Oppo F9 with VOOC fast charging to officially launch on August 15

By

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Aug 9, 2018

Oppo has taken the curtains off its upcoming smartphone in the company’s F-series of devices — Oppo F9, which is scheduled to launch on August 15th in Vietnam and the Philippines.

Ahead of the phone’s official launch next week, several key details of the smartphone has already surfaced online. The phone is expected to come with a 6.3-inch Full HD+ display with screen resolution of 2280 x 1080 pixels and 19:9 aspect ratio.

The company is reportedly calling the display “Oppo’s first Waterdrop screen”, which will have a screen-to-body ratio of 90.8 percent. On top of the display, there’ll be a small notch in a triangular shape, housing only the selfie camera.

Recent GeekBench listing of the phone revealed that it’ll pack MediaTek‘s Helio P60 chipset, coupled with 4GB/6GB RAM and 64GB/128GB internal storage. The phone will feature a 25-megapixel front-facing snapper while on the back side, there’ll be a dual-camera setup with 16-megapixel primary sensor and a 2-megapixel secondary sensor.

The phone will be running on the Android 8.1 Oreo operating system out of the box with the company’s own ColorOS custom interface. It will be fuelled by a 3,500mAh battery with support for Oppo’s VOOC fast charging technology that provides 50% of power in just 30 minutes.

After introducing the Diamond Black design in the Oppo F7 and Realme 1, the company is going a step forward with the Oppo F9 and is introducing gradient design. In this design, the color changes under light and not only on the back but on the sides as well.

The phone will be available in three color options — Sunrise Red, Twilight Blue, and Starry Purple. Oppo says that the colors are inspired by nature, taking design cues from sunrise, twilight, and starry skies. While the phone is all set to debut in Vietnam and the Philippines, the global availability is not yet known.

Vivo confirms Android 9.0 Pie rollout in Q4 2018, Vivo X21 could be the first phone to receive it

By

Jeet

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Aug 9, 2018

Google has officially released the latest Android 9.0 Pie operating system and has rolled out the update to its Pixel-series phones. Now, Vivo has confirmed that it will also release the new version of Android update to its devices in the fourth quarter of this year.

However, the company has not yet provided a precise timeline for the Android Pie update. While the Chinese phone manufacturer has not provided the list of devices that will receive the update, it seems that the Vivo X21 could be the first device from Vivo to receive the Android 9.0 update.

The company’s current flagship smartphone — Vivo Nex, which comes with the unique elevating front-facing camera, is also expected to be among the first batch of phones from Vivo that will receive the Android 9.0 Pie update. In a statement, the company said:

Designing for consumers’ needs continues to be Vivo’s top priority. Upgrading to the latest Android Pie operating system to deliver better mobile experience is therefore an area Vivo is working on bringing to consumers as soon as possible.

Apart from Pixel-series phones, the update has also been released by Essential for its Essential Phone soon after the official announcement. A few other phone manufacturers, including OnePlus, Nokia (HMD Global), Oppo, Vivo, and Sony have also announced to roll out the Android Pie update to their devices. Xiaomi‘s Android One phones — Mi A1 and Mi A2-series will also receive the update.

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

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

(Via)

WhatsApp vulnerabilities that can help scammers spread fake news discovered

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Aug 9, 2018

Researchers at the research firm, Check Point have discovered a vulnerability in the popular messaging app WhatsApp could be exploited or manipulated by attackers to steer potential evidence in their favor and even spread misinformation. The vulnerability allows the attacker to intercept and manipulate messages sent by those in a group or private conversation.

The research firm demonstrated three possible ways the vulnerability can be exploited and one of them is by changing a reply from someone to put words into their mouth that they did not say. Another way is by quoting a message in a reply to a group conversation to make it appear as if it came from a person who is not even part of the group. Thirdly, by sending a message to a member of a group that pretends to be a group message but is in fact only sent to this member. However, the member’s response will be sent to the entire group.

The firm gave some visual illustration of how the attacks could play out in real life. With an active user base of about 1.5 billion as at early 2018, WhatsApp is a steady target of hackers who see the app as a verile ground to launch potential scams. If an hacker can manipulate the message of an influencial individual, such message could go viral if twisted in an attractive or surprising way. The app has been used in the past to send fake rumours and misinformations that have led to the killing of innocent persons, like the spate of lynching and murders of innocent victims witness in India. It was also used in spreading rumours about the dangers of receiving a yellow fever vaccine in Brazil in 2016, leading to an epidemic that infected 1500 people and killed almost 500.

