The Samsung Galaxy Round was launched in 2013 as its smartphone with flexible AMOLED display. In 2014, the Galaxy Note Edge was brought to the market single edge curved display. These smartphones were made available in limited quantities. Since 2016, Samsung has launching flagship phones with dual edge curved display. The latest patent filings by the South Korean company shows a device with a fully curved display.
The new patent filings with World International Property Office (WIPO) shows a smartphone that will deliver a “completely new experience” along with “an improved grip.” It features a 180-degree curved screen that can be folded all the way to its backside.
The new design of the smartphone seems interesting. However, it is too early to speculate on whether Samsung will really release a Galaxy smartphone such a design very soon.
Before the launch of iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, Apple had joined Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) to enable wireless charging on these iPhones. When Xiaomi had enrolled with WPC in September this year, the rumor mill started speculating that Xiaomi’s upcoming flagship phone may carry support for Qi standard wireless charging. Fresh information claims that Xiaomi Mi 7 will feature wireless charging and its trial production will begin before China’s Sprint Festival.
According to Chinese media, since Xiaomi is rumored to be using the same foundry as Apple for wireless charging, it is unlikely to encounter product quality or supply issue for bringing wireless charging feature on the Mi 7. It is likely that the Mi 7 may feature the same Broadcom chip and NXP transmitter that enables wireless charging feature on the 2017 iPhones.
Speculations are rife that Xiaomi will be announcing the Mi 7 in March next year. Hence, it is ramping up the trail production before Feb. 16 Sprint Festival day in a bid to build up abundant stock of Mi 7.
The arrival of wireless charging on Xiaomi Mi 7 could mean that it will feature a glass chassis. The inclusion of Qi charging on Mi 7 indicates that users will be able to refill its battery wirelessly by placing the phone on a wireless charging bed. The Mi 7 is rumored to arrive with a 6-inch AMOLED screen by Samsung and it will be fueled by Snapdragon 845 chipset.
The SoC is rumored to be accompanied by 6 GB of RAM. It is speculated to come with a pair of f/1.7 aperture 16-megapixel rear-facing camera sensors. It is likely to feature the same 3,350mAh battery that is present on the Mi 6 smartphone. It is also speculated to feature 3D facial recognition feature. It is likely to carry a starting price of 2,699 Yuan. After getting announced in March, the smartphone may hit the market in April.
Xiaomi is going to launch the Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus smartphones at a press event on December 7. Thanks to the previous leaks, we already know the specifications and features of the devices.
While the features and specs were confirmed, the pricing and availability information was not confirmed. Now, latest information regarding the devices has revealed the details related to the phone’s pricing and availability.
According to the latest report, the Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus will be available for purchase from December 12. It is also being said that the company has prepared a lot of stock, ensuring that more and more people are able to purchase the devices.
Earlier, the company had revealed the phone’s three major features — Full-Screen Display, Soft Selfie and 4,000mAh Battery. Previous leaks and TENAA certification have also given us a look at phone’s specifications.
The Xiaomi Redmi 5 will feature a 5.7-inch HD+ display with screen resolution of 1440 x 720 pixels and an aspect ratio of 18:9. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 processor, which is the first chipset in the Snapdragon 400 series that is using a 14mm process technology. It was launched in June this year.
The standard variant will come with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. There will be another variant of the phone with 3GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage. The device will come with a 12-megapixel camera sensor at the back and a 5-megapixel front-facing snapper. It will pack a 3,300mAh battery.
On the other hand, the Redmi 5 Plus is expected to feature a 5.99-inch screen that will carry support for FHD+ resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels and an 18:9 aspect ratio. It will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, the same one that is powering the Redmi Note 4 smartphone.
It will be available in two variants — 3GB RAM with 32GB internal storage and 4GB RAM with 64GB internal storage. This one is expected to come with a dual camera setup at the back, featuring a 12-megapixel primary sensor and a 5-megapixel secondary sensor. The Redmi 5 Plus will pack a 4,000mAh battery.
Xiaomi has already revealed that both the smartphone will be running the company’s latest MIUI 9, which is based on Android 7.1 Nougat operating system.
As of the pricing, the Redmi 5 with 2GB RAM will be priced at 699 (approx. $106) Yuan while the 3GB RAM model will cost 999 Yuan (approx. $151). The Redmi 5 Plus is priced at 999 Yuan (approx. $151) for the 3GB RAM model and 1,299 Yuan (approx. $196) Yuan for the 4GB RAM variant.
