Samsung Notebook 9 (2018), Notebook 9 Pen 2-in-1 Officially Unveiled

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Dec 14, 2017

Honor has recently confirmed that it will be debuting the alleged Honor 9 Lite smartphone on Dec. 21. Honor’s parent firm, Huawei too will be unleashing a new smartphone before the end of the year. On its official Weibo account, the Chinese firm has confirmed that it will be launching a new full screen phone on Dec. 18. It is speculated that the rumored Enjoy 7S may get unveiled at the next week’s launch event.

According to the launch event poster, Huawei will be unveiling the alleged Enjoy 7S will be unveiled at Xi An, China. The rumor mill has revealed another image of the phone that reveals the entire design of the phone. Moreover, the full specifications of the smartphone have also appeared on TENAA.

The regulatory body from China has certified four variants of the phone with model numbers like FIG-AL00, FIG-AL10, FIG-TL00 and FIG-TL10. The first model supports all the carriers in China, the second will be exclusive to China Mobile, and the remaining two are the customized versions, claims IT Home.

According to TENAA listing, the Enjoy 7s will be equipped with a 5.65-inch display that will produce a resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels. It will be delivering an aspect ratio f o 18:9. The mid-range Kirin 659 chipset is expected to power its two storage models. The 32 GB and 64 GB models of the Enjoy 7s are expected to respectively feature 3 GB and 4 GB of RAM.

The back panel of the phone that houses a fingerprint scanner is fitted with 13-megapixel + 2-megapixel dual camera system. It will be featuring a selfie camera of 8-megpaixel. It includes a battery of 2,900mAh capacity and it will arrive preinstalled with EMUI 8.0 based Android 8.0 Oreo. The handset will be sporting a metallic chassis. It seems that the highest configuration model of the Enjoy 7S would be available with a pricing of 1,599 Yuan.

Huawei phones with Enjoy moniker are exclusively released in China. However, they are made available with different names in other markets. For instance, the Enjoy 7 Plus was released in India as Holly 4 Plus and some other markets had received it as Huawei Y7 Prime. Hence, the Enjoy 7s is also expected to release in other markets in early 2018.

(source 1, 2)

Huawei Honor 9 Lite’s Unique Invitation Confirms December 21 Launch

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Dec 14, 2017

Huawei has sensationally confirmed that it would be launching the Honor 9 Lite on December 21. This is coming less than a month after the Honor V10 was launched in China and later launched globally. The launch invite shows that the Honor 9 Lite launch event would be held in Shenzhen, China.

The launch invite comes with a pair of glass frame as well as a printed card containing the date and venue. The invitation card also comes with a teaser which projects the AI features the device will come with. The glass frame teases the dual cameras that the device packs and the entire package is housed in a box.

The Honor 9 Lite recently appeared on TENAA confirming the specifications to include a 5.65-inch 18:9 full-screen with a resolution of 2160 x 100 pixels. The device is equipped with a Hisilicon Kirin 6659 chip paired with either a 3GB and 4GB RAM respectively. The smartphone is also expected to feature a 13MP + 20MP dual camera setup at the rear and will be fuelled by a 2,900mAh battery.

LeEco Founder Jia Yueting Has Been Added to China’s Blacklist of Debt Defaulters

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Dec 14, 2017

LeEco founder and former CEO Jia Yueting wanted his company to rival with major U.S. companies like Apple, Netflix, Tesla and so on in various markets like smartphones, TV, cars and media content. However, LeEco is currently facing its worst cash crunching situation. On Monday, the company suffered another blow when the billionaire founder was added to the blacklist of debt defaulters in China.

According to Chinese media, Yueting was blacklisted as a debt defaulter after a Beijing court confirmed that he has failed to settle the debt of around $72 million to Ping An Securities Group, an investment company that belongs to China’s second-largest insurer.

LeEco founder’s name is now listed among other debt defaulters on shixin.court.gov.cn and his name is easily searchable by anyone. In 2013, China’s Supreme Court had publicly revealed the blacklist in order to name and shame debt defaulters. LeShi Holding and LeShi Yidong, the two subsidiaries of LeEco are also included in the list.

Debt defaulters are not allowed to travel by airplane or use first-class service on bullet trains. They are banned from using other luxuries such as premium hotels and golf courses. Such people are not allowed to invest in properties and their children are barred from studying at private schools.

The above rules are only applicable in China. It is unclear whether how these rules will affect Yueting who has been living in the U.S. since the past few months. Also, since March this year, he is yet to make a public appearance in China.

