Xiaomi Mi 5, Mi MIX, Mi Note 2 Android Oreo Beta Testing Begins; Stable ROM Roll Out Could be Available Soon

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Apr 11, 2018

Few days ago, Xiaomi had released China Developer ROM based on Android Oreo for devices like Mi 5, Mi MIX and Mi Note 2. Today, the company has officially confirmed through its MIUI forum site that the it is now recruiting new fans for these handsets outside of China to test the Android Oreo Global ROM’s beta version.

Xiaomi is now in the process of making the MIUI 9.5 version available to as many as 30 smartphones. However, the update only brings the latest MIUI version, and it does not contain newer version of Android OS.

The Chinese manufacturer is also gradually rolling out the latest Android Oreo update to eligible devices. Xiaomi has already released Android 8.0 Oreo update to devices like Mi A1, Mi MIX 2, Mi 6, Redmi Note 5 Pro but there are a handful of eligible devices such as Mi Note 3, Redmi 5, Redmi Note 5, Redmi 5A, Redmi 5A Prime, Redmi Note 5A, Redmi Note 5A Prime Mi Max 2, Mi Note 2, Mi MIX, Mi 5s, Mi 5s Plus, Mi 5, Mi 5X, Mi 5C and Mi Pad 3 that are yet to receive the Android 8.0 Oreo update.

As mentioned above, it appears that the global ROM based on Android Oreo could be available soon for Mi 5, Mi MIX and Mi Note 2. These handsets are likely to receive the Oreo update within Q2 this year whereas most of the remaining handsets may get it Q3.

Users of Mi 5, Mi MIX and Mi Note 2 who wish to test the beta version of Android Oreo can visit the source link to know how to enroll as a beta tester. One should be aware of the fact that the deadline to become a test tester for these phones is April 11 until 11:59 PM (Beijing time).

The Xiaomi Mi 6 had received Android Oreo beta version in January this year and the stable global ROM was made available for it by February end. Hence, it is likely that the Mi 5, Mi MIX and Mi Note 2 users may get the global stable Android Oreo ROM by the coming month.

(source)

Google Home And Home Mini Launched In India, Price Starts At Rs. 4,499

By

Jeet

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Apr 11, 2018

In an attempt to take on Amazon in the smart speakers market in India, Google has launched its own smartphone speakers — Google Home and its mini variant Google Home Mini in India at a launch event in New Delhi.

The Google Home is priced at Rs. 9,999 (approximately $153) while the Home Mini is priced at Rs. 4,499, which roughly converts to $69. Both the speakers will be available for purchase in India online exclusively through Flipkart and select offline stores, including Reliance Digital, Chroma and others.

The Google Home will be available in Chalk color, whereas the Google Home Mini will come in Chalk and Charcoal colors. While the company has launched Home and Home Mini, the Google Home Max has not been launched in India. However, there’s a possibility that the company could bring the Home Max to India at a later date.

Those who purchase the device will also receive free six months of subscription for Google Play Music and some special offers from Gaana and Saavn Music. Further, there’s also a 10 percent discount if the speakers are purchased using HDFC credit card. Furthermore, Flipkart, as well as few offline stores, are also offering a free JioFi router on the purchase of Google Home or Google Home Mini.

The smart speakers, which are powered by Google’s voice assistant, Google Assistant, are capable of performing a range of tasks, from playing music and checking traffic to reading out news and recipes.

The company says that the speakers have been tweaked for India and Google has also roped in local news partners for providing headlines through the device. Users will be able to access various apps using the device, as well as IoT devices.

According to Google, it has partnered with more than 200 brands for bringing support for more than 1500 devices, which can be controlled via the Google Home series of speakers. The devices also respond distinctly to more than one user as they come with a Voice Match feature, allowing each user to access their music, calendar and other services based on their voice profile.

In India, the newly launched Google Home and Home Mini will go up against Amazon’s Echo, Echo Dot, and Echo Plus, which starts at Rs. 4,499 (approximately $69) and are powered by Amazon’s own smart assistant — Alexa.

Huawei P20, P20 Pro to Launch in Taiwan on April 19 for ~$718 and ~$924; Pricing for China Also Tipped

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Apr 11, 2018

Huawei had announced the P20 and P20 Pro flagship phones in Europe on March 27. The Chinese manufacturer is now working on bringing the P20 series to more markets like China, Taiwan and India. Huawei has recently confirmed through its official Weibo account that the P20 series will be unveiled in China on April 12 at 2:30 PM local time. Fresh information reveals that the company will be launching the P20 and P20 Pro in Taiwan on April 19.

