Stunning Vivo X9 Front Dual Camera Samples with Bokeh Effect Released

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Nov 9, 2016

Latest report emerging from South Korea hints at the Samsung Galaxy S8 coming with some bit of innovations and one of the innovation is that both variants of the Galaxy S8 would sport curved edge displays which curve on the sides to meet the phone’s enclosure in an effect that makes the device look bezel-less. That means there is no flat screen model, according to the report.

Another difference that would be on the Galaxy S8 as highlighted in the report is that the two models would use the model numbers SM-G950 and SM-G955, meaning Samsung is skipping the number 4 as the Galaxy S7 shipped with the serials SM-G93x. This may not be unconnected with Korean superstition surrounding the number 4.

The version with model number G950 is said to feature a 5.7-inch display, slightly bigger than the S7 edge which came in at 5.5 inches, Galaxy S6 at 5.1 inches but at par with the Galaxy S6 Edge+ released in fall 2015. On the other hand, the SM-G955 model is said to sport a larger 6.2-inch screen and also adopt a different aesthetic appearance, thanks to a nearly edge-to-edge display. To achieve this appearance without pushing the limits of the device’s pocket-ability, it’s said to be the first Galaxy model to forgo physical and capacitive navigation buttons in favor of on-screen ones. Xiaomi Mix readily comes to mind on this. Furthermore, the two phones are rumored to come with the names, Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus.

As is customary over the past years, Samsung is expected to introduce the new lineup at Mobile World Congress 2017 in Barcelona, Spain. The company has so far ensured leaks surrounding the models are curtailed but how long can they do that? We’ll see.

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Xiaomi Redmi 4 & Redmi 4A Now Up For Pre-Order on Oppomart, Starts At $89

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Pre-order Redmi 4 From OPPOMART

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Nov 9, 2016

Xiaomi released two stunning devices last weekend with premium body build, a decent specs line-up and on top of all that, amazingly cheap price tags. The duo of Xiaomi Redmi 4 and Redmi 4A were officially unveiled last weekend by the Chinese tech giant and a lot of fans are eager to get their hands on a copy of either of them, especially the Redmi 4A.

The great news is, the Xiaomi Redmi 4 and Redmi 4A is now up for pre-order on e-commerce website Oppomart and the good thing is you can pre-order any of the two or both and have them shipped to wherever you are worldwide. Awesome? Wait for more. The Redmi 4A is on offer for just $89 while the Redmi 4 is listed with a slightly higher, yet affordable price tag of $119 for the 2GB + 32GB version while the 3GB + 64GB version is $40 higher at $159.

Obviously, the Redmi 4 packs a higher specs than the Redmi 4A, sporting a 5-inch display with 1080 pixel resolution. As you know, there are two versions of the device with the high-end version packing an Octa-core Snapdragon 625 chip, 3GB RAM as well as 32GB of internal storage. On the other hand, the second version of the Redmi 4 is powered by a Snapdragon 430 processor and features 2GB of RAM as well as 16GB of internal storage on-board. Both versions have microSD slots for expansion of the internal storage. Both versions pack a large 4,100mAh battery which is enough to ensure some extended hours of usage.

Other features include a 13MP primary camera with PDAF and LED flash on both versions, a 5MP front-facing camera, dual SIM / dual standby support, entire network support including 4G, support for dual-band Wi-Fi as well as infrared remote control feature. On the software end, both the Redmi 4/4A run on MIUI 8 based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

On the other hand, the Xiaomi Redmi 4A while sporting similar appearance as the Redmi 4, is powered by a Quad-core Snapdragon 425 chipset clocked at 1.2GHz. There device features a 5-inch 720p display as well as 2GB of RAM and 16GB of expandable internal storage. At the back, the phone features a 13MP sensor with PDAF, and up front, there is a 5MP shooter. Other features include a 3120mAh battery, MIUI 8 and dual SIM / dual standby.

Xiaomi Piston 3 Pro In-Ear Headphone Hands-on & Unboxing Images

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Nov 9, 2016

Xiaomi launched an upgraded version of its Piston Pro series of headphones. The Xiaomi Piston 3 Pro In-Ear Headphone comes with a CNC diamond-cut aluminum sound chamber with an anodized surface and a CD pattern engraved design. A beautiful design in all aspect and you can have a shot at the device on this fresh hands-on images.

