Xiaomi Mi Band 3 Records Over 640K Reservations Ahead Of Tomorrow’s First Sale

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Jun 4, 2018

Xiaomi Mi Band 3 will officially go on its first sale tomorrow (June 5) since after its launch on May 31. The fitness band comes with an affordable price tag of 169 yuan (~$26) and is already open for reservation via Mi Home. As at the time of writing this report, the Mi Band 3 reservations had surpassed 640,000 persons in China. Although reservations don’t usually translate into actual sales figure, we expect the device to get sold out in seconds when sales open tomorrow as a result of its cheap price tag.

The Mi Band 3 is an improved version of the Band 2 which was released in 2016. The Band 3 features a 0.78-inch OLED capacitive touchscreen. which offer a better viewing and user experience. The display can show call notifications and an option to reject calls and also incoming messages on a paired smartphone. The rubber strap also got some improvement which ensures it isn’t just comfortable, the fitness tracker cannot fall off.

It comes with way more functions when compared to the Band 2. Some of the functions include heart rate monitor, weather forecast, alarm clock, daily steps count, sedentary reminder, sleep monitor, event reminder and find my phone function. There is a variant with NFC which cost 199 yuan (~$31). Furthermore, the Mi Band 3 comes with an improved battery, which can last for up to 20 days on a single charge.

Apart from Mi Home, the Mi Bad 3 will also be available on Jingdong (JD.com) from tomorrow for the same price. Xiaomi is yet to disclose when the fitness tracker will hit other markets outside China. If you can’t wait to lay your hands on the device then you may have to source it from third-party retailers like GearBest and Banggood but it comes with a higher price tag.

(source)

Honor Teases New xSport Wireless Earphones With Heart Rate Monitoring, Launches June 6

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jun 4, 2018

On Wednesday, Huawei’s Honor sub-brand will announce a new phone called the Honor Play. However, that won’t be the only device launching. It will also announce the Honor 9i (2018) and apparently, a new xSport wireless earphones.

The manufacturer released a new teaser poster ahead of Wednesday’s event that hints at a new model of the xSport wireless with a key new feature – heart rate monitoring.

The original xSport wireless earphones was launched in February 2017 for ¥299 (~$) and it doesn’t do more than what other Bluetooth earphones in the market currently offer. However, with the new model, you should be able to track your heart rate in real time while working out.

Continue

Vivo NEX with Pop-Up Selfie Camera Officially Teased

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jun 4, 2018

Last week, Vivo had confirmed that it will be holding an unveil event on June 12 to announce the Vivo NEX smartphone. The Vivo NEX is expected to borrow some features like half screen fingerprint scanner and pop-up selfie camera from the Vivo APEX concept phone that was showcased few months ago. Today, the Chinese manufacturer has released a new teaser on its official Weibo account to confirm that the device will indeed arrive with a pop-up selfie camera. Here is the official poster from Vivo.

At it can be seen above, the front camera of the Vivo NEX is not visible on the upper bezel of the display like conventional smartphones. Instead, it is hidden in the top bezel and it comes up automatically when a user selects the front-facing camera option inside the camera. When not required, the pop-up camera can hide inside the top bezel. When the feature was demonstrated on the Vivo APEX phone, the company had claimed that it can pop-up in just 0.8 seconds.

Through the Weibo post that accompanies the above poster, the company has claimed that it will be revealing how the front camera of the phone will offer a redefined photography experience.

The Vivo NEX is expected to arrive in multiple variants. Recently, the smartphone was spotted in variants like Vivo NEX, Vivo NEX S and Vivo NEX A on the website of China’s 3C body. it is speculated that the NEX A edition could be a China-exclusive variant while the other model may release in markets outside of China.

Previous leaks have revealed that the base model of Vivo NEX has Snapdragon 710 chipset, 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. This model is rumored to lack a pop-up camera. It is speculated that its front-facing camera would be fitted on the right corner of the bottom bezel. This model may could be priced under $800.

None of the Vivo NEX phones will feature notched display like other Vivo phones such as X21 or V9. The full screen display of the NEX smartphone is likely to deliver nearly 91 percent of screen-to-body ratio.

The topnotch model of the Vivo NEX is expected to include specs like Snapdragon 845 chipset and 8 GB of RAM and a native storage of 256 GB. This model is likely to feature the pop-up frontal camera. This model is likely to be priced around $1,000.

(source)

Xiaomi Crowdfunds HiPee Smart Health Checkup Gadget With 399 Yuan (~$63) Pricing

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jun 4, 2018

Xiaomi Heipin has started a new crowdfunding project for a new health checkup device called HiPee Smart Health Wizard. The smart device allows its users to perform different kinds of health diagnosis at the comfort of home. It’s just the perfect device for people who do not have enough time to visit a hospital but wish to keep track of their health.

