Samsung Galaxy A8 vs Xiaomi Mi Note 3: Specs Comparison

By

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Dec 19, 2017

There are many advanced users who would like to have a flagship phone for multimedia or productivity, but they cannot afford it because their budget is low compared to the prices of actual flagships which are increasing every day. If you are among these people, you will be glad to know that there are nice high-end phones which are very similar to flagships but have a lower price. Samsung Galaxy A8 and Xiaomi Mi Note 3 are among the best high-end phones which are still sold at a decent price, and the following is a Samsung Galaxy A8 vs Xiaomi Mi Note 3 specs comparison between them.

Samsung Galaxy A8 vs Xiaomi Mi Note 3

	Samsung Galaxy A8	Xiaomi Mi Note 3
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	149.2 x 70.6 x 8.4 mm	152.6 x 74 x 7.6 mm, 163 g
DISPLAY	5.6 inches, 1080 x 2220p (Full HD+), 18.5:9 ratio, Super AMOLED	5.5 inches, 1080 x 1920p (Full HD), 16:9 ratio, IPS LCD
PROCESSOR	octa-core Samsung Exynos 7885, 2.2 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, octa-core 2.2 GHz
MEMORY	4 GB RAM, 32 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD slot	6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB
SOFTWARE	Android 7.1.1 Nougat, Samsung Experience	Android 7.1 Nougat, MIUI 8
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS
CAMERA	16 MP f/1.7 Dual 16 + 8 MP f/1.9 front camera	Dual 12 + 12 MP, f/1.8 + f/2.6, OIS, 2x optical zoom 16 MP front camera
BATTERY	3000 mAh, Fast charging	3500 mAh, Fast charging (Quick Charge 3.0)
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Dual SIM, IP68 certified	Dual SIM

In terms of design and build quality, Samsung Galaxy A8 looks way better than Xiaomi Mi Note 3. Both are made of glass and metal, but A8 has a borderless display with a high screen-to-body ratio, and it is a fully waterproof phone. Its opponent has a classic 16:9 panel and it does not offer any certification for water-resistance. The display is also better on the Samsung Galaxy A8: it is an AMOLED, Full HD+ panel. Displays are not the strong point of Xiaomi phones, even though Xiaomi Mi Note 3 has a decent panel. An aspect in which Xiaomi Mi Note 3 is probably better is the hardware side: the phone has an efficient and very powerful SoC paired with a huge quantity of RAM: 6 GB. An advantage of Samsung Galaxy A8 is the dedicated micro SD slot: it is possible to use two SIM cards without saying goodbye to micro SD.

We still have no idea about the camera performance of the Samsung Galaxy A8 as the phone was just announced today. But on paper, the cameras of this handset are excellent: there is a rear camera with a very large aperture and dual front cameras which are interesting as well. However, Xiaomi Mi Note is the best Xiaomi camera phone and it is also in the top 10 camera phones tested by DxOMark, so it will be an exciting battle.

Further, the Xiaomi Mi Note 3 has a bigger battery that should last more. Samsung Galaxy A8 has been announced with a price tag of 500 euros (590 dollars) for Europe, which is not so affordable, but the price will drop in a few months. Xiaomi Mi Note 3 can actually be found at about 310 euros (online street prices) or 365 dollars.

With these prices, I would personally pick the Xiaomi Mi Note 3.

Samsung Galaxy A8 vs Xiaomi Mi Note 3

PRO and CONS

Samsung Galaxy A8

PRO

Super display
Great selfie camera
Dedicated micro SD slot
Waterproof

CONS

Price

Xiaomi Mi Note 3

PRO

Very nice performances
Great rear camera
Affordable price
Big battery

CONS

Average display

Meizu M6S Hands-On Video Leaked to Reveal Full Screen Design, mBlu Branding

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Dec 19, 2017

Meizu M6S is speculated to arrive as the first full screen phone from the company. A leaked video of the phone has surfaced today to reaffirm the full screen design that was previously revealed through its leaked photos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S25PWZvT7wI

The video reveals that the smartphone does not feature a front or rear-mounted fingerprint reader. This indicates that it could be embedded under the Power key that is present on the edge of the device. The body of the phone seems to be made out of metal and its corners are rounded. The rear camera setup is not visible in the video, but what can be seen is the “mblu by Meizu” branding towards the bottom of the back panel.

mBlu is a sub-brand of Meizu. It appears that the alleged Meizu M6S could belong to mBlu series of phones. The handset is also being referred to as mBlu S by the rumor mill.