Earlier this year, Yueting resigned from his post as chairman of LeShi Internet Information and Technology so that he could concentrate on the auto unit of LeEco. Yueting had a net worth of $6 billion two years ago, but it has reportedly fallen to $3.8 billion in March this year. The future seems bleak for his company that has attained unsustainable debt in a bid to expand its business in international markets at a very fast pace

Snapdragon 845 Powered Windows 10 PCs Likely to Debut in Q3 2018

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Dec 14, 2017

In 2016, Microsoft and Qualcomm teamed up to work to launch “always connected PCs” that would be offering a decent battery life. During the Snapdragon Tech Summit that was held in the previous week, ASUS and HP unveiled the first Snapdragon 835 chipset driven notebooks running on Windows 10 S. At the same event, the U.S. based chip maker had also launched the Snapdragon 845 mobile platform that supports maximum download speeds of up to 1.2 Gbps. Fresh information suggests that the Snapdragon 845 powered laptops running on Windows 10 will probably arrive in the second half of 2018.

The HP Envy x2 and ASUS NovaGO powered by the Snapdragon 835 are slated to debut in the first quarter of 2018. Since x86 emulation on ARM was built around the Snapdragon 835 chipset, companies are opting to launch SD835 powered laptops instead of directly releasing Snapdragon 845 notebooks. Lenovo is also expected to showcase its Snapdragon 835 notebook at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2018 in January.

According to Fudzilla, Cristiano Amon who is Qualcomm’s executive vice president has said that the always connected laptops fueled by Snapdragon 845 chipset will be arriving in the market in the second half of next year. The starting half of 2018 will see various smartphone makers like Samsung, Xiaomi, LG, Sony and so on launching SD 845 powered flagship phones.

The publication speculates that Snapdragon 845 PCs would be available for the back-to-school market by early third quarter of 2018. By launching the Snapdragon 845 notebooks later in 2018, Microsoft and Qualcomm will be able to learn from the market response from the first-generation Snapdragon 835 PCs.

The Snapdragon 835 is the first generation 10nm chipset by Qualcomm and the newly unveiled Snapdragon 845 mobile platform is its second generation 10nm chipset. It is 25 percent more powerful than SD 835 and it comes with 30 percent improved graphics performance.

360 N6 vs Meizu M6 Note: Specs Comparison

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Michele Ingelido

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Dec 14, 2017

Meizu is not having a lot of success in the latest period, there are even rumors about re-branding. But its latest midrange M6 Note is its first phone with an SoC by Qualcomm and it is more interesting than every other midrange launched by the company in the last year. 360 N6 is another very interesting device in a similar price range, so it is worth comparing the specs of these two handsets to establish which is better and which is worth buying at this moment. With this 360 N6 vs Meizu M6 Note comparison, we will discover the strong points and the differences between these two affordable devices.

360 N6 vs Meizu M6 Note

	360 N6	Meizu M6 Note
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	74.9 x 157.8 x 8.7 mm, 186 g	154.6 x 75.2 x 8.4 mm, 173 grams
DISPLAY	5.93 inches, 1080 x 2160p (Full HD+), 18:9 ratio, IPS LCD	5.5 inches, 1080 x 1920p (Full HD), 403 ppi, 16:9 ratio, IPS LCD
PROCESSOR	Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, octa-core 2.2 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, octa-core 2.0 GHz
MEMORY	4 GB RAM, 32 GB – 6 GB RAM, 64 GB, micro SD slot	3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 3 GB RAM, 16 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB, micro SD slot
SOFTWARE	Android Nougat	Android 7.1.2 Nougat, Flyme 6.0
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS
CAMERA	13 MP 8 MP front camera	Dual 12 + 5 MP, f/2.2 + f/2.0, Dual Pixel PDAF 16 MP f/2.0 front camera
BATTERY	5000 mAh Fast charging (Quick Charge 3.0) 9V / 2A	4000 mAh Fast charging (mCharge)
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Hybrid Dual SIM slot, 100% sRGB	Dual SIM slot, quad-LED flash

The aspect we like the most about the 360 N6 is its display which has a 100% sRGB gamut. This quality makes it one of the best panels on its price range, and it is also an innovative 18:9 display with more pixels and a high screen-to-body ratio. Meizu M6 Note instead has a classic 16:9 screen that’s pretty decent. But there is space for the mBack physical key with its comfortable gestures on the front panel. 360 N6 also has a better hardware, with more RAM in the most powerful configuration and also a newer and better SoC. We still can’t say much about the cameras, as the phone isn’t on sale yet, so we can not compare the two cameras.

