DXOMark is fast gaining a reputation as a worthy benchmark for cameras with its test results being projected whenever a new flagship phone is released. So it is not out of place if the firm’s opinion is sought regarding smartphone photography. AndroidHeadlines recently caught up with DxOMark Marketing VP Nicolas Touchard who categorically hinted that the adoption of Quadruple-camera setups on smartphones is not a question of “if” but “when,”.
The firm’s VP Nicolas Touchard disclosed that the present imaging systems which consist of the use of multiple cameras are a logical method of evading the physical limitations of handsets such as their inability to house large sensors and still retain a thin build. As a result of this impediment, DXOMark exec expects triple-camera setups like the ones implemented on the Huawei P20 Pro to become much more prevalent in the industry soon, as early as next year. Mr Touchard cited both their natural advantages over attempts to implement larger sensors into handsets and echoes from the mobile industry to back his prediction. The DXOMark VP’s prediction that triple camera setup has come to stay was given a boost recently when it emerged earlier this week when reports emerged that at least one model from Apple’s upcoming iPhone 9 series will feature three lenses on its back.
Recall that Huawei beat others to emerge with the world’s first smartphone with a triple rear-camera setup. Huawei had argued that setups taking advantage of three or more cameras can deliver better image quality and superior zoom to their more traditional counterparts without requiring any compromises on the size of the final product. Indeed, the triple-camera packing Huawei P20 Pro is rated as DXOMark’s best mobile camera ever, beating the Galaxy S9 Plus, Pixel 2 XL and iPhone X.
Expanding its portfolio in India, Vivo has quietly launched a new smartphone in the Indian market — Vivo Y83. The smartphone was originally launched in China last week.
The Vivo Y83 is now available for purchase in India for a price of Rs. 14,990 from select retail stores across the nation. Currently, the phone has not been listed on eCommerce platform but we expect that it will soon be available via major online marketplaces in India.
The smartphone comes with a premium design and bringing the full-screen display to Vivo’s mid-range segment. It features a 6.22-inch HD+ display with screen resolution of 1520 x 720 pixels, 19:9 aspect ratio, and a notch on top of the display.
Under the hood, it is powered by MediaTek’s Helio P22 octa-core processor clocked at up to 2.0 GHz with an IMG PowerVR GE8320 GPU clocked at 650 MHz. The chip features Mediatek’s Neuropilot tech which comes with support for TensorFlow, TF Lite, Caffe, and Caffe2.
The phone packs 4GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage. There’s also a microSD card slot, which enables users to further expand the phone’s storage capacity up to 256GB.
In the camera department, the Vivo Y83 features a 13-megapixel rear camera with an LED flash and f/2.2 aperture. On the front side, there’s an 8-megapixel snapper integrated with artificial intelligence and face recognition algorithm.
The front-facing camera supports features such as AI Makeup and customized beauty effects. The company says that the AI Beauty technology will get better at enhancing selfies as it learns more about the preferences with usage. Instead of the fingerprint sensor, the company decided to offer Face Unlock feature called Face Access 2.0.
Connectivity options on the device include Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2 Low Energy, GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, FM radio, and 4G VoLTE. The smartphone runs on Android 8.1 Oreo operating system out of the box with company’s own FunTouch OS 4.0 custom interface on top. The phone is fuelled by a 3,260mAh battery.
The Mi 8 Explorer Edition (EE) is the first Xiaomi phone to come with an in-display fingerprint scanner. It is also the first smartphone in the world to use a pressure sensitive in-display fingerprint scanner. Reports have revealed that the scanner is Synaptics Clear ID FS9500.
The Clear ID FS9500 was announced in December by Synaptics Inc. When it was announced, it was reported that Synaptics was working with one of the top five smartphone manufacturers. Synaptics itself later revealed that it was shipping the scanners to Vivo. That scanner is what is used in the Vivo X21 UD.
Although Vivo is the first manufacturer in the world to release a phone with an in-display fingerprint scanner, Xiaomi’s Mi 8 EE has an edge over it. Apart from the Synaptics scanner, it also has a dedicated pressure-sensitive sensor that makes unlocking faster.
The sensor has a high sensitivity that immediately detects when the finger is placed on the display and “wakes the main scanner up”. This allows the Mi 8 EE unlock faster than the Vivo X21 UD even though they both use Synaptics Clear ID FS9500 sensor.
