India Gets The Xiaomi Mi Max 2 for Rs. 16,999 ($264)

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Jul 18, 2017

Xiaomi released a teaser last week hinting at a new product for the Indian market. We already deduced that it was the Mi Max 2 and we were right. Xiaomi took the curtains of the new phone today.

The Mi Max 2 brings a few upgrades over its predecessor, the Mi Max. The display is still 6.44-inches and the resolution is kept at 1080p. One of the key changes is replacing the Snapdragon 650 for the power efficient Snapdragon 625, an octa-core processor clocked at 2.0GHz.

The Mi Max 2 has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage. One of the SIM slots doubles as a miroSD card slot and can accept up to 256GB cards.

The camera on the Mi Max 2 is a 12MP Sony IMX386 sensor. There is a 5MP camera up front for selfies and a rear mounted fingerprint scanner. The battery also got a bump from 4850mAh to 5300mAh and only added 0.1mm in thickness.

The Mi Max 2 comes with Android 7.1.1 out of the box and will be available in matte black with a fingerprint resistant coating. It will go on sale on July 20 on Xiaomi’s official website and at offline stores first. Then on July 27 it will be available across Xiaomi’s online and offline partners stores. Reliance Jio users will get 100GB of 4G data plan upon purchase of the Mi Max 2.

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Honor Air Quality Detector Goes On Sale For 599 Yuan (~$88)

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jul 18, 2017

Huawei’s Honor brand unveiled the Honor 9 last month but what you probably don’t know is that the flagship phone was launched along with two smart IoT products. The Honor Smart Body Scale and the Honor Air Quality detector were both announced on that day and were billed to go on sale on July 18. The sales for the Honor Air Quality detector has now opened on Huawei Mall (Vmall).

The Air quality detector comes with a tumbler design and allows monitoring of air quality. The gadget captures clean air level and a number of other parameters. The Honor Air Quality detector works in real time and can detect more than 300 types of volatile organic compounds. The detector can also detect ultra-fine particles (PM 2.5) in the air, temperature and humidity inside the room and then provide recommendations to aid in improving the air quality.

In addition, it comes with an energy-saving mode which can preserve the battery for up to 5 days, but in real-time monitoring mode, the battery only lasts up to 15 hours. If it is only to monitor the temperature and humidity, you get up to1 year battery life. The Honor Air Quality detector is presently on sale at Vmall for 599 Yuan ($88). It is available only in Snow white colour.

(source)

Leaked MIUI 9 Theme Reveals Redesigned Dock Bar

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jul 18, 2017

An official poster released today by Xiaomi announced that the Xiaomi Mi 5X will launch on July 26. It also mentioned that the new version of Xiaomi’s custom ROM, MIUI 9 will debut on the device.

Ahead of the official release, we have been getting leaks of MIUI 9, even from the official MIUI account. Last week there were images of the new split-screen feature, and today we got an exclusive preview of a new official theme.

The image shows the lock-screen with a new material design wallpaper, and also the homescreen. The major change in the homescreen is the dock bar. The icons have a flat design and don’t have texts beneath them, giving them a clean look.

Xiaomi says MIUI 9 will come with three new themes that you can choose from when you are setting up your phone after the update.

Apart from the official theme reveal, the Mi Max 2 also receives the split-screen feature. However, this is still limited to those running the developer ROM. The feature is available in the MIUI Global Developer 7.7.1.3 update. So if you own a Mi Max 2 and you are on the developer ROM, you can download the update here.

(Sources:1, 2)

Image of Meizu Flow Headset Leaks, Looks Like The AKG K3003

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jul 18, 2017

Meizu will launch the Pro7 on July 26. Alongside the new flagship, it will also unveil a new pair of headphones called the Meizu Flow.

An image of the Meizu Flow leaked ahead of its launch and for audiophiles who are familiar with earphones, it looks very familiar. A Twitter user @LeaksEva who had previously seen the earphones on a French retail site cdiscount.com for €599.99 tweeted that it looks like the AKG K3003i released back in 2011.

