Xiaomi has produced all sorts of gadgets over the time and the Wifi amplifier is one of them. I’ve been using it for more than a year and I can assure that it works just great, covering the dead Wifi spots in the house. You can now get it for just $9.99 from lightinthebox.com, which sound like a great deal.
The Wifi Amplifier does wonders for just $10. I’ve always looked for a great yet cheap solution that can extend the Wifi coverage in my parents’ house (I don’t live there, I just help them lol). You see, there are some dead Wifi spots and this little gadget helps a lot.
It’s compatible with all the routers and all you have to do is to power it up, quickly set it up using the Mi Wifi app and you are good to go.
If you have the Xiaomi Wifi router, you just have to plug it in and everything will sync up automatically. The Wifi coverage area is said to increase up 2 times.
I can’t really confirm that but it definitely killed all the dead spots and I can definitely recommend it. You can now get it for just $9.99 from lightinthebox.com, which sound like a great deal.
The original Nokia 3310 is often dubbed as an indestructible phone because of its strong casing and construction. It could function flawlessly even if it was dropped multiple times. There are plenty of videos online that show the Nokia 3310 go through various kinds of damage tests and still working normally. What about the Nokia 3310 (2017)? Is it an indestructible phone like the original Nokia 3310?
A YouTuber has performed scratch, burn and bend tests on Nokia 3310 (2017) to show how durable the phone is. As it can be seen in the video, the guy performing the durability test on Nokia 3310 (2017) claims that he has been using the phone as daily driver for the past few weeks. Hence, the phone already has some scratches on its body even before any durability test is performed on it.
When a blade is used to scratch on the screen of Nokia 3310 (2017), it develops scratches easily. However, it does not get scratched easily with keys. It seems that the phone is fitted with a plastic screen. The plastic body and its buttons also develops scratches easily with a blade. The rear shell, camera lens and flash are all made up of plastic and can get scratched easily by daily items like keys. The Nokia logo can also chip off with daily use.
Since the screen is made up of plastic, it starts melting when flame is applied to it for about 10 seconds. In the bend test, the Nokia 3310 (2017) did not bend when a lot of pressure was applied on its rear by the YouTuber. When the pressure was applied from the front, its back panel popped out a bit but the phone did not bend. Also, there was no damage done to display on bending the phone.
The Nokia 3310 is a dual SIM phone that comes with a 2.4-inch TFT display that offers a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. It has 16 MB of internal space and 2-megapixel camera with LED flash. It features a Bluetooth 3.0 and 1,200mAh removable battery. It other features include 2G network support and microUSB port. It is available in multiple colors like Red, Blue, Yellow and Grey.
Wang has asked the audience in his one of his recent posts on Weibo that who should be using JDI’s Full Active display. As it can be the seen in the users’ comments for Wang’s post, most of them are expecting to see the new display on a Xiaomi phone. The high resolution screen seems to be a suitable candidate for MI MIX 2. Hence, a Redmi device is unlikely to feature it. As far as, the alleged Redmi Pro 2 is concerned, it is expected to feature a full screen display from Pegasus.
According to an industry insider from Taiwan, Cold Creek Dev on Weibo, the second half of the year will see full screen display enabled smartphones equipped with 3D sensing camera technology that will bring improvement to iris recognition and facial scanning. He adds that the 3D sensing technology is likely to appear first on Huawei Mate flagship that is expected to debut in the second half of the year. The Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 is also speculated to feature it. The mass adoption of 3D sensing technology is expected to begin next year.
The above rumors hints that the Mi MIX 2 may possibly feature a JDI screen. Previous rumors have revealed that the Mi MIX 2 will continue to sport a full screen design and offer a higher screen-to-body ratio. It is also expected to feature a glass equipped along with dual rear cameras. It also rumored to deliver better call quality experience.
The full screen display from Japan Display is officially known as Full Active. It is a 6-inch LCD screen that produces a resolution of 1,080 x 2,160 pixels. As it can be seen in the official image provided by JDI, all the four sides of screen is surrounded by very slim bezels. With second-generation Pixel Eyes technology incorporated in JDI’s Full Active screen, it produces deeper blacks and delivers higher contrast. Also, the screen functions seamlessly with wet fingers. The Full Active screen is also expected to be available on the alleged Sony Xperia XZ1 smartphone that is expected to debut at IFA 2017.
Xiaomi’s MIJIA Smart home brand has announced that it will be holding a news conference on June 28 in Beijing. The conference looks like an annual event where the company is expected to unveil its latest Mi branded product. The difference between this launch event and the launch of the MIJIA crowdfunding products seems to be the fact that the product will bear the “Mi” branding and will be a smart home product.
Last year, the company launched the MIJIA brand which encompasses all Mi Ecosystem smart home products. The company later went on to launch the Mi IH Rice cooker under the MIJIA brand. The rice cooker comes in an all white design with a simple, yet appealing design and a stainless interior. The cooker users an interactive LED display panel which displays a variety of information when in use. Also, the new IH rice cooker uses a honeycomb inner cover and a new design for the air circulation and cooling system. One important feature of the IH Rice Cooker is the use of remote control through an app that can be installed on smartphones to control the cooker. Apart from the Rice cooker, there have been several other smart products.
One of the poster teasers released by Xiaomi seems to point in the direction of the product being a light technology. We can’t say what sort of light technology the product is going to be but whatever it is, the Mi Home products usually have Internet of Things (IoT) features and we expect this one not to be different.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X users are now receiving MIUI 8.2.10.0 update. It also includes the security patch for the May month. The Note 4X users should be aware of the fact that only its 3 GB RAM variant is receiving the update.