Recently, Coolpad filed a lawsuit against Xiaomi in China accusing the latter of infringing on a couple of its patent. The case was filed through Coolpad’s subsidiary Yulong Computer Technology before a Shenzhen court. A spokesperson for the Shenzhen-based smartphone maker has now insisted that Xiaomi has to immediately stop selling and manufacturing devices that infringe upon many of its patents in order to put an end to the legal tussle.
In an interview as reported by IANS, Coolpad’s Global Chief Patent Officer, Nancy Zhang stated that Coolpad was hopeful of Xiaomi putting an end to patent infringement. She stated that her company is ready to actively co-operate with them to promote industrial progress but the infringement has to stop. The smartphone maker is looking forward to work with Xiaomi to find a better solution, strengthen intellectual property protection and create a good business environment.
Coolpad also disclosed that one of the patents involves its award-winning dual-SIM-card-dual-standby technology. The three patents which Xiaomi is alleged to have infringed upon include system interaction or UI type patents, involving interface, applications and icon configuration technologies, whose features are more visible and identifiable on the infringing mobile phones. Cooldpad also hinted that it has filed for customs protection for two patents, which are “method of mobile telecommunication device collaboration and its interface system” and “implementation method for multi-model mobile device call history interface system”.
Recall that Coolpad is also demanding a ban on the specific Xiaomi phones which infringe on the said patents. The phones that could get banned include the Mi Mix, Redmi Note 4X, Mi 6, Mi Max 2, Mi Note 3, Redmi Note 5, Redmi 5 Plus and Mi 5X. Coolpad is also seeking compensation from Xiaomi for economic losses.
Xiaomi had a blast announcing not one or two but a total of 7 new products at its 8th Anniversary event in Shenzhen earlier today. The products ranged from smartphones, VR headsets, Mi TVs, and even fitness trackers. Overall, it was a feast for Xiaomi fans and now we want to know which was your favourite Xiaomi product from the event today.
Out of the 7 products announced at the event, there were three smartphones, a new generation of its OS, a large screen Mi TV, a fitness tracker, and finally a VR headset for China.
We take a look at the key details of each of the products announced today in this post, and let us know which is your favourite among these.
Earlier this month, Samsung introduced a new smartphone in its J-series — Samsung Galaxy J4. Now, the South Korea-based company has silently launched Galaxy J4 (SM-J400) in India for a price of Rs. 9,990 which roughly converts to $148.
The smartphone comes with a 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED display with screen resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. It is powered by 1.4GHz Exynos 7570 octa-core 14nm processor along with Mali-T720 MP1 graphics processor. The performance of Exynos 7570 is said to be on-par with that of Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 SoC.
It comes in two variants — one with 2GB RAM and 16GB of internal storage and another with 3GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage. The phone also has a microSD card slot which enables users to further expand the phone’s storage capacity up to 256GB.
Coming to the camera department, it comes with a 13-megapixel rear camera along with an LED flash and f/1.9 aperture. On the front side, there’s a 5-megapixel snapper with an LED flash and f/2.2 aperture.
As of the software, the device runs on Android 8.0 Oreo operating system out of the box with Samsung Experience custom interface on top. To enhance the user experience, the company has added Advanced Memory Management, Dual Apps, App Pair and Adaptive Wi-Fi, among others.
Connectivity options on the smartphone include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2 LE, GPS, FM Radio, and 3.5mm headphone jack. There is no fingerprint sensor but the phone comes with support for Face Unlock feature. The phone is fuelled by a 3,000mAh battery.
The Samsung Galaxy J4 is priced at Rs. 9,990 (approx. $148) for the 2GB RAM model. Pricing for the 3GB RAM model is not yet known. The smartphone is now available for purchase in India in three colors options — Blue, Blue, and Gold through offline stores across the country.
Two years after purchasing Withings, Nokia has sold it back to Withings co-founder Éric Careel. Mr. Careel was one of the interested buyers when Nokia decided to put up the health tech division for sale.
Nokia purchased the French company for about $190 million in 2016. It later rebranded it Nokia Health along with existing products. However, the business was struggling and Nokia announced a strategic review of the arm in February of this year.
When Nokia announced it was going to sell the business, a number of big names were linked to the deal. Google’s Nest was one of the interested buyers alongside Samsung. There were also two other French bidders including Éric Careel who eventually sealed the deal with Nokia.
