OPPO R17, R17 Pro launch event will be held on August 23

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Aug 15, 2018

The OPPO R17 was made official earlier this week. The company has already confirmed many of its features and its pre-orders are slated to begin on Aug. 23. OPPO has recently confirmed that the R17 Pro will be coming with variable aperture for its rear cameras. However, the smartphone is yet to go official. Today, OPPO has confirmed through its Weibo account that it will be organizing an unveil event for OPPO R17 and R17 Pro on Aug. 23 in Shanghai.

The OPPO R17 will be the first ever phone to feature Snapdragon 670. Also, it is the company’s first smartphone to feature in-display fingerprint scanner. The handset will be delivering an impressive screen-to-body ratio of 91.5 percent as it features a display with a drop-sized notch.

The OPPO R17 features 6.4-inch display that produces Full HD+ resolution. The all new SD670 is assisted by 8 GB of RAM. It is equipped with an inbuilt storage of 128 GB. A 3,500mAh battery will be powering the smartphone. The 16-megapixel + 5-megapixel AI dual camera will be present on its rear whereas its frontside is fitted with 25-megapixel AI selfie camera. The handset is expected to support VOOC fast charging through USB-C. It is preinstalled with ColorOS 5.2 flavored Android 8.1 Oreo. The color variants of the OPPO R17 include Stream Blue and Neon Purple.

So, what could be the difference between the R17 and R17 Pro handsets? There is a possibility that the OPPO R17 Pro may feature the same specs as R17 but may arrive with advanced photography features. Through a recent Weibo post, OPPO had revealed that R17 Pro features variable aperture that allow users to switch between f/1.5 and f/2.4 for capturing better photos in dark.

Today, the company has confirmed another camera of the R17 Pro. As it can be seen above, the R17 Pro will carry support for Optical Image Stabilization. Rumors have it that the R17 Pro could be equipped with triple camera setup. However, there is no concrete evidence to confirm it.

(source 1, 2)

US law that bans the use of Huawei and ZTE devices by government officials now in force

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Aug 15, 2018

This has been a long time coming, U.S President Donald Trump has signed the Defense Authorization Act into law. As expected, the bill effectively bans the use of telecoms equipment or devices manufactured by ZTE or Huawei as well as a couple of Chinese OEMs.

Fair enough, the act isn’t particularly targeted at Huawei or ZTE as it contains several other provisions bothering on the conduct of U.S Defence affairs. It “authorizes FY2019 appropriations and sets forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It does not provide budget authority, which is provided in subsequent appropriations legislation”. However, a section of the bill covers anything that is a “substantial or essential component of any system,” as well as tech that is used to route or view user data.

Thus, even though it doesn’t mandate an outright ban on Huawei and ZTE products, it still means many US government workers or contractors, or companies that want to do business with the US government, will have to do away with much of their current technology. The act also directs U.S. agencies to allocate funding to companies that need to replace equipment as a result of the new law that will be in operation for the next two years. Apart from Huawei and ZTE, the act prohibits the use of using video surveillance and telecommunications hardware by Hytera Communications, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company, and Dahua Technology Company, all of them based in China.

This new law is coming on the heels of the deal between ZTE and the Commerce Department of the US. That deal is not in any way affected as ZTE can still use technology by U.S companies.

(source)

Buy Xiaomi QICYCLE EF1 Smart Bicycle For Just $659.99 On GeekBuying [Coupon Code]

By

Vinay Patel

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Aug 15, 2018

Equipped with the three-mode derailleur, the QICYCLE EF1 is an irresistible smart bicycle foldable electric bike. A part of Mi Ecosystem, the QiCYCLE EF1 boasts an innovative, longitudinal folding design and is made of sturdy aluminum.

With a total capacity of 208.8Wh, the Xiaomi-branded bike draws its juices from a 18650 lithium-ion battery. In other words, the cycling distance can be up to 45km at the condition of 100pct electric power.

