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VKWORLD Stone V3S Review: A $20 Rugged Phone!

There are plenty of phones out there and most of them have so many smart features that some of you may not even need. I just came across a $20 feature phone and I decided to give it a try. Did I like it? Learn more in the full VKWORLD Stone V3S review.

VIDEO REVIEW

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gme86DEUNw[/embedyt]

UNBOXING

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The phone ships with a charger, some paperwork and some extra SIM card adapters.

DESIGN and FEATURES

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For $20, you get a little phone that has the IP65 rating, meaning that the phone can survive some beating. Also, it is dust and dirt resistant and the device is splash-proof.

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The Vkworld V3S is a well-built phone. I love the metal used on the sides of the device, which gives a little bit of premium look and feel.

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The display is definitely not the sharpest out there but it is enough for such a cheap feature phone. However, the viewing angles are bad and it is quite reflective during the cloudy day.

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The nicely backlit physical keys are tactile and they are nice to the touch.

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One of the key selling points of the device is a dual-LED flashlight. However, I didn’t find it brighter than your everyday smartphone.

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The loudspeaker is really good as it is louder than on most of the smartphones and the sound is quite clear.

USER INTERFACE and TEST NOTES

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When it comes to the user interface, you should not expect to have lots of smart features but the phone gets the basics right. We have some essential everyday apps, music player, FM radio, calendar,  a few pre-installed games and so on.

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Speaking of the basics, the call quality and signal reception are great.

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Since you are going to use this phone mainly for the calls and other basic stuff, the battery will last you for days.

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I could not kill this phone in 1 week using two SIM cards at the same time. Even if you don’t use the phone very often, the advertised 25 day standby time is a great feature to have.

CONCLUSIONS

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So, there you have it, the $20 Vkworld V3S. It’s definitely not the phone for everyone since it was designed mainly for those who need just a simple phone that is well-built and it can survive a few drops and has just the basic features.

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So far the phone has worked fine for me and I believe it’s worth the $20 price tag but I’m switching back to my smartphone as I can’t live without all the smart features it has.

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What about you? Do you think you would need such a phone or would you rather add $30 more and buy a cheap smartphone? Let me know in the comment section down below.

Likely Samsung Galaxy S8 Benchmark Data Appears

What is said to be the benchmark data of Samsung‘s next generation Galaxy S8 flagship has appeared online. The device suspected to be the Samsung Galaxy S8 was spotted on Geekbench datatbase, uploaded as very recently.

Samsung galaxy s8 geekbench

The Geekbench datatshowed the Galaxy S8 which is equipped with a Snapdragon 835 chipset recording a single core score of 1844 points and a multi-core score of 5426 points. When compared to the Apple A1o-powered iPhone 7’s score of 3300 on the single-core and 5400 on the multi-core test, the score posted by the Galaxy S8 is somewhat disappointing. We need not despair over that, though, as the device is still a work in progress and perhaps didn’t run on full steam. The processor was listed as an octa-core chip clocked at 1.90Ghz, so the clock frequency may have been reduced.

Read More: Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus Phablet May Get S-Pen Accessory; Galaxy Note Series to be Killed?

As usual, Geekbench data usually reveals little about the specs of the device. In this case, the Galaxy S8 is revealed as running Android 7.0 Nougat out-of-the-box and would have 4GB RAM crammed inside. In addition, earlier rumors had tipped the Galaxy S8 to be the first device to use the Bluetooth 5.0 technology and lots of other innovative features. The flagship is said to also come with a design devoid of a physical home button and would have a curve display. The launch date of the Galaxy S8 is presently enmeshed in controversy, as the initial MWC 2017 launch date is now rumored as unlikely.

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Meizu & Qualcomm Finally Settle Their Issues, Sign Patent Licensing Agreement

The lingering dispute between Meizu and Qualcomm which had led to Meizu smartphones not featuring Qualcomm SoCs may have finally been put to rest. Qualcomm today announced that it has signed a patent license agreement with Meizu which grants Meizu the worldwide license to develop, manufacture and sell smartphones with CDMA2000, WCDMA, 4G LTE (including “triple mode”GSM / TD-SCDMA / LTE-TDD) terminals.

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Qualcomm recently signed the same agreement days back with fellow Chinese company Gionee and earlier in August, the company put pen to paper with Vivo under similar terms. Under this term, Meizu will pay royalties to Qualcomm for use of these bands on their smartphones.

