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Nubia Z17 Renders Leak in Gold and Blue with Dual Cameras, Rumored to Have 8GB RAM

Nubia has released a few phones this year already. There is the Nubia M2Nubia M2 Lite, and the Nubia Z17 Mini. However, they are yet to release their flagship device. News has it that Nubia’s flagship will be launched as the Nubia Z17 and it will come with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 SoC.

A Nubia phone with model number NX563J was spotted on GeekBench last week with 4GB of RAM and a MSM8998 processor. It is said to be the Nubia Z17 since it shares a similar model number to the Z17 Mini (N569J) and sports a Snapdragon 835 SoC.

 

[envira-gallery id=”130135″]

New renders of the upcoming device have been leaked online and it shows that the Nubia Z17 will come with dual rear cameras and a dual tone LED flash. It also has a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner and a metal frame that goes around it. The renders are available in gold and dark blue. The design isn’t bad, however we are not happy with the huge front bezels since the fingerprint scanner is on the back.

READ MORE: New Nubia Smartphone Leaked With Flash On The Antenna, Similar To Meizu E2

Samsung Galaxy S8 Active (SM-G892A) Gets Spotted in User Agent String; Arriving in June?

In the previous month, the rumor mill had revealed that Samsung is working on a rugged version of Galaxy S8. The report revealed that the alleged Galaxy S8 Active which will be an AT&T exclusive phone is codenamed as Cruiser. The model number of the Galaxy S8 Active is SM-G892A.

Like the Galaxy S7 Active, the rumored Galaxy S8 Active is expected to be a MIL-STD-810G compliant device that will also come with IP68 certification. The rumored Galaxy S8 Active has appeared on User Agent String which gives us a proof on the existence of the device. Except for the fact that it will be running on Android 7.0 Nougat, its User Agent String listing has revealed no details on its specifications.

Read More: Samsung Galaxy C10 Releasing as First Samsung Smartphone with Twin Rear-Facing Cameras?

As Galaxy S7 Active came with same specs as regular version but the only exception was that the Active variant featured a larger battery. The Galaxy S7 has a 3,000mAh battery, but the S7 Active includes a 4,000mAh battery. Hence, it is likely that the Galaxy S8 Active would be coming with a larger than 3,000mAh battery present inside the regular Galaxy S8.

The Galaxy S8 does not feature any hardware buttons on the front, but the Active variants have always featured them. Hence, there is a possibility that the Galaxy S8 Active may come with hardware buttons below the display. Also, the Galaxy S7 came in multiple color choices such as Black, White, Gold, Pink Gold, and Silver, but its Active variant came in different color options like Camo Green, Titanium Gray and Sandy Gold. In the same way, the Galaxy S8 Active may come in different colors than the Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Arctic Silver, Coral Blue, and Maple Gold that are available for the regular version of Galaxy S8.

As far as specifications are concerned, the Galaxy S8 Active to arrive with a 5.8-inch display that will support quad HD+ resolution of 1,440 x 2,960 pixels. It will be powered by Snapdragon 835 SoC and 4 GB of RAM. It will be arriving with an internal storage of 64 GB.  Like the Galaxy S8, the Active will be coming with a 12-megapixel rear snapper. It is expected to feature a 5-megapixdel snapper in the front. Just as the Galaxy S7 Active was launched in June 2016, the Galaxy S8 Active is expected to become official in June.

(source|via)

 

Xiaomi Cuts Down Prices Of Mi 5S, Mi 5S Plus & Other Products

Xiaomi is set to offer its range of products including smartphones, Smart TV, Smart home gadgets and others at a reduced price. This isn’t a permanent reduction though, as the tech giant is offering fans the opportunity to take advantage of the Xiaomi Super Brand day on Tmall coming up tomorrow May 9. During the event, fans can get some Xiaomi products at highly reduced prices.

xiaomi mi mix pearl white

Among the products listed up for sale at reduced prices are models which are at best difficult to get in the market but we are being assured that there is enough stock for all the products. Top on the list is the Pearl White coloured Xiaomi Mi Mix 128GB which will be on sale for 3499 Yuan. Recall that the Pearl White Mi Mix was only unveiled at CES 2017 in Las Vegas and it later went on sale in China but wasn’t readily available just like the Black variant. Another device is the Xiaomi Mi Note 2 Silver variant 64GB which will be available for 2799 Yuan.

