Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime 2 Quietly Goes Official In India

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Mar 24, 2018

Taiwanese chipmaker MediaTek holds no stake at present on the high-end mobile chip market. The fabless chipmaker’s last attempt on that market was the Helio X30 and we can only recall the Meizu Pro 7 Plus to have used the chipset. The company is now squarely focused on the mid-range chip market. MediaTek unveiled the Helio P60 at MWC 2018 and the configuration the chip was announced to feature made it a popular one with much promise even when it is yet to be found on any smartphone.

A report on Digitimes has hinted that MediaTek is expected to have a strong second quarter and this will be steered by the Helio P60 chipset. An earlier rumour had tipped Chinese phone maker like Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi to be among OEMs that are expected to use the chip to power some of their upcoming handsets. That rumour has got some confirmation, as OPPO already featured the chipset on its latest OPPO R15 model. Xiaomi is tipped to feature the chipset on its Redmi series meant for India (We sincerely hope a couple of Mi India fans won’t scream Blue murder concerning this). Apart from smartphones and tablets, MediaTek expects to find its new SoCs used to power automotive electronics and in televisions.

The MediaTek Helio P60 is built on TSMC’s 12nm FinFET process which offers 15% reduction in power consumption over 14nm chips. The octa-core chip clocked at 2.0GHz uses four Cortex A73 cores with a 2.0GHz clock speed and four Cortex-A53 cores also clocked at 2.0GHz. It also boasts of a new Mali-G72 MP3 GPU clocked at 800MHz which Mediatek claims offers a 70% boost in game performance over previous generation P-series. Like other chip manufacturers, MediaTek has also included a dedicated processing unit called NeuroPilot that handles AI-related tasks on the device. It is two times more power efficient than using a GPU and has a processing performance of 280GMAC/s. NeuroPilot will handle tasks like deep-learning facial detection, object and scene identification, real-time beautification and AR/MR acceleration. The chipset also supports a dual camera setup up to 24MP + 16MP or a single camera with a 32MP sensor.

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Umidigi S2 Lite Review – Decent Budget Phone

By

Linus

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Mar 24, 2018

This is the Umidigi S2 Lite – the phone that costs about $150 but it offers 18:9 aspect ratio display, a huge 5100mAh battery, and all-metal design but it doesn’t mean it’s a perfect phone. Learn more in the full Umidigi S2 Lite review.

VIDEO REVIEW

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc0IgN2mK-0[/embedyt]

UNBOXING

The phone ships with a few extras like a headset jack adapter and a dark soft TPU case to protect the device.

DESIGN, DISPLAY, HARDWARE

First of all, let’s get the specs out of the way (MTK6750T, 4GB RAM, 32GB ROM). Even though the phone doesn’t cost much I wish it had 64GB of storage instead of 32 but a good thing is that there is a hybrid SIM/microSD card tray for storage expansion.

Just as many budget phones nowadays, the Umidigi S2 Lite has 18:9 aspect ratio and it looks quite nice. The panel is sharp and it’s a pretty good display overall.

Despite a large display, I found the phone to be comfortable to hold due to rounded edges of the unibody metal shell. Obviously, you will need two hands to use the phone, despite 18:9 display.

The overall build quality is excellent but I found that the power key moves a little.

You also get a dual-camera setup on the back, a fingerprint scanner that works quite well, face unlock feature that works quite okay in good lighting but sucks in low light and does not work if you put the glasses on.

In addition, there is a 5MP selfie shooter, notification LED light and front-facing flash for selfies.

Finally, the phone lacks headset jack but the loudspeaker is actually pretty good for a budget phone.

USER INTERFACE

I love that the device ships with stock Android 7 out of the box. As for extra options, you can customize the LED notification light by assigning different colors, customize the navigation bar but that’s about it. During my test period, there were a few skipped frames in the UI but overall, the speed and fluidity are here, I can’t really complain.

GAMING

Gaming performance is surprisingly good considering the chipset this phone uses. You should expect just a few skipped frames while playing 3D games but no major lag or stutter.

IMAGE QUALITY

Image quality could be summarized in one sentence: you can decent pictures for social media but nothing more. You should also expect mediocre night image quality out of this phone. Also, bokeh effect looks artificial like on most of the cheap phones.

Selfies look ok but they could have more detail.

As expected, video quality using both main and front cameras is kind of average. Same can be said about sound recording quality.

BATTERY LIFE and CONNECTIVITY

Battery life is just great, thanks to huge capacity. I was able to get 16 hours of SOT, which is a great result for any phone.