Rumors have it that the handset will be featuring a 5.7-inch display that will be offering an aspect ratio of 18:9. It is speculated to be powered by Exynos 7872 chipset and 3 GB of RAM. It is likely to feature a 13-megapixel rear snapper and a 5-megapixel selfie shooter. It is speculated to be priced around 2,000 Yuan. However, some sources have claimed that it may cost around 2,500 Yuan.

The handset was speculated to launch on Dec. 20. However, a recent report has claimed that since it has encountered a camera debugging issue, it will be debuting in the next month..

(via)

Huawei Enjoy 7S vs Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus: Budget Full Screen Phone Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

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Dec 19, 2017

If you are searching for the phone which has the best value for money, Huawei Enjoy 7S and Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus are some of the best choices for you. They have good performance and they are well balanced in every aspect. Given that we are talking about two of the best midranges sold at around 200 dollars, we think it is time to make a Huawei Enjoy 7S vs Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus comparison to help you save money in the best way.

Huawei Enjoy 7S vs Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus

	Huawei Enjoy 7S	Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	150.1 x 7 2.05 x 7.45 mm, 143 grams	158.5 x 75.5 x 8.1 mm, 180 grams
DISPLAY	5.65 inches, 1080 x 2160p (Full HD), 428 ppi, 16:9 ratio, IPS LCD	5,99 inches, 1080 x 2160p (Full HD+), 403 ppi, 18:9 ratio, IPS LCD
PROCESSOR	Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 659, octa-core 2.36 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, octa-core 2.0 GHz
MEMORY	3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD slot	3 GB RAM, 32 GB – 4 GB RAM, 64 GB, micro SD slot
SOFTWARE	Android 8.0 Oreo, EMUI 8.0	Android 7.1.2 Nougat, MIUI 9
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS
CAMERA	Dual 13 + 2 MP 8 MP front camera	12 MP f/2.2 5 MP front camera
BATTERY	3000 mAh	4000 mAh Fast charging 5V / 2A
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Hybrid Dual SIM slot	Hybrid Dual SIM slot

Even though both these phones have a metal design and a borderless display with a similar screen-to-body ratio, their dimensions are different. While Huawei Honor 7S is thinner and more compact, Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus is bigger but it also has a bigger display. The viewing quality of these displays should not be very different on paper as they both have a Full HD+ resolution but Huawei Enjoy 7S has a slightly higher pixel density as its display is smaller. On the other hand, the Redmi 5 Plus has a bigger and more comfortable display.

On the hardware side, it is a challenge between Kirin 659 and Snapdragon 625: we still do not know how these midrange SoCs behave on these phones. Snapdragon 625 may be more efficient, while Kirin 659 may be more powerful. A real advantage of Huawei Enjoy 7S is the fact that it has been launched with Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box, while Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus has Nougat and you will have to wait almost a year to get the latest version.

But MIUI 9 is full of features and it is a very advanced user interface, so you shouldn’t mind the wait for Oreo. The dual camera setup of Huawei Enjoy 7S should also be better than the single camera found on Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus, but we cannot say for sure until we see the first camera samples. On the other hand, Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus has a much bigger battery and a longer battery life.

Personally, I would go for the Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus because it has a way longer battery life and it makes a big difference these days. Huawei Enjoy 7S has been launched in China (and probably it will stay there) with a price tag of about 227 dollars (192 euros), while Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus starts from 151 dollars (128 euros), so R5P is also more affordable.

Huawei Enjoy 7S vs Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus

PRO and CONS

Huawei Enjoy 7S

PRO

Nice dual camera
Full display
Compact design
Android Oreo

CONS

Limited availability

Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus

PRO

Full display
Big battery
Fast charging
Low price

CONS

Still Nougat

ZTE Confirms That Axon 7 Will Soon Receive Android 8.0 Oreo Update

By

Jeet

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Dec 19, 2017

Even though the Axon 7 smartphone is no longer in production, ZTE has confirmed that the phone will receive the Android 8.0 Oreo update. While the company has not provided any timeframe for this update, it is expected to roll out soon.

It appears that the China-based company is already working on the Android Oreo update for the Axon 7. The smartphone, which was originally launched in May last year, comes with Android Marshmallow operating system out-of-the-box.

In an official statement confirming the Android Oreo update for the Axon 7, ZTE said:

We are announcing now that we are already developing Android 8 for the Axon 7, your positive feedback has been inspiring us a lot and made us very happy and because of this we try to get it customer ready as soon as possible for the best customers in the world, and I ask for your understanding because we still need some time to perfect it.

Since the post regarding this was made on the European forum, we are expecting the update to first hit the devices in the European market. It is not known if the over-the-air (OTA) update will roll out to other regions.