The MIUI 8.2.10.0 update does not bring any new features to the Redmi Note 4X. It only brings some bug fixes such as issues related to status bar and notification bar in the lock screen. It also fixes some issues related with microSD slot. Xiaomi is yet to begin the roll out of Android 7.0 Nougat flavored MIUI for its devices even though the arrival of Android O is drawing near.
Read More: Redmi Note 4X Gets New Blue Variant, Sports 4GB of RAM, 64GB ROM & SD 625
Currently, users from Greece have confirmed on receiving the update. Redmi Note 4X users in other regions are also speculated to receive the update soon. The update’s notification will automatically show up on the device, but users can also manually check for its availability by to Settings. on Note 4X. There is no information on when the 4 GB RAM model of Redmi Note 4X will be getting the MIUI 8.2.10.0 update. Here is the entire changelog:
Lockscreen, Status Bar and Notification Bar
Newly added Swipe to delete Lockscreen notifications.
Newly added UI adjustments for toggles.
Newly added Battery saver toggle can be added to the Notification shade.
Optimized Lock screen PIN layout.
Optimized changed icons for USB charging and switching keyboards.
Updated floating notifications won’t appear in DND mode.
Fixed notification shade issues during incoming call floating notifications.
Fixed Wi-Fi page made the device freeze when it was opened for the first time.
Fixed issues with opacity after using third party themes.
Fixed the first notification couldn’t be removed by a swipe.
Fixed landscape mode issues with third party themes. Homescreen
New Added Home screen settings added to the Settings.
Fixed Part of UI for deleting apps wasn’t visible on light backgrounds.
Fixed Minor adjustments for animations in the Launcher. Virus Scan
New Added Antivirus scans for the apps installed not from Google Play.
Homescreen
New Added Home screen settings added to the Settings.
Fixed Part of UI for deleting apps wasn’t visible on light backgrounds.
Fixed Minor adjustments for animations in the Launcher.
Virus Scan
New Added Antivirus scans for the apps installed not from Google Play.
According to sources, the phone that you see below is a prototype model taken by an insider.
From the image, we can see the recurring unconventional dual-camera placement with an e-ink display below on the left of the camera. With these leaked photos, the rumors have been made more concrete.
From the source, it appears that Meizu will be opting for a glass-like build instead of a metal-unibody due to a complex manufacturing process. Although the insider has been able to provide photos of the prototype, the source has stated that construction of the Meizu Pro 7 has remained highly confidential.
Furthermore, according to the source, the space where the secondary display sits supposedly has a dummy cover fixed at the rear. Thus, there isn’t a fully functioning prototype at this moment in time.
From the uncensored sticker on the rear, labeled ‘Prototype 8’; suggests that Meizu has several other prototype variants of the Meizu Pro 7 in the works. This can mean these photos may not provide a final model of the smartphone.
In terms of hardware, it would be unlikely for Meizu to switch to a Qualcomm processor anytime soon, but judging from Meizu’s more radical design approach, we cannot assume what isn’t on Meizu design board at this moment in time.
We can expect is Meizu to provide the latest specs that are currently available like the Pro 7’s predecessors and a follow-up Pro 7 Plus later. From the sources, we could be expecting the Meizu Pro 7 to be released as soon as July this year.
What are you views on this leaked prototype of the Pro 7? Would this provide a more compelling reason to purchase this smartphone?
OnePlus has been accused for cheating in benchmarks of OnePlus 5 to produce maximum performance. In other words, every time a popular benchmark app is launched on OnePlus 5, it automatically recognizes it and produces impressive scores. However, Carl Pei, the co-founder of OnePlus as well as the head of global business for the company has responded on the issue on Reddit by saying that the company did not cheat in OnePlus 5 benchmarks.
According to Pei, the OxygenOS driven Android Nougat OS that comes preloaded with OnePlus 5 does increase the performance of the Snapdragon 835 SoC. However, it is similar to the chipset’s performance when OnePlus 5 is running 3D games or apps that consume a lot of resources.
The co-founder claims that by making the handset automatically produce high performance while running a benchmark app the company wanted to ensure that it can switch between multiple tasks smoothly and deliver faster performance. He emphasized that OnePlus 5 does not lower the screen’s resolution or overlocks the SD 835 chip, but the phone is simply delivering best performance when it detects that a benchmark apps is launched.
XDA Developers was the first one to reveal that OnePlus 5 is cheating in benchmarks apps. The publication had claimed that all the OnePlus 5 units that were sent by OnePlus to various publications for reviewing were manipulated to deliver optimal performance on benchmark apps. To address this claim, Pei said all the OnePlus 5 models are running on the same code suggesting that there is no chance of misleading.
Pei adds that running benchmarking apps are “not a useful proxy for real-life performance.” Users want to see the full potential of the phone while running benchmark apps on it without interference from tampering. He further stated that this is what the company wanted the users to see by making the phone deliver optimal performance on benchmarking apps.
The statement released by Carl Pei has not been well-appreciated by Redditors. Some stated that the phone’s temperature increased to 50-degree Celsius while running on GFXBench which makes it too difficult to hold. One of the Redditors stated that if OnePlus 5 will run a game in the same way it performs on a benchmark app, it would be difficult to play games while the device’s temperature is increased to 50-degree Celsius. Some others claimed that the deliberate attempt of OnePlus to make the OnePlus 5 produce optimal performance can be called as cheating as other OEMs are not resorting to such tactics.
