Huawei Targets 10 million Units Sales For the P10 & P10 Plus

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Mar 27, 2017

Huawei‘s CEO Yu Chengdong has continued to be the face of the company, reeling out the vision and plans the Chinese mobile phone giant hopes to pursue in the near, mid-term and long-term future. Just recently at the launch of the P10, he hinted that the company was working on a completely bezel-less phone which would take on the likes of the upcoming Galaxy S8 as well as the old birds like the Xiaomi Mi Mix and LG G6. Again, the CEO has unveiled the lofty plans of the company regarding the P10 and P10 Plus flagships which were unveiled in China a few days back.

Yu Chengdong recently disclosed that Huawei has set a tall target of 10 million-unit sales of the P10 and P10 Plus and even aim to surpass that figure in the long run. This sales target would have been easily achievable if only the design and hardware configuration of the P10 flagships were to be considered. The smartphones feature a design language and pack hardware which definitely elicits interests in them but the snag is their pricing, especially the P10 Plus.

The Huawei P10 started at 3,788 Yuan ($550) in China for the base 4GB + 64GB variant which is okay for a flagship but then, the price went on to peak at 5,588 Yuan for the 6GB + 256GB version of the P10 Plus. In fact, the P10 Plus started at 4,388 Yuan ($637) for the 6GB + 64GB version. It is uncertain if the Chinese market is ready for such huge price of over 5,000 Yuan for a smartphone. The Chinese smartphone market is a highly competitive market which has seen most OEMs adjusting their prices in order to compete favourably.

MUST READ: Huawei P10 Review: A Premium Dual Camera Monster

Perhaps, Huawei would be banking on its overseas sales to achieve this figures. The P10 and P10 Plus was first launched in Europe at CES 2017 and even though the price tags were costlier than the China edition, the device has received lots of positive reviews. The price tags mean Huawei is all set to compete on a level playing field with Apple and Samsung which it trails behind in the global standings. We’ll just have to wait to see how this plays out in the long run.

(source)

Huawei Honor 6X Available in New Colors Like Blue and Pink

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Mar 27, 2017

When the Huawei Honor 6X was launch last year in October in China, it was made available in color options like Gray, Silver and Gold. However, rumors surrounding the phone before its official announcement suggested that it would be coming in more color variants. Huawei has introduced the Honor 6X in new color options like Blue and Pink (looks like Rose Gold) in China.

Currently, the new color variants for Huawei Honor 6X are only available in the home country. However, the Chinese firm is expected to make them available in other markets soon like India where there is fierce competition between mid-range smartphones.

Honor 6X is a budget smartphone with a USP of dual rear cameras of 12-megapixel and 2-megapixel. It is coupled with features such as LED flash and Phase Detection Autofocus The twin cameras are capable of shooting photos with bokeh effect. Even though it arrived with Android Marshmallow OS, the company confirmed in January that the phone would be receiving the Android 7.0 Nougat upgrade by the second quarter of this year.

In February. it confirmed that the software update would be available in March, but the company was not able to keep its promise. Instead, Huawei began the Android Nougat beta update program for Honor 6X users in the U.S. at the start of this month. The update weighs 2.3 GB and it tags along EMUI 5.0.

By enrolling for the beta build, users can test the beta edition of Nougat 7.0 packed with EMIU 5.0 before its final version is released. To enroll, users need to send their IMEI number to [email protected]. Owners of dual-SIM Honor 6X are required to send two IMEI numbers. The U.S. users of Honor 6X are poised to get the final build soon, but there is no confirmation whether the new Blue and Pink variants would be also made available there.

The mid-range Honor 6X is powered by Kirin 655 SoC and it features a 5.5-inch full HD IPS LCD screen. The company is selling 32 GB variant with 3 GB RAM and its 64 GB model with 4 GB of RAM is expected to be available soon in the U.S. Its front-facing camera is of 8-megapixel and is graced with a battery of 3,340 mAh capacity.

