The Xiaomi Redmi Pro is made entirely of metal (even top and bottom parts are made of metal). I really love the brushed aluminum look.
One of the key selling points of this device is, of course, its dual camera setup, which is supposed to give you a hardware-based shallow depth of field effect. The main camera has 13MP, f/2.0 aperture and PDAF. The secondary camera has 5MP. Also, the cameras are accompanied with a dual-tone dual led flash.
The Redmi Pro sports a 5.5” 1080p display. A standard edition of the Redmi Pro has a deca-core Mediatek Helio X20 chip with the max. clock speeds of 2.1GHz, 3GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, which is also expandable via the microSD card slot. Finally, the phone ships with a beefy 4050mAh battery that will keep the lights on for a long time.
Just when the days of Blackberry smartphones look like they were numbered, a ray of hope has emerged which could see the ailing brand returning back to store shelves and users’ hands globally. This is because Chinese smartphone maker TCL, owner of the Alcatel brand, has signed an agreement with Blackberry which would see TCL use the Blackberry brand name in the production and sales of mobile phones globally.
Reuters reports that the agreement was announced Thursday and the license covers the global production and sale of Blackberry branded mobile phones in all countries except India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and Indonesia.Indonesia is the largest market for BlackBerry phones and in September Blackberry signed an agreement with Indonesia’s BB Merah Putih, which licenses it to produce and sell and BlackBerry phones locally.
Blackberry, owned by Research in Motion (RIM), had announced in September that it is discontinuing it smobile phones production division, instead would become a purely software company. Also recall that Blackberry had returned tried to revive the brand by producing Android phones and that led to the launch of the DTEK 50 which was closely followed by the DTEK 60. It is interesting to note that both Blackberry DTEK phones were produced by TCL for the Canadian company. The phones were in fact earlier released under the Alcatel Idol brand in China before they are outed as Blackberry phones in the international market.
It seems likely, though, that Blackberry would still still be involved in the design and manufacturing process so that it meets its standard. What lies ahead for this new license agreement is unknown but it is hoped that we’ll start seeing a resurgence of the highly revered Blackberry brand sometime soon.
Xiaomi has added a new feature to the Mi Band 2 smart wearable which lets users monitor their fitness routine indoors. The new mode called Indoor Run mode can be selected on the running icon on the home page whenever the running is taking place indoors (treadmills et al) so that distance covered would be recorded.
The Mi band was designed to work only in the monitoring of running activities in the outdoors. However, for those who may not fancy working out in the outdoors, you can now use the gadgets while running indoors especially in the treadmill. This new feature seems aimed at keeping users of the Smart wearable going even in winter or other unfavorable climatic conditions which makes outdoor sporting impossible. So, If you own the Mi Band 2, you may need to put your ears down in other to know when the upgrade will hit your Smart gadget.
As a reminder, the Xiaomi Mi Band 2 features a 0.42-inch OLED display and there are a scratch-resistant glass and anti-fingerprint coating. It weighs only 78g and comes with high-end features which help you to monitor your health without breaking a sweat and keep a record of it. Further, this fitness band comes with IP67 waterproof certification so that yo do not have to worry about it getting splashed with water.
Further, the Mi Band 2 features Bluetooth v4.0 which enables it to get synced with Android and iOS smartphones. It is fueled by a 70mAh battery which provides it 20 days of standby time. Due to its unique features and cheap price, the Mi Band 2 is a hot selling device and is often in short supply.
The market is flooded with cheap smartphones from China and I just came across a cheap Cubot Echo device that gets most of the basics right for the low price of $85. Learn more in the full review.
The phone ships with all the usual stuff and some extras include a high-quality TPU case.
DESIGN
The Cubot Echo does not sport exceptional looks but it is a very well made phone as it has a solid metal frame that goes all around the device. The buttons, however, are plasticky and they feel cheap.
One thing you are going to notice is that the phone is very thick, measuring at 11cm. That is not only due to a pretty large 3000mAh removable battery but also due to the fact that the phone has an enormous speaker built-in.
The speaker can get really loud and the sound quality is pretty good for a cheap phone. However, the sound may get distorted at the highest volume settings.
Speaking of the display, the 5” 720p panel is pretty sharp and bright for a cheap phone but we have those enormous bezels on each side.
It’s great that we have a 5MP front facing camera and the LED notification light but the capacitive buttons are not backlit.
As for the main camera, there is a 13MP shooter.