What do you think about the OnePlus 5 benchmarks controversy? Has OnePlus cheated? Do let us know by sharing your views through comments.
Last year Xiaomi released the Mi Max and while it was definitely a niche product, it became very popular since the phone offered a lot of value for the price. This year, Xiaomi released the upgraded Mi Max 2 that has a humongous 6.44” display, metal body and a lot more. Learn more in our full Xiaomi Mi Max 2 review.
The phone ships with all the usual stuff, no extras included.
DESIGN and DISPLAY
Last year Xiaomi released the Mi Max and while it was definitely a niche product due to its large display, it became very popular since the phone offered a lot of value for the price.
Same as last year, the Mi Max 2 is definitely not for everyone since it is ridiculously huge due to it’s 6.44” 1080p display, which is really sharp and vibrant, and the sunlight legibility is decent. Some sources claim that the display is covered with the Gorilla Glass 4. I’m not 100% sure about that but I’m yet to scratch it.
The build quality is excellent as the phone is made entirely of metal, the antennas’ design looks better than on some older Xiaomi phones, the buttons do not rattle and in general, the Mi Max 2 looks and feels like a flagship phone.
We have a notification LED light, which is, however, not customizable like before.
The capacitive keys sport the same layout as usual and they are nicely backlit.
The fingerprint scanner is one of the best in class. It is fast, accurate and it allows you to unlock the phone straight from the standby mode.
HARDWARE and PERFORMANCE
The Mi Max 2 may look like a downgrade from the original Mi Max in terms of the processing power since it uses a slightly less powerful Snapdragon 625 chip, which is coupled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage. You can also opt in for a 128GB model if you need a lot of local storage.
I have to tell you that you don’t need to worry about phone’s gaming performance. The Mi Max 2 handles each game I played on the highest graphics setting very well, with just a few skipped frames. Also, I didn’t notice any overheating issues even after 30 mins of gaming.
BENCHMARKS
USER INTERFACE
My Xiaomi Mi Max 2 runs on the MIUI Global ROM 8.5 that is based on Android 7.1. As usual, we have quite a few features, tweaks and customization options Xiaomi phones have been famous for.
Just to name a few, I like changing the transition effects, choosing from a variety of themes or wallpapers, quickly launching the camera from the standby mode, adjusting a few display settings manually or using a built-in app lock feature.
Most importantly, the Mi Max 2 is really fast and fluid no matter what I do with it even after installing quite a few apps.
MULTIMEDIA and ENTERTAINMENT
Since the Mi Max 2 has a huge display, a lot of people will most likely use it for multimedia consumption or entertainment. Therefore, you need a good loudspeaker and the Mi Max 2 delivers in this department with its stereo speakers setup. One is on the bottom and another is embedded in the earpiece. The sound quality is one of the best you can find on any sub-$300 phone. The sound is rich, crisp and clear and the volume output is very good.
The sound quality via the headset jack is also great. No distortions and balanced sound.
CAMERAS
When it comes to optics, the Xiaomi Mi Max 2 has a 12MP camera that has f/2.0 aperture lens and dual tone dual-LED flash. The selfie camera uses a 5MP sensor. The stock Xiaomi camera app allows you to take pictures very fast. Also, there are a few shooting modes like a manual mode that lets you adjust a few image settings.
The daylight image quality is pretty good considering this is a $300 phone. The pictures are sharp, there is a good amount of detail and colors look nice. However, some of the shots may come out underexposed.
The low-light camera performance is not so great as images are really noisy and grainy.
The 4k video looks quite good. The footage is detailed and quite sharp. However, you may see some auto-focus issues, some video artifacts, and the auto-exposure can work more gracefully. Also, the video stabilization could be better. The 1080p video looks quite good too but naturally, there is less detail compared to the 4k footage. The slow-motion video is decent but there is quite a bit of noise and the auto-focus seems to be jumping too quickly.
The selfies look quite good and there should definitely be enough quality for social media needs.
The 1080p selfie video quality is decent. The sound recording quality is quite good but the sound volume is quite low for some reason.
When it comes to connectivity, the Mi Max 2 almost excellent. Wifi speed and range are great and the Bluetooth 4.2 works fine. Also, the navigation is very accurate thanks to the built-in GPS, Beidou and Glonass receivers. There is also a built-in FM radio. However, you have to know that the phone lacks the LTE band 20, and there is no NFC.
The Mi Max 2 has a hybrid dual-SIM card tray that can take either 2 SIMs or 1 SIM and the microSD card. The call quality and signal reception are great using either SIM card slot.
As for sensors, the Mi Max 2 has an accelerometer, ambient light, gravity, proximity and gyroscope sensors that work just fine. There is also an IR blaster that allows you to control devices like TVs.
BATTERY LIFE
The 5200mAh battery on the Mi Max 2 is just fantastic.
Snapdragon 625 is one of the most efficient chips out there and thus, you can use the phone for days. That translates to over 11 hours of screen-on time, depending on how you use the phone. In other words, you can use this phone for 4 or even 5 days, which is just an amazing result.
In case you need to recharge the battery, it takes just about 2.5 hours to do it with the supplied fast charger.
CONCLUSIONS
The Xiaomi Mi Max 2 is one of the best oversized budget phablets you can buy.