Google Pixel, Pixel XL Cameras Are Equipped with Software Made for Google Glass

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Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Mar 27, 2017

The 12.3-megapixel rear cameras on Google Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones are the highest rated smartphone cameras on DxOMark. The reason why the cameras of Pixel phones are able to shoot amazing photos and videos is that they are powered with a software that was originally made to be used on Google Glass.

When Alphabet’ X wing was working on the Google Glass project, it wanted its camera to be on par with the cameras present on topnotch smartphones. However, the camera sensor of the Google Glass was smaller than the ones that are present on smartphones. It could not intake much light and thereby ended taking poor photos. Hence, the engineers at Google came up with a solution called Gcam that allowed the camera sensor to capture sufficient light and shoot better photos.

Since the engineers could not modify the camera hardware of the Sony IMX378 sensor of the 12.3-megapixel camera, they worked on the improving the software. A new solution called “image fusion” was devised that allowed the camera to capture multiple shots of the same photo in a rapid sequence and combine them together to produce a final image that comprises the best of each photo. Since Gcam works like HDR, it is dubbed as HDR+ by Google.

Gcam made its debut on Google Glass in 2013 and then it arrived as HDR+ on Nexus 5 and 6. Now, it is available as the default camera mode on Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL smartphones. The camera technology from Google is also available on its other products such as Android, YouTube, Google Photos and Jump (360=degree VR rig).

Google is now rumored to be working on Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 smartphones that are reportedly codenamed as Muskie and Walleye. Leaked information has revealed that both phones will be equipped with improved rear cameras that will be able to support advanced low-light photography. On the software side, Google is expected to improve on white balance as well as background effect by letting the software decide whether to blur, darken, or lighten.

(source)

Real Image of Xiaomi Mi 6 Plus Surfaces Online, Shows Dual Cameras

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Mar 26, 2017

A new image of the Xiaomi Mi 6 Plus was earlier today posted on Weibo. The real life image shows the rear of the device, giving us a good look at the dual rear cameras.

So far, it appears little has changed with respect to the design. The curved back bears a striking resemblance to that of the Mi 5 with the only major change being the cameras. You can also confirm this is the “Plus” variant judging from the size. The person holding it has a fairly large hand and the phone still extends further out of his palm. If it were the 5.15-inch variant, it definitely won’t extend as far as this.

Xiaomi is expected to release the Mi 6 and Mi 6 Plus in April or latest by May. Both will sport the Snapdragon 835 processor and may probably be the first Chinese phones to do so.

So far we have not heard of any exciting features about the new devices. A spec sheet that leaked yesterday mentions the displays still have 1080p resolutions. However, the battery capacities are larger and the front facing camera has been upgraded as well.

(Source)

Xiaomi’s Next Product is an Anti-Haze Mask for Kids

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Mar 26, 2017

Xiaomi’s Mijia brand has focused lately on the health of consumers. In the last few months, they have announced two anti-blue light glasses, one anti-UV glasses and a nose mask. A new teaser from the Mi App (has been pulled down already) hints at an anti-haze mask designed for kids.

The teaser image depicts a kid wearing a mask with a playground behind him and in another scene you can see him fighting “air monsters”. The idea is the mask provides a form of protection for kids from the harmful particles in the air when they are outdoors. The design of the mask is said to be a one-way valve design and serves as an anti-haze/anti-fog mask.

The overall design is made to be easy for kids to wear on their own with a unique strap design and a button. The anti-haze mask is expected to launch on Tuesday, 28th of March at 10:00 am. There is no price yet but it should be in the same range as the mask released last year which costs ¥69 ($10).

(Source)

IBM Files Patent for Pet-Sitting Drone

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Mar 26, 2017

IBM seems to be taking the functionality of drones up another level with their new patent filing. The application, which was published on Thursday is for a drone that serves as a pet-sitter that monitors and cares for your pet when you are away from home.

Like regular drones, this will also have a camera but for monitoring your pet(s). It will check for abnormal behaviors and take preset actions depending on what it sees. The drone will have a number of additional hardware such as a temperature sensor and a treat dispenser.

