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.

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Unconfirmed Schematics Show The Huawei P20 Series With Triple Cameras

By

Habeeb Onawole

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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.

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Android 8.0 Oreo Stable Update Arrives On Xiaomi Mi A1

By

Habeeb Onawole

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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.

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Real Life Images Of Unknown OPPO Smartphone Leaked

By

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

By

Habeeb Onawole

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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

By

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

By

Michele Ingelido

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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

By

Michele Ingelido

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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

By

Michele Ingelido

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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

By

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

By

Habeeb Onawole

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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.

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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

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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.

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

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

By

Michele Ingelido

-

Dec 29, 2017

Apple had to admit that it slows down older iPhones to prolong their lives and prevent problems with batteries that may result in unexpected shutdowns. Three class action lawsuits have been opened in the USA for this, with people accusing Apple of fraud, forcing users to buy new devices and more. After this episode, it was asked to Samsung and LG if they do the same. The two Korean companies answered and declared that they do not slow down older smartphones with aging batteries through software updates.

LG said that the company cares about what its customers think, and they never slowed down any phone, neither they will do it in the future. Samsung said that product quality has always been and will always be the company’s priority and that the performances of its smartphones will never be reduced intentionally through software updates. In reverse, Samsung said that it uses multi-layer safety measures including software algorithms that preserve the battery life by governing the charging current and the charging duration.

In the meantime, Apple apologized for slowing down older iPhones in order to preserve batteries. Now it is possible to replace old iPhone batteries for a reduced price thanks to a new battery replacement program which has just been launched. Customers will be able to pay just 29 dollars instead of 50 dollars for the battery replacement. Just to remind you, yesterday HTC and Motorola confirmed that they do not slow down older phones too. Now, we are waiting for an answer by Google which has already been contacted on the matter.

(Via)

Court Rules Italian Duo Can Call Their Clothing Company ‘Steve Jobs’

By

Michele Ingelido

-

Dec 29, 2017

Vincenzo and Giacomo Barbato are the names of two brothers from Naples, Italy, who won a legal battle against Apple and called their company Steve Jobs. Even though the two brothers gave their company the same name of Apple’s founder and a logo which shares many things in common with Apple’s logo, the court decided to uphold the trademark. The brothers decided to give their company this name in 2012, a year after Steve Jobs’ death.

Before creating this company, they kept creating products for other brands for years. At a certain point, they decided to start their own clothing and accessory company, and they noticed that Apple had never trademarked the name of its founder. When Apple realized that the name of the company was Steve Jobs, it decided to start a legal fight.

But according to the court, the brothers did nothing wrong, and even though the logo (which consists of a letter J) contains a bite and a leaf which remind of the Apple logo, it does not represent something edible and it cannot be convicted. Actually, the Steve Jobs company produces clothes and accessories, including bags, t-shirts, and jeans. But in the future, the two brothers from Italy are intentioned to expand in the electronics market, so they may even decide to release a Steve Jobs phone in the attempt to compete with Apple and its iPhones.

(via)

Xiaomi Reveals MIJIA Brand’s 2017 Revenue Has Crossed ¥20 Billion (~$3 Billion)

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Dec 29, 2017

Xiaomi’s growth is not only hinged on its smartphone business but also on the MIJIA brand. MIJIA is Xiaomi’s crowdfunding and IoT smart home gadget platform where all products other than the smartphones fall under. The brand has long been discovered to be Xiaomi’s cash cow and was recent records show Xiaomi has continued to rake in huge revenue from the MIJIA brand. The tech giant has today disclosed that sales under the MIJIA ecological chain have exceeded 20 billion Yuan (around $3 Billion).

This monumental sales figure represents a huge rise in the revenue accrued last year from the MIJIA brand. Xiaomi had revealed around this time last year that the MIJIA brand posted impressive sales figures. Although the total revenue generated wasn’t disclosed, we were made to understand it ran into billions of dollars (estimated at 15billion yuan). Xiaomi dominated the wearables market last year with revenue of up to 1.5 billion Yuan, other brands like the smart camera, IoT gagdets and other products contributed to the revenue.

This year, we have seen over a hundred products launched under the MIJIA brand and most of them are hot-selling products. Thus, sales volume would be high, coupled with Xiaomi’s more robust marketing strategy using multiple channels. We hope to get a breakdown of how the products fared in the market and hopefully, Xiaomi will release details of that later on.

