Smartisan R1 Is Official: The First Smartphone With 1TB of Storage!

By

-

May 15, 2018

Smartisan has taken the wraps off its latest flagship, the Smartisan R1. Not only is it an amazing piece of mobile device, it has also set a world record, one that we may not see any other manufacturer break anytime soon.

Smartisan R1 Design

Smartisan is one manufacturer that stands out with its design and the R1 doesn’t disappoint. In a world where notches reign supreme, Smartisan has embraced the trend but has decided to follow the path of the Essential PH-1.

The display practically reaches the top with a cut-out for the front-facing camera and a slit for the earpiece. There is a moderately-sized bezel at the bottom which gives the Smartisan R1 an 84% screen-to-body ratio.

The rear of the phone is covered in 3D glass and the grade 7 aluminum frame has that thin line we have come to see on recent Smartisan phones. The fingerprint scanner is buried under the Smartisan logo and the buttons are circular.

Smartisan R1 Specs

Smartisan has packed flagship specs into this device but has also set a record with it. For the first time in the history of mobile phones, we have a device with 1TB of built-in storage! Yes, the Smartisan R1 has 1 terabyte of internal storage and its UFS 2.1. The rest of the specs are also impressive.

It has a 6.17-inch pressure sensitive display with a 2242 x 1080 resolution and an 18.7:9 aspect ratio. It is covered with Gorilla Glass 3, has a 1500:1 contrast ratio, and a 96% color gamut (DCI-P3).

There is a Snapdragon 845 processor under the hood clocked at 2.8GHz paired with an Adreno 630 GPU. It comes in four variants:

6GB RAM + 64GB storage
6GB RAM + 128GB storage
8GB RAM + 128GB storage
8GB RAM + 1TB storage.

The Smartisan R1 has dual rear cameras. The primary sensor is a 12MP Sony IMX363 sensor with a f/1.8 aperture, 1.4 μm pixel size, 4-axis OIS, and dual PD extreme focus. The second is a 20MP Sony IMX350 with a f/1.75 aperture, 1μm pixel size, and 6P lens.

The front camera is a 24MP sensor with a f/2.0 aperture ArcSoft ray algorithm and AI real-time beauty mode.

The R1 has support for Bluetooth 5.0, dual-band Wi-Fi, NFC+eSE, and has a USB-C port with Display Port 1.4. It also has dual SIM support (nano only) and global LTE band support.

The Smartisan R1 joins the very short list of devices that support Quick Charge 4+. That means you should be able to refill its 3600mAh battery as fast as possible. It also supports Power Delivery 3.0 and 10W wireless charging. Sadly, it doesn’t have an IP-rating and also ditches the audio jack.

Continue

User Agent Profile Confirms Nokia 3 (2018)/Nokia 3.1 Exists

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

May 15, 2018

Last week, the Chief Product Officer of HMD Global, Juhi Sarvikas, hinted at the Nokia 5 (2018)’ existence when a fan asked about it. It appears it won’t be the only entry level/lower mid-range Nokia phone from last year getting a successor. Apparently, the Nokia 2 and Nokia 3 will also be getting new models this year.

Back in February during MWC, the CMO of HMD Global Pekka Rantala disclosed in an interview that there will be new Nokia 2, Nokia 3, and Nokia 5 models. A user agent profile has confirmed the existence of the Nokia 3 (2018) or Nokia 3.1.

The Nokia 3.1 is running Android 8.0 Oreo and that is the only information revealed by the user agent profile. The rest of the specs may leak later before the launch.

O hai Nokia 3.1 aka Nokia 3 (2018). pic.twitter.com/h2OEINM2eu

— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) May 14, 2018

The first-gen Nokia 3 has a 5.0-inch HD display, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable storage, and a MediaTek MT6737 processor. It also has a single 8MP rear camera and another 8MP front-facing camera along with a 2630mAh battery.

Continue

Nokia X6 Official Images Leaked; Reveals Full Specs, Key Features Before Launch

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

May 15, 2018

Tomorrow, HMD Global will be launching the Nokia X6 smartphone in China. However, plenty of information of the smartphone have already surfaced before its official announcement. It was recently revealed that the Nokia X6 will be carrying a price tag of 1,499 Yuan (~$235). Today, a couple of press renders of the Nokia X6 have appeared to reveal its design, specs and key features.

The Nokia X6 will be arriving with a notched display design like the iPhone X. The above image shows that it has a slightly thick bottom bezel that features the Nokia branding. The notch of the phone houses a front-facing camera, an earpiece and a proximity sensor. The glass back of the Nokia X6 has a vertical dual camera setup and a fingerprint scanner. The below images show some of the key features of the phone.

It shows that the Nokia X6 has a 5.8-inch display that supports FHD+ resolution and 19:9 aspect ratio. The Snapdragon 636 chipset powers the X6. The dual camera setup includes a 16-megapixel primary sensor and a secondary 5-megapixel sensor. The dual rear cameras are equipped with features like AI and HDR.

