Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe Starts Receiving Android Oreo Update

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Mar 27, 2018

Apart from launching the P20, P20 Pro and Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS flagship phones, Huawei has also announced the new Y7 Prime (2018) budget smartphone. It has arrived to replace the Y7 Prime smartphone that was launched last year.

Huawei Y7 Prime (2018) Specifications and Features

Like the recently announced Y9 2018 phone that was launched earlier in this month, the Y7 Prime (2018) also features an 18:9 aspect ratio display of 5.99 inches. It supports HD+ resolution of 720 x 1440 pixels.

The Snapdragon 430 chipset is present under the hood of the Y7 Prime (2018) phone. It is coupled with 3 GB of RAM. It has a native storage of 32 GB and carries support for microSD card through hybrid SIM slot.

The handset is running on Android 8.0 Oreo that is customized with EMUI 8.0. The back panel features a fingerprint reader and a dual camera setup that includes a 13-megapixel sensor and a secondary 2-megapixel sensor. For shooting selfies, it is equipped with an 8-megaixel front camera that can be also used as facial recognition feature.

The Y7 Prime (2018) is packed with a 3,00mAh battery. It includes connectivity features like Bluetooth, microUSB, 3.5mm audio jack, 4G VoLTE Wi-Fi, NFC (region specific) and GPS. It measures 158.3 x 76.7 x 7.8mm and it weighs 155 grams. It can be bought in colors like Black, Blue and Gold.

As of this writing, there is no confirmation on the release date of the phon. However, it is expected to release in select regions like China and India.

Huawei P20 and Huawei P20 Pro Official: Cameras Takes Center Stage

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Mar 27, 2018

Huawei finally took the wraps off the Huawei P20 and Huawei P20 Pro today after weeks of leaks and teases. Even though we practically know all there is about both devices, they are nothing short of worth successors to the P10 series of 2017.

Huawei P20

The Huawei P20 has a 5.8” LCD display. Huawei has joined the notch train but its much smaller than that of the iPhone X. There is a circular speaker, sensors and a 24.8MP CMOS sensor within the notch.

The phone is powered by the Kirin 970 paired with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. There is no storage expansion slot.

For smartphones of this year, the focus is camera performance and the Huawei P20 doesn’t disappoint. Yet again, Huawei has partnered with Leica to work on the cameras and combines it with AI to take better pictures.

On the rear is a 20MP f/1.6 monochrome sensor paired with a 12MP f/1.8 RGB sensor. There are tons of new features bundled with the camera. Ultra Snapshot is for taking pictures in just 0.3 seconds even if the phone is locked, 4D predictive focus for taking photos of fast moving objects, 960 fps super slow motion video recording, and there is AI Image stabilization for blur-free low-light shots in night mode.

For portrait images, the P20 uses AI for portrait lighting giving your pictures studio-like lighting effects. The camera can also distinguish between 19 different categories when you want to take photos and then automatically adjusts to the best settings.

Huawei was proud to announce at the event that the P20 scored 107 points on DxOmark for photos and 94 points for videos for an overall score of 102. This places it above the Galaxy S9+, Pixel 2, Mate 10 Pro, and iPhone X.

The Huawei P20 has a 3400mh battery with support for Huawei’s SuperCharge fast charging technology. It runs Android 8.1 Oreo with EMUI 8.1 on top. It doesn’t have a 3.5mm audio jack but has a USB-C port. It also has an IP53 rating and a front mounted fingerprint scanner.

The phone will come in Twilight, Pink Gold, Midnight Blue, Black and Champagne Gold but not all will be available in all countries. It will sell for €649 and goes on sale today.

Huawei P20 Pro

The P20 Pro is the bigger sibling in all ways. From its 6.1” FHD+ OLED display, to its triple rear cameras and massive 4,000mAh battery, it truly is a Pro. It also has a different finish on the back which allows the color of the device to change depending on the angle at which light hits it.

The P20 Pro has the same Kirin 970 processor and 128GB of storage but comes with 6GB of RAM.

The cameras are the main focus. The rear camera is a 40MP RGB sensor and an 8MP telephoto lens which share the same housing. While a 20MP monochrome sensor sits separately.

The 8MP telephoto lens provides 3x optical zoom or 5x hybrid zoom. Huawei uses a technology called Light Fusion for capturing images with the 40MP sensor. What the sensor does is combine captured data from four different pixels into one. The result is sharper, brighter, and more detailed photos.

The P20 Pro also has all the AI features of the P20 mentioned above for better images such as image recognition and portrait mode.

The Huawei P20 Pro currently has the highest DxO Mark with 114 points for photos and 98 points for videos to give an overall score of 109 points.