You can keep a track of various useful data including power, speed and mileage without using a smartphone since the QiCYCLE EF1 smart folding bike feature a trip computer. Moreover, it offers ample onboard storage space that can accumulate 30 days exportable riding data.

Now that the QiCYCLE EF1 has your attention, we’ll shed light not only on where you can buy it at a discounted price, but also show how you can save a considerable amount of more money on the bikes already discounted price. Let’s delve straight into the details.

While the QICYCLE EF1 would normally set you back a pretty penny, GeekBuying is offering a noteworthy 21% off on the smart folding bike’s original asking price of $675.99. As a result, you can now buy the feature-laden electric bike at a dropped price of just $859.99.

On top of that, you can apply coupon code YXKGYZOA to save an extra $60 while placing your order. This helps you bring your grand total down to just $659.99 without breaking much of a sweat.

On the downside, the aforesaid GeekBuying-offered discount is slated to end in just 2 days. Aside from that, it is imperative for you to bear in mind that the coupon is likely to expire soon as well. If you’re interested in availing the discount, just follow this link before the promo comes to an end.

Get 21% Off On Xiaomi QICYCLE EF1 Smart Bicycle

Mysterious Lenovo device with Snapdragon 850 records promising benchmark scores

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Aug 15, 2018

Most of the 2018 Android flagship phones feature the Snapdragon 845 mobile platform. It will be succeeded by the 7nm Snapdragon 855 SoC that is rumored to be debut by the end of this year. Qualcomm has another chipset called Snapdragon 850 that offers slightly better performance than SD845 since it has been designed for Always-Connected PCs. The U.S. based chip maker had unveiled it the Computex 2018 tech event in June. A mysterious Lenovo device with Snapdragon 850 has been spotted on Geekbench benchmarking site. It reveals that Snapdragon 850 powered laptops and 2-in-1 devices will deliver better performance than devices powered by Snapdragon 835.

The Lenovo 81JL device that is powered by Snapdragon 850 is running on Windows 10. In single-core test, the Lenovo device has scored 2263 points and in multi-core test, it has recorded a score of 6947 points. In comparison, the ASUS NovaGo TP370QL that is driven by Snapdragon 835 had respectively scored 1802 and 6475 points on Geekbench. This shows the Snapdragon 850 offers improved single-core performance and its multi-core performance is not very different from Snapdragon 835.

To say again, the Snapdragon 850 offers around 25 percent improvement in single-core performance and, but the multi-core performance has increased by 7.3 percent against the SD835 chipset. However, it is advisable to take the benchmark scores of the new Lenovo device with a pinch of salt as it could be a prototype device. The final benchmarking scores of the actual device could be different.

According to Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 850 SoC can deliver 30 percent better performance than SD835. Since the above benchmarks suggests that the SD850 will offer improved single-core performance, it means that users will notice better performance on such devices as most of the apps normally make use of single-core processor. In fact, the Snapdragon 850 is similar to the Snapdragon 845 SoC that powers flagship phones running on Android OS. The main difference between them is that the former produces higher clocking speeds of 2.95 GHz instead of 2.7 GHz.

The Lenovo 81JL seems to be one of the forthcoming Snapdragon 850 powered Always-Connected PCs. Other manufacturers such as ASUS, HP and Samsung are also working on SD850 devices. Rumors have it that the first devices fueled by Snapdragon 850 may hit the market by the end of this year.

Buy Huawei Honor Note 10 Smartphone For $489 On Giztop

By

Vinay Patel

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Aug 15, 2018

Huawei’s sub-brand Honor made its long-awaited Note 10 smartphone available to the public in July this year. The dual-SIM phone boasts an array of awe-inspiring features that we expect in high-end Android phones.

Housed in a sturdy aluminum frame, the Honor Note 10 smartphone sports a mammoth 6.95 inches AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display with a screen resolution of 1080 x 2220 pixels. The phone’s dimensions are 177 x 85 x 7.7 mm (6.97 x 3.35 x 0.30 in) and it weighs in at just 230 g (8.11 oz).