Since the app is used for sensitive conversations ranging from confidential corporate and government information, to criminal intelligence that could be used in a court of law, it is important that the vulnerability be taken care of. WhatsApp is yet to issue any statement about the issue but users can prevent being used as tools for spreading misinformation by verifying news before sharing. It is recommended to cross check what you see on social media with a quick online search to see what others may be saying about the same story. Or even better, do not rely on social media websites at all for most of your news.

(source)

Xiaomi Pocophone F1 launching soon as POCO brand goes official in India

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Aug 9, 2018

Recent reports have revealed plenty of information on the specifications and appearance of an upcoming Xiaomi phone called Pocophone F1. Today, Xiaomi’s Mi India Twitter account has officially confirmed the arrival of POCO brand in India. It seems that the Pocophone F1 will be the first smartphone in the new lineup for the coutnry.

God'speed' @JaiMani and the @IndiaPOCO team! Now this is going to be exciting. https://t.co/3YFsf7ySHX

— Mi India (@XiaomiIndia) August 9, 2018

Now that the POCO series has been introduced in India, the company may release more phones under the new brand in future. Xiaomi is yet to release an official statement on why it has decided to debut the POCO series in India.

Xiaomi’s Redmi series have gained immense popularity in India. The overwhelming response of Redmi phones have allowed it to dethrone Samsung to become the number one smartphone brand in Q4 2017 and Q1 2018. However, its premium smartphones have always received lukewarm reception from the Indian audience.

After the Xiaomi Mi 5 failed to attract Indian customers in 2016, the company had skipped the Indian launch for Xiaomi Mi 6 in 2017. The Chinese manufacturer had launched Mi MIX 2S in China earlier this year. Soon after its launch, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun had said that “I think the Mi MIX 2 might not be the best fit for some of the target audiences in India. It uses four-sided curved ceramic body, and 18K gold coating. A lot of these things might not necessarily be suitable for the Indian market. Actually, it’s a piece of art. The Indian market will still take some time to accept this product”. Hence, it seems that since Mi MIX 2 was another failure from the company in the Indian market and the company has no plans to launch Mi MIX 2S in India.

With the introduction of POCO series, the company could be trying its luck to sell flagship phones through dual branding strategy. As far as Pocophone F1 is concerned, it has been already that it is packed with 5.99-inch FHD+ notched display, Snapdragon 845, 6 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage, Quick Charge 3.0 enabled 4,000mAh battery, 12-megapixel + 5-megapixel dual camera and 20-megapixel front camera. Previous reports have claimed that the Pocophone F1 may first launch in Europe with 420 euros (~$486) pricing in September following Indian launch in October.

Honor V10 with 8 GB RAM launching on August 14

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Aug 9, 2018

Today through its official Weibo account, Honor has revealed that it will be launching a new version of the Honor V10 on August 14. The handset will be arriving with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage.

Honor had launched the Honor V10 smartphone in November 2017. At that time, it was introduced in two models such as 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage, 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage. These models were launched with a price tag of 2,699 Yuan (~$395), 2,999 Yuan (~$439) and 3,499 Yuan (~$512). However, these models are now selling with discounted price tags such as 1,999 Yuan (~$292), 2,499 Yuan (~$366) and 2,799 Yuan (~$409).

The sale of the new 8 GB RAM variant of Honor V10 will begin at 10:08 AM on Aug. 14. However, the company is yet to reveal the pricing of this model. As it can be seen below, the company has already listed the 8 GB + 128 GB on Vmall, but its pricing is not mentioned.

Honor is currently selling two smartphones with 8 GB of RAM namely, Honor 10 GT and Honor Note 10. Both the phones are respectively priced at 3,299 Yuan (~$483) and 3,599 Yuan (~$527). So, there is a possibility that the Honor V10 with 8 GB of RAM could be priced at 2,999 Yuan (~$439) or 3,099 Yuan (~$454).

The Honor V10 was introduced in colors like Red, Gold, Blue and Black. It is not clear whether the upcoming 8 GB RAM Honor V10 will be also available in same color options.

The Honor V10 features a 5.99-inch IPS LCD FHD+ display with 18:9 aspect ratio. It is powered by Kirin 970 SoC. For photography, it features 16-megapixel + 20-megapixel dual camera setup and a front-facing shooter of 13-megapixel. It draws power from 3,750mAh battery that is enabled with fast charging technology. The same smartphone is available as Honor View 10 outside of China.

Buy Xiaomi Smartphones At Discounted Price On LightInTheBox [Coupon Codes]

By

Vinay Patel

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Aug 9, 2018

Looks like Xiaomi fans are in for a treat. If you’ve been waiting with bated breath to get your hands on a high-end smartphone from the Chinese handset manufacturer, we got good news for you.

