Last year, Xiaomi joined the VR train with two VR Glasses. First was the Mi VR Play, a Google cardboard styled VR glasses that’s covered in lycra. It was then followed by the Mi VR a couple of months later. The Mi VR still needs a phone to function but is more sophisticated and has a motion controller.
Less than a year after the release of the Mi VR Play, Xiaomi has announced a successor called the Mi VR Play 2. The new VR glasses ditches the rectangular design from last year and instead has a pill shaped front and an overall curved profile.
This new design will probably give the Mi VR Play 2 a size smaller than that of its predecessor. Another major change is the use of a single elastic nylon headband instead of adjustable straps and the removal of the zipper.
The absence of a zipper might not go down well with everyone as it provided a way for you to keep your phone completely hidden inside the Mi VR Play. Promotional images for the Mi VR Play 2 shows the phone sticking out at one side, although that might not happen if you are using a phone like the Mi 5, Mi 5s or Mi 5C.
The glasses is definitely made out of plastic but is wrapped with a strong elastic cotton called “dragon cloth”. The part that sits on your face is lined with a padded porous material for comfort. The VR glass has a 93° FOV, measures 129 × 191 × 120 mm and weighs 183g. It will support phones with screen sizes between 4.7 – 5.7-inches with at least a 1080p resolution.
The Mi VR Play 2 will cost just ¥99 (~$14) and will go on sale on the 19th of April. Sadly, it is only available in black for now.
Do you like the new design of the Mi VR Play 2 or prefer that of the original? Lets know what you think in the comment box below.
The BLUBOO D1 is still a few weeks from launching. To whet our appetite, BLUBOO has released a video teasing the budget dual camera smartphone.
The BLUBOO D1 has dual rear cameras just like its sibling, the BLUBOO Dual. The dual rear cameras are not the only features this sub $100 phone boasts of. It sports an aluminium back, a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, runs Android 7.0, and even has a cool notification light below the screen.
BLUBOO’s new phone has a 5-inch HD display, a 1.5GHz quad-core SoC, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB ROM. Unlike other phones that use a hybrid SIM slot, the BLUBOO D1 gives you the option to insert 2 SIM cards and a SD card slot all at once. The MicroSD card slot will accept up to 256GB cards.
The dual rear Sony cameras on the BLUBOO D1 are stacked on top of each other. The fingerprint scanner which unlocks in 0.1s is positioned under the setup while a dual LED flash flanks it on the left. The main camera is an 8MP sensor while the secondary sensor is just 2MP. Both will work together to produce DSLR-quality Bokeh images. An independent vision processing unit in the phone allows you to see the depth-of-field effect in real time.
The camera in front is still unknown but BLUBOO says it can take Bokeh images too. It also boasts a softlight for clearer selfies taken in dark places.
One other amazing feature is the RGB notification light at the bottom bezel. It gives the D1 a kind of sophistication reserved for phones priced way higher than it is.
This isn’t 2018 but it is looking to be the year of “8” and Chinese smartphone maker Elephone is poised to make it a memorable year by its latest revelation that interesting new products (smartphones) named after “8” will be launched this year.`Among the smartphones which would debut under the family of “8” is the Elephone P25 and it now bears a cool new name – Elephone P8.
It is funny how the Elephone P25 moniker becomes defunct before it is even officially announced but then, it is replaced by a more funky name and most importantly, the specifications are unchanged. The design is still the same cool, sleek design which has featured in lots of teasers and leaks. The Elephone P8 has as one of its biggest features, the huge 16MP rear camera it packs, as well as the 21MP front camera sensor that will guarantee crisp clear selfies. The P8 is equipped with the new and powerful Helio P25 processor backed by a mammoth 6GB RAM. The device also has a super-large 64GB storage which makes having a TF card on the slot more of a formality.
Elephone is promising us lots of amazing products coming this 2017 under the “8” family. Apart from the P8, there will be an Elephone S8 but that is as much as we know for now. You can keep a tab on the company for more details and updates by visiting Elephone’s official website from here.
Geotel is one of the new smartphone makers and they have a pretty nice looking yet a very cheap device that is called Geotel Note. The phone costs just below $90 but it has a lot of cool features.
