Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air 13.3-inch Gets A Refresh With 8th-Gen. Intel i5 & i7 Processors

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Jan 21, 2018

Xiaomi has updated its Mi Notebook Air 13.3 laptop models, bring in the latest 8th-generation Intel Cre i5 and Core i7 processor on the two variants. The Mi Note Air was first launched in August 2016 in China and it came as a real challenger for the Apple iPad Air with a sleek design and equally stunning hardware setup. Since then, Xiaomi has added a new version with 4G LTE modem inside and has also upgraded the 12.5-inch model to include a seventh-gen Intel Core M3 processor which brought a 12% improvement in performance over the previous 6th generation Core M3. There is also a Mi Notebook Pro 15.6 inches model which was launched about four months ago. It should be noted that the new model packs the same Quad-core 8th-gen Intel Core i7 on the higher Notebook Pro.

Recall that Xiaomi last year upgraded the Mi Notebook Air 13.3 to a more powerful 7th gen Intel Core i7 processor clocked at 3.0GHz and also the second version to the 7th-gen Core i5 processor which brought some improvements in performance. Both models also were launched with fingerprint recognition technology. Now, Xiaomi has again upgraded the two 13.3-inch Mi Notebook models to the 8th-gen Intel Core i7 and 8th-gen Core i5 processors respectively. The processor is backed by a massive 8GB DDR4 memory and the laptop models also feature a 256GB PCIe SSD hard drive each, which can be expanded as well. It also packs custom AKG speakers like the previous models.

The new version comes with built-in NVIDIA GeForce MX150 graphic card with up to 2GB GDDR5 new memory standard as against the previous version with a NVIDIA GeForce 940MX and just 1GB GDDR5 new memory standard. The fingerprint recognition technology is added on the upper right corner of the trackpad. The screen uses the 1080p resolution and comes with a 5.59mm-wide ultra-narrow bezel. The models also come with an upgraded cooling system with the use of ultra-thin metal blades which effectively controls the temperature and increases the performance. In addition, the new Mi Notebook 13 models come with a thin 14.8mm body made of metal and weighing 1.3kg. The battery can deliver up to 9.5 hours of usage and they all run on genuine Microsoft Windows 10 and have installed Ms Office Home and Student 2016.

Pricing & Availability

As for their prices, the Mi Notebook Air 13.3 version with the 8th gen Intel Core i5-8250U5 chip, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage and NVIDIA GeForce MX150 is priced at 5,399 Yuan (~$843) and is presently on pre-sale on Mi.com. While the Core i7 version is not yet available and the price wasn’t disclosed. It comes in dark gray colour.

(source)

Nokia Sends Invitation To MWC 2018 Launch On February 25, Nokia 9 & Others Expected

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 21, 2018

HMD Global has released a poster which is an invitation to the Nokia unveiling event scheduled to hold on February 25, 2018, just before the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 commences. The event would take place between 4 pm and 5 pm at the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Arts. The invitation also includes a link for those who are interested to attend the event to register for seat reservation.

HMD Global did not reveal the product that would be launched on that day in the poster, but the poster indicated that the event was for an intimate and exclusive unveiling of the next chapter of Nokia phone’s story. What we can grab from this is that we may likely see the launch of Nokia’s next flagship phone- the Nokia 9 among others. Earlier on Thursday, HMD Global’s Chief Product Officer Juho Sarvikas hinted that the company had something major planned for MWC 2018.

Sorry for radio silence. Been super busy planning #MWC2018 . Please expect it to be awesome 😎

— Juho Sarvikas (@sarvikas) January 18, 2018

Apart from the flagship Nokia 9, HMD Global could also take the wraps off Nokia 1 as well as the Nokia 6 (2018) for the global market, Nokia 3310 4G and perhaps, the Nokia 7 which has only been launched in China. It would be recalled that last year’s MWC saw a flurry of smartphone launch by the tech giant including the Nokia 3, Nokia 5, Nokia 6 and the redesigned Nokia 3310 feature phone. Apart from smartphones, the poster seems to suggest Nokia will launch a smart home product at the event. We are not so sure about that anyway, so we’ll wait until the event to find out.

Huawei Emerges As The Most Preferred Chinese Mobile Brand

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Updated Jan 24, 2018

Huawei is presently the leading smartphone brand in China and has won several awards as a result of its innovativeness and authenticity. Huawei was recently voted as the most authentic brand in China and bow, the tech giant has emerged as the winner of the China mobile phone industry most recommended brand in 2018. The award is based on the China Net Promoter Score (C-NPS) brand ranking and analysis and is collated by a leading brand rating agency in China known as Chnbrand.