In addition, the Xiaomi Mi 5S 3GB + 64GB price has been reduced by 200 Yuan bringing it down to 1799 Yuan. The Mi 5S Plus 4GB + 64GB is also getting a 200 Yuan reduction and will be up for 2,099 Yuan. If you’re looking for a budget phone, the Xiaomi Redmi 4 will be offered for 50 Yuan less the original price at 949 Yuan.

Related: Xiaomi Mi Mix Pearl White Edition In Pictures: Premium & Elegant

The price reduction will also extend to the Xiaomi TV 4A (65-inch) which will be sold for 6,099 Yuan which is 400 Yuan less the original price. The offer also includes shipping for the same price. The Xiaomi Super Brand day also brings a 100 Yuan price slash to the Mi Notebook Air 13.3-inch which will be on sale for 4,899 Yuan. The Mi Water Purifier will come with six free cotton filter while the Mi Robot Vacuum will be on sale with a 59-Yuan extension box free.

Once again, the Mi Super Brand day on Tmall will hold tomorrow, May 9 and unfortunately, these prices and products are only available in China. Here’s the link to Xiaomi’s official flagship store on Tmall, in case you are interested.

xiaomi super brand day

 

 

 

Xiaomi Mi 6 Lite Version With Snapdragon 660 Chip Rumored As Coming!(UPDATED)

UPDATE: Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun has categorically stated via a Weibo post that the Xiaomi Mi 6 Lite news is FAKE! So, we’ll take it that Xiaomi is not working on a Mi 6 Lite. That basically doesn’t rule out the option of  SD 660-powered Xiaomi phone, though.

lei jun weibo mi 6 lite

This year, Xiaomi did not maintain the price regime which had seen the previous Mi-series models coming out as cheap flagship. The Mi 6 instead, came with a 2,499 Yuan price tag for its base model, making it 500 Yuan higher than the Mi 5 which started at 1999 Yuan.

Xiaomi mi 6

There are rumours now that Xiaomi is working on a new Xiaomi Mi 6 Lite version which would feature a decent specs lineup and cheap price. The rumour is coming amidst report that Qualcomm will unveil a new mid-range Snapdragon 660 processor on May 9. That is because the Mi 6 Lite is said to sport the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset among other features. The device is also rumoured to carry a 1999 Yuan price tag making it available for those who cannot go for the 2499 Yuan Mi 6 flagship.

It is interesting to note that Xiaomi had been rumoured to be working on a Snapdragon 660 phone even before the Mi 6 was launched but that was said to be a Redmi smartphone. Earlier on, OPPO and its counterpart  Vivo, had been tipped to have a model in the works which would be powered by the upcoming Snapdragon chip. The expected Samsung C1 is also said to use the SD 660 SoC.

xiaomi mi 6 lite

Read Also: Snapdragon 660 launching in China on May 9, Cheaper Alternative to SD835

The Snapdragon 660 chip is said to come with an octa-core arrangement which may be a combination of the Cortex-A73 and A53 cores. The mid-range processor is also tipped to tag along with it the Adreno 512 GPU and support dual-channel LPDDR4X-1866 memory, UFS 2.1 storage, up to 24MP camera, LTE Cat. 10 and three carrier aggregation. The chipset which would replace the Snapdragon 652 and 653 is also said to be manufactured using Samsung 14nm LPP process meaning power efficiency and heat control would be some of its features. Apart from the chipset, no other specs of the Mi 6 Lite are known.

(source)

 

Samsung Galaxy C10 Releasing as First Samsung Smartphone with Twin Rear-Facing Cameras?

In the previous month, the rumor mill started claiming that the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will not be the company’s first smartphone with dual rear-facing camera. It was revealed that an upcoming Samsung Galaxy C series phone would be the first phone from the company to feature twin cameras on the back panel. Now, a leakster from China has revealed that the Galaxy C10 is the mysterious Galaxy C series phone.

According to Chinese leakster @mmddj_china, the rumored Samsung Galaxy C10 has a model number of SM-C9150. It is expected to be powered by Snapdragon 660 chipset which is all scheduled to get unveiled tomorrow. The SD 660 chipset carries support for dual rear cameras. The following photo is an example of how the Galaxy C10 may appear.

The Galaxy C10 will be featuring a dual camera setup on the rear side. As a sketch of the alleged phone had surfaced a few days ago, the phone will be gracing a vertically arranged dual camera module.  The camera configurations are not known yet.

