Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium up for Pre-Orders from July 11, but Price is insane

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Jul 4, 2018

Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium was announced back in April but till now, it didn’t hit the stores. Finally, the Japanese company has confirmed the date when handset will officially go on pre-order in China. The Chinese version of the new flagship will be available for pre-orders starting from July 11 with a very expensive price tag: 6000 Yuan, which roughly translates into $900. The confirmation has arrived on Weibo from the official account of the Xperia phones division. Note that a few days ago it was confirmed that the flagship will have a price tag of $999.99 in the U.S.

These prices make Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium one of the most expensive smartphones in the market: iPhone X is currently the only device (excluding luxury phones and limited editions) which has a higher listing price. The new confirmation by Sony debunks the rumors which suggested that the phone would go on pre-order on July 2 (or even July 5): they were probably only referred to today’s announcement of the pre-sale starting date. Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium features one of the most impressive specs sheets you can ever find on a mobile phone. It sports a 5.8-inch display with a 4K resolution and the HDR technology.

Under the hood, it packs an octa-core Snapdragon 845 chipset by Qualcomm paired with 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage expandable with a micro SD. The new flagship is the first device by Sony to feature a dual rear camera. The dual setup has resolutions of 19 and 12 MP, f/1.8 and f/2.6 aperture, 960fps slow-mo video recording and predictive phase detection autofocus, while the front snapper is a 13 MP f/2.0 sensor with EIS. Its battery is a 3540 mAh unit supporting Quick Charge 3.0. Unfortunately, even though it has an 18:9 display, its bezels are far from being narrow. But on the other hand, it has loud and comfortable dual front speakers.

Xiaomi Mi Max 3 cases reveal updated design with vertical dual camera

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jul 4, 2018

The Xiaomi Mi Max 3 will be unveiled in this month, but the launch date is still under the wraps. The appearance of the smartphone has been already revealed through images that have surfaced through its TENAA certification. Here are some images of the transparent TPU case designed for the upcoming Mi Max 3. These images show that the handset will be arriving with a slight change in its design.

The TPU case images reveal that the most significant change that will be arriving on the Xiaomi Mi Max 3 is the inclusion of vertical dual camera setup. The fingerprint scanner stays intact on the rear panel like the predecessor model.

Towards the corner of upper edge of the case for Mi Max 3 is a cutout for a 3.5mm audio jack. There is a cutout for IR blaster at the center of the top edge. The right edge of the case has cutouts for volume rocker and power key. The bottom edge of the case cutouts for external speakers and a USB-C port.

These images reveal that apart from the inclusion of vertical dual camera setup, there won’t be any major design change on the Mi Max 3. Recent reports including an image of the retail box of Mi Max 3 have revealed that it will be a mammoth device.

It has been found through the TENAA listing of Mi Max 3 that it will be arriving with a notch-less FHD+ screen that measures 6.99 inches and offers 18:9 aspect ratio. The Snapdragon 636 or the newly announced Snapdragon 632 could be present under the hood of the phone. It is expected to arrive in RAM variants like 3 GB, 4 GB and 6 GB that may respectively house 32 GB, 64 G and 128 GB of inbuilt storage.

The dual camera setup of the Mi Max 3 is expected to include a 12-megapixel sensor. It may sport an 8-megapixel frontal shooter. The Android 8.1 Oreo flavored with the latest edition of MIUI will be arriving preloaded on the phablet. A 5,500mAh battery is pegged to power it.

It is speculated that there will be another variant called Xiaomi Mi Max 3 Pro that may feature Snapdragon 710, 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. This variant is likely to carry a pricing of 1,699 Yuan (~$257).

Giveaway – win a Xiaomi Mijia Electric Mosquito Dispeller

By

Shine Wong

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Jul 4, 2018

Gizmochina along with Banggood is conducting 1 unit Xiaomi Mijia Electric Mosquito Dispeller as giveaway gift to a lucky reader. Like always, you just have to follow the steps mentioned on the Gleam widget to get a chance to win this amazing gift.

The market is rife with all sorts of mosquito repellents that you can apply to your skin, clothing, or other surfaces in a bid to ward a slew of human disease-causing insects, especially mosquitoes. On the downside, these repellents are ineffective despite setting you back a pretty penny.