Apart from its own built-in functionalities, IBM says the drone can be paired to other IoT devices in the house such as the thermostat, pet feeder and pet door. So the drone will be able to control the temperature of the house, dispense food, and grant access to the pet door if your dog needs to go relieve itself or get some fresh air.

IBM says the drone will also have a calorie counter so it doesn’t overfeed the pet. And when your pet is naughty, it will issue out vocal warnings (probably in the voice of the owner) to caution it. It can also be paired to a web-connected collar that controls the dog. Another feature will be the ability for owners to pair to the drone via their smartphone or computers and see in real time what their pet is up to.

While the idea is nice, it remains to see how pets will react to a non-human monitoring them. Owners may have to train their pets to recognize the drone as an extension of their authority.

Continue

Completely Bezel-less Huawei Phone in The Pipeline Says CEO Yu Chengdong

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Mar 25, 2017

Following the release of the Xiaomi Mi MIX last November, quite a number of manufacturers have started to embrace the new design. The LG G6 with its Full Vision display is an example and Samsung’s upcoming S8 and S8+ have significantly reduced bezels. Huawei has also announced its joining the race.

Speaking at an interview following the China launch of the Huawei P10 and P10 Plus, the CEO Yu Chengdong confirmed that the company is working on a phone with the screen occupying the entire front from top to bottom. Yes, no bezels at all. Now, why that sounds good to the ears, it will be no mean feat. So we probably should not expect this to be released soon as part of his statement mentioned a focus on user experience. So not until the design is perfected will this phone launch.

Continue

Full Spec Sheet for Xiaomi Mi 6 and Mi 6 Plus Leaks

By

Habeeb Onawole

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Mar 25, 2017

Xiaomi is preparing for the release of its flagship phone, the Mi 6. Just like Samsung is doing with the Galaxy S8 and S8+, the Mi 6 will also have a larger screen variant called the Mi 6 Plus. A full specification sheet of both devices has leaked online today, revealing some very interesting features.

Starting with the Xiaomi Mi 6, it is listed as sporting a 5.15-inch 1080p display. The Snapdragon 835 processor will be present and will be clocked at 2.45GHz. The spec sheet states the device will have 4GB of RAM and will have a UFS 2.0 storage size of 32GB, 64GB, or 128GB.

For optics, Xiaomi has equipped the Mi 6 with a single 19MP Sony IMX400 sensor on the rear and an 8MP ultrapixel sensor upfront. That is double that of the Mi 5. The battery capacity has also been bumped up to 3200mAh. One surprising info is the OS. The Mi 6 will run MIUI 8 based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow and not Android Nougat.

Next is the Xiaomi Mi 6 Plus. The screen is bigger at 5.7-inches but still won’t be Daydream compatible as the resolution still remains 1920 x 1080p. The Mi 6 Plus is powered by the Snapdragon 835 SoC too but cranks up the RAM to 6GB. Storage options are however limited to just 64GB and 128GB.

The cameras are another place where the Mi 6 differs. It appears all the leaks we have been seeing of a Xiaomi phone with dual cameras are actually that of the Mi 6 Plus. The spec sheet lists the rear cameras as being dual Sony IMX362 sensors. The front facing camera is the same 8MP ultrapixel sensor as its smaller variant. A bigger screen should translate to a bigger battery, right? Yes, and Xiaomi thinks so too. The Mi 6 Plus will have a large 4500mAh battery supplying juice.

Continue

Huawei P10 Sales Hit 100 Million Yuan ($14.5M) In Just A Minute On JD.com In China

By

Joel Joseph

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Mar 24, 2017

Huawei seems to be on a roll this year. After launching the Huawei P10 and P10 Plus models at MWC 2017, the company released the two flagship models in China today. These phones also went on sale for the first time on JD.com in China and both the devices seems have done extremely well on the first day of release.

Soon after the first Huawei P10 sales on JD.com kicked off at 18:08 on March 24 i.e. today, JD.com revealed an interesting sales figure of the devices. The online retailer revealed that Huawei P10 and P10 Plus sales exceeded 100 million Yuan in just a minute after the sale kicked off. So by 18:09, the company had already generated over 100 million Yuan sales in total.

