Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Launched Delayed to September; $900 Pricing & Lots of Features Revealed

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Jun 26, 2017

Samsung has been launching its Note series smartphones in the month of August since 2015. However, well-known leakster, Evan Blass, is of the view that the Galaxy Note 8 would be launching in the second half of September this year.

On Venture Beat, Blass has revealed that the Galaxy Note 8 would be the costliest mass-produced smartphone and it will be launching in September’s second half. However, a previous rumors had revealed that the Galaxy Note 8 would be launching in August. Blass claims that the Note 8 would be priced at €999 in European markets. In the US, the phablet is expected to be arrive with a slightly lower price of about $900.

The leakster has further stated that the Galaxy Note 8 will be arriving with a 6.3-inch dual edge curved screen. As the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ smartphones, the Note 8 would be supporting an aspect ratio of 18.5:9.

Samsung will differentiate the Galaxy Note 8 from the 6.2-inch Galaxy S8+ by providing exclusive features for the S-Pen stylus. On the software front, the Note 8 will deliver better split-screen multitasking experience. The S-Pen is expected to come with new features like language translation for full sentence and currency conversion. It will also bring the ability to add handwritten notes on always-on display.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 would be coming with a pair of 12-megapixel cameras enabled with OIS on its rear panel. Even though the rumor mill has been claiming that the Note 8 would be featuring a front-mounted fingerprint reader, Blass has revealed that the phablet would continue to feature a rear-mounted fingerprint reader. He has added that the fingerprint sensor will be placed on the right side of the LED flash and hear rate sensor. However, there would be a greater distance separating them. Like the Galaxy S8 and S8+ phones, the Galaxy Note 8 would be also carrying support for DeX desktop mode through the same dock.

Depending on different markets, the Note 8 would be coming in Snapdragon 835 and Exynos 8895 variants. This debunks the rumors that claim the Note 8 would be the first phone to be driven by Snapdragon 836 SoC. The SoC will be coupled with 6 GB of RAM. The RAM capacity will also different the Note 8 from the Galaxy S8 that feature 4 GB of RAM in certain markets in the U.S. Other rumors hint that there would a Galaxy Note 8 Emperor Edition featuring 8 GB of RAM in certain markets like South Korea and China. In the U.S., the Galaxy Note 8 would be made available through all the popular carriers.

The Galaxy Note 8 is expected to house a 3,300mAh battery. It indicates that Samsung will reducing the battery size by 200mAh as compared to 3,500mAh battery on the discontinued Galaxy Note 7. The Note 8 would be coming in colors like black, blue and gold. Blass has also said that the official name of Samsung’s upcoming phablet will be official named as Galaxy Note8 and not Galaxy Note 8.

(source)

Microsoft’s New Patent Can Reduce Laptop Thefts Significantly

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jun 26, 2017

Anti-theft feature that have been available since the past few years have helped in considerably reducing phone thefts. However, such a feature has not been made available for laptops. It is not easy to catch laptop thieves because after stealing the laptops, they wipe off all the data present on the device and then sell it off.

At the end of May, Microsoft and Qualcomm announced a collaborative effort called Cellular PCs. It will be running on ARM-based CPUs and full edition of Windows 10. These devices will be able to deliver faster data connectivity through X16 LTE modem with eSIM connectivity. This upcoming initiative as well as a new patent from Microsoft will allow users to prevent laptop thefts even without a cellular subscription.

The new patent allows users to disable a lost or stolen laptop even without a SIM. It means even if the thief turns off the cellular network or removes the eSIM, users will be able to make use of function similar to emergency call that will transmit a signal over the cellular network to the device to disable it.

It seems that in order to implement this feature, Microsoft will have to collaborate with cellular service providers. The Redmond giant has signed up with worldwide cellular service providers like Vodafone, AT&T, T-Mobile and BT/EE. It also appears that once a command is sent to disable the laptop, there won’t be any further user intervention to complete the process.

It seems to be an integral feature for laptop users. However, there seems to be a downside for it. If this feature becomes a reality, users will be having a risk of getting tracked even when the cellular connectivity feature is disabled.

As far as cellular PCs are concerned, Microsoft has confirmed that the Snapdragon 835 driven PCs will be running on Windows 10 and will offer always-on LTE connectivity along with longer battery life. This effort is Microsoft’s attempt on bringing Windows 10 experience to ARM ecosystem.

