Wishing All Of You A Happy New Year 2018!

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Dec 31, 2017

2017 finally came to an end and we can definitely say that it was a great year for the Chinese smartphones market. With artificial intelligence, bezel-less displays, and face recognition, we finally saw some innovation which has been missing for a while. Chinese phones are getting every day closer to the best brands in terms of displays, performances, camera, and innovation. We think it is time to make a balance of this year and to establish which are the best smartphones launched in 2017. So, we categorised the best smartphones of this year into price ranges: take a look below to know everything about them and, possibly, let us know if you agree with us.

Best flagship smartphones of 2017

Huawei Mate 10 Pro (http://bit.ly/2CxNAaD $899)

Display: 6.0 in FHD+ AMOLED
Hardware: Kirin 970, 4/6 GB RAM, 64/128 GB ROM
Software: Android Oreo, EMUI 8.0
Camera: Dual 12 + 20 MP f/1.6
Battery: 4000 mAh

We think Huawei Mate 10 Pro is definitely the best Chinese phone launched in 2017. It is perfectly balanced and offers amazing performance under every aspect. Its dual camera made in cooperation with Leica is surely the most impressive thing. It provides incredible detail, good colors, and outstanding photos in low light conditions (our Huawei Mate 10 Pro review here!), and it has been rated as one of the best smartphones cameras ever by DxOMark. The phone sports an impressive SoC, Kirin 970, with a Neural Processing Unit for AI. Artificial intelligence is able to perform many useful tasks on this handset, and this is an additional value over its other top-end features. Huawei Mate 10 Pro is also the 2017 flagship with the biggest battery (4000 mAh) and it is a waterproof device, unlike other Chinese phones.

PRO: Outstanding camera, beastly performances, AI, no bezels, waterproof, huge battery

CONS: Price

OnePlus 5T (http://bit.ly/2q1vxYI $529)

Display: 6.01 in FHD+ AMOLED
Hardware: Snapdragon 835, 6/8 GB RAM, 64/128 GB ROM
Software: Android Nougat, OxygenOS 4.7
Camera: Dual 16 + 20 MP f/1.7
Battery: 3300 mAh

Performance is the strongest point of this device, and performances are usually the main concern for people who choose to buy a Chinese handset. Thanks to Snapdragon 835, 8 GB of RAM (in the most powerful variant) and an incredible software optimization, OnePlus 5T is one of the fastest and smoothest Android phone ever. It can handle every app or game that you throw at it with easy and it is also the perfect phone for productivity and multi-tasking.

PRO: Best performances, good camera, nice display, borderless, competitive price

CONS: Anonymous design

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 (http://bit.ly/2pXYViE $529)

Display: 5.99 in FHD+ IPS LCD
Hardware: Snapdragon 835, 6/8 GB RAM, 64/128/256 GB ROM
Software: Android Nougat, MIUI 9
Camera: 12 MP f/2.0
Battery: 3400 mAh

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2, together with Honor View 10, can be considered the best value for money flagships. Even though it can found at an affordable price, it has the best smartphone SoC launched in the market by Qualcomm in 2017: Snapdragon 835. It is paired with 6 or 8 GB of RAM depending on the version, and these components make Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 one of the best smartphones in terms of performance. MIUI 9 is an ever evolving user interface with many additional features. The design is another strong point of this device: with a ceramic back and one of the highest screen-to-body ratio, it is the king of bezel-less flagships that won’t cost you a fortune. The camera could be better, but the price justifies it and keeps everyone surprised.

PRO: Incredible performances, nice software, very narrow bezels, affordable price

CONS: Average camera

Honor View 10 (http://bit.ly/2CohilM $489)

Display: 5.99 in FHD+ LTPS IPS LCD
Hardware: Kirin 970, 4/6 GB RAM, 64/128 GB ROM
Software: Android Oreo, EMUI 8.0
Camera: Dual 16 + 20 MP f/1.8
Battery: 3750 mAh

Huawei Honor V10 can be defined as a cheap version of the Huawei Mate 10 Pro. Even though its price is much lower, there are not so many differences between Honor V10 and the best Chinese flagship. It has the same SoC: Kirin 970 with AI, a similar borderless FHD+ display and a battery which is a bit smaller but remains huge (4000 mAh vs 3750 mAh). The difference is in the camera: it is good, but not at the same level of Mate 10 Pro. Also, Honor View 10 does not offer any kind of certification for water-resistance.