HARDWARE
The Cubot Echo runs on a little outdated Mediatek 6580 chip with the clock speeds of 1.3GHz. Also, the phone has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage.
Honestly, the spec sheet does not really impress but some 3D games like Asphalt 8 run absolutely fine on medium graphics.
USER INTERFACE
The phone ships with the Android 6.0 but we have a few added features by Cubot. Some of the extra features include a variety of gesture and motion controls. Some of them work well but others are very slow to respond.
In general, the UI performance is good. I didn’t have lag or stutter on the daily basis and I think that’s the most important thing for a cheap phone.
BENCHMARKS
IMAGE QUALITY
You should never expect any miracles from the cameras of budget phones but the Cubot Echo can take some pretty nice daylight photos for the phone this cheap.
Obviously, the quality decreases in lower-lit situations as on all cheap phones.
The selfies won’t look as sharp as you may expect but it may be enough for social media.
As for video, the quality of the footage is kind of poor like on most of the cheap phones.
CONNECTIVITY
When it comes to connectivity, the phone does everything quite well. The GPS lock speeds are fast but it could be more accurate when you use it with navigation apps.
BATTERY LIFE
The 3000mAh battery performs great. I could get about 1.5 days of usage out of this phone, which is a good result.
CONCLUSIONS
Cubot Echo is not going to be your next powerhouse device but it gets the basics right.
We don’t have any exceptionallooks but the phone is well made, it has a metal frame, it is compact to carry around and stock Android is what the cheap phones need.
You can also take some okay looking photos and the battery life is great thanks to a pretty large capacity.
However, the processor is a little outdated if you are a spec head, the capacitive buttons are not backlit and there are those huge black bezels that a lot of people hate.
At the end of the day, Cubot Echo may not be the only cheap device out there but it gets all the basics right and it is a pretty fast phone on the daily basis. However, you have to consider if the previously mentioned shortcomings are important to you or not.
The Huawei Honor Magic is still making waves mostly because of its eight curved surfaces which is just magical. The smartphone is touted as a phone of the future coming with many innovative features. It has now been revealed that most of the innovative technology on the Honor Magic could find its way into future Huawei phones if they actually prove successful.
According to Yu Chengdong, Huawei’s Senior Vice-President of reviews , the Honor Magic is a concept phone mean’t to test the innovative technology the company has in its arsenal. Some of the innovative technology on the Magic include the eight surface design, high current fast charge, intelligent operating system and other smart features. Some of these features may find their way into future flagships in the near future and that would be a welcome development.
Huawei earlier today unveiled its latest flagship Honor Magic in a ceremony held in China. The Huawei Honor Magic features a spectacular design which is nothing like we have seen in the past. It is just beyond stunning. The device went up on its first flash sale in China and we can tell you that the Honor magic was sold out immediately it went up on sale.
There is no specific figure about the amount Huawei did put up for sale but the flagship device is reported to have sold out even faster than the Xiaomi Mi Mix. In all sincerity, the Honor Magic flooors the Mi Mix in design and features it packs on board.
For the avoidance of doubt, the Honor Magic sports a 5.09-inch AMOLED display with 2K resolution. The display is curved on all sides up front as well as at the back, giving the Honor Magic a unique look. The device also tag along the Kirin 950 chipset as well as 4GB RAM and 64GB of storage.The device supports NFC and has a fingerprint sensor embedded under the home button. There is a dual camera setup at the back sitting horizontally with the LED flash at the side. The device crams a 2900mAh battery onboard which is touted as being capable of achieving 90% charge in just 30 minutes.
The 3,699 Yuan price tag didn’t even deter the device from being sold out in seconds. It is not known when the device will go on its second flash sale but we’ll keep you updated, as always, on that.
A Xiaomi official has revealed the company’s plans as regards rolling out Android 7.0 Nougat upgrades to its smartphones. If indeed the company starts upgrading to Android 7.0, it won’t be coming late to the party as the latest Google OS are mostly available on recently launched flagships. Companies like Huawei and Lenovo had already started rolling out Android N to some of their smartphones anyway.
The Lenovo ZUK series seems to be the fastest in terms of pace to get the Android N upgrade. Huawei also launched the Android N on its latest Mate 9 and a good number of its models are already testing the Beta version. The Xiaomi Mi 5 was reported to have gotten an Android 7.0 Beta ROM based on MIUI 8.