The new agreement, according to Qualcomm’s statement, addresses all patent disputes between Qualcomm and Meizu in China, Germany, France and the United States. It would be recalled that Qualcomm had dragged Meizu to court in Europe and the US over patent infringement, but both parties have agreed to take appropriate steps to terminate or withdraw the patent infringement action and related patent invalidity or other related litigation.

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Related: Meizu 2017 Product Lineup, SoC & Schedule Leaked, Snapdragon Chip Listed

Coincidentally, a leaked product lineup plan for Meizu in 2017 had included a Meizu M device said to get a December 2017 launch date and coming with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 chip onboard. Turns out the leaked document was indeed correct. In addition, Meizu has confirmed it would use Qualcomm processor at the end of 2017 but the company failed to mention the name or details of the smartphone that would pack the Qualcomm SoC. The year 2017 is sure looking to be a year of great surprises and expectations on the smartphone industry.

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ZTE’s Blade V8 Wants to Join The Mid-range Dual Camera Phones

The Blade series is ZTE’s line of mid-range phones. Although priced lower than the Axon and Nubia series, the Blade phones sport the same high level of build quality found on the more expensive lines. The company has a new phone in the works and it is expected to be unveiled at the Consumer Electronic show which is starting next week.

The new phone called the ZTE Blade V8 is expected to be the line’s first dual-camera midranger, competing with the likes of Xiaomi’s Redmi Pro and LeEco’s  Cool1 Dual.

ZTE Blade V8

The ZTE Blade V8 pictured above will have a 5.2” 1080p display just like you have on the Blade V7, a 1.4GHz Snapdragon 435 processor, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. The dual rear cameras will be a combination of a 12MP sensor and a 2MP shooter.  Sources say both sensors will work together to allow you take pictures with bokeh effects and even shoot stereoscopic 3D pictures that can be viewed with a VR glasses. The dual sensors of the Blade V8 will also allow you take quick pictures of fast moving objects without the need for focusing.

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READ MORE: ZTE Axon Mini Review 1 year Later – A Great Option for Just $140?

Qualcomm Signs Patent License Agreement with Gionee

Qualcomm has announced that it has signed a new 3G and 4G patent license agreement with Chinese phone maker, Gionee. The terms of the agreement grants Gionee a royalty-bearing patent license to develop, manufacture and sell 3G WCDMA , CDMA2000 and 4G LTE complete devices for use in China. The license also include 3-mode GSM, TD-SCDMA and LTE-TDD bands.

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Under the terms of the agreement, Gionee would also make payment in royalties for use of these patents which belong to Qualcomm. It could be recalled that fellow Chinese phonemaker, Vivo also reached similar agreement with Qualcomm recently and Qualcomm did reveal that it is in agreement with the top 10 smartphone makers in China over similar license.

Read More: Huawei Mate 9 Porsche Design Vs Gionee M2017: Which Luxury Phone is Worth Your Money?

Acording to Liu Lirong, group president of Gionee, “Having access to the latest technologies from Qualcomm, through this license agreement, will allow us to continue to design innovative and powerful devices for consumers across all demographics.” Gionee will definitely increase its portfolio soon with smartphones having these bands on board, especially 4G LTE which is the rave of the moment. The company has a large market in Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia and a shift ti 4G LTE enabled smartphone on its devices will no doubt increase her followership. Meanwhile, Qualcomm is already working on the 5G band.

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Samsung Gear 4 to Have Foldable Display? Company Files Two New Smartwatch Patents

New patent filings have revealed that Samsung may release two new smartwatches in the near future. One of them is expected to feature a foldable screen.

Smartwatch sales are plummeting and in order to attract smartphone makers are aiming to provide new and innovative features. Patently Mobile reports that the South Korean company has registered for two new patents for smartwatch with US Patent and Trademark Office.

The first one that features a regular display seems to be a fitness oriented device. The strap of the device is enabled with sensors. When the strap is moved sideways, its sensors can measure angle and position. Its screen can accordingly display UI elements.

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An additional strap for the device can be seen for extended input control. The patent documents, the device can be used in multiple ways such as wrapping it around users’ neck and by hanging it over different objects.