The main earbuds are constructed with a 45 degree bend which ensures it fits in properly into the ears and there are three different sizes of silicone soft skin ear plugs which reduce ear irritation and gives soft soft, comfortable feel to the use of the ear phone.

On the internals, the Piston 3 Pro uses a combination of double coils and a moving piston to produce clear natural sounds and achieve a tri-band balance. The headphone also has three control buttons that are housed in a chamber designed like a warhead. You can switch between tracks and also play and pause with the buttons. The wire loop is made of TPE with a matte finish and should likely be resistant to entanglement.

The headphone packs a 3.5mm audio jack with which it is connected to devices for rich sound. Perhaps, the 3.5mm adio jack is an indication that Xiaomi doesn’t plan to abandon the 3.5mm jack anytime soon.

The Xiaomi Piston 3 Pro in-ear headphone is coming out ahead of the Double 11 (11.11) sales and would go on sale on November 11 with a price tag of just 149 Yuan ($21.99). I’d say that is a cheap price to pay for such a powerful piece of gadget. Check out more unboxing images from down below.

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Nokia CEO says Company will Make New Foray into Consumer Market

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Nov 9, 2016

Nokia used to be the biggest phone maker in the world at one point, but not anymore as so many things have changed now like Donald Trump winning the US elections. But according to CEO Rajeev Suri, the company is not far from done as you might start seeing Nokia products in the market soon.

At the 18th Nikkei Global Management Forum which was held in Japan, the CEO said that for the company to sustain its business, constant adaptability to change is crucial. The statement is not surprising as some believe Nokia’s fall is attributed to its failure to see the world was changing and its refusal to adopt the Android OS in time.

The company has acquired French telecommunications company, Alcatel-Lucent, who in turn own Bell Laboratories, one of the largest communication research institutes in the world with a portfolio of over 29,000 patents.

They have also acquired another French company, Withings, a company known for its smart health-focused wearable devices and are planning to reinvent the Nokia brand through them.

In Mr. Suri’s words ”We think the opportunity for us to go into the [consumer market] and to combine it with the network business we have is powerful”. The company is pushing hard for 5G wireless technology which will assist development of innovations in virtual reality and sensory devices.

Camera Samples of Huawei Mate 9 Porsche Design

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Nov 9, 2016

It is almost a week since the launch of Huawei’s latest flagship, the Mate 9, but the shock from the pricing of the Mate 9 Porsche Design has not worn off yet.

The senior vice-president of Huawei, Yu Chengdong, wants you to know that purchasing the Porsche Design version of the phone is worth every penny and he has done that by uploading camera samples of the phone on his Weibo page.

While the pictures are not bad, they should not appear any different from what you would get if they were taken on the standard variant since they both have the same camera setup. I think a better way to convince people would be by comparing on-screen time since they have the same batteries but different screen sizes and resolutions.

The Mate 9 Porsche Design has a 5.5” 2K AMOLED curved display, 6GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, dual 20MP + 12MP Leica rear cameras, an 8MP camera up front, NFC, runs Android Nougat and has a 4000mAh battery. All these specs cost a not-so-pocket-friendly $1547!!

Smart Edge Gesture Support on MIUI 9 Will Enhance Mi Note 2

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Nov 9, 2016

The Xiaomi Mi Note 2 has a dual-curved display which is similar to what you have on the S7 Edge. But while Samsung’s curved edges have special functions when you swipe them such as quick shortcuts to preset apps, contacts, and news feed; and if you use it with a flip case, the exposed edge will display notifications and important info without you having to open the phone.

Xiaomi on the other hand failed to mention during the launch of the Mi Note 2 if it had any special tricks up its ~~sleeve~~ screen. Though reports said it does have some special gestures like shortcuts to theme customizations. However, it appears it will get better functions following the arrival of MIUI 9.

Yesterday, we reported that a private beta of the new ROM was available to a select few and since it is based on Android Nougat 7.1, it will feature smart edge gestures. The news now is that these gestures will greatly improve the experience of the Mi Note 2 when it eventually gets updated to MIUI 9. There are no details yet on what specific functions it will have; if they will be similar to what we have seen before or be new tricks.

iPhone 8 Could Use OLED Display, Recent Apple Filing Suggests

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Nov 8, 2016

A recent Apple financial performance filing before the US Securities and Exchange Commission has revealed a strategic new detail about Apple’s future plans for its iPhone’s displays, suggesting a shift to OLED displays beginning with the iPhone 8. The filing known as Form 10-K is an annual report required by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), that gives a comprehensive summary of a company’s financial performance.