According to a Taiwanese publication, the 5.8-inch Huawei P20 may hit the Taiwanese market with a price tag of 20,990 TWD (~$718) and the larger 6.1-inch Huawei P20 Pro may carry a pricing of 26,990 TWD (~$924). Earlier rumors had claimed that the latter could be costing around 30,000 TWD (~$1,027). The publication claims that the leaked pricing could be different from the final pricing that is expected to get announced on April 19.

As far as Chinese release of the Huawei P20 and P20 Pro is concerned, fresh reports claim that the P20 would be available with a starting price of 4,088 Yuan (~$651). On the other hand, the P20 Pro is pegged to carry a starting price of 5,288 Yuan (~$848). The first sales of the P20 and P20 Pro is expected to begin at 18:08 PM on April 12.

The Chinese market will be also receiving the Mate RS Porsche Design smartphone that is equipped with 512 GB storage, P20 Pro’s triple camera setup, 18:9 aspect ratio display and dual fingerprint scanner. It is expected to be available in China for 10,000 Yuan (~$1,590).

Huawei is also teasing the arrival of P20 and P20 Pro in India through its Indian Facebook and Twitter accounts. However, it is yet to reveal the launch date for P20 series for India. Also, there is no information available on the Indian pricing for P20 and P20 Pro. In Europe, the P20 and P20 Pro are respectively priced at 649 euros (~$792) and 899 euros (~$1,113).

(source)

Buy Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air Laptop For Only $865.99 On GearBest; Flash Sale To End Soon

By

Vinay Patel

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Apr 11, 2018

The Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air laptop swept gadget buffs off their feet after hitting the store shelves a couple of years ago. The device continues to garner considerable popularity thanks to its awe-inspiring specs and features.

On the downside, the Mi Notebook Air failed to grab the attention of people who weren’t willing to shell out that kind of money on a laptop. But much to the relief of these cost-conscious buyers, GearBest is offering a 7% off on the device’s retail price as part of its latest Flash Sale.

In other words, the coveted Mi Notebook Air laptop is currently up for grabs for just $865.99 on GearBest. You can choose from 2 color options including deep gray and silver.

In terms of specs, the Mi Notebook Air laptop packs a powerful Intel Core i5 6200U processor along with an equally robust NVIDIA GeForce MX150 2GB GDDR5 GPU, under the hood. It offers 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal memory.

The device sports a 13.3-inch IPS display with a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and an image aspect ratio of 16:9. Furthermore, the Xiaomi-branded laptop draws its juices from a 40Wh battery that supports fast charging.

The 0.5mm thin Mi Notebook Air features a 1-megapixel single camera in the front. It offers a broad range of connectivity options including a 3.5mm headphone jack, a Standard HDMI slot for video output and it also supports 2x USB 3.0 + Type-C USB cable.

To check out the full specification and avail the deal, you can visit this link. Note that the Flash Sale price will be valid only for the remaining 100 pieces, and the promotion is slated to end in 3 days.

Get 7% Discount On Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air Laptop On GearBest Check More Deals and Promotions From Other Shops

LightInTheBox Is Selling The China Mobile A3S Smartphone For Only $59.99; See Details

By

Vinay Patel

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Apr 11, 2018

After floating around the rumor mill for a long time, the China Mobile A3S smartphone was finally made available to the public in February 2018. As foretold by previously surfaced reports, the phone was very well-received by smartphone enthusiasts.

The China Mobile A3S smartphone would normally set you back $110.03 on LightInTheBox. But if you’re on a tight budget and not willing to spend that kind of money, you’ve come to the right place.

The Beijing-based international online retail company is currently offering a big 45% discount on the phone’s original asking price. As a result, you can now buy the A3S smartphone for only $59.99.

The A3S smartphone boasts an array of awe-inspiring specs that make it a bargain under $70. The aforesaid discount will be valid for both golden as well as silver color options of the device.

In terms of specs, the China Mobile A3S smartphone sports a 5.2 inches HD display with a screen resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. It is housed in an eye-catching plastic body.

On the photography front, the A3S smartphone features an 8-megapixel camera with dual-LED and AF on the back. There’s a 5-megapixel shooter placed in the front for selfies.

The phone draws its juices from a non-removable 2,800 mAh Lithium-Polymer battery that delivers up to 240 hours of standby time and up to 7 hours of talk time. Moreover, it runs on Android 7.0 Nougat operating system.

You can head straight to this link in order to check out the full specification and avail the deal before it ends in 5 days. Note that the China Mobile A3S smartphone will go back to its retail price as soon as the promotion wraps up.