Bearing that in mind, Xiaomi has come up with its newest Mijia-branded garden electric household mosquito dispeller that is currently up for preorder on Banggood.

Visit Xiaomi Mijia Electric Mosquito Dispeller on Banggood

How to entry this giveaway? Just follow these steps via Gleam widget:

Visit Xiaomi Mijia Electric Mosquito Dispeller product on Banggood;
Share this giveaway contest on Facebook, Twitter and Reddit;
Download Banggood App on Google Play: https://goo.gl/39NWCa(optional);

Terms & Conditions:

1. The giveaway is an international giveaway.
2. We are not responsible for lost shipments.
3. We are not responsible for any duties, import taxes that you may incur.
4. We reserve all rights to make any changes to this giveaway.
5. The prize will be shipped in a month when the giveaway end.

Just follow the steps mentioned in the Gleam widget to participate in the giveaway.

Once again, good luck.

Giveaway – win a Xiaomi Mijia Electric Mosquito Dispeller

OxygenOS Open Beta update for OnePlus 5 and 5T brings Project Treble support

By

Jeet

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Jul 4, 2018

OnePlus has today released its latest versions of the OxygenOS Open Beta for the OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T – version 13 for the 5 and version 11 for the 5T. While there latest update bring a few new features and optimizations, the biggest addition is the support for Project Treble.

Project Treble, which was announced ahead of Google I/O 2017, aims to modularize the Android operating system, making it easier for manufacturers to push updates to the software.

The newer version of Android update has been slow from some manufacturers. By separating the vendor HALs from the Android framework and providing a standard interface between the framework and HALs, Google has made it faster for device makers to bring up new versions of Android.

Project Treble support has played a big part to provide early access to the Android P Beta version to non-Google devices like the OnePlus 6, Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S, Sony Xperia XZ2, Nokia 7 Plus, among others.

In terms of other features and improvements in the latest OxygenOS build, it comes with improved launcher experience as the company has now added search tags in the app drawer, introduced a “new installs” category, and an improved app list.

In order to aviod data lose, OnePlus is advising users to flash earlier OxygenOS Open Beta (10 for OnePlus 5T and 12 for OnePlus 5) build before the new update. If you decide to update from the stable version of the system, you have to do a clean flash, clearing cache as well as data from the recovery.

The OnePlus Open Beta builds are available for download from here. If you are already on the Open Beta build, then you’ll will receive an OTA update and won’t have to flash the zip file manually.

(Source)

Buy Motorola Moto Z2 Play Smartphone For Only $193.99 On CooliCool

By

Vinay Patel

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Jul 4, 2018

After floating around the rumor mill for quite a long time, Motorola’s long-awaited Moto Z2 Play smartphone was finally made available to the public in June this year. As suggested by previously surfaced speculations, the phone became an instant hit among smartphone lovers.

If you’ve been waiting with bated breath to get your hands on the coveted Moto Z2 Play smartphone, but aren’t willing to spend a lot of money, you’ve come to the right place. You can get a noteworthy 65% off on the phone’s steep price tag on CooliCool. Let’s check out the details.

While the Moto Z2 Play smartphone would normally set you back $559.99 on CooliCool, the Chinese online electronics store is offering you an opportunity to buy it at a slashed price of just $193.99. Thanks to the discount, you end up saving a noteworthy $366 on the gold-tinted Moto Z2 Play smartphone’s original asking price.
With a mammoth 5.5 Inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display bearing a screen resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels, the phone delivers an unparalleled big-screen experience despite its heavily discounted price. Moreover, the Moto Z2 Play comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top for added protection.

Furthermore, the phone packs a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 2.2GHz Octa Core processor and employs an Adreno 506 GPU, under the hood. It offers 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable onboard storage (up to 2TB).

The Moto Z2 Play houses a 12MP camera with PDAF & laser AF, dual-LED dual-tone flash on the back and a 5MP front shooter with dual-LED dual-tone flash. It runs Android 7.1 Nougat operating system and is backed by a non-removable Li-Ion 3000 mAh battery.

You can follow this link in order to check out the full specification and take advantage of the discount which will be valid only for a limited period of time.