The HiPee Smart Health Wizard is an intelligent device that that can perform 14 kinds of health tests for protein, glucose, pH, occult blood, WBC count, blood sugar level and more. Such tests make it possible to find out physical conditions like kidney and liver anomalies, diabetes and more.

Equipped with 8 types of high-precision sensors for accurately detecting health condition, the HiPee Smart Health Wizard is a lightweight device that weighs only 40 grams. Also, the algorithm processing ensures that it delivers accurate health report. The product page of the device claims that the results of this device is so accurate that it can be compared with the top three hospitals in China. Hence, it is offers a non-invasive and pain-free way to perform health checkup anytime and anywhere.

The one-button operation of the device makes it easy for people from any age group to check their health conveniently. For real-time viewing of health data on a smartphone, the HiPee Smart Health Wizard comes with inbuilt Wi-Fi and WeChat interaction. It is an IPX7 rated waterproof design and it comes with UV antifouling coating.

The Xiaomi HiPee Smart Health Wizard is listed with a crowdfunding price tag of 399 Yuan (~$63). The shipments of the ordered units will begin on July 10.

(source)

Get A Massive 66% Off On The XiaoMi M365 Electric Scooter On LightInTheBox; Here’s How You Can Save Extra Money!

By

Vinay Patel

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Jun 4, 2018

The Mi Electric Scooter boasts a modern yet minimal design that got the coveted Red Dot “Best of the Best” Award. On top of that, it also won the prestigious iF Design Award 2017.

Xiaomi took the wraps off its M365 electric scooter recently. The Mi M365 is as easy to operate as it looks.

The M365 sports a unique design that lets you fold it in 3 easy steps. As a result, you can stow the electric scooter away at home, in the office or even in the trunk of your car.

If you have restlessly been waiting to get your hands on this profoundly reliable electric scooter without breaking the bank, we have good news for you. LightInTheBox is currently offering a massive 62% off on the Europe version of the M365, but only for a limited period of time.

The M365 would normally set you back $1,299.98 on LightInTheBox. But as part of its latest promotion, the Beijing-based international online retail company is offering the compact electric scooter for a lowered price of just $499.99.

If you’re on a tight budget and aren’t willing to spend a fortune on an electric scooter, we’ll show how you can save a considerable amount of money, apart from getting the aforesaid discount. In order to save more money, all you have to do is apply discount coupon ‘XIAOMIM365’ at the time of checking out.

In other words, you can bring your grand total down to just €356.80, which converts to about $417 (including the tax and shipping charge) simply by applying the above-mentioned coupon code while checking out. It is worth noting though that the discount coupon is likely to expire soon.

If you’re interested in grabbing the deal and getting the extra discount using the coupon code, just head straight to this link. Note that the Mi M365 electric scooter will go back to its retail price as soon as the promotion wraps up.

Get 66% Off On The XiaoMi M365 Electric Scooter On LightInTheBox

Check More Deals and Promotions From Other Shops

Moto G6 And Moto G6 Play Launched In India, Price Starts At Rs. 11,999 ($179)

By

Jeet

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Jun 4, 2018

After launching the Moto G6 series smartphones in April this year, the Lenovo-owned company has today launched two smartphones of the series in the Indian market — Moto G6 and Moto G6 Play. While the Moto G6 will be exclusively available through Amazon India, the Moto G6 Play will be exclusively available via Flipkart. Further, both these smartphones will also be available through Moto Hub Stores across the country.

The Moto G6 features a 5.7-inch Full HD+ display with screen resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels. Under the hood, the smartphone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 octa-core processor coupled with Adreno 506 GPU. It comes in two variants based on the memory configuration — 3GB RAM with 32GB internal storage and 4GB RAM with 64GB internal storage.

It comes with a dual rear camera setup, consisting of a 12-megapixel primary camera with 76-degree lens and f/1.8 aperture, and 5-megapixel secondary camera with 79-degree lens and f/2.2 aperture. There’s also dual-tone, dual-lens flash on the back. On the front side, the phone comes equipped with a 16-megapixel front snapper, which is accompanied by a selfie flash.

Connectivity options on the device include Dual SIM, 4G LTE, WI-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, USB Type-C, NFC, and 3.5mm earphone jack. On the software front, the device runs Android 8.0 Oreo operating system out of the box and the device is powered by a 3,000mAh battery with support for TurboPower charging.

On the other hand, the Moto G6 Play is the cheaper model and comes with watered-down specs. It sports a 5.7-inch HD+ display having a screen resolution of 1440 x 720 pixels. Under the hood, the phone is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 octa-core processor which is coupled with Adreno 505 GPU.

It packs 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage and comes with a microSD card slot allowing users to further expand the storage capacity. As of the photography, the device includes a 13-megapixel primary camera at the back and an 8-megapixel selfie camera on the front side. This one too is running on Android Oreo operating system out of the box and is powered by a bigger 4,000mAh battery.