Related: Samsung Files Patent for Bendable Smartphone Display

The other one appears to be a foldable wearable that can turn into a bracelet as it features a wide band flexible display. The South Korean company has been working on it since 2013.

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The publication is of the view that even though the company is pegged to launch a smartphone with foldable display, it may surprise its fans by introducing a superior smartphone with a bendable display that can allow it to function like a smartphone. Rumors have it that these two may be the variants of the upcoming Samsung Gear 4.

In the previous month, a patent of Samsung’s concept phone with foldable display was revealed. It showed that the display could be bent in the center to use it like a flip phone. The patent was granted for it by USPTO.

An interesting thing about the concept phone is that its display can bend automatically when a certain amount of voltage to either of the two electrodes layer that are respectively present on the upper and lower ends of the foldable display.

Unknown Meizu Phone Leaks, Tipped To Launch Soon

Meizu doesn’t look like it is relenting but looks set for more releases next year just like it did this year. Just recently, a Meizu 2017 product schedule was leaked online showing us the devices we should look forward to seeing next year and even revealing the likely processor that would fire them up. That list included a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip, by the way.

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Right now, live renders of an unknown Meizu phone has leaked online. The phone is tipped as belonging to the Blue Charm series and is expected very soon, perhaps in January 2017. The smartphone popped up on Weibo recently and was accompanied by a few details about is features. The device is said to have a 500w soft flash, of course on its front camera which should guarantee some level of brightness on selfies.

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Read More: Meizu 2017 Product Lineup, SoC & Schedule Leaked, Snapdragon Chip Listed

Also, the device is detailed as having a 5.0-inch display with a 5MP front-facing camera. The Meizu smartphone whose name is not yet determined, is also said to come with a cheap price tag and would likely be launched a few days after the holidays. That’s all that is revealed for now. We’ll keep you posted on latest development, as usual.

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Microsoft Surface Phone Rumors: New Leaked Renders Found Fake; Trial Production Started?

Alleged renders of Microsoft Surface Phone renders had surfaced yesterday. Even though they were found to be fake, the trial production of the smartphone is rumored to begin soon.

Microsoft Surface Phone Leaked Renders

The new renders of the rumored Surface Phone have been revealed by a well-known Chinese leakster on Weibo. What’s interesting about the leaked photos is that the smartphone carries Surface Phone branding at the bottom side on its rear.

Microsoft Surface Phone leaked photos have surfaced several times, but none were found to be true. Even the new renders are fake as the handset features Carl Zeiss branding that is not in use since 2013, Phone Arena reported. In fact, these renders may belong to an older prototype of a Lumia smartphone.

The Redmond giant has not confirmed whether it is working on Surface Phone. However, in the previous month, rumors started swirling that the company has entered an agreement with Taiwan-based Pegatron as the only ODM (Original Design Manufacturing) for production of the Surface Phone.

Microsoft Surface Phone renders
Weibo/KJuma
Microsoft Surface Phone renders
Weibo/KJuma

Microsoft Surface Phone Variants

Early speculations suggest that Microsoft is testing numerous prototypes of Surface Phone. All the prototype units are said to be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 that comes with Quick Charge 4.0. The fast charging feature reportedly can gain 50 percent battery power by charging the device for 15 minutes.

One of the Surface Phone prototypes has 64-bit Windows 10 Mobile with 6 GB of RAM. This variant seems to support X86 apps. It is rumored that this prototype cannot run X86 apps directly but it will allow users to install them. These apps can be only run in Continuum.

Another prototype also features 64-bit Windows 10 Mobile with 4 GB of RAM. This model is said to be incapable of running X86 apps in Continuum. These variants suggest that different models targeting consumer and enterprise users are in works.

Related:Microsoft reportedly is testing Surface Phone

3-in-1 Form Factor

A laptop dock accessory that will allow users to connect Surface Phone to it is also speculated to be in works. By this, the Microsoft Surface Phone will be able to deliver 3-in-1 form factor.

Hence, the Surface Phone would allow customers to use it in three ways. Apart from using it as a handheld smartphone, the device can also deliver full-fledged desktop experience by continuing to a larger screen through the Continuum. The laptop dock is expected to replace users’ laptop.

Microsoft Surface Phone Release Date

It is expected to come preloaded within Redstone 3 update of Windows 10. Hence, its release date is expected to set around August or September 2017.