PRO: Great performance, big battery, affordable price, Android Oreo out of the box, AI

CONS: Nothing special to mention

Best affordable flagship smartphones of 2017

Oppo R11s (http://bit.ly/2CjDcGP $529)

Display: 6.01 in FHD+ AMOLED
Hardware: Snapdragon 660, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB ROM
Software: Android Nougat, ColorOS 3.2
Camera: Dual 16 + 20 MP f/1.7
Battery: 3200 mAh

Oppo R11s is a perfect phone for Chinese customers, who are not mainly focused on performance, but they care a lot about the camera. This is an outstanding camera phone, and it is hard to find a better camera phone at the same price. The phone has powerful dual cameras on its rear and also an excellent front camera which supports AI to beautify selfies. Even though it is focused on camera, its hardware side is far from being bad: the powerful and efficient Snapdragon 660 SoC can provide very good performance, and the borderless display can provide a good viewing quality with brilliant colors and a low energy consumption.

PRO: Very nice display, Good hardware side, Great camera, borderless

CONS: Limited availability

Xiaomi Mi Note 3 (http://bit.ly/2Ce6aJ1 $319)

Display: 5.5 in FHD IPS LCD
Hardware: Snapdragon 660, 6 GB RAM, 64/128 GB ROM
Software: Android Nougat, MIUI 9
Camera: Dual 16 + 20 MP f/1.8
Battery: 3500 mAh

Xiaomi Mi Note 3 is the best camera phone by Xiaomi, even though it is not its most powerful flagship by the company. And it is also one of the best camera phones ever made in this price segment. This device supports lossless optical zoom and the amount of details captured by its dual camera setup is impressive. Unfortunately, it has bezels, which is kind of disappointing considering this year’s trend. But this opens up space for a front Home button with a fingerprint reader embedded. Further, the Snapdragon 660 and 6 GB of RAM offer incredible performances in daily use and multi-tasking.

PRO: Super camera, Nice hardware, big battery, affordable price

CONS: Bezels

Vivo X20 (http://bit.ly/2lrLFhB $539)

Display: 6.01 in FHD+ AMOLED
Hardware: Snapdragon 660, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB ROM
Software: Android Nougat, Funtouch 3.2
Camera: Dual 12 + 5 MP f/1.8
Battery: 3250 mAh

Vivo X20 is not so different from Oppo R11s. It is another phone focused on the camera department, and it can be found at an even more affordable price. Both the main dual camera setup and the single selfie camera are amazing if we consider the price of the handset, even though we like the Oppo R11s a bit more. The bezel-less display is another great component of this device with the AMOLED technology providing deep blacks and vivid colors. Another strong point is surely the hardware side: Snapdragon 660 is not the best SoC ever, but if we exclude the Snapdragon 8xx series, it is the best choice in the Android market.

PRO: Nice display, Good hardware side, satisfying camera, good borderless design

CONS: Limited availability

Huawei Nova 2s also deserves a mention in this section: it is an incredibly powerful phone thanks to its Kirin 960 SoC and up to 6 GB RAM, it has a wide bezel-less display and also an amazing dual camera. Yet it is sold at an incredibly aggressive price (around 400 euros/475 dollars).

Best midrange smartphones of 2017

Xiaomi Mi A1

Display: 5.5 in FHD LTPS IPS LCD
Hardware: Snapdragon 625, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB ROM
Software: Android Nougat, Android One
Camera: Dual 12 MP f/2.2
Battery: 3080 mAh

Xiaomi Mi A1 is the first Xiaomi phone which is made for an international audience. It deserves a spot in the ranking of the best smartphones not only for its incredible quality-price ratio but also because it has Android One installed and a very capable camera. Android One is a stock version of Android which is supported directly by Google with constant updates and no bloatware. Its camera department consists of a dual camera setup with a 12 MP resolution which can be defined the best smartphone camera in its price range (under 200 euros). The phone also has an elegant design and large RAM and storage: these things are useful to run many apps at the same time and to store many files.