Now, considering this sales figure is generated in just a minute, we can say that the Huawei P10 and P10 models have been very well received by the company’s Chinese fans. Remember, these are not cheap devices. The cheapest 4GB + 64GB Huawei P10 version starts at 3799 Yuan ($550) while the costliest 6GB + 256GB Huawei P10 Plus goes up to 5588 Yuan ($810). Considering the pricing and the total sales figure, we can roughly say that Huawei managed to sell anywhere between 20,000 – 25,000 models in the first sale. This is in just a minute on JD.com!

For complete Huawei P10 Chinese Pricing, check out this article. Also, Huawei P10 Specs Here & Huawei P10 Plus Specs Here.

Huawei 10,000mAh 22W Fast Charging Powerbank Announced in China

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Mar 24, 2017

Huawei today took the wraps off the flagship Huawei P10 and P10 Plus in China and alongside the smartphones, the elite brand also announced a new powerful mobile power bank with 10000mAh capacity and fast charge support. The Huawei power bank features an aluminum body with a premium finishing and the number 10 is engraved on the body.

The Huawei power bank comes with a spectacular 4.5V/2A 22W super fast charge capability and is well fortified against explosion or other safety risks by its thick aluminum body. The charger is touted as being able to charge a mobile phone from zero to full charge in just 30 minutes. The fast charge capability is a two-way thing, as the mobile power bank can be recharged fast as well, using the same 4.5V/5A 22W super fast charge. Other features include a USB Type-C port

The Huawei Mobile Power bank comes in gray, green and moonlight silver colors and it carries a price tag of 199 Yuan (~$29) which is considerably cheap. The device is currently listed on Huawei’s official mall with only the gray colored variant but the website did not state when the device will go on sale.

Apple iPhone 7 Red Variant Booking Reaches over 480,000 on JD.com

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Mar 24, 2017

Apple caught many unawares when it launched a Red colored special edition of the iPhone 7 & 7 Plus days back. This is the first time Apple is adding such unconventional colors to its smartphone range. The iPhone 7 Red together with the higher iPhone 7 Plus were released in partnership with (RED), an NGO devoted to raising funds for the fight against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. A percentage of the unit cost of each unit sold are donated to the Global Fund solely for fighting the deadly diseases.

The Red edition is billed to go on sale on March 24 via Jingdong, Lynx, Apple’s official website and ahead of that event the red iPhone 7 is shown to have recorded over 480,000 registrations ahead of the sale. The registration is only that of Jingdong, so if we piece together the registrations in other platforms, it could be well over a million persons. Even though the registrations are no indicator of the number of units that would be sold, it is an indication that the new color variant has widespread acceptability.

The red color iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are sure leaving up to expectations that they would drive sales and as for the sales, it would commence today 24th March at 23.01 china time (GMT +8). Do know that the prices remain unchanged from those of the other variants. However, the iPhone 7 & 7 Plus Red variants are available in 128GB and 256GB storage versions only. You also get the accessories such as Lightning ear pods, the USB data cable, and charger, as well as the 3.5mm adapter.

(source)

Huawei P10 & P10 Plus Official In China: Much Cheaper Than European Pricing, But In Less Color Shades

By

Joel Joseph

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Mar 24, 2017

Huawei P10 and Huawei P10 Plus, both these models were announced at MWC 2017 held in Barcelona, Spain. Now, these two models and their variants are also official in the company’s home country, China. The Huawei P10 comes with the same specs and features as the European version, however, the company, like tradition, has priced the variants much cheaper than its international price tag.

The phones will come in six different color options here in China, as opposed to eight internationally. The following are the Huawei P10 / P10 Plus colors launched in China: White Ceramic, Graphite Black, Dazzling Gold, Rose Dold, Greenery, and Dazzling Blue. The two colors not coming to China are prestige gold and mystic silver.

The Huawei P10 and the Huawei P10 will have five memory variants in total, two for Huawei P10 and three for Huawei P10 Plus.

