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Buy ZTE Nubia Z17 Lite Smartphone For Only $169.99 On Banggood; Discount Coupon To Expire Soon!

The ZTE Nubia Z17 Lite was made available to the public in September last year. As expected, the phone garnered huge popularity among smartphone enthusiasts who were restlessly waiting to get their hands on a big screen smartphone without breaking the bank.

Bearing that in mind, Banggood is offering a noteworthy 40% off on the global version of the Nubia Z17 Lite smartphone. As a result, you can now preorder the well-received phone by shelling out just $199.99.

Banggood normally sells the black-gold and blue color versions of the Nubia Z17 Lite smartphone for $333.97. As part of its latest promotion, the Chinese online store that guarantees the best bang for your buck is giving cost-conscious buyers an opportunity to preorder the phone without burning a hole in their pocket.

But if you’re on a tight budget and aren’t willing to spend even that kind of money on a smartphone, we’ll explain how you can get an additional discount on the phone’s already lowered retail price. You can save an extra $30 simply by applying discount coupon ‘BGNZ17L’ at the time of checking out.

In other words, you can reduce your grand total to only $169.99 just by using the aforesaid coupon code while checking out. Note that the coupon code is valid for both black-gold as well as the blue color versions of the smartphone.


The ZTE Nubia Z17 Lite is quite a bargain at just $169.99, given that it boasts a broad range of awe-inspiring specs and features. The phone sports a big 5.5 inches IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen with a screen resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels, an aspect ratio of 16:9 and Corning Gorilla glass for added protection.

The phone packs a powerful Qualcomm MSM8976 Pro Snapdragon 653 processor along with an equally robust Adreno 510 GPU, under the hood. The global version of the Nubia Z17 Lite smartphone comes with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of non-expandable onboard storage.

On the photography front, the Nubia Z17 Lite smartphone houses a 13-megapixel + 13-megapixel dual camera setup with the 5-element lens, PDAF, Sapphire Glass lens, and ƒ/2.2 aperture on the back. Apart from that, there’s a 16-megapixel front shooter for selfies and face-to-face video chatting.

The Nubia Z17 Lite runs Nubia UI 5.0 based on Android 7.1 Nougat operating system and draws its juices from a 3200mAh, Lithium-ion polymer battery. The phone’s dimensions are 152.75mm X 72.55mm X 7.60mm and it weighs in at 168 grams.

You can follow this link if you’d like to check out the full specification and take advantage of the discount before it ends. Note that the coupon code is also likely to expire soon.

Xiaomi Mi Band 3 Poster Surfaces Online Ahead Of Official Launch Today

In just a few hours, Xiaomi will launch its flagship smartphone Mi 8, along with Mi 8 SE, MIUI 10, and Mi Band 3. Now, ahead of this official launch, the Mi Band 3’s poster has surfaced online, revealing the design of the fitness tracker and hinting at its features.

From the looks of the fitness tracker, it seems similar to its predecessor. However, the company’s CEO Lei Jun had previously revealed 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.

Mi Band 3 Poster

The poster has a headline that reads “Your progress can be seen”, hinting about the information that can be available on the screen of this new fitness tracker. Just like the Mi Band 2, its successor is also expected to come with an OLED display and is also reported to support touchscreen. The display is about 0.78-inch and has a convex shape.

Recently, a few posters of the device were leaked online, revealing some of the features of the fitness tracker. Along with displaying the health and fitness related information, such as sleep and heart rate, the device is also expected to come with improved tracking for sports activities.

Further, it is also expected to provide notifications and other functions once the device is connected to a smartphone. It will allow users to read instant messages, see the Caller ID and get the option of muting the call, among others. There are reports indicating that the wearable device will also come equipped with a new Tilt to Wake feature.

The wearable device will have a waterproof build that can withstand being submerged under a 50m water depth. The fitness tracker also said to come with an improved 20 days battery life which can stay on for up to 20 days.

Read More: Xiaomi Mi 8 Teaser Poster Tips The Flagship To Launch Globally In 8 Other Countries

The Xiaomi Mi Band 3 will be priced at 169 Yuan, which roughly converts to $26. The pricing of the fitness tracker is a tad bit higher than its predecessor, which was priced at 149 Yuan (approx. $23).