The recent filing as unearthed by investment firm JP Morgan shows that Apple had placed a purchase order for OLEDs with more than a year duration for the first time valued at a staggering $4 billion. According to JP Morgan, the order coincides with an “off-balance sheet obligation” for the same amount from the third quarter, which it believed to be a long-term OLED obligation to Samsung for the future iPhone.

It is widely rumored that Apple’s next iPhone 8 billed for next Fall could use OLED displays on one of its versions. This obviously is a shift from the LCD displays currently being used on Apple iPhones, although the company uses OLED panels in other products including Apple Watch and, most recently, the 2016 MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar. The OLED panels could be supplied by Samsung which is the main supplier of the technology, but other firms like LG, Sharp and even Japan Displays (JDI) which supplies the current LCDs, are also tipped as potential suppliers.

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OnePlus 3T Officially Gets November 15 Launch Date

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Nov 8, 2016

OnePlus has officially released a teaser on Twitter pointing at a launch event holding on November 15 at 1 PM EST. As rumored, the company is expected to release a Snapdragon 821-powered version of the OnePlus 3. Although the official release did not explicitly state the name of the device that would be launched that day, it is the OnePlus 3T, an upgraded version of the OnePlus 3.

Earlier on, Qualcomm had through its official Twitter handle released a post that teased the coming of a OnePlus device that would be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor sort of confirming earlier rumors. Now this teaser has given some confirmation to the rumors but then, it left off without ascribing a name to the expected smartphone. The poster contains the code T-7 and then the date as well as time of the launch event. While the letter T can be given to be representing the OnePlus 3T, we cannot say what the number 7 refers to. So we’ll have to wait till the conference to find out more.

T-7: The @Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 (2.35GHz) is coming your way. Find out more on November 15. pic.twitter.com/fA8mUTYAjd

— OnePlus (@oneplus) November 8, 2016

Specs wise, the OnePlus 3T is expected to sport the same 5.5-inch 1080p Optic AMOLED display that was first seen on the OnePlus 3. New details have emerged that it is likely that the OnePlus 3T would use LCD display due to shortage of AMOLED screen in order to fast track shipment of the device. In addition, the device is expected to feature two memory versions with 64GB or 128GB of internal storage, but both models are expected to have 6GB of RAM. The major differences from the OnePlus 3 will include an upgrade of the processor to Snapdragon 821, while the rear camera is expected to have the Sony IMX398 sensor that can be found in the OPPO R9s and R9s Plus. Also unlike the OnePlus 3, the upcoming device is expected to have Android 7.0 Nougat pre-installed. Not forgetting also that the price would come around $80 higher than the OnePlus 3, placing it around $480.

MIUI 9 Private Beta Based on Android 7.1 Leaked

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Nov 8, 2016

It’s no news that Xiaomi is already working on MIUI 9. An insider already leaked that the company held a ceremony recently to kick off the project. Despite that, a new leak suggests that they have might have been working on it for a while already.

Weibo user @Kjuma posted a screenshot of a phone that has received a private beta of the new ROM. The MIUI version number says 9.10.13 based on Android 7.1 Nougat, and the update is a whooping 1.8GB.

The update will bring new features such as split-screen multitasking and smart gestures support. However, some people have doubted the authenticity of the image as it has the MIUI 8 slogan.

I am not really excited about the new update and I am sure quite a number of MIUI users will share the same opinion as well. While MIUI 9 may be based on Android Nougat, there is a very strong chance that some phones which might receive the update when it is finally released will still be stuck on their current version of android.

Take the Redmi Note 3 for example, it is still running Android Lollipop even though it is one of Xiaomi’s best selling phones and was released months after Marshmallow was made official. Xiaomi said it was working on a Marshmallow update for it but we’ve heard nothing for months now.

Xiaomi MIX Sells Out In 30 Seconds

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Nov 8, 2016

The Xiaomi MIX went on sale again today alongside the Mi Note 2 but both devices were out of stock in a very short time.

The sales kicked off at exactly 10 o’clock. Some buyers who were trying to purchase it decided to reload the page since it was slow to load due to the heavy traffic on the server only to see it was out of stock. Those who took note of the time said it was still 10:00:30 am when the MIX sold out!!