Read More: Refurbished Galaxy Note 7R Launch Nearing as it Receives FCC Certification

Since the sketch does not show a fingerprint panel on the backside of the alleged Galaxy C10, it is likely to be embedded in the Home button or under the screen. The Chinese tipster has claimed that the smartphone would be featuring a Bixby button. Currently, the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ are the only Samsung smartphones to come with support for Bixby AI assistant.

The leakster has also revealed that the other Galaxy C phone arriving in the near future is the Samsung Galaxy C9 (2017) and its model number of SM-C9100. However, the dual rear camera feature will be only available on Galaxy C10.

Nothing else is known on the specifications of the phone. Since the C9 Pro from November last year came with 6 GB of RAM, the upcoming C9 (2017) and C10 may feature 6 GB of RAM. There is no confirmation on when the Galaxy C10 would be unveiled. However, early speculations hint the C10 would be unveiled by the end of this quarter or arrive in Q3.

(source)

 

Xiaomi Redmi 4X Gets A 4GB RAM & 64GB Memory Upgrade

Xiaomi unveiled the Redmi 4X about two months ago when it also launched the Mi 5C powered by Xiaomi’s own Surge S1 chip. When the Xiaomi Redmi 4X was launched, the device was made available in a 2GB RAM  + 16GB storage and 3GB RAM + 32GB storage versions. However, Xiaomi has added a higher version which comes with 4GB RAM.

Xiaomi Redmi 4X

The Xiaomi Redmi 4X version with 4GB RAM has a more spacious 64GB memory and obviously a higher price tag. The Redmi 4X starts at 699 Yuan (~102) for the 2GB + 16GB model and goes up to 899 Yuan (~$131) for the 3GB + 32GB version. The 4GB + 64GB model comes with a price tag of 1,099 Yuan (~$159) and would go on sale from May 9.

Xiaomi Redmi 4X

Basically, the latest memory version of the Redmi 4X features the same flagship-looking design as the other models and except for the higher memory combination, all three models have the same specifications. As a reminder, the Xiaomi Redmi 4X comes with a 5-inch 720p display with 2.5D glass on top and a smooth metal body, curved around the corners. The phone is powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 435 chipset and there is a large 4100mAh battery under the hood which should ensure at least two days of comfortable usage on a single charge. The Redmi 4X also packs a 13MP rear camera with f/2.0 aperture, 5P lens, PDAF and LED flash while there is a 5MP selfie shooter with f/2.2 aperture.

Read More: Xiaomi Redmi 4X Official: Octa-Core SD435 chip & Large Battery Offers Superb Value!

The Redmi 4X comes with a slim 8.65mm body (despite featuring a large 4000mAh battery in a compact 5-inch form factor). At the back, you get a 13MP camera as well as a fingerprint sensor, which is a great addition at this price. The smartphone is available in Cherry Blossom, Champagne Gold and Matte Black colours.

Xiaomi Redmi 4X

Lenovo Smart Band HW01 Launched to Rival Mi Band 2 With Rs. 1,999 ($31) Pricing

Lenovo Smart Band HW01 is a new fitness band from the company that has been introduced in India. It will be competing with the likes of Mi Band 2 from Xiaomi, Reflex from Fastrack and Fitrist Cardio from Intex in the country.

The Smart Band HW01 is a IP65 certified water resistant fitness band and its strap is made up of silicone which features a stainless-steel buckle. It has been designed to work under extreme weather conditions as it has been subjected to durability and pressure tests such as placing under 70-degree temperature and also under -20-degres temperature for 128 hours.

Lenovo-Smart-Band-HW01

Lenovo has also carried out free fall tests to prove that the Smart Band HW01 is resistant collisions of up 1.2 meters.  The Lenovo Smart Band HW01 is fitted with a 0.91-inch OLED screen which display health and fitness data such as distance walked, calories burned, heart rate tracking, sleep monitoring and so on.

The Sports Mode feature available on the Smart Band HW01 can track heat rate at regular intervals of 15 minutes. The smartband vibrates when it monitors the heart rate. The Anti-sleep Mode makes the smartband vibrate to wake up the user if he/she sleeps beyond a set time. According to Lenovo, this feature can prevent users from dozing while driving or working at night.