Xiaomi unveiled the latest MIUI 10 custom UI along with the Mi 8, Mi 8SE and Mi 8 in addition to the Mi Band 3. The new version comes preloaded on the new flagship phones and we expect that updates will soon roll out to Xiaomi’s flagship models like the Mi Mix 2s, Mi 6 and others. Xiaomi has now revealed the list of its Redmi models that will get MIUI 10 update.
The disclosure was made via a Weibo post on the Redmi series official handle detailed the models (13 in total) that will get updated to MIUI 10 in mainland China. The models include the Redmi Note 5, Redmi S2, Redmi 5, Redmi 5 Plus, Redmi 5A, Redmi Note 5A, Redmi 4X, Redmi Note 4X, Redmi 4A, Redmi 4, Redmi Note 4. Others include the Xiaomi Redmi Pro, Redmi 3S, Redmi 3X, and the Redmi Note 3 Full Network version which was released on January 17, 2016.
As to the timeline, the Redmi Note 5 and Redmi S2 will be eligible to get the MIUI 10 Developer ROM in late June. The other models will have to wait till the end of July to get MIUI 10 Developer ROM. As stated, this is for the China ROM and there is no timeline for the Global ROM rollout right now.
MIUI 10 Custom ROM is based on Android 8.1 Oreo and it has as its biggest upgrade the AI technology. The AI technology on MIUI 10 brings deep learning and thus reduces the loading time of apps by studying your app usage behaviour and anticipating actions. Another advantage is that MIUI 10 brings single camera bokeh mode to old Xiaomi smartphones including Xiaomi Mi 5 and Xiaomi Mi Note 2. The custom ROM also comes with a new driving mode, smart home gadgets manager and other features in addition to the existing features of MIUI 9.
Samsung has launched several affordable devices in the past few months and the Galaxy A9 Star will be the next one, alongside its Lite sibling. A leaked poster has just surfaced online and it confirms the launch of both the devices in China, as well as the design and info about the price tag. According to the poster, they will launch in China on June 7. Both will have a totally different design from the standard A9, and they will also be different from every Samsung midrange device. The handsets will feature a glass back and a metal frame, with a dual camera in a vertical configuration placed in the same position of iPhone X’s dual setup.
Besides the dual cameras, there is a fingerprint reader, while the power key is placed on the right side of the phone, and the volume controls will be on the left. Samsung Galaxy A9 Star will have a battery with a capacity of 3700 mAh which is expected to be a long-lasting battery as the phone will sport an efficient AMOLED display. The screen will have a size of 6.28 inches, an 18.5:9 aspect ratio and a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2220 pixels. There will be no notch, but bezels will be narrow thanks to the wide aspect ratio.
Samsung Galaxy A9 Star will come with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage, while we still do not know the memory configuration of its Lite variant. According to the poster, A9 Star will cost 3499 Yuan, which roughly translates into €467 or $546. The flash sales are expected to start on June 15 in China, but we still do not have official info about the availability of Galaxy A9 Star and A9 Star Lite outside of China. According to reports, the mid-rangers will also be launched in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Xiaomi Mi 8 has just been unveiled alongside its smaller sibling Mi 8 SE, but it has already been tested and reviewed by DxOMark, which has defined it one of the top 5 camera phones ever released. In the official DxOMark test, the new Mi flagship has obtained a whopping score of 105 points in regards to photo quality and 88 points in video recording. The overall score obtained by the flagship is 99 points which brings it at the same level of Samsung Galaxy S9+, according to DxOMark. To be accurate, the score related to the photo quality is even higher than Galaxy S9+, but the lower score obtained in the video recording test made its overall score lower.
DxOMark stated that Xiaomi Mi 8 is able to capture vivid photos with a good dynamic range in various scenarios, including low-light conditions, as well as an accurate exposure and white balance. There is a very low amount of noise in every light condition and a fast autofocus. However, just like every other camera phones, there are some weak points, such as color fringing, minor inconsistencies with autofocus, white balance and depth detection, a loss of detail in broad daylight and in really dark environments.