😒 Why does Meizu’s new earphone seem so much like AKG K3003? Shame on! pic.twitter.com/jaZtGpOr2E

— Leaks Eva (@LeaksEva) July 17, 2017

The AKG K3003i is a pair of high-end earphones that sold for over $500. It is even listed for $999.95 on AKG’s own website but goes for $649.99 on Amazon. The AKG K3003i is not only an expensive pair of earphones, it is also one of the best in the market.

It is not unusual to see Chinese manufacturers clone the design of other popular companies. Last year, Xiaomi was in the news for copying the design of the Jawbone Mini Jambox for its Mi Box speaker. We don’t know if Jawbone filed a lawsuit or not. However, we will never know as Jawbone is now dead.

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Lenovo’s Star Wars AR Headset is Coming To A Galaxy Near You

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jul 18, 2017

Last weekend, Disney’s official fan club, D23 held its biennial expo. The event is usually an exciting one because Disney announces its film schedule for the coming years, shows official trailers and behind the scenes videos of popular franchises and fans get to meet their favorite stars.

For fans of Star Wars, the upcoming 8th movie isn’t the only thing to be excited about. Lucas film and Lenovo announced a Star Wars AR headset that brings the galaxy far far away to your room and face.

Although, little was mentioned about the technical details of the headset, release date and pricing, one thing we know is that our dream of being a Jedi is coming true. The AR headset will come with a number of Star Wars games including Holochess and another one called Jedi Challenges that requires you to have your own lightsaber.

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDC7uAkWv_M[/embedyt]

An official video for Jedi Challenges was released giving us a glimpse of what to expect. We get to see the AR headset and the lightsaber that will work with it. The headset will need your smartphone to work and will be available on BestBuy and Lenovo.com when it launches.

(Sources: 1, 2)

Huawei Mate 10 Render Reveals Bezel-Less Design & Four Cameras

By

Zhen Wan

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Jul 18, 2017

A new leak exposing Huawei’s Mate 10 has spread like wildfire from China. A source had uncovered a number of specifications that will be expected to run on the upcoming device, accompanied by a couple of tasty renders.

We are skeptical about the accuracy of these render, the likelihood of these images being third-party created concepts are more believable than official images. This maybe the case, however, these images do align with current rumors and suggestions that the upcoming Mate 10 will be a bezel-less design, with two pairs… yes, four individual cameras.

The same source provided alleged specs on the upcoming device. For example, a 5.8-inch display with 2K (2560 x 1440) resolution, note this smaller than the predecessor’s 5.9-inch screen. Earlier speculation also suggested that Huawei may use a ‘Full Active’ display panel from JDI (Japan Display Inc.) with a full 6-inch display, which was expected to arrive on Sony’s next Xperia flagship.

In terms of camera setup, the source states that the Mate 10 will come with a 34-megapixel dual-camera setup, with the front-facing shooters will 16-megapixel sensors. The Mate 10 is expected to run the upcoming Android 8.0 “O” with Huawei’s latest EMUI skin on release day. The device will be powered by Huawei’s next HiSilicon Kirin 970 processor (on a new 10nm process) paired with either 6GB or 8GB RAM.

Taking rumors further, the Mate 10 will feature iris scanning capabilities and unspecified additional features differentiating the Mate 10 to its Mate 9 predecessor.

It’s still early to confirm Mate 10’s specs, design, and release date, but we’re all expecting more leaks to occur closer to the release date, which is expected to be around October this year. If this is accurate, we may see Huawei officially unveil the Mate 10 at IFA Berlin 2017 around September.

Stay tuned at GizmoChina to keep updated with the latest news.

What are you expecting in the next Mate 10? Do you think the specs and design are accurate? Share your comments down below.

(source)

Huawei Band 2 & Band 2 Pro Unveiled For International Market

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jul 18, 2017

Huawei seems to have unveiled its latest sports band series for the international market by listing them on its official website. The Huawei Band 2 and Band 2 Pro were first announced in China about two months ago during the launch of the Nova 2 and Nova 2 Plus. They were part of a collection of accessories announced same day with the others being a Bluetooth headset and Panoramic camera.