When it comes to the design, the phone is made entirely of plastic. It does not feel very cheap but some metal elements would have added a more premium look.
When it comes to hardware, the Geotel Note has some decent specs for the price.
The phone ships with a quad-core MTK6737 chip, 3GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage. Other key specs include 5.5” 720p display, 8MP front-facing, and 13MP main cameras, notification LED light, a replaceable 3200mAh battery and Android 6.0 out of the box.
Now the giveaway is over and we congratulate Daniel Esimu for winning a brand new Geotel Note smartphone!
There are a bunch of rugged phones in the market but the Nomu S30 stands out. It is not only IP68 certified but it also packs a massive 5000mAh battery, NFC and 4GB of RAM.
Nomu has been making rugged phones for almost a decade now but the Nomu S30 sets a new standard for rugged phones. It sports a 5.5″ Sharp FHD display, 64GB of storage, and is powered by a 2.0GHz octa-core processor.
The main camera is a 16MP (interpolated) Sony IMX214 camera while you have a 5MP (8MP) shooter up front. That massive battery also supports Quick Charge 3.0.
Since the Nomu S30 is waterproof and shockproof, what better way to put it to test than by throwing it in a washing machine? Does it come out unscathed? You’ll have to see for yourself.
The Nomu S30 still has some other neat tricks under the hood too. It has glove mode support and also has a NXP smart PA module that lets it churn out louder sounds than its competitors.
It is 7 years already since Xiaomi entered the smartphone and smart gadgets market. As part of activities to mark the Mi Fans festival and its 7th anniversary, Xiaomi was offering a variety of products at up to 50% off as well as several free gifts. There are loads of discounts on a whole lot of products like the Walkie-Talkie, Piston Pro in-ear headset, smartphones, Mi Notebook, children toys and others.
The company has also used this period to announce its top 10 hottest selling ecological chain products in the ongoing sales. The list contains a number of products and does not include smartphones. While the mobile phone business is the major core of Xiaomi’s profits, the MIJIA smart home ecological products are some silent cash cow for the company. Records from the Mi Fans Festival sales reveal that as at the evening of the first day of the festivals, a record sale of 5 million Yuan was made. The entire records will hopefully be disclosed when the festival ends on April 9.
Here is a rundown of the top 10 highest selling products during the Mi Fans festival in China.
The Xiaomi Wireless Smart IP camera is a perfect surveillance equipment that captures clear images in 1080p resolution both in the day and at night. It affords you up to 4X optical zoom and provides a 360 degrees (panoramic) view. There are 10 LED IR lights which provide the night vision. There is also a two-way audio system that consists of a built-in microphone and speaker which can be used for two-way remote dialogue. Apart from the ability to transmit live images, there is a microSD slot which can take a maximum of 32GB microSD card and it allows you to store recorded videos. The SD storage option only captures videos in HD (720p) resolution. The device is compatible with Android 4.4, iOS 7.0 and higher.
The Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air is Xiaomi’s first foray into laptop production and it has been a resounding success. The Mi Notebook Air was introduced last year in two different sizes of 12.5-inches and 13.3 inches. Both versions come with two different generations of Intel processors and slightly different configurations. The 12.5-inch version was recently given a processor upgrade as well as additional memory. But the Mi Notebook Air 13.3 is the more powerful of the two and costs more.
The Mi Water Purifier was first introduced in 2015 and has since then been one of Xiaomi’s top-selling smart home product. The Mi Water Purifier uses reverse osmosis to clean the tap water. All that needs to be done is to connect the water purifier to the tap via a hose. It can filter sediments, rust and other particles, thanks to the four different filters inside namely PP Cotton filter, 2 x activated coconut carbon filter and an RO membrane. The RO membrane removes metal, bacteria and other organic substances from the water. Finally, in the post filter stage, the activated coconut carbon fibre improves the taste of water.
Xiaomi launched the Mi Air Purifier Pro last year with a remodeling which saw a LED display coming on. The display lets you know how clean the air is by blinking different LED light colors. You can also check other parameters on the display as well as by connecting the device to the Mi App. Apart from the display, the Xiaomi Mi Air Purifier Pro features a redesigned airflow path and pressure system. There is an improvement in the device’s Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) value of up to 500m3/ha and can cover an indoor area of 60 square meters. There is also a high precision laser sensor built into the device that can accurately detect particles of up to 0.3μm in diameter. The Air Purifier features a more refined filter that can pick up particles like allergens, animal fur, formaldehyde, dust, pollen and cigarette smoke from the air.
The Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum cleaner comes with a low-noise brushless fan which has a maximum pressure of 1800Pa and provides greater suction power when dealing with tough dirt. It sports three dedicated processors which help the vacuum cleaner receive data in real time from the 12 sensors performing different functions which it features. The sensors include LDS, ultrasonic radar sensor, wall sensor and cliff sensor etc. Of the lot, the Laser Distance Sensors provide a 360-degrees scanning (1800 times/second) similar to what you will find on a self-driving car. There is a 5200mAh Li-ion built-in battery onboard which can provide up to 2.5 hour cleaning time from a single charge. The Mi Robot Vacuum cleaner connects with the Mi Home App, allowing owners to set cleaning schedules, modify cleaning modes, and monitor cleaning process in real-time.
This is a new addition to the MIJIA product lineup and is a smart sports shoes which come with built-in Intel Curie chip, about the size of a button but enough to store vital fitness data in real time. The Xiaomi Smart Sports shoes use a foam-like material on the body which cushions the gravitational effect when the feet hit the ground. The insoles are removable and have air cushion and antibacterial features. The Intel chip can detect movement and store data such as distance covered, speed, calories lost etc. The chip can also detect when the user of the sports shoes is running, walking or climbing. The chip can stay up to 60 days without needing to be charged.
The Xiaomi Mi Band 2 is an award-winning sports and fitness tracker which comes wth a heart rate monitor as well as other cool features. The smart wearable is perhaps, one of Xiaomi’s top selling product globally and millions of it are shipped around the world daily. It comes with a cheap price tag and also offers you functions found on a wrist watch such as time and date check. There is also an alarm feature and you can monitor your fitness data by connecting the gadget via Bluetooth to the Mi Fit app on smartphones running Android 4 or iOS 7 and higher.
Xiaomi’s Smart electric scooter comes with a minimalistic geometric design, with a body made from aircraft-grade aluminium. The motor scooter weighs just 12.5kg despite packing an LG 18650 high-security Lithium battery with 280Wh power which powers it. With this, it is able to travel up to a 30km distance before there is need to charge again. You get to monitor the amount of battery power left via the four set of indicators on the handle. The battery health status can also be monitored via an app on smartphones and where the battery is getting bad, you get notified. The motor scooter is portable and also foldable and can be coupled in just one minute. The front and rear wheels are equipped with E-ABS (electronic anti-lock braking system) and the scooter has dual disc brake system which allows it to quickly come to a stop within a distance of 4 meters.
This could be confused for a body weight scale but it does more than just checking your body weight. The Xiaomi Smart Body scale helps monitor several physical data such as weight, body fat, muscle, bone mass, internal organ fat, basal metabolic rate, Body Mass Index (BMI), body age, protein and water level. The scale uses a BIA chip and also uses a multi-frequency AC electrical impedance for the measurement of biological tissues. It comes with Bluetooth 4.0 protocol and can also connect to the Mi App.
10. Xiaomi Portable Car Air Purifier (Not Yet Available Outside of China)
The Xiaomi Mi Car air Purifier is meant to purify the air inside a car. It makes less noise while working and has a Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) value of 60m3/h when compared to the Mi Air Purifier Pro with a CADR value of 500m3/h. But the inside of a car has a smaller area, then it is just enough to provide clean and fresh air inside the car. It is capable of filtering out impurities and make the air inside the car clean in just 3 minutes.
At last, LeEco is set to launch the much touted Le Max 3 on April 11. The LeEco Le Max 3 is no doubt a flagship device and has for long been rumoured to pack an all-new AI technology. Ahead of tomorrow’s launch, LeEco’s phone official Weibo account today posted a teaser poster which seems to suggest that the upcoming phone will have an intelligence that is akin to that of humans in the sense that it learns and gets wiser with time. Here is a brief summary of the key features the Le Max 3 is expected to come with.