Get 65% Off On Motorola Moto Z2 Play Smartphone On CooliCool

Buy Xiaomi Mi Pad 4 Tablet PC For Only $259.80 On GearVita [Coupon Code Inside]

By

Vinay Patel

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Jul 4, 2018

The Xiaomi Mi Pad 4 is a compelling tablet PC that boasts an array of jaw-dropping features and comes with a broad range of noteworthy specifications. Bearing that in mind, it’s hardly surprising that the tablet can set you back a pretty penny on online stores.

The Mi Pad 4 is currently available bearing a steep $299.80 price sticker on GearVita.com but fret not, we’ll help you save a considerable amount of money on the device’s original asking price. Let’s delve straight into the details.

You can apply coupon code ‘MIPAD40VE’ in order to get $40 off on the tablet PC’s aforementioned retail price. In other words, you can bring your grand total down to just $259.80 simply by using the coupon code we’ve mentioned above.

Even at a slashed price, you get an 8.0-inch touch display-equipped tablet PC that breathes new life into your photos and videos with a screen resolution of 1200 x 1920 pixels. Moreover, the Mi Pad 4 packs a powerful Qualcomm SDM660 Snapdragon 660 processor and an equally robust Adreno 512 GPU, under the hood.

On top of that, you get 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 64GB of onboard storage, which can be expanded up to 256GB. The Mi Pad 4 houses a 5-megapixel front shooter and a 13-megapixel rear-mounted camera with geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, and panorama.

You can use the discount coupon before it expires by visiting this link. You can choose between 2 color options including black and gold.

Get A Big Discount On Xiaomi Mi Pad 4 Tablet PC On GearVita

Honor 9i Green Jasper color variant sale to begin on July 5

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jul 4, 2018

Honor has recently introduced the Purple Fantasy color variant for the Honor 9i in China. Today, the Chinese manufacturer has confirmed another color variant through its Weibo account. The Honor 9i Green Jasper color variant will be available for buying from tomorrow (July 5) in the home country.

According to the official poster, the official sales of Green Jasper Honor 9i will begin at 10:08AM (local time) tomorrow. This model will be arriving with 64 GB of storage and 4 GB of RAM and it will be priced at 1,399 Yuan (~$211). The recently introduced Honor 9i Purple Fantasy also features the same configuration and pricing. These two color variants will be selling alongside the Magic Night Black and Charm Sea Blue color variants that are already available in the market.

The Honor 9i is budget-friendly smartphone from the company that comes with a notched display design to offer higher screen space to the user. It houses a 5.84-inch IPS LCD screen that produces 19:9 aspect ratio and FHD+ resolution. The backside of the phone is made out of 2.5D glass.

The Kirin 659 is present under the hood of the phone along with 4 GB of RAM. It can be availed in 64 GB and 128 GB storage choices. It is packed with a 3,000mAh battery and comes loaded with EMUI 8.0 based Android Oreo. It features a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. The back panel is fitted with 13-megapixel + 2-megapixel dual camera setup while a 16-megapixel camera is available at the front.

In related news, the Honor 9i is expected to get announced in India as Honor 9X in this month. Hence, the Chinese manufacturer is expected to release the teasers for Honor 9X soon in India.

(source)

Get Big Discounts On Different Versions Of The Xiaomi Mi 8 SE Smartphone On GeekBuying [Coupon Codes]

By

Vinay Patel

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Jul 4, 2018

Xiaomi made its stylish Mi 8 SE smartphone available to the public in June this year. The Mi 8 SE boasts an eye-catching design and is brimming with a broad range of awe-inspiring features that make it an invincible smartphone.

On the downside, Xiaomi fans need to empty their pockets if they’d like to get their hands on the coveted handset. But much to the delight of smartphone lovers who are on a tight budget, GeekBuying is doling out considerable discounts on 3 different versions of the Mi 8 SE smartphone.

Aside from shedding light on the aforesaid discounts, we’ll even show how you can save a considerable amount of money during the check out process. So let’s delve straight into the details.

Xiaomi Mi 8 SE (4GB RAM + 64GB ROM)

You can get a noteworthy 15% off on the 4GB RAM/64GB ROM version of the Mi 8 SE smartphone by heading straight to this link. The phone normally comes bearing a price tag of $379.99 on GeekBuying, but thanks to the aforesaid discount, you can buy it at a reduced price of just $329.99.