The Huawei Band 2 and Band 2 Pro comes with a number of features but both vary in their specifications with the Band 2 Pro having the higher configuration. However, both come with the abilities to measure heartbeat, pace, distance, speed, and direction. The Band 2 Pro packs exclusive features such as GPS sensor, Huawei’s TruSleep virtual sleep hygiene and breathing tracker, and Huawei’s Running Coach. There is also a new feature called VO2 Max which lets the Band 2 Pro examine the maximum rate at which the body of the wearer can import oxygen, transfer it to muscles, and use it as a source of energy. The technology is touted to allow VO2 measurements with an accuracy as high as nearly 95%.

Both the Band 2 and Band 2 Pro comes with continuous Heart rate monitoring which is done all day so users can objectively understand how different activities and life’s moments affect their heart rate. In addition, both Huawei bands also introduce the Training Effect feature, which gauges how an exercise session impacts the wearer’s fitness level and also provide an estimate of the recovery time needed before the next gym session. The wearables are both water resistant and can withstand up to 5 atmospheres of water pressure, which is enough to let users use them in the shower, swimming pool, or outdoors on rainy days.

The Huawei smart bands also come with Bluetooth feature which allows users to pair them to smartphones on which they act as companion devices, displaying alarms, notifications and messages from the handsets. Of course, the data from the smart band can also be view on the smartphone via a dedicated app. The official listing shows both smart bands will be available in Green, Black and Blue colours.

The pricing of the Huawei Band 2 and Band 2 Pro was not revealed but during their launch in China, the Huawei Band 2 Pro with GPS function carries a price tag of 388 Yuan (around $57) while the standard Huawei Band 2 comes in at 298 Yuan (~$44). Both bands are presently available in China at these prices on Huawei’s Official Mall (Vmall).

Xiaomi Mi 5X, MIUI 9 Officially Launching on July 26

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jul 18, 2017

A leaked poster that appeared in the past week revealed that Xiaomi is working on a new smartphone called Xiaomi Mi 5X. An official Weibo post from the company confirms that the Xiaomi Mi 5X will be launching with MIUI 9 on July. The post also carries an image that confirms that clearly mentions the July 26.

The above Weibo post confirms that the Xiaomi Mi 5X and MIUI 9 will be introduced together on the said date. In 2016, the MIUI 8 was unveiled with Mi Max phablet. Hence, the rumor mill was speculating that MIUI 9 would be introduced alongside the Xiaomi Mi Max 2. However, it did not happen so. It seems that Xiaomi had planned to reveal the MIUI 9 with a new phone, the Xiaomi Mi 5X.

Well-known celebrity from China, Kris Wu can be seen endorsing the Mi 5X. So far, only the backside of the phone has been revealed. It seems to be coming with a metal unibody design. It features dual cameras placed at the top-left corner of the back panel. The rear also features a fingerprint reader. Another poster of the Xiaomi Mi 5X has revealed that it would be featuring a 5.5-inch display that would be probably featuring a full HD resolution. The Snapdragon 625 chipset and 4 GB RAM are present under the hood of the Xiaomi Mi 5X. It will be priced at 1,999 Yuan (~$295).

Speculations are rife that the Xiaomi Mi 5X would be also coming in a higher variant featuring Snapdragon 660 chipset and 6 GB of RAM. Both the models of the Xiaomi Mi 5X are rumored to feature 12-megapixel dual rear cameras that includes a Sony IMX386 sensor and a Samsung S5k3m3 sensor. It may come with a frontal camera of 16-megapixel.

The MIUI 9 update is expected to arrive with revamped icons and new wallpapers. It is also expected to bring some new features such as split screen mode that has already appeared in leaked shots and Picture-in-Picture mode. As Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun has confirmed before, the MIUI 9 will be smoother, more stable and powerful.

(source)

Alleged iPhone 8 Final Design Revealed in New Renders; Power Button to Include Fingerprint Reader?

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jul 18, 2017

Apple is expected to debut the iPhone 8 in September this year. It is rumored to arrive with a redesigned appearance to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Apple iPhones. A Forbes reporter named Gordon Kelly has worked with Nodus, a designer to create iPhone 8 renders based on its CAD schematics of the smartphone that have surfaced through the supply chain.

