Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will be the first flagship smartphone from the company to come with dual rear cameras. Around two months, a South Korean publication had revealed that the configuration of the dual cameras of the Note 8. It also revealed that both the cameras will support 3x optical zoom. Earlier this week, Ming-Chi Kuo, a KGI Securities analyst also confirmed on 3x optical zoom and camera configurations of the Galaxy Note 8.
According to Kuo, the Galaxy Note 8’s dual camera system will include a wide-angle lens and a telephoto lens. One of the dual rear cameras on the iPhone 7 Plus and OnePlus 5 include a telephoto lens. Kuo added that the standard sensor will be of 13-megapixel and the telephoto sensor will be of 12-megapixel. He also claims that the both the sensors will be equipped with 3x optical zoom and optical image stabilization.
It is still not confirmed whether Samsung will use a combination of a wide-angle lens and a telephoto lens. The South Korean media was able to predict the Galaxy Note 8’s unveil date of Aug. 23 before Samsung released the official teaser. Also, Kuo is well-known for his accurate predictions on Apple products. Hence, there is a possibility that the new information revealed by Kuo may become a reality. The analyst did not reveal any information on whether the Note 8 will come with AR capabilities.
Samsung is rumored to release several smartphones with dual rear cameras this year. The first one that is speculated to debut with the new camera system include the Chinese version of the Galaxy J7 (2017). The other two smartphones that are pegged to come with dual rear cameras are Galaxy C10 and Galaxy C7 (2017) which has been already certified by TENAA.
Samsung India just launched the Galaxy J7 Nxt for the budget category. Judging from the specs and pricing, the J7 Nxt is going to face some pretty tough competition in India.
The Galaxy J7 Nxt has a 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED display, 2GB of RAM and an unspecified octa-core chip clocked at 1.6GHz. We did some digging and it is actually the Exynos 7870. There is 16GB of storage with the option to expand it by an additional 256GB via a dedicated microSD card slot.
The rear camera is a 13MP f/1.9 sensor with a slight bump and there is a 5MP f/2.2 front facing camera with its own LED flash. Battery capacity is 3000mAh battery and there is Android 7.0 out of the box.
Samsung has put a price tag of Rs. 11,490 (~$180) on the Galaxy J7 Nxt. To be honest we know, Samsung phones are not dirt cheap but $180 is asking for too much for a device that doesn’t have a fingerprint scanner, packs just 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage.
Xiaomi has a new phone confirmed to launch on the 26th of July. Called the Xiaomi Mi 5X, it is supposed to take on OPPO and Vivo, two kings of photography in China.
Official images of the Xiaomi Mi 5X have been released revealing its dual rear cameras and its iPhone-like design. It is interesting to see that Xiaomi is even going the design route that is used by OPPO and Vivo.
Pre-order registration began last week on the official Xiaomi site and is already almost half a million. Jingdong Mall has also opened up registration for the phone today and has set a deadline for 9:30 AM on August 1st. Sales are expected to kickoff the same day at 10:00 AM.
The Xiaomi Mi 5X is expected to launch with a 5.5-inch FHD display, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 625 mobile platform is the chip of choice. The rear cameras are two 13MP sensors setup in a Wide Angle + Telephoto Configuration.
Meizu is expected to officially unveil the Pro 7 on the evening of July 26 which is barely two days away so, it is just right that they keep the internet buzzing with fresh photos of the flagship. That is, perhaps, the intention of Jeffery Yang who shared a clean photo of the Pro 7 on Weibo today.
The photo is that of the Grey coloured variant which was first leaked last week but this time around it shows the back of the device but omitted the part containing the rear cameras. The major thing that we can grab from the photo is the presence of a brush metal body and a grey coloured variant. Also, the rear secondary display seems to be curved at the outer edge just like the rest of the body. The U-shaped antenna band design also looks like what is hidden at the bottom edge and we believe the upper edge will also look similar. It has a similar grey colour with the body, something that may be peculiar to this colour variant.
Apart from the grey variant, the Meizu Pro 7 is expected to come in Black, Gold and Red colour variants. As for the specs, the Pro 7 has been confirmed by MeidaTek to be the first smartphone to launch with MediaTek’s Deca-core Helio X30 chip. It is expeccted to feature a 5.2-inch 1080p display as well as dual 12MP Sony IMX386+ 12MP Sony IMX286 sensors at the rear with a ring flash having 10 LEDs. The camera will likely be one of the main selling points of the device based on the sample shots we have seen. But we can only make a decent judgement of the device after it has been launched and subjected to Linus’ critical review here on Gizmochina. Other specs are still not certain, that also we’ll know when it is launched.