The ZTE Axon 7 was ranked among one of the best affordable premium smartphone last year. It comes with a 5.5-inch display with 2K resolution, 2.5D curved glass and a layer of Gorilla Glass 4 protection on top. The smartphone has a 3,250mAh battery, which also supports Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 3.0 technology.

Under the hood, the device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, coupled with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage. It comes with a 20MP f/1.8 aperture camera with OIS and EIS at the back, while up front, it has an 8MP f/2.2 88-degree wide angle shooter.

A couple of months ago, ZTE confirmed that it is working on a successor of the Axon 7 but apart from that confirmation, no other information is available related to the phone. We will just have to wait until more information comes up.

(Source)

New Glass-Like Polymer with Self Healing Prowess Discovered

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Dec 19, 2017

A new kind of highly durable glass-like polymer that can heal on its own has been discovered by Professor Takuzo Aida’s team of researchers from the University of Tokyo. Usually, polymers require around 120-degree Celsius of heat to heal itself. However, the newly discovered polymer can heal itself by applying some hand pressure. This polymer is named as polyether-thioureas.

The new glass polymer was reportedly discovered by a mistake when a student named Yu Yanagisawa tried to stick the cut edges of the polymer with each other. When pressed with slight pressure by hand at 21 degrees Celsius, the cut polymers formed a strong sheet. Tech experts are of the view that this new polymer could be used as self-healing display on smartphones.

Earlier in this year, a self-healing material was created that could not only stitch itself back together within 24 hours, but also it could stretch 50 times its original size. This new material was made by chemists at the University of California at Riverside and University of Colorado. In August, Motorola was granted with patent for a glass-like plastic polymer can restore on its own when cracked.

Smartphone users have to spend huge amount of money for fixing cracked screens. However, the recent discoveries and patent filings suggest that we may soon see smartphones with self-healing displays in the market.

(source|via)

Super Deal: International Version Of Huawei Honor 9 4G Smartphone Is Now $309.99

By

Vinay Patel

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Dec 19, 2017

Huawei took the wraps off its Honor 9 flagship smartphone in June 2017 and it hit the store shelves in July. The Huawei Honor 9 is up for grabs on OppoMart and Giztop bearing a price tag of $369. However, you can get your hands on the International Version of Huawei Honor 9 4G smartphone at a discounted price of $309.99 on GearBest.

At $309.99, the 4G smartphone offers an array of awe-inspiring features coupled with an irresistible design. The device is available in Black, Blue, Golden, and Gray color options. Although the handset is unlocked for worldwide use, it is recommended to check if local area network is compatible and network frequency of your country with your carrier before buying this phone.

Apart from the Honor 9 4G smartphone, the package comprises one back case, a power adapter, one SIM needle, and a USB cable. It’s worth noting that there are only 100 units available and the promotion ends on December 30. You can use promotion code ‘hshonor9’ to buy the phone for just $309.99.

Click here to avail the deal. Note the Honor 9 4G smartphone is slated to ship from December 21 to January 2. If you’ve been waiting with bated breath to buy the handset, grab the deal before the promotion comes to an end and the phone’s price goes back to $399.

Grab the Huawei Honor 9 For Just $309.99

Alleged Sony Xperia XZ2’s Front Panel Leaked, Reveals Ultra-Thin Bezels

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Dec 19, 2017

Sony is known for unleashing new smartphones at Mobile World Congress (MWC) platform each year. Hence, Sony is expected to announce new phones such as successor editions of the Sony Xperia XZ1 and Xperia XZ Premium at MWC (2018) in February. Today, a leaked image of an unidentified Sony phone has appeared. Speculations have it that it could be the front view of the rumored Sony Xperia XZ2 that may succeed the Xperia XZ1.

The below image shows that the right, left and bottom sides of the display of the alleged Sony Xperia XZ2 are surrounded by ultra-thin bezels. The upper bezel is thick enough to fit in the earpiece along with selfie camera and proximity sensor.

Some of the Sony phones have featured side-mounted fingerprint scanner. Hence, it is speculated that the fingerprint sensor could be embedded in the Power key that is located on the right side of the phone. However, there is a possibility that it could be placed on the rear side of the phone.

The right edge also features buttons for controlling volume as well as a dedicated key for launching camera. The source has not revealed any information on the specifications of the phone.

The Japanese firm has adhered to OmniBalance design for its smartphones since 2013. However, rumors are rife that Sony would be ditching the design for the good to embrace bezel-less design for its upcoming smartphones like the alleged Xperia XZ2.

The rumor mill has already unearthed the entire specifications of the phone that will be succeeding the Xperia XZ1. According to leaked information, its model number is H8216 and it will be powered by Snapdragon 845 chipset and 4 GB of RAM. Its internal storage will be 64 GB. It will be coming with a 5.48-inch display that will be supporting full HD resolution.