But Meizu M6 Note may be better due to the Dual Pixel technology, a fast autofocus, a dual camera setup and a quad-LED dual-tone flash. The selfie camera surprises as well with a 16 MP resolution shooter and its detailed photos. The battery inside 360 N6 is bigger on the paper, but we still do not know if it is optimized better than the 4000 mAh unit on the M6 Note. 360 N6 has been launched in Asia with a price tag of 210 dollars (179 euros), and it will be available only there. Meizu M6 Note is more affordable as it can be found worldwide at just 188 dollars (161 euros) in its base variant. If I had to make a decision, I would spend some dollars more for 360 N6 due to its bigger battery and its better display.

PRO and CONS: 360 N6 vs Meizu M6 Note

360 N6

PRO

Great display quality
Very big battery
Good price
AI beauty mode and camera assistant

CONS

Available only in Asia

Meizu M6 Note

PRO

Big battery
Very affordable price
Good camera
mBack key

CONS

Average display

Panasonic Eluga I9 With 3GB RAM Launched In India For Rs. 7,499

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Dec 14, 2017

Panasonic has now added a new device in its smartphone portfolio with launch of Panasonic Eluga I9 in the Indian market. The smartphone is priced at Rs. 7,499 and will be available exclusively through online retailer Flipkart from 15th December.

The phone comes with a 5-inch IPS HD display with a screen resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. Under the hood, the device is powered by a 1.2GHz MediaTek MT6737 quad-core processor, along with 3GB of RAM.

It packs 32GB of onboard storage and also supports expansion of storage capacity using a microSD card up to 128GB. On the camera front, the device features a 13-megapixel primary camera sensor at the back with an LED flash.

There is also a 5-megapixel front-facing camera for taking selfies. The camera comes preloaded with various modes such as a watermark, panorama, burst mode, and a list of several filters.

Connectivity options on the device include Dual SIM, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, GPS / A-GPS, and Micro-USB. It also comes with a fingerprint scanner at the back for added security features and comes with USB OTG support as well.

The phone is running on Android 7.1 Nougat operating system with Google Assistant pre-loaded. However, we don’t think that this phone will ever receive the Android Oreo update. The device is fuelled by a 2,500mAh battery, which the company claims can provide around eight hours of video playback on a single charge.

Recently, the company had launched a new tri-bezeless smartphone called Panasonic Eluga C in Taiwan, which packs 4GB RAM, 64GB internal storage and 3,000mAh battery. However, the company has not revealed if the phone will be available in other markets.

Priced at Rs. 7,499, the smartphone will be available in three colour options — Space Gray, Champagne Gold and Blue. At this price point, the Panasonic Eluga I9 will be competing against the likes of Xiaomi’s Redmi 5A and Nokia 2.

OPPO A83 User Manual, Image Leaked; May Feature Face Scanner Instead of Fingerprint Reader

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Dec 14, 2017

Most of the full screen phones that have launched so far are fitted with rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. However, there are some exceptions like the Honor V10 and Huawei Nova 2s that feature front-mounted fingerprint reader despite having a full screen design. Apple killed the popular Touch ID sensor on the bezel-less iPhone X and launched it with Face ID facial scanning feature. Fresh information indicates that OPPO will also use the same strategy on its upcoming budget phone. Leaked user manual of the forthcoming OPPO A83 has revealed that even though it is arriving with an 18:9 display, it won’t be featuring a fingerprint reader. Instead, it is speculated to arrive with a face scanning feature.

The OPPO A83 has already received TENAA certification. The details that have emerged through its user manual corresponds with the specs that were seen on TENAA. It will be arriving with a 5.7-inch display that will be carrying support for HD+ resolution of 720 x 1440 pixels. The handset will be measuring 150.5 x 73.1 x 7.7mm.

It has a single rear camera of 13-megapixel and its front panel houses an 8-megapixel selfie snapper. Since the fingerprint scanner cannot be seen on the front or rear sides of the OPPO A83, it appears that the only biometric recognition feature on the phone would be facial scanner.

Rumors have it that the MediaTek Helio P23 SoC will be powering the OPPO A83 along with 2 GB of RAM. It will be arriving with an inbuilt storage capacity of 16 GB and it will be fueled by a 3,090mAh battery. It will be running on Android 7.1.1 Nougat that will be skinned with ColorOS.

The above image shows that the OPPO A83 will be featuring a microUSB port, an external speaker and a 3.5mm audio jack on its bottom side. The handset seems to be sporting a full metallic chassis. It is speculated to debut on Dec. 30 with a price tag of 1,199 Yuan (~$181) in China.