On top of that, you can apply discount coupon ‘OXSHFASO’ to save $54 more without breaking much of a sweat. This reduces your already discounted grand total to only $308.99.

However, it is imperative for you to bear in mind that the discount will only be valid for the dark gray and gold color version of the Mi 8 SE smartphone. Moreover, the promo is slated to end in just 3 days.

Xiaomi Mi 8 SE (6GB RAM + 64GB ROM)

Sporting a mammoth 5.88-inch FHD+ (2244 X 1080 pixel) display, the Mi 8 SE smartphone is ideal for those who prefer a big-screen experience. The 6GB RAM/64GB ROM version would usually set you back $419.99, but GeekBuying is now giving buyers an opportunity get a big discount on the phone’s retail price.

In other words, the Snapdragon 710-powered Mi 8 SE smartphone can now be yours if you’re willing to shell out only $379.99. This is a 10% reduction in the phone’s original asking price.

If you aren’t willing to spend that kind of money on a smartphone, all you need to do is apply coupon code ‘GQPOGXBA’ to get an additional discount. You can save an extra $49 just by using the above-mentioned code and bring your grand total further down to only $359.99 at the time of checking out.

It is imperative for you to bear in mind that the discount will only be valid for the blue and red color versions of the Mi 8 SE smartphone for 3 days. You can visit this link to grab the deal.

Xiaomi Mi 8 SE (6GB RAM + 64GB ROM)

The gold and dark gray color versions of the Mi 8 SE smartphone offering 6GB RAM and a hearty 64GB of onboard storage is currently available bearing a $379.99 price sticker on GeekBuying. This version would ideally set you back $419.99 on the popular Chinese online store.

Apart from taking advantage of the 10% discount, you can apply coupon code ‘TWRRSYGC’ and save an extra $63 while checking out. You can lower your grand total even further to just $345.99 with the help of the coupon code.

All you need to do is follow this link before the promo ends in 3 days. It is also worth noting that the coupon code is likely to lapse soon.

Buy Xiaomi Mi 8 SE (4GB RAM + 64GB ROM) For Only $308.99 On GeekBuying

Buy Xiaomi Mi 8 SE (6GB RAM + 64GB ROM) For Only $359.99 On GeekBuying

Buy Gold/Dark Gray Versions Of The Xiaomi Mi 8 SE (6GB RAM + 64GB ROM) For Only $345.99 On GeekBuying

Huawei Nova 3 teaser reveals dual selfie and rear cameras

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jul 4, 2018

Huawei has recently confirmed through a press event that it will be holding a launch event on July 18 to announce the Huawei Nova 3. The unveil event will be held at the Shenzhen Universiade Stadium. The handset has already appeared on TENAA with its entire specifications and images. A new teaser of the Nova 3 smartphone has appeared on Huawei’s Weibo account. The image reveals the front and rear design of the phone.

As it can be seen in the below image, the Nova 3 is yet another notched display phone from the company. It will be joining the Nova 3 series which includes the Nova 3e notched display smartphone that was announced few months. The notch of the Nova 3 appears bigger than the other notched screen phones from the company. This is because Nova 3’s notch includes an earpiece, some sensors and two front-facing cameras. It could be the first notched display smartphone ever to come with dual selfie cameras.

The display of the Huawei Nova 3 is surrounded with slim bezels. However, the chin of the device is slightly thick. The glass back of the Nova 3 has a vertical dual camera setup that is powered by AI. The poster also reveals that the smartphone will be hitting the market in at least in two color options like light blue and gold. The back panel also houses a fingerprint reader. The text present on the teaser states that it is a “selfie expert phone with 24-megapixel four cameras with AI.”

The TENAA listing of the Huawei Nova 3 has revealed that its front is decked with 24-megapixel + 2-megapixel dual camera setup and its backside features 16-megapixel + 24-megapixel dual camera setup. The handset is fueled by 6 GB of RAM and a 2.36 GHz octa-core processor. The latter could be the Kirin 659 mid-range SoC which suggests that the Nova 3 could be a budget-friendly phone. Like the other Nova models, it will be aimed towards younger audience.

The Nova 3 will be arriving with a massive Full HD+ resolution supporting screen of 6.3 inches. It is expected to arrive in 64 GB and 128 GB storage models. The handset will be preinstalled with EMUI 8.1 and Android 8.1 Oreo. It may offer stellar graphics performance through Huawei’s GPU Turbo technology. It will be packed with a 3,650mAh battery.

