OnePlus 6 Front Design Fully Exposed in New Leak; Reveals Massive Screen Space

Get 29% Off On UMIDIGI A1 Pro Smartphone On Banggood

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Apr 9, 2018

The UMIDIGI A1 Pro is slated to hit the store shelves soon and it is expected to propel straight to popularity among cost-conscious smartphone lovers. You can now preorder the hotly-anticipated phone at a discounted price of just $99.99 on Banggood.

Even if you’re on a tight budget you can still get your hands on the entry-level smartphone without burning a hole in your pocket. Banggood is giving buyers an opportunity to preorder the UMIDIGI A1 Pro smartphone for only $99.99.

The site is giving a considerable 29% discount on the device’s retail price for a limited period of time. The A1 Pro comes bearing a price tag of $139.99 on Banggood.

The aforesaid discount will be valid for the first 999 pieces. The remaining 1999 pieces will be sold for $119.99, and the A1 Pro smartphone will go back to its retail price as soon as the promo ends. You can choose between 2 color options including black and blue.
In terms of specs, the A1 Pro packs a powerful MediaTek MT6739, 64-Bit processor along with a PowerVR GE8100, 570MHz GPU, under the hood. The phone sports a 5.5-inches IPS, HD+ multi-touch display with a screen resolution of 1440 x 720 pixels.

It sports a 13-megapixel + 5-megapixel dual camera setup on the back, and a 5-megapixel selfie camera is placed in the front. The phone is backed by a built-in 150 mAh Lithium-ion battery with 5V/2A quick charge feature.

The hybrid dual SIM Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM/microSD) smartphone is powered by UMI OS-based Android 8.1 Oreo operating system. It offers 3GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable onboard storage (up to 128GB using SIM 2 slot).

The A1 Pro smartphone comes with 3 card slots including microSD, microSDHC, and microSDXC. Furthermore, the device is crammed with a broad range of useful sensors including a proximity sensor, accelerometer, ambient light sensor, compass sensor, and a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.

Note that Banggood will be choosing 2 free orders daily that purchased the UMIDIGI A1 Pro smartphone. The activity time will be from April 9th to April 13th. It is imperative for you to bear in mind that the early you buy the more likely you are to win the free order. Winners will be announced on April 16th.

You can head straight to this link to check out the full specification and avail the deal before it comes to an end.

Check More Deals and Promotions From Other Shops

OnePlus Migrates Its Website To The New OnePlus.com Domain

By

Jeet

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Apr 9, 2018

OnePlus, the China-based smartphone manufacturer has now migrated its new official website on a different domain name. The company is now using a new top-level domain — oneplus.com instead of the oneplus.net domain that it used since the company’s debut in the year 2013.

The company has now started redirecting users of oneplus.net and oneplus.cn to its oneplus.com domain name. Also, every country-specific website of OnePlus is now on the oneplus.com domain, except for the Indian website where the company is still using the oneplus.in domain. All other properties of OnePlus, including the online store, support, and forum, have also been migrated to this new domain.

OnePlus believes that migrating to the oneplus.com domain name for all the regions will help in protecting its fans/users from websites that pose as the regional variant of the official website. In order to mark this development, the company is hosting a small giveaway. OnePlus is asking users to share a recent major life milestone and the company will randomly choose 5 winners will receive a OnePlus Backpack and limited-edition notebook.

Currently, the China-based company is gearing up to launch its new flagship smartphone — OnePlus 6. The company itself has started teasing features of the new flagship and have also released a few specs and an official photo that confirms it has a notched display.

OnePlus has recently confirmed that the phone would be featuring 8 GB of RAM and a native storage of 256 GB. Also, the handset will come with full-screen gestures for smooth navigation experience. The phone is speculated to feature a 6.28-inch Full HD+ display that is available on the OPPO R15 duo. Under the hood, it will be powered by Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 845 processor with 6GB/8GB RAM and 64GB, 128GB and 256GB internal storage.

While the company has not yet confirmed the phone’s launch date, we are expecting the OnePlus 6 to get launched this month. We earlier reported that OnePlus 6 128GB variant will retail at 3799 Yuan ($602) while the 256GB variant will be costlier at 4399 Yuan ($697).