Google VR180 Cameras Capturing 180° VR Videos Launching soon with Yi, Lenovo & LG as Partners

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jun 26, 2017

Tech giant Google is set to launch a new VR format dubbed VR180 which would offer more limited cinematic VR output. The tech giant hopes the new format would be readily accessible as regular YouTube videos that it hopes will be almost as accessible as regular YouTube videos. The new VR180 project is the product of a collaboration between YouTube, a subsidiary of Google and Google’s Daydream VR division.

VR180 will also include the production of a new line of compatible cameras by Yi, Lenovo, and LG as well as other partners who meet the VR180 certification standards. The VR180 won’t stretch up to those produced by 360-degree cameras. They’ll be immersive when the user is facing forward but won’t off rear views if the user decides to glance behind. The videos can also be viewed as traditional flat videos outside virtual reality but can also be watched in 3D VR via the YouTube app with a Google Cardboard, Daydream, or PlayStation VR headset.

Video creators will also be able to shoot videos using any camera with a VR180 certification with the trio of Yi, Lenovo and LG emerging as pioneers that are working in collaboration with Google’s Daydream team for now. The first set of products are expected to be launched this winter and would likely carry almost the same price tag as the regular point-and-shoot camera. We still don’t know what the cameras will look like but a Line drawing of Lenovo’s own design was spotted recently. It appears to have two wide-angle lenses that can shoot stereoscopic video, and it’s just a simple design, a far cry from the expensive alien orbs that are often seen in VR film shoots.

The cameras may not be available to by sometime soon but Google is giving creators the opportunity to loan one from one of its YouTube Spaces, located in nine major cities worldwide. YouTube video creators will also be able to shoot just like they do with any other camera and in the near future the videos can be edited using Adobe Premiere Pro and other standard software.

In case you are wondering the benefits VR180 offer over 360-degree videos, there are a few big advantages. One of them is that it doesn’t need the same time-consuming (and often expensive) stitching as videos made with, say, Google’s 360-degree Jump system. Creators can easily put a person behind the camera without them appearing in the shot whereas 360-degree camera bares all with nothing hidden. Filmmakers often literally hide behind objects during a scene when shooting using panoramic cameras but that won’t be the case anymore. Another thing is that the file sizes would be reduced drastically so viewers will stream the videos faster and with less annoying buffering gaps while streaming.

(source)

OPPO A77 New Editions Get Spotted on TENAA With Faster CPU, Android Nougat

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jun 26, 2017

OPPO A77 smartphone was announced in May this year for Taiwanese markets. It is dubbed as the first phone with “Selfie Portrait” mode made available through a single lens system. Now, new editions of OPPO A77 have appeared on TENAA with A77 and A77t listings. Interestingly, these handsets appear different from A77. Also, there are some differences in the specifications.

The OPPO A77 that is currently available in Taiwan is driven by 1.5 GHz MediaTek MT6750T chipset and it is running on Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS. However, the newer OPPO A77 models are powered by a same 2.0 GHz octa-core processor. Also, they are preloaded with Android 7.1.1 Nougat OS. It will customized with the latest edition of Color OS.

The exact name of the chipsets present under the hood of the new A77 and A77t is not known. It is speculated that the new models are running on Snapdragon 625 or Helio P10 chip. The A77 and A77t smartphones are equipped with 3,115mAh battery which is smaller compared to the 3,200mAh battery from OPPO A77. As mentioned above, there are some design changes on the new A77 and A77t smartphones.

The original OPPO A77 measures 153.3 x 75.2 x 7.2mm and its weight is 153 grams. However, the newer models identically measure 153.3 x 75.9 x 7.4mm and they weigh 148 grams. The redesigned camera module includes the rear snapper and flash in the same window. The camera setup and design of the antenna bands look similar to OPPO R11. Gold, Rose gold and Black are color variants of the new OPPO A77.

Like the original OPPO A77, the new models come with 5.5-inch TFT screen that supports full HD resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. There is a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 16-megapixel selfie camera on both the new models. The original A77 also features the same set of cameras. These new models have the same 4 GB RAM and 64 GB internal storage.

The new OPPO A77 seems to be heading to Mainland China as the device has received TENAA certification. At present, there is no information on its pricing and availability. The original OPPO A77 was introduced in Taiwan for NTD 10,990 (~$362).

(source 1, 2 | via)

Vernee Thor E Review – Unique Smartphone for just $99!

By

Linus

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Jun 25, 2017

Vernee is known for its budget phones and the Thor E is one of their latest models. It offers some cool features like a black and white display that saves power, a huge 5200mAh battery and a lot more for less than $120. In fact, you can sometimes get the phone for as low as $99, which makes it a bargain. Learn more in the full Vernee Thor E review.