Xiaomi Mi 6 Said To Look Like A Sized Down Version Of The Mi Note 2

The Xiaomi Mi 6 is the expected “next big thing” from China’s Apple – Xiaomi, so it is not much of a surprise that the device has continued to be in the front burner of late. The likely render of the device had leaked earlier in October with a unique curved display.

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We actually didn’t see the resemblance back then, but right now a recent leak hints that the Mi 6 would adopt the same design as the Mi Note 2 bit with a scaled down size. And really on close scrutiny, the Mi 6 and Mi Note 2 actually look similar, just that the Mi 6 would be a bit smaller in size.

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Once again, another tipster has come out to reaffirm earlier rumors that the Mi 6 would feature a Snapdragon 835 chip onboard and would be launched in February just like we have heard in the past. Another information revealed by the tipster is that the flagship would pack a 128GB and 256GB storage options and would come in black, white and blue color variants.

Read More: Xiaomi Mi 6 Specs & Release Details Leaked

We really don’t know how all these will turn out. They may end up being untrue so for now, we won’t take them serious.

Bluboo Picasso 4G Review (Upgraded Model)

We have a lot of cheap smartphones from China and I just came across a cheap Bluboo Picasso 4G device that gets most of the basics right for the low price of just below $80. Learn more in the full review.

VIDEO REVIEW

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWpqu8yqIys[/embedyt]

UNBOXING

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The phone ships with all the usual stuff. No extras included.

DESIGN

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The Bluboo Picasso 4G does not sport exceptional looks but it is a quite well-made phone. However, it sports neither a metal trim nor metal buttons.

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Speaking of the display, the 5” 720p panel is pretty sharp and bright for a cheap phone but we have those visible bezels on each side.

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It’s great that we have a 5MP front facing camera but there is no LED notification light.

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As for the main camera, there is a 13MP shooter.

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The loudspeaker quality is kind of mediocre like on most of the cheap phones.

HARDWARE

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The Bluboo Picasso 4G runs on a little outdated Mediatek 6735 chip with the clock speeds of 1.0GHz. Also, the phone has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable storage.

Honestly, the spec sheet does not really impress and that translates to a mediocre gaming performance. You should expect quite a few skipped frames even if you play games like Asphalt 8 on medium graphics.

BENCHMARKS

USER INTERFACE

The phone ships with the Android 6.0 but we have a few added features by Bluboo. For example, the app tray has been removed. On a positive note, we have the NFC feature. 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.

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In general, the UI performance is okay. I didn’t have any lag but if you have install a lot of apps like I did, you should expect a little bit of stutter from time to time.

IMAGE QUALITY

You should never expect any miracles from the cameras of budget phones and the Bluboo Picasso is no exception. Most of the images will do the trick for social media but they could definitely have more detail and sharpness.

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 footage is kind of poor like on most of the cheap phones.

CONNECTIVITY

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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

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The 2800mAh battery performs quite well. I could get about a full day of moderate usage out of this phone, which is a good result.

CONCLUSIONS

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Bluboo Picasso 4G is not going to be your next powerhouse device but it gets the basics right.

We don’t have any exceptional looks but the phone is well made, it is compact to carry around and the user interface has some cool extra features.

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You can also take some okay looking photos and the battery life is pretty good thanks to quite a large capacity.

However, the processor is a little outdated if you are a spec head, the capacitive buttons are not backlit and the phone lacks premium materials in the construction.

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At the end of the day, Bluboo Picasso 4G may not be the only cheap device out there but it gets all the basics right. However, you have to consider if the previously mentioned shortcomings are important to you or not.

Meizu 2017 Product Lineup, SoC & Schedule Leaked, Snapdragon Chip Listed

For a while now, Meizu has been stuck with using MediaTek chip on its smartphones and of late, the Meizu Pro 6 Plus featured a Samsung Exynos 8890 flagship SoC. Unfortunately to the disappointment of not a few persons, Meizu has failed to pack Qualcomm’s chip on its latest gadgets.

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A recent Qualcomm press release had stated among other things that China’s top ten phone brands have all got Qualcomm’s patent license. If you talk about the top ten brands in China, Meizu is definite among them.

