HTC is speculated to announce the rumored U11 flagship phone on Nov. 2. The specifications of the smartphone have already appeared on benchmarking platforms. However, the exact size of the battery that will be powering was not revealed through benchmark listings. HTC ROM developer LlabTooFeR who is known for revealing accurate information on forthcoming HTC devices has revealed the battery capacity of the upcoming HTC U11 Plus.
According to LlabTooFeR, the physical size of the rumored HTC U11 Plus would be similar to that of HTC U11 that was launched in May this year. However, he maintains that there will some difference in the XYZ dimensions.
The HTC U11 measures 153.9 x 75.9 x 7.9mm and it includes a 5.5-inch display. It houses a 3,000mAh battery. According to CAD renders revealed by OnLeaks, the alleged U11 Plus measures 158.2 x 74.9 x 9.1mm. Even though the dimensions of the unreleased U11 Plus cannot be trusted, it suggests that the U11 Plus phone will be slightly taller device than the U11 even though it is expected to arrive with a 6-inch display. However, the U11 Plus seems to be a bit thicker. It could be probably because of the rumored large-sized battery of 4,000mAh capacity.
The rumor mill has already leaked the specifications of the HTC U11 Plus. Moreover, the handset has also appeared on GFXBench and Geekbench benchmarking sites. The 6-inch display of HTC U11 Plus is speculated to support 2:1 aspect ratio and a QHD+ resolution. It is expected to arrive in two variant such as 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage and 6 GB of RAM + 128 GB storage. These variants will be powered by Snapdragon 835. For photography, it may feature 12-megapixel rear snapper and 8-megapixel selfie camera.
The Kirin 970 chipset is an 10nm chipset that is integrated with an exclusive Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for handling AI capabilities. The beasty Kirin 970 powers the recently introduced Mate 10 series smartphones. The AnTuTu benchmarks of Huawei Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro that have surfaced recently indicate that the performance of the Kirin 970 is on par with Snapdragon 835.
Huawei Mate 10 Pro AnTuTu Benchmarks
The above image seems to show the AnTuTu benchmarks score of a Huawei phone with a model number of BLA-L29. The same model has been spotted with 6 GB of RAM multiples times on Geekbench over the past week. The BLA-L29 is the Mate 10 Pro and it has recorded an impressive score of 173,757 on AnTuTu.
The Mate 10 Pro has a 6-inch FHD+ OLED screen that offers an aspect ratio of 18:9. It includes 128 GB of storage. It has a 20-megapixel + 12-megapixel Leica certified dual rear cameras and is fueled by a 4,000mAh battery.
The above image seems to belong to the regular Mate 10 as the model number of ALP-AL00 has appeared with 4 GB of RAM on the benchmarking site numerous times in the recent past. On AnTuTu, it has managed to score even higher with 176,174 points. Also, the listing shown in the above image seems to be authentic as the official AnTuTu site has the same listing sans the scores of Mate 10.
The Mate 10 has a 5.9-inch LCD screen that supports QHD resolution. It also features the same dual camera system and 4,000mAh battery that is available on the Mate 10 Pro.
Coming to the AnTuTu benchmarks, the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro have managed to list among the top 7 best performing smartphones. The Apple A11 Bionic chipset powered iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone 8 are respectively leading AnTuTu benchmarks with respective scores of 212,728 and 205,386. The Snapdragon 835 powered OnePlus 5 and ZTE Nubia Z17 that have respectively scored 181,410 and 177,770 are ranking ahead of Mate 10.
The Mate 10 Pro is not present in the above list, but its score of 173,757 should land it behind HTC U11 that has a score of 175,970. The Mate 10 and 10 Pro are also ahead of SD 835 powered Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ on AnTuTu
The above ranking shows that the Kirin 970 powered Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro are scoring similar benchmark scores as Snapdragon 835 on AnTuTu. This indicates that Huawei has managed to create a beasty chipset that can rival with Snapdragon 835.
Xiaomi has launched what is its 123rd product under the crowdfunding platform and it is yet another smart home gadget. The product is the Loock Classic Intelligent Fingerprint Door Lock and it is priced at 1699 Yuan ($256). The price is said to include home installation.