Thanks to Gearbest for sending the Vernee Thor E for a review.

VIDEO REVIEW

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vw0XlaaTqIU[/embedyt]

UNBOXING

The phone ships with all the usual stuff that includes a fast charger.

DESIGN and DISPLAY

As far as design goes, the Vernee Thor E does not look exceptional by any means but it is well built, it uses a metal chassis, buttons and metal backplate, which is, however, prone to fingerprints like most of the glossy black surfaces.

What is surprising is that the phone is very light and thin considering its beefy 5200mAh battery. In fact, the Thor E measures at just 8.2mm of thickness.

Also, the phone is compact due to its 5” 720p display, which is definitely not the sharpest out there but it gets the job done for a cheap phone.

We have an interpolated 5MP selfie shooter and LED notification light but the capacitive keys are not backlit. However, you have an option to switch to on-screen keys and customize them.

One of the key selling points is a physical button that turns on the E-Ink power saving mode that switches a display to a monochrome mode and turns off some power hungry features. I think this is a really cool idea we haven’t seen on other cheap phones. More on this feature in the battery life section.

As for optics, we are looking at a 13MP interpolated camera that is coupled with a single LED flash. A fingerprint scanner is easily one of the best you can find on any cheap phone. It also unlocks the phone straight from the standby mode.

The loudspeaker quality is kind of poor and there are definitely some better cheap phones in this department.

HARDWARE and PERFORMANCE

As for hardware, the Vernee Thor E has decent specs for the price that includes an octa-core MTK6753 CPU, 3GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage.

The phone handles 3D gaming very well. I was surprised that Asphalt 8 ran with no lag or stutter even on highest graphics, with just a few skipped frames.

BENCHMARKS

UI

I love that the phone ships with the stock Android 7 with just a few added features like gesture and motion controls that work quite well.

Also, I like that the phone is very fast on the daily basis even after installing quite a few apps.

IMAGE QUALITY

The 13MP camera can take some decent looking images in good light but since we are talking about $120 phone, they are not ideal. The main issue that I found is that the colors look a bit washed out in some of the shots and there could definitely be more detail.

When it comes to the low-light shots, they look quite terrible. Also, the selfie pictures simply look bad.

Also, the selfie pictures simply look bad.

As for the video, it is just mediocre. Same can be said about the selfie video.

CONNECTIVITY

As for connectivity, I didn’t have any issues with this phone. Wifi, GPS, and Bluetooth works fine and call quality is decent.

BATTERY LIFE

Battery life is just amazing. I kept switching from a regular to the E-ink mode and honestly, I could get like 5 days of regular use of this phone or over 10 hours of screen on time thanks to a large 5200mAh battery that can be recharged in about 1.5h thanks to the supplied fast charger.

CONCLUSIONS

Vernee Thor E is a surprisingly good cheap smartphone that has a few features that make it stand out from the crowd.

The E-ink display feature is just awesome and it saves a lot of power. If you combine it with a huge battery, you will be able to use the phone for quite a bit of time.

Also, I like the form factor, even though the Vernee Thor E is kind of plain looking. Moreover, the phone is fast and it can even handle some 3D games quite well.

However, the cameras remain the weakest point of this device but if you don’t use the phone for taking lots of images in poor lighting, the Vernee Thor E is a pretty solid phone the price.

Buy Vernee Thor E

The VKWorld Z3310 Arrives Next Week for $25

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jun 25, 2017

A few weeks ago, we reported that smartphone maker, VKWorld has a Nokia 3310 (2017) clone in the works. News, reaching us today lets us know that the VKWorld Z3310 will go on sale next week for just $25. That’s less than half the price of the Nokia 3310 (2017).

VKworld Z3310

The VKWorld Z3310 will have a 2.4-inch 240 x 320 display protected by a 3D water-drop glass. There is a 2MP super clear camera with flash and another LED at the top for seeing in the dark.

It will also come with a FM radio that can work without plugging in earphones. A Class K amplifier helps pump out sounds at a high volume. VKWorld is shipping the Z3310 with a 1450mAh battery which is larger than that of the Nokia 3310 (1200mAh) and should last 2 weeks on standby. The phone will also have 20 built-in languages.

Continue

Full List of Meizu Devices Getting Android Nougat Released

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jun 25, 2017

They say “better late than never” and that is exactly what Meizu is doing with the Nougat update for its devices. Just as we eagerly anticipate the final unveiling of Android O, the Chinese company has released a list of devices getting Android Nougat.

