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Huawei Will Face AMOLED Display Shortages This Year

Samsung and Apple are estimated to use about 70% of OLED displays produced this year. That figure is going to affect other manufacturers like Huawei who will have to cut down the percentage of its smartphone shipments sporting AMOLED displays to just 8%.

Samsung Display is one of the major OLED panel manufacturers in the world, so it is understandable that it will need all it can get. Stats says Samsung will receive 56% of displays produced this year while Apple will take delivery of 75 million units, which amounts to 14% of global OLED production in 2017.

AMOLED

According to the source, other OLED display manufacturers that should cover for the shortage won’t begin mass production early enough. LG Display is estimated to begin shipping its OLED display in 2018 and China’s BOE Technology Group Co.Ltd may not start shipping till 2020.

READ MORE: New Huawei Phone with OLED Display and 4000mAh Battery Seen at TENAA 

Leaked OPPO F3 Plus Retail Packaging Confirms Dual Selfie Shooters Up front

OPPO‘s upcoming F3 and F3 Plus smartphones first appeared in some of OPPO’s stores’ promotional posters in the Philippines and the device was finally officially confirmed for launch on March 23 recently. Ahead of the launch taking place next week, another leak has surfaced surrounding the F3. This time around, the retail box casing of the OPPO F3 Plus and two promotional posters for the F3 and F3 Plus have surfaced online.

oppo f3 plus retail box

The OPPO F3 Plus along with the F3 is expected to come with dual selfie cameras and the retail box confirms the existence of dual cameras on the F3. While the new feature is a standout feature, it is not coming as much of a surprise because fellow BBK subsidiary Vivo did release the Vivo V5 and V5 Plus last year with dual selfie shooters on the V5 Plus. Just that this time around, both the F3 and F3 Plus are touted as sporting dual cameras. We are not sure if only the F3 Plus will finally feature dual cameras, anyway.

oppo f3 plus

Related: OPPO F3 Plus Dual Selfie Camera Phone’s Full Specifications Leaked Before March 23 Unveil

Detailed specs of the OPPO F3 Plus leaked recently showing it is coming with a huge 6-inch display protected by Gorilla Glass 5 and having a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. It is powered by a Snapdragon 653 chipset (MSM8976) with an octa-core processor, backed by 4GB of RAM. The F3 Plus comes with 64GB internal storage, expandable up to 256GB via microSD card. Other specs include a 16MP + 8MP front sensors, a 16MP single rear camera, Color OS 3.0 based on Android Marshmallow, a 4000mAh battery, dual-SIM support and 4G LTE connectivity. The OPPO F3 is expected with a smaller screen size but other details are still sketchy.

(source)

Huawei Mate 9 6GB RAM Variant Gets a Price Cut on Amazon China

The Huawei Mate 9 was released last year with 4GB RAM and 64GB of built-in storage. Later this year, Huawei released a 6GB variant with 128GB of storage. If you head to the official website, this new model is priced at ¥4499 ($652) but you can get it for less than that on Amazon China.

For ¥3998 ($580), you can pick up this variant with an extra 2GB of RAM and double the storage space as the base version. That’s $72 less than how much you will pay on the official website. Do note that the price cut only applies to the Mocha Gold variant. All the other color variants are still pretty expensive.

Huawei Mate 9

Just in case you think, you have no need for the extra RAM and storage, the same seller has the 4GB + 64GB variant for ¥3696 ($534).

READ MORE: The Huawei P10 Scores 87 in Camera Benchmark

The Huawei Mate 9 has a 5.9-inch 108op screen, a Kirin 960 processor,  a set of Leica dual-cameras on the rear (20MP+12MP) with OIS, PDAF, and laser autofocus, and there is also an 8MP shooter up front. That large display is powered by a 4000mAh battery and there is a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner too.

OPPO Goes Green, OPPO R9S Gets A Fresh New Color Variant

OPPO continues to give the R9S a new paint job, adding more options for fans to choose from. Recently, a red color variant was added to the R9S lineup and now the company has announced a fresh Green color variant of the R9S via Weibo. This brings the number of colors the R9S is available on to five which include Rose Gold, Gold, Black, Red and now Green color.

OPPO R9S

The world is going green and in getting on with the tide, OPPO joins Huawei who also added a new green paint job to the P10 range of colors. The OPPO R9S fresh green variant still retains the design of the other variants but of course, the new gives a different perspective to the device’s look. The antenna band looks almost none existent as the color scheme does a good job of masking it well.