The Honor Note 10 packs a powerful Kirin 970 Octa-core processor along with a Mali G72 MP12 GPU, under the hood. It offers 6/8GB of RAM and 64GB/128GB of ample onboard storage so you can store your favorite content without worrying about running out of space.
On the photography front, the Honor Note 10 smartphone houses a 24MP+16MP dual camera set up in the back. Up front, there’s a 13MP camera for self-portraits and video. Aside from a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, the phone features a slew of useful sensors including the accelerometer, gyro, proximity, and compass.

The phone runs EMUI 8.2-based Android 8.1 Oreo OS and is backed by a robust 4900mAh battery with 5V/4.5A quick charge.

This feature-laden Honor Note 10 smartphone has gone up for sale bearing a price tag of $489 on Giztop. If you’re interested in checking the full specification and buying the coveted phone, just follow this link.

Buy The Huawei Honor Note 10 Smartphone On Giztop

Buy VKWorld T2 Plus Smartphone For Only $109.99 On CooliCool

By

Vinay Patel

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Aug 15, 2018

After floating around the rumor mill for a long time, the VKWorld T2 Plus was finally launched in September last year. Much to the delight of the fast-growing Chinese mobile brand, the phone continues to garner popularity among smartphone lovers even about a year after hitting the store shelves.

Taking the phone’s immense popularity into consideration, CooliCool is currently doling out a noteworthy discount on the phone’s retail price. While the T2 Plus would normally burn a hole in your pocket, you can now purchase it at a dropped price of just $109.99 on CooliCool.

The Chinese online electronics store is giving a 45% off on the T2 Plus phone’s original asking price of $199.99 for a limited period of time. This discount will be valid for the well-received black color version of the smartphone.

At this heavily reduced price, the VKWorld T2 Plus is an irresistible smartphone that sports an extremely low-key and steady design. The device is housed in a robust metal and fabric body which is further augmented with an eye-catching 4.2 Inch IPS dual Blackberry display, with a screen resolution of 768 x 1280 pixels.

The phone packs a powerful MTK6737 1.25GHz Quad Core processor along with an equally competent graphics processing unit. It offers 3GB RAM of RAM and 32GB of expandable onboard storage so that you never run out of space for storing your favorite content.

On the photography front, the VKWorld T2 Plus houses an 8MP camera on the back and a 2MP selfie shooter. The phone runs Android 7.0 Nougat operating system and is backed by a 2000mAh high-density battery.

You can follow this link to check out the full specification and avail the discount before the promo comes to an end.

Get 45% Off On VKWorld T2 Plus Smartphone

HMD Global confirms Android 9.0 Pie update for all Nokia smartphones

By

Jeet

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Aug 15, 2018

Google recently released the new Android 9.0 Pie version of its mobile operating system and also rolled out the update to its Pixel-series smartphones. Along with Google, Essential also rolled out the update for its Essential Phone.

Other smartphone manufacturers have announced the list of devices that will be updated to the latest version of the Android operating system, including HMD Global. Now, the Finnish company has confirmed that all Nokia smartphones will receive Android Pie update.

While the company has not yet provided a timeline for the update, it has said that no matter what Nokia phone, it’ll eventually receive the Android 9.0 update. The smartphones from HMD Global which will receive the update includes Nokia 1 (Android Go), Nokia 2, Nokia 2.1 (Android Go), Nokia 3, Nokia 3.1, Nokia 5, Nokia 5.1, Nokia 6, Nokia 6.1, 6.1 Plus, Nokia 7 (China-exclusive), 7 Plus, Nokia 8, 8 Sirocco, Nokia X6, and Nokia X5.

Among all these devices, the 7 Plus is expected to be the first smartphone from HMD Global to receive the Android Pie update given that it’s the only device from the Finnish company in the Developer Preview program. Later, the update could roll out to Nokia 8 and 8 Sirocco.

All the recently launched smartphones from the company are part of Google‘s Android One programme and we expected the Android One devices to receive the update before it rolls out to other mid-range or budget devices from HMD Global. The company has revealed that the update will be rolled out in phases as usual in order to secure quality delivery.