The Fingerprint Door Lock can achieve four different types of unlocking procedures using the fingerprint, mobile phone app connected via Bluetooth, password and a physical key. Its main selling point is the fingerprint recognition apparatus, a design that doesn’t store fingerprint and its strong anti-breaking ability. The handle is manufactured using a seamless single moulding technology which gives it the capability to withstand up to 100,000 times pressure test and it carries a guarantee of up to 10 years without having to sag. The head looks like a fingerprint as well as the handle cover and the handle base giving it a more aesthetic appeal and there won’t be fingerprint stains as a result of frequent usage.
As for the fingerprint recognition technology, the door lock is said to utilize a live fingerprint chip where all internal data is stored in an independent safe area. Also, the technology is also expanded from the traditional 14years- 55years age range to 7 -70years with an error rate of 0.0005%. The smart gadget also has deep learning ability as it learns to recognize better from frequent use. The lock can also function very well under extremely high or low temperatures ranging from -25 degrees Celsius to 55 degrees Celsius.
In addition, there is an alarm system installed which goes off if an intruder tries to tamper with the door lock either with a pry or by inputting the wrong fingerprint up to 15 times. The password aspect also has an anti-peeping virtual password which is a 16-digit password that continues with the real password that is just 6 digits.
Xiaomi has recently launched the Redmi Note 5A with low-end specs. However, Xiaomi fans are eagerly waiting for the arrival of Redmi Note 5 that is expected to arrive with better specs along with dual rear cameras. Fresh information suggests that the three variants of Redmi Note 5 and a Redmi 5 Plus are likely to debut before Nov. 11.
Singles’ Day that is arriving on Nov. 11 is the biggest online shopping festival of China. It appears that Xiaomi is looking forward to make the most of the upcoming 11/11 annual shopping festival by announcing the Redmi Note 5 and Redmi 5 Plus before it.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5’s Standard variant that will be driven by MediaTek Helio P25 is likely to come in two choices. There could be 16 GB and 32 GB storage options with each one featuring 3 GB of RAM. These models are rumored to be respectively priced at 999 Yuan (~$150) and 1,299 Yuan (~$195).
The Redmi Note 5 High model is speculated to be driven by Snapdragon 630 chipset. It is rumored to include 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. It may be priced around 1,599 Yuan (~$240). Even though the Redmi Note 5 has recently appeared on Geekbench with an aging Snapdragon 617 chipset, it seems that there is some error with the listing as it is pegged to be fueled by SD 630 SoC.
As previous reports have revealed, the Redmi Note 5 models may arrive with 5.65-inch FHD+ display from Pegasus that will deliver an aspect ratio of 18:9. It will not only sport full screen design, but also feature dual rear cameras with 16-megapixel + 5-megapixel sensors. The rear side of the Note 5 will also include a fingerprint reader.
Xiaomi is also rumored to announce a cheap full screen design phone called Redmi 5 Plus before 11/11. It is likely to feature a 5.7-inch display that will support 720 pixels. It may feature Snapdragon 450 chipset. Speculations are rife that it will be coming with a price tag of 799 Yuan (~$120).
More information on these Xiaomi phones are expected in the coming weeks.
Huawei announced its Huawei Mate 10 series of smartphones on October 16 in Germany and now the company is all set to launch the devices in China on October 20.
Currently, the device is available for pre-order through the company’s own Huawei Mall (V Mall), a few selected third-party retailers and offline stores.
Since opening the pre-orders for the Mate 10 series on October 17, the company has already witnessed orders for more than 588,000 units on its own website. The number is expected to add another 100,000 units through third-party online retailers and offline stores.
The phone’s information on the official website suggests that the Mate 10 will be available in three versions — 4GB RAM + 32GB internal storage, 4GB RAM + 64GB internal storage, 6GB RAM + 128GB internal storage. and an international version with 4GB RAM and 64GB onboard storage.
The international version of the phone comes with just one configuration — 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage. There is a possibility that the other two variants are for China only. The Mate 10 series is powered by the company’s own Kirin 970 octa-core processor.
As per the reports, the Huawei Mate 10 standard version with 4GB RAM and 32GB onboard storage will be available in only one color — Bright Black, while the other two version will be available in Bright Black, Champagne Gold, Mocha Brown and Cherry Gold colors.