On the specs end, the device packs the same lineup as the original R9S, sporting a 5.5-inch 1080p display with the latest Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection which should provide better resistance against drops. Inside, the R9S is running the Snapdragon 625 chipset, a much better upgrade as compared to the Helio P10 chipset in the OPPO R9. As for memory, there is a 4GB RAM and 64GB of ROM setup. Further, the R9S packs a 16MP Sony IMX398 sensor at the rear, which is said to be jointly developed by OPPO and Sony. The sensor is reportedly fast and “comparable to SLR camera speeds” and comes with tailored features. There is also dual-core focus and dual LED flash onboard. The device also features a 16MP sensor up front as well. As for the software, the OPPO R9S runs on the company’s ColorOS 3.0 version. Inside, there is a decent 3010mAh battery but with VOOC fast charging, the battery shouldn’t be an issue on the device.

OPPO R9S Fresh GreenRead More: OPPO sold 3 million OPPO R9S Units In January 2017

The OPPO R9S fresh Green color variant will be officially unveiled on March 19. The price of the new color variant is not yet known but it isn’t expected to be higher than the 2799 Yuan ($416) price tag of other variants.

(source)

Windows Phone Is As Good As Dead in China while Android & iOS Continue to Soar

Windows Mobile OS is almost dead in China! That is the damning verdict contained on Kantar WorldPanel’s latest analysis of the mobile OS market. The latest report confirms what we are already getting accustomed to, which is that the world is moving towards a two mobile OS zone controlled entirely by Google’s Android OS and Apple’s iOS. All other mobile OS as we know them are dying off gradually.

 

Worse hit is the Microsoft Windows OS which lost ground even in some of its stronghold. Windows OS slipped to a miserly 1.3% in the US, dropping 50% from its position last year. Italy used to be one of Windows OS’ strongest market but it dropped from its market shares last year which stood at 7.2% to 4.4% presently. Talking about China, one of the world’s largest mobile phone market, Windows Mobile OS recorded 0.1% total sales in the last three months, according to Kantar. This leaves no room for doubt that Windows for mobile is as good as dead in China. Microsoft’s Lumia phones were the main users of the Windows Mobile OS but since the demise of the brand, usage on phones has dropped drastically in China and elsewhere.

Whereas Windows Mobile is dying, Google and Apple continues to dominate the terrain with the Android OS credited with 56.4% of smartphone sales in the US where it lost 1.8% of its share of the market to the iOS. Apple’s iOS accounts for 42% of the US smartphone market rising up by 2.9% from last year. In Europe’s largest markets, including Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Spain, Google’s Android phones accounted for 74.3% of smartphone sales in the latest period, recording a slight 1.4% increase from this same period last year.Apple’s iOS on the other hand, held a 22.7% share, with iPhone 7 remaining the top-selling device in Great Britain, France, and Germany.

Related: Google Executive Might Have Leaked Next Android Version Name

The dominance is also rampant in the Asian market, including where Android clearly dominates. Perhaps, a clear demonstration of this dominance is the latest Blackberry and Nokia launch which saw both companies going for the Android operating system instead of their own OS. As it stands, there is no likelihood that this dominance would end in the near future but the good thing is that we are getting the best out of Android and iOS at the moment. Things just keep on getting better ad better with each new update and we hope for more.

(source)

Larger non-Pixel Google Phone Codenamed as Taimen Rumored to Release This Year

Yesterday, it was reported that the upcoming Google Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 are codenamed as Walleye and Muskie, respectively. A new report has revealed that the Google is working on another smartphone codenamed as “Taimen.” By citing multiple sources, Droid-Life has reported that Google will release a third smartphone this year, but it won’t be launch as Google Pixel series phone.

Taimen is world’s largest salmonid. It indicates that the mysterious Google smartphone would be arriving with a large display. Its screen is expected to be bigger than the screen of Google Pixel XL 2. It reminds us of the Motorola Nexus 6 from 2014 that was codenamed as Shamu. Itt came with a 6-inch screen.

Some may speculate that it may be a tablet, but sources have revealed that Taimen is a phone. It is said to be “separate” from Walleye and Muskie smartphones. Hence, it is likely that the Taimen does not belong to the Google Pixel family.

