Star Deals Of The Week Sale Kicks Off On AliExpress; See Details

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Aug 8, 2018

As part of its one-day-only promotion sale, AliExpress will be doling out big discounts on select electronic items that would usually set you back a pretty penny. Dubbed as ‘Star Deals Of The Week’, the promo features a well-received smartphone, a feature-laden smartwatch and a couple of more popular items.

AliExpress is offering a considerable discount on the 32GB and the 64GB versions of the Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus smartphone. In order to get your hands on the 32GB variant, you’d normally end up spending $173.32, but the Chinese online retail company will be selling it at a reduced price of just $129.99.

Likewise, the slightly bigger 64GB variant that comes bearing a price tag of $210.65 will be available at a discounted price of just $157.99. The discount will be valid for 1500 pieces of the 32GB and the remaining 1200 pieces of the 64GB variants.

Moreover, you can save a considerable amount of more money in the form of a New User Coupons. For the sake of an instance, you can use the $2 off coupon on items that sell for $159.

The promo will also feature the well-received Mi Band 3 smart tracker band, which usually sells for $30.65. With a 21% off, the coveted fitness tracker will be up for grabs at a reduced price of just $22.99.

The promotion sale will also bring a big reduction in the original selling price of the DOSS Touch Control Bluetooth V4.0 Speaker. Thanks to a 46% discount offered by AliExpress, you’ll be able to buy this portable speaker at a reduced price of just $26.83.

The YI 4K Action Camera will be up for grabs at a discounted price of just $129.99. The device normally sells for $185.70, but AliExpress is offering a noteworthy discount on the camera’s retail price, which will be valid for the remaining 896 pieces.

You can visit this link to check out more details and avail the hot deals before they wrap up.

Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S Android 9 Pie beta update now rolling out; More Xiaomi phones to receive soon

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Aug 8, 2018

On Monday, Google had introduced Android 9 Pie as the latest version of Android OS. On the very same day, Xiaomi confirmed that the Mi MIX 2S will be its first smartphone to receive the latest MIUI 10 based Android 9 Pie. In fact, soon after Android 9 was made official, some of the users of Mi MIX 2S received MIUI 10 8.8.7 flavored closed beta version of Android 9 Pie in China through an OTA update. By this, Xiaomi has become first company to release a custom UI flavored Android 9. This shows how quickly Xiaomi has worked to rollout MIUI 9 Android Pie for Mi MIX 2S.

During the Google I/O 2018 event that was held in May this year, the search engine giant had made the developer preview edition of Android P available to multiple non-Google devices such as Nokia 7 Plus, Sony Xperia XZ2, Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S, Oppo R15 Pro, Vivo X21, Essential PH‑1, and OnePlus 6. Google has already rolled out Android 9 Pie to its Pixel devices. Apart from the Pixel devices, the aforementioned non-Google devices will be the first ones to be treated with stable version of Android 9.

In order to upgrade to the global closed beta edition of Android P, Mi MIX 2S users can enroll for it through the MIUI official forum page or app. The update tags along MIUI 10 developer ROM. The Mi MIX 2S is one of the first smartphones to support Google ARCore. Also, Xiaomi has managed to build good relationship with Google since the past two years.

Last year, Xiaomi had launched the Mi A1 as its first ever Android One smartphone in partnership with Google. The Mi A2 Android One that was launched recently is now being made available in wider markets. Since Mi A1 and Mi A2 are Android One phones, these devices will be soon upgraded to Android Pie.

Android 9 Pie comes with plenty of AI features such as AI powered Adaptive battery and Brightness which allows the phone to learn the usage pattern of the user and accordingly adjust the brightness level and battery consumption. App Actions is also another AI driven feature that can predict the actions of the user based on the context. Also, Android Pie includes dedicated settings to handle or hide the display notch. It also equipped with different gestures for navigation. In addition to the features of Android 9 Pie, the new MIUI 10 brings improves the phone’s capabilities to capture portrait shots. Also, MIUI 10 also features its own version of gestures-based navigation.

Xiaomi has officially confirmed that MIUI 9 based Android 9 Pie will be also coming to other Xiaomi phones. However, the company is yet to confirm on a release schedule for rolling out the latest Android version to its devices.