When it comes to video recording, the camera shows a very fast autofocus, a wide dynamic range, a great focus tracking and low noise. But there are some inconsistencies here as well with exposure, white balance, and detail. On its rear glass, Xiaomi Mi 8 boasts a dual camera setup with resolutions of 12 MP, f/1.8 and f/2.4 apertures. It supports dual pixel PDAF and 2x optical zoom thanks to its secondary telephoto lens. Xiaomi Mi 8 has managed to do even better than iPhone X’s dual camera, but according to DxOMark it is still far from Huawei P20 Pro and its triple camera which has scored 109 points in total.
When it comes to the price range under $200 or €200, you’ll probably end up buying a Xiaomi phone in the current market standing. But Meizu is putting a lot of efforts in this price range and to some extent, the company’s devices have started to get attention. This week, the company announced the new Meizu M6T, a device which will cost around €100 and is expected to affect the sales of Xiaomi Redmi 5. Here’s an in-depth comparison between the Meizu M6T vs Xiaomi Redmi 5.
Dual 13 + 2 MP f/2.2 + f/2.4
8 MP f/2.0 front camera
12 MP f/2.2
5 MP front camera
BATTERY
3300 mAh
33000 mAh
Fast charging 5V / 2A
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
Hybrid Dual SIM slot
Hybrid Dual SIM slot
Design
Despite the fact that it was launched in elegant shades, Meizu M6T is not really the best phone that you can get when it comes to aesthetics and build quality. It has a cheap plastic design, but this will hopefully make the signal stronger. Xiaomi Redmi 5 has a higher quality metal back, it is more compact and even thinner, even though displays come with the same size. However, Meizu M6T is the only one among the two coming with a comfortable mBack fingerprint reader which can help you navigate in the UI through gestures.
Display
Two 5.7-inch panels with an HD+ resolution and the IPS technology. With these specs, do not expect to see a noticeable difference between the viewing quality of these two panels. HD is the minimum resolution you can get in this price range, but it is also rare to find a Full HD phone under $120. Further, the low resolution helps a lot with the energy consumption.
Hardware/Software
There is nothing to compare when it comes to hardware: Xiaomi Redmi 5 wins. It sports an octa-core Snapdragon 450 SoC by Qualcomm which can run at a max frequency of 1.8 GHz. And it is a much better processor than the octa-core Mediatek MT6750T present on the Meizu M6T. It is faster and way more powerful. On the other hand, note that Meizu M6T has a variant with 64 GB of internal storage which is not available with the Redmi 5. Both phones come with Android Nougat out of the box, but given that they are heavily customized with Xiaomi’s and Meizu’s own user interfaces it does not have a strong impact. Both these devices are full of additional features and when we talk about software it is all about individual tastes, even though we prefer MIUI as its a bit more functional and user-friendly.
Camera
Given that these are devices sold for less than $150 we can not define them camera phones, but Meizu M6T has a camera which seems very interesting for this price range. It is a dual setup with 13 + 2 MP resolution which can calculate depth for the portrait mode. Further, it has a good 8 MP selfie camera with a decently-bright f/2.0 aperture. We believe Meizu M6T is a better camera phone than its opponent.
Battery
3300 mAh batteries in each case, so we will have to test them to know exactly which one will last more. However, we are kinda sure that, just like Xiaomi Redmi 5, Meizu M6T will provide a great battery life. It has low-energy hardware components and an above-average battery capacity which should allow it to last up to 2 days with a low/moderate use, just as Xiaomi Redmi 5 does. Note that only Xiaomi Redmi 5 supports fast charging technology, so you will probably have to wait for a bit more in order for the Meizu M6T to charge to 100%.
Price
Price is not really the element which establishes the winner as they are very similar.
In China, Meizu M6T starts from €108/$125 for the base configuration, while Xiaomi Redmi 5 starts from €103/$120. You should go for the Meizu M6T if camera and selfies are your main concern. Otherwise, Xiaomi Redmi 5 is a better choice. For now, the availability of Meizu M6T has been announced only in China and we do not know if and when it will be available outside the country. So it looks like the Redmi 5 is the only choice if you do not live in China.
Huawei has today launched the successor of Huawei Watch 2 smartwatch which was launched last year. The newly launched model, named Huawei Watch 2 (2018), comes in three variants — 4G Edition, Bluetooth-only model, and 4G eSIM Edition.