Google pixel xl

Related: Google Pixel 2 to Release in October With Premium Design; Pixel 2B Rumors Axed

In October 2016, Android chief Hiroshi Lockheimer stated in an interview after the launch of Google Pixel and Pixel XL phones that, “I don’t want to close a door completely, but there is no plan right now to do more Nexus devices.”  The first Google Nexus phone, the Nexus One was manufactured by HTC was released in 2010. The last Nexus phones, the LG Nexus 5X and Huawei Nexus 6P were launched in 2015 and in the next year Google debuted its first smartphones, Pixel and Pixel XL.

Since the rumored Taimen smartphone may not launch as a Google Pixel device, there is a possibility that it may mark the resurrection of Nexus brand. In this year, popular phones such as Galaxy S8 and LG G6 have large-sized screens with slim bezels. The mysterious non-Google Pixel may also feature a display with higher screen-to-body ratio along with thin bezels. Also, there is a possibility that it could run on Google’s new Andromeda OS

(source)

New Xiaomi Mi TV Product Launching On March 21 Promises to be Compact & Affordable

Xiaomi‘s range of products keeps expanding and still, the company isn’t intending to slow down anytime soon. Instead, it has again announced the impending launch of a new product, this time a Mi TV but this isn’t likely a variant of the latest Mi TV 4 but a new one entirely.

xiaomi mi tv

The teaser clears doubt as to whether this is a new Mi TV 4 variant, considering that the Mi TV is already in its fourth generation with the TV 4 adopting a ultra-thin modular design. The use of a young child with an attire like those of Super man could mean it is a smaller-sized Mi TV with superb features. The upcoming TV product would be launched on March 21 but the device is open for pre-order on Mi home. Each pre-order comes with an offer of 100 Yuan off the final price when buying.

Read Also: Xiaomi Announces the Modular Mi TV 4 That’s Just 4.9mm Thin!

Although the features of the upcoming Mi TV is not known, it is likely a TV for young people, capable of showing a variety of contents with a comfortable viewing experience. The Mi Tv should also be capable of outputting cool colors. We should be looking at a much smaller Mi TV and a smaller build would definitely translate into a cheaper priced TV. March 21 is the date we’d know more.

Samsung to Invest $7 Billion for Mass Production of 10nm and 7nm Chipsets

The Snapdragon 835 chipset by Qualcomm that is speculated to power most flagship smartphones this year is not the only chip built with 10nm process. Samsung’s Exynos 8895 SoC is also a 10nm semiconductor that is expected to power Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ variants coming to Europe and Asia. It may power other smartphones like Galaxy Note 8 this year. Samsung has just announced that it would be investing $6.98 billion to improve the production of 10nm and 7nm chipsets. It will be extending production lines by using 17 Line at the Hwasung-si facility.

The 17 Line manufacturing center was previously known as S3. It was only used for producing system semiconductors. Later on, it began manufacturing 3D NAND flash storages, DRAM and 10nm chipsets. Recent reports had stated that the Seoul-based firm is struggling with the production of its 10nm semiconductor. However, the news about the massive investment suggests that the company is working on improving its mass production to make 18,000 10nm chipsets by the second quarter of this year and to conclude its production by the end of this year.

Samsung took the decision of expanding its production lines on March 13. Reports suggest that the reason why the company made such a massive investment is that its rival, TSMC was able to snatch a deal with the Cupertino company for manufacturing A10 and A10X chipsets.

Related: Rumor: Major Manufacturers Giving Up on Helio X30, May Spell Doom for Mediatek

The Seoul-based firm will be investing $2.18 billion to increase the production of 10nm chipsets. The remaining $5.23 billion will be invested in the dedicated manufacturing line for 7nm semiconductors. An official from Samsung said that the company will have to invest more if Apple strikes a deal in the future.

Samsung is also building new facilities near 17 Line for manufacturing 7nm semiconductors that will be used to power smartphones releasing in 2018. The new facility is expected to 30,000 7nm chipsets per month. Since the manufacturing of 7nm chips involves the usage of Extreme UV equipment, its manufacturing process is costlier than that of 10nmm semiconductors as Samsung has placed orders for 8 EUV equipment that is priced around $218 million and $1.74 billion to purchase them. It aims to finish the production of 7nmm semiconductors by early 2019.