This is the first time Huawei is clinching the award and to do that, it displaced Apple which had a good rating among consumers in China. C-NPS reflects the degree to which consumers with consumer experiences are willing to recommend business products or services to others. By surveying consumers nationwide, C-NPS deducts the proportion of active referrals among existing customers of a company’s products or services (-100 ~ 100), so as to get the net recommendation value.

The 2018 C-NPS survey covered 35 cities across China and surveyed residents who were between 15 and 64 years old. Random sampling was conducted based on sex, age, and income, with a total sample size of 2,450,026. This is another catalyst for Huawei to continue on its path to providing optimum consumer satisfaction. Huawei is no doubt a strong brand in China but one question that may still plague the minds of Huawei’s Executives is how and when will the company break into the highly sought after U.S market. That is turning out to be a million dollar question because there is no prospect of that happening soon.

(source)

Alleged Samsung Galaxy J8 (2018) Surfaces in GFXBench and Geekbench databases

By

Michele Ingelido

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Jan 21, 2018

A new handset that is rumored to be the Samsung Galaxy J8 (2018) has been spotted on Geekbench and GFXBench’s listings. Thanks to these famous benchmarking platforms, we know all the main specs of the phone. It is identified by the code SM-J720F, and that is what makes us think that it is the J8. According to GFXBench, its display has the classic 16:9 aspect ratio and a size of 5.5 inches. It shows images at an HD resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels, which is a step back if we compare it with the J7 (2017).

The alleged Samsung Galaxy J8 (2018) has an octa-core Samsung Exynos 7885 chipset inside, which can run at a max frequency of 1.6 GHz. The RAM is 4 GB, while the internal storage is 32 GB. On the back side, there is a single rear camera with a resolution of 12 MP, while the secondary camera for selfies has an 8 MP resolution. Both the sensor can record videos with a maximum resolution of 1080p. The operating system installed is Android 8.0.0 Oreo; we do not have any info about the battery as this info never appears on benchmark listings. Samsung Galaxy J8 (2018) might be the first phone by the company to have Android Oreo installed out of the box.

We say this because it may arrive before MWC 2018, which is the trade show in which Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus will be official. We do not know if Samsung Galaxy J8 will be sold in Europe, but the chances are high. In the last period, Samsung launched another smartphone in Europe: Samsung Galaxy A8. It shares many things in common with the Galaxy S8, but it is sold at a more affordable price (the listing price for Europe is €499). If it is coming in Europe, the J8 will be even more affordable than the A8.

(Via)

Huawei Mate 10 Pro Is The Ultimate Winter Flagship: Works Inside A Frozen Lake

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 20, 2018

Huawei is putting serious effort into promoting its 2017 flagship Mate 10 series, especially the Mate 10. Just recently, we were thrilled by a video of the Mate 10 Pro surviving inside a freezer unscathed for 4 hours even as temperatures reached -24 degrees. Now Huawei has released another test showing the device under icy water in a frozen lake.

These tests seem to be targeted at Apple whose iPhones, iPads and other devices usually come with low-temperature protection such that when it is left is low temperatures below zero, a series of response occur which eventually result in the phone shutting down. According to Apple’s official website, the best operating temperature for iPhone, iPad, iPod and Apple Watch is between 0 ℃ and 35 ℃ while for the MacBook, it is between 10 ℃ and 35 ℃. That isn’t so for the Mate 10 as it has been shown to still remain functional even in the most extreme of temperatures. Huawei even indicated on its website that the optimal operating temperature of the Mate 10 Pro is 0-35 degree Celsius but this test and the previous one done in a freezer show that the Mate 10 Pro can survive in far lower temperatures.

In this case, the Mate 10 Pro was still able to accept an incoming call still inside the frozen lake. What more does Huawei need to do to prove the Mate 10 Pro is super powerful? Perhaps drop it from the third floor of a building? We don’t know if the device will survive that. All we know is that the Mate 10 Pro comes with an IP67 waterproof and dustproof body, coupled with an excellent full-screen design, a powerful SoC with AI capabilities and the latest EMUI 8.0.

(source)

Google and Tencent Form Alliance, Agree To Share Patents

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jan 20, 2018

While most tech companies have a rival(s), it is not unusual to hear of some of them forming partnerships. News has it that Google and China’s Tencent Holdings Ltd. are forming an alliance.