There is no major change in terms of the design. It features a double crown design and comes with shortcut keys for easy access to sport, quick exercise selection or to setup a custom quick launch. The smartwatch weighs 57 grams and measures 45 x 48.9 x 12.6 mm and comes with a waterproof casing having IP58 certification.
The Huawei Watch 2 (2018) comes with a 1.2-inch OLED display with screen resolution of 390 x 390 pixels. The display is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass on top. Under the hood, the device is powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 2100 chipset, along with 768 MB of RAM and 4 GB of internal storage.
It has integrated GPS and Beidou dual positioning support, allowing to track users in real-time. It can also track heart rate and can monitor the quality of sleep at night. There’s a Galvanic Skin Response sensor, along with a barometer, accelerometer, gyroscope, and compass.
There are different exercise modes and the company is using FIRSTBEAT motion tracking algorithm and training plan, helping users in sports activities. The device also comes with NFC support, enabling a bunch of payment systems, including Huawei, Alibaba’s Ali Pay, and WeChat payment system.
The smartwatch runs on Google‘s Android Wear 2.0 operating system. Coming to the battery, according to the company, the battery can last one and a half days on a single charge. However, on using 4G, it drops to just 1 day of usage. Huawei claims that the battery can be charged fully in about 100 minutes.
The Huawei Watch 2 (2018) is priced at 1,538 Yuan (approximately $xx) for the Bluetooth-only model and goes up to 1,988 Yuan (approximately $310) for the eSIM model. It will be available in three color options — Carbon Black, Vibrant Orange, and Star Grey and is available for purchase in China through Vmall.
Xiaomi finally took the wraps off the trio of Mi 8, Mi 8 SE and Mi 8 Explorer Edition in China today. The smartphone indeed lived up to the hype that has kept the rumour mills buzzing all this while. While we await the release of the itinerary for the global launch of the models, here are a couple of hands-on pictures of the Mi 8 as well as the Mi 8 Explorer Edition.
The Mi 8 and Mi 8SE basically feature the same design but the sizes and screen ratio are slightly different from each other. The trio equally present with the notch design up at the display. The notch is similar to what we have on the iPhone X. The wideness of the cut out gave the device an 18.7:9 aspect ratio. As a reminder, the display is a 6.12-inch Super AMOLED screen with an FHD+ resolution of 2248 x 1080 pixels. and it delivers a screen-to-body ratio of 86.12 percent. The screen is enabled with features like DCI-P3 color gamut, 60000:1 contrast ratio, up to 600nits brightness, HDR support, Eye protection mode, and Always-On Display.
The rear design is also similar to the iPhone X, taking into account the vertically stacked dual rear camera located at the top corner. There is also a fingerprint sensor at the back. The Mi 8 flagship continues the glass back panel which the Mi 6 featured. In this case, it utilises a 2.5D glass panel while the mid frame is made from metal with a sleek finish. In the case of the Mi 8 Explorer Edition, it features a translucent glass back which shows the internal components in a beautiful way.
There is no fingerprint sensor at the back instead, the Mi 8 Explorer Edition has an in-screen fingerprint reader that enables users to unlock the phone simply touch and scan fingerprint sensor embedded that is embedded in its display. Xiaomi claims that since the display of the phone is equipped with a highly sensitive pressure sensor, it can instantly scan and unlock the phone by touching on the screen gently. Hence, a user does not require to press harder on the screen to unlock it.
The device is up for pre-orders already and ill go on sale as from June 5 in China. There is no word yet on the global launch but that should happen soon. Check some more pictures of both the Mi 8 and Mi 8 Explorer Edition from below.
Google is working on its next-generation Pixel smartphones, which are expected to be named Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. According to the reports, the company will now be focusing on boosting revenues with the upcoming smartphones and to make an impact in the market.
The Pixel 3 XL is expected to come with an edge-to-edge display but will retain a chin at the bottom. Further, it is said that the phone will have a notch on top of the display, similar to that of iPhone X.
The report adds that the smaller variant, which is believed to be called Pixel 3, will be similar to Pixel 2 in terms of design and won’t have a notch on the display or an edge-to-edge design.
According to the reports, the next-generation Pixel smartphones from Google could get launched in the month of October, approximately a month after Apple usually released its new smartphones. For the third year in a row, Verizon will be the exclusive U.S. carrier partner for the new Pixels.