GeekBuying Is Giving 36% Off On Coolpad Cool S1 Smartphone; See How You Can Save An Extra $78

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Get 36% Off On Coolpad Cool S1 Smartphone On GeekBuying Check More Deals and Promotions From Other Shops

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Apr 9, 2018

The Coolpad Cool S1 garnered a considerable amount of popularity among smartphone lovers after hitting the store shelves back in December 2016. The phone sports a 5.5-inches IPS FHD display with a screen resolution of 1080×1920 pixels.

If you’re looking for an Android performance smartphone that doesn’t burn a hole in your pocket, look no further. You can now get your hands on the Coolpad Cool S1 smartphone at a slashed price of only $249.99 on GeekBuying.

Although the Cool S1 normally sells for $388.99 on GeekBuying, the site is currently giving a considerable 36% off on the phone’s original asking price. But if that’s not a good enough reason for you to buy the smartphone, we’ll tell you how you can further reduce your grand total.

You can use coupon code ‘MURVBCQO’ to save an extra $78 at the time of checking out. This brings your already reduced grand total down to just $229.99.

At $229.99, the Cool S1 is an irresistible smartphone, given that it comes 6GB of RAM and a hearty 64GB ROM. On the photography front, it sports an 8-megapixel camera on the back and a 16-megapixel selfie shooter.

Moreover, the phone draws its juices from a robust 4070mAh built-in battery and it runs on Android Nougat with Coolpad New UI on top. The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor and it uses a Qualcomm Adreno 530 graphics processing unit.

While the promo will be valid for 5 days, note that the coupon code is likely to expire soon. It’s also worth noting that the Coolpad Cool S1 smartphone will retain its retail price on GeekBuying as soon as the promo wraps up.

You can visit this link to check out the full specification and avail the deal before it comes to an end.

Get 31% Discount On Teclast F7 Business Laptop On GeekBuying; Here’s How You Can Save An Extra $63.99

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Get 31% Off On Teclast F7 Business Laptop On GeekBuying Check More Deals and Promotions From Other Shops

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Apr 9, 2018

You can now buy the Teclast F7 business laptop without burning a hole in your pocket on GeekBuying. The site is offering discounts on both 6GBRAM/128GB ROM and 6GBRAM/64GB ROM variants of the laptop.

We’ll even tell you how you can save a considerable amount of money apart from getting the aforesaid discount on GeekBuying. Note that the promo will only be valid for a limited period of time.

The Teclast F7 packs a powerful Intel Apollo Lake N3450, 1.1GHz, Quad Core processor along with an equally robust Intel HD Graphics 500 GPU, under the hood. It runs on Microsoft Windows 10 operating system that not only introduces an array of new features but also brings back the well-known Start Menu from Windows 7.

You can buy the 6GBRAM/128GB ROM variant of the Teclast F7 for a discounted price of $339.99 on GeekBuying. The site is giving a 19% off on the device’s retail price of $421.99 for 1 day.

Alternatively, you can go for the 6GB RAM/64GB ROM version of the laptop and get a considerable 31% discount on the device’s original asking price of $405.99. Thanks to the aforesaid discount, which will be valid for 1 day, you can buy the laptop for only $279.99.

On top of that, you can use coupon code ‘GKBT50T’ to save an additional $63.99 at the time of checking out. In other words, you can get your hands on the Teclast F7 laptop for only $265.99. Note that the coupon code is not valid for the 6GB RAM/128GB ROM version.

You can head straight to this link to avail the deal before it wraps up and the coupon code expires. It’s also worth noting that the Teclast F7 business laptop will retain its original price as soon as the promo end.

Giveaway – Win a Umidigi A1 pro dual-camera phone

By

Shine Wong

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Apr 9, 2018

Gizmochina along with Banggood is conducting 1 unit Umidigi A1 pro dual-camera phone as giveaway gift to a lucky reader. Like always, you just have to follow the steps mentioned on the Gleam widget to get a chance to win this amazing gift.

In the pre-order term, you can get this entry-level dual-camera phone at $99 ($40 off), and Banggod will choose 2 free orders who has bought Umidigi A1 Pro each day.