Lenovo-Smart-Band-HW01

Read More: Lenovo Shaves off Battery Capacity in The Moto Z2 Play to Allow for Thinner Body

 It can be paired with a smartphone running on Android 4.4 Kitkat or above and iOS 7 or higher. Once paired with a smartphone, the Lenovo Smart Band HW01 can be also used to control music or snap photos. The smartwear also vibrates when the paired phone receives notifications such as calls, SMS, email and alerts from social apps like WhatsApp and Facebook. It is equipped with an 85mAh battery which can make the smartband last for up to 5 days on a single charge.

The Smart Band HW01 is now available for purchase in India through Flipkart. It is listed with a price tag of Rs. 1,999 ($31) and is available only in black color.

OPPO R11 Color Variants Revealed In A New Leaked Photo

OPPO R11 launch seems to be approaching fast as it was recently spotted with 3C certification in China and it had also appeared on a TV commercial. Now, a leaked image of the alleged phone has surfaced to reveal that it will be coming in three color options.

Oppo-R11-colors

As it can be seen in the above image, the alleged OPPO R11 will be coming in three colors like Black Gold, and Rose Gold. The image is quite blurry, but the dual rear camera can be seen present on the Gold variant. There is no rear-mounted fingerprint sensor on the phone which suggest that it would be probably integrated on the front-facing physical Home button.

Leaked shots of the phone that have appeared in the recent past have also suggested that it would be coming with dual rear cameras. Rumors have it that the dual camera setup will include the main sensor of 16-megapixel and a secondary sensor of 8-megapixel. The OPPO R11 is rumored to feature a 16-megapixel selfie snapper. Some other rumors suggest that it would be gracing a 20-megapixel front camera.

Read More: OPPO & Vivo Device Pricey Strategy To Overtake Samsung In India

Qualcomm is expected to launch the Snapdragon 660 chipset on May 9. This chipset is speculated to be present under the hood of the OPPO R11. The SoC is expected to be coupled with 4 GB of RAM. It is speculated to arrive with a native storage of 64 GB.

The phone is pegged to feature a 5.5-inch display that would carry support for full HD resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. It is rumored to come preinstalled with Android 7.1.1 Nougat. The 3C certification of OPPO R11 has revealed that it would be equipped with VOOC fast charging with 20W (5.0V dc / 4A) support.

(Source)

Samsung Galaxy J7 2017 Appears on GFXBench Again With New Specs

The Galaxy J Series phones fall between the entry level and mid-range category. This year, Samsung is set to renew some of the models in the series one of which is the Galaxy J7 (2017).

The device was first spotted on GFXBench a few months ago and was rumored to launch at MWC 2017. It has been spotted on the benchmarking website spotting a different model number and even different set of internals.

Samsung J7 2017 SM-J730

While the version that surfaced in February has model number SM-J72A, this one’s model number is SM-J730. It also sports a 5.5-inch 1080p display, an Exynos 7870 SoC and 3GB of RAM. Internal storage is still 16GB but the rear and front cameras are both 12MP sensors. The phone runs Android 7.0 Nougat.

READ MORE: Samsung Tops Indian Smartphone Market in Q1 2017

Android 7.1.1 Update Rolls to Nokia 6 Owners in Hong Kong and Taiwan, Brings May Security

Apart from great hardware, software support is also pretty important. HMD Global wants to make sure it meets both demands. The new Nokia licensee has started rolling out Android 7.1.1 Nougat update to the Nokia 6.

The Nokia 6 is the first Android phone from Nokia released this year. The Android 7.1.1 update first rolled out to owners in China last month and has now started hitting devices in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Apart from the update in software version, it also brings along May’s security patch.

Nokia 6 Android 7.1.1 Update

The update is 1.85GB in size and brings new features such as a bunch of new emojis, gif support, and also homescreen app shortcuts. Nokia has also fixed some issues that have to do with USB and 4G networks.

READ MORE: Fake Nokia 3310 Pops Up in China, Buyers Beware

UFS Scandal Continues: Samsung Galaxy S8 Uses Different Flash Memories Too

Last month, the Huawei P10 and Huawei P10 Plus were at the center of a controversy. Some users had discovered that the phones had different types of flash memory installed which resulted in varying performance results. Huawei responded to the issue by saying that the discrepancies in the flash memory was as a result of using different suppliers. They also went on to say there was no notable difference in the overall performance of two phones with different flash memories.