There is an ongoing legal issue between Qualcomm and Apple over patent infringement. The issue is so serious that Qualcomm wants to prevent the sales of the iPhones in the U.S. This is because the U.S. based chip maker is claiming that Apple is illegally using its patents on the iPhones. The Snapdragon 845 mobile chipset is said to be the next SoC that will be powering the 2018 flagships. The evidence of the chipset has appeared on a document that has been filed by International Trade Commission (ITC) by Qualcomm for its complaint against the Cupertino company.
Shown above is a snapshot of one of the documents that Qualcomm has submitted with ITC. As it can be seen, it contains several references of SD 845. Rumors have it that the Snapdragon 845 would be a 7mm chipset but there are some reports that it would be a 10nm chipset like the Snapdragon 835 but well come with plenty of improvements.
The Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus are also heavily pegged to feature the upcoming Snapdragon 845 chipset. Recently, an alleged Galaxy S9 had appeared on Geekbench benchmarking platform with the same chipset. The Snapdragon 845 chipset is rumored to deliver 25 percent to 35 percent better performance than the Snapdragon 835. The Snapdragon 846 chipset is speculated to debut in the last quarter of this year or early in next year.
The LG V30 has already been revealed to have got an August 31 launch date, right at the eve of IFA 2017 in Berlin. Ahead of its launch, a leaked photo of the V30’s rear case has appeared online. The leaked case, which was shared on Slashleak by a contributor with a 92% accuracy score, comes with one key feature that is generating some controversy. That feature is the LG logo that is printed at the lower part of the rear case. This is entirely different from LG’s usual pattern of written the model name at the back, in this case, “V30”, instead of “LG”.
However, the leaked case has similar features with earlier ones despite the difference in the logo. There is obviously a dual camera setup at the rear with what looks like a set of opening for the LED flash and other sensors by the side. There is also an opening for a rear fingerprint sensor on the device which is basically all there is to see on the rear casing. But the V30 is expected to feature a wireless charging module at the back as well. The LG flagship is also expected to be powered by a Snapdragon 835 chip backed by 4GB of RAM. The device is also said to come with IP 68 water and dustproof certificate.
Despite the situation where previous renders had come with V30 written at the rear, we can’t brush this aside as fake. It is possible LG has decided to modify that aspect for reasons best known to them. There is still a possibility this one is fake, so it’s better you take it with a pinch of salt.
During the 2016’s Lenovo Tech World event, Lenovo had showcased a prototype of an Android tablet that could seamlessly folded like a book after which it could appear like a phablet. At the Lenovo Tech World 2017 that was held this week, the Chinese firm demonstrated the foldable Lenovo Folio concept tablet.
The Lenovo Folio concept does not fold inward with the screen facing inside. instead, the Lenovo Folio folds outward which makes both the sides of the screen visible. So, when it is folded, it can be used like a conventional smartphone. Even the edge where it bends can display some information like the Galaxy Note Edge from 2013.
The Snapdragon 800 chipset from 2013 is powering the Lenovo Folio tablet. It features an e-SIM and it is preloaded with Android 7.0 Nougat OS. The size of the flexible screen of the Lenovo Folio varies from 5.5 inches to 7.8 inches. It carries support for a resolution of 1,90 x 1,440 pixels. Other specs of the device are not known.
Read More: Lenovo TechWorld 2017: AI and AR Take Center Stage
There is no confirmation on when Lenovo will be mass producing the Folio device. However, it is good to see that the Chinese firm is ready with a working prototype of a foldable tablet. Since the company has been showcasing the device, it seems that the mass production of the Lenovo Folio may start by next year.
Lenovo is well-known for its Yoga Book. These devices are available in Android and Windows 10 versions. Hence, it is likely that the Lenovo Folio would be also giving in Android and Windows 10 variants.
Lenovo is the first company to debut AR Tango enabled smartphone and 2-in-1 Yoga tablets. The Moto Z phones from the company come with support for modular capabilities. At the 2016 Tech World event, the company had also showcased a bendable phone that could be worn around the wrist. These things show the company is brave enough to launch devices with unconventional features.