The P20 Pro upgrades the IP53 rating to IP67. It also doesn’t have an audio jack or a MicroSD card slot. Juts like the P20, there is NFC, Bluetooth 4.2, and dual SIM or single SIM variants.

The Huawei P20 Pro is priced at €899 and will go on sale on April 6. It will be available in Black, Midnight Blue, Twilight, and Pink Gold. Included in the box of the P20 Pro (and P20) is a pair of USB-C earphones, charger, USB-C cable, protective case, and a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter.

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S vs Mi Mix 2: We Go Hands On With The Two Phones Side By Side

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Joel Joseph

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Mar 27, 2018

Xiaomi unveiled the brand new Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S at an official event on Tuesday. The phone is revolutionary because it’s the first flagship to offer camera performance close to the big brand flagships like Galaxy S9 and the iPhone X. But the upgrades are not only in the hardware department as the design gets a few tweaks as well.

The Mi Mix 2S is the company’s first Mix series dual camera smartphone. So you get a vertically arranged dual camera setup at the back and honestly, the arrangement seems to be inspired from the iPhone lineup. Nevertheless, the design looks decent, with a fingerprint sensor placed at the back as well.

mi mix 2s hands on 01 — Mi Mix 2 (L) vs Mi Mix 2S (R)

Coming to the front, the bezels are thinner than before, but apart from that it would be hard to distinguish it from its predecessor. Thankfully, Xiaomi is not adopting the notch trend, at least not yet. So, the front camera is still in an awkward position on the bottom right corner. This also means that you’ll have to rotate your phone to use the front shooter for selfies. It’s not exactly an ideal design, but if this keeps the notch away from one more device, I’ll gladly accept it.

mi mix 2s hands on 02 — Mi Mix 2 (L) vs Mi Mix 2S (R)

Personally, I love the Ceramic White model but the black one looks pretty good too. The ceramic body should age well and it supports Qi Wireless Charging at 7.5W, which is pretty quick.

You can check out more Mi Mix 2S vs Mi Mix 2 photos from down below. Or for full details about the Mi Mix 2S, check this post. Or to check out more hands on photos, click here.

Huawei P20 Pro Hands On Review Video Appears

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Mar 27, 2018

Huawei P20 Pro was finally launched today in Paris, France. Even before the official launch, the real P20 Pro had popped up online in several hands-on video reviews. Several of the videos were created by different YouTubers across Europe. Since the U.S isn’t working, Huawei seems poised to focus her attention on Europe. With devices like the P20 Pro and Mate 10 Pro, the company is heading for the skies. We bring you one of the YouTube videos created by TechLineHD.

The Huawei P20 Pro comes with a sleek design which sadly has the notch on top of the full-screen display. The device uses a curved glass body at the front and rear. The rear aspect is where much of the excitement lies. The P20 Pro packs a triple camera setup at the rear with a LED flash, all arranged in a vertical plane. The rear camera has the Leica badge which means they were co-designed with German camera maker Leica. We’d have to wait to see some more samples to know how the camera fares. But the video review shows it sure comes with good promises for photography lovers. You can check out the video from below.

The Huawei P20 Pro features a 6.1-inch OLED display with a 19:9 aspect ratio. It packs a combination of a 40MP, 8MP, and 20MP sensors on its back, and a 24MP selfie camera. It also comes with 128GB of storage and a 4,000mAh battery.

Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS Launches With Triple Cameras, Dual Fingerprint Scanners & 512GB Storage

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Mar 27, 2018

Huawei just wrapped up its Paris event and the final product announcement, the Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS is the one you will most likely be talking about for weeks to come.

The Mate RS is a beautiful phone. There is no arguing about that. Huawei says its design is inspired by the Porsche 911 and that is evident from all the curves on its body. It has 8 curves in total like the Honor Magic but is much more better looking and easier to hold.

The display is full-screen but there is no notch and the bezels are small but not too small. The top is home to the earpiece, sensors, and front camera while the bottom has the Porsche Design branding.

Like the Huawei P20 Pro, it also has Leica branded triple rear cameras. However, they sit in the middle of the phone in a straight line with the LED flash and fingerprint scanner. Huawei’s logo sits at the bottom.

Huawei Mate RS Specs

The Mate RS has a 6” FullView OLED display with a 2880 x 1440 resolution. It has a high contrast ratio of 90000:1 and a 538 ppi.

Huawei’s Kirin 970 powers it and it is paired with 6GB of RAM and for the first time in a smartphone, 512GB of storage. There is also a 256GB version.