Honor Play Render Appears, Custom Kirin OS Spotted On it

Huawei’s sub-brand Honor has confirmed that it will be launching the Honor Play smartphone on June 6. It is said to be technologically advanced phone that promises to deliver groundbreaking experience. However, the company is yet to confirm on what sort of advanced features will it be offering on it. It is speculated that the smartphone will offer AI-based 4D gaming and AI camera features. Huawei’s chairman Yu Chengdong has described the speed of the Honor Play by using the metaphor “flying in the sky.” New images that surfaced on suggest that the Kirin SoC of the phone will be assisted by Kirin OS.

Following the recently imposed 7-year ban on ZTE that prevents the Chinese firm from exporting components and software from the U.S., Huawei has been working on its own operating system claims the tipster who has shared the below images. There is no confirmation on whether the smartphone shown below is the Honor Play phone. The smartphone can be seen sporting a notched display. Also, the June 6 date present on the screen happens to be the launch date of Honor Play. Its mentioned at the bottom of its screen that it is running on Kirin OS that is powered by Linux.

Honor Play Render
The other image reveals that the handset supports Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels which is quite odd considering the smartphone shown above has a notched display. The version of the operating system that is loaded on the phone is mentioned as Kirin OS 1.0. It seems to be an old screenshot as the date 2015 is mentioned in the kernel version.

Kirin OS Proof

Also, rumors about the Kirin OS had surfaced in 2015. Since there are some discrepancies in the image, it is advisable to take this report with a grain of salt.

Nothing much is known on the specs and features of the Honor Play. Rumors have it that it could be equipped with a 5G modem. Its launch event will be held at Beijing University Gymnasium. The very same platform will be also used another upper mid-range phone called Honor 9i.

Read More: OnePlus 6 vs Honor 10: Affordable Flagships Compared!

The Honor 9i is expected to arrive with a notched display design that will support an aspect ratio of 19:9. It will be featuring 5.84-inch screen that will support FHD+ resolution. It is speculated to be fueled by the Kirin 960 chipset.

It is expected to arrive in storage models like 32 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB and all of them are likely to feature 4 GB of RAM. For more storage, it will feature a microSD card. The handset will be loaded with Android 8.1 Oreo and EMUI 8 skin. It will be fueled by 2,900mAh battery. For photography, it features 13-megapixel + 2-megapixel dual camera setup and a frontal shooter of 16-megapixel.

(source|via)

Meet Tencent & Epic Games’ “Siren”, A Highly Realistic Digital Human That Mimics Your Every Movement

Tencent has teamed up with Epic Games and other collaborators like 3Lateral, Cubic Motion and Vicon to unveil a digital human which is christened Siren. The digital piece of technology is a high-fidelity, real-time virtual “human,” that is designed as a more effective, timesaving alternative for creating hyperrealistic video game characters. The character was first unveiled at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in March but just got showcased in China.tencent

This is different from digital simulations which are noticeably fake, in that with ‘Siren’, the collaborators hope to bridge the gap between CGI and real life to produce models so lifelike, you might not be able to tell the difference. Siren is modelled after Chinese actress Bingjie Jiang and has the ability to mimic even the slightest of body and finger movements, including facial expressions. It moves in sync with the person wearing the motion capture body suit at 60 frames per second.

siren

Read More: Google and Tencent Form Alliance, Agree To Share Patents

Interestingly, the character looks so real facially. ‘Siren’ even has beauty “imperfections” like pimples and visible pores. As a result, it is difficult to differentiate the character from the real actress from whom it was created. Indeed the technology holds huge potential. Just imagine future television shows using ‘Siren’-like models in place of actual actors. Yes, that sounds awesome but if the technology lands in the wrong hands, it could spur a whole, uncanny generation of fake news. Check out the demo from the video below.

(source)

Pixel 3 Smartphones To Be Built By FIH Mobile (Foxconn)

For the first time, Google’s hardware partner for its smartphone will not be a “popular manufacturer”. Instead, it will be working with Foxconn‘s FIH Mobile for the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL. The info comes from documents made available to Winfuture.de.