Couple of leaked photos of the Huawei Nova 2s smartphone had surfaced yesterday. It was speculated that Huawei may announce the smartphone before the end of 2017. Today, Huawei has officially confirmed that the Nova 2s will be launching on Dec. 7.
The Nova 2s was recently spotted at TENAA with model numbers HWI-AL00 and HWI-TL00. Like the Honor V10, the Nova 2s also features a front-mounted fingerprint scanner along with an 18:9 aspect ratio supporting display. Moreover, the smartphone is also equipped with dual front cameras and dual rear cameras. It also resembles the Honor V10 in terms of appearance.
Recent leaks have revealed that the Nova 2s will be arriving with a glass rear. As far as specs of the Nova 2s are concerned, it is rumored to arrive with a 6-inch display that will carry support for Full HD+ resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels. The frontside of the phone is expected to feature 20-megapixel + 16-megapixel dual selfie snappers whereas its rear side is pegged to house a pair of 20-megapixel snappers.
The Nova 2s is rumored to be powered by Kirin 960 chipset and 4 GB of RAM. It will be running on EMUI 8.0 skinned Android 8.0 Oreo. It is also expected to come with other features like NFC, inbuilt Hi-Fi chip and facial recognition. Rumors have hinted that the Huawei Nova 2s will be carrying a price tag of 2,999 Yuan (~$454).
As it can be seen in the above launch invitation, the smartphone is set to launch on Dec. 7. On the very same day, Xiaomi will be also unveiling the much anticipated Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus smartphones.
The Honor V10 is still on the front burner of discussions as a result of all the goodies Huawei bundled into the smartphone and yet pegged it at a breathtaking price. The V10 keeps up with the full-screen trend, thus we can effectively crown 2017 as the year of the full-screen smartphone. Huawei implemented a different full-view design though, as the home button is still retained at the bottom and it serves as a fingerprint scanner. This is despite the narrow bezels at the top and bottom edges as well as the sides.
We bring you fresh pictures of the Honor V10 captured by Android China at the sidelines of the V10’s launch a few days back. The device is available in four attractive colours and all four were exhibited. The model also packs a metal body and lying at the top of the metal body is a 5.99-inch FHD+ display with a resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels. The smartphone utilizes the 18:9 aspect ratio.
Another unique aspect of the smartphone is the Hisilicon Kirin 970 chip which it packs. The chipset possesses a built-in Neural Processing Unit (NPU) which gives it Deep Learning (AI) abilities. We’ll leave the performance of the chip and the features it brings to the smartphone for Linus and his review which should hit the stands here at Gizmochina in no distant time. Another aspect where the smartphone shines is the cameras. The device packs a dual 16MP + 20M camera a the rear with PDAF while at the front is a 13MP sensor said to have AI capabilities.
As a reminder, the Honor V10 is available in up to three memory variants. There is a 4GB RAM + 64GB storage version which will sell for 2699 Yuan (~$409), as well as a 6GB RAM + 64GB version pegged at 2,999 Yuan (~$454) and finally a top-end 6GB RAM + 128GB storage version with a 3,499 Yuan (~$530) price tag. The smartphone runs Android-Oreo-based EMUI 8.0 out of the box and packs a 3750mAh battery with 5V/4.5A super fast charge. It also comes with dual SIM slots and both slots are 4G VoLTE enabled. The Honor V10 will be unveiled for the global market on December 5 in London, U.K. Before then, delight yourselves in these stunning photos of the smartphone.
When the HTC U11 Life was released last month, it came in two variants – an Android One version for Europe and the rest of the world that ran Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box, and a Sense version for the US that ran Android 7.1.1 Nougat.
HTC promised it would release an Android 8.0 Oreo update for the US variant within 30 days and it has kept to its promise. The Taiwanese manufacturer began pushing out the Android Oreo OTA to the unlocked version of the phone today.
The T-Mobile version has not received the update yet and there is no news as to when it will do so. This shouldn’t come as a surprise as carriers are usually known to delay updates.
The HTC U11 Life is a mid-ranger that packs a 5.2” FHD display, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage. There is a Snapdragon 630 chip and a 2600mAh battery under the plastic body.
