The Moto Z can be said to be the first smartphone that got the modularity thing correctly although with some shortcomings such as the high price of the Moto Mods. The phone will be getting a new model this year and while we don’t know anything yet about it’s design we already know a few specs thanks to a Geekbench listing.
A device with model name “motorola XT1650” presumed to be the Moto Z (2017) was benchmarked in the early hours of today. Seeing as it is sporting a msm8998 a.k.a. Snapdragon 835, chances are that it is Motorola’s (Lenovo) flagship for the year.
The device is running the latest version of android (Android 7.1.1) and has a Qualcomm 8-core chip clocked at 1.9GHz. There is also 4GB of RAM on board. It appears Motorola is not joining the 6GB bandwagon this year. How that will help them in the face of several 6GB RAM phones remains unknown.
The test scores for the Moto Z (2017) are quite impressive. In the single-core test, it scores 1930 points and goes on to score a total of 6207 points in the multi-core test. Both scores are higher than what we saw on the Essential FIH-PM1 weeks ago.
AliExpress is one of the biggest shopping sites in the world. You can find a large percentage of the things you are looking for there ranging from electronics to clothes to shoes to furniture and to car parts. To sum it up, if China makes what you are looking for, AliExpress has it.
However, even though AliExpress is quite popular, some folks have never shopped on the site, probably because they are scared of losing their money or they don’t know how things work on the site. You have noting to fear as shopping on AliExpress is safe and secure. I will provide a guide below on how to shop on AliExpress without any worries.
What You Need to Shop on AliExpress
An AliExpress account
AliExpress App
An accepted payment option (MasterCard, Visa, Maestro, Western Union, QIWI)
First thing to do is to create an account on AliExpress. You can do this on the AliExpress website here or download the app and sign up there. Once you are done, you can sign in and start shopping.
I will advise that you use the AliExpress app as you get better prices on it. Yes, shopping via the app is cheaper than shopping on the main site as there is usually a difference in price from even if it is just a few cents.
One you login on the app, you can go ahead and add other things you will need such as your shipping address and your preference. The latter is so that the AliExpress app only shows recommendations of things you like. So if you are interested in furniture (home decor) and car parts, the app recommends products related to only those two.
Making Your First Purchase
Now, it is time to make your first purchase. Let’s say you want to buy a new Android TV Box, we can narrow it down as that search query is still pretty vague, we can search for Xiaomi Mi Box instead. Once the results are shown, you can go on to customize the search results to make the search easier. By pressing the filter tab you can select a price range for the product you want or if you want items that ship for free. Once you are done apply your changes and your search results should be different. You can also customize how the results are presented: from highest price to lowest or vice-versa; based on the number of orders sold; or seller’s ratings.
Select one of the search results and you’ll get presented with a brief description of the item. Scroll down and you can see a full description, user feedback, store info and even a way to contact the seller in case you have any questions about the product that have not been properly clarified in the description.
How to Know A Good Seller From A Bad One
Spotting a good seller is not difficult. First, their user reviews usually contain images of the product. It is not a criteria but stores that have them are better. Second, when you scroll down to check the store, their feedback rating, feedback count and follower count are usually pretty high. You can tap on the feedback rating to see a full breakdown of the score.
Some stores don’t have a high feedback count and follower count probably because they sell small items like phone cases, tempered glass and the likes which usually don’t have high orders like phones. Since these items are usually priced under $5, you can take the risk and purchase from them. All you have to do is check their feedback rating. Once it is above 80%, they are good.
Secret Tip: You can even ask the seller if he can offer you a discount. If he agrees to do that, all you have to do is try and purchase the item but when you are asked to enter payment details, cancel the purchase. The order moves to a section called “Orders awaiting payment”. The seller can adjust the price from there and you can go ahead to complete the purchase later.
You can proceed to add the item to your cart or buy straight away if it is what you are looking for. Do note that the store with the highest number of orders is not usually the one with the best price. The key is patience. Keep checking and you will find a seller that offers the same item for a lower price and still has good reviews.
Another thing you should take advantage of is coupons. AliExpress offers coupons on certain stores if you spend a certain amount. If what you are buying meets the criteria for a coupon, the coupon’s value will be deducted from your final balance.
Coupons are different from seller discount. A seller’s discount is applied automatically but you have to get the coupon yourself.