For shooting selfies, it has a frontal camera of 16-megapixel that comes with intelligent 3D blur and beauty filters. The front-facing camera of the Nokia X6 has been optimized to capture impressive selfie shots in low-light conditions. The handset will come loaded with Android 8.1 Oreo. It seems that it could be yet another Android One phone from the company. For immersive gaming experience, it will provide users with Do Not Disturb mode.

The Nokia X6 is fueled by a 3,060mAh battery that is enabled with support for 18W Quick Charge 3.0 rapid charging. By charging the X6 only for 30 minutes, it can gain 50 percent of battery power.

Starting from 3:30 PM (local time) in China, the reservations of the Nokia X6 have begun on Suning. The actual sales of the smartphone will kick off from May 21. The Nokia X6 phone featuring 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of native storage is priced at 1,499 Yuan (~$235). The handset is also expected to be available in a higher variant featuring 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of inbuilt storage. As of this writing, there is no information available on the pricing of this variant.

The Nokia X6 is expected to be positioned between the Nokia 6 (2018) and Nokia 7 Plus. The Nokia 7 phone from last year and the Nokia 6 (2018) are powered by the Snapdragon 630 chipset. Hence, it is speculated that the Nokia X6 may replace the Nokia 7 smartphone.

(source|via)

Photos: Savour The Beauty Of The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s Art Special Edition

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

May 15, 2018

Xiaomi recently teamed up with the British Museum to launch a new limited-edition model of the Mi MIX 2S flagship phone. The new version dubbed Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S Art Special Edition presents with a couple of add-ons which give it a more refined and attractive look.

The device comes with the same ceramic chassis as the regular Mi Mix 2s model but the device is encased in a specially designed protective shell which not only protects the device but also adds some glamour and ambience to its look. The British Museum logo is stamped at the back of the protective skin. The new limited-edition model also comes in a cool customized packaging box.

In addition, the Art Special Edition has installed several exclusive themes built around the Renaissance period. Of course, that is because the design was inspired by the famous Renaissance artwork The Majolica Pottery housed in the British Museum. The artwork is designed onto the box casing and the protective case. In terms of specification, the ARt Special Edition of the Mix 2s comes with the same 5.99-inch 2160 x 1080p full-screen and is powered by a Snapdragon 845 chipset. The processor is paired with 8GB LPDDR4X memory and there is a 128GB UFS 2.1 flash memory. The device gets its juice from a 3,400mAH battery with wireless charging support.

The Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S Art Special Edition went on sale in China on May 10 and the first sale was over in less than a minute. The next sales would be on May 16 and we don’t expect it to tarry for long before the stock gets exhausted. As for the price, it comes a bit higher at 4,299 Yuan (~$675), inclusive of a free wireless charger. There is still no information on its global launch. Check out more pictures of the Mi Mix 2s Art Special Edition from below.

(source)

Smartisan Nut R1 Passes Through TENAA, Features A Weird Additional Physical Button On The Side

By

Joel Joseph

-

May 15, 2018

Smartisan is all set to announce its flagship of this year, the Smartisan Nut R1, at 7.30PM Beijing time today. We will be covering the event in an hour, but before that, the phone seems to have passed through the TENAA certification agency. The company was successful in keeping the phone off the internet all this while, but now that it’s on TENAA, we have got to know a lot about its design.

Smartisan may not be a brand that’s as popular as Xiaomi or Huawei, but it does have a loyal set of fan following in China, thanks to its different approach to smartphones. The company is known to make beautiful designs, and that trend will likely continue with the new R1.

On the front, the phone seems to have a hidden ear piece design, kind of what we saw on the Smartisan Nut 3 earlier this year. What’s interesting is that we can’t spot the camera sensor up front. It could be placed on its chin at the bottom.

[envira-gallery id=”190910″]

Coming to the back, the Smartisan Nut R1 will feature dual cameras and a dual LED flash. There’s a huge Smartisan logo at the back that’s likely to act as a fingerprint sensor too. On the right, you have the standard volume buttons and a power button. But what’s really interesting is the additional button on the left. It’s round and kind of huge as compared to the overall form factor of the phone, which indicates that it’s meant for some specific and important purpose. Maybe it’s a dedicated assistant button, similar to what we saw on the LG G7 with a Google Assistant button. It may also be for some dedicated AI feature, but we can’t be sure of that at the moment.

What we do know is that the Smartisan Nut R1 will feature Snapdragon 845, IMX363 CMOS sensor (one of the sensors from the dual camera setup), and wireless charging.

We don’t have to wait for too long to get all the official details about the new flagship. Event kicks off in about an hour, so make sure to check back on gizmochina for the launch article. It should be an exciting product that you may never get to purchase.

(via)

Nubia Z18 Scores High On AnTuTu Thanks To Snapdragon 845 and 8GB of RAM

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

May 15, 2018

There are a number of flagship phones launching this month. HTC will announce the HTC U12+ on the 23rd and Xiaomi may also announce the Mi 7 on the same day too. However, there may be another flagship phone coming from China this month and that is the Nubia Z18.