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More revealing is the recent leaked product schedule said to be Meizu’s lineup for 2017. The product schedule outlines the different Meizu smartphones that are likely to be released in 2017 and the month they would drop. According to the poster, Meizu should release the M5S in February using a MT6753, the Meizu Pro 7 uses a Helio X30 chip launching in June. In addition, the Meizu S using an Helio P25 chip is expected in July, while the MX7 with an Helio P30 chip will drop in September. October would see the Meizu Note 6 powered by an Helio P20 SoC.

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One notable information outlined on the leaked calendar is the processor the devices would carry on launch date. That would not have gotten us excited if not for the Qualcomm chipset which is listed against a device whose name is obscured on the sheet, perhaps a Meizu M derivative. However, we could see what looks like a Snapdragon 626 chipset listed as featuring on the device.

Read More: Meizu M5S Gets 3C Certification, Sports 4GB RAM and an Octa-Core SoC

Well, don’t get too excited because even if the product schedule turns out to be true, you won’t be seeing the Snapdragon-powered Meizu flagship anytime soon. The device is listed for release in December 2017, one year from now.

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Xiaomi to Unveil Yi Erida Drone and Yi 4K+ Action Cam at CES 2017

Xiaomi already announced it’s making its first appearance at CES next year, but the announcement didn’t end there. The phone manufacturer also added that they plan to launch a new product at the event. We don’t know what the product is but it seems there will be more than one device making an appearance at the event seeing as Xiaomi just announced that it will be launching the Yi Erida drone and Yi 4K+ action camera.

Apart from phones, Xiaomi makes a bunch of other stuffs, part of which includes smart bikes, a smart electric scooter, a drone and action cameras. Earlier this year, Xiaomi launched the Mi Drone, a first from the company. Less than a year later, the company will be adding the Yi Erida drone to the line-up.

Xiaomi Yi Erida

The Yi Erida will be equipped with a Yi 4K action camera that can record for 2 hours on a single charge, and will also have a tri-rotor design. The drone will be able to fly at speeds of up to 75mph (120km/h) and have a flying time of 40 minutes. It will also be fitted with a gimbal system that lets you record steady videos while flying. The Yi Erida will have advanced radar and sensor systems, manual camera controls, and can be controlled via a mobile app which Xiaomi says will make remotes obsolete.

READ MORE:  Xiaomi Mi 6 Specs and Release Details Leaked

Flyme 6 Gets ”Time Machine” Feature: Lets You Access Deleted Data From Up to 2 Years

Meizu announced a new version of its own android based OS during the launch of the Meizu M5 Note. The new OS called Flyme 6 will be coming out of closed beta tomorrow and in addition to the numerous new features already listed, a new feature called Time Machine will be making its way to the OS.

Flyme 6 Time Machine

According to Meizu, Time Machine will let users retrieve accidentally deleted contacts. The feature will let you access deleted contacts data as far back as two years (the data starts recording from the day you start using the feature). So two years from now, you should still be able to access contacts deleted between now and December, 2018. To make use of the feature, users will have to got to Settings > Data Cloud Sync > Time Machine.

Meizu also says they have optimized the contacts synchronization speed by up to 65% and reduced traffic consumption by up to 66%. So a 300 contact phone-book should synchronize in about 9 seconds.

READ MORE: Meizu Box Gets A Price Increase: Attributed to Rise in Cost of Materials

Flyme 6 will be available for the following phones as a public beta starting tomorrow: PRO 6 Plus, PRO 6s, PRO 6, MX5, Pro 5, MX5, MX4 Pro, MX4, U20, U10, Meizu Max, Meizu E, Meizu Metal, Meizu M3 Note, Meizu M3s, Meizu M3, Meizu M2 Note, and Meziu M1 Note.

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Get Quality Nomu Rugged Smartphones at Discounted Rates!

Most of us have smartphones these days but some people either tend to break their phones quite often or they work in the environment that is full of dust, humidity etc. Therefore, we have rugged smartphones and if you want to still be using your device even after severe drops on concrete or into the pool, the Nomu rugged phones are currently on sale at Gearbest.com.

In fact, we have already reviewed the Nomu S30 and we were mostly positive about it.

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The Nomu S10 is the cheapest out of the pack but the phone still has quite a lot to offer for the price of just below $120. Obviously, the phone is designed to withstand the punishment of dust, humidity and severe temperature changes.

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Also, the IP-68 certification assures the water-resistance, so you can use the phone under water for 30 mins.

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Finally, the phone sports some decent specs for the price that include a quad-core MTK6737 chip (1.5GHz), 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. 