The rumor mill has predicted that the Apple iPhone 8 would be featuring an under glass front-mounted fingerprint scanner. If this Plan A does not work out, Apple may use Plan B which would mean that the fingerprint scanner would be placed on the rear side of the iPhone. According to Kelly, Apple iPhone 8 may come with Plan B.

The iPhone 8 renders suggest that it would be coming with a full-screen display for the 5.8-inch OLED display. However, there will be a cutout at the top that will be housing a selfie snapper, an earpiece and some sensors. The backside of the iPhone 8 has a vertically stacked dual rear cameras that are located at the top-left corner.

The dual cameras are expected to come with augmented reality capabilities. Kelly states that “horizontally aligned cameras are more effective and the phone is expected to be held in a landscape orientation.” This is the reason why Kelly feels that the iPhone 8 would be equipped with dual rear cameras. According to Kelly, the iPhone 8 will retain the Lighting port and it won’t be featuring USB-C port. Also, it won’t be featuring a 3.5mm audio jack. The rear side does not seem to feature a fingerprint scanner.

The renders show that the iPhone 8 has a large-sized Power button. There is a probability that Apple may incorporate the fingerprint reader inside the big Power button. It can become possible as Apple has been granted a patent for such an arrangement for the fingerprint scanner.

As far as the confidence level is this leak is concerned, Kelly says that Nodus was comfortable to the extent of revealing its itself as the source and the case designer has also said Apple is prototyping its retail cases for the upcoming iPhone from them.

Previous speculations have revealed that the iPhone 8 would be sporting all-glass design that it had previously used on iPhone 4S smartphone. This would allow the iPhone 8 to support wireless charging. Since its slated to get announced in September, more details on its specs are expected to surface in the coming weeks.

(source)

Xiaomi Announces Cheapest 32-inch Mi TV 4A Model Selling For 1099 Yuan ($163)

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jul 18, 2017

Xiaomi has officially unveiled its smallest Mi TV yet, and it is a 32-inch model of the Mi TV 4A range just as we notified you. The TV is indeed the smallest in the history of Xiaomi TV and as such comes with the lowest price of all the models.

The Xiaomi Mi TV 4A (32 inches) uses a plastic housing with its entire body coming in black colour. As a result of the plastic body in use, the new Mi TV 4A comes with a highly reduced weight which is just 3.9Kg, making it suitable to be easily carried around even by females. When the base is attached to the TV frame, the weight goes up to 3.94Kg.

Talking about the key configurations, the Mi TV 4A features a 32-inch display with a resolution of 1,366 x 768 pixels and refresh rate of 60Hz. The TV has a viewing angle of 178 degrees. It is powered by a Quad-core 1.5GHz processor having four Cortex-A53 cores. The graphic is powered by a Mali-450 MP3 GPU while the processor is supported by 1GB of RAM and there is 4GB of storage space available inside. The Mi TV 4A (32) also comes with two 5W stereo speakers while available interface includes two HDMI, an AV port, an S/PDIF output, DTMB, USB port and a connector. The Mi TV 4A 32-inch version also runs Xiaomi TV PatchWall system meaning it has some smart features such as content recommendation according to user’s habit, seamless streaming of content and others.

As for the price, the Xiaomi Mi TV 4A 32-inch version is priced at 1099 Yuan ($163) and will officially go on sale at 0.00 on July 23. On the day sales would open, Xiaomi will be offering 100 yuan off the shipping fee.

Essential Phone A11 Receives Wi-Fi Certification; Release Imminent in US & Multiple Markets

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jul 18, 2017

An Essential branded phone with model number A11 has received Wi-Fi certification. There are some tech sites that claim that the company could be working on a new Essential phone with model number A11. However, this phone that has surfaced on Wi-Fi Alliance site is the same Essential PH-1 smartphone that the company had announced recently. The Wi-Fi certification reveals that it will be arriving preinstalled with Android 7.1.1 Nougat OS.

The Wi-Fi certification reveals that the Essential PH-1 has a model number of A11 and it features 2.4GHz and 5GHz dual-band Wi-Fi. In the previous month, it received approval from Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the U.S. The Essential Phone was launched on May 30 and it was expected to start shipping from June 30. However, the shipping of the smartphone has not started yet.