For the price of less than $300, you will get an all-metal device that just looks premium, a humungous 6.44” display, great all around performance, MIUI 8 with a ton of features, stereo speakers setup, and a killer battery life.
The camera performs quite good in daylight but it struggles in lower-lit situations and in the video mode. Also, the phone lacks NFC, LTE Band 20 and finally, this phone is definitely not for everyone due to its sheer size.
At the end of the day, the Xiaomi Mi Max 2 is still a fantastic option if you are looking for a super-sized phablet but as always, make sure to consider a few shortcomings before making a purchase.
The ZTE Nubia Z17 is the first Chinese flagship smartphone to come with Snapdragon 835 chipset and 8 GB of RAM. The highly popular Xiaomi Mi 6 which is also a very impressive flagship features the same Snapdragon 835 SoC but with 6 GB of RAM. Now, after months of leaks, the OnePlus 5 has been finally announced. Since it also features SD 835, 8 GB RAM and dual camera modules like the Nubia Z17, it would be interesting to see how both the smartphones stack up against each other.
OnePlus 5 vs. ZTE Nubia Z17: Display & Design
Display
OnePlus 5 continues to sport a 5.5-inch Optic AMOLED screen like the predecessor, OnePlus 3T. It supports a full HD resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. It supports a wider DCI-P3 color space and users are provided with display-centric features like Night mode and Reading mode. It offers a screen-to-body ratio of 73 percent and supports a pixel density of 403 ppi. The screen is shielded with Gorilla Glass 5.
The ZTE Nubia Z17, on the other hand, is fitted with a 5.5-inch IPS LCD panel that offers an FHD resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. It is a true bezel-less display that is equipped with Refractive Conduction Technology that makes the screen pop-out. Also, the Fringe Interactive Technology enables the Nubia Z17 to support edge gestures. It delivers a higher screen-to-body ratio of 74.7 percent. The version of the Gorilla Glass placed on the display of Nubia Z17 is not known yet.
Design
OnePlus 5 is the slimmest OnePlus phone so far as it measures 7.3 mm in thickness. It measures 154.2 x 74.1 mm and its weight is 153 grams. Its 64 GB model will come in Slate Gray color whereas the 128 GB variant will be available in Midnight Black color. OnePlus retains the same metal unibody design like its predecessor but lacks IP certification. It continues to sport a 3.5mm audio jack. Its fingerprint scanner is embedded under the Home button.
On the other side, the ZTE Nubia Z17 measures 152.6 x 72.4 x 7.6 mm and it weighs 173 grams. It comes in vibrant color choices such as Aurora Blue, Black Gold, Obsidian Black, Solar Gold and Flame Red. It also features a full metallic chassis and IP68 rating which makes it resistant to dust and water. There is no 3.5mm headphone jack on the phone. It comes with a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.
Our Pick: Nubia Z17
The OnePlus 5 has been criticized for its resemblance with iPhone 7 Plus. However, the bezel-less display of the Nubia Z17 along with IP68 certification and unique design makes it a winner in this segment.
OnePlus 5 vs. ZTE Nubia Z17: Hardware Specifications
Processor, RAM, and Storage
The OnePlus 5 and ZTE Nubia Z17 are both fueled by the Snapdragon 835 chipset. The 64 GB model of OnePlus 5 comes with 6 GB of RAM whereas its 128 GB variant has 8 GB of RAM. The Nubia Z17 comes in three variants such as 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage, 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage. The OP5 and Z17 are enabled with LPDDRX RAM and UFS 2.1 storage. Both the smartphones lack microSD card storage.
Battery
OnePlus 5 comes with a 3,300mAh battery. The company claims that battery can charge from zero to 95 percent in one hour through its Dash Charge rapid charging feature. The ZTE Nubia Z17 is the first smartphone to feature Qualcomm’s Quick Charge 4+ that promises 50 percent battery power by charging it only for 25 minutes.
Our Pick: Tie
It’s a bit difficult to choose a winner by theoretically comparing the hardware specs of the two phones as both come with SD 835, 6 GB / 8 GB RAM options, 64 GB and 128 GB storage options and similarly sized batteries. However, a winner in this segment can be only decided with real-world usage and by performing benchmark tests.
OnePlus 5 vs. ZTE Nubia Z17: Cameras
Rear Camera
The OnePlus 5 and ZTE Nubia Z17 are both enabled with dual rear cameras. OnePlus 5’s dual camera system includes a 16-megapixel Sony IMX398 sensor with f/1.7 aperture wide-angle lens. It offers features like 1.12micron pixel size, PDAF, 2x optical zoom, EIS and dual-LED flash. it is coupled with a 20-megapixel Sony IMX350 telephone lens with f/2.6 aperture.
The ZTE Nubia Z17’s rear-facing dual camera setup includes a 23-megapixel f/2.0 aperture lens and a 12-megapixel f/1.8 aperture lens. It also comes with features such as 1.4micron pixel size, PDAF, Dual Autofocus, artificial intelligence, 2x optical zoom and dual-LED flash.
Front Camera
The OnePlus 5’s frontal shooter includes a 16-megapixel Sony IMX350 sensor with f/2.0 aperture. It is enabled with features like EIS and Auto HDR. The Nubia Z17 features a 16-megapixel that comprises of an 80-degree wide-angle lens and f/2.0 aperture for snapping selfies.