Get 45% Off On China Mobile A3S Smartphone On LightInTheBox Check More Deals and Promotions From Other Shops

Alleged Xiaomi Mi 7 Appears in Fresh Photos

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Apr 11, 2018

It was recently reported that Xiaomi is now only selling the 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage model of the Xiaomi Mi 6 and higher variants like 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage and 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage are no longer available for buying. This suggests that the Chinese manufacturer could be gearing up to announce the Xiaomi Mi 7 flagship phone. Fresh photos of the alleged Mi 7 smartphone have appeared on Weibo to reveal its appearance and some of its features.

The alleged Xiaomi Mi 7 can be seen in white color in the newly leaked photos. The sides of the phone seem to be sporting a stainless-steel frame. The bottom edge of the phone is equipped with an external speaker, a USB-C port and a microphone. The two antenna strips on the bottom edge of the phone are clearly visible.

The images also reveal that like the predecessor model, the Mi 7 does not feature a 3.5mm audio jack. The image showing the right edge of the phone shows the presence of buttons for power and volume. It also gives a glimpse of a vertically aligned dual camera setup. It seems that the LED flash could be placed between the dual lenses.

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The left side of the phone only features a SIM card slot. Unfortunately, there is no image showing the frontside of the Mi 7. It is speculated that the Mi 7 will be equipped with a notched display like the iPhone X.

Recent rumors have revealed that the Xiaomi Mi 7 could be the second phone from the company to arrive with wireless charging feature for its 3,400mAh battery. It goes without saying that the smartphone will be powered by Snapdragon 845. It may not feature more than 6 GB of RAM. The Mi 7 is also rumored to feature 3D facial recognition feature.

Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun has recently hinted that the Mi 7 will be coming with under display fingerprint sensor. However, recent reports have claimed that there could be two variants of the Mi 7. The smaller may feature 5.65-inch display and it may not in-screen fingerprint reader. The Mi 7 Plus is pegged to arrive with features like 6.1-inch display, Snapdragon 845, 4,000mAh battery and under display fingerprint reader.

We advise our readers to digest this report with a pinch of salt since there is no way to confirm the authenticity of these images and also because these images are no longer available with the source.

(source)

Xiaomi Mi Max 3 Case Images Reveals Vertical Dual Cameras; Launch Imminent?

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Apr 11, 2018

Xiaomi had launched the Xiaomi Mi Max 2 smartphone in May last year. Hence, the rumor mill has been speculating that the Chinese manufacturer will be debuting the Mi Max 3 phone in the coming month. It is one of the highly anticipated smartphones from the company as it is expected to arrive with a large-sized 18:9 aspect ratio display and a bigger battery. However, two of the major changes that could be seen on the Mi Max 3 is the inclusion of the new features like dual rear cameras and wireless charging. A couple of images of the TPU case of the Mi Max 3 has been spotted on the Chinese Alibaba website. The new images have revealed some of the key features of the Mi Max 3.

As it can be seen in the above image, the TPU case has been designed for the Xiaomi Mi Max 3 smartphone. It reveals that the rear panel of the phone will be housing a fingerprint scanner like the predecessor model. At the top-left corner of the case it the cutout for a vertical dual camera setup. It appears that the LED flash could be placed between the two camera sensors.

The topside of the phone seems to feature a 3.5mm audio jack and the other cutout out there could belong to the IR blaster. The bottom edge of the smartphone seems to feature stereo speakers. The USB-C port seems to be available on the bottom edge in between the two speakers.

The overall appearance of the rear panel of the Mi Max 3 is likely to resemble the Mi Max 2 phone. The leaked firmware files of the Mi Max 3 had revealed that it could be arriving with wireless charging feature. If the rumor is true, instead of the metallic rear panel, it may feature a glass rear in order to support wireless charging.

As far as specs are concerned, the Mi Max 3 is speculated to arrive with Mi 6’s dual rear cameras. It is also speculated to feature a 6.99-inch 18:9 aspect ratio supporting screen with support for FHD+ resolution and 5,500mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 support. There could be two chipset variants of the phone. The Snapdragon 636 variant could feature 3 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage whereas the Snapdragon 660 model may have 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage.

(source)

Moto G6 Play Surfaces Online In A Hands-On Video Ahead Of Its Official Launch

By

Jeet

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Apr 11, 2018

Lenovo-owned Motorola has scheduled a launch event on 19th April where the company is expected to launch its next-generation Moto G-series smartphone — the Moto G6, Moto G6 Plus and Moto G6 Play.

Now, ahead of the phone’s official launch, the Moto G6 Play surfaced online in a short hands-on video. The video, which shows a working unit of the phone, reveals the phone’s design which is in line with the previously leaked renders.