(source)

Stunning iPhone 8 Concept Renders with Bezel-less Display, New Function Area Feature

The first Apple iPhone was launched in January 2007 and this year marks its 10th anniversary. Rumors have it that the 2017 iPhone would be arriving with overhaul improvements to its design. Speculations are rife that apart from the iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus that may release this year, there is a possibility the Cupertino company may release a special version of iPhone. Hence, plenty of concept models of the alleged iPhone 8 have surfaced based on the speculated features and design that may arrive on the actual device.

Speculations indicate that the iPhone 8 will not be featuring a physical Home button as its display will occupy most portion on the front side of the phone. As it can be seen in these renders, the iPhone 8’s physical Home button has been replaced by an on-screen circle-shaped button that is equipped with Apple’s 3D Touch feature that can distinguish different levels of pressure.

There is a “function area” around it that can display customizable buttons. It functions like the Touch Bar available on the new MacBook Pro. Even KGI Securities analyst, Ming Chi-Kuo has speculated the inclusion of function area on the upcoming iPhone. It can also display different swipe-based interfaces relevant to what user is accessing on the screen.  For example, if the user is editing a photo, the so-called function area can display different effects that can be accessed by swiping.


 

Related: iPhone 8 Said to Sport a 5.8-inch OLED Screen

Coming to the display on the iPhone 8 concepts, it reveals that it would be gracing a bezel-less OLED screen. However, it may not carry support for the standard 9:16 aspect ratio as it may feature a taller display like the screens available on the LG G6 and the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S8. Since the “function area” can be seen occupying a certain portion of the screen, its actual screen size may be around 5.1 inches. The function area can temporary disappear when the user is watching videos or photos in the landscape mode. While watching videos in portrait mode, the function area will show a video scrubber for easily skipping back and forth.

iPhone-8-display

Apple is expected to bring radical changes to the iPhone’s design as it is rumored to be testing around 10 prototypes for this year’s iPhone. The iPhone 8 is speculated to run on Apple A11 chipset and iOS 11. Rumors also claim that Apple will debut AR features which indicates that the iPhone 8 may house a 3D depth-sensing camera that can be also used in other apps like games and facial recognition.

(source)

I Still Feel Blue Because The Blue OnePlus 3T Colette Edition is Actually Matte Black

It is heart breaking when someone leads you on and then decides to break your heart. That is what happened today between OnePlus and I. A couple of days ago, the official OnePlus twitter account had teased a new product set to launch today. The teaser showed the date of the launch written against a blue background and most of us had thought it was a sign that the OnePlus 3T was going to get a blue variant. It also had French fashion accessory maker, Colette’s, double blue dots.

Fast forward to today and OnePlus finally launched the new product which disappointingly turned out to be a matte black OnePlus 3T in a blue box. Can you imagine? In a blue box!!!

The new OnePlus 3T Colette Edition is a special edition variant to celebrate Colette’s 20th anniversary. Colette’s logo is engraved on the back and only 250 units will be available for purchase. The new variant is basically the 128GB version with a fresh coat of paint. It will sell for 479 Euros ($510) and will go on sale on the 21st of March at 11 am.

READ MORE: OTA Update For OnePlus 3 Brings Google Assistant

Join The Dark Side With The New Gray Redmi 4A, Possible 32GB Variant Coming

When Xiaomi released the Redmi Note 4 and Redmi 4 last year, it also announced a sub $100 version called the Redmi 4A. To keep the Redmi 4A under the $100 mark, Xiaomi had to sacrifice a number of features.

First, the Redmi 4A is bundled with a smaller battery, 3120mAh to be precise. It also doesn’t have a fingerprint scanner. But apart from those two features, the phone is still a great device. It has an all-metal body, a 5-inch 720p display, a Snapdragon 425 SoC, and 16GB of built-in storage with option for expansion. It also has dual SIM slots. There is also a decent 13MP shooter on the rear and a 5MP sensor up front.

redmi 4a

Xiaomi released the Redmi 4A in gold and rose gold but a new listing on a Russian website shows that there is a gray version coming. So if you have been holding back on purchasing a unit because of its colors, the Gray Redmi 4A might be what you have been waiting for.

Gray Redmi 4A

Another new feature we might see coming to the Redmi 4A is a new storage variant. We have been seeing sightings of a 32GB variant of the phone on sites like Aliexpress. This doesn’t look like an error on the part of the sellers and it appears they know something we don’t. No orders have been completed so far, so it seems this is like a pre-order.

