CES Asia kicked off today and the big names in the Chinese mobile industry are in attendance. Huawei had a conference today and it announced some new features coming to its devices including the newly announced GPU Turbo.
The Huawei Mate 10 series will be the first to receive the GPU Turbo update. Huawei’s GPU Turbo increases the processing power of the GPU by up to 60% while reducing power consumption by 30%. The new feature was announced last week and comes with the Honor Play smartphone.
Since most of Huawei’s devices use in-house chipsets, they have found a way to push the feature to its other phones via a software update. The update will arrive on the Mate 10 by the end of this month.
Huawei also announced other devices getting the feature and the time frame. Below are the supported devices and when they will get the update:
June – Mate 10, Honor V10
July – P20 Series, Mate RS Porsche Design, Nova 2s, Honor 10, MediaPad M5
August – Nova 3e, Enjoy 8 Plus, Enjoy 7S, Maimang 6, Honor 9 Lite, Honor Play 7X
September – Mate 9 Series
October – P10 Series, Honor 9, Honor V9
November – Other Huawei devices not mentioned above
Huawei also announced some new features coming to the Mate 10. First, the Mate 10 series will support cloud computing starting June 26. It will then receive the EMUI 8.1 update in mid-July which will bring 960fps slow-motion recording.
ASUS ZenFone 5Z that was announced at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 tech trade show in February is one of the first smartphones to be driven by Snapdragon 845 mobile platform. It was unveiled alongside the ZenFone 5 and ZenFone 5Q that have been recently made available for buying. During the MWC 2018 event, the Taiwanese company had confirmed that the ZenFone 5Z flagship phone will be made available for buying in June this year. Staying true to its promise, ASUS has confirmed through its Japanese Twitter account that the release of ZenFone 5Z (ZS620KL) is June 15.
The ZenFone 5Z features a metallic frame flanked between glass panels on both sides. It houses a 6.2-inch IPS LCD display that produces Full HD+ resolution of 2246 x 1080 pixels and a screen-to-body ratio of 90 percent.
The Snapdragon 845 chipset powers the smartphone. It comes in multiple variants such as 64 GB storage + 4 GB RAM, 128 GB storage + 6 GB RAM and 256 GB storage + 8 GB RAM. The handset also features a microSD card slot.
The rear panel of the ZenFone 5Z has a vertical dual cameras setup that includes a Sony IMX363 16-megpixel sensor with f/1.8 aperture and a 120-degree wide-angle lens as secondary sensor. For selfies, it features an 8-megapixel camera that is placed inside the notch of the phone. The 5Z is preinstalled with Android 8.0 Oreo.
The ZenFone 5Z is also equipped with dual speakers, dual NEX Smart Amp and Hi-Res audio. It is equipped with connectivity features such as dual-SIM support, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GPS, USB-C and 3.5mm audio jack. The rear panel of the ZenFone 5Z is equipped with a fingerprint scanner. The handset is fueled by 3,300mAh battery that carries support for fast charging.
Meteor Sliver and Midnight Blue are the two color variants of the ZenFone 5Z. At the launch event of the phone, the Taiwanese firm had confirmed a pricing of 479 euros (~$562) Probably, it belongs to the lowest configuration edition of the 5Z.
Last month, Samsung had launched four mid-range phones in India including the Galaxy J8. The other phones such as Galaxy A6, Galaxy A6+ and Galaxy J6 have been readily made available for buying, but the Galaxy J8 is scheduled to hit the market in the coming month. A conflicting report claims it may release in India on June 20. The smartphone is expected to arrive in multiple markets like Russia and Thailand. Now that the Galaxy J8 that has a model number of SM-J810Y/DS has been certified by National Communications Commission (NCC) in Taiwan, it appears that the handset will be soon heading to Taiwanese market. The NCC certification has also revealed some live images of the Galaxy J8 before its official release.