We already know Huawei isn’t the only company that cuts corners with flash storage. There have been reports of iPhones with larger storage capacities having faster read/write speed than those with smaller storage. Turns out Samsung also uses various flash storage for their phones and their most recent flagship, the Galaxy S8 isn’t left out.

The finding was discovered by an XDA member who owns the Exynos 8895 version of the Galaxy S8 (SM-G950FD). After finding out his own phone uses a UFS 2.1 storage, he implored other Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ owners to find out what flash storage type is present in their phone. The results were varying. While some Galaxy S8 units have UFS 2.1 flash storage, others have UFS 2.0; but all Galaxy S8+ units tested have UFS 2.1 storage. Poll results below.

Initially, Samsung had explicitly stated that the UFS storage present in the Galaxy S8 is version 2.1 but if you head to the page now, it has now been removed. The asterisked info that says “May differ by country and carrier” is actually for the RAM and storage configuration and not type. Below is a comparison of the previous spec page and the new one.

Galaxy S8 UFS 2.1
Samsung Galaxy S8 Spec Page Before
Samsung Galaxy S8 UFS
Samsung Galaxy S8 Spec Page After

The difference in performance between a phone with UFS 2.1 storage and another with UFS 2.0 storage isn’t much compared to that of one with an eMMC 5.1 storage. But it is still disappointing that a company as large as Samsung which is one of the largest flash memory manufacturers in the world will behave in such a manner.

READ MORE: Latest Rumor: Next Samsung Galaxy C-Series Phone Coming With Dual Cameras

New HTC U 11 Glossy Red Renders Appear Ahead of Launch

The Snapdragon 835-toting HTC U 11 is almost upon us. Scheduled to launch on the 16th of May, new renders of the phone have surfaced online. The renders are from Onleaks and 91mobiles and are said to be based on original factory CAD sketches.

The renders show the phone in a new glossy red coat which is pretty attractive. The antenna lines are black and match nicely with the red back. There is a USB type-C port at the bottom flanked on the right by a mic and a slit for the speaker. There is no audio jack at the bottom neither is there one at the top.

HTC U 11 Glossy Red

The Power button and volume rocker grace the right side of the phone and the SIM slot sits at the top. You also have the fingerprint scanner sitting on the lower bezel. Overall, we have no issues with the design and we hope the performance turns out to be equally nice.

READ MORE: All Metal HTC One X10 Official in Russia: A Better Alternative to The U Play?

New ASUS X00ID Model Appears on GFXBench Sporting Dual Cameras

There are indications that Taiwanese tech giant ASUS is working on a new smartphone which has now been spotted on benchmark website GFXBench. The smartphone appeared on GFXBench with the model number ASUS X00ID. The GFXBench lsiting also gave us a glimpse of the specifications of the new smartphone.

ASUS Zenfone Pegasus 3S

According to the listing, the ASUS X00ID will sport a 5.5-inch display with a 1280 X 720 resolution which effectively places it in the mid-tier category. The device is expected to be powered by a Qualcomm Octa-core processor clocked at 1.4 GHz with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. The Adreno 505 GPU the device is listed with makes the processor likely a Snapdragon  430 chipset, which is the same with that used on the Nokia 6.

 

Perhaps, the most interesting aspect of the device is the dual rear camera setup capable of shooting 4K videos which it is listed as coming with. The main camera is given as a 13MP + 5MP camera capable of capturing FHD videos. On the front, there will be an 8MP selfie camera. The device is also listed to run Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box.

Read More: AnTuTu’s Top 10 Most Popular Phones in Taiwan, ASUS Tops.

As at this moment, the launch iterinary for this smartphone is unknown, but the phone is likely a new Zenfone model. Numerous rumours concerning ASUS has been released which range from speculations that the new ASUS ZenFone 4 will be launched in May of 2017 to suspicions that ASUS might use the MediaTek SoCs in its next ZenFone device. So, a lot of information about this device is still pending as the GFXBench listing onlu listed a few. Details such as its battery capacity, pricing and the actual release date are yet to be revealed. We expect more details aboout the ASUS X00ID to come up soon.

ASUS X00ID

Gionee S10 Plus with Dual Front and Rear Cameras Seen on TENAA

Gionee is preparing to launch successors to last year’s Gionee S9. The S9 is just six months old and will be getting not one but three successors. Two were seen on TENAA last week. One has model number S10C with a single rear camera and a 5.2-inch screen and the other has model number S10B with dual rear cameras and a 5.5-inch screen. Another one which is expected to be released as the Gionee S10 Plus with dual front and rear cameras has showed up on TENAA.

