Zoji Z6 Review: Rugged, Light & Affordable

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Aug 7, 2017

Zoji is a new smartphone line from HomTom which itself is a sub-brand of DOOGEE. The Zoji line is aimed at providing users with rugged smartphones that are light and affordable. At the moment there are two phones under their belt: the Zoji Z6 and the Zoji Z7. I’ve had the former for a couple of weeks now and this is my review of the device.

Before I dive into the review, let’s take a look at the specs.

ZOJi Z6 Specs

4.7-inch HD Display with Gorilla Glass 4
1GB RAM
8GB ROM
MTK6580 Quad-Core SoC clocked at 1.3GHz
8MP rear cameras with LED flash
5MP front facing camera
3000mAh Battery
Fingerprint Scanner
IP68 Rating
Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano Only)
Micro SD Card Slot
3.5mm Audio Jack

Zoji Z6 Design

The Zoji Z6 is a mixture of metal and plastic, hard polycarbonate plastic that can take a beating. Once you hold it, you can tell it is a rugged phone from the way it is built. It is not ugly neither is it beautiful so it will probably go unnoticed when you bring it out of your pocket.

The Z6 is IP68 certified meaning you can dunk it in water and not have to worry about it getting spoilt. However, you have to make sure all the flaps are tightly shut which brings us to the first issue I have with the phone.

Zoji’s way of making this phone waterproof is covering all the ports with thick flaps. Opening these flaps the first time isn’t easy and if you have long nails, you need to be careful not to break them. You have three flaps in total: one for the charging port, another for the audio jack at the top, and a third that covers the SIM tray on the left.

The issue I have is with the earphone and charging ports. Because of the rugged design of the phone, the ports are buried deep which means your charging cable or earphone cable has to have a really long connector to reach it. To get the picture, imagine a soldier wearing an armor who needs to reach into the pockets of the clothing underneath.

The result is that earphones or auxiliary cables with a right-angle design won’t work since the connector won’t fully plug into the port. For charging cord, make sure you don’t leave the one that comes with it at home or lose it or else you will have to shave off the plastic from a spare cable.

This con also made it impossible to try my USB OTG flash drive.

Software

The Zoji Z6 comes with Android AOSP. There are very few bloatware apps which you can disable or uninstall. The phone uses capacitive buttons which sadly are not back-lit but at this price-point, it is not a deal breaker. You can choose between using an app drawer or having all the icons on the homescreen. There is Google Play Store and Gmail pre-installed, any other Google app you need can be downloaded from the store.

If you are familiar with Android AOSP, then you should know phones like this come with some additional features like gesture support and smart motions.

The storage is small, so if you plan to use this as a daily driver, you should invest in a microSD card. Since it is Android 6.0, you should be able to use the microSD card as an adoptable storage. I don’t have a microSD card slot as I haven’t used a phone that supports one in years, so I couldn’t test it.

The fingerprint scanner isn’t fast but it gets the job done. Sometimes you may have to try it twice before it responds.

Camera

The camera isn’t spectacular and takes fairly ok shots outdoors. Indoors, you have to make sure there is enough light to make sure the objects are visible as the LED flash does next to nothing. The camera app is slow too, so this shouldn’t be your choice if you are trying to take fast moving objects.

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Battery Life

There is a 3000mAh non-removable battery in it. It won’t last a whole day and will provide about 3.5 hours of screen on time.

Additional Features

There are some nice features that I like such as the fact that it has a FM radio which you also lets you record live broadcasts. This is feature that is missing from most phones these days

Waterproof Test

The Zoji Z6 has an IP68 Rating. It is even boldly written on the back of the phone. I decided to try it out and I was disappointed. It does a good job keeping the water out but is practically unusable under running water or even submerged. The screen didn’t respond to my several attempts at unlocking it neither did the scanner. Though the latter was expected.

The Zoji is waterproof literally but if you take it swimming and think you can use it under water, I’m sorry to burst your bubble but it won’t work.

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Get Doogee Mix for as low as $159.97!