While feature-laden smartphones don’t come cheap, LightInTheBox is giving cost-conscious buyers something to cheer about by giving discounts on 3 well-received smartphones from Xiaomi.

On top of that, we’ll show how you can effortlessly save more money at the time of checking out. Let’s head straight to the details.

Xiaomi MI A2 Smartphone

The global version of the MI A2 smartphone would normally set you back $533.95 on online stores, but LightInTheBox is currently selling it at a dropped price of just $350.99. This is a 34% decline in the phone’s retail price.

Apart from that, you can apply coupon code ‘BRLITBMIA2’ to save an extra $48. The promo is slated to end in 5 days and the coupon will be valid for a limited period of time only so follow this link to avail the discount and use the coupon before it expires.

Xiaomi MI Max 3 Smartphone

Launched in May 2016, the Mi Max smartphone comes with a big 6.44-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1080 by 1920 pixels. If you fancy using the big screen Mi Max phone but don’t want to spend a fortune, you’ve come to the right place.

LightInTheBox usually places a steep price tag of $649.99 on the MI Max smartphone, but much to the delight of budget-conscious buyers, the Beijing based international online retail company is now selling it at a lowered price of $454.99.

This is a 30% reduction in the phone’s retail price and it will be valid for the handset’s black color version. If you’re interested in saving more money, all you need to do is to apply coupon code ‘ZLXIAOMIMAX364’ at the time of checking out.

You’ll receive a coupon saving of $65. More importantly, this will bring your already reduced grand total further down to just $389.99. With the promo scheduled to end in just 5 days, you can head straight to this link to take advantage of the coupon before it expires.

Xiaomi Mi8 6.21 Pouces Smartphone

Equipped with a powerful Snapdragon 845 processor, the Mi8 6.21 Pouces boasts an impressive array of features that make it an irresistible smartphone. Brimming with top-end specifications, the phone carries a steep price sticker of $1267.41.

Bearing its popularity in mind, LightInTheBox is giving a noteworthy 45% off on the phone’s original selling price. As a result, you can now buy the Mi8 6.21 Pouces smartphone at a dropped price of just $696.59.

You can save a considerable amount of more money while checking out by applying coupon code ‘ZVLITBXIAOMI8128.’ With the above-mentioned coupon, you can lower your grand total to only $440.99. You can follow this link to take the discount before the promo ends in 18 days.

Get 34% Off On Xiaomi MI A2 Smartphone

Get 30% Off On Xiaomi MI Max 3 Smartphone

Get 45% Off On Xiaomi Mi8 6.21 Pouces Smartphone

Meizu 16X with Snapdragon 710, cheaper pricing arriving in September

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Aug 9, 2018

Through a launch event in China yesterday, Meizu had announced the arrival of Meizu 16 and Meizu 16 Plus smartphones. The new smartphones are equipped with in-display fingerprint scanner, high screen-to-body ratio, Snapdragon 845 SoC and up to 8 GB of RAM. The Meizu 16 has been introduced with an enticing starting price of 2,698 Yuan (~$395). Jack Wong, the CEO of Meizu has confirmed that another Meizu 16 series smartphone called Meizu 16X will be debuting in September.

Before the launch of Meizu 16 and 16 Plus, Wong had teased the features of both the smartphones. He had also spilled some information on the Meizu X8 smartphone. He had claimed that the X8 will be powered by Snapdragon 710 which suggested that it could be arriving as a competitor for the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE. However, the company did not announce it at the Meizu 16 series launch event yesterday. In response to the concerns of netizens over the unannounced smartphone, Wong revealed that through official community forum that the upcoming Meizu phone with Snapdragon 710 is Meizu 16X and it will be launching in September.

Wong had previously called Meizu’s forthcoming Snapdragon 710 smartphone as Meizu X8. However, it seems that the company may have decided to include it in the Meizu 16 series.

According to the previous information shared by Wong, the Meizu 16X could be the first phone from the company to arrive with a notched screen. He had also said that the screen of the smartphone would be bigger than that of Mi 8 SE. Its fingerprint reader will be present on its back panel. Since the Meizu 16X will be arriving as a Meizu 16 series phone, there is possibility that its rear design could resemble with Meizu 16.

Shown above is the leaked screenshot of the Meizu 16X that had surfaced in the previous month. The 4 GB and 6 GB RAM editions of the Xiaomi Mi 8 SE are respectively priced at 1,799 Yuan (~$263) and 1,999 Yuan (~$293). The Meizu 16X is confirmed to be priced between 1,500 Yuan (~$220) and 2,000 Yuan (~$293). Probably, it may carry a cheaper price tag than the Mi 8 SE.

