GearBest Is Handing Free Gifts, Discounts And Lots More; Here’s How To Participate

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Apr 26, 2018

Earlier this year, Xiaomi had introduced the face unlock feature on some of its smartphones such as Redmi Note 5 Pro, Xiaomi Mi 6 and Mi MIX 2. Newer phones like Mi MIX 2S and Mi 6X are pre-installed with the facial recognition feature. Through the latest MIUI 9 8.4.25 aimed towards beta users, Xiaomi has brought the facial identification feature to Mi 5 smartphone that was released in 2016.

In order to activate the face unlock feature on Xiaomi Mi 5, users need to install the beta update and then navigate to Settings > Lock screen, Password and Fingerprint > Add face data and then preform the prerequisite steps to scan and save the face data on the phone.

In order to save battery from consuming more power, the pre-defined timeout of 5 seconds for face unlock feature. It means that if the face is not scanned in 5 seconds, the face unlock feature won’t be available and users will have to wake up the screen to access face recognition.

Mi 5 user should be aware of the fact that the feature won’t be available on its own after installing the latest MIUI beta update. After entering the face data, users need to go Settings > Lock Screen, Password and Fingerprint > Face Data Management and turn on “Allow notification of a face detection when the screen is on”

Now that the beta version for the Mi 5 features the face unlock, it is likely the next MIUI stable for it will include the face scanning feature. Face scanning feature is not as robust and secure as the fingerprint scanning. However, the face unlock feature gives the convenience of unlocking the phone by looking it.

The Xiaomi Mi 5 features a 5.15-inch IPS LCD display. It is powered by Snapdragon 820 SoC. It was released in variants like 128 GB storage + 4 GB RAM, 64 GB storage + 3 GB RAM and 32 GB storage + 3 GB RAM. It includes OIS enabled 16-megapixel rear camera and 4-megapixel front camera. It receives power from 3,000mAh battery.

(via)

Xiaomi Launches Mi Gaming Headset In China For 349 Yuan ($55)

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Get 43% Off On Coolpad Cool S1 Smartphone On GeekBuying Check More Deals and Promotions From Other Shops

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Apr 26, 2018

Xiaomi has today launched its new headphone — Mi Gaming Headset. As we reported earlier, the gaming headset will go on sale in China from 27th April for a price of 349 Yuan, which roughly converts to $55.

The Mi Gaming Headset comes with a 7.1 virtual surround sound engine which creates stereo surround sound to provide an immersive gaming experience.

It comes with 40mm Graphene Composite Diaphragm which according to the company helps in delivering perfect sound scalability and richness, with high-speed response to the sound while also taking into account the high fidelity.

Whether you are playing a game or listening to music, the enclosed sound chamber design, which is combined with a soft PET laminate layer to provides pure sound quality. There’s also a Dual Microphone ENC Ambient Noise Reduction Technology.

The Mi Gaming Headset also comes with LED strips on the side, which can be customized by the user using a software. The customization available for the LED strip includes the color of the LED as well as lighting effects.

The plug-n-play headphones come with two types of connectors — USB Type-C and 3.5mm audio interface, ensuring that it can be connected to a computer as well as a smartphone.

The Xiaomi’s Mi Gaming Headset has been listed on Xiaomi Mall and will be available for purchase in China from 27th April, for a price of 349 Yuan.

This is yet another product launched by China-based Xiaomi which is focused towards the gaming sector. Earlier this year, the company launched its first ever gaming laptop and recently, it also launched its first gaming smartphone through Black Shark Technologies. The gaming smartphone, which is dubbed Black Shark, currently competes against Razer Phone and Nubia Red Magic Phone.

Buy Coolpad Cool S1 Smartphone For Only $219.99 On GeekBuying; Limited Period Discount To End Soon!

By

Vinay Patel

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Apr 26, 2018

The Coolpad Cool S1 was launched in January last year. As expected, the Android performance smartphone propelled straight to popularity among tech buffs after hitting the store shelves.

If you’ve restlessly been waiting to get your hands on the well-received Cool S1 smartphone without emptying your pocket, we have good news for you. GeekBuying is giving cost-conscious buyers an opportunity to get 43% off on the phone’s original asking price.

Thanks to the aforesaid discount, you can now buy the Coolpad Cool S1 smartphone by shelling out only $219.99. It’s worth noting that the device normally comes bearing a relatively steep price tag of $388.99 on GeekBuying.
The Coolpad Cool S1 is an irresistible 4G LTE smartphone that boasts an array of awe-inspiring specs and features. Housed in a sturdy metal body, the phone sports a 5.5 inches IPS FHD display with a screen resolution of 1080 × 1920 pixels.

Moreover, it packs a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 MSM8996 Pro processor along with an equally robust Qualcomm Adreno 530, 653 MHz GPU, under the hood. The phone offers 6GB of RAM coupled with 64GB of onboard storage space.

On the photography front, the Cool S1 smartphone houses a 16-megapixel camera with AF and dual-LED flash on the back. Up front, there’s an 8-megapixel camera for selfie addicts.

The phone runs EUI 5.8-based Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system and is backed by a 4,070 mAh Lithium-Polymer battery. This built-in cell delivers up to 265 hours of standby time and up to 16 hours of talk time.

At $219.99, the Coolpad Cool S1 smartphone is quite a bargain. However, it is likely to retain its original selling price as soon as the promotion wraps up.

You can visit this link to check out the full specification and take advantage of the promotion which is slated to end in 8 days.