The rear cameras are a 40MP f/1.8 RGB sensor paired with a 20MP f/1.6 monochrome camera and an 8MP f/2.4 telephoto lens. There is PDAF, CAF, laser, and depth auto focus. It also has 5x hybrid zoom, AI image stabilization, and 960fps super slow motion recording at 720p.

The front camera is a 24MP f/2.0 fixed focus camera. There is also support for face unlock.

If you think 512GB of storage and triple rear cameras are the only tricks up the sleeves of the Mate RS, then you are mistaken. There is another fingerprint scanner underneath the display. Yes, so you can choose between using the front fingerprint sensor, face unlock, or the rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.

The Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS has an IP67 rating and support for wireless charging. It doesn’t have an audio jack but it has stereo speakers. There is a USB-C port with Display Port 1.2, Bluetooth 4.2 with aptX HD and HWA Audio, dual band WiFi, and dual SIM support.

The phone packs a massive 4000mAh battery and runs Android 8.1 Oreo with EMUI 8.1. It weighs 183g and is 8.5mm at its thickest.

Sharp Aquos S3 Official: A Bigger Aquos S2 With A Bigger Notch

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Mar 27, 2018

Last August, Sharp Announced the Aquos S2 – a full-screen phone with a notch like that of the Essential PH-1. Seven months later, Sharp has launched a successor, the Aquos S3, with a notch like that of the iPhone X.

Design

The Aquos S3 is a mixture of new features and some design elements from its predecessor. The bottom bezel that is home to the fingerprint scanner on the S2 is now smaller to make way for the bigger 6.0” display. This gives the S3 a screen-to-body ratio of 91%.

The circular notch has also been replaced with a larger cut-out that houses a front camera, earpiece, notification LED, and sensor. And on the rear, the brushed metal back has been replaced with 3D curved glass. It keeps the dual camera design and is the new position for the fingerprint scanner.

Specs

The 6” display has a 2160 x 1080 resolution with up to 550 nits of brightness. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 630 makes a comeback and it is paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.

The dual cameras are a F/1.75 12MP wide angle lens and a 13MP telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom. Beneath the camera setup is the LED flash and to the right is a fingerprint scanner with gold accent.

There is also a 16MP 1.4μm camera in front for selfies and features like AI selfie for portrait images and AI beauty mode. Sharp also throws in face unlock.

Under the glass back is a 3200mAh battery with support for QC 3.0 18W fast charging via a USB-C port. There is MicroSD card support for storage expansion (128GB) via a hybrid dual SIM slot (nano only). The Aquos S3 also has support for 14 LTE bands, VoLTE, and VoWiFi. It doesn’t have a 3.5mm audio jack.

The phone runs Android 8.0 with Sharp’s Smile UX on top. Smile UX has features like app lock, private space, game mode, and a simple desktop mode for older users.

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S Hands On: A Redesigned & More Powerful Mix 2 in Pictures

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Mar 27, 2018

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s was one of the most anticipated smartphones expected to launch in the first quarter of this year and indeed the device could be said to have lived up to expectations. Xiaomi announced the Mi Mix 2S in a ceremony held in Shanghai today (March 27) and already here are a couple of hands-on pictures of the Mix 2s.

As you would have known already, the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2s looks very much like the Mi MIX 2. Except that the bottom bezels are slightly reduced but with the selfie camera at the bottom right corner. The upper bezels is also reduced and there is an earpiece in the middle. The body is crafted using a 7000-series aluminium frame and four-sided curved ceramic body. The device comes in Black and white colors. While the Black color has a silver accent around the dual cameras, the White variant sports a silver accent. The device also comes packaged in the same retail box as the Mi Mix 2s.

The Mi Mix 2s still uses an LCD display measuring 5.99 inches and have an FHD+ resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels. The device features an 18:9 display aspect ratio with support for DCI-P3 color gamut. However, the screen-to-body ratio is higher on the Mix 2s since the bezels take some more reduction.All this with a starting price of 3299 Yuan (~$527) for the 6GB RAM + 64GB ROM version. The device also comes with a wireless charging pad priced at 99 Yuan ($15). Check out some more photos of the device below.

[envira-gallery id=”181675″]

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S Scores High On DXOMark: Same As iPhone X But With Better Bokeh!

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Mar 27, 2018

Xiaomi just went official with the much-anticipated Mi Mix 2S flagship and indeed the device doesn’t disappoint in terms of the hardware it packs. Xiaomi is sure eyeing the international market so, it is no surprise that the MiMix 2s found its way into the hands of the guys at DXOMark in order to rate the device’s cameras.