Do you think that the Meizu 16X will be a better smartphone than Xiaomi Mi 8 SE? Share us your views by posting your comments below.

(via)

Here’s How You Can Win A Free Xiaomi Pocophone F1 Smartphone On ValueQ

By

Vinay Patel

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Updated Aug 10, 2018

Xiaomi’s Pocophone F1 smartphone has been floating around the rumor mill for quite some time now. The phone has been subject to all sorts of rumors, leaks and it was recently spotted on AnTuTu with a benchmark result of 287111.

Amid the hype surrounding the hotly-anticipated smartphone, ValueQ is giving Xiaomi fans an opportunity to get their hands on the Pocophone F1 without spending a dime. Let’s head straight to the details.

ValueQ, the online best deals community where consumers can share their coupons, deals and other stories will be offering the smartphone absolutely free to lucky consumers. All you need to do is to apply to get a free Xiaomi Pocophone F1 by filling up your details in the application.
You’ll be prompted to provide your first and last name, email address, the country you’re living in and your phone number. Next, you need to accept the ValueQ Giveaway terms and then click on the submit button.

You can even share your experience or review of the product. In order to boost your chance of winning a free Xiaomi Pocophone F1 smartphone, don’t forget to share links to your social media accounts.

The Pocophone F1 is a feature-laden smartphone that sports a massive 6.18-inch curved glass display with a screen resolution of 2240×1080 pixels. The phone is powered by Snapdragon 845 processor and it offers 6GB of RAM along with 128GB of onboard storage.

You can follow this link to check out the full specification and grab the opportunity to win a free Pocophone F1 smartphone. It is worth mentioning that 753 applications were already received by ValueQ at the time of writing and the promo is slated to end on September 7th.

Get A Free Xiaomi Pocophone F1 Smartphone

Huawei Mate 20 Pro’s huge battery teased; Could be of 4,200mAh capacity

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Aug 9, 2018

Huawei is known for teasing the features of its new flagship phones before they are officially announced. Today, the Chinese manufacturer has released a new teaser to hint that the upcoming Mate 20 Pro would be equipped with a huge battery.

The below teaser shows that the Huawei P10 Plus that came in February 2017 featured a 3,750mAh battery. The Mate 10 Pro from October 2017 included a 4,000mAh battery. The same-sized battery is also available on the P20 Pro smartphone that was unveiled earlier this year. The right side of the teaser shows that Huawei has been consistently increasing of the battery on its flagship smartphones.

There is a blank spot at the bottom which suggests the user to guess on the battery size of Huawei’s upcoming flagship phone. It hints that the Mate 20 Pro will be coming with the largest battery that the company has ever used in its smartphone. The older Ascend Mate 7 had featured 4,100mAh battery.

In the previous week, XDA Developers had revealed through the leaked firmware files had revealed that the Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro may arrive with 4,200mAh battery. Another leak had revealed that the Mate 20 duo will be carrying support for 40W fast charging.

The Mate 20 Pro is also expected to arrive with ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner. It is speculated that the Samsung Galaxy S10 arriving in early 2019 will be also featuring the same kind of fingerprint scanning technology. The Mate 20 Pro is also rumored to be equipped with 3D structured light module for 3D facial scanning. Hence, there is a possibility that the handset may feature a notched screen. It is likely to arrive with a massive AMOLED display of around 6.9 inches.

The Mate 20 Pro is expected to feature 40-megapixel + 20-megapixel + 8-megapixel triple camera setup engineered by Leica. It goes without saying that the Kirin 980 SoC that will be getting unveiled at the IFA 2018 at the end of this month will be driving force of the Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro. The SoC is expected to deliver a maximum processing speed of 2.8 GHz. It will be preinstalled with Android 9 Pie flavored EMUI 9.0. T

(source)

Buy BlitzWolf BW-BR4 Music Receiver Transmitter Audio 2-in-1 Adapter For Only $34.99 On Banggood [Coupon Code]

By

Vinay Patel

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Aug 9, 2018

The BlitzWolf BW-BR4 music receiver transmitter audio 2-in-1 adapter boasts a transmitter mode that can convert several devices including your television, computer, and laptop into a Bluetooth-enabled device. This lets you listen to the audio using your Bluetooth headset and play a game or watch your favorite series without bothering anyone.

On the downside, the feature-laden BW-BR4 doesn’t come cheap. In fact, it would normally set you back $44.99 on online stores. But if you’re on a tight budget and aren’t willing to spend that kind of money on a music receiver-transmitter, we got good news for you.

You can now buy the BlitzWolf BW-BR4 at a heavily discounted price on Banggood. The site that guarantees the best bang for your buck is currently offering a noteworthy 11% off on the coveted music receiver transmitter audio 2-in-1 adapter’s original asking price.