According to Xiaomi’s MIUI Operations manager, the Xiaomi 4C, Xiaomi 4S and Xiaomi Note will see the upgrade soon. The oficial didn’t reveal the fate of the Redmi series phones concerning the upgrades but we hope the upgrade will hit other Xiaomi phones like the Mi 5S, Mi Note 2, Mi Mix and others soon as well.
Huawei unveiled one of the most interesting smartphones this year –the Huawei Honor Magic. While the company has given less importance on the specifications of the handset, it made sure that the overall experience that you get using the device is top notch. This, of course, starts with the phone’s design which features a unique eight curved design. Like it says, the phone is curved on all the eight sides, including the back, bringing perfect symmetry to the design.
The placement of the dual 12MP camera sensors at the back are also pretty unique, with a bit of a spacing between the two and placed flat on the back. So, there are no protruding parts on the back, which is something that the company is proud of. Even in the front, there is a special UV coating to ensure that the camera and sensors are hidden into the overall black design of the Honor Magic. So, Huawei seems to have focused on making the design as simple and elegant as possible.
The front features an infrared+ color camera while at the back, you have a monochrome + color 12MP dual cameras. The AMOLED screen is of 5.09-inches with 2K resolution. For hardware, there’s Kirin 950, 4GB RAM and 64GB of storage.
All the ports are located at the bottom, and yes, in case you are wondering, there is a traditional 3.5mm headphone jack.
Check out the images of the Huawei Honor Magic below, courtesy of IThome.
Huawei has just launched its most innovative smartphone yet, the Huawei Honor Magic. The phone comes with a unique design as well as some great features, read on to find out more about the device.
The Huawei Honor Magic comes with a special design that’s curved on all the eight sides. Usually, we have seen dual curved smartphones that feature a curved display on the left and right side of the screen. This phone features a similar display, but the company has ensured that all the other six sides, including the ones on the back continue with a curved design, following a true symmetry.
The phone seems to be inspired from space, hence the deep black color along with a rose gold metal frame going around the body. Symmetry is an important aspect of the device and hence the SIM card slot, speakers, microphone as well as the charging ports are located at the bottom of the smartphone. So, rest of the body looks flawless. The company notes that incorporating a dual SIM card slot at the bottom of the Honor Magic was not easy but the phone has managed that feat.
On the topside of the front, which is curved as well, you have a camera sensor. There are a few other sensors as well like the infrared camera, ambient light sensor, and infrared LED light. There seems to be a special UV coating on the phone to make sure that these sensors remain relatively hidden. At the back, the camera on board is a standard 12MP monochrome + black & white sensor module (probably similar to the Honor 8), however, what’s really interesting is the camera design. First of all, Huawei boasts that the camera is completely flat, so it goes well with the overall design. The two sensors are placed a few centimeters apart in horizontal symmetry. Besides the two sensors, you have the standard dual LED flash.
But the innovation is not just in the design department. The main highlight of the Honor Magic is in its user-friendly software experience dubbed as the Magic Live. Some of the amazing features of the Honor Magic Live system are given below:
When you have the phone in your hand, it will make a note of this and whenever you get a call, it will just vibrate and not ring.
The phone can automatically light up the screen when you look at it as the Honor Magic can keep a track of your eyes.
The Honor Magic can recognize its owner. So, if there’s a new message, you can see the details of the message, but if anyone else takes a look at it, the phone will not reveal the details on the screen.
If you are in the dark, the Honor Magic will sense this automatically and recommend flashlight app on the screen.
Magic Live can bring up some useful information even while you are chatting. For example, if you someone asks you, where are you? the phone will offer the option to share your current location. Similarly, if you are chatting about your current weather, details about the same will be provided to you. Even if you talk about the weather of a different city, for example Beijing or Shenzhen, the Honor Magic’s Live system is smart enough to bring you details about the same.
Booking a movie ticket is super easy with its smart software. The magic live system can intelligently recommend current movies, if you are talking about movies in the chat. Also, if you are talking about booking, it can bring up relevant information as well as help in booking the ticket.
If you have an unknown number calling you, the software is smart enough to bring you details about its previous history, if any.
The smart software can also classify unread mails as promotions / advertisements / bills / meetings etc, based on the content of the mail. It can also create smart schedules for events that pop up via SMS or WeChat.
The Magic Live is also a smart shopper. When you are about to shop on your smartphone, the phone will automatically show you the lowest price along with price comparisons among different shopping platforms. After you shop, it will smartly help you to store the tracking information in your ‘My Favorites’ page.