Watch the above video and let us know what do you think about the Lenovo’s Folio tablet by sharing your comments below.
The Galaxy Active series are rugged variants of the S-series flagship. This year’s edition will launch as the Galaxy S8 Active and live images have just been leaked.
The Galaxy S8 Active has the same specs as the original Galaxy S8. The display is 5.8 inches but without the curves at the sides, giving it a look similar to the LG G6. There is a Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.
The rear camera is 12MP and there is an 8MP shooter up front. However, it packs a massive 4000mAh battery; 1000mAh more than that of the Galaxy S8. It also has Qi wireless charging support and runs Android Nougat.
The whole body looks like it has a case permanently slapped on to it. So you don’t have to worry about accidental drops, plus it is also waterproof. The sides are said to be metal while the rest of the body is polycarbonate. There is a Bixby button on the side that replaces the Active Key popular with the series. It also has on-screen buttons instead of physical ones like the previous Active phones.
Fingerprint scanner sits at the back just like in the Galaxy S8 and you have the words “Galaxy S8 Active” written at the bottom.
The U11 is the latest flagship from Taiwanese manufacturer HTC. Report says the phone is selling faster than its predecessors, the HTC M9 and HTC 10, and AnTuTu named it the best performing device for May 2017. Although HTC hasn’t said anything about a successor, we have come across a HTC U12 concept design that looks quite interesting.
The HTC U12 concept doesn’t take design cues from the U11. It is a completely different device. From the display, to the cameras, and the overall design, it shares no resemblance to the U11.
The HTC U12 features an infinity-like 5.7-inch 4K display with curved corners and thin bezels at the top and bottom. The top bezel manages to squeeze in an earpiece and dual 16MP cameras on the left. The bottom bezel’s only function is as a banner for the HTC logo.
The rear of the HTC U12 is made of metal and not reflective glass like the U11 and U Ultra. There are two cameras positioned vertically in the middle of the phone with a dual led flash flanking them on the right.
There is no visible fingerprint scanner, so it is safe to assume that Qualcomm’s under-display scanner is in use here.
The specs for the HTC U12 are not far fetched. A Snapdragon 845 processor, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage. There are JBL speakers at the bottom but don’t expect an audio jack. Battery capacity isn’t stated and we are not bothered since this is just a concept.
There have been rumors about a Snapdragon 836 chip from Qualcomm. The processor will be a more powerful variant of the Snapdragon 835. It will have the same CPU and GPU as the SD835 but with higher clock speeds.
The Snapdragon 836 was initially said to debut in the Galaxy Note 8 but that won’t be the case. Latest report says the Google Pixel 2 will be the first device to be powered by the chip. This shouldn’t come as a surprise as the Snapdragon 821 first appeared in the Google Pixel.
Just like last year, expect the Snapdragon 836 mobile platform to power new flagships of the second half of the year. We expect to see it in Xiaomi’s Note 3 and the Mi MIX 2. If they also decide to launch a Mi 6s, the Snapdragon 836 may also be the chip of choice.
OnePlus is another manufacturer that may jump on the chip. Last year, they released the OnePlus 3T less than six months after the launch of the OnePlus 3. It looks exactly like the OP3 but has a SD821 processor, a better front camera, a bigger battery etc. There is nothing that says there won’t be a OnePlus 5T or OnePlus 5s.
Although the Snapdragon 836 mobile platform may be the new flagship chip for the second half of the year, we haven’t seen it appear on any benchmarking site. However, we have come across two new chips from Qualcomm: the Snapdragon 840 and Snapdragon 845 mobile platforms.
The Snapdragon 845 is the chip that will power the smartphones of 2018 and its first sighting was in a Samsung device which we believe is a Galaxy S9 prototype. The SD840, a quad-core chip like the former, was also seen in a Samsung device last week. There have been no other reports of the chip, so it is unknown if it will be announced this year or next.
The Moto Z2 and Moto Z2 Force are slated to get unveiled on July 25. The press render of the Moto Z2 Force has already appeared. Now, several leaked photos of a real Z2 Force smartphone have appeared.
The Moto Z2 and Z2 Force will be the first dual camera smartphones from Motorola. The leaked images of the Z2 Force show the dual rear cameras placed in a horizontal manner inside a circular camera housing that also features a dual-LED flash. The bottom portion of the rear panel of the phone also shows the 16-pin slot for attaching Moto Mods accessories.