Our Pick: Undecided
Again, the two phones are very strong competitors in the camera department as both are capable of shooting amazing photos even in low-light conditions as well as images with bokeh effect. The true winner between the two can be found only after personally testing both the camera capabilities of the dual rear lenses. However, it seems that OP5 is a better phone for shooting selfies than Nubia Z17.
OnePlus 5 vs. ZTE Nubia Z17: Features & iOS
OnePlus 5 comes with features like dual-SIM support, Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX HD, 4G LTE, dual band Wi-Fi, NFC and USB Type-C. It is running on OxygenOS flavored Android 7.1.1 Nougat that comes with some new features like reading mode and off-screen gestures.
The Nubia Z17 is also a 4G dual-SIM phone and it comes with some other features such as Bluetooth v4.1, dual-band Wi-Fi, NFC, IR blaster, Dolby Atmos speakers, USB Type-C, and USB OTG. The Android 7.1.1 Nougat OS customized with Nubia 5.0 UI comes preinstalled on the device. The Nubia Z17 is the first smartphone from the company to come with NeoSmart intelligence engine.
Our Pick: OnePlus 5
Both phones come with the latest Android Nougat version that are modified with their respective proprietary user interface. Compared to Nubia Z17, the OnePlus 5 tries to deliver stock Android experience and fluid performance.
Availability & Pricing
The OnePlus 5 is the first smartphone from the brand to break the $500 mark. Its 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage model is priced at $479 whereas the 8 GB RAM + 128 GB variant costs $539. It would be arriving in the U.S., Europe, Canada on June 27. It will be available in India and China from June 22. In China, 64 GB and 128 GB OnePlus 5 will be priced at 3,228 Yuan and 3,665 Yuan. In India, 64 GB and 128 GB models of OnePlus 5 will be selling with a respective pricing of Rs. 32,999 and Rs. 37,999. The phone will be also launching in Hong Kong.
The Nubia Z17 is only a major threat in the domestic markets as it is currently not available for purchase outside of China. Its three variants such as 6 GB RAM + 64 GB, 6 GB RAM + 128 GB, and 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage are respectively priced at 2,799 Yuan (~$410), 3,399 Yuan (~$497) and 3,999 Yuan (~$585).
OnePlus 5 vs. ZTE Nubia Z17: Conclusion
The OnePlus 5 will be available in wider markets within few weeks. However, it does not seem that the Nubia Z17 will be arriving in all the markets where the OnePlus 5 will be available. Hence, the only market where the Nubia Z17 can give tough competition to OP5 at present is China.
In terms of design, the ZTE Nubia Z17 appears to have a better appeal with bezel-less design along with a water and dust-resistant chassis. Moreover, it comes in multiple color choices than OP5. For many users, a 3.5mm headphone jack is still an important feature which is unavailable on the Nubia Z17, but available on the OP5. Both the beasts appear to be on par with each other in terms of hardware performance thanks to their high-end specs. As far as camera prowess is concerned, the photos snapped using the Nubia Z17 show how impressive it is in this department.
We hope that the comparison between the OnePlus 5 and ZTE Nubia Z17 provides a comprehensive information on what to expect from these flagship smartphones.
Want to compare the specifications of both phones or would you like to compare other phones? Here is our specs comparison tool.
Early reviews of the OnePlus 5 have been flooding the internet since its announcement yesterday. Over the course of the next couple of days we are bound to keep learning more about the new flagship.
Leakster @rquandt got a review unit yesterday and decided to check out what makes up the OnePlus 5. Using system information app AIDA64, he was able to find out that the OnePlus 5 uses the same Samsung s6e3fa5 display as the OnePlus 3T.
His finding was corroborated by tech reviewer @Nicole_Scooter and another twitter user @evil_pro_. The latter provided a screenshot of the AIDA 64 app running on the OnePlus 3T.
OnePlus 3T display
Since both phones use the same display resolution and size, this is not unusual. The only new addition is support for DCI-P3 screen calibration and the use of 2.5D Gorilla Glass 5.
sRGB isn’t a new feature. Although it wasn’t originally available for the OnePlus 3, it was later pushed out as an OTA update for it.
The Mijia crowdfunding product announced yesterday is a new member of Xiaomi’s smart home electronics. Called the Aqara Flood Sensor, what it does is simply alert you if your home is flooded.
There are times when one forgets that the bathroom tap has been left running. Just when you remember, the whole bathroom is flooded and water is starting to make its way into the other parts of the house. Other times, the cause may be a leak in the pipes. The bottom line is the house is flooded.
The Aqara Flood Sensor doesn’t prevent the flood but can alert you in time so you can turn off the taps or main water source.
The sensor which has a diameter of 50mm and a thickness of 15mm has probes that trigger a light and sound alarm when the water level reaches 0.5mm. It will also send a notification to your phone when the alarm goes off.
A neat feature it has is the ability to shut off the water valve if it is close enough. Do note that in this case, the valve has to be an electromagnetic one.
Vivo is set to announce its new flagship, the Vivo X11 soon.The phone manufacturer released a teaser image for an event scheduled to hold at this year’s edition of MWC Shanghai.
The teaser image gives us a hint about a new feature the unspecified Vivo phone is rumored to have. A fingerprint scanner integrated beneath the display. The poster shows a drawing of a phone placed horizontally and a fingerprint icon that cuts across the display. The poster also has the slogan “Unlock the Future”.
Although Vivo hasn’t specified that the launch is for the X11, we strongly believe it is. And these two hints point at the Vivo X11 being the first phone to launch with an embedded fingerprint scanner. Sources say Vivo has worked with Qualcomm on the technology.