However, it takes just under 3 hours to fully charge the phone with the supplied charger, which is not the best result.

As for connectivity, I have no complaints as all the options including GPS work fine, I didn’t have any issues with wifi and call quality is decent.

As for sensors, there are a few but I’m disappointed that the gyroscope is only software based, meaning its practically useless since there is a lot of lag in 360 content.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, the Umidigi S2 Lite shapes up to be a decent option for the price but obviously you should consider that cameras are not the best in this price range, the phone uses aging CPU, there is just 32GB of internal storage, there is no headset jack and it takes almost 3 hours to fully charge the phone.

On a positive note, I love the design and build, great display, good overall performance, solid battery life and even though camera could be better, it allows you to take decent daylight images.

I hope you guys found my summary of pros and cons useful. Please leave me a comment if you have any questions.

Buy Umidigi S2 Lite

Lenovo S5 Sold Out in Just Two Minutes During Its First Flash Sale

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Mar 23, 2018

Lenovo S5 is turning out to be a hugely popular product, considering the huge number of attention it elicits.The S5 went on its first flash sale on March 23 and reports show that all units of the Lenovo S5 available were sold out in just two minutes.

We don’t know how many units were made available but it was recently revealed that reservations for the first sale had exceeded 250,000 persons. The S5’s popularity is mainly due to the refreshed design which some may argue resembles the Mi A1, OPPO R11, OP5T etc. We still won’t forget also that these models bear semblance with the iPhone 7 Plus. Well, except that the S5 uses an 18:9 aspect ratio.

As a reminder, the Lenovo S5 sports a 5.7-inch IPS LCD display with an FHD+ resolution of 2160 x 1080p. The handset features an all-metal body that is made out of series 6000 aluminium. The body is crafted from 7 CNC processes, nano-injection moulding followed by grinding, sandblasting, diamond trimming and anodizing. The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 625 chipset paired with 3GB RAM and 4GB RAM on some models. There are also 32GB, 64GB and 128GB storage variants.

At the back, there is a horizontally aligned dual camera setup similar to the Xiaomi Mi A1’s setup but in this case, it is a 13MP + 13MP combo. The rear camera setup also includes an LED flash. While at the front, the sensor is a 16MP sensor enhanced for good selfie captures. The S5 also packs a fingerprint sensor at the back. Other features onboard the S5 includes Lenovo’s ZUI 4.0 OS based on Android Oreo enabled for U-touch screen gestures, a 3000mAh battery and a USB Type-C port for charging and data transfer. The device comes in Red and Black colours and starts at 999 Yuan (~$157) for the base variant with 3GB RAM + 32GB storage.

Xiaomi Mi Dual-Unit Half-Ear Headphones Launched, Priced at 69 Yuan (~$10)

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Mar 23, 2018

Xiaomi has launched a new headphone and it turns out that it is indeed has a cheap pricing despite the new features it packs. The headphone isn’t a Bluetooth headset as predicted but is a wired headset. The product is dubbed Mi Dual-unit half-ear headphones with a price tag of 69 Yuan (~$10).

In terms of design, the Xiaomi Mi Dual-Unit Semi-in-Ear Headphones features a simple and lustrous design. The device wears a glossy ceramic body. It is light and comfortable to use. The device uses an half-ear structure which keeps the shell outside the ear canal in order to protect the delicate ear canal. The design is also suitable for most ear types.

Talking about the hardware, the Xiaomi Mi Dual-Unit Half-Ear Headphones features a dual-unit dynamic coil and ceramic horn acoustic structure which outputs a clear sound with noise reduction. It is touted to have passed the Hi-REs Audio certification of the Japan Audio Association and produces a high-quality listening experience far beyond the limits of CD sound quality. It has a MEMS microphone integrated with a three-button control as well as a 3.5mm jack. The wire is manufactured using soft TPE material which won’t twist or get entangled easily.

The earphone is available in Black and White colours and is already available to buy in China via Mi Home.

Sharp Aquos S3 Launching on March 28 as World’s Smallest 6-inch Phone

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Mar 23, 2018

Sharp has recently launched the Aquos S3 Mini in China and Zhongsheng Luo, the Global CEO of Sharp and InFocus Mobiles has today confirmed through his Weibo account that Sharp will be launching the Aquos S3 on March 28 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It is the very same handset that was expected to launch in January this year. The handset has already been certified by regulatory bodies like Taiwan’s NCC and China’s TENAA.

Sharp is one of the first companies to launch full screen design smartphones. The Aquos S3 will be arriving as a successor phone for the Aquos S2 smartphone that was launched last year in August. The S2 was launched as the world’s smallest 5.5-inch mobile phone.