By

Linus

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Aug 7, 2017

All smartphone manufacturers appear to cut the corners of their displays and make them look bezel-less. There is not much practical use of that but those infinity displays just look great. The Chinese phone maker Doogee aims to deliver bezel less smartphone experience on a budget. You can now get the Doogee Mix for as low as $159.97 from lightinthebox.com

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wm0j5a4Tpc[/embedyt]

The design is the key selling point of Doogee Mix but the main question is if the device is truly bezel-less. Well, there are tiny bezels along with the black bars but they are cut to the minimum. Even though I would not call the Doogee Mix a truly bezel-less phone, it is still one of the best-looking budget devices you can buy. Anyway, the Xiaomi Mi Mix is not fully bezel-less neither.

A Samsung-made 5.5” 1080p AMOLED display is just gorgeous to look at as it is punchy and vibrant. However, I found the colors to be slightly oversaturated for my taste. The sunlight legibility is not the best but it is quite decent.

The Doogee Mix is not all about the looks as it is plenty powerful for the price. The device ships with an octa-core Helio P25 chip, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage. You can also opt in for a slightly more expensive model that has 6GB of RAM.

You can now get the Doogee Mix for as low as $159.97 from lightinthebox.com

If you pay a little extra, you can get a 6GB model for just $179.97.

Buy Doogee Mix (4GB model)

Buy Doogee Mix (6GB model)

Samsung To Use Substrate-Like PCB For Galaxy S9 To Allow For Bigger Battery

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Aug 7, 2017

In the last few years, we have witnessed a huge upgrade in a number of components that make up a phone. However, some have largely remained the same, one of which is the battery. Smartphone batteries are still poor in terms of how long they last. The only solution manufacturers have come up with is making them bigger and or adding fast charge.

Samsung’s plan for the 2019 Galaxy S9 is to fit a bigger battery inside it. A bigger battery usually means a thicker or larger phone unless you are able to shrink the size of the other components. Samsung’s approach to the matter is to use a Substrate-like PCB which will let it reduce the size of the main board, making way for a bigger battery.

Just like batteries, the main board of phones haven’t seen much change. They still take up a lot of space unlike silicon chips and cameras which are now smaller. Substrate-like PCB or SLP for short, isn’t a new technology, it just isn’t widely used by smartphone manufacturers. Report has it that this year’s iPhone 8 will have SLPs.

The other advantage SLP has over the technology currently in use, which is High Density Interconnect (HDI), is that it allows for thinner connections (<15nm) between components. So since the distance between components are smaller and the board itself occupies less space, manufacturers can fit in bigger batteries.

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Meizu M6 Note Details Leaked: Helio P25, Dual Cameras Similar to Redmi Pro’s

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Aug 7, 2017

Despite still basking in the media attention the release of the Pro 7 elicited, Meizu is reportedly working on a new model which is the M6 Note, a successor to the M5 Note released last year. The M5 Note turned out to be a very popular device when it went on sale, with over a million units sold in just 21 seconds during its first sales. Some of the specifications of the Meizu M6 Note have reportedly surfaced online, as usual, from China’s Weibo the hub of China leaks.

According to the leaked specifications list, the Meizu M6 Note will feature a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The device will be powered by one of MediaTek’s latest chip, the Helio P25 (MT6757T) chip which is a 64-bit octa-core processor with Mali-T880 GPU. The processor will be backed by 3GB of RAM on some models while others will have 4GB of RAM. The storage will be either a 32GB and 64GB variant respectively. The M6 Note will also come with a dual camera setup which the tipster discloses will be like the Xiaomi Redmi Pro’s setup, that is a Sony IMX 258 main sensor. The camera is a 13MP sensor while the device will get its juice from a 4,000mAh battery.

In addition, the posters also reveal the M6 Note will come with an all metal unibody and a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. The leak also pitches the 4GB RAM variant of the M6 Note as coming with a 1,599 Yuan price tag (around $237). We can’t say when the device will be launched but that will likely be before the end of the year.

(source)

Rumor: Bezel-less Honor Note 9 To Use Kirin 670 Based on 12nm Process

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Aug 7, 2017

Apart from the Huawei Mate 10 which is expected to be launched before the end of the year, Huawei‘s elite Honor brand is also expected to take the wraps off the Honor Note 9 this year. The Note 9 is expected to feature a full-screen display and launch in September, which is next month.