Embedded fingerprint scanner is a feature that was expected to launch in flagship phones this year. Sadly phones we thought would feature the new fingerprint technology didn’t. Even those that haven’t launched yet, like the Galaxy Note 8 is said to have its fingerprint scanner on the rear.
Analyst, Pan Jiutang also shared a video showing a prototype Vivo phone with the new fingerprint technology. Although some say it is a fake.
Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy Note 8 later this year and the device’s launch date is already the subject of a couple of leaks. Earlier on, we had heard that the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 could likely make its debut t IFA Berlin 2017 which holds in September. But a new leak has emerged, stating that the Galaxy Note 8 would be launched on August 26 in New York City.
The latest rumour is suggestive of a launch before the commencement of IFA 2017 which could be that Samsung will still showcase the product as its latest offering at IFA, 2017. The tipster who leaked the info on Weibo also claims that the launch date was from Samsung Executives.
If you own a pair of VR glasses, you must have experienced the feeling of nausea that comes after using it for a while. Samsung plans to solve that by fitting its next Gear VR glasses with a 2000ppi display.
The info comes from industry insiders who say the display is a OLED. Samsung says crossing the 1000ppi mark eliminates the feeling of nausea caused from usage. Unlike the current Gear VR that requires the use of your phone, this will work independently.
2000ppi is pretty high. The Oculus Rift has a ppi of 461, same as that of the HTC Vive for each of its screens. The Galaxy S8 has a pixel density of 570 and that is the highest on any of its phones. But we are not bothered, as we believe Samsung Display is up to the task.
At this year’s edition of Display week, Samsung showed off a new 3.5-inch panel with a ppi of 858. We guess that is not enough to prevent nausea.
Apart from playing games, the new headset will be perfect for watching movies as the high resolution means videos are no longer pixelated.
Barely a day after the OnePlus 5 was officially unveiled in the U.S, the flagship phone has made its official debut in OnePlus’ home country of China. The OnePlus 5 was launched today with, of course, similar specs lineup but a far reduced price tag when compared to the price regime announced for U.S and Europe. Apart from the dual cameras, the 8GB RAM on board one of the versions makes the OnePlus 5 second to the Nubia Z17 as the only two Chinese model with 8GB RAM.
The OnePlus 5 is available in 6GB +64GB version and 8GB+128GB version. While the 6GB version starts at 2,999 Yuan ($438), the 8GB version will be sold in China for 3499 yuan($512). The device also come in just two colours whereby the 6GB version is available in Slate gray colour, while the 8GB version comes in Midnight Black colour only.
The OnePlus flagship is expected to go on sale in China from tomorrow June 22 by 10 AM. Reservations for the sale has long opened on Jingdong (JD. Com) with figures exceeding 500,000 days before the launch. The interesting thing about the reservation is that the 8GB version is stocked and as would be expected, it has the highest number of reservations.
Specs wise, the OP5 features a 2.45GHz Snapdragon 835, 6GB /8GB LPDDR4X RAM options, up to 128GB UFS 2.1 dual lane storage. The flagship device sports a 5.5-inch Optic AMOLED display with 1080p resolution and sRGB and DCI-P3 colour space support. The display is protected by a 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 5. Others include a 16MP Sony IMX398 sensor with f/1.7 aperture and another 20MP telephoto camera at the rear, a 16MP selfie sensor and a 33000mah battery with DASH charge technology, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0 and more.
The OnePlus 5 is that it will come with 34 LTE Band support, making it a truly global smartphone. There is a USB Type-C port as well as a 3.5mm audio jack which can both be used to connect a headphone. OnePlus also showcased a new Karbon Bumper case for the OnePlus 5. The company also released two new improved models of its OnePlus-branded Travel Backpack.
The Xiaomi Mi 6 “Silver Edition” that we had seen in hands-on images after the announcement 2 months ago, won’t be on sale anytime soon, according to Xiaomi Marketing Director, Zang Zhiyuan.
This recent confirmation by the Marketing Director was raised after an auction listing of the Mi 6 silver variant emerged online, with a starting price at ¥3999 (~$585). Since the last source report, the price had shot up to ¥16,999 ($2490.22).
Many home-based Mi fans and consumers have complained that this pre-release version of the Mi 6 was a marketing ploy to hype up the Mi 6 and that Xiaomi has cut costs by reducing the number of variants.
Zang Zhiyuan responded to the social media that the silver variant has proven to be very difficult to manufacture due to the ‘complex process’. We understand Zang has stated the amount of high-quality yield as insufficient for mass-production and trials are still underway to perfect the silver variant.
Furthermore, he defends that the Mi 6 variant is not suitable for consumers currently as the silver edition remains an engineering device and stated that Xiaomi had the right to pursue legal action against both the seller as well as the buyer since it’s the company’s asset.
Do you think that this was a marketing ploy? Should Xiaomi present unbuyable products?
The OnePlus 5 dual cameras are perhaps the most talked about feature on the flagship model which has started rolling out in some regions. OnePlus touts that the dual photos camera setup outputs clearer photos than ever before. We’ll take a quick look at the OnePlus 5 camera so we’ll be able to understand what makes the camera special.