Samsung India has already confirmed the specifications of the Galaxy J8 smartphone. The handset features 18.5:9 aspect ratio supporting S-AMOLED Infinity Display of 6 inches. It produces an HD+ screen resolution of 720 x 1480 pixels. The live images of the Galaxy J8 confirms that it has a tall aspect ratio supporting screen. The top bezel of the phone features a selfie camera along with its LED flash.
The rear side of the Galaxy J8’s polycarbonate body has a dual camera setup and just below it is the fingerprint scanner. A 3.5mm headphone jack and a microUSB 2.0 port are available on the bottom edge of the phone. The usual buttons for volume controller, power key and the SIM card slot are located on the edges of the handset. Apart from the device, Samsung will be including an earphone, a USB cable and a charger adapter inside the box package of the Galaxy J8.
The Samsung Galaxy J8 mid-range phone is driven by Snapdragon 450 and 4 GB of RAM. It has an inbuilt storage of 64 GB and a microSD card slot for more storage. The J8 is preloaded with Android 8.0 Oreo. It is packed with a 3,000mAh battery.
The handset borrows the 16-megapixel with f/1.7 aperture + 5-megapixel with f/1.9 aperture dual camera setup from the Galaxy A6+. The J8 is equipped with a selfie camera of 24-megapixel. It will be hitting the Indian market with a price tag of Rs. 18,990 (~$280) and in color options like black, gold and blue.
OPPO and Vivo are smartphone brands belong China’s BBK Electronics. Both the Chinese firms have mainly concentrated on launching upper mid-range and affordable smartphones in the recent years. However, these companies have decided to launch flagship phones in this year. In fact, Vivo has already unveiled the Vivo NEX smartphone with some advanced features. The handset is fitted with a massive notch-less 6.59-inch S-AMOLED display that produces a screen-to-body ratio of 91.24 percent. It seems that the OPPO Find X that is scheduled to debut on Tuesday in the coming week could be a good competitor for the Vivo NEX as it is also expected to arrive with some topnotch specifications. A recently released teaser reveals that OPPO Find X may rival with Vivo NEX in the display department by delivering a full screen experience through its large-sized display.
The text present on the below teaser reads claims that the OPPO Find X will deliver a comprehensive full screen experience. The TENAA listing of the alleged Find X smartphone has revealed that it is equipped with a 6.4-inch display. Also, rumors surrounding the screen of the phone suggests that it may feature a notch-enabled OLED display with dual edge curved design as seen on Samsung’s flagship phone smartphones.
Like the Vivo NEX, all the sensors of the Find X could be embedded under its display. The handset is also expected to bring back the breathing light indicator for notifications. The feature was seen on the Find 7 smartphone that was unveiled in 2014.
Even on the specs department, the Find X will be on par with NEX smartphone as the company has already confirmed that it features Snapdragon 845, 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of inbuilt storage. Some of the stellar features that are expected to be available on the Find X include 3D facial recognition, dual cameras with 5x loseless zoom, Super VOOC fast charging, in-display fingerprint scanner and support for 5G connectivity.
Since the official launch date of June 19 is nearly a week away, OPPO will continue to build hype around Find X by releasing teasers. The launch event is scheduled to take place at The Louvre in Paris, France on the said date at 8:45 PM (GMT+2).
Keeping your home clean and tidy can prove to be a backbreaking task sometimes. Although there’s no dearth of products that claim to help you take care of a myriad of your household chores including cleaning, these appliances are usually inefficient.
Bearing that in mind, Xiaomi created the Robot Vacuum Cleaner 2 that boasts a broad range of jaw-dropping specs and features that truly help you keep your home spanking clean. On the downside, the Xiaomi branded vacuum cleaner doesn’t come cheap.
You’d normally have to shell out $757.89 in order to get your hands on the power-packed Smart Robot Vacuum Cleaner 2nd Generation on LightInTheBox. But much to the delight of budget-conscious buyers who aren’t willing to spend that kind of money on a vacuum cleaner, the Beijing-based international online retail company is offering a significant 44% off on the device’s original asking price.