If you want to get details about a particular travel destination, the Magic Live helps in that as well, by bringing you relevant pictures, reviews, weather etc. And you won’t have to type a single thing as the assistant analyses specific keywords such as ‘how about we travel to xx place’ to sense that relevant travel information has to be brought up on the screen.
There’s even a Magic Auto which is in development (evolutionary version only) which will simplying using the phone while driving your car.
Finally, it learns from you as you use it and becomes smarter at helping around in your daily tasks.
Note that there are two Magic Live systems available — Magic Live Stable and Magic Live Evolutionary version (sort of a beta version). The stable version comes with monthly upgrade cycle while the evolutionary version updates every two weeks. You can switch between the two versions easily and Huawei has even launched a dedicated phone support number for Honor Magic users.
Well, analyzing chats, reading your messages and providing you with relevant information is all well and good, but this brings the big issue of privacy. Huawei seems to have thought about this as well, because the Honor Magic Live system reportedly processes all data locally. Plus, there’s an encryption chip onboard and everything works after proper authorization from you. I am assuming that these features only pop up when you, the owner, has used his/ her fingerprint to access the device.
Well, this was all about the software. Let’s check out some of the other features of the Honor Magic.
Like expected the Huawei Honor Magic comes with the super fast charging technology which charges the phone up to 90% in just 30 minutes of charging.
Then there’s the Magic Touch home button which incorporates multiple gestures like single click for home, double click for multi-task panel and swiping for back. The phone comes with Kirin 950 chipset inside with 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage. The display seems to be of 5-inches with 2K resolution. That chip and memory combinations are not really flagship grade, at least not according to today’s standards, but it’s still decent enough. I guess the long development cycle, especially perfecting the assistant and software features (probably after finalizing the hardware) did push the specifications a generation behind.
Unlike the special features, Huawei did not reveal much about the core specs of the phone, so we will have to rely on the specs sheet that crops up a few hours later for these details. But until then, digest the information that’s given above.
As for the pricing, the Huawei Honor Magic is priced at 3699 Yuan (~$533). To be honest, I’m surprised it’s under 4000 Yuan, but this pricing definitely makes the unique Magic smartphone worth checking out.
The phone goes on sale via Vmall, JD.com, Lynx and Suning from 20:00 December 16 i.e. today.
Before Huawei ended the conference, it also confirmed that Android 7 Update for Honor V8 and Honor 8 rolls out today. The Honor Note 8 gets the update early next year.
Xiaomi first released its largest capacity Mi mobile Power bank around November last year with a capacity of 20,000mAh. Now, just a little over a year later, the Chinese company has released a second gen version of the 20000mAh power bank – the Mi mobile Power Bank 2.
The latest Mi Power Bank 2 has an appearance which very similar to the first gen-20,000mAh Pwer bank but with a shorter and more narrow build. It comes with a slightly increased thickness of 2.1mm and also has surface bumps which prevents the device from slipping off the hands. It also comes in white color only.
Also, the 20,000mAh Mi Power Bank 2 uses high density lithium-polymer batteries and performance has also been significantly improved. The device also comes with support for Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0. The single port output of 5V / 2A has been raised to 5V / 2.4A. There are also output ratings of 9V/2A and 12V / 1.5A. The device is touted to be capable of delivering full charge to the 4,850mAh battery packing Xiaomi Max in just 2.5 hours. The dual-port output still maintains 5V / 3.6A rating and is compatible with most mobile phones, tablets and the latest Apple MacBook. The latest power bank can also be used to charge the Mi Band 2 and other gadgets that require minimal current charge.
The 20,000mAh Xiaomi Mi mobile Power Bank 2 still carries the same 149 Yuan (around $22) price tag as its predecessor and would go on its first sale next week, precisely on December 19 which is Monday.
The Coolpad Cool Changer S1 was launched yesterday by LeEco’s owned Coolpad and sure the device comes with a premium design. The device is a flagship and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdargon 821 chipset which is backed by 4GB RAM or 6GB RAM, depending on the version. Now you get the chance to see the Cool Changer S1 in all its beauty and features courtesy of these hands on images from IT Home.
The Cool Changer S1 has a 5.5-inch IPS display and utilizes a design with very narrow bezels at the sides. Despite the narrow bezels, there are very tiny black borders on the display which is even unnoticeable despite the white screen.