If you own any of the following devices, you may want to do a happy dance at the end of this post: Pro 6 Plus, Pro 6, Pro 6s, Pro 5, MX6, M5 Note, M3 Note, and M3 Max.

Meizu says owners of any of these devices will be able to register for the open beta program from today till July 2. Update itself will begin rolling out to devices on the 10th of July.

The update will be in three batches: first batch will receive the update on July 10, the second batch on July 17, and the final batch on July 31.

Continue

Fresh Details Emerge on Taimen and Walleye Pixel Phones

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jun 25, 2017

Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL phones are two of the best Android phones you can buy at the moment. Released last year to replace the Nexus line, Google will be releasing a second generation in a few months.

Initially, there were three devices, codenamed Walleye, Muskie, and Taimen. However, Muskie which was believed to be the Pixel XL 2 is said to have been cancelled, leaving Walleye and Taimen. Taimen has a larger screen than the cancelled Muskie and will reportedly be built by LG.

New details have emerged regarding the specifications of both devices. According to XDA Developers, a trusted source who has spent time with the devices revealed the info to them.

Taimen

The device which will be built by LG will have a 5.99-inch 1440 OLED display (supplied by LG as well). This is even larger than the LG G6 which has a 5.7-inch device. If you loved the Motorola-built Nexus 6, then you will appreciate the extra screen estate but with smaller bezels than the first-gen Pixel XL

Taimen will also have a 128GB variant along with 4GB of RAM and a Snapdragon 835 chip clocked at 2.45GHz. Its rear will retain the half metal and half glass finish from the previous model. However, the top glass part won’t cover the fingerprint scanner (rear-mounted again). Camera for Taimen is a single sensor with dual LED flash.

Walleye

Walleye a.k.a Pixel 2 will have a 4.97-inch 1080p display. The design is reported to be almost identical to last year’s model down to the bezels. One addition Google is adding is stereo speakers. The extra speaker will sadly come at the death of the 3.5mm audio jack which the source says Taimen doesn’t have.

RAM and processor are the same with Taimen but storage comes in at 64GB.

Nexus Imprint

The source says that he discovered that the pre-production software on Taimen referred to the fingerprint scanner as “Nexus Imprint” while Walleye’s settings referred to its own scanner as “Pixel Imprint”.

It is still unclear what this means. Google already announced that it was done with the Nexus line, so we do not want to jump into conclusions. It may also be an error that wasn’t fixed or a sort of throwback to when LG used to make Nexus devices.

Continue

Android 7.0 Update Now Available for Original Mi Max

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jun 24, 2017

The Mi Max 2 might not seem like much of an upgrade but it does bring a number of new features, one being Android Nougat. The original was stuck on Android Marshmallow for a while until now.

Android 7.0 is rolling out in form of a MIUI 8.5.1 update to the Mi Max. The report comes from a Facebook Group “Greek Xiaomi Lovers” with screenshots as proof. Apart from the bump in Android version number, the update also brings May’s security patch, a more efficient CPU allocation and some app lock features.

The screenshot also shows that the version with the update is the 3GB RAM variant with a Snapdragon 650 processor. We have no info about the 4GB RAM + Snapdragon 652 Prime version.

The Mi Max has a 6.44-inch display, a 16MP rear camera, and a 5MP front facing shooter. There is a hybrid dual SIM slot that accepts up to 256GB microSD card. There is also a rear mounted fingerprint scanner and an IR blaster.

Continue

Another Moto G5S Plus Photo Render Leaks, Reveals New Color

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jun 24, 2017

A couple of renders of the Moto G5S Plus had leaked a while back showing the device will be available in four different colour variants. The colours on display include Gold, Grey, Silver model with White front and Gold model with a white display bezels. A new render has leaked showing there is likely to be another colour variant which will have a Grey body and a Gold colour upfront on the display bezels.

The design of the new render is exactly the same as the earlier ones, showing a dual rear camera setup among other features. The tipster also revealed a few specs of the Moto G5S Plus including a 3,068mAh battery and what looks like the price in India which will likely fall between Rs. 18,999 – Rs. 19,999 ($295 – $310).