Nubia released the Nubia Z18 Mini last month, so it is not surprising that fans are eager for the arrival of the Nubia Z18 itself. While we wait for a launch date to be announced, the Nubia Z18 has been benchmarked on AnTuTu and the score is insane.

The Nubia Z18 scored 280,085 points on AnTutu. This is higher than the score of the Mi MIX 2s (273,741) and the ASUS Zenfone 5Z (274,499) – both powered by the Snapdragon 845 like the Nubia Z18. The Z18 is also said to come with 8GB of RAM.

Continue

Alleged Xiaomi Mi 8’s 3D Facial Recognition Module Appears in Leaked Photo

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

May 15, 2018

Earlier today, Xiaomi confirmed that it will be holding a launch event in Shenzhen. However, it did not confirm on the date and time for the event. It is speculated that the Chinese firm will use the Shenzhen platform to announce its new flagship phone. Rumors have it that two smartphones namely, Xiaomi Mi 7 and Xiaomi’s 8^th Anniversary Edition smartphone by the end of this month. A leaked photo of the structured 3D light module has appeared on Weibo. At first, it was speculated to be the image of the TrueDepth Camera and Face ID system of the iPhone X. However, a careful look at it reveals that the structured 3D light module is significantly different from what is present on the iPhone X. Moreover, the image also shows a modified version of the MIUI for the notch.

A tipster from China claims that the 8^th Anniversary Edition phone from the company will be launching as the Xiaomi Mi 8. He has also added that the leaked image could belong to Mi 8’s 3D facial recognition module.

Previous reports have claimed that the 3D facial recognition solution for Xiaomi’s upcoming flagship phone is being jointly developed by Qualcomm, Himax Technologies and Truly Opto-electronics. It is speculated that the Xiaomi Mi 8 may debut as the first Android phone with support for 3D facial scanning.

The Apple iPhone X that was launched last year is the world’s first phone to support 3D facial recognition. The Face ID feature on the iPhone X allows it to carry out authentication by scanning the face of the user in 3D. The structured light 3D module of the iPhone X includes a TrueDepth Camera that captures the face data accurate by analyzing more than 30,000 invisible dots to make a depth map on the face of the user. At the same time, it also captures an infrared image of the face.

Apple iPhone X Face ID 3D Face Recognition

The neural engine of the A11 Bionic SoC springs into action to convert the depth map and infrared image into a mathematical representation which is then matched with registered facial data of the user. The Face ID is so secure that it can be not only used for securely unlocking the iPhone, but also for authenticating payments on it. Apple was so confident about the Face ID that it decided the axe the Touch ID fingerprint scanning feature from iPhone X.

The Xiaomi Mi 8 is expected to offer such kind of robust security through its 3D facial scanning feature. Like the iPhone X, it may not feature a fingerprint scanner. However, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun had recently hint the Mi 7 will be coming with an under-display fingerprint scanner. Hence, it may so happen that the Mi 7 may not feature 3D face scanning but come with in-screen fingerprint reader.

(source 1, 2)

Smartisan Nut Pro 2 Special Edition Launched, Gets New Processor

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

May 15, 2018

Just before the announcement of the Smartisan R1 flagship later today, the manufacturer has released another phone – the Smartisan Nut Pro 2 Special Edition. The new phone has been listed on JD.com.

The original Nut Pro 2 was launched in November 2017 and is one of the best designed and most affordable Snapdragon 660 phones in the market. So what is new in the special edition since the original actually has five different variants?

There is only one major change and that is the processor. The Smartisan Nut Pro 2 Special Edition swaps out the Snapdragon 660 processor for a Snapdragon 636. Yes, a less-powerful processor. However, it comes with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The rest of the specs have been left untouched.

So you have a 5.99” FHD display, 12MP + 5MP dual rear cameras, 16MP front camera, and a 3,500mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging. It also has a fingerprint scanner and support for face unlock, a USB-C port, and nano-SIM.

Continue

Oppo Realme 1 With MediaTek Helio P60 SoC Launched In India, Price Starts At Rs. 8,990 ($133)

By

Jeet

-

May 15, 2018

Recently, Oppo had announced a new sub-brand especially for the Indian market — Realme. The company has today launched the first smartphone under its Realme brand — Oppo Realme 1. The smartphone has been launched in partnership with Amazon India, and thus, will be exclusively available through Amazon.in. According to the company, the smartphone is a “Made In India” product.

The Oppo Realme 1 features a 6-inch full-HD+ display with screen resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels and an 84.75 percent screen-to-body ratio. Under the hood, the smartphone is powered by an octa-core MediaTek Helio P60 processor clocked at 2GHz. The device also packs dual-core AI-specific chip and comes in three variants based on memory configuration — 3GB, 4GB, and 6GB RAM.

As of the storage, the 3GB RAM model comes with 32GB of internal storage while the 4GB RAM model packs 64GB of onboard storage. The top-end variant having 6GB RAM packs 128GB of internal storage. All three models come with a dedicated microSD card slot, enabling users to further expand the storage capacity.

