Preorder Elephone S7 Smartphone For Only $99.99 On Banggood

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Jul 5, 2018

At the launch of the Lenovo Z5 last month, the electronics maker also announced a new hybrid smartwatch – the Lenovo Watch X. Starting today, the new smartwatch will now be available for purchase.

The Watch X is an advanced version of the Watch 9 it announced this year. Unlike the latter, the Watch X, in addition to having a mechanical dial, also has a small OLED screen where it displays parameters like the heart rate, resting heart rate, and air pressure (Plus version).

For the Watch X, Lenovo uses 316L surgical grade steel for the body of the watch and a sapphire crystal watch face. It also ditches the silicone straps of the Watch 9 for a Milanese strap with a magnetic clasp. An optional leather strap variant is also expected to be available later.

The Watch X is waterproof, has a 6-axis sensor, and displays its readings in real-time. The watch hands and markings of the mechanical dial are luminous so you can view the time in the dark. Since it measures more parameters than the Watch 9 and has an OLED screen, its battery life is shorter. Lenovo says it will last 45 days on a single charge.

The watch connects via Bluetooth and works with the same Lenovo Watch app as the Watch 9. It’s waterproof, has a sedentary reminder, a find-your-phone feature, and vibrates when you receive a notification.

Xiaomi Mi Band 3 update brings phone mute & world cup match reminder features

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Jul 5, 2018

Xiaomi Mi Band 3 is turning out to be way more popular than its predecessor. The fitness tracker comes with a good number of new features in addition to a refined design. Xiaomi has now pushed an update that provides some added features.

One of the features has earlier been announced as coming and it is a one-button mute function for Android phones. The feature lets users put their phone in a silent mode right from the smartwatch. So, when in a classroom or meeting and you forgot to turn off your smartphone, that can now be done right from the watch. Al you have to do is to press and hold the capacitive button for a few seconds. In addition, the device is said to have a second new feature and that is “World Cup schedule reminder”. Well, we still got the quarterfinals right through to the finals so his feature may still be important. The schedule can be set on the Mi Fit app and the phone vibrates when it is almost time.

In order to get these two features, you need to update the Mi Fit app with the latest firmware and the features will be available on your app and smartwatch.

(via)

Oppo Find X teardown unmasks the Camera Slider mechanism and other internals

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Jul 4, 2018

BBK subsidiary OPPO recently launched the OPPO Find X after several years of wait for the device which was expected to come with the name Find 9. OPPO already explained why it decided to go for a Find X naming, suggesting that the device’s innovation is endless. One of such innovation is the motorised camera slider which looks more refined than the pop-up camera featured on the Vivo NEX. The slider pops in and out of the back when there is need for a selfie. The presence of a slider design meant the amount of bezels at the top and bottom edges are further trimmed off.

The device has not gotten the teardown treatment which gives us an idea of how the slider works. This is particularly important if you are one of those who are curious to know how it works. The dismantling also shows a durable build hence, OPPO’s claims that it can last for up to 5 years without becoming faulty.

The teardown is carried out by by the guys at Chinese blog, ZOL and it shows off all the inner components of the Find X. In looks he Find X camera slider is different from the NEX but in functionality, it is the same principle. The device has an actuator in the centre of the handset that lifts and lowered the camera slider. The teardown show the presence of a ‘dual-track’ periscope structure that is made up of a motor, some cables, and a couple of other parts. Furthermore, there are cushioning on the tracks to make sure the slide up and down is smooth. All the components together enable the section to pop up for capturing images, facial recognition, and calls.

In addition, the teardown pictures also reveal the number of sensors and other features crammed into the periscope section. The sensors up there includes the front camera, facial recognition sensors, an earpiece, and the main cameras. Also, the dual-track periscope structure does not use a spring since it has a component that functions as a cushion. The teardown post noted that the Find X has one of the “most complicated” structures among most Android phones.The device is held in place by a total of 41 screws but the workmanship is highly rated coupled with a good heat dissipation mechanism.