According to Luo, the upcoming Aquos S3 will be arriving as the world’s smallest 6-inch smartphone. He added that the S3 is also the world’s first notch-enabled full-screen phone using TF COF technology. The handset will be deliver a stunning screen-to-body ratio of 91 percent. After getting announced on March 28, the handset will be also debut in Taiwan on April 1.

The above shown launch invitation of the Sharp Aquos S3 shows that the handset will be equipped with a notch like the iPhone X. The leaked photos of the Aquos S3 that have appeared in the past have already revealed that it will be also equipped with vertically arranged dual rear cameras.

The TENAA listing of the smartphone has revealed that it will be arriving with 5.99-inch display. Because of the notch, it may support an aspect ratio of 19:9. The Snapdragon 630 or Snapdragon 660 would be powering the phone. The 64 GB and 128 GB storage models of the phone may respectively feature 4 GB and 6 GB of RAM. For photography, it will be equipped with 13-megapixel + 12-megapixel dual rear cameras and a front-facing camera of 16-megapixel. The handset will be running on Android Nougat OS and it will be arriving with a 3,100mAh battery.

Xiaomi Expected To Make Official Entry into Portugal Next Week

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Mar 23, 2018

Xiaomi continues to expand its presence in Europe. Not so long after the Chinese firm made an entry into Spain, the company is not set to formally enter Portugal. Xiaomi already has a large following in Portugal and is said to be one of the most sought-after brands in the Southern Europe country. A network of small importers and online stores but the product may be available as early as next week in the country.

According to our source, Xiaomi’s products will be available to buy on official channels from next week and this will come with a warranty, after-sales support, and promotions. Already, the products are said to have arrived distribution centres in Portugal and all logistics are in place to ensure a successful entry.

As for the products that would be available, fans in Portugal should expect to see the Xiaomi Mi A1, Mi Mix 2, Redmi 5, Redmi 5 Plus, Redmi 4X, Redmi 5A, Redmi Note 5A, Redmi Note 5A Prime, and Redmi Note 4. These devices are the ones that are confirmed already but there may be other products coming as well. The models from the Chinese manufacturer will be available through retailers, including Worten, Fnac and Media Markt. We must admit, though, that these details have not been officially confirmed by the Chinese tech giant. So all you Mi Portugal fans, don’t get your hopes too high but just keep your eyes wide open when next you visit these stores to see if you’ll find a Mi product on the shelves.

Honor 7A May Launch with Full Screen Design on March 26

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Mar 23, 2018

On March 21, Huawei had launched the 899 Yuan priced Honor 7C smartphone in China. It seems that the company is gearing up to introduce yet another budget-friendly phone as it has confirmed that it will be announcing a new phone with full screen design on March 26. It is speculated that Huawei’s sub-brand may launch the Honor 7A smartphone next Monday.

The following teasers have been shared by Honor on its official Weibo account. The Weibo post that accompanies it states that the handset would be priced under 1,000 Yuan. The presence of the letter A in the teaser suggest that the company launch the Honor 7A smartphone soon.

Some of the features of the rumored Honor 7A have been already leaked through the above teasers. The images reveal that the handset will be equipped with dual rear cameras, fingerprint scanner, Bluetooth, Face unlock, dual-SIM support, support for up to 256 GB microSD card and Android 8.0 Oreo OS.

Apart from these features, no other information on the specs of the alleged Honor 7A have appeared through the rumor mill. Since the Honor 7C is selling with a pricing of 899 Yuan (~$142), the Honor 7A may cost 999 Yuan (~$158).

(source 1, 2)

Samsung’s Foldable Smartphone Galaxy X Won’t Launch Anytime Soon: Report

By

Jeet

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Mar 23, 2018

We all have heard a lot about Samsung’s upcoming foldable smartphone — the Samsung Galaxy X. The smartphone, which was rumored to launch soon, is now reportedly not going to launch anytime soon.

Salman Saeed, who’s the product manager of display technology at Qualcomm said in an interview that “we might not see the phone arrive as soon as recent rumors have teased.” He adds that it might be years until something along the lines of the foldable phone similar to the leaked Samsung patents becomes a reality.

The issue behind the delay is said to be related to the fine-tuning of the user experience as well as the durability. Saeed points to the transistors in the display architecture as being the weakest link and says that the components responsible for powering individual pixels “are not flexible enough today” to withstand frequent bending.

Salman Saeed further says that “they [phone manufacturers] haven’t really cracked the material science right now to produce electrodes that can repeatedly withstand bending and folding.”