The Mi Robot Vacuum Cleaner comes with a double cleaning, 2-in-1 Sweep, and Mop feature wherein the device first sweeps and then mops the floor. Furthermore, the Laser Distance Sensor ( LDS ) enables the device to inspect its surroundings at 360 degrees at 360 degrees, a whopping 1800 times per second.
Thanks to its powerful vacuum system which draws its juices from a robust 5200mAh battery, the robot vacuum cleaner leaves no traces of dust, debris, granules or any other wastes in your house. As if that weren’t enough, the device boasts a super powerful 2000Pa suction that absorbs debris, steel beads, soybeans, dust, millet, and a slew of other wastes.
If you’re interested in grabbing the deal offered by LightInTheBox, you can follow this link. Note that the discount is valid only for the white color version of the Robot Vacuum Cleaner 2.
If you’re a UMIDIGI fan that has restlessly been waiting to get your hands on the recently unveiled Z2 phablet without breaking the bank, we have good news for you. GearBest is doling out a noteworthy 21% off on the phone’s retail price for a limited period of time.
While the UMIDIGI Z2 would normally set you back $299.99 on GearBest, the site is offering the long-awaited flagship at a discounted price of $249.99. In other words, GearBest is giving cost-conscious buyers an opportunity to save $50.
The aforesaid discount will be valid for the black, twilight, and twilight black color versions of the flagship. Regrettably, there were only 198 pieces for the Flash Sale price left at the time of writing.
Sporting a mammoth 6.2-inches IPS, LCD, FHD+ display with a screen resolution of 2284 x 1080 pixels, the UMIDIGI Z2 is an irresistible phablet. The device is powered by a MediaTek Helio P23 MT6763V, 64-bit processor and packs a PowerVR GT71 MP2, 700MHz, 2-Cores GPU, under the hood.
The Z2 is housed in an aluminum alloy and glass body. It offers 6GB of LPDDR4X, 1600MHz RAM along with 64GB of onboard memory that can further be expanded up to 256GB.
On the photography front, the UMIDIGI Z2 phablet houses a 16MP+8MP dual-camera setup with dual-LED flash and AF on the back. Up front, there’s a 16MP+8MP dual camera for selfies and face-to-face video chatting.
The Z2 runs Android 8.1 Oreo operating system and is backed by a 3850mAh Li-Poly (Lithium Polymer) battery. Apart from that, the device boasts a broad range of useful sensors including an ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, gyroscope, accelerometer, and a geomagnetic sensor.
On the downside, the promo is slated to end on Monday, June 18th. If you’re interested in grabbing the deal before it ends, head straight to this link.
In the previous month, Samsung had showcased its sound-emitting display concept at the Society of Information Displays (SID) 2018. The concept does not feature an earpiece. Instead, the vibration and bone conduction of the display panel carries out the purpose of an earpiece. Since the device does not feature an earpiece, the upper and lower bezels can be reduced further to house a larger screen. Citing industry sources, a South Korean publication has claimed that Samsung and LG will be using this advanced screen technology on flagship smartphones releasing next year.
The exact size of the sound-emitting display that Samsung may use on its 2019 flagships is 6.2 inches. The publication claims that even LG is prepping to launch flagship phones with such a technology in the coming year. The Galaxy S9+ has a 6.2-inch display. It may so happen that Samsung may use the sound integrated 6.2-inch display in a more compact body on the upcoming Galaxy S10. The smartphone may still feature a slightly thick upper bezel as it is expected to house 3D sensing camera and iris scanner.
The transmission bandwidth of the sound integrated display is between a range of 100 and 800 Hz. The fine vibrations make it possible to hear the sound only when the user places his on a wide arear at the top portion of display. Vivo NEX that offers a huge screen space of 91.24 percent has all its sensors embedded under its display. The smartphone also uses a similar sound-emitting display which is dubbed as Screen SoundCasting technology by Vivo.
LG’s Crystal Sound OLED TVs and LED lights are also equipped with sound-emitting screen. The South Korean company is now gearing up to make this technology available on its flagship phones. A recent report had revealed that the LG G8 arriving next year may feature a 4K LCD display, but there is no confirmation whether sound sensors will be placed under its screen.