PRO: Great price, nice and efficient hardware, good camera department, Android One

CONS: Bezels

Meizu M6 Note (http://bit.ly/2CsPMkL $149)

Display: 5.5 in FHD IPS LCD
Hardware: Snapdragon 625, 3/4 GB RAM, 16/32/64 GB ROM
Software: Android Nougat, Flyme 6.0
Camera: Dual 12 + 5 MP f/1.9
Battery: 4000 mAh

Meizu managed to be one of the best Chinese companies in the past few years in the mid-range market, but in 2017 it did not have so much success worldwide. This is probably the reason why the company decided to launch its first phone with a Snapdragon SoC in 2017. And it was a very good choice if we look at its performance and efficiency, especially because its price is very competitive. Another big advantage of the M6 Note is the battery: it is very big and well-optimized. Further, even though the phone has bezels, the display is big and comfortable.

PRO: Nice hardware for the price, very affordable price, big battery, interesting camera

CONS: Average display

Honor 7X ( http://bit.ly/2Ekzzyu $239)

Display: 5.93 in FHD+ IPS LCD
Hardware: Kirin 659, 3/4 GB RAM, 32/64 GB ROM
Software: Android Nougat, EMUI 5.1
Camera: Dual 16 + 2 MP
Battery: 3340 mAh

In this period, it seems that Honor 7X has become the best choice for people in search of a phone with the best quality-price ratio. Every aspect of this phone is impressive, yet it does not cost much. The device sports a big and bezel-less display which is very hard to find in its price range. It has a great hardware, you can choose between two configurations that are always sufficient for every use. The phone also has a decent camera and a big battery. In our opinion, the phone impresses everyone (except the most advanced ones) with its well-balanced features.

PRO: Borderless display, good hardware, big battery, pretty nice camera, low price

CONS: Nothing specific

Best budget smartphones of 2017

Xiaomi Redmi 5 (http://bit.ly/2q0N8jn $139)

Display: 5.7 in HD+ IPS LCD
Hardware: Snapdragon 450, 2/3 GB RAM, 16/32 GB ROM
Software: Android Nougat, MIUI 9
Camera: 12 MP f/2.2
Battery: 3300 mAh

Xiaomi Redmi 5 is one of the cheapest phones with a borderless display, also making it one of the most interesting ones. It is very compact, but it has a big 18:9 display which is very comfortable. It can be purchased with a price tag which is slightly superior to 100 euros ($120), but it has a more than sufficient hardware configuration and a satisfying camera. The battery is big as well, so the battery life is far from being disappointing. With this phone, you will be able to run heavy apps with an above-average smoothness, a thing which is hard to do with phones in the same price range.

PRO: Amazing Price, bezel-less design, big and comfortable display, big battery

CONS: Below-average camera

Xiaomi Redmi 4X ( http://bit.ly/2ltmzOv $124)

Display: 5 in HD IPS LCD
Hardware: Snapdragon 435, 3 GB RAM, 32 GB ROM
Software: Android Marshmallow, MIUI 8
Camera: 13 MP f/2.0
Battery: 4100 mAh

Xiaomi Redmi 4X is the best device for people in search of a handset with great performance, an outstanding battery life and a price around 100 dollars. It has a huge 4100 mAh battery and an excellent hardware side if we consider that it can be purchased at such an affordable price. Snapdragon 435, 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB ROM can provide a very nice multi-tasking experience, and its 5-inch display makes it compact and easy to hold.

PRO: Compact design, Great hardware, very affordable price, very big battery

CONS: Still Android Marshmallow out of the box

So, these were our best Chinese smartphones for 2017. Do you think any other model should be added or removed from this list?

Nokia Camera App Reveals Unreleased Nokia 4, Nokia 7 Plus, and Nokia 1

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Dec 31, 2017

This year HMD Global released a number of Android smartphones under the popular Nokia brand. They include the Nokia 6, Nokia 3, Nokia 5, Nokia 8, Nokia 7, and Nokia 2. Come next year we sure will be getting more, first in line should be the Nokia 6 (2018) and the Nokia 9. However, the Nokia camera app has revealed two more new phones – the Nokia 4 and the Nokia 7 Plus alongside the rumored Android One Nokia 1.

The discovery was made when the apk of the camera app was unpacked. The file revealed a list of HMD Global Nokia phones which includes already released ones and also unreleased ones. Out of the unreleased ones are the Nokia 4 and Nokia 7 Plus which we have never heard of before.

There is no info as to when anyone of the two phones will hit the market. However, with the info we now have, Nokia has at least 5 phones planned for next year if we add the Nokia 6 (2018), Nokia 9, and Nokia 1.