READ MORE: Xiaomi and Warner Music Sign Partnership Agreement

Xiaomi Doesn’t Forget Old Models! Xiaomi Mi 2S Updated With MIUI 8.2 Is Super Smooth

The Xiaomi Mi 2S was released in April 2013 and has gone on to garner lots of positive reviews for its strong, rugged build and sturdy specs line up. The Mi 2S launched running MIUI 5 but has gotten updates to subsequent MIUI whenever they are launched. Apparently, Xiaomi has been consistent with the upgrades and even pushed the latest MIUI 8.2 version to the device and the result has been cool.

xiaomi mi 2s

The Mi 2S came with 2GB of RAM onboard as well as two storage versions with 16GB and 32GB of storage but the device still is able to take the upgrade to MIUI 8.2 as revealed in a new video shared on Weibo. The upgrade took a chunk out of the available 2GB RAM space, leaving 1GB of RAM space for apps. The performance of the smartphone is still appreciable, with the phone able to have the popular Tencent mobile game King of Glory up and running smoothly.

xiaomi mi 2s

RelatedXiaomi Releases MIUI 8.2 Update, Brings New Cool Features

 Aside from running smoothly, the stages could be selected smoothly, the display is capable of a frame rate of 30 fps but that fell to around16 and 17 fps (frames per seconds) but that doesn’t affect the operation at all. The Mi 2S doesn’t come with a memory slot so the games and apps you can have installed inside are sure limited but with a capable hardware marshaled by a Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset, the phone is capable of handling any app thrown at it and this may include the upcoming MIUI 9. But for now, Mi 2S users get to enjoy the new features offered by MIUI 8.2, more like new wine in an old bottle, same sweet taste. You can watch the video of the Mi 2S running smoothly on MIUI 8.2 from this link.

Ten Most Popular Android Phones on Antutu in February: Xiaomi Getting All The Love

Popular benchmarking site, Antutu has released a list of the most popular android smartphones. The figures are generated by a sort of counter that records the number of individual devices of a particular phone that checks into the Antutu database. Only one manufacturer gets multiple appearance on the list, and that’s Xiaomi.

Not only is Xiaomi the most popular brand, its Xiaomi Mi 5 phone is number one on the list with 115,132. The Mi 5 is still a very popular device even though it already has two successors, the Xiaomi Mi 5s and the Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus (which both appear on the list). The reason why it is still popular can be narrowed down to its price. The Mi 5 is currently priced at under $300 for both its 32GB and 64GB variants. Pair that with its capable Snapdragon 820 SoC, its 4-axis main camera, and its compact size. Its no surprise why this phone is loved by many.

Xiaomi-Mi-5

Next on the list is the OnePlus 3T with 83,458. The OnePlus 3T is also another device that balances price and performance. It sports the Snapdragon 821 processor, a 5.5” FHD display, 6GB of RAM and a 3400mAh battery with support for Dash Charge, OnePlus’s fast charging technology and one of the fastest on the planet now.

Closing the top 3 is another Xiaomi phone, the Mi 5s. This is another Snapdragon 821 phone and one that is priced under $300. The Mi 5s is followed by its dual-camera variant, the Mi 5S Plus.

READ MORE: Snapdragon 660 AnTuTu Benchmark Scores Leaked: Great Performance for a Mid-Ranger

BBK Expanding its Frontiers, OPPO & Vivo Hitting The Russian Market Soon

News emanating from Russia indicate that Chinese smartphone giants OPPO and Vivo would be plying their trade in the domestic Russian market soon. This was disclosed by Russian blog RBC which also revealed that the two Chinese brands would sell their phones in Russia in partnership with local carrier MTS.

oppo

RBC reports that the mobile carrier MTS is in talks with BBK Electronics which owns OPPO and Vivo. The blog claims the information has the confirmation of a source close to the Russian mobile telecom company but neither OPPO or Vivo’s representatives could confirm the news when contacted. However, this is an indication that BBK plans to continue expanding its frontiers in a bid to retain the top 5 spot the OPPO and Vivo brand presently occupy in the global ranking.

vivo

Russia has got a vast market and if the partnership works out, it could prove very lucrative for the Chinese giant. Perhaps launching in partnership with MTS would be a smart move which would help the brands sell their smartphones in Russia. It would be recalled that OPPO had made its foray into Russia in 2013 with the launch of the OPPO Find 9 followed by the release of some low-end models but after series of poor performances, the company had to close shop. But this time around, it is believed that if the company partners with a formidable local carrier like MTS they might get it right.