OnePlus 5 Dual Camera Specs
OnePlus 5 features a dual camera setup that is composed of a 16MP primary camera and a 20MP Telephoto camera. The setup is quite similar to that of the iPhone 7 Plus and is quite different from the wide-angle sensor used in the LG G6 or the black and white sensor that is found on Huawei’s range of devices with dual cameras. The OnePlus 5 telephoto sensor is capable of providing 2X magnification without loss of image’s integrity and clarity.
In terms of its similarity with that of the iPhone 7 Plus, the OnePlus 5 camera has a dedicated Portrait mode similar to that of the Apple flagship. The Portrait mode uses the 2X zoom feature of the dual camera and then applies a background blur to the image which will, in turn, lead to the principal captured image being highlighted. The telephoto camera of the OP5 has a narrower aperture which allows less light getting in and the sensor uses smaller pixels which are likely more prone to digital noise. In that case, the camera is unlikely to be usable in low light conditions. However, the photo sample shared by OnePlus does not support this.
Apart from the features on the telephoto sensor, the main camera on the OnePlus 5 also sees several upgrades like a wider f/1.7 aperture as against a f/2.0 aperture on the OnePlus 3T. The wider aperture is expected to lead to clearer photos with less noise and less motion blur. The main sensor is a Sony IMX398 sensor and it uses a Fast AF (autofocus) technology which is a kind of phase-detection autofocus. The technology will enable the OP5 to focus 40% faster than the 3T with a lot more accuracy. The rear camera setup is lacking an optical image stabilization (OIS) feature and it is believed to have been dropped as a result of the size of the phone which is just 7.25 mm thin. The OIS is supposed to assist in low-light situations by keeping the frame steady, thus reducing motion blur. It is also commonly used to reduce shakiness in videos. Instead of OIS, the OnePlus camera comes with an electronic image stabilization which is expected to function as effectively as the OIS.
OnePlus 5 Camera Software: What’s New?
Another aspect that is just important in the production of clearer photos these days is the camera software features which includes multi-frame processing for less digital noise. How this works is that the camera compares multiple frames of the same scene to detect inconsistencies and then the software clears them up. The camera also has an improved HDR mode which is expected to take clearer photos of subjects situated behind bright light sources.
The OnePlus 5 camera feature also includes manual controls which would make more sense to professional photographers and allow them to set the camera for optimal performance. Settings like white balance, focus, shutter speed, and ISO can be controlled independently to achieve the look or effect wanted in a given situation. OnePlus is also adding a histogram on the OnePlus 5 camera software as well as a gyroscope-guided level to help you keep those horizons straight.
The OnePlus 5 camera shoots video at up to 4K resolution and despite the lack of OIS, the videos are expected to be stable first as the frame is stabilised by the camera software. OnePlus didn’t release any video sample but we expect the result to be top notch. In addition to the frames, the video sound quality will also improve as the OnePlus 5 now has higher-grade microphones that are capable of capturing even louder sounds. The sound is touted to be of concert quality without crackling distortion.
We’ll surely put the camera to test when we bring you the fullOnePlus 5 review right here on Gizmochina. Until then, here are a couple of sample photos shot on the OnePlus 5.
Since the Note 8 is speculated to launch in August end, the LG V30 is likely to break cover earlier in the same month. The LG V10 was introduced in October 2015 whereas its successor had arrived in September 2016. The LG V20 is the first non-Google device to come with Android Nougat preinstalled. There is no confirmation on whether the LG V30 would be launching with Android O in August.
A report that is almost a month old had revealed that the LG V30 would be equipped with an OLED panel. According to the leakster, the OLED panel for the LG V30 will be supplied by LG Display. Previous speculations have suggested that the LG V30 may have a curved OLED panel.
The Snapdragon 821 driven LG G6 is fitted with a LCD panel. The LG G6 features a 5.7-inch Full Vision LCD screen that offers an aspect ratio of 18:5 and produces a display resolution of 1,440 x 2,880 pixels. The LG V30 is now speculated to come with a Full Vision OLED screen. Previous have also suggested that the secondary ticker screen will be placed at the top bezel area of the screen.
The leakster further claims that the LG V30 will be driven by Snapdragon 835 chipset and 6 GB of RAM. How will it compete with the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 that will be coming with dual rear cameras? The tipster has revealed that the LG V30 will be equipped with dual cameras at the front and rear.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ were introduced with full-screen design at March end this year. In order to grab the attention of the market, LG debuted the LG G6 phone earlier this year during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017.
Going ahead in this year, the Galaxy Note 8 is slated to launch in August end and the next-generation iPhones totting full-screen design are expected to launch in September. The Google Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 are pegged to launch in October. Hence, instead of releasing LG V series phone in October as it did before, LG may want to launch the LG V30 earlier this year in August so that it can attract the market by arriving before the popular flagship phones.
One of the most awaited flagship smartphone of 2017, the OnePlus 5, has been officially announced. It seems that several days before the official announcement, OnePlus had pre-production units for the purpose of reviewing to multiple online publications. JerryRigEverything, a YouTuber who is well-known for performing various kinds of torture tests on smartphones to check its durability has also performed a torture test on OnePlus 5.
OnePlus 5 Scratch Test
OnePlus 5’s 5.5-inch Optic AMOLED screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 5. In the scratch test, the display remains intact even when at Level 6 on the Mohs scale. However, visible scratches with deeper groove can be seen at Level 7. The HTC U Ultra with sapphire screen scratched at Level 8. The selfie camera of the phone is also placed under the Gorilla Glass 5 which gives it all the protection it needs. The metal earpiece can be scratched with few attempts.