It could be Sony’s first phone to house dual camera setup on its back panel. It is speculated to include a pair of 12-megapixel sensors. It is likely to feature a selfie snapper of 15-megapixel. Other features of the phone include Android 8.1 Oreo and 3,130mAh battery.

There is no way to confirm whether the above image really belongs to Sony Xperia XZ1’s successor. Hence, we advise our readers to digest this report with a pinch of salt.

(source)

Samsung Galaxy A8 and Galaxy A8+ With Dual Front-Facing Cameras Launched

By

Jeet

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Dec 19, 2017

After a series of leaks related to the Galaxy A8 and its bigger sibling Galaxy A8 Plus, Samsung has finally announced the Galaxy A8 and A8+. These smartphones are the successor of the Galaxy A5 and Galaxy A7.

The design of both the phones is quite similar to the company’s flagship smartphone — Galaxy S8. The devices also feature a similarly Infinity Display and dual front-facing cameras. Both smartphones come with IP68 ratings, making them water and dust resistant.

The Samsung Galaxy A8 sports a 5.6-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with screen resolution of 2220 x 1080 pixels, an unusual 18.5:9 aspect ratio and a curved glass on top. The phone packs 4GB RAM and comes in two models based on internal storage capacity — 32GB and 64GB.

On the other hand, the Samsung Galaxy A8+ comes with a 6-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with a screen resolution of 2220 x 1080 pixels, curved glass and the same 18.5:9 aspect ratio. It is offered in two options — 4GB RAM and 6GB RAM as well as 32GB internal storage and 64GB onboard storage.

There is a microSD card slot present on both devices, allowing users to expand the storage capacity on the devices up to 256GB. Under the hood, both smartphones are powered by an octa-core processor with two cores clocked at 2.2GHz and six cores clocked at 1.6GHz.

Coming to the camera department, both smartphones feature a 16-megapixel camera sensor at the back with f/1.7 aperture and a Video Digital image stabilisation (VDis) technology. At the front, the devices sport a dual camera setup, with a 16-megapixel fixed focus sensor and an 8-megapixel secondary sensor for Bokeh effects. Both sensors come with f/1.9 aperture.

The devices are running Android 7.1 Nougat operating system along with the company’s own skin on top. Connectivity options on the devices include 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, GPS / A-GPS, NFC, and USB Type-C port. The Galaxy A8 is fuelled by a 3,000mAh battery while the Galaxy A8+ packs a bigger 3,500mAh battery.

Both smartphones — Samsung Galaxy A8 and Galaxy A8+ are slated to go on sale from January 2018. However, the company has not yet provided any information regarding the pricing of the devices or the availability information for regions other than Europe.

Pre-Order Nubia M2 Global Rom For Just $159.99 Until December 25

By

Vinay Patel

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Dec 19, 2017

Shenzhen, China-based tech behemoth, ZTE unveiled the Nubia M2 back in March 2017. The device’s original price is $279.69, but much to the delight of smartphone enthusiasts, Nubia M2 Global Rom is currently up for pre-order on BangGood for just $159.99.

The promotion sale kicked off on December 17 and will come to end on December 25. It is imperative for those looking to take advantage of the promotion to bear in mind that only 73 pieces were left at the time of this writing.

As far as processing time is concerned, the device is expected to ship after December 22, 2017. By ordering this device you can earn 159 Banggood points.

ZTE Nubia M2 sports a 5.5-inch AMOLED self-luminous display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. It offers 16M colors, paired with a pixel density of 401 PPI (pixel per inch). The huge screen is protected by Corning Gorilla glass.

The device packs an Octa-core Snapdragon 625 processor, under the hood and has 4GB of RAM, paired with 64GB of internal storage which can be expanded up to 200GB via microSD card. On the photography front, the device sports a rear-mounted dual camera with 13 MP+13 MP sensors, F2.2 and dual tone LED. It sports a 16 MP front shooter with F2.0, and 80 degrees wide angle for the selfie addicts.

In order to avail this deal, head over to this link. It’s a good deal at the regular price of $273.69 but, you can pre-order it for even less, at just $159.9 before the promo comes to an end.

Get the Nubia M2 for just $237.99

Leaked Photo of Galaxy S9’s Back Panel Shows Single Camera Cutout

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Dec 19, 2017

Recent reports have claimed that the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S9+ will be featuring dual rear cameras, but its smaller sibling may only house a single rear-facing camera. A leaked photo that has surfaced today again suggests that the smaller Galaxy S9 would not be featuring a dual camera setup.