The frontside of the Moto Z2 Force resembles with the Moto Z2 Play that was unveiled in the previous month. The top bezel seems to feature a LED flash for the front-facing camera. Below the display is a capacitive Home button. The third image shows one of the sides of the phone and gives us an idea on how slim the phone would be.
A recent report has revealed that Motorola will be providing a 2,730mAh battery with the Moto Z2 Force. The original Moto Z Force came with a 3,500mAh battery. The reduction in the battery size would also decrease the thickness of the Z2 Force by 1mm. The Moto Z Fore has a thickness of 7mm and the smaller battery on the Moto Z2 Force could mean that it would be featuring a 6mm chassis.
Leaked information has revealed that the Moto Z2 Force would be coming with a 5.5-inch QHD display. It would be equipped with a ShatterShield screen. It would be powered by Snapdragon 835 chipset. The U.S. will receive 4 GB RAM + 64 GB of storage version of the Moto Z2 Force. Other regions are pegged to get a variant featuring 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. The Z2 Force would be available with 6 GB RAM and 128 GB of storage in China. All the models will feature a microSD card slot. It will come loaded with Android 7.1.1 Nougat and is expected to get upgraded to Android O very soon.
All four US carriers will indeed offer the Moto Z2 Force.
According to the above tweet from well-known tipster, Evan Blass, the Moto Z2 Force would be available through all the four major carriers in the U.S. such as AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon and Sprint. Last year, the Z Force was available through Verizon in the U.S. The Lunar Grey variant is likely to be exclusive to T-Mobile whereas other carriers are expected to receive Super Black and Fine Gold editions.
In March, Apple had introduced a new 128 GB storage version for the 4-inch iPhone SE. There have been mixed rumors on whether Apple would be releasing a successor for the iPhone SE. In May, leaked photos of Ion-X glass rear for the iPhone SE 2017 had appeared. New information that Apple may release the second-generation iPhone SE as early as in the coming month.
iGeneration, a French site, claims that Apple will be holding an unveil event to debut the iPhone SE 2 in August. According to the report, the iPhone SE 2 would be priced at 399 euros. This is quite less than the 489 euros pricing for the 32 GB model and 599 euros for the 128 GB model of the existing iPhone SE. The initially launched 16 GB iPhone SE has been discontinued.
There is no information available on the technical specifications of the iPhone SE 2. However, a report that had appeared in May that revealed the glass rear of the purported iPhone SE 2. To be precise, the shell of the iPhone SE 2 was said to be made up of Ion-X glass. This material is flexible, lighter but costs lower than sapphire and it does not scratch easily.
The LED flash can be seen sitting below the rear camera. The original iPhone SE has a metallic body and the LED flash for the rear camera is present on the same line. Other reports suggested that these glass panels do not belong to iPhone SE 2, but they belong to a phone from 360 Mobiles that has been fitted with an Apple logo.
As of this writing, it is unclear whether Apple will be really releasing an upgraded version of iPhone SE. Last year’s iPhone SE was based on the iPhone 6S as it features the same A9 chipset, 2 GB and 12-megapixel. There is a possibility that the iPhone SE 2 could be based on the iPhone 7.
According to Pan Jiutang, a Chinese analyst that the 4-inch iPhone SE that is currently available by Apple will not be refreshed. Hence, those who prefer to buy a compact iPhone should go ahead and purchase before it is discontinued.
However, the French publication claims that Apple will be holding two launch events in the near future. The first one would be unveiling the second-gen iPhone SE in August and there would be another launch event in October to unleash the highly anticipated iPhone 8.
The Xiaomi Mi 6 comes with a 3350mAh battery which is one of the largest you will find in a flagship this year. For a phone with a 5.15-inch display, that should be sufficient. Nevertheless, a bigger battery is always welcome.
If you are willing to take the risk, you can triple the battery capacity of your Xiaomi Mi 6. Some sellers on Taobao are providing battery modification services.
The battery modification involves taking apart the back of the phone and replacing the battery with a bigger one the sellers say is from “Sony” and “much better” than the one it comes with. You can choose from three different capacities. There is a 6700mAh one for ¥220 (~$33), a 7000mAh version for ¥260 (~$38), and a 9000mAh variant for ¥340 ($50).
Bear in mind that your original rear plate won’t fit anymore, though you get a custom rear shell. You will also be left with a massive battery bump.