A new rumour has now revealed that the Honor Note 9 would come packing a new Hisilicon Kirin 670 chip. Until this latest rumour, the Note 9 was said to feature a Kirin 965 SoC. The Kirin 670 chip is said to be fabricated using the 12nm manufacturing process and would among other things feature four Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 2.0GHz as well as a Mali G72 MP4 GPU. The full details of the unannounced chip are still sketchy but we’ll bring you more information here on Gizmochina as they unravel.

Earlier reports had tipped the Honor Note 9 as launching during IFA Berlin 2017 in Germany and also, it is expected to feature an 18:9 aspect ratio just like the Galaxy S8 as well as a full-screen design. The display will be covered with a 2.5D Curved glass and there will be narrow bezels at the upper and lower edges while the sides will be bezel-less. The Note 9 is also tipped to feature a 6.6-inch 2k display and would pack a dual camera set up at the rear as well as an 8MP front camera. The device is also expected with a 5,100mAh battery, 6GB RAM and Android 7.1.1 Nougat with a touch of Huawei’s EMUI.

(source)

LG Q6 Heading To India On August 10 As An Amazon Exclusive

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Aug 7, 2017

LG’s latest FullVision display smartphone, the LG Q6 will be available in India come Thursday. This will be the second country getting it following its launch in Korea last month.

The LG Q6 has a 5.5-inch FHD+ FullVision Display with an 18:9 ratio providing you with an immersive video experience. The unique display also translates to a smaller body making it one of the few 5.5-inch devices you can operate with just one hand.

It has the mid-range Snapdragon 435 inside it paired with 3GB of RAM. Built-in storage is 32GB with support for expansion via a dedicated microSD slot.

For optics, the LG Q6 has a 13MP camera on the back and a 5MP front facing camera with a 100° viewing angle for those wide-angle selfies. The phone will also have the new Square Camera mode for creative images.

There are dual SIM slots, Bluetooth 4.2, and a micro USB port for connectivity. Battery is 3000mAh and there is Android 7.1.1 Nougat pre-installed. Sadly, the LG Q6 doesn’t have a fingerprint scanner. Instead you get face unlock and LG’s signature KnockCode.

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Windows 10-Powered Alcatel Idol 4 Pro Now Available for Purchase In The UK

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Aug 7, 2017

The Alcatel Idol 4s Windows Edition released last year is one of the few Windows 10 smartphones in the market. Nearly a year after its release, it is just going on sale in the UK under a new name, Alcatel Idol 4 Pro.

The Snapdragon 820 smartphone was supposed to be available in France and Germany back on July 26 but was delayed till July 31, and pushed to August 7 in the UK. Now, you can visit the Microsoft website in these three regions and you will find it available for purchase.

The Idol 4 Pro has a 5.5-inch Full HD AMOLED display protected by a 2.5D Dragontrail Glass. The display has an oleophobic coating and viewing angle of 180°. There is 4GB of RAM paired with 64GB of storage with a MicroSD card slot that accepts up to 512GB cards.

The rear camera packs a 21MP 1.12μm sensor with a f/2.2 aperture. Up front is an 8MP sensor that can record in 2K at 30fps, 1080p at 60fps, and 720p at 120fps.

The Idol 4 Pro has dual stereo speakers, a dedicated audio chipset for Hi-Fi audio and a smart amplifier. There is Bluetooth 4.1, dual band WiFi, a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and a nano-SIM card slot. Under the hood is a 3000mAh battery that supports Quick Charge.

Since this is a flagship Windows 10 smartphone, it has support for Microsoft Continuum. Just hook up the phone to a Continuum accessory and pair it with a monitor, keyboard and mouse and you have a Windows 10-powered PC.

The Alcatel Idol 4 Pro sells for £419.99 ($548.25) tax inclusive and comes in Gold. In the US, Amazon has it for £210.65 ($275) and even includes a pair of Alcatel branded VR goggles. If you plan on buying it there, you have to confirm the bands work with your network provider. The bands supported according to a user who bought it are below:

GSM Quad-band 850/900/1800/1900
UMTS Bands: 1, 2, 4, 5
LTE Bands: 2, 4, 12, 5, 7, 17.