The Umidigi A1 Pro comes with almost all the cutting-edge stuff: Face ID unlock, Pure Android 8.1, and Dual 4G LTE! The device is powered by the latest MT6739 SoC accompanied by 3GB of RAM to ensure fluid multitasking. In addition, it comes with a Type-C port with 5V/2A quick charging. It charges in less than 120 minutes. On the back, there is a 13MP/5MP dual camera setup and it will be available in 3 colors: Moonlight Silver, Icy Blue, and Pitch Dark.

Buy Umidigi A1 Pro for $99 on Banggood

How to entry this giveaway? Just follow these steps via Gleam widget:

Visit Banggood’s Umidigi A1 Pro promotion page, and leave comments under this article, to tell readers which feature do you like on this phone;
Share this giveaway contest to your friends on social sites;

Terms & Conditions:

1. The giveaway is an international giveaway.
2. We are not responsible for lost shipments.
3. We are not responsible for any duties, import taxes that you may incur.
4. We reserve all rights to make any changes to this giveaway.
5. The prize will be shipped in a month when the giveaway end.

Just follow the steps mentioned in the Gleam widget to participate in the giveaway.

Once again, good luck.

Giveaway – Win a Umidigi A1 Pro Dual-camera Phone

Check Out Banggood Mi Fans Festival; Get Big Discounts On Xiaomi Products

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Get Big Discounts On A Broad Range Of Xiaomi Products On Banggood Check More Deals and Promotions From Other Shops

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Apr 9, 2018

The Mi Fans Festival has started on Banggood. As part of its recently kicked off promotion, the site will be rolling out 10 free orders at random daily during April 7 – April 9.

In order to get more chance, you need to buy earlier. Note that winner list will be disclosed on April 11 at 10:00 (UTC +8).

New Arrival

The category comprises a few Xiaomi-branded electronic items including Xiaomi Dyanmaic Driver+Balanced Armature Driver HiFi APT-X Bluetooth earphone with Mic that you can buy at a heavily discounted price. For instance, you can preorder the Xiaomi earphones for just $63.99 on Banggood.
The site is giving a 16% off on the device’s real selling price of $75.99 for a limited period of time. Moreover, the discount is valid for gray and black color versions of the earphone.

Giveaway

This section is brimming with all sorts of useful items that are currently up for grabs at a lowered price. For the sake of an example, Banggood is offering 22% off on the Original Xiaomi Miband 2 smart wristband bracelet, which normally sells for $31.99.
Thanks to the aforesaid discount, you can now get your hands on the device by shelling out just $24.99. On the downside, there were only 89 pieces left and the promo is slated to end on April 10.

Coupon Deals

You can get an additional discount on a broad range of products featured in this category by using specific coupon codes. For instance, the Xiaomi Mi Note 3 smartphone is currently up for preorder at a discounted price of $349.99.

This is a noteworthy 21% reduction in the handset’s original asking price of $439.99. On top of that, you can use coupon code ‘3bgmx3’ to save an extra $40 at the time of checking out and bring your grand total down to just $309.99.

Make Home Understand You More

This section is crammed with products that help you keep your home clean and tidy without emptying your pocket. One such product is the Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier 2 which normally sells for a steep price of $330.24 on Banggood.

Much to the delight of cost-conscious buyers who have restlessly been waiting to get their hands on smart mi air purifier, Banggood is currently offering a massive 58% discount on the device’s retail price. As a result, you can now buy it for just $138.99.

Note that the promo is slated to end on April 10. Moreover, there were only 92 pieces left at the time of writing.

Ensure Your Pleasant Outing

This category gives frequent travelers something to cheer about. Weighing in at only 12.5kg, the Xiaomi M365 IP54 folding electric scooter is ideal for short distance travel. The Xiaomi M365 would usually set you back $559 on Banggood.

But until April 10, the site is offering 29% off on the device’s retail price. As a result, you can now buy the Xiaomi electric scooter for just $395. The discount is valid for both black and white color version of the scooter.

Smartphone, Smart Assistants

If you’ve been waiting to get your hands on a Xiaomi-made smartphone without shelling out a fortune, we have good news for you. Banggood is offering considerable discounts on a slew of smartphones as part of its latest promotion.