The Meizu Pro 7 is expected to drop on July 26 which is just days away so, it is understandable how the tech industry has been kept buzzing with news surrounding the Pro 7 and its design. Apart from the fact that the Pro 7 was long expected, the device is coming with a design that is unarguably innovative. Turns out that innovative design may not be entirely patently Meizu as you’d find out soon.
A recent tweet by world renowned design firm Frog design raises questions as to whether the German firm has an input in the Pro 7’s design. The San Francisco-based company yesterday released an official tweet where it stated that it looked forward to an exciting announcement by Meizu on July 26. The tweet also provided a sneak peek of the Pro 7 design with a GIF image highlighting the Pro 7’s design which it termed as omni-dimensional, a new design language.
One interesting attribute of the GIF image is that it ended with the write up “Meizu X Frog” which undoubtedly indicates Frog has some input into the Pro 7’s design. By the way, Frog Design has a long standing reputation of producing innovative designs for companies worldwide. Its client base includes companies like Sony, Kodak, Olympus, AT&T, AEG, Yamaha and many others.
China is home to some of the biggest tech companies in the world. But do you know it has one of the most censored internet regimes? Recently, the country seems to be busy strengthening its censorship hold. Things are expected to become even more restricted as the latest report from Bloomberg states that the Chinese Government has ordered the three main state owned carriers in the country, namely China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom to block all personal VPNs by February 1, 2018.
Facebook is blocked in China
Generally, VPN is just a tool to bypass country specific restrictions put out by famous streaming services like Netflix. For others, it’s a safe way of downloading torrents. However, for people living in China, VPN plays a greater role. It’s a tool that connects China to the open internet, helping citizens access websites and content that’s traditionally banned by the Great Firewall. The list of banned websites in China is huge! According to Wikipedia, as of 2015, the number of banned websites is over 3000. This figure could have changed by 2017, but it should give you an idea of the degree of censorship in China. Moreover, country’s censorship is not just limited to websites. The Great Firewall regulates everything on the internet including keywords, foreign content, and much more.
Google search was no longer available in China after 2010 due to issues with censorship
VPN helps Chinese citizens to go around this censorship, opening up access to a number of restricted websites like YouTube, Gmail, International News media sites etc. However, VPNs are not just important for individual citizens but also for companies currently operating in China, to connect to their headquarters. So, if China decides to ban VPNs altogether, it would severely affect international brands that work inside its territory.
Popular VPN service in China, GreenVPN closed down on June 1, 2017
But the government says that they are not going to ban all VPNs and companies could still use the service if they are registered with the officials. So, it is primarily targeting unregistered users and individuals who are using VPN services without their knowledge. Before this notification, the government’s action plan was to target individual cases as and when necessary. However, after the notification sent to the three main state owned carriers in the country, it looks like China is taking its internet ‘Clean Up Drive’ very seriously.
In fact, according to a recent letter seen by the Associated Press, China Telecom, one of the biggest internet providers in the country has instructed registered companies to limit VPN use to connect to their headquarters. The letter adds that VPN should not be used to access restricted websites in China. Further, the letter states that the identities of all the employees of the company using VPN services must be revealed.
Moreover, it’s not just VPNs but other popular social apps like Facebook, Snapchat etc are also banned in China. As a result, the Chinese have access to only those apps that follow the strict censorship rules laid out by the government like WeChat, Weibo, and Baidu.
Surprisingly, till now, Whatsapp was not on the government radar. But that changed earlier this week when Whatsapp users in China realized that they couldn’t send or receive images. By the end of Wednesday, things got worse, with many Chinese users unable to connect to Whatsapp servers unless they were using VPN. Right now, you can just send and receive text messages via the app. Everything else seems to be blocked for the time being.
But it’s not just VPNs and apps, China has increased its restrictions on practically every aspect of the internet. In fact, almost all of the foreign content on the two popular sites — AcFun and Bilibili have vanished overnight. These two websites were extremely sought after by the Millennials in China because they had some of the most popular TV shows and movies from US, UK, South Korea and other foreign countries. Unlike Sina, iQiyi, and other Chinese video platforms, these two websites don’t have strict in-house censorship, which in turn made them popular hubs for foreign content. But in just a matter of 48 hours, their content directory reduced significantly, all thanks to the intervention of the Chinese government.