It should be noted that the Coolpad Cool Changer S1 looks very similar in design to the earlier released Cool1 Dual but without any logo at the back. There is also no physical button on the screen up front but there are three virtual capacitive keys which can only be identified when the display LED comes on. It retains the front white styling on all color variants.
The flagship utilizes an all-metal casing at the back infused with an antenna design said to have been constructed by injection molding process. There is a large near square rear camera at the top centre which has a large 16MP Sony IMX298 sensor onboard. The camera seems to protrude slightly out of the metal body. Just by the side of the camera is the dual LED flash and directly under he camera sits the fingerprint sensor.
The Cool S1 does not have a 3.5mm audio jack onboard instead it uses the USB Type-C interface both for charging and for connecting with the headphone. There is a Harman AKG headset with 3.5mm head which comes with the phone, though. That shouldn’t be a problem as Coolpad did include an adapter that lets owners still use their 3.5mm jack packing headphones.
There is also said to be a powerful Harman Kardon audio stereo system onboard and although we can’t see that, the beautiful audio grills at both sides of the USB port is enough to get us excited about the potential output of the audio system onboard.
The SIM slots are located at the left side of the device while there are the usual capacitive keys like the power button and volume rocker at the right side of the device. The edges were not left without a touch of class as the Cool Changer S1 has well chamfered edges which should aid one-handed operation. And then at 7.5mm thick, it sure is an easy one to hold with one hand. If you still haven’t got an idea of the Coolpad Cool Changer S1 price, check out our launch post for price details.
Is Xiaomi working on a successor for Mi Mix concept smartphone?
Several Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 leaked renders have surfaced.
100% Screen-to-Body Ratio, 2K Resolution
Xiaomi has been aggressively marketing the screen-to-body ratio of Xiaomi Mi Mix as 91.3 percent. Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 leaked renders suggest that the Mi Mix successor will deliver a stunning 100 percent screen-to-body ratio.
The leaked details indicate the Mi Mix 2 may retain 6.4-inch screen size of the original Mi Mix. The Mi Mix 2 is pegged to support 2K resolution whereas the original device offers a resolution of 1080 x 2040 pixels.
Dual Camera
With a trend of dual cameras hitting numerous devices, the Mi Mix 2 is rumored to come equipped with a dual camera system. However, one of the rear renders of Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 seems to sport single camera.
Telescopic Selfie Camera with Flash
The original Xiaomi Mi Mix has been criticized for lackluster selfie camera that is present on the bottom bezel at the front. Since the screen is expected to occupy the entire front side of the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2, Xiaomi is rumored to include an LED flash enabled telescopic camera that remains hidden on the top-right edge of the device. It seems that it can be brought up through a hardware key for snapping selfies.
Like Mi Mix, its successor is predicted to feature an ultrasonic fingerprint reader embedded under the display. Speculations indicate that the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 would arrive preloaded with MIUI 9 flavored Android 7.0 Nougat OS.
The ZUK Edge smartphone is scheduled to be unveiled on Dec. 20. Leaked photos and initial rumors indicate that it is a high-end flagship phone with a higher screen-to-body ratio.
In this morning, Lenovo confirmed through its Weibo account that the ZUK Edge will deliver a screen-to-body ratio of 86.4 percent. It is less than the 91.3 percent screen-to-body ratio that Xiaomi has been marketing for its concept phone, the Xiaomi Mi Mix.
It is interesting to note that GSM Arena’s review on Mi Mix revealed that its actual screen-to-body is ratio is around 84.7 percent. The publication calculated the ratio by dividing the surface area of the phone by the surface area of its screen.
Has Lenovo ZUK Edge managed to pip Xiaomi Mi Mix over screen-to-body ratio? It can be only confirmed after the ZUK Edge release date.
The leaked renders of the ZUK Edge smartphone suggest that’s its large display is surrounded by super slim bezels. To be precise, even the top and bottom bezels are quite thin. It features a rectangular Home button below the display that houses the fingerprint reader.
The Lenovo ZUK Edge is packed with a 5.5-inch full HD display. It is expected to be driven by Snapdragon 821 chipset that clocks at 2.35 GHz along with 6 GB of RAM.
The native storage of ZUK Edge should be 64 GB. Further, the phone is said to be coming with 13-megapixel rear camera and 8-megapixel selfie shooter. Other specs include Android 7.0 Nougat OS, USB Type-C, and a 3,000 mAh battery with fast charging support. It will be available in black and white color options.
Lenovo ZUK Edge Price
Previous rumors have suggested that Lenovo ZUK Edge would cost CNY 2,699 ($389). What do you think about the price and specs of ZUK Edge?