Gionee S10 Plus

The Gionee S10 Plus has a 5.5-inch full HD display, 4GB of RAM on board and 64GB of built-in memory. An octa-core processor clocked at 2.5GHz powers the phone and it draws energy from a 3450mAh battery. Gionee has put a 16MP + 8MP dual camera setup on the back with a slight hump, and a 20MP + 8MP shooter in front. That’s four cameras in total in this phone.

READ MORE: Gionee M6S Plus Goes on Sale in China, Starts at ¥3499 (~$507)

OnePlus Might Have Teased the OnePlus 5 Recently

OnePlus continues to get jiggy with its upcoming flagship smartphone which is believed to go by the moniker OnePlus 5. The company has on several occasions released teasers that leave no doubt in our minds that a flagship is coming. OnePlus seems to have used the Star Wars day which is May 4 to share what we suspect is the image of the OnePlus 5.

Oeplus 5

 

The photo isn’t distinct enough for us to get a full glimpse of what exactly the phone looks like. But from what we can grab, the device in question will likely have a slim build. The camera bump at the back is indicative of a single rear camera. The phone’s capacitive buttons are also noticeable at the sides. There is really nothing to show this isn’t likely the OnePlus 3T.

Read Also: What Specs Does The OnePlus 5 Need to Have to Be The 2017 Flagship Killer?

While it is almost certain that OnePlus is working on a next-generation smartphone which will be the OP5, we’ll have to wait a while to get the actual render of the device. As for the specification, the OP5 is rumoured as coming with a Snapdragon 835 processor as well as 6GB RAM. There are talks of an 8GB RAM version as well. The device is expected with a 5.5-inch display which would either have a 1080p or 2K resolution and also a 16MP dual rear camera. The OnePlus 5 is expected to launch anytime soon, with talks of a possible launch sometime between June and August.

(source)

 

 

 

Lenovo Shaves off Battery Capacity in The Moto Z2 Play to Allow for Thinner Body

A fortnight ago, we saw official press renders of the Moto Z2 Play surface online. While there weren’t so many changes, one of those we took note of was the slightly thinner body. That singular design change meant that the Moto Z2 Play may feature a smaller battery.

Turns out our prediction was true. The Moto Z2 Play will indeed feature a smaller battery. This was confirmed by VentureBeat, citing a marketing material as their source. Rather than the 3510mAh battery that graced the first-gen Moto Z Play, the Moto Z2 Play will come with a 3000mAh battery. That’s a 14% reduction in battery capacity.

Moto Z2 Play

The reduction in battery capacity results in the Moto Z2 Play having its thickness and weight cut down by a millimeter and 20g respectively. The processor is said to be the Snapdragon 626 which is an upgraded version of the SD625 but with a higher clock speed. The RAM has also been bumped up to 4GB and storage is now 64GB.

READ MORE: The Moto C Draws Closer to Launch As It Gets Bluetooth SIG Certification

Leaked Renders of Honor 9 Lacks 3.5mm Audio Jack

LeEco and Xiaomi are two Chinese manufacturers that have phones without headphone jacks. Huawei might be joining them soon as leaked images of the yet-to-be-released Honor 9 reveals the lack of an audio jack.

While the images are renders and aren’t confirmed to have originated from Huawei, we can’t rule out the possibility of it happening. It makes perfect sense that the first phone to not have an audio jack may come from the Honor sub-brand and not the main Huawei brand.

Honor 9

Instead of dealing with the backlash and possible sales drop that may arise from the removal of the audio port if it were the flagship Huawei P10 or Huawei P10 Plus. It is safer to test the waters with the Honor 9. The outcome will determine if Huawei will make the decision to either remove or retain the audio jack in the next Huawei flagship.