The result of the over $500 billion worth alliance is an exchange of patents related to a number of technologies and products. It will also see both tech giants collaborate on new technologies for the overall benefit of users.

One other major benefit it will bring for both companies is to help ease Google back into China and to expand’s Tencent’s business overseas.

Quite a number of Google services are blocked in China at the moment and Google itself pulled its search engine from the country in 2010 after defying China’s self-censorship rules.

Continue

Photos of Samsung Galaxy S9+ Lookalike Surfaces From Shenzhen’s Huaqiang North

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jan 20, 2018

The Galaxy S9 duo will be the first flagships of the year to come with Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 845 mobile platform. Though both phones share a number of similarities to their predecessors, the Galaxy S9+ is the one getting a huge upgrade, thanks to an additional rear camera sensor.

And just like last year, there will be tens of phones that will copy the design of both phones. Heck! We already even have clones of the S9+ popping out of Shenzhen’s Huaqiangbei/Huaqiang North, an area known as a major electronics manufacturing hub.

The pictures show the “Galaxy S9+” in blue and gold variants complete with the dual camera setup, fingerprint scanner, and Samsung branding. There is also that mirror-like finish which pops really nicely on the blue variant.

This is a well-made clone no doubt that can pass for the real deal until you start noticing the details. First the bezels on the front are super thick, even thicker than the ones on the S8+. Though we have to praise them for getting the UI right.

Continue

Meizu M6S Hands On: Smart Features & Solid Build Quality Makes It A Strong $150 Smartphone

By

Joel Joseph

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Updated Jan 23, 2018

Meizu announced its first smartphone of the year, the Meizu M6S a couple of days back. After a dull 2017, the company seems to have done their homework this time, bringing a solid contender in the $150 price segment, directly taking on the current champion, the Redmi 5 Plus. So, it was very important that we got our Meizu M6S hands on as soon as possible to see if it lives up to our expectations.

The phone borrows a lot of design elements from the Meizu Pro 6, including nano injected U shaped antenna lines in a solid metal body. Also, with this phone, Meizu is joining the 18:9 club, featuring a 5.7-inch HD+ display on the front. This reduces the bezels on all the sides, making it similar to the Redmi 5 Plus and other 18:9 phones in the market. The back has a smooth finish with the camera sensor and flash placed at the center for a perfect symmetry. The logo lies below them, and given that our unit is from the first batch of M6S, we got the mblu branding at the back. After the initial batch is sold out, new M6S units will feature just the Meizu branding at the back.

Coming back to the front, we definitely have to talk about the Halo button on the screen. It’s called as Super mBack, an updated version of the popular mBack button, but this time around, it’s a virtual button instead of a physical one that’s seen on other Meizu devices. But it’s not your typical onscreen button as it features a pressure sensitive chip as well as a linear vibration motor below it to ensure smooth navigation. So, the halo button basically acts as the mBack button, in the virtual form.

Meizu M6s hands on (8) — Halo button on Meizu M6S

You can touch for going back, press for getting to the home screen, swipe for multitasking and do a lot more with this one button. Check out this article for more details on how this Halo button works. However, if you are not used to Meizu’s mBack, it might take some time for you to get used to the gestures. Of course, if you want stock Android buttons, you can use them as well. Also, Meizu’s VP has confirmed that you will be getting an option to hide this halo button in the February 5 update, which opens up a bit more screen real estate.

Another interesting aspect of the Meizu M6S is its side mounted fingerprint sensor. Often companies shift fingerprint sensors to the back in an 18:9 display phone, but in this case, Meizu thought that wasn’t the optimal solution. Hence, the fingerprint sensor goes to the right side of the phone, below the power button. The placement is good, as you can instantly access the sensor to unlock the phone. The sensor is quick to recognise your registered fingerprint, and it’s as fast as other phones. Also, note that you almost never use the power button as the phone instantly wakes up as soon as your fingerprint is recognised.

The 3.5mm headphone jack, MicroUSB port, and speakers are located at the bottom. The volume buttons and the SIM card slots are placed on the left side of the phone.

Overall, I like the built quality and finish of the Meizu M6S. The camera is quite okay so far, but I haven’t tested it out yet. It may not be as good as the M6 Note, but we’ll be adding camera samples and its comparison with the Redmi 5 Plus very soon. So stay tuned!

Meanwhile, you can take a look at some additional Meizu M6S Hands on pictures down below.