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The Nomu S20 is a slightly more expensive ($150) phone but it has a much larger 6.0 display that assures a better multimedia experience.

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In addition, the phone has the Gorilla Glass 3 protective glass and it is shatter-resistant (up to 1.5m), which is a great feature if you work in some dangerous environments like construction sites.

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Obviously, the S20 keeps the same IP-68 rating that allows this phone to take a beating. Finally, the phone is more powerful as it has the same quad-core MTK6737 chip (1.5GHz) but it sports 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. 

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Finally, the Nomu S30 is one of the most powerful budget rugged phones you can buy at the moment. Even though the phone is pretty expensive ($230), it has some great specs. The phone ships with an octa-core Mediatek Helio P10 chip with the clock speeds of 2.0GHz, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of expandable storage.

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One of the key selling points is a huge 5000mAh battery that will allow you to use the phone for at least a few days.

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The Nomu S30 has the IP-68 rating and it is water, dust, shock and temperature-resistant. Naturally, all the ports are covered with flaps to avoid any water damage.

Xiaomi Confirms The Release of Its White Bicycle In January

Xiaomi has announced that it would officially launch its White bicycle on January 1, 2017. The bicycle is one of Xiaomi’s ecological chain product manufactured by Hutchison Technology Co., Ltd and as usual, if it isn’t innovative, it isn’t Xiaomi. The bike comes with some innovative features.

xiaomi white bicycle

A shared photo of the bicycle shows it comes in white colors and the company also teased that the bicycle would not have metal chains as well as its attendant need for oiling. Instead, the white bicycle would come with carbon fibre drive belt, thus effectively putting an end to drive chain problems. Companies such as BMW, Harley Davidson, Bombardier and other giants in the bike industry are already adopting this technology.

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Xiaomi is reported as planning to release the first 100,000 units of the bike in Cities such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Xiamen, while other cities will get it later. The bike is likely going to be available for use on rental basis where users will just make a deposit of 199 yuan and then they can rent the bike at a fee of 1 yuan per half hour.

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Moto G4 Plus Gets Android Nougat Update

Lenovo-owned Motorolo is finally rolling out an Android Nougat update to the Moto G4 Plus. This is not the first time the Moto G4 Plus is getting the Android Nougat update as Motorola carried out a soak test back in October.

Moto G4 Plus

The new update brings a ton of new features to the phone such as split-screen multi-tasking, quick switching between apps, and work mode. You can also reply to notifications directly from the status bar without opening the app, and even control the notification settings for an app by pressing and holding down on the notification.

Motorola has also added new Moto experiences like the Moto action which lets you swipe to shrink the screen and a setting to disable or enable the feature that locks the screen when the screen is on and you touch the fingerprint scanner.

The update is starting in India and will gradually roll out to other owners. You may receive a notification telling you abut the update or you can manually check by going to Settings>About Phone>Software Update. Make sure you have at least 50% of charge left on your phone before downloading the update.

READ MORE: Motorola Droid Turbo 3 Renders and Few specs Leaked

MGCOOL Cam 360 Dual Fish-Eye Lens Brings Better Panoramic View

MGCOOL Cam 360 is a sports camera with a difference as it adopts dual fish-eye ultra-wide angle lens which is reputed as being able to capture the entire 360 degree screen, thus bringing better panoramic views. The camera lens literally works like fish eyes, hence the name fish-eye lens. Each of the lens is close to or equal to 180 degree wide angle and both work together to give a wide angle view.

mgcool cam 360

There are some fish-eye camera which uses just one lens but the MGCOOL Cam 360 comes with dual lenses and this makes it possible to avoid the shooting effect caused by conversion of the lens. It prides itself as having the same setup as Samsung’s own 360 camera as well as Ricoh, and LG Panoramic camera. They all use dual fish-eye lens design in order to achieve better panoramic effect.

MGCOOL Cam 360

We are not going to bore you with the optical principle behind the workings of the MGCOOL Cam 360’s fish-eye camera but suffice it to say that the production quality speaks for itself. What you get is high impact video and phot shoot.

MGCOOL

Read Also: Bundle up! Get bonus accessories with every MGCOOL Cam 360!

You can learn more about the MGCOOL Cam 360 from MGCOOL’s official website right here, or instead visit her fan page on Facebook from here.