Xiaomi Mi Pad 4 Specifications Leaked; Likely to Feature Snapdragon 660, 6,000mAh Battery

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Apr 26, 2018

Well-known industry analyst Pan Jiutang from China had recently claimed that Xiaomi is developing the Mi Pad 4 tablet. Today, XDA Developers has shared the key specifications of the upcoming Xiaomi tablet through its leaked firmware files.

According to the publication, there are some evidences in the firmware files that show that Xiaomi will indeed release a tablet in the near future. The firmware files contain references for pad that refers to a tablet PC. Its default screen density is set to a low value of 320ppi which is again suitable for a tablet, and it features a huge 6,000mAh battery which is quite big for a smartphone. Also, the ro.build.characteristics property in the build.prop is set to “tablet”. This property is accessed by apps to confirm whether to show a tablet interface. The same property is also set to “tablet” in the predecessor Mi Pad 3, while it is set to default on a smartphone like Mi Max 3.

The publication claims that the Boolean value present in the “is_18x9_ratio_screen” MIUI config is set to true which hints that the tablet may feature an 18:9 aspect ratio. It sounds weird as a tablet with such an elongated screen may look quite absurd. The tablet is expected to feature an LCD panel like the Mi Pad 3.

The firmware files have also revealed that the Snapdragon 660 chipset will be powering the Mi Pad 4. However, its clocking speed to 2.0 GHz, instead of its usual processing rate of 2.2 GHz. As of this writing, there is no information available on the RAM and storage editions of the Mi Pad 4.

Since the “nosdcard” property is missing from ro.build.characteristics which indicates that the device may feature a microSD card slot. However, it is still doubtful as the Mi Pad 3 does not feature a microSD card slot.

When it comes to photography, the Mi Pad 4 is likely to offers its users with a single rear camera featuring 13-megapixel OmniVision OV13855 sensor with an aperture of 2.0. At the front, it may feature 5-megapixel Samsung S5K5E8 sensor with an aperture of f/2.0. The Mi Pad 4 is unlikely to support 4K video shooting. However, it will be arriving with support for portrait mode. Lastly, the device will be lacking NFC connectivity.

The other specs and pricing of the upcoming Xiaomi Mi Pad 4 is still under the wraps. As of this writing, there is no information available on its launch date.

Xiaomi Launches the 87-Key Yuemi Mechanical Keyboard Pro Silent Edition

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Apr 26, 2018

Xiaomi has quietly launched a new Yuemi Mechanical Keyboard Pro and it is currently available on Mi Mall. The mechanical keyboard comes with a 599 Yuan ($94) price tag.

The Mechanical keyboard retains the 87-key layout design of its predecessor but it is encased in a 6-series aluminium alloy body manufactured using an anodizing sandblasting process. The keyboard comes in Black and White colour options and both adopt the TTC red axis key switch design. It also comes with a structure which ensures that most of the noise generated during typing is absorbed. In other words, this is a noiseless keyboard. that is one of the major features of the product hence it is referred to as Silent edition. The keycaps are made from a combination of PC+ABS materials and each of the caps have a unique fingertip touch. The keycap is elegantly styled with new font, while providing a single cmd keycap for use under MacOS. The keyboard also comes with a USB Type-C port for connecting the keyboard to a PC or laptop.

The mechanical keyboard is powered by a Microelectronics ARM architecture which controls its functionality. It can also be used as a gaming keyboard as it can achieve 10000Hz of professional gaming level performance. The Yuemi Mechanical Keyboard Pro Silent Edition is already available to buy on Mi Mall for a price of 599 Yuan ($94). No word yet on when this product will be available outside China but as usual, expect it on GearBest and other online retailers soon since the previous version is presently available.

Get Big Discount On Xiaomi MITU WIFI FPV RC Drone On GeekBuying Check More Deals and Promotions From Other Shops

Preorder Xiaomi MiTU RC Drone For Only $79 On GeekBuying; Limited Preorders Are Now Open!

By

Vinay Patel

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Apr 26, 2018

Xiaomi recently unveiled an RC drone under its MiTU sub-brand which makes toys. The MiTU RC drone is a quadcopter equipped with the multi-machine infrared battle function.

If you’re a drone enthusiast waiting to buy your first drone without burning a hole in your pocket, you’ve come to the right place. You can now preorder the MiTU RC drone at a lowered price of $79 on GeekBuying.

This is a noteworthy reduction in the device’s original asking price of $89.99. In other words, you end up saving $10.99. Let’s check out a few details about the MITU RC drone.

The MiTU RC drone dons a shock absorption design, coupled with the precision hover function which allows it to fly unwaveringly even in the indoor surroundings. The drone draws its juices from a robust built-in 920mAh battery that delivers up to 10 minutes of flight time.Moreover, Xiaomi MITU RC drone packs a powerful quad-core 1.2GHz SoC along with 4GB of RAM, under the hood. The device adopts 5.8GHz WiFi technology which facilitates FPV HD image transmission. The MiTU drone can reach a maximum height of 25 meters, while the remote control works up to a distance of 50 meters.

Up front, the MiTU RC drone sports a camera that can shoot 720 pixels video and can take still image aerial photography with a resolution of 1600 x 1200 pixels. It offers a hearty 4GB of onboard storage space as well.

The highly portable MiTU RC drone is only 11 cm long and it weighs in at just 88 grams. The device boasts a broad range of sensors including ultrasonics, barometers, and optical flow sensors.

You can head straight to this link in order to check out the full specification and avail the deal. It’s worth noting that there were only 60 preorders available at a slashed price.