Google’s first hardware partner was HTC and they worked on multiple devices including last year’s Pixel 2. Google also worked with Samsung, LG, ASUS, Motorola, and Huawei during its run with the Nexus line.

Google Pixel 3

When Google launched the first Pixel, it no longer put the name of the hardware partner on the device. This time – it was made by Google. The same thing happened last year for the 2nd gen Pixel phones and will be the tradition going forward.

The documents not only reveal info about the hardware partner but also about the devices. The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 processor. The larger model which was referred to as Google GB1 is said to have a “new display hardware”, new cameras, and sensors. The Pixel 3, referred to as Google GC1 will most likely come with specs present in other flagships.

A leaked photo from yesterday showed the tempered glass for both phones and revealed that the Pixel 3 XL will come with a notch. This may be the “new display hardware” referred to in the document. Other specs are still unknown.

READ MORE: Google Is Working On A Standalone AR Headset

Xiaomi Mi Band 3 Full Specs & Pictures Leak In Official Posters

Xiaomi Mi Band 3’s full specifications and pictures have just appeared on China’s Weibo showing us the entire package right before it is launched. Xiaomi is expected to unveil the Mi Band 3 alongside the Mi 8 and Mi 8SE on Thursday (May 31) which is just a couple of hours away.Xiaomi Mi Band 3

The leaked official posters feature the design as well as the configuration of the Mi Band 3, giving us a quick preview of the fitness band. The Mi Band 3 is confirmed as coming with an OLED display which has a convex shape. It looks quite curved and fuses perfectly with the strap. The display is a 0.78-inch one. Talking of the straps, it seems buyers will get the various colours options right from the go. The Band 3 will come with Black, Blue, Pink. Xiaomi Mi Band 3

The Mi Band 3 display is a touchscreen display and this brings more functions onboard the device. The Mi Band 3 will let users rear instant messages, see the Caller ID and get the option of muting the call. Other functions include Weather forecast, alarm clock which can be turned off from the touchscreen. The Band 3 feature also include heart rate monitor, daily steps count and sedentary reminder which are all features of the Mi Band 2.Xiaomi Mi Band 3

Further, the wearable device will feature a waterproof build that can withstand being submerged under a 50m water depth (5 ATM). The fitness tracker also comes with an improved 20 days battery life which can stay on for up to 20 days.

Related: Xiaomi Mi Band 3 Image Leaked; Xiaomi Confirms its Tilt to Wake Feature

The device will eventually be sold for 169 yuan (~$26). Of course, that will be its price in China but it is still impressive considering that it is just a tad higher than the Mi Band 2’s price.

(source)

MI Band 3Xiaomi Mi Band 3

Qualcomm To Release Snapdragon 850 Early: Exclusive To Windows 10 on ARM Devices

A few days ago, we reported that Snapdragon 845-powered Windows 10 on ARM devices were coming soon. There was even a Geekbench listing that showed the chipset was clocked higher than the regular SD845. New reports say that chipset is actually the Snapdragon 850.

According to Winfuture.de, Qualcomm will release the Snapdragon 850 early but there is a catch. The SD850 chipset is just a higher clocked Snapdragon 845 (just the way the SD821 is a higher clocked version of the 820) but one that will be used for Windows 10 devices powered by ARM.

Although the chipset will be clocked higher, it will come with the same X20 modem and offer Gigabit LTE. Below are Geekbench results of a test device from Qualcomm and one from Lenovo.

 

Snapdragon 850 Geekbench test devices

New Devices That Will Be Powered By The Snapdragon 850 Chipset

Winfuture.de was able to get info on the devices in development that will come with the new chipset. HP is said to be working on its second device which is codenamed Chimera 2. The Snapdragon 835-powered HP Envy X2 was codenamed Chimera. Production for the Chimera 2 will be handled by Taiwan’s Quanta.

Lenovo is also working on a new device codenamed ELZE1. Its first ARM PC, the Lenovo Miix 630 is still listed as coming soon. Taiwanese ODM, Compal, is said to be handling production for Lenovo. ASUS is also working on a new device codenamed Thanos.