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Foxconn VP Shares Sharp Aquos S2 Camera Samples Ahead of August 8 Launch

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Aug 7, 2017

Sharp has long released a poster that points at an August 8 launch date for the Sharp Aquos S2 which has been the subject of leaks for a while now. Ahead of the launch event, Foxconn Technology Group’s senior VP Dr. Luo Zhongsheng has shared a couple of sample photos shot by the Aquos S2’s camera. Foxconn pretty much owns the Sharp brand, in case you’re wondering the connection. The Aquos S2 is expected to pack a dual camera setup at the rear and that is reflected by the watermark on some of the photos.

The Sharp Aquos S2 is expected to come with a number of sleek features and more than one variant. There will likely be up to three variants, with the top most variant expected to pack a 2160 x 3840 display (UHD). The device also features stunning set of themes which the VP had shared a couple of days back. Now, talking about the sample photos, the Aquos S2’s dual camera is shown to be capable of giving Bokeh effects to photos but we can’t say if it is going to be an RGB or monochrome combination or a wide angle + telephoto combination. The VP also shared sample photos shot in a dark area and they point at a camera setup that not only performs in areas with good visibility but also in the dark using the camera’s flash light.

Basically, the Aquos S2 is expected to feature a 5.5-inch display on all variants while the resolution may vary, with one having a 4K resolution. The device is expected with a 12MP + 8MP dual camera setup and up to 6GB of RAM.Also expected, is a Snapdragon 660 processor on one of the variants, as well as a Snapdragon 330 powered variant. There may likely be a variant with a flagship SoC but we’ll keep our fingers crossed on that. The Aquos S2 is also expected to come with a full-screen display without bezels and a fingerprint sensor that won’t be at the rear but on the display itself. Qualcomm recently unveiled the in-display fingerprint technology, could we be seeing it for the first time on the Sharp model? We’ll find out about that tomorrow when the device goes official. Check out some more photos from below.

(source)

Zhimi Teases Air Conditioner Launching On August 10

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Aug 6, 2017

Zhimi isn’t a brand most people are familiar with but I’m sure you have heard of their products before but under a different name. The Mi Air Purifiers. Yes, Zhimi is the company behind Xiaomi’s Mi Air Purifiers, just as 1More is behind the Xiaomi Piston earphones and Huami makes the Mi Band.

It is not unusual to see some of these companies release products under their own names like the Amazfit Smartwatch. Zhimi just teased a new product set for an August 10 launch and we think it is an air conditioner.

The teaser shows a temperature reading along with a fan icon and a meter that shows the speed of air flow. These hints point at an air-conditioning unit.

There is no detail about the design and pricing of the Zhimi Air Conditioner, so we will have to wait till Thursday to find out. The event will hold in Beijing and will begin at 1400hrs (Beijing local time).

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Speculated to Come with In-screen Fingerprint Scanner

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Aug 6, 2017

Reports have claimed that Samsung failed to embed the fingerprint scanner under the screen of the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ smartphones. Also, the upcoming Galaxy Note 8 is unlikely to feature it. Fresh information shared by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the Galaxy Note 9 would be coming with an in-screen fingerprint scanner

The most noticeable trend that can be seen in 2017 smartphones is the introduction of full-screen displays. Such smartphones do not feature front-facing fingerprint scanners. The first full-screen phone is the Xiaomi Mi MIX concept phone that had debuted in October 2016. In this year, the LG G6, Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ have already arrived with full-screen displays. Theses phones have rear-facing fingerprint scanners.

The upcoming Galaxy Note 8 will continue to feature rear-mounted fingerprint reader. In a bid to include full-screen display on the rumored iPhone 8 that is speculated to launch in September, Apple is speculated to have replaced the Touch ID feature with an iris scanning feature called Face ID.