The pricing for the Mate 10 series is expected to start at around 3,299 Yuan. However, we’ll have to wait for the official launch to know for sure. Along with Mate 10, Huawei will also launch Mate 10 Pro and Porsche Design in China on October 20.
In Europe, the Huawei Mate 10 costs €700, while the Pro and Porsche Edition models are priced at €800 and €1,400, respectively.
HMD Global has officially announced the Nokia 7 smartphone that boasts a premium design with mid-range specs. The smartphone was unveiled earlier today through a launch event in China.
Design and Display
The Nokia 7 is the first smartphone from the company to feature a glass and aluminum combination chassis. The rear panel of the smartphone features vacuum molded 3D Gorilla Glass 3 that is flanked with 7000-series aluminum frame. The IP54 rating ensures that it is a splash-proof body. The dimensions of the Nokia 7 are 141.2 x 71.45 x 7.92mm and it comes in color variants like Gloss Black and Matte White.
The Nokia 7 has a 5.2-inch IPS LCD display that carries support for full HD resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. The screen is protected by a layer of Gorilla Glass 3. Like the Nokia 8, the Nokia 7 has thick bezels above and below the display. The bottom bezel houses capacitive buttons.
Performance, Cameras and Other Features
The Nokia 7 is fueled by Snapdragon 630 chipset and it comes in 4 GB and 6 GB RAM variants. The native storage available on the phone is 64 GB. It also features a microSD card slot. It is packed with a 3,000mAh battery that is enabled with 18W fast charging. The handset is preinstalled with Android 7.1 Nougat and it is upgradeable to Android Oreo.
The rear side of the Nokia 7 has a f/1.8 aperture 16-megapixel ZEISS lens that is enabled with a dual-tone LED flash. For shooting selfies, the smartphone is fitted with a f/2.0 aperture 5-megapixel snapper that offers an 84-degree field of view.
The Dual-sight technology that allows Nokia 8 users to shoot photos and videos using the front and rear cameras simultaneously is available on the Nokia 7. HMD Global calls such split screen videos and photos that are shot using both the cameras as Bothies. With OZO audio technology onboard, it can record 360-degree immersive sound. The other features of the Nokia 7 include rear-mounted fingerprint reader, USB-C port, 3.5mm audio jack, Cat. 6 LTE modem, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, v5.0 Bluetooth, NFC and GPS.
Pricing and Availability
Nokia 7 will be available in China starting from Oct. 24. The Nokia 7 model with 4 GB of RAM carries a price tag of 2,499 Yuan (~$377) and its 6 GB RAM variant costs 2,699 Yuan (~$407). As of this writing, there is no information available on which other countries will be receiving the Nokia 7.
Samsung wants to bring seamless desktop experiences through its smartphones. During the Samsung Developer Conference 2017, the South Korean company has announced that the forthcoming Linux on Galaxy app will bring Linux environment on the makeshift desktop through Samsung DeX.
Samsung DeX was introduced earlier in this year alongside the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ to allow the users of these phones to enjoy full-blown Android desktop environment on a larger display. The feature is also available on Galaxy Note 8. Linux is preferred by many users when it comes to servers and software development. This is the reason why even Windows 10 has a subsystem for Linux.
Samsung wants to bring Linux environments and tools through the Linux on Galaxy app. The app will allow users to conveniently access the Linux OS environment whenever they want on their smartphone. With Samsung DeX, developers will be to work on Linux OS environment on a larger display. The South Korean company is still working on Linux on Galaxy and is expected to release it soon. The following link can provide information on its availability.
Samsung DeX is also designed to deliver immersive gaming experience on a desktop setting. The South Korean tech giant has partnered with game developers such as Super Evil Megacorp, Game Insight, Eric Froemling and Netmarble for respective games like Vainglory, Survival Arena, BoomSquad and Lineage 2 Revolution. It has also announced that the Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition will deliver enhanced gaming experience for Vulkan and DeX in the near future.
Recent rumors have revealed that Xiaomi will be debuting the Redmi Note 5 smartphone soon. The budget phablet is expected to arrive with an 18:9 display and is rumored to be powered by Snapdragon 660 which is said to be the next powerful chipset after Snapdragon 835 that is designed for flagship phones. However, the listing of the alleged Redmi Note 5 on Geekbench benchmarking platform indicates that it may arrive with an aging processor.