Related: Smartphone Fast Charging Speed Comparison: Huawei vs OPPO vs Vivo vs Samsung vs Apple

OPPO and Vivo won’t be the first Chinese brands to hit the Russian market, though. Already, Lenovo, Huawei, Meizu, ZTE and Xiaomi are popular brands in the domestic Russian market.

(source, via)

Samsung Galaxy S8 China Edition To Feature 6GB RAM Says Analyst

Samsung is scheduled to launch the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus on March 29 and ahead of the launch event, details about the device continue to pop up online. The latest concerns the specs details of the China Edition of the device and comes from Kevin Wang, IHS research director in China.

samsung galaxy S8

According to Mr. Wang, the Samsung S8 China Edition would have 6GB of RAM as against the 4GB RAM which would be on the international version. Samsung usually launch the Galaxy series in the US and other western market and then a China version would then be unveiled. As is tradition, the China Edition would rock an Exynos chip, this time around the Galaxy S8 is expected with an Exynos 8895 chip while the International version would sport a Snapdragon 835 chipset.

samsung galaxy s8

 

Related: New Real Images of Samsung Galaxy S8, S8+ Surfaces

The galaxy S8 is expected to launch alongside the Galaxy S8 Plus and while it would sport a 5.7-inch display, the S8 Plus is expected with a 6.2-inch display. The device is expected with a spectacular scree-to-body ratio, an 18:9 aspect ratio and lots of spectacular features. We must remind you that this isn’t the first Samsung device coming with 6GB of RAM. The botched Galaxy Note 7 appeared on China’s TENAA with 6GB of RAM onboard but the rest as they say is history. Releasing a 6GB RAM version in China positions the S8 and S8 Plus to complete with other flagships in the domestic market, most of whom have 6GB RAM versions.

(source)

Rumor: Major Manufacturers Giving Up on Helio X30, May Spell Doom for Mediatek

The battle for top chip manufacturer has been going on for years and this year is no different. All the major players have announced their flagship chips and what is left is to see them make it into phones. However, it seems one player might be dropping out of the race and that is Mediatek’s Helio X30 processor.

Latest report says that the major phone manufacturers that have signed up to use the Helio X30 in their phones have started pulling out. One of such companies is LeEco.

The reasons are that the Helio X30 has performance issues and is also grappling with mass production challenges. Mediatek’s Helio X30 processor is built using the 10nm fabrication process just like its competitor, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835.

The Snapdragon 835 might be facing supply issues too, forcing many manufacturers to change the launch dates of their flagship but there has been no report of it having performance troubles. The latter is why we understand a phone manufacturer might be abandoning the Helio X30. No matter how well designed or innovative a phone is, the performance of the processor also goes a long way. The Snapdragon 810’s heating issues is still fresh in our memories.

READ MORE: 7nm Mediatek Flagship Chip Detail Revealed: Will Have 12 Cores

Giveaway – Win A Free XWatch EX16 Smart Watch

xwatch ex16 giveaway
XWATCH EX16

Gizmochina along with Giztop is conducting a Xwatch EX16 smart watch as Giveaway gift to one of our lucky readers. Like always, you just have to follow the steps mentioned on the Gleam widget to get a chance to win this amazing gift.

xWatch EX16

Here is the main features of XWatch EX16:

XWatch EX16 Main Features:

  • 50m professional waterproof level, 5ATM or IP67 standard.
  • Super long standby time, no need to charge. The normal standby time is 8 months, up to 12 months under power saving mode.
  • 24 hours real-time sport monitoring: walking steps, distance and energy consumption etc.
  • Incoming call and SMS notification reminded on watch instantly.
  • All kinds of social App message push notification.
  • Professional stopwatch function with physical button.

Terms & Conditions:

1. The giveaway is an international giveaway.
2. We are not responsible for lost shipments.
3. We are not responsible for any duties, import taxes that you may incur.
4. We reserve all rights to make any changes to this giveaway.
5. The prize will ship when it is available to purchase.

Just follow the steps mentioned in the Gleam widget to participate in the giveaway.