LeEco-owned Coolpad has launched its latest flagship product tagged Coolpad Cool Changer S1 in a news conference held in Shanghai China. The flagship device comes with a premium metal body and uses a nano-antenna manufactured from injection molding process, giving the smartphone a sleek, streamlined body.
Specifications – Coolpad Cool Changer S1
The Cool Changer S1 features a 5.5-inch display with 1080 pixel resolution and is powered by a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 chipset clocked 2.35GHz. The device also comes in three storage versions, one equipped with 4GB RAM + 64GB storag, another model with 6GB RAM + 64GB of storage and yet a third with 6GB RAM + 128GB of storage. There is also a 4070mAh battery keeping the lights on inside the device with support for Quick Charge 3.0.
Camera wise, the Coolpad Cool Changer S1 sports a 16MP Sony IMX298 rear camera with dual-LED flash, PDAF, electronic image stabilization, HDR, BSI function and support for 4K recording at 30 fps. There is also an 8MP front-facing camera with 1.4um individual pixel size. The front camera also comes with screen flash which improves the lighting condition of selfies. On the software end, the flagship runs Android Marshmallow-based EUI 5.8 out-of-the-box.
In addition, the device has an ultra thin size, with a body thicknesss of just 7.5mm and there . The device is also designed with two large speakers, precisely from famous manufacturer- Harman Kardon. the Harman Clari-fi built-in audio system on the device offers highly improved and sophisticated sound that adapts to the user’s surrounding, whether it is noisy or not. The Cool Changer S1 also comes with an AKG headset which is said to be worth 999 Yuan on its own. The headphone comes with a gray body made from aluminum alloy and uses an in-ear design which offers overall sound clarity.
Pricing
The list of features goes on and on, but suffice it to say that the Coolpad Cool Changer S1 comes in gold, silver, and streamer black color variants. As for the price, the 4GB + 64GB version starts at 2,499 Yuan, while the 6GB + 64GB goes for 2,699 Yuan and finally the topmost version with 6GB + 128GB carries a price tag of 3,199 Yuan. As for availability, the Cool Changer S1 will be on sale at 22.00 on December 15 via Jingdong Mall, Suning Tesco, Lynx and Cool Mall.
The advent of Chinese phones changed the smartphone market in no small way. Starting first as shameless rip-offs of other popular brands, they have now evolved into more refined devices that boast important features missing on the brands they used to imitate in the past. Most, if not all of these features are software-based and are built into the UI of each manufacturer.
Want to know how the top Chinese Android UIs compare against each other? Then you should read this to the end.
Xiaomi’s MIUI is in its eight iteration already and offers tons of features but how does it compare against Meizu’s recently announced Flyme 6 UI or Huawei’s EMUI 5? Can anyone of them even stand against Smartisan OS 3.0?
Home Screen
All four UIs lack an app drawer by default, leaving you with an homescreen packed full with all your apps. If you are coming from an iPhone this shouldn’t be an issue for you, however those switching from Samsung, LG, Motorola, Nexus or HTC phones will have a hard time adapting to this and might be forced to install a launcher with an app drawer. However, EMUI 5 has an additional setting that lets you choose app drawer mode.
From the image below, there is no much difference between MIUI and EMUI apart from the bottom row of icons which are lower in MIUI and still have texts beneath them. For Flyme OS, the icons are a bit bigger and are more spaced, making them cover more than half of the whole screen.
Smartisan OS on the hand differs completely, as its homescreen is filled with apps that reach the top of the screen, making it feel like you are still using an iPhone.
Another major difference is that while the other three UIs have texts beneath their icons, Smartisan OS gives you the option to toggle it on or off. This gives it a neater and more matured look compared to the other three.
Notification Drawer/Quick Settings Menu
The notification drawer and quick settings menu differ for each UI. Flyme 6 and MIUI 8 both use a single page system where you have the quick settings shortcuts at the top and notifications at the bottom. MIUI 8 is however more colorful and has more features such as a search box at the top.
EMUI and Smartisan OS use a two-page system which presents your notifications on one page and quick settings shortcuts on the other. You can flip between both pages via a single tap.