Coming to the camera department, the Oppo Realme 1 sports a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash. On the front side, there’s an 8-megapixel snapper for taking selfies and video calling. The company says that it comes with Oppo’s AI Beauty 2.0 feature that offers 296-point facial recognition along with beautification feature.

While the smartphone doesn’t come with a fingerprint sensor, it comes equipped with Face Unlock feature, which according to the company, can unlock the smartphone in just 0.1 seconds. The device also features AR stickers for both the front and rear cameras.

The company says that the device comes with an AI Board assistant. The phone supports dual 4G VoLTE along with the usual set of connectivity options such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. As of software, it runs on ColorOS 5.0, which is based on Android 8.1 Oreo operating system. The phone is fueled by a 3,410mAh battery and is optimized by AI Battery Management feature.

Currently, only the 6GB RAM and 128GB storage variant will go on sale in India in the first sale, which will take place on May 25th at 12:00 pm on Amazon India. The other variants with 3GB RAM + 32GB storage and 4GB RAM + 64GB onboard storage will be available in India after about a month.

The 3GB RAM model has been priced at Rs. 8,990 (approx. $133) while the 4GB RAM variant will be available for a price of Rs. 10,990 (approx. $162). The high-end model having 6GB RAM costs Rs. 13,990, which roughly converts to $206. It will be available in three color options — Diamond Black, Moonlight Silver, and Solar Red.

As for the launch offers, the smartphone is being offered with a 5 percent cash back on SBI cards, Jio benefits worth Rs. 4,850. The company is also throwing in a free case and a free screen protector.

At this price point, the Oppo Realme 1 will be up against the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro, which comes with 4GB RAM + 64GB storage and 6GB RAM + 64GB storage. Xiaomi recently hiked the pricing of the Redmi Note 5 Pro and now it starts at Rs. 14,999.

With Realme, Oppo is aiming to take on another China-based company Xiaomi, which accounts for almost 60 percent of mobile devices shipped through the online retail segment. The Realme brand has been positioned by Oppo as a “premium mid-range smartphone brand”. According to the company, it will comprise smartphones in the Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000 price range, but the company has kept the doors open for premium models in the future.

Vivo X21i Featuring Helio P60 SoC Launched in China for 2,698 Yuan (~$425)

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

May 15, 2018

Vivo has launched the Vivo X21i smartphone in China today. It is a new variant of the Vivo X21 smartphone that was made official in March this year. The biggest difference between the X21 and X21i is that the latter features the MediaTek Helio P60 chipset whereas the former has the Snapdragon 660 SoC onboard. The Vivo X21i is now available for pre-orders in the home country of China with a price tag of 2,698 Yuan (~$425).

Vivo X21i Specifications and Features

The Vivo X21i features the same specs that are available on the X21 smartphone. Hence, the X21i is equipped with a 6.28-inch Super AMOLED screen that offers an aspect ratio of 19:9 because of notch present at the topside of the display. The screen of the phone is placed under 2.5D glass. The company claims that the display offers a screen-to-body ratio of 90.3 percent.

The MediaTek Helio P60 (MT6771) chipset that comes with an inbuilt APU for handling AI tasks powers the Vivo X21i. The 64 GB storage model has 6 GB of RAM whereas the 128 GB storage edition has 4 GB of RAM. For additional storage, it includes a microSD card slot.

The rear side of the phone features dual 12-megapixel cameras that is equipped with several AI features like scene detection and beauty mode. While shooting against the light, the X21i will begin the AI backlit camera feature to capture brighter images. It has a front-mounted camera of 24-megapixel. The selfie camera can shoot optimized selfie shots through the AI beauty mode feature by recognizing gender, skin quality and environment. The front camera is also equipped with features like AR stickers and Face Wake facial recognition.

vivo x21i Aurora White — Vivo x21i Aurora White

The Vivo X21i is loaded with Android 8.1 OS that is overlaid with FunTouch OS 4.0 UI. It also includes Vivo’s Jovi AI assistant. The smartphone receives power from 3,425mAh battery. It measures 154.37 x 74.98 x 6.99mm and weighs 159 grams. The rear side of the phone that also houses a fingerprint scanner apart from the vertical dual camera setup is made out of 2.5D glass. The X21i can be availed in colors like Ruby Red, Aurora White and Polar Night Black.

Vivo X21i Pricing and Availability

The 64 GB storage + 6 GB RAM edition of the Vivo X21i is priced at 2,698 Yuan (~$425). Even the variant featuring 128 GB storage + 4 GB RAM carries the same pricing of 2,698 Yuan (~$425). The pre-orders of the Vivo X21i has already started on the official stores of the Vivo at its online store, JD.com, Tmall and Suning. The official sales of the smartphone are slated to begin on May 19 at 10:00AM (local time) in China.