Details of MediaTek’s Helio P40 and Helio P70 High-End Chips Leak

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Dec 31, 2017

For 2017, MediaTek released only one high-end chip – the Helio X30. and the processor only powered two devices – the Meizu Pro 7 Plus and the Meitu V6. Next year, MediaTek will be announcing two high-end chips called the Helio P40 and Helio P70 and we hope they power more devices.

Both the Helio P40 and Helio P70 will be 12nm chips built by TSMC and are reported to arrive in Q2 2018. Below are their full configuration details:

Helio P40

We first heard of the Helio P40 some few months ago. However, this new leak brings new details.

The processor will be an octa-core chip with 4x A73 cores clcoked at 2.0GHz and 4x A53 cores clocked at 2.0GHz. Its GPU is a Mali-G72 MP3 clocked at 700MHz and it will come with three ISPs with support for up to 32MP.

The Helio P40 will support up to 8GB LPDDR4x (1866MHz) RAM and eMMC 5.1 and UFS 2.1 storage. The Helio P40 will also have AI capabilities with support for TensorFlow and Cat.7 LTE.

Helio P70 and P40

Helio P70

The Helio P70 will also be an octa-core chip with the same A73 and A53 cores but will have the former clocked at 2.5GHz. It will come with a more powerful Mali G72 MP4 GPU clocked at 800MHzbut have the same AI capabilities as the P40.

The P70 will support up to 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM and will have Cat.12 LTE.

Unconfirmed Schematics Show The Huawei P20 Series With Triple Cameras

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Dec 31, 2017

The Huawei P11 won’t be coming, instead it will be replaced by the Huawei P20. The name won’t be the only change coming to Huawei’s next flagship. There are also reports that it will come with three cameras on the rear. Images said to be schematics of the flagship series have leaked and they show the Huawei P20, P20 Plus, and a new P20 Pro all with triple rear cameras with various designs.

For those who don’t remember, about a month ago there were a bunch of promotional images leaked by Evan Blass that showed the next Huawei P-series will come with “40MP, 3 lens rear (5x hybrid zoom) + 24MP selfie” developed by Leica. That leak is the genesis of the triple rear camera story.

According to the schematics, the Huawei P20, P20 Plus, and P20 Pro will all have thin bezels with an 18:9 display but only the Huawei P20 Pro will have a notch at the top and also a rear mounted fingerprint scanner.

Moving to the back, the three phones differ greatly. The Huawei P20 will have its three cameras arranged horizontally and positioned on the left side. The P20 Plus, on the other hand will have its own cameras arranged vertically but will also be on the left.

Last but not the least is the new Huawei P20 Pro which will also have a vertical arrangement but will be positioned in the middle with the fingerprint scanner below it.

The design of the phones will not be the only differences. It is reported that the Huawei P20 and P20 Plus will come with the Kirin 970 processor while the P20 Pro will come with a new and slightly more powerful Kirin 975 processor. All three of them are expected to have 6GB of RAM.

Android 8.0 Oreo Stable Update Arrives On Xiaomi Mi A1

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Dec 31, 2017

The Android One Xiaomi Mi A1 has started to receive a stable update that brings Android Oreo to the phone. The announcement was made yesterday via the official Xiaomi Twitter account.

According to the tweet, to receive the update you have to make sure that you are already running the latest December update which is version 7.12.19. Even at that, the update which is 1107.4MB in size and comes with December’s security patch will be rolling out in batches.

We're ending the year with an O! #MiA1 users, stay tuned as we're rolling out your long-awaited update in batches but make sure you're already on the latest December update (7.12.19) to receive Android O! pic.twitter.com/GhRtDnyJn4

— Xiaomi #48MPforEveryone (@xiaomi) December 31, 2017

The Xiaomi Mi A1 is actually the same device as the Mi 5X but runs Vanilla Android instead of MIUI. So for those who own the MI 5X and have actually ported the ROM of the Mi A1 to their phone, this update should also work for you. As at the time of writing, the ROM isn’t yet on the MIUI site, so you may have to check later.

The Mi A1 packs a 5.5” 1920 x 1080 display, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage. It is powered by the Snapdragon 625 mobile platform.

Apart from the fact that it runs Pure Android, another highlight of the phone is its dual 12MP rear cameras – the same as the ones on the Mi 6. There is also a 5MP camera in front for selfies.

Real Life Images Of Unknown OPPO Smartphone Leaked

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Jed John Ikoba

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Dec 31, 2017

Real life images of a smartphone identified as an upcoming OPPO model have appeared online. The smartphone is unfortunately covered in a protective shell which hampers the full view of the device’s design. However, the little part that is visible shows the device features a full-screen design.