#Dual cam, 3068mAh battery and a NICE Rs18999 to Rs 19999 price? The #motoG5S+ has you covered. pic.twitter.com/Cw2G97IulZ

— Andri Yatim (@HeyAndri) June 15, 2017

The Moto G5s Plus is expected to be launched along with the Moto G5S but the specifications of both models are still unknown. They join a growing list of models Lenovo is expected to release this year under the Moto line. Other models like the Moto Z2, Moto Z2 Force, Moto Z2 Play, Moto E4, Moto E4 Plus, and Moto X4 are all expected this year. With such long lineup of models in the works, there is absolutely no doubt that Lenovo is really serious about focusing on the Moto brand to help its smartphone business which isn’t yet as successful as the PC arm.

(source)

Europe Will Get The ASUS Zenfone 3 Zoom as The Zenfone Zoom S in July

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jun 24, 2017

ASUS unveiled the third iteration of its camera-cenric Zoom series at CES this year. Called the Zenfone 3 Zoom, the new phone packs dual rear cameras in a design similar to that of the iPhone 7 Plus.

A few months later, there was news of a Zenfone Zoom S that was said to feature the same specs as the Zenfone 3 Zoom save for a smaller 5.2”/5.0” display. Turns out both phones are one and the same. Actually a case of different names for different markets. The Zenfone Zoom S is already available in Indonesia and it has the same ZE553KL model number as the Zenfone 3 Zoom.

The next stop for the Zenfone Zoom S is Europe and it will be arriving next month for €469. The phone has a 5.5-inch 1080p AMOLED display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5, a Snapdragon 625 processor and a massive 5000mAh battery that supports reverse charging. RAM is 4GB and storage is 64GB.

The highlight of the phone is its dual rear cameras. One is a 12MP sensor with a f/1.7 aperture and the the other is another 12MP sensor with a f/2.8 aperture and 2.3X optical zoom. ASUS’ SuperPixel ™ Technology is present to help you take stunning pictures even in low-light conditions. There is also portrait mode present, OIS and EIS. The front facing camera is a 13MP sensor.

Continue

The LG V30 Will Have A Glass Back & Support Wireless Charging

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jun 24, 2017

Latest report says the LG V30 may be announced at IFA Berlin 2017. Although the event is scheduled to start on September 1 and run through to September 6, the launch is said to be on August 31.We presume it will be unveiled at a sort of pre-event before IFA begins.

The LG V30 will be the third in the V-series and will be LG’s first Snapdragon 835 phone. According to leakster @OnLeaks, the LG V30 will be sporting a new design.

According to my sources, #LGV30 will support wireless charging and thus, very likely have glass back. Still have dual rear cam and rear FPS.

— Steve H.McFly (@OnLeaks) June 23, 2017

Unlike its predecessors which both have metal backs, the LG V30 will swap it for glass. The change in material also means the V30 gets wireless charging support. Other details mentioned by OnLeaks include the presence of dual rear cameras and a rear mounted fingerprint scanner.

Some say the change to glass is a move by LG to unify the design language of its flagships. The LG G6 and its newly announced siblings sport glass backs but only the G6 Plus supports wireless charging.

Continue

Elephone P8 mini Review – Surprisingly Good Budget Smartphone!

By

Linus

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Jun 24, 2017

Elephone is not a newcomer to the smartphone game as they have produced a lot of devices over the years. The P8 mini is one of their latest models and it has quite a few features including 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Learn more in the full Elephone P8 mini review.

Buy Elephone P8 mini using a COUPON CODE: P8Mi

VIDEO REVIEW

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3brc1lmhp8[/embedyt]

UNBOXING

The phone ships with all the usual stuff, no extras included.

DESIGN and DISPLAY

When it comes to the design, the P8 mini is one of those rare compact phones that have 5” 1080p display, which is actually great. It’s sharp and vibrant for both indoor and outdoor use.

The phone has a metal backplate, which is great but the top and bottom parts, as well as the frame, is made of plastic. On the other hand, the build quality is good, I have no complaints.

One of the key selling points of this phone is the dual-camera setup that consists of one 13MP shooter and another 2MP sensor.

There is no LED notification light but we have a beefy 16MP selfie camera with a front firing LED flash. Unfortunately, the capacitive keys are not backlit.

The loudspeaker quality does not really impress like on most of the budget phones.

The fingerprint scanner may not be the fastest out there but it gets the job done and it unlocks the phone straight from the standby mode.

HARDWARE and PERFORMANCE

The phone sports pretty good specs for the price. The device ships with an octa-core MTK6750T chip (1.5GHz), 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage.

The gaming performance is pretty good if you play the 3D games like Asphalt 8 on medium graphics. However, you should expect quite a few skipped frames and stutter if you switch the graphics settings to the max.