The cutout that can be seen in the below image of the back plate of the Galaxy S9 shows that it will be featuring a single camera on the rear panel. As of this writing, there is no official confirmation on why Samsung has decided to make the dual camera feature exclusive to the Galaxy S9+.

The fingerprint scanner won’t be placed beside the camera sensor as seen on the Galaxy S8 and S8+, but it will be placed below the rear camera on S9 and S9+. According to the renders of the Galaxy S9 duo revealed by @OnLeaks who is known for his good track record for leaking information on upcoming phones, the Galaxy S9 may arrive with a 5.65-inch display whereas the S9+ may house a 6.1-inch display. Depending on the market, the Galaxy S9 duo will be available in Snapdragon 845 or Exynos 9810 chipset models.

It is also speculated that the Galaxy S9 may feature 4 GB of RAM whereas the S9+ may include 6 GB of RAM. The Galaxy S9+ is likely to house a larger battery than its smaller sibling. These differences suggest that just as Apple offers some advanced features like dual camera and larger display on the “Plus” variants of its iPhones compared to the smaller 4.7-inch iPhones, Samsung may also use the same strategy to make the Galaxy S9+ available with high-end features over the S9.

The Galaxy S9 and S9+ are slated to debut on Feb. 27 during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 event. During this event, Huawei is also expected to unleash its Huawei P11 beast and Sony will be also Snapdragon 845 powered flagship phones.

(source)

Meizu Achieves More Than 50% Year-on-Year Growth in 2017

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Dec 19, 2017

The demand for smartphones have reportedly started declining because of which some of the Chinese phone makers have reduced their orders by over 10 percent. Meizu’s market share has also decreased in the home market due to the same reason. However, Meizu has still managed to achieve a Year-on-Year (YoY) growth of more than 50 percent as it achieved impressive sales result outside of its homeland, claims Ard Boudeling who is the Head of Global Marketing with Meizu.

Since Meizu is performing well in the overseas market, Boudeling is of the view that the company will continue to maintain its success streak in 2018. Hence, it is in discussions with many potential partners to bring its phones to newer countries.

It was recently reported that Meizu may launch 6 smartphones in the first half of 2018. The rumor mill has already leaked information on some of the upcoming Meizu phones.

Recent reports have revealed that the Meizu M15 Plus could be the name of the upcoming flagship phone from the company. Leaked shots of the phone have revealed that it would be coming with a full screen design that is surrounded by slim bezels. Its bottom bezel is expected to be slightly thick as it may feature a mBack button.

The Meizu M6s is speculated to be one of the upcoming budget-friendly phones from the company that may debut in the next month. It is rumored to arrive with 18:9 aspect ratio supporting display and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor.

(source)

Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 vs 625: What’s The Difference

By

Michele Ingelido

-

Dec 19, 2017

In 2016, Qualcomm unveiled the Snapdragon 625, a SoC which has become the most loved one when it comes to midrange smartphones sold at an affordable price. The reason for its success is the perfect combination of power and efficiency, which helped this processor provide good performance with an incredibly low energy consumption. This year, Qualcomm launched its successor (after launching SD626, an overclocked variant with a more advanced Bluetooth version): Snapdragon 630. It is an improved version of the older SoC. In this comparison, we will examine the main differences between Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 vs 625.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 vs 625

	Snapdragon 630	Snapdragon 625
CPU	8x ARM Cortex A53, Clock frequency: Up to 2.2 GHz, 14 nm, 64 bit	8x ARM Cortex A53, Clock frequency: Up to 2 GHz, 14 nm, 64 bit
GPU	Adreno 508	Adreno 506
Camera	Up to 24 MP single camera Up to 13 MP dual camera Hybrid autofocus Optical Zoom	Up to 24 MP single camera Up to 13 MP dual camera Enhanced autofocus
Video	Up to 4K Ultra HD at 30 fps (video recording) Up to 1080p at 120 fps (video recording) Up to 4K Ultra HD (video playback)	Up to 4K Ultra HD at 30 fps (video recording) Up to 4K Ultra HD (video playback)
Display	Up to Full HD+ 1920 x 1200 pixels	Up to Full HD+ (Full Display) 2160 x 1080 pixels
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 1×1 802.11ac with MU-MIMO. Max speed: 364 Mbps Bluetooth 5.0. Max speed: 2 Mbps NFC Cellular Modem: Snapdragon X12, download speed up to 600 Mbps, upload speed up to 150 Mbps	Wi-Fi 2×2 802.11ac with MU-MIMO. Max speed: 364 Mbps Bluetooth 4.1 NFC Cellular Modem: Snapdragon X9 LTE, up to 300 Mbps, upload speed up to 150 Mbps
Audio	Qualcomm aptX codec technology Qualcomm Aqstic audio technology	Qualcomm Aqstic audio technology
Location	GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS, SBAS	GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo
Battery Charging	Qualcomm Quick Charge 4	Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0