The following are the Huawei P10 Prices in China:

4GB + 64GB version: 3,788 Yuan ($550)

4GB + 128GB version: 4,288 Yuan ($622)

The following are the Huawei P10 Plus Prices in China:

6GB + 64GB version: 4,388 Yuan ($637)

6GB + 128GB version: 4,888 Yuan ($709)

6GB + 256GB version: 5,588 Yuan ($811)

MUST READ: Huawei P10 Review: A Premium Dual Camera Monster

Note that, at the conference, Huawei didn’t mention a 4GB RAM version of the Huawei P10 Plus. So, for now, it looks like there will be just 6GB RAM variants of the larger device in China.

Huawei P10 Price in China vs Price in Europe

4GB + 64GB variant | China ~$550 | Europe ~$700

Huawei P10 Price in China vs Price in Europe

6GB + 128GB | China ~$709 | Europe ~$862

So, it looks like there’s about $150 pricing difference between each Huawei P10 / P10 Plus variant in China and Europe.

Huawei P10 Silver — This color won’t be available in China

As for the specs, the Huawei P10 comes with scratch-resistant 2.5D glass with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. The fingerprint sensor is now on the front and supports multi-gestures too. The phone is super slim as well, measuring just 6.98mm in thickness. The Huawei P10 comes with a 1080p 5.1-inch display while the P10 Plus features a 5.5-inch 2K display. Both the phones feature 20MP + 12MP Leica certified dual cameras at the back. The larger Huawei P10 Plus comes with a wider f/1.8 aperture. Both the models have Kirin 960 underneath with 4GB and 6GB variants. Other features include fast charging support, Full Netcom connectivity, 4.5G LTE etc. So, basically, the features of the Huawei P10 and P10 Plus China variants are the same as the European models.

You can read the full specs of the Huawei P10 here and Huawei P10 Plus here.

Geotel Note Review – A Decent $90 Smartphone!

By

Linus

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Mar 24, 2017

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. Find out if it is worth your attention in our full review.

VIDEO REVIEW

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

UNBOXING

The phone ships with all the usual stuff and some extras include a hard plastic case.

DESIGN and DISPLAY

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. The 5.5” display has only 720p resolution but honestly, this is one of the best HD panels I’ve seen on a budget phone. Even the sunlight legibility is decent.

We have an 8MP front-facing camera, notification LED light and customizable on-screen navigation keys on the front.

The backplate is glossy and shiny, and it looks great when it is clean. However, it is a huge fingerprint magnet.

You can easily remove the back cover and underneath it, you will find 2 SIM card trays, a microSD card slot a replaceable 3200mAh battery.

As for optics, we have a 13MP shooter along with a single LED flash.

The buttons are made of plastic too but they are clicky and tactile.

As for loudspeaker, the quality is kind of average and the volume output could be better.

HARDWARE

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.

The gaming performance is decent if you play games like Asphalt 8 on the medium graphics. Still, you should expect some skipped frames but no lag.

BENCHMARKS

USER INTERFACE

The Geotel Note ships with the near stock-looking Android 6.0 with just a few added features.

For example, you can choose from quite a few gesture and motion controls. Some of them work well while others are pretty slow to respond. In general, the user interface is fast and fluid even after installing quite a few apps. It is the most important aspect on a cheap phone, in my opinion.

IMAGE QUALITY

You can’t expect any good results from cheap phones but the Geotel Note can take some decent daylight images. Obviously, the dynamic range is usually off, the colours may look washed out but in general, photos look okay for a $90 phone.

Naturally, the image quality is not as good in lower-lit situations.

The selfie image quality is not the best but the images will do the trick for social media needs.

The video quality is kind of mediocre, just like on most of the cheap phones out there.

CONNECTIVITY

I didn’t have any connectivity issues with this device and even the GPS lock speeds and accuracy were okay.

BATTERY LIFE

3200mAh battery performs pretty well and I could constantly get over 5 hours of screen on time, which is a decent result.