The image below is an example. If you are buying something worth $79, you can save $7 by grabbing the $3 coupon and combining it with the seller discount of $4 which you qualify for if your order is up to $79.
Once you get to checkout, double check that your address and phone number are correct. Select “Pay Now” and you will be asked to enter your card details. Once payment has been accepted, your order moves to a new tab: “Payment Awaiting Confirmation”. Confirmation doesn’t take more than 24 hours before moving to Orders Awaiting Shipment. Once your order has been shipped, you will get a notification. Shipped orders will be classified under the “Goods Awaiting Confirmation” tab. All these tabs can be accessed when you swipe from the left side of the screen and select “My Account”.
Depending on the shipment method used, your order should arrive between 10 to 60 days. A tracking number will be provided for you though and you can also communicate with the seller between the period of payment (in case you want to change something about the order before it is shipped) and after your order arrives.
AliExpress Disputes
AliExpress is not a perfect site but it takes customer satisfaction really seriously. If there is an issue with your order such as it being wrong or partially damaged or not arriving at all, you can open a dispute. When you open a dispute, you can decide to request for a full or partial refund.
Some sellers might tell you to message them privately if there is an issue and they will resolve it for you. You can decide to settle for that and not open a dispute.
AliExpress strives to make sure only original and quality items are listed on the site, so if you get a fake or substandard item, endeavor to leave an honest feedback so that other buyers can steer clear of the seller.
Chinese innovative startup OnePlus launched a faster and more capable variant of its OnePlus 3 flagship dubbed OnePlus 3T two months ago. The OnePlus 3T comes with a faster processor as well as a more capable front-facing camera. Meanwhile, the rear camera is the same 16MP sensor with OIS, EIS, and 4K video output as found on the OnePlus except the EIS which is a new addition. That camera has now been put to test in a recent photo shoot organized by Qualcomm in China. The Photo shoot captures various scenery at night and really, the output is just amazing.
The device features a Snapdragon 821 chipset which is said to be 10% faster than the Snapdragon 820 chipset on the OnePlus 3. No doubt, the more powerful chipset would give the OnePlus 3T a more efficient camera even though it features the same rear camera sensor. Apart from the sensor, the device is also revealed to feature a Qualcomm Spectra image signal processor (ISP) which co-ordinates stuff like autofocus, exposure, and white balance for the camera. This is perhaps, the main feature the photo shoot is meant to project.
Interestingly, the images were captured at night and despite that, they still come clean, without any image noise.The images are crisp clear and quite stunning for images shot by a smartphone. For those who still want to see more shots of the Oneplus 3T’s camera, the images will be on exhibition between January 19 and February 27 at a photography exhibition event in China. Meanwhile, you can check out more stunning shots from the shutter of OnePlus 3T’s camera from down below.
Barely a month after Lenovo took the wraps off its Tango-enabled Pahb2 Pro, the company has launched the smartphone in India. The Lenovo Phab2 Pro is now available in the US, Europe, China, and India. In India, the AR smartphone will be available exclusively on Flipkart and carries a price tag of 29,990 Rupees (around $440) which is way cheaper than the price it went up for in China.
The Phab2 Pro comes in as the world’s first use of Google’s Tango technology in a consumer device. It features a 6.4-inch IPS display with 2K (QHD) resolution. The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor which is backed by 4GB of RAM as well as 64GB of internal storage. There is also a large 4050mAh battery onboard the device which has support for fast charging.
On the camera end which is the main highlight on the smartphone, the Project Tango-enabled Lenovo Phab2 Pro sports a 16MP main camera at the rear, as well as Tango motion detection and position sensors. There is also a rear fingerprint sensor just under the cameras. Up front, the Phab2 Pro features an ample 8MP front-facing camera for selfies. The device also comes with a Dolby Audio Capture 5.1 with Dolby Atmos audio system onboard.
Meizu launched the Meizu M5 around November last year in China and they added the M5 Note to the series in December. The Meizu M5s is also expected any moment from now but that isn’t the news. The latest news regarding the two Meizu smartphones is that they may soon be available in other countries outside of China.
The M5 and M5 Note were spotted recently on Postel in Indonesia which is the country’s telecoms regulator just like US FCC and China’s TENAA. The listing on the Indonesian regulatory agency’s website showed the device has been certified and that seems to have been done yesterday. However, there is no other information as to when the devices will be launched in Indonesia or any other country and the price the device will carry. Suffice it to say that the M5 Note starts at 899 yuan ($130), while the M5 starts at 699 yuan (around $100) in China and those prices may not hold water, considering the costs of shipping, tax, and other stuff will have to be included in the mix.