Indeed, the Mi Mix 2S cameras didn’t disappoint in the ranking as the device sits among the top 5 models currently ranked by DXOMark. The Mi Mix 2S scored 97 points on the DXOMark rating and this is at par with the score of the iPhone X and Huawei Mate 10 Pro. Well, the Galaxy S9+ still sits atop the charts with 99 points and the Google Pixel 2 XL with 98 points is at the second spot. The Mix 2S’ score beats that of the iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 8, Galaxy Note 8 and Google Pixel.

The Mi MIX 2S camera aspect is taken care of by a vertically aligned dual rear camera setup. The camera consists of a 12-megapixel Sony IMX363 wide-angle lens with an f/1. 8 aperture and 1.4um pixel size. This is paired with a 12-megapixel telephoto lens with support for up to 2x optical zoom. The dual rear cameras can capture impressive bokeh effect shots by effectively blurring the background and focusing more on the subject. This is evident on the DXOMark sample shots showing a better Bokeh performance than the iPhone X. The dual rear cameras are enabled with features like dual-pixel autofocus, dual-tone LED flash and 4-axis optical image stabilization. The camera also comes with multi-frame image processing for noise reduction and this ensures that images shot in low-light conditions are captured with rich details. Up front, there is an 8-megapixel selfie camera that is also capable of dishing out Bokeh shots through AI.

The Mi Mix 2S may not have launched with an awesome surprise on its design angle but the improvement on the camera is impressive.This is an important step for Xiaomi to go, moving from a phone maker with models having average cameras even on its flagships to this stage where its flagship camera compete with the top brands like Samsung and Apple. It can only keep getting better.

TENAA: Meizu 15 Has 5.46” AMOLED Display, Meizu 15 Lite Has 5.46” LCD Display

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Mar 27, 2018

If you missed the full TENAA reveal of the Meizu 15 Plus, you should check it out here first. For those who have already seen that, then you may want to read on for the full specs of the Meizu 15 and Meizu 15 Lite.

Meizu 15

The Meizu 15 has a 5.46” 1080 x 1920 display and it is AMOLED like that of the 15 Plus. It is powered by a 2.2GHz octa-core processor which is said to be the Snapdragon 660. There is 4GB/6GB of RAM and 64GB/128GB of storage.

The Meizu 15 might be smaller and have a less powerful processor than the 15 Plus but it comes with the same camera configuration – 12MP + 20MP on the rear and 20MP up in front. It also has 3x lossless zoom.

There is Android 7.1.1 on board and a 2,940mAh battery. It also has a fingerprint scanner buried beneath the circular home button. TENAA says it will come in Brushed Black, Ceramic White, Brushed Gold, and Brushed Blue.

Meizu 15 Lite

The Meizu 15 Lite keeps the 5.46” FHD screen of the Meizu 15 but swaps it for an IPS display. It is also powered by a 2.2GHz octa-core SoC but may not be the Snapdragon 660.

The Meizu 15 Lite will come in 3GB, 4GB, and 6GB RAM variants with 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB of storage. Unlike the other two, there is storage expansion for an extra 128GB.

It has a single 12MP rear camera with a ring flash and a 20MP front facing camera. It also runs Android 7.1.2 Nougat and has a fingerprint scanner.

Moto G6 Series Could Launch Next Month, Sergio Buniac Takes Over as President of Motorola

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Mar 27, 2018

Aymar de Lencquesaing who served as the president of the Lenovo-owned Motorola has left the firm. It has been officially announced that Sergio Buniac will be taking over as the new Chairman and President. The company also confirmed that its first phones will be unveiled next month.

Buniac has been working with Motorola for 22 years and he was recently appointed as the Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Latin America wing. The recent years have been quite challenging for the company. In 2012, Google had acquired Motorola’s consumer phone business and two years later it was taken over by Lenovo.

Earlier in this month, Motorola had reportedly laid off a large number of employees from its Chicago. Motorola had reportedly invested $200 million in the advertising of the Moto Z2 Force. However, a report from November last year had claimed that a dismal number of 145,000 units of the Z2 Force were sold by the top four carriers in the U.S. The Motorola handsets have received lukewarm response in China. Hence, the company has reportedly resurrected the Lenovo smartphone brand by introducing the newly announced Lenovo S5 smartphone.

The press release that confirms Buniac as the new president also reveals that the company will be launching its new products in the coming month. Recent reports have revealed plenty of information about the Moto E5, E5 Plus and E5 Play that includes and the Moto G6 Series that comprises of Moto G6, G6 Plus and G6 Play.

The Moto E5 and G6 series have been recently certified in Indonesia. The Moto G6 has been spotted at China’s TENAA authority. whereas the Moto G6 Plus has been spotted at Taiwan’s NCC regulatory body. Since the company has confirmed it will be launching its “first products” in April, it is likely that the company may unveil the Moto E5 and Moto G6 series in the same month.

