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DOSS Wireless Portable Bluetooth Speaker Review

There are plenty of Bluetooth speakers out there and it always depends on the budget you are willing to spend. Obviously, you can pay hundreds for a high-end wireless system but there are also a lot of cheap options out there. The Doss Bluetooth speaker costs just $35 but it offers 20W of volume output, IPX6 waterproof rating and more. Learn more in our Doss Bluetooth speaker review.

UNBOXING

The speaker ships with a few different straps and mounting screws, USB and 3.5mm cables and some paperwork.

DESIGN and FEATURES

I was really surprised how tiny this speaker is given the fact that it has 20W drivers inside (2x10w).

The device uses mostly rubber and metal in its construction since it is not only waterproof (rated at IPX6) but the speaker can take a beating due to its shockproof properties.

I love the overall build quality and the speaker does not look or feel cheap despite its low price.

We have a control system on the top and I found all the buttons to be nice and tactile.

One of the standout features is a dual flashlight that is triggered by pressing a dedicated button.

In fact, the flashlight has 5 different modes to play with and it can get quite bright.

If you open up the flap on the back, you will find a micro USB and 3.5mm ports and the TF card slot.

There are two 1/4 threads on the bottom, so you can mount the speaker to various support systems etc.

SOUND QUALITY

This speaker uses 20 Watt dual-driver that performs really well, especially considering the price of this device. In terms of the sound quality, this speaker is all about loudness and a huge amount of soft, punchy and powerful bass. Overall, I love the crisp and balanced sound. I may want to hear a little bit of separation between mids and highs but I may be too picky.

BATTERY LIFE and CONNECTIVITY

Battery life is one of the strong points about this speaker. I could get over 10 hours of continuous music playback, which is really impressive considering the total volume output. It takes about 3 hours to fully charge the battery of the speaker. In terms of connectivity, I didn’t have any issues with the Bluetooth range.

CONCLUSIONS

The Doss offers a lot of value for the price. I like its design, sound quality, good battery life and some neat extras like a dual flashlight, supplied strap and of course, IPX6 waterproof rating for such a low price. If we consider all the features and the fact that the speaker performed well during our test, we can easily recommend the Doss speaker that costs just about $35.

LG V40 Concept Video Brings an SD 845 Chip, Bezel-less Design & In-Display Fingerprint

LG isn’t expected to launch the V40 until the second half of 2018 but it isn’t too early to get the chance to see what the flagship would look like. That is what this Concept video by Science and Knowledge affords us. Although this is just a third-party concept design and the real device may be different from this one, we still can’t rule out a similar design which wouldn’t be a bad idea.LG V40

The LG V40 in this video resembles the LG V30 quite a bit, which is perhaps a suggestion that the device will draw much of its design from the V30. The body is made of metal and glass just like the V30 but the bezels around the display are very much thinner than that of the V30. The glass is protected by the Corning Gorilla Glass 6 which by our records is not yet announced. The concept utilises a curved edge design at the rear and a dual camera setup. The rear cameras are placed horizontally with dual LED flash at the right side of the shooters and an autofocus sensor at the left just like on the V30. The difference is that there is no rear-mounted fingerprint sensor as the device is conceptualised to feature an in-display fingerprint sensor. LG’s logo is also placed on the back.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev42kWyHmRY

Read More: LG’s Foldable Smartphone Patent Features Three Screens!

The specs of the Concept LG V40 is given as a 6.1-inch QHD+ (2960 x 1440) P-OLED HDR10 and Dolby Vision-compliant display. The device will be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset paired with 6GB of RAM and 8GB RAM on some models while the storage comes in 64GB and 128GB versions. The rear camera is configured as two 19MP sensors both with a f/1.6 aperture, OIS, and PDAF. The front camera is a single 13MP sensor with f/1.7 aperture. The lights will be kept on by a non-removable 4000mAh battery while the device will have an IP68 waterproof and dustproof build. The V40 Concept video showcases the device in four radiant colours including Blue, Red, Silver, and Black.

(source)

Rather Than a 4GB Honor 7X, US Will Get the Huawei Mate SE

It appears Huawei and its sub-brand Honor, enjoy confusing its customers. The Chinese giant is fond of releasing the same phone under different names in multiple markets. While that is a bit “understandable”, what we do not get is releasing the same phone under two different names in the same market.

The Honor 7X currently sold in the US market is the 3GB RAM + 32GB ROM variant. In other markets, the mid-ranger is also available with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.

Rather than launch it in a higher configuration in the US, Huawei is releasing a “brand” new model called the Huawei Mate SE!