Samsung W2019 will come with dual rear cameras

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Jul 4, 2018

Samsung’s W-series are clamshell phones with flagship specs released for the Chinese market. Last year’s model, the W2018, is the first Samsung phone to have a variable aperture camera. That same technology is used in this year’s Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. This year, Samsung will be bringing a feature already available on some of its other Galaxy phones to the W-series.

Going by the naming scheme for the series, this year’s model should launch as the Samsung W2019, and according to Chinese leaker @MMDJ_, the phone will come with dual rear cameras. This will be a first for the series.

Samsung W2018 — The W2018′ successor, the Samsung W2019 will come with dual rear cameras

He also says the W2019 is currently known internally as “Project Lykan”. Although he doesn’t mention any other specification details, we expect the Samsung W2019 will retain the signature dual displays of the series, pack a Snapdragon 845 processor, and have a fingerprint scanner.

Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro Bali Blue color variant to go on sale in China on July 6

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Jeet

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Jul 4, 2018

Last week, Xiaomi launched its latest mid-range smartphone in China — Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro. The device was launched in multiple color variants, including Rose Gold, Sand Gold, Lake Blue, Black and Flame Red. Now, the company has announced that the Redmi 6 Pro Bali Blue color variant will be available for purchase in China on 6th July at 10:00 AM.

As for the pricing, the Redmi 6 Pro Blue color variant’s 3GB RAM model is priced at 999 Yuan (approximately $151), 4GB RAM + 32GB storage model is priced at 1,199 Yuan (approximately $181) and the 4GB RAM + 64GB storage model will be available for 1,299 Yuan, which roughly converts to $196.

The Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro is the first Redmi-series smartphone to come with a notched display, which seems to be the trend nowadays. It features a 5.84-inch Full HD+ display with 2280 x 1080 pixels screen resolution and 19:9 aspect ratio. Under the hood, the device is powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 625 octa-core processor, clocked up to 2GHz and coupled with the Adreno 506 graphics processor.

The device packs 3GB / 4GB RAM and 32GB / 64GB internal storage. There’s a microSD card slot that supports storage expansion up to 256GB. In terms of optics, there are dual rear cameras on the back – a 12-megapixel f/2.2 1.25um sensor and a 5-megapixel secondary sensor. The front camera has a 5-megapixel sensor with AI portrait mode, AI beauty mode, HDR, and support for AI face unlock feature.

Xiaomi says that the phone’s camera app has an AI portrait mode, bokeh mode, night-scene enhancement, EIS, and HDR. The company adds that the device can record 1080p, 720p and 4800p videos at 30fps and also record 720p slow-motion videos at 120fps.

Connectivity options on the device include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n (dual-band 2.4GHz, 5GHz), Bluetooth v4.2, GPS/ A-GPS, Micro-USB, and 3.5mm headphone jack. It runs on Android Oreo out of the box with Xiaomi’s own MIUI 9 on top. The device is powered by a 4,000mAh battery that comes with support for 5V/2A charging.

Land Rover Explore rugged phone focused on car navigation launches in Europe

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Michele Ingelido

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Jul 4, 2018

The famous 4×4 car manufacturer Land Rover announced its first rugged phone named “Explore” back in February and now, finally, it has been launched in Europe. In case you do not know, it is a very tough phone which can be dropped from heights up to 1.8 meters without any damage. Further, it has the IP68 certification which makes it waterproof: it is possible to submerge it up to 1.8 meters deep, even in saltwater.

Besides having a rugged design, the handset is focused on car navigation as it offers an extra 25 mm ceramic patch GPS antenna which improves the reception and provides more accuracy than classic smartphones’ GPS modules. Land Rover Explore has been manufactured by the same company which makes CAT phones (the most famous rugged mobile devices). It has just been made available to purchase in the U.K. through the official company’s site and the online store Clove.

Its price is £600 + VAT which roughly translates into $792 dollars + VAT. Even Germany is offering it through Saturn, Cyberport, and NotebooksBilliger with a price tag of €650 and a free Adventure Pack (which includes a battery pack). Land Rover Explore is a high-end device powered by the octa-core MediaTek Helio X27 chipset, 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB ROM.