Rumor Alert: Nokia Working On Phone With 5 Rear Cameras

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jan 20, 2018

In 2017, we saw a number of manufacturers release phones with four cameras. A few examples are the Gionee S11s, Nubia Z17S, Meitu V6, and a number of Huawei and Honor phones. Now there is a rumor that HMD Global is working on a Nokia phone with five cameras!!!

The info comes from a source who is privy to Foxconn’s business plans, as the company is said to be working with HMD Global on the project. As we all know, Foxconn handles production of HMD’s Nokia phones.

According to the source, the Nokia phone with the penta-lens will have a circular camera housing similar to that of the Lumia 1020. There will be seven holes arranged within the circle. Five of those holes will each hold a sensor while the other two will house the LED flash. There are no details as to how the sensors will work though.

Based on the description above, we are looking at a phone with 6 or 7 cameras in total if we count a single or dual camera system in front too. It is also reported to have a full-screen design.

The source says if Foxconn is able to find a way to mass produce it, we may see this spectacular phone launch later this year.

Continue

OnePlus 5T Lava Red Now On Sale In India for ₹37,999 ($595)

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jan 20, 2018

Last week, OnePlus announced its Red Lava variant of the OnePlus 5T in India. Starting today, fans of the brand can now purchase a unit on the official website or on Amazon India.

The Red Lava OnePlus 5T was first launched in China to mark its 4th year anniversary. Now, it is no longer a China-exclusive. India already has the Star Wars Limited Edition variant but the Sandstone White variant is not available in the country.

The Lava Red OP5T is priced at ₹37,999 (~$595) just like the Star Wars edition. It also comes in the same 8GB RAM and 128GB storage configuration.

On Amazon India, customers can only purchase one unit of the new variant. However, there are a number of special offers included:

Extra ₹2,000 (~$31) off on exchange on purchase of the OnePlus 5T
80% off on Kindle Ebooks up to ₹500
1008GB data on Idea for 18 months
₹250 (~$4) Amazon Pay Balance when you stream from the Amazon Prime Video app
Free 12-month Accidental Damage Insurance.

Huawei Nova 4G Smartphone Is Up For Grabs For Only $185.97 On LightInTheBox

By

Vinay Patel

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Jan 20, 2018

Smartphone enthusiasts who have restlessly been waiting to get their hands on a 4G mobile phone without shelling out a lot of money are in for a treat. LightInTheBox is offering a hefty discount on Huawei Nova 4G smartphone’s original selling price.

Huawei Nova boasts an array of awe-inspiring features and specifications including 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage coupled with a powerful octa-core advanced 14 nm Snapdragon 625 2 GHz processor, under the hood. It sports a 5-inch display with a screen resolution of 1920 X 1080 pixels.

As part of its Lightning Sale, international online retail company, LightInTheBox is giving a 44% discount on the phone’s original asking price of $334.78. As a result, you can now buy the power-packed Huawei Nova smartphone for just $185.97.

You can choose between blushing pink and gold color version of Huawei Nova. It is important for you to bear in mind that the promo is slated to end in just 1 day. Also, there were only 93 pieces remaining for Lightning Sale.

In order to take advantage of the massive discount on Huawei Nova 4G smartphone, head straight to this link.

Buy Huawei Nova 4G Smartphone For Just $185.97 On LightInTheBox

You Can Now Buy Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum Cleaner For Only $259 On LightInTheBox

By

Vinay Patel

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Updated Jan 22, 2018

Xiaomi’s highly-intelligent home cleaning device dubbed, Mi Robot vacuum cleaner comes with 12 different sensors. It has suction and sweep functions, self-charging ability and is backed by a robust 5200mAh Li-ion battery.

Although the Mi Robot Vacuum cleaner is a necessary tool when it comes to keeping your home clean and tidy, not everyone can buy it due to its steep price tag. But much to the delight of people who want to keep their house spotless all the time without spending a fortune, LightInTheBox is offering a massive discount on the device’s original selling price.

You can now get your hands on the Mi Robot Smart Vacuum cleaner by shelling out just $290.69. This is a considerable reduction in the device’s original selling price of $492.69.

At the time of checking out, LightInTheBox automatically applies all eligible promotions to give buyers the lowest possible price. The price will cut down to $259 when use this coupon: XBOTA31F. You can click here to take advantage of the promo, which is slated to end in 2 days.

Buy Xiaomi Mi Robot Smart Vacuum Cleaner For Just $259 On LightInTheBox

Get Up To $200 Coupon Save And An Opportunity To Win $500 Free Gift On Banggood

By

Vinay Patel

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Jan 20, 2018

Keeping your home spanking clean can be a backbreaking task sometimes. Although there’s no dearth of home cleaning products in the market, only a few can actually buy them because these devices come bearing a steep price tag.