While the aforementioned manufacturers are returning for the second-gen models, a new player is joining the game. It has been reported that Dell is also making a Windows 10 on ARM device.

READ MORE: Snapdragon 710 Pops Up on GeekBench With Impressive Flagship-grade Score

Alcatel 3V With 3GB RAM And 32GB Storage Launched In India For Rs. 9,999 ($148)

Alcatel has launched its new smartphone — Alcatel 3V in India at a launch event in New Delhi. The smartphone was originally unveiled at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2018 in Las Vegas and were launched at Mobile World Congress 2018 in Barcelona.

The Alcatel 3V will be available for purchase in India exclusively through online marketplace Flipkart and will go on sale from Thursday, i.e. 31st May. The smartphone has been priced at Rs. 9,999, which roughly converts to $148.

Alcatel 3V

The smartphone features a 6-inch Full-HD+ IPS display with screen resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels, 18:9 aspect ratio, and 2.5D curved glass on top. Under the hood, the device is powered by MediaTek MT8735A processor, coupled with 3GB of RAM. It’s noteworthy that the global variant comes with 2GB RAM.

It packs  32GB of inbuilt storage while the global variant comes with 16GB of internal storage. There’s also a microSD card slot, which enables users to further expand the phone’s storage capacity up to 128GB. It also has a fingerprint sensor on the back panel.

The Alcatel 3V sports a dual camera setup at the back, consisting of a 16-megapixel primary sensor and a 5-megapixel secondary camera sensor, along with an LED flash. On the front side, there’s an 8-megapixel snapper with LED flash for taking selfies and video calling. The camera comes with various features, such as Bokeh, EIS, PDAF, ZSL, Face Beauty, a Social Mode, and Instant Collage, amongst other features.

Read More: Alcatel 1X Android Oreo (Go Edition) Smartphone Announced In India

The smartphone also supports Face Key, which is the company’s name for face recognition based phone unlocking. Connectivity options on the Alcatel 3V include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.2, GPS/ A-GPS, Micro-USB 2.0, and 3.5mm headphone jack. Running on Android 8.0 Oreo operating system out of the box, the smartphone is powered by a 3,000mAh battery.

Notch-less LG V35 ThinQ Launches As An AT&T & Project Fi Exclusive

We don’t know what is going on at LG but its new release schedule seems like a bad idea. After launching the LG V30S ThinQ at MWC this year and following it with the G7 ThinQ earlier this month, LG has announced yet another flagship – the LG V35 ThinQ.

LG V35 ThinQ

Releasing three flagships phones in 5 months doesn’t seem to be the right way to go if you say you plan to launch phones “when it is needed”. Nevertheless, if you are undecided about LG’s other two flagships, then you should read on and see if the V35 ThinQ ticks your boxes.

LG V35 ThinQ Design

When it comes to design, the V35 ThinQ shares a striking resemblance to the V30S ThinQ. There really isn’t any physical difference that sets them apart. You could simply say the V35 ThinQ is the V30S ThinQ with a Snapdragon 845 processor.

LG V35 ThinQ Specs

The V35 ThinQ has a 6-inch OLED QHD+ display with HDR. If you hate the notch on the LG G7 ThinQ, it is missing here. If you like it…..    Since this is available on AT&T, this should be great for the network’s DirecTV service.

Inside the device is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 mobile platform and it is paired with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage. There are two 16MP cameras on the rear. One is a super wide-angle sensor with a f/1.9 aperture, and the other is a standard sensor with a f/1.6 aperture. At the top left corner of the display is an 8MP wide-angle selfie camera.

The LG V35 ThinQ has AI features baked into its camera software. So you get all the AI features of the other two flagships such as scene recognition, Google Lens, and Super Bright Camera mode.

The phone runs Android 8.0 Oreo, has a Hi-Fi Quad DAC, 3D surround sound, face recognition, a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, wireless charging support, and an IP68 rating. It is also MIL-STD 810G compliant. It draws juice from a 3,300mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 support.