The larger Pixel smartphone will come with a dual camera setup on the front side and both camera sensors will be placed inside the notch. On the back side, there’ll just a single camera lens. Further, it is said that the phone will also stereo speakers on the front, which could be the reason Google decided to keep bottom bezel.
If the report is to be believed, then both smartphone will come with an improved camera module, but with just one camera sensor on the back. Just like most flagship smartphones, it’ll also support bokeh-effect in photos, but the same effect will be created using single lens and software.
Further, the California-based company is also working on an upgrade for the Android operating system which will take better advantage of the artificial intelligence technology. The report says that Google is looking forward to a system which performs more tasks with the minimum user action.
As you might have known by now, Xiaomi held its 8th Anniversary ceremony today in China. The ceremony is a good time to do some PR work and Lei Jun, Xiaomi’s CEO isn’t someone to allow such opportunity go by. During the conference, Lei Jun took out time to showcase the company’s growth figures as released by renowned IT research firm, IDC. According to IDC, Xiaomi is the fourth largest mobile phone vendor globally in Q1 2018 in terms of market share. The Chinese company sits just behind Samsung, Apple and Huawei.
The report also shows Xiaomi recorded a mind-boggling increase in growth of 87.8% year-on-year. Lei Jun also revealed that Xiaomi was able to enter the list of top 5 best selling vendors in 20 countries where it officially has a presence. The report also detailed Xiaomi’s shipment in China to have recorded an increase of 41.8% while in India, it garnered a 30.3% market share to emerge as the largest vendor in Q1 2018. In 2017, the company was able to reach the top 5 spot in 14 countries and by Q1 this year, it is already dominating 20 countries with a spot on the top 5 charts.
This is good news for the Chinese tech who recently applied for an IPO in the Hing Kong stock exchange. The company is even not relenting with the pace at which it storms new markets globally. The company rolled out its products in France and Italy recently. The Chinese giant is expected to enter more markets in the coming days.
When the Oculus Go went on sale at the beginning of the month, we knew it was only a matter of time before it launched in China. Back in January, Oculus announced that the Go was going to be manufactured by Xiaomi and will launch in China as the Mi VR Standalone. The device was officially unveiled today.
The Mi VR Standalone is identical to the Oculus Go save for Xiaomi’s logo on the device, the color, and the software on it. Unlike the Go, Xiaomi is the one handling content for the Mi VR Standalone.
Mi VR Standalone Specs
The device has a 2K (2560 x 1440) Fast-Switch LCD with a 60Hz/72Hz refresh rate. It is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 821 processor and is paired with 3GB of RAM and 32GB/64GB of storage.
It doesn’t have outside tracking, so it only offers 3 degrees of freedom. You also get a controller for navigation. The headset has speakers built into the sides for a 360° audio experience that sounds pretty good according to reviews of the Oculus Go.
However, you can also connect your headphones via a 3.5mm audio jack. There is also Wi-Fi for connectivity and a micro USB 2.0 port for charging the 2600mAh battery.
Content is provided via Xiaomi’s VR platform which has lots of games, movies, apps, and streaming services tailored for VR. Apps can be downloaded and managed via the Mi VR app.
Xiaomi has officially announced its next-generation flagship models today in China. The Xiaomi Mi 8SE was launched alongside the Mi 8 and Mi 8 Exploration Edition. Basically, the Mi 8 SE is a mini version of the Mi 8, designed for users who are attracted to small screen phones.
Xiaomi Mi 8 SE Specifications & Features
The Mi 8 SE comes with a 5.88-inch AMOLED display which is equivalent to the traditional 5.2 inches smartphones. That is because it utilises the 18.7:9 aspect ratio. The design is similar to that of the Mi 8 which includes a notch display design. The quality of the display is same as the Mi 8 but the screen resolution is 2244 x 1080 pixel while the device has an 86.12% screen to body ratio. The screen supports DCI-P3 colour gamut, has a 60000:1 contrast ratio and up to 600nits of brightness. The Mi 8SE also comes with a 2.5D curved glass body, with an enamel mirror finish. The device comes in four different colour options; Bright Red, Bright Blue, Gold, Dark Gray colours.