(source)

Huawei Porsche Design users get exclusive services!

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jul 4, 2018

In order to focus on the high-end smartphone market, Huawei had started the Mate series with the launch of Mate 7 in 2014. The Chinese manufacturer had introduced Porsche Design versions for Mate 9 and Mate 10 series. Earlier this year, it had launched the Mate RS Porsche Design smartphone. Since the Porsche design devices are premium products from Huawei, the company has started exclusive services for the users of these devices.

Users who visit a Huawei store or any of its customer care centers in China to enquire or purchase a Porsche design product, they are greeted with exclusive service channel that has specially trained to offer priority services to such customers. Also, Porsche Design users have an exclusive queue page on WeChat.

The Porsche Design user-specific services are available for owners of Mate 9 Porsche Design, Mate 10 Porsche Design, Mate RS Porsche Design, and Huawei Smartwatch Porsche Design. Apart from exclusive service channel, Huawei is offering various other services such as personal reception by the manger, cultural book gifts and a dedicated hotline.

On seeing a Porsche Design customer, the store manager may offer books like “Huawei Series Stories” and “Huawei People’s Work Philosophy” so that the premium customers of the company may learn more about the Huawei culture. When an owner of a Porsche Design device contacts Huawei for assistance on the product, he can simply dial Huawei’s customer service number and then press 9 for exclusive service.

Currently, the exclusive services for Porsche Design Huawei devices are only available in China.

(via)

Buy Oppo Find X Smartphone At A Slashed Price Of $999.99 On DD4 [Coupon Code]

By

Vinay Patel

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Jul 4, 2018

Oppo launched its hotly-anticipated flagship smartphone dubbed the Find X in its popular Find series on June 19th this year. The phone boasts an out-of-the-ordinary design which encompasses a mechanic pop-up camera and lots more.

With a screen-to-body ratio of 93.8%, the Find X featured the thinnest bezels in the market at the time of its launch. Packed with an array of other awe-inspiring specs and features, the Oppo Find X smartphone would normally set you back a pretty penny on online stores.

Keeping in line with this, the Find X is currently up for grabs on DD4 bearing a steep price tag of $1176.45. If you’re interested in getting your hands on the feature-laden smartphone without emptying your pocket, we’ll show how you can save a considerable amount of money during the check out process.

You can get 15% off on the phone’s original selling price simply by applying coupon code ‘DD4FINDX.’ This helps you save $176.46 and bring your grand total down to just $999.99. But if that doesn’t impress you much, you also get free shipping.

Aside from being the world’s first panoramic designed smartphone, the Oppo Find X is also the first Android-powered phone to feature 3D Structured Light Technology using intelligent analysis and 15,000 facial dot recognition. As far as unlocking the device is concerned, the Find X features 3D Face Recognition which is a considerably 20 times more secure than the conventional fingerprint recognition.

If you’re interested in checking out the full specification and using the aforesaid discount coupon before it expires, just head straight to this link. The coupon code will be valid for the 8GB RAM/128GB ROM version, and you can choose between purplish red and blue color versions.

Buy The Oppo Find X Smartphone At A Heavily Discounted Price On DD4

Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 design leak hints pop-up camera for higher screen space

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jul 4, 2018

Recently spotted fan-made renders of the Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 has revealed that it will be arriving with a pop-up selfie camera. This technology resembles the front camera of the Vivo NEX that remains hidden inside the top bezel. When the selfie camera feature is accessed in the camera app, the frontal shooter rises to snap a photo. A leaked image showcasing the design of the alleged Mi MIX 3 has been spotted on Weibo. The image suggests that the handset is equipped with a pop-up front camera.

The original Mi MIX from 2016 was a concept phone with bezel-less design that came with a massive 6.4-inch IPS LCD display. It offers nearly 84 percent screen-to-body ratio. After the launch of Mi MIX, various smartphone manufacturers were inspired to launch phones with similar bezel-less design.