Thanks to the aforesaid discount, the BlitzWolf BW-BR4 is now up for grabs at a reduced price of just $39.99 on Banggood. The BW-BR4 is quite a bargain at this considerably lowered price, given that it is crammed with all sorts of useful features.
Moreover, you can get an extra discount simply by applying coupon code ’34BR4′ at the time of checking out. This helps you bring your already discounted grand total further down to just $34.99.

Powered by a CSR BC8675 chip, the BW-BR4 boasts an optical audio output with Bluetooth V5.0 for a genuine universal wireless solution. Moreover, it comes with a built-in antenna that extends a stable transmission of up to 100 meters (328 ft) so you can effortlessly share your favorite music or any other audio from indoors to outdoors.

You can follow this link if you’re interested in checking out more details about BW-BR4 music receiver transmitter and availing the discount. With 137 pieces already sold, it is worth noting that the promo is likely to end soon.

Get 11% Off On BlitzWolf BW-BR4

OPPO R15 Neo full specifications leaked; Launch seems imminent

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Aug 9, 2018

Apart from OPPO F9 and OPPO R17 series, the Chinese manufacturer is also rumored to be working on another smartphone called OPPO R15 Neo. The same smartphone is expected to debut as OPPO AX5 in some other markets. The entire specifications of the smartphone have surfaced now which suggests that its arrival could be close at hand.

The new leak reveals that the OPPO R15 Neo (AX5) measures 156.2 x 75.6 x 8.2mm and weighs 168 grams. Diamond Blue and Diamond Pink could be the two color editions of the smartphone. It is likely to arrive with a 6.2-inch In-Cell HD+ resolution supporting screen. The presence of the notch suggests that it will be offering an aspect ratio of 19:9.

The Snapdragon 450 SoC is present under the hood of the smartphone. It is expected to arrive in RAM variants like 3 GB and 4 GB. Both the variants may carry an internal storage of 64 GB. For more storage, it features a microSD card slot. The Color OS 5.1 based Android 8.1 Oreo will be present on the smartphone. The handset may come packed with a battery of 4,230mAh capacity.

The back panel of the phone is expected to house f/2.2 aperture 13-megapixel + f/2.4 aperture 2-megapixel dual camera setup. It may feature a front-facing camera of 8-megapixel with f/2.2 aperture. For connectivity, the OPPO R15 Neo will offer features such as dual-SIM support, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, microUSB and 3.5mm audio jack.

The above specifications revealed that the OPPO R15 Neo (AX5) is the very same handset that has appeared as PBAM00 and PBAT00 on TENAA in the previous month. The TENAA images of the smartphone have revealed that the back panel of the phone only features a horizontally aligned dual camera setup. This confirms that the handset does not feature a fingerprint scanner.

There is no information available on the launch date and pricing of the OPPO R15 Neo or AX5. Now that the entire specs of the phone have surfaced, it may go official in this month.

(source 1, 2, 3)

Check Out GearBest’s ‘Tech Transformed Digital Evolution Series’ Promo Sale!

By

Vinay Patel

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Aug 9, 2018

Tech buffs, rejoice. The ‘Tech Transformed Digital Evolution Series’ promotion sale has started on GearBest. The Chinese online store is doling out big discounts on a wide range of electronic items for gadget lovers who are on a tight budget.

Keeping in line with this, the category dubbed ‘The most frequently used Devices in the Future’ is crammed with all sorts of well-received electronic products. The section features the popular Mi A2 Lite phablet from Xiaomi, Creality3D Ender – 3 DIY Printer Kit and the Ninebot ES1 No.9 folding electric scooter.

More importantly, you can save a considerable amount of money on the aforesaid items’ steep retail price. For instance, the Mi A2 Lite would normally set you back $247.18 on an online store, but you can now buy it at a dropped price of just $189.99 in the section.
Likewise, you can get a noteworthy 23% off on the OnePlus 6 phablet’s original asking price in the next category called, ‘Lightning Flash Sale’. While the OnePlus 6 usually carries a steep price tag of $639.43, you can buy at a Flash Sale price of just $489.99 in this section.

Note that the Flash Sale price will only be valid for the remaining 250 pieces of the mirror black color version of the OnePlus 6 phablet. Moreover, the promo is slated to end in 8 days.

Aside from that, GearBest is giving Xiaomi fans an opportunity to avail combo deals. You can buy the Redmi S2 phablet at a discounted price of just $99.99 along with an equally well-received Xiaomi-branded smartphone.