In India, the pricing for Moto G6 starts at Rs. 13,999 (approximately $209) for 3GB RAM model and Rs. 15,999 (~ $239) for 4GB RAM model. It will be available in Indigo and Silver color options. On the other hand, the Motorola Moto G6 Play will be available at a price of Rs. 11,999 (approximately $179) in two color options — Indigo and Gold. Both the devices will go on sale from today midnight.

Check Out The Ulefone Mid-Year Promotion On Banggood; Get Discounts, Free Gifts And Lots More!

By

Vinay Patel

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Jun 4, 2018

Banggood kicked off the Ulefone Mid-Year Promotion today, wherein the site will be doling out noteworthy discounts on select Ulefone-branded smartphones for a limited period of time. Let’s delve straight into the details.

Ulefone Power 5

The Ulefone Power 5 was launched in April this year. The 4G smartphone became an instant hit among tech buffs since it packed an array of awe-inspiring specs and features. On the downside, the phone didn’t come cheap.

The Power 5 smartphone would normally set you back $339.99 on Banggood but as part of it’s recently kicked off promotion sale, the Chinese online store is giving cost-conscious buyers an opportunity to preorder it for just $269.99. Note that this presale price will only be valid for the remaining 199 pieces of the dark gray color version of the phone.
Banggood will be handing out free wireless charger worth $20.99 for 200 units every day. But if that doesn’t impress you much, the site is also giving $50 gift which comprises a protective case, protective film, OTG cable, Micro USB to Type-C adapter, and a Type-C to 3.5mm headphone adapter.

Ulefone Armor X

Ulefone made its hotly-anticipated Armor X smartphone available to the public earlier this year. The rugged phone is currently available for a lowered price of just $129.99 on Banggood.

This is a noteworthy 28% reduction in the well-received phone’s original asking price of $179.99. This discount is valid for both rose gold and dark gray color versions of the Armor X smartphone.
Regrettably, there were only 97 pieces remaining for the promotion sale, which is slated to end on June 10th. Moreover, the site will be giving first 10 buyers an opportunity to get their hands on the Armor X smartphone for just $119.99.

Ulefone Power 3S

The Power 3S is an irresistible smartphone that sports a mammoth 6.0 inches IPS, LCD FHD+ display with a screen resolution of 1080 x 2160 pixels. Under the hood, the phone packs a powerful MediaTek MT6763 (Helio P23), 64-bit processor along with an ARM Mali-G71 MP2, 770MHz, 2-Cores GPU.

You can now buy the power-packed Ulefone Power 3S if you’re willing to shell out just $149.99 on Banggood. Note that the smartphone would usually set you back $179.99 on the site.

Banggood is offering a considerable 17% off on the device’s original selling price for a limited period of time. The aforesaid discount will be valid for the black as well as the gold color version of the phone until June 10th.

Ulefone Power 3

The Power 3 smartphone was launched in December last year. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio P23 (MT6763T), 64-bit processor and it uses an ARM Mali-G71 MP2, 770MHz, 2-Cores GPU. It offers 6GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage.
The Power 3 smartphone usually bears a price tag of $259.99 on Banggood but as part of its latest promotion sale, the site is giving 23% off on the phone’s retail price. As a result, the Power 3 is currently up for grabs for a slashed price of just $199.99 on Banggood.

The aforesaid promotion sale is valid for the black and gold color versions of the Power 3 smartphone. It’s worth noting that there were only 199 pieces remaining for the promotion sale which is scheduled to end on June 10th. If you’re interested in taking advantage of the promo before it comes to an end, head straight to this link.

Get Up To 70% Off On Select Ulefone Branded Smartphones On Banggood

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Lenovo Z5 Teaser Shows Metal Frame, Glass Body And Dual Rear Camera Setup

By

Jeet

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Jun 4, 2018

Lenovo is gearing up to launch its new flagship smartphone Lenovo Z5 at a launch event tomorrow. Now, the company’s executive has posted a teaser image of the smartphone on Chinese microblogging platform Weibo.

The teaser images reveal that the phone will come with a metallic frame and will have glass on the front as well as the back panel. Further, it seems that the phone will feature a dual camera setup with sensor stacked vertically and placed in the corner.

Earlier, a leaked image of the phone’s back panel revealed that the Lenovo Z5 will come with a curved gradient glass back and will also have an Aurora hue as one of its variants similar to what we saw on the Huawei P20 series.

There’s a lot of hype related to this upcoming smartphone, both in terms of design as well as hardware specifications. The launch invitation that Lenovo sent out also suggests that the device will come with several cool and hot features.

Recently, Chang Cheng, the VP of Lenovo Group, teased a smartphone with a bezel-less display that is expected to offer highest screen-to-body ratio ever. The recently leaked renders of the Lenovo Z5 shows that the phone features ultra-thin bezels on the sides and top. On the bottom bezel, there’s a slightly thicker chin.