Nokia 7 Plus Android 9 Pie update seems to be rolling out now

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Aug 8, 2018

Nokia 7 Plus is one of the non-Google devices that was provided with developer preview version of Android P in May. Hence, it is expected to the first Nokia phone to receive the stable version of Android 9 Pie. Rumors have claimed that it could be available to the Nokia 7 Plus by the end of this month. A fresh report on Nokia Power User states that an Indian edition of Nokia 7 Plus has received the stable version of Android 9 Pie.

The following screenshots that were shared by an Indian user of Nokia 7 Plus confirms the arrival of stable version of Android 9 Pie. The update weighs 1,173 MB. HMD Global is yet to make an official announcement on the release of Android 9 Pie for Nokia 7 Plus. The new OS brings along new features Adaptive battery and brightness that relies on AI to adjust battery consumption and display brightness. Through AI, Android P Pie can predict the actions of its users. It also features gestures-based navigation.

Not only Nokia 7 Plus, but also other Nokia phones that belong to the Android One program are expected to get the Android 9 Pie update by fall. Hence, devices such as 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 are expected to receive Android 9 upgrade soon.

In the recent past, the Finnish firm had also confirmed that it will be rolling out Android P update to all the smartphones that it has released so far since they all fall in the 2-year time bracket for OS update set by Google. Hence, Android 9 Pie will be also coming to Nokia 8, Nokia 7, Nokia 6, Nokia 5, Nokia 3, Nokia 2 and Nokia 1 that were released in 2017. However, these may not receive the Android P update before Nokia’s Android One devices.

Have you received Android 9 Pie update on your Nokia 7 Plus handset? Let us know about it so that readers can be provided with updated information.

(source)

Buy NO.1 F18 Sports Smartwatch For Only $45.99 On GearBest

By

Vinay Patel

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Aug 8, 2018

If you’re a smartwatch enthusiast who has been waiting to buy a high-end outdoor smartwatch that doesn’t cost a fortune, we got good news for you. The feature-laden F18 sports smartwatch is now available at a considerably lowered price on GearBest.

The F18 comes in 3 color versions including onyx black, lava red and army green. More importantly, the Chinese online store is currently doling out a noteworthy 29% off on the aforesaid color versions of the smartwatch.

While the NO.1 F18 would normally set you back a $55.99 on online stores, GearBest will be selling 800 units of the sports smartwatch at a dropped price of just $45.99. Aside from that, the first 5 units will be sold at an even lowered price of $24.99 daily at 09:00 UTC until August 12th.

As if that weren’t enough, those who buy the F18 sports smartwatch will also be eligible to receive the k30 Universal Wireless Sports Bluetooth Wired Earphones as a free gift. Note the lightweight earphones come bearing a price tag of $4.99.

The No.1 F13 is quite an irresistible smartwatch at this reduced price, given that it sports an eye-catching round display, which is further augmented with an equally appealing spherical glass. Equipped with an IP68 certification, the F13 can be dunked in up to 50m deep water without inflicting any sort of damage.

The F13 boasts an array of standard features including a 24/7 heart rate monitor. The device is crammed with a slew of other valuable attributes such as a pedometer, sedentary reminder, sleep monitor as well as support for incoming calls, messages, and social media notifications.

If you’re interested in checking out more details and taking advantage of the discount, just follow this link. It is worth noting that there were only 139 pieces of the black, 292 pieces of the lava red, and 285 pieces of the army green color versions left at the time of writing.

Get 29% Off On NO.1 F18 Sports Smartwatch

Check Out The Exclusive Brands Sale On GearBest

Buy Alfawise A12 2000 Lumens Smart Projector For Just $115.99 On GearBest

By

Vinay Patel

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Aug 8, 2018

If you’ve restlessly been looking for a low-priced, high Lumens projector, look no further. Equipped with a bright 2000 Lumens bulb, the Alfawise A12 is a cost-effective projector that you can now buy at an even lower price on GearBest.

The Alfawise A12 2000 Lumens Android 6.0 smart projector is currently up for grabs at a discounted price of just $115.99 on GearBest. This is a considerable 5% reduction in the device’s modest original asking price.