(via)

Xiaomi’s latest crowdfunding product is a Smart Dryer

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Jul 4, 2018

The Mijia crowdfunding platform keeps adding new items every week. At this rate, you can practically buy all you need for a new home on the platform. Its latest product is the Mr. Bond M1 Smart Dryer and it sure is a pretty cool household appliance.

The design of the smart dryer is its biggest selling point. If you live in a small apartment or a block of flats where it isn’t possible to spread your laundry outdoors, then you may want to add the Mr. Bond M1 Smart Dryer to your list of things to buy.

The whole contraption attaches to your ceiling, measuring 1000 x 316 x 73 mm when folded, and 1690 x 496 x 156 mm when fully extended sideways. There are two variants of the dryer – there is the M1 and the M1 Pro. The latter has an electric heating filament and fans that blow hot air to your laundry to dry them faster.

Irrespective of the model, there is a button (wall switch) operated lift that holds the rack and dryer itself. The lift can be extended downwards up to 1200mm at the press of a button while the dryer (M1 Pro) can be extended by hand up to 940mm. Maximum weight of clothes the dryer can hold is 30kg.

Apart from the button that controls the lift, the wall switch also has a button for controlling the LED (available in both models). You can also control the dryer with the Mi Home app. However, there is an additional app feature for the Pro version that lets you set the duration you want the dryer to work.

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The Mr. Bond M1 Smart dryer weighs 8kg (10kg for the Pro). The LED light and lift consumes a total of 153W of power but the Pro version adds an extra 500W when the dryer is in use. In standby mode, the power consumed is 0.9W for both models.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 shines on Geekbench with 8 GB RAM

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Michele Ingelido

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Jul 4, 2018

It seems that Samsung wants to push the Galaxy Note 9 to the top. After some leaks revealed a revamped S Pen as well as other important improvements, the upcoming Samsung flagship has been spotted on Geekbench. The famous benchmarking platform has disclosed the main info regarding the hardware side of the phablet and it has left us surprised. According to Geekbench, the handset will be launched in a variant which would make it the first Samsung phone with 8 GB of RAM. Indeed, the Korean giant has never gone beyond 6 GB RAM for its flagships, and this means that the upcoming phablet may boast monster performances.

The variant of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 spotted on Geekbench is the European one as it features an octa-core Exynos 9810 with a max frequency of 2.8 GHz. U.S. and China will get a different version with Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 inside. This debunks previous rumors which suggested that the 8 GB variant would only launch in Asia and markets outside of Europe. The phablet runs Android 8.1 Oreo and it has obtained impressive scores on Geekbench. The platform shows that it has scored 5162 points in single-core performance and 10704 points in multi-core, that is amazing. However, note that benchmarks are not everything to evaluate the real performance of a smartphone, so we still can not say whether or not it will be the bestperforming Android flagship.

A version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 with 6 GB of RAM has been spotted on Geekbench as well, so the handset will probably launch in Europe in various configurations with different price tags. The benchmarking platform lists the device with the model number SM-N960F. According to latest leaks, the Note 9 will launch in at least five color variants: black, gray, purple, brown and blue. It will be officially announced during an event which will be held on August 9.

(via)

Meizu 16 and 16 Plus leaked with in-display fingerprint reader, different bezels thickness

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Michele Ingelido

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Jul 4, 2018

Meizu 16 and 16 Plus are set to be unveiled in late August as the most impressive Meizu flagships of the year. Today, a new photo leaked on Twitter shows us a part of the front panel of the upcoming top-end devices, and it lets us notice important details about its display. First of all, the two devices shown in the photo have a slightly different design. We suppose that the one on the left is the Plus version as it seems bigger and it has a narrower bezel on the lower part, while the one on the right should be the standard version.

It is easy to notice the presence of an in-display fingerprint reader on the alleged Plus variant as there is a fingerprint icon on the display. Meizu 16 and 16 Plus have a sleek metal frame which houses a USB Type-C port and two grilles, probably one for the speaker and another for the microphone. At least on the Plus variant, bezels seem to be narrower than the Galaxy S9 line-up and this matches with recent declarations of the company’s CEO and founder Jack Wong. Given the presence of an in-display fingerprint reader, it is kinda sure that the Meizu 16 Plus will feature an AMOLED display as this technology only works with OLED panels.