Judging from the recent notifications and decisions passed by the Chinese government, their stance on the internet is very clear. Individual users will be forced to obey the restrictions laid out by Xi Jinping’s government, with very little room to circumvent these rules. This includes keeping the Chinese citizens away from any kind of influential foreign content, apps, or services.
The increase in censorship is said to be a part of the preparation for the 19th Communist Party Congress to be held later this year. So, things may become better for Chinese citizens once the congress is over. We’ll have to wait and see.
Samsung has confirmed that the Galaxy Note 8 will launch on August 23 at an event in New York. The new Note will feature a new design almost identical to that of the Galaxy S8+ save for a bigger display, dual cameras and a stylus.
For colors, the Galaxy Note 8 is said to arrive in at least three variants. Leakster Roland Quandt says it will come in black, orchid gray, and a new deep blue color.
Samsung Galaxy Note8 coming in Black, Orchid Grey and a new Deep Blue. At least.
The deep blue variant is what we are excited to see since it is a new color.
The Galaxy Note 7 came with a new color, Coral Blue, that was greatly accepted. Samsung had to release the Galaxy S7 in the same color after pulling the Note 7 from the market. The Galaxy S8 and S8+ also got released in coral blue color a few days go.
Yesterday was Lenovo’s annual conference, Lenovo Tech World, an event where it showcases its latest innovations and products. The theme of this year’s edition was Artificial Intelligence, though Augmented Reality also got some attention and the venue was Shaghai.
The Chinese electronics giant showcased some pretty interesting products which we think you will find interesting.
Lenovo SmartVest
SmartVest like the name says is a vest that monitors your cardiovascular health. Containing ten sensors that are built into the 12-lead medical-grade garment, it takes record of ECG signals 24-hours a day and notifies you if there is an abnormality. Sport professionals can use it to get accurate and real-time data about their heart rate and variations during activities. An alert notifies the wearer when your cardiac activity is unsafe.
Context Aware Virtual Assistant (CAVA)
CAVA is Lenovo’s virtual assistant that uses deep learning-based face recognition system and natural language understanding to give you important reminders and manage calendar events.
The above is what is available on Lenovo’s website. However, CAVA does more than that. A video demo showed it analyzing flight schedules and offering suggestions to book a cab to the airport. Another scenario showed it analyzing a text message about seeing a movie and offering movie suggestions with the option to pay right away for a ticket.
daystAR is an AR headset that is cable free and fully independent. So unlike the other AR headset Lenovo is building with Disney for Star Wars, this one doesn’t require you plugging in your phone.
daystAR has a 43º FOV and an independent visual processing unit. It can recognize 3D objects, has remote assistance and multiplayer interaction. Though the promotional image shows a red unit, the one at the event is white.
This is a smart speaker with a projector built-in. SmartCast+ runs Android, so it should be easy for anyone to use. It also has AR capabilities further boosting its interaction and recognition features. With ten-finger multi-touch support, this will be the family’s favorite gadget.
You are not the only one that thinks the name Xiaole, is a mashup of Xiaomi and Lenovo. Xiaole is a platform built for businesses to manage customer service. We were not able to find detailed info on how businesses can sign up on to the platform.
Nevertheless, what Xiaole does is to analyze conversations with customers over time and then provide a customized user experience that customers can access 24 hours a day. It will be able to provide solutions to technical problems customers may be facing with a device (or service).
Chinese smartphone manufacturer Lenovo has been implementing a series of sweeping reforms in its business structure lately in order to reposition its struggling smartphone arm for growth. Since the acquisition of Motorola from Google in 2014, the company has struggled unsuccessfully to turn around the fortunes of its once bubbling smartphone division. The changes have seen the company rebrand its smartphone division to the Moto lineup and CEO Yang Yuanquing has disclosed that the company is looking to revive its smartphone arm through online sales on e-commerce platform Jingdong (JD.com).
Yang who became the Lenovo’s CEO in 2009, oversaw the growth of its PC division, rising to the top of the PC sales chart before losing out to HP lately. The CEO was also instrumental in the acquisition of Motorola in a bid to replicate the same success in the PC arm. Three years on, the fortune of the smartphone division is still in the red leading to the urgent need to shed off or reposition. Lenovo decides to reposition and already we are seeing a number of cool Moto series smartphones popping up here and there.