Despite its affordable price tag, the A12 is nothing short of exceptional. Aside from being compatible with a broad range of gaming consoles like PS4 and XBox 360, it also supports 3D Effect. In fact, it is better than the red and blue 3D effect.

The A12 delivers greater three-dimensional visual impact so that users can become deeply engaged in every living scene. Moreover, its LED lighting can emit 1800 luminous efficiency, supporting a maximum 1080P resolution with 2000:1 contrast ratio.
Presenting a watching size from 34 inches to 130 inches with 1 – 4M projection distance, the Alfawise A12 is an ideal projector for home entertainment. Furthermore, it delivers 1080P high resolution.

The company prescribes a projection distance of about 2M as far as viewing distance is concerned. It’s energy saving lamps offer 20000 hours of long service life. The Alfawise A12 has built-in HiFi speakers and two infrared receivers.

You can check more details about the Alfawise A12 2000 Lumens Android 6.0 Smart Projector and avail the discount by heading straight to this link. With just 45 pieces left for the Flash Sale price, the promo is slated to end in 4 days.

Get 5% Off On Alfawise A12 2000 Lumens Smart Projector

OPPO R17 full specifications leaked; Rumored to feature Snapdragon 670

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Aug 8, 2018

The upcoming OPPO R17 has already made its way to TENAA telecom authority in China. The TENAA listing of the smartphone only contains its images and some of its specs. Today, a leakster from China has shared the specs sheet to reveal all the juicy information on the OPPO R17 smartphone.

The below image reveals that the OPPO R17 will be arriving with a 6.4-inch AMOLED display that will offer an impressive screen-to-body ratio of 91.5 percent. The screen will be protected by a layer of Gorilla Glass. However, the specs sheet does not clearly mention whether it will be featuring the sixth generation Gorilla Glass. The display of the phone will be embedded with an optical in-display fingerprint scanner. The handset will be available in colors like Stream Blue, Neon Violet and color gradient Fog.

Rumors have it that the OPPO R17 will be fueled by the new Snapdragon 710 SoC. However, the leaked specs sheet reveals that the smartphone is equipped with Snapdragon 670. This sounds a bit strange as Qualcomm was expected to launch Snapdragon 670 as the successor for Snapdragon 660 SoC in this year. However, instead of launching Snapdragon 670, the U.S. based chip maker had unveiled Snapdragon 710 as the successor for Snapdragon 660 that powered high-end smartphones in 2017. Now that the leaked specs sheet claims that the OPPO R17 is powered by Snapdragon 670, there seems to be two possibilities. Either Qualcomm will debut a new Snapdragon 670 as a lower edition of the SD710 or the above specs sheet could be an old document.

The SoC of the OPPO R17 will be coupled with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. The handset will arrive preloaded with ColorOS 5.2 based Android 8.1 Oreo. A 3,500mAh battery will be powering the OPPO R17 that will carry support for VOOC flash charging through USB-C.

The OPPO R17 is expected to arrive with Sony IMX576 25-megpixel front-facing camera with support for AI and 3D Portrait. The rear panel of the phone will be equipped with 16-megapixel + 5-megapixel dual camera with Super Night Mode.

The TENAA listing of the OPPO R17 is yet to be populated with full specs. The smartphone is expected to debut by the end of this month or early September. Hence, there is possibility that its TENAA listing will be soon updated with all the details that will make it possible to confirm whether the above specs sheet is real or fake.

(source)

Check Out The Unmissable Rapoo Brand Deals And Get An Extra 15% Off [Coupon Code]

By

Vinay Patel

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Aug 8, 2018

Rapoo Technology has a reputation for making high-end wireless peripheral products. The company has been ranked no. 1 in China for two consecutive years for making high-performance and high-quality wireless keyboard and mouse.

As part of its latest Rapoo Brand Deals, Banggood is giving big discounts on Rapoo-branded keyboards, earphones, wireless and gaming mouse. As if that weren’t enough, the site is offering buyers an opportunity to save a considerable amount of extra money in the form of a coupon code.

In a bid to simplify the search process, Banggood has split the promo into multiple categories including Keyboards, Wireless Mouse, Gaming Mouse, and Earphone. For the sake of an instance, you can get a 33% off on the Rapoo 1800p5 2.4 GHz Wireless 104 Keys Keyboard And Optical Mouse Combo, which usually sells for $36.95.