Nokia E1 Gets 3C Certification, Launch Not Far Off

It seems we might be getting one of the new Nokia smartphones soon as it is presumed that the device that just got its 3C certification is the Nokia E1.

The device whose model number is stated as TA-1000 has its charging specification as 5V/2A and its manufacturer as HMD Global Oy. The factory is also listed as FIH Precision Electronics Co. Ltd which is the Foxconn subsidiary serving as production partner.

Nokia E1 3C Certification

Nokia E1 Sketch

The Nokia E1 is said to have a 5.5-inch display, 1GB of RAM, a Snapdragon 200 SoC, and runs Android 7.0.1 Nougat. A sketch of the phone leaked online recently shows the phone sporting capacitive keys, a front facing camera positioned at the top left and a Nokia logo at the top right corner. Volume rocker and power button are on the right hand side and the camera and LED flash are positioned in the middle of the phone.

READ MORE: Apple-Nokia Patent Battle: Apple Halts Nokia-Owned Withings Product Sales 

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X Release Imminent; Passes TENAA

Its seems that the rumored Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X is going to release soon. Its specifications have been revealed as it has received TENAA certification in China.

Earlier this week, first rumors of Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X had surfaced. It revealed key specs like Snapdragon 653 chipset, 4 GB RAM and 64 GB native storage. A leaked imaged of what seems to be a real Redmi Note 4X handset has surfaced.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X

The leaked image shows ‘About Phone’ screen of the purported Redmi Note 4X that once again key specs like 2.0 GHz Snapdragon 653 chipset and 4 GB of RAM. Out of 64 GB native storage, 52.17 GB storage is available to the user. The handset runs on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow OS along with MIUI 8.1 skin.

Redmi 4X TENAA

Its listing on TENAA certification body has revealed additional specifications of Redmi Note 4X. Apart from 64 GB variant, the smartphone is also expected to launch in 32 GB model.

Related: Xiaomi Redmi Note 4X in Works? Beefed-Up Edition of Redmi Note 4 to Rival Meizu M5 Note?

Even though recent rumors have stated that the Note 4X will feature Snapdragon 653 SoC, TENAA listing has revealed a MediaTek Helio X20 chipset variant of the smartphone. Its main camera will be of 13-megapixel and it is expected to house a massive 4,100 mAh battery.

The TENAA agency photos of Redmi Note 4X suggests that the appearance of the smartphone is quite like Redmi Note 4. The leaked photo of a live Redmi Note 4X handset suggests that it sports a curved display along with slim bezels.

It is expected to feature a 5.5-inch full HD screen. It may come with a 5-megapixel selfie camera and a rear-facing fingerprint scanner. Since Redmi Note 4 lacks NFC, rumors indicate that Note 4X may feature it. It may continue to feature a microUSB port, but some rumors claim that it may arrive with a USB Type-C port.

OnePlus 3T Soft Gold Color Version Goes On Sale on Jan. 3 in China

Just like it did for the OnePlus 3, OnePlus is set to release a Soft Gold color version of its latest OnePlus 3T flagship. The new variant will be unveiled on January 3, 2017 at 3.00 and would go on sale immediately on OnePlus’ official website and on Jingdong (JD.com) simultaneously. The new soft Gold variant still starts at 2699 yuan ($392).

oneplus 3t soft gold

The OnePlus 3T was launched about a month ago in China after its initial unveiling in Europe and was touted as available in two variants, Gunmetal and Soft Gold. However, the OnePlus 3T Soft gold variant wasn’t available when it launched but OnePlus has released a poster announcing the variant will now be available next week.

oneplus 3T

The OnePlus 3T Soft gold variant add some bit of class and extra sleekness to an already beautiful device. The device retains the design of the OnePlus 3 and aside the new color, the specs remain the same with the Gunmetal version of the OP3T. Recall that the OnePlus 3T features the flagship Snapdragon 821 processor clocked at 2.35GHz, a larger 3400mAh battery, a 16MP front facing camera, a new storage variant, and the rear camera now has EIS and is covered by sapphire glass.

Read More: Giztop Now Has The 128GB Variant of The OnePlus 3T

The OnePlus 3T is priced at 2699 yuan ($392) for the 6GB RAM + 64GB ROM variant while the 6GB RAM + 128GB variant retails for 2999 yuan ($435).