LG V35 ThinQ Project Fi

READ MORE: LG Q7 Stylus To Launch As LG Q Stylus+ In Taiwan Soon

OnePlus 6 Face Unlock Feature Bypassed Using A Printed Photo

OnePlus first introduced the Face Unlock feature on last year’s OnePlus 5T. The phone lacked depth sensing and 3D face mapping so OnePlus utilized a custom solution developed by a Chinese security company called SenseTime which has a pedigree in facial recognition.oneplus 6

The OnePlus 5T’s Face Unlock feature was discovered to be unsecure as it was discovered to lack the ability to differentiate a real face from a printed photo despite being capable of unlocking the device in record time. Some users were able to register a face from a printed photo but not actually unlock the device.  The feature was thus included on the OnePlus 6 and it seems the flaw still lingers and is even worse.

A Twitter user @rikvduijn posted a video on Tuesday which showed the OnePlus 6 being unlocked with a paper cutout of his face. Interestingly, the method apparently works with a black and white photo as well. The video captures one of the user’s friends holding a photo of his face and showing it to the OnePlus 6. This instantly granted the user access to the OS, meaning the Face Unlock feature can be fooled.

Read More: OnePlus 6 Marvel Avengers Limited Edition To Go On Sale In India Today For Rs. 44,999 ($664)

OnePlus is quick to respond to this flaw and the response is really not different from what we know about Face Unlock. The statement released by the company stated thus; “We designed Face Unlock around convenience, and while we took corresponding measures to optimise its security we always recommended you use a password/PIN/fingerprint for security. For this reason, Face Unlock is not enabled for any secure apps such as banking or payments. We’re constantly working to improve all of our technology, including Face Unlock.”

(source)

What Do You Think Of These Xiaomi Mi 8 Camera Samples?

Ahead of the release of the Mi 8 (and Mi 8 SE) tomorrow, Xiaomi’s CEO Lei Jun has released camera samples of the phone. The photos are of the same location (probably Beijing Skyline) but at different times of the day.

Xiaomi Mi 8

The first photo was taken during the day and highlights the HDR feature of the camera. The second was taken at sunset and the third which was taken at night shows us how the camera fares in low-light.

[envira-gallery id=”193887″]

The Xiaomi Mi 8 will come with dual rear cameras and is reported to be Xiaomi’s best camera phone to date. A hands-on review will confirm if that statement is true. The cameras will have AI features that will help improve performance and fine-tune settings for the best results.

READ MORE: Xiaomi Launches The 299 yuan ($46) Mi Bluetooth Headset

OnePlus Has No Plans To Launch A Mid-Range Smartphone Until 2021

OnePlus managed to carve a niche for itself with its “flagship killer” smartphones. In the year 2015, the company branched out and launched a mid-range smartphone named OnePlus X. However, in 2016, the company said that it’s done making mid-range smartphone and won’t be releasing the successor of the OnePlus X.

As a result, the company has been launching only flagship smartphones from last few years. Since the company launched OnePlus 3, it has been launching two “flagship killer” smartphones every year. After OnePlus 3, the company launched OnePlus 3T, OP5, OP5T and most recently, it launched the OnePlus 6.

OnePlus 6

Now, Pete Lau, CEO of OnePlus has confirmed that the company will stick to its current plan of launching only flagship smartphones and has no plan to launch a mid-range smartphone at least until 2021. So, for the next three year, there won’t be a successor of the OnePlus X or any other mid-range phone from the China-based company.

OnePlus has decided to focus on its flagship phones and attempts to shift any/all remaining stock ahead of the next release. The company is avoiding having old handsets be sold alongside its new ones, as the demand for the older devices isn’t high enough to warrant them to continue making along with its newer ones.

Sticking with its policy of just one smartphone at a time, the company is obviously limiting its growth but the overall strategy seems to be working for the Chinese manufacturer. OnePlus was the best-selling premium smartphone brand in India in the first quarter of this year. The OnePlus 5T was placed second in terms of flagship shipments in India, only behind the combined shipments of Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus from Samsung.