The Lenovo Z5 is reportedly arriving with nearly 95 percent screen space. There is a possibility that the handset may feature an under-display fingerprint scanner. Some are speculating that it may feature a pop-up front-facing camera like the Vivo APEX phone. It is also expected to be powered by Snapdragon 845 processor.

Chang Cheng had previously teased that the upcoming Lenovo Z5 will offer a mammoth storage space of 4 TB. The phone is expected to come equipped with AI-powered dual rear cameras. The camera samples of the phone have revealed that it can capture stunning portrait shots.

As of the battery, Cheng has teased that the Z5 can offer a standby time of 45 days and even when the battery percentage goes down to zero percent, it will still have enough juice to last for 30 minutes.

To know for sure what the company offers in the Lenovo Z5, along with its pricing and availability information, we’ll have to wait till the official launch tomorrow, i.e. June 5.

(Source)

OPPO Find X Leaked Image and New Renders Emerge to Reveal Design

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jun 4, 2018

OPPO has started teasing the upcoming Find X flagship phone. After OPPO Find 7 phone that was launched in 2014, the Find X will be its first flagship smartphone from the company. Earlier today, a tipster had revealed the key specs of the OPPO Find X which suggests that the device will be arriving with topnotch features. A leaked image and similar looking fresh renders of the smartphone have surfaced on Weibo.

Shown above is the alleged leaked photo of the OPPO Find X. Its rear design reveals that it features a vertically arranged dual camera setup and it lacks a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. The back panel sports a starry sky texture with a breathing light at the bottom. The bottom edge of the rear shell seems to be fitted with a breathing light indicator that was available on the chin of the OPPO Find 7 phone. There is no confirmation on whether the above photo really belongs to the actual OPPO Find X phone. Shown below are the renders of the OPPO Find X smartphone that appears a bit similar to the leaked photo shown above.

The new renders show that the handset does not feature a fingerprint scanner on its front or rear. The textured rear is fitted with a vertical dual camera setup. The breathing light indicator is present on the chin of the device. A small-sized notch is available at the top edge of the display.

Rumors have it that the OPPO Find X will be arriving with a 3D structured light module. This will allow the handset to support 3D facial recognition. At present, only the Apple iPhone X and Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition are enabled with the 3D face scanning feature. If the rumor about 3D face scanning feature for Find X is true, it may come with a wider notch like the aforementioned phones for housing complex set of facing scanning sensors.

Leaked information has revealed that the OPPO Find X will be arriving with 6.42-inch display that will support 2K resolution. There is no confirmation on whether it will be housing an LCD or OLED display. Considering the fact that the recently launched OPPO R15 and R15 Dream Mirror Edition have OLED screens, it is likely that the advanced Find X will be also arriving with the same type of display.

The Snapdragon 845 chipset and 8 GB of RAM is expected to power the handset. Rumors have it that the Find X will be coming with some advanced features like in-display fingerprint reader, 5x optical zoom, superfast flash charging and 5G connectivity support.

(source)

Vivo’s Newly Launched Mid-Range Smartphone Vivo Z1 Goes On Sale In China

By

Jeet

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Jun 4, 2018

Recently, Vivo announced a new Z series of smartphone, with the Vivo Z1 coming as the first smartphone under the new budget series from the China-based company. Now, the smartphone is available for purchase in China for a price of 1598 Yuan, which roughly converts to $249.

While the smartphone carries a price tag of 1,798 Yuan (approximately $282), the company is currently offering a discount of 200 Yuan, making the phone’s effective price 1,598 Yuan. It is available in three color options – Black, Blue, and Red.

The Vivo Z1 comes with a 6.26-inch Full-Screen display with a screen resolution of 2280 x 1080 pixels, 19:9 aspect ratio and a trendy notch on top. Under the hood, the device is powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 660 AIE processor — the same chipset that is found inside company’s flagship Vivo X21 and X21 UD.

The Snapdragon 660 is manufactured using the 14nm design process and has Kryo 260 architecture, with octa-core CPU with clock speed of 2.2GHz, coupled with Adreno 512 graphics processor. The phone packs 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage. There’s also a microSD card slot, which enables users to further expand the phone’s storage capacity up to 256GB.

On the optics front, the smartphone comes with a dual camera setup on the back, consisting of a 13-megapixel primary sensor and a 2-megapixel secondary sensor. The camera sensors are stacked vertically in the top-left corner. On the front side, there’s a 24-megapixel ultra-high pixel shooter with AI beauty technology, AI background blur, AR cute shooting, among other features.

As for the connectivity options, the device comes with Dual SIM, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, and GPS. While there’s a fingerprint sensor on the back of the phone, it also comes with a Face Unlock feature which can detect up to 1024 feature dimensions of the face.

The smartphone runs on Android 8.1 Oreo operating system out of the box with the company’s own TouchOS 4.0 custom user interface on top. It also comes with Jovi AI Assistant that can actively understand the user’s habits and provide the user with the most suitable solution. The device is fuelled by a 3,260mAh non-removable battery.