It has a 16MP rear camera that can record in 4K and a 16MP front camera that records at 1080p. The phone also has an IP67-rating but doesn’t have an audio jack. Not that it needs to sacrifice one feature for the other though.
This is certainly not good times for Essential phone and its founder Andy Rubin. The startup is already enmeshed in low patronage for its first flagship model which launched for $699 just 3 months back but is now sold for $449. As if that isn’t enough, Andy Rubins has now taken a leave of absence from the company he found. Wonder why? Here’s why.
Turns out that Andy Rubin may have been embroiled in a sexual misconduct case while at Google and this may have necessitated his exit from the tech giant. Recall that Andy Rubin was a co-founder at Android and also a Senior Vice-President of Mobile for Google, piloting the development of the Android operating system for years until he abruptly left in 2014. Details have now emerged that Rubin left Google after an investigation was carried out over complaints that he had engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a female colleague. Not that he was accused of harassment but there is a policy against such relationships between supervisors and subordinates at Google. Now, the issue resurfaced recently and the bid to avoid a scandal may have resulted in the sudden leave of absence by Rubin from Essential Phone at this time.
It has not been disclosed when Mr Rubin will return back from his sudden leave but that shouldn’t be too long. Perhaps, he’ll lie low until the dust being generated by an issue which should be dead by now, settles.
Honor V10 is official and we can consider it the symbol of Chinese smartphones as it offers flagship-level specs at a very affordable price. Indeed, it can be considered a cheaper version of Huawei Mate 10 Pro. OnePlus 5T is probably the most wanted Chinese flagship in this period, that is why it makes sense to compare these two phones to establish which is worth buying. If you have a low budget and you are searching for the best high-end handset, this comparison may be very useful as there are not many phones at the same level as these ones which are sold in the same price range.
Honor V10 vs OnePlus 5T: Design and build quality
Honor V10 has a very refined metal profile and a glass back because Huawei did a great job in optimizing the size and making the look of the device beautiful. The handset has a size of 157 x 75 x 7 mm, with a weight of 172 grams. The phone is very thin and ergonomic, and even though it has a bezel-less display, on the front panel there is space for a Home key which includes a fingerprint reader. This means that unlocking the phone it will be comfortable too. Unfortunately, the phone is not water-resistant and we still do not know anything about the fragility of the glasses.
OnePlus 5T has a full metal unibody design which resembles the one of Oppo R11s. It is a less original design than its opponent, but it is more resistant. The handset measures 156.1 x 75 x 7.3 mm, while its weight is just 162 grams. The company did not reveal anything about its water-resistance, so we assume it is not waterproof, but a teardown video has revealed that there are some elements that may make it at least splashproof. Anyways, the Honor V10 seems to have a better design overall.
Honor V10 vs OnePlus 5T: Display
The display is not the strongest point on these devices, but we are still looking at high-end panels.
The display of Honor V10 has a size of 5.99 inches, IPS LCD technology, an 18:9 aspect ratio, a high screen-to-body ratio and a Full HD+ resolution with 1080 x 2160 pixels. The handset has just been launched and it is too early to do a deep evaluation of the performance of this display. For now, we can just speculate that brightness, sharpness and viewing angles will be good.
OnePlus 5T has a 6.01-inch display with the Optic AMOLED technology. This display has the innovative 18:9 aspect ratio just like its opponent, with an even higher screen-to-body ratio (bezels are very narrow on each side) and a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2160 pixels. There are also DCI-P3 and sRGB technologies, thanks to which this phone shows very brilliant colors. Even if it is not a 2K panel, it is an outstanding display with a great contrast, wide viewing angles, and a very high brightness, besides accurate colors. We are glad to see that the jelly scrolling problem present on OP5 has been solved.
Honor V10 vs OnePlus 5T: Hardware
The hardware side is the aspect that makes these phones impressive, and it is also the aspect that makes them better than others at this price.
Under the hood, Honor V10 has an octa-core Kirin 970 SoC, the most powerful one by Huawei (the same as Mate 10 and 10 Pro), with a max frequency of 2.4 GHz. It is supported by 4 or 6 GB of RAM and 64 or 128 GB of internal storage (depending on the configuration, you can choose 4/64 or 6/128), expandable with a micro SD up to 256 GB. The phone has a hybrid dual SIM slot, so the micro SD uses the second slot. The performances of this phone are outstanding, with a score of more than 165.000 points on AnTuTu it almost reached the Mate 10 level (that is one of the best phones on benchmarks). It will surely provide lightning speeds with a great stability and no lags at all. The connectivity side includes a USB Type-C port, a 3.5 mm audio jack, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 5.0.