(source 1, 2)

Intex Elyte E6 With 3GB RAM And 4,000mAh Battery Launched In India

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Dec 14, 2017

After launching Elyte Dual entry-level smartphone, Intex has launched a new smartphone in the Indian market — Intex Elyte E6.

The smartphone, priced at Rs. 6,999, will go on sale in India from December 15, exclusively through online retailer Flipkart. The phone will be available in Black colour only.

The smartphone comes with a 5-Inch HD display with a screen resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels and a 2.5D curved glass on top. There is also a layer of Dragontrail glass on top for protecting display from minor scratches.

Under the hood, the Intex Elyte E6 is powered by a 64-bit quad-core MediaTek chipset which is clocked at 1.2GHz, along with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. There is also a microSD card slot available, allowing users to further expand the storage capacity up to 128GB.

The phone comes equipped with a 13-megapixel rear camera with an auto-focus lens, accompanied by an LED flash. It also features an 8-megapixel front-facing camera which comes bundled with software features to enhance self-portrait shots.

Along with the usual set of connectivity options, which include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS, the Intex Elyte E6 also supports USB OTG for easier file transfers. On the software front, the phone is running on Android 7.0 Nougat operating system out-of-the-box.

The smartphone is fuelled by a 4,000mAh battery, which is rare in this price range. According to the company, the battery can delivery a talk time of up to 16 hours or a standby time of more than 12 days on a single charge.

At this price range, the Intex Elyte E6 competes against the recently launched Xiaomi’s Redmi Y1 and Redmi Y1 Lite smartphones in India, which also focuses on the selfie snapper.

Renders & Schematics Of Nubia Full Screen Phone Leaked Online

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Dec 13, 2017

This year 2017 has successfully coveted the crown as the year of bezel-less smartphones. We have lost count of the numbers of full-screen smartphones that have been launched this year. We even can’t say in clear terms what makes a smartphone “bezel-less”. Just as the full-screen models are numerous, so too are their designs. The flagship Samsung Galaxy S8 and Mi Mix 2 both utilises different designs. So too is the Sharp Aquos S2 and iPhone X having their own unique design.

Chinese smartphone maker Nubia, a brand of ZTE had also joined the full-screen race with the Nubia Z17s which was released earlier this year. It seems the tech giant is already working on a second bezel-less smartphone. The renders and schematics of the Nubia bezel-less phone have appeared in two separate leaks.

Th schematics and renders were said to have been spotted at the Chinese Patent Office which could be an indication that the phone might be hitting the market very soon. The design comes with a notch at the top just like that of the Essential phone. The round notch houses the selfie camera and is highlighted with a red ring. Aside from the notch, the device is completely bezel-less at the top and two edges.

At the rear, the device features a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor in the middle which takes the shape of Nubia’s logo with a dot at the bottom right corner. The device comes with dual rear cameras which are tilted to the left and have the LED flash lying inwardly by the side. The device will likely come as a flagship model, packing flagship hardware. We can’t say if the model will be Nubia first flagship for 2018.

360 N6 vs Honor 7X: Specs Comparison Of Two Budget 18:9 Phones

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Michele Ingelido

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Dec 13, 2017

If you are not an extremely advanced user, midrange smartphones should be enough for you. Nowadays flagship handsets are the top of the innovation, while midrange devices have become much better than the ones released some years ago. 360 N6 and Huawei Honor 7X are good phones in every aspect and they also offer a bit of innovation, at an affordable price. Let’s see with a specs comparison which one is better for you and your needs in this 360 N6 vs Honor 7X comparison.

360 N6 vs Honor 7X

	360 N6	Huawei Honor 7X
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	74.9 x 157.8 x 8.7 mm, 186 g	156.5 x 75.3 x 7.6 mm, 165 grams
DISPLAY	5,93 inches, 1080 x 2160p (Full HD+), 18:9 ratio, IPS LCD	5,93 inches, 1080 x 2160p (Full HD+), 407 ppi, 18:9 ratio, IPS LCD
PROCESSOR	Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, octa-core 2.2 GHz	Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 659, octa-core 2.36 GHz
MEMORY	4 GB RAM, 32 GB – 6 GB RAM, 64 GB, micro SD slot	3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 4 GB RAM, 32 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD slot
SOFTWARE	Android Nougat	Android 7.0 Nougat, EMUI 5.1
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS
CAMERA	13 MP 8 MP front camera	Dual 16 + 2 MP, 1/2.9″ 8 MP front camera
BATTERY	5000 mAh Fast charging (Quick Charge 3.0) 9V / 2A	3340 mAh
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Hybrid Dual SIM slot, 100% sRGB	Hybrid Dual SIM slot

What makes 360 N6 better than its opponent is, first of all, the display quality. It has a panel with a 100% sRGB gamut, so it should offer much better colors than Honor 7X, with the same size and the same resolution. Performances should be way better as well, at least in the most powerful variant with Snapdragon 630 and 6 GB of RAM. Both the handsets have a full metal unibody design and even though they are not so much different, I think that the one of Honor 7X is more elegant, and it is also thinner. On the other hand, 360 N6 is thicker but it has an incredibly huge battery with a capacity of 5000 mAh.