Lining with this, you can get a 16% off on the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 smartphone which normally bears a price tag of $189 on Banggood. Thanks to the aforesaid discount, which is valid until April 14, you can now buy the Note 4 smartphone for just $159.99.

The discount will be valid only for the gray color version of the smartphone. Regrettably, there were only 49 pieces left at the time of writing.

Accessory To Extend Your Phone

Banggood is giving Xiaomi fans an opportunity to buy various mobile accessories at a slashed price. For instance, the site is giving 56% discount on the Original Xiaomi Portable Mini Bluetooth Speaker for cell phone and tablet.

The device usually sells for $28.59 on Banggood, but until April 10 you can buy it for only $12.59. Moreover, you can choose from 3 color options including silver, gold and gray.

Efficiency Improvement

This segment features the well-received Xiaomi Notebook Air laptop, which would normally set you back $999.99 on Banggood. The site is now selling the device for only $884.99.
This is a noteworthy 12% reduction in the laptop’s retail price. Apart from that, you’d also earn 884 Banggood points.

You can visit this link to avail the deal before it comes to an end and to check out rest of the gadgets that you can buy at a considerably lowered price.

Samsung Completes 7nm Process Development 6 Months Early, May Be Used on Snapdragon 855

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Apr 8, 2018

Just when we thought Taiwanese chip maker TSMC had snatched the 7nm-based Snapdragon 855 chip orders from Samsung, there is another news to counter that. A new report has emerged that Samsung has finished the development of 7nm manufacturing technology six months ahead of schedule and the development process could be used for the next Qualcomm flagship mobile phone chip, the Snapdragon 855.

Barely two months ago, it was reported that TSMC may snatch the manufacture of the Snapdragon 855 chip from Samsung as a result of its slow adoption of the manufacturing technology. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 chip is expected to be built on a 7nm manufacturing process and is fabricated using extreme ultraviolet exposure equipment (EUV). The new manufacturing process is expected to bring a big improvement in battery life and output of the chipset.

Samsung Electronics is expected to start manufacturing the new Snapdragon 855 system chip late this year with bigger volumes scheduled for early next year. Originally, the development of the new technology was expected to be completed in the second half of this year, but itis coming six months ahead of schedule which is great.

(source)

Xiaomi Launches Wall-mounted Smartmi Fresh Air System Priced At ¥1499 (~$237)

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Apr 8, 2018

Xiaomi‘s eco-system company Smartmi, best known for the Mi Air Purifiers, has launched the Smartmi Fresh Air system. The new crowdfunding product comes with a price tag of 1,499 Yuan ($237). The main feature of the new air system is its high air volume which provides new oxygen and is effective against the removal of moth. The gadget also comes with a silent operation which saves energy.

The Smartmi Fresh Air system comes with design that can be mounted on the wall. The device has an air volume of 220m3/h and will be effective in a room size ranging from 8 – 50 square metres. The Smartmi Fresh Air system removes harmful particles and gases from the air and delivers fresh and clean air rich in oxygen. The Smartmi Fresh Air system works best when the windows and air vents in the room are opened. In that way, the air system purifies the air entering the room through multiple filters.

Talking about the design, the Smartmi Fresh Air System uses a large diameter centrifugal fan which faces forward. The high-speed rotation of the fan creates a powerful driving force which forces the impurities in the air out through the room’s ventilation points. The fan uses a brushless DC motor imported from Japan with a large torque in order to form a large new wind force. The motor spins without much noise, thus ensuring a quiet atmosphere while it is working. The Fresh air system also uses triple filtration to quickly filter PM2.5 and fine particles. The device does not have physical buttons but there is a touchscreen LCD display through which the gadget is controlled.

The Xiaomi Smartmi Fresh Air System is presently available on the Xiaomi Youpin website for funding. The product is expected to start shipping on April 10.

HTC U12 Has No Notch In New Renders Featuring Horizontal Dual Cameras

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Apr 8, 2018

The number of smartphones manufacturers embracing the notch for its flagships is growing every day. But it seems that HTC is not going to follow the trend launched by Apple with its iPhone X. According to new leaked renders, even though the Taiwanese company is suffering a financial decline, it will keep adopting an original design scheme for its upcoming flagship: HTC U12. Indeed, the renders show a device with a bezel-less display but without an iPhone X-like notch on the upper part, unlike the newly-announced Huawei P20 and P20 Pro.