However, the video has been removed by the uploader. In the video, the phone was recognized as the Moto G6 Plus but given the lack of dual camera setup at the back side, the unit seemed to be the Moto G6 Play. According to the previous reports, Moto G6 and G6 Plus will pack dual camera setup while the budget-friendly G6 Play will have a single camera sensor at the back.

Further, Moto G6 Play is the only model among the three to have a fingerprint sensor placed on the back panel, below the camera module. The other two smartphones — Moto G6 and G6 Plus will feature a fingerprint sensor on the front side, below the display.

The specifications of Moto G6 Play were leaked earlier and suggests that the phone will come with a 5.7-inch HD+ Max Vision display with, 18:9 aspect ratio and 1440 x 720 pixels screen resolution. Under the hood, it is powered by a quad-core processor from Qualcomm, clocked at 1.4GHz, likely to be Snapdragon 430. It will pack 2GB or 3GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage.

The smartphone is said to come with a 5-megapixel front-facing camera with LED flash and a beauty mode, while it will feature a 13-megapixel camera sensor on the rear. Sadly, there is no mention of all the cool features of the Moto G6, such as live filters, object and landmark recognition, portrait mode, and active photos.

Along with Dolby Audio and Moto Experiences support, the device will also come with a new voice assistant that lets the user use phone hands-free. One of the highlights of the G6 Play will be its battery capacity as the company is expected to offer 4,000mAh battery which is claimed by Motorola to last 36 hours on a single charge.

Recently, the Moto G6-series smartphones were listed online on American retailer Frys. In the listing, the Moto G6 Play was priced at $199.99 with an expected shipping date of 19th May.

(Source)

Buy VOYO Vbook i3 Tablet PC For Only $305.99 On GeekBuying [Coupon Code]

By

Vinay Patel

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Apr 11, 2018

VOYO Vbook i3 sports a 10.1-inch FHD (1920 X 1200 pixels) full view display that delivers an unparalleled screen experience. The device boasts an array of other jaw-dropping specs and features that would ideally set you back a pretty penny.

If you’ve restlessly been waiting to get your hands on this coveted tablet PC without burning a hole in your pocket, we have good news for you. GeekBuying is giving cost-conscious buyers an opportunity to save 26% on the device’s retail price.

The VOYO Vbook i3 tablet PC comes bearing a steep price tag of $432.99 on GeekBuying. However, the site is offering a noteworthy discount on its original asking price, but only for a limited period of time.

The Vbook i3 can be yours if you’re willing to shell out only $319.99. On top of that, you can save an additional $53 by using coupon code ‘MEEESLNJ’ at the time of checking out. This brings your subtotal down to just $305.99.
The VOYO Vbook i3 is a powerful tablet PC, given that it packs a powerful Intel Cherry Trail x5-Z8350, Quad Core (up to 1.92GHz) processor. It employs an Intel HD Graphic Gen8 graphics processing unit, under the hood.

The device offers 8GB of RAM and 128GB ROM. Moreover, it is backed by a robust Li-ion battery, 5000mAh battery. It has a 5-megapixel rear-mounted camera and sports a 2-megapixel selfie camera in the front.

It’s worth noting that the aforesaid coupon code is likely to expire soon. The VOYO Vbook i3 tablet PC will retain its retail price as soon as the promotion wraps up. You can follow this link in order to avail the deal, which is slated to end in 4 days.

Get 26% Off On VOYO Vbook i3 Tablet PC On GeekBuying Check More Deals and Promotions From Other Shops

Xiaomi Mi 6X May Not Feature MediaTek Helio P60 Chipset

By

Jeet

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Apr 11, 2018

Xiaomi is gearing up to launch its new smartphone — Xiaomi Mi 6X, which is the successor of Mi 5X. The international variant of the same could be named Mi A2 — the successor of the Mi A1 Android One smartphone. The phone has been subject to several leaks, including specs, renders, etc.

While we recently reported that the Mi 6X could be powered by MediaTek’s new Helio P60 chipset, a new report claims that the phone will not be powered by the Helio P60 processor.

Recently, the Mi 6X appeared in a TENAA listing, which revealed that the phone will be powered by a 2.2GHz octa-core processor. Our guess is that it will pack the Snapdragon 630 or Snapdragon 660 as they are both clocked at 2.2GHz.

Further, the listing reveals that the phone will come in two variants based on the memory configuration — 4GB/6GB RAM and 64GB/128GB internal storage. While the leaked images related to the smartphone suggests dual camera setup at the back, the TENAA listing only lists one 20MP camera sensor on the back. On the front side, it is expected to feature a 20MP snapper.