Xiaomi Says Its Overall Net Profit Margin For Hardware Business Will Never Exceed 5%

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Apr 26, 2018

During the Xiaomi Mi 6X launch event, the China-based company made a separate announcement that the overall net profit margin of the company’s hardware business, including smartphones, IoT and lifestyle products, will never exceed 5 percent.

The company also said if the net profit margin of its hardware business exceeds 5 percent, then it will find a way to return the excess of 5 percent to its users. However, the company has not yet revealed how exactly it plans to do that.

With such move, the company is looking to earn the long-term support of its users and sell its products in large volumes with small profit margins, which the company believes is suitable hardware profits for Xiaomi in the long term.

The company says that it has created a unique “triathlon” business model, which encompasses hardware, internet service, and new retail. It claims to be the only smartphone in the world that has rebounded after a decline in sales. That development is the result of its relevant and advanced model, believes the China-based company.

Xiaomi added that cost efficiency is at the heart of business competition, and a 5% limit on our overall hardware net profit margin is evidence of the company’s high-cost efficiency. It says that across various product categories, the company has successfully launched the best products and kept them close to their cost price, thus revolutionizing the entire industry and allowing these products to be available to the masses in a short span of time.

The company believes that maintaining reasonable profits is an inevitable industrial trend and any move pushing for high gross margins will eventually reap no rewards. Currently, Xiaomi has exceeded 100 billion RMB in annual revenue and claims to have nearly 20,000 employees.

This announcement was made at the event where Xiaomi launched its latest smartphone — Mi 6X. It comes with a 5.99-inch display with 18:9 aspect ratio and narrow bezels on the sides. Under the hood, the device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 octa-core processor coupled with Adreno 512 GPU. It packs up to 6GB LPDDR4x RAM and up to 128GB internal storage.

The smartphone features a 20-megapixel Sony IMX376 sensor with f/1.75 aperture and Soft-LED flash on the front. On the back side, there’s a dual camera setup with 12-megapixel primary Sony IMX486 sensor with f/1.75 aperture and 1.25-micron pixels, and a 20-megapixel secondary Sony IMX376 sensor with the same aperture but 1-micron pixel size.

Running on Android Oreo-based MIUI, the device is powered by a 3,010mAh battery that supports QuickCharge 3.0 technology, which can charge the battery from 0 percent to 50 percent in just 30 minutes. It comes in five color options — Red, Gold, Rose Gold, Blue, and Black and will go on sale in China from 27th April.

OnePlus 6 Marvel Avengers Limited Edition Appears in New Teaser; OnePlus Giving Away 6,000 Movie Tickets in India

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Preorder Xiaomi Mi 6X Smartphone On GIZTOP Check More Deals and Promotions From Other Shops

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Apr 26, 2018

In the last week, OnePlus confirmed that it will be launching a special edition Avengers-themed OnePlus 6 smartphone. Today, the company has released a new teaser of the phone which not only confirms its moniker as OnePlus 6 Marvel Avengers Limited Edition, but also reveals its design.

The new commercial not only shows the trailer of the movie, but also gives a glimpse of the OnePlus 6 Marvel Avengers Limited Edition in between. The rear side of the special edition phone has a textured appeal and the frontside features a notched screen. The Alert Slider that now sits on the right side of the device is also highlighted in the new teaser.

Last year, OnePlus had partnered with Disney to give 10,000 tickets for Star Wars: The Last Jedi movie. This time around, OnePlus is giving away 6,000 tickets for the next Avengers movie to the buyers of OnePlus phone. The tickets can be redeemed through Paytm through cities like Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune. The tickets belong for the movie April 27, 28 and A9.

Readers can visit the website of OnePlus India to claim the movie tickets. It requires users to provide details like the IMEI number of OnePlus phone and city name. After hitting the “Get it” button, a coupon code will be generated for the movie ticket. Users can then access Paytm and select the desired show from the list of following theaters:

Mumbai – PVR Icon Infiniti Mall Versova
Pune – PVR Pune Market City
Hyderabad – PVR Kukatpally Forum Sujana Mall
Chandigarh – PVR Elante Mall
Chennai – PVR Ampa Sky Walk Mall
Kolkata – Cinemax Mani Square Mall
Delhi – PVR DLF Mall of India
Bangalore – PVR Forum Mall – Koramangala
Kochi – PVR Lulu International Shopping Mall
Ahmedabad – PVR Acropolis

As mentioned at the beginning of this report, apart from giving movie tickets, the Chinese manufacturer will be also unveiling the OnePlus 6 Marvel Avengers Limited Edition on May 17. On the same date, the company will be also debuting the regular version of the OnePlus 6. The smartphone will be exclusively available on Amazon India.

Both the smartphones are expected to feature the same specs, but the special edition variant is expected to feature an avenger theme and may come in special package. The above teaser suggests that China too will be receiving the limited-edition Avengers-themed OnePlus 6. It will be also heading to the U.K. As of this writing, there is no information available on the pricing of this special model of OP6.

(via 1, 2)

Xiaomi Mi 6X Smartphone Is Up For Preorder On GIZTOP; Numerous Sizes And Color Options Available

By

Vinay Patel

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Apr 26, 2018

Xiaomi took the wraps off its hotly-anticipated Mi 6X smartphone earlier this month. Just like its predecessors, the recently-announced phone is expected to sweep tech buffs off their feet after hitting the store shelves.

GizmoChina’s official shop GIZTOP is giving smartphone enthusiasts an opportunity to preorder the Mi 6X by shelling out $299. The Mi 6X is an irresistible smartphone, given that it sports a big 5.99-inch LCD IPS 2.5D curved glass screen FHD+ display with a screen resolution of 2160×1080 pixels.