The Android 9.0 Pie, which was available in beta phase since March this year, comes with a number of improvements, including new personalization features, battery-saving optimizations, and tools that help tracking time users spend on the phone.

It also addresses the latest trends in smartphone designs with revamped navigational controls. It introduces a new gesture-based navigation system. There are also a number of other gesture-based shortcuts. It is also said to be the most personalized version of Android yet.

Buy High-End UMIDIGI Branded Smartphones At Dropped Price On CooliCool

By

Vinay Patel

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Aug 15, 2018

UMIDIGI is known for designing smartphones that are crammed with awe-inspiring features despite being modestly priced. If you’re a UMIDIGI fan or a smartphone fanatic looking to get your hands on a high-end phone that doesn’t cost a fortune, you’ve come to the right place.

We’ll be divulging more details about the recently kicked-off CooliCool promotion sale which features a broad range of heavily discounted smartphones from UMIDIGI. First off, you can avail a 17% off on the UMI Z2 smartphone, which normally sells for $299.99.

As part of the aforesaid promo, CooliCool will be selling it at a dropped price of just $249.99. While the discount will be valid for the twilight and twilight black color versions of the phone, this time-limited offer is slated to end on August 20th.

Likewise, there are noteworthy discounts on the UMI One and the UMI One Pro smartphones as well. Keeping in line with that, you can preorder the UMI One smartphone at a reduced price of just $139.99 although it normally sells for $199.99 on the Chinese online electronics store.

The UMI One smartphone’s bigger sibling dubbed, the UMI One Pro can now be yours if you’re willing to shell out just $169.99. This is a noteworthy reduction in the phone’s original selling price of $249.99. Both phones, the UMI One and the UMI One Pro will be available in twilight color version.

The UMIDIGI UMI A1 Pro became an instant hit among smartphone lovers after hitting the store shelves earlier this year. While it would normally set you back a pretty penny, this steeply priced smartphone is now up for grabs at a slashed price of just $99.99 on CooliCool.
The site is offering a significant 29% off the phone’s retail price. Moreover, the discount will be valid on 3 color versions including black, silver and blue. You can head straight to this link to check out more details so that you don’t end up missing this opportunity to buy high-end UMIDIGI phones at the discounted price.

Get Big Discounts On UMIDIGI Smartphones

Buy SJCAM SJ8 Pro Action Camera For Only $189 On TomTop

By

Vinay Patel

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Aug 15, 2018

Sticking with its reputation for releasing a new action camera every year, SJCAM made its new flagship dubbed the SJ8 Pro available to the public earlier this year. Touted as the company’s most competent action camera, the SJ8 Pro comes bearing a steep price tag.

The SJCAM SJ8 Pro is designed to go toe-to-toe with a slew of top-notch camera manufacturers such as Xiaomi and GoPro. But much to the delight of cost-conscious buyers who aren’t willing to spend a lot of money on the recently released cameras from the aforesaid brands, SJCAM’s modestly priced flagship action camera is now available at an even lowered price on TomTop.

While the SJ8 Pro would normally set you back $359, you can now buy it at a reduced price of just $189 on TomTop. The Chinese online store is doling out a noteworthy 48% off on the feature-laden action camera’s original asking price for a limited period of time.

Bearing a striking resemblance with the SJ8 Plus, the SJCAM SJ8 Pro action camera has the dimensions of 63×41×29 mm and it weighs in at just 85 grams (3.0 oz), which is considerably light for a flagship model. Moreover, the camera is made using high-quality plastic and you can choose from multiple color versions including black, rose golden, white, and white bare metal version.

The above-mentioned limited discount offer is slated to end in 16 days; however, there were only 180 pieces left for the Flash Sale at the time of writing. In order to ensure you don’t miss the opportunity to buy the SJCAM SJ8 Pro action camera at a discounted price, just follow this link without wasting time.