An important difference between Snapdragon 630 vs 625 is the clock frequency: 2.2 GHz vs 2 GHz. According to Qualcomm, Snapdragon 630 offers up to 30 percent higher performance than SD626, so it should be more than 30 percent better than SD625 in terms of performance. The GPUs are also different and the Adreno 508 found in SD630 offers up to 30 percent more performance than Adreno 506 too. At a first glance, it seems there is not much difference, but as you see it is not so. Snapdragon 630 also has more advanced connectivity options. Its Snapdragon X12 modem has 2x higher download speed and more advanced Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

While in terms of camera and display there are no significant differences (Snapdragon 630 remains slightly better), the fast charging technology is way better. Quick Charge 4 has a charging speed which can be up to 15 percent faster than Quick Charge 3.0, and it is also a safer technology. Snapdragon 630 is also more power efficient than its opponent. It’s worth noting that not every aspect of each SoC may be supported on the phones which have been equipped with these processors. For example, a phone may be equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 but it may not have the support to Quick Charge 4.0 because the company has decided to remove it or to opt for its own fast charging technology.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 vs 625

PROs of Snapdragon 630

Higher performance
Better connectivity
Faster battery charging
Safer and efficient

CONS

Higher price

Alleged Meizu 15 Plus Appears In A Newly Leaked Images Showing Phone’s Design

By

Jeet

-

Dec 19, 2017

To celebrate its 15 years of existence, China-based Meizu is going to release a special edition phone, dubbed as Meizu 15 Plus. While the phone has been subject to many leaks, the phone’s design was not clearly visible in any of the previously leaked images.

But, the newly leaked images shows the design of a Meizu smartphone, which is believed to be the upcoming Meizu 15 Plus. However, there is a possibility that it might be a different model. The leaked images reveals the phone’s design — showing front side as well as the back side.

The previously leaked image hinted at Mi Mix 2 type bezel-less smartphone, but the newly leaked images shows that the design is not as existing as we had hoped. The company has kept the mBack button in its usual position. At the back, there is a dual camera setup with a little round module just below it which could be for the LED flash.

The phone seems to come with a metal unibody design and the display sports a 3D curved glass on top covering all the four edges surrounding the screen — similar to the Samsung’s Galaxy S8. From the look of it, the display appears to be sporting the standard 16:9 aspect ratio rather than the trending 18:9 aspect ratio.

Previous report suggests that Meizu is ditching MediaTek processors this time, and the Meizu 15 Plus will be powered by Samsung‘s Exynos processor. The phone will be offered in two variants based on the memory configuration — one with 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage while the other will pack 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage.

Recently, the smartphone’s pricing information was also leaked online, revealing that the base model will carry a price tag of 2,999 yuan (approx. $453) while the top-end model will cost around 3,499 yuan (approx. $528).

The company’s founder Jack Wong had previously confirmed that the Meizu 15 Plus will be officially introduced next spring around China’s Spring Festival, which will take place in February. The company is going to launch six new smartphones in the first half of 2018. While five of those phones will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processor, one phone, possibly Meizu 15 Plus, will pack Samsung’s Exynos processor.

Huawei, OPPO, Vivo Reportedly Reducing Orders by Over 10% as Worldwide Demand for Phones Decline

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Dec 19, 2017

It is a known fact that the popularity of Chinese smartphone manufacturers has increased considerably in the recent years. In this year, Xiaomi managed to dethrone Samsung from its numero uno position in India. Huawei that is currently the third largest smartphone manufacturer in the world is looking forward to grabbing the second position from Apple. OPPO and Vivo are also ranking among the top smartphone makers in the world. Even though these Chinese firms have had a tremendous run this year, supply sources claim that Huawei, OPPO and Vivo are expecting a slower start in the coming year because of which they are cutting down their orders by over 10 percent.

The worldwide demand for new smartphones are declining and this has resulted in accumulation of inventory. However, Xiaomi seems to be unaffected by this slowdown as it is still selling its phones online and offline aggressively. India will be an interesting market next year as Xiaomi will want to extend its lead while Samsung may change its business strategy to get its top spot. Huawei too is expected to increase its presence in the country.

Huawei and Xiaomi are also expected to increase their market share in the U.S. in 2018. Huawei will be selling its phones through U.S. carriers such as AT&T and Verizon in Q1 2018. Xiaomi is reportedly in talks with carriers of the U.S. to bring its phones in the country. The Chinese smartphone manufacturers are reportedly reducing their orders, but it seems that 2018 will be a good year for these firms albeit a slower start.