Recent Apps Menu
The recent apps interface is another place where the UIs are different. Flyme 6 uses a 3D carousel design to list the recently opened apps and Smartisan OS uses a flat card system (four apps per screen). MIUI 8 and EMUI 5 both use the same 2D flat design but in a different way. Instead of grouping them in fours like you have in Smartisan OS, they are arranged in a horizontal line which you can scroll through. MIUI 8 even has the option to shrink the cards into small icons in case you do not want to get a preview of what is currently running in each app.
Special Features
Each UI has a unique feature of its own. Flyme 6 lets you customize what mode (a total of three modes) your phone unlocks to depending on the fingerprint you use to unlock the phone. MIUI on the other hand let’s you use two accounts for the same app on a single device, so you can have two Whatsapp accounts, two Facebook accounts, and two twitter accounts and so on and so forth. EMUI 5 does the same (App Twin) but is limited to only Whatsapp and Facebook.
MIUI 8 also let’s you create a second space on your phone which you can switch to with the tap of a button. This second space can consist of apps you use for work and you can customize what apps and files you want to show up from the main space.
EMUI’s version of second space is called PrivateSpace and works more or less the same way as that of MIUI 8. While split-screen multi-tasking just came to stock android, it’s been available on some other Android UIs like Samsung’s TouchWiz and now, EMUI 5. We believe the split-screen feature will be available to all the devices getting the EMUI update irrespective of their android version.
Huawei has carved out a brand synonymous with quality and premium price tag. It’s a Chinese brand that is now competing with the likes of the top players like Samsung and Apple. So, when it was Xiaomi that actually managed to release a super awesome concept smartphone, the Xiaomi Mi Mix, it was indeed surprising for many. Of course, Huawei does have the mighty Huawei Mate 9 Porsche Edition, but we all know that it isn’t really the best that a company like Huawei can offer, especially considering its extravagant pricing.
This is where the Huawei Honor Magic comes into the picture. The name itself denotes that there is some magic in the phone, but what exactly can we expect on this mysterious magical device? Let’s find out.
First of all, before we go into the specs and design (based on previous rumors and comments from analysts), we should first understand why Huawei is using the Honor brand for the device. It could have simply called it the Huawei Magic and it would have still sounded interesting. But there’s something more at play here and it is said that Huawei actually wants to remove the budget tag that’s asssociated with the Honor brand name. So, releasing a flagship concept phone such as the “Magic” under it’s sub brand would definitely transform the way customers look at the brand.
DESIGN
The Huawei Magic is said to be a very unique flagship. It has to have something special to be called as a concept phone and it is said that the phone could come with four curved display (instead of the traditional dual curved display). So, the display will be curved not only on the two regular sides, but also on the top and bottom. It would really make for a symmetrical design and I am excited to see how Huawei brings this design into reality.
There are reports about the phone having no physical buttons to spoil the design, not even a physically visible camera, but these are just rumors and we are not so sure about it. Only tomorrow will we come to know for sure.
One good news for compact smartphone lovers is the display size. According to Pan Jiutang, who revealed that he got to play with the device recently, the Honor Magic will have a compact smartphone display that won’t be more than 5.5-inches. Given that the Xiaomi Mi Mix has a massive 6-inch+ display, this is definitely going to be a more compact option for customers. There’s a rumor about a 5-inch display with 2K resolution, which would give it some serious pixel density.
Unfortunately, we are not so sure about the body of the Honor Magic. It could be metal or even premium ceramic, but at the moment, there’s no specific news in this regard.
honor-magic-phone-render
HARDWARE
If you are expecting the Honor Magic to feature the latest specs in the market, you could be disappointed. Analysts reveal that the development cycle of the Honor Magic was really long which means the phone could feature specs that are a generation old. So, we could see a processor like the Kirin 950 or 955 on the device, rather than the latest and greatest Kirin 960. The RAM is said to be just 4GB with 64GB storage and there could be dual 12MP cameras on the back as well as the front.
But there’s more.
previously leaked Honor Magic Phone
For example, the Huawei Honor Magic is said to feature an ultra fast charging technology that will blow everyone else away. The battery is said to be of 2900mAh and reports say that the phone can charge from 0 to 48% in just 5 minutes, all thanks to its 40W charging! That would be amazing for sure!
There are even reports about a possibility of Iris Recognition onboard.
Further, there are some interesting things being said about the software. First of all, it is said that the Honor Magic will have an independent OS, that will support Android apps. Pan Jiutang was kind enough to say he was surprised by the software on the device, but he didn’t divulge more details. Another analyst said that the OS is still going to be Android. But it is said that the UI will be similar to Apple’s iOS and that this OS will be 50% more efficient as compared Huawei’s traditional EMUI software.