Previous reports have claimed that Samsung and Apple have failed in their attempts at incorporating the fingerprint scanner under the display of their 2017 flagships. The deployment of adding rear-facing fingerprint scanners on Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ have met with disappointments from critics and users as there is a possibility of accidently smudging the camera lens while accessing the biometric recognition feature. To avoid accidental smudging on the upcoming Note 8, Samsung is rumored to have placed the LED flash unit between the dual rear cameras and the fingerprint scanner.

Sharp and Vivo are two companies that have successfully managed ted to embed the fingerprint reader under the screen of the respective upcoming smartphones, Sharp Aquos S2 and Vivo Xplay7. According to Kuo, the Galaxy S9 and S9+ that are slated to debut in the first of 2018 will be coming with rear-mounted fingerprint readers. He is of the view that the Galaxy Note 9 will be the first in-screen fingerprint scanner totting smartphone from Samsung.

Currently, Synaptics is providing fingerprint sensors to Samsung. However, in the next year, Samsung will replace Synaptics with Egis for the biometric recognition sensor, claims Kuo. The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will need some unique selling points and the arrival of in-screen of fingerprint scanner could be one of its bestselling features that will also set it apart from the Galaxy S9 duo.

(source)

Alleged iPhone 8 Display Assembly Appears without Touch ID in Leaked Images

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Aug 6, 2017

Plenty of details of the rumored iPhone 8 have appeared through the code of the firmware for Apple’s HomePod. One of things that have unearthed through it is that iPhone 8 may come with a 3D face recognition feature called Face ID instead of Touch ID fingerprint sensor. Leaked images of the alleged display assembly of the iPhone 8 suggests that it does not feature a Touch ID sensor.

An image of the front panel of the rumored iPhone 8 that had appeared in the previous week had revealed that its u-shaped upper bezel has cutouts for a pair of iris sensors for 3D face recognition feature. The leaked images of display assembly of the iPhone 8 show the presence of the same cutouts that probably belong to the iris sensors. Recent rumors have revealed that the facial recognition feature will not allow users to unlock the iPhone 8 but also to make payments through Apple Pay.

If this is true, there is a high possibility that the special edition iPhone that will be introduced in celebration of the tenth anniversary of iPhones will not feature Touch ID fingerprint scanner. Comparing the image of the display with that of the front panel of iPhone 8, it can be seen that a second horizontal shaped present on the latter cannot be seen in the newer images.

There are some conflicting rumors that claim that the Cupertino company has successfully managed to test the iPhone 8 with on-screen fingerprint scanner. And there are some other reports that suggest that it would be arriving with a rear-facing fingerprint scanner. Some leaked renders show that the iPhone 8 would be coming with an elongated Power button that is integrated with Touch ID sensor.

According to well-known KGI Securities analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, the Cupertino company has cancelled the plans on embedding the fingerprint scanner under the screen of the next-generation flagship iPhone. However, there is no confirmation on when Apple decided to axe the embedded Touch ID feature. The removal of the Touch ID enabled Home button from the frontside could certainly make it possible to include a full-screen display on the upcoming iPhone 8.

The above leaked image showing the internals of the iPhone 8 (codenamed as Ferrari) suggests the presence of wireless charging ring along with a double-stacked circuit board. It also suggests that the rumored iPhone 8 would be coming with a L-shaped large-sized battery that will allow it to deliver enhanced battery life.

(source 1,2)

iPhone SE 2 Release Rumored in Q1 2018

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Aug 6, 2017

The iPhone 5S that was launched in 2013 came with a 4-inch display. Since then, Apple has been releasing large-sized iPhones. Last year, Apple had released a 4-inch iPhone SE (Special Edition) for those iPhone fans who prefer small-sized iPhones. Since it came with a low pricing compared to other bigger iPhones, it was well-received among Apple fans. Fresh information suggests Apple may release a second-generation edition of the iPhone SE in the first quarter of 2018.

In the previous month, a French publication had reported that the iPhone SE 2 would be debuting in this month. However, fresh information suggests that it may be true that the iPhone SE 2 is under works, but it won’t be releasing this year. Wistron, a Taiwanese contract electronics maker has been manufacturing the first-generation iPhone SE in India since May. The Taiwanese company plans to build a new assembling facility in Bangalore, India in order to increase the production by threefold over the next five years.