(source|via)

Xiaomi Mi A1 Special Edition Red Launched In India For Rs. 13,999

By

Jeet

-

Dec 18, 2017

After launching the Mi A1 Special Red Edition smartphone in Indonesia, the company has now launched the same phone in the Indian market as well. With the launch of this Mi A1 Special Edition Red model, the phone is now available in four colour options in India — Red, Black, Gold and Rose Gold.

In India, the Mi A1 Special Edition Red will be available in limited quantities and will be available for purchase from 20th December through online retailer Flipkart and the company’s own store — Mi.com. It has been priced at Rs. 13,999 (approximately $218), same as the standard model. However, the phone will be available for Rs. 12,999 during Xiaomi’s No. 1 Fan promotional sales event on 20th and 21st December.

Apart from the colour of the phone, there is no change in the internals of the smartphone. It comes with a 5.5-inch Full HD display with screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and pixel density of 401 pixels per inch. There is also a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass on top for protection from minor scratches.

The phone is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, which is coupled with 4GB of RAM. It comes with 64GB of onboard storage, which is further expandable upto 128GB through microSD card.

As of the cameras, the smartphone comes with a dual camera setup at back, featuring two 12-megapixel sensors — one featuring a wide-angle lens with a 1.25-micron pixel sensor and f/2.2 aperture, while the other one sporting a telephoto lens, with f/2.6 aperture. The camera is capable of delivering 2x optical zoom. There is also a 5-megapixel front-facing camera with a real-time beautification mode.

Connectivity options on the device include 4G VoLTE, dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11ac, GPS/ A-GPS and USB Type-C port. The smartphone is fuelled by a 3,080mAh battery. Given that it is a part of Android One program, the phone runs on stock version of Android 7.1 Nougat operating system out-of-the-box. The device is slated to receive the latest Android 8.0 Oreo update soon.

Xiaomi Mi A1 was initially launched in India in September this year, with a price tag of Rs. 14,999. However, the phone recently received a price cut of Rs. 1,000, bringing down the effective cost of the device to Rs. 13,999.

Huawei Mate 10 Will Hit The US Market In 2018 In Partnership With Local Carriers

By

Jeet

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Dec 18, 2017

Huawei recently launched its flagship smartphone series — Huawei Mate 10 in the European market and in China. Now, the company is gearing up to launch the Mate 10 smartphone series in the US.

Confirming this development, Huawei’s chief executive of the consumers business, Yu Chengdong said that the company will be aggressively pushing in the US market next year, in partnership with local carriers.

He also confirmed that the first phone from the flagship series to make its way to the US market will be the Huawei Mate 10. It will be released at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2018 in Las Vegas. However, no further information related to this is known. We will have to wait until the announcement at CES to know more.

This will be the first collaboration of Huawei with the local carries in the US. The company is already selling a few smartphones in the US through its own eCommerce store but has not yet partnered with a network operator.

With Huawei’s entry in the US market, in partnership with network operators, seems to be aimed at increasing its smartphone sales. The company is currently ranked third in the world, behind Apple with a thin margin. With this move, it aims to take on Apple for the second position.

The Huawei Mate 10 comes with a 5.9-inch display with a screen resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels, featuring a standard 16:9 aspect ratio rather than the trending 18:9 aspect ratio.

Under the hood, it is powered by the company’s own Kirin 970 processor and a 4,000mAh battery which also supports SuperCharge fast charging. The phone is offered in two variants — 4GB RAM with 64GB storage and 6GB RAM with 128GB onboard storage.

The smartphone features a 12-megapixel RGB + 20-megapixel monochrome sensors at the back. It has 4-in-1 hybrid focus, hybrid zoom, and OIS. There is also an 8-megapixel F/2.2 front-facing camera sensor. The devices run on Android Oreo operating system based EMUI 8.0.

Huawei 7 6700mAh Power Bank Announced, Priced At ¥99 (~$15)

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Dec 18, 2017

Apart from the Enjoy 7S unveiled today, Huawei also announced a new power bank. The Huawei 7 power bank is targeted at those who want a battery pack that is small and lightweight.

The Huawei 7 has a capacity of 6700mAh, which is not its smallest as it already has a 5000mAh power bank. The power bank uses lithium-ion batteries judging from its shape.

The portable battery pack has a single output port flanked on the sides by an input port and a power button. There are also four LEDs at the top that show battery level. The power bank should be able to charge most phones at least once.