The phone packs a powerful Snapdragon 660 Octa-Core AIE chipset, up to 2.2GHz processor along with an Adreno 512 650MHz GPU, under the hood. You can choose between 2 sizes i.e. 4GB RAM/64GB ROM and 6GB RAM/128GB ROM.

Moreover, GIZTOP is offering a broad range of color options including black, blue, gold, pink and red. The Xiaomi Mi 6X smartphone runs MIUI 9.5 based on Android 8.1 Oreo operating system and is backed by a 3010mAh battery with 5V2A QC3.0 quick charge feature.

The Xiaomi Mi 6X smartphone houses a 12-megapixel rear-mounted camera equipped with a f/1.75 aperture Sony IMX486 sensor and a pixel size of 1.25μm. Up front, there’s a 20-megapixel camera that comes with a f/1.75 aperture Sony IMX376 sensor with a pixel size of 2μm.

You can head straight to this link to check out the full specification and preorder the Xiaomi Mi 6X smartphone on GIZTOP.

Samsung Galaxy S9 Active Specs Leaked Well Before its Official Launch

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Apr 26, 2018

A leaked image containing the specs of the upcoming Samsung phone that has a model number of SM-G893 has been leaked. The model number of the Galaxy S7 Active from 2016 was SM-G891 and the model number of Galaxy S8 Active from last year was SM-G892. This indicates that the SM-G893 Samsung phone is the upcoming Galaxy S9 Active.

The leaked image states that the Galaxy S9 Active has a 5.8-inch display that produces QHD+ resolution of 2960 x 1440 pixels. The screen resolution suggests that the handset will be offering an aspect ratio of 18.5:9. Like the Galaxy S8 Active, its successor is unlikely to feature a dual edge curved display but will continue to sport Infinity Display design.

The Snapdragon 845 chipset will be powering the Galaxy S9 Active along with 4 GB of RAM. It will feature a native storage of 64 GB. For photography, it will be equipped with a single camera of 12-megapixel that will offer variable aperture to the user. The Galaxy S9 Active is expected to house the same rear camera that is available on the Galaxy S9. Hence, it will allow users to manually adjust the aperture between f/1.5 and f/2.4. For shooting selfies, it will be fitted with an f/1.7 aperture 8-megapixel that is likely to carry support for autofocus. Like its predecessor, the S9 Active is expected to be packed with a massive battery of 4,000mAh capacity.

It is advisable to take the report with the pinch of salt as it is quite easy to create a specs sheet of an upcoming phone and make it appear like a leak. There is no information available on the launch date of the Galaxy S9 Active. Samsung had launched the S8 Active in August last year. Hence, the S9 Active may arrive at the end of Q2 or at the beginning of Q3. Like the predecessor Active models, S9 Active is expected to be exclusively available through AT&T in the U.S.

Since the launch of S9 Active seems to be few months away, the rumor mill is likely to reveal more information on it along with its leaked renders.

(source|via)

Amazon Echo Spot With Circular Display Launched In India For Rs. 12,999 ($194)

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Apr 26, 2018

After launching Echo, Echo Plus and Echo Dot, Amazon has now launched yet another smart speaker in the Indian market — Amazon Echo Spot. This comes after Google launched its own Google Home and Home Mini in India earlier this month.

The biggest difference between Echo Spot and other Echo devices available in India is that the Echo Spot comes with a touchscreen display. Another device that has a display is Echo Show, but the company currently has no plans to launch it in India.

In terms of design, the Amazon Echo Spot looks like an alarm clock and comes with a circular display that measures 2.5-inches in diameter and has a screen resolution of 480 x 480 pixels. There are multiple options available to the user to configure the watch face, either in analog or digital form.

Just like other Echo devices, this one too is powered by the second-generation far-field technology that uses four microphones. It also has an acoustic beam-forming technology and enhanced noise cancellation support.

For the connectivity, there’s Bluetooth and a 3.5mm Aux-in port that lets user transform the Echo Spot into a home entertainment system. Users can browse through songs on the device by asking Alexa to show or play songs by genre, artiste, decade, composer, and film language. It also has a multi-room music feature that helps synchronize music across multiple Echo devices.

Unlike other Echo speakers which read the news briefings back to the user, the Echo Spot can play the flash briefings from various news organizations. Further, users can also play the whole movie through Prime Video as well as video clips from IMDB. However, the experience may not be good enough given the smaller display size.

According to the company, Echo Spot is still a voice first device at heart and is meant to be even more personal than the other Echo speakers. The audio from the speakers is supposedly loud enough that the device can just rest on the kitchen counter or table top.

Furthermore, the Echo Spot also comes with a front-facing camera sensor that enables Alexa-to-Alexa voice-controlled video calls. Video calls and messages work between any two Echo Spot devices and on Android and iOS devices using the Alexa companion app.

Priced at Rs. 12,999 (approximately $194), the Echo Spot is available in two color options — Black and White. It can be purchased in India through Amazon India as well as through Amazon devices kiosks in Bengaluru and Mumbai, and over 350 offline retail outlets across 20 cities in the country.

Moto Z3 Play Leaked Render Reveals Glass Chassis, 18:9 Display, Dual Rear Cameras

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Apr 26, 2018

All the smartphones that belong to the recently announced Moto G6 series feature 18:9 aspect ratio screen. This suggests that the upcoming Motorola phones such as Moto Z3 Force, Moto Z3 Play and Moto X5 will all sport 18:9 display. A fresh render of the Moto Z3 Play smartphone has surfaced to reveal the front and rear design.