Due to this decision, the screen-to-body ratio of HTC U12 will probably be lower than iPhone X. The back side will be made of glass and it will remind of the predecessor U11 Plus, but there will be several differences. Unlike the previous model, this new one will sport a dual camera setup placed at the center of the glass back in a horizontal configuration. At the left side of the dual camera setup, there will be a laser autofocus, while under the dual camera there will be a flash LED and a circular fingerprint reader.

So, the flagship will probably not have a fingerprint scanner embedded in the display (unlike some of the most recent high-end devices like Vivo X21 UD and Huawei Mate RS). A dual camera is present even on the front panel, so expect a great bokeh effect even in selfies. HTC U12 will probably come with a 5.5-inch display showing images at a Quad HD+ 1440p resolution. On the hardware side, it is expected to sport an octa-core Snapdragon 845 SoC by Qualcomm, up to 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. The dual rear camera should have resolutions of 16 + 12 MP, while the selfie cameras should have 12 and 8 MP resolutions.

(Via)

Leaked Photos Show The Smartisan Nut 3 in Black, Red, & White; SD625 Confirmed

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Apr 8, 2018

The Smartisan Nut 3 is due to launch tomorrow. Ahead of the event, live photos of the phone have surfaced online. These photos not only give us a look at the phone but also confirm a few specifications.

For the Nut 3, Smartisan is going for a new design. The bezels have been shaved off at the top and bottom but there is a twist. Smartisan has added another thick slab just below the display. This slab is demarcated from the rest of the phone by a thin line and is home to the fingerprint scanner and front camera. We’ll leave the debate of the position of the camera to you.

There are photos that show the Smartisan Nut 3 in black (surprisingly with thicker bezels) and red. However, none of them show the rear of the phone. There are even photos of the retail box for the red variant and the box is actually red too. So, it is safe to assume that each color variant will come with a matching box.

In one of the photos, the phone’s about section is visible and it reveals a few of the specs. The Smartisan 3 will come with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. It is powered by Qualcomm’s MSM8953 a.k.a. Snapdragon 625 and it runs Android 7.1.2 Nougat.

Xiaomi To Launch Two Snapdragon 670 Phones Code-named Sirius and Comet

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Apr 8, 2018

The Snapdragon 670 has not been officially unveiled yet. However, there are rumors a phone from 360 Mobiles will be the first to launch with the chip. New reports say Xiaomi also has two phones in the pipeline that will be powered by the processor.

The info comes from the editor-in-chief of XDA Developers, Mishaal Rahman. In a tweet posted last night, he said that the Chinese giant has two devices powered by the Snapdragon 670 in development. He adds that the phones are codenamed “Comet” and “Sirius”.

Xiaomi has (at least) 2 devices with the unannounced Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 (sdm670) in the works: "comet" and "sirius".

Also confirms @rquandt's report which showed sdm670's little cluster has 6 cores and the big cluster has 2 cores. (targetconfig.xml in /vendor/etc/perf).

— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) April 7, 2018

If we were to take a wild guess we would say one of the two phones is the Mi Note 4. This makes sense since the Mi Note 3 is powered by a Snapdragon 660 processor. For the second phone, our guess is the Mi Max 3 but that is a long shot. Notwithstanding, the release of both phones are probably still months away, so there is enough time to find out if our guesses are correct.

Apart from the codenames for the two phones, it is also revealed that it has been confirmed that the Snapdragon 670 indeed has a 2+6 CPU core arrangement.

OPPO Creates Research Institute To Develop AI and 5G Technology

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Apr 8, 2018

Churning out great phones that are competitively priced isn’t the only thing a phone manufacturer should do. Research and Development (R&D) is also an important aspect. Not only do you get to make better phones, but you can also license your technology to others.

OPPO is known for its focus on research and it has decided to take it a level higher by establishing a research and development institute with branches across the globe.