Last year, in September, Samsung’s mobile chief DJ Koh had confirmed in an interview that the company would launch its first foldable smartphone in 2018. Later, there were reports suggesting that the Galaxy X could be a limited edition device that may only arrive in select markets. The Samsung Galaxy X has reportedly received certification from Wi-Fi Alliance, Bluetooth SIG, and NRRA, which suggested that the phone could soon get launched.

The South Korean giant outed the technology years ago through a demo at Consumer Electronics Show (CES), but it seems that little has happened after that. While rumors and comments from Samsung executives have pointed to phone’s launch nearing, the device has failed to materialize so far.

Apart from Samsung, other smartphone OEMs, including Apple and LG are also speculated to be working on a foldable smartphone. However, Samsung could be the first company to debut a foldable phone.

Meanwhile, Samsung is preparing to launch its next flagship smartphone — Galaxy Note 9. Contrary to previous reports, a fresh report from a South Korean publication states that the Note 9 will adopt the in-display fingerprint scanning technology.

(Source)

Vivo V9 Blue Sapphire Images Appear Before Official Listing

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Mar 23, 2018

At the launch event of the Vivo V9 in India that was held earlier today, Vivo had confirmed that the Vivo V9 would be available in three color options such as Black, Champagne Gold and Blue Sapphire. The official site has listed the Black and Gold color variants of the V9, but it is yet to reveal the Blue variant. Gizmo China follower Ishan Agarwal had revealed the Vivo V9’s online store listing along with images several weeks before its official announcement. Today, he has shared the leaked images of Blue Sapphire Vivo V9. These images are yet to appear on the official listing of Vivo V9.

As it can be seen in the new images, the Vivo V9 Blue Sapphire has a glossy finish on its rear that gives it a premium appeal. According to Vivo, the Vivo V9 sports a unibody 3D design with glossy finish.

The Vivo V9 features a 6.3-inch IPS LCD notched display like the iPhone X. It supports 19:9 aspect ratio and FHD+ resolution. It is powered by Snapdragon 626 chipset and 4 GB of RAM. It has a native storage of 64 GB and it carries support for up to 256 GB microSD card. The has a AI driven selfie camera of 24-megapixel. It has a rear-facing 16-megapixel + 5-megapixel dual rear cameras. The backside of the phone is fitted with a fingerprint scanner and it houses a 3,260mAh battery.

The pre-bookings of Vivo V9 have already started in India with a price tag of Rs. 22,990. The shipments of the handset will begin on April 2. Read’s the launch article of the Vivo V9 that contains its entire specs, features and special offers.

What do you think about the Vivo V9? Share us your views by posting your comments below.

Galaxy Note 9 Now Rumored to Feature Under Display Fingerprint Sensor

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Mar 23, 2018

Initial rumors of the Galaxy Note 9 had revealed that it would be arriving with under-display fingerprint reader. However, since then multiple reports have claimed that Samsung has canceled the inclusion of advanced biometric recognition feature on the Note 9. Even well-known KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had claimed that the Note 9 will be arriving without in-screen fingerprint reader. However, a fresh report on The Korea Herald, a South Korean publication states that the Note 9 will adopt the in-display fingerprint scanning technology.

An unnamed has source has revealed to the publication that Samsung Display created three to four kinds of in-screen fingerprint scanner solution for the Samsung Electronics. Now both the entities are pondering on using of the one of the solutions. He has further stated that Samsung is yet to decide on the final concept for the Galaxy Note 9 because of the work related to the in-display fingerprint scanner. The company is expected to take a final call on the advanced fingerprint reader within this month.

In the past years, the design of the flagship phone was finalized around five months before its official announcement. The current rumors surrounding the Note 9 indicates that the South Korean company will take lesser time to decide on Note 9’s design. The source has claimed that the Note 9 may launch at the end of August.

Leaked information surrounding the Note 9 suggests that the Note 9’s appearance won’t be very different from the predecessor Galaxy Note 8. Like the Galaxy S9 duo, the Note 9’s Infinity Design is expected to arrive with slightly reduced bezels.

The Galaxy Note 9 is highly anticipated by the industry watchers to arrive with in-display fingerprint reader. Also, the Note 9’s fingerprint scanner is expected to be somewhat different from Chinese rivals like Vivo and the upcoming flagship phone from Huawei (probably not the P20 series). An official from the biometrics solution developer claimed that one of the concerns for Samsung will be low yields of in-screen fingerprint scanner enabled phones as it is difficult to mass produce such phones.