With the aforesaid discount, this keyboard-mouse combo can now be yours at a reduced price of just $24.88. With just 3 pieces left, the promotion sale is slated to end on August 31st.

If you’ve been looking for a wireless mouse that doesn’t cost a bomb but delivers high performance, you’ve come to the right place. In the Wireless Mouse category, you can find all sorts of high-end multi-mode, wireless mouse that you can buy at the discounted price.

For example, you can get 22% off on the Rapoo 3500Pro Cloth Cover 1000DPI Wireless Optical Mouse, which would normally set you back $23.58 on online stores. Thanks to the discount, the coveted wireless mouse is now up for grabs at a slashed price of just $18.99, but there’s more cheer about.

You can get an additional $2.85 off on the wireless mouse simply by applying coupon code 9543C4 while checking out. This will help you bring your already reduced grand total further down to just $16.14. The coupon is valid for all items in this category.

If you’re an avid gamer, you already know the value of having a good gaming mouse. While they usually don’t come cheap, Banggood is doling out massive discounts on a wide range of gaming mouse. On top of that, you can get an extra 15% off by applying coupon code 9543C4.

It is worth noting that there were only limited pieces of some items left at the time of writing. Note that the coupon code is also likely to expire soon.

Moreover, a lot of the promotion sales were on the verge of wrapping up. You can head straight to this link to check the rest of the products and avail the discounts before the promo ends.

Get Big Discounts On Rapoo-Branded Items

Buy Zoji HomTom Z9 Smartphone For Only $229.99 On CooliCool

By

Vinay Patel

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Aug 8, 2018

Following in the footsteps of its well-received precursor dubbed the ZOJI Z8, the Z9 became an instant hit among smartphone lovers after hitting the store shelves earlier this year. Maintaining its reputation for making rugged phones, HOMTOM’s sub-brand ZOJI has made a comeback with the power-packed Z9.

Taking its skyrocketing popularity into consideration, CooliCool is currently doling out a noteworthy discount on the phone’s original asking price. The ZOJI Z9 would normally set you back $319.99 but thanks to the aforesaid discount, you can now buy the tough, yet sleek handset at a dropped price of just $229.99.
The ZOJI Z9 is quite a bargain at this heavily discounted price, given that it strikes a perfect balance between top-end specs and durability. It sports a mammoth 5.7-inch HD+ in-cell display with a screen resolution of 1440X720 pixels. On top of that, it comes with Corning Gorilla Glass for added protection.

Moreover, the Z9 packs a powerful Helio P23 MTK6763 2.0GHz Octa Core processor, under the hood. It offers 6GB of RAM and a hearty 64GB of onboard storage so that you never run out of space for storing your favorite content.

The dustproof and drop-proof smartphone comes with an IP68 waterproof certificate. As far as photography is concerned, the Z9 houses a 16 MP+2MP dual camera setup on the back and an 8MP selfie snapper.

You can head straight to this link in order to check out the full specification and avail the discount. It is worth noting that the promo is slated to end on August 21st.

Get A Big Discount On Zoji HomTom Z9 Smartphone

The August Mega Sale Kicks Off On GeekBuying [Discount Coupons Inside]

By

Vinay Patel

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Aug 8, 2018

As part of its recently commenced August Mega Sale promo, GeekBuying is offering big discounts on televisions, mini PCs, set-top boxes and a broad range of other products. Aside from that, the site is giving buyers an opportunity to save extra money in the form of coupon codes.

For the sake of an instance, GeekBuying is doling out a 12% off on the Haier U55H7000 Smart TV, which would usually set you back $910.05 on online stores. Thanks to the aforesaid discount, you can now buy the super large 55-inches television at a dropped price of just $799.99.

On top of that, you can apply coupon code HAIERTV to get an additional $230 off the television’s already discounted price. In other words, you can reduce your grand total to just $569.99 by using the coupon at the time of checking out.

The rest of the discounted items have been separated into two categories including TV & Mini PCs and Flash Sale. Each category comprises a slew of items that you can buy without emptying your pocket.
Keeping in line with that, GeekBuying is giving a 19% off on the Haier U49H7000 Smart TV, bringing its steep price of $868.75 down to just $699.99. You can save an extra $210 while placing your order by using coupon code HAIERTV1. This helps you lower your grand total to just $489.99.