Even though they will have narrow bezels and their screen-to-body ratio will be high, the two devices will not feature a notch but a classic 18:9 panel. Under the hood, both Meizu 16 and 16 Plus will sport an octa-core Snapdragon 845 SoC, the best chipset by Qualcomm which can run at a max frequency of 2.8 GHz. Recently, Jack Wong has implicitly hinted at the fact that the most powerful version of the new flagships will not cost more than 4000 Yuan, which roughly translates into $514 at the actual change.

(via)

Samsung Galaxy J7 Aero Visits Geekbench

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Jul 4, 2018

A new Samsung phone was benchmarked on Geekbench today. The phone which has model number SM-J737V will reportedly launch as the Galaxy J7 Aero.

The Geekbench listing reveals the phone is powered by an Exynos 7885 chipset. This is the same one in 2018’s Galaxy A8 and A8+. it also has 2GB of RAM and runs Android 8.0 Oreo. For its benchmark scores, the phone scored 1170 points in the single-core test and 4042 in the multi-core test.

Popular leaker, Evan Blass, had revealed earlier this year that a Samsung phone with the same model number will launch as a Verizon device. His tweet also revealed the phone will go by the name Galaxy J7 Aero.

AnTuTu’s Top 10 Android phone benchmark ranking for June places the Vivo NEX ahead of OnePlus 6, Others

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Jul 4, 2018

The first half of the year has seen the launch of a good number of mobile phones, quite a number of them are flagship models. AnTuTu benchmark has now released a list of the top 10 best performing phone that ran through benchmark in the month of June 2018 that just went by. Basically, all the models are powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon845 flagship chip. The scores used to rank the models are the average score of each model based on data collected between June 1 and June 30 and not the single highest score.

Top of the pack is Xiaomi’s Black Shark gaming phone with an average AnTuTu score of 287,759. Recall that the gaming phone comes with an overclocked processor hence the higher score. The Black Shark phone is followed by the recently launched Vivo NEX bezel-less phone. The NEX equally comes with an SD 845 chipset and polled an average score of 284227. The NEX came ahead o0f the OnePlus 6 which occupied the third spot with an average score of 282,275.

Xiaomi’s latest flagship Mi 8 is at the fourth spot averaging a score of 273221 on AnTuTu. At the fifth spot is he Smartisan R1 with a 273152 average score. Samsung Galaxy S9+ with an average score of 262561 is at the sixth spot while the Mi Mix 2s falls to the seventh spot. At the eighth position is the Galaxy S9 with a 261918 score while the Xperia XZ2 with 251387 points is at the ninth spot. Finally, the Nubia Red Magic gaming phone comes in at the tenth spot with an average AnTuTu benchmark run score of 214580. The score of the Red Magic gaming phone is the only one with a significant difference from the others.

If you take note, the OPPO Find X isn’t on the list not because it didn’t perform up to any of the ten but because the device is yet to b available in the market. Thus, there isn’t any data for the device on AnTuTu’s database.

China is next for the ASUS Zenfone 5Z, Appears on TENAA

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Jul 4, 2018

The ASUS Zenfone 5Z was announced in February but didn’t go on sale until last month. It first went on sale in Taiwan and then Europe. Today, it has also launched in India. It appears its next stop is China.

The Zenfone 5Z may be launching in China soon as the device has been seen on TENAA’s website. The specs are the same and it will be available in all three variants.

ASUS’ Zenfone 5Z is one of the cheapest Snapdragon 845 smartphones in the market at the moment. In Europe and India, the phone sells for less than the OnePlus 6. ASUS will most likely keep to that low-price tag in China too.