The Standard And NFC Versions Of The Xiaomi Mi Band 3 Smart Wristband Are Coming Soon On Banggood!

By

Vinay Patel

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Jun 4, 2018

Following in the footsteps of its well-received predecessor dubbed the Mi Band 2, the Xiaomi Mi Band 3 garnered huge popularity among tech buffs after hitting the store shelves last month. The device can carry out a slew of actions such as measuring heart rate, counting steps and can also answer calls.

The Mi Band 2 successor boasts a 0.78-inches OLED panel with a screen resolution of 128 x 80 pixels. If you’ve restlessly been waiting to get your hands on the Standard or the NFC version of the Mi band 3 smart wristbands, you’ve come to the right place.

Xiaomi Mi band 3 Smart Wristband (Standard Version)

If you’re fitness-conscious and looking for a low-priced smart wristband that can keep a track of your heart rate and perform a broad range of other important tasks, look no further. You can now initiate the arrival notice for the standard version of the Xiaomi Mi band 3 smart wristband on Banggood.

The standard version of the Mi band 3 will be soon up for grabs bearing a price tag of $49.99 on Banggood. You can activate the ‘Alert Me On Arrival’ by following this link. Note that you can choose between 3 color options including black, blue and red.

Xiaomi Mi band 3 Smart Wristband (NFC Version)

You can go for the NFC version of the Mi band 3 smart wristband if you’re willing to spend an additional $10 on Banggood. For those unaware, NFC (Near Field Communication) refers to a set of communication protocols that allow two electronic devices to establish communication when they are within 4cm of each other.

The Mi band 3 NFC version will set you back $59.99 on Banggood. You can set the ‘Alert Me On Arrival’ option by heading straight to this link. The site will allow buyers to choose from black, blue and red color version of the NFC version of the Mi band 3.

The new Mi Band model can also connect to other devices through Bluetooth 4.2. The Xiaomi branded fitness tracker draws its juices from a 110 mAh battery, which is 50% improvement over the Mi Band 2. As if that weren’t enough, you can even pay wirelessly with the NFC chip-equipped version of the Mi Band 3.

Activate Arrival Alert For The Standard Version Of Xiaomi Mi Band 3 On Banggood

Activate Arrival Alert For The NFC Version Of Xiaomi Mi Band 3 On Banggood

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OPPO Find X Key Specs Revealed; 2K Display, SD845, 3D Face Unlock and 5X Optical Zoom More Expected

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jun 4, 2018

In the previous week, OPPO had surprised its fans by confirming that it will be soon debuting a new Find series flagship phone. The smartphone will be launching as OPPO Find X. The Chinese manufacturer has created an exclusive website for it that has a tagline that reads “Explore is the eternal home of the Find Collection,” which suggests that the smartphone would be arriving with some advanced features. A tipster from China has revealed some key features of the OPPO Find X phone. The new leak also states it will be coming with some topnotch specs.

According to the Chinese tipster, the OPPO Find X will be arriving with a 6.42-inch display with full screen design. Since the OPPO Find 7 carried support for 2K resolution on its 5.5-inch display, the Find X is also rumored to arrive with 2K resolution supporting screen. The Snapdragon 845 chipset will be powering the Find X along with 8 GB of RAM. It will arrive with a large inbuilt storage of 256 GB.

Apple iPhone X and the recently unveiled Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition are the only two phones that are enabled with support for 3D facial recognition. The OPPO Find X is now expected to join this league as it is also speculated to arrive with structured light 3D module technology that will enable 3D facial scanning. In the last quarter of 2017, the rumor mill had revealed that Xiaomi and OPPO were both working on 3D facial recognition feature like iPhone X, Xiaomi has already launched a phone with the advanced face scanning feature and it seems OPPO will do by launching the OPPO Find X.

During the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017 tech expo last year, the company had showcased its dual camera technology with 5x optical zoom. The tipster claims that the same technology will be available on the OPPO Find X. He has also revealed that the Find X will be fueled by 4,000mAh battery that will be enabled with Super VOOC flash charging.

There is no confirmation on it, but the OPPO Find X is speculated to feature OPPO’s new super-fast flash charging technology that can completely charge the phone in just 15 minutes. Rumors have also claimed that the Find X will also come with features like in-screen fingerprint reader and support for 5G connectivity. However, the tipster did not reveal any information on these features for the Find X.

(source|via)

Check Out The Global First Launch For HOMTOM S99 On GearBest; Get Big Discounts On Other HOMTOM-Branded Phablets And Smartphones!

By

Vinay Patel

-

Jun 4, 2018

HOMTOM has a reputation for making low-priced yet power-packed mobile devices. Keeping in line with this, the Chinese handset manufacturer kicked off the Global First Launch promo for the HOMTOM S99 phablet today, May 4th on GearBest.