Yesterday, Xiaomi had unveiled the Redmi 6 and Redmi 6A smartphones fueled by MediaTek SoCs in China. Due to a case filed by Ericsson in 2014, Xiaomi is barred from launching phones powered by MediaTek chipsets in India. After the 2014 verdict, Xiaomi has been launching only Snapdragon chipset powered phones in India. However, now that the companies involved in the legal battle have reached a settlement, India will soon MediaTek powered phones from Xiaomi. Probably, Xiaomi may begin by launching the Redmi 6 and 6A phones in India.
During the recently held Computex 2018 event, David Ku who is the Chief Financial Officer with MediaTek had revealed that the lawsuit filed by Ericsson on Xiaomi has been settled and the latter is allowed to use MediaTek chipsets on phones heading to India. He even added that Xiaomi will be soon launching a MediaTek chipset-based smartphone in India. However, he refrained from revealing the name of the MediaTek SoC powered phone that will be debuting soon in India.
The Redmi Note 4 from 2016 is the last Xiaomi phone featuring a MediaTek chipset. This edition was launched in China. As far as India is concerned, the first-generation Redmi Note that was launched in 2014 with MT6592 SoC onboard is the last MediaTek powered phone for the country.
The recently unveiled Xiaomi Redmi 6 is one of the first smartphones to feature the new 10nm Helio P22 SoC designed for mid-range phones. Also, the Redmi 6A is the first phone ever to be driven by the new Helio A22 SoC. With the lawsuit settled, it appears that Redmi 6 and Redmi 6A arriving in India may not feature Snapdragon SoCs.
As of this writing, there is no information on when the Chinese manufacturer will be bringing Redmi 6 and 6A phones to the Indian market. India had received the Redmi 5A in November 2017 and Redmi 5 in March this year. Hence, the Indian arrival of Redmi 6 and 6A could be few months away.
Would you be interested in buying a Xiaomi phone with MediaTek SoC? Share us your views by adding your comments below.
Earlier this year in January, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Hisense announced its lineup of smart Android TVs — HiSense H9E Plus 4k TVs, along with a number of other Hisense TVs including H10E TV, H6E-series, and the H8E-series.
Now, the company has announced that the H9E Plus 4K TVs are now available to purchase in the United States directly from the company’s website, as well as from Walmart and Best Buy. Hisense has revealed that two models are currently available for purchase.
One of the two models is the 55-inch model (55H9100E Plus), which is the more affordable option as it carries a price tag of $699.99 MSRP price, while on the other hand, the larger 65-inch model (65H9100E Plus) comes with a price tag of $1,199.99.
As said, these 4K-enabled TV sets come loaded with Android TV as the main interface and also features Google Assistant. This enables users to take advantage of Google TV to browse content and control using Google Assistant. It also syncs seamlessly with Google Home while helping users personalize their entertainment with a huge suite of compatible apps.
Further, it comes with Hisense TV exclusive built-in 2018 FIFA World Cup Edition app which offers five live 4K HDR video feeds, highlights from 32 potential camera angles, on-demand match replays and FOX’s gripping documentary series “Phenoms,” which chronicles the journey of soccer’s biggest rising stars.
Besides 4K and smart features, the H9E Plus line features Dolby Vision HDR and HDR10 support (which varies depending on model), along with Motion Rate 240, UHD upscaling, and sound tuned by Harman Kardon, depending on the model.
In terms of design, the TV comes with a bezel-less design and for connectivity, it has four HDMI ports, two USB ports, and Bluetooth audio out. For those who aren’t happy with the Google Assistant smart home ecosystem, both H9E models are also said to support Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant as well.
Huawei and Samsung had locked horns in legal battles since 2016. Huawei filed two separate lawsuits against Samsung, one was filed in the U.S while the second one was filed in China. Both suits bother on Samsung’s alleged use of Huawei’ technology without a license.