Much to the delight of people who have been waiting to use high-tech products in order to keep their homes spic and span without spending a fortune, Banggood is currently offering massive discounts on various items that come in handy when it comes to keeping your home taintless. Let’s delve straight into the details.

As part of its Mi X Home promo, the Chinese shopping site is offering coupon save up to $200 and an opportunity to win $500 worth gift.

You can buy the Original Xiaomi MIjia Dafang Smart Home at a discounted price of $34.99. This is a massive 48% reduction in the device’s original asking price of $66.99.

Likewise, the XiaoMi Mijia Roborock Smart Robot Vacuum Cleaner is up for grabs for just $549.99, thanks to a 13% discount on its original selling price. This highly-intelligent home cleaning device is one thing every home must have.

Next, we have Xiaomi Mijia washing soap dispenser equipped with a no-touch operation, which promotes hygiene. Banggood is offering 20% off on the device’s original asking price of $49.99. As a result, you can now buy the Xiaomi-branded washing soap dispenser for just $39.99.

Mi Newest Products

You can buy a myriad of recently launched Xiaomi products such as Original Xiaomi Mijia Aqara Smart IP Camera, Xiaomi Multi-function Massage Neck Pillow at 18 and 38 percent discount, respectively.
You can also purchase the Original Xiaomi toilet seat lid with sensor night light for just $79.99 and MIJIA multi-functional sofa table for just $84.99. Banggood is also giving 18% off on the original $48.99 price of Xiaomi Mijia Aqara Smart IP Camera, bringing it down to just $39.99.

Intelligent Sensor Devices

Buyers can get up to 46% discount on multiple products featured in this category. For instance, you can buy the Orignal Xiaomi WXKG02LM Aqara smart light switch by shelling out just $16.99, which is a 30% discount on the device’s original selling price of $24.20.

Similarly, the Original Xiaomi Mijia 5-in-1 smart home security kit is up for grabs for just $64.99, thanks to a 19% discount on the kit’s original asking price of $79.99.

Mi Magic Kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of the home and it is imperative to keep it equipped with an array of useful items. Thankfully, you can now fill your kitchen to the brim with a slew of handy Xiaomi products without burning a hole in your pocket.

First off, the Mi 1.5L electric water kettle is available at a discounted price of only $68.98. This is 35% decrease in its original price of $105.60.

Apart from that, you can buy Xiaomi IH 3L Smart Electric Rice Cooker, Xiaomi Peculiar Smell PM2.5 air purifier, and Mi Air Purifier 2 at a heavily-discounted price.

Mi Sung Home

We are constantly looking for ways to make our homes cozy, and the products featured in this category help you do exactly that without making you spend a lot of money. Banggood is offering 18% discount on Xiaomi Black Soocare X3 electric toothbrush, which reduces its original selling price of $85.40 to just $69.99.

Likewise, the site is giving a massive 30% off on the $410.88 selling price of the Smartmi multifunctional smart toilet seat, allowing you to buy it for only $288.88. Aside from that, the site is offering 13% and 22% discounts on Xiaomi feather filling nap blankets and Xiaomi Diatomite quick-drying bathroom mats as well.
But if that doesn’t impress you much, you can even participate in a contest wherein you have to guess the name of a mystery product, which carries a price tag of $539. You need to submit your answer on the Facebook event page before Tuesday, January 23 (UTC + 8). Banggood will announce the winner’s name on January 24.

You can use coupon code ‘MIHOME8’ at the time of checking out and get an additional 8% discount on all Mi-branded products on this page before the promo comes to an end on January 31, 2018.

Get Coupon Save Up To $200 And Win $500 Free Gift On Banggood

You Can Now Buy Xiaomi Mi A1 Smartphone For Just $ 213.95 On Cafago [Coupon Code]

By

Vinay Patel

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Jan 20, 2018

You can now get your hands on Xiaomi Mi A1 4G-LTE smartphone on Cafago without shelling out a fortune. Let’s check out the details.

Xiaomi Mi A1 is housed in an ultra-thin full metal body. The Mi A1 sports a 5.5-inch multi-point capacitive touchscreen with a resolution of 1920 X 1080 pixels.

On the photography front, the phone features 12MP Wide-angle +12MP Long-focus dual cameras at the back and a 5MP front shooter for selfies. Under the hood, the dual-SIM smartphone packs Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 8-Core CPU along with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage.