Likewise, you can get 21% off on the GameSir G5 Bluetooth 5.0 Game Controller, which is included under the Flash Sale category. While the device usually carries a price tag of $79.99, you can now buy it at a reduced price of just $62.99. The Flash Sale price will be valid for 1 day.

You can follow this link to check out the rest of the products and avail the discounts. It is worth noting that the coupon codes are likely to expire soon.

Get Big Discounts On TVs, Set-Top Boxes, And Other Items

Xiaomi reveals part of IPO capital will bankroll India expansion

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Aug 8, 2018

Xiaomi officially launched its IPO offering last month on the Hong Kong stock exchange where it reportedly succeeded in raising $4.5 billion. Although the amount realised is far lower than the expected $10 billion, the company is reportedly planning to put the funds to good use. Apart from consolidating on its China operations, the company will plough a chunk of the money to India.

According to Manu Kuma Jain, Xiaomi India’s head, the Chinese tech giant will infuse some part of the capital raised to build its ecosystem of internet services. The company will also make more startup investments and build India-specific IoT devices. In addition, Xiaomi is setting its sight at breaking into the premium smartphone segment in India, a terrain dominated by Samsung and Apple.

Manu Jain expatiated that Xiaomi plans to expend 30% of the $4.5 billion on core R&D while another 30% will be spent on building the IoT platform. In addition, 30% will be utilized for global expansion and the remaining 10 per cent for miscellaneous expenses. The Xiaomi India boss did not indicate the amount or percentage of the money that will be channelled to its Indian operations. He did state, however, that “Some part of the global expansion money will be spent in India.” He went further to disclose that the company will do a lot more on internet services, startup investments and building IoT devices that are India specific. Xiaomi tried to position itself as an internet company but that was surrounded in doubt since the copany is best known for its smartphone. Perhaps, going forward, the tech giant could continue its expansion drive towards offering internet services and other products in the IoT segment that has a global appeal. Most of Xiaomi’s IoT gadgets and other products are designed for the Chinese market and so, are always difficult to use outside China due to the language barrier. We hope the company will work on that aspect.

(source)

Xiaomi Mi A2 arrives India Wednesday with a $255 price tag

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Aug 7, 2018

Xiaomi is expected to launch its latest Android One smartphone in India on August 8. The company had earlier released a poster teasing the launch and we could gather from the poster that the device will be sold exclusively on Amazon India. The Mi A2 pre-order page was reported to have gone live briefly ahead of the launch, revealing the price tag and confirming a few details.

One of the details which seem to have been confirmed is that the 4GB RAM + 32GB storage variant won’t be available in India. The Amazon product page shows that the Mi A2 will be available for Rs. 17,499 (~$255). The model is only listed as having 64GB storage with no mention of the RAM size. The price tag easily suggests that this can’t be the 6GB + 128GB variant which is the third variant. For avoidance of doubt, the Mi A2 is available only in 4GB + 32GB, 4GB + 64GB and 6GB + 128GB variants.

The price tag is way lower than the 279 euros (~$326) RRP with which the device was launched in Spain. Perhaps, the India version is manufactured in India, thus reducing tax and other importation costs. We’ll have to wait until it is officially launched to know if the price is actually accurate. The Mi A2 Amazon India pre-order page has been removed, replaced with a “Notify me” page about the launch which will take place at 4 pm IST (GMT +5:30).

(via)

HMD Global schedules an event in India on August 21, expected to launch Nokia 6.1 Plus

By

Jeet

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Aug 7, 2018

HMD Global has scheduled a launch event in India on August 21st. While the company has not revealed what product it plans to launch, it is likely to launch the Nokia 6.1 Plus smartphone in India, which is the global variant of the Nokia X6.

The phone was launched in Taiwan and Hong Kong last month, for a price of HK$ 2,288 that roughly converts to $290. However, we are expected a cheaper pricing in India to compete against the likes of Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro and the Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1. In India, the device is expected to come in two color options — Blue and White.