A report from Chinese media iFeng.com, says the headquarters of the OPPO Research Institute will be based in Shenzhen with branches in Beijing, Shanghai, Dongguan, Yokohama (Japan), and Silicon Valley (US). The institute will focus on three things – software, hardware, and standards. It will also conduct research on 5G, AI, image processing, and the use of new materials.

There was an official opening ceremony of the institute on March 29. In attendance, were the CEO Chen Mingyong, and senior vice president Zeng Yuanqing. It was also announced that the dean of the institute will be Mr. Liu Chang.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro And Mi Note 2 Get The Official TWRP Support

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Apr 8, 2018

If you are bored of MIUI installed on your Xiaomi device, there are two most important ways to customize the software: installing a launcher or installing a custom ROM. If you prefer the second option and you own a Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro or a Mi Note 2, you will be glad to know that the two handsets have just received the official TWRP support.

TWRP is the most famous recovery mode which is mainly used to install custom ROMs on every Android handset. Starting from now, it is possible to flash it on Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro and Xiaomi Mi Note 2 just like on the other supported Android devices. Besides Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro and Xiaomi Mi Note 2, two more devices have just received the official support to TWRP.

The first is the newly-announced Sony Xperia XA2 which made its debut at CES 2018 in Las Vegas. The second is Verizon Wear24, a smartwatch which is available in the U.S. You can get the official TWRP app here or, at the following links, you can download the TWRP recovery mode for each of the four devices which have just received the official support:

(Via)

New OnePlus 6 Renders Shows The Phone In New Colors With Red Alert Slider

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Apr 8, 2018

The OnePlus 6 is billed to release earlier than expected this year. OnePlus itself has started teasing features of the new flagship which further confirms this. They have also released a few specs and an official photo that confirms it has a notch.

However, we still haven’t seen any photos of the rear but it is said to be different from that of the OPPO R15. Why is this difference important? OnePlus’s last two phones – the OnePlus 5 and OnePlus 5T – share a striking resemblance to the OPPO R11 and OPPO R11s respectively. Since both brands are sister companies and the last two phones share a near-identical design, you can’t blame anyone for thinking the same will happen again.

Nevertheless, fresh new renders have surfaced online and they just might be what the final device looks like.

The renders were posted on Weibo and show the device in three colors – blue, black, and white. On the front, the OnePlus 6’s display wears a notch that houses the front camera, earpiece and sensor. The display has rounded corners and there is a bit of bezel at the bottom. There is no branding on the front just like its predecessors.

The rear is actually more interesting. The metal back has been switched to glass but is curved at the sides. The dual cameras sit in the middle of the device and are stacked vertically. There is a LED flash and a fingerprint scanner with a new design directly underneath.

Huawei P8 Lite (2017) Gets Android Oreo With Project Treble (Beta)

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Apr 8, 2018

There is no complete data regarding the sales of the Huawei P8 Lite (2017), but we are sure that it is one of the best selling devices of 2017. Thousands of units of this device has been sold every day in the past few months months, and now the handset, launched with Android Nougat out of the box, is officially getting the first beta of Android 8.0 Oreo. It is not an OTA update and it is the first beta build of Oreo for this device, so don’t expect a stable firmware suitable for daily use. Further, the beta update to Android Oreo is actually available only for Chinese users who adhered to the beta testing phase.

In China, Huawei P8 Lite (2017) has been released as Honor 8 Lite, so if you own the Honor 8 Lite, you can install this update. Through this new firmware, the company brings support to Project Treble. Thanks to Project Treble, the operating system gets split into two frameworks: one with the Android core OS and one with the company’s customisation. In this way, Huawei will be able to release its upcoming updates in quick and easy manner.

Obviously, the update contains all the core features of Android Oreo, and it is customized with EMUI 8.0. In case you don’t know, LineageOS team has already released a custom ROM for Huawei P8 Lite (2017) / Honor 8 Lite based on Android Oreo 8.1. If you do not want to install the official beta of Android Oreo but want to use the stable LineageOS ROM based on the latest version of the operating system, just head to this link and you will find all the information about it and its download links. Note that NFC does not work in this version.