Now that the Essential Phone has received FCC and Wi-Fi Alliance certification, its shipping is pegged to begin soon. According to Essential COO Niccolo de Masi, the Essential Phone’s release is “imminent” in the U.S. However, he did not give out the exact date from when the customers that preordered the Essential Phone would be receiving it. The Essential Phone will be exclusively available through Sprint in the U.S.

Read More: Essential Phone’s Noisy Camera Samples & 360 Video Shared

There is no reason provided by the company on why it has delayed the shipping of the Essential Phone to its customers. In the recent past, Essential’s vice-president of marketing, Brian Wallace made an exit from the company and few days before this happened, the Head of Communications, Andy Fouché left the Essential Products company. There is no real proof whether these things could have delayed the release of the Essential Phone.

Also, a recent report from Financial Times states that the Essential Phone would be launching in international markets like the Europe and Japan. Currently, Essential is rumored to be in talks with multiple carriers from the U.K including EE to decide on a launch date for the Essential Phone. In Canada, the smartphone would be exclusively launched through TELUS. In the U.S., the Essential Phone is priced at $699, but there is no information on the pricing of the phone for other markets. The U.S. pricing suggest that the Essential Phone won’t be carrying cheaper price tag in the western European markets.

Are you interested in the Essential Phone? Tell us your thoughts by adding comments below.

(source 1,2)

Samsung Galaxy S8, S8+ Sales Have Surpassed S7 Series by 15%

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jul 18, 2017

When the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ were launched, initial reports had revealed that these flagship that come with full-screen design have met with overwhelming response all over the world. However, recent reports have claimed that the sales of Galaxy S8 duo are lagging behind the Galaxy S7 even though South Korean company did not reveal the official numbers. During a recent press meeting in Taipei, Samsung CEO DJ Koh debunked these reports by giving out some information on the sales of Galaxy S8 and S8+.

According to Koh, the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ sales are 15 percent than the sales of their predecessors when compared to the same period in 2016. He added that the company is of the view that the sales of Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ will grow even more in the upcoming third and fourth quarters of this year. Koh has not given out any particular details on how many units of Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ were sold.

In the recent weeks, the Galaxy S8 and S8+ have been spotted with big discounts. Such price cuts could also help the sales number of the Galaxy S8 duo to increased significantly.

It was during this meeting that Koh gave out new information on Galaxy Note 8’s arrival. He revealed that the Note 8 would be launching at the end of the next month. The South Korean media have revealed in the past week that the Note 8 would be launching on Aug. 23.

Koh stated that Samsung would be using two-phase release strategy for the Galaxy Note 8. In the first phase that will start in early September, the Note 8 would be hitting markets like the South Korea, the U.S. and the U.K. The second phase would begin October during which the Note 8 will be released in other markets.

Samsung has recently released the Galaxy Note Fan Edition and it has too met with an overwhelming reception. Before the release of Note FE, the daily device activations in South Korea was 15,000. However, after the release of Note 8, the daily device activations have increased to 24,000 in the country. Samsung has planned to sell the Galaxy Note FE only in South Korea. However, an insider has revealed that the Note FE would be also releasing in some other regions in this month.

(source|via)

Nokia 8 Specifications, Color Variants and €550 (~$634) Pricing Leaked

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Jul 18, 2017

Nokia fans have been eagerly waiting for HMD Global to announce its flagship smartphone. Recent rumors have revealed that the Nokia 8 is the upcoming flagship smartphone from the Finnish company. Yesterday, Evan Blass, one of the trusted leaksters had revealed a press render of the upcoming Nokia 8. Now, plenty of information on the hardware specifications of the Nokia 8 have surfaced.

Previous rumors had suggested that Nokia 9 is the flagship phone from the company and its model number is TA-1004. Reliable sources have made it certain that Nokia 8 is the much-awaited flagship from Nokia and TA-1004 is its model number. This model has appeared has also appeared on Geekbench listing. The benchmarking platform has revealed that the Nokia 8 is fueled by Snapdragon 835 that includes an octa-core processor with four cores working at 2.45 GHz and remaining four low performance cores clocking at 1.9 GHz. The SoC also includes Adreno 540 graphics.