The lawsuit raises our consciousness to the emerging leadership of the Chinese justice system in adjudicating patent laws infringement. The leadership role just happens to be the fast and reliable manner in which the case was decided. Huawei alleged that Samsung used its cellular communications technology without authorisation and has unreasonably delayed entering into a licencing agreement. Samsung has denied the allegations and accused Huawei of seeking “grossly” inflated licencing fees. However, a Chinese court found Samsung liable and issued an order blocking Samsung’s Chinese affiliates from manufacturing and selling 4G LTE smartphones in China.
This is the first time this kind of situation is propping up, according to Beijing lawyer, Erick Robinson who was once Qualcomm’s Asia patent director. Since the U.S court in yet to rule on the matter, the enforcement of the law becomes an issue. However, the U.S judge had instructed that Huawei shouldn’t enforce the ruling it won against Samsung in China because it would essentially force Samsung to accept Huawei’s demands for licencing fees. But there are doubts if Huawei has the power to halt the enforcement of the judgement since the court has the powers to enforce it. According to Richard Vary, a lawyer in London and former head of litigation for Nokia, “Chinese courts have risen from being the “fourth or fifth” jurisdiction a global company would consider for patent litigation. Now it is the second after the US and has perhaps even moved up ahead of the US so that now you consider it your key forum.”
The influence the Chinese Communist government may have on the judiciary cannot be ignored. But where there isn’t undue meddlesomeness, China’s courts could be the next destination for filing patent lawsuits since it may take lesser time before justice is served.
Lately, smartphone manufacturers have begun including DxOMark scores in the marketing for their phones. Huawei and Xiaomi are two manufacturers that come to mind. However, some people have come to take the camera rating with a pinch of salt saying the reviews are influenced. Want to know DxoMark’s take on the matter?
Speaking in an interview with AndroidHeadlines, the marketing VP of DxOMark Labs, Nicolas Touchard, revealed that they had received money offers “many times” from both phone and camera makers. However, he was quick to dismiss them as bribes saying that those who offered money were those who had never worked with them before and didn’t understand how they operate.
So, in a nutshell, DxOMark has never accepted money for a review and would likely never do so in future. Mr. Touchard also said in the interview that they have their own schedule for reviews and “are not obliged to do any and don’t want to be obliged in future”. He added that once the manufacturers understood how things were done, they made adjustments.
DxOMark will continue to publish its camera reviews and will not charge for viewing the reviews. Nevertheless, manufacturers can hire them for consulting and seminar services probably like OnePlus did for the OnePlus 5. They can also buy its modular lab configuration tool called the DxO Analyzer to calculate the rating on their own.
A smartphone is not all about performance. A device can be super fast and reach blazing speeds even with the heaviest apps, but if it provides a poor user experience under other points of view such as camera, display and battery life, then it may still be a poor device. According to a report by AnTuTu, Sony Xperia XZ Premium is the highest-rated Android smartphone in the world in May 2018.
Users rated it high at 96% and, despite it not being among the best-selling smartphones, it has reached the first place in the ranking. The element which contributed the most to this high rating seems to be the Motion Eye technology which allows the Sony Xperia XZ Premium to record in super slow motion. Another positive element is the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 which provides stunning performances in both every day use and heavy apps or multi-tasking.
Remember the promotional video released by Nokia back in January 2017 when the Nokia 6 was launched in China? In case you don’t remember, the video showed the Nokia 6 being used to crack a bag of walnut one after the other. Amazingly, the Nokia 6 display didn’t crack during the entire episode. Xiaomi seems to have adopted the same test to convince her fans that the Redmi 6 display screen is durable.
A short video clip showing the Redmi 6 being used to crack open three walnut seeds was shared by Xiaomi’s president Lin Bin. The test was done by Lin Bin himself and indeed the Redmi 6’s display screen came out of the short episode unscathed.