Recently, HMD Global teased a new product launch event in India through Twitter and also started a contest where selected participants get a chance to attend the launch event. At the August 21st launch event, the company could also launch its other device, including the Nokia 5.1 or Nokia 2.1.

The Nokia 6.1 Plus comes with a 5.8-inch Full-HD+ display with 2280 x 1080 pixels screen resolution, 19:9 aspect ratio and 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. Under the hood, the device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor, paired along with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage.

There’s a microSD card slot which enables users to further expand the phone’s storage capacity. Coming to the photography department, the smartphone sports a dual camera setup, consisting of a 16-megapixel primary sensor with f/2.0 aperture and a 5-megapixel secondary camera sensor with f/2.4 aperture. On the front side, there’s a 16-megapixel camera with f/2.0 aperture for taking selfies and video calling.

Connectivity options on the device include 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth 5, GPS / GLONASS, and USB Type-C. Running on Android 8.1 Oreo operating system out-of-the-box, the smartphone is fuelled by a 3,060mAh battery which also supports Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging.

HTC keeps struggling: Worst monthly sales figure in 15 years!

By

Michele Ingelido

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Aug 7, 2018

It has been years since HTC is bearing financial troubles and it just cannot find a way to get back in the market again. At the beginning of 2018, Google invested in the Taiwanese company by recruiting its engineers in its Taiwanese unit and getting access to many of its patents in return for $1.1 billion, but it did not help the Taiwanese giant to go out of its financial decline. According to new data posted, the company has registered the worst monthly sales in the last fifteen years. The July revenue amounts to just $45.7 million, that is equivalent to 77 percent less than the same period of the last year.

Sales were already bad in June, but now they got even worse. If we add this performance to the other months of the year, we obtain a total revenue of just $555 million in 2018, that is about 54% down year-over-year. In 2018, HTC has released only one smartphone: the flagship U12 Plus. It is one of the best handsets out there. Its dual camera setup has been ranked at the second place of best camera phones ranking by DxOMark.

Further, it features the most advanced SoC in the market: the octa-core Snapdragon 845 by Qualcomm, it is fully waterproof and it has a 6-inch screen with a QHD+ resolution, as well as loud stereo speakers. But despite its awesome specs sheet, it has received a lukewarm response from the public. Now, the company is trying to find a niche in which it can make a nice profit to get rid of its troubles before it is too late. HTC will soon release a smartphone dedicated to the blockchain called Exodus, but given how cryptocurrencies are doing in the past few weeks, we do not know if its success will be good enough for the (former) Taiwanese giant.

(via)

TCL allegedly readying a new Palm smartphone called Pepito, New certifications surface

By

Michele Ingelido

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Aug 7, 2018

Do you remember the legendary Palm phones? They brought exciting and very innovative features in the phones market which are still being used today. Among these, there is the support to wireless charging, the multi-tasking menu consisting of cards that we now use every day on both Android and iOS, as well as the gesture navigation based on swipe. Well, it seems that TCL is preparing the launch of a new Palm-branded phone, after acquiring Alcatel and giving a new life to the BlackBerry brand. The handset has been spotted in three databases from known regulatory agencies.

First of all, it has been certified by the American FCC which lists a device “Designed by Palm in San Francisco” and “Manufactured in China”, with the model number PVG100. The listing has been filed on July 26, 2018. Then, it has been also certified by Bluetooth SIG which shows the model name Pepito. Further, it mentions that it is a smartphone and a companion device, but we do not know what the second thing means and it could be just a mistranslation. Sadly, we do not know if Palm Pepito is just a codename or the real name of the device.

The device has also appeared on a listing of the Wi-Fi Alliance, which has revealed that it does not feature the Wi-Fi dual band technology, so it does not have the 5 GHz band but it can only connect to wireless networks through 2.4G. This kinda confirms that the phone is not a flagship but probably just a budget handset. Wi-Fi Alliance also lists Android 8.1 Oreo as the operating system installed on the alleged Palm Pepito. According to the last rumors, Palm will officially announce a new smartphone before the end of 2018 and it will be offered through the known American carrier Verizon.