Preorder ASUS Zenfone Pegasus 3S ZC521TL Smartphone For Only $129.59 On Banggood [Coupon Code]

By

Vinay Patel

-

May 15, 2018

The Asus Zenfone 3s Max ZC521TL smartphone garnered considerable popularity among smartphone lovers after hitting the store shelves in February last year. More than a year after the phone’s debut, Banggood is now offering a noteworthy 40% off on its retail price.

This discount will be specifically valid for the gold color version of the Zenfone Pegasus 3S ZC521TL smartphone, which would normally set you back $299.99 on Banggood. Apart from that, we’ll divulge details about getting an additional $50.40 discount at the time of checking out.

The Zenfone Pegasus 3S ZC521TL smartphone is currently up for preorder for just $179.99 on Banggood. On top of that, you can use coupon code ‘514AZFPG3S’ while checking out in a bid to further reduce your grand total to only $129.59.
In terms of specs, the Zenfone 3s Max ZC521TL sports a 5.2 inches IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display with a screen resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels at a pixel density of 282 PPI (pixels per inch). Moreover, the phone is housed in a robust metal body which is intensified with 2.5D curved glass layer on top.

The phone packs a powerful MediaTek MT6750 processor along with an ARM Mali-T860 MP2, 520 MHz, 2-Cores GPU, under the hood. It also offers 3GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable internal memory (up to 2TB).

The dual-SIM (micro+nano) smartphone features a 13-megapixel camera with flashlight, ƒ/2.0 aperture, two-tone flash, PDAF, Face Beauty app, and panorama on the back. You can find an 8-megapixel camera with 85° wide angle lens and Face Beauty app in the front for the selfie addicts.

The Zenfone 3s Max ZC521TL smartphone runs Asus Zen UI 3.1 based Android 7.0 Nougat operating system and is backed by a built-in 5000mAh battery. Furthermore, the device comes with a slew of sensors such as fingerprint scanner, accelerometer sensor, distance sensor, ambient light sensor and lots more.

On the downside, Banggood is likely to wrap-up the promo soon and the aforesaid discount coupon will be expiring soon as well. You can visit this link in order to avail the deal before it comes to an end.

Get 40% Off On ASUS Zenfone Pegasus 3S ZC521TL Smartphone On Banggood

Check More Deals and Promotions From Other Shops

Buy LeTV LeEco Le Max 2 X820 Smartphone For Only $141 On Banggood [Discount Coupon]

By

Vinay Patel

-

May 15, 2018

Chinese tech firm LeTV made its long-awaited LeEco Le Max 2 X820 smartphone available to the public in May 2016. The phone boasts an array of astounding specs and features that propelled it straight to skyrocketing popularity among smartphone enthusiasts.

On the downside, the Le Max 2 X820 didn’t come cheap. But much to the delight of cost-conscious buyers who have restlessly been waiting to get their hands on the well-received smartphone, Banggood is offering a considerable 23% off on the phone’s retail price. Let’s delve straight into the details.

The LeEco Le Max 2 X820 smartphone normally sells for $208.12 on Banggood, but the popular Chinese online shopping website renowned for offering the best bang for your buck is currently selling the coveted handset for a slashed price of just $161. Note that the discount will only be valid for the rose gold color version of the smartphone.

But that’s not all. We’ll even tell you how you can save an extra $20 at the time of checking out. In order to get the additional discount, all you need to do is apply discount code ‘510lemax2’. This will bring your grand total further down to only $141.At $141, the LeTV LeEco Le Max 2 X820 is an irresistible smartphone, given that it sports a big 5.7 inches capacitive touchscreen display with a screen resolution of 2560 X 1440 pixels. The extremely easy-to-grip phone has dimensions of 156.8 mm x 77.6 mm x 7.99 mm (LxWxH) and it weighs in at just 185 grams.

Moreover, the LeEco Le Max 2 X820 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 MSM8996 processor and it uses a Qualcomm Adreno 530 GPU, under the hood. The phone offers 4GB of RAM and a hearty 32GB of onboard storage, but it doesn’t support expandable memory.

The dual-SIM smartphone houses a big 21-megapixel camera with 6-element lens, f/2.0 aperture and two-tone flash on the back. Up front, there’s an 8-megapixel front shooter with a ƒ/2.2 aperture for selfies and face-to-face video chats.

The LeTV LeEco Le Max 2 X820 smartphone runs eUI 5.8 based on Android Marshmallow operating system and draws its juices from a built-in 3100mAh Lithium-ion battery with quick charge feature. Aside from that, the phone has multiple sensors such as fingerprint recognition, gravity sensor, light sensor, distance sensor and lots more.

It is imperative for you to bear in mind that the LeEco Le Max 2 X820 smartphone will retain its original asking price as soon as the promo comes to an end. On top of that, the aforesaid coupon code is also likely to expire soon. You can follow this link if you want to avail the discount and use the coupon code before its lapses. In addition to the discount, you’d also earn 161 Banggood points.