Read More: OnePlus Removes Always-On Display Feature From OnePlus 6 Due To Battery Concerns

Even by the company’s internal metrics, the OnePlus 5T was a big success, says Pete Lau. OnePlus, like many other manufacturers, uses the net promoter score (NPS) to measure consumer satisfaction for a product. The OnePlus 5T had an NPS of 78, the highest for any OnePlus smartphone so far.

Snapdragon 710 Pops Up on GeekBench With Impressive Flagship-grade Score

Recently, the Mi 8 SE was tipped to launch with a Snapdragon 710 chipset as well as the Vivo NEX. Not much is known about the Qualcomm processor but it is a midrange chipset which is obviously more powerful than the SD 660 chipset.Snapdragon 710

The Snapdragon 710 chipset has now been spotted on the database of benchmark website GeekBench. The chipset scores a single core test score of 1875 and a multi core test score of 5886 points. The SDM710 chip was compared with the Exynos 8995 chipset used on the Galaxy Note 8. The result shows the midrange chipset coming with a powerful performance which is on par with the Exynos 8895 chipset. The Snapdragon 710 mobile platform is a 10nm chipset that offers two fold better AI performance than the Snapdragon 660 and borrows some features from Snapdragon 845 flagship chipset.

Read More: Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 vs Snapdragon 660 vs MediaTek Helio P60: Best Midrange SoCs Compared

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 percent better rendering of graphics.

(source)

Hisense HLTE510T Hits TENAA With iPhone X-Styled Rear Cameras

Chinese electronics maker, Hisense, appears to have a new phone coming soon, one that takes a few design inspirations from the iPhone X. The phone has appeared on TENAA as the Hisense HLTE510T.

The Hisense HLTE510T has a 5.84-inch display with a resolution of 1080 x 2280 resolution. The resolution shows that the phone sports a notch though it isn’t visible in the images provided.

The phone is powered by an octa-core processor clocked at 1.8GHz. It also has 6GB of RAM and will come in 64GB and 128GB models. For optics, there is a 12MP+5MP combo arranged vertically on the rear. It also has a 20MP front-facing camera.

[envira-gallery id=”193855″]

The Hisense HLTE510T runs Android 8.1 Oreo, has a 2920mAh battery and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. It measures 148.59 × 71.22 × 7.93 mm and weighs 148.9 grams. When it launches, it will come in Delicate Gold and Magic Blue.

READ MORE: Hisense Says It Will Launch 5G Phones in 2019

HMD Global Confirms Android P Update For Every Nokia Smartphone

Today, HMD Global launched three new smartphones — Nokia 5.1, Nokia 3.1, and Nokia 2.1. Prior to the launch, Neil Broadley, the company’s global marketing manager, confirmed that the latest major version of Android — Android P, will come to the entire Nokia portfolio.

He confirmed that the upcoming Android P version will be rolled out to every Nokia smartphone, including the newly launched three phones. He added that this is the part of company’s commitment to the “pure, secure, and up-to-date” mantra.

Nokia X6

All of the Nokia devices running Android One, which includes the Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 7 Plus, Nokia 6.1, Nokia 5.1, and Nokia 3.1 — are all within the two-year guarantee period that Google demands for flagship updates. The company had previously promised that the first generation of Nokia phones — the Nokia 3, 5, 6, and 8 — will all be updated to the Android P version.

This covers all the smartphone from the company except three — the Nokia 2 and the Android Go edition phones — Nokia 1 and the recently launched Nokia 2.1. However, HMD Global has confirmed that all three will get the latest OS upgrade, and the Android Go edition will get the streamlined version of the OS.

HMD Global is one of the leading manufacturers when it comes to providing the latest Android update to its users. Nokia is usually among the first manufacturers to roll out Android version update for its portfolio devices as well as security patches.

Read More: Nokia X6 Again Sold Out Within Seconds In Its Second Flash Sale In China

With Android fragmentation still a broader concern, it’s great that Finland-based HMD Global is fully committed to providing timely updates for its entire portfolio. The company’s Nokia 7 Plus is also one of a small number of phones that is compatible with the Android P Beta.

How “Waterproof” Is The OnePlus 6?