Huawei Mate SE
Huawei Mate SE

The Mate SE has the same design, specs, and even the same Bond (BND-LXX) model number as the Honor 7X. So why not just call it the Honor 7X?

Pictures of the phone were first released on Twitter last night by Evan Blass, but he had incorrectly referred to it as a “Huawei-branded Honor 8 Pro”. Of course it is easy to see it is not the Honor 8 Pro as it as an 18:9 display.

Nevertheless, another leaker Roland Quandt (@rquandt) then corrected him with proofs that the phone is actually the Huawei Mate SE.

The phone is already on the Huawei US support page where you can download the user manual and quick start guide. The quick start guide also reveals that the phone will be available in Latin America.

Apart from that, it is currently listed on B&H but doesn’t have a price tag yet. A web cache also revealed an Amazon listing with a $249 price tag.

READ MORE: Upcoming Huawei Nova 3e Could Sport the Same Specs As Huawei P20 Lite

LG To Launch Flagship With 6.1” Display & Snapdragon 845 In June

For 2018, LG is changing its release schedule. Instead of a brand new model in the first quarter, the Korean company will announce an upgraded version of the V30 called the LG V30s. New report has revealed when the main flagship will launch and a few of its specs.

LG V30 Raspberry Rose
LG will announce a slightly upgraded version of the V30 at MWC

The upcoming phone which will likely not be called the LG G7 is currently known as “Judy”. It will come with a 6.1” screen with a new display technology called MLCD+. The new display is said to include a new white sub-pixel in addition to the RGBW color matrix. This will give it an increased brightness, (up to 800 nits) but with a 35% reduction in  energy consumption compared to an IPS LCD.

Like most of the other flagships that will be released this year, Judy will be powered by the Snapdragon 845 processor with an Adreno 630 GPU. RAM is said to be 4GB and is paired with 64GB of storage. There will definitely be other memory variants.

The phone will come with dual rear cameras. Both will be 13MP sensors, each with a f/1.6 aperture. Like the LG G6 and LG V30, it will also have an IP68 rating, be MIL-STD-810G certified, and rock stereo speakers that will be referred to as “Boombox”.

READ MORE: LG’s Foldable Smartphone Patent Features Three Screens!

Essential PH-1 Gets New Halo Gray Variant With Alexa Built-in, Amazon Lowers Prices to $449

On February 15, Essential announced three new color variants for the PH-1. The three colors – Ocean Depths, Stellar Gray, and Copper Black are $100 more expensive than the first two colors but they do look really nice. Yesterday, Essential announced a 4th new color variant that comes with an additional feature.

Essential PH-1 Halo Gray
Essential PH-1 Halo Gray with Alexa built-in

The new color variant is called Halo Gray but looks like the Stellar Gray version. It has the same matte finish which hides fingerprint smudges but its frame is silver like that of the Pure White variant.

That is not the only exciting about the Halo Gray variant. Unlike the other colors, it comes with Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant built-in.

This version is an Amazon-exclusive and will be available for purchase on February 21, though you can pre-order it now. However, unlike the other three released this week, the Halo Gray variant sells for $449 and $499 with the 360° Camera and a free pill case.

The pill case is a new addition used for carrying the 360 camera instead of the small cloth sack that used to come with it.

Essential PH-1 Black Moon + Camera + Pill case

READ MORE: Essential Rolls Out Android Oreo Beta 8.1, Includes February’s Security Patch, Bug Fix, and New Features

Nubia NX606J With Snapdragon 845 SoC, 6GB RAM Appears On AnTuTu

Looks like ZTE’s Nubia will join the early birds to launch a smartphone packing Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 845 chipset. A new Nubia smartphone has appeared on AnTuTu’s Weibo page showing a specs lineup which includes the latest Qualcomm flagship chip.

The device is simply identified as Nubia NX606J and is believed to be the Nubia Z19 flagship. Judging by the specs listed, the device is the company’s next flagship model so it really could be the Nubia Z19. The AnTuTu listing shows the Nubia NX606J comes with 6GB of RAM as well as 32GB of storage. This should be one of the variants as there will likely be another one with a more spacious storage. Nubia could also include an 8GB RAM variant on the upcoming flagship model just like we saw on the Nubia Z17. The NX606J is also listed to pack a full-screen design with a FullHD+ resolution of 2160 x 1080pixels. The device will also get its interface from the Android 8.0 Oreo OS out of the box. Of course, the Android Oreo OS will come with Nubia’s Custom UI. Nubia NX606J

Read More: Nubia Flagship With Essential-like Notch And Amazing Screen To Body Ratio Leaked: Should Be Nubia Z19!