For the sake of an instance, you can buy the Xiaomi Mi A2 4G phablet which normally sells for $307.41, at a reduced price of just $295.99. This is a 4% reduction in the device’s original selling price.
As a combo deal, you can buy the Mi A2 along with the Redmi S2 phablet at a considerably lowered price of just $395.98. Since the combo would set you back $471.98 without the discount, you end up saving $76 in this category.

In addition to the above-mentioned categories, GearBest has split many discounted products into various other categories including Smartest Wear, Smart Home System, and Creative 3D Printers, just to name a few.

You can follow this link to check out the rest of the products and avail the discount before the promo comes to an end.

Buy Electronic Items At Discounted Price On GearBest

Google Pixel 3 XL unboxing video, hands-on images leaked

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Aug 9, 2018

The Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL is expected to go official by early October. However, a leaked unboxing video of the Pixel 3 XL that has surfaced now confirms that the handset is ready. The video shows the different accessories that will be available in its box package of the smartphone. Apart from video, some hands-on images of the Pixel 3 XL have also appeared.

The Google Pixel 2 XL did not come with a pair of headphones. However, the above video shows that the Pixel 3 XL will be coming with USB-C type headphones. The other accessories that are present in the box package of the Pixel 3 XL include a USB Power Delivery, a USB-C to 3.5mm audio jack, a USB-C to USB-C cable and a USB-C to USB-A adapter.

The handset images of the Clearly White edition of the Google Pixel 3 XL show that it will be arriving with a notched screen. The bottom bezel of that features a front-facing speaker is thick. The notch houses the other speaker and it also seems to feature dual selfie snapper.

The back panel of the Google Pixel 3 XL features a dual-tone design. There is a single camera along with its LED flash and a fingerprint scanner on the rear side of the Pixel 3 XL. Apart from Cleary White model, the Pixel 3 XL may also come in black version.

One of the images shows of the specifications of the smartphone. It revels that the Pixel 3 XL is loaded with Android 9 and it is powered by Snapdragon 845 SoC. As Master Lu and Geekbench benchmarks had revealed, the Pixel 3 XL features 4 GB of RAM. The screen of the phone supports Quad HD+ resolution of 2960 x 1440 pixels.

Plenty of information on the Google Pixel 3 XL have surfaced in the recent weeks. However, the rumor mill is yet to reveal more details on the smaller Pixel 3. Rumors have it that it will be arriving with an 18:9 aspect ratio display. It is also likely to be driven by Snapdragon 845 and 4 GB of RAM.

What do you think about the appearance of the Google Pixel 3 XL? Share us your views by posting your comments below.

(source|via)

The HOMTOM ZOJI Z9 Smartphone Goes Up For Preorder On TomTop

By

Vinay Patel

-

Aug 9, 2018

HOMTOM took the wraps off its hotly-anticipated ZOJI Z9 smartphone in July this year. Much to the delight of the Chinese handset maker, the phone propelled straight to popularity among smartphone lovers.

Sporting a big a 5.7-inch HD+ in-cell display with a screen resolution of 1440 x 720 pixels, the ZOJI Z9 is built to sweep tech buffs off their feet. The phone features a digitizer which is placed below the front glass, giving it a sharper and more vibrant appearance.

A Corning Gorilla Glass protects the front of the phone, while the rest of the body comes with an IP68 certification. In other words, the phone can be dunked in water without worrying about inflicting any sort of damage. It houses a mirror finish on the back which can be used as an actual mirror.

The feature-laden ZOJI Z9 is currently up for pre-order on TomTop bearing a price tag of $229.99. You can choose between 2 color option including orange and green. The pre-sale kicked off on August 7th.

The Z9 packs a powerful MediaTek Helio P23 octa-core CPU with a max clock of 2 GHz, along with an ARM Mali-G71 MP2, 700MHz, 2-Cores GPU, under the hood. The phone offers 6GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 64GB of onboard storage (expandable up to 128GB).

On the photography front, the ZOJI Z9 houses a 21MP rear camera and a 13MP selfie snapper with HDR and face beautify mode. The phone runs on Android 8.1 Oreo operating system and is backed by a robust 5500mAh battery with quick charging adapter.

You can follow this link to check out the full specification and pre-order the ZOJI Z9 before the presale ends on August 24th.

Preorder HOMTOM ZOJI Z9 Smartphone On TomTop

Meizu 16 first camera samples highlight a great detail

By

Michele Ingelido

-

Aug 8, 2018

Today, after several leaks, Meizu has finally unveiled its new line-up of flagships composed of Meizu 16 and 16 Plus, which can be surely defined the most impressive devices ever released from the Chinese company. However, they share the same camera department as their predecessors Meizu 15 and 15 Plus launched a few months ago. But this does not mean their camera performance is the same as the previous line-up thanks to an enhanced algorithm and the Snapdragon 845 mobile platform making these devices way better than the previous models.