Once again, thanks for visiting Gizmochina and good luck.

Gizmochina Giveaway – Win A Free XWatch EX16 Smart Watch

LG G6 Not Launching in China, Possible Pull Out Rumored

LG’s new flagship, the LG G6 is a fantastic device. Reviews so far have been positive and launch dates have also been announced for various countries. For those living in China, nothing has been heard about the LG G6 and it seems things will remain that way.

According to Daum News, a publication based in Korea, LG will not be bringing the G6 to China. The reason is because the electronics giant mobile division has been recording low sales in the country. A report from Strategy Analytics shows that LG is struggling in China as its market share currently stands at less than 0.1%. LG wants to prevents further losses, hence the reason for not releasing the LG G6 in China.

LG G6

China might be a very big market but its a different turf on its own. What naturally applies in regions like North America and Europe don’t apply there. There is also stiff competition from brands like OPPO, Vivo, Huawei and Xiaomi. These brands offer fantastic devices that sell less for what LG offers, so it is going to be pretty difficult winning there. Some people also say part of LG’s failure can also be attributed to the fact that their devices do not share any resemblance to the iPhone, a smartphone that is much loved in China and which quite a number of Chinese manufacturers tend to mimic its design.

READ MORE: How Easily Does The LG G6 Scratch? You’d Be Surprised

Google Pixel 2 Codenames Revealed. Still Fishy.

Before the Google Pixel and Pixel XL were formally launched, both devices went by the codenames Marlin and Sailfish respectively. Both codenames are actually names of fishes and that has been the trend for Google devices. So we weren’t surprised when we learnt what the codename for the Pixel 2 phones are.

Pixel 2 Codename 2 Pixel 2 Codename

The next Pixel phone is codenamed “Walleye”. The info comes from Android Police. They said the name was seen in the Android Open Source Project gerrit and confirms what was previously provided by a source. Walleye is most likely the smaller variant and was the one spotted in the AOSP gerrit. The larger variant which is codenamed “Muskie” might probably not show up on AOSP gerrit, since last year’s Pixel XL (Sailfish) didn’t make an appearance too.

No other information was provided about the device. There is still a good seven months before the phones launch if Google decides to stick to the same timeline for last year. That should be enough time to get more info about what Google is planning next.

READ MORE: Project Jacquard: Google and Levi’s Smart Jacket Launching This Fall

It doesn’t look as if Google might be changing it’s strategy for giving its devices codenames. To serve as a reminder, the Nexus 9 went by the codename flounder, the Nexus 5X was codenamed bullhead, the Nexus 6P was Shamu, and the Nexus 4 was called Mako.

(Source, Image Source)

LeEco Le X850 with SD 821, 2K Display Rumored as Launching on April 11

The LeEco Le X850 is perhaps one of the longest LeEco smartphone to make the rounds in the news. The device first popped into the public domain in November last year when it was spotted on TENAA and on China’s 3C website for certification. The smartphone with its weird -looking rear camera setup was also seen in the hands of LeEco CEO Jia Yueting but since then, there has been no news as to when it would be released.

LeEco Le X850

Popular Weibo tipster @kjuma has now revealed that the LeEco Le X850 would be launching on April 11 this year and is coming in four different color variants namely, black, white, gold and gray. Quite frankly, if this news were coming out last year, the specs would have tickled on fancy but since the announcement of the Snapdragon 835 chipset, the LeEco Le X850 may just be coming to the party a little too late. For the avoidance of doubt, the Le X850 packs a Snapdragon 821 chipset, a 5.7-inch display with Quad HD resolution (2560 x 1440 pixels).  The device is expected with dual 13MP rear cameras while up front there is a 16MP selfie shooter.

LeEco Le dual 3

Read Also: LeEco Phone with Dual Cameras Spotted Online, Priced at ¥1000 ($144)

Further, the Le X850 is said to come with 4GB RAM and a 6GB RAM variant and three storage versions with 32GB, 64GB or 128GB storage space. A 3900mAh battery is expected to keep the lights on while the phone was initially billed to run Android 6.0 Marshmallow with EUI on top. This may have been changed to Android 7.0 Nougat by now. The tipster also revealed the price of the Le X850 as starting at 1,799 Yuan ($260). We’re still not sure what the real name of the Le X850 is but it had earlier been tipped to launch as Le Dual 3 but that isn’t certain.