In terms of configuration, the Xiaomi 8SE debuts as the world’s first phone with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 chipset. The SD 710 chipset is Qualcomm’s first chipset outside the flagship series built on the 10nm process. The Snapdragon 710 chipset includes two cores of Kryo 360 Cortex A75 that clocks at 2.2 GHz and six cores of Kryo 360 Cortex A55 that offers a processing speed of 1.7 GHz. The octa-core processor is coupled with Adreno 616 graphics that promises 35% better rendering of graphics. The chipset garnered more than 170,000 points on AnTuTu benchmark which places it above the Snapdragon 660 chipset. The processor is paired with 4GB RAM and there is a 6GB RAM. Both RAM versions come with 64GB storage which can be expanded.
On the camera aspect, the Mi 8SE sports a 12MP + 5MP dual camera setup at the rear. The rear camera comes with a 1.4um pixel size on the main sensor as well as dual-core, 206 AI scenes recognition, as well as portrait mode support. The front camera is a 20MP camera with self-timer which is still active even in low light condition. It can also capture bokeh shots using AI. In addition, there is AI scenes recognition. The Mi 8SE also comes with Bluetooth 5.0, X15 LTE baseband, 2×2 802.11ac Wi-Fi, while a 3120mAh battery keeps the light on. The handset is preinstalled with Android 8.1 Oreo that is skinned with the latest MIUI 10.
As for the price, Xiaomi Mi 8 SE is priced at 1799 yuan (~$280) for the 4GB + 64GB version while the 6GB + 64GB version come at just 200 yuan higher at 1999 yuan(~$312).
Apart from launching the Xiaomi Mi 8 as its 8th Anniversary flagship and Mi 8 SE smartphones today through an unveil event in Shenzhen, Xiaomi has also launched the Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition which is nothing but an advanced version of the Xiaomi Mi 8. At the launch event, the Chinese manufacturer said that the Mi 8 Explorer Edition smartphone offers a number of world premiere features. It’s the first Android smartphone that supports 3D facial recognition. It is also the first phone along with Mi 8 to feature dual-band GPS technology. Also, it is equipped with an pressure-sensitive in-display fingerprint reader.
Design and Display
Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition features a 2.5D translucent glass rear that is curved towards the edges. The translucent back gives a clear view of the innards of the phone such as the new design for the NFC coil, Kevlar texture for the battery and other components. The handset measures 154.9 x 74.8 x 7.6mm and it weighs 177 grams. The size of the phone is similar to a traditional 5.2-inch phone.
The Xiaomi Mi 8 EE also features a 6.21-inch S-AMOLED display like the Mi 8. It produces 18.7:9 aspect ratio and FHD+ resolution of 2248 x 1080 pixels. and it delivers a screen-to-body ratio of 86.12 percent. The screen is enabled with features like DCI-P3 color gamut, 60000:1 contrast ratio, up to 600nits brightness, HDR support, Eye protection mode, and Always-On Display.
In-Display Fingerprint Scanner and 3D Facial Recognition
The Mi 8 Explorer Edition has an in-screen fingerprint reader that enables users to unlock the phone simply touch and scan fingerprint sensor embedded that is embedded in its display. Xiaomi claims that since the display of the phone is equipped with highly sensitive pressure sensor, it can instantly scan and unlock the phone by touching on the screen gently. Hence, a user does not require to press harder on the screen to unlock it. Xiaomi claims it is the first smartphone in the world with pressure sensitive in-screen fingerprint technology.
Like the iPhone X’s Face ID feature, the Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer Edition features a complex structured light 3D module to enable 3D facial scanning. The notch of the Mi 8 Explorer Edition includes components like selfie camera, proximity sensor, ambient sensor, infrared lens, flood illuminator and dot projector.
The selfie camera captures the face data of the user by analyzing more than 33,000 invisible points of the face of the users to create a depth map. The infrared lens also captures the infrared image of the face at the same time. The AI engine of the SoC comes into play to convert the depth map and infrared image into a mathematical representation which is then matched the registered facial data stored on the phone to unlock it. Xiaomi claims that the probability of cracking the Face ID on MI 8 Explorer Edition is like one in one million. Even Apple said the same thing when it announced Face ID for iPhone X.
Dubbed as “Mi Meng” in Chinese is Xiaomi’s take on animated emojis that is also available on the iPhone X. With AI, the front camera can capture up to 52 facial muscle movements to create different animated characters that can imitate the face expressions and voice of the user.