Industry insiders are of the view that Apple iPhone SE 2 will be made by built Wistron and its shipments will begin in India in the first quarter of next year. It is rumored to release first in India before it is released in other countries. The iPhone SE 2 is expected to be available with a cheaper pricing since it will benefit from 10 percent reduction in customs duty tax.

iPhone SE 2 Specifications

The iPhone SE 2 is rumored to feature a 4-inch or a 4.2-inch screen. It is expected to be powered by Apple A10 chipset and 2 GB of RAM. The latest iOS 11 is expected to come preloaded on the iPhone SE 2. A 12-megapixel camera that is available on the iPhone 7 is rumored to be present on the iPhone SE 2 along with a 5-megapixel selfie snapper.

The second-generation Touch ID sensor that was introduced on the iPhone 6S is speculated to arrive on the iPhone SE. The original iPhone SE came with a 1,624mAh battery. However, it successor may arrive with a larger battery of 1,700mAh capacity. It is likely to arrive in two storage editions of 32 GB and 128 GB. It is expected to be priced at 399 euros ($469). Currently, the 16 GB and 32 GB editions of the iPhone SE are available on Amazon India with respective pricing of Rs. 24,800 ($389) and Rs. 25,480 ($400).

(source 1,2,3)

Nokia 2: FCC Certification Reveals Band Support and Dimensions, Still No Specs

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Aug 6, 2017

Last week live photos of the Nokia 2, said to have been gotten from the FCC were leaked online. More details have surfaced from the FCC filing but still doesn’t include some of the key specs.

The new info includes schematics and band support for the Nokia 2 a.k.a TA-1029. Even though the Nokia 2 is a budget-smartphone, it will have LTE but limited to just three bands according to the document. The three bands are FDD-LTE B3 (2600 MHz) and B5 (850 MHz), and TDD-LTE B38 (2600 MHz). The Nokia 2 also supports WCDMA (1900 and 900 MHz) and 2.4GHz WiFi.

The schematics show the dimensions and the antenna placements for the phone. The Nokia 2 measures 15.4 cm diagonally (bezels included). With the design of the other Nokia phones so far and the images provided, we are looking at a display size of between 4.5 and 5.0 inches with a 720p resolution.

There is a wireless antenna at the bottom of the phone and a Bluetooth antenna at the top right corner.

The Nokia 2 is expected to come with Qualcomm’s low-end Snapdragon 210/212 mobile platform. It will be paired with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage. The quad-core chips only supports up to 8MP cameras, so that is the max we expect on either side of the phone.

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Coolpad Note 5 Lite C Launched: Metal Body, Budget Specs & Cheap Price Tag

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Aug 6, 2017

It’s been a while since Coolpad released a smartphone especially after the financial troubles of LeEco started. The last reported launch we reported was the Coolpad Cool Play 6 but a new smartphone has been launched by the tech company in India dubbed Coolpad Note 5 Lite C. The phone is a trimmed down version of the Coolpad Note 5 Lite launched in March this year and is the first model Coolpad will launch that would be sold exclusively offline. Also, it runs Android 7.1 Nougat based Cool 8.0 UI, another first for Coolpad.

The Coolpad Note 5 Lite C is an entry level smartphone despite having Android Nougat onboard and having a metal unibody. As far as specs go, the Note 5 Lite C comes with a 5-inch IPS display having a resolution of 1,280 x 720 pixels. The device also features a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 (MSM8909) processor running at 1.1 GHz as well as an Adreno 304 GPU. The processor is backed by a 2GB of RAM and there is 16GB of expandable storage. In addition, the Note 5 Lite C features an 8MP main camera at the rear with an f/2.4 aperture and LED flash, as well as a 5MP camera on the front with an f/2.4 aperture. The device also packs a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, dual SIM slots, 4G LTE and is fueled by a 2,500 mAh battery.

Talking about the price, the Coolpad Note 5 Lite C comes with a price tag of Rs. 7,777 ($122). The smartphone will be available in grey and gold colors and would be sold offline in stores across India starting from this month.