As it can be seen in the image below, the Moto Z3 Play features an elongated body. Hence, it appears that the Z3 Play will be arriving with an 18:9 aspect ratio screen. It is speculated to feature a 6-inch screen that supports Full HD+ resolution.

The top bezel house an earpiece, front-facing camera along with its LED flash. The most obvious change that can be seen at the frontside of the phone is the removal of the home button from the china which now features the logo of the company. The handset seems to feature a metallic frame and a glass rear. The right edge of the phone has volume up and down buttons followed by what appears to be a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. The power key is repositioned to the other side of the phone.

The Moto Z2 Play features only a single rear camera, but its successor will be arriving with dual rear cameras housed inside a round-shaped camera module. Previous reports have claimed that the handset will be equipped with 12-mgapixel + 8-megapixel dual camera setup.

The Moto Z2 Play has the 3.5mm audio jack placed besides the USB-C port at the bottom edge of the phone. However, the bottom side of the Moto Z3 Play only features a USB-C port. Since the 3.5mm audio jack cannot be seen anywhere on the above image, it appears that the company has axed it.

Lastly, the bottom portion of the back panel has 16-pin connector for attaching Moto Mods accessories. Since the connector appears similar to the predecessor model, it is likely that Moto Mods made for Z2 Play will be also supported by Z3 Play.

The Moto Z3 Play has recently received certification from Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the U.S. It has confirmed that it features Snapdragon 636, 4 GB of RAM and an internal storage of 64 GB. Some regions are expected to receive its 32 GB variant. The device will carry support for additional storage through microSD card. It is speculated to feature a front-facing camera of 5-megapixel and it may receive power from 3,000mAh capacity battery.

There is no confirmation on the launch date of the Moto Z3 series. However, it appears that the company may unveil it within the second quarter of 2018.

OnePlus 6 Leaked Render Show Front and Rear Design of White Variant

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Apr 26, 2018

Yesterday, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau confirmed that OnePlus 6 will be unveiled through a launch event in London on May 16. He also revealed that an unveil event for the phone would be also held in Mumbai and Beijing on May 17. A new render of the OnePlus 6 has surfaced today. It shows the front and rear design of the white color.

The appearance of the OnePlus 6 in the new render matches with the previous leak. The front panel is mainly occupied by the display and there is a small notch at the top. The chin of the device is slightly thick, but the side bezels are slim. The corners of the phone are rounded. The volume rocker is placed on the left edge of the phone. The power key is on the right along with the Alert Slider at the top.

OnePlus has recently confirmed that the OnePlus 6 has a glass rear. The image shows the presence of a vertical dual camera setup at the top followed by its dual-tone LED flash and a pill-shaped fingerprint scanner. The logo of the company lies below it.

Recent reports have revealed that the OnePlus 6 features a 6.28-inch AMOLED display that offers 19:9 aspect ratio and Full HD+ resolution. The handset is expected to deliver fast performance thanks to the Snapdragon 845 SoC.

It is likely to be available in RAM choices of 6 GB and 8 GB. It is speculated that the OP6 could be available in three storage options like 64 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB. The 3,450mAh battery of the phone may carry support for the new Dash Charge V2. It will come loaded with Android 8.1 Oreo and the latest version of OxygenOS. It is rumored to feature 20-megapixeL+ 16-megapixel dual camera setup. Lastly, it will be arriving with a water-resistant chassis.

Based on the recent leaks, it appears that the OnePlus 6 will be available in multiple color choices. Shown above could be the Sandstone White model. It is also expected to be available in other colors like Coral Blue, Purple and Black.

(source|via)

Smartisan Seems to Have Confirmed a Snapdragon 845 Flagship is in The Works

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Apr 25, 2018

Smartisan is known for the innovative design of its smartphones. Too bad the company’s smartphones are not readily available outside China. Even when they are available, you’ll have to deal with the bloatware on the operating system.

However, we’ll give it to Smartisan for the innovativeness of its smartphones designs, the latest being the midrange Nut 3 which has a flagship-grade design. Smartisan is also expected to release a flagship smartphone which is believed to be dubbed Smartisan R1. The R1 recently received certification from China’s CCC.

Until now, the specs of the device is still unknown but Smartisan may have just confirmed that the flagship device will be powered by a Snapdragon 845 chipset. Smartisan reposted a Weibo post by Qualcomm which projects the Snapdragon 845 features.

We are not entirely sure about that, though, but there is basically no reason to project the Qualcomm latest chipset if it wasn’t trying to tease the present of the chip on its upcoming smartphone. Smartisan had on a few occasions in the past surprised us by using Qualcomm’s flagship processor on a couple of its flagship models.So, it wouldn’t be that much of a surprise if the device launched packing an SD845. We expect a bigger surprise on the design aspect.

Meizu 15 Plus vs OnePlus 5T: Specs Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

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Apr 25, 2018

Meizu 15 Plus is finally official: it is the most powerful Meizu flagship phone for this year and it is also one of the best Chinese smartphones alongside the latest flagships released by Huawei, Xiaomi, and OnePlus. In this article, we will compare the specs sheet of Meizu 15 Plus vs OnePlus 5T, a device which has proved to be one of the fastest Android phones ever. With OnePlus 6 around the corner, is it worth waiting for the new model or is OnePlus 5T still better than Meizu’s latest effort?

Let’s find out!