CONCLUSIONS

The Geotel Note aims to bring a lot of value for the price and it actually succeeds in a lot of ways. It may not be a perfect phone but it definitely deserves your attention if you are in the market for very cheap and quality smartphone.

Buy Geotel Note

Nokia 7, Nokia 8 Design Sketch Leaked; Carl-Zeiss Dual Lens Camera Spotted

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Mar 24, 2017

Nokia is rumored to be working on alleged Nokia 7 and Nokia 8 smartphones that are driven by the soon-to-be-announced Snapdragon 660 chipset. A popular Nokia leakster from China has posted leaked images on Baidu that reveal the design of the rumored Nokia 7 and Nokia 8 phones.

The leaked sketch shows two Nokia devices. The one present on the left seems to feature dual rear camera module with “Zeiss’ text mentioned on it. It may be the Nokia 8 phone whereas the other one on the right may be its single camera variant that may arrive as Nokia 7.

The following image seems to show the front and rear of the same handset that is present on the right-side in the previous image. The rear design of these phones look different from Nokia 3, Nokia 5 and Nokia 6. However, the front side of the Nokia phone in above sketch bears resemblance to Nokia 6 with similar design for the Home button. The bezels do not appear to be very thin. Hence, it may not be a flagship phone.

Recently, AnTuTu scores of an unknown device running on Snapdragon 660 chipset benchmarks was spotted. The mysterious device was spotted with specs like 2K display, 6 GB of RAM, 64 GB internal storage, 12-megapixel dual rear camera and Android 7.1.1 Nougat. There is no confirmation whether the unknown device is the alleged Nokia 8 phone that is speculated to feature Carl Zeiss dual rear cameras.

As previous leaks of Nokia 7 and 8 have revealed, the former may feature a full HD screen whereas the latter may house a larger screen. The Nokia 8 may come out as the first Nokia phone with support for quad HD resolution. Both phones are rumored to come with metallic chassis and similar specs.

(source)

iPhones Could Power Future MacBook-Like Devices with a Special Dock, Patent Reveals

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Mar 24, 2017

Apple has been granted with a new patent that involves placing of an iPhone or iPad into an “electronic accessory device” which appears like a laptop. The laptop-like device would then be powered by the iOS and hardware of the iPhone or iPad docked on it. The patent was filed in September 2016.

The laptop-like device that can be seen in the image will be dumb device that will only have functional parts like screen and keyboard. It will be a dumb terminal that won’t be featuring a processor, RAM or other such hardware components. It is likely that Apple may include a dedicated GPU on the device for the display of the device.

The dumb terminal that appears like MacBook is likely to feature an aluminum chassis will not feature a trackpad, but instead there will be a docking station in which an iPhone can be placed. The operating system, processor and RAM of the iPhone would power the laptop-like device. This is not something innovative as the same idea can be seen on the Lap Dock accessory available for HP Elite X3 smartphone running on Windows 10 Mobile and Snapdragon 820 SoC. However, it does not involve placing of the Elite X3 phone on the Lap Dock.

A separate idea for the same patent can be seen in the second image that shows how an iPad can be used with the electronic accessory device. It involves placing the iPad in the upper part of the laptop-like device. The iPad’s screen will act as the display for the device. Unlike the previous idea, this one shows a presence of a trackpad and thereby offers a conventional laptop experience.

In 2015, Microsoft had launched the Lumia 950 and 950 XL smartphones. The Continuum feature of Windows 10 Mobile OS along with the supporting hardware on both phones allowed users to connect the Lumia 950 or 950 XL to an external screen, keyboard, and mouse through a Display Dock. This allowed users to get full-blown Windows 10 PC experience.

Samsung is also rumored to sell a DeX (Desktop Experience) docking station with the upcoming Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones. The Galaxy S8 duo’s Snapdragon 835 chipset is pegged to deliver desktop PC experience when connect to a screen, mouse and keyboard through the DeX station.