Samsung Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9+ 128GB Storage Variant Launched In India

By

Jeet

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Mar 27, 2018

Earlier this month, Samsung started selling its flagship smartphones — Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ in India. Both the devices were available in two storage models — 64GB and 256GB. Now, the South Korean giant has silently launched another variant which comes with 128GB internal storage.

The 128GB storage variant of Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ has been launched in India for offline partners, with retail availability expected later this week. However, it is not yet clear if and when this new model will be available online. At this time, the 128GB variant models are not listed on Flipkart or Amazon.

According to the reports, the Galaxy S9 128GB variant is priced at Rs. 61,900 (approximately $955), while the Galaxy S9+ is priced at Rs. 68,900, which roughly converts to $1,062. To recap, the Galaxy S9 64GB and 256GB variants are priced at Rs. 57,900 and Rs. 65,900, respectively while the Galaxy S9+ starts at Rs. 64,900 for the 64GB model and goes up to Rs. 72,900 for the 256GB option.

Samsung newest flagship smartphones — S9 and S9+ features 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch Super AMOLED display, respectively which supports QHD+ resolution of 2960 x 1440 pixels. The company says that both phones come with a new kind of coating on the screen that delivers deeper blacks.

Both phones are powered by Samsung’s Exynos 9810 octa-core processor with Mali G72MP18 GPU. The Galaxy S9 packs 4GB RAM while the S9+ packs 6GB RAM. One of the highlights for the Galaxy S9-series is that it comes with improved camera experience to take on the likes of Apple’s iPhone X and Google Pixel 2. DxOMark, which tests and rates smartphone cameras, has placed Samsung Galaxy S9+ as the best camera ahead of both its rivals.

The Galaxy S9 features a 12-megapixel dual pixel rear camera with LED Flash, f/2.4-f/1.5 variable aperture, and 960fps super slo-mo support. On the other hand, the Galaxy S9+ comes with a 12-megapixel primary rear camera and 12-megapixel secondary camera along with f/2.4-f/1.5 variable aperture, LED Flash, and 960fps super slo-mo support. On the front, the devices feature 8-megapixel auto-focus camera with wide-angle lens and f/1.7 aperture.

The devices are running Android Oreo operating system out-of-the-box with TouchWiz custom interface on top. While the Galaxy S9 is powered by a 3,000mAh battery, the Galaxy S9+ is powered by a 3,500mAh battery. Apart from the fingerprint reader, both phones are also equipped with security features like improved KNOX and Intelligent Scan that combines Iris Scanner and face recognition.

Connectivity options on the device include 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac (2.4GHz/5GHz), VHT80 MU-MIMO, Bluetooth v5 (LE up to 2Mbps), GPS with GLONASS, USB 3.1, NFC and MST. The Galaxy S9 is powered by the 3,000mAh battery while the Galaxy S9+ is fuelled by a 3,500mAh battery and both devices come with wireless charging.

Xiaomi Launches Mi AI Mini Speaker For ¥169 ($27)

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Mar 27, 2018

One of three products Xiaomi unveiled at its Shanghai event is the Mi AI Mini Speaker. This doesn’t come as a surprise as the speaker was already leaked a week before launch. However, we are sad that this is another China-exclusive product.

The Mi AI Mini Speaker is a much smaller version of the Mi AI Speaker released last year. In terms of design, the mini speaker looks like a miniature version of the Mijia IH Rice Cooker. That’s not much of a surprise since the larger AI speaker looks like a miniature Mi Air Purifier 2.

The speaker measures 90 x 90 x 50 mm and weighs 210g. It only comes in white but we believe the body is dirt resistant. There are four microphones at the top along with volume control buttons, a microphone mute button, and a play/pause button. There is also a LED in the middle that lights up when in use.

The Mi AI Mini Speaker can set alarms and reminders, take down notes, read the news, provide info on sport games, do conversions, and calculate distance and duration for trips.

It can also stream audio from 27 different supported audio content providers. There are also specific content providers that offer services aimed at kids.

The Mi AI Mini Speaker can also be used to control other Xiaomi smart home devices like vacuum cleaners, air conditioner, air purifiers, smart bulbs, and TVs. Xiaomi also says you can teach it new skills via the app.

The speaker is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor. It has a 1.5-inch 2W speaker. Sadly, it doesn’t have a built-in battery, so you have to power it with the provided 5V/2A wall adapter that plugs into a MicroUSB port.