Get 23% Off On LeTV LeEco Le Max 2 X820 On Banggood

Check More Deals and Promotions From Other Shops

Xiaomi Teases a New Event in Shenzhen, Likely for Mi 7 and 8th Anniversary Edition Smartphone

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

May 15, 2018

Xiaomi had launched the Xiaomi Mi 6 smartphone in April last year. The Chinese manufacturer was expected to launch the Mi 7 as its successor in April this year. However, instead of Mi 7, the company chose to launch the Mi MIX 2S as the first flagship phone of the year. Recent reports have claimed that the Xiaomi may debut the Mi 7 at the end of this month or before the end of the first half of 2018. Today, the Chinese manufacturer has released a new teaser on its Weibo account which suggests that it will be keeping a launch event in Shenzhen in the near future. It is likely that the company may use the platform to announce the highly anticipated Xiaomi Mi 7 phone along with the rumored 8^th Anniversary Edition smartphone.

The new teaser does not contain any information on the date and timing of Xiaomi’s upcoming launch event in China. It is speculated that the through the upcoming teasers, the company may confirm the unveiling of Xiaomi Mi 7 at the Shenzhen event.

A recent report had claimed that Xiaomi may debut the Mi 7 by the end of this month. It had also revealed that the Mi 7 will be accompanied by Xiaomi’s 8^th Anniversary Edition phone which will be the major highlight of the event. Reports have also suggested that the Mi Band 3 fitness tracker will also debut alongside the Xiaomi Mi 7.

As far as the Xiaomi Mi 7 is concerned, it is speculated to be driven by Snapdragon 845 chipset and 6 GB or 8 GB of RAM. Leaked information that have surfaced in the recent months have revealed that the Mi 7 will be arriving with a large notch like the iPhone X. The Mi 7 is rumored to debut as the first Android phone with 3D facial recognition. The glass rear of the phone is expected to house a vertical dual camera setup. It also pegged to carry support for wireless charging. The Mi 7 is also speculated to house an under-display fingerprint reader.

The rumor mill is yet to reveal any information on the 8^th Anniversary Edition phone from the company. Xiaomi was also rumored to be working on the advanced Mi 7 Plus. It is likely that the very same phone could be introduced as 8^th Anniversary Edition smartphone.

(source)

Buy Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S Smartphone For Only $545.99 On GeekBuying; Discount Coupon Inside

By

Vinay Patel

-

May 15, 2018

As expected, the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S turned out to be an instant hit among smartphone lovers. The recently launched Mi Mix 2S is crammed with a broad range of awe-inspiring specs and features that makes it an irresistible smartphone despite the steep price tag it comes bearing.

But if you’re on a tight budget and aren’t willing to spend a fortune on a smartphone, we have good news for you. The well-received Mi Mix 2S is currently available at a lowered price of just $549.99 on GeekBuying.

The Mi Mix 2S smartphone would normally set you back $669.99 on GeekBuying, but much to the delight of cost-conscious Xiaomi fans, the leading e-commerce website is offering a noteworthy 18% off on the device’s original asking price. As a result, you can now buy the smartphone by shelling out just $549.99.

But if that doesn’t impress you much, we’ll tell exactly how you can save an extra $4. At the time of checking out, you can apply discount coupon ‘VLHRXDHR’ in order to bring your grand total further down to $545.99.
The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S is quite a bargain at just $545.99, given that it sports a big 5.99 inches IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display with a screen resolution of 1080 x 2160 pixels. Moreover, it comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 for added protection.

The Mi Mix 2S packs a powerful Qualcomm SDM845 Snapdragon 845 processor and uses an equally robust Adreno 630 graphics processing unit, under the hood. The device offers 6GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage.

On the photography front, the Mi Mix 2S houses a 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel dual camera setup with 2x optical zoom, dual pixel phase detection autofocus, and dual-LED dual-tone flash. Up front, there’s a 5-megapixel front shooter for selfies and face-to-face video chats.

The dual-SIM smartphone runs MIUI 9 based on Android 8.0 Oreo operating system and is backed by a non-removable Li-Ion 3400 mAh battery which delivers a standby time of about 2-3 days. Aside from that, the Mi Mix 2S boasts a slew of useful sensors such as ultrasonic distance sensor, gyroscope, an acceleration sensor, electronic compass, an ambient light sensor, and lots more.

If you’re interested in taking advantage of the promo, which is on the verge of wrapping up, head straight to this link. Note that the aforesaid coupon code is also likely to expire soon.

Get 18% Off On Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S Smartphone On GeekBuying

Check More Deals and Promotions From Other Shops

Galaxy S10 Could be Samsung’s First Phone with Under-Display Fingerprint Sensor

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

May 15, 2018

Previous reports have claimed that the Galaxy Note 9 that is expected to launch around August this year will be Samsung’s first phone with in-screen fingerprint reader. However, fresh information coming from South Korea states that instead of Note 9, Samsung will be launching the Galaxy S10 as its phone with the advanced biometric recognition feature.