OPPO isn’t new to full-screen smartphones as it caught up with the trend early on with the launch of the OPPO R11s this year. However, since the trend is still expected to continue in 2018, it is no surprise if OPPO is already set to release its first for 2018. From what we can see, the device will feature a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor obviously due to the full-screen design and it utilises on-screen buttons. A couple of features that are hard to miss include the numerous modules on top of the display screen. Apart from the selfie camera, there is a front flash and three other sensors whose functions we can’t say for now. It is possible OPPO is working on some sort of facial recognition technology different from the one presently featured on its smartphones. In addition, the phone volume rocker keys are located on the left-hand side while the power button and SIM tray will be on the right side.

We should note, though, that the leaked smartphone’s design has some similarities to the OPPO R11S. So this could be the R11s being bandied around with an attractive protective shell but that doesn’t explain the unusual-looking sensors on top of the screen. Also, the rear camera module seems to have a different design from the R11s. Thus, we’ll have to wait for more leaked details to emerge before the actual identity of this OPPO model could be unravelled.

(source)

Nokia TA-1054 AKA Nokia 6 (2018) Specs Appear on TENAA

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Dec 30, 2017

The Nokia TA-1054 first appeared on TENAA a few weeks ago. But back then, only the images of the phone which is said to be the Nokia 6 (2018) were provided. Now, the full specifications have been made available with the same pictures we first saw. So this is not a different phone.

However, it is important to mention that while the image of the front of the phone does look it has an 18:9 display, thanks to the reduced bezels, TENAA lists the screen as 5.5” with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 (16:9 aspect ratio). The dimensions of the phone is also provided as 148.8 x 75.8 x 8.15 mm.

The Nokia 6 (2018) will pack 4GB of RAM with 32GB or 64GB of built-in storage. There is also support for storage expansion (128GB max.) The phone is powered by an octa-core processor clocked at 2.2GHz.

There is 16MP sensor on the rear and an 8MP up front for selfies. The phone surprisingly runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat. It also packs the same 3000mAh battery as the first-gen Nokia 6. The TENAA listing adds that the device will be available in white, blue, and black.

As it stands, it appears the Nokia 6 (2018) will be the first HMD phone to be announced in 2018.

(Source)

Oppo F3 Receives Rs. 2,000 Price Cut India, Now Costs Rs. 16,990

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Jeet

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Dec 30, 2017

Oppo, the China-based smartphone manufacturer has announced a price cut of Rs. 2,000 (around $31) on Oppo F3 phone in India. After the price cut, the device is now available for purchase in at a price of Rs. 16,990 (approximately $266).

To recall, the Oppo F3 was launched in India earlier this year in May for Rs. 19,990, which roughly converts to $313. However, the phone had earlier received a price cut of Rs. 1,000 in September, bringing down its effective price to Rs. 18,990 (approximately $297). Currently, the phone is available in India in two colour options — Gold and Black.

As the name itself suggests, the Oppo F3 is a toned-down and more affordable model compared to its bigger sibling Oppo F3 Plus. The phone features a 5.5-inch Full HD In-Cell 2.5D curved display with 1920 x 1080 pixels screen resolution. The display is protected from the minor scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on top.

Under the hood, the device is powered by 1.5GHz MediaTek MT6750T octa-core processor, coupled with Mali-T860 GPU, 4GB RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. There is also a microSD card slot which allows users to further expand storage capacity up to 128GB.

The highlight of the phone is its dual-selfie camera setup on the front side. The device features a 16-megapixel primary snapper along with an 8-megapixel wide-angle secondary camera. It comes with several software features such as Smart Facial Recognition, Beautify 4.0, Selfie Panorama, Screen Flash, among others.

At the back, the device comes with a single 13-megapixel camera sensor, along with dual-tone LED flash, phase detection autofocus and f/2.2 aperture. The camera is capable enough to shoot videos in Full HD resolution.

Connectivity options include Dual SIM, 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n (dual-band), Bluetooth 4.1 Low Energy, GPS with A-GPS. There is also a front-mounted fingerprint sensor for added protection. Running on Android Marshmallow based Color OS 3.0, the device is powered by a 3,200mAh non-removable battery.