Xiaomi Mi Gaming Laptop Announced: Core i7, GTX 1060 At A Competitive Price

By

Joel Joseph

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Mar 27, 2018

Xiaomi is a relatively new player in the laptop market but that hasn’t stopped the company from releasing its first Mi Gaming laptop. Alongside the Mi Mix 2S launch in Shanghai, the company also took the wraps off its first gaming laptop in the market. Xiaomi has continued its strategy in this market too by offering top of the line specs at an affordable price tag to gaming enthusiasts.

Xiaomi’s laptop design philosophy is pretty simple. The company keeps the size and thickness as less as possible and does not believe in adding any fancy logos or stickers to differentiate its product. So, what you get is a plain design. Some love it, others hate it, but it’s a personal choice. It’s a bit thick to be honest at 20.9mm, but then powerful gaming laptops don’t usually get any thinner than this. The laptop weighs 2.7 kgs.

The Mi Gaming Laptop boasts of a professional keyboard with 5 programmable keys. CEO Lei Jun added that gamers often like to order take-out food and one of these programmable buttons could be easily configured to order your favourite meal with just a hit of a button.

The laptop comes with a 15.6-inch FHD screen with a narrow frame, nothing fancy to be honest but it can connect to two other 4K external monitors for an ultimate gaming experience. You have Dolby Atmos and Hi-Res Audio 2 x 3W speakers for a great gaming experience. The laptop is also loaded with a rich set of ports like HDMI 2.0, USB Type-C, Ethernet and USB 3.0.

There are four official variants of the Mi Gaming Laptop. Configurations start from an i5 standard voltage processor with GTX Ti 1050, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, and 1TB HDD. You can upgrade the graphics to GTX Ti 1060 for an additional thousand Yuan, and for another thousand more, you can upgrade the CPU to Core i7. The top-end Mi Gaming Laptop features the Core i7 CPU, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD, and 1TB of HDD.

Given the powerful configuration, it was necessary for Xiaomi to take care of its cooling. In this regard, the Mi Gaming Laptop comes with 3+2 large diameter cooling pipes inside with 4 air vents. There’s a special TORNADO button which kicks in ultra fast cooling, dropping the temperature by up to 3-5 degree celsius within 10 minutes. It will be loud with the fans blowing at full speed but your laptop should cool down very quickly.

Overall, the Mi Gaming Laptop looks very competitive. The Mi Gaming Laptop starts at 5999 Yuan ($956) for the Core i5 + GTX 1050 Ti variant and goes all the up to 8999 Yuan ($1435) for the Core i7 + GTX 1060 variant. You can check out the entire official specs of the four variants from this link (in Chinese).

Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S is Official with Snapdragon 845, AI Dual Camera for 3,299 Yuan (~$527)

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Mar 27, 2018

Xiaomi has finally announced the highly anticipated Mi MIX 2S flagship phone. It has arrived as the first smartphone from China to feature the Snapdragon 845 chipset. One of the major attractions of the Mi MIX 2S is that it features dual rear cameras that is equipped with numerous functions.

Design and Display

When it comes to the front design, the Mi MIX 2S appears quite similar to the Mi MIX 2. It measures 150.86 x 74.9 x 8.1mm and weighs 189 grams. Xiaomi has slightly reduced the size of the bottom bezel that features a selfie camera at the right corner. The slim-sized upper bezel features an earpiece.

The Mi MIX 2s features a 7000-series aluminum frame and four-sided curved ceramic body. It can be availed in black and white color options. The dual camera module of the black and white models is respectively surrounded by gold and silver accents.

Like the Mi MIX 2, its upgraded model features an IPS LCD Full Screen 2.0 display that measures 5.99 inches and it offers Full HD+ resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels. The screen that delivers an aspect ratio of 18:9 carries support for DCI-P3 color gamut. The Mi MIX 2S offers higher screen-to-body ratio than the Mi MIX 2. However, the exact information of the screen-to-body ratio of MI MIX 2S was not revealed at its launch event.

Performance, Variants and Software

The Snapdragon 845 chipset coupled with Artificial Intelligence Engine (AIE) powers the Mi MIX 2S. It is packed with Quick Charge 3.0 enabled 3,400mAh battery like the Mi MIX 2. However, the Mi MIX 2S is the first Xiaomi phone to arrive with support wireless charging. Its supports 7.5W Qi wireless charging like the 2017 iPhones. The wireless charging bed made available for Mi MIX 2S can be also used for charging other compatible phones.