Get 48% Off On SJCAM SJ8 Pro Action Camera

Buy LEMFO LEM7 Smart Watch For Just $129.99 On Banggood [Coupon Code]

By

Vinay Patel

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Aug 15, 2018

Crammed with an array of awe-inspiring features and hardware specs, the LEM7 is the latest smartwatch from LEMFO. Despite bearing a striking resemblance to the LEMFO LES1, the newfangled LEM7 sports a relatively wider body and screen.

The LEMFO LEM7 sports a 1.39 inch AMOLED display with a screen resolution of 400 x 400 pixels with touchscreen support. The smartwatch packs a powerful MT6737M chipset and runs the Android operating system. It offers 1GB of RAM and a hearty 16GB of internal storage.

This phone-equipped smartwatch has now gone up for preorder bearing a heavily discounted price tag on Banggood. While feature-laden smartwatches would normally set you back a pretty penny, you can preorder the power-packed LEMFO LEM7 smartwatch at a lowered price of just $144.99.
This is a noteworthy 52% reduction in the device’s original asking price of $299.99. Moreover, the Chinese online store that guarantees the best bang for your buck is offering the aforesaid discount on the black as well as silver color version.

But if that doesn’t rouse your interest, you can get an additional $15 off simply by applying coupon code LEMFO7. In other words, you can bring your already discounted grand total further down to only $129.99 with the help of the above-mentioned coupon.

But in order to ensure you avail the discount offered by Banggood and take advantage of the coupon, you need to head straight to this link without wasting time. It is imperative for you to bear in mind that the discount will be valid for China-based warehouse for a limited period of time.

Get 52% Off On LEMFO LEM7 Smart Watch

Buy Young Series Smart Wristband Watch For Only $14.99 On Banggood [Discount Coupon Inside]

By

Vinay Patel

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Aug 15, 2018

If you’re an adventure junkie, love sports or simply want to keep a track of your health without shelling out a lot of money, you might want to take a gander at the Young Series 0.96inch smart wristband watch. The practical device offers an impressive array of features that are likely to sweep tech buffs off their feet.

Much to the delight of cost-conscious buyers who aren’t willing to empty their pocket for a smart wristband watch, Banggood is currently doling out a considerable discount on the Young Series 0.96inch heart rate monitor. While it would normally set you back a pretty penny on online stores, the device is now available at a dropped price of just $19.99.

Banggood is offering a 33% off on the smart wristband watch’s original selling price of $29.99. Moreover, the Chinese online store that guarantees the best bang for your buck is giving the discount on a broad range of color options including black, blue, dark blue, purple and orange.

On top of that, you can apply coupon code edad14 in order to save an extra $5. This will help you bring your already lowered grand total further down to just $14.99.

An absolute bargain at this price, the Young Series 0.96inch smart wristband watch comes with a 0.96-inch intelligent light sensing screen with a screen resolution of 80X160 pixels. Aside from that, the waterproof smartwatch is brimming with special features such as heart rate, blood pressure, sleep and blood oxygen monitor, pedometer, calories, sports mode and lots more.

You can follow this link in order to check out more details about the Young Series 0.96inch smart wristband watch and avail the discount before the promo ends. It is worth note that that 4211 pieces were already sold out at the time of writing.

Get 33% Off On Young Series 0.96inch Smart Wristband Watch

Buy Creality 3D CR-10S 3D Printer For Just $360.80 On LightInTheBox

By

Vinay Patel

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Aug 15, 2018

3D printing alludes to an additive manufacturing process that builds a physical item from a digital design. With more and more people getting into 3D printing, different sizes and shapes of 3D printers are available in the market.

If you’re a 3D printing enthusiast or an advanced user looking for a high-end 3D printer that doesn’t cost a fortune, you’ve come to the right place. The almost pre-built CR-10 3d printer from Creality 3D is currently up for grabs at a discounted price on LightInTheBox.