The AnTuTu listing also outlines the benchmark score of the device and it is very much similar to other Snapdragon 845 models which passed through AnTuTu recently. The Nubia NX606J managed to record a score of 271,674 points on AnTuTu. This is slightly higher than the Galaxy S9+ AnTuTu score of 265,257 but the difference isn’t much. We can’t say when the device will be launched but it is unlikely the device will debut at MWC 2018. The Nubia Z17 was launched in June last year but this model could be unveiled a bit earlier than that. We’ll be on the lookout for more details and possibly renders of the device.

(source)

ZTE Refutes Allegation Of Espionage As US Security Agencies Recommend Boycott

Chinese OEMs are usually keen to enter the U.S market with their products due to the lucrative outlook of the market. Huawei and ZTE are arguably the two Chinese companies that have found success in the U.S market. Huawei’s success is hinged on its telecom equipment business while ZTE supplies telecommunication equipment and also does well in its smartphone business. Huawei’s effort to launch its smartphones in the U.S has faced several hurdles especially bothering on security. U.S authorities believe the Chinese government could compel both companies to disclose sensitive data collected from consumers in the U.S.

ZTE Blade A2S

That mistrust took a different dimension on Tuesday when the directors of six top U.S intelligence organizations, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and National Security Agency, told the Senate Intelligence Committee that they would not recommend private citizens to use products, including smartphones) from ZTE and Huawei. The U.S security chiefs made this known while testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee.  Earlier this year, two Senators proposed a bill that would effectively prevent government agencies from using any telecommunications equipment from Huawei and ZTE. Both the intelligence chiefs and Senators cited spying concerns as the reason for the recommended boycott.

Read More: Huawei P20’s March 27 Launch Invitation Out & It Points At Triple Rear Cameras

However, ZTE has responded by dismissing all espionage allegations raised against the company. The Chinese firm reiterated its earlier stance that all such accusations are baseless and vowing to continue focusing on improving the overall security of its products offered in the United States. In a statement provided to Xinhua, a ZTE spokesperson said the firm is fully committed to justify the trust of its customers and is entirely compliant with any applicable laws and regulations in all foreign markets in which it operates, including the U.S. Besides doing business in a law-abiding manner, ZTE is also subjecting its hardware and technologies to “strict testing protocols” and is always aiming to operate in accordance with “the highest business standards,” the company concluded.

(source)

 

Google Shipped 3.9 Million Pixel Phones in 2017

Research firm, IDC, has released the sales figure for Google’s Pixel phones. According to a tweet by one of its directors, Google recorded double the sales of 2016 last year.

Google Pixel sales

The exact figure is put at 3.9 million units and includes sale of the first gen Pixel phones too. However, Google’s figures pales in comparison to that of several other manufacturers.

In 2016, Google cancelled the Nexus line in favor of the Pixel line. It also got more involved with the hardware manufacturing process. Gone is the branding of the manufacturer that handles the production, and in its place is Google’s own logo.

For the 2nd generation Pixel, Google went further by designing a special imaging processor called the Pixel Visual Core.

READ MORE: Google Pixel 3 Concept Reveals Full Screen Design with Very Slim Bezels, Dual Front Speakers

Galaxy S9 Trumps Galaxy S8 in Early Photo Shootout

Samsung will launch the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ on February 25 at MWC 2018. The new flagships don’t look very different from their predecessors except on the rear but greatly differ with respect to internals. So how is Samsung going to get you to buy its new phones?

The cameras. The cameras on the Galaxy S9 will be the best ever on a Samsung phone and on many other devices. The Galaxy S8 and S8+ both have fantastic cameras but the S9 and S9+ are said to push the boundaries further than imagined.

Ahead of the launch, a leaker has shared photos comparing the camera of the Galaxy S9 and the Galaxy S8 to give us a glimpse of the former’s performance. Though we should warn you that these are probably the worst comparison photos you may have come across.

The photos were shared on Twitter by @MMDDJ_, a popular leaker.

[envira-gallery id=”173891″]

The pictures are daytime photos of some skyscrapers and apparently with the cameras at maximum zoom. The Galaxy S8 took the shot on the left while the one on the right is from the Galaxy S9.

READ MORE: Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Snow White Winter Olympic Games Customised Edition Hands-on

Nokia 7 Plus Live Photo Appears; India is Likely to Receive it Soon

Yesterday, well-known tipster Evan Blass had revealed first renders of the upcoming Nokia 7 Plus Android One smartphone. Today, a Chinese publication has revealed a leaked photo of what appears to be the real Nokia 7 Plus smartphone.