Huawei P Smart To Land In Europe In Late January At A Price Of €249: Report

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Dec 30, 2017

Huawei P Smart will be nothing more than a re-branded Huawei Enjoy 7S for the global market. It has been revealed by one of the most famous leaksters online: Evan Blass, and just one day after this leak, a new report revealed the launch date of the handset in Europe, together with its price tag. According to the new report, the midrange will be officially available to purchase in Europe in late January.

The European price will be 249 euros (that is equivalent to about $300) for the base variant with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage. Unfortunately, the report only mentions the 3/32 GB version of the phone, we still do not know if and when the most powerful version with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB ROM will go on sale outside of China. In case you do not remember, Huawei P Smart has a full metal unibody design and it sports a bezel-less display just like every midrange phone launched by Huawei in the latest months.

The panel has a size of 5.65 inches and it can show images at a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2160 pixels. On the hardware side, Huawei P Smart is equipped with an octa-core Kirin 659 SoC running at a max frequency of 2.36 GHz. On the rear side, there is a dual camera setup with resolutions of 13 + 2 MP, while the front camera has an 8 MP resolution. The battery has a capacity of 3000 mAh and Android Oreo is installed out of the box. Full specs here!

(Source, Via)

Qualcomm Leads The SoC Market In Q3 2017 By A Significant Margin, Apple In Second Place

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Dec 30, 2017

According to a new Counterpoint research, chipset revenues crossed 8 billion dollars in the global smartphone SoC market in Q3 2017. This is definitely a new record, as we have never seen such revenue figures in the third quarter of a year. Compared to Q3 2016, the market grew 19% annually, which is a significant increase. Qualcomm, with its Snapdragon SoCs, is the company leading the global smartphone SoC maker ranking, with a share of 42%, that is 1 percent more compared to Q3 2016. At the second place of the ranking, there is Apple, which occupies a share of 20%, 1% less than Q3 2016. After Qualcomm and Apple, we got MediaTek with a share of 14%.

But MediaTek registered an important decrease in SoC shippings: 4% less than Q3 2016. Samsung Exynos, HiSilicon, and Spreadtrum are at the last three spots of the ranking with shares of 11, 8, and 5 percent. According to Neil Shah, Counterpoint Research Director: “The focus in the smartphone SoC market has shifted away from the number of processor cores to the integration of newer technologies driving newer experiences. For example: focusing on immersion to unlock new experiences such as AR/VR/Depth Sensing leveraging integrated ISP (Image Signal Processors) and GPUs, to other areas such as Artificial Intelligence engines, dedicated security architecture at chipset level, enhanced connectivity paving the path to 5G and higher performance at lower power consumption levels”.

Indeed, Huawei has recently launched a flagship processor with a dedicated Neural Processing Unit to perform AI tasks (Kirin 970), and the same did Apple with its A11 Fusion. Qualcomm has unveiled its new Snapdragon 845 which features AI as well, and it will be in the market starting from Q1 2018. According to Counterpoint a third of smartphones shipped in 2020 will have a processor supporting AI.

(Source)

Alleged OnePlus 5T Sandstone Version Might Be Unveiled In January 2018

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Dec 30, 2017

When the metal unibody design and the glass + metal body were not a trend, companies were much more creative at smartphone designs. According to a new official teaser video that was spotted yesterday, OnePlus 5T might break the metal / glass trend of 2017. The video has been published yesterday by the company’s official channel, and it shows some people’s reaction after touching a product inside a box. From what these people say, we can imagine that they touched the sandstone version of the latest flagship by the Chinese company. In case you do not know, OnePlus One and Two (the first phones launched by the company years ago) were also launched in a sandstone version.

This variant had a back cover made of real sandstone providing a special tactile feedback which might match the descriptions given by the people in the teaser video. That is why we think OnePlus 5T might be coming in a special sandstone variant which, unlike the standard version of the phone, would feature a unique design. Until now, OnePlus 5T has just been released in a Midnight Black version and a Star Wars limited edition. Unlike the Star Wars Edition which has limited availability, the sandstone version may be launched worldwide.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6NgimX95Rw

The specs of this special OnePlus 5T version should be exactly the same as the normal one. We will get the same 6-inch borderless display with a Full HD+ resolution and Optic AMOLED technology. Under the hood, there will be an octa-core Snapdragon 835 SoC by Qualcomm, running at a max frequency of 2.45 GHz. The camera department will consist of a dual setup on the back with resolutions of 16 + 20 MP, there will be a 16 MP front camera and a 3300mAh battery. We do not know whether the alleged sandstone version will be available in both the RAM/storage configurations or just in the most powerful one (8/128 GB).