This means that the battery life will be surely longer than Honor 7X and its 3340 mAh unit. We still can not say much about cameras, but the one from Honor 7X seems more interesting as it is a dual setup. But note that 360 N6 has an AI beauty mode for selfies and a camera assistant. 360 N6 will be available in Asia only starting from 210 dollars (179 euros), while Honor 7X went on sale worldwide with a price of 299 euros in Europe and 199 dollars in the US (it may drop soon like many affordable Huawei devices). I personally prefer 360 N6 due to its much bigger battery, its price and its potentially outstanding display quality.

PRO and CONS: 360 N6 vs Honor 7X

360 N6

PRO

Display quality
AI and camera assistant
Enormous battery
Affordable price

CONS

Limited availability

Honor 7X

PRO

Good design and build quality
Interesting camera
Worldwide availability
Price may drop soon

CONS

Average display

360 N6 vs Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus: Specs Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

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Dec 13, 2017

With 18:9 displays and other additional features, this year, even midrange smartphones have become innovative phones. 360 N6 and Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus are phones which proved that it is possible to release innovative device even at a very affordable price. While 360 is still an unknown company worldwide, Xiaomi is the most famous one together with Huawei. Is it better to prefer a less known device with higher-end specs or a famous one with slightly inferior specs? Let’s discover it with this 360 N6 vs Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus comparison.

360 N6 vs Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus

	360 N6	Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	N/D	158.5 x 75.5 x 8.1 mm, 180 grams
DISPLAY	5,93 inches, 1080 x 2160p (Full HD+), 18:9 ratio, IPS LCD	5,99 inches, 1080 x 2160p (Full HD+), 403 ppi, 18:9 ratio, IPS LCD
PROCESSOR	Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, octa-core 2.2 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, octa-core 2.0 GHz
MEMORY	4 GB RAM, 32 GB – 6 GB RAM, 64 GB, micro SD slot	3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB, micro SD slot
SOFTWARE	Android Nougat	Android 7.1.2 Nougat, MIUI 9
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS
CAMERA	13 MP 8 MP front camera	12 MP f/2.2 5 MP front camera
BATTERY	5000 mAh Fast charging (Quick Charge 3.0) 9V / 2A	4000 mAh Fast charging 5V / 2A
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Hybrid Dual SIM slot, 100% sRGB	Hybrid Dual SIM slot

As you can see, both the handsets are equipped with innovative 18:9 displays, but there is a difference. 360 N6 with its 100% sRGB gamut should offer better colors than its opponent. The hardware side is better as well, at least on the paper. 360 N4 offer an octa-core Snapdragon 630 SoC paired with 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage in the most expensive variant, while Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus is equipped with an older processor: the Snapdragon 625 which has a lower frequency than SD630, and less RAM, even in the most powerful variant. We still do not know how 360 N6 has been optimized, so we can not tell you for sure which will have better performances, but on the paper, N6 wins.

We still can not compare cameras but it looks decent from these samples. Also, note that this device offers a beauty mode for selfies based on AI (and probably even a better selfie camera), while its opponent does not. At last, 360 N6 has a bigger battery: 1000 mAh more than Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus. The only aspect of the specs sheet in which we define R5P better is the software: we like MIUI 9 more, and it will be more supported in the long-term. Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus has been launched in China with a price that starts from 135 dollars (114 euros), while the price of 360 N6 starts from 210 dollars (178 euros) and the phone will be available only in Asia. 360 N6 is a much better phone but I personally prefer Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus because the price is a lot more affordable and it will be better supported by the company.

PRO and CONS

360 N6

PRO

Awesome display
Better hardware
Huge battery
AI and camera assistant

CONS

Limited availability

Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus

PRO

Efficient hardware
Unbeatable price
Great software
Solid design

CONS

Smaller Battery 360 N6 vs Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus

First Qualcomm Certified QC 4+ Charge: Supports USB PD, Up To QC 2.0 Backward Compatibility

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Dec 13, 2017

At the 2017 Snapdragon Technology Summit, Qualcomm unveiled Quick Charge 4+ wall and car chargers. The chargers though made by a third-party company are the first to be certified by Qualcomm. Below is an unboxing and quick review of the wall charger.