Housed in an imported special aluminum frame, the CR – 10S 3D Desktop Printer is an awe-inspiring 3D printer that boasts a generous 300 x 300 x 400mm build volume along with a standard nozzle diameter of 0.4mm which can be replaced with 0.3 / 0.2mm. More importantly, this feature-laden 3D printer now carries a noteworthy 33% off on its original asking price.
While the CR-10S 3D Printer would normally set you back $539.99, the Beijing based international online retail company is currently selling it at a dropped price of just $360.80. In other words, you can now save $179.19 on the well-received 3D printer’s steep price without breaking much of a sweat.

The CR – 10S 3D desktop printer is quite a bargain, given that it is also a build-it-yourself kit, which offers an unparalleled step-by-step learning experience for 3D printing novices. Moreover, it supports SD card to allow users to print offline or directly with a USB adapter.

Regrettably, the discount will be valid only for 3 days and there were only a few pieces remaining at the time of writing. If you’re interested in taking advantage of the discount before the promo ends, head straight to this link.

Get 33% Off On Creality 3D CR-10s 3D Printer

Xiaomi Mi Band 3 with NFC payment support still under test over two months after launch

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Aug 14, 2018

The Mi Band 3 became available in China shortly after it was launched on May 31 and that has been so since then. The wearable is even shipping abroad thanks to third-party online retailers with the price almost competing with the 199 yuan price tag it adopts in China. Despite the rampant available, the Mi Band 3 has not been completely available. That is because Xiaomi is yet to release the NFC version into the market in China or elsewhere, almost two and a half month after its launch.

As you would recall, the Mi Band 3 was announced to have two models, a Bluetooth version and another version with NFC alongside Bluetooth connectivity. For those who may not know, NFC means Near Field Communication and it refers to a set of communication protocols that allow two electronic devices to establish communication when they are within 4cm of each other. With this feature, the Mi Band 3 can be used for contactless payments using Mi Pay in China. Since it only supports Mi Pay, its use may be limited.

Even its use in China isn’t an easy ride as Xiaomi has hinted that the NFC version is still being tested. The company first shared a picture of the Mi Band 3 with the Bus payment interface on the OLED display and a black strap on August 10. A second picture was shared on Tuesday but this time the Band 3 has a light brown strap. The picture still shows the Mi Pay door card logo with a rider that it is still being tested. The bus card feature will be enabled for use in 167 cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Tianjin, and several others. The version is compatible with non-Xiaomi NFC smartphones.

We have no doubt that the model will be released soon but no idea when that will happen. We also can’t say if the version will be useful outside China. We’ll keep you posted whenever it is released, though.

(source)

Sales pitch memo reveals full specs of the OPPO F9 Pro

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Aug 14, 2018

The OPPO F9 Pro will launch in exactly a week. The latest phone in the F-series will pack along impressive features. While we already know some of the key specs, a leaked sales pitch memo has provided full details.

According to the leaked memo, the OPPO F9 Pro is the first smartphone with “Gradient color body”. The phone changes its color based on the lighting. This is not new as we have seen it in a number of other phones.

The F9 Pro will have a 6.3” FHD+ water drop screen with a 90.8% screen to body ratio, a 409 PPI, and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. For cameras, there is a 16MP + 2MP dual combo on the rear which has five different lighting filters for its portrait mode. The phone can also record slow-motion videos.

Housed within the water drop notch is a 25MP sensor with AI 2.1. that is said to be smarter and more precise. There is also an HDR mode with a real-time preview and Vivid Mode 2.0 which allows users to take more colorful and lively photos. Another camera feature is AR 2.0 which we believe to be better and or more AR effects.

The memo also mentions the phone will have MediaTek’s 12nm Helio P60 processor clocked at 2.0GHz along with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage which should be able to handle heavy games such as PUBG and Asphalt 8.

[envira-gallery id=”206101″]

The OPPO F9 Pro will run Color OS 5.2 which has Google Lens built-in, supports video editing with themes and effects, and also has an emergency SOS option. OPPO’s VOOC charge is also mentioned. It brings super fast charging to the device and is safer with its “5 layers of protection”.