On the hardware side, OnePlus 5T has an octa-core Snapdragon 835, which is the best SoC by Qualcomm, paired with 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage in the base version. The costlier version sports 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage, something incredible (UFS 2.1 storage is present in each version). The storage is not expandable but there is a dual SIM slot. On the OP5T you will find a USB Type-C port for charging, a 3.5 mm audio jack, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 5.0.
Honor V10 vs OnePlus 5T: Software
Honor V10 is one of the cheapest devices launched with Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box until now. The operating system by Google is customized by the famous user interface by Huawei: EMUI, 8.0 version. So, besides an operating system updated to the latest version, there are many additional features. This phone supports even artificial intelligence with many smart features included. It is an impressive software, even if Honor phones are not supported for many years like the ones launched by Huawei.
OnePlus 5T has been launched with Android 7.1.1 Nougat, which is not the latest version, and it is customized with OxygenOS. Stable Android 8.0 Oreo will arrive only in 2018. Even if the company has developed its own user interface, the software side of this phone is similar to stock Android, with a low amount of customizations by the company. There are just some additional features like night mode (which makes the screen look like the display of an ebook reader) and Face Unlock, to unlock the phone through facial recognition.
Honor V10 vs OnePlus 5T: Camera
Dual cameras in both cases.
Honor V10 has a dual camera with resolutions of 16 + 20 MP. It has not been realized in cooperation with Leica like the one from Mate 10, and even if resolutions are the same, we are talking about different cameras. Anyways, the setup is still composed of a normal primary sensor and a monochromatic secondary sensor which is used to capture more light due to the absence of the color filter. The aperture is f/1.8 and there is a LED flash near it. High-level photos for sure, but we think they will be far from the ones shot by top camera phones.
OnePlus 5T has a revolutionary dual camera with resolutions of 16 and 20 MP. It is different from the camera of OP5 and the aperture has been improved (now it is f/1.7). It sports a technology called Intelligent Pixel which makes pixels capture much more light, and photos appear very clear even in low light conditions. Unfortunately, it has no OIS, so there are still differences between this camera and the ones of the best camera phones on the market. Anyways it can be considered an outstanding camera for both photos and videos.
Honor V10 vs OnePlus 5T: Battery
Most of the companies have launched flagships with limited battery capacities in 2017, but this is not the case of Honor V10. The device sports a big 3750 mAh battery, not as big as the one from Mate 10, but noticeably above the average. So, this phone should provide a very satisfying battery life. Unfortunately, there are still not enough tests to evaluate it as it has just been launched. The phone also supports fast charging (5V / 4.5A).
OnePlus 5T has a “normal” battery with a capacity of 3000 mAh. But the optimization by the company is great, and the battery life surprises everyone. This device can last two days with a moderate use, but probably it is not enough to reach Honor V10. Anyways, OP5T supports fast charging as well thanks to the Dash Charge technology.
Honor V10 vs OnePlus 5T: Price
Price is the real strong point of these handsets: they are incredibly affordable.
Honor V10 has been launched in China with one of the lowest price tags ever seen for a flagship. The base variant costs just 2700 CNY (that is the equivalent of about 410 dollars), while the most powerful version costs 3500 CNY (about 530 dollars). This phone will be launched in Europe and other continents on 5 December, so we still do not know how much it will cost outside of China.
OnePlus 5T is available to purchase with a price of 499 dollars/euros for the 6/64 GB version and 569 dollars/euros for the 8/128 GB variant. Both are affordable prices, but Honor V10 offers better value for money and it is also not easy to find big discounts on the OnePlus flagships.
Honor V10 vs OnePlus 5T: Winner
It is always a hard fight when it comes to affordable flagships and it is not easy to establish a winner between these two handsets. Honor V10 has a better design, a more advanced software, a bigger battery and a more affordable price. But OnePlus 5T has a better display, greater performances, a higher-quality camera and probably a better build quality.
We personally would choose OP5T but the V10 is an incredible flagship too!