(source)

New Meizu Smartphone with Model Number M621C-S Certified by TENAA

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Mar 24, 2017

Meizu is one brand that is known for its innovativeness, so we were thrilled by a leaked product schedule said to be that of Meizu was spotted. The product schedule revealed the company would launch a total of six smartphones spread across the months of the year. So far, we have only seen one smartphone and from the schedule, we expect to see the next one in June. But the leaks just won’t stop coming, despite the scanty launch we expect this year.

The latest leak is that of a new Meizu smartphone which appeared on China’s Telecommunication regulatory agency’s (TENAA) website where it has been certified. The listing gave us a view of the device’s render from all four sides and also a rundown of the specifications of the device simply identified as Meizu M621C-S. The renders look very much like those of the Meizu M5S which touched down last month and considering the model name it is listed with, the device will likely be the Meizu S.

On the listed specs, the Meizu smartphone is listed with a dimension of 153.6 x 75.6 x 8.15mm and weighs just 175g. It sports a 5.5-inch TFT display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The device is listed as coming with 2GB, 3GB and 4GB RAM versions and would be powered by a 1.8GHz processor which would likely be a MediaTek Helio P25 chip. There is also three storage versions of 16GB, 32GB and 64GB respectively and all three can be expanded up to 128GB via microSD.

On the camera end, the Meizu phone packs a 13MP rear camera sensor with a round LED flash and upfront, there is a 5MP selfie shooter. The phone runs Android Marshmallow out-of-the-box and keeping the lights on is a 3920mAh battery which is appreciable. Connectivity options like Bluetooth, 3G, 2G, 4G, Wi-Fi and others are also listed.

We can’t say if this smartphone is the same model that received 3C certification days back and was also granted radio transmission certificate last week but its appearance on TENAA may be an indication its launch is drawing closer. Whenever that happens, expect the device to be available in white, silver and blue colors.

(source)

ZTE Hit By $343 Million Loss in 2016 After Paying Huge Fine for Selling Equipment to Iran, North Korea

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

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Mar 24, 2017

Earlier this month, we had reported that ZTE was fined a settlement pay of $892 million for violating U.S. laws by selling its products in restricted regions like Iran and North Korea. It was fined not only for violating the U.S. laws, but also for making false statement by claiming not guilt initially. This has caused the company to encounter a massive net loss for the last quarter of 2016.

The Chinese telecommunications equipment manufacturer ended up with a net loss of $760 million. It means that without the fine, ZTE would have recorded a net profit of $132 million in the final quarter of 2016. For the same period, the company was expected to make a profit of $557 million.

In the third quarter of the previous year, it had posted a profit of $158 million. However, because of the huge fine, ZTE has met with a $343 million loss for the entire year of 2016. Without the fine, it would have gained a profit of around $557 million. In other words, it would have earned an increased profit of around 19.2 percent compared to the revenue it generated in 2015.

If the company does not adhere to the conditions of the settlement, it will have to pay $300 million more. The agreement became effective from March 22. However, a positive thing for ZTE is that its quarter-to-quarter revenues increased by 24.6 percent and its year on year profits have rose by 1 percent.

In the U.S. ZTE is the fourth largest smartphone vendor and its smartphones are available through AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint. The Chinese company is also working with leading U.S. companies such as Intel, Microsoft, and Qualcomm. However, if it fails to fulfill the conditions of the agreement, the U.S. government may ban ZTE from working with U.S. companies.

The Chinese firm has recently announced the all new Blade V8 series of smartphones earlier in this year and it is also recently launched the Nubia M2 phone. It is also rumored to release an entry-level ZTE Quartz smartwatch in the near future.

(source)

Geotel Note is available for $89.99 on Aliexpress now

By

Shine Wong

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Mar 24, 2017

Aliexpress anniversary festival on March 28 is approaching, some of Aliexpress stores will bring a huge sale offer. It is likely the best price you can get across the whole year. Geotel Note is one of best budget phones with acceptable specs and wonderful Metal Print surface technology.

