World Intellectual Property Day: Huawei Reveals It Had 74,397 Patents As At Dec. 2017

By

-

Apr 26, 2018

April 26 is marked as the World Intellectual Property Day annually. The event was established by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in 2000 to “raise awareness of how patents, copyright, trademarks and designs impact on daily life” and “to celebrate creativity, and the contribution made by creators and innovators to the development of societies across the globe.

Huawei is marking the event, taking time out to disclose its patent portfolio. As we would have expected, Huawei revealed that is has a total of 74,326 patents as at December 31, 2017. In addition, the company also applied for 64,091 patents in China and 48,758 foreign patent application, of which over 90% are invented patents. It could be recalled that the European Patent Office (EPO) did reveal that Huawei had the highest patent filings last year with a total patent application of 2,398. Of course, Huawei’s patents must have gone past 74,326 by now.

This disclosure clearly shows how much Huawei has ramped up its Research and Development (R&D) efforts both in China and overseas. The Chinese tech giant recently revealed that its annual investment in research and development (R&D) reached 89.7 billion Yuan ($13.8 billion) which represents a 17.4 percent increase over the company’s R&D spending for 2016. The disclosure also meant Huawei’s R&D spending over the past decade had exceeded 394 billion Yuan ($60.4 billion). Globally, Huawei’s investment in R&D ranks third, behind Amazon and Google’s parent company, Alphabet. The company promised to continue a $10 billion investment annually in research and development. So, expect more innovations from the Chinese giant.

(source)

Gionee S11 Lite and Gionee F205 Launched In India

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Apr 26, 2018

A few days ago, we reported that Gionee had a product launch scheduled for today in India. Surprisingly, the Chinese-based manufacturer actually announced two new phones for the Indian market. The two phones are the Gionee S11 Lite and the Gionee F205 which were already announced in China last November.

Gionee S11 Lite

The Gionee S11 Lite is similar to the Gionee F6 in China but with a few upgraded specs. It has the same curved and reflective rear design as the other S11 siblings but with less-powerful specs.

The S11 Lite packs a 5.7” 1440 x 720 FullView display with Gorilla Glass protection, a Snapdragon 430 processor, and 4GB of RAM. There is 32GB of built-in storage and a MicroSD card slot for up to an additional 128GB.

For optics, the Gionee S11 Lite has a 13MP + 2MP combo on the rear. They are positioned at the top left corner in a horizontal position. The front camera is a single 16MP sensor, an upgrade from the 8MP on the Gionee F6. It can shoot portrait photos and also has a beauty mode.

Gionee is shipping the phone with Android Nougat out of the box with no news of an update yet. It has a 3030mAh battery, a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, and support for Face Unlock.

The Gionee S11 Lite is priced at Rs. 13,999 (~$210) and will be available at the end of May.

Gionee F205

The Gionee F205 is an entry-level smartphone that also has a FullView display. Its screen is 5.45” and has a 1440 x 720 resolution and under its metal body is 2GB of RAM, 16GB of built-in storage and a MT6739 processor.

The phone has an 8MP rear camera and a 5MP selfie camera. It doesn’t have a fingerprint scanner but it has Face Unlock. There is also a 2670mAh battery for juice and a dedicated microSD card slot.

Continue

OnePlus India Teases the OnePlus 6 Super Slow Motion Video Shooting

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Apr 26, 2018

OnePlus recently announced that its latest flagship- the OnePlus 6 would be launched globally in a ceremony in London on May 16. The device will then debut India as well as China on May 17. Already, OnePlus have revealed a number of features the OP6 is expected to launch with. OnePlus India may have just released a teaser which revealed the OnePlus 6 will come with a Super Slo Mo camera function for video shooting.

The teaser poster was first uploaded on OnePlus India official website but was later pulled down and replaced with something else. However, that wasn’t before the poster was grabbed by some smart visitors. In case you don’t know, For those who don’t know, Slo Mo refers to slow-motion video recording. This isn’t actually a new feature as OnePlus flagships last year featured slow-motion video recording. However, that didn’t allow recording at 960 fps but this is Super Slow Mo and so, we could be looking at 960 frames/second slow-motion video recording or even more.

If the notch display is a deal breaker for some, the other features the OnePlus 6 is expected to feature seems to outweigh that. The flagship device is expected to feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset and would have a glass back, waterproof body, repositioned alert slider and a powerful camera setup. This new feature is obviously going to whip up more interest in the upcoming OnePlus flagship.

(source)

The Ciga Design Mechanical Round Watch Is Xiaomi’s Latest Crowdfunding Product

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Apr 26, 2018

Xiaomi’s Mijia crowdfunding platform has at least one new product every day. These products cover practically all categories and also come in multiple variants just like this new Ciga Design mechanical watch.

Last year, Xiaom released a Ciga Design Mechanical Watch with a square frame (image below). But there are folks who don’t like square-faced watches. If you belong to that category, Ciga Design now has a version with a round frame.