The Mi Note 2 cannot be said to have fared any better as it was out of stock in a minute.

Some users’ feedback have said it’s better to make a reservation than wait to buy during flash sales as a reserved order will most likely be fulfilled. The short supply of the Mi Mix is still understandable as Xiaomi has said they are facing production challenges with the ceramic body. Until that is fixed, there will always be a short supply of the phone.

Xiaomi May Release Non-Curved Mi Note 2 Variant on November 11

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Nov 8, 2016

It’s been two weeks since the Mi Note 2 launched and the second flash sale ran today, even though quite a number of people were still not able to purchase due to the limited supply. However, a new Xiaomi phone has been spotted on TENAA that shares several similarities to the Mi Note 2 but lacks a curved-display. Speculations say this is the Non-Curved Variant of the Mi Note 2.

non-curved-xiaomi-mi-note-2-4-2 — Non-Curved Mi Note 2

non-curved-xiaomi-mi-note-2 — Non-Curved Mi Note 2

The phone’s model number is 2015213 which is just a little different from the Mi Note 2’s 2015211 model number. It also features the same rear camera design but lacks the rear curves as well as the curved screen in front.

The screen is 5.68” but there is no mention of the resolution. But there is a high chance it is a Full HD OLED display. Battery capacity is 4070mAh and all the other specifications are said to be the same.

Gionee S9 with 4GB RAM, Helio P10 Appears on AnTuTu

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Nov 8, 2016

Gionee‘s first smartphone coming with a dual rear camera set up was recently spotted on TENAA where it got certified. The TENAA listing gave us a peek of the device’s render as well as some of its specifications. The Gionee S9 has again appeared on benchmark site AnTuTu which does nothing but confirm the TENAA listed specifications and perhaps gives us the idea that a launch is imminent.

From the AnTuTu listing, the Gonee S9 features a Full HD (1080 pixels) resolution which would be on a 5.5-inch display, at least we know the display size from the TENAA data. The AnTuTu data further reveals a MediaTek Helio P10 (MT6755) octa-core processor would power the expected flagship device while a Mali-T860 GPU will power the graphics. There is also a memory combination of 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage on the device.

On the camera end, the Gionee S9 crams a 13MP front camera as well as a 13MP primary sensor at the rear. The rear camera, though, as revealed by the device’s appearance on TENAA is a dual camera set-up with the secondary or depth of field camera sporting a 5MP sensor. Additionally, the Gionee S9 comes pre-installed with Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS.

6.4” Lenovo Phablet With Low-Range Specifications Shows Up at TENAA (Updated)

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Nov 8, 2016

A new Lenovo phone with a massive 6.47-inch display has surfaced on TENAA apparently to get its network certification. The specifications of the new phone can’t be compared to what you have on other large screen phones like the Xiaomi Mi Max or the Meizu M3 Max.

The phone which has model number PB2-650N sports a 6.47” HD display, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of built-in storage, a 1.3GHz quad-core processor, an 8MP rear camera, and a 5MP front facing camera.

It runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow, has a SD card slot (128GB max) and a 4050mah battery which should provide enough screen time since it has a 720p resolution.

The image on TENAA however shows the display having thin side bezels and lacking a fingerprint scanner. The phone weighs 230g and has a thickness of 8.65mm. There is support for 4G LTE (TDD and FDD) but the bands are few.

Xiaomi Releases Piston Pro In-Ear Earphones

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Nov 8, 2016

Xiaomi makes a bunch of accessories for their mobile devices and earphones are a part of them. The company has released a number of earphones over the years of which the Piston series is the most popular. Today they have released the Piston Pro in-ear earphones.

The Piston 3 Pro has a CNC diamond-cut aluminium sound chamber with an anodized surface and a CD pattern engraved design. The main earbuds are bent to 45° so that they fit nicely into your ears and don’t fall off.

The Piston Pro uses a combination of double coils and a moving piston to produce clear natural sounds and achieve a tri-band balance. If you head to the official page, there is an audio track that automatically plays which you can use to test out the earphones and see if you can distinguish the various background sounds on the track.

The Piston Pro has three control buttons that are housed in a chamber designed like a warhead. You can switch between tracks and also play and pause with the buttons. Xiaomi has decided not to use flat wires for the earphones and there is no mention of it being tangle-free but it says the wire is made of TPE with a matte finish.