A smartphone labelled as Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 has appeared on Geekbench. It reveals that the msm8952 chipset is fueling the handset. This means that the Snapdragon 617 chipset is present under the hood of this phone. It is likely that the benchmarking site may have messed up with the model number of the chipset as Snapdragon 617 is an obsolete chipset that has powered older smartphones like Moto G4, G4 Plus, HTC One A9, and Samsung Galaxy C5.
A recent Geekbench listing of Vivo X9 Plus shows that it is also powered by msm8952 chipset. However, the smartphone is actually powered by Snapdragon 653 chipset. Hence, it appears that there could be some problem with the Geekbench listing of Redmi Note 5 as it is unlikely to be powered by the aging Snapdragon 617 SoC.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5’s Geekbench listing shows that it has 3 GB of RAM. On single-core test, it has scored 1,403 and on multi-core test, it has recorded 2,939 score. It is preinstalled with Android 7.1.2 Nougat.
A recent report has revealed that an upcoming Xiaomi Redmi smartphone may feature the newly announced 14nm Snapdragon 636. This new chipset is meant for budget friendly phones as it carries support for 18:9 display and features the Kryo 260 cores which allows it deliver 40 percent better performance than Snapdragon 630.
Rumors have revealed that the Redmi Note 5 could be the first phone in its series to feature dual rear cameras. It is expected to feature 16-megapixel and 5-megapixel sensors in the dual camera system. Also, the phablet is speculated to house a huge battery of 4,000mAh capacity. The 16 GB and 32 GB models of the Redmi Note 5 is rumored to feature 3 GB of RAM and its 64 GB variant is likely to come with 4 GB of RAM. The base model is expected to cost 999 Yuan (~$150)..
The OnePlus 5 was last week reported to have gone off the shelves in most countries, including the U.S and this elicited lots of response. Speculations were rife that the unavailability of the OP5 stock was a sign that OnePlus is about to release a new model believed to be the OnePlus 5T. OnePlus kept mute about that. You would recall that a new variant of the OnePlus 3 dubbed OnePlus 3T was announced around this time last year. While the OnePlus 3 was released in June, the 3T dropped in November. The OnePlus 5 was announced around June 20 and November is just some days away. A new poster even appeared online which was an invitation to an event holding of November 15 but that turned out to be a rumour. OnePlus also kept mute on the rumours.
However, in a new twist to the entire drama that has been playing out around the OP5, OnePlus’ Carl Pei recently updated a Twitter post where he stated that “Guess the OnePlus 5 was more popular than we thought.” That looks like an indication that the device was intentionally pulled out of the market perhaps because a new model is in the works. From the look of things, the company has stopped producing the OP 5 but they didn’t expect the amount of media attention which the stoppage generated.
Guess the OnePlus 5 was more popular than we thought… ¯_(ツ)_/¯
The BBK subsidiary is yet to officially disclose the total number of units it shipped since the launch in June but we believe that would be a surprise when it is exposed. However, with the production of OP 5 seemingly stopped, it is safe to assume that a brand new smartphone is already being manufactured, tipped to be the OnePlus 5T. A recent leak showing the OnePlus 5T appeared online and it comes with a different form factor from its predecessor. The leaked photo shows the OP5T will sport a near-bezel-less 6-inch screen, possibly resembling the Vivo X20.
HTC is expected to unveil the U11 Plus on November 2 judging from the invite it sent out a few days ago. The U11 has been seen on Geekbench and GFXBench and just a few hours ago, CAD based renders courtesy of Onleaks and Couponraja were posted online.
The HTC U11 Plus is supposed to have one key feature we have seen quite a number of manufacturers adopt this year and that is a full-screen display with an 18:9 aspect ratio. The other specs will largely be the same as that of the U11. At least we are sure of the Snapdragon 835 processor.
The renders show that HTC will be going for the same highly reflective Liquid Surface glass back design. It has a single rear camera sensor confirming that HTC is still not joining the dual camera bandwagon this year.
There is a LED flash beside the camera and a circular fingerprint scanner below the sensor. The phone has two white antenna lines at the bottom where the USB-C port is, two on the left side, and one each at the top and on the right.