Meizu will be 15 years next year and to celebrate it, it will release a special flagship or rather two special flagships. Founder and CEO of the Chinese manufacturer Jack Wong (Huang Zhang) took to Weibo to reveal the name of the phone by posting the picture of a phone’s retail box with Meizu 15 Plus inscribed on it.
The “Plus” in the name means there will most probably be a second variant called the Meizu 15.
The Meizu 15 and Meizu 15 Plus are expected to feature full-screen displays and may likely be the first from Meizu to do so. Meizu is more or less the only major Chinese manufacturer without a full-screen phone at the moment.
Meizu’s CEO said in a different post that manufacturing the phone is taking long, so it will be launched next year Spring (probably before or after the Spring Festival), which is around mid-February.
Meizu was founded in 2003 and began as a manufacturer of MP3 players before switching to MP4 players in 2006. It didn’t begin making smartphones until 2008. So not only is next year its 15th anniversary, it is also its 10th year anniversary as a smartphone manufacturer.
We are used to getting our hands on different smartphones and tablets on a regular basis, but this time around, what we have with us is a slightly different device. We have got the Huion Kamvas GT 156HD v2, which is basically a large 15.6-inch display for people who love digital painting. In case you are still confused as to what this device does, then consider the Huion Kamvas as a competitor to the popular Wacom. You might have definitely heard about how good Wacom styluses and pen tablets are, and if you know who Wacom is and what it does, then consider Huion as a cheaper option to the Wacom tablets.
To be honest, we are not professional digital painters. But given that this is a niche device and comes from China, we thought it’s definitely worth getting our hands on. What makes Huion devices special is that its cheaper than Wacom without sacrificing on portability and features.
The size of the Huion Kamvas GT 156HD V2 is actually pretty great! It’s not too large and weighs around 1.5Kgs, making it possible for you to carry around the tablet wherever you go. If you are someone who doesn’t like working on small screens, this size is ideal. Further, those who are used to painting on their 22-inch tablets at home, the smaller but comfortable 15.6-inch size is much better than say an 11inch or a 13inch screen tablet on the go.
The key dimensions of the tablet are as follows:
Weight: 1.5kg
Dimensions: 432 x 264 x 14.8mm
Active Area: 344.2 x 193.6mm
The tablet is great for painting because it supports 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity. So, it’ll be easier to draw on the screen with utmost precision. Further, the touch bar is upgraded from 8 levels to 24 levels and there are 14 user-defined shortcuts / express keys to make your experience smooth and easy.
What makes the Huion Kamvas 156HD V2 tablet so great is that its the complete package. So, you don’t have to hunt for a compatible pen or a stylus to complete your portable graphics tablet setup. Everything is covered by the company, which includes a two-level adjustable stand and a digital pen with 8 additional nibs.
In fact, this is a list of everything that you get inside the box:
Huion KAMVAS GT-156HD V2 Tablet Monitor
3-in-1 Cable(HDMI, Power, and USB Cables Included)
As you can see, this is practically everything that you need to start digital painting on the go. The pen is great and straight lines and curves are very easy to draw on the screen. The pressure sensitivity works well and the overall experience is good. You can definitely work on the go with this tablet. The stand is sturdy and holds the tablet at two different angles, adapting to your needs.
Overall, for $500, the Huion KAMVAS GT 156HD V2 tablet is a pretty good tablet for artists who are looking for a cheaper and portable tablet monitor.
You can check more pictures down below, or check this product on Huion official site.
A new HTC device with model number X2-HT has been seen on Geekbench. The HTC X2-HT is shown to run Android 8.0 Oreo, have 4GB of RAM, and be powered by a Snapdragon 660 processor leading some to believe it is a successor to the HTC U Play. Rather, it is actually the HTC X2 launched in Japan today or better still the HTC U11 Life for Japan.
Geekbench has been reported to wrongly list the Snapdragon 630 as the Snapdragon 660 and that error was confirmed when the U11 Life launched with the former rather than the latter.
The HTC X2 is the Android One edition of the phone that is why it runs pure Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box. However it differs from the U11 Life in terms of RAM and storage. It packs 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage instead of 3GB RAM and 32GB ROM.
The rest of the specs are the same. It has a 5.2” FHD display, a front mounted fingerprint scanner, and 16MP cameras on both sides. There is a MicroSD card slot for expansion, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, and dual band Wi-Fi.