The charger comes in a blue and white box and is made by Ever Win (Dongguan Yi. Electronics) International Corp. The charger itself has a matte black flame retardant shell with an American plug. There is a USB-C output port on top and a Quick Charge logo below it.

On one side of the charger, the various charging outputs are listed. There is 5V/3A, 9V/3A, 11V/2.4A, and 12V/2.25. However, a test using a ChargerLAB POWER-Z USB voltmeter revealed that the charger also supports Quick Charge 2.0, Quick Charge 3.0, and USB Power Delivery 3.0.

Below is a table of various phones, supported charging technology and the amount of watts drawn when using the QC4+ charger.

The Huawei Mate 9 is able to charge at up to 17.69W. It is followed closely by the iPhone 8 Plus which charges at 9.09V/1.90A (16.27W), and the Meizu PRO5 at 9.10A/1.78A (16.20W). All the above mentioned devices support USB Power Delivery. However, the New MacBook Pro didn’t charge fast even though it also supports USB PD.

The charger also doesn’t supports Apple’s 2.4A fast charging protocol, so using this charger with your iPad Air 2 or iPhone 7 won’t give you the fastest possible charging speed.

For Quick Charge 3.0, the charger was able to charge the Sony Xperia XZ premium and the Xiaomi Mi 5.

Its interesting to know that the charger supports multiple charging protocols even though not all devices are able to take advantage of it.

Continue

JD.com CEO Sets February 2018 Target To Change Its Fleet of Delivery Vans in Beijing To Electric

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Dec 13, 2017

The world is gradually moving towards the era of clean and sustainable energy and so also are the players in the e-commerce industry. One of China’s top e-commerce company JD.com, also known as Jingdong has hinted of its readiness to help keep the skies over Beijing clear by electrifying its fleet of delivery vans by Spring Festival next year. Richard Liu, founder and CEO of the leading online retailer made this known recently via a post on his Toutiao account.

The JD CEO disclosed that his company is already partnering with the world’s top research institutes so that every of its operational stage meets the sustainable standard. This will be done by turning all of its delivery vans in Beijing into electric cars. The company views it as their own contribution to solving Beijing’s air pollution problem. Beijing, just like most industrialized cities, is plagued by poor air quality. The Chinese authority views electric vehicles as one way to reduce the air pollution and has made subsidies available to players in the electric vehicle sector.

Already, JD’s logistic unit partnered with a group of electric carmakers to form an alliance for the change to electric vehicles. Spring festival is just two months away, it is left to be seen if the rollout will be right on schedule during the Chinese Lunar New Year holding on February 16. Rival company Alibaba is also working on its own electric delivery vehicles in partnership with several Chinese carmakers.

(source)

Xiaomi Launches Vima Smart Lock Cylinder For ¥399 (~$60)

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Habeeb Onawole

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Dec 13, 2017

Over the last 11 months, Xiaomi has released tens of products via its Mijia crowdfunding platform. From sofas to refrigerators to cooking utensils, smart lamps, and TVs, Xiaomi is bent on taking over our homes and doesn’t plan to stop soon. This week, its latest product is the Vima Smart Lock Cylinder.

While smart door locks are not new, Xiaomi’s approach is a bit different. Rather than completely replace the door lock, this only requires you to change the cylinder of your current door lock.

The Vima Smart Lock Cylinder uses a dual unlocking mechanism (mechanical lock + 128-bit security chip). There are a total of 5 color-coded keys that come with the lock. Using the Mi Home App, users can program which of the keys get to unlock the door and when they get to do so. They also get real time alerts when a door is opened and when the lock’s built-in battery needs replacing.

The lock comes with a number of security features such as alarm beeps and app alerts in the case of a lock-picking attempt and the ability to delete any of the five keys in the case a key gets lost or stolen, thereby preventing it from gaining access rather than completely changing the lock.

Continue

Gionee F205L With 5.45-Inch Display And Android Nougat Appears On TENAA

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Dec 13, 2017

It seems that after launching eight bezel-less smartphones last month, Gionee is now gearing up to launch a new entry-level smartphone. The China-based smartphone manufacturer’s upcoming smartphone, carrying model number F205L, has recently passed through TENAA certification.

The TENAA certification listing also reveals information related to the phone’s design as well as specifications. The phone will come with a 5.45-inch display with a screen resolution of 1440 × 720 pixels.

It will be powered by a 1.3GHz quad-core chipset but it is not known which chipset version will be used. The processor is coupled with 2GB of RAM and a 16GB of internal storage. The storage can be further expanded through a microSD card.