(via)

Meizu releases new Flyme 7.8.8.7 Beta update on several phones

By

Michele Ingelido

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Aug 7, 2018

Meizu has just started rolling out a new beta update of the latest iteration of its Flyme user interface. The new update bumps the number of version to 7.8.8.7 and it brings several improvements. The smartphones eligible for the update are Meizu 15, 15 Plus, M15, Pro 7, Pro 7 Plus, Pro 7 High Version, M6 Note, and E3. Sadly, other devices have been left behind before the end of their typical software support period, leaving several users disappointed.

The new update optimizes the lock screen rotation logic and it fixes important bugs such as the one related to the invisibility of the bottom bar and the red dot not disappearing after clearing notifications. A bug related to the Night mode has been fixed as well: it prevented the users from seeing the app names in the Home screen once it was enabled.

There are also other bug fixes to the notification and status bar, as well as Bluetooth connectivity, gesture navigation on the Meizu E3, and more minor issues. The update to the new Flyme version takes about 10 minutes and the phone will restart a few times once you launch it. Make sure to backup all of your important data as it is a Beta firmware.

(via)

Qualcomm schedules event for September 10, may unveil new processor for smartwatches

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Aug 7, 2018

Qualcomm has sent out invites for a launch on September 10. The invite shows a watch with the clock set to 0910hrs and a caption that says “It’s time. set your watches”.

From the poster, it is easy to see that Qualcomm is teasing something related to watches and the only possible product we believe it may be unveiling is a new processor for smartwatches.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 2100 has been the default SoC of choice for smartwatch makers. The Snapdragon 2100 was released as far back as February 2016 and is more than due for a successor. That successor is said to be called the Snapdragon 3100 according to Winfuture.de and it is based on the same 28nm node as the Snapdragon 2100.

Qualcomm will likely announce the chipset alongside a new smartwatch made by one of its partner companies.

Back in May, Qualcomm’s senior director and business lead for smart wearables, Pankaj Kedia, revealed in an interview that the silicon manufacturer will release a new chipset for wearables this autumn alongside a lead smartwatch.

There are a number of manufacturers planning new smartwatches running Wear OS. The key players are Huawei, LG, and Google but there is a possibility Google will unveil its own smartwatches (rumored to be three) during the Pixel 3 launch in October. This leaves us with LG and Huawei.

There is gonna be more than one, it seems. More like three.

— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) May 10, 2018

Irrespective of the watch launched alongside the new processor, you may want to wait for other manufacturers to release theirs before making a choice. According to Mr. Pankaj, multiple partner companies will have new smartwatches with the new SoC on the market in time for the holidays.

Continue

Meizu 16 appears on Geekbench with 8GB of RAM

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Aug 7, 2018

The Meizu 16 launches tomorrow and ahead of its release the flagship phone has been spotted on Geekbench.

The Meizu 16 and its bigger sibling which will have the Plus suffix will both be powered by a Snapdragon 845 processor. They are also supposed to come with 6GB of RAM. However, this Geekbench listing shows the device has 8GB of RAM. This is a first for a Meizu phone which makes it a big deal.

The benchmark result shows the phone’s name as “Meizu 16th”. It runs Android 8.1 Oreo and is powered by a Qualcomm processor clocked at 1.7GHz. The benchmark scores are 2403 point and 9047 points for the single core and multi-core tests.

When the Meizu 16 launches tomorrow, it will come with a 6.0-inch AMOLED FHD+ screen with an in-display fingerprint scanner. On its rear will be dual 12MP + 20MP sensors with a ring flash. It will also have a 20MP front-facing camera.

Continue

Smartphones booting Android Pie out of the box will feature Android Oreo rollback protection

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Aug 7, 2018

Google‘s latest Android version yesterday made a surprise entry yesterday when updates were pushed to Google Pixel, Pixel 2 and the Essential Phone. Android 9.0 Pie, as it is called, harnesses the power of machine learning to make your phone smarter, simpler and more user-friendly. The new OS does this in several ways, bringing features like Adaptive Battery which learns how you use your phone so that apps and services that are not being used regularly don’t drain your battery so much.