As part of its latest promotion, GearBest will be offering a noteworthy 20% off on the black color version of the HOMTOM S99 phablet. Alternatively, you can activate arrival notice for other color versions including blue ribbon, gray, and white.

The HOMTOM S99 was made available to the public earlier this month. The device would usually set you back $149.99 on GearBest, but for a limited period of time buyers will be able to get their hands on the well-received phablet by shelling out just $129.99.
Despite bearing a considerably lowered price tag the HOMTOM S99 is an irresistible phablet, given that it sports a big 5.5 inches IPS HD+ display with a screen resolution of 1440 x 720 pixels. The device is housed in a robust plastic and aluminum alloy body.

On the photography front, the HOMTOM S99 houses a 21MP + 2MP dual camera setup with dual-LED and AF on the back. Up front, there’s a 13MP camera for selfies and face-to-face video chatting.

The phablet packs a powerful MediaTek MTK6750, 64-bit processor, and an ARM Mali-T860 MP2, 650 MHz, 4-cores GPU, under the hood. Moreover, it offers 4GB of LPDDR3 RAM and a hearty 64GB of expandable onboard storage (up to 256GB).

The HOMTOM S99 phablet runs Android 8.0 Oreo operating system and is backed by a 6200mAh big capacity battery that delivers a faster gaming experience. Aside from that, the device is crammed with all sorts of sensors such as G-sensor control, distance sensor, light sensor, and fingerprint recognition.

You can head straight to this link if you’re interested in grabbing the deal which is slated to end on June 11th. GearBest is also doling out big discounts on a slew of other HOMTOM branded smartphones and phablets.

Get 20% Off On HOMTOM S99 4G Phablet On GearBest

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Mi A2 Lite Passes Through Singapore’s Communications Authority

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Jun 3, 2018

Remember the Xiaomi device that we saw on TENAA last week with a notch? It appears it is the Xiaomi Mi A2 Lite and it is heading to Singapore.

A Xiaomi device with model number M1805D1SG was seen on the website of Singapore’s IMDA (its equivalent of the FCC or TENAA). The page mentions that the device will be marketed as the Mi A2 Lite.

The model number of the device is similar to that of some other phones seen on TENAA last week. Those phones have model numbers M1805D1SC, M1805D1SE, and M1805D1ST. As you can see, the only differences from the Singaporean version are the last two alphabets. Although most sites have referred to the phone as the Redmi 6, we now know it will launch as the Mi A2 Lite in Singapore.

According to TENAA, the phone(s) will have a 5.84-inch screen with a notch at the top. The resolution of the display is FHD+. It will be powered by an octa-core processor clocked at 2.0GHz. When it launches, it will be available in 2GB, 3GB, and 4GB RAM variants with 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB of storage respectively.

Like the Mi 6X which is expected to launch as the Mi A2 later, the Mi A2 Lite will also have dual rear cameras. One is a 12MP sensor and the second is unknown at the moment. A 5MP selfie camera sits within the notch.

Continue

Live Photo Shows Unreleased Lenovo L78011 With A Notch

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Jun 3, 2018

Lenovo is gearing up for the launch of the Z5 on Tuesday but there is a chance that may not be the only phone we’ll see. An unknown Lenovo phone with model number L78011 has surfaced online and there is a chance it may also arrive on Tuesday.

A live photo of the phone is actually what has appeared on the web and it provides some very important info. The photo not only shows the front of the device but also shows the “about phone” page which lists some of the key specs.

With respect to design, the Lenovo L78011 will have a notch at the top of its display. The design of the notch is similar to that of the Xiaomi Mi 8 but it is not as wide. The picture isn’t clear enough, so we can’t tell what else sits inside the cut-out other than the usual – front camera, earpiece, and sensor. The phone also seems to have a bit of bezel at the bottom.

With respect to specs, the Lenovo L78011 will come with a Snapdragon 636 processor. It will also have 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. We want to believe there will be other storage options when it launches. The about phone page also reveals the phone runs ZUI 3.9.253 which is based on Android 8.1 Oreo.

Continue

Sony’s Xperia Z5 and Xperia Z5C Tablets Reported To Have Been Cancelled

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Jun 3, 2018

A new report says that Sony has canceled the two new tablets it planned for release later this year. The tablets are said to be the Xperia Z5 and Xperia Z5C.

According to Android Marvel who first reported the news, the cancelation is due to the fact that its 2018 flagships – the Xperia XZ2 and Xperia XZ2 Compact are not doing well in terms of sales.

sony xperia xz2 tablet — The Xperia Z5 and Z5C Tablets (formerly referred to as Xperia XZ2) have been canceled

The source said the Xperia Z5 was going to come with a 10-inch display while the Z5C, where C stands for compact, would have an 8-inch screen. Proof of the existence of these tablets was discovered in a teardown of Sony’s camera app a few months ago. The manufacturer’s last tablet was the Xperia Z4 which was released in 2015.