As far as OnePlus 5, the durability of its screen is on par with other flagships like Samsung Galaxy S8 and Apple iPhone 7. In other words, items like keys, coins and razors will not easily scratch the screen of OnePlus 5. The Home button that is incorporated with a fingerprint scanner is covered with ceramic. Since it is harder than glass, it is almost un-scratchable.
The dual camera module sitting on the rear side of the phone features a 16-megapixel sensor and a 20-megapixel sensor. It is equipped with features like EIS and 2x optical zoom. The dual camera setup is also shielded with Gorilla Glass 5. However, the LED flash is covered with plastic which gets scratched easily with little effort.
The backside of the phone that is made of anodized metal could scratch easily with a razor blade. In order to simulate the scratch-resistance of the metal shell in daily, items like keys and coins were used. The scratches made with these items were not significant and could be erased by rubbing with fingers as seen in the video at 3:35. The Power key, dual-SIM slot, volume buttons and Mute switch are all made up of premium metal. There is a plastic buffer present between the glass and metal frame that will protect the screen from breaking easily when dropped.
OnePlus 5 Burn Test for Display
When it comes to burn test by using a flame directly on the Optic AMOLED screen, the display remained undamaged for a long time of 40 seconds after which a faint white mark was seen at the portion where the flame was applied. However, unlike some of the other flagships, the affected pixels did not recover.
The next test that was performed on OnePlus is the build quality test. Before the launch of OnePlus, the company confirmed that it is the thinnest OnePlus phone. It sports a slim profile of 7.25mm. When the press was applied at the center to bend it, the screen poped out of the frame, but it does not appear to bend further. This shows that there is no waterproofing on it. When the pressure is put from the center of the front panel, there is no bending as the screen fits inside the metal frame. JerryRigEverything confirms that OnePlus 5 successfully passes the bend test.
Here is the video by JerryRigEverything that shows the different tests that has been performed on OnePlus 5 to reveal its sturdiness:
After all the hype building, OnePlus has finally unveiled the OnePlus 5 flagship killer. Soon after it was unveiled, a report from XDA Developers has surfaced that claims that the Chinese firm had sent manipulated review units to various publications. These units could benchmark tests to record highest scores.
In the past too, OnePlus has been accused for cheating in benchmarks. Unlike producing misleading benchmark scores on OnePlus 5, the company had previously found cheating in OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T smartphones to decrease variance and thermal throttling. At that time, the publication came to a conclusion that it was because of merging of OxygenOS and Hydrogen OS teams at OnePlus. The Chinese manufactured had released a statement confirming that such an issue will not be there in the upcoming builds of OxygenOS.
A few weeks before the official launch of OnePlus 5, the smartphone was spotted outperforming Samsung Galaxy S8 and Google Pixel XL in benchmark tests. This could be because the pre-production units were manipulated to show maximized performance. According to XDA Developers, it received a pre-production unit of OnePlus 5 about ten days before its official unveiling. It states that not only the review unit they have received but also the ones that were sent to other sites contains a cheating mechanism that makes the phone attain highest scores in benchmark apps. Hence, the publication is accusing OnePlus for misleading benchmarks data on OnePlus 5.
OnePlus 5 is powered by Snapdragon 835 chipset that includes four Kryo 280 cores running at 2.45 GHz and another four Kryo 280 cores working at 1.7 GHz. According to XDA Developers, the cheating mechanism is done by keeping the little cores running at the maximum frequency of 1.9 GHz all the time while the benchmark test is performed. This makes it possible to achieve higher scores than other flagships driven that are powered by Snapdragon 835.
When the cheating mechanism is not employed, it was found that only 24.4 percent readings had the CPU running at max processing speed of 1.9GHz. However, with cheating mechanism enabled, the OnePlus 5 could deliver highest performance in 95 percent of readings.
Hence, the publication claims that benchmark tests of OnePlus 5 on Geekbench 4, AnTuTu, Androbench, GFXBench, Quadrant, Nenamark 2 and Vellamo are all showing misleading scores because of the cheating mechanism used. Running the CPU cores at highest speed constantly can cause the device to heat up so much that it would become uncomfortable to hold it. In GFXBench test, the outer metallic cover of the OnePlus 5 reached a temperature of 50 degrees Celsius.
Here is the reply that XDA Developers received when the publication reached out to OnePlus on the issue:
“People use benchmark apps in order to ascertain the performance of their device, and we want users to see the true performance of the OnePlus 5. Therefore, we have allowed benchmark apps to run in a state similar to daily usage, including the running of resource intensive apps and games. Additionally, when launching apps the OnePlus 5 runs at a similar state in order to increase the speed in which apps open. We are not overclocking the device, rather we are displaying the performance potential of the OnePlus 5.”
The above statement has not been well-received by online publications. When OnePlus was caught cheating in OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T, the company accepted its wrongdoing. However, this time around, it seems to be defending its tactics. XDA Developers has stated that overclocking the little cores is not a precise representation of the smartphone’s daily usage.
Cheating in benchmark tests can negatively impact the sales of OnePlus 5. The OnePlus 5 is still a very powerful phone with Snapdragon 835 and 8 GB RAM. The way benchmarks run on a device is definitely not how it performs in daily usage. Hence, buyers who do not concern about benchmark tests before buying a smartphone is unlikely to face any performance related issue on the OnePlus 5.
The OnePlus 5 is already accused for its resemblance with iPhone 7 Plus and higher pricing. We will have to wait and see how it is received by the audience.
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