On the software front, the device will run the Android 7.1 Nougat operating system based company’s own Amigo OS. As for the imaging capabilities, the phone features an 8-megapixel rear camera and a front-facing 5-megapixel selfie snapper.

Connectivity options on the phone includes a dual-SIM card slot, 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, and a 3.5mm audio port. The phone measures 148.4 × 70.7 × 7.95mm in terms of dimensions and packs a relatively smaller 2,670mAh battery.

Specifications-wise, this Gionee F205L is almost similar to the recently launched Gionee F205, which is powered by the MediaTek MT6739 quad-core processor.

The device will come in three colour options — Liushajin, Ice Sea Blue, and Glass Red. However, it is not known when the company is planning to launch this smartphone. However, since the phone has already passed the TENAA certification, we expect Gionee to soon launch the device.

Vernee Active Gets $40 Discount As Presale Kicks Off For Just $279.99

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Dec 13, 2017

Vernee Active was announced recently as the world’s first 3D curved rugged smartphone. The Active is a powerful and amazingly rugged phone with a business style appearance. Now the Vernee Active is officially on presale. The presale is presently on and will run until December 18. During this period, you can buy the rugged smartphone at a $40 discount for only $279.99.

Vernee Active 3D video:

The Vernee Active comes with a well-studded specs lineup which is unusual for a rugged smartphone. It is powered by an Helio P25 Octa-core processor backed by 6GB of RAM. There is a massive 128Gb storage onboard the smartphone. This is perhaps, the device’s strongest selling point aside from the rugged design. With such a powerful lineup, you are such to get top-notch performance even for heavy gaming on the Active.

The Vernee Active features a 5.5” JDI incell display with an FHD resolution of 1980 x 1080). The display is covered by a dual-curved 2.5D glass which gives it a sleek and attractive design. The device takes a deviation from the traditional rugged phones which are usually bulky by adopting a slimmer and lighter body. So, you get a rugged smartphone that is still fashionable. Make no mistake, the Active is still actively water resistant and dustproof as it comes with an IP68 certification. The rating means the device can stay in water of depth up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes. The device is also 99% dustproof and silt proof. It is also tough, as well as scratch and drops resistant. By the way, the back case of Vernee Active uses the Kevlar design.

Vernee Active factory testing video:

And more interesting is we can see a comparison forum between the Vernee Active and the rugged CAT S60, including the detail specs and the price. No matter in spec or appearance, the Vernee Active is even better. But the price is much cheaper than the CAT. Which one will you choose?

Now, the Vernee Active is on presale at only $279.99, you can buy it from here. Also, you can win the chance to buy it at $99.99 only or win the $1000 travel fee. Just leave a comment about what is your facorite part of the Vernee Active and you will have the chance to win the prize. For more details, please check Vernee’s official website.

LG V30+ Goes Official in India with Rs. 44,990 Pricing, Pre-orders to Begin on December 14

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Dec 13, 2017

The LG V30+ is the latest premium flagship smartphone that the South Korean company has unveiled in India today to take on the likes of the Apple iPhone X, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S8 duo, Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 and OnePlus 5T. LG will be not selling the LG V30 phone that features 64 GB of storage in India. Hence, the LG V30+ that has been launched in the country features a larger internal storage of 128 GB.

According to LG, the LG V30+ that has a thickness of 7.3mm and weight of 158 grams is the lightest 6-inch smartphone available in the market. The LG V10 and V20 smartphones that were respectively launched in 2015 and 2016 featured a secondary ticker screen. Since LG has switched to OLED panel on LG V30+ instead of LCD panel, the smartphone does not feature a secondary ticker screen. The purpose of the secondary screen is fulfilled by a new floating bar that gives access to frequently used apps, contacts, camera and notifications.

LG V30+ Specifications and Features

The 6-inch OLED display of the LG V30+ offers an aspect ratio of 18:9 and a resolution of 2880 x 1440 pixels. The display of the phone also supports HDR10 and Always-on Display feature and is protected by Gorilla Glass 5.

The Snapdragon 835 chipset that powers the LG phablet is accompanied by 4 GB of RAM. It includes a 3,300mAh battery that carries support for wireless charging. The hybrid dual SIM slot supports up to 2 TB microSD card. The back panel of the phone features a fingerprint reader.

The LG V30+ is equipped with 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DAC. The audio performance on the LG V30+ is optimized by Bang & Olufsen Play. The LG phablet comes bundled with B&O Play earphones. It also features MQA audio codec for high-resolution audio streaming. It is running on Android 7.0 Nougat that is customized with LG’s UX 6.0 proprietary software.