The Redmi 6 is a budget smartphone and according to the launch details, it features a5.45-inch IPS LCD display. There is no Gorilla Glass on top, neither does the device have a 2.5D glass screen. So, the survival of the screen could be pointing at a more durable display panel. Xiaomi’s phone screens don’t have a reputation for being durable. I own a Redmi 4 and a Redmi Note 4X. It only took a single fall in both cases for the screens to get cracked. There are several users with similar experiences. But then, these are relatively cheap models and we shouldn’t expect so much from them.
In this case, Xiaomi assures of the quality of the phone. It was revealed during the launch that the Redmi model passed a total of 14571 quality tests and is in the same quality standard as the Mi flagship series. Also, there was a strict screening of suppliers with over 70% of them on the same level as Apple (FOXCONN) parts suppliers. You can check out the video from above.
Xiaomi has finally unveiled the affordable Redmi 6 and Redmi 6A and they didn’t disappointment after all. Recall that we had seen renders alleged to be those of the Redmi 6 Plus and the display had the notch design to the chagrin of “notch haters” who can’t bear to see another smartphone with such design. Thankfully, the Redmi 6 and 6A don’t have any cutout on their display and the notch-bearing Redmi 6 Plus wasn’t announced today. Here are some official pictures of the Redmi models showing the entire design.
The Redmi 6 and 6A are successors to the Redmi 5A and Redmi 5 but their designs are hardly similar. One star difference is that the Redmi 5 presented with a 5.7-inch IPS LCD display with 18:9 aspect ratio but the REdmi 6 comes with a smaller 5.45-inch display. The display isn’t really small but the 18:9 aspect ratio gives it a portable frame. Both models adopt dual camera setups at their rear with the Redmi 6 equally packing a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. The Redmi 6 also comes with a metal body while the 6A utilises plastic for its back panel. Both models shun the design where the speaker grills are placed at the bottom edge but instead, their own grills are located at the back.
The Redmi 6 comes with an AI dual camera comprised of a 12MP primary sensor and a 5MP depth of field sensor. The dual camera offers stunning portrait shots and background blur. Xiaomi did share some camera samples captured using the Redmi 6 dual camera and the pictures are pretty impressive for a budget phone. Check out more pictures of the device and the Redmi 6 camera samples from below. You can also get more details of the models from our launch article here.
Huawei announced an Internet of Vehicles platform called OceanConnect IoV at CeBIT 2018 Expo yesterday. The platform, according to Huawei, is built on IoT, cloud computing, and Big Data.
Huawei says its OceanConnect IoV platform supports mainstream IoT standards in the smart home and connected car fields such as Z-Wave, ZigBee, Allseen, and its own HiLink home network standard.
OceanConnect’s support for multiple network environments and quick access of all types of smart devices helps partners reduce development cost.
Its ecosystem partners include some of the big names in the industry like Bosch, Philips for smart home; Chainway, TimaNetworks, and Holmer for connected cars; and Innotek, and Neusoft for smart cities.
Today, at a launch event in China, Vivo has announced its much-anticipated smartphones — Vivo NEX. The Vivo NEX is the production version of the Vivo Apex smartphone that was showcased by the China-based company during the Mobile World Congress.
The smartphone comes with a 6.59-inch Super AMOLED Ultra FullView “Zero Screen” Display with a screen-to-body ratio of 91.24 percent and 2316 x 1080 pixels screen resolution. All the sensors on the device are hidden under the display. Instead of an earpiece, the phone comes with a Screen SoundCasting Technology which promises better bass and softer treble.
Because of the narrow bezels surrounding the display, Vivo had to come up with a unique solution for the front-facing camera. And thus, one of the highlights of the phone is that it comes with a pop-up front-facing camera. The 8-megapixel front-facing snapper automatically rises and hides on opening and closing camera app, and also makes a sound to notify the user. The company says that it uses micro-stepping motors with independent drive ICs and precision control algorithms to precisely control this process.
The device features a third-generation in-display fingerprint scanning technology, which according to the company increases the screen unlock time by 10 percent and increases the overall experience of phone unlocking. On the back side, there’s a dual camera setup which consists of 12-megapixel sensors, primary being a Sony IMX363 sensor with 1.4μm pixels, f/1.8 aperture, and four-axis optical image stabilization and a 5-megapixel secondary sensor with f/2.4 aperture.