It is worthy of note that the international version of the Meizu M5 will launch running on Android-based FlymeOS as against the YunOS which the Chinese edition featured.
Recently, an unknown tablet device popped up on GFXBench with some spectacular specs lineup that looks too good to be true. It has now emerged that the unknown tablet could be a Nokia tablet.
Nokia Tablet Concept
The tablet was displayed to have an 18.4-inch touchscreen display with a whopping 2k resolution and is said to support at least 5 finger gestures. The screen size is coming as a bit of a surprise because at 18.4 inches, it is no longer a tablet but more of a laptop screen size. However, we’ll quickly acknowledge the fact that GFXBench’s screen size is not always accurate. It is possible the tablet has an 8.4-inch display.
The Nokia tablet is also listed as running Android 7.0 Nougat as well as being powered by an octa-core Qualcomm chip with a frequency of 2.2GHz said to be a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chip. The processor is backed by 4GB of RAM and there is 64GB of internal storage. The camera is given as 12MP sensors both at the front and rear cameras. There is also support for WiFi, 4G LTE, NFC, GPS and many other features.
We don’t know for sure how true this is but Nokia is expected to release a Snapdragon 835-powered flagship smartphone at MWC 2017. The tablet could be among the gadgets that would be launched that day.
Xiaomi Mi Mix was released last year with some innovative features which includes its near bezel-less wide screen with a high screen-to-body ratio. The design of the smartphone was also revolutionary with the smartphone getting featured on Times magazine because of its beautiful design.
It has now been revealed by Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun that the Mi Mix also won several awards since its release both on the domestic scene and internationally because of its exceptional design which took the idea of concept phone to an all new level. Some of the awards were as recent as during the CES 2017. Lei Jun revealed this via a Weibo post meant to thank fans for their support. The poster attached to the post contained a list of media houses which awarded the Mi Mix some recognition and it includes names like PCPOP.com, Tech Advisor, IT168.com and several others. You can check it out from down below.
Some of the awards comes with titles such as Annual Innovative Products, Annual Product Innovation Awards, Innovative Mobile Phone of the Year, Best Industrial Design Mobile Phone, Yearly Design Mobile Phone, Annual Innovative Product, Annual Mobile Phone of the Year, Best Of CES 2017, Annual Mediocrity Design terminator, the best innovative mobile phone design etc. Basically, they are all related to the innovative design and other innovative features the Concept Mi Mix came with.
Huawei has joined the league of smartphone makers rumored to have a launch at MWC 2017 at hand, with the flagship Huawei P10 expected to drop during the tech event. Before now, we had seen a couple of renders of the said P10 revealing the design. One feature that stood out and had featured in rumors, is that the P10 would use the same Leica co-engineered dual-lens camera setup as its predecessor. That rumor seems to be gaining ground as we have got a couple of leaked images of the P10’s internal components said to have been grabbed from the production factory.
The Huawei P10 internals were posted on Slashleaks yesterday and from the photos, we can see that there is a home button hole up front, so we might get a front fingerprint sensor on the device. Another feature evident in the leaked photos is the presence of dual cameras at the rear.
There are also rumors that in addition to the P10 which is expected to have a 5.2-inch 1080 display with 3100mAh battery, there will also be a P10 Plus which will feature a 5.5-inch curved display with 2K resolution. The P10 Plus is also said to have a bigger 3650mAh battery under its hood. Both versions are expected with the Kirin 960 chipset, with talks of a slightly upgraded Kirin 965 version persisting. The flagship will come equipped with a new dual-aperture f/2.0 Leica camera with support for two optical zooms and OIS. The global version is expected to come pre-loaded with Amazon’s Alexa Voice assistant (just like in the Mate 9) and Google services.
Also, it is worthy of note that the Huawei P10 is said to come with a new technology which involves adding a second screen through which users can see the phone’s signal, battery power and time without having to light up the primary display or home screen.
More rumors about Xiaomi‘s next generation Mi 6 flagship are still coming out, and for now, they are the only thing we can hold on to for information regarding the device mainly because Xiaomi is yet to release an official teaser in that regard. The latest rumor making the rounds is that the Xiaomi Mi 6 would be released in mid-March. The smartphone is also rumored to enter trial production next month.