Recently, Mishaal Rahman of XDA-Developers suggested that on the back side, the primary sensor will be Sony IMX486 while the secondary camera sensor will be Sony IMX376. On the front side, the company is expected to have the same Sony IMX376 lens.

The smartphone will flaunt a 5.99-inch display with 2160 x 1080 pixels screen resolution. It will have a full-screen display with 18:9 aspect ratio and thankfully without a notch on the top of the display, which seems to be the trend nowadays.

The Xiaomi Mi 6X is expected to be running Android 8.1 Oreo operating system out of the box, with the company’s own MIUI on top. However, the international model of the same, which could be called Mi A2, will run stock Android Oreo as Xiaomi’s A-series is a part of Google‘s Android One program.

The smartphone will be powered by a 2,910mAh battery. It will come in various color options, including Black, Rose Gold, White, Blue, Red, Pink, Gray, and Silver. While the launch date is not yet known, we expect the device to get launched by the end of this month or early next month.

(Source)

Check Out GearBest Epic Tablet Accessories Sale; Get Up To 40% Off On Leading Brands

By

Vinay Patel

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Apr 11, 2018

If you’re looking to buy a high-end tablet, tablet accessories or gear gadgets without emptying your pocket, look no further. GearBest is giving gadget buffs an opportunity to save up to 40% on a broad range of tablets and other items.

In order to simplify the search process, GearBest has split these products into multiple categories. Here’s a brief glimpse of what some of these categories have to offer.

Buy 1 & Get 1 Free

When you purchase the CHUWI LapBook, you’d also get the CHUWI sleeve case gift packs for 12.3-inch laptops without spending even a single dime. Note that the laptop sleeve would normally set you back $44.12.

The CHUWI LapBook which usually bears a price tag of $413.29 on GearBest is currently up for grabs for a lowered price of $358.99. While you’d normally spend $457.41 to buy the two items, you end up saving $98.42 thanks to the promo.

Limited Flash Sale

This category is crammed with all sorts of laptops that you can buy at a discounted price on GearBest. For instance, the Acer VX5 – 591G – 58AX gaming laptop which sells for $1136.31 on the site, can now be yours if you’re willing to shell out just $888.99.
GearBest is handing out 22% discount on the device’s retail price for 3 days. Note that this Flash Sale price will only be valid for the remaining 18 pieces of the black-tinted gaming laptop.

Xiaomi

GearBest is giving buyers a chance to get their hands select Xiaomi-branded devices at a lowered price. It’s worth noting that the Chinese smartphone and laptop manufacturer is quite popular among gadget lovers.

Lining with this, you can buy the Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air at a Flash Sale price of only $865.99 for 3 days. The promo is valid for the remaining (deep gray and silver color version) 100 pieces of the cost-effective notebook.

Ultimate Accessories

This section boasts an array of highly useful accessories. More importantly, GearBest is offering considerable discounts on some of the items featured in this section.

For example, you can buy the Double-protection Back Case with Bracket for Xiaomi Mi Pad 3 at a slashed price of $6.10 on GearBest. This is a 36% reduction in the item’s retail price of $9.55 and it will be valid for the remaining 8 pieces of the back case.

Aside from that, GearBest is offering massive discounts on leading brands such as MSI, Chuwi, Teclast, GPD, and Lenovo. There are other lesser-known brands including fnf Ifive, Onda, PIPO and lots more.

You can head straight to this link in order to check out rest of the brands and take advantage of the deal before it comes to an end. Note that the discounted products are likely to retain their original asking price as soon as the promotion wraps up.

Buy Tablets And Tablet Accessories At Heavily Discounted Price On GearBest Check More Deals and Promotions From Other Shops

Nubia’s Red Magic Gaming Brand Officially Launched; First Gaming Phone Pegged to Debut This Month

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Apr 11, 2018

Around two months ago, ZTE’s sub-brand Nubia was rumored to be working on a gaming smartphone. Newer leaks had claimed that Nubia would be building a new brand that would be exclusively releasing gaming products including its first gaming phone. This reminds us of the Xiaomi backed Black Shark brand that will be launching its first gaming phone on April 13. Nubia has today confirmed that its gaming wing is called Red Magic. A new teaser has been released to mark its arrival. It seems that the Red Magic will be rivaling with Black Shark in China.

Talking on its first gaming phone that is expected to debut this month, Red Magic said that it has included “all possible specs under the microscope.” Through its upcoming gaming phone, the newly established firm hopes to bring casual and competitive gamers together. The image shown below that probably features the company’s logo is “a glimpse of the real thing” that will be unleashed to the world soon. The company has also said that it is prepping up to debut a new of line of products that will “provide a more complete gaming experience for the masses.”