OnePlus 3T Gets A Taste Of MIUI 9

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Aug 6, 2017

It’s just a little over one week since Xiaomi‘s MIUI 9 was officially launched and the Beta ROM has only been pushed to just a few models, yet the custom ROM has reportedly found its way into the OnePlus 3T. The OnePlus 3T was announced last year packing a Snapdragon 821 chip as a slight upgrade of the OP3. The ROM in question is an unofficial Patch of the MIUI 9 ROM which was released by developers whose identity we cannot ascertain. But from the screenshot we can guess this emanated from China because the texts are all in Chinese.

The patch was possible as a result of the open source nature of Android ROM and MIUI and the modifications made it possible for the custom UI to run on the OnePlus 3T. There are a couple of screenshots to back the claim that the OnePlus 3T has got a taste of MIUI 9. The screenshots also reveal the version is MIUI 9 7.7.31 Developer ROM, meaning it was last updated on July 31. One of the screenshots is that of the”About Phone” page and the model and its features are clearly seen to belong to the OnePlus 3T (A3010).

MIUI 9 OnePlus 3T — Split Screen feature

Further more, the MIUI 9 Theme can also be seen, as well as the split screen features and a couple of other features of MIUI9 are reportedly available on the phone. According to the developer, the MIUI 9 Bootloader can booth the OnePlus 3T normally but there are still a couple of bugs that are yet to be fixed on the Patch ROM. For those that are interested, the new Patch ROM package will be released on Sunday. But do note that this isn’t an official release and so, will likely contain bugs that can compromise the security of your smartphone. Xiaomi in the near future will likely release the Patch ROM tool for MIUI 9 in order for developers to modify it for other non-Xiaomi models. The tool is available right from MIUI 2.3 to MIUI 8.

(source)

Image of OPPO’s UI For Its Full-Screen Phone Leaks

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Aug 5, 2017

Sharp has been making bezel-less smartphones for years before the Xiaomi Mi MIX was released last year. However, it was the popularity of the latter that kick-started the current craze for bezel-less and full-screen phones.

OPPO UI For Its Full-Screen Smartphone

The latest report is that some of the other big names in China are planning to release full-screen phones before the end of the year. One of them is OPPO, the second biggest manufacturer in China and the fourth in the world.

The image above was released online recently and shows a user interface said to be for OPPO’s upcoming full-screen smartphone. The biggest change in the UI is the presence of on-screen buttons for navigation.

OPPO smartphones usually feature capacitive buttons (dots), with a large oval button serving as the home key/fingerprint scanner. Switching to on-screen buttons means the fingerprint scanner is probably moving to the back or to the side (power button) allowing for a display that stretches further downwards.

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Nubia Z17 With 8GB RAM & 64GB Storage Seen On TENAA

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Aug 5, 2017

Nubia released the Z17 as its flagship of the year in June. Available in two variants – 6GB of RAM + 64GB/128GB ROM and 8GB RAM + 128GB ROM. We may be getting a new variant soon as a new Nubia Z17 has been spotted on TENAA.

The new variant is actually an 8GB RAM model with 64GB of built-in storage. It’s price will see it positioned between the 6GB RAM + 128GB model and the 8GB RAM + 128GB model. The latter is priced at ¥3999 (~$587), so we presume this should be between $530 and $550. There is also a possibility that this may be destined for other markets such as India.

The Nubia Z17 is a fantastic device, though it is one of the pricier Snapdragon 835-powered phones in China. It is the first smartphone to have a single slit antenna design and it uses a new design called aRC 3.0 to keep the front glass thin and the display without side bezels.

It has a 5.5-inch display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass, a 16MP front facing camera and its signature red-holo circle adorning the front. The rear is where you will find its dual rear cameras, a 23MP f/2.0 sensor paired with a 12MP f/1.8 one with 2X lossless zoom, and dual LED flash. Keeping the rear cameras company is a fingerprint scanner.

The Nubia Z17 is also the first smartphone to support Quick Charge 4+, allowing you charge its 3200mAh battery from 0 to 50% in just 20 minutes.