FCC filing hints at Bluetooth LE capabilities on the new Galaxy Note 9 S Pen

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Jul 4, 2018

It is already confirmed that the Galaxy Note 9 will meet with us on August 9. As expected, the rumour mills will keep buzzing until the device is finally unveiled. One major feature expected to be on the device is a new redesigned S Pen stylus. The launch poster even had an image of the S Pen to further solidify talks of a redesign and there are talks of the device doubling as a Bluetooth device was also echoed. That seems to have got some confirmation from the FCC as a recent document shows some details of the S Pen stylus.

The S pen comes with a model number of EJ-PN960. That is consistent with the model number of the Galaxy Note 9 which is SM-N960 as seen on its FCC listing. It is believed that the “P” in the model number refers to “pen” while the document list the device being certified as a “Stylus Pen”.

The document also details that the pen will be able to connect to the Galaxy Note 9 over 2.4GHz Bluetooth LE, which means that the device will have some sort of Bluetooth LE capabilities. Chinese tipster Ice Universe also hinted that the S Pen could double as a wireless Bluetooth speaker and could be used to control the streaming of music and operate a long-range timer but we are not so sure of all these claims. If indeed it would have Bluetooth LE features, the S Pen would need to have a battery crammed inside which could add to its thickness and even the weight. The Galaxy Note 9 isn’t expected with lots of outstanding features but this sounds interesting. We’ll find out more about this on August 9 when the Galaxy Unpacked event would be held.

Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 6GB RAM variant launching this month for Rs. 14,999 ($218)

By

Jeet

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Jul 4, 2018

A couple of months ago, Asus launched its Asus Zenfone Max Pro M1 mid-range smartphone in the Indian market. The phone was announced in three variants — 3GB RAM, 4GB RAM, and 6GB RAM. However, only two variants are currently available for purchase — 3GB RAM and 4GB RAM.

The 6GB RAM variant of the Zenfone Max Pro M1 has not been launched yet. But during the Zenfone 5Z India launch event, the company revealed that the 6GB RAM model will go on sale in India later this month, carrying a price tag of Rs. 14,999, which roughly converts to $218. This one too will be exclusively available for purchase through Flipkart.

The pricing of the 6GB RAM variant is lower than the pricing of 6GB RAM model of Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro, against which the Asus’ smartphone is competing. The 3GB RAM model of Zenfone Max Pro M1 is available for Rs. 10,999 while the 4GB RAM model costs Rs. 12,999.

The smartphone features a 5.99-inch Full View Full HD+ display with screen resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels, and support for 85 percent NTSC color gamut, 450-nits brightness. It has a contrast ratio of 1500:1 and screen aspect ratio of 18:9.

Under the hood, the device is powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 636 processor out of the box. The 6GB RAM variant comes with 64GB of internal storage and also supports microSD card for expanding the phone’s storage capacity.

In terms of photography, the ZenFone Max Pro M1 features a vertically arranged dual camera setup equipped with Softlight LED on its rear panel. It comprises a 13-megapixel primary sensor with f/2.2 aperture and a 5-megapixel secondary sensor for depth sensing. The features offered by the dual rear cameras include faster autofocus, PDAF, and 4K video shooting. On the front side, it has an 8-megapixel snapper with a Softlight LED, which has been optimized to capture selfie shots with bokeh effect.

While Asus smartphones usually feature ZenUI, but the ZenFone Max Pro M1 is the first phone that offers stock Android experience. It runs a pure version of Android 8.1 Oreo operating system out of the box but it is not a part of Google‘s Android One program. Connectivity options on the device include Dual 4G VoLTE, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi, GPS, 3.5mm headphone jack, and micro USB 2.0 port. There’s also a rear-mounted fingerprint reader for added security and the phone also supports Face Unlock feature.

It is powered by a high-density 5,000mAh battery that offers up to 199 hours of music playback, up to 25.3 hours of Full HD video playback, up to 28 hours of Wi-Fi browsing and up to 42 hours of 3G talk time. The battery also supports 10W fast charging and it takes 2.42 hours to charge it to the brim.

The OnePlus 6 could have come in Emerald or Sunset Orange

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Jul 4, 2018

The OnePlus 6 comes in four colors – Mirror Black, Midnight Black, Silk White, and a recently announced Red variant. What if we told you that the OnePlus 6 could have come in Sunset Orange or Emerald?

