charger.