The HTC U11 Plus lacks a 3.5mm audio jack like the U11 but appears to have stereo speakers (earpiece and bottom speaker beside the USB port).
According to GFXBench, the U11 Plus will have a 6” QHD+ display (with an 18:9 aspect ratio). This should mean smaller bezels. The bezels are still there as they are not super small but compared to the U11, there has been a reduction.
On the right of the top bezel sits the 8MP sensor listed by GFXBench. There are two small circles beside it, along with the earpiece/speaker in the middle, and another sensor on the left.
The front glass appears to be 3D but we will confirm when it launches. The power button and volume rocker are on the right and the left is bare. The device is said to have a rough dimension of 158.2 x 74.6 x 9.1 mm.
French smartphone manufacturer Echo launched the Horizon smartphone last month. The device which has a 18:9 display has exceeded expectations resulting in the company following with another model, the Horizon Lite.
The Horizon Lite has an aluminium build with a brushed metal finish. Though it has a full screen display, it still packs thick bezels at the top and bottom.
Like the name says, the Horizon Lite is a less powerful version of the Horizon. It keeps the 5.7-inch HD+ display but is now powered by the MT6737 SoC. RAM is down to 2GB and storage has been cut to 16GB.
The Horizon Lite has a single 8MP rear camera with a dual tone LED flash. Below the setup is a fingerprint scanner, and for selfies, the phone packs a 5MP camera.
There is a hybrid dual SIM slot (nano only) which lets users put a microSD card (32GB max) in the second SIM tray. It also has Bluetooth 4.0, single band Wi-Fi, 3.5mm audio jack and a USB-C port to recharge the 3,000mAh battery.
Huawei has just unveiled the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro in Munich, Germany and I’ve been using those phones ever since. These are one of the best-looking phones on the market and they offer bleeding edge specs and much more. Learn more in our Huawei Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro early review.
Both Mates look just gorgeous as they use a quality metal frame and glass on the front and rear. The phones look really nice in the hand despite their huge footprint.
They Mate 10 has a smaller 5.9” 2k resolution LCD display that has a traditional 16:9 aspect ratio, meaning that it is wider but it is a bit shorter than the Mate 10 Pro.
The latter phone has a larger 6” AMOLED display with 18:9 aspect ratio but it has only 1080p resolution. In practice, I found both displays to be plenty sharp for everyday use but I prefer the AMOLED panel on the Mate 10 Pro.
I found both fingerprint scanners to be very fast and accurate. The Mate 10 has one on the front while the Mate 10 Pro has it on the back.
Both phones have 4000mAh batteries that so far have been performing well.
The Mate 10 has a microSD card slot whereas the Mate 10 Pro lacks this feature. Also, it does not have the headset jack like a regular Mate 10 but it has more storage and RAM memory (6GB/ 128GB vs 4GB/64GB). Both phones have the same powerful Kirin 970 chipset.
Another area where the Mate 10 Pro excels over the Mate 10 is the IP67 certification for water and dust resistance.
CAMERAS
The new accent stripe looks really nice in practice. There is an upgraded camera setup too. Both phones have identical cameras.A 12-megapixel RGB camera is paired with a 20-megapixel monochrome sensor here, and both lenses feature apertures of up to f/1.6.
That camera takes really good pictures in daylight but keep in mind that the device runs on the pre-release software. In fact, I have an advanced release review unit meaning that both the device and software may differ when it is made available to consumers.
There are manual, 2x optical zoom and portrait modes that take pretty good pictures but more on the image quality in the full review.
The phone is really fast and responsive but obviously, I haven’t installed many apps like I always do and I have to spend a little more time with the device.
The Mate 10 and the 10 Pro ship with Android 8 out of the box but it has the EMUI skin built on top of it. As usual to Huawei phones, there are plenty of features and customization options to make the phone look your own.
FEATURES
The new Mate 10 phones sport the first Huawei chipset with a neural processing unit or AI component of the processor, which learns how you use the phone and helps the DEVICE adapt to assure the best user experie3nce. For example, the AI chip detects what kind of picture you take to apply the best image settings. Also, it helps apply the right amount of blurring effect in the portrait mode.