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Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ Front Panels Leak

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Dec 18, 2017

Samsung’s flagship duo – the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are set to get successors in a couple of months. Known as the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+, both phones have been in the news a lot lately. There have been not-so-few a number of design and specifications leaks. Today’s own belongs to the former category as it is an image of the phones’ front panels.

The image which shows both panels side by side reveals a plethora of sensors on the top bezel. There are five holes at the top excluding the one for the earpiece. These are bound to be occupied by the front camera, sensors for the iris scanner and the regular proximity, hall, and light sensors.

Samsung has also slightly reduced the size of the bezels which should translate into a higher-screen to body ratio.

We expect more manufacturers in China will copy the design of the Galaxy S9 and S9+ come next year. We also expect to see others toe the line of the Apple iPhone X.

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The iPhone X Look-Alike Little Pepper S11 Hands-On Photos

By

Jeet

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Dec 18, 2017

After launching Xiaomi Mi 6 look-alike phone, Littler Pepper recently launched its new smartphone last week, dubbed as Little Pepper S11 which is a look-alike of the Apple iPhone X. While the phone is very much similar to the iPhone X, check out the hands-on photos to know how it differs in terms of design.

The phone’s body has the 18:9 ratio but the display of the device itself comes with a traditional aspect ratio of 18:9, featuring a notch at the top of the display. However, instead of having a display with a notch, the phone comes with a top bezel having the notch, giving it a pseudo full-screen appearance.

The Little Peper S11 comes with a 5.5-inch HD display with a screen resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. There is also a home button on the front panel, which is not present in the original design of the iPhone X. Further, the phone has also a fingerprint scanner, embedded into the home button for the security purposes.

The notch on the top bezel consists of a proximity sensor, speaker grille, and dual camera sensors. The front-facing camera module features an 8-megapixel sensor and a 5-megapixel sensor. Such dual camera setup is used to take depth of field photos with Bokeh effect.

On the top side, there is a 3.5mm audio jack, allowing users to attach regular earphones/headphones to listen to music. At the bottom, there is a speaker grille on both sides, and there sits a micro USB slot in the center.

Buttons are placed on the right side of the phone. There is a volume rocker key and just below that, there is a power button. There is no difference between both keys other than their size.

On the back panel, there is a dual rear camera, placed in the top-left corner. Both the cameras, featuring a 13-megapixel sensor and an 8-megapixel sensor, are stacked vertically.

There is also an LED flash placed in the center of both camera sensors. At the center of the back panel, there is a Little Pepper branding with the company’s logo placed there.

Coming to the software, the phone runs Alibaba’s Yun OS 5.1.1 which is based on Android Nougat operating system. There is also a facing recognition feature, similar to the Apple‘s Face ID. However, it remains to be seen how much it is similar to Face ID in terms of performance.

Internally, the Little Pepper S11 is powered by a 64-bit MediaTek MT6737 quad-core processor clocked at 1.3GHz and comes with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. There is also a microSD card slot, allowing users to expand the storage capacity.

The Little Pepper S11 has been announced in China but the company has not revealed any information regarding the phone’s pricing and availability. The smartphone is expected to be available in two color options — Black and White and will soon go on sale in China.

(Source)

Vivo Y75 Unveiled in China with Helio P23 Chipset, 16 MP Selfie Camera

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Dec 18, 2017

After launching the Vivo V7+ in markets like India, the Chinese manufacturer had launched a similar phone with Vivo Y79 moniker in China. In the same way, after the launch of Vivo V7, the company has today unveiled the Vivo Y75 phone with similar specs.

Vivo Y75 Specifications and Features

The Vivo Y75 comes with a 5.7-inch display that produces an HD+ resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels. The display supports an aspect ratio of 18:9. It is powered by Helio P23 chipset that includes an octa-core processor and 4 GB of RAM. The native storage available on the Vivo Y75 is 32 GB. It also supports a microSD card slot through the hybrid dual SIM slot.

For snapping photos, it features an f/2.2 aperture 13-megapixel rear camera instead of the 16-megapixel primary camera found on the Vivo V7. Also, instead of the impressive 24-megapixel selfie snapper found on the V7, the Y75 phone has 16-megapixel front-facing camera. It does not feature a frontal LED flash that is found on the Vivo V7 smartphone.

The handset is running on Android 7.1.2 Nougat that is customized with FunTouch 3.2. It also equipped with Face Wake feature for unlocking the device by scanning the face of the user. The other features available on this phone include 3,000mAh battery, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi and v4.0 Bluetooth.

Vivo Y75 Pricing and Availability

The Vivo Y75 is available in China with a pricing of 1,598 Yuan (~$240). It can be availed in color choices such as Black, Gold, or Rose Gold.