The HTC X2 packs a non-removable 2600mAh battery and has an IP67 rating. There is no 3.5m audio jack but a 3.5mm to USB-C adapter should be included in the box.
Xiaomi is all set to launch the Xiaomi Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus smartphones at a launch event on December 7. While we already know what to expect from the smartphones, new details have now surfaced online.
The Xiaomi Redmi 5’s manual has been leaked online which reveals that the smartphone will have a hybrid Dual-SIM configuration. Thus, users will be able to either use dual SIMs or one SIM and one microSD card. However, there is a disclaimer that only one SIM card can use 4G network.
The leaked manual also reveals that the phone has three circular sensors placed on the top bezel. This could mean that the device will have a soft front-facing selfie light, along with a front-facing snapper and a proximity sensor.
Xiaomi has posted an image on microblogging platform Weibo, confirming that the Redmi 5 and Redmi 5 Plus will come with company’s latest MIUI 9 out-of-the-box. The MIUI 9 is based on Android 7.1.2 Nougat operating system.
The Redmi 5 will feature a 5.7-inch HD+ display with screen resolution of 1440 x 720 pixels and an aspect ratio of 18:9. Under the hood, it will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 processor — the first chipset in the Snapdragon 400 series that is using a 14mm process technology.
The smartphone is expected to pack 3GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. There will be another variant with 3GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage. The device will come with a 12-megapixel camera sensor at the back and a 5-megapixel front-facing snapper.
The Redmi 5 Plus is expected to come with a 5.99-inch screen that will have a Full HD+ resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels and an 18:9 aspect ratio. It will be powered by Snapdragon 625 processor, the same one that is powering the Redmi Note 4 smartphone. The phone will come with a dual camera setup at the back, featuring a 12-megapixel primary sensor and a 5-megapixel secondary sensor.
According to the previous reports, the Redmi 5 is reportedly going to be priced at 699 Yuan (approximately $106) while the Redmi 5 Plus could be priced at 999 Yuan (approximately $151).
More evidence is emerging which indicates that Meizu is planning to rename its Blue Charm division to mBlu. The latest piece of evidence is the picture of a Meizu earphone having the word mBlu inscribed on it. Our focus isn’t on the sleek design of the wired headphone, Meizu is known for great headsets but is no the name inscribed on the earpiece.
Meizu had reorganised the company into three divisions, Meizu, Blue Charm and Flyme divisions. The Meizu division oversees the flagship smartphones while the Blue Charm division handles mid-range and budget models and the Flyme division handles the software aspect. However, not long after the reorganisation, words filtered out that Charm Blue would soon be renamed. We had also seen a Meizu bezel-less smartphone named mBlu Zero. Meizu recently renamed its Charm Blue website as mBlu.com. So, this joins the trail of evidence gravitating towards a new, renamed mBlu brand.
We have also seen a new set of logos which suggest the company is experimenting with a new logo for the rebranded Blue Charm. There is no definite logo just yet. The company could unveil the rebranded name and logo this December as the Charm Blue brand clocks three years on December 18. Meizu could roll out the drums to unveil the new rebranded Charm Bue division with new products on that date. Data shows the Meizu Blue Charm brand has been a successful one with up to 45 million units of the Blue Charm smartphones shipped so far. The Blue Charm Note series has also seen up to 20 million shipments during this period. From all indications, the new mBlu brand will also include all other accessories like headphones manufactured by Meizu. However, we are yet to see an invitation to any event from Meizu.
The PRO7 Plus (and PRO7) is Meizu’s first dual camera smartphone. It has dual 12MP f/2.0 Sony IMX368 cameras in the monochrome + RGB configuration. How do the cameras perform? Not so well for a flagship according to DxOMark.
The camera ranking labs has given the PRO7 Plus an overall score of 71 points. According to DxOMark, the cameras take still photos well. Features like exposure, autofocus, flash and noise are also said to be fairly good. However, the phone fails when it comes to shots of artifacts. Below is their official statement on the matter:
Artifacts, however, are one of its major problems, especially in the case of inconsistencies in the clarity of the entire picture; the pictures taken are sometimes partially or completely damaged, unable to display any images, and still others have been taken at an extremely low resolution, what reason.