DESIGN
The LeEco Le Max 3 is one device which is yet to launch but its images have featured in lots of leaks. One feature which stands out on the design of the Le Max 3 is the rear camera setup. The smartphone is expected with a dual-lens camera setup at the rear and even at that, the camera design is unique. The dual cameras are designed in a weird way that looks like the Biscuit man’s face. The rear cameras come with dual-LED flash and a fingerprint scanner below the camera.
In appearance, the phone also features a metal unibody design. The display comes with bezels but with narrow ones, both on the left and right sides. Above the display, an earpiece can be seen separating two round-shaped features. One of them is the selfie camera and there is no confirmation on what the other feature is. There is no physical home button under the display as the device likely uses a virtual home button. There is also a USB Type-C port and just like the Le Pro 3, don’t expect the Le Max 3 to come with the 3.5mm audio jack.
SPECIFICATION
The LeEco Le Max 3 is expected to sport a 5.7-inch display with Quad HD resolution. The device was earlier rumoured to be powered by a Snapdragon 821 chipset but latest rumour tips the Le Max 3 to pack Mediatek’s Helio X27. We don’t have an elaborate detail of the specifications but perhaps the biggest feature on the smartphone will be the AI technology it will come with. The AI system enables the phone to work via direct voice command whereby users control most functions just by speaking a command. That isn’t all, the AI is superintelligent as it can learn the owner’s usage pattern over time. Thus, its level of integration with the phone increases over time and it can even learn the functionalities of 3rd party apps.
Further, the LeEco AI is said to have a much higher Recognition rate which is much higher than the average voice assistant.
COMPETITION
The LeEco Le Max 3 will have some tough competitors which are also launching this month to contend with. First, the Xiaomi Mi 6 flagship is expected this April as well and there is no doubt the Snapdragon 835 chip it is packing would command some of the attention LeEco’s new phone is supposed to get. The choice of an Helio X27 chipset, if true, would be a turn-off for many fans of Qualcomm’s chips.
Also, Meizu is expected to launch a new smartphone this month which is suspected to be the Pro 7. This is another device the Le Max 3 would compete for market share with but one thing LeEco has going for it is the cheap pricing of its flagships. It is believed the Le Max 3 would command some attention with its price, well, except LeEco’s financial trouble plays a role in the pricing of the flagship.
It has been a long wait for Xiaomi fans and it seems their wait might or might not be coming to an end tomorrow. A new post by Xiaomi’s official Weibo account hints at a very important info about the Mi 6 being released tomorrow. Is it the launch? You’ll have to read this to the end to find out.
The account has been posting images of their previous flagships in the last couple of days and today’s post was for the Xiaomi Mi 5. Since the previous posts did not include variants like the Mi 4i or Mi 4C, there is a high chance that tomorrow’s post will be for the Xiaomi Mi 6 and not for the Mi 5s or Mi 5s Plus. The countdown began on April 6 with each post mentioning the highlight of the phone.
A follow up post by the account says we should expect a surprise at noon tomorrow. Some say the surprise might be the launch of the Mi 6 while others say it might be the announcement of the official launch date. Since we have heard no news of an official invite going round for a Xiaomi event, the latter seems to be the more likely thing to happen.
The Xiaomi Mi 6 has been delayed due to the supply issues plaguing the Snapdragon 835. There will be two variants with different screen sizes and memory configuration and the larger variant is expected to launch with dual cameras.
As the Xiaomi Mi 6 launch draws closer, the leaks continue to increase. Not too log after we spotted the front panel of the Mi 6 in several leaks, more images of the Xiaomi Mi 6 front panel have appeared online. The latest leaked images are perfectly similar to the previous ones we have seen and they look very real.
The Xiaomi Mi 6 is not only expected to pack a Snapdragon 835 chipset, it is also said to come without the 3.5mm audio jack and with a waterproof body. The Mi 6 is also said to feature an iris recognition and an opening for that is present in this recent leak. Another feature to note on the front panel is that the Mi 6 would have a display covering the entire screen and there is an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor which is on the oval-shaped home button. The leaked front panel images again show that the Mi 6 front display will have black and white bezels around the display, obviously on different versions but the bezels are ultra-thin.