According to South Korea’s Chosun, Samsung had tried to introduce Fingerprint on Display (FOD) on Galaxy S8 last year. However, since it has been encountering technical difficulties, it is yet to launch a phone with FOD. Meanwhile, Chinese manufacturers such as Vivo and Huawei have already launched phones with FOD. One should be aware of the fact that unlike these Chinese smartphones OEMs that have partnered with third-party FOD suppliers, Samsung is building its own under-display fingerprint scanner.

FOD technology can be categorized into optical, capacitive and ultrasonic technologies. The Chinese smartphone OEMs have used optical FOD sensors from third-party companies like Synaptics and Goodix. The optical FOD sensors works by emitting light to scan the surface of the finger and match it with the stored fingerprint data. This technology is easy to implement but offers poor accuracy.

The under-display fingerprint scanner available on the Vivo X20 Plus UD works slower than the conventional fingerprint reader. The Huawei Mate RS features an under-display fingerprint scanner as well as a rear-mounted fingerprint reader. The probable reason why Huawei added another regular fingerprint scanner on the Mate RS could be that its in-display fingerprint scanner may not 100 percent reliable.

Samsung, Qualcomm and Apple are reportedly developing ultrasonic FOD sensors that can capture the minute details of the surface of the finger using ultrasound. It is highly accurate and durable, but it is expensive to produce. Also, the yield of mass production is low. It also requires much time for improving its accuracy.

Samsung will be not only using the under-display fingerprint scanner on its upcoming flagship smartphones starting from the Galaxy S10, but also it is expected to use it other departments such as home appliances, automobiles and IoT in the near future. Since the South Korean company is reportedly planning to use in-screen fingerprint scanner in multiple products, it could be waiting to implement it only when it is completely ready.

(source|via)

Honor 7C With 5.9-Inch Full-Screen Display And SD 450 SoC To Launch In India On May 22

By

Jeet

-

May 15, 2018

Honor, the sub-brand of Huawei which makes value for money smartphones, recently launched Honor 7C in China. Now, the company is gearing up to launch the smartphone in the Indian market. Honor India has sent out media invites for a launch event on May 22nd, where the company will introduce Honor 7C in India.

While the invite doesn’t clearly mention that the phone in question is the Honor 7C, the teaser image shows the design of the phone similar to the Honor 7C, featuring dual camera setup. Also, the user manual of both the Honor 7C and Honor 7A were recently uploaded on the Honor India website.

The smartphone was originally launched in China a couple of months ago. It adopts trending Full-Screen design with the 18:9 aspect ratio. The device also comes with a sleek design and dual rear cameras and the selfie shooter packs facial recognition feature and some smart features for better selfies.

The Honor 7C features a 5.99-inch TFT LCD IPS HD+ display with screen resolution of 1440 x 720 pixels. The device is powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 450 14nm octa-core chipset clocked at 1.8GHz, with integrated Adreno 506 GPU.

The device comes in two variants based on the memory configuration — 3GB RAM with 32GB internal storage and 4GB RAM with 64GB onboard storage. Further, there’s a microSD card slot on both variant, enabling users to further expand the phone’s storage capacity up to 256GB.

Coming to the camera, the smartphone sports a dual camera setup at the rear. Design-wise, the camera is located on the top left corner and is aligned horizontally with an LED flash on the inner edge. The rear cameras comprise a 13-megapixel sensor and a 2-megapixel sensor for depth-sensing. On the front side, there’s an 8-megapixel selfie shooter with the display acting as a smart soft light.

There’s a fingerprint sensor on the back of the phone. The smartphone runs on the latest EMUI 8.0 based on Android 8.0 Oreo operating system out of the box. The device also packs a 3,000mAh battery which the company says is optimized to provide longer battery life.

The device was launched in four color options — Red, Blue, Gold, and Black. In China, the 3GB RAM variant of the Honor 7C is priced at 899 Yuan (~$142) while the 4GB RAM model costs 1,299 Yuan (~$205).

In India, we are expecting the Honor 7C to be priced under Rs. 10,000, which will place it in direct competition with Xiaomi’s Redmi 5, which is priced at Rs. 7,999. However, we’ll have to wait till the official launch to know the pricing. Since Honor 7X is Amazon exclusive in India, we are expecting the Honor 7C to be Amazon exclusive as well.

Another Lenovo Z5 Teaser Suggests That it Will Indeed Offer 95 Percent Screen-to-Body Ratio

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

May 15, 2018

Lenovo Group VP Chang Cheng had recently shared a sketch of the upcoming Lenovo Z5 flagship phone on his Weibo account. The sketch had revealed that the Z5 will be arriving with a true bezel-less design since it does not feature bezels surrounding the display are almost non-existent. Today, Cheng has shared another teaser on Weibo to show the bottom portion of the phone.

In order to provide larger screen space to the users, smartphone OEMs have recently adopted notched design like iPhone X. Some of the phones with notched design feature slightly thick bottom bezel. However, the Lenovo Z5 seems to feature ultra-thin bezels around the screen. The first teaser of the Lenovo Z5 that was released earlier in this month had revealed that it does not feature a notch. Hence, the Z5 is expected to offer a very high screen-to-body ratio of around 95 percent.