Crammed with these high-end specifications and features, the Mi A1 bears a steep price tag. But if you’ve been waiting with bated breath to buy the Xiaomi-branded smartphone without burning a hole in your pocket, we have good news for you.

You can use coupon code ‘JPZ146’ at the time of checking out and buy the well-received Mi A1 smartphone for only $ 213.95. This is a considerable reduction in the handset’s original asking price of $261.79.

You can head straight to this link in order to take advantage of the aforesaid coupon before it expires on January 31, 2018.

Buy Xiaomi Mi A1 4G-LTE Smartphone For Just $ 213.95 On Cafago

Take Advantage Of Up To 60% Discount On Multiple Items On GearBest

By

Vinay Patel

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Jan 20, 2018

If you’ve restlessly been waiting to get your hands on some top-notch products without spending a fortune, we have good news for you. As part of its latest promo, GearBest is offering up to 60% discount on last year’s top sellers and a slew of other selected items.

The original Samsung UHS-3 64GB Micro SDXC memory card is up for grabs for just $21.99 on GearBest, thanks to a considerable reduction in its original selling price of $33.33. The site is also offering coupon codes for some already-discounted items.
For instance, Alfawise S95 TV Box is available at a discounted price of $32.99 on GearBest. You can use coupon code ‘TOPCN4’ at the time of checking out and get an additional price cut that brings the already reduced price tag down to only $29.99.

Buy 1 Get Free Gifts

When you purchase an item under this category, you’d receive another product for absolutely free. Like when you buy XGIMI Z4 700 ANSI lumens DLP projector at a discounted price of $649.00 on GearBest, the site will offer $23.43 worth Original XGIMI DLP Link shutter 3D glasses free of cost.

Furthermore, you get Alfawise DY – 1 TV Box Bracket free when you buy Tanix TX3 Max at a discounted price of $39.99, and Assassins AW100 wireless mouse at no additional cost when you buy Ajazz AK33 NKRO mechanical keyboard, which is up for grabs on GearBest for a slashed price of $39.99.

New Arrivals

Buyers are even entitled to receive a discount on some recently arrived items for a limited period of time. As part of its flash sale, GearBest is selling H96 MAX – H1 TV Box for a discounted price of $59.99. This is a considerable 15% reduction in the device’s original selling price.In addition to that, the site is giving discount on Mini M8S Pro – C TV box, HIGOLE D2 mini PC stick, Huion GT drawing tablet, Xiaomi Power strip socket portable plug adapter, KingDian P10 portable SSD (solid state drive), Alfawise X 3200 Lumens HD 1080P Smart Projector, and Haier LEU49V300S 4K Ultra HD LED TV.

Top Deals

GearBest is offering a discount on a myriad of categories including Top Sales, TV Box, Mini PC, Speaker, Memory Card, PC Component, Protectors, and TV, under the Top Deals section.

Epic Brands

Products manufactured by popular brands such as Xiaomi, Alfawise, Beelink, Mecool, Tanix, Yeston, Motospeed, and Ajazz are up for grabs at a considerably reduced price on GearBest. This section features items such as the XiaoMi Bluetooth speaker, which is available for a decreased price of only $38.21.

Office & School Supplies

You can now buy different items that come in handy at school and office without burning a hole in your pocket. Thanks to the GearBest promo, you can get the MEMOBIRD Photothermal printer, which originally bears a steep price tag of $79.25 for just $36.99.

You can head straight to this link to check out rest of the items that are available at a heavily-discounted price on GearBest and take advantage of the coupon codes before they expire. It’s also worth noting that only a few pieces were left at the time of writing.

Get Up To 60% Discount And Other Offers On Various Items On GearBest

Samsung Was The Most Cloned Smartphone Brand in 2017: AnTuTu’s Special Report

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jan 19, 2018

Most people have had the experience or heard the story from someone who has fallen victim to sellers of cloned smartphones. They are almost in all major cities, on the busy street corner where they offer buyers the latest iPhone or Samsung at rock bottom prices. This offer sweeps some out of their feet and before they realize the phone isn’t real, the seller is gone. Well, AnTuTu has released as part of their annual smartphone data, a list of the top most cloned smartphones.