The Snapdragon 835 chipset will be supported by 4 GB RAM and the flagship phone will be arriving with an internal storage capacity of 64 GB. The Nokia 8 will be a dual-SIM phone. However, there is no information on whether the company would be releasing a single-SIM edition of Nokia 8.

nokia 8

Speculations are rife that the Nokia 8 would be equipped with a 5.7-inch display that would be supporting Quad HD resolution. However, previous rumors have also revealed that the Nokia 8 would featuring a 5.3-inch QHD display. The leaked press render clearly shows that the Nokia 8 would be featuring Zeiss brand twin cameras on the rear panel. Previous rumors have suggested that a pair of 13-megapixel shooters will be sitting on the backside of Nokia 8.

The Nokia 8 would be available in multiple color choices. It is expected to be come in colors like blue, gold/blue, gold copper and steel/silver. An unknown Scandinavian retailer has revealed that the Nokia 8 would be costing €589 (~$679). This pricing seems to be inclusive of the high VAT rates of the region. This suggest that the actual price of the Nokia 8 would be somewhere around €550 (~$634).

HMD Global has not confirmed on whether on when it will be debuting the Nokia 8. However, the retailer from Scandinavia has claimed that it would be launching as early as July 31.

(source)

Xiaomi 90 Points Colourful Windcheater Back on Sale But For 199 Yuan (~$29)

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jul 17, 2017

Chinese company 90 Points used Xiaomi’s MIJIA crowdfunding platform to launch its innovative colourful sunscreen windbreaker or windcheater jacket back in April. The 90 Points Colourful Sunscreen Windcheater reportedly sold out in just 4.3 seconds perhaps due to the attractive design and ultra cheap price tag which came in at 179 Yuan ($26).

Since then, the Xiaomi 90 Points Colorful Windcheater has been out of circulation but it might interest you to know that the 90-points Sunscreen Windbreaker has now started selling, this time around not on Mi Home but on 90 Points Official flagship store. Also, the price is no longer 179 Yuan ($26) but 199 Yuan ($29) which is still a fairly decent price tag. It should be noted that only the models for males are available right now.

Also Read: Xiaomi Reveals Top 10 Smart Products In China

As a reminder, the Xiaomi 90 Points Colorful Windcheater comes with a wicking or material which is breathable and absorbs ultraviolet rays, thus protecting the skin of the wearer. It is manufactured using a water-soluble yarn fabric, unlike the previously launched 90-points jacket that was a water-resistant type. The coat comes with a reflective printing on the back and shoulders, making it a nice and safe outfit for use at night. The reflective printing reflects when light shines on it. Furthermore, the 90 Points jacket comes in different sizes and is available in three attractive colours. The model for males comes in blue and dark gray colours while the female jacket comes in green colour only. You can access the sales page from here.

Xiaomi Reportedly Signs Deal With Samsung For 6-inch OLED Panels For Its 2018 Flagship

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jul 17, 2017

As at the period Xiaomi launched the Mi Note 2 last year with a curved OLED display, there were speculations that the competition would shift to flexible display panels this year due to the rising number of interests in OLED technology especially the flexible panels. The launch of the Mi Mix alongside the Mi Note 2, perhaps contributed greatly to the shift of focus to large bezel-less displays. Seems attention is now heading back to OLED displays and as usual, Xiaomi is taking the front seat.

A report on South Korea media indicates that Xiaomi has signed an agreement with Samsung Display (SDI) for the supply of OLED panels for its 2018 flagship. The report claims Samsung Displays which is an arm of the conglomerate will supply rigid OLED panels to Xiaomi that are 6.01 inches in sizes. The first shipment which is about 1 million units will be done in December this year while the next batch said to be 2.2 million units will ship in the following month (January 2018).