Further, earlier rumors from China had suggested that the Mi 6 would have two versions in the aspect of processor. Before now, we had gotten rumors that the device will be the first Snapdragon 835-powered Chinese brand smartphone but now, it is said that there will be a second version with a MediaTek Helio X30 chip crammed inside. This is a rumor that we cannot confirm, because it is not the practice of Xiaomi to use a MediaTek chip on its flagship Mi series. Only the Redmi series had the tradition of featuring both Snapdragon and MTK chipsets.
Apart from the chip model, both the SD 835 and Helio X30-powered versions as rumored, also have certain marked features that differentiate them from one another, according to the leaked info. Some of the rumored features include that the Snapdragon 835-powered Mi 6 version would have two memory versions both using OLED panels and having 2K resolution. There is a 6GB +256GB version as well as a 4GB + 128GB version. On the other hand, the Helio X30-powered version comes in a 4GB + 64GB memory version. The base price of 1,999 yuan ($291) is also rumored to still be intact, while the higher versions are rumored with 2,499 yuan ($363) and 2,999 yuan ($436) price tags respectively.
Also, the Mi 6 flagship is still rumored to use the underglass ultrasonic scanner that made its debut on the Mi 5S and run Android 7.0 Nougat. In addition, the Mi 6 flagship is said to have an upgrade in its camera to a 12MP Sony IMX362 sensor. The display is also said to have two versions; one is a straight or flat screen display, while the other is a curved display but both having different prices.
The reason behind Galaxy Note 7 explosions will be officially revealed by Samsung through a press conference that will be held on Jan. 23 at 10 am KST in Seoul. It will be live streamed on Samsung’s website.
The Galaxy Note 7 flagship smartphone from Samsung was officially unveiled at the beginning of August 2016. Even before it reached more markets, news about overheating and explosions started surfacing. Samsung carried out its first Galaxy Note 7 recall in September 2016.
Samsung tried to fix the issue by relaunching the Note 7 in October. However, the Galaxy Note 7 units continued to explode. Hence, the South Korean company had to permanently discontinue the phablet in the same month. Samsung and its carrier partners have been sending out software updates that prevents the device from charging again. Such an attempt was done to compel Note 7 users to return their handsets.
Samsung has investigated into the issue, but the actual reason that has caused Galaxy Note 7 units to explode has never been announced. After carrying out comprehensive investigations for several months, not only by Samsung but also by independent organizations on Note 7 incidents, the findings will be revealed through the upcoming press conference on Jan. 23.
Investors want the South Korean company to reveal a convincing reason for the Note 7 debacle before the alleged unveil of Galaxy S8 smartphones in April. In its statement, Samsung has also said that it will announce new measures that it has implemented in response to the incidents. Rumor are rife that the defective batteries may have caused the Note 7 explosion incidents.
After the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco, the rumor mill started claiming that Samsung will discontinue the Note series. However, a recent report from South Korea has revealed that Samsung will not give up on the highly popular Galaxy Note brand. Hence, a Note 8 is speculated to release later this year.
LG has recently confirmed that it will be present at the next month’s MWC (Mobile World Congress) 2017 event. Rumors are rife that LG will unveil the LG G6 flagship smartphone at the event. Now, fresh LG G6 renders have surfaced that shows the flagship placed inside a case.
The image suggests that much of the front side of the LG G6 is occupied by its unusually tall display. Rumors have it that the LG G6 has a 5.7-inch screen that is expected to carry support for Quad HD+ resolution of 1,440 x 2,880 pixels. It offers an aspect ratio of 18:9 and a pixel density of 564 ppi. The LG logo can be seen on its chin like its predecessor.
The side view of the smartphone suggests that the phone will be sporting a very thin form factor. There is no visible bump on the dual camera system. The fingerprint sensor is placed below the dual camera module. Hence, the rear view of the device is quite similar to LG G5. The G6 logo sits at the bottom side of the rear panel.
A teaser video has revealed that its next flagship will be an ideal smartphone as it will come with features such as a wonderful camera, a large screen for multi-tasking, and a waterproof chassis.
Speculations are rife that the Snapdragon 835 SoC coupled with 4 GB of RAM will be powering the LG G6. The South Korean company has also revealed the battery of its next flagship will not overheat even when the internal temperature reaches 150 degrees.