For photography, it is equipped with a dual camera system that includes a f/1.6 aperture 16-megapixel lens and a wide-angle 13-megapixel lens. The dual rear cameras are equipped with features like laser autofocus, OIS, dual-LED flash and Gorilla Glass 4 protection. For snapping selfies, it is fitted with a f/2.2 aperture 90-degree wide-angle lens of 5-megapixel. When it comes to durability, the LG V30+ does not disappoint as it features a MIL-STD-810 rated and IP68 certified water and dust resistant chassis.

LG V30+ Pricing and Availability

The LG V30+ is priced at Rs. 44,990 in India and its pre-orders are set to begin on Dec. 14. Its sales will begin on Dec. 19 exclusively on Amazon India. It will be available in color choices like Aurora Black and Cloud Silver. The South Korean company is expected to release the color variants of the LG V30+ at a later date.

LG is providing a one-time screen replacement worth Rs. 12,000 for free to the buyers of LG V30+. It is giving away a wireless charger that is priced around Rs. 3,000 and also it is offering Rs. 6,400 worth in-app purchases for the Beat Fever app. These two offers will be available until Dec. 19.

360 N6 Lite Hands-On Photos Reveal A Solid $150 Smartphone

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Dec 13, 2017

Yesterday, on December 12th, 360 Mobiles launched two new smartphones — 360 N6 and its “lighter” variant, dubbed as 360 N6 Lite. However, the specifications of both the smartphones are nearly similar.

The launch of these two new smartphones — 306 N6 and 360 N6 Lite now completes the trio. Earlier, the company launched the 360 N6 Pro.

The smartphone comes with a metal body but lacks the NCVM coating of the Pro version which gives it a mirror-like finish. At the top and bottom, there are antenna lines.

One of the major difference between the standard 360 N6 and the 360 N6 Lite model is the display. While the standard model comes with a full-screen display, the Lite model packs a traditional 16:9 aspect ratio display.

The phone features a 5.93-inch Full HD display with a screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. On top of the display, there is a 2.5D curved glass, which makes holding and using the phone feels smooth and comfortable.

Internally, the 360 N6 Lite is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 SoC, with four 2.2GHz A53 cores and four 1.8GHz A53 cores. It is coupled with Adreno 508 graphics chip, which is said to be 30% faster than the previous generation chip. It packs 4GB LPDDR4X RAM along with 32GB of internal storage and support for storage expansion up to 128GB using a microSD card.

On the top part of the phone’s front side, above the display, there is a front-facing camera and a handset speaker. On the bottom chin, there are three capacitive touch buttons — Recent Apps, Home, and Back. The home button has a red backlight, ensuring easy operations during the night time.

The back of the phone consist of three main components — camera module, fingerprint scanner, and the company’s branding. The camera module sits at the top-left corner inside a golden rim. The camera sensor is accompanied by an LED flash.

At the top-center, there is a fingerprint sensor for added security features. The inside edges of the fingerprint scanner have been painted with golden colors — to give premium look on a black-colored surface. At the bottom, the company has placed its branding, which just reads “360”.

The power button and the volume rockers are placed on the right side of the phone. The buttons seem to have a glossy look, with the power button having a cross-grain texturing, to make it easily recognizable. The phone packs a 3.5mm audio jack and a micro USB port at the bottom.

Coming to the software, the phone runs on Android 7.1.1 Nougat operating system based 360 OS 3.0. While the standard 360 N6 and this Lite model runs the same software, gesture-based operating is now available in N6 Lite.

The company has tied-up with Xunfei Voice in order to provide voice assistant for performing various system and applications related tasks. Further, it also comes equipped with “game accelerator” which is a gaming mode that optimises gaming performance and enables do-not-disturb mode for games.

The camera module at the back packs a 13-megapixel sensor with f/2.0 aperture, phase detection autofocus, LED flash and an auto HDR mode. While the camera performance of N6 Lite seems good during daytime, the low-light camera performance is not as good. If you are into low-light photography, 360 N6 is naturally a better choice. On the front, there is an 8-megapixel camera sensor with f/2.2 aperture. The front-facing camera also comes with a new upgraded beauty mode ensuring better selfies.

The 360 N6 Lite is powered by a 4,020mAh battery, which should be sufficient for more than a day of usage. The device comes with a 5V/2A charger rather than the 5V/3A charger like the N6 and doesn’t support the Quick Charge technology.

The smartphone is priced at 999 Yuan (approx. $150) and comes Gold and Black. Pre-orders for the purchase of the phone have already gone live on the official 360 Mobiles website and on JD.com.