The report also stated that Xiaomi’s well-publicised initial plan to use more sophisticated LG OLED panels was thwarted due to delays in LG’s production plans. It was LG who supplied the flexible OLEDs used on the Mi Note 2. The LG panels were supposed to be 5.49 inches in size but will be flexible OLED panels. Unfortunately, LG Display’s new plant that was supposed to mass produce the flexible OLED panels wasn’t ready on time and would commence production in August. It is not as if the flexible display would enable us to bend the smartphone like an elastic just yet. There will still be a rigid body and a front glass on top the display such that you might not even feel the effect of the flexible display. Well, except in a situation where the smartphone takes a serious fall that should ordinarily have shattered the display. Apart from its flexibility, LG is said to have effected some changes in the display panel resolution from FHD to QHD.

If Xiaomi is going to stick to its routine, the first flagship that we may be seeing in 2018 will likely be the Mi 7. The fact that it is a rigid OLED panel takes some juice out of the story, though. But then, OLED panels offer quite a lot in terms of display picture quality and with Xiaomi’s pedigree, the panel could be deployed to produce a stunning, true flagship. Sadly, we are at a loss as to whether the Mi Note 3 which would have OLED display would still be launched this year. The Redmi Pro 2’s own OLED panel may be sourced from domestic manufacturers in China

(source)

Behold The Nokia 8: Dual Cameras, Carl Zeiss Optics & A Nokia 6 Body

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jul 17, 2017

The Nokia 8 is no doubt the next phone to come from HMD Global. Not a week has gone by without at least an article on it. With a rumored July release, we get to see the Nokia 8 in its full glory thanks to Evan Blass (@evleaks).

#teaser pic.twitter.com/zh5YJznaaY

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) July 17, 2017

Earlier today, he had first posted an image of the rear camera setup, confirming it will indeed have dual cameras and Carl Zeiss optics. That image was followed by another one that showed the Nokia 8 in full.

This is the Nokia 8 https://t.co/YUUbFOgbBX pic.twitter.com/xrHBRx4H8I

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) July 17, 2017

The Nokia 8 can be best described as a Nokia 6 with dual cameras. The design is too similar that we wonder if the design team was just lazy. This is a flagship device and it wouldn’t be too much to see it have thinner bezels or a more premium look.

The Nokia 8 doesn’t have a curved display neither does it have a glass back. This is aluminium and since the design is like that of the Nokia 6, we expect it to have the same strength. According to JerryRigEverything, the Nokia 6 might be the strongest phone of 2017. So here is hoping the Nokia 8 delivers on strength and durability.

The Nokia 6 is ridiculously cheap on Amazon right now: https://t.co/gQMnGrdHqU (This might be the strongest phone of 2017)

— JerryRigEverything (@ZacksJerryRig) July 1, 2017

The Nokia 8 in the leaked image is blue. The camera setup is covered by a single piece of glass. The dual sensors are lined up vertically which is nice as we are tired of seeing the iPhone 7 Plus’ design. The word “ZEISS” is written below the second sensor followed by what appears to be a laser focus module and then the LED flash below it.

At the top of the camera housing is a single microphone hole and below the housing is the Nokia logo. Move to the bottom and there is some text that let’s you know it is designed by HMD Global Oy and manufactured in China.

An interesting info you shouldn’t miss is the model number which is TA-1012 and not TA-1004. This is interesting as previous reports had said the Nokia 8 and not the Nokia 9′ model number is TA-1004.

Now the big question is if this is another variant of the Nokia 8, probably with a different memory configuration, or is this the original model number of the device? We will let you know when we confirm.

Up front, we have a physical home button that doubles as a fingerprint scanner. At the top, there is the front facing camera on the left and Nokia’s logo on the right. It is hard to ignore the really thick bezels on this phone.

The Nokia 8 will be powered by a Snapdragon 835 processor paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. It is expected to launch at the end of the month with a price tag of €598 (~$686/¥4652) in Europe.

(Source)

New Image of SHARP Bezel-less Phone Leaks, Doesn’t Look Like The Essential & Comes With Snapdragon 630

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jul 17, 2017

Last week, Sharp’s General Manager of mobile phone business unit in China posted a photo of the manufacturer’s yet-to-be released bezel-less smartphone. Apart from the device itself sharing similarities to the Essential PH-1, the entire image is also strikingly similar to the very first image of the Essential phone released to the public. A new image of the phone has surfaced and it wears an entirely different look.