Here are all the variants of the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S:

6GB RAM + 64GB ROM
6GB RAM + 128GB ROM
8GB RAM + 256GB ROM (King Version)

All the variants of the Mi MIX 2S feature a microSD card slot. It is running on Android 8.0 Oreo that is flavored with the latest MIUI 9.5 that brings along support for full screen gestures. According to Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun, the Xiao AI voice assistant (only available in China) that has been introduced on the Mi MIX 2S is smart enough to take on the Apple’s Siri. It also includes support for Google ARCore.

AI Dual Camera and Selfie Camera

The Mi MIX 2S is the first phone in its series to feature a vertically aligned dual camera setup. It features an f/1. 8 aperture 12-megapixel Sony IMX363 wide-angle lens that has a pixel size of 1.4micron as the primary sensor. It is coupled with a secondary 12-megapixel telephoto lens that carries support for 2x optical zoom. The dual rear cameras can capture impressive bokeh effect shots by effectively blurring the background and focusing more on the subject.

Also, the backgrounds of the bokeh shots can be customized with 6 kinds of dynamic effects such as AI Dream Bokeh, Van Gogh Starry Night effect and so on. The AI also makes it possible to detect up to 206 scenes along with support for real-time language translation and currency.

With multi-frame image processing for noise reduction onboard, the images shot in low-light conditions are captured with rich details. The dual rear cameras are enabled with features like dual pixel autofocus, dual-tone LED flash and 4-axis optical image stabilization. On DxOMark, the Mi MIX 2S has scored of 101 in photography benchmarks. However, the total benchmarks of DxOMark is 97 which puts it behind the likes of Samsung Galaxy S9+ and Google Pixel 2 XL. The score of 97 ranks it alongside other phones like iPhone X and Huawei Mate 10 Pro.

The 8-megapixel selfie camera is also capable at snapping amazing bokeh effect shots through AI. The Mi MIX 2S includes support for facial recognition through the front camera.

Other Features

The front camera of the Mi MIX 2S also works as face unlock feature. Its back panel is fitted with a fingerprint reader. The connectivity features available on the Mi MIX 2S include dual-SIM, USB-C, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11ac, NFC and it supports 43 network bands from 226 countries. Like the Mi MIX 2, it does not feature a 3.5mm audio jack.

Pricing and Availability

The pricing of the different variants of the Mi MIX 2S are as follows:

6GB RAM + 64GB ROM = 3,299 Yuan (~$527)
6GB RAM + 128GB ROM = 3,599 Yuan (~$575)
8GB RAM + 256GB ROM (King Version) = 3,999 Yuan (~$639)

The wireless charging station for Mi MIX 2S is priced at 99 Yuan (~$15) only. The All the 6 GB variants are available in black color whereas the special edition model has a white-colored ceramic body. The official sales of the Mi MIX 2S will begin on April 3.

Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium Details Leaked: Android 9.0, 4K Screen & Dual Rear Cameras

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Mar 27, 2018

Sony already released the flagship Xperia XZ2 at MWC 2018 but that should be regarded as an appetizer. In its usual style, the Japanese tech giant will also release its main flagship for the year and that is the Xperia XZ2 Premium. The flagship may not drop until IFA 2018 in September but some details of the device have appeared online.

The details of the Xperia XZ2 Premium were scooped up from the code file for the H8188 developer and it shows some interesting specs. Among the specs on display is an 18:9 aspect ratio with a screen resolution of 4360 x 2160 pixels. The resolution will be on top of a 6.01-inch display screen although this isn’t among the leaked details. The screen is said to be an LCD screen.

One spectacular detail which was also leaked is the presence of the unreleased Android P operating system onboard the Xperia XZ2 Premium. Google has already announced that this year’s I/O Developer conference would hold on May 7. The tech giant will unveil its next-gen OS – Android P on that day. Apart from these specs, the Xperia XZ2 Premium is also expected to feature a Snapdragon 845 chip paired with 6GB of RAM. The device will still pack a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor and double glass design. Another thing, we also expect a premium pricing as well. This is definitely not going to be cheap.

Motorola Moto G6 Live Pictures Appear on TENAA, Specs Also Leaked

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Mar 27, 2018

Motorola‘s Moto G6 real life pictures have made a surprise appearance on TENAA. The live pictures were put on display by the Chinese Telecoms certification agency but the specifications were not disclosed. We believe the full certification page would go live any moment from now with the specs in tow.

The Moto G6 recently got network certified in Thailand and Indonesia which is an indication that its launch is imminent. This TENAA appearance could be seen as reaffirming that stance. Apart from TENAA, the Moto G6 was allegedly listed on Amazon but the page was later pulled down. That wasn’t before a screenshot of the product page was grabbed, though.