The Geotel Note’s Metal Print body and shiny either Blue or Gold colors looks gorgeous. It’s own shiny surface on the back cover. Besides the build quality, the phone specs are also above acceptable as well. Here is the main specs:

5.5″ HD screen, 1280x720pixel display resolution
Powered with MTK MT6737 SoC, along with 3GB RAM and 16 GB of storage
Built-in 8MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera
3200mAh battery
Android 6.0 Marshmallow

Learn More About Geotel Note at Official site

Xiaomi Mi 6 & Mi 6 Plus Prices Leaked, Starts at 1999 Yuan ($290)

By

Jed John Ikoba

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Mar 24, 2017

This year promises to be a year of spectacular flagships competing at different planes – large displays, powerful hardware, top notch designs and more. The Xiaomi Mi 6 is one of such flagship which would lock horns with the Samsung Galaxy S8 as the first two Snapdragon 835-powered smartphones. The Mi 6 is rumoured to launch next month, after the Galaxy S8 must have been unveiled on March 29.

Xiaomi-Mi-6-Dual-Camera — mi 6 old render

Ahead of that launch, the Xiaomi Mi 6 pricing details have leaked online revealing the likely prices the various versions of the flagship device will sell for. The price list contains not just the Mi 6, but also the Mi 6 Plus which is probably the bigger 5.7-inch variant. Accordingly, the list reveals three memory versions for the Mi 6 and Mi 6 Plus. The Mi 6 comes in 4GB + 32GB which is listed to start at 1999 Yuan ($290). There is also a 4GB + 64GB version listed with a 2,299 Yuan ($333) price tag and finally, a 6GB + 128GB version priced at 2,699 Yuan ($391).

On the other hand, the Mi 6 Plus is listed with 4GB + 64GB on its base version which would retail for 2599 Yuan ($377), a 6GB + 128GB version priced at 2,999 Yuan ($435). Finally, the Mi 6 Plus is listed with a top-end version with a fiery 8GB RAM and 256GB storage priced at 3499 Yuan ($507).

We can’t verify these price listing but if true, then the Mi 6 would be the cheapest flagship around considering that it packs a Snapdragon 835 chip, dual cameras and several other top-end features. We don’t know if the base versions will pack Snapdragon 835 chip or a lesser Snapdragon 821. Also, there are rumours of the Xiaomi flagship equally coming with several colour variants including the unconventional colours like red. We have a feeling the long wait for the Galaxy S8 and Mi 6 would be worth the while.

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Moto M Meets Midrange Segment Demand; 3 Million Units Sold in Just 6 Months

By

Anvinraj Valiyathara

-

Mar 24, 2017

Moto M, a new midrange smartphone from Motorola was launched in China in the last quarter of 2016. Later, it was also brought to select regions. Fresh information suggests that’ in as short span of six months the company has sold over 3 million units of Moto M.

According to The Jakarta Post, Adrie S. Suhadi who leads the Lenovo Mobile Business Group in Indonesia has said that the sales number of Motorola Moto M smartphone confirm that it has fulfilled the mid-range segment demand. The new smartphone was introduced to supplement its budget and premium smartphones that are already doing well in China.

Lenovo Group Ltd.’s global smartphone sales have increased by 20 percent because of the impressive sales of Moto M in China. After its launch in China, the phone was released in India and now it is also available in multiple markets such as Pakistan, Poland, Malaysia, Thailand and more. The smartphone is going to launch in Indonesia on March 27. Lenovo’s e-commerce partners will run pre-orders for Moto M from March 22 to 26.

The Moto M has a splash resistant body and it features a 5.5=inch screen that supports full HD resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. The MediaTek Helio P10 SoC is present under the hood of the phone. Some markets like India have received has received Helio P15 SoC variant of Moto M.

The 32 GB storage model of Moto M has 3 GB of RAM and its 64 GB storage variant has 4 GB of RAM. Its rear-facing camera is of 16-megapiexel LED flash and its frontal snapper is of 8-megapixel. It is loaded with Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow OS. It features a USB Type-C port and a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner. It houses a 3,050 mAh battery and it comes in color options such as Gold, Gray and Silver.

(source)