Meizu 15 Plus vs OnePlus 5T

	Meizu 15 Plus	OnePlus 5T
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	153.8 x 78.3 x 7.3 mm, 177 g	156.1 x 75 x 7.3 mm, 162 g
DISPLAY	5.95 inches, 1440 x 2560p (Quad HD), 16:9 ratio, Super AMOLED	6.01 inches, 1080 x 2160p (Full HD+), 18:9 ratio, Optic AMOLED
PROCESSOR	Samsung Exynos 8895, octa-core 2.5 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, octa-core 2.45 GHz
MEMORY	6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB, micro SD slot	6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 8 GB RAM, 128 GB
SOFTWARE	Android 7.1.2 Nougat, Flyme UI 7.0	Android 7.1.1 Nougat, OxygenOS 5.1
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
CAMERA	Dual 12 + 20 MP, f/1.8, OIS 20 MP f/2.0 front camera	Dual 16 + 20 MP, f/1.7 + f/1.7 16 MP, f/2.0
BATTERY	3500 mAh, fast charging (mCharge 4.0)	3300 mAh, fast charging (Dash Charge) 5V / 4A
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Hybrid Dual SIM slot, pressure-sensitive Home key	Dual SIM slot

If we talk about design and display, then there’s no challenge: Meizu 15 is miles above. It features a full metal unibody design with stainless paintless and huge attention to details. The phone has been designed by President Jack Wong who personally took care of its development. The display is an outstanding panel: a 5.95-inch screen with the classic 16:9 aspect ratio, Super AMOLED technology, and a Quad HD resolution. It is a bigger display than the one of OnePlus 5T and it also provides higher detail. Further, Meizu 15 Plus has stereo speakers, so it is an excellent phone to watch movies, videos and listen to music. Both Meizu 15 Plus and OnePlus 5T are equipped with top-end hardware, but we think OnePlus 5T will be way faster because of its stock and lightweight Android experience and its wonderful software optimization.

Meizu 15 Plus looks better when it comes to camera department with a low level of noise in low light conditions, stunning details and accurate focus in daylight. There should not be so much difference between the battery lives of these devices. They feature similar capacities and both support fast charging technologies. OnePlus 5T comes with Nougat out of the box (upgradable to Oreo) and no micro SD, while Meizu 15 Plus comes with Flyme 7 based on Nougat which is a highly customized fork with hundreds of additional features.

Meizu 15 Plus has a launch price of $474/€388 in China, while OnePlus 5T starts from €499/$499 globally. Even though OP5T is probably a faster device, we would pick Meizu 15 Plus for its camera performance, aesthetics and multimedia-related specs.

Which one would you pick?

Meizu 15 Plus vs OnePlus 5T: PROS and CONS

Meizu 15 Plus

PROS

Awesome display
Stereo speakers
Elegant design
Great camera

CONS

Android Nougat in 2018

OnePlus 5T

PROS

High performance
Good camera
Pretty nice display
Good price

CONS

No expansion slot

Xiaomi Mi 6X vs Redmi Note 5 Pro: Will The New Model Cannibalize the Sales Of The Best Seller?

By

Joel Joseph

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Apr 25, 2018

Xiaomi released the brand new Mi 6X model a few hours ago and it’s everything that we hoped for. The phone, likely to be rebranded as the Xiaomi Mi A2 with stock Android on board for the international markets, could be one of the fastest mid-rangers in the market right now, powered by the mighty Snapdragon 660. We often believed that the SD660 wasn’t used to its full potential, but inside the Mi 6X, the phone could be an instant hit. That doesn’t mean the new model isn’t without flaws, and your purchase decision will eventually depend upon what you are willing to sacrifice for the added CPU and camera performance.

Having said that, we realized that the Xiaomi Mi 6X is priced very close to the Redmi Note 5 Pro in China. Last year, this wasn’t an issue with the Mi 5X, since the Redmi Note 4 didn’t have a separate Pro model. The Mi 5X was an independent offering from Xiaomi in its segment and that definitely helped in its sales. But this year, things are different with the Xiaomi Mi 6X and the Redmi Note 5 Pro (known simply as the Redmi Note 5 in China) priced very close to each other.

Will the Mi 6X eat up the sales of the higher end variants of the RN5Pro? Possibly and we explain why in this Xiaomi Mi 6X vs Redmi Note 5 Pro comparison down below.

Xiaomi Mi 6X vs Redmi Note 5 Pro: Design

On first glance, you might say both the phones look alike as their basic dimensions and design are quite similar. But they have quite a lot of differences too. For example, the Mi 6X looks a lot more premium and polished than the RN5Pro. This is because of its curved back and the U shaped antenna lines. On the other hand, the Redmi model features a traditional design, similar to other Note series phones. The Mi 6X is also significantly thinner and lighter. Also, it comes in a fresh Red color option which isn’t found on the Redmi Note 5 Pro. However, unlike the RN5Pro the Mi 6X doesn’t have a dedicated 3.5mm headphone jack.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro — Redmi Note 5 Pro

Mi 6X is definitely the better looking model in this comparison.

Now let’s take a look at the specs of both the devices.