LG has confirmed in the recent past that it won’t be using a modular design on its upcoming flagship. Hence, the LG G6 will be coming with a metallic chassis. The LG G5 came with a removable battery, but its successor is expected to feature a non-removable battery that is pegged to carry support for wireless charging.
The Moto G5 Plus leaked about a week ago. So far, we have seen specs, a press image, and a possible price and launch date. What we have today are images of a phone said to be the Moto G5 Plus running information detection app CPU-Z.
The images which have been stitched together into one single picture reveals details like the RAM, storage, camera and processor.
The CPU-Z results shows that the Moto G5 has a 5.46-inch (probably 5.5-inch) 1080p display with a dpi of 403, 4GB RAM, and 32GB of built-in storage. The device will also sport a Qualcomm MSM8953 a.k.a Snapdragon 625 SoC clocked at 2.0GHz and have a 3150mAh battery.
We also see that the Moto G5 Plus is running Android Nougat with a November security patch but the latter is expected to be more recent when the phone eventually launches. The last info is the camera specifications which is said to be a 12MP shooter on the rear and a 5MP sensor in front.
The source who provided the images also mentions specs of the Moto G5 which is a less powerful variant of the Moto G5 Plus. According to him, the Moto G5 will have 3GB of RAM, but will have different camera sensors.
The Mi MIX is one of the best devices to come out from Xiaomi’s factory. Released alongside the Xiaomi Mi Note 2, this nearly bezel-less device is a beauty to behold.
When the phone was first launched, it was available only in black but during this year’s edition of CES which was Xiaomi’s first time of attending, the company launched a pearl white variant of the phone.
The white Mi MIX is no different in any way from the black variant save for the color and it still looks very beautiful too.
The Xiaomi Mi MIX has a 6.4-inch Full HD display with a 1080 x 2040 resolution. There is 6GB of RAM, a Snapdragon 821 processor clocked at 2.35GHz, and either 128GB or 256GB of storage. The main camera is a 16MP f/2.0 sensor with EIS, PDAF, and LED flash while the front shooter is a 5MP sensor. Both cameras are manufactured by OmniVision.
The Mi MIX has a 4400mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 support. There is a fingerprint scanner at the back and it has a USB Type-C port. Price of the white Xiaomi Mi MIX starts at ¥3499 ($509).
Still driving on the fast lane, Vivo not only announced the V5 Plus but also went official with a slightly lower version dubbed V5 Lite. As the name implies, the Vivo V5 Lite packs a slightly inferior specs lineup when compared with the V5 Plus and the Vivo V5 which was released two months back, but it features the same design as its siblings with just a few features like fingerprint sensor missing.
Specifications
The Vivo V5 Lite packs a 5.5-inch display with HD resolution (aka 1280 x 720 pixels). The device comes with an all-metal body with a design language that is reminiscent of Vivo’s smartphone lineup. There is a fingerprint sensor at the back as well as fused antenna band design at the back of the smartphone. The device has a dimension of 153.8 x 75.5 x 7.6 mm. It weighs 155g.
The smartphone is powered by a 64-bit octa-core processor whose real identity is not revealed. The processor is backed by 3GB of RAM and the device also features 32GB of internal storage which is expandable via microSD. The V5 Lite packs a unique selfie camera arrangement with an ample 16MP sensor coming along with a selfie softlight flash and f/2.0 aperture. The rear camera isn’t bad either, sporting a 13MP sensor with f/2.2 aperture and an LED flash. On the software, the V5 Lite runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow-based Funtouch OS 3.0. Keeping the lights on is a modest 3,ooomAh battery. There is also dual SIM and 4G LTE support, but no fingerprint sensor.
The Vivo V5 Lite comes in Crown Gold and Rose Gold colors and will first be on sale in Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar and Philippines. The price of the V5 Lite wasn’t announced but it is expected to be cheaper than the pocket-friendly Vivo V5.
Xiaomi has just announced the international version of the popular Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 smartphone and as expected, there’s one major difference in this new model as compared to the original version — the processor inside. Continuing the tradition, the company announced the Redmi Note 4 with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chip inside, instead of the Helio X20 chipset that powers the Chinese variant of the model.
So, which ones better in terms of performance?