Leaked photos from OnePlus have revealed the manufacturer played with lots of colors before settling for the announced ones. The photos even show they considered gradient color variants similar to the Twilight color of the Huawei P20/P20 Pro.

Other colors in the pictures include different shades of blue, violet, purple, pink, silver, white, and even a black version with a carbon fiber appearance. There are also multiple color gradient variants. We particularly dig the Sunset Orange variant.

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These pictures provide a sort of “behind the scenes” experience of what went on during the production of the phone. Last year, The Verge did an exclusive coverage on the production of the OnePlus 5, revealing how OnePlus arrived at the final design. You can read our version here. Hopefully, we’ll get to see something equally interesting for the OnePlus 6T or OnePlus 7.

Xiaomi will focus on the real needs of the user in designing MIUI 11

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Jul 4, 2018

Xiaomi‘s MIUI 10 update is already being pushed to up to 33 models cutting across the Mi and Redmi models. The MIUI team is said to have written an article today which is sort of a review of the design story behind MIUI 10. Interestingly, the article also dabbled into discussing the next-gen MIUI 11 version.

The article gives us an idea of what Xiaomi will be aiming for with the next-gen custom ROM. The present design of the MIUI ROM was first tailored to fit into the 16:9 aspect ratio models that used to be popular back then. With the advent of full-screen phones, the design has also been tweaked to fit the full-screen design, even in cases where there is a notch.

However, even though the MIUI interface isn’t bad, Xiaomi says it will focus on improving the UI during the development of MIUI 11. The focus on MIUI 11 will not be on making a big difference in the user interface between MIUI 10 and MIUI 11. Instead, the focus will be on a design focused on the real needs of consumers. The rollout is still far away but we believe the development process is already in motion.

Buy Get Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus for just $165.99 from Gearbest

Get Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus for just $165.99 from Gearbest!

By

Linus

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Jul 4, 2018

Even though the Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus was released quite some time ago, it is still one of the best budget phones of 2018. It offers great specs, premium design, good display and more features. You can now get it for just $165.99 from Gearbest’s flash sale. This is a great Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus deal.

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

The highlight of the specs is the Snapdragon 625 chipset that has already proven to be a capable performer when it comes to gaming and especially when it comes to power efficiency. Other specs include 3GB of RAM and 32GB ROM. The device also has a 13MP camera on the back and a 5MP shooter on the front.

If you combine a pretty big battery (4000mAh) with the most power efficient chipset, you should have great results and this is what you have to expect when using the Redmi 5 Plus on the daily basis.

I was able to achieve a very impressive screen-on time of over 14 hours but obviously, your mileage may vary, depending on the usage.

You can now get Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus for just $165.99 from Gearbest’s flash sale.

OPPO patents new foldable smartphone designs

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Jul 4, 2018

In the past year, OPPO has patented at least 2 designs for a flexible smartphone. Now, three new patents have surfaced online, revealing new designs OPPO might use for its first foldable smartphone.

In one embodiment, OPPO settles for an inward folding design for a clamshell appearance. In order to prevent the flexible display from getting damaged due to opening and closing of the device, OPPO has put airbags in both halves of the screen. When the device is unfolded, the trapped air in the bags move to the fold of the display and acts as a cushion to make it align with the rest of the screen.

For the second design which was published in February of this year, OPPO has put three screens on the device. When folded, the device appears to have two screens – one on each side. However, one of the screens is actually covering another one. This third screen is revealed when you unfold and pull out the “rear display”.

Its third patent uses a fold-out design which also leaves the screens unprotected. It is similar to one of its earlier patents, but in this case, all the cameras are in front. OPPO has filed multiple versions of this design. In one, the device uses a rotating mechanism and in another, it uses a combination of a hinge and a rotating mechanism.

When unfolded, the phone doubles its width to appear like a tablet in landscape mode. The front-facing camera, sensor, and earpiece are on the right while the rear camera and LED flash are on the left.