The data was for 2017 and it contains among other things, a distribution chart of cloned smartphones according to the affected brand. AnTuTu claims that an estimated 17,424,726 mobile phones were shipped in 2017 and out that tall figure, cloned smartphone accounted for 2.64%. Of course, who would want to clone a relatively unknown brand? So, it is no surprise that Samsung emerged as the most clone brand last year with a cumulative total of 36.23%. Apart from being the world’s top smartphone maker, Samsung also happened to have released a couple of stunning models last year. But the most cloned model last year is revealed as the Galaxy S7 Edge Europe edition. The China version of the Galaxy S7 Edge emerges as the second most cloned phone. Other Samsung models that were cloned last year include the Galaxy W2016, Galaxy W2017, Galaxy S8+

Apple is also another brand that suffers from cloning, especially in markets like China where iPhones are in hot demand. Apple ranked second with 7.72% and quite interesting is the discovery that most of the iPhone clones are usually equipped with Android OS. The iPhone 7 Plus is the most faked iPhone last year, ranking among the top 10 most faked smartphones of 2017 as compiled by AnTuTu.

Chinese tech giant Xiaomi also ranked as the third most cloned smartphone brand with 4.75%. This is closely followed by OPPO with 4.46% and Huawei with 3.40%.

(source)

LG Patents Two Foldable Phones Which Can Transform Into Tablets

By

Michele Ingelido

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Jan 19, 2018

A new and innovative patent has been found at WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization). LG has patented two types of foldable phones which may rival the alleged Samsung Galaxy X, which is rumored to be the first phone with a foldable display to hit the market. Both the phones can transform into a tablet with a much bigger screen.

When folded, the first model can show information like the time on an external display, which should have the size of a typical smartphone display. The screen size could be smaller, given that we can see a camera sensor at the bottom. There are two cameras on this model, on opposite sides. The one with the flash is likely the primary camera.

The second LG smartphone patented is similar to the first one, but has an additional element. It seems that it will not be possible to see a normal display when the phone is folded. When the phone is folded, there is only a sort of sidebar on the outside (instead of a larger sized screen as seen on the first model) which can show the time and probably the notifications. You can see what we are talking about in the images above.

These may not be the first patents we are seeing of foldable smartphones, but it does prove that different companies are developing such smartphones and a commercial release could be possible in the near future. We had seen another foldable design from LG back in January 2017, you can check them out from here.

(Via)

360 N6 Pro Special Promotion By Jingdong Makes It The Cheapest Snapdragon 660 Smartphone

By

Michele Ingelido

-

Jan 19, 2018

360 N6 Pro‘s price has dropped from 1699 Yuan to 1499 Yuan in China: the phone has just become the cheapest device with a Snapdragon 660 SoC inside.Well, its not exactly a price cut from the manufacturer, but JD.com is offering a special discount of 200 Yuan for JD Plus members, who can get the phone for just 1499 Yuan.

It is actually one of the greatest last-generation devices if you want great performance but you do not want to spend much. In case you are not from China, the actual price roughly translates into $191/€155. The offer is available on the famous Chinese store Jingdong Mall, but it is limited to Plus members. The configuration available discounted on JD is the one with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage, which is expandable with a micro SD.

The rest of the specs of 360 N6 Pro includes a border-less display with an 18:9 aspect ratio and a size of 5.99 inches. The display can show images with a Full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2160 pixels. Under the hood, as mentioned above, there is a Snapdragon 660 SoC, which is actually the best mid range processor ever released by Qualcomm, and it can almost be considered a near flagship chipset. It is an octa-core chip composed of 8 x Kryo 260 custom cores, which can run at a max frequency of 2.2 GHz. It also includes a powerful Adreno 512 GPU that can deliver blazing fast performance in video games.

On the rear side, 360 N6 Pro has a dual camera setup with resolutions of 16 and 2 MP, which can capture depth of field information to shoot photos with bokeh effect. On the front side, the phone sports an 8 MP snapper with a f/2.2 aperture. Under the camera, there is a fingerprint scanner as there was no space to embed it on the front side. 360 N6 Pro also has a very big battery: according to 360 Mobile, thanks to its capacity of 4050 mAh it should be able to last up to 2 days on a single charge. It supports Quick Charge 3.0 for fast charging.

(Source, Via)

Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+: New Leak Reveals Innovative Components

By

Michele Ingelido

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Jan 19, 2018

A new leak has revealed very interesting details about the components of the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+. The leak comes from the famous website ETNews, which has confirmed some specs revealed in the previous leaks and gave some new details. According to ETNews both the upcoming flagships by Samsung will sport rear cameras with a 12 MP resolution and a variable aperture. It will be possible for the cameras to switch between a f/1.5 aperture (the smallest ever seen on a phone) and f/2.4.