Helio X20 vs Snapdragon 625: Performance
If we are strictly comparing the performance of the two versions, then the Chinese Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 with Helio X20 is definitely the winner here. Mediatek’s Helio X20 chip is actually meant to power flagship models, but like its predecessor — the Helio X10, the chip also ended up in mid-rangers like the Redmi Note series. This is great for mid-rangers because their performance is now taken to a whole new level. Considering how most Helio X20 models have at least 3GB or 4GB RAM versions, the combination of a powerful processor + ample RAM actually makes phones like the Redmi Note 4 great performers.
Coming to the Snapdragon 625, it’s pretty decent. It’s definitely not as powerful as the X20, no doubt about it. The SD625 comes with eight octa-core Cortex A53 cores clocked at 2.0GHz which is actually a tried and tested combination. It doesn’t provide amazing performance as some tech enthusiasts would like, but it will be decent enough for normal users. In comparison, the Helio X20 features 2 x Cortex A72 cores @ 2.1GHz (power cores) + 2 X Cortex A53 @1.8GHz + 4 x Cortex A53 @ 1.4GHz (efficient cores). As for the GPU performance, both the chips should handle graphics pretty well.
Here are the AnTuTu and Geekbench scores for reference. Note that benchmarks don’t really mirror real life performance, but they come in handy for comparing two chipsets.
Helio X20 scores around 85-90K on AnTuTu while SD625 scores around 60-65K.
Redmi Note 4 w/ 2GB RAM
Galaxy C7 W/ 4GB RAM
On Geekbench, Helio X20 gets around 1500 on Single-core and 4406 on multi-core tests. On the other hand, SD625 gets around 850 and 3160 in the same two tests respectively.
Here, the Snapdragon 625 should have an edge. The chip comes with eight power efficient cores, which although may not be powerful, they are super efficient. This along with the 14nm manufacturing process will ensure that the battery on the Redmi Note 4 is amazing. Remember that both the models come with 4100mAh battery and on paper, the battery life should be better on the SD625 version as compared to the Helio X20 model.
Interestingly, Mediatek has always maintained Helio X20 to be super efficient, thanks to its tri-cluster architecture and 20nm manufacturing process. So, be sure of one thing, the battery life on both the versions are going to be pretty good! It’s a pity that both the models don’t feature fast charging.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 with Helio X20 was launched a while back (in August 2016) starting at around $135. The Redmi Note 4 with SD625 that was announced today start at $146.
So, which version would you prefer? I know the two versions are kind of exclusive to a particular region (Helio X20 in China and SD625 in India) but if you had to choose between the two, which one would you pick? I personally feel, something like the Snapdragon 650 would have been a better choice inside the Indian version, as the two Cortex A72 cores make sure that it’s better than the SD625 in terms of performance. The big battery anyway ensures that the phone will last more than a day, so efficiency shouldn’t have been a big factor in choosing the chip.
If you own a ZUK Z2 Pro you should look forward to receiving the Android Nougat update today as some owners have started receiving it.
The Lenovo owned company had announced last month that it was planning a Nougat update for the ZUK Z2 Pro and ZUK Z1. The update was scheduled to start rolling out before the beginning of the Spring Festival next week. And true to their words, the update has started already.
The update comes as a ZUI 2.5.335 update based on Android Nougat. It will bring new features, security patches and bug fixes. The changelog is listed below:
System optimization or system stability
System security patches
Split screen experience
Fix system silent problem
Repair off screen after a period of time to open the screen, WeChat “network connection is not available” problem
Repair specific scenarios even accidental loud speaker problem
Repair the occasional system color reversal problem
A small tool to optimize the file manager performance
Xiaomi has launched a new version of the Redmi Note 4 in India, infusing a new Snapdragon 625 chip into the smartphone. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 was first unveiled in China in August last year sporting a MediaTek Helio X20 chipset and really the device didn’t fare very well when compared to the Redmi Note 3 which it took over the baton from.
The launch is coming in India, a market where Xiaomi had fared pretty well last year, especially with its Redmi series. The launch in India could also indicate that the smartphone will go global, hitting other continents and countries in the near future. The main selling point of the Redmi Note 4 is definitely the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 chipset onboard which many would prefer over the Helio X20 on the India version. The new chipset also brings into the mix a more efficient battery management than the Redmi Note 3.