The Vivo APEX smartphone that was launched earlier in this year offers the highest screen-to-body ratio ever on a smartphone. In order to offer 91 percent screen space on its 5.99-inch display, Vivo had to achieve technological breakthroughs such as adding a pop-up selfie camera that remains hidden in the top edge of the phone, including an half-screen in-screen fingerprint scanner, and placing the proximity and ambient sensors under its display.

Cheng has previously claimed that the Lenovo Z5’s stunning bezel-less design has been achieved through 4 technological breakthroughs and 18 patented technologies. It appears that the Lenovo Z5 could be featuring pop-up selfie camera, and under-screen sensors and earpiece in order to offer a screen space of 95 percent. Since Cheng has already confirmed that the Lenovo Z5 will be a flagship phone, it is speculated that it will be powered by Snapdragon 845. As of this writing, there is no information available on its specifications.

The Honor 10 flagship smartphone was launched in the previous month in China. The OnePlus 6 and Smartisan R1 flagship phones will be unveiled in China in this week. The Xiaomi Mi 7 is also expected to debut in the home country by the end of this month. The first teaser of the Lenovo Z5 had already hinted that it may go official on June 14. Even the Vivo APEX phone is expected to release in China in the next month. This indicates that there will be a fierce battle between flagship phones in the coming weeks in China.

(source)

Porsche Design Insisted On Having No Notch On The Huawei Mate RS

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

May 14, 2018

Huawei launched some of its best smartphones yet in the P20, Mate P20 Pro and Mate RS Porsche Design back in March. While the P20 and P20 Pro adopted the now trending notch display design, the Mate RS did not come with any cut out in its display. Porsche Design’s CEO has now revealed the reason for the notch-less design adopted on the Porsche Design Mate RS and that is because the company (Porsche Design) is against it.

Porsche Design based its rejection of the notch on how it affects a smartphone’s design. While speaking with Digital Trends, the company’s design director Christian Schwamkrug stated that the company things the notch compromises the smartphone’s design. He thinks the notch destroys the symmetry of the screen, comparing it to a picture which is either rectangular or square with a borderline and a clear frame format.

This view is consistent with that of many users as expressed in a survey carried out by Android Authority. Many users are also of the view that the notch destroys the symmetry of the screen and that it can get in the way if you are watching videos or playing games. Although Huawei included the option of hiding the notch on the P20 and P20 Pro but that is just a software feature. So, if you are not a fan of the notch design, the Mate RS Porsche Design may not be a worthy option due to its steep price tag. Huawei has slapped a €2095 (~$2599) price on the 512GB variant while the 256GB variant is €1,695 (~$2,103).

(via)

Geekbench Listing Confirms Nokia X(6) Will Come With Snapdragon 636

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

May 14, 2018

The Nokia X launches in two days and there is practically nothing we do not know about the device. However, if you have been waiting for proof to show that the device is indeed powered by the Snapdragon 636, then Geekbench has got you covered.

The upcoming mid-range smartphone has surfaced on the benchmarking site just two days ahead of its release as the Nokia X6. It runs Android 8.1 Oreo, has 6GB of RAM, and is powered by the SDM636 – an octa-core processor clocked at 1.61GHz.

The Nokia X6 scored 1332 points in the single-core test and 4892 points in the multi-core test. These scores are similar to that of other phones powered by the Snapdragon 636 such as the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro.

The Nokia X6 will come with a 5.8” FHD+ screen with a notch at the top. It will also come in 3GB RAM and 4GB RAM variants with 32GB or 64GB of storage respectively.

Continue

Xiaomi Led The Indian Smartphone Market in Q1, With Four Chinese Firms Making The Top 5

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

May 14, 2018

A report by research firm IDC has reaffirmed Xiaomi‘s lead in the first quarter of 2018 in the Indian smartphone market. The report shows that the smartphone market in India saw a cumulative shipment of 30 million units in the first quarter of 2018. This figure represents a growth of 11% year on year (YoY). Out of that number, Xiaomi maintained its lead with 30.3 percent market share while Samsung maintained its position in second place with 25.1% shares.

OPPO’s market share continues to decline in China with the company coming in at third place but with just 7.4% market share which is a far cry from Samsung’s 25.1%. Fellow BBK subsidiary Vivo came in at third with a 6.7% share which is a decline by 29.4% year-over-year but a 2.1% increase over the previous quarter driven by the Y-series. At the number five position is Chinese-firm Transsion Group which owns iTel, Infinix and Tecno brands.

It is interesting to note that out of the top 5 companies, four are Chinese firms. This is the second quarter in a row that Xiaomi is mounting the leadership position in the Indian smartphone market. This could be traced to the further expansion in the company’s offline channel and popularity of its models such as Redmi 5A and Redmi Note 5 Pro. Xiaomi still continued to improve on its online sales model, recording a year on year increase in its online shipment shares from 32% to 53% in Q1.

(source)