Year Of The Bezel-less! Bezel-less Display Panel Shipments Pegged At 230M In 2017

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Jed John Ikoba

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Dec 30, 2017

The year 2017 is just a few days from being over and so we don’t expect the launch of any smartphone until 2018. One thing that set this year apart from previous years is the emergence of the full-screen, bezel-less smartphone trend that gathered strong momentum in Q2 after the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S8. In case you are wondering how many full-screen models have been launched this year, we don’t know either but a new research data from China has given us an idea of the now of bezel-less display panels that have been shipped this year alone.

The data collated by SigmaIntell reveals that shipments for bezel-less full-screen smartphones reached 230 million in 2017. The Chinese market intelligence company based its findings on data collected by its analysts and the research includes display panels with 18:9 and 18.5:9 panels utilized by Samsung on its Galaxy flagships. The report also identifies Samsung Display (SDI) as the largest supplier of bezel-less mobile screens in 2017. The Samsung Display arm is said to have delivered 137 million full-screen panels to both its smartphone division and third-party phone makers, accounting for nearly 60 percent of global shipments. Samsung also benefitted from the supply of OLED panels to Apple for use on the iPhone X which had the largest display aspect ratio at 19.5:9.

The claim that the shift to bezel-less display gained momentum in the second half of the year was reflected in the statistics as SigmaIntell reported that 200 million shipments were recorded in the second half of 2017. Samsung also supplied LG bezel-free OLED for the G6 which together with the Galaxy S8 line, accounted for the remaining 30 million shipments recorded by Samsung. Apart from Samsung, Chinese display panel manufacturer Tianma also recorded some shipments pegged at 24 million while BOE technology shipped 12 million tall, bezel-less display panels to phone makers over the course of this year to occupy the number 4 position. AU Optronics (AUO) occupied the third spot with a shipment of 17 million units. There is no doubt that the trend will continue in 2018.

(source)

The Alcatel 5 Pays A Visit To The FCC, Reveals More Details

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Dec 30, 2017

The Alcatel 5 is one of the phones we are looking forward to next year. First seen in public last month at a Chinese conference forum and appearing as the TCL A5, the tri-bezel-less smartphone has now been spotted at the FCC.

There is no doubt that the Alcatel 5 was getting certified ahead of its possible release next month. There are a bunch of photos provided which gives us a closer look at the phone.

From one of the images provided, the phone looks like it has a brushed metal back but on closer look it does seem to be plastic. There is a picture of the bottom of the phone which shows a USB-C port flanked on both sides by speaker grilles. You may be wondering if the Alcatel 5 won’t have an audio jack, but it is actually at the top just like in the Idol 5S.

Another picture provides an important info we haven’t come across before which is the battery capacity. The Alcatel 5 will come with a 3000mAh battery which will power its 5.7” 18:9 display.

The last sighting of the phone already revealed that it will be powered by a MT6750 processor. However, we do not know the memory variants it will be available in.

Some other pictures reveal the front of the Alcatel A5. There are two color variants – black and white and both show clearly the dual front facing cameras the phone will come with. There are also a couple of images that are extracts of the manual. From these images, we know the phone will have a hybrid dual SIM slot.

Buy Anet A8 Desktop 3D Printer For Just $129.99 On GearBest

Vivo V7 Price In India Slashed By Rs. 2,000, Now Retails For Rs. 16,990

By

Jeet

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Dec 30, 2017

Vivo V7, the smartphone which was launched in India last month at a price of Rs. 18,990 (~$297), has now received a permanent price cut of Rs. 2,000. This brings down the effective price of the device to Rs. 16,990 (approximately $266) in India.

Initially, the smartphone was available exclusively through online retailer Flipkart. But now the phone is available on other e-commerce platforms such as Amazon India and Paytm Mall. Along with that, it is also available through offline retail stores. The phone is available in three colour options — Champagne Gold, Matte Black and the recently introduced Energetic Blue.

Also, the company has announced that the users of Reliance Jio will receive an additional data benefit of 100GB to all those who purchase the Vivo V7. While the company has slashed the pricing of Vivo V7, the pricing of its bigger sibling — Vivo V7 Plus remains unchanged. It is still retailing at a price of Rs. 21,900 in India.

The Vivo V7 features a 5.7-inch HD+ display with a screen resolution of 1440 x 720 pixels and an 18:9 aspect ratio. Under the hood, the phone is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 chipset, which comes coupled with 4GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage.