Basically, the Redmi Note 4 adopts the same design as the Helio X20-powered version, sporting an aluminum unibody and a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display with 2.5D curved glass on top. The device comes in three memory variants, a base variant with 2GB RAM + 32GB storage, another with 3GB RAM + 32GB of storage and a top model with 4GB RAM + 64GB of internal storage. There is also a large 4,100mAh battery crammed inside the smartphone.
The camera remains the same 13MP rear sensor with phase detection autofocus (PDAF) and LED flash, as well as a 5MP selfie shotter up front. The SD 625-powered Redmi Note 4 version also retains the dual SIM capability, rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, 4G VoLTE and runs on MIUI 8 based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. It is worthy of note that MIUI-8 based on Android Nougat is currently in beta testing and should be available on the Redmi Note 4 whenever the stable ROM is available.
Pricing & Availability
Coming to the price, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 with 2GB + 32GB will sell for 9,999 Rupees ($146), while the 3GB + 32GB goes for 10,999 Rupees ($161), and the 4GB RAM + 64GB for 12,999 Rupees ($190). The Redmi Note 4 comes in gold, dark gray, and black color variants and will be available from January 23 at 12 noon via Mi.com and Flipkart. Also note that a blue variant was recently added to the lineup in China but it is not clear if that one will be available on this global edition.
Vivo, yesterday officially launched the Vivo V5 Plus. If you remember, the Chinese phone maker launched the Vivo V5 back in November but the V5 Plus is actually the device you want to look at.
The unique selling point of the Vivo V5 Plus is its dual front-facing cameras. The combo is a 20MP Sony IMX376 sensor with f/2.0 aperture and 5P lens, while the second camera is an 8MP f/2.0 shooter. The cameras work the same way the iPhone 7 Plus’ cameras work. The larger sensor takes the image while the 8MP camera captures depth information. There is also a selfie softlight flash in front in case you need to take shots in poorly lit places.
The Vivo V5 Plus is a phone first before a camera, so there is a 5.5-inch full HD screen with 2.5D Gorilla Glass 5, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and a Snapdragon 625 processor under the hood. The rear camera is a 16MP f/2.0 sensor that can record 4K videos and there is a 3160mAh battery that supplies juice.
Vivo has opted for a front-mounted fingerprint scanner and has put the same custom-made AK4376 Hi-Fi audio chip present in the Vivo V5 in it. The Vivo V5 Plus with its wonderful features actually disappoints by shipping with Vivo’s FunTouch OS 3.0 which is based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. We had hoped the delay in the launch will see it coming with Android Nougat instead.
South Korean electronics manufacturer LG has started sending out invites for an event slated for February 26. The event which will hold during MWC 2017 in Barcelona at noon (local time) is said to be the launch of the LG G6.
The LG G6 is the company’s flagship for the year and LG intends to do things differently this year. First the new flagship will not be modular like its predecessor, the LG G5. It will not feature a removable battery and has also been teased to be waterproof.
The G6 will have a new design: its body will be smaller and will be made out of metal and glass. Last week, the company’s display arm announced a new 5.7-inch display with a Quad HD+ resolution and an aspect ratio of 18:9. It has been said that the LG G6 will be the first phone to sport the display. We deduce that the words ”See More” hints at the large display.
Samsung Galaxy S8 is said to come in two version, one of which is a Plus version with a 6-inch display. This assertion seems to be corroborated by a new leaked photo said to contain the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus displays. The photo surfaced on Twitter a few days back, apparently from a Polish speaking poster who claims that the source of the leaked photos was an unnamed screen protector supplier in China, with a 100% authenticity track record.
As a way of further fueling speculations of two versions, the display panels which is held side by side on the photo comes in two different sizes with one obviously larger than the other. One other thing worthy of note is that the displays seems to have curved edges at the sides. We cannot say for sure, though, if this is actually the Galaxy S8’s displays.
However, the Samsung Galaxy S8 is expected with a premium look and a design language different from what Samsung had done in the past. The leaked display panels reflects some of the features, such as the absence of a physical home button and a very high screen-to-body ratio, with the display occupying almost the entire screen. The Galaxy S8 is expected with a 5.7-inch WQHD (2560 x 1440) Super AMOLED display, with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC inside. The device is also expected to run on Android Nougat out of the box. The Galaxy S8 Plus, on the other hand, is expected as a 6.2-inch phablet.
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