The Mi MIX 2 from last year came with a smaller 5.99-inch display with a screen-to-body ratio of 80.8 percent. The Mi MIX 2S that was unveiled earlier this year offers 82 percent screen-to-body ratio through its 5.99-inch display. Competitor brands like Oppo and Vivo have launched flagship smartphones with higher screen-to-body ratio. The Vivo NEX and OPPO Find X respectively offer 86 percent and 87 percent screen-to-body ratio.

Since the original Mi MIX smartphone popularized the bezel-less design, Xiaomi may want to offer higher screen-to-body ratio on the upcoming Mi MIX 3 compared to the predecessor models. The Mi MIX and Mi MIX 2 have featured slimmer bezels. However, the bottom bezels on these phones have been slightly as they accommodate the front-facing camera. One way through which Xiaomi can offer a higher screen space on Mi MIX 3 is by cutting down on the space taken by the bottom bezel. To achieve it, the handset may require a pop-up camera like the Vivo NEX. The above image that seems to be teasing the design of the alleged Mi MIX 3 clearly shows that it has a pop-up front camera.

In 2015, Xiaomi had filed a patent for a smartphone design with a pop-up from camera. The camera unit also included an LED flash unit. Hence, there is a possibility that the Mi MIX 3’s pop-up camera may also arrive with an LED flash.

The poster also reveals that the smartphone will be debuting in September. The Chinese manufacturer had launched the Mi MIX 2 in September which suggests that the arrival of the Mi MIX 3 could be around two months away.

Sugar S20 Launched with AI translation feature supporting 104 languages

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jul 4, 2018

This sort of title is the type that reminds us that yea, there are many phone manufacturers around the world and not just the ones we report on year in year out. You may not have heard of Sugar, well not the sugar for your tea but a French phone manufacturer. The company just added a new smartphone to its collection dubbed Sugar S20 and honestly, there are a couple of features that make this worth taking a look at.

The new Sugar S20 was unveiled in a conference held in Beijing yesterday. The smartphone is basically a full-screen mid-range model but the most outstanding feature is the AI translation feature. This is perhaps the world’s first smartphone with smart translator onboard. This will be a good one for tourists.

Design-wise, the phone comes with a full-screen display with a notch at the top. The display is a 5.99-inch screen with an FHD+ resolution of 2246 x 1080 pixels. The cut out at the top of the screen houses the front camera, earpiece and a sensor. The selfie camera has a 16MP sensor. The device is equally armed with facial recognition for unlocking the handset.

The back panel of the Sugar S20 is made of a metal fuselage wrapped with a glass body. The glass body seems to have the Aurora gradient finish reminiscent of the Huawei P20 which gives different colours based on the angle of view. There is also a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor onboard. The device pack dual rear cameras stacked at the top left corner, The main sensor is a 12MP sensor while the secondary sensor is a bokeh camera. There is an opening at the top of the back panel which is likely for a microphone so as to make it easy for the translator to pick the voice. The bottom part has the Sugar logo crested on the body while there is a crystal stone at the bottom parto which is due to Sugar’s partnership with Swarovski.

Apart from voice translation, the artificial intelligence software is designed to be able to recognize picture captured by the camera in order to translate if the captured texts are of one of the supported languages. The details also includes that there is a private translator feature whereby the user is able to connect to a dedicated customer service centre for help whenever there are difficulties with translations. The translator can even translate the sound of pets but that is obviously a play thing. The company included a dedicated translator key at the left side.

As far as the specs go, the Sugar S20 is powered by a Snapdragon 625 processor paired with 4GB of RAM while there is 64GB of storage onboard. It is a dual SIM phone but the internal storage can be expanded using the second SIM slot which doubles as microSD slot. The device comes in Pink, Purple and Grey and is priced at 1999 yuan ($300).

[Photos] Samsung’s Android Go Phone won’t run stock Android

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jul 3, 2018

All other manufacturers that have released Android Go phones have shipped them with pure/stock android. Samsung is expected to announce its own Android Go device soon but it won’t run stock Android.

Leaked images have shown that the unreleased Samsung Android Go phone runs Samsung’s Experience UI just like its other phones. As you can see from the images below, the app icons, navigation buttons, and quick settings are that of Experience UI.

[envira-gallery id=”199487″]

Apart from the UI being different, the phone comes with a mix of Android Go and Samsung apps. There is Maps Go, Android Go, and Gmail Go. It also comes with Facebook Lite. The Samsung apps are a replacement for some Android Go apps. For example, there is Smart Manager instead of Files Go and Samsung Max instead of Google’s Datally app.