Xiaomi Mi 6X vs Redmi Note 5 Pro: Specs

	Xiaomi Mi 6X	Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro (China)
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	158.7 x 75.4 x 7.3mm \| 168 grams	158.4 x 75.4 x 8.05mm \| 181 grams
DISPLAY	5.99-inch, 18:9 FHD+, 403 ppi, 1500:1 contrast ratio	5.99-inch, 18:9 FHD+, 403 ppi, 1000:1 contrast ratio
PROCESSOR	SD660 @ 2.2GHz	SD636 @1.8GHz
MEMORY	4GB / 6GB RAM + 64GB / 128GB ROM No MicroSD	3GB / 4GB/ 6GB RAM + 32GB / 64GB ROM micro SD slot: YES
SOFTWARE	Android 8.1 with MIUI 9.5	Android 8 with MIUI 9
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5, USB-C No Headphone Jack	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, MicroUSB 3.5mm Headphone Jack
CAMERA	Dual 12 + 20 MP, f/1.75, 20 MP Front Cam With Flash	Dual 12 + 5 MP, f/1.9 13MP Front Camera With Flash
BATTERY	3010 mAh, 5V 2A Fast Charge	4000 mAh, 5V 2A fast charging
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	XiaoAi assistant, Scene Recognition, Face Unlock	Hybrid Dual SIM, Face Unlock

If you have read the above specs table, you would spot a few important differences between the models. The Xiaomi Mi 6X is the better model here with a powerful SD660 processor, capable dual 12+20MP cameras, and USB Type-C. The Redmi Note 5 Pro does bring a few things to the table (not found on the 6X) like a dedicated 3.5mm headphone jack, a MicroSD card slot, and a larger battery. But these things aren’t necessarily big features to choose it over the Mi 6X model. The 3010mAh battery, despite being average, should deliver a day’s life. With the increase in smartphone storage, less customers use MicroSD card slots these days. Also, there’s a decent Type-C adapter as an alternative to the headphone jack. In short, these shortcomings of the Xiaomi Mi 6X can be forgiven for the increased CPU and camera performance that it brings to the table.

Xiaomi Mi 6X vs Redmi Note 5 Pro: Prices

This is where things get interesting. The Xiaomi has priced the new Mi 6X quite near the Redmi Note 5 Pro models. To recap, the RN5Pro (RN5 in China) was launched at 1399 Yuan (~$221) for the 4+64GB model and 1699 Yuan ($268) for the 6+64GB model. The same storage 4+64GB and 6+64GB configurations can be availed on the Xiaomi Mi 6X for a price of 1599 yuan (~$253) and 1799 Yuan (~$284) respectively.

As you can see, there’s just a 100-200 yuan difference between these two devices. Even with a price cut for the Redmi Note 5 Pro model, it would still be a hard decision to choose it over the Mi 6X.

Unless 2 day battery is a must for your needs, the Mi 6X looks like a better choice among the two right now. What do you think?

Also, do you think the Xiaomi Mi 6X will cannibalise the sales of the higher-end RN5Pro variants?

Xiaomi Mi 6X Hands On & First Impression: A More Refined Redmi Note 5 Design

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Apr 25, 2018

Xiaomi started out with the online sales model when it opened shop in 2010. The company found instant success with that model but soon met stiff competition when other OEMs adopted similar distribution models, incorporating with offline sales. The Chinese tech giant recently adopted the offline sales model and even commenced gradual expansion to other markets outside China. In its bid to service the international market efficiently, the Mi 5X was released and it got a global version in the Mi A1. Xiaomi Mi 6X was launched today as a successor and we expect to see the Mi A2 sometime soon. Here are some hands-on photos of Mi’ latest premium midrange smartphone.

The Xiaomi Mi A2 came with some surprises, the biggest being in its pricing. The models are unarguably the cheapest Snapdragon 660-powered smartphones around with a price range starting at 1,599 Yuan (~$253) for the 4GB RAM + 64GB ROM version. Another feature that left our mouths agape is the absence of the legendary 3.5mm audio jack. Even though the device ships with a 3.5mm to Type-C connector, the lack of a 3.5mm audio port is heartbreaking for some of us.

Overall, the design of the Mi 6X looks quite premium. The device comes with a similar design with the Redmi Note 5, both at the front and back, with just a few differences between both mid-range models. One of such differences is the hidden antenna band design which the Mi 6X features. Unlike the Redmi Note 5 which the antenna band cut across the top and bottom parts of the back panel, the Mi 6X features the U-shaped fused antenna band design whereby the antenna lines are located at the top and bottom edges of the device. The Mi 6X also comes with a thinner body which is just 7.3mm thick as against 8.1mm thickness of the Redmi Note 5. Perhaps, this was the reason why the 3.5mm audio jack had to make way. The 5.99-inch full-screen design is of the Redmi Note 5 is also maintained but XIaomi swapped the location of the camera sensors and selfie camera on the Mi 6X, perhaps just to differentiate it from the Redmi model.

Other than these few variations, the device comes with the same rear camera design like the Redmi Note 5 and the Mi Mix 2s. That is a vertically inclined dual camera setup. The camera configuration is entirely different from the Redmi model but is optimised for better captures, including the selfie camera. The device is available in five different colour variants such as Cherry Pink, Flame Red, Glacier Blue, Quicksand Gold, and Stone Black.

Xiaomi Mi 6X vs Xiaomi Mi 5X: Is the New 6X a Worthy Successor For 5X?

By

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Apr 25, 2018

Xiaomi had launched the Mi 5X smartphone in July last year with 64 GB of storage and 4 GB of RAM. It was priced at 1,499 Yuan (~$237). Few months later, it had launched a lower variant featuring 32 GB of storage and 4 GB of RAM with a pricing of 1,299 Yuan ($205). Currently, Xiaomi is selling only the 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage model of the Mi 5X with a price tag of 1,299 Yuan ($205).