The new Ciga Design Mechanical Watch was designed by Hong-Kong-based Michael Young and is the recipient for iF’s Gold Award for 2017. Below is an excerpt from the statement of the iF jury:

“This watch takes a holistic approach to design, signifying a new interpretation of a classic masterpiece. Appealing sensory details such as a visible movement and a tactile crown winder will delight the user, while the curved face lends a softness to the appearance. Michael Young has succeeded in imparting this watch with a unique experience.”

The watch comes in two colors – silver and black with steel mesh straps, but you can also purchase genuine leather bands if you wish. The case is made of die-cast steel with a 12mm thickness and 42mm diameter. The dial is covered with 1.3mm thick sapphire glass which comes just after diamond on the hardness scale.

Continue

After ZTE’s Ban, U.S. Probing Huawei For Possible Iran Sanctions Violations

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Apr 26, 2018

The searchlight is beaming once again on Huawei in the U.S, this time around concerning the possible violation of US ban on importing its products to Iran and other countries. Sources familiar with the matter hint that the U.S. authorities have been probing Huawei’s alleged shipping of U.S.-origin products to Iran and other countries in violation of U.S. export and sanctions laws.

At present, the U.S Justice Department is reportedly probing Huawei for possible violations and the probe is spearheaded by the U.S attorney’s office in Brooklyn. The probe may have begun as far back as 2016, the same time the ZTE probe began. However, a spokesperson for the Justice Department refused to confirm or deny such investigation was ongoing when contacted.

The probe is yet another hurdle which could effectively cripple Huawei’s business concerns not only in the U.S but also in other regions. It is coming on the heels of a series of U.S. actions aimed at stopping or reducing access by Huawei and Chinese smartphone maker ZTE to the U.S. economy amid allegations the companies could be using their technology to spy on Americans. The sledgehammer fell on ZTE recently as the U.S government slammed a seven years ban on the Chinese company from buying parts and software from American companies. ZTE has indicated the ban is now threatening its survival.

(source)

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

By

Vinay Patel

-

Apr 26, 2018

As part of its latest ‘Get it Free’ special promotion, GearBest is handing out an array of free gifts to buyers who share this season’s amazing moments with their site. The promotion has been split into multiple categories in a bid to simplify the search process.

Going Outdoor

This category gives adventure junkies a lot of cheer about. In addition to a broad range of other items that come in handy when you go on a great outdoor adventure, you can also buy the Paired FLL Winter Windproof full-finger cycling gloves at a discounted price of just $5.18.
GearBest is offering a noteworthy 37% discount on the cycling gloves, which normally carries a price tag of $8.19 on the site. Moreover, you can choose from different sizes including small, medium, large and XL.

Cooking Together

Much to the chagrin of people who love using modern kitchen gadgets while cooking for their friends and family, these devices don’t come cheap. Bearing that in mind, GearBest is giving considerable discounts on a slew of must-have kitchen tools.

For instance, you can get 29% off on 16 pieces of the blue and white-tinted Fruit Fork with whale holder. The product normally sells for $3.47 on GearBest; however, you can now get your hands on it by shelling out only $2.46.

Decorating Home

The market is brimming with all sorts of products that enhance the look of your house. On the downside, these products usually carry steep price tags.

If you like to keep your home looking good without burning a hole in your pocket, you’ve come to the right place. This category is crammed with home decoration items that you can buy at a discounted price.

For the sake of an example, you can buy the BRELONG Rechargeable 3D Printing Moon LED Night Light for only $17.08 on GearBest. This white light + warm white light version of the moon lamp would usually set you back $23.83. This is a 28% drop in the item’s retail price.

Funny Toys

GearBest is giving 22% discount on the Mini Lucky Slot Machine Metal Anti-stress Toy Christmas Gift, bringing its retail price of $3.18 down to only $2.49.
This Flash Sale price will be valid only for the remaining 80 pieces. It’s also worth noting that the promotion will come to an end in 6 days.

In order to get a product without doling out a single dime, all you have to do is click the “Get It Free” button on product page. You have to share the product link to your social media channels including Facebook, Twitter and invite your friends to buy on GearBest.

You can follow this link in order to check out rest of the products and get free gifts.

Check Out GearBest Get It Free Promotion Check More Deals and Promotions From Other Shops

Xiaomi Mi 5 Treated with Face Unlock Feature

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Apr 26, 2018

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

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

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

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

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

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

(via)

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

By

Jeet

-

Apr 26, 2018

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By

Vinay Patel

-

Apr 26, 2018

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Apr 26, 2018

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(source)

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

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Updated Apr 27, 2018

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

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

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

(source)

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

By

Vinay Patel

-

Apr 26, 2018

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By

Jeet

-

Apr 26, 2018

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Apr 26, 2018

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(via 1, 2)

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

By

Vinay Patel

-

Apr 26, 2018

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Samsung Galaxy S9 Active Specs Leaked Well Before its Official Launch

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Apr 26, 2018

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

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

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

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

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

(source|via)

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

By

Jeet

-

Apr 26, 2018

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Apr 26, 2018

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(source)

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

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Apr 26, 2018

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

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

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

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

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

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

(source|via)

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

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Apr 25, 2018

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

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

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

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

(source)