Obviously, the AI component does a lot more than helping you take better pictures. For example, it learns how you use the phone to make it faster by allocating the resources to the specific task. So far, Microsoft has updated its Translator app to make use of the AI chipset to speed up the translation process. I will cover the AI capabilities of this phone in detail in my full review.
EARLY VERDICT
The Mate 10 will cost €699 and the Mate 10 Pro will cost €799, which puts the phones in the flagship price category. The Pro model will be released in Europe, the US, and some other markets while the regular Mate 10 will be released in other regions.
Both Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro are very solid phones. They pack great hardware including a dedicated AI chip, a compelling dual-camera setup and much more that we will cover in detail in the full review.
Motorola has announced a new Moto Mod accessory for its Moto Z series of smartphones — Moto Smart Speaker with Amazon Alexa. Moto Mod is a hardware add-on that can be used to enhance phone’s functionalities.
As the name itself suggests, the snap-to-connect mod accessory features its own dedicated speaker. It also has that blue illumination ring that we saw on Amazon Echo or Echo Dot.
The speaker comes with four mics, ensuring that it picks up the voice in relatively noisy environments. It delivers across-the-room sound in a way that a smartphone can’t by itself.
Powered by Amazon Alexa, it allows users to trigger the smart assistant with voice and can be used to play music, get news, ask questions, pull up to-do lists, provide weather forecast, and more. It comes with same features that Amazon’s Echo smart speaker has.
This new accessory from Motorola comes with a built-in battery, which as per the company, can last for around 15 hours on single charge.
While this newly announced Mod boosts one feature on the phone — speaker, it blocks another feature — camera. It is designed in such a way that it completely hides the rear camera on the phone.
The Moto Smart Speaker with Amazon Alexa will be available for $149.99 from November in markets where Amazon Alexa is available.
Moto X4 — latest mid-range smartphone from Motorola has now joined the list of Amazon Prime Exclusive smartphones. With this, the smartphone is now available at a discount of $70.
The unlocked version of the Moto X4 is priced at $399.99 in the US, but Amazon Prime members can grab the phone at just $329.99. To cover the cost of the offered discount, Prime Exclusive devices shows ads on the lock screen.
The smartphone comes with a 5.2-inch Full HD LCD display with screen resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and pixel density of 424 PPI. It is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor, along with 3GB of RAM. The device has 32GB of internal storage and also supports storage expansion via microSD card up to 2TB.
In the camera department, the Moto X4 features dual camera setup at the back — 12-megapixel primary sensor with f/2.0 aperture and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle secondary sensor with f/2.2 aperture. On the front, there is a 16-megapixel snapper with LED flash.
It also comes with IP68 certification, ensuring water and dust resistance. Connectivity options on the device include USB Type-C port, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, and GPS.
The phone is powered by a 3,000mAh battery, which also supports TurboPower charging. It features a fingerprint sensor and ships with Android 7.1 Nougat operating system.
The Amazon Prime Exclusive Moto X4 will be available in two color options — Super Black and Sterling Blue. The company will start shipping the phone from October 26, but it has started taking pre-orders.
Motorola has also announced that the unlocked Moto X4 will be available for pre-order from October 19 for $399.99 at Motorola.com, Best Buy, B&H, Newegg, Jet.com, and Fry’s.
Last month, Google had launched Android One Moto X4 in the US, making it the first smartphone in the US under the Android One program. It is also the first non-Google device that supports Project Fi network. However, the Android One Moto X4 is not a part of Amazon Prime Exclusive.
Huawei is surely having a good run this year with a consolidated performance on all front. The tech giant was recently revealed to have enjoyed a brief stint as the world’s second-largest phone maker in July 2017 and also added a number of premium smartphones both from the Honor line and Huawei brand. That is apart from the title of being the world’s largest telecommunications equipment supplier. A new report has now been outed which confers on Huawei the title of being the most authentic brand in China.
The report by New York-based communications agency Cohn & Wolfe is an annual consumer survey conducted in 15 markets around the world on the role of authenticity in business. This is the fifth authentic brands study the firm would be carrying out.Huawei ranked number four in last year’s ranking but has now unseated Bank of China which was last year’s number one authentic brand in the whole of China. It sure is a huge boost to Huawei’s image and marks a huge leap in the progress of the brand domestically and globally. Huawei recently ranked at number 49 in an annual survey of the most valuable global brands conducted this year by British multinational advertising company WPP and market research firm Kantar Millward Brown.