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New Philips Phone With Model Number S310X Seen On TENAA

By

Habeeb Onawole

-

Aug 5, 2017

Philips is one of the oldest electronics manufacturers in the world. The Dutch manufacturer makes a range of electronics but is mainly known as the leader when it comes to lighting. In the last three decades or thereabout, it has also included phones to its product line. A new Philips phone with model number S310X has been seen on TENAA and the specs put it in the entry-level/mid-range category.

The Philips S310X is the third Philips smartphone listed on the Chinese site this year. A few months ago, the Philips S329 and Philips X598 were seen on TENAA’s database but both devices still haven’t been released yet.

The S310X is listed as having a 5-inch HD display, with multiple RAM and ROM variants. RAM starts at 1GB and maxes out at 3GB, while storage starts at 8GB, doubles to 16GB and maxes out at 32GB. There is support for a microSD card (32GB max).

There is a quad-core processor clocked at 1.25GHz and it draws power from a 2000mAh battery. The rear camera is an 8MP sensor and the selfie camera is 5MP. Both cameras are interpolated. The S310X runs Android 6.0, and is available in white, black,and gray. It also has LTE support.

Design wise, the Philips S310X doesn’t offer anything beyond the basics. It appears to be made of plastic, weighing 138.5 g and measuring 144.8 x 72.2 x 2.3 mm. There are capacitive buttons in front and the back is a bit curved at the top and bottom edges. The rear camera, positioned at the top left corner also has a slight bump.

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Leaked Image Shows The Pixel 2 Won’t Have Thinner Bezels & Dual Cameras

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Aug 5, 2017

Thinner bezels, infinity displays, full-vision displays, and dual cameras are the key features you will find in flagships this year. However, Google is not boarding any of those trains. A leaked image of the Google Pixel 2 shared by Evan Blass doesn’t have any of those features. Instead, it shows just subtle changes from last year’s model.

The Pixel 2 will be manufactured by HTC while the Pixel XL 2 will be made by LG. While HTC doesn’t make its own displays, Google can simply have LG supply them with a full vision display similar to that of the LG G6 for the Pixel 2, but it seems Google simply doesn’t think it is ready to adopt that design.

Rather the device is shown sporting equally large bezels at the top and bottom just like last year’s model. The same is said for the larger Pixel XL 2.

So, no thinner bezels. But do we at least get dual rear cameras? Google is saying no once again with this year’s flagships.

While there were really no complaints about the Pixel and Pixel XL not having dual cameras, we weren’t expecting to see Google ditch it again this year. The Pixels’ have one of the best cameras you will find on a smartphone till date, so this might be a case of “don’t fix what isn’t broken”.

Google won’t be the only manufacturer without dual camera flagships this year, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ have the same single sensors as last year’s Galaxy S7, HTC’s U Ultra and U 11 also have single sensors. But while Samsung will be launching its first phone with dual cameras this month, Google won’t have another go until next year.

The image above shows a larger sensor which may mean better low-light images, so that counts as an improvement. The camera’s software will definitely also get an upgrade.

So what has changed in the Pixel 2? A front facing speaker. The Pixel had its speaker at the bottom which can easily be covered with your fingers when you’re watching a video either in portrait or landscape mode. The leaked image shows the earpiece speaker is larger now, meaning it will do more than just pump out audio during calls. We can’t see another speaker at the bottom since this isn’t the sharpest of images but we will keep our fingers crossed for dual front facing speakers.

Since we already mentioned that the rear camera has a larger sensor, the other major change is the glass half of the back. It is smaller and doesn’t cover the fingerprint scanner anymore. It also appears to wrap around the sides this time.

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The Galaxy Note 8′ 3300mAh Battery Image Leaks

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Aug 5, 2017

The specs of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 leaked earlier this week and we reported it will feature a 3300mAh battery. An image said to be of the device’s battery has leaked confirming it will indeed feature a 3300mAh battery.

Closer Look

The battery is smaller than that of the Galaxy S8+ and Galaxy Note 7 (both 3500mAh) but still larger than that of the Galaxy S8 (3000mAh) and the Galaxy Note FE (3200mAh).

The Note 8 is also thicker at 8.5 mm than the Note 7 and Note FE (7.9 mm), so hopefully we shouldn’t have battery issues this time around.

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