BENCHMARKS

USER INTERFACE

The Elephone P8 mini ships with a stock Android 7.0 out of the box. There aren’t many features to talk about as the company did not add any of them but what is the most important is that the phone is really fast, fluid and responsive all the time, even after installing quite a few apps.

CAMERAS

The Elephone P8 mini can take some good-looking pictures in good lighting conditions. There is a good amount of detail, the pictures look quite sharp and in general, these are decent results from a $140 phone. However, dynamic range is usually off in most of the shots.

The dual-camera setup allows you to take some good-looking pictures with bokeh effect. Sure, this is not the flagship-grade quality but the results are quite impressive for such a cheap device.

The camera does not impress in low-light but honestly, there are a lot more cheap phones that perform worse than this.

Selfie pictures look pretty good. Sure, there could be less noise but in general, the quality is decent for a budget phone. The front-facing LED flash lets you take selfies at night. Don’t expect great image quality but you may find it useful from time to time.

The 1080p video quality is just mediocre. There could be more detail, less noise and there is no continuous auto-focus.

Selfie video quality is again, kind of mediocre but it is possible to use the camera for video chats or other stuff.

DOWNLOAD FULL RESOLUTION CAMERA SAMPLES

CONNECTIVITY

When it comes to connectivity, the call quality is above average, the Wifi works fine and GPS is usable for navigation although it is not the most accurate out there.

BATTERY LIFE

The 2860mAh battery performs quite well. I was able to get over 5 hours of screen-on time, which is a good result considering the fact that I used the phone quite intensively.

CONCLUSIONS

The Elephone P8 mini is yet another cheap phone from China that aims to deliver a lot of value for the price and it succeeds in quite a few ways.

The phone looks quite nice, it has great specs, the dual camera is pretty good for cheap phone and I love that the P8 mini is fast on the daily basis, thanks to the stock Android 7.0.

Obviously, you should consider some caveats like a lack of notification LED light or backlit capacitive keys, mediocre loudspeaker, average video quality and finally, MTK6750 chip is not designed for hardcore gamers.

At the end of the day, the Elephone P8 mini is surprisingly decent phone for the price of about $140 but as always, make sure to consider a few shortcomings like on any other budget phone.

Gizmochina readers can get a discount with a COUPON CODE: P8Mi

Buy Elephone P8 mini using a COUPON CODE: P8Mi

Gearbest Summer Smartphone Sale

OnePlus 5 To Get A New Mint Gold Color, TENAA Listing Reveals

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Jun 23, 2017

OnePlus 5 was launched only recently and is already on sale in China, available in Midnight Black version with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage going for around $539 and Slate Gray coloured version with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage selling for $479. That may not be the only two colours the device may come with as a TENAA listing for the OnePlus flagship has appeared online showing the smartphone will be available in three different colour variants.

According to the listing, the colour variants include the Midnight black and Space gray which is already available. However, the device will also come in a Mint gold colour variant which may be released sometime later.

The OnePlus 5 flash sale has seen the flagship selling out completely across all platforms despite assurance from OnePlus that there were enough units in stock await the start of sales. The company’s CEO even hinted that the company might mobilise more units from overseas market. But that isn’t likely going to include the Mint gold version. Rather, the Mint gold version may be released later on just like the Soft gold version of the OnePlus 3 and 3T was only released some months after the initial models were launched.

(source)

Huawei, OPPO & Vivo 2017 Smartphone Shipments Predicted to Be Below Expectations

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jun 23, 2017

Huawei, OPPO and Vivo presently sit at the top of the charts in China in terms of smartphone shipments for last year in that order. That pace was expected to be continued this year but there are rumours that the trio may have lowered their targets for 2017 due to constraints in ramping up shipments to an appreciable level in non-China markets. This was contained in a recent report by Taiwan-based IC design houses.

Huawei who presently occupy the number one position in China is number three in the global standing but has continued to intensify efforts to break the ranks of Apple and Samsung, the world’s two largest phone manufacturers. Unfortunately, the company is yet to make headway in that regard despite huge investment in adverts and marketing in a bid to make headway in the U.S market.

The investment resulted in a reduction in its earnings last year but the company is still yet to make any progress. The company’s low presence in the US market is said to have resulted in a stagnated growth for the tech giant. A recent report by Korea-based Business Post states that Huawei’s shipment for Q2 2017 is expected to pitch at 30 million units which is a reduced figure compared to 32 million units shipped this same period last year. This may turn out to be an incorrect projection as IDC reported earlier that Huawei shipped 34.2 million smartphones in the Q1 2017, representing a 21.7% increase from last year’s figure. The whole of last year saw Huawei shipping a total of 139 million smartphones.