The study by Cohn & Wolfe involved surveys conducted on more than 1,400 brands and administered from May to June this year to more than 15,000 consumers in 15 markets: Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, Britain and the United States. The survey conducted in China shows 68% of the respondents (consumers) indicated higher purchase intent with brands they perceive to be authentic, compared to 67% in India and Indonesia. The global average is 62%, according to Cohn&Wolfe. As you can predict, Huawei’s popularity rests on its smartphone business piloted by the Mate series and Honor models.
Apart from Huawei, other brands on among the top 10 authentic brands in Mailand China include; HP, the Bank of China, semiconductor giant Intel, Haier, Visa, Chinese pharmaceutical company Tong Ren Tang, Siemens, Lenovo Group and appliance maker Gree Electric. While in Hong Kong, the top 10 most authentic brands comprise Google, Apple, Ikea, HSBC, Visa, Canon, MasterCard, 3M, the Hong Kong Jockey Club and Rolex. Globally, the survey shows the top 10 authentic brands this year are Amazon.com, Apple, Microsoft, Google, PayPal, Adidas, Intel, Lego, BMW and HP.
The OPPO F5 is not expected to launch till October 26 but the specs are no longer a secret. However, a new leak from a Philippine retail store has revealed a new detail.
The OPPO F5 will come with a 6-inch FHD+ display. It will have 6GB of RAM, 64GB of expandable storage along with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 660 mobile platform.
Previous leaks said the phone will have a single 16MP front facing camera and a 20MP rear camera. The new leak says otherwise. Instead of a single front facing camera, the OPPO F5 will have two 12MP cameras. The rear sensor remains 20MP.
Other specs mentioned include a 4,000mAh battery, micro USB port, 3.5mm audio jack, dual band Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.2. It will also run Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box. The leak says the phone will also ship with a pair of earphones.
HTC had confirmed earlier in this week that it will be holding a launch event on Nov. 2. Speculations are rife that the rumored HTC U11 Plus flagship phone will be unveiled at the upcoming unveil event. It seems that the Taiwanese company is testing the alleged U11 Plus handset before its launch as a mysterious HTC phone labelled as HTC 2Q4D1 has appeared on Geekbench and GFXBench with flagship specs.
Alleged HTC U11 Plus on GFXBench
The HTC 2Q4D1 could be the HTC U11 Plus as it is driven by the Snapdragon 835 chipset. The GFXBench listing also reveals that the smartphone features a 6-inch display that supports QHD+ resolution of 2,880 x 1,440 pixels. It has 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of RAM. It has a rear camera of 12-megapixel and a front-facing snapper of 8-megapixel. It is loaded with Android 8.0.0.
Geekbench listing of HTC 2Q4D1 also shows that it is driven by Snapdragon 835 chipset along with 4 GB of RAM. The handset is preloaded with Android 8.0.0 Oreo. On Geekbench, the HTC 2Q4D1 has scored 1,920 points on single-core test and 5,765 on multi-core test.
The HTC U11 flagship phone that was launched in May this year also features Snapdragon 835. The Taiwanese company is selling the HTC U11 with 6 GB of RAM in specific regions like the U.S. In other markets, the U11 is available with 4 GB of RAM. Hence, the HTC U11 Plus is pegged to arrive in 4 GB and 6 GB RAM models.
Recent reports have revealed that the 4 GB RAM model of the rumored HTC U11 Plus will have 64 GB of storage and its 6 GB RAM variant will have 128 GB of storage. Also, the 6-inch display of the phone is expected to support an aspect ratio of 2:1 since it supports QHD+ resolution. It is poised to come with a bezel-less design that is flanked with a squeezable metallic frame for Sense Edge feature. The rumor mill has revealed that this smartphone is codenamed as Ocean Master. HTC is also expected to launch HTC U11 Life and its Android One edition before the end of this year.
When Google announced the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, it announced two new Assistant-powered speakers – the Home Mini and Home Max. Sadly, both speakers like the original Home doesn’t have a built-in battery. The TicHome Mini solves that problem.