Xiaomi has bundled the Piston Pro with 4 sizes of silicone soft skin ear plugs that reduce ear irritation and are comfortable when you wear them.

More Interesting Details on Huawei Concept Phone Emerge

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Nov 8, 2016

Not long after well-known analyst Pan Jiutang revealed that Huawei was working on its own concept phone using Samsung’s four curved screen and scheduled for release in December, more details have emerged sort of lending credence to Jiutang’s assertions. The new details even went on to mention specifically that the Huawei concept phone would be launched on December 16.

According to Weibo user @Mocha, the said Huawei Concept phone is not just a new product but a new product line or brand which perhaps would bore many offspring in the future. The leakster ascribed a very high degree of authenticity to Pan Jiutang’s post about the Huawei device.

Also, another Weibo user @Zheng Jun also confirmed the existence of a Huawei concept phone and the conceptualization comes in on the screen design and the design would be one of the major attraction of the device. Jiutang had earlier hinted at Huawei using Samsung’s four curved screen on the device. We’ll have to wait some more to fully grab what that means.

Further more, some web users have dug into the archives to unearth a Huawei patent filed last year for a concept device (pictured above) with curved display at the front and a rounded arc at the back which is symmetrical with the front glass. The device bore some resemblance with Samsung Galaxy Edge’s design but with some notable omissions. On closer look it can be seen that the concept phone has no camera, no fingerprint sensor, no visible physical capacitive keys, neither is there any visible speakers, headphone jack or any other physical feature except the curved screen.

There seems to be some explanation, though, as internal sources have revealed that the Huawei concept phone comes with a set of peripherals such as headsets, smart band or watch, external camera and even implant device. Also the sources hinted that Huawei would likely manufacture just the concept phones while the other peripheral devices would be manufactured by third parties. Interesting isn’t it? We’ll have to see how this turns out, really!

Meizu’s Leaked Concept Renders Shows A True Bezel-less Front, But Unlikely To Be True

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Joel Joseph

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Nov 7, 2016

Recently, a new set of renders of an alleged Meizu device cropped up on the internet, revealing a brand new device with a true bezel-less front. While usually such concepts never convert into real products, Xiaomi proved all of us wrong, with its new surprise, the Xiaomi Mi Mix. So, we can’t totally rule out the possibility of its counterpart, Meizu, releasing a concept machine of its own.

The new images are basic renders, showing off a true bezel-less front. So, unlike the Mi Mix, there is no bezel at the bottom. And it looks like the phone comes with an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor on the front. This definitely makes this Meizu phone much better looking than the Mi Mix, but we still wonder whether this phone actually exists.

To be honest, Meizu, at present, seems to be more focused on its new flagship smartphone. The Meizu Pro 6S although decently specced, isn’t as powerful as other flagships in the market right now. So, it’s unlikely that the company is focusing its energy on a concept machine before revealing a decent flagship worthy smartphone.

There’s another leaked image (check below) which shows the date 24 December 2016, teasing us about a new product launch from the company. Unfortunately, at present, we can’t confirm anything, so we better wait for more details.

Check out rest of the Meizu Concept Phone renders below.

Xiaomi Launches Cloth Pear Fresh Air Mask Priced at 89 Yuan ($13)

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Nov 7, 2016

Xiaomi‘s latest crowdfunding product is a new 52-chip fresh air mask which was launched today in China. Adopting the moniker Cloth Pear Fresh air mask, the product as the name implies, is a set of masks with a streamlined compact layout, with an overall weight of 50.5g which makes it very light and portable.

The Cloth Pear fresh air mask uses a three-dimensional design, joined by hand-sewing with high-grade textile. There is a filter made of delicate materials which are able to achieve PM 2.5 filtration efficiency up to 99%. The housing of the filter is made using high-quality polyester fabric.

The new air mask system comes with double detachable design, custom-built ultra-thin fan, with 3-level speed, a power-on button, charging support, individual air volume memory, knob type filter cartridge which makes the air filter easy to update.

In addition, the new Cloth pear fresh air mask system contains high-density polymer lithium-ion battery, with an energy-saving module, 4-8 hours charging time. The Cloth Pear Fresh Air mask is available via the Mi home crowdfunding page for just 89 Yuan ($13).

Motorola Moto M Goes Official: 4GB RAM, Helio P15 Chip & More

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