The phone also has Vivo Game Engine, which is made in partnership with Tencent Games. It aims to provide an immersive gaming experience based on software and hardware optimization and is also optimized to run games made using Unreal Engine. Further, the Vivo NEX also features 7.1-channel 3D audio, thanks to dtsX partnership. It also has Vivo Hi-Fi V1 System In Package technology for hi-fi quality sound through earphones.
The Vivo NEX smartphone comes in three variants. The high-end model, dubbed as Vivo NEX S, is powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 845 processor along with Adreno 630 GPU, 8GB RAM, and 256GB internal storage. The mid-end variant has the same specs as that of the highest-end variant except for the internal storage as it packs 128GB storage.
The cheapest variant among the three, which is called Vivo NEX A, comes powered by Qualcomm’s recently launched Snapdragon 710 SoC, along with 6GB RAM, and 128GB of internal storage. All three models are powered by a 4,000mAh battery with 22.5W fast charging support. Connectivity options on the devices include Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz / 5GHz) 2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth 5 LE, GPS + GLONASS, and USB Type-C.
Further, the smartphones come equipped with the company’s own personal voice assistant — Jovi, which works on artificial intelligence technology. It supports several functionalities such as smart map reading, encyclopedia, shopping, translation, scanning, and screen recognition among others.
Vivo says that Jovi will keep learning based on the understanding of the user actions. There’s a dedicated button on the side of the camera that triggers Jovi AI voice assistant on the long-press action. The company says that it has established AI joint laboratories with partners with an aim to provide a brand new user experience through AI intelligence.
The smartphone comes with Vivo’s newly designed custom user interface Energy UI with AI technology, running on top of Android Oreo operating system out of the box. Further, the device also supports engine-level SDK optimization, HPUE technology antenna layout, and a zero-sensor cooling system.
The Vivo NEX will be available in two color options — Diamond Black and Ruby Red. The high-end model with 8GB RAM is priced at 4,998 Yuan, which roughly converts to $780 while the mid-range device costs 4,498 Yuan (approximately $702). On the other hand, the cheapest variant with SD710 costs 3,898 Yuan which roughly converts to $609. Pre-0rders for the smartphone starts from tomorrow in China.
On paper, the newly-announced Asus ROG Phones dedicated to gamers is the most powerful Android smartphone ever released. It is the only one to boast an overclocked version of the best Qualcomm’s chipset: the octa-core Snapdragon 845. This overclocked variant is able to reach a peak clock frequency of 2.96 GHz (the standard SD845 goes up to 2.8 GHz — about 6 percent less). The only better chipset by Qualcomm is the Snapdragon 850, but it has just been unveiled and it is dedicated to Windows PCs. Now, the flagship has just been tested on Geekbench, and it has obtained outstanding results. According to the known benchmarking platform, Asus ROG Phone is the best Android smartphone in terms of performance, and not only on paper.
The handset has scored 2547 points in single-core performance and 9534 points in multi-core, over-classing every other Android device out there, including Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S, Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus and OnePlus 6. The overclocked Snapdragon 845 on the ASUS ROG Phone is paired with 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB of internal UFS storage. Its display has a size of 6 inches and it shows images at a Full HD+ resolution. It also has a 90 Hz refresh rate which will be very useful for gamers, even though it does not reach 120 Hz like the Razer Phone.
ASUS ROG Phone is the only handset to be equipped with 3 USB Type-C ports so that you can charge your phone while you are using accessories such as earphones or external gamepads. Given that we are talking about accessories, the Taiwanese company has also launched four gadgets for the ASUS ROG Phones which can enhance your gaming experience. They include the AeroActive Cooler, a clip-on cooling fan which can be controlled through a dedicated app. There is the Gamevice Gamepad with physical buttons, the TwinView Pedestal which adds a secondary 6-inch display such as Nintendo 3DS, and the Mobile Desktop Dock to turn the smartphone into a PC. You can read all about the ASUS ROG Gaming Phone from our launch coverage here!