DxOMark also scored the Meizu PRO7 Plus low in videos. Total score is put at 65 points. It performs well when the lighting is well-balanced and also gets praise for its rich and well-saturated colors. Its weakness when it comes to video recording is autofocus which drops after initially locking at the beginning of the shoot.
The scores might not be terrible but they are disappointing seeing as the Pro 6s has a DxOMark score of 85. Other old phones that the PRO7 Plus fails to beat include the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the iPhone 6s.
Looks like Huawei is intent on revolutionizing the smartphone industry by bringing flagship chipset on mid-range models. The tech giant launched the Honor V10 a few days back and included the flagship Kirin 970 on the smartphone. Despite the flagship specs and sleek full-screen design, the Honor V10 features an affordable price tag starting at around $400. A fresh leak has emerged showing the Huawei Nova 2S model with a similar full-screen design as the V10 and a flagship Kirin 960 chip among other awesome features.
The Nova series is a mid-range series with the latest being the Nova 2 and Nova 2 Plus launched about six months ago. Both models sport dual rear cameras and the leaked photos of the Nova 2s shows that it is also coming with dual cameras at the rear. The leaked photos also show that we should be looking forward to an 18:9 aspect ratio full-screen smartphone and just like the V10, there is a front home button despite the narrow bottom bezels.
The key specifications f the Nova 2S also feature on one of the leaked shots. From the listing, we can grab that the Nova 2s will come with a 6-inch display and would be powered by last year’s flagship Kirin 960 chipset paired with 6GB of RAM. The dual camera on the device is a 20MP + 16MP combination reminiscent of the Honor V10’s. In addition, the rear cameras also have an f1.8 aperture apiece. Further, there is a dual 20MP camera setup at the front, making the device a quad-camera packing model. The smartphone is also expected to pack the EMUI 8.0 UI based on Android Oreo. There is facial recognition and you also get NFC for contactless payment as well as a built-in Hi-Fi chip. The device is expected to be launched in December. What a way to wrap up the year for Huawei?
Qualcomm’s next flagship chipset is he Snapdragon 845. Details of the Mobile Platform expected to be unveiled in December have leaked online.
According to the source, even though major foundries have begun 7nm trials, the flagship chips for next year will be built using the 10nm process and that includes Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 mobile platform too. However, the SD845 will use LPE and not LPP like the Exynos 9810.
The Snapdragon 845 will remain an octa-core processor. Four of them will be the Cortex-A75 and the other four will be Cortex-A53 cores. The SD845’s GPU will be an Adreno 630.
The chipset will have support for up to 25MP dual front and dual rear cameras, have a X20 baseband, support for 802.11 ad Wi-Fi, and have a maximum download speed of 1.2Gbps.
Today, Xiaomi has officially unveiled the Redmi 5A as “the smartphone for everyone.” The smartphone was first announced in China in October and now it has landed in India with some customizations to suit the Indian markets.
Xiaomi Redmi 5A Specifications and Features
The Xiaomi Redmi 5A measures 140.4 x 70.1 x 8.4mm and its weight is 137 grams. It has a metallic matte finish and comes in three color choices such as Elegant Gold, Dark Grey and Rose Gold.
The Redmi 5A features a 5-inch display that produces an HD resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels. It is powered by Snapdragon 425 chipset that features a 1.4 GHz quad-core processor. This chipset is also found under the hood of other smartphones like Redmi Y1 Lite, Redmi 4A, Motorola Moto E4, ASUS ZenFone 4 Max and so on. Considering the warm weather conditions in India, Xiaomi has included dual pyrolitic graphite sheets inside the Redmi 5A that can reduce its temperature by at least 1-degree Celsius.
The Redmi 5A comes in two models such as 2 GB of RAM + 16 GB of storage and 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. The Redmi 4A and the Redmi 5A for China feature hybrid dual-SIM slot, but the Indian variant features a dedicated for microSD card apart from dual-SIM slots.
A 3,000mAh battery that powers the Redmi 5A offers 8 days of standby time, 21 hours of music playback and 7 hours of video playback. The Redmi 5A is bundled with a redesigned power charger that can stand up to 380V and it can also withstand power fluctuations.
For photography, the Xiaomi Redmi 5A has an f/2.2 aperture 13-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 5-megapixel front camera. The 5-element rear lens is equipped with features like LED flash, HDR, Panorama, PDAF and Beauty Filter. It features a 5-megapixel selfie camera.