Posted by the Vice President of Foxconn Technology Group, Luo Zhongsheng, the image shows several units of the phone undergoing testing in the factory.

Unlike the first image which has a nearly bezel design and looks like the Essential PH-1, the new device has moderately-sized bezels. The top bezel is significantly smaller than what you will find on most phones. The thickness can even be compared to that of the Samsung Galaxy S8.

The side bezels are okay but we are concerned about the lower bezel. From the image, we can see Sharp is using on-screen buttons but there is a thick black bar at the base which is part of the screen. That is a waste of space and defeats the purpose of the on-screen buttons. If it is going to be there permanently, why then is the lower bezel that thick?

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Xiaomi Mi Night Lamp With Motion Sensor Launching Tomorrow

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Jul 17, 2017

Xiaomi has a reputation of developing products either alone or in partnership with other companies, which meets various kinds of needs. The latest Smart lighting product which would be unveiled tomorrow is one of such product. The light is a night lamp with would come with a motion sensor, meaning it only comes on when motion is detected.

The light is meant to take care of movement at nights to use the bathroom which is a usual practice by the elderly. In order not to disturb the sleep of others who are already sleeping, this product is being introduced. The light night is known as Mi Induction Night Lamp and as the name implies, it uses induction current. It uses photosensitive with human infrared dual induction technology to come on when motion is detected. The light comes with a simple design and is white. The is a hoot with which it can be hung on the wall or ceiling. In addition, it has a 120 ° wide-angle sensing range and a sensing distance of up to 5-7 meters. The brightness is adjustable and the light stays on for 15 seconds after which it goes off if no motion is detected.

The Mi Induction Night Lamp will be available on MIJIA ‘s Mi Home from tomorrow (July 18) at 10 AM and costs just 49 Yuan (~$7).

Xiaomi Mi 5X May Launch on July 26, Same Day As Meizu Pro7

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jul 17, 2017

This morning we learnt that Meizu will be launching its flagship, the Pro7, on July 26. New info from tech analyst, Kevin Wang says Xiaomi also has an event on that same day. Although he didn’t specify the device launching, sources say it is the Xiaomi Mi 5X.

The Mi 5X is the latest Xiaomi device in the news. The new smartphone is the same one that is supposed to take on Vivo and OPPO with its photography centered specs. Initially thought to launch under a new sub-brand called Lanmi (Blue Rice) and as the Lanmi X1, it appears things have taken a different turn.

The Xiaomi Mi 5X will feature dual rear cameras said to be a combination of a Sony IMX386 sensor and a Samsung S5K3M3 CMOS sensor. It will also have a 16MP front facing camera. A leaked poster says it will have a 5.5-inch display,Snapdragon 625 processor, and 4GB of RAM. Price tag is set at ¥1999 (~$295).

There is also mention of a high-end model with a Snapdragon 660, 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. If the base version is priced at almost $300, we should expect at most a $350 price on the high-end model and that is not too far from the price of the Mi 6.

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Mediatek Set To Release 12nm Smartphone Chips This Year

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Jul 17, 2017

Things haven’t really gone well for Mediatek this year. Its high-end Helio X30 chip will just be arriving this month in the Meizu Pro 7, months after its official release.

Mediatek

The late arrival of the Helio X30 isn’t the only issue Mediatek has to deal with. Even in the other categories, it has lost its customers to Qualcomm. The Snapdragon 400 and 600 series are now the go-to chips for entry level and mid-range phones.

The cumulative effect is a drop in gross margin, dropping to as low as 35% from almost 50%. However, the chip maker still remains number 2 in the list of top IC suppliers this year.

Market sources say Mediatek is planning a comeback with the release of the Helio X30 and some new chips built using TSMC’s 12nm process technology. The 12nm chips are expected to bring Mediatek a highly competitive performance/cost advantage.

There are no other details about the new chips but we know the upcoming Helio P23 isn’t one of them as early leaks say its a 16nm chip. The launch of the new chip may help the company regain lost customers such as OPPO, Vivo, and Xiaomi.

(Source)