Continue

Vivo Y81 launched in India in a new version with fingerprint scanner

By

Michele Ingelido

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Aug 14, 2018

Vivo Y81 was launched in Vietnam back in June with an innovative design and a very affordable price tag. Now, it is finally headed to the bigger Indian market, but in a slightly different version. Unlike the model launched in Vietnam which does not feature any biometric sensor, this one has a fingerprint reader on the rear side. The rest of the specs sheet remains the same as the older version, including the tri-borderless display with a notch and its very high screen-to-body ratio.

The screen features a diagonal of 6.22 inches and an HD+ resolution of 720 x 1520 pixels. Under the hood, Vivo Y81 boasts an octa-core Helio P22 chipset by MediaTek, accompanied by 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage expandable with a micro SD up to 256 GB.

The main camera is a single sensor with a 13 MP resolution and a f/2.2 aperture, while the secondary selfie camera has a 5 MP resolution with a f/2.2 aperture. There is also a good 3260 mAh battery. Vivo Y81 and its fingerprint reader are now available to purchase in India on Flipkart, Amazon India and Vivo official store with a price tag of INR 12,990, which roughly translates into $182/€160 at the actual change.

Xiaomi Pocophone F1 destroys the competition with impressive results on Geekbench

By

Michele Ingelido

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Aug 14, 2018

Xiaomi Pocophone F1 is now shining on Geekbench a few days ahead of the official launch. This smartphone has been defined by the new Xiaomi sub-brand as the Master of Speed, and according to the new Geekbench listing the company is right. Indeed, the device has obtained impressive results on the known benchmarking platform, better than any real non-gaming devices. The handset has scored 9081 points in multi-core performance, over classing flagships such as OnePlus 6, Xiaomi Mi 8 and Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus, while it has scored 2467 points in single-core performance in which the only better device is the Samsung Galaxy S9+.

The added value of Xiaomi Pocophone F1 over the competition is that it should be the cheapest device ever equipped with an octa-core Snapdragon 845, the best SoC by Qualcomm running at a frequency of 2.8 GHz. The device has been recently spotted on pre-sale with a price tag of just €430, that is €50 lower than the cheapest Snapdragon 845-powered handset: the Asus Zenfone 5z. However, this price is yet to be officially confirmed. According to the latest photo and video leaks, Xiaomi Pocophone F1 will be the only SD845-powered flagship to sport a full polycarbonate design in order to cut costs.

This may be a good decision for people who only care about performance and not price. Among the other alleged specs, there is a 5.99-inch display with a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2248 pixels, a notch and a tri-borderless design with a thicker chin. Paired with the Snapdragon 845 there should be 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage. The main camera will be a dual setup with resolutions of 12 and 5 MP, while the front camera should have a 20 MP resolution. At last, there will be a big battery with a capacity of 4000 mAh.

(via)

Samsung patents self-repairing oleophobic coating for phones

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Aug 14, 2018

My daily driver is the Essential PH-1 (Black Moon) and as beautiful as the phone is, it lives in a case. The sole reason is that it is a fingerprint magnet (and a slippery eel). Take it out of the case and in under a minute it goes from being the most beautiful phone to looking like a mess. This is the same experience for a lot of users who have phones made of glass or ceramic (depending on the finish). However, it appears Samsung has a solution.

The Korean giant has gotten a patent for an oleophobic coating that can “repair” itself. The patent was published by the WIPO earlier this month and it states that the composition includes a polyrotaxane, a polyhedral silsesquioxane and a fluorinated (meth)acryl compound.

According to the patent description, devices usually have a tempered glass or a coating to protect the display. When this glass or coating gets broken or scratched, they can’t return to their original shape. They also can’t be used for flexible devices. So Samsung has developed a coating that self-repairs, can be applied to a film (tempered glass) and can be used for a foldable electronic device.

Samsung is working on a foldable smartphone which will have a flexible display. One can deduce that the newly patented composition or film will be used in the device when it launches next year. Apart from being able to heal itself, the composition also has oleophobic properties. So not only can it be applied to the display, it can also be applied to the back of the phone.