The first camera samples from Meizu 16 have just been published and they show a stunning photo quality. When light conditions are good, the detail and the sharpness of the photo are very impressive, while in a dark environment the phone still managed to capture a detailed shot with no digital noise. The 4th photo is also showing the potentialities of the fifth-generation beauty algorithm based on artificial intelligence, which can also recognize people’s age, gender, skin quality and more to adjust the photos consequently in order to realize the most beautiful selfies.

Meizu 16 and 16 Plus have a dual camera setup on their rear side. It is composed of a Sony IMX380 sensor and a Sony IMX350. The first has a resolution of 12 MP, a f/1.8 aperture and OIS, with a pixel size of 1.55 um. The secondary sensor is a telephoto lens with a resolution of 20 MP and a f/2.6 aperture, with a pixel size of 1.0 um. Under the cameras, there is a laser autofocus mechanism with a ring flash around which is composed of 6 LEDs. The selfie camera is a single snapper with a 20 MP resolution and a f/2.0 aperture.

What do you think about the above camera samples? Will this phone be able to compete with the top camera phones of 2018 such as Huawei P20 Pro?

New S Pen features for Samsung Galaxy Note 9 revealed in new images

By

Michele Ingelido

-

Aug 8, 2018

The known hi-tech portal WinFuture.de in has published some official images highlighting the new features of the S Pen which will be included in the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 9. The phablet will be officially unveiled tomorrow, but we already know from now that its S Pen will be way more interesting than the previous model. The new pen will include Bluetooth connectivity, unlike the previous pens.

This will allow the user to remotely control the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 without having the pen stick to the phablet. Thanks to a dedicated button, it will be possible to shoot a photo remotely, control presentations or even third-party apps. It will also be possible to customize the S Pen key to do anything you want. According to the leak, the pen will have a finer tip and it will support 4096 pressure levels, that is the highest amount of pressure levels ever implemented on a mobile device. So, it will be possible to draw or handwriting with an extreme accuracy, similarly to paper.

Besides the details about the S Pen, the images confirm that the Note 9 will have an “Intelligent Camera” making it able to recognize scenes and adjust the colors, white balance and contrast. It will be even able to detect blink and bursts. Further, just like the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S4, the Galaxy Note 9 can be connected to an external monitor to enable DeX without a dock, just by using a cable. Obviously, the DeX dock remains more comfortable as it allows to connect external peripherals such as mouse and keyboards, it can charge the device and can even be used as a touchpad. At last, the images confirm the variable aperture of the camera just like the S9 line-up.

(via)

Samsung’s budget smartphones to receive Android Oreo update next year

By

Jeet

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Aug 8, 2018

At a time when Google has released the new version of the Android mobile operating system — Android 9.0 Pie, Samsung is struggling to roll out the previous version — Android Oreo to its budget devices.

According to the leaked roadmap for the Oreo update of South Korean giant’s budget smartphones, which reveals when to expect the Android Oreo update for its twelve mid-range devices. The Samsung Galaxy J7 Neo is the only device listed to get Oreo update in December 2018.

In January 2019, the company is planning to roll out the update for a number of devices, which includes Samsung Galaxy Tab A (2017), Galaxy A9 Pro (2016), Galaxy C7 Pro, Galaxy C9 Pro, Galaxy J2 (2018), Galaxy On5 (2016), Galaxy On7 (2016), Galaxy J7 (2018), and Galaxy J7 (2017).

The Galaxy J7 Max and the Galaxy J7 (2016) will be receiving the update in February 2019 and March 2019, respectively. The company has also stated that there’s also a possibility that this new roadmap could also get changed.

The updates schedule may differ based on the region and the company says that the schedule can change based on the development and approval processes. Users can check the update roadmap for their region/country using the Samsung Members app.

Samsung’s flagship smartphones are already running Android Oreo operating system. However, the company has not yet made any official statement regarding the new Android Pie update. Some of its devices can run the beta version of Android 9.0 Pie but Samsung’s handsets aren’t supported in Google’s Android Pie public beta program and the company has not even clarified the reason.

The new Android Pie will definitely come to the company’s recently launched flagship smartphones, however, it’s too early to speculate precisely when Samsung will release Android Pie for compatible devices.

POCOPHONE F1 unboxing video surfaces ahead of release

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Aug 8, 2018

We know the name isn’t catchy but the POCOPHONE F1 is shaping up to be a very interesting device from Xiaomi as it packs flagship specs along with a low price tag. Xiaomi has not yet announced a release date yet but there have been lots of leak on the internet. Now the device has leaked in an unboxing video that bares it all.