The screenshot shows that the Nokia 7 Plus could be the first Nokia phone to arrive with full screen design. The corners of the phone are rounded. Its 18:9 aspect ratio display is said to be placed under a 2.5D curved display.

“Namaste” mentioned on the top-left corner of the screen is an Indian word which means a respectful greeting. Also, an Indian name “Raj Sharma” is mentioned below the date on the screen. These things suggest that the smartphone could be heading to India soon.

Nokia 7 Plus Real Photo
At the top-right corner of the phone is the rumored 16-megapixel selfie camera. It also seems to be sporting the same stock UI from HMD Global that was first seen on the original Nokia 6.

The above renders that were leaked by Blass show that the Nokia 7 Plus will be arriving in the market as an Android One phone. The renders have also revealed that the Pearl White and Black color variants of the phone will be sporting orange accents. It is speculated that the handset could be sporting a metal unibody design and its finish will have a ceramic appeal.

Its Geekbench listing has revealed that it could be the first phone from the company to feature Snapdragon 660 chipset. The SoC will be coupled by 4 GB of RAM. The backside of the phone features Carl Zeiss certified dual camera setup that may include 12-megapixel and 13-megapixel sensors. The rear panel also features a fingerprint scanner.

It is likely to house a 6-inch display that will support Full HD+ resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels. It may come preinstalled with Android 8.0 Oreo and since it is an Android One phone, it may be soon treated with Android 8.1 Oreo. As of this writing, there is no information available on its pricing.

Read More: Nokia 1, Nokia 6 (2018) And Nokia 8 Sirocco To Reportedly Launch In India In April

HMD Global is expected to announce the Nokia 7 Plus and Nokia 1 Android Go phone at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 tech exhibition on Feb. 25. Rumors have it that some other phones like Nokia 8 Sirocco (could be Nokia 9) and global variants of Nokia 6 (2018) and Nokia 3310 4G may also get unveiled at MWC 2018.

What do you think about the newly leaked photo of Nokia 7 Plus? Share us your views by posting your comments below.

(source|via)

 

ZTE Axon 7’s Android Oreo Update To Offer Near-Stock UI And Improved Battery Performance

Earlier, ZTE had revealed that the Axon 7 will be receiving the Android Oreo update. Now, the China-based company has announced that the users of ZTE Axon 7 in the United States can now register to be the part of the its Android Oreo beta program.

The company says that following “a request voiced by consumers”, the Android 8 Oreo update will bring a near-stock Android experience to the Axon 7. Further, the Android Oreo update will also offer improved battery life, faster boot speeds, picture-in-picture (PiP) mode, and more enhancements.

ZTE Axon 7

However, the company has not yet announced the exact date of release for the public update. The phone was originally announced with Android Marshmallow out-of-the-box. Later, the Axon 7 was upgraded to Android Nougat and now its slated to receive Android Oreo update.

The ZTE Axon 7 features a 5.5-inch display with 2K resolution, 2.5D curved glass and a layer of Gorilla Glass 4 protection on top. The phone is fuelled by a 3,250mAh battery, which also supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 technology.

Under the hood, the device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, coupled with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage. It comes with a 20MP f/1.8 aperture camera with OIS and EIS on the rear side, while up front, there is an 8MP f/2.2 88-degree wide angle shooter.

Read More: Xiaomi, OPPO, Vivo, ZTE, Nokia 5G Smartphones with Snapdragon X50 5G NR Arriving in 2019

Recently, ZTE CEO Cheng Lixin announced that the company’s next flagship phone will be called ZTE Axon 9 and not Axon 8 as the rumor mill has been speculating. It will be the company’s weapon to rival with the flagship phones from Samsung and Apple in the United States.

 

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 And Redmi Note 5 Pro Will Be Manufactured In India

A couple of days back, Xiaomi announced its latest devices in the Indian market — Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro. Now, the company has announced the both the phones will be manufactured locally at its manufacturing units in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh.

According to the company, it manufactures over 95 percent of phones locally that it sells in India. Manu Kumar Jain, Xiaomi India MD and Global VP said that Redmi Note 5 and Redmi Note 5 Pro will be 100 percent manufactured locally and will share more details soon.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro

He also said that the company is also planning to gear up its manufacturing efforts in India under the government’s “Make In India” initiative. The company is looking forward to setup more manufacturing units in the country for other category of products as well.

Recently, the company had announced its third manufacturing facility in the country, located in Noida, in partnership with China-based Hipad Technology. The manufacturing unit is currently used to manufacture its recently launched power banks.

Giving more information about Xiaomi’s performance in the Indian market, Manu Kumar Jain said:

Among the top 10 smartphones in India in 2017, six were Xiaomi phones. We have 57 percent market share online and nearly 11 percent share offline in the country. The challenge is now to defend the online territory and ramp up our offline presence for a strong year-long growth period.

xiaomi redmi note 5

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5, which is the successor to the Redmi Note 4 — is priced at Rs 9,999 for the 3GB RAM and 32GB storage variant and Rs 11,999 for the 4GB RAM and 64GB variant. On the other hand, the Redmi Note 5 Pro costs Rs 13,999 for the 4GB RAM and 64GB variant and Rs 16,999 for the 6GB RAM and 64GB ROM option.

The Redmi Note 5 is powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 625 processor and features a 12-megapixel rear camera with f/2.2 aperture along with an 8-megapixel front-facing camera. The Redmi Note 5 Pro is packs Snapdragon 636 processor and features dual camera setup of a 12-megapixel Sony IMX486 sensor and a 5-megapixel secondary sensor. On the front side, it features a 20-megapixel Sony IMX376 camera sensor.

Read More: Xiaomi Set To Storm India With Its Fully-Owned Mi Home Stores This Year

Both the devices features the trends full-screen display with 18:9 aspect ratio. The devices are running on the latest MIUI 9, based on Android 7.0 Nougat operating system out-of-the-box. The phones will go on sale on Flipkart and Mi.com on 22nd February.

 

Celkon UniQ Launched in India for Rs. 8,999 with 3 GB RAM, 8MP Selfie Camera with Moonlight Flash

Celkon Mobiles has unveiled a new budget-friendly smartphone called Celkon UniQ in India. It has been launched with a price tag of Rs. 8,999 (~$140).

Celkon UniQ Specifications and Features

Celkon UniQ sports a metal body that houses a 5-inch IPS OnCell display that supports HD resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels. The screen is placed under 2.5D curved glass. The side bezels are slim, but the upper and lower bezels are quite thick. The bottom bezel features a home button that is integrated with a fingerprint scanner.

Celkon UniQ

It is powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core processor that is supported by 3 GB of RAM. It has a native storage of 32 GB. It also features a microSD card slot. A 2,700mah battery is available to keep the lights on. It comes preloaded with Android 7.0 Nougat.

The rear side of the phone features a 16-megapixel camera along with its LED flash. The front panel houses an 8-megapixel camera that is coupled with Moonlight flash. It is equipped with connectivity features like 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, microUSB, 3.5mm audio jack and GPS.

Celkon UniQ

Read More: Xiaomi Set To Storm India With Its Fully-Owned Mi Home Stores This Year

Celkon Mobile has only disclosed the pricing of the UniQ phone. It is yet to reveal information on its availability.

Do you think that Rs. 8,999 pricing is suitable for the Celkon UniQ smartphone? Share us your thoughts by commenting below.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro vs Meizu M6s vs Nokia 6 (2018): 2018 Mid-Ranger Comparison!

When it comes to mid-range smartphones, Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro, Meizu M6s and Nokia 6 (2018) are among the best options for people who have a low budget. They can offer a user experience which is not incredibly distant from flagships as they are well-balanced in all of their specs. They can take decent photos and provide decent performances along with good battery life, even though the price is very affordable. Seeing that their launch prices do not differ so much, we decided to make a Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro vs Meizu M6s vs Nokia 6 (2018) comparison to help you understand which one has the best value for money.

xiaomi redmi note 5 pro vs meizu m6s vs nokia 6

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro vs Meizu M6s vs Nokia 6 (2018)

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro Meizu M6s Nokia 6 (2018)
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 158.6 x 75.4 x 8.1 mm, 181 grams 152 x 72.5 x 8 mm, 160 grams  148.8 x 75.8 x 8.2 mm, 172 grams
DISPLAY 5,99 inches, 1080 x 2160p (Full HD+), 403 ppi, 18:9 ratio, IPS LCD 5.7 inches, 720 x 1440p (HD+), 282 ppi, 18:9 ratio, IPS LCD  5.5 inches, 1080 x 1920 pixels, 403 ppi, 16:9 ratio, IPS LCD
PROCESSOR Qualcomm Snapdragon 636, octa-core 1.8 GHz Samsung Exynos 7872, hexa-core 2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, octa-core 2.2 GHz
MEMORY 3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 64 GB, micro SD slot 3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 3 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD slot  4 GB RAM, 32 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB, micro SD slot
SOFTWARE Android 7.1.2 Nougat, MIUI 9 Android 7.0 Nougat, Flyme UI 6.2  Android 7.1.1 Nougat
CONNECTIVITY Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS  Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
CAMERA Dual 12 + 5 MP f/2.2 + f/2.0
20 MP front camera
16 MP f/2.0
8 MP front camera
16 MP f/2.0
8 MP front camera
BATTERY 4000 mAh
Fast charging 5V / 2A
3000 mAh 18W Fast Charging  3000 mAh, Fast Charging
ADDITIONAL FEATURES Hybrid Dual SIM slot Hybrid Dual SIM slot  Hybrid Dual SIM slot

Each of these handsets has a full metal unibody design with Nokia 6 (2018) looking a bit more elegant and stylish, even though it still has a 16:9 display (the bezels are still optimized!). Besides similar designs, these devices also have similar dimensions, with Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro being slightly bigger due to its bigger 5.99-inch display. When it comes to displays, each one is different from each other and Meizu M6s loses the battle due to its lower resolution. Nokia 6 has a Full HD display with the 16:9 aspect ratio, while the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro has a Full HD+ panel with 18:9 aspect ratio which makes it better to hold. Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro has also a slightly better hardware with its Snapdragon 636 SoC and up to 6 GB RAM, while Meizu M6s and Nokia 6 are similar in terms of performances, even though Nokia 6 is more suitable for multi-tasking because it has 1 GB RAM more.

There are still not enough camera samples to make a decent comparison, but we believe that Nokia 6 may have some value in this sector. In terms of battery life, Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro wins with its monster 4000 mAh unit and a power-efficient Snapdragon 636. If you care about always having the latest Android version, you should choose Nokia 6 (2018) as it will probably the first to get the updates (it is already upgradeable to Oreo unlike the other twos).

 

READ MORE: Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro First Camera Samples Show Bokeh Effect, Vividly Clear Shots

 

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro has been launched in India with a price of €176/$218, Meizu M6s can be found at about €152/$185, Nokia 6 (2018) starts from €184/$230 in China. I would personally pick Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro especially for its longer battery life which is one of the most important feature on a mid-ranger. The difference between prices is minimal and in my opinion, it is not worth saving a bunch of dollars to purchase the lower-end Meizu M6s. But you may like the Nokia 6 (2018) if aesthetics are really important for you, as well as software updates and camera performance.

Which one would you pick?

 

[yop_poll id=”16″]

 

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro vs Meizu M6s vs Nokia 6 (2018): PRO and CONS

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro

PRO

  • Affordable price
  • Greatest hardware side
  • Big battery
  • Big display

CONS

  • Average camera (?)

Meizu M6s

PRO

  • Good SoC
  • Affordable price
  • Compact design
  • Nice power efficiency

CONS

  • 720p display

 

Nokia 6 (2018)

PRO

  • Stunning design
  • Interesting camera
  • Nice hardware
  • Power-efficient

CONS

  • Higher price

Alcatel 5, Alcatel 3v and Alcatel 1x to be Showcased at MWC 2018

TCL-owned Alcatel has confirmed that it will be present at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 at Barcelona, Spain to unveil the new Alcatel 5, Alcatel 3V and Alcatel 1X smartphones. The specifications of these smartphones have been revealed in the recent past. They will be showcased at MWC 2018 for global exposure.

Except for the thick upper bezel, the Alcatel 5 sports super-slim bezels. It features a 5.7-inch display that offers an HD+ resolution of 720 x 1440 pixels and aspect ratio of 18:9. The MediaTek MT6750 chipset featuring a 1.5 GHz quad-core processor and Mali-T860 MP2 graphics will be present under the hood of the phone. The SoC will be coupled with 3 GB of RAM.

The Alcatel has a native storage of 32 GB and it also features a microSD card slot. It features a 12-megapixel rear snapper and the frontside features dual selfie snappers. It will be fueled by a 3,000mAh battery. It will come preloaded with Android 8.0 Oreo. It features a rear-mounted fingerprint reader. It may arrive with a pricing of 189 euros (~$237).

Alcatel 5, Alcatel 3V a

Read More: Alcatel POP4 10 4G Tablet Launched In India For Rs 10,990 ($172)

The Alcatel 3v will be sporting a 6-inch display that will be supporting a Full HD+ resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels and 18:9 aspect ratio. It features a MediaTek chipset that includes a quad-core processor. The SoC is accompanied by 2 GB of RAM. The native storage available on the phone is 16 GB.

The dual camera setup present on the back of the phone includes a 16-megapixel sensor and a 2-megpaixel sensor. It is also equipped with a fingerprint scanner. It will be arriving with Android 8.0 Oreo preinstalled and it will be equipped with a 3,000mAh battery. It is expected to launch with a pricing of 230 euros (~$288)

In terms of specs, there is nothing much known about the Alcatel 1x. It seems to be an entry-level phone with full screen design. It features a single rear camera and a fingerprint reader. It is likely to cost less than $200 at launch.

(source)

 

 

Android Wear Oreo Update Now Available for These Six Smartwatches

In December 2017, Google had confirmed the list of smartwatches that will be treated with Android Wear Oreo update. Today, the search engine giant has confirmed the six smartwatches that are now receiving the major Android update.

The Huawei watch 2, Casio PRO TREK Smart WSD-F20, Casio WSD-F10 Smart Outdoor Watch, Polar M600, ZTE Quartz and Mobvoi Ticwatch S & E. Even though these devices belong to the list of the devices that will be upgrade to the latest Android version, they were not included in the first batch of smartwatches that were updated to Android Wear Oreo.

As of this writing, several smartwatches have received the Oreo update such as Fossil Q Venture, LG Watch Sport, Louis Vuitton Tambour, Michael Kors Sofie, and Montblanc Summit, LG Watch Style, Misfit Vapor, Nixon Mission, TAG Heuer Connected Modular 45, Fossil Q Founder 2.0, Fossil Q Marshal, Fossil Q Wander, Michael Kors Access Bradshaw, and Michael Kors Access Dylan.

android-wear-oreo-update

Read More:Upcoming Huawei Smartwatch May Accept Gestures In The Air: New Patent Filed!

The other smartwatches that will be also receiving the Android Wear Oreo update include: Diesel Full Guard, Emporio Armani Connected, Fossil Q Control, Fossil Q Explorist, Gc Connect, Guess Connect, Hugo BOSS BOSS Touch, Michael Kors Access Grayson, Movado Connect and Tommy Hilfiger 24/7 You. Users who own any of these smartwatches are advised to check for arrival of the update. One should be aware of the fact that Android Wear Oreo is being made available in phases. Hence, it may take some time for all the smartwatches to receive the Android Wear Oreo update.

(source|via)

 

 

Alcatel POP4 10 4G Tablet Launched In India For Rs 10,990 ($172)

Alcatel, the brand which is now licensed by TCL, has announced a new tablet in the Indian market — Alcatel POP4 10. The 4G tablet comes with voice-calling support. The tablet will be available in India from today onwards, exclusively through online retailer Flipkart for Rs. 10,990, which roughly converts to $172.

The tablet comes pre-installed with a learning app with NCERT books for all grades. The content of the pre-installed app is available in English, Hindi, and Urdu which will be accessible offline.

Alcatel POP4 10

The Alcatel POP4 10 comes with a 10.1-inch Full HD display with 1920 x 1200 pixels screen resolution and is powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 430 processor along with 2GB RAM. It packs 16GB of internal storage and supports microSD card up to 32GB for expanding storage.

There’s an 8-megapixel rear facing camera as well as a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. Unfortunately, the device runs on years old Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system out-of-the-box and we doubt if the tablet will ever receive the Android version update.

Connectivity options include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, A-GPS, Wi-Fi Direct, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The device is powered by a 5,830mAh battery that is rated to provide up to 30 hours of talk time. The company is also offering 5GB Onetouch Cloud storage.

Read More: Alcatel 3V Promotional Video Leaks Ahead Of The Phone’s Launch

As said, priced at Rs. 10,900 (approximately $172), the tablet will be exclusively available through Flipkart from today onwards in two color variants — Dark Grey and Silver. As a part of the company’s special launch offer, first 200 customers of the Alcatel POP4 10 can purchase the Alcatel KB9030 Bluetooth keyboard for just Re. 1.

 

Alleged Huawei P20 Lite Real Images Leaked Through FCC Listing

The schematics of the Huawei P20 Lite was revealed around a week ago when it had appeared at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the U.S. Today, couple of real images of the same Huawei phone have appeared through its FCC listing.

The front view of the alleged P20 Lite shows that it features a notch that could be housing the selfie camera and earpiece. The notch is not as big as the one seen on the iPhone X. This could be because the Huawei device may not be featuring a complex facial recognition feature that is available on the iPhone X.

The Huawei branding is not seen on the device. Instead, the device features “Shirley” branding on its chin and rear side. This could be a strategy to hide the actual brand name of the phone. The back panel features a vertically aligned dual camera setup at the top-left corner. Below the camera module is the LED flash and “DUAL LENS hybrid zoom” text which can be also seen on the recently leaked photos of P20 Lite.

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The right side of the handset seems to feature the volume rocker and power key. The bottom side appears to feature a 3.5mm audio jack, a USB-C port and an external speaker.

The P20 Lite is slated to get unveiled alongside the P20 and P20 Plus flagship phones. It is likely to feature a 5.8-inch IPS LCD display with FHD+ resolution of 2280 x 1080 pixels, Kirin chipset, 4 GB of RAM, 32 GB of native storage, Android 8.0 Oreo and 3,000mAh battery. It is speculated that the P20 Lite would be launching as Huawei Nova 3e in certain markets.

What do you think of the design of the P20 Lite? Share us your views by posting your comments below.

(source|via)

 

Sony Xperia XZ2 Pro or Xperia XZ2 Reportedly Redesigned Ahead of MWC 2018 Launch

Recent reports have revealed that the Sony will be announcing the Xperia XZ2 Pro and Xperia XZ2 smartphones at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 later this month. It is also speculated to announce a small-sized Xperia XZ2 Compact smartphone with flagship specs. A new filing with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the U.S. shows that the company has sought permission to redesign one of its upcoming Android phones.

On Feb. 7, Sony had approached FCC to dismiss its grants for an upcoming device that has an FCC ID of PY7-00718V in order to change its design. However, there is no information available on what sort of design change Sony wants to do on its upcoming phone. The device has already bagged FCC certification, but since it hasn’t been launched yet, the telecom regulatory is likely to fulfil the request of dismissing the grant.

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Read More: Mysterious 5-inch Sony Phone Gets FCC Approval; Could it be the Xperia XZ2 Compact?

 

Since the Japanese tech giant has requested FCC quite recently, it seems that it won’t be making any major change to the design as its Feb. 26 launch event is drawing near. However, the change seems to be urgent enough that the company decided to approach FCC for it few weeks before its launch.

Recent reports have revealed that the upcoming Sony flagships won’t be sporting the OmniBalance design that it has been using on its smartphones since 2013. The Xperia XZ2 Pro and Xperia XZ2 are likely speculated to arrive with the trendy full screen design.

(source|via)

Meizu Pro 7 Wins The German iF Design Award 2018 For Its Stunning Design

It’s Spring Festival already in China and tech giant Meizu apparently ended the year on a high note. The company has disclosed that its flagship Meizu Pro 7 has won the popular German iF Product Design award for its innovative design. What a marvellous way to usher in the Chinese New year!meizu pro 7

The iF Product Design Award was introduced in 1954 and is annually conferred by the iF International Forum Design. The award, which spans multiple disciplines, has more than 5,500 entries from around 59 nations every year. The Pro 7 stood out among the pack of over 6,400 entries submitted by contestants from 54 countries around the world to claim the award in the smartphone design category. Meizu Pro 7 feature

The award really doesn’t come as a surprise because the Pro 7 is known for its spectacular design style which looks absolutely different from Meizu’s past works. The Meizu Pro 7 design was done by Frog design, a multinational design company with its roots being Germany. The design saw the flagship Pro 7 packing a dual-screen setup both at the front and rear aspects. The main display is a 5.2-inch Super AMOLED screen with a FullHD resolution of 1920 x 1080pixels while the Pro 7 Plus packs a 5.7-inch display. The device also comes with a secondary screen at the back which is a 1.9-inch AMOLED display located on the left side of the rear panel and which displays some notifications as well as run a few apps. The Meizu Pro 7 features a MediaTek Helio X30 chip as well as Helio P25 on some models.Meizu Pro 7 Official Red

Related: Meizu Pro 7 Red New Year Edition With A Special Gift Bag Goes On Sale Jan. 24 For 1,999 Yuan (~$312)

Another superb feature is the rear dual camera setup which the device packs and it is fused into the secondary display in a unique manner. In addition, the device runs on the Flyme 6 OS based on Android 7.0 Nougat and is fueled by a 3000mAh battery with mCharge 3.0. The Pro 7 is competitively priced, as it starts at 2880 Yuan (∼$426) for the base variant powered by Helio P25 and 3380 Yuan (∼$500) for the Helio  X30 version. These prices have obviously seen some reduction since its first launch. The Pro 7’s special New Year edition which was unveiled in January came in at just 1,999 Yuan (~$312). Meizu Pro 7 design iF award