On the other hand, BBK subsidiaries OPPO and Vivo are reportedly struggling, albeit unsuccessfully to replicate their successes in China in several overseas markets by setting up several retail chains in those markets. Such capital-intensive moves are only capable of yielding results in the long term so, presently, the results are yet to start rolling in. Last year, OPPO shipped 99.4 million smartphones while Vivo recorded 77.3 million units in shipment. Both companies had set a target of 150 million units each for 2017 but that may be a difficult nut to crack as it stands.

(source)

OnePlus 5 Slate Gray & Midnight Black Hands On: Performance on Steroids

By

Joel Joseph

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Jun 23, 2017

Sleek is the first word that comes to our mind when we take the OnePlus 5 in our hands. That’s not a new thing since the OnePlus 3T was a super slim device as well. But the OP5 takes things a bit further by slicing down the thickness to 7.3mm. To improve the ergonomics, the new flagship is curvier than its predecessor and this results in a better hands on feel.

While the phone does feel good in our hands, we can’t deny its striking resemblance to the iPhone 7 Plus. Taking inspiration from Apple isn’t usually a bad thing, considering how the Cupertino giant excels in product designs, but we would have hoped the resemblance was less evident. Still, if you can ignore this iPhone-esque design, the OnePlus 5 is a solid smartphone by all means and looks quite premium. Coming in two colors, at least for now (we probably have a mint gold color option coming according to a TENAA listing), Midnight Black and Slate Gray. We have got both the models with us today, and personally, I prefer the slate gray color because it looks distinct, unlike the black color option which we have seen in a few models already. But that’s just a personal preference.

The front of the phone is pretty much the same as the OnePlus 3T, only a tad bit longer. The placement of the front camera, earpiece, and even the physical home button is the same as the 3T. So, you’ll be forgiven if you mistake this for its predecessor. We even know that the company has used the same Optic AMOLED display panel as the earlier model, with 1080p resolution. Well, OnePlus probably thought — don’t fix something that ain’t broken. Still, I personally would have preferred some kind of change in the front design to distinguish the OnePlus 5 from its predecessor. But that’s just me.

Coming to the back, don’t worry, you will never mistake the OnePlus 5 for the OnePlus 3T. But you may mistake it for the iPhone 7 Plus. The dual camera and flash arrangement are identical to the Apple flagship, but the +1 logo at the center will establish its identity.

Like the OnePlus 3T, the power button is on the right side of the phone, while the left side houses the volume buttons and the alert slider. I personally find the alert slider extremely useful to switch user profiles and it’s good to see the slider on the OnePlus 5 as well. The top of the phone is clean while the bottom features all the important components like the USB Type-C, speaker grill as well as 3.5mm headphone jack. But what the phone lacks is IP67 certification, which most flagships seem to boast in 2017. Ingress protection can seriously prolong the life of a flagship and it’s disappointing to see that OnePlus skipped on this.

Hardware is one area where the company didn’t cut any corners, equipping the phone with the highest configuration in a smartphone today. So you get the super fast Snapdragon 835 chip, 6GB / 8GB RAM options and dual cameras at the back. The dual cameras are also of the highest resolution in today’s market, but the real performance depends a lot on software optimizations. OnePlus seems to have done a good job in this regard, but we haven’t tested the camera in detail yet, and we’ll have to wait and see how it does in real life.

But the UI is super snappy, one of the fastest performances that we have seen on a smartphone. Apps load in an instant and the near-stock Android gives you a feeling that the phone is on steroids. So, kudos to OnePlus for making the phone super fast.

We’ll soon test the dual cameras at the back as well as compare it with other flagship phones of 2017. So stay tuned to Gizmochina for more updates.

Meanwhile, let us know which color do you prefer on the OnePlus 5?

Also, check out a basic OnePlus 5 hands on of the device in the video below. We’ll soon be bringing a comparison video of OnePlus 5 vs OPPO R11.

LG Announces Its Latest World’s First Flexible, Transparent 77-inch OLED display

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Jun 23, 2017

LG has today announced that it has manufactured a mammoth display that is not just large but also flexible and transparent. The LG display is touted to be the world’s first flexible transparent display standing at a tall 77 inches. On a lighter note, this display is reportedly taller than Tom Cruise who Google says is 5 feet 7 inches, or 170 centimetres tall. Here’s how that’s possible, the display is 77 inches when measured diagonally and has an aspect ratio of 16:9. This gives the display’s height as 170.5 centimetres, just a tad taller than Cruise, but not if Cruise wears shoes.