(source)

Now you can officially Sue People Using WeChat In China

By

Michele Ingelido

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Dec 29, 2017

WeChat is the most used messaging app and also the largest social network in China. With 980 million active users a month, the app powers the daily lives of a huge percent of the Chinese population, who use it for everything, from messaging to online payments and many other services. According to a new report, Tencent’s messaging app is now going to be used to allow people to file lawsuits.

It is actually possible to sue people electronically by using this app and do a lot more stuff with regards to the lawsuit directly from the app. For example, with WeChat, Beijing Court allows to submit documents, verify people’s identities, pay legal fees and more. All is performed through a prosecution service platform created by Beijing Haidian court and present inside Tencent’s app. The official website of China’s Supreme People’s Court explains that even though everything in this platform happens via the internet, the system is very safe.

Both facial recognition and ID card verification are used for an accurate identification process which will only allow a single person to access its data. Once the required documents are filed, the parties will receive a notice via WeChat. It seems that the new service available in WeChat will directly reach the official government department, simplifying the process to a great extent. Just to remind you, Tencent’s app is already used as an official virtual ID in a few provinces, so it is able to replace the traditional Chinese government ID card.

(via)

Hong Kong Bankers Expects Xiaomi IPO To Go Up To $100 Billion in 2018

By

Michele Ingelido

-

Dec 29, 2017

According to recent data, Hong Kong raised $32.8 billion in equity capital in 2017, which is the lowest increase since 2008. But Hong Kong remains one the biggest equity capital-raising centers in the world, and now it is trying to recover. One of the plans is allowing dual-class shares just like New York exchange. Chinese tech companies like Xiaomi are attracted by the dual-class share structures and that is why they usually choose New York for their Initial Public Offerings (IPOs).

So Hong Kong will adopt dual-class shares, and it is expecting a $100 billion IPO for Xiaomi in 2018. According to bankers’ estimations, Xiaomi could be valued at up to $100 billion and this would make it the best valued Chinese tech company IPO. At the second place next year, there would be Lufax which is valued at $18.5 billion dollars: the difference is huge.

Tucker Highfield, the head of equity capital markets syndicate for the Asia Pacific at Credit Suisse, stated that over the next couple of years there is a good chance of $500+ billion market capitalization in the tech sector in China that could go public. Actually, regarding IPOs, Hong Kong ranks fourth globally, behind New York, Shanghai, and Mumbai’s National Stock Exchanges. Xiaomi, a single company, may contribute to change the situation in 2018. A 100 billion dollars IPO will grant Xiaomi the much-needed inflow of funds to expand further into newer markets.

(Source)

No End in Sight For LeEco’s Jia Yueting’s Woes As Beijing Court Seizes Assets

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Dec 29, 2017

LeEco‘s former CEO and Chairman Jia Yueting is unarguably an innovative entrepreneur who was an inspiration to many during the hay days of the tech guru. All that seems to be in the past presently as Jia Yueting has since plunged his once bubbling company into financial troubles. The tech mogul has been on the run as authorities in China has ordered him to return back to the country before the end of this year and he was recently blacklisted as a debt defaulter in China. While the dust generated by this unsavoury news is yet to settle down, another report out of China indicates that a Beijing court has seized Mr Yuetings assets.

jiu-yueting-co-founder-leeco — LeEco Founder, Jia Yueting

According to a statement on its website, the Beijing-based First intermediate People’s Court seized more than 1.3 million yuan ($200,000) in bank deposits. The court is also eyeing Jia’s shares in publicly listed Leshi Internet Information & Technology Corp. as well as two Beijing properties targeted in previous cases. No further details were disclosed on the seized properties. The court said it took action after agreeing to enforce a petition from a securities firm in Fujian in a bid to recover more than 200 million yuan it claimed Jia owed.

LeEco was hit with a cash crunch occasioned by Jia Yueting’s decision to expand aggressively its smartphone business into new markets and even veering into the automobile industry with investment in U.S electric car maker Faraday Future. That investment is yet to yield fruits but Jia is said to have disclosed during a staff meeting earlier this month that Faraday had managed to raise more than $1 billion in Series A financing, without naming his investors. We hope Mr Yueting weathers the storm and quickly too as debts and interests continue to pile up. Jia’s exact location is not known as at this moment.

(source)