Perhaps, the GFXBench listing for Xaiomi Sagit suspected to be the Mi 6 is the source for a more authentic specs sheet for the Mi 6. The Mi 6 is listed with a 5.15-inch display with a Full HD resolution. There are likely two CPU variants, both octa-core chips clocked at 2.2GHz and 2.4GHz respectively. There is no doubt this is the flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 since the device is listed with an Adreno 540 GPU. The memory variants are likely a 4GB + 64GB combo as well as a 6GB + 128GB version.
In the span of just one quarter, Nokia has released the Nokia 6, Nokia 5, and Nokia Nokia 3. All three devices fit into the mid-range and low-range category. Nokia still has about 3 or 4 devices left to release this year and one of them is the Nokia 9. The Nokia 9 is rumored to be a flagship device with a Snapdragon 835 SoC and Carl Zeiss cameras.
Nokia is said to be taking its time before the Nokia 9 launches and also waiting for the Snapdragon 835 to become more available. A new report has revealed a release timeline and possible pricing for the flagship.
The Nokia 9 is said to be scheduled for a end of July or early August launch but won’t be available until the end of the third quarter or later. This time frame will probably see the Nokia 9 compete with more devices for customers’ money.
Devices like the LG V30, the Pixel 2, and even new flagships from Samsung and Xiaomi will be launched in the beginning of the fourth quarter. Notwithstanding, sales may actually turn out not to be a problem as the popularity of the Nokia brand may help it record more sales.
Just a few years ago, self balancing scooters (or hoverboards) were pretty popular. Then complaints started springing up about them catching fire while in use or while charging. It was a pretty big deal which resulted in stores like Amazon pulling them off their sites and airlines banning them from flights. But does that mean hoverboards are dead? Not at all. All you have to do is to make sure you buy an original one with a certified safe battery like the MegaWheels TW01.
MegaWheels is known as a supplier of hoverboards but has decided to launch its own. The TW01’s selling point is its 4400mAh Samsung lithium battery which is UL2272 certified. The hoverboard is also CE, RoHS and TÜV certified.
The MegaWheels TW01 is only available for the European market for now. It has dual 350W motors for a powerful and stable ride and boasts a maximum speed of 7mph (11.27kmh) It comes in white, red, blue, black, and carbon fiber and supports a maximum load of 120kg. MegaWheels says the TW01 has a 1-year warranty and is tax free for European buyers.
If you are interested in getting the MegaWheels TW01 you can head to their website or place an order on AliExpress or Ebay. The company says they are working on listing it on Amazon too. There is a promo on their AliExpress page and you can grab a number of coupons to save a bit on its $349 price. There is also a promotion where you can win a free unit or buy it for just $59. It’s on at the moment.
Several companies like Samsung, LG, Apple and Microsoft are speculated to launch bendable smartphones in the near future. Bendable phones are expected to feature flexible components. Researchers at the University of Exeter have revealed a new kind of storage system that can be used on forthcoming bendable smartphones.
The new flexible storage system for bendable phones would be made from a hybrid of graphene oxide and titanium oxide. Professor David Wright has said that the graphene oxide has been used in manufacturing memory components in the past, but they are quite large and offer slow performance. However, the graphene oxide – titanium oxide hybrid memory measures only 50 nanometers in length and its thickness is only 8 nanometers.
As compared to the conventional flash memory, the flexible memory would be offering “excellent endurance and retention performance.” It will not be only available with cheaper pricing but also it will be able to read/write data in 5 nanoseconds.
Graphene which is a slim layer of carbon is a very good conductor of electricity compared to silicon. It can transfer electrons at the rate of 1,000 km per second, which is 30 times quicker than silicon. It is also the slimmest compound discovered by man at one carbon atom in diameter. All these features makes it an ideal component that can be used in a compact-sized devices like a smartphone and even in smart clothing.
Since it is in developmental stage, it would take several years before it is made available locally. Several companies have been working on flexible smartphones and bendable li-ion batteries. Hence, well-known brands such as Samsung may invest in the new kind of flexible hybrid memory in the near future. Speculations have it that Samsung could be the first brand to launch a flexible phone which is dubbed as Galaxy X by the rumor mill. It is slated to launch in 2019. If this is so, the usage of the flexible storage may become a reality within the next five years.