XDA Developers reports that they detected google has changed their wording on the rollback protection feature which was introduced first in Android Oreo. The feature is propelled by Android Verified Boot 2.0 (also known simply as Verified Boot) but it wasn’t mandatory for OEMs to implement AVB 2.0 in the Oreo release. Some OEMs have already implemented that like the Pixel 2, Razer Phone, and OnePlus 6. Some OEMs like Xiaomi are rolling it out with their latest updates while there are others who are yet to implement or may never do. However, Google has now made it compulsory that all devices launching with Android Pie support Verified Boot, and by extension, rollback protection.

The rolback protection feature prevents the smartphone from booting if it is detected that the device was downgraded to an earlier version that is deemed insecure because of a security vulnerability. A slightly more technical explanation is that the VBMeta data structure, which holds the hash for the boot partition and hashtree metadatas for system and vendor partitions, uses a rollback index to reject images that have an older rollback index. The feature brings system stability and offers some form of security.

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Study shows China’s 5G technology spending since 2015 surpassed that of the US by $24 billion

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Aug 7, 2018

The next big thing in the tech industry is expected to be 5G technology. The race is on between China and the U.S on who will be the first to roll out the technology and from the look of things, China has the upper hand. A study published by Deloitte has shown that China’s spending on 5G technology development in recent years far outweighs the US spending by a whopping $24 billion.

This has created a wide gap between both giants which will be difficult for the U.S to match. 5G refers to the next-generation mobile internet technology which has the potential to enable people to download films and stream high bandwidth video for technologies such as virtual reality. Apart from consumer applications, the technology will come in useful in connecting infrastructure in cities and in the adoption of driverless cars. A recent report by IHS Markit projects that 5G will power $12.3 trillion of global economic output by 2035.

Back to the report by Deloitte, China is tracked to have built 350,000 new cell sites, while the U.S. has built fewer than 30,000 since 2015 till now. The Chinese government-back effort involves billions of dollars in 5G-related spendings. The report noted that “China and other countries may be creating a 5G tsunami, making it near impossible to catch up”. To play catch up, the U.S will need to spend 2.67 times the amount that China does in order to generate an equivalent amount of wireless network capacity. Perhaps, Washington’s realization that catching up with China would be impossible was partly responsible for the recent campaign against the use of ZTE and Huawei’s infrastructural technology by U.S companies. Who knows?

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Pictures of the POCOPHONE F1 and its retail box surface

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Aug 7, 2018

Just less than a day after the POCOPHONE F1 was seen on a Romanian online store, new images showing the phone itself have surfaced along with that of its retail box. The images also confirm some of its specs. The images are from the same Romanian store that has the phone available for pre-order.

The first image which shows the front of the POCOPHONE F1 confirms the phone has a notch. Within the notch sits a LED flash, the earpiece, and the 20MP selfie camera. There are a bunch of sensors there too and according to the sticker on the phone, there is an IR sensor for face unlock.

The sticker also confirms the phone is powered by a Snapdragon 845 processor with Qualcomm’s own AI engine. It also confirms it has liquid cooling and a 4,000mAh battery with support for Quick Charge 3.0.

Another image that shows the display powered on shows the POCOPHONE F1 has a lower bezel that is significantly thicker than that of the Mi 8 trio.

There are two images that show the rear of the phone. As you can see the POCOPHONE F1 is made of metal and covered in indigo paint. Its dual rear cameras have the same design shown in its FCC documentation. We are glad Xiaomi switched to a different design for the rear cameras seeing as most of its dual camera phones released this year share a similar design.

The cameras have a red ring around them similar to Nubia‘s style and right under the sensors is a fingerprint scanner. The whole setup (cameras and fingerprint sensor) share a single housing. A dual LED flash flanks the setup on the left.

The other images show the sides of the phone. There is a SIM tray on the left and the bottom is home to a USB-C port flanked on each side by speaker grilles. Don’t be fooled, the POCOPHONE F1 won’t come with stereo speakers as one of the grilles is home to a microphone. The volume buttons and power buttons are on the right and there is a 3.5mm audio jack at the top.

The image of the retail box shows Xiaomi is going for a more colorful packaging. The second half of the box is shown to be bright yellow, a deviation from the black box Xiaomi uses for its flagship phones.

A sticker on the box reveals the variant inside has 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. It also confirms it has dual SIM support. The same specs listed on the sticker in the image above are reproduced on the box. Based on the info on the box, the phone will come with a clear soft case along with the usual accessories.

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