The known European carrier Vodafone has launched a new line-up of affordable phones: Vodafone Smart N9 and N9 Lite. These devices have been launched in the U.K. (Vodafone’s homeland) and several other nations, they belong to the low-end sector and they are available to purchase through various payment solutions to fit the needs of everyone who has a low budget. As you probably understood when you read their names, the first device is the most expensive and it features a 5.5-inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The panel has an HD+ resolution of 720 x 1440 pixels. Under the hood, Vodafone N9 Smart sports an entry-level MediaTek MT6739 CPU paired with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage.
The main camera is a 13 MP sensor, and under the camera, there are a LED flash and a circular fingerprint reader. The front snapper has an 8 MP resolution and it is paired with a LED flash as well, while the battery has a sufficient 2900 mAh capacity. The handset has a cheap polycarbonate design, but this does not mean that it’s not attractive. In the U.K. it is available for just £109. Vodafone Smart N9 Lite has a smaller 5.34-inch display but it retains the 18:9 aspect ratio and the HD+ resolution. The SoC is the same, but the amount of RAM is just 1 GB.
The rear camera has an 8 MP resolution, while the secondary one has a 5 MP sensor and ditches the LED flash. Even the battery is smaller with a capacity of 2460 mAh. Note that, despite the fact they are made of plastic, these devices are solid durable, according to the carrier. The N9 Lite is available for just £85; in the U.K. it is also possible to get these handsets for free with a monthly plan which starts from £32/month. Other monthly plans are available in other nations such as Italy, where you can get them for just €3 per month after an initial payment of €60 and €20, respectively.
Xiaomi took the wraps off the Mi 8 models only recently and the Mi 8SE turned out to be an extremely popular model among the trio. The popularity of the Mi 8SE may not be unconnected with the affordable price tag it adopts. There are indications that the Mi 8SE will launch in India but with a different moniker.
According to Beebom, the Mi 8SE will be launched in India as Mi 8i and the launch will allegedly take place in July. The tipster didn’t reveal any further details. However, we expect the Mi 8SE or Mi 8i to hit India with an unchanged specs lineup with the Chinese version.
As a reminder, the Mi 8SE is the first smartphone worldwide to launch with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 chipset. The device comes with a 5.88-inch AMOLED display with a notch and an 18.7:9 aspect ratio. The display has a resolution of 2244 x 1080 pixel while the device has an 86.12% screen to body ratio. The design is similar to that of the Mi 8 which includes a notch display design. the screen resolution is 2244 x 1080 pixel while the device has an 86.12% screen to body ratio. The device also packs a glass back panel housing a dual camera setup and a fingerprint scanner at the middle. The device is available in 4GB+ 64GB and 6GB + 64GB versions. The supposed Mi 8i price shouldn’t be too different from that of the Mi 8SE which starts at 1799 yuan (~$280) for the 4GB + 64GB version while the 6GB + 64GB version comes in at 1999 yuan(~$312).
If you live in Spain and have been waiting for the Redmi S2, we have good news for you. Xiaomi’s mid-range selfie king is now available in Spain sort of.
The Redmi S2 first launched in China about a month ago before heading to Indonesia shortly after. Last week, it launched in India as the Redmi Y2.
The Redmi S2 packs a 5.99-inch HD+ display. It is powered by the Snapdragon 625 chipset – the same SoC in the Mi A1, Redmi 5 Plus and lots of other Xiaomi phones. The version available in Spain comes with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage.
The highlights of the phone are its cameras. A 16MP sensor sits above the display with its own LED flash. It can shoot portrait photos and comes with AI features that help your selfies pop. There is a 12MP + 5MP dual camera combo on the rear.
Other features of the Redmi S2 include a 3080mAh battery, a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, an IR sensor, and a 3.5mm audio jack. It also has dual-SIM support (nano only) and a dedicated MicroSD card slot. The Spanish version of the Redmi S2 has support for LTE bands 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 20, 38, and 40.
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