It also equipped with a IR blaster that can be used for controlling devices like AC, TV or set-top box. The smartphone will come preinstalled with Android 7.1.2 Nougat skinned with MIUI 9.
Xiaomi Redmi 5A Pricing and Availability
The 2 GB RAM + 16 GB storage and 3 GB RAM + 32 GB storage models are respectively priced at Rs. 5,999 and Rs. 6,999 in India. Apart from Mi.com and Mi Home stores, it will be exclusively available through Flipkart. The sales of Redmi 5A will begin on Dec. 7 at 12 PM. Subsequently, it will be also available through other offline partner stores.
Since Xiaomi has now become the number smartphone brand in India, the Chinese firm is providing the base model of Redmi 5A with a discounted price of Rs 4,999 (~$77) for its first 5 million buyers. This makes it the cheapest Xiaomi smartphone ever in India.
What is your opinion on the attractive pricing of Redmi 5A? Will it allow the company to achieve another milestone in 2018? Share us your thoughts by adding your comments below.
When the Essential Phone was released, the camera was the one feature that people complained about. Essential promised to fix it via software updates and it did.
The camera app has received multiple updates since the phone launched which have greatly improved its performance. However, Essential is not done with it yet as it has released yet another update which brings a number of new features and fixes.
The key feature in the new camera update is Portrait Mode. Yes, the Essential PH-1 can now take images with the bokeh effect. The photo below is a sample taken with the phone after the update.
Other new features the update brings are exposure compensation for all regular camera modes and a reduction in JPEG compression to improve image quality.
If you own an Essential Phone, just head to the Play Store and update your camera app under the “My Apps” tab.
Panasonic has unveiled a new tri-bezeless smartphone called Eluga C in Taiwan. The other USP of the phone is that it features dual rear cameras.
Panasonic Eluga C Specifications and Features
The 5.5-inch display of the Eluga C is surrounded by slim-sized bezels on its top, left and right sides. The screen that carries support for HD resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels offers 450 nits of brightness. Below the display is the physical Home button that is embedded with a fingerprint scanner that can be used to unlock the phone in just 0.3 seconds.
The MediaTek MT6750T chipset that features a 1.5 GHz octa-core processor powers the Eluga C smartphone along with 4 GB of RAM. The onboard storage available on the phone is 64 GB and it also carries support for up to 256 GB of microSD card on its external storage slot. It houses a 3,000mAh battery that can be charged using a 7.5W charger.
The Eluga C’s dual camera system features an f/2.2 aperture 13-megapixel senor and an f/2.2 aperture 5-megapixel sensor. The selfie camera of 8-megapixel is placed on the bottom bezel of the phone.
The tri-bezeless Eluga C features a metallic frame and it has a glass panel on its rear. The thickness of the smartphone is only 5.1mm. The smartphone is now available for pre-booking in Taiwan with a price tag of TWD 6,000 (~$199). It is available in Blue and Pink color options. As of this writing, there is no confirmation on the other markets that will be receiving the Panasonic Eluga C.
The Galaxy A5 (2018) and Galaxy A7 (2018) smartphones are speculated to get introduced with Infinity Display design either in the next month or January 2018. However, other rumors have claimed that these phones may get unveiled as Galaxy A8 (2018) and Galaxy A8 Plus (2018) and they would be marketed as midrange versions of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ flagship phones. Samsung seems to be modifying its strategy for mid-range smartphones as fresh information suggests that the Galaxy A7 (2018) or Galaxy A8 Plus (2018) will not be made available in many markets in the Europe.
It means that the Galaxy A5 (2018) or Galaxy A8 (2018) could be widely available in the Europe. The release of the 6-inch Galaxy A7 (2018) is likely to be limited to three European markets such as Germany, Poland and Russia. However, it is expected to be widely available in Asia, where smartphones with large-sized displays are popular.
The Galaxy A5 (2018) that is rumored to feature a 5.5-inch Infinity Display is expected to be more popular in Europe. The rumor mill has been silent on the existence of Galaxy A3 (2018) which indicates that the Galaxy A5 (2018) may arrive as a primary Galaxy A in the market.
We advise our readers to digest the above report with the pinch of salt. The rumors surrounding the 2018 Galaxy A smartphones may sound confusing, but it seems certain that the South Korean company is reviewing its strategy for mid-range phones.
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