As for the specifications, the LG display features a UHD resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels and presents with 40% transparency. The display can be fixed in a manner that it makes a curvature of up to 80 degrees. LG shared a photo of how the display pans out and it can be seen to be a massive, curved screen with a transparency similar to a glass with a light tint.

Xiaomi 120-inch Hi-Res Projector Set To Released Soon?

By

Zhen Wan

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Jun 23, 2017

Xiaomi has revealed another press conference but this time for a “MIJIA” product. According to the source, we are expecting Xiaomi to release a larger product than usual, and this could be a release of a Xiaomi 120-inch projector, according to the source.

From the photo provided, we can clearly see a projected image at a very wide span and what appears to be high-resolution imagery reproduced on the wall.

According to the sources, analyst Sun Changxu has hinted that this release could be a wide-screen projector.

If these rumors are true, Xiaomi’s projector can provide a competitive alternative to other rival companies. We can be looking at a less-pricey high-resolution counterpart in relation to Sony’s lineup of products. From the source, if Xiaomi does release a projector, it will be priced at an affordable price, like Xiaomi’s TV range, whilst providing very high-spec components and features.

We will have to take this with a grain of salt though as Xiaomi has not officially confirmed or teased any ideas of what their new product may be.

What are your thoughts on an affordable Xiaomi Projector? If the price was reasonable would you like to own one?

(via)

Meizu Pro 7 Said To Launch On July 26 With Helio X30

By

Jed John Ikoba

-

Jun 23, 2017

Meizu has been unusually low in the number of smartphones they have released so far this year when compared with smartphones released last year. Apart from the launch of the Meizu E2 with its spectacular LED flash design, we are yet to see a new model with flagship design. But all that will likely be changing soon as the tech giant will launch the long awaited Pro 7 soon.

The Meizu Pro has been the subject of recent rumours and has been a long awaited device. The flagship model has now tipped as coming on July 26. The tip is an unofficial one that can’t really be authenticated so we can treat it as a rumour. But then, anything is possible when it comes to China’s OEMs and rumours/ leaks.

The leaked renders of the Pro 7 which have made the rounds over the week, all make the Pro 7 a smartphone to look forward to. The design looks like an innovative one with a secondary display stationed at the back of the device. The secondary display will show notifications like incoming messages, missed calls, WeChat messages, date and time. The display is said to be an E-ink display.

Apart from the secondary display, the Meizu Pro 7 is also expected to come with an innovative design which includes an ultra-thin frame and Meizu’s mBack. The device is also tipped as packing a MediaTek Helio X30 chip, a 5.2-inch 1080p display up front and a dual Sony IMX386 + IMX286 dual cameras among others. The Meizu Pro 7 Plus is also expected to debut along with the Pro 7 with a larger 5.7-inch 2K screen and likely equipped with a Samsung Exynos 8895 processor, or Helio X30 standard version of the processor.

(source)

OPPO R11 Will Make Its Way To Taiwan for NT$ 15,990 ($525)

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Jun 23, 2017

The OPPO R11 and R11 Plus were unveiled a few weeks ago and they are already on sale in China. For those outside China, OPPO has announced that its first stop is Taiwan.

The dual camera smartphone is the world’s first Snapdragon 660 device. It has a 5.5-inch 1080p display, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. The dual camera combo includes a 16MP f/1.7 Sony IMX398 sensor and a 20MP f/2.6 Sony IMX350 sensor with telephoto lens. The front camera is a 20MP f/2.0 sensor.

OPPO bundles the R11 with a 3000mAh battery with its VOOC fast charge technology. There is Android 7.1.1 Nougat on board with OPPO’s Color OS 3.1 on top.

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VIDEO REVIEW

UNBOXING

DESIGN and DISPLAY

HARDWARE and PERFORMANCE

BENCHMARKS

UI

IMAGE QUALITY

CONNECTIVITY

BATTERY LIFE

CONCLUSIONS

Taimen

Walleye

Nexus Imprint

VIDEO REVIEW

UNBOXING

DESIGN and DISPLAY

HARDWARE and PERFORMANCE

BENCHMARKS

USER INTERFACE

CAMERAS

CONNECTIVITY

BATTERY LIFE

CONCLUSIONS

Read More: LG Will Return to OLED Displays This Year Starting With The LG V30