Continue

OnePlus opens three new exclusive service centres in India, plans to open more

By

Jeet

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Aug 14, 2018

OnePlus has today announced that it has opened three new service centres in India in three different cities — Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Chennai. The company says that the new service centres aim to set a new benchmark of service excellence and to further improve the current customer satisfaction index. OnePlus claims that 78% issues are being resolved within two hours.

The new service centre in Bangalore is located on Brigade Road while the one in Hyderabad is in Manjeera Mall. On the other hand, the Chennai’s exclusive centre is located in T Nagar. With these new additions, the company has 15 exclusive service centres in India.

Commenting on this, Vikas Agarwal, General Manager, OnePlus India, said,

OnePlus is committed to achieving the highest level of customer satisfaction through an industry leading after-sales service experience. OnePlus Exclusive Service Centres promise complete peace of mind with guaranteed 1-hour TAT to further strengthen the trust that our community has placed in us.

Going forward, the company is planning to open around 25 premium and exclusive centres across top cities in India by the end of this year. The Chinese manufacturer has also planned three more centres in Delhi, Mumbai, and Jaipur which are expected to open later this month.

At its exclusive service centres, OnePlus is claiming guaranteed 1-hour turn around time (TAT) for a majority of the service issues. The exclusive centres’ timing is from 11 AM to 8 PM every day. The company says that it has trained and friendly staff with open repair counters for interactions with technicians and added transparency.

In addition to the exclusive service centres, the China-based company is also offering service in 35 cities through a network of multi-branded partner service centres and a complimentary pan-India pick-up & drop service for users from outside these cities.

Xiaomi will launch the Mi Band 3 alongside the Mi Max 3 in Taiwan on August 24

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Aug 14, 2018

Xiaomi has revealed the launch of the Mi Band 3 for the Taiwanese market will hold on August 24. The company had earlier launched the Mi 8, Redmi 6 and Mi A2 in Taiwan towards the end of July but the Mi Band 3 wasn’t bundled along with the trio. Instead, the Mi Band 3 will be launched alongside the Mi Max 3 that had earlier been scheduled to launch on August 24.

The Mi Band 3 was first launched in China on May 31 along with the Mi 8, Mi 8 SE and Mi 8 Explorer Edition. The device comes with some improvement over the Band 2. It even included an NFC-packing version which is yet to go on sale more than two months after it was announced. Xiaomi did hint recently that the NIFC variant will be available soon. So, Taiwan will be getting just the regular variant without NFC but packing other useful features. The Band 3 is priced at 169 yuan in China ( about NT$750).

In addition, the Mi Max 3 6.9-inch phablet will be made available in Taiwan. The 6.9-inch 18:9 aspect ratio-packing phablet is equipped with a Snapdragon 636 chipset and will get its power from a 5,500mAh battery. The device is available in 4GB + 64Gb combo and 6GB + 128GB variant. We don’t know the price tag it would adopt in Taiwan but it shouldn’t be too different from the 1,699 Yuan (~$252) starting price for the Max 3 in China. You can check out the hands-on pictures of the Mi Max 3 from here.

(source)

Nubia Z18 is close to launch but date is still unknown

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Aug 14, 2018

The Nubia Z18 has been in the news for over three months and it still hasn’t launched but it appears it may be announced soon.

Judging from Nubia’s CEO’s reply to a post on Weibo last week, we believe the phone is close to launching. Weibo also shows the post was made with the Nubia Z18 (with) “Boundless waterdrop screen”.

The original post he replied to says the upcoming phone is stunning and will make everyone marvel. After waiting this long for it to launch, we hope we won’t be disappointed.

The Nubia Z18 will come with a notch like that of the Essential PH-1. That design is called waterdrop but is different from that of the OPPO F9 and OPPO F9 Pro.

According to benchmark app Master Lu, the Nubia Z18 will come with a Snapdragon 845 processor, 6GB of RAM, and a 2160 x 1080 display. The TENAA listing reveals that the display is 5.73-inches in size and it will have an 8GB RAM version.

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