The POCOPHONE F1 comes in a black and yellow box. The top black half of the packaging has the words “POCOPHONE by Xiaomi” written in yellow and on the side of the box we have the phone’s name also written in bright yellow and a red tag with the words “Global Version”.

The variant in the box is the 6GB RAM + 64GB Graphite Black model. Inside the box, we have the usual assortment of documents which includes a quick start guide and warranty card. Then there is the phone, a silicone translucent black case, an 18W Xiaomi-branded power adapter, a USB-C cable, and a SIM ejector tool.

The sticker on the phone lists some of the specs such as a Snapdragon 845 processor, a liquid cooling system, dual cameras, and a 4,000mAh battery. On the back, the POCOPHONE F1 has its cameras arranged vertically and positioned in the middle; under the setup is the fingerprint scanner and close to the bottom there is “POCOPHONE” engraved in silver.

The phone also shows “POCOPHONE by Xiaomi” when you boot it up and it is shown to be running MIUI 9. It even has a custom theme named POCO. The unboxing video ends once the initial setup is complete.

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Meizu 16 crushes AnTuTu, scores over 290,000 points

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Aug 8, 2018

Meizu announced its latest flagships today – the Meizu 16 and Meizu 16 Plus today. Both phones are powered by the Snapdragon 845 processor and the highest configuration has 8GB of RAM.

At the event today, Meizu revealed the AnTuTu score for its flagship. The device scored a whopping 291866 points, surpassing devices like the OnePlus 6 and the unreleased POCOPHONE F1.

To confirm the score, the folks at Chinese blog CNMO decided to run the app on their review unit and the result is quite similar. The model with them has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage and it scored 291546 points on the benchmark app.

So far, the only devices with a higher benchmark score are the Xiaomi Black Shark Gaming Smartphone and the ASUS ROG Phone. The Black Shark has a score of 292,977 points while the ROG Phone has a score of 304183 points on the benchmarking app.

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Meizu 16 Hands On: Beauty is in Symmetry

By

Joel Joseph

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Aug 8, 2018

With the number of flagships flooding the market these days, it’s very hard for any particular smartphone to stand out of the crowd. Things get even worse when you are a small time company, especially in the premium segment where Huawei, Xiaomi, Vivo, and OPPO have some really compelling options. Still, there are a few smartphones that do stand out because of its design and features and the Meizu 16 series can definitely be tagged as one of such devices. The phone offers tremendous value for money, starting under $400 in China, even beating the Xiaomi Mi 8 and OnePlus 6 in its pricing. So, let’s move on to the Meizu 16 hands on.

In this age where notches are taking over the smartphone market, its very refreshing to see a different design. Yes, I know there are notch-less options like the Vivo Nex and the OPPO Find X, but they do feature mechanical pop up cameras that may not be everyone’s cup of tea due to a number of reasons. Also, some users prefer a little bit of bezel around their smartphone and the Meizu 16 could be a perfect blend of bezel and screen. I say this because the Meizu 16 takes the screen to body ratio to up to 91.18%, and that’s almost the same as the full screen Vivo Nex!

Another important revelation from this Meizu 16 hands was its light weight feel. The phone is super light and as compared to competitors like the OnePlus 6, OPPO Find X and even the Xiaomi Mi 8, the Meizu 16 comes in as a significantly lightweight option weighing just 152 grams. Its quite thin as well, measuring just 7.3mm in thickness.

So how did Meizu limit its bezels to such a level? The company revealed that it spent millions of dollars squeezing in all the components like camera, earpiece and sensors on the thin top bezel by re-customizing its display packaging technology. The end result is a super thin bezel smartphone that comes with a very high screen to body ratio, without sacrificing on durability by adding any mechanical parts. It’s the perfect solution if you don’t mind the small bezels on the top and the bottom.

Coming to the body, the phone is essentially made of glass on both the sides, with the back getting a special 7 layer coating that makes the texture very similar to ceramic. The back isn’t as reflective as the Mirror Black edition of the OnePlus 6, but as you can see in the image, it’s quite glossy.

The back is curved making it comfortable to grip and the 6-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display is compact yet large enough to satisfy your entertainment needs. The buttons are on the right while the SIM slot is on the left. The top is clean save for a microphone opening, while at the bottom you have a USB Type-C port, speakers, and a dedicated 3.5mm headphone jack. The back features a dual camera setup with ring flash just below it. Apart from these, the overall design of the Meizu 16 is simple yet elegant, especially with an in-display fingerprint scanner neatly tucked under the AMOLED screen.

You can check out more Meizu 16 hands on pictures down below. Let me know your thoughts on the design of the new handset.

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