In a recent press conference, Yang Yuanquing asked investors for more patience and laid out the company’s short-term and long-term goals. For the long term, Lenovo plans to venture into artificial intelligence (AI) technology and Yang is proposing an investment of $1 billion over the next few years that would be ploughed into research and development on AI technology. For its short term goal, Lenovo has set a target of $12 billion in online sales in the next three years and Yang believes they could achieve that using Jingdong (JD.com) which is China’s second largest e-commerce platform after Alibaba. Yang is confident the target could be met that he even offers to resign if it isn’t achieved. The CEO isn’t planning to step down anyway but we keep our fingers crossed, watching how the tech giant hopes to achieve success in a saturated market like China using Jingdong which is presently flooded with various smartphones from Chinese manufacturers who have models ranging from budget to flagship categories. But staying online is keeping it safe as there won’t be the need for huge financial investments needed in offline sales channel.
It has officially been revealed that the Meizu Pro 7 will be launched on July 26. What is left is for the device to appear on benchmark platforms for us to see the capabilities of the Helio X30 chip. Apart from that, some may say we have seen it all but then, we are yet to see all the juice the Pro 7 will offer. A new leaked photos have revealed the presence of a grey coloured variant showing the rear body may likely have a brushed metal texture.
From the look of things, the brushed metal body will be across the board as the TENAA listed photos of the Pro 7 also shows brushed metal body on the gold coloured variant of the device. In addition, the black variant has also been spotted with the same rear design. The brushed metal body gives the sleek design a touch of class making it more attractive.
The smooth outlook of the brushed metal body adds to the sleek look of the Pro 7’s secondary screen which is nestled at the upper left corner at the back. Even the Meizu logo at the bottom of the device written in a vertical direction sort of adds to the beauty of the device.
The Pro 7 is expected to feature MediaTek’s Deca-core Helio X30 chip and that isn’t anymore in doubt. The device will feature a 5.2-inch FHD display while the Pro 7 Plus will have a larger 5.7-inch FHD display. Another highlight of the Pro 7 will be the dual 12MP Sony IMX386 sensors it packs at the rear.
Cubot is known for its affordable smartphones but the company also makes some other devices like smart fitness bands. In fact, the manufacturer has produced quite a few of them. Firstly, we have the Cubot Band V1 then the V2. This time around we are looking at the Cubot S1 band that costs about $50 but it offers quite a lot of features for the price. Learn more in the full Cubot S1 review.
UNBOXING
The device ships with all the usual stuff that includes some paperwork and a charger.
DESIGN
When it comes to the looks, I like the minimalistic approach towards the design. The band is relatively small and lightweight, so you will barely feel it on your wrist.
I found it comfortable to wear even though the wrist may get sweaty on a hot day. Still, this band feels more premium than those cheap sub-$20 Chinese bands.
We have a 0.96 inch OLED display that is pretty good but the sunlight legibility could be a lot better.
On the back, we have a heart rate sensor, which can track your heart rate on continuously or on-demand.
The band is IP65-certified, meaning that it is water and dust resistant.
USER INTERFACE
Operating the Cubot S1 is really easy. You can walk through the user interface by swiping up and down.
The watch tracks your steps automatically and the pedometer is really accurate thanks to the high-quality InvenSense 6-axis accelerometer and ICM-30632 gyroscope as I compared the results with my Xiaomi Mi band 2. However, there is a delay between steps taken and steps shown on the display, like on most of the fitness trackers. You can also receive notifications from your phone. This feature works great but you would still need to use the phone if you want to reply or answer the call.
APP
I’ve been using the Cubot S1 band for more than a week but I didn’t connect it to my phone before using it. It turned out that a made a mistake since once I first connected the device, all my fitness data that was stored on the band was gone. That’s why I suggest you pairing the band with the phone before you start using it.
Within the app, you can track your fitness routines in detail, adjust a few settings, manage notifications, set up your coaching plan and so on.
What is awesome is that the band can automatically understand when you’re running, walking or even riding a bike thanks to the built-in smart sensors.
The Cubot S1 features smart notifications for calls, messages, alarm, sedentary reminder, music control and remote camera. It also has a built-in altimeter, a thermometer, and barometer.
BATTERY LIFE
The built-in 85mAh battery lasts up to 1 month if you don’t use the continuous heart-rate monitoring feature. If you need that feature, the band will last for about 1 week or so.
CONCLUSIONS
For the price of about $44, the Cubot S1 is quite a solid offering considering the features it offers. So far it has been working fine and a poor sunlight legibility of the display is probably the only shortcoming worth mentioning.
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