This will make the flagship shoot much better photos in different lighting conditions. It is also rumored that Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus will support slow-motion videos at 1000 fps, just like the latest flagships from Sony. The front camera should have an 8 MP resolution and it should integrate an iris scanner on the Galaxy S9, while on the Plus variant the iris scanner should be a separate sensor. According to ETNews, there will be a brand new circuit board called substrate Like printed circuit board (SLP circuit board), which will allow saving more space inside the phones. However, this board will only be present in the European variant of the phones, so the ones with the Samsung Exynos 9810 SoC.

Another innovative technology which might be present on Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus is Y-OCTA for the display, which integrates the touch layer of the OLED display in its encapsulation layer. To be accurate, this is not a new technology: it was already present on Galaxy S8, but not on S8 Plus. This year, it should be integrated into both Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus. The display of the standard version should have a size of 5.77 inches, while the Plus variant should have a 6.22-inch Super AMOLED panel. There likely won’t be a fingerprint reader under the display, it will be placed on the back, and expected to be provided by Aegis Technology, a company from Taiwan.

(Source, Via)

HTC U11 Eyes vs OPPO R11S: Specs Comparison

By

Michele Ingelido

-

Jan 19, 2018

Premium midrange smartphones are a new category of smartphones which is making great success in the past couple of years, especially in Asia. They are not flagships, but they usually have high-end features and good cameras. HTC U11 Eyes and Oppo R11s are two of them, and in this HTC U11 Eyes vs OPPO R11S comparison we will show you the difference between these handsets and which one has the best value for money — after all VFM is the most important thing when it comes to mid-range Android devices.

HTC U11 Eyes vs OPPO R11S

	HTC U11 Eyes	Oppo R11s
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT	157.9 x 75 x 8.5 mm, 185 grams	155.1 x 75.5 x 7.1 mm, 153 grams
DISPLAY	6 inches, 1080 x 2160p (Full HD+), 402 ppi, 18:9 ratio, Super LCD3	6 inches, 1080 x 2160p (Full HD+), 401 ppi, 18:9 ratio, AMOLED
PROCESSOR	Qualcomm Snapdragon 652, octa-core 2.2 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, octa-core 2.2 GHz
MEMORY	4 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD slot	4 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD slot
SOFTWARE	Android 8.0 Oreo, HTC Sense UI	Android 7.1.1 Nougat, Color OS 3.2
CONNECTIVITY	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS
CAMERA	12 + MP, f/1.7 OIS Dual 5 + 5 MP f/2.2 front camera	Dual 16 + 20 MP, f/1.7 20 MP f/2.0 front camera
BATTERY	3930 mAh, Fast battery charging (Quick Charge 3.0)	3200 mAh, Fast Battery Charging (VOOC Flash Charge 5V / 4A)
ADDITIONAL FEATURES	Hybrid Dual SIM slot, IP67 standard, facial recognition	Hybrid Dual SIM slot

Don’t expect completely different devices, these two phones are similar enough to make this comparison challenging. We like the design and the build quality of HTC U11 EYEs better, which is more beautiful and it is also waterproof, unlike its opponent. On the other hand, in terms of display and hardware Oppo R11s is better. It has a very nice AMOLED display and a more powerful SoC. The Snapdragon 660 is a more recent, powerful and efficient chipset compared with the Snapdragon 652. The camera departments are both really good and, until we see some camera samples of HTC U11 EYEs, we can not judge the handset’s camera (it has just been unveiled, so it is still not possible to see how it captures photos).

Even though HTC U11 EYEs has a dual selfie camera, Oppo R11s should make better selfies with its 20 MP resolution and its f/2.0 aperture. Both the devices feature facial recognition through the front camera, but HTC U11 EYEs might be safer thanks to its secondary sensor. HTC U11 EYEs should have a much longer battery life due to its 3930 mAh lithium unit, while its opponent has just an average battery with a 3200 mAh capacity. While HTC U11 EYEs has just been made available to pre-order with a price of about €500, Oppo R11s has a listing price of about €450. I would personally pick the HTC U11 EYEs because of its bigger battery, its more interesting build quality, IP67 certification, and Android Oreo installed out of the box.

HTC U11 Eyes vs OPPO R11S: PROS and CONS

HTC U11 EYEs

PROS

Potentially better primary camera
Waterproof
Original design
Big battery

CONS

Higher price

Oppo R11s

PROS

More interesting display
Better hardware
Hi-res selfie camera
More affordable price

CONS

Nougat out of the box