Another perspective is Google’s lack of commitment to that segment of Android. A few days ago, the tablet section of the official Android website was missing. This fueled news that Google has given up on tablets.

Oops we had a bug when we updated the site. It's back up now. Sorry for the confusion! https://t.co/5mI3L3Gzif

— Hiroshi Lockheimer (@lockheimer) June 3, 2018

However, Google’s senior vice-president of platforms and ecosystems, Hiroshi Lockheimer, tweeted today that the section is back up. “We had a bug when we updated the site….” he said.

Notwithstanding, it doesn’t seem as if Google still has any plans for Android tablets. It also hasn’t released one since 2015’s Pixel C. Its focus has been on ChromeOS which now officially supports apps from the Play Store.

Sony itself is having a hard time. It has been on a downward spiral for a couple of years now. There are also reports it wants to cut off some models in its Xperia line.

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Three Vivo NEX Variants Spotted On 3C Listings

By

Michele Ingelido

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Jun 3, 2018

With the name of Vivo NEX, the concept phone Vivo APEX became real and entered the mass production. After a bunch of leaks revealing more than one variant of the upcoming phone and after the official launch confirmation was given by the company through a teaser image, three variants of the handset have just been spotted. The variants have just appeared on a 3C listing. In case you do not know, 3C is a Chinese agency that verifies the eligibility of products for the consumers market. The three versions are dubbed as Vivo NEX, NEX A and NEX S.

We already heard about the NEX S variant which has recently appeared on Geekbench, but we never heard about the NEX A until now. 3C did not reveal any of the main specs of the smartphone. From the listing, we can just acknowledge that they support 5V / 2A, 9V / 2A and 10V /2.25A charging profiles. According to speculations, the NEX A may be a China-exclusive variant of the upcoming device, while the other two variants will hit markets outside of China as well.

Vivo NEX will sport a borderless design with a screen-to-body ratio near to 100 percent. In order to achieve this, the company has decided to implement a “periscope” selfie camera which can be extracted in a fraction of second from the top side of the device. According to reports, the top-end variant will offer an octa-core Snapdragon 845 SoC by Qualcomm, 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage, and it is expected to be launched with a listing price of more than $1000. But there will be also a more affordable variant with the new Snapdragon 710, 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. It is rumored to cost less than $800. Vivo will launch the NEX and its variants on June 12.

(via1, via2)

Honor 9 Lite Gets Price Cut, Now ¥999 (~$155)

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jun 2, 2018

The Honor 9 Lite was released on 21st of December 2017 which means it is almost 6 months old. When it launched it had a starting price of ¥1199 (~$187) but it is now on sale for less.

Every year, Jingdong Mall (JD.com) runs a shopping festival called 618. The event is also a way to celebrate the retailer’s anniversary which is in June. However, items are usually discounted before the main day itself (18th of June). This year one of such items is the Honor 9 Lite.

Instead of its ¥1199 launch price, JD.com has the phone for ¥999 (~$155). This is for the 3GB RAM + 32GB ROM variant. The retail giant also has coupons available that you can grab for an overall lesser price.

The 4GB RAM + 32GB model seems to have gotten a price reduction as it is now ¥1399 (~$218) instead of ¥1499 (~$234) so also is the 6GB RAM + 64GB model which is now ¥1599 (~$249) instead of ¥1799 (~$280).

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The Transparent Mi 8 Explorer Edition Isn’t Showing The Phone’s Real Internals

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jun 2, 2018

For years now, device manufacturers have released see-through versions of their products. Some examples are game controllers and even game consoles. So it is no surprise that the trend is being picked up by phone manufacturers too. The Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition is the latest to join the train. However, it hasn’t gotten the type of publicity Xiaomi hoped for.

The Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition comes with a transparent back which lets you see the internal components. It is actually very beautiful. But if you have seen a video or a picture of a phone torn apart, then you know the internals are not usually as good looking as that or that some of the components cannot be in the position depicted. These concerns led to a conclusion that what we actually see is fake and a sticker.

Xiaomi decided to clear up the brouhaha and issued a statement to The Verge saying that it isn’t a sticker and that the device is indeed transparent. It also said that the parts we see “on the back upper half, for example, are parts of the actual mainboard.”

But if you have seen the HTC U12+ which is translucent or JerryRigEverything’s DIY transparent OnePlus 6, then you know the internals of a phone isn’t that visually appealing. So what is actually happening with Xiaomi’s Mi 8 Explorer Edition?

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Xiaomi Mi 8 vs OnePlus 6: Specs Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

-

Jun 2, 2018

Xiaomi Mi 8 has just been unveiled and finally, all the important Chinese flagship phones of the first half of 2018 are official. Now there is just one thing left: understanding which one of these devices is worth buying. With Huawei P20 Pro being the most expensive choice among Chinese flagships, Xiaomi Mi 8 and OnePlus 6 are the most suitable devices for a comparison due to their price. We believe that they are currently the best Chinese phones you can get besides Huawei P20 Pro, and this Xiaomi Mi 8 vs OnePlus 6 comparison will shed some light about their differences and similarities.