Performance
Like the Mi 8, the Mi 8 Explorer Edition is driven by Snapdragon 845 that comes with an Artificial Intelligence Engine. The SoC is coupled with 8 GB of RAM and it comes with an inbuilt storage of 128 GB. It also features a 3,000mAh battery that is found under the hood of the Mi 8. The Mi 8 EE supports Quick Charge 4+ fast charging. It pre-loaded with MIUI 10 based Android 8.1 Oreo.
Cameras and Other Features
The dual camera setup that includes a wide-angle 12-megapixel Sony IMX363 primary sensor that is equipped with f/1.8 aperture and 1.4micron pixel size. It is accompanied by a secondary 12-megapixel S5K3M3 telephoto lens that has an aperture of f/2.4 and 1micron pixel size. It offers camera features like 4-axis OIS, optical zoom and dual autofocus, AI Studio Lighting for enhanced portrait shots, AI scene detection and video editing, 4K UHD video shooting and Full HD slow-motion recording at 240fps. Xiaomi revealed the camera prowess of the phone by saying that the Mi 8 has scored 105 in photography benchmarks on DxOMark.
The 20-megapixel selfie camera is placed inside the notch. Apart from 3D facial recognition, it offers features like 3D Beauty, 10 kinds of AI scene detection, mirror function and HDR.
The connectivity features available on the Mi 8 Explorer Edition include 4G VoLTE, dual-SIM support, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C and 3.5mm audio jack. Like the Mi 8, the Explorer Edition is also blessed with dual-band GPS for accurate GPS navigation compared to conventional smartphones.
Pricing and Availability
The Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer comes in a single edition which features 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage and it is priced at 3,699 Yuan (~$577). Xiaomi is yet to reveal information on its availability.
What is a Xiaomi launch without a new TV? At today’s event, Xiaomi announced a new Mi TV 4 with a large 75-inch display. This is the company’s largest LED TV to date.
The Mi TV 4 75” as it is officially known not only comes with a large screen but also packs some impressive specs and smart features.
Speaking of design, the TV follows the ultra-thin tradition of its predecessors. It is just 11.4mm thick and measures 104.3cm tall. The screen itself is a 4K HDR LCD panel.
Powering the Mi TV 4 75” is Amlogic’s 6th gen quad-core processor clocked at 1.8GHz. It also has a Mali-T830 GPU, 2GB of RAM, and 32GB of built-in storage. It also has support for Dolby audio and DTS-HD audio, dual-band Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth Low Energy. The TV also comes with an AI voice assistant.
At a launch event in Shenzhen, China, Xiaomi has today launched its flagship smartphone — Mi 8, Mi 8 SE, as well as the latest version of its operating system, MIUI 10. Along with that, the China-based manufacturer has also launched its next-generation fitness tracker — Mi Band 3.
The Mi Band 3 comes with a 0.78-inch OLED capacitive touchscreen. The company says that the display is designed with an aim to offer a better experience for viewing / rejecting calls and messages.
Earlier, Xiaomi’s CEO Lei Jun had said that the wristband of Mi Band 3 has been redesigned to ensure that the tracker doesn’t fall off from the strap, which a lot of users complained about for its predecessor.
The device supports many new functions compared to the Mi Band 2. Along with the addition of viewing messages and call view/ reject feature, it can also provide weather forecast as well as an alarm clock, which can be turned off from the touchscreen. Other features include heart rate monitor, daily steps count and sedentary reminder as a part of the health management functions.
The Mi Band 3 comes with water and dust resistance, and is completely waterproof for up to 50 meters, ensuring that it works perfectly even when the user is swimming. The company has also announced another variant of the fitness tracker which comes with NFC support.
Earlier, there were reports suggesting that the Mi Band 3 will come with support for a tilt-to-wake feature. However, it is not yet confirmed if the device indeed supports such functionality.
One of the crucial thing for a wearable device is the battery life. The Xiaomi’s newly launched Mi Band 3 comes with an improved battery, which the company claims can last for up to 20 days on a single charge.
The Xiaomi Mi Band 3 has been priced at 169 Yuan, which roughly converts to $26. The NFC variant of the fitness tracker, which is named Mi Band 3 (NFC) is priced at 199 Yuan, which is roughly $31. It will be available in three color options — Black, Red, and Blue.
While the company has not revealed when the device will go on sale, we expect it to be available in China in the coming days. Currently, there is no information about Mi Band 3’s availability in other regions.
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