The OnePlus 6 is the first device from OnePlus to have water resistance. However, OnePlus doesn’t state the degree of protection though they do warn on the official website not to take it for a swim.

The statement from OnePlus means the OnePlus 6 is splash resistant at best. Nevertheless, there is no harm in seeing the protection OnePlus has put in the device. Teardown and device test expert JerryRigEverything, decided to rip apart the OP6 to confirm its protection level.

OnePlus 6

In the six-minute long video, it is revealed that there are water-resistant meshes covering microphone holes and ports. However, there is no way of telling if these meshes will keep water out if the water has a much higher pressure.

OnePlus has put water damage indicators inside the phone to tell if you submerged your device in water or any liquid. The indicators are white and turn red when in contact with water.

READ MORE: Latest OxygenOS Update Brings Face Unlock To The OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T

Xiaomi Mi Band 3 Image Leaked; Xiaomi Confirms its Tilt to Wake Feature

The same source that had revealed the leaked press renders of the Xiaomi Mi 8 and Mi 8 SE has also revealed an image of the real Mi Band 3 fitness tracker that will debuting tomorrow. Like the predecessor Mi Band 2, the successor edition sports a monochrome OLED screen which puts to rest those rumors that had claimed that it would be equipped with a color display. Ahead of its official announcement, Xiaomi has released a new teaser that reveals that the Mi Band 3 will be equipped with a new Tilt to Wake feature.

The below image shows the Mi Band 3 device without its strap. One of the major improvements that the Mi Band 3 is expected to feature over the predecessor is that it will be equipped with a touch-sensitive OLED panel.

Xiaomi MI Band 3 Leaked Photo

Rumors have it that the Mi Band 3 will carry support for couple of gestures. It has been revealed through leaked shots of its companion app and user manual that it will sliding up and down on the screen will allow users to switch between items while swiping up and down will let users to browse items. The other features that are expected to arrive on the Mi Band 3 are support for Bluetooth 4.2 and NFC connectivity. Like the Mi Band 2, it is expected to feature an IP67 rated splash-proof body. Probably, the Mi Band 3 may feature a slightly larger battery than the 70mAh found on the Mi Band 2 (HRX Edition).

Shown below is the latest Mi Band 3 teaser from Xiaomi. It confirms that the wristband will carry support for Tilt to Wake, a feature that is also available on the predecessor model. When the feature is enabled, it will let Mi Band 3 users to raise their wrist to wake up its display.

Xiaomi Mi Band 3 Tilt to Wake

Read More: Xiaomi Mi 8 Hands-On Images Emerge; Will Debut as World’s First Phone with Dual GPS Module

A leaked screenshot of an official listing of the Mi Band 3 has revealed that it will be available in China with a price tag of 169 Yuan (~$26). The fitness tracker alongside Mi 8, Mi 8 SE and MIUI 10 tomorrow through an unveil event in Shenzhen, China that will begin at 2PM (local time).

(source|via)

Lenovo Z5 Render Shows Gradient Glass Back; Will Mark The Rebirth Of The ZUK Series

Lenovo‘s Group VP Chang Cheng has been very vocal about the company’s upcoming flagship. The VP recently confirmed officially that the device will be launched on June 5 in China. The latest detail coming from the Lenovo exec is a render of the device which showcases the back design. Lenovo Z5

 

From the image, we can see 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. The Huawei P20 and P20 Pro were the first smartphones to launch with a glass backplate boasting gradient colors. One of the gradient hues launched is Aurora, which appears as a special combo of purple and green. The colours change depending on how the light reflects on the elegant glass back. The Aurora variant added some aesthetics to the P20 series and there is no doubt it will do same for the Z5. The render also confirms the rumour that the Z5 will come with double-sided glass design with a metallic mid-frame.Lenovo Z5 launch invitation letter

Read More: Lenovo’s VP Hints The Z5 Will Offer 30 Minutes Of Talk Time At 0% Battery, Shares More Camera Samples

The Lenovo Z5 seems to come with high expectations. There has been a lot of hype concerning the device bothering o its design and hardware. The launch invitation Lenovo sent out also tips the device to come with several cool and hot features. The letter specifically made reference to the ZUK brand series listing the ZUK Z1, Z2 Pro, Z2 and ZUK Edge right to the Z5 in a statement that suggested this is a rebirth. We don’t expect a return of the ZUK brand but Lenovo may have channelled that same technological proficiency that the ZUK models brought to the Z5. Let’s just play down the hype and wait to see what the flagship has to offer in real life situation.