The Moto G6 is listed to feature a 5.7-inch FullHD+ display with 2160 x 1080p resolution and a dimension of 154.5×72.2×8.3mm. There will be an Octa-core processor clocked at 1.8GHz at the helm of affairs and that is believed to be a Snapdragon 450 chipset going by previous leaks. The processor will be paired with a 4GB RAM while a 3000mAh battery will keep the lights on. The device will also pack dual rear cameras comprising a 12MP main sensor + 5MP secondary sensor. There is no word yet on when the G6 line up will be officially unveiled.

(source 1, 2)

Xiaomi Mi MIX 2S Appears in Real Flesh in Black, White Variants Ahead of Launch

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Mar 27, 2018

Xiaomi will be announcing the Mi MIX 2S flagship phone later today. It is speculated that the Chinese manufacturer will also launch two new devices alongside the Mi MIX 2S. However, it goes without saying that the major attraction of the unveil event would be the upgraded version of the Mi MIX 2. Just ahead of the launch event, the upcoming Mi MIX 2S has appeared in real in freshly leaked photos. The new images show the handset in black and white color variants.

In the below images, the Mi MIX 2 can be seen sitting on the extreme left while the black model of the Mi MIX 2S is in the center. The white variant is placed on the right. As it can be seen in the new images, the front view of the Mi MIX 2S is almost same as the Mi MIX 2 from last year. However, the Mi MIX 2S appears slightly smaller and its bottom bezel appears to be a bit reduced. Recent reports have revealed that the Mi MIX 2S could be featuring the same 5.99-inch IPS LCD display that is available on the Mi MIX 2.

The major change in the design can be seen on the backside of the Mi MIX 2S. The Mi MIX 2 has a single camera on its rear panel, but the Mi MIX 2S is fitted with a dual camera setup at the top-left corner of the rear shell. It is speculated that its primary sensor could be 12-megapixel Sony IMX363 sensor with a pixel size of 1.4micron. The fingerprint scanner is also available on the backside of the Mi MIX 2S.

The back panel appears to be made out of glass, but there could a special edition model with a ceramic rear. It has been already revealed through recent reports that the Snapdragon 845 chipset would be powering the Mi MIX 2S. It may feature 3,400mAh battery that will carry support for wireless charging.

The 64 GB storage + 6 GB RAM variant of the Mi MIX 2S is likely to cost 3,299 Yuan (~$527) whereas the 128 GB storage + 6 GB RAM variant may be priced at 3,599 Yuan (~$575). It is speculated that will be another model featuring 256 GB of storage and 6 GB of RAM. It could be priced at 3,999 Yuan (~$639). The highest configuration model featuring a ceramic shell, 256 GB storage and 8 GB of RAM may be priced at 4,699 Yuan (~$750).

(via)

Meizu 15 Plus Shows Up On TENAA With 16:9 QHD AMOLED Display, Dual Cameras

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Mar 26, 2018

The Meizu 15 Plus is one of three Meizu phones that will be launched to mark the manufacturer’s 15th anniversary. It has been listed on TENAA and its specs are nothing short of a high-end flagship.

The Meizu 15 Plus has a 5.95” AMOLED display. Surprisingly, it doesn’t have an 18:9 aspect ratio. Its resolution is listed as 1440 x 2560 (QHD) and that gives it a 16:9 aspect ratio.

The chipset is a 2.5GHz octa-core processor which is rumored to be Samsung’s Exynos 8895 SoC. The phone will come in 4GB RAM and 6GB RAM variants with 64GB and 128GB storage respectively.

As seen in the images from yesterday, the Meizu 15 Plus has dual rear cameras. TENAA says it is a 12MP + 20MP combination. One of the rear cameras also has 3x lossless zoom. Another 20MP camera sits above the display in front.

TENAA Lists Xiaomi Mi 6X Full Specs; Up To 6GB RAM & 128GB Storage

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Mar 26, 2018

Earlier today, the Xiaomi Mi 6X was seen on TENAA, but only a few specs were revealed. Now, the telecommunications agency has the full specs listed on its site.

The Xiaomi Mi 6X is listed on the site in two variants – M1804D2SE and M1804D2SC. Both share the same specs and are probably just network variants.

The phone will have a 5.99” display with a 2160 x 1080 resolution. This translates into an 18:9 aspect ratio, so thankfully there is no notch.

It is powered by a 2.2GHz octa-core processor. Our guess is this is the Snapdragon 630 or Snapdragon 660 as they are both clocked at 2.2GHz. There is 4GB or 6GB of RAM with 64GB and 128GB of storage respectively.

The Mi 6X has three cameras but TENAA only lists one on each side. The front facing camera is a 20MP sensor and one of the rear cameras is another 20MP sensor.