There is also a dedicated microSD card slot, enabling users to further expand the phone’s storage capacity up to 256GB. A 24-megapixel front-facing camera is present for taking selfies, which also comes with a Portrait mode and a “Moonlight Glow” LED flash to make the images look better in low-light conditions. At the rear, there is a 16-megapixel camera with an LED flash and f/2.0 aperture.

Connectivity options on the device include Dual SIM, 4G LTE, VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS, and micro USB port. The phone runs FunTouch OS 3.2 which is built on top of Android 7.1 Nougat operating system. The device, which comes with Face Unlock mode, is fuelled by a 3,000mAh battery.

Buy Anet A8 Desktop 3D Printer On GearBest For Just $139.99

By

Vinay Patel

-

Dec 30, 2017

Anet A8 Desktop 3D Printer is designed to offer unparalleled performance coupled with exceptional quality and usability. Housed in a piano-black laser-cut acrylic frame, the device retains the handmade appeal and garage-built charm.

The EU Plug (Black) version of Anet A8 Desktop 3D Printer is currently available at a discounted price of just $139.99 on GearBest. This is a massive 51% reduction in the device’s original asking price.

There were only 333 pieces of EU Plug version left at the time of writing. Moreover, it is imperative for you to bear in mind that the promo comes to an end in two days.

There are two other versions including UK Plug (Black) and US Plug (Black) that you can buy on the website.The UK Plug version is currently up for grabs for $203.76, while the US Plug version is available for just $139.99 as part of a promo that is slated to end in two days. On top of that, only 63 pieces of the US Plug version of Anet A8 Desktop 3D Printer were left at the time of writing.

Before checking out, you can use promo code ‘A8KIDA’ to buy the device for only $129.99. Head straight to this link to get your hands on Anet A8 Desktop 3D Printer before the promo ends.

GeekBuying Offers Upto 70% Off On Electronic Items In Celebration Of New Year

By

Vinay Patel

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Dec 30, 2017

2018 is just around the corner and as expected, sellers are offering all sorts of discounts in a bid to draw the attention of buyers who intend to take advantage of the year-end deals. Lining with this, GeekBuying is currently offering up to 70% off on various items that will be shipped from its warehouses located in Germany, Spain, Italy and Hong Kong.

Germany Warehouse

First off, let’s take a gander at the electronic items that will ship from GeekBuying’s Germany-based warehouse.

The very well-received Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 model with 3GB RAM/32GB ROM is available for just $169.99, while 4GB RAM/64GB ROM version is selling for only $195.99 on the website. Alternatively, you can go for Xiaomi Mi A1 smartphone and get 14% off on the handset’s original asking price of $289.99.

Similarly, there’s LeTV LeEco Le Max 2, which is available at a discounted price of just $182.99. In addition to mobile phones, GeekBuying’s Germany-based warehouse will be shipping Mecool M8S PRO Plus Android TV Box, Makibes DM98 3G Smart Watch Phone, Megawheels TW02-1 Self Balance Electric Scooter and lots more.

Spain Warehouse

If you’re willing to spend $249.99, you can buy Xiaomi’s Mi A1 smartphone, which packs 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, under the hood.

Among a slew of other items that will be shipped from GeekBuying’s Spain warehouse, there’s R-TV BOX, which carries a 20% discount, and Freesat V7 DVB-S2 1080P FHD Set Top Box, which is selling for a discounted price of just $29.99.

Italy Warehouse

Items that will be shipped from GeekBuying’s Italy warehouse comprises Le Max 2 4G LTE Smartphone, which is currently available for just $185.99 on the website.

Aside from that, there are several other items such as Beelink M1 MINI PC, Original Xiaoyi YI 1080p Dome Camera, and Makibes Talk T1 3G Smartwatch Phone just to name a few.

Hong Kong Warehouse Direct

The Hong Kong-based warehouse ships a myriad of electronic items including Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 smartphone, Mi Motion sensor night light, and HOMTOM ZOJI Z8 smartphone at a discounted price.

It is worth noting that only a few pieces of the aforesaid items were left at the time of writing so if you’re planning to take advantage of GeekBuying’s ‘Farewell 2017, Hello 2018’ promo, head straight to this link without wasting time.

Get 70% Off On Various Electronic Items On GeekBuying

Samsung and LG also confirm they do not slow down phones with older batteries

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