The Android Go device is expected to launch as the Galaxy J2 Core. Even with the thick bezels, Samsung has opted for on-screen buttons. There is a single camera and LED flash on the rear. It runs Android 8.1 Oreo (Go Edition) as expected but with December’s security patch.

Continue

Nubia Z11 mini S update brings new UI, game mode and more

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jul 3, 2018

Nubia is pushing out an update to 2016’s Z11 mini S. The new update which comes as Nubia UI 3.09 brings a ton of new visual changes, new features, and bug fixes. Sadly, it doesn’t update the Android version.

Some of the new features include new animations for missed calls; adaptive weather icons; animations for background file transfer and recording, along with notifications when completed; and a new icon for roaming. Nubia has also changed the position of the alarm clock and signal icons.

The update also brings a game mode which restricts notifications and pop-ups from interrupting the user and also increases performance. It also blocks edge gestures, one-touch fingerprint screenshot, and split-screen function.

Continue

Oppo A5 gets TENAA approval: images and specs outed

By

Michele Ingelido

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Jul 3, 2018

A new Oppo affordable phone is going to be launched soon: it is called Oppo A5 and it has just hit TENAA for its official certification. Besides certifying the device, the Chinese regulatory agency has also revealed the renders and the main specs of the upcoming phone. Judging from its specs sheet, it is similar to the Realme 1, that is the first phone from the first company’s sub-brand. That is why the handset is expected to be launched in the Indian peninsula with a similarly affordable price tag. Thanks to the renders, we can see the first difference from the Realme 1 in its design.

It does not sport the same diamond-like finish and has a simple blue backplate. The dimensions are 156.2 x 75.6 x 8.2 mm and the display has a 6.2-inch size, a notch and an HD+ resolution of 720 x 1520 pixels. Instead of the MediaTek Helio P60 SoC, Oppo A5 has a lower-end Snapdragon 450 by Qualcomm which is currently the most powerful from the Snapdragon 4xx line-up, but still a low-end chipset. It will be released in two configurations which will offer 3 or 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage.

While the hardware side is worse than the Realme 1 on the paper, the camera seems to be more advanced. The Oppo A5 has a dual camera configuration with resolutions of 13 and 2 MP, with a secondary sensor able to capture depth information. The selfie camera has an 8 MP resolution, while the battery has a whopping 4100 mAh capacity. Given that this phone has a display with low resolution and a very efficient SoC, we expect this battery to be very long-lasting. Unfortunately, there is not a fingerprint reader to unlock the phone, so it will probably have a facial recognition feature, even though it should not rely on hardware sensors to get 3D info.

(via)

Asus Zenfone 5Z India pricing leaked online ahead of its official launch

By

Jeet

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Jul 3, 2018

Asus is all set to launch its flagship smartphone Asus Zenfone 5Z in India tomorrow. Now, ahead of the phone’s official launch, its pricing has surfaced online through online retailer Flipkart where the phone will be exclusively available for purchase.

The phone’s listing on Flipkart reveals that the 6GB RAM variant will be priced at Rs. 29,999 (approximately $438). The 8GB RAM + 128GB storage model will be priced at Rs. 32,999 (approximately $481) while the 8GB RAM + 256GB internal storage variant will be available for Rs. 36,999, which roughly converts to $540.

The starting price of the Asus Zenfone 5Z in India is lower than that of OnePlus 6 and Honor 10, against which the smartphone will be competing in this segment. Also, if the pricing turns out to be true, it will be the cheapest Snapdragon 845 SoC powered smartphone in India.

The smartphone features a 5.2-inch notched IPS LCD display that supports a Full HD+ screen resolution of 2246 x 1080 pixels and 18.7:9 aspect ratio. It comes with 500 nits Brightness, 95.4% NTSC color gamut, DCI-P3, 1500: 1 Contrast Ratio and Corning Gorilla Glass protection.

The device is powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 845 chipset with Adreno 630 GPU. There are three different variants of the phone based on the memory configuration. It comes with 4GB RAM + 64GB internal storage, 6GB RAM + 128GB internal storage and 8GB RAM + 256GB onboard storage. However, it seems that the 4GB RAM variant won’t be launched in India.