(source, via)

Outfone Earphones Review – Prevent Phone Calls From Being Tapped

Security and privacy are more important than ever in this day and age. If you are concerned about your phone calls’ privacy, the Outfone has come up with a unique solution as it uses sophisticated data transfer algorithm to prevent your phone calls from being recorded. At the moment, you the headphones are on the Indiegogo campaign. Learn more in our review.

The headphones ship in a pretty nice box and all the contents are packed neatly. You get all the cables, a charger and last but not least, a high-quality travel case, which is made of leather.

The overall build quality seems to be pretty good. The headphones are made of plastic and they use a kevlar tangle-free cable.

The Outfone encrypted earbuds have a dedicated remote controller that allows you to turn it on/off and answer/end calls.

I found the headset to be pretty comfortable to wear.

The Outfone encrypted earbuds are said to be the first truly secure and private earbuds for the smartphone without any compromises. Your phone callings and audio messages sent via text are end-to-end encrypted.

According to the creators of the headset, the “The cryptography used in phone calling encryption is OTP(One-Time Pad) encryption key. OTP is automatically generated on-the-fly by digit encryption algorithms from the group encryption keys. It will self-destroyed at both Outfone encrypted earbuds when the phone ends, without being stored or recorded by anybody, including yourselves. And any other Outfone earbuds can not eavesdrop or insert the conversation once the two parties are paired in a phone call”.

As for the sound quality, it is quite good. I found the mids and highs to be quite pronounced and there is a decent amount of bass.

During the testing period, I found the call quality to be pretty good but I could not test if the encryption truly works but given the technology inside the device, I felt much safer than just using a regular headset. It’s not like that I’m paranoid about my calls being tapped, it’s just nice to know that the Outfone offers this technology at an affordable price.

Xiaomi Mi 8 Hands-On Images Emerge; Will Debut as World’s First Phone with Dual GPS Module

Xiaomi Mi 8 is launching alongside the Mi 8 SE tomorrow, and the rumor mill has become quite active in leaking new details on both phones. A leaked press renders of the Mi 8 and Mi 8 SE that was published few minutes ago revealed that these phones will be available for buying respectively from June 5 and June 8. Freshly leaked hands-on photos of the Xiaomi Mi 8 have appeared on SlashLeaks.

Xiaomi Mi 8 Hands-on images

The press render of the Mi 8 has revealed that the corners of its display will be more rounded than the smaller-sized Mi 8 SE smartphone. The same can be seen in the hands-on images of the Mi 8. Also, as one of our readers have spotted, the handset features a slightly thick chin.

The temporary protective layer of plastic on the Mi 8’s display reveals some of its key features. The handset will be equipped with AI dual camera and its primary sensor will be of 20-megapixel. The Snapdragon 845 mobile platform equipped with Artificial Intelligence Engine will be powering the phone.

Also, the Xiaomi Mi 8 will be the first smartphone that will come equipped with dual GPS module for accurate location tracking. Earlier today, a new video was released by Xiaomi on Weibo. The video is titled as the final spoiler video of Xiaomi Mi 8. It shows the inaccuracies of the GPS positioning and navigation in the most common scenarios that are faced by smartphone users in daily life. It is another proof that Mi 8 users will not problems related to GPS navigation.

Read More: Xiaomi Mi 8 Teaser Poster Tips The Flagship To Launch Globally In 8 Other Countries

Xiaomi will be revealing more information on the dual-GPS feature tomorrow at annual press event that will begin at 2 PM in Shenzhen, China. The Chinese manufacturer will be also launching Mi Band 3 and MIUI 10 through the same event. Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun has claimed that the company will be also announcing some other new products.

(source|via|source 2)