Today, the company has unveiled the Xiaomi Mi 6X as the successor of the Mi 5X. At the launch event, it claimed that it is the cheapest Snapdragon 660 SoC powered phone. The reason behind it is that most SD660 phones are priced around 3,000 Yuan (~$490), but the highest configuration model of the Xiaomi Mi 6X that has 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage is available for 1,999 Yuan (~$316). The other variants such as 64 GB storage + 6 GB RAM and 64 GB storage + 4 GB RAM are respectively priced at 1,799 Yuan (~$285) and 1,599 Yuan (~$253).

Xiaomi Mi 6X vs Xiaomi Mi 5X

Xiaomi Mi 6X vs Redmi Note 5 Pro: Design

	Xiaomi Mi 6X	Xiaomi Mi 5X
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	158 x 75.4 x 7.3 mm \| 168 grams	155.4 x 75.8 x 7.3 mm \| 165 grams
DISPLAY	5,99 inches, 1080 x 2160p (Full HD+), 403 ppi, 18:9 aspect ratio, LTPS IPS LCD	5.5 inches, 1920 x 1080p (Full HD), 403 ppi, 16:9 ratio, LTPS IPS LCD
PROCESSOR	Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, octa-core 2.2 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, octa-core 2.0 GHz
MEMORY	4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage micro SD slot	4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage 4 GB RAM + 32 GB storage micro SD slot
SOFTWARE	Android 8.1 with MIUI 9.5	Android 7.1.2 Nougat, MIUI 9
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5, GPS, No 3.5mm audio jack	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS
CAMERA	Dual 12 MP f/1.75 + 20 MP f/1.75 20 MP f/2.2 front camera with LED flash	Dual 12 MP f/2.2 + 5 MP f/2.6 5 MP
BATTERY	3010 mAh Fast charging 9V / 2A (Quick Charge 3.0)	3080 mAh
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	XiaoAi assistant, Scene Recognition, Face Unlock, Hybrid dual SIM slot, front-facing LED flash	Hybrid Dual SIM slot
COLOR VARIANTS	Pink, Red, Gold, Blue and Black	Black, Gold, Rose Gold and Red

Here are some improved features that are available on the Mi 6X compared to its predecessor phone:

Full Screen Design

The Xiaomi Mi 6X is packed with various exciting features compared to its predecessor. For instance, it features the trendy full screen design. Even though there is negligible difference between the dimensions of the two phones, the Mi 6X sports a trendy full screen design with reduced bezels that surrounds the screen. It features a larger display of 5.99 inches that supports FHD+ resolution and 18:9 aspect ratio. The Mi 5X has a conventional 16:9 aspect ratio display of 5.5 inches that produces Full HD resolution.

Powerful Chipset, More RAM and Storage

At the launch event, it was said that the Snapdragon 660 that is present under the hood of the Mi 6X offers 79 percent better performance than the Snapdragon 625 that powers the Mi 5X. The Mi 6X features more RAM and storage over the predecessor model.

Better Front Camera and AI Equipped Camera

The Mi 5X has a mediocre front camera. On the Mi 6X, Xiaomi has added 20-megapixel front camera along with soft-light LED. With AI onboard, the selfie camera of Mi 6X has been optimized to effectively blur the background and focus more on the subject to capture stunning selfie shots. The vertical 12-megapixel + 20-megapixel dual camera setup on Mi 6X can shoot bright images in dim light, supports scene recognition and real-time language translation.

Latest Android Version, Fast Charging Support

Being a new phone, the Mi 6X is born with Android 8.1 Oreo that is skinned with latest MIUI version. The new Oreo update is yet to hit the Mi 5X. There is no fast charging feature available on the Mi 5X, but the SD660 powered Mi 6X is blessed with support for Quick Charge 3.0 9V/2A fast charging. Compared to the Mi 5X, it successor phone is available in newer colors like Blue and Pink.

Some Drawbacks…

The Xiaomi Mi 6X lacks a 3.5mm audio jack which means users are required to the same USB-C port for charging it and for connecting wired headphones. The Mi 5X features a 3.5mm headphone jack. The Mi 6X does not include a slot for adding a microSD card.

Xiaomi Mi A2 Speculations

Recently, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun had confirmed to Indian media that the Mi MIX 2S flagship phone won’t be coming to India. However, he claimed that the company will be releasing Mi A2 in the country without mentioning the exact timeframe. Also, Jun did not reveal any information on the A2.

The Mi A1, the first Xiaomi Android One phone is essentially the same Mi 5X phone without the MIUI 9 skin. Hence, the rumor mill is speculating that the Mi 6X may internationally launch as Mi A2 and it could be an Android One device like its predecessor.

The China-exclusive Mi 5X was launched in July 2017 and the Mi A1 was unveiled in September. The 64 GB storage + 4 GB RAM was introduced with a pricing of Rs. 14,999 ($224) and in December its price was permanently slashed to Rs. 13,999 ($209). The Mi A1 is currently out of stock in India. To say again, 64 GB + 4 GB Xiaomi Mi 5X that was launched for 1,499 Yuan (~$237) is now selling in China for 1,299 Yuan (~$205).

There is no confirmation on whether the Mi A2 would be available in three variants like 64 GB storage + 4 GB RAM, 64 GB storage + 6 GB RAM and 128 GB + 6 GB RAM like the Mi 6X. If it happens so, the three Mi A2 variants could be respectively priced at Rs. 15,999 (~$239), Rs. 17,999 (~$268) and Rs. 19,999 (~$298). These are not the official pricing, but speculations based on the pricing pattern of Mi A1, 5X and 6X.

Do you think that the Xiaomi Mi 6X is a worthy successor for the Mi 5X? Share us your views by posting your comments below.

Lenovo HX03F Spectra And HX03 Cardio Fitness Trackers Launched In India

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