The TicHome Mini with Google Assistant built-in is a hamburger shaped smart speaker just like the Home Mini, but thanks to its battery you can take it anywhere with you. The speaker weighs 276g, has a diameter of 110mm, and a height of 43mm.
There are four LEDs and four buttons on it – volume control, microphone off/power button, and an action button. There are also two microphones at the top. The speaker charges via a micro USB port and has a leather strap for carrying it around.
The TicHome Mini has a 2600mAh battery that lasts for up to 6-hours on a single charge. And that’s not the only cool thing about it. It also has an IPX6 rating which means it is splashproof and can be used in the shower.
The speaker can control your chromecast devices via voice, control your smart home devices, set reminders and alarms, and stream music. There is Bluetooth connectivity and dual band Wi-Fi support. You can also pair to it instantly via TapConnect if your device has NFC.
With almost all smartphone manufacturers are now coming up with a bezel-less smartphone, Meizu too is joining the list. The Chinese smartphone manufacturer’s new smartphone with full-screen display has been leaked online.
The leak shows Meizu’s unknown smartphone featuring a bezel-less display. While the display covers almost the entire front panel, there is some space at the bottom, enough for a home button. It appears that the company has also incorporated a fingerprint sensor in the home button.
Although the phone’s model number or name is not known, this could be the same smartphone that the company plans to launch next year. Recently, Meizu’s Head of Global Marketing had revealed that the company is working on a bezel-less smartphone that will be launched next year.
The leaked image also suggests that the smartphone will be running on the company’s own Flyme OS. However, there is no information if it will be based on Android 8.0 Oreo or Android Nougat. It is being speculated that the phone will be made out of metal.
While it’s confirmed that Meizu will launch bezel-less phone next year, we couldn’t confirm that this leaked image is legit or not. For that, we’ll have to wait for a few more weeks.
The company’s Senior Vice President had earlier confirmed that the company will launch Meizu MX7 next year. It is expected to be launched by the end of Q1 of 2018 or the beginning of Q2 next year.
Looking at the last few launches from Meizu, it seems that the company has not been focusing on offering high-end specs for its smartphone. However, this could change with the MX7 — the smartphone that is expected to feature a bezel-less display.
Two upcoming mid-range phones from Vivo with monikers Y66i and Y75 have been approved by TENAA certification body in China. The Vivo Y66i seems to be a low budget phone as it does not feature a fingerprint scanner. The specs of the Y75 suggests that it will be a full screen design phone that will arrive with an affordable pricing.
Vivo Y66i Specifications
Measuring 153.56 x 75.79 x 7.49mm and weighing 157 grams, the Vivo Y66i comes with a 5.5-inch display that supports an HD resolution of 1,280 x 720 pixels. The unspecified chipset that powers the phone includes a 1.4 GHz quad-core processor along with 3 GB of RAM. The internal storage capacity is not known. It features a microSD card slot.
[envira-gallery id=”154039″]
The Y66i runs on Android 7.1.2 Nougat and it will also feature custom UI from Vivo. It has a rear camera of 8-megapixel and a front-facing shooter of 5-megapixel. A 2,930mAh battery is present inside the Y66i. Its listing shows that it will be coming in only Rose Gold color option. However, the company is likely to introduce more color variants at its launch.
The dimensions of the Vivo Y75 are 149.3 x 72.8 x 7.98mm and its weight is 193 grams. It features a 5.7-inch display that supports HD+ resolution of 720 x 1,440 pixels. It is driven by a 2.0 GHz quad-core processor, but the exact name of the chipset is not known. Also, there is no information on its internal storage. The SoC is accompanied by 3 GB of RAM and it also features a microSD card slot.
[envira-gallery id=”154048″]
The Android 7.1.1 Nougat that is modified with custom UI from Vivo comes preloaded on the Vivo Y75. The front and rear sides of the smartphone feature 8-megapixel sensors. However, the TENAA listing suggests that these cameras will be respectively interpolated to 16-megapixel and 13-megpaixel. Lastly, the phone includes a 2,900mAh battery. This phone is also listed in a single color option of Gold on TENAA. It is also expected to arrive multiple color choices at launch
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