Meizu has always positioned itself as a rival to Xiaomi in the Chinese market. There is no denying that both brands are innovative in terms of design and others, so it is usually not surprising when they release smartphones which look to take on each other most times. There are indications the Xiaomi Mi 6 might likely have a rival flagship from Meizu.
Meizu VP Li Nan seems to have hinted about the impending launch of the elusive Meizu Pro 7. The VP who was responding to an inquiry on Weibo hinted that the company would launch a smartphone this month and it isn’t the Meizu M5X but it comes with a new look and some very interesting design. Although he didn’t mention the name of the expected device, it is suspected to be the Pro 7. Firstly, Meizu launched the high-end Pro 6 in April last year and with the upcoming launch of the Mi 6, only the Pro-series smartphones can take on the Xiaomi flagship. Coincidentally, the Meizu Pro 6S which is the latest in the lineup has got a 200 Yuan price cut. This could be a way to offload the remaining stock before the launch of a new flagship.
An earlier leak had tipped the Meizu Pro 7 to come with a 5.7-inch 4K display (resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels) with support for AOD display screen technology. The flagship is also said to feature an Helio X30 chipset and would also come packing a rear camera with 12MP Sony IMX362 CMOS sensor among several other features. We are not entirely sure, though, that we’ll finally get to see the long-awaited Pro 7 this month. It could turn out to be another model.
The Blackview BV7000 Pro is a rugged IP68 phone that is priced at just under $200. That price doesn’t get you just a phone that is waterproof and dust proof, you also get some pretty impressive specs.
The BV7000 Pro comes bundled with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. On top of that you also get a 5-inch FHD display with Gorilla Glass 3 protection, a fingerprint scanner, a 13MP rear camera and an 8MP front camera. There is also a Mediatek MT6750T octa-core processor powered by a 3500mAh battery with 5V 2A fast charge.
All of the above features are bundled into a phone that is 12.6mm thin. Not impressive for your average smartphone but for a phone that is designed to be rugged, it is a feat.
The team at Blackview have released a new video showing the BV7000 Pro getting unboxed in a swimming pool. It is unusual but it is a unique way of advertising that the phone is IP68 certified. However we are not entirely sure that the accessories are waterproof, especially the charger. So don’t try replicating the video at home.
The first half of this year may likely see Xiaomi release a good number of smartphones and other gadgets. Already, we are expecting the Snapdragon 835-powered Mi 6 to be launched any moment from now. Another smartphone that will likely hit the market within the first half of the year is the second-generation Xiaomi Mi Max 2.
Xiaomi Mi Max
The Xiaomi Mi Max 2 is expected this year as a replacement for the Mi Max which was released last year and is even off the shelf on Xiaomi Mall presently. Latest details about the Mi Max 2 has emerged and there are indications that the next-gen Xiaomi smartphone will not use the yet-to-be-announced Snapdragon 660 chipset, as rumoured and purportedly spotted on benchmark, but will feature a Snapdragon 626 processor instead. The Snapdragon 626 chip is said to be the successor to the Snapdragon 625 and comes with an increase of about 10% in performance over the SD 625. The new SD 626 also has support for dual cameras while also retaining the qualities of the SD 625 in terms of power and battery life advantages.
Xiaomi Mi Max
In addition, the Mi Max 2’s camera is said to be another area of major upgrade. It is tipped to come with the same setup as used on the Mi 5S, which is a 12MP Sony IMX378 sensor but with a larger aperture in order to get better camera effect. On the other hand, the front selfie shooter will have a 5MP sensor. Earlier on, the Xiaomi Mi Max 2 was rumoured to come with the same 6.44-inch display with 1080p resolution. The device is tipped to run on Android 7.1.1 Nougat with MIUI 8 and with an increase in the battery capacity to 5000mAh. An earlier rumour also tips the Mi Max 2 as packing a Snapdragon 660 chip backed by 6GB of RAM and 4GB RAM on the standard version.
As for the price, the source of the latest leaked details hints that the Mi Max 2 price may be adjusted slightly but will still fall between 1499 Yuan and 1699 Yuan. Of course, nothing is certain until Xiaomi goes official with the next-gen phablet.
A new image of Xiaomi’s upcoming flagship, the Mi 6 has surfaced online. The image shows just the front of the phone but gives us a good look at the iris scanner and fingerprint sensor.