(Via)

The next Essential Phone Will Boast A Better Camera

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Apr 8, 2018

Essential Phone PH-1 is one of the unique releases of 2017. It’s a flagship device launched by the founder of Android and it managed to get the attention of customers pretty quickly, even though the sales haven’t been that impressive. Many people may not know it, but this phone was announced with a notch even before the iPhone X. And this isn’t its only innovation, given that this is the first device to sport a frame made of titanium and a ceramic back.

But this phone had a major flaw: we are talking about its camera performance, which is a bit disappointing. Many users complained about the bad camera performance of the Essential Phone PH-1, and the company did listen to them and released an update to improve the camera. But it was not enough to let it rock like the cameras of Samsung Galaxy S8, Mate 10 Pro, and other 2017 flagships. Well, according to the company, the next Essential Phone will change things in this department. In an interview released to Business Insider, Essential declared that its next device will feature a better camera. Here’s an excerpt from the interview with Linda Jiang, head of industrial design at Essential:

In general, one thing that we got hit hard with was the quality of our camera, and we’re really looking forward to improving that with our next-gen, making sure that we’re listening to our customers and their pain points… We’re going to make it better for you.

However, we don’t know when the next Essential Phone will be announced. Given that the company has released just one phone until now, and that there are no official declarations about the launch date of its next device, we cannot tell you if the company plans to release new flagships annually. Recently, a patent regarding this device was filed, and it was revealed that it may come with a pop-up camera like the Vivo APEX.

(Source)

Xiaomi Reportedly Targeting Record Shipment For 2018 Exceeding 100 Million Units

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Apr 7, 2018

A recent report by research firm IDC had revealed a 5% decline in the Chinese smartphone market in 2017. That decline is heavily linked to the saturation the Chinese market witnessed as a result of the flurry of new smartphones released last year. In order to tackle this decline, the top Chinese phone makers were recently reported to be planning big for the global market. A new piece of information alleged to have emanated from sources inside the Taiwanese supply chain has again reiterated that the Chinese manufacturers are formulating a very aggressive development plan for 2018.

According to the source, Huawei, OPPO, Vivo and Xiaomi all plan to expand globally in order to placate the stagnation the Chinese market is witnessing. Of particular interest is the disclosure that Xiaomi is planning a massive rise in shipments and aims to ship between 120 million – 150 million smartphones this year.

This is a lofty target but going by official reports, Xiaomi is presently shipping over 10 million units of its Redmi and Mi models in Q1 2018. So, it looks possible to be able to achieve 120 million shipments this year. In addition, Xiaomi is targeting expansion into new markets globally as well as consolidating on its existing international market. We may likely see a record-breaking shipment by the Mi brand this year. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

(source)

Huawei Kirin 980 Mass Production Begins This Quarter, To Use TSMC’s 7nm Process

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Apr 7, 2018

The race for the 7nm chip is on and it appears Huawei may be the first to announce a chipset based on the new process and also the first to have it in a phone.

Latest reports say that Huawei will begin mass production of the Kirin 980 chipset this quarter. The 7nm chipset will be manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. (TSMC).

We still do not know the configuration of the mobile processor but we have a few guesses. We believe the Kirin 980 will still have a dedicated but improved NPU. We also expect it to appear first in the Huawei Mate 20 and then the next P-series phone for 2019.

April Security Update Brings Bluetooth 5.0 To The Essential Phone

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Apr 7, 2018

The Essential PH-1 received an update to Android 8.1 Oreo last month. Before then it was still on Android Nougat. Yesterday, it got a new update which brings April’s security patch and Bluetooth 5.0.

The update is 127MB in size and updates your security patch to that of April. There are other changes and fixes too but the biggest is that Bluetooth 5.0 has now been certified.

Bluetooth 5.0 is the latest version of the wireless technology and it comes with a number of new features. First, it lets you pair your phone to more than one speaker or wireless headphone at a time. So you can stream audio to two speakers or even stream different audio sources (music and video) to two speakers/headphones. However, they must be Bluetooth 5.0 devices too for you to get the feature.

Another update to Bluetooth 5.0 is the support for Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) for audio devices. BLE was only available to smartwatches, fitness trackers and other low-power devices. Bluetooth 5.0 also has an increased range and speed. Supported distance is now 240 meters and speed is now 2Mbps.