Xiaomi Mi 8 vs OnePlus 6

	Xiaomi Mi 8	OnePlus 6
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	154.9 x 74.8 x 7.6 mm, 175 g	155.7 x 75.4 x 7.8 mm, 177 g
DISPLAY	6.21 inches, 1080 x 2248p (Full HD+), 19:9 ratio, Super AMOLED	6.28 inches, 1080 x 2280p (Full HD+), 19:9 ratio, Optic AMOLED
PROCESSOR	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, octa-core 2.8 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, octa-core 2.8 GHz
MEMORY	6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 6 GB RAM, 256 GB	6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB
SOFTWARE	Android 8.1 Oreo, MIUI 10	Android 8.1 Oreo, Oxygen OS
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
CAMERA	Dual 12 + 12 MP, f/1.8 + f/2.4, OIS 20 MP f/2.0 front camera	Dual 16 + 20 MP, f/1.7 + f/1.7, OIS 16 MP f/2.0 front camera
BATTERY	3400 mAh, fast charging (Quick Charge 4.0)	3300 mAh, fast charging 5V / 4A (Dash Charge)
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Dual SIM slot	Dual SIM slot

Design

A beautiful design is a must for a flagship to stand out. This is exactly why Xiaomi and OnePlus has put a lot of efforts in the making of the aesthetics of their latest flagships. Both come with an attractive glass back, as well as a notched display which helps to minimize the bezels. Xiaomi Mi 8 ditches the stainless steel frame found on the Mi 6, but it has a 7000-series aluminum frame. On the other hand, OnePlus 6 is a splashproof device according to the company (no IP certification). It is all about tastes: there is no winner when it comes to design, just choose the one you like the most!

Display

Even when it comes to displays, it is a close fight: both these handsets have a notched 6.2-inch display with a Full HD+ resolution and the AMOLED technology. However, Xiaomi Mi 8 seems to be the only one with the HDR10 compliant, which alongside its 60000:1 contrast ratio and its 600 nits max brightness makes it a slightly better display. Note that OnePlus 6’s display is slightly bigger (6.28 inches vs 6.21 inches) and it has a smaller notch. Xiaomi Mi 8 has a bigger notch because it contains infrared sensors for 3D facial recognition which is not present on the OP6.

Hardware/Software

Both the devices are powered by the top-end Snapdragon 845 SoC by Qualcomm which runs at a max frequency of 2.8 GHz. The SoC is paired with up to 256 GB of internal storage, however, the OP6 is the only one to come in a variant with 8 GB of RAM. So, at least in this variant, we expect better performance in multi-tasking. Further, OnePlus 6 should have a better overall performance as its software is usually better optimized . But on the other hand, Xiaomi Mi 8 has MIUI 10 out of the box, which we define a way better UI than OxygenOS due to its huge amount of additional features and customizations. You will probably have to choose between more features (Mi 8) and slightly better performance (OP6): what is your pick?

Camera

Even though we still haven’t shot a photo with Xiaomi Mi 8, we can make some conclusions regarding its camera performance. On the paper, OP6 has better specs. While OnePlus 6 comes with a 16 + 20 MP dual setup with bright f/1.7 and OIS (only 4K videos), Xiaomi Mi 8 has two 12 MP sensors with f/1.8 and f/2.4 apertures. In Gizmochina’s camera comparison, OnePlus 6 has managed to do slightly better than Xiaomi’s previous flagship Mi Mix 2S with its photo quality. However, Xiaomi claims that Mi 8 out-classed the Mi Mix 2S, and DxOMark has placed it in its top 5 best camera phones. So, we believe it will be a very hard challenge. One thing is sure: both are amazing camera phones, so you will not go wrong if you choose them for their cameras.

Battery

None of these devices have a very big battery. These devices willl just have a battery which can reach the end of the day with constant use. Since capacities are almost the same (3400 mAh vs 3300 mAh), they both have an AMOLED display and a similar hardware side, we do not expect a big difference between their battery life. Further, both feature a very efficient fast charging technology.

Price

We cannot make any claims on Xiaomi Mi 8’s price in the global market as it has just been launched in China (for now). In the country, the handset carries a price tag of 2699 Yuan (roughly $421/€360), while OnePlus 6 has been launched at 3199 Yuan ($500/€428). With the actual prices, I think Xiaomi Mi 8 has a higher value for money and there is no real need to spend 80 bucks more.

What’s your pick?

Xiaomi Mi 8 vs OnePlus 6: PROs and CONS

Xiaomi Mi 8

PRO

IR facial recognition
Outstanding cameras
AMOLED display
Performance

CONS

No expansion slot

OnePlus 6

PRO

Splashproof
Good display
Nice camera performance
Amazing hardware

CONS

No micro SD slot