The iris scanner can be seen sitting in-between the front facing camera and the earpiece. It will serve as an additional way for users to unlock their phone. Design wise, Xiaomi doesn’t seem to be joining the bezel-less display train like other manufacturers with the Mi 6, the Mi MIX is its contender for that category. So its not surprising to see that there are still bezels visible on all sides of the Mi 6.
Sitting at the bottom is a fingerprint scanner flanked on both sides by capacitive and definitely backlit buttons. The scanner is said to not push down like a physical button but will work like a capacitive one. So this is probably an ultrasonic sensor.
UMiDigi (formerly known as Umi) has a new phone, the all-metal UMiDigi C Note. The budget phone has a lot going for it but a new promotional video focuses on its battery life.
The video shows the UMiDigi C Note compared against Xiaomi’s Redmi Note 4. The test is actually a comparison of video playback time and its nice to see the C Note come out on top even with its smaller battery.
UMiDigi says the C Note is able to achieve this because its quad-core chip consumes less power than the deca-core Helio X20 in the Xiaomi. Not only that, but it also runs Android Nougat out of the box which features a less aggressive version of Doze.
The UMiDigi C Note features a 5.5-inch FHD Sharp IGZO screen, a 1.5GHz quad-core SoC, 3GB of RAM and 32GB ROM. Storage can be expanded via a MicroSD card slot (256GB max.). There is a 13MP rear camera on the back with dual-LED flash and a 5MP for selfies. It is powered by a 3800mh battery, has a front-mounted fingerprint scanner and costs just $150.
Following a High Court of England ruling against Huawei a few days ago, the table has turned for the phone manufacturer. A Chinese court has awarded Huawei Technologies a sum of $11.60 million (¥80 million) to be paid by Samsung.
According to a report by Quanzhou Evening News, the fine is the result of a ruling in a patent infringement case filed by Huawei against Samsung over a smartphone patent held by the former’s mobile division (Huawei Device Co. Ltd). The law suit was filed in May and is just one of several in China and the US. It is reported that Samsung also countersued Huawei in China for patent infringement.
The suit was filed against Samsung China Investment Co. Limited and two other units in Huzhou and Tianjin. It also includes two electronic companies involved in the manufacturing of more than a score of Samsung devices said to infringe on the patent. One of the devices is the Galaxy S7 released in 2016.
The Snapdragon 835 is the flagship chip for the year no doubt, but for mid-range phones, the Snapdragon 660 is the chip to look forward to. The Qualcomm chip built on Samsung’s 14nm LPP node is expected to power phones like the Nokia 7 and Nokia 8. Adding to that list is the OPPO R6051, a new device which has showed up on GFXBench.
The OPPO R6051 is a 5.5-inch phone with a 1920 × 1080 resolution. There is a Qualcomm octa-core CPU said to be the SD660 clocked at 2.2GHz and an Adreno 510 GPU under the hood. We were initially shocked to see that the Snapdragon 660 uses the Adreno 510 GPU and not the Adreno 512 as previously reported. But after comparing the results to that of the OPPO R9s Plus which is also powered by the same GPU, the difference is as clear as night and day.
The R6051 gets 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and surprisingly runs Android 7.1.1 Nougat. OPPO fans should be excited at that last bit seeing as the recently announced OPPO F3 Plus runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow and the OPPO R9, R9 Plus and F1 are also just getting updated to Android 6.0!!!
A new update for Xiaomi’s MIUI Developer ROM is now available. The update brings a major system optimization for CPU allocation, a feature expected to reduce lags experienced by users.
Android has come a long way in terms of performance. When Android 4.1 Jelly Bean was released it came along with new enhancements meant to reduce lags and improve experience, Google called it Project Butter.
In spite of that, manufacturers have seen that they can achieve more than what Project Butter offers in terms of performance and responsiveness. So developers working on custom Android versions like MIUI have been able to come up with ways to make their OS perform better.
The new CPU allocation feature is only available to MIUI 8 developer ROM based on Android 5.0 to 7.0. It is not yet available for MIUI based on Android 4.4 Kitkat and Android 7.1 Nougat (Xiaomi Mi 5C). The later will get the optimization later.
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