Xiaomi was one of the first to actually bring a concept smartphone to life with its Xiaomi Mi Mix, but it probably won’t be fair to compare these two directly. First of all, the pricing of the Huawei Honor Magic is said to be in the super premium category, so it won’t be affordable to most of us. But that’s expected, cause this is Huawei we are talking about here! I just hope that it’s no way near to the extravagant price the Mate 9 Porsche Design asks.
The Huawei Honor Magic will be revealed by the company at 3 O’Clock Beijing time this Friday. Stay tuned to Gizmochina for the latest coverage of the device.
Following the popularity of communication apps such as Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, Hangouts, Duo, Skype, and FaceTime, which all allow users to call their contacts without leaving the app, the percentage of traditional calls have tanked. An analyst at Oppenheimer, Tim Horan thinks that by the time more players get into the space of app-based voice communication, people might not need regular phone numbers anymore.
Horan believes that the emergence of more players will see phone numbers replaced by profiles and names as already offered by apps like Skype and Facebook Messenger. This development will lead telecommunication companies to start offering packages that bundle voice, messaging, and video for their business customers.
Ahead of its December 20 launch, yet another render of the Lenovo ZUK Edge has leaked revealing both the front and rear views of the sleek device. The image is that of the white-colored variant of the ZUK Edge. The device is likely to come in white and all black variants.
The ZUK Edge, it could be recalled, was initially thought to be unveiled on December 7 but that didn’t happen and now a new poster pointing at a December 20 launch was spotted online. The Edge looks very much like the Xiaomi Mi Mix and could be termed Lenovo’s response to Xiaomi’s concept phone. It utilizes a design that sees the display occupying almost the entire screen. There are also ultra-narrow bezels at the sides.
Specs wise, the Lenovo ZUK Edge features a 5.5-inch 1080p display and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor backed by 4GB of RAM. There will also be 64GB of internal storage as well as a 3,000mAh built-in battery with fast charging support onboard the flagship. In addition, the device is touted to come with USB Type-C interface, an 8MP front camera, 13MP rear camera, running Android Nougat and many other cool features.
OPPO phones might not be popular in North America but they are known for their other products such as Blu-ray players, headphones, and amplifiers. OPPO Digital is the company that makes the above mentioned items. Founded in 2004 and based in California, USA, it is an independently operated division of the OPPO brand. The company just released it’s first Ultra-HD Blu-ray player called the UDP-203 which only plays physical discs.
Some devices that support Ultra-HD playback, 4K for now, can do so either via streaming apps (Netflix and Amazon) or through physical discs or even both ways like the Xbox One S. The OPPO UDP-203 belongs to the class that only plays discs.
Apart from UHD discs, the player supports Blu-ray 3D, DVD, audio DVDs, audio CDs, and audio Super CDs. According to the official website, in addition to suporting Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio formats, the OPPO UDP-203 also supports bitstreaming Dolby Atmos and DTS:X which are new formats that add overhead sound-effects to create a greater impression of 3D-dimensionality. OPPO has also promised that a software update next year will bring support for Dolby Vision HDR.
For connectivity, the UDP-203 has two HDMI output ports (one of which is for audio only) and one HDMI input port. You also get two USB 3.0 ports, a LAN port and a RS232 port as well.
Back in 2013, Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos announced that the e-commerce giant was going to begin testing a drone delivery service which would later be known as Amazon Prime Air. Three years later, the company has carried out its first drone delivery and it was nothing short of a success.
The test took place on the 7th of December, not in Amazon’s home country but in the UK. Outside the university of Cambridge to be precise and close to Amazon’s drone testing facility.
Before the first trial, Amazon had to get an approval from the British Civil Aviation Authority which has told Amazon it will allow it deliver to rural areas once it has sufficient safety data
The order in question was for an Amazon Fire TV and a bag of popcorn which weigh less than a kg/lbs combined and is a lot less than the 2.26kg/5lbs maximum order weight for a Prime Air delivery. The order was placed from a location close to the testing facility and the duration from order to delivery took nothing less than 13 minutes in total. Amazon says it plans to add more people who live within a few miles to the testing program which has already made 2 successful orders. These customers will not be asked to pay extra so far their locations fall within a 30-minute drone delivery time frame.
It is important to state that Prime Air Deliveries will only be carried out during the day and will be subject to weather conditions such as rain, snow, fog and any other factor that might affect visibility and flight.
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