READ MORE: Huawei Honor 6X Android 7.0 Nougat Update with EMUI 5.0 Now Rolling Out

OPPO & Vivo Device Pricey Strategy To Overtake Samsung In India

As competition in the smartphone market gets stiffer, smartphone markets will likely go off-the-hook in their strategies in order to defeat their rivers. Chinese smartphone makers look even more fierce in their attempt to outwit their bitter rivals across the East China Sea. Oppo and Vivo whose street advertisement lend colour to Delhi Metro’s would spend about Rs 2,200 crore (around $350 million) on marketing thereby dwarfing the amount that would be spent by the likes of Samsung and Sony.

oppo

A rough calculation shows that the finance allocated for marketing of Samsung, LG and Sony will be inferior to the war chest of the two Chinese brands. The intended expenditure is reflective of a marketing plan that involves expansion of their sales pattern by 25% through unconventional shops, such as smartphone recharge and repair stores, and consumer electronic shops.

oppo

Overtaking the current market leader, Samsung, in the next one year is the plan of the Chinese duo. Some top industry executives confirmed that several smartphone shops have been contacted by these two Chinese big wigs asking them to diversify their focus from Samsung smartphones with a promise of compensation in event of a potential loss.

vivoRelated: OPPO F3 Dual Selfie Camera Phone is Official; Pre-orders, Price, Specifications, Features

A senior executive with a top cellphone retailer said that Oppo and Vivo are focused on volume sales, pre-paying retailers for their signatures, branding for the next 1-2 years and even giving 5-10% more margin to retailers and sales promoters. An executive of one of the outdoor advert firms in India also disclosed that all outdoor advertising slot that is available in the market is been taken by OPPO and Vivo.

(source)

Vivo X9 NBA Edition Announced for ¥2998 (~$507), Blue Has Never Looked This Good on A Phone

The Vivo X9 was released towards the end of last year. Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 625 and paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, the X9 still falls under the mid-range category. Originally launched in gold and rose gold, Vivo later released a matte black version in February. Vivo has announced a new color variant, bringing the total to four.

Vivo X9 NBA Edition

The new color variant is actually a limited NBA Edition with a blue back with NBA’s famous logo engraved at the bottom. The antenna lines are white and the front bezels are black. The NBA customization is not limited to the surface alone, it also runs deep into the phone. The user interface is NBA-themed in the form of wallpapers and icons.

READ MORE: Vivo V5S with 20MP Sony IMX376 Selfie Camera Launched

Apple Suffers Setback In Q1 2017 In China As OPPO, Huawei Ramp Up Production

Current smartphone shipment data released by research firm, IDC show that China-based manufacturers such as Huawei, OPPO and Vivo somehow continued to ramp up their production and shipments even as Apple suffered a major regression in shipments of iPhone devices to the Chinese market in the first quarter of 2017. The data showed that iPhone shipments by Apple in China slide 26.7% on year to 9.6 million units in the first quarter, which accounts for a 9.2% share compared to 11% recorded in the last quarter of 2016 and 12.7% of a year earlier. According to Apple’s latest financial report, its revenues generated from the China market slumped by 12% on year to US$16.2 billion in the first quarter.

The data showed that iPhone shipments by Apple in China slide 26.7% on year to 9.6 million units in the first quarter, which accounts for a 9.2% share compared to 11% recorded in the last quarter of 2016 and 12.7% of a year earlier. According to Apple’s latest financial report, its revenues generated from the China market slumped by 12% on year to US$16.2 billion in the first quarter.

While Apple was experiencing this deterioration in China, Huawei returned to the top position, displacing their local rival OPPO by ramping up its shipments by 25.5% year on year to 20.8 million units in the first quarter. Huawei also saw its share climb to 20% in the quarter, up from 16.8% a quarter earlier and 16% a year earlier, IDC said.
OPPO on the other hand, ranked second with shipments totalling 18.9 million units for an 18.2% share, while Vivo shipped 14.6 million and took the third position with a 14.1% share.

Read More: China To Get Over 200 Xiaomi Mi Home Stores This Year Says CEO

According to the IDC report, the Chinese market, in the first quarter of 2017 received 104.1 million smartphones which represent a mere 1% on-year growth. This is an indication of the near saturation the Chinese market is currently gearing towards. Smartphone makers release new devices by the day and competition gets keener. Even the top three domestic vendors are unrelenting in their drive to maintain their lead. Huawei recently established more than 1,000 experience shops in core cities in China in its bid to counter the rivals OPPO and Vivo who gained successes by exploring both offline and online sales channels. Huawei is also rumoured as planning to set up over 15,000 retail shops globally. Currently, OPPO has a total of over 200,000 online and offline sales outlets in China, while Vivo has 250,000 offline sales outlets, according to the source. Xiaomi is also looking to increase it offline presence in China with additional offline stores. No doubt, we’ll get the full picture of the winners and losers at the end of the year.

(via)