Coming to the photography, there’s a dual camera setup with a 12-megapixel primary camera with dual-tone LED Flash, Sony IMX363 sensor, 1.4μm pixel size, f/1.8 aperture, 0.03s Tri-Tech auto-focus/Dual Pixel PDAF, 4-axis OIS/EIS, and a Pro mode with RAW support. The secondary camera is an 8-megapixel sensor with f/2.0 aperture, OV8856 sensor, and 120-degree wide-angle lens. On the front side, it features an 8-megapixel snapper with f/2.0 aperture, OV8856 sensor, and 83-degree wide-angle lens.

The smartphone runs on Android Oreo operating system out of the box with the company’s own custom interface ZenUI on top. Connectivity options on the device include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth 5, GPS + GLONASS, and USB Type-C. The device is powered by a 3300mAh battery that supports ASUS BoostMaster fast charging and AI charging.

Several Xiaomi Redmi phones to get MIUI 10 in July

By

Michele Ingelido

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Jul 3, 2018

After officially announcing the MIUI 10 with all its features and after starting the beta testing phase and the first updates, Xiaomi has revealed the period in which several of its handsets will be updated to the new user interface based on Android. On June 29, the update already hit several devices from the Mi series, including Xiaomi Mi 8, Xiaomi Mi 8 SE, Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S, Xiaomi Mi Mix 2, Xiaomi Mi Mix, Xiaomi Mi 6X, Xiaomi Mi 5 and Xiaomi Mi Note.

According to the Chinese company, in late July there will be at least 23 phones from the Redmi series which will get the long-awaited MIUI 10 update. We are referring to Xiaomi Redmi S2, Xiaomi Redmi Note 5, Xiaomi Redmi 5, Xiaomi Redmi 5A, Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus, Xiaomi Redmi 4, Xiaomi Redmi 4A, Xiaomi Redmi 4X, Xiaomi Redmi 3S, Xiaomi Redmi 3X, Xiaomi Redmi Pro, Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A, Xiaomi Redmi Note 4, Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X, Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 and more devices which have not been mentioned.

The company may even decide to update up to 33 devices to MIUI 10 in July. That’s a huge amount, even though not all the most recent devices have been mentioned. But it is very evident that Xiaomi’s software support increases every day more.

Xiaomi’s Mi Max 3 (not Pro) gets certified in Taiwan

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jul 3, 2018

Although there is no launch date yet, the Mi Max 3 will likely be heading to Taiwan after launching in Mainland China. Proof comes from the device’ sighting at Taiwan’s NCC.

The listing reveals the model number of the Taiwanese version is M1804E4A which is the same as one of the models that surfaced on TENAA a few weeks ago.

While some sites have reported that this is the Mi Max 3 Pro, the TENAA specs prove otherwise. This model is powered by a 1.8GHz octa-core chipset which is definitely not the rumored Snapdragon 710 powering the Mi Max 3 Pro. The SD710 is clocked at 2.2GHz and the TENAA listing for the MI 8 SE shows that.

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Meizu CEO reveals the Meizu 16 will launch on August 26, tips 8GB+128GB version also coming

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jul 3, 2018

Meizu‘s CEO Huang Zhang has been very generous with details of the flagship Meizu 16. The CEO had hinted that the device will be launched later this month on earlier August. However, a recent chat by Mr Zhang on Meizu’s online community saw him disclosing that the device will be launched precisely on August 26. The CEO is credited to have hinted that the device will be available to buy right after the launch.

Earlier on, Meizu revealed that the device will pack a Snapdragon 845 flagship chip. There are also rumours that the phone will feature an under-display fingerprint scanner and a large tall screen. In addition, the phone is tipped to come with a pressure-sensitive home button under the OLED panel. That because the physical mBack button won’t be on the device due to the full-screen design.

The flagship Meizu 16 is also expected to come with a vapor chamber for cooling and most recently, Zhang revealed that there will be a version with 8GB + 128GB memory. That is likely going to be the topmost variant of the Snapdragon 845-powered variant. Do note that the Meizu 16 will equally have a Lite version that would be powered by a Snapdragon 710 chipset but devoid of the under-display fingerprint scanner. We still have to wait until Meizu officially rolls out the invitation to the launch.

(source)