Last year in November, Razer had launched the Razer Phone that was packed with high-end specs like 120 Hz refresh rate display, Snapdragon 835, 8 GB of RAM and 4,000mAh battery. Since many smartphone users are making use of their devices to play high-end games, smartphone OEMs are now gearing up to launch gaming focused smartphones.

As far as Red Magic’s gaming phone is concerned, it is speculated that it could be equipped with features like air cooling, near black body, carbon nano-material and a three-dimensional wind tunnel section structure. Rumors have claimed that it could be fueled by Snapdragon 845 and 8 GB of RAM. It is also expected to feature 18:9 aspect ratio display with 120 Hz refresh rate. Nubia had showcased its prototype at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 tech event in February this year.

Nubia CEO Ni Fei has already confirmed that the company’s upcoming gaming phone will be launched simultaneously in China and Europe. With the gaming phone, Nubia aims to expand its international presence. Red Magic will be also bringing its first gaming phone to India after its debut in China and Europe.

Buy Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X Smartphone At A Slashed Price Of $149.99 On GeekBuying; Promo To End Soon

By

Vinay Patel

-

Apr 11, 2018

Xiaomi made its long-awaited Redmi Note 4X smartphone available to the public in February, last year. As expected, the device garnered a considerable amount of popularity among smartphone lovers.

Despite being crammed with an array of awe-inspiring specs and features, the Redmi Note 4X smartphone failed to grab the attention of cost-conscious buyers. But that’s about to change.

If you’re on a tight budget, we have good news for you. GeekBuying is currently giving a noteworthy 36% discount on the Redmi Note 4X smartphone’s original asking price.

Note that the device normally sells for $235.80 on the site. But thanks to the aforesaid discount, the coveted smartphone will set you back just $149.99 on GeekBuying only for a limited period of time.

The Redmi Note 4X smartphone is a bargain under $150, given it sports a big 5.5 inches IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display with a screen resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels. Moreover, the device is housed in a robust aluminum body.

The phone packs a powerful Qualcomm MSM8953 Snapdragon 625 processor along with an Adreno 506 graphics processing unit, under the hood. It offers 3GB of RAM and 32GB ROM.

On the photography front, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X smartphone features a 13-megapixel camera with phase detection autofocus, dual-LED dual-tone flash on the back. There’s a 5-megapixel selfie shooter in the front.

The dual-SIM smartphone draws its juices from a non-removable Li-Po 4100 mAh battery and runs on MIUI 9.0-based Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) OS. It also houses a broad range of sensors including fingerprint recognition, infrared remote control, gravity sensor, three-axis gyroscope, light sensor, proximity sensor, and hall Sensor.

You can visit this link in order to check out the full specification and avail the deal, which is slated to come to an end in 3 days. Note that the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X smartphone will go back to its retail price as soon as the promotion wraps up.

Get 36% Off On Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X Smartphone On GeekBuying Check More Deals and Promotions From Other Shops

ASUS Zenfone 5 Price Leaks Ahead of Taiwan & China Launch

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Apr 11, 2018

Taiwanese tech giant ASUS is expected to officially launch the Zenfone 5 lineup in Taiwan and China on April 12. The ASUS Zenfone 5 was first announced at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 and the upcoming launch would kickstart its sales. Ahead of the launch, the likely price of the Zenfone 5 has leaked and it is priced around NT$11,990 ( around 2,600 Yuan, $413). This price tag is consistent with that of previous leaks and looks a little too pricey for a mid-range smartphone.

For that price, though, you get a sleek smartphone. The ZenFone 5 features a 6.2-inch Super IPS LCD display at carries support for an aspect ratio of 19:9 and Full HD+ resolution of 2246 x 1080 pixels. The screen has up to screen-to-body ratio and features a both at the top. The Zenfone 5 is coming as one of the first models to be powered by the new Snapdragon 636 chipset that powers the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 (Chinese edition) and Meizu E3. It has an internal storage of 64 GB and comes with support for additional storage through microSD card. It is expected to arrive in Taiwan in 4 GB and 6 GB RAM options. It runs on the latest Android 8.0 that is customized with the newest Zen UI. A 3,000mAh battery enabled with Quick Charge 3.0 powers the smartphone.

On the camera aspect, the ASUS Zenfone 5 features a dual camera module on its back panel. It features Sony IMX363 12-megapixel lens as the primary that is coupled with a secondary wide-angle lens that offers a field of view of 120 degrees. The primary lens with f/1.8 aperture offers features like pixel size of 1.4micron, 4-axis OIS, dual-pixel autofocus and 83-degree field of view. It has a f/2.0 aperture selfie camera of 8-megapixel. Other features of the smartphone include a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, face unlock, dual 5-magnet speakers assisted by dual NXP smart amplifiers, PMIC internal dual amplifier, three microphones, dual-SIM, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GPS, USB-C, 3.5mm audio jack.

(source)

Xiaomi Opens Three New Phone Factories in India, To Start Manufacturing Printed Circuit Boards Locally

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Apr 10, 2018

Chinese tech giant Xiaomi has announced the opening of three new smartphone manufacturing plants in India. The plants are built in partnership with Foxconn and are based in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh and a new campus in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu with over 180 acres of area. Also, the company’s factory in Noida, Uttar Pradesh which was built in partnership with Hipad and dedicated to power bank manufactures has now been expanded to manufacture smartphones.

With this development, Xiaomi now has a total of six manufacturing plants in India, all dedicated to the manufacture of smartphones. Xiaomi says 95% of its smartphones sold in India were manufactured locally. The company also disclosed that the factories built in partnership with Foxconn employ over 10000 workers, of which more than 95% are women. All the assembly work is also done by women.

The Chinese company also revealed its plans to start manufacturing Printed Circuit Board (PCB) in India. This may sound insignificant but PCB is a key component in almost every electronic device and is the plastic board onto which other components are soldered on to and it enables connectivity between the components. Xiaomi hopes to continue its rising dominance of the local market. The tech giant currently occupies the number one spot in the Indian market with a 26.8% market share in Q4 2018. Xiaomi also controls the online smartphone shipment segment with a surprising 57% market share.

(via)

Google-branded Android TV Dongle With Xiaomi-Like Bluetooth TV Remote Seen At FCC

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Apr 10, 2018

The last official Android TV box was the Mi Box released in 2016. It is actually the Mi Box 3 but with Android TV installed on it. Google itself hasn’t released a new Android TV device after the Nexus Player but it seems it is working on a dongle in collaboration with Xiaomi.

Images of a Google-branded dongle along with a remote that looks like the one bundled with Xiaomi TVs and boxes have been seen at the FCC. The dongle is shaped like a location pin with a short HDMI cable attached to it at one end, a micro USB port and reset button on the side, and a Google G logo on top.

From the design and size, it is obvious the dongle will remain at the back of the TV.

Another photo shows the remote which looks just like the Mi Box Bluetooth voice remote but with a few additions. Opposite the power button is a new options button. The microphone and what appears to be a LED sit between the buttons.

The remote keeps the directional and select buttons but they are now marked. The return key is still there but the home key is now on the left with the old Android home icon. Instead of the microphone key, the third button now has the Google Assistant icon and sits in the middle. The volume rocker remains in its former position.

The TV dongle is powered by an Amlogic S905X – a quad-core processor with support for 4K @ 60fps (VP9 decoding), HDR10, and Dolby Vision. It also has a built-in DAC. There is 2GB of RAM and 8GB of eMMC storage. Power input is via a 5V/2A adapter.

The FCC document reveals that the device which is referred to as “4K ATV Stick” is manufactured by Shenzhen SEI Robotics Co. Apart from the Google logo and the Google Assistant, there is no mention of Google and Xiaomi having anything to do with the hardware on the manual.

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Smartisan Phone Gets 3C Certification, May Be Smartisan R1 Flagship

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Apr 10, 2018

The Smartisan Nut 3 was announced yesterday as a mid-range phone with the build and design of a high-end flagship. However, it seems the main flagship phone is on the way.

A new Smartisan phone with model number DE106 was seen on the website of the Chinese Certification Commision. The certificate was issued on March 30th and mentions that the phone supports 18W fast charging.

Sources say this might be the Smartisan R1 flagship said to be in development. The R1 is rumored to come with a full-screen IPS display and not AMOLED. It will have its fingerprint scanner on the rear underneath the Smartisan hammer logo and may have a Snapdragon 845 processor powering it.

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This May Be The First Live Photo Of The Xiaomi Mi 6X

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Apr 10, 2018

Xiaomi is working on a successor to last year’s Mi 5X, which is unsurprisingly called the Mi 6X. It was seen on TENAA last month baring all its specs except for the cameras and processor which are still a bit vague.

The Mi 6X has a design very similar to that of the Redmi Note 5/Note 5Pro. The dual cameras have the same iPhone X-style arrangement and it has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. It also has the same display size.

However, a key difference between the Mi 6X and Redmi Note 5 Pro is that the latter keeps the U-antenna design from its predecessor.

We’ve been able to get our hands on a live photo said to be that of the Mi 6X. When you first look at it, it does seem to be the Mi 6X since it has the U-antenna design mentioned above. Don’t be easily fooled as that is actually a case slapped on the back of the phone.

Since the antenna line is the only way to differentiate between the Redmi Note 5 and Mi 6X and this phone has a case slapped on its back, we’ll say it is a fifty-fifty chance that the phone underneath is indeed the Mi 6X.

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Report Says We May Likely See A Launch Spree of Foldable Phones Later This Year

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Apr 10, 2018

We can’t keep count of the number of foldable phone patents we have seen these past few years. Despite the surge in patents, we can only boast of the ZTE Axon M as the only foldable phone that has been commercialized. Even at that, the Axon M isn’t really a true foldable phone as it appears to be a single phone with two screens. However, a report by DigiTimes says that the first wave of truly foldable smartphones is likely to make their debut at the end of 2018.

According to the report, a number of brand vendors are accelerating their R&D efforts on related projects, according to industry watchers. The smartphone market leader, Samsung is expected to unveil its roadmap for its foldable models in 2018 according to a report by Korea-based ET News. Samsung Electronics already has a number of patents related to foldable smartphones in Korea and the US. The report also says that Samsung has been developing smartphones with inward-folding displays since five years ago and the manufacturing process has reached up to 80% completion.

Apart from Samsung, U.S tech giant Apple is also said to have applied a number of patents for clamshell smartphones, including one for a tri-fold display design, according to the watchers. Apple’s patents are said to have applicability in other products apart from smartphones. So, it is uncertain Apple will join the train this year.

Nevertheless, if Samsung is to release a truly foldable smartphone this year, then we expect a surge in such design by Chinese OEMs. adding that Apple could also use its folding technology in products other than smartphones. Chinese tech leader, Huawei has long been detailed to be working on a foldable phone by various patent applications. The latest patent filing published on the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)website is that of a foldable phone design that can be turned into a tablet Huawei in September 2017 also applied for a patent for a single display screen that can be folded in the middle. In that vein, Huawei is tipped as planning to unveil its first foldable smartphone by the end of 2018.

Other OEMs who have got foldable phone design patents include LG electronics, Oppo, Lenovo and ZTE. OPPO applied patents for foldable smartphones first in 2017, and again for other patents in 2018, with patent authorities in China. Meanwhile, Lenovo has unveiled a foldable smartphone prototype whose display can be extended to 7.8-inch from 5.5-inch when opened. Lenovo has not yet announced a timetable for the production of the foldable smartphone. ZTE may improve on the Axon M design, thus giving us a truly foldable phone. According to Strategy Analytics, global shipments of foldable smartphones are expected to total 700,000 units in 2019 and will gradually expand to 30.4 million in 2021 and to 50.1 million in 2022.

(source)

Meizu 15 Lite May Offer Snapdragon 660 For An Extremely Low Price

By

Michele Ingelido

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Apr 10, 2018

Meizu will celebrate its 15th anniversary by releasing three phones on April 22: Meizu 15, 15 Plus and 15 Lite. According to Chinese sources, Meizu 15 Lite (which will be the cheapest handset as even the name suggests) will have an extremely low price, at least in China. In the country, the device is expected to cost less than €200: in detail, its launch price is tipped to be 1,499 Yuan, which roughly translates into $238/€192. Its an incredibly good deal if we consider the rumored specs of this device.

Indeed, according to leaks, the device will be powered by a Snapdragon 660 SoC which is the best midrange chipset by Qualcomm. This is yet to be confirmed and it is also hard to believe, but if it will be so, Meizu 15 Lite will be one of the best handsets in terms of quality-price ratio. Other rumored specs include a 5.46-inch IPS display which will show images at a Full HD resolution. A new render of the phone has just surfaced online: it shows the black variant with a full metal unibody design. On the rear side, there is a single camera paired with a 10-LED flash, while on the front side there is a circular fingerprint reader.

Meizu 15 Lite is expected to be released in several configurations. It will be possible to choose between 3, 4 or 6 GB of RAM and 32, 64 or 128 GB of internal storage. While the Lite variant will be the cheap one, Meizu 15 Plus will be the flagship version. It is tipped to come with a 5.95-inch display showing images at a Quad HD resolution. Under the hood, there should be an octa-core Samsung Exynos 8895 chipset which is the same as Samsung Galaxy S8, 4 or 6 GB of RAM and 64 or 128 